Chapter 1016: It Was Beautiful From Far Away.. (28)

Cold Brown's words lingered in my mind even after I returned to Korea.

-How about doing something good?

As soon as I got back, I discussed it with Seokhwan hyung.

Our TF team leader agreed it wasn't a bad idea and started gathering information for me.

One project in particular caught my attention.

A famous bank's library-building initiative called Jieum.

[Books are companions who understand our hearts.]

[Our bank is carrying out a project to build libraries in areas with limited access to library services.]

It was a public-interest project that built libraries and donated them to local communities.

Small children's libraries in hillside neighborhoods.

Reading rooms on remote islands and mountain villages.

When I heard they also accepted private donations, I expressed my interest through the company.

-And why would you want to participate in our bank's project...?

At first, they sounded confused.

The sort of confusion that translated to Why are you here?

-Excuse me?? With this amount, you could practically build ten libraries....

Then they seemed shocked by the amount.

Afterward, they explained that major donors could have their names attached to the libraries.

So I gave them my name, the members' names, and Grandma's name.

The result was—

-As it happens, we currently have a library under construction in Gunsan.

The library, scheduled for completion around July, ended up bearing both Kim Deoksun's and Ri Hyuk's names.

"I think it's especially meaningful that the very first library carries your name, Ri Hyuk. You always used to say it yourself."

That books had been your friends whenever you felt lonely as a child.

"So having your name on this first library is really meaningful. And..."

"No."

Ri Hyuk cut me off.

"Stop repeating the same thing. What about my side of the story...?"

"Especially considering I received Bitcoin from you."

Back when I mentioned possibly establishing a foundation under our parents' names someday.

Ri Hyuk had immediately handed over all the Bitcoin he'd accumulated as a child.

Of course, maybe it was because we earned more money now than the Bitcoin was worth.

But honestly.

How many people could give away that amount of money without hesitation?

That alone showed how much Ri Hyuk—

"No! That's not the point! Why is my library so tiny?!"

That's right.

It was summer.

"Stop acting all sentimental!"

After everyone spent a few minutes calming Ri Hyuk down with repeated cries of "Just let it go."

I spoke gently.

"Mr. Seo Ri Hyuk."

"What."

"Could you defeat an elementary school student in a fight?"

"Depends on the grade. Lower grades, definitely."

The members clicked their tongues.

"Tsk tsk... hopeless, our hyung."

"If it's an elementary school student, you're supposed to lose on purpose."

"Actually trying to win...."

"I'm sure Ri Hyuk doesn't really mean it. There's no way he'd seriously think something so evil."

Ri Hyuk whipped his head around.

Then glared at Biju.

"You're the worst."

"...?"

While Biju blinked in confusion, I continued.

"From a physical perspective, elementary school students are small beings."

"So?"

"In the same way, seeds are small. Yet small seeds eventually grow into giant trees."

I pointed toward the children's library.

"Children may be small, but they contain enormous potential. If that's true, can we really call that library small?"

"Hmm...."

"Some of the children of Gunsan will grow up using the Seo Ri Hyuk Children's Library. They'll remember your name."

Ri Hyuk looked interested.

I slowly circled around him.

"Imagine borrowing a well-worn book, bringing it home, wiping it down with wet tissues, and noticing the barcode."

I paused dramatically.

"[Seo Ri Hyuk Children's Library.]"

"!"

"Imagine closing a book for a moment and lying down. Then seeing purple ink printed along the edge."

"[Seo Ri Hyuk Children's Library.]"

"!!"

In the end, Ri Hyuk fell for my argument that physical size wasn't what mattered.

Jiho raised a hand.

"Wait. Then do we get children's libraries too?"

"No."

I shook my head.

"You guys get the big libraries."

"Holy crap, seriously?!"

"WOOOOOOOAHHHHH!"

The underlings immediately hugged each other and celebrated.

Meanwhile Ri Hyuk looked at me with a flat stare.

Then, apparently realizing how ridiculous the whole thing was, he snorted.

"Whatever. Seriously, thank you."

"Right?"

"You gave up the spot next to Grandma for me...."

He said it as though I'd made some enormous sacrifice.

