Chapter 82

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

In the marble-decorated lobby, I was observing a group of animals.

These animals, known scientifically as "younger siblings," had the main characteristics of good-looking faces and long, slender limbs.

And they would make a loud "Wow" sound while looking around.

"Wow, hyung, look at that."

The lowest-ranking individual in the group pointed excitedly at the distant elevators.

"There are three elevators. Three."

"Look, there's a fountain too."

"Should we put in a coin and make a wish?"

"Hyung, do you think we're at an amusement park? ...Oh, that cleaning lady's vacuum cleaner is the latest model..."

And the only person maintaining sanity among these fools was me, Seon Woo-ju.

Out of disbelief, I asked,

"Is this really that surprising?"

Immediate responses came back.

"Yes."

"Of course."

"Hyung, aren't you surprised?"

Even Byu nodded in agreement.

"Hyung, you've been here for six years, but it's surprising to us. We've only heard about it, and this is our first time inside a major agency."

"I see. For me, it feels like I'm just returning to a school I graduated from."

The lobby was grand, befitting the entrance of an agency leading the K-pop wave, but to me, it was nothing special.

I had come here countless times, and the last time I left, it wasn't on the best of terms, so my impression of the space wasn't particularly pleasant.

"Wow."

What is it this time? I laughed and followed their gazes, then realized what they were looking at.

The posters hanging on the wall.

Dozens of photos of the company's top stars were displayed at regular intervals.

And in the most prominent spot, the posters of the eight members of TNT, who boast the highest popularity, were prominently displayed.

At the center was Han Tae-hyun, with a smug smile, and familiar faces were scattered throughout.

While I was feeling a bit strange seeing people who took different paths from me, who pursued only an idol career, the atmosphere changed.

"Hey? Look at that empty spot, hyung. Maybe a new photo will be hung there."

"Where?"

"Right there. The most visible spot after the TNT seniors."

As Ji-ho pointed, a large frame was leaning against the wall.

I explained to the curious younger siblings,

"Maybe someone is coming to sign a contract today."

"Huh?"

"It's a ceremony they do when the agency recruits a new artist. They meet in the lobby, show the new poster, then go up to the CEO's office to sign the contract and give a tour of the company. Something like that."

"Wow."

"Seriously, what's so amazing about this?"

It ended up being another "Wow."

While the younger siblings were burning with curiosity about who the new poster would feature, Seok-hwan hyung, who had been writing in the visitor log, returned.

"What are they so excited about now?"

"Looks like someone is signing a contract today. They're preparing the poster."

"Oh."

Seok-hwan hyung, who had been glancing at the poster's position, said nonchalantly,

"It must be a big contract, judging by the location."

"Yeah, who could it be?"

"I'm not sure. There are no singers that prominent, and it's probably an actor. There are a lot of free agents in the market these days."

Seok-hwan hyung fell silent after that.

A group of people came out of the elevator, and it was time to switch to a more reserved mode, as we did at the broadcasting station.

"Hyung."

While staring intently at the posters, Byu asked me,

"If our photos were to be hung here, where do you think they would go?"

"Hmm."

The answer that lingered on my tongue was that, at our current level, they wouldn't be hung here, but I didn't say it out loud.

We need to protect their innocence.

So I smiled and pointed to a suitable spot.

"Somewhere around there."

* * *

Upon arriving at the 7th floor, we were immediately led to the meeting room of TJ New Media Advertising Department.

The large meeting room wall, which offered a view of Cheongdam-dong, proudly displayed the ads they had produced.

Two men wearing glasses, who seemed quite professional, were sitting in front of us.

They were the AEs in charge of this ad.

I'm not sure what the acronym stands for, but in Korean, it means "advertising planner."

Their job is to facilitate communication between the advertiser, who orders the ad, and the production team, and to oversee the overall ad production.

It's similar to what PDs do in variety shows or dramas.

Perhaps because of this similarity, everyone seemed to have tired or bloodshot eyes.

The manager on the right smiled awkwardly.

"Sorry, we don't look our best. We should have, but we've been busy preparing for the PPM recently, and our schedule has been tight."

We nodded and smiled in understanding.

The meeting started right away.

"This is about the ad concept. The most important part for you guys to focus on is the storyboard I'm giving you now."

While the manager was speaking, the assistant manager distributed the storyboards.

The phrase "Ad Model - New Black" on the freshly printed paper made me feel oddly pleased.

At the end of the storyboard, a name caught my eye.

Advertiser - KG International

The company that owned the school uniform brand "Everdream," for which we were modeling.

After researching the advertiser before our meeting, I learned that it was a comprehensive trading company under the large KG Group.

Their business areas were very diverse, including raw material trading, clothing, and hotel operations, and we were modeling for the school uniform brand under the clothing division.

Of course, it was a minor part of their revenue, but the image of a large corporation made us feel a bit pressured.

For some reason.

While carefully flipping through the storyboard, I listened intently to the explanations from the agency side.

"The advertiser wants to break away from the old image the brand has had. According to our research, most people associate Everdream with 'school uniforms chosen by parents' and 'old-fashioned.' To break this stereotype, this ad will have a different concept."

He continued,

"The main target is teenagers, so we're going for something different from the usual, cliché ads that just show how cool and fancy everything is. We're aiming for a dramatized concept with interesting content."

"Does that mean the characters in the storyboard are wizards?"

"Yes, the story is about students at a magic school. That's the concept for this ad."

