Hyung-seop Kim glanced around nervously.
‘This is a celebrity agency…’
The unfamiliarity of the space made him anxious and tense.
As he looked around, his eyes caught a sign that read ‘Producing Team.’
“Would you like a cup of mixed coffee?”
“Oh, yes.”
The composers, with their easy-going demeanor, handed him a cup of mixed coffee.
‘…Everyone is so kind.’
He had heard through the grapevine that A&R and producing in this industry were no joke in terms of workload.
Yet, the people at Lemon Entertainment seemed warm and their smiles genuine.
Above all, they treated him like a very esteemed guest.
“You must have been surprised by the MiTube video yesterday.”
“Ah, yes…”
The incident began just yesterday.
As usual, he was eating ramen while watching MiTube when suddenly, the remix he made for Nine started playing.
Uh… uh…?
He was so startled that he dropped his chopsticks into the pot.
Even as the soup splashed onto his clothes, the image of Bijoo dancing to Nine’s remix was vividly etched in his mind.
Then, the leader of New Black said:
You’ve made it so well. Wow.
A compliment that made his face flush with a sudden warmth.
No joke, if the producer who made this remix is watching, please contact us.
His heart raced at the earnest plea for contact.
Checking the comments on the video, he saw countless ones like ‘This is insaneㅋㅋㅋㅋ’, ‘Ready for broadcastㅋㅋㅋㅋ’.
Most of them were urging, ‘Hurry and contact them! This is your chance!’
Initially overwhelmed, he didn’t ponder for long.
‘Let’s just reach out.’
That decision led to the meeting he was now having at the entertainment agency in Sinsa-dong.
‘The atmosphere is different from what I imagined…’
He had expected a certain dress code for the company, but the composers’ department was free-spirited.
Beards were the norm, some wore earrings, others had hip-hop rings dangling.
Na-sang Yun PD, sitting in front of him, was wearing a hoodie with a skull on it.
“Mr. Hyung-seop Kim?”
“Yes.”
“Can I call you Hyung-seop?”
“Yes, of course.”
Na-sang Yun PD said with a friendly smile.
“Don’t be nervous, this isn’t a job interview. After all, you are our invited guest.”
“Feel at home, relax~”
The composers huddled behind him like fledglings, laughing.
“We’ve all seen the remix you posted on MiTube. You really spiced it up.”
“Thank you…”
“There was a top comment saying, ‘The original song feels dull after this,’ and we all agreed.”
Kim blushed at the praise for his remix.
Soon, the other employees eased his tension with their compliments and asked about his creative process.
“How did you come up with the idea?”
“Well, about that…”
He stammered through his explanation.
Not being talented at verbal explanations, he wondered if they understood, but the veteran composers got it right away.
“Did you think of splitting it before the chorus?”
“Yes, how did you…?”
“You can tell when you listen. Wow, but your idea is really good.”
They all praised his idea, but he was more amazed by their depth of understanding.
He had a few composer friends.
But he had never met anyone with as much expertise as the employees of this company.
“It’s impressive. You even noticed things I didn’t mention…”
“Right? We’re pretty good. If only we didn’t have a ‘weed king’ living nearby…”
He had a guess who they were talking about.
“New Black’s Woojoo?”
“Yes.”
They all sighed deeply.
“You’ll see. That guy is really… How should I put it? As if he’s been gifted from the heavens. Truly.”
“Let’s save the Woojoo talk for later, Manager. He might run away.”
As the other employees shook their heads, Kim Hyung-seop hesitated.
“Escape? What escape?”
Just as I was about to ponder that question, Producer Na Sang-yoon swiftly changed the subject.
“Where did you study composition?”
“I was in the band club during middle and high school. That’s when I started learning guitar and a bit about composing. There were also some older guys around who composed.”
“And what are you doing now…?”
“After my military service, I’ve been doing part-time jobs and manual labor since last year.”
“Ah…”
To be precise, I had failed my third university entrance exam attempt and then went to the army.
As Producer Na Sang-yoon listened to my story, he asked:
“So, have you thought about your future career path?”
“My career path?”
“What you want to do in the future.”
“…I haven’t really thought about it, but if anything, I’m considering something in music.”
As the conversation flowed to this point, Kim Hyung-seop’s heart began to race.
I felt we were getting closer to the main topic.
The direction I had been hoping for.
“Hmm.”
Producer Na Sang-yoon, who had been stroking his chin in thought, asked me:
“Hyung-seop.”
“…Yes?”
When my heart was pounding with anticipation.
That long-awaited question was finally asked.
“Would you consider learning music at our company?”
“Um…”
“It’s an opportunity to work and learn music at the same time.”
Although I feigned contemplation on the outside, inside, heavenly fanfares were resounding in Kim Hyung-seop’s ears.
Twenty-four years old.
For the first time in my life, a golden lifeline was descending upon me…!
And then.
‘Is this for real? Is this actually happening?’
So overwhelmed with happiness, the 24-year-old young man didn’t realize.
‘I’ve got it…!’
He was unaware of the gleeful eyes of the composers, as if they had just caught a legendary Pokémon.
Outside the producing team’s office.
“Hem hem.”
Producer Na Sang-yoon emerged with a stern expression and approached us waiting in the hallway.
Jiho whispered:
“Did you catch him?”
“Caught him alive.”
My brothers and I exchanged a subtle high-five.
After a brief introduction to the other party, I asked Producer Na Sang-yoon:
“What do you think of him?”
“He’s not formally trained, but he has a natural sense for it. Especially in remixing and