I nodded solemnly.

Honestly, even now, the image of that tiny children's library sitting beside the Kim Deoksun Library still haunted me.

Only my love for my younger brother allowed me to endure it.

Ri Hyuk looked at the library and smiled.

"This really is...."

It was such a rare, beautiful smile that I suddenly felt like taking a photo.

After staring at the building for a long moment, he turned toward me.

"It's the best gift I've ever received."

Then he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"And... thanks for what you said earlier."

"Hm?"

"About having a hometown."

"Ah."

The part where I'd said I hoped Grandma and I could become something like a hometown for him.

Ri Hyuk looked embarrassed.

I smiled.

"Want to take a picture together?"

"After I get some solo shots."

"I'll take them. Go stand over there."

So we spent some time taking photos together.

We also toured the library with one of the project representatives.

Jiho looked around in fascination.

"Oh. So children's libraries really only have children's books."

"You've never been to one?"

"Hyung, do I look like someone who went to libraries?"

"Convincing argument. There's not a trace of books in your physiognomy."

Jiho smacked us on the back.

"Hey!"

Even though he'd said it himself.

Meanwhile, Ri Hyuk examined the shelves with a deeply satisfied expression.

Apparently the layout had passed the standards of a genuine book addict.

"Take a picture."

"Okay."

"Make sure the barcode name shows."

Holding a copy of Magic Chinese Characters with a barcode that read Seo Ri Hyuk Children's Library, Ri Hyuk smiled brightly.

Watching him, Biju turned to the project representative.

"When is the opening ceremony?"

"Probably sometime next month. The Seo Ri Hyuk Children's Library is finished, but the Kim Deoksun Library still needs some interior work."

"We'd like to come."

"We'd be honored."

Then one of the members suddenly remembered something.

"Wait. When is Grandma coming? She said she'd come too."

"Probably soon—"

Right on cue, as we exited the children's library, Grandma's car arrived.

She stepped out alongside Aunt Sukja.

I brightened.

"Grandma—"

Then froze.

Something was very wrong with Kim Deoksun's expression.

Most people assumed Grandma was always angry.

That wasn't true.

She had good days too.

Maybe a few of them.

And bad days.

Roughly a hundred at a time.

But today—

Yubaba.

She looked exactly like an evil innkeeper from an animated movie.

Deep frown.

Bulging veins on her forehead.

A tired, haggard complexion.

"Uh...."

Grandma crooked a finger.

Enchanted by the magical power of Great Yokai Kim Deoksun, I walked forward against my will.

I folded my hands politely.

"I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry."

"You...."

After taking a deep breath and closing her eyes briefly, Kim Deoksun began smacking my back.

"Because of you!"

"Ow! Owwww!"

"I had to!"

"Ow!"

"Work myself half to death!"

"Ow!"

"Running that stupid restaurant!"

If it had been winter, it wouldn't have hurt as much.

But in the middle of summer, my shirt was soaked with sweat.

Every slap stung.

Still.

It was nice.

If she'd lost the strength to hit me, my heart would've broken—

"AAAAAGH!"

No.

It actually hurt a lot.

While the members snickered nearby, I pieced together the story.

-The people who watched Goblin Restaurant flooded Grandma's restaurant.

"Not people. Sardines. Packed in shoulder to shoulder...."

-Huge crowds.

"My face started twitching because of you. And if I looked grumpy, people would start saying, 'There goes Sun Wooju's rude, mean grandmother.'"

"Uh...."

I looked touched.

"So it was all because you cared about me?"

"!"

I got hit again.

I shouldn't have said that.

The managers and members burst out laughing.

A project representative emerged from the children's library and locked the door.

Immediately Grandma started pretending to be dignified and refined.

I turned to the members.

"Go look around for a bit. I'll take Grandma on a tour."

"Okay~"

Holding Kim Deoksun's rough but warm hand, I showed her the Kim Deoksun Library.

She immediately turned away.

"Oh dear."

"Embarrassed?"

"Of course I am. I'm not some famous person."

"You can become one starting today."

Grandma laughed.

Then she looked up at the Kim Deoksun Library with a complicated expression.

