Chapter 932: I’m going to buy New Black at the supermarket (3)

National idol.

That title basically meant this:

– Everyone in the country knows NewBlack.

– And most people like us.

The key point was that everyone knows us.

Of course, the range of what “knowing us” meant varied a lot.

Some people knew us well enough to list us in age order, while others... recognized us in their own unique ways.

“Noble Black! Noble Black!”

“Ujoong, how’ve you been?”

“Daegil, hi!”

We were called by all kinds of names.

At this point, if someone shouted “Noble Black!” we’d just run over and cheerfully reply, “Yes, we’re Noble Black!”

But—

“Mart... uncles...?”

That was a title we’d never heard before.

“Mart uncles!”

“Mart uncles!”

Kids came running from all directions, shouting “mart uncles.”

While the kids squealed and the staff snickered, we were still standing there in a daze.

Because of what Yeoul and her siblings had just said.

“Uncles who sell things at the mart!”

Even Yeoul—who seemed the most mature—thought of us that way.

“Waaaaaa!”

“Waaah!”

Kids surrounded us, while nearby parents held onto their carts.

Among them, one girl looked confused.

“They’re not mart uncles, they’re NewBlack!”

She looked about seven.

I asked,

“You know NewBlack?”

“Yes!”

“How old are you?”

“Seven!”

Kindergarten age.

She seemed older than the others—who were around five or six.

I gently asked,

“Why are we mart uncles?”

“Mom and Dad said so!”

Another kid chimed in,

“Hey! My dad says that too!”

“Us too!”

And finally, Yeoul and the twins delivered the finishing blow.

“Our dad says mart uncles too.”

“I see......”

We slowly turned our heads.

Creak.

Narrowing our eyes, we looked at the parents.

They laughed awkwardly and avoided eye contact.

It was easy to imagine what had happened.

“Mom! Who are those uncles?”

Our faces plastered across ads in the mart.

Kids asking with curious eyes.

Parents running simulations in their heads—

“They’re NewBlack.”

“What’s NewBlack?”

“They’re idols... singers.”

“What’s a singer?”

“Someone who sings.”

“Then why are they there?”

“Well, that’s because it’s an advertisement...”

And then—

to cut off the endless “why” questions, the perfect solution:

“They’re mart uncles.”

“Ohh.”

That’s how it happened.

A dad in a snapback scratched his head awkwardly.

“I thought only our family called them that.”

“Us too...”

“Wait, us too...”

Everyone looked amused.

No one had agreed on it, yet multiple households had settled on the same term.

Even we, who had been stunned at first, started laughing.

[National idol = mart uncle]

It made sense.

“Mart uncle” was simply the most understandable explanation for kids.

We burst into laughter—

and accepted it immediately.

“That’s right.”

Jiho told the wide-eyed kids,

“We’re mart uncles!”

“Mart uncles!”

The kids stared at us like we were celebrities.

Beside me, Yeoul’s smile grew brighter.

“Hehe.”

A proud smile, like she owned these mart uncles.

Even if she seemed mature, she was still a child.

It made me smile.

Then the questions began.

“Why do you live in the mart?”

“How much money do you make?”

“When can we meet you here?”

It felt like a mart uncle fan meeting.

We answered kindly.

A child sucking on candy asked,

“How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-six.”

“My dad is thirty!”

“He’s four years older than me.”

I did the math for him.

Then—

“Are you married?”

“No.”

“Why not? My dad is!”

“The mart told me not to.”

The adults burst into laughter.

The child nodded, completely convinced.

After wrapping up our short “fan meeting,” we waved.

We wanted to talk more, but today’s stars were Yeoul and her siblings.

Ri Hyuk said,

“You won’t eat vegetables even if we tell you to, right?”

“No!”

“Thought so.”

We waved goodbye.

“Bye!”

“Bye!”

“Study hard and grow up to be great adults like mart uncles!”

And just as we were leaving—

“......”

“......”

Small hands fidgeted in ours.

Yeoul, Yuna, and Minwoo had gone quiet.

Their expressions slightly pouty.

We crouched down.

“Whew. That was exhausting.”

“Seriously.”

“Talking to other kids was so tiring~”

We glanced at the departing crowd, then leaned in.

“Want to hear a secret?”

“A secret?”

“Yeah.”

Their ears perked up instantly.

We whispered,

“We like you three the most.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s true.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

We nodded.

“This is a secret.”

They burst into giggles.

Behind the camera, the staff smiled warmly.

Holding their hands again, we headed into the store—

when Junghyun asked the staff,

“Do people usually call us mart uncles?”

“No.”

The assistant director shook her head.

“It probably varies by household.”

“I see.”

“...But my family calls you mart uncles too.”

“......”

The cameraman quietly raised his hand.

Same here.

“......”

“......”

We stared into the void.

We wanted something cool—like “lightning uncles” or “thunder uncles.”

But instead—

[Mart uncles]

Somehow, it felt a little sad.

We headed to the first floor.

“Whoa!”

