Chapter 1106: I am New Black, Class of ’18 (30)

No sooner had the Guardians fan finished his earnest plea than the others began chiming in one after another.

"I wouldn't call myself a Guardians fan, but even I was furious after the first movie. In this series, the villain carries a huge responsibility. I don't know who you are, but please... take good care of Fang."

"And if they ruin this character too... I think this franchise won't have any hope left. They'll just keep rebooting it forever."

Every one of them looked at me with desperate sincerity.

When I smiled and assured them I understood, the comic shop owner waved his hand dismissively.

"Hey, hey. Stop piling pressure onto the rookie actor. Can't you see he's already under enough stress?"

As he shooed the comic nerds away, the old man gave me a sly wink.

...Well, I appreciated the thought.

I just kept to myself the fact that I lived with that kind of pressure every single day.

The youngest whispered beside me.

"I don't think they know who we are."

"Honestly, they don't need to."

"I know, but it's still kind of fascinating."

It really was an unusual reaction.

Ever since Supernova Dodgeball, people everywhere we'd gone had immediately gasped, "Whoa!" and whipped out their phones.

Watching the customers scatter again, I asked the owner,

"They must be regulars."

"They practically live here. They've been treating this place like their secret base ever since they were in school."

As I watched them huddle together, whispering and debating among themselves, I finally understood the atmosphere.

It felt like one of those neighborhood comic cafés back in Korea.

Before long, fragments of their utterly serious discussion drifted over.

"If someone like Mister Kick is invisible... does that mean his pee is invisible too?"

"Wouldn't it be?"

"Then if you rubbed it all over yourself, would you become invisible too?"

...

Not a conversation I particularly wanted to overhear.

Turning my head, I spotted Ri Hyuk stroking his chin with a thoughtful expression.

I burst out laughing.

"And what exactly are you thinking so hard about?"

"Scientifically, the concept of an invisible person doesn't make much sense... but logically, the argument has merit."

Just then—

"Ahem."

The elderly man adjusted the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

"By the way... are you planning to buy anything?"

"Oh. We haven't finished shopping yet."

I gently pushed the youngest forward by the shoulder.

"This kid here is in one of the movies too."

"Oh? Double congratulations. Brothers?"

I answered no, but somehow I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

People overseas occasionally asked whether we were family.

For some reason, hearing that always made me strangely happy.

I smiled at Jiho.

"Go ahead."

"Yes."

Jiho explained.

"I've been cast in Secret Agent 3."

"Oh... that's a huge project."

The old man's eyes widened.

The difference in reaction was obvious.

My movie earned responses like, Good grief... sounds like you've got your work cut out for you.

But Secret Agent was universally recognized as one of the major franchises.

Objectively speaking, that wasn't wrong.

Wonder Comics films outperformed Silver Screen releases by five or six times at the box office.

In fact, hanging right behind Mr. Bunny's counter was a poster of the Secret Agent protagonist.

"But unlike my brother here, it's only a small role."

Jiho waved his hands modestly.

"As far as I know, it's basically a cameo... though the problem is they won't tell me anything specific about the character."

"That's pretty typical of Wonder Comics. They know people will put up with it."

Nodding sympathetically, the comic shop owner asked,

"But they must've given you a few clues. Otherwise I can't really help."

"I got a couple."

"Okay."

"First, it's an Asian character."

"Good."

"And apparently they're either a villain or an antihero with chameleon-like powers."

I leaned over and whispered to Ri Hyuk.

"What's an antihero?"

"Imagine a villain who's completely beyond redemption."

"Okay."

"A hero arrests them and sends them to prison."

"Right."

"An antihero shoots them on the spot."

"Ahhh."

Meanwhile, the old man rubbed his chin.

"A role that would appear in Secret Agent..."

He frowned thoughtfully.

"That doesn't narrow it down much. There are more than twenty shapeshifters across the comics, and Secret Agent is the flagship series..."

Mr. Bunny raised his voice.

"Everyone, gather up again."

"Yes!"

