Chapter 933: I’m going to buy New Black at the supermarket (4)

I love the mart.

I really love it.

NewBlack is going to live in the mart!

“Kyaaa!”

“Kyaa!”

Laughter kept slipping out for no reason.

I tried to keep a dignified smile since we were in front of kids, but it wasn’t easy to hide human nature.

“Oh my! My boys! Come over here!”

“Yes!”

At the beckoning of the lady promoting pork cutlets, we walked over.

Snip, snip.

Freshly fried pork cutlets were cut into bite-sized pieces.

We thanked the woman who handed them over on starch toothpicks and passed them to the kids.

“Kids! This time it’s pork cutlet.”

“Pork cutlet!”

Munch munch.

Watching the kids eat, we smiled and took some for ourselves.

“Mmm~”

Cheese pork cutlets promoted by comedian Seo Jihyung.

As we reacted with exaggerated “Mmm~”s in front of the display, people started picking them up.

The excited promoter lady pushed more toward us.

“Eat more. More.”

“Oh, thank you. You really don’t have to...”

“If it’s NewBlack, I could fry ten more plates right here!”

We smiled warmly.

‘Of course.’

‘You just sold twenty packs.’

Twenty packs in five minutes.

Even after we left the pork cutlet section, it remained crowded.

“Since you had pork cutlets, it must feel greasy. Have a glass of juice here before you go!”

“Yes!”

We each took a sip of orange juice.

Pushing the cart along, we were greeted by a man grilling bulgogi.

“Oh my! The bosses have arrived!”

He even took off his gloves and offered a handshake, and we bowed slightly and shook his hand.

“Bosses...?”

“Well, you’re our bosses, aren’t you!”

“?”

We checked the product name and burst out laughing.

[New Bulbaek]

A meal kit with a grumpy red caricature of Mrs. Kim Deoksun.

It was a product we’d sold on home shopping two years ago.

“Why don’t you try some?”

“It might be a bit spicy for the kids.”

“Then shall I give you the soy sauce New Bulbaek?”

“Yes!”

We handed the kids paper cups filled with bulbaek as they stared with sparkling eyes.

When we asked if business was good, the man selling New Bulbaek replied,

“It’s always good. Thanks to our bosses’ grace...”

“Grace, you say...”

We grew embarrassed at the exaggerated words, and people burst into laughter.

“We’re always cheering you on. You’re doing great on Billboard, even making the Grammy charts! Fighting!”

“Thank you!”

“The best singers! NewBlack!”

We bowed again to the man giving us double thumbs-up and moved on.

Looking back, people were practically sweeping up the New Bulbaek.

Seeing that, I turned to Yeoul, who was holding my hand.

“Yeoul.”

“Yeah.”

“You heard what kind of job your uncles have, right?”

“Yeah. Singer.”

“Your uncles actually have two jobs. We’re mart uncles and we sing.”

Yeoul repeated, “Singer,” and looked up at me with wide eyes.

“Isn’t it hard to have two jobs?”

“It’s not easy.”

“Then why do you do both?”

“Because people like what we do. So we want to try lots of different things.”

After hearing that, the child who had been quietly watching me said,

“But it shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Okay. I’ll be careful.”

I answered with a smile, and Yeoul shyly twisted her body as she smiled.

She flapped her arms and wriggled around, embarrassed in that very childlike way.

It was then.

“Huh?”

“It’s White Night.”

“White Night!”

Instead of the usual K Mart logo song, our music was playing over the speakers.

The staff whispered to us.

“They played it to welcome NewBlack.”

“Oh, really?”

As White Night played, people started clapping and cheering.

“Waaah! NewBlack’s performing!”

“They’re singing!”

“They’re going to sing and dance!”

People grinned mischievously at us.

We’d never said we would, but they were already pushing the narrative like a folk tale.

At the same time, they stepped back and formed a circle around us with perfect coordination.

“Then we’ll show you a performance of White Night!”

“Waaah!”

We sang the chorus and did a light bit of choreography.

