Chapter 930: I’m going to buy New Black at the supermarket (1)

In the end, we got absolutely nothing out of talking with the company staff.

What a bunch of terrible people.

“Fighting!”

“You can do it! Our NewBlack can totally handle childcare too!”

“Man, you guys are going to suffer.”

Seeing our deadpan stares, the employees burst out laughing.

Assistant Manager Nam from the Scarlet TF team spoke up.

“Well. That was half a joke.”

He smiled at us.

“Don’t feel pressured. Just go and enjoy it. You’re only doing childcare for a day anyway... How old were the kids again?”

“Five? Around that, I think.”

“Oh~ that’s an age where you can actually communicate. That’s fine then.”

Everyone nodded.

Apparently, being able to communicate was a very important condition.

“At that age, they won’t just pick up anything and shove it in their mouths.”

“Right.”

“You know that thing? When you didn’t give them anything to eat, but they’re chewing on something anyway.”

“Whoa. That’s °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° creepy... I’ve got goosebumps right now.”

“My kid once had an Oxford toddler block in their mouth......”

For a moment, they got caught up chatting among themselves.

It was the kind of weary, shared experience that we clearly couldn’t join in on.

While they were talking, the deputy manager from the PR team gave us some advice.

“Instead of thinking you’re going on a variety show, it’s better to think of it as just going to play with a child for a bit.”

The publicity expert continued.

“Childcare variety shows are different from the ones you’ve done so far. In other shows, the guest is the main character, but in childcare shows, the kids are the main characters.”

“Yes, we know.”

“You have to understand that the source of fun is different. If people wanted big, explosive laughs, they’d watch a regular variety show. There’s a completely different reason people watch childcare shows.”

They smiled.

“A kid having fun at an amusement park. Getting into trouble and blinking in confusion. Running around playing in the dirt with friends and then suddenly bursting into tears... that’s the kind of fun people watch for.”

“I think I get it.”

“So since the kids’ stories are the point, there’s just one thing you need to remember.”

We listened carefully as they spoke.

“You just need to think of yourselves as supporting characters appearing in the kids’ story.”

“Got it perfectly.”

Jiho raised his hand.

“So that means we should become such overwhelming scene-stealers that we erase the main characters’ presence, right?”

“......”

“......”

As the PR deputy manager pinched the bridge of their nose, I spoke.

“Junghyun.”

“Yes.”

“You know, right?”

“Yes.”

As Jiho got dragged away for the first time in a while, shouting “Let me gooo,” we smiled at the staff.

“Thank you for the advice.”

“It’s not really advice. Just telling you what makes childcare shows fun from a parent’s perspective.”

The staff smiled shyly, then asked,

“By the way, which family are you appearing with on this time?”

“Ah.”

“Is it Yeoul’s family? Or Sumin’s? Or Yubin’s?”

“So, the family we’re filming with is......”

“Yeah.”

As we deliberately dragged it out, the staff blinked at us with sparkling eyes.

I asked,

“You’re curious, right?”

“Yeah!”

“If you’re really curious......”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll have to check the broadcast. It wouldn’t be fun if we spoiled it in advance.”

“......”

We burst into laughter at the staff glaring at us with narrowed eyes.

A small revenge for them teasing us earlier.

After thoroughly preparing for the childcare variety show,

we visited HBS Broadcasting Station in Mokdong for a preliminary meeting.

Our destination was an office on the 16th floor of the Variety Division.

A panel of the child mascot making a V sign.

The room was filled with dolls and merchandise, giving off a cute, cozy atmosphere that matched the program’s tone.

Maybe because of that, the PD and writers also gave off a warm impression.

“Waaaaaa!”

The moment we arrived, they welcomed us with confetti.

“Congratulations! Congratulations~!”

“Congratulaaations on your Bill~board~!”

As they applauded and handed us program merchandise as gifts, we stood there, slightly bewildered.

“Uh... thank you.”

“Thank you...!”

A PD who looked to be in her late thirties smiled brightly.

“We heard NewBlack was visiting the office, so it didn’t feel right to greet you empty-handed.”

“Come this way! We’ve prepared drinks too.”

We laughed when we saw drinks already set out on the table according to our preferences.

While our managers handed out the drinks they’d brought to the staff, we sat around a spacious table.

The PD handed us her business card.

“I’m Kim Mina, a PD from HBS Variety Division.”

“I’m Wooju from NewBlack. Nice to meet you.”

Matching her gesture, I and the others handed over our business cards.

Mine was decorated heavily with flowers, while each of theirs reflected their own tastes.

[NewBlack Wooju]

A card with just a name—no phone number.

PD Kim Mina blinked.

“You... have business cards?”

“Yes.”

Jiho explained.

“When we’re out walking, people recognize us. But especially older people always hand us their business cards.”

For some reason, middle-aged men who greeted us with “Oh! NewBlack!” on the street or in restaurants always handed us their cards.

“So we felt like we should give something back in those situations...”

“That’s why we carry them.”

I pointed at my card.

