Chapter 96

A small restaurant in Gunsan.

The mountain climbing club members who had just returned from Seonyudo and the regular customers overlapped, making the restaurant noisier than usual.

It was so busy that it took 30 minutes just to serve the set meals to each table.

Mrs. Kim Deoksoon wiped the sweat that had formed on her face with a tissue and took a seat at a corner table.

On the TV, Jusehan was appearing.

Though it was unclear where, he was painting portraits of people in a place that looked like Europe.

While turning up the volume, she overheard the customers' conversations.

"Where is that again?"

"It's in Gapyeong. I heard our daughter took our granddaughter there. The photos looked amazing."

"Really? It's so far."

"Yeah, we can't go there."

"Anyway, it'll be crowded. Once a place is featured on TV, everyone goes there and it gets crazy."

Hearing this, Mrs. Kim Deoksoon tilted her head.

'Is it that famous of a show?'

Honestly, she didn't know how big of a show it was.

She just assumed it was popular because customers always asked her to turn on TBC on Sundays.

She preferred dramas over variety shows.

If it weren't for her grandson, she wouldn't have paid much attention.

"Grandma! Jusehan is on TV, Jusehan. You know, the show I used to watch a lot in the army. Yeah, that one."

It was a few weeks ago.

He was so excited that she could almost picture him jumping around.

Seeing his excitement, Mrs. Kim Deoksoon couldn't help but smile inwardly.

That's why she was curious.

She was worried that if he didn't appear often, he might be disappointed.

Well, he said today's appearance would be about 5 minutes, and he would appear more prominently during the Chuseok special.

She hoped he would do well.

Just as she was thinking this, the aunt who worked in the kitchen sat down opposite her.

"Are you watching TV too, sis? Oh, that's him."

She handed her a glass of cold water.

"Is he going to space?"

"That's right."

"Wow, that's amazing. He's on TV variety shows now."

"Hey, but Sookja, is he really that famous?"

The other person looked at her as if she was saying something strange.

"Don't you know?"

"How would I? I only watch dramas."

"It's a big deal. Even our grandson, who doesn't like TV, watches the PBS show on Saturdays and this one on Sundays. If he misses it, he can't talk to his friends at school the next day."

"He must be pretty famous then."

Seeing the other person's excitement, she nodded calmly.

Then she suddenly asked.

"By the way, have you told anyone else about this?"

"No, I haven't."

"Don't, okay?"

"Really, I won't. You know how much I've been scolded by you... "

Not many people around her knew that her grandson was a celebrity.

At most, only Sookja, who helped in the kitchen, and Mrs. Oh, who ran a rice cake shop next door, knew.

Because of her experience with her son-in-law, who was once a nationally popular pianist, Mrs. Kim Deoksoon knew how to handle fame.

She tried to be as cautious as possible after it became known, and before that, she didn't mention it to anyone.

'What a hassle... '

Fame is like a typhoon.

Even if the person at the center is calm, the periphery is always swept away by the storm.

This was a lesson she had learned after living for nearly 70 years.

The brighter the day, the darker the shadow; fame always comes with something.

People might ask for loans, or request that you sing at their children's weddings, or the building owner might raise the rent.

Of course, these were problems, but she was more concerned about her grandson.

He had always wanted to be an idol since he was young. She couldn't let her old age ruin his chances by boasting about him to everyone.

That's why she had tried to keep it as quiet as possible.

When people asked what her grandson was doing these days, she would just say, "He's studying, studying."

"Sis."

"What?"

"But now, what? I mean, I don't know much about music shows, but this one, once he appears, everyone will know. Just go next door. They'll all have it on. They'll see him and say, 'Hey, isn't that Jusehan?' If he had changed his name to something like Pororong, maybe they wouldn't recognize him."

"Don't say such nonsense. I won't tell anyone, okay?"

"Phew, you're stubborn. Anyway, sis, you're stubborn too. You know, you should know yourself... Got it? Got it?"

The aunt in the kitchen shrank under Mrs. Kim Deoksoon's stern gaze.

While serving side dishes to customers and preparing additional menu items, the broadcast featuring Jusehan had already ended.

The topic of conversation soon changed as the subtitle "[2014 Chuseok Special]" appeared.

"Hey, how does Seo Ji-hyung keep appearing on TV even though he's not that interesting?"

"Maybe he's got some connections."

"Jusehan and Oh Hyung-seok are close. They're seniors and juniors in the comedy world, so they probably help each other out."

"That world is really dirty and despicable, isn't it?"

"They only invite people they know and like."

As comedians, models, and girl group members passed by, the customers made loud comments.

When a rapper with dreadlocks started doing a fan dance, Mrs. Kim Deoksoon thought, "What a disgrace..." but everyone burst into laughter.

Suddenly, she felt anxious.

'He can't be appearing in something like that... '

She didn't want to imagine it.

Just as she was shuddering, her grandson appeared on the screen.

Mrs. Kim Deoksoon turned up the volume two notches. She didn't want to hear the customers' comments about how boring he was or how fresh the young kids were.

However, the customers' voices were still loud.

"Oh, what's he doing now?"

"New Black...? I've never heard of them."

"Earlier, everyone was familiar except for the rapper, and even the girl group members weren't strangers. But these kids are new."