Cause we’re villains

There’s nothing to be afraid of

The night is our time

Everyone cheered and applauded.

“Waaah!”

After finishing the light routine, we straightened our clothes.

Then we looked toward the most important VIPs of today.

Yeoul, Yuna, and Minwoo, watching from a distance while holding hands with a friendly store lady.

“......”

“......”

The kids’ eyes were wide.

And slightly dazed.

“How was it?”

We asked expectantly.

“Your uncles are cool, right?”

“Mm...”

“Mm...”

At first, they looked shocked.

But then small smiles started to twitch at their lips.

Yeoul and Yuna especially hid their faces with their hands, peeking through their fingers.

Junghyun smiled warmly and asked,

“Now you know what your uncles do, right?”

“Yeah!”

“So what do your uncles do?”

“Mart uncles!”

We shared a wistful smile with the others.

‘This broadcast won’t be easy.’

Wherever we went, people cheered and called us cute.

Our music played throughout the mart.

Shopping, we kept smiling contentedly.

“Alright. Let’s get a thumbnail shot.”

We posed happily together in the mart.

“One, two, three.”

“Pop!”

We froze in place for three seconds.

The staff asked,

“What was that?”

“Oh, you know how broadcasters use MyTube a lot these days? We took a thumbnail photo.”

“Ah! I see...”

“Pretty clever of us, right?”

The staff clapped with satisfied smiles.

The assistant director said,

“But this is a nice problem to have. We’ve already gone way over the runtime...”

“Really?”

“Yes, even just the usable footage exceeds it by a lot. It’s great, but...”

“We’re good at making footage.”

We smiled at the worried assistant director and turned to Biju.

“Did we get everything?”

“Yes, more or less.”

We checked the cart.

“We got all the japchae ingredients.”

“Okay.”

“We got cookie ingredients, plenty of meat... snacks and drinks too...”

Everything we planned to make for the kids was there.

Though whether we’d actually cook all of it was another question.

“Uncle.”

Yuna spoke up.

“I’m full.”

“Me too.”

“My tummy’s a little full.”

We nodded.

“Us too. Very full.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

We were stuffed.

After eating samples here and there, our stomachs were packed.

“Coffee,” Ri Hyuk said, rubbing his temples.

“I need coffee.”

“Should we get drinks?”

“Yes.”

Between the crowds and the carts, and focusing on the kids nonstop, we were all drained.

“Should we get ice cream for Yeoul, Yuna, and Minwoo?”

“Yes!”

“Then let’s go!”

After finishing our shopping, we headed to the second-floor food court.

A similar commotion broke out there.

Kids eating dropped their forks and stared at us in shock.

“Hi. We’re mart uncles!”

“Nice to meet you, kids! Mart uncles!”

With enlightened smiles, we accepted our identity as mart uncles.

What would kids know?

When I was seven, I thought a member of parliament was something like an oriental clinic.

In their world, we were mart uncles.

“Hahahaha!”

“You seem a bit too quick to accept that.”

“It’s acceptance.”

We circled the food court.

At an ice cream shop, we picked what the kids wanted.

“I want to see the ice cream.”

“You want to watch them scoop it?”

“Yeah!”

We lifted the kids so they could watch.

Swirl, swirl.

Each time the worker scooped ice cream, we and the kids went,

“Ooooh!”

“Waaah!”

The worker burst into laughter mid-scoop.

“Sorry—cough!”

They handed over the ice cream and turned away, still laughing.

Was it that funny?

We widened our eyes and went “Owaaah?” again.

“Pff—cough!”

The worker, face red, hid their face and fled.

Nice.

Not sure what was funny, but at least we made one tired worker laugh today.

Meanwhile, Ri Hyuk ordered drinks.

“What are you having?”

“Iced chocolate.”

“What about you, staff? We’ll treat you.”

The staff, exhausted from filming in the crowd, gladly ordered.

As we received the pager—

“Uncle.”

Yeoul spoke.