“Want to smell it? It has a scent.”

“Oh?”

“Oh my. It really does?”

The staff passed my card around, sniffing it before bursting into laughter.

We tilted our heads.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s just... the situation of getting a business card from an idol like this is kind of funny......”

“?”

We’d handed them over seriously, but apparently there was some humor we didn’t understand.

After distributing cards to everyone, the production team handed us the script.

<Seojun Lives at the Mart – Guest: NewBlack>

The PD asked,

“Have you... watched our program?”

“Yes.”

“......!”

The staff squealed in excitement.

Like fans saying, “They’ve seen me!”

Junghyun asked,

“Are you Souffle?”

They shook their heads.

“No... we’re foil......”

“Somewhere on the border between foil and Souffle? We joined the fanclub and paid, but we don’t really stream or anything.”

“Think of us as foil who go to concerts.”

Which basically meant they were Souffle, and we laughed.

“If you joined the fanclub, you’re Souffle.”

“Really?”

One of the assistant writers asked,

“Doesn’t being Souffle mean fighting antis, filing lawsuits, streaming all day, waving banners at music shows...”

“If you joined, you’re Souffle.”

“!”

Watching them realize, I was Souffle...! we laughed.

Judging by the atmosphere, about half of them were Souffle.

At the very least, we didn’t have to worry too much about how the editing would turn out.

The PD said,

“We’ve wanted to cast NewBlack for so long. We kept waiting for the chance... and then hit big at the perfect time!”

The staff chimed in.

“It really is a lullaby, just like the title. I played it for my niece and she started dozing off immediately! She’s usually a terrible sleeper......”

“We tried it on our program too, and the kids really fell asleep well.”

“Online, people are saying NewBlack is the hope of childcare right now......”

When they asked us to perform on the show, we readily agreed.

The PD looked at the script.

“Usually, we don’t even hold preliminary meetings with guests. They just show up briefly and leave.”

“Right. We saw that in the Street Boys episode.”

“Oh! That one was fun.”

We’d watched the episode where members of Street Boys appeared.

They were on for about twenty minutes.

At first, the kids cried because they were scared, but later treated them like goofy uncles.

“Uncle! Play magical princess with me!”

“Magical... princess?”

I remembered the screenshot of Hanjo, who had dreamed of being a magical princess as a child, smiling in complete satisfaction while playing with kids.

We teased him for a week with “Our princess slept well, right?”

“......!”

Suddenly, I realized I should avoid becoming a meme like that.

“Wooju?”

“Ah. It’s nothing.”

“Anyway, it’s rare for us to do a pre-meeting with guests, but today’s a bit different.”

The staff smiled awkwardly.

“The families were competing really fiercely.”

“Because of us?”

“Yes. They heard NewBlack would appear, and everyone wanted to know which family you’d be guesting with......”

So they came up with a Solomon-style solution.

We would appear as guests for one family, and later meet all the other families together.

“We also thought a lot about the filming content. Like taking the kids to an amusement park, or a kids’ café...”

“But controlling the crowd would be impossible.”

We agreed.

“So we focused on indoor activities instead.”

We looked over the script.

– Grocery shopping together.

– Making simple food or snacks together.

– Watching cartoons together.

Then, at the end, playing with the kids from the other families who come over. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Looking at it, I asked,

“But most of the script is blank?”

“Yes.”

The staff smiled warmly.

“It never goes according to plan anyway.”

“Just treat it as a reference. Once, actor Lee Gyeonwoo came on and knocked over a chocolate fountain while eating from it, and the kids started clapping and dancing......”

“I... see.”

They nodded.

By the time we finished our drinks, the meeting ended.

Since it wasn’t a particularly structured show, it felt more like having a cup of coffee and leaving.

“Well then, thank you for toda—”

“Um, excuse me.”

As we stood up, the staff—clearly full of Souffle—asked,

“Could we take a photo?”

“Of course.”

“And maybe... autographs too......”

“Sure.”

The staff bounced with excitement.

—When else would we ever see NewBlack like this!

Seeing that, we burst into laughter.

So this was the real reason they invited us.

This was it.

Their expressions made it impossible to deny that this—not the meeting—was the main purpose.

The next morning.

After getting ready early at the salon, we headed to Hannam-dong.

“Yaaawn.”

The youngest, yawning widely, glanced at the navigation.

Our destination was an apartment in Hannam-dong.

There were three families on .

The celebrity family we were meeting today was—

Hye Won.

A member of Trend, a first-generation co-ed idol group.

She was a popular member of a group I liked as a kid, and now active across various broadcasts.

An audition judge.

A panelist on music shows.

Ri Hyuk said,

“When was the last time we met the Trend seniors?”

“About four years ago? Around then.”

It was our first time meeting her, but we’d met other Trend members before.

Seri and Bukbuk.

They had been MCs on HBS’s <Show Show Show! Idol Show> during our Masquerade promotions.

“Time really flies.”

As we chatted, we checked the profiles.

The most important part was the kids we’d meet today.

