Chapter 812: Sundance, and the Sun (8)

"Wow."

The maknae let out a low whistle.

"A ton of people are going to gather."

"Really?"

"Yup. The bait is insane!"

Jiho spread his hands wide, face lit with excitement.

"If someone said they were going to ruin my ultimate bias, I’d come running with fire in my eyes... If they’re saying they’ll make your father Black or Chinese, what Korean American wouldn’t get heated? They’d run over immediately."

"You think so?"

"I guarantee it. One hundred percent."

I laughed as I watched him nod with conviction.

That was his reaction after I relayed what Director Kim Bora had told me.

—Can I spread the word that the studio wanted to change your father’s race?

When she asked if she could use that to gather well-known Korean American staff working in Hollywood, I agreed immediately.

She said just hearing that would make them run barefoot.

I didn’t know how effective it would actually be.

It would be nice if people really did show up thinking, You can’t let that happen!

"Didn’t you hear anything after that?"

"No. That’s why I’m curious too."

Director Kim Bora, Director Yoo Geon, and Seokhwan hyung had moved to another location to iron out detailed logistics. I hadn’t gone with them.

It was too granular for me to interfere in.

Besides, Seokhwan hyung had checked my complexion and pushed me away with a smile.

—You need to rest a bit.

And so, pushed along, I ended up here.

"A ski resort!"

"Ski!"

"Junhyun hyung! I say ‘S’! You say ‘ki!’"

"Ki!"

"S!"

I turned away from the fools shouting "ski" like they were saying "kiss."

Park City’s pride—winter sports.

We were standing at a ski resort blanketed in white.

Crunch.

With every step, snow compressed under my boots.

I walked up to the maknae.

"By the way, Jiho."

"Yes!"

He adjusted his goggles under his ski hat.

"Keep the thing about Dad’s film from Ri Hyuk."

"Ah. The Black dad thing?"

"Uh... that phrasing sounds weird, but yeah."

"Hmm..."

He glanced over at Ri Hyuk in his ski suit, looking sulky from afar, then nodded.

"Yeah, that should stay a secret."

"If he finds out, he’ll be so mad he won’t sleep."

"Three days?"

"I’m betting a week."

"Ugh."

He’d definitely tremble with indignation for days.

Wasn’t our main vocalist the kind of person who’d call a store to point out a typo on their sign?

He always made me place the complaint calls for him.

If he found out about this, his wrath would be unbearable.

"What."

From afar, a white face like a crane sharpened into an ugly point.

"You were talking behind my back again, weren’t you?"

"Ri Hyuk."

I smiled warmly.

"If I’m going to talk about you, I’ll do it to your face. Why would I do it behind your back?"

"So you didn’t?"

"No, I did."

"Stand stillllll!"

"Kyaaaahaha! Catch me!"

I teased our main vocalist, who got stuck in the snow, feet sinking deep, and glided across the surface like it was ice.

Junhyun gasped.

"Hyung, how are you walking on top of the snow?"

"It’s a secret technique from the Eskimos. Saw it on MyTube."

He tried copying me and immediately sank.

Just as I was about to mock him—

Fwoooosh—

Like an icebreaker carving through frozen seas, Junhyun trudged forward with his feet still buried.

He was even faster than me.

Snow sprayed around him with each step.

In his white ski suit, he looked like a yeti emerging from the tundra.

"What’s wrong, hyung?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about how if the body’s bad, the head suffers."

"I heard that from the elders in my family all the time. If your body’s strong, your brain won’t have to suffer."

I laughed at the wisdom of the Kim clan of Goesan and looked down the slope.

"Whoa. Scary."

Logically I knew it was just a slope, but from the top it looked like a cliff.

Biju, who had a fear of heights, trembled.

"You okay?"

"Y-Yes... I think I’m okay."

"If you can’t do it, let’s just ride sleds together."

"No. We came to a ski resort. I’m skiing."

I looked at our determined second member and glanced at the reality cameras filming nearby.

I flashed a V-sign and grinned.

"Hello, NewBlack TV! It’s Snow Wooju, excited to be at a ski resort for the first time~"

"What? You’ve never been to a ski resort?"

"Nope, Jiho. I always wanted to, but this is my first time."

I used to watch senior singers in the 90s perform at ski resorts during music shows and feel envious.

We all stared down the slope.

"Alright! Let’s welcome today’s instructor, Jiho!"

"Waaaaa!"

In his red ski suit, the maknae puffed out his chest.

"Ahem."

He was the best skier among us.

—My dad probably spent a fortune on me. Sorry to him, but most of that money went into the void!