“There’s something I want to try...”

“What is it?”

“I want to do that beep-beep thing.”

“The pager?”

Nod nod.

“So when it beeps, you want to go pick it up?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. You can do it.”

“Okay!”

Like wanting to press elevator buttons, she wanted to try the pager.

“Ice cream!”

“Ice cream!”

As the kids laughed and ate, we rested at a table.

“Ugh...”

“The staff do this every week?”

“Yep.”

“That’s amazing.”

While the adults were exhausted, the kids were full of energy.

Then—

Bzzzz.

The pager vibrated.

Yeoul’s face lit up as she grabbed it and toddled off.

“Me too!”

Yuna followed.

As Junghyun followed them with a smile, I noticed something missing.

“?”

Minwoo looked strange.

Maybe he was cold from the ice cream, but he was squirming.

“Minwoo.”

“Uncle...”

“Yeah?”

“I need to pee...”

Where was the restroom?

We swallowed and asked,

“Is it urgent?”

Nod.

I grabbed his hand and started walking.

Restroom.

Restroom...

We spotted the sign and hurried.

“How urgent?”

Minwoo raised both hands.

Ten fingers.

“Ten?”

“No.”

“?”

“Ten seconds...”

My mind went blank.

“Minwoo. I’ll carry you.”

I picked him up and ran.

“Hold it! Just a little!”

“Eight... seven...”

“Don’t count! Don’t count!”

“Mmm!”

Trying not to jostle him, I ran.

We made it.

One minute later—

Minwoo came out smiling.

“Feel better?”

“Yeah.”

He giggled as I washed his hands.

Outside, the cameraman looked at me with sympathy.

“Whew. That took ten years off my life.”

I smiled at the camera.

“Uncle!”

“Yeah?”

“I want a new ice cream.”

“...Why?”

“It melted.”

“....”

I nodded.

I see.

This is parenting.

“You look out of it.”

“Do I?”

I checked my phone.

In just a few hours, I looked worn out.

“That restroom run aged me ten years...”

We all looked the same.

Meanwhile, the kids laughed brightly.

“Kyaaa!”

“Hehe!”

No wonder our staff got sad when we laughed like this.

“Uncle,” Yeoul whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for helping Minwoo.”

“No problem.”

Why did I feel like crying?

“Thank you, uncles.”

As Yeoul said that, the others echoed, “Thank you,” giggling.

They were exhausting—but definitely cute.

“Shall we go home?”

“Yes!”

We returned to Hyewon’s house.

The moment we entered, the kids ran to the bags.

“Toys!”

While they played, we divided roles.

“Let’s cook. Biju and I will cook—you guys go play with the kids.”

“Okay!”

Ri Hyuk tried to help—

“No.”

Cold rejection.

“......”

We started cooking.

Yeoul tugged my sleeve.

“I want to cook too.”

“Okay.”

We sat her on a chair and gave her simple tasks.

“Want to play with toys?”

“No...”

“Playing with them doesn’t feel like playing.”

“...Ah.”

She looked like someone freed from childcare.

“Want to make cookies?”

“Yes!”

We began cooking.

“Hyung, japchae ingredients.”

“Got it.”

Chop chop chop—

Yeoul watched, eyes sparkling.

“Why?”

“You’re cool.”

“Even in an apron?”

“Yes.”

It was the same look Souffle fans had.

She was completely smitten.

Soon—

“Done!”

Japchae was finished.

“Try it?”

“Yes!”

She took a bite.

“!”

“!!”

We looked at each other.

“Heaven...!”

“It’s delicious!”

Biju’s recipe was perfect.

“Should we call the kids?”

“After dishes—”

“Let’s make them do it.”

We set a chocolate trail from the playroom to the kitchen.

Knock knock.

We waited.

“...Huh?”

“They’re not coming.”

We went out—

And froze.

“Wow!”

“Gotta bring this to hyungs~”

Our maknae was scooping up all the chocolate.

I smiled in enlightenment.

“Well... a kid did come.”