On the program, they were called Yeoul’s family.

– Jung Yeoul (F, 5)

– Jung Yuna (F, 4) & Jung Minwoo (M, 4)

The younger two were twins.

They were apparently the most popular family on the show, which was probably why we were paired with them.

Yeoul, the mature eldest daughter, loved for acting like she was on her second life.

And the troublemaking twins.

I wondered what they’d be like during filming with us.

Jiho clung to Biju.

“I’m relying on you today, Biju hyung.”

“Me too.”

“Kim Biju, we trust you.”

We stared at him with sparkling eyes.

I was an only child.

Jiho and Junghyun were the youngest in their families. Ri Hyuk didn’t have much of an age gap with his younger sister.

In contrast, Biju was the only one with real experience, having practically raised his late-born younger brother Minjun.

“I’m not even that good......”

Biju laughed awkwardly.

“I just changed diapers and played with him when he was little.”

“That’s still something.”

“I think you’ll be good too, hyung.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You seem like you’d be naturally good with kids.”

I thought about it.

“Hmm... I wouldn’t say I’m especially skilled, but I think I do have a knack for playing with kids.”

I recalled times I’d met children in elevators or talked to kids randomly.

Most were good memories.

Come to think of it, maybe I really did have a talent for dealing with children.

“But I can’t say for sure. All the kids I’ve met so far have been nice.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ve never met kids who cry a lot, so I’m a bit worried.”

Since I’d only met gentle kids so far, I wondered what chaotic kids would be like.

Just then—

“Guys, we’re here.”

“Yes!”

We got out in the apartment parking lot, carrying gifts.

While our manager contacted the production team, we got into the elevator.

“Ugh...”

“I’m nervous.”

“Meeting kids feels really nerve-wracking.”

It was a different feeling from meeting adults.

You couldn’t predict their reactions at all.

As Jiho rubbed his hands together like a fly—

[7th floor.]

We stood in front of unit 701 and rang the doorbell, holding our gift basket.

Inside, it probably went like this—

“Ding-dong~”

“The guests you’ve been waiting for have finally arrived!”

The mom saying “Oh~ just a moment,” while approaching the door.

Click.

At the sound, we bowed.

“Senior! We’re here!”

“Just a moment~”

Soon, we heard the kids running around, voices going “Who is it?” “Who is it?”

The door opened with the sound of slippers dragging.

Soft wavy hair, light makeup, and a bright smile greeted us.

“You’re here?”

“Hello, sunbaenim!”

“Oh, nice to meet you. Come in.”

Thanks to introductions through Seri beforehand, it wasn’t too awkward.

As we stepped inside—

“?”

“??”

Three small figures in pajamas stared up at us in the entryway.

Kids barely reaching our thighs.

“Hi.”

At Jiho’s cheerful greeting, they responded with slight caution.

Then we realized.

“Hyungs, our masks.”

“Ah.”

We took off our masks.

And in that moment—

“!”

“!!”

The kids stared at us with their mouths wide open.

Jiho grinned.

“Hi! Do you know who we are?”

Nod, nod.

They opened their mouths so wide that drool almost came out, and Biju quickly pulled out a handkerchief.

“Kids, let me say hello too—”

I stepped forward, taking off my mask.

“Hi.”

“......”

“......”

The three siblings just stared at me in silence.

Then suddenly, the troublemaking twins dashed off somewhere.

“Huh? What—”

They came running back.

“This.”

Yuna and Minwoo handed me straws-inserted yogurt drinks in their lisping voices.

Twisting their bodies shyly, they whispered,

“This is Yuna’s favorite.”

“Minwoo likes this too.”

Weren’t these the famously shy, troublemaking kids?

Squatting down, I accepted the yogurt and smiled brightly.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

People’s words must all be lies.

Kids are really kind.

Sun Wooju, happily accepting yogurt from the kids, lightly hugged them, saying they were so kind, as the children giggled on camera.

And then—

The NewBlack members froze.

This is strange.

They were supposed to be extremely shy on the show...

Unlike the calm eldest Yeoul, the twins who usually got wary whenever someone new appeared were now twisting their bodies shyly behind their backs in front of Wooju.

At that point, a reasonable suspicion arose.

“Hyung.”

Wooju turned his head at Junghyun’s voice.

“Hm? What?”

“You said you’ve only met kind kids so far, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Do those kids ever suddenly stop crying and smile when they see you... or suddenly give you something they were eating...?”

Wooju looked surprised.

“Huh? How did you know?”

“......”

“......”

Only then did the four realize what Wooju meant.

It’s his face.

They’re not shy—they’re filtering by face.

The kids laughed brightly at Wooju.

The other four smiled at them too, but the kids only responded with polite smiles.

Their sparkling eyes from before seemed a bit colder now.

“......”

It felt unfair.

Weren’t they also considered top-tier visuals everywhere they went?

Watching Wooju high-five the kids, the others shut their eyes in frustration.

What a cruel world.

That was the harsh truth they faced.