Before diving into the detailed meeting, we were told to take a quick look through the storyboard.

The sound of flipping pages echoed in the quiet meeting room.

The ad content was simple.

It depicted a short, bumpy story of students learning magic at a magic school.

Especially the opening scene was impressive.

If it were to be shown on MiTube, it would make you hesitate to skip it.

It was light but not too light.

As we casually skimmed through the content, our expressions gradually became more serious.

I was also focusing intently.

After going through it once, I flipped back to the beginning and tried to visualize the content in my head.

This is...

Somehow, it feels...

"How is it?"

While we were processing the ad content, the paper rustled in the meeting room.

Everyone turned their gaze.

Against the backdrop of sunlight streaming in from the window,

our youngest member was looking at the storyboard with a very unfamiliar expression.

He wasn't his usual carefree self but was very serious.

He repeatedly examined the storyboard, like someone checking an OMR card during an important exam.

When we tried to talk to him, he didn't respond.

After a while, Ji-ho finally closed the first page and looked up.

The two AEs asked the same question again.

"How is it?"

After deep thought, the youngest member finally spoke, summarizing what we all felt.

"It's too good to be just an ad."

* * *

Ji-ho's words seemed to be the highest praise for the ad planners.

The atmosphere brightened, and we were able to conclude the meeting in a warm and friendly environment.

"Yes, we'll see you on the shooting day."

While we were preparing to leave, organizing our documents, the manager, who was unbuttoning his cuffs and catching his breath, approached us.

"By the way, I'm just saying this out of concern."

"Ah, yes."

He looked around, even though no one was listening.

"KG International seems to be undergoing a lot of changes with new employees and executives. They're reviewing various aspects of the business very thoroughly. The person in charge of this ad is very passionate and seems to be paying a lot of attention to the details."

He seemed to be holding back due to his position, but his indirect message was clear.

The top management of the other company is reviewing the current operations to see if they are profitable and running smoothly.

Because of this, the ad planner is on high alert, paying attention to every small detail, so you should be careful too.

Seok-hwan hyung and I nodded.

"Thank you for letting us know. We'll do our best to prepare."

"Yes, please do."

With that, we concluded the meeting and left the room.

I handed the storyboard to Seok-hwan hyung to avoid losing it, but our youngest member looked very disappointed.

"Ah, it was so interesting."

"Really? You found it that interesting?"

"Hyung, didn't you think so too? I was completely focused."

Indeed.

Recalling the scene from earlier, it felt a bit strange.

Our usually carefree youngest member suddenly became quiet and intensely examined the storyboard, which was very unfamiliar.

"While looking at it, I imagined all sorts of things. It seems like there's a lot more to add, almost like a prologue."

"That's true. I just thought it was interesting."

The other younger siblings nodded.

"Definitely, the material seems too good to be just an ad, but I'm not sure if it's that good."

"Me too. It just seems like a Harry Potter knockoff."

"I'm still not sure what the content is, but it was interesting."

"Ah, frustrating. This feels like there's something more to it..."

While our youngest member was frustrated by our lack of understanding, we left the ad agency's office and entered the lobby, where the atmosphere was strange.

The employees at the desk were gone.

And a crowd of people was gathered in front of us, chatting noisily.

"Wow, really. How can someone look like that?"

"Is the contract being signed today?"

"It seems so. The manager is showing them around the company."

The employees who had greeted us indifferently earlier were now whispering excitedly.

Even the employees inside the office had come out to gossip.

We tilted our heads in confusion.

"Who's here?"

"Maybe it's the person whose poster was supposed to be hung on the 1st floor."

"Oh."

It must be that person.

At first, we thought we would wait until the crowd dispersed, but considering our next schedule, we decided to head towards the elevator.

When we were halfway around the crowd, we couldn't help but gape at the person in front of us.

"Wow."

It was the thirteenth "Wow" we heard today.

This time, it was justified.

The person surrounded by people and greeting them was one of the hottest top stars in Korea right now.

Actor Lee Geon-woo.

He became famous last year for playing a bodyguard who falls in love with a princess in a fusion historical drama, and this year, he rose to the ranks of Hallyu stars with a life-changing role as a painter with superpowers.

Since he appeared on the entertainment news almost every day, we were naturally amazed.

And his appearance.

"Wow..."

It was the first time I had seen someone so good-looking.

His head was incredibly small, and his facial features were unrealistically perfect.

It seemed TV couldn't capture the real thing.

But the admiration was short-lived.

I scratched the back of my head when I saw the person next to Lee Geon-woo.

That person was here too.

A middle-aged man in a designer suit with gold-rimmed glasses, who had a calm demeanor.

Han Young-joon, the executive director of TJ Entertainment, who had informed me of my debut group's disbandment when I left the agency.

It wasn't a bad memory, but it made me feel a bit strange.

Jung-hyun asked,

"Do you know him, hyung?"

"Yeah."

"Should we... greet him? It might be a bit difficult."

I thought about greeting him, but the crowd was too thick.

It would be awkward to push through the crowd just to announce my presence.

"We'll be late for the next schedule. Let's go, guys."

"Yes, manager."

While waiting for the right moment to greet, we eventually gave up and tried to walk around the corridor.

Just then, someone in the crowd noticed us and called out.

It was Hallyu star Lee Geon-woo.

"Hey? Isn't that New Black?"

How does he know us?

Just as I was about to smile and greet him,

Han Young-joon, standing next to him, recognized me and widened his eyes.

"Seon Woo-ju?"