The comic nerds came running over with sparkling eyes, as though they'd been waiting for exactly this moment.

Judging by the excitement already written across their faces, they were dying to start talking.

"We need a discussion."

When Mr. Bunny waved us away, the debate immediately erupted.

Character names flew through the air one after another, along with a barrage of comic terminology.

Ten minutes later—

The owner crooked his finger.

We walked back over.

Slide.

Two comic books appeared on top of the counter.

One was a Secret Agent comic.

The other featured a black-clad figure swinging between skyscrapers on cables.

As we leaned in, one of the customers began explaining.

"As someone who's watched every Wonder Comics movie at least thirteen times, here's what I came up with. There are about seven comic characters that seem suitable for live-action adaptation. Narrow that down to characters who'd realistically appear in the Secret Agent series, and you're left with two."

He opened the Secret Agent comic.

"One is a character called Mister Shade. He's an operative from an Asian intelligence agency who uses shapeshifting abilities to oppose the protagonist. Most of his conflicts revolve around matters of national interest."

"What kind of character is he?"

"He's the sort of villain who knows what he's's doing is wrong, but struggles on because he believes he's serving his country."

The comic showed a young man transforming into a woman wearing an evening gown.

Curious, Jiho pointed at the other comic.

"What about this one?"

"That's Shadow Master."

The fan scratched his head.

"The easiest comparison would be... Arsène Lupin."

"Oh. So someone like Kaito Kid."

"Kaito Kid? Is that another superhero?"

He looked confused.

"...Anyway, similar to Lupin. He's an antihero who steals treasures from villains. Whenever he crosses paths with Secret Agent, the story usually becomes Shadow Master stealing something while the protagonist chases him like Sherlock Holmes."

"Oh..."

"The unique thing about him is that nobody knows his real face. He constantly changes into whatever appearance he feels like using."

After finishing the explanation, the Secret Agent fanatic summarized his conclusion.

"So there are two possibilities."

"We're listening."

"If it's really just a cameo, then it's probably Mister Shade."

"I see."

"But if the studio plans to give you a bigger role, then Shadow Master becomes much more likely. As you can see, he doesn't have many solo comics, but he does have his own series."

We nodded.

Even Jiho looked thoroughly satisfied after hearing such convincing explanations from the resident experts.

Then he asked,

"In that case... could you recommend some books related to both characters?"

"Of course! Absolutely!"

The excited fans immediately dragged Jiho around the shop, pulling books off the shelves one after another until a growing stack formed on the counter.

Was it just my imagination, or was Mr. Bunny becoming friendlier by the minute?

"Mr. Bunny."

"Hm?"

"If we're doing research anyway... could you recommend some other Guardians series too?"

"Certainly, sir! Hahaha!"

The pile on the counter quickly exceeded twenty books.

Then Jiho added a couple of collectible figures.

The smile on Mr. Bunny's face became even broader.

Ri Hyuk stared at the stack—which had already grown to over fifty books—and looked horrified.

"Can we even carry all of this?"

"We'll split it up."

Mr. Bunny, who somehow seemed to have straightened his once-hunched back, cheerfully scanned barcode after barcode.

When we added merchandise for Biju and Junghyun, his grin became even warmer.

"Haha! Best of luck with the movie!"

"Thank you."

We were thanking the other customers for all their recommendations when one of them held up his phone.

"Would it be okay if we took a picture together?"

"Of course."

The customer chuckled.

"I want one now, just in case you become famous later. Then I can brag that I got a picture with the actor playing Fang in Guardians 2."

I smiled quietly.

He asked,

"By the way... what's your name?"

"Sun Wooju. And yours?"

"Noah."

He nodded firmly.

"Sun Wooju... I'll remember that."

He straightened like a soldier making an oath.

"As of today, we're officially your very first fans."

I couldn't help laughing.

It was the day I gained new fans in America.

Meanwhile, the Souffles drifted through cyberspace as usual.