It seemed as though old memories were passing through her mind.

Countless emotions flickered through her eyes.

"Well then. Thank you."

"Hehe."

"But I wonder if anyone will actually come."

"They will. The project manager said these libraries are being built in places where demand exists but access doesn't."

The project representative immediately added further explanation.

"We selected the five most optimal locations and decided to name them after NewBlack members and Kim Deoksun."

"Oh really? Where are the others?"

"Unfortunately, we're maintaining strict confidentiality regarding the project locations."

"Ah~ I see~"

The existence of the libraries would be revealed soon enough during the opening ceremonies.

But the locations remained secret.

At first I wondered why.

Then I remembered the bank's explanation.

-We learned a lesson from previous projects involving celebrities.

-?

-Whenever a public facility is named after a famous person, nearby housing prices can rise. We've had apartment complexes protesting and lobbying to get facilities built near them.

For that reason, all locations remained confidential.

Anyway.

While Grandma toured the library with a satisfied smile—

"Hm? What's that?"

She suddenly burst out laughing while pointing toward something in the garden behind the building.

[Kim Deoksun]

A statue.

A statue of Grandma.

We immediately went over to look.

Then—

"..."

Grandma stopped.

Because she wasn't alone.

There were smaller statues around her.

Our entire family.

Adult me standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Dad.

Grandma holding hands with Mom.

"What do you think, Grandma?"

"..."

"Mom looks pretty, doesn't she?"

"She does.... How did something that beautiful come out of me?"

Even though it was only a statue, Grandma reached out and gently touched Mom's hand.

She stood there for a long time.

Looking up at the sculpture.

Pressing her palms together like she was praying at a temple.

Rolling her prayer beads between her fingers.

Watching her suddenly pray for everyone's peaceful afterlife made me smile.

Then she asked,

"But if I have a statue...."

Her gaze shifted toward Ri Hyuk.

"Does Ri Hyuk have one too?"

"Yep."

Sure enough.

The underlings had already found it.

"Holy crap! Look!"

"It's Ri Hyuk!"

"Seo Ri Hyuk's statue!"

The statue depicted Ri Hyuk standing proudly.

Then everyone got a closer look.

And exploded.

Even Grandma and Aunt Sukja doubled over laughing.

Meanwhile, I quietly started backing away.

Grandma read the plaque.

[The Struggling King of Singers, Seo Ri Hyuk]

It showed Ri Hyuk dressed like the King of Singers, riding a pirarucu from the Amazon.

He held a microphone like a sword while heroically battling a pathetic-looking carp.

"Wow. Look at the details. One of his buttons is even popped off."

"A detail that could only be added by someone harboring deep malice toward Ri Hyuk."

"If you look carefully, his ears use a different texture. They're supposed to be red."

While everyone dissected every aspect of the statue—

Sliiiide.

Ri Hyuk slowly turned his head toward me.

His expression was terrifying.

"Are you fast?"

"Yep."

"I'll give you ten seconds."

"Understood."

That day, I ran faster than I had ever run in my life.

This time, I let him catch me.

He looked so exhausted from everything we'd been through that I intentionally slowed down.

"Huff... It's not... because I'm tired...."

"Haa... okay... I mean... okay...."

"Huff...."

Neither of us could manage a proper sentence without stopping to catch our breath.

Anyway, Ri Hyuk's gift reveal ended successfully.

"I was expecting a song, but... this isn't bad either."

He said that.

Yet every spare moment, he kept looking at photos of the Seo Ri Hyuk Children's Library and giggling.

Clearly he loved it.

I smiled.

"I'll save the song gift for later. Instead, I'll work hard rearranging your Mission Singer songs."

"Thank you."

After all, Ri Hyuk had recently mentioned that powerful competitors would probably appear soon.

So I promised to do my best.

Then we finally returned to the place we'd missed so much.

Lemon Entertainment.

"Wooju...."

"We've been waiting, Sun Wooju...."

The producing team looked like zombies.

"Are you all okay?"

"Do we look okay?!"

The producers immediately started complaining.

"We finally thought we'd get a break, and then someone dumped forty new songs on us...."

