Chapter 94

Hiding his flustered feelings, he asked, "A documentary?"

-PBS has contacted us. They want to cover the incident that happened on the day of last year's college entrance exam, Professor Choi said, starting the conversation.

This morning, PBS's current affairs and education department contacted me. It's a 50th-anniversary special documentary. They seem to have taken an interest in the incident from that day while looking for interview subjects on the theme of heroes.

-That's why I didn't give them your contact information right away. Since you're a well-known figure, I didn't want to give it out carelessly.

The words 'well-known figure' made him feel embarrassed. His face, which had been frozen from the Ice Bucket Challenge, was now burning hot.

I should write this down. When it's cold, I hear embarrassing things.

-So, what do you think?

"First of all, I really appreciate you telling me. It's an incredible... proposal."

What is PBS?

In the countryside, it's the channel that grandpas and grandmas leave on all day. The most influential terrestrial broadcasting station in South Korea.

Being featured in such a PBS anniversary special documentary as a hero would be a proposal that any celebrity would covet. However, there was something he needed to consider first.

"Would it be okay?"

-Huh?

"It's a good thing for me, but it might be a bad memory for Professor Choi and his family. What if I cause any trouble..."

-I was wondering what you were saying.

A light laugh was heard.

-Don't worry. On the contrary, my father is very enthusiastic about it. He's grateful to the young man in the yellow padding.

"Oh, I see..."

-What do you think?

He didn't take long to think about it. His acceptance led the man to give him the contact information for PBS's current affairs and education department.

"Thank you very much."

He expressed his gratitude.

"Also, about what happened at the hospital that time. I'm in your debt again."

-Not at all. It's good when good deeds are known.

"Thank you for taking the time despite your busy schedule."

They ended the call with a casual invitation to have a meal soon.

"Hmm..."

He took a deep breath and organized his thoughts. A PBS special documentary.

It was such a big deal that it felt unreal for a moment.

Looking at the phone number of PBS he had written down, he raised his head to see the meerkats gathered and chattering.

"What's up, bro?"

"Nothing much."

He smiled and told them about the conversation he had just had.

"Remember the incident last year when I helped the old man pulling the rickshaw? PBS is planning a documentary on heroes and they want to cover that incident."

"...What?"

His siblings' wide-eyed expressions made him laugh. It was only now that the reality was sinking in.

* * *

At PBS's current affairs and education department, junior writer Jung Woo-jung was still holding the phone.

"Ah, it's difficult, I see. Yes... I understand."

She put down the phone weakly. This was her forty-second failure. A sigh escaped her lips as she checked the list.

'Only two so far.'

There were only two circles drawn. One was an incident of a fire in a studio apartment, and the other was an event where a pack of wild dogs ran amok in a neighborhood. She had managed to secure them, but they weren't quite satisfactory.

They lacked the necessary buzz. The incidents were more of a 'Oh, that happened' rather than an 'Oh!' moment for the viewers.

'I wish something good would come up...'

Feeling frustrated, she was about to look for the next phone number when her phone vibrated with an unknown number.

"Hello."

-Is this Ms. Jung Woo-jung from PBS?

"Um, yes, that's me."

For a moment, her words got tangled up. The voice on the other end was incredibly smooth.

How can someone have such a good voice?

-Hi, this is Seon Woo-ju. Professor Choi Yong-jae gave me your contact information. You want to interview me about the incident on the day of last year's college entrance exam, right?

"Oh, yes! That's right!"

She smiled brightly. It was the hero she had been looking for.

-It's a bit late, as I had to consult with others.

"That's fine. I'm grateful whenever you can."

-I contacted you first to introduce myself before the company called.

He seemed to be employed, which was surprising. She wondered if it was a large corporation. Given that he had received the KG Group's Hero Award, he might have been hired through a special recruitment process.

In any case, it didn't really matter. Jung Woo-jung beamed.