Hehehe! Who am I, you ask? A fan of the all-powerful NewBlack—the group that tied Cold Brown for the most AMA awards this year and won Artist of the Year!

Wherever they went, life was bliss.

American Souffles fondly remembered an old episode of NewBlack TV.

While everyone else had been eating dried yellow corvina, Junghyun had failed a mission and ended up dipping plain rice into a tiny saucer of soy sauce.

Everyone... I'm happy.

Junghyun happily wrapped the rice in black paper before eating it.

Just as happiness could make even the most unappetizing meal taste wonderful...

The Souffles were simply happy.

NewBlack wins Artist of the Year at the AMA.

Whenever they got bored, they watched CNN headlines.

AMA must release the exact voting numbers!!

We need to know how many duplicate votes there were. K-pop fans are notorious {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} in Korea for manipulating online votes.

(Confused guy tilting his head.jpg) Asians voting in the American Music Awards...???

We'll see. Let's find out who's still sitting on top a few years from now.

Watching Moonlight fans melt down online had become another enjoyable part of every Souffle's daily routine.

And then there were the NewBlack sightings.

"Biju and Junghyun!!"

Photos showed two impossibly handsome young men in straw hats picking apples at an orchard in Oak Glen.

Fans saved pictures of Junghyun with his sleeves rolled up, proudly showing off his muscular forearms.

They hit the like button on videos of Biju laughing brightly while performing a little apple dance.

Then they moved on to sightings of the other members.

"Looks like everyone's having a great time!"

Jiho and Ri Hyuk bickering while eating Los Angeles street hot dogs.

Wooju briefly stopping by Silver Screen Studios because of a Sound of the Sun meeting.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying a well-earned break after the AMA.

Then—

"Hm?"

"...Huh?"

Something strange appeared in the Souffles' social media recommendations.

@Noah_Webster_1219

(Photo of Wooju's group posing with customers inside the comic shop.)

Today I got a picture with the actor who's playing Fang in Guardians 2.

The Souffles burst into laughter.

Not because of NewBlack—

But because of the expressions on the ordinary people in the photo.

Do they seriously not know who those guys are?

They genuinely looked like they'd taken a picture with complete unknown rookie actors.

Naturally, the comments exploded.

Wait... you seriously don't know who those people are????

Have you heard of Supernova Dodgeball? Or at least Uncle Bunny? I'm genuinely confused.

You just took a picture with celebrities. 😂😂

Somebody please tell this guy who he just met. They're the people behind the song that's taking over the entire world.

I guess mere 3D can't compete with 2D after all.

Caught in a flood of bewildered comments, Noah finally replied.

They're really that famous?

His innocent question only made everyone laugh harder.

Staring at the endless replies, Noah Webster picked up his phone.

"Are they really that famous?"

He fumbled through an online search, misspelling the name.

The search engine immediately corrected it.

Did you mean: Sun Wooju?

Countless search results appeared.

He clicked Wikipedia.

Photo after photo.

An enormous article.

The Met Gala.

The recent Supernova Dodgeball performance.

"Huh? Uncle Bunny...?"

Even Overcook, which he'd heard about recently, showed up.

Only then did he realize that the people he'd met were currently among the biggest superstars in the world.

His pupils shook.

"...!"

Noah called to his younger sister, who was walking through the kitchen.

"Hey. I took a picture with these people today. Do you know who they are?"

"Where did you meet them?! They're the guys who sang Overcook!"

"I... I did."

"You should've told me immediately!"

"They're... really that famous?"

"You told me Korean Horror Story 2 was good on Netflix! How could you not recognize them?"

"...Huh?!"

Noah's fingers trembled as he tapped his phone.

Then he saw the promotional image for the lead of God 2.

"Uh... huh...? HUH?!"

The cheerful golden-retriever-looking guy smiling mischievously beside his older members...

...was the same immortal character from the poster.

He clutched his head.

Nooooo! I should've gotten my comic signed!

Instead of proudly declaring he'd become Wooju's first fan...

He should've been begging on his knees to become fan number 21,000,001 and asking for an autograph.