"Haha."

"Seriously, how did you even write all of these?"

"I didn't want to run a restaurant. The songs came naturally."

"Wow. Imagine how many songs you'd write in Antarctica."

"..."

I slowly turned toward Saltman.

The composer immediately looked away.

Smiling, I asked Team Leader Na Sangyoon,

"Should we schedule a meeting soon?"

"Yeah. Let's talk after our internal meeting. We're organizing all the outside submissions and in-house tracks."

"Okay. Let me know when you're done."

The moment we returned to the company, we buried ourselves in work.

The musical numbers for Sound of Sun that would soon enter recording.

Final checks for the WooBIZ choreography scheduled to be released the following Monday.

And—

The choreography for Overcook's comeback at the end of next month was nearly complete.

"What about a move that looks like sprinkling sugar or salt? Like this with your fingers...."

Using Biju's signature movement as the foundation, we brought in top choreographers and finally completed the dance.

And when the choreography was finished—

"Underlings."

"Yes!"

"The time has finally come."

"Hehehehe!"

It meant that time had arrived.

The wish coupons the chefs had given us like genies before we started operating the restaurant.

-NewBlack! Thank you so much for introducing us to the Korean market! We'll repay you somehow!

It was finally time to use them.

Surprisingly, despite everything that had happened, we had never actually redeemed those favors.

After all, the chefs themselves had proposed joining Goblin Street.

Then where would we use them?

"Hehehe...."

"Hehehehehe."

We had already achieved massive attention through variety shows.

Now we intended to use that attention for our actual profession.

The chefs had not been joking.

-Call us if you ever need anything.

Life was all about give and take.

And they had received a great deal from NewBlack.

Fame in the Korean market.

Valuable information about how Korean consumers responded to their restaurants.

Market research that normally cost hundreds of millions of won.

And all the publicity they could ask for.

So when NewBlack approached them with another proposal, they were delighted.

-Would you be willing to make a brief appearance in our music video?

The internationally renowned chefs, eager for broader public recognition, accepted immediately.

NewBlack's English-language song... people all over the world will see this.

A chance to introduce myself to younger audiences!

A perfect win-win.

Most of the chefs agreed on the spot.

Soon they gathered together once more.

"We meet again."

"Good to see you."

They chatted comfortably.

Not quite as friendly as during the Goblin Restaurant after-party.

But close enough.

Bobby Ross and Dante Cellini were in the middle of a conversation when a commotion arose nearby.

"Hm?"

"...?"

The Korean chefs were approaching.

Staggering.

Dante Cellini frowned.

"What happened to them?"

"I heard they're filming a Korean version of the music video too. Those must be the Korean chefs."

"Ah...."

Among them was his protégé.

Thomas Kim.

Dante spoke in English.

"Thomas? What's wrong?"

"...NewBlack really was more beautiful from a distance."

"...?"

Having delivered those final words, Thomas Kim collapsed like a fallen warrior.

The chefs stared in confusion.

Then someone called for them.

Good heavens.

My word.

Across the room stood NewBlack.

The same idols who had looked completely exhausted during restaurant operations.

Now they were overflowing with life.

Like fish returned to water.

Smiling brightly at the world's greatest chefs.

"You'll only be appearing briefly as cameos, so filming won't take very long."

"I see."

"However, we'll need to teach you a few choreography moves."

"Choreography...?"

The chefs instinctively stepped backward.

Something felt wrong.

Particularly Biju's shining eyes.

And Wooju's gentle smile.

For some reason, they looked terrifying today.

"There's no need to be nervous. Haha. You chefs taught me all sorts of advanced skills."

NewBlack's leader cracked his neck.

"Now it's my turn to teach you."

"W-Why are you cracking your neck...?"

"Oh. Habit."

Now he was cracking his fingers too.

The disciple whom they'd relentlessly pushed while shouting "Again! More!" during restaurant training was smiling at them.

"Come on over, everyone.... This way...."

The devil wearing an angel's face began giggling.

Suddenly, a certain comment echoed through their minds.

-...NewBlack really was more beautiful from a distance.

Less than thirty minutes later, every chef finally understood exactly what that meant.