"I looked it up. They debuted two months ago."

"Two months ago?"

"Phew, why are kids who debuted two months ago on TV?"

"That world is really competitive. Seo Ji-hyung is like that, and these kids must have good connections. The company must be pushing them."

"Oh, what a waste of time introducing these kids."

Then a man raised his hand.

"Owner, give us more seasoned crab!"

"Sure~"

As she was about to get up, she grabbed Sookja's arm and whispered.

"Just give them the legs."

It was a small act of revenge.

Not long after, the door to the restaurant burst open.

"Sis!"

"Owner!"

The owners of a nearby noodle shop and a meat shop poked their heads in, looking very excited.

"Isn't that Jusehan? Jusehan!"

"But, why is a kid who's supposed to be studying on TV? And as a singer... "

At this, the other customers turned their attention.

The mountain climbing club member who had just said the owner looked happy asked curiously.

"Is the kid who just appeared someone you know, owner?"

Under their gaze, Mrs. Kim Deoksoon felt bewildered.

She was completely at a loss.

She wasn't sure, but it seemed the show her grandson appeared on was quite famous.

* * *

A family eating at a meat shop stared blankly at the TV, and in a village hall in the countryside, people were enjoying drinks enthusiastically.

When a girl group member threw her phone in frustration after seeing a group chat, there were also people who were delighted by the broadcast.

- Wow... Finally... Finally people are starting to know our kids

- It's number one on the real-time search rankings!!!!

- Why am I so moved, really

- Jusehanㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

This was the moment when New Black, known only in the idol world until now, first made their name known to the public.

Some might say it was a fuss over just 10 minutes, but those 10 minutes were Jusehan's.

The fans' reactions couldn't be any different.

My favorite singer.

He's charming, talented, and everything, but no one knew about him, so I always felt a sense of loss.

Now, for the first time, he appeared on a show everyone watches.

And it was in a memorable scene.

Seeing 'New Black' at the top of the real-time search rankings, the fans who had been following since the first album felt a special emotion.

Especially those who had been with him since "Something."

- We're having chicken tonightㅠㅠ

It was a festive atmosphere.

* * *

It was the first time since debuting that we had such a chaotic day.

[Real-time Search Rankings]

1. New Black

2. Jusehan

3. Full-court shot

4. Jusehan

As soon as the broadcast ended, our names appeared on the real-time search rankings.

Although they dropped after an hour, we were experiencing the power of TV.

We appeared for 10 minutes.

It was twice as much as others, but we didn't expect those 10 minutes to draw so much attention.

This is why all agencies crawl to variety show PDs and beg the broadcasting stations.

To appear briefly on a famous variety show and top the real-time search rankings...

Of course, it wasn't just about appearing.

I succeeded in something amazing, like a master on a show.

Plus, the editing.

What was just an 'Oh!' at the scene turned into a 'Wow!' after editing.

It was a bit embarrassing.

What I had thought about for 10 seconds at the scene was shown in slow motion with people's reactions.

Moreover, the scene where I was practicing for a dramatic effect was cut out, making it look like I succeeded without any hesitation.

It seemed a bit excessive, but fortunately, the reactions were very positive.

- Who are the new group 'New Black' that appeared on Jusehan?

- Member Jusehan, past statement 'My father is Seo Myeong-ju' re-evaluated

- New Black... Rising stars following 'Something' and 'Fireworks'

I'm not sure when they became rising stars, but there were articles with such headlines.

Even the entertainment reporters who had subtly criticized us before were now saying, "New Black? Do you know who they are?" and jumping on the bandwagon.

We laughed a lot comparing the reporters' names.

On the portal's main page, the clip from yesterday was edited and featured as a highlight.

- Wow... ㅋㅋㅋㅋ It's still amazing to watch again

- It feels like a setup

- Setup

- Where are all the people who said they were paid to appear? ㅋㅋㅋ

Most importantly, the negative comments that had flooded in after the news of our appearance on the show had almost disappeared.

There were still some, but it seemed the hardcore viewers had decided to wait and see.

- Well, you can only know after a special appearance, but they seem to be trying hard. They were better than Girls on Top, who also appeared.

- Really, just pretending to be pretty... ㅋ Why are they even on TV?

From comments criticizing Girls on Top and Hwa Entertainment to more neutral ones.

- They seem decent. The PD must have seen something in them. PD knows

- I'll watch to see if they become popular or not.

- I watched yesterday, and the chemistry between Hee-chan and Hee-yeon was good. ㅎ.ㅎ

The goal was to make a good first impression without being unlikable, and it seems we achieved better results than expected.

"What are you looking at so intently?"

"Articles about us."

"I thought your face would be sucked into your smartphone, man."

I smiled at Seok-hwan's teasing and put my smartphone away.

We were entering a cafe a bit far from the company.

We immediately moved to the third floor.

In the quiet cafe, cameras were set up.

I greeted the two men, who seemed to be assistant directors, and the woman, who seemed to be a writer, warmly. Among them, the young man with a youthful face and dark circles under his eyes was someone I had already met.

He was the youngest writer, Jung Woo-jung.

"Hello, I'm Jusehan."

I greeted the production team warmly, sat down, and smiled at the camera being adjusted.

The day after Jusehan's broadcast.

Today's schedule was a documentary shoot.