Chapter 83

An awkward gaze intertwined in the air.

Manager Han Young-joon, who had briefly shown a surprised expression, soon regained his composure.

I smiled first and greeted him.

"It's been a while, Manager."

"Indeed, it has been a while."

Manager Han Young-joon, who had been looking at the sign that read 'Advertising Department,' seemed to have grasped the situation and showed a faint smile.

Our group also greeted him.

While we were exchanging awkward greetings, the crowd in the lobby began to swell, as if people had come from other floors.

Naturally, they were not looking at NewBlack.

It was the top star actor, Lee Gwan-woo.

He had greeted us warmly as if he knew us, but now he was listening to something his manager was whispering in his ear.

His eyes were calm, as if he were a player listening to the director's instructions.

Soon, he nodded and greeted us.

"Hello."

His voice was soft and pleasant to hear.

"I didn't expect to run into someone I know here."

"You know us?"

"Of course. We're shooting together, aren't we?"

"…What?"

He seemed to realize that our reaction was somehow off and made an 'Ah' sound.

Then he laughed heartily.

"You haven't heard yet. We're going to be recording together. That special."

"Ah!"

"I heard we're on the same team."

It finally made sense.

He was appearing in the special for the Chuseok holiday.

From what I heard, he was assigned to the same team as us.

For some reason, I felt happy, and we greeted him again.

He started telling us various stories.

He said he had been listening to 'Night Sea and Something' and that everyone looked good and sang well, which was a compliment.

I wondered what he had been listening to from his manager, but it seemed he had heard some minor details about NewBlack before talking to us.

Even though it was a show of courtesy, it was only pleasant for us.

After all, he was like a walking billboard.

With each word he spoke, the crowd around him perked up their ears and tapped on their smartphones.

Whispers like 'NewBlack?' and 'What do you mean, shooting together?' reached our ears.

It was a win-win for both sides.

We got publicity, and he got to boost his image.

The top star approaching the rookie idol group and showing genuine interest seemed to be well-received by the people.

I must have heard 'Wow, he's really nice' at least thirty times.

Just as we were hitting it off with the seniors, Manager Han Young-joon interjected, having heard something from his secretary.

"Gwan-woo, it seems you need to go down soon for your lunch appointment with the chairman."

"Ah, yes."

Lee Gwan-woo, who had been smiling softly, extended his hand to us for a handshake.

"It was nice meeting you. See you at the recording."

"Thank you, senior."

Like a Pied Piper, Lee Gwan-woo and his entourage moved toward the elevator, drawing the crowd with them.

During this time, we were naturally left behind.

A few people approached us, asking which broadcast we were on, but Seok-hwan took care of it.

After a series of chaotic events, I was momentarily dazed.

"Finally, we have a chance to talk."

A middle-aged man's voice came from behind.

Manager Han Young-joon was standing there, having apparently sent the others off first.

My siblings naturally cleared the space, sensing the atmosphere.

He smiled and asked.

"Are they all younger than you?"

"Yes."

"You look good. I thought you were an actor."

He nodded with a smile.

"I couldn't really talk properly just now, with Gwan-woo and everything. How have you been?"

"I've been busy."

"I heard you debuted. Lemon, right?"

I laughed awkwardly.

"Yes."

He also laughed.

That's because the last time we met, he had offered to help if I wanted to become an idol, and the companies he mentioned were Lemon Entertainment and DNS Media.

Back then, I had run out, saying I hated everything.

A few years later, I debuted as a member of NewBlack under Lemon Entertainment.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I heard Manager Han Young-joon say with a smile.

"It's good to see you doing well. By the way, after you left, my nephew was really disappointed. I got a lot of flak."

"Ah, I'm still in touch with Tae-hyun."

"Really?"

He clicked his tongue and said.

"He never tells me anything. He used to be so sweet, but lately, his personality has completely changed. It's not like the old days."

"Is that so? He seems the same to me."

He was about to say something but just smiled. Then he checked his messages and straightened his clothes.

"I should be going now."

His eyes curved into a crescent moon behind his glasses.

"Right, it was nice meeting you. Woo-ju, see you next time."

"Yes, see you next time."

After exchanging formal greetings, he got into the elevator and disappeared.

I stared at the closed door for a moment.

It felt strange.

I don't know why, but I felt a strange sensation while talking to Manager Han Young-joon.

Various scenes flashed through my mind.

The posters of various stars hanging in the lobby of the 1st floor.

The scene of Manager Han Young-joon guiding the top star through the office building.

In contrast, our appearance as rookies who no one recognized.

And.

The nonchalant question from Bi-ju about where we might be in the TJ Entertainment building.

Thanks to the success of our first album, a long-dormant thirst for success was reignited in my heart.

* * *

From that day on, I threw myself into my work.

I attended events during the day and practiced at night.

Among these, the most important thing I focused on was, of course, the advertisement.

The EverDream school uniform ad we were shooting had two versions.

One was the MTube ad CF we had discussed earlier, and the other was a photo shoot.

"How's it going, Hyung?"

"Hmm…"

We all looked at the camera screen.

"Ji-ho, what if you try tilting your chin down a bit? No, not that side. Try tilting it 10 degrees to the left."

"Hmm, I'm not sure."

"See, you're doing it right now."

I mimicked the youngest member.

"Wow, that's exactly the same."

"Even the expression is the same."

"You're like a meta-mong, Mr. Hyung."

Ignoring the siblings' comments, I gave an example.