"Thank you so much for contacting us. I understand you've heard about our show from Professor Choi?"

-Yes, I got a brief overview.

"Let me explain again."

She briefly explained the outline of the documentary and the interview details, then smiled as she drew a circle on the list. Now there were three.

The previous two incidents were from a long time ago, but this one was less than a year old, making it timely and newsworthy. Her voice naturally became softer.

"I'd like to set a date for the interview. When would be a good time for you to have us visit?"

-Uh, hold on. I have a lot of schedules.

She noticed the noisy music in the background. Various male voices could be heard, some of them slightly young, but all of them good.

Just as she was about to listen more closely, Seon Woo-ju's voice came through.

-I have too many events until Thursday...

"Oh, you're busy with work?"

-Yes, due to the nature of my job...

He chuckled, finding the word 'work' amusing.

-Probably Friday, but I'm not sure. We've been getting more events recently since we were in the news.

What news was his company in?

But something felt off. The conversation kept veering in strange directions.

-Can I contact your agency for this?

"Agency?"

-Yes, your agency.

At this point, it was clear that there was a misunderstanding. She asked cautiously,

"Mr. Seon Woo-ju, are you...?"

-Ah.

He replied nonchalantly.

-I'm a singer.

"..."

She was taken aback. It was a profession she hadn't even considered.

"A singer?"

-Yes. I'm currently active as a singer... Did you not know? I thought you did.

"Just a moment."

She quickly opened the internet. Searching for 'Gallhyeon Hero' on the portal, articles immediately appeared. She soon found a headline: 'New Black's Universe, a Hero Before Debut.'

Her heart raced as she read the article tucked away in a corner.

'Why am I only finding this now?'

...she thought, but then realized why.

She had skimmed the research, thinking that once the casting was confirmed, she could do a superficial search. She hadn't thought it necessary to search in detail because it was such a well-known incident. Besides, who would have imagined that a student from last year's exam would become an idol in just six months?

It was a close call. She almost missed this great material.

If her senior writers found out she had done a cursory search, they would have given her a hard time all day, calling her a slacker.

She calmed her excitement and searched for 'New Black.'

-New Black's First Variety Show Appearance for the Chuseok Special

-New Black Models for Everdream Uniforms

-New Black Participates in the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS Patients

Uniform models, a popular variety show, and a recent campaign. They seemed to be a promising new idol group.

And the fact that a member of such an idol group was a hero last year seemed to be not widely known.

'Did the company not promote it?'

Leaving such good material untouched was surprising.

With this thought, she calmly asked,

"So, when would be a good time for the interview?"

* * *

After contacting the PBS writer, I left the rest to the company. As an idol, there were many things to coordinate with the broadcasting station.

I was particularly busy. After the report on the Chuseok special, the number of event bookings for New Black increased significantly.

I was puzzled by why they were calling us for events when we hadn't even recorded yet, but we didn't turn any of them down and managed to handle them all.

With practice, song production, various management, and lessons, I had no time to think about anything other than sleeping.

And now.

We were in a meeting at HBS MTV.

"Documentary?"

"Yes, I saved someone last year."

The faces of those listening to my story were filled with interest.

13th floor, HBS Sangam Tower. This small room was the meeting room for the variety project 'New Black Reality (working title)' we were going to appear in.

"A hero...?"

The PD fiddled with a pen.

"This is a great story. Is it confirmed with PBS?"

"Yes, I heard they're starting filming next week."

"We'll be in it too."

The junior member's interjection made everyone laugh.

The assistant director smiled and said,

"Wow, you guys must be excited. You're starting to appear in ads, documentaries, and even on Chuseok specials."

"You've done a lot."

"By the time we start filming the reality show, you might be stars."

Everyone laughed at the writer's joke.

The production team and we laughed for a while. Our faces, filled with excitement, reflected the many things we were looking forward to.

I heard that the uniform ad for social media was in the final stages, and the Chuseok special