While everyone who had met NewBlack that day was suffering the agony of realizing the truth...

Someone else was experiencing an even stranger phenomenon.

Ding.

Ding.

The bell above the comic shop door never stopped ringing.

Seventy years into his life, Bunny Waterman was witnessing something he'd never seen before.

The little neighborhood comic shop was packed wall-to-wall with NewBlack fans.

"Heh heh heh."

"Hehehe..."

The unsettling laughter made Bunny swallow nervously.

The Souffles leaned casually against the counter like smugglers making an illicit deal.

"Sir."

"Yes?"

With bright, innocent smiles, they asked,

"Could you tell us which comic books Sunny bought?"

"Ah... well... it wasn't just one or two..."

"We'll take all of them."

"...All of them?"

They nodded.

The comic shop owner was stunned.

Do these young ladies have bottomless wallets...?

These were the same Souffles who had once completely sold out the chewing gum Wooju and Junghyun had been chewing on Supernova Dodgeball.

Faced with their terrifying purchasing power, Bunny made up his mind.

I'm enlarging that photo we took together and hanging it on the wall.

Following in the footsteps of Bobby Ross's restaurant—which had become famous after appearing in NewBlack's reality show and thanks to Overcook—another business was now enjoying the NewBlack effect.

And naturally, that interest began spreading elsewhere.

Souffles! Girls!!

What?

Wooju's going to be in a superhero movie!!

NO WAY!

The moment word spread that Sun Wooju had been cast as the villain in Guardians 2, the Souffles erupted.

Social media was instantly flooded with news of Wooju's casting.

The commotion soon reached Korea as well.

"Wow."

"Told you."

Director John Edwards spoke to the staff.

"I said this kid's popularity was incredible. I expected something like this, but..."

"The sales of Guardians comics have increased by four hundred percent in a single day."

"...?!"

"NewBlack fans are buying them in advance so they can study up." ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

They also reported that search traffic had exploded in Korea, one of the biggest markets for superhero movies.

John Edwards listened with wide eyes.

At the same time—

Someone else was also watching the social media frenzy created by the casting of NewBlack's leader.

"Hmm..."

Peter Romack, the producer in charge of Wonder Comics' highly anticipated Secret Agent 3, looked toward the studio staff.

"How many admissions did Wade's Secret Agent movies have in Korea?"

"The first sold 3.8 million tickets. The second reached 5.3 million."

"Hmm."

As Peter stroked his chin, his eyes fell upon a file.

Wang Jiho

Beside it was the role that had originally been assigned to Jiho.

"Mister Shade, right?"

"Yes."

"Change it."

"Yes, sir."

No one voiced a single objection.

After enjoying one blissful day off—

We flew out of Los Angeles.

By the time we arrived in Tokyo—

"What?!"

Jiho nearly jumped into the air after hearing something Seokhwan hyung told him.

"My role got bigger?!"

"Yep."

"Really?! Seriously?!"

Biju blinked.

"Jiho, what's going on?"

"Hyungs! My role in Secret Agent got upgraded! It's not a cameo anymore—it's a supporting role!"

"...!!"

Junghyun immediately lifted Jiho into the air.

"Whoaaaaa!"

Our youngest spread his arms like Simba in The Lion King before being set back down.

Then his eyes filled with tears as he ran straight toward me.

"Hyung!!"

"Jiho!"

"This is all thanks to you! Your reaction blew up online, and I think that's why my role got expanded! This is incredible!"

"Haha."

"I love you even more than my own dad right now!"

The overexcited youngest sprinted toward me.

Then—

He jumped.

"Hyung!!"

He launched himself into my arms.

Thud!

"Urgh!"

Still clutching him, I went crashing onto the floor.

The others hurried over in alarm.

Fortunately, I'd managed to break the fall properly.

Looking up at Jiho, I said,

"Jiho."

"Yes?!"

"You're... not a little kid anymore..."

"..."

The youngest's crestfallen expression made everyone burst into laughter.