"Try tilting it down a bit here. Even though you're almost symmetrical, your left side has a more refined image, which is good."

"Hmm, I'll try it."

We had set up a camera and tripod in the practice room and were trying out various poses.

"Hyung, can you check my posture too?"

"Bi-ju, your posture is already so straight and beautiful, there's not much I can criticize…"

While Bi-ju was pleased with my compliment, the other two started complaining.

"What about me?"

"What about me, Hyung?"

I gave various pieces of advice to Ri-hyuk and Jung-hyun, but I don't know how I ended up acting like a shooting director.

Maybe it was because of the last time we shot the album jacket.

The expressions and poses I had made were so impressive that they thought I was some kind of supermodel.

Or perhaps it was because I had shown them the expressions and poses I had prepared for a few days before the practice started.

The reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

They were excited to take a quick photo and show it to their fans, but honestly, I wasn't sure if it was that good.

Anyway, the kids were increasingly seeking my advice, and I was diligently providing it.

Through this process, our practice was becoming more and more polished.

If we kept this up, we would get a good reaction at the shooting site.

To be precise, in such a comfortable atmosphere.

Right now, the kids are showing 100% of their charm, but the atmosphere on set could change things.

It was the same when we shot the 1st album photos.

I had received compliments and was mentally tough, but the kids had really struggled.

The photographer was so harsh that the kids became withdrawn, and I thought that was the wrong approach.

Our kids respond better to carrots than sticks.

If the atmosphere had been more relaxed back then, we might have gotten better and faster results.

Still, I had heard that the ad shoot would have a better atmosphere than that.

- Especially, the person in charge of this ad is very passionate and pays a lot of attention to the details.

The story I heard from the agency last time was on my mind.

Our advertiser was a very picky person.

I didn't know how the ad shoot would go, but from my experience in the military, the atmosphere on site is usually determined by the person in the highest position.

And currently,

The chances of that person having a bright expression were not very high.

I would be worried too if I were in his shoes, knowing that this was the first ad shoot for rookie models.

It was natural.

Since we were untested, it was uncertain how well-prepared we were and how well we would perform.

"Is there any way to reassure him?"

How could we show the advertiser how important this project is to us and how thoroughly we have prepared?

At that moment,

One idea came to mind.

* * *

A studio in Gangnam, Seoul.

7:00 AM.

Manager Kim of TJ New Media visited the studio with another employee.

They were there to inspect the site before the advertiser and models arrived.

When they entered, greeting the busy staff, they were shocked.

The team leader from KG International, the advertiser, was already there, walking around.

'Why is he here so early?'

Typically, advertisers would only show up at the end, after everything was prepared, to sit in front of the monitor and watch.

Moreover, today was a photo shoot, not a full CF.

The fact that he was there before the AE was surprising.

A production staff member, noticing them, clicked his tongue and spoke.

"He's been here since dawn, checking everything meticulously to ensure it's all according to the contract."

"…"

"Everyone skipped breakfast and went into emergency mode."

The two men swallowed hard and approached the advertiser.

Team Leader Woo Hee-seon from KG International's clothing division was holding a list and flipping through the clothes on the hangers.

He was checking if the outfits were properly prepared.

The two men stood behind him, swallowing hard.

If the super client walked around the site, meticulously checking for any issues, anyone would be tense.

"Manager, can you look at this?"

The problem was that the client was calmly picky.

His observational skills were so sharp.

When he noticed an issue, he would point it out in a gentle voice, but they were valid concerns.

Because of this, the two employees had to follow him around, swallowing their tears, until the models arrived at 9:00 AM.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere on set was stiffer than usual.

Everyone was tense due to the sudden appearance of the advertiser.

Manager Kim scratched his cheek, observing the situation.

I was worried.

'I don't know if the rookies can do well in this atmosphere.'

He thought of NewBlack, whom he had met a few days ago.

Their enthusiastic reading of the ad script was impressive.

But it was uncertain if their enthusiasm would translate into skill on set.

At least, today was a photo shoot, not a CF.

Considering the quality of the photos from NewBlack's 1st album, he thought they would do a decent job with the photo shoot.

He just hoped they would make fewer mistakes.

"The models have arrived!"

The site became busy again with someone's announcement.

Soon, the models entered, led by a sharp-eyed assistant.

"Hello!"

Their energetic greeting drew the attention of the staff.

NewBlack had come dressed in T-shirts but gave off a well-groomed vibe.

They bowed to every staff member they saw as they approached.

When they reached the advertiser and the two AEs,

"Hello, it's NewBlack!"

While greeting, Manager Kim carefully observed the advertiser's expression.

But something was off.

Team Leader Woo, who had initially given a casual look, began to smile faintly.

It was quite a dramatic reaction from someone who had been expressionless all day, checking the site.

Thinking it might be the effect of their appearance, he soon realized the reason.

'Huh?'

It was because of the clothes NewBlack was wearing.

Each member was wearing a different type, but all were from the brand KG International was launching.

T-shirts, pants, shoes, and hats.

Whoever prepared them must have been a very sensible employee, Manager Kim thought.

Advertising is about messaging.

And NewBlack was showing, without words, how seriously they had prepared for this ad.

As the advertiser's expression softened, the atmosphere on set began to change.

The stiff expressions of the staff, who were walking around the studio and making eye contact with the team, also relaxed slightly.

In just a few minutes, Manager Kim felt the atmosphere on set changing.

With that,

He suddenly had a good feeling about today's shoot.