“Huh?!”

Employees at the electronics section stared at us in shock.

“Hello.”

“Oh my! Hello!”

Some covered their mouths, others grabbed their phones.

We bowed and pushed the cart.

The kids led the way.

“Waaaaa!”

“Hey! Where are they going?!”

We panicked as the twins ran ahead.

“They’re going to the toy section,” Yeoul explained.

“Ah.”

Jiho and Junghyun followed, holding their hands.

I turned to Yeoul.

“Shall we go too?”

“Yes!”

“I’ll buy you something.”

The toy section lit up the kids’ faces.

Like when I visited the producer’s office for the first time.

“Waaah!”

“Ahh!”

They ran around grabbing toys.

The basket filled up quickly.

Meanwhile, Yeoul hesitated.

A doll.

A magic wand.

“Hmm.”

She wanted both—but knew she couldn’t.

I crouched down.

“Want help choosing?”

“Yes.”

I picked them up.

“If you choose the wand...”

I hid the doll.

“Poof! The doll disappears.”

“Ah...”

Then reversed it.

“Now the wand disappears.”

“Hmm...”

“No matter what you choose, I’ll play with you. Which one would you miss more?”

“The wand.”

“Then let’s get the wand.”

She nodded.

Ri Hyuk smiled.

“That was economic education.”

“Huh?”

“You just taught opportunity cost.”

“...?”

Our fourth member really had unusual interests.

Meanwhile—

the twins had piled up toys.

“...Oh boy.”

This would be trouble.

We’d learned something:

– They listen well!

– But only listen!

“Don’t run” → “Okay!” → immediately runs.

Words and actions were separate domains.

As we wondered what to do—

Biju stepped in.

“You can only pick one.”

“Two!”

“Mom buys three!”

“No. Just one.”

“....”

The twins read the room.

They knew Biju wouldn’t budge.

They started choosing.

“Biju’s good.”

“He really is.”

Junghyun smiled proudly.

Apparently, Biju had been a class leader in school.

Soon—

everything was resolved.

No chaos.

Each kid picked one toy.

As we put the rest back—

“Wait...”

I looked around.

“Where’s Jiho?”

“Jiho?”

“Hyungs!”

Jiho appeared, carrying a basket.

“Look! There are so many new game packs!”

“What’s that?”

“They’re cute— I mean! For the kids!”

“...Jiho.”

“Yes?”

“You are an adult. Act like one.”

People nearby laughed.

Even the twins looked at him disapprovingly.

“Uncle! One only!”

“Only one!”

“...Okay...”

Jiho returned the items—

then hesitated.

“Hyung...”

“Yeah?”

“Can I buy one?”

“Go ahead.”

“Really?”

I smiled.

“Buy whatever you want.”

“That means don’t buy it.”

“Just one.”

“Hyung said I can!”

He ran off happily.

We burst out laughing.

“I can’t with him.”

“Seriously...”

I was barely holding myself back from buying toys too.

Then—

tug tug.

Yeoul pulled my hand.

“How old is Jiho uncle?”

“Twenty-one.”

“Is he an adult?”

I looked at him running back excitedly with a game pack.

“...Not yet.”

It felt like we were the Pied Piper.

On the first floor, only a few people watched.

In the basement—

there were crowds.

“So many people...”

“Seriously.”

People followed us.

Kids shouted “mart uncle!”

Mothers clapped.

Couples pushed strollers behind us.

The same energy everywhere:

When will we ever see NewBlack again?

The kids got even more excited.

“Let’s see...”

We reached the food section.

Ri Hyuk checked the list.

We greeted people.

“Oh my! My boys!”

“Hello!”

“Congratulations on Billboard!”

“Yes.”

Even the sample lady knew Yeoul.

“You came with cool uncles today.”

“Yes!”

She giggled.

The twins talked to the fishmonger.

“They’re our uncles!”

“Really?”

“I wish I had rich uncles too...”

We moved through the store—

greeting everyone.

“Oh! Hello!”

“Say hi, Subin! It’s NewBlack!”

“Everyone loves NewBlack! My name is Everyone!”

We bowed.

Sometimes posed in front of our ads.

And then—

samples everywhere.

“Try pork!”

“Galbi!”

“Juice!”

It was chaotic—but fun.

A kind of real reaction we rarely experienced.

“Uncles are popular.”

“Yes.”

“Mart uncles!”

“...Yes. But we’re actually very famous too.”

We smiled.

“You’ll see what we really do.”

Meanwhile—

the kids were overwhelmed with pride.

Our uncles!

They watched in awe.

Free food everywhere.

People buying everything the uncles touched.

“Magic...”

“Uncle!”

People joked—

“I’m their uncle too.”

“I’m their aunt.”

“I give them allowance!”

The kids were shocked.

“So many family members!”

“Ten?”

“No. A hundred.”

Their eyes widened.

Then—

they remembered.

You’ll see what we do.

And finally understood.

Mart uncles.

Clearly—

that’s exactly what we were.