A man who had been subjected to insane early education since childhood, including English kindergarten.

If you judged by educational investment, he should’ve been a polymath in academics and arts.

Instead, he’d forgotten English and schoolwork and only remembered skiing.

"I’ll demonstrate first!"

"Waaaaa!"

"Wait! Wait!"

Ri Hyuk walked over and checked Jiho’s equipment.

After fastening his helmet tightly—

"Trainee number five."

"Trainee number five, Wang Jiho!"

Like a rappel instructor, I stood beside him.

"Do you have someone you love?"

"Yes! I do!"

"Then say what you want and jump."

"Mom, noona, Wooju hyung! I love you!"

"Good. Go!"

Shooooom—

He went down in perfect textbook form.

Even Biju gasped.

"Wow."

Father. Are you watching?

Your money was not wasted.

Screeeech!

Jiho stopped smoothly at the bottom, snow spraying, and waved at us.

Then began the ski lessons.

Mostly for Biju and Junhyun.

First up: Biju.

"Biju hyung! If you spread your legs like that, they’re going to tear apart!"

"Ahhh!"

He started in an A-stance and gradually widened his legs until he looked like he was doing yoga.

Normally someone would scream and fall.

"Huh?"

"Huh...?"

To our managers’ shock, he glided down gracefully.

"Look at that flexibility."

"Well. He’s one of us."

Ri Hyuk crossed his arms proudly.

Biju scratched the back of his head awkwardly at the bottom.

Next was Junhyun.

He wobbled slightly—

Then descended with both arms outstretched like Titanic.

"That... works?"

"Junhyun should shoot a mattress commercial. Unshakable stability."

Laughter erupted.

Jiho shook his head at his hopeless students and looked at me and Ri Hyuk.

"You two..."

"We’re fine. We’re sledding."

Ri Hyuk because he was scared.

Me because of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics opening ceremony next month.

Skiing was injury-prone.

If I sprained even a finger, I might have to mime playing piano on stage with MR playback.

"Ri Hyuk. Let’s go."

"Haah..."

The ski slope and sledding area were separate, so we walked through the crowd.

"...Hmm?"

When had the number of onlookers grown?

People held up phone cameras from afar.

I waved.

"Hello, everyone!"

"Waaaaaa!"

Some Souffle were scattered, but most were locals.

I asked a child in a puffy hat nearby, eyes sparkling.

"Do you know who we are?"

"Ocean Five?"

Laughter burst out at the mention of the five-brother boy band popular among teens.

I immediately sang Ocean Five’s famous song, Hi Five.

"Girl you’re always cute and beautiful—"

Pointing with a bright tone, the child hid behind his mother, smiling shyly.

Warm laughter spread.

Feeling the atmosphere peak, I asked,

"You know the Winter Olympics are coming up soon?"

"Yes!"

"We’re ambassadors for the Winter Olympics."

I began gently brainwashing the crowd.

"February 9?"

"Pyeongchang!"

"Pyeongchang?"

"February 9!"

After promoting the Olympics at a winter sports venue—

Ri Hyuk and I boarded a sled like bobsledders.

"Ri Hyuk. Let’s go!"

"Haaah..."

"It’s okay."

"T-This looks really high."

"You can do it."

Our managers pushed from behind.

Even if it wasn’t as steep as the ski slope, it still looked like a cliff.

Shoook!

Almost immediately, the two handsome men landed at the bottom and wiped imaginary sweat.

"Well... that was nothing?"

"Ski slope’s nothing."

"Should we go again?"

"Want to?"

The duo named Protect My Body laughed cheerfully.

Behind them, a sign sparkled.

[Beginner Sledding Area]

Swoosh—

Children shot past on sleds, looking at them with pity.

The holiday at Sundance was sweet.

The passionate reactions from Souffle at the screening.

The film project that had started in anger but ended in laughter.

And the fact that this was essentially the last vacation of the quarter.

"Sometimes," Ri Hyuk said with a smile,

"There are moments when there’s so much to do you don’t know where to start and your eyes sting with tears... and this is exactly that."

"Hahahaha!"

"Ahahahaha!"

The Korean Music Awards at Gocheok Dome.

The Grammy Awards attendance and interviews.

Pyeongchang opening ceremony.

Raon Chart Awards and Pyeongchang closing ceremony.

Full-length album preparation.

And that was just stage-related.

PD Gu Jaeyeong’s move to NBS.

Lunar New Year special variety shows.

Planning a travel reality show.

Monitoring documentary reactions.

Monitoring fishing variety show.

Plus my father’s film project.

Plus everyone’s individual training and schedules.

It really was overwhelming.

And yet, schedules kept piling in.

"Judges?"

"Yeah."

Seokhwan hyung showed us an email.

"A U.S. network audition program. They’re offering you judging positions."

"...?"

"It’s huge, so I brought it up first. We still need to verify details."

The TF team’s translated document was handed to us.

The nuance was something like Light the Fire.

"An audition show?"

"Yeah. To select the next-generation boy band."

"But us as judges?"

We were still rookies in the U.S.

—Light your fire for the stage you love!

—The biggest prize in history!

It felt like a Korean survival show rebranded American-style.

We had neither reason nor time to accept.

But I understood why Seokhwan hyung mentioned it.

"The prize money is... like winning the lottery."

"Exactly."

Even the judging fee was close to a film salary.

But.

It was too generous.

Suspicious.

Biju narrowed his eyes.

"It feels off."

"Right?"

Seokhwan hyung nodded.

"It’s weird that they’d suddenly bring in rookies in the U.S. as judges. We’re investigating through our U.S. agency."

"Let us know if you find anything strange."

"Will do."

We shelved it for now.

After discussing preparations for the Korean Music Awards and the Grammys—

There was good news.

"Negotiations with PD Gu Jaeyeong are going smoothly."

"Ooooo!"

"Finally!"

Especially the younger members who had helped recruit him cheered.

"My PPT did it."

"That PPT that never got used?"

"...Be quiet. A legendary sword is most terrifying when it stays in its sheath."

While the maknaes bickered, Biju and Junhyun laughed.

"It was my gentle voice..."

"Maybe my supportive presence reached his heart."

Pretending not to know it took five minutes to secure his agreement, they claimed credit.

Seokhwan hyung smiled.

"Jusehan just ended. He’s probably finishing resignation procedures at TBC."

"Then we’ll set the meeting after."

"Yeah."

Our TF team lead relayed the mood.

"PD Gu seems really excited. He’s thrilled to work with you."

"So are we."

The top variety PD with the idols of variety.

Anyone would be excited.

We wanted to run and meet him immediately, but it wouldn’t be appropriate while he was still at TBC.

We’d go the moment he officially joined NBS.

"For now, that’s it for you guys... and this is for Wooju personally."

"Me?"

My personal schedule.

Seokhwan hyung said,

"Your father’s concert."

"Oh."

"It did incredibly well in Japan."

It had even aired on TV.

The message my father left fans had become a hot topic.

Not all positive.

Summed up: Japanese media doing what Japanese media does.

"But one good thing—Hashimoto seems completely out of the picture."

"Right?"

Maybe because of his comments about Paul Laurent.

Or maybe because my father declared in Q&A that he had no rivals.

In any case, Hashimoto Kenji—whom Souffle had joked was Seon Myungju’s ex-boyfriend—had vanished.

"Breakup successful."

"It was dirty while it lasted. Let’s never meet again."

We laughed and clapped.

Then—

"Oh."

There was something else.

"Did the CEO come to work?"

"Huh?"

"I went up to his office and it was locked."

Junhyun nodded.

"We went together. Couldn’t even hear him breathing. I’m good at detecting breathing."

"He’s a detector."

I had wanted to talk about the film budget.

Seokhwan hyung said,

"The CEO’s sick."

"Really?"

Jiho asked,

"You didn’t know? His status message changed."

I checked.

[Laryngitis. No calls.]

Seokhwan hyung smiled.

"I already told him about the budget. Don’t worry."

"You... told him?"

Four hundred million dollars.

The CEO’s sick leave.

We stared at the status message.

"..."

"..."

A rational assumption hovered.

But no one said it.

"People get sick."

"If my dad asked me for tens of billions, I’d get sick too. Not saying that’s why he’s sick, though..."

We wrapped up.

"Let me know if there’s an update."

"Okay."

"Then..."

I stretched.

The younger members stood up solemnly.

"You guys have to go now."

"Yeah."

They had a Lunar New Year special variety show recording without me.

NewBlack without Wooju.

It sounded weak.

The pillar.

The composer monster.

The ten-year veteran.

The glue.

So sometimes 4Black felt oddly fragile.

Individually strong.

Together? Weirdly like they’d lose to elementary schoolers.

But today was different.

"Wow..."

An idol whispered.

"They look really strong."

"They look scary."

"How does losing Wooju make them look stronger...?"

As 90-degree bows poured in—

[2018 Lunar New Year Special]

[Idol E-Sports Tournament: Team Qualifiers]

They entered like beings from another world.

Everyone understood.

[Team match: Maximum 4 members]

Someone who didn’t know games had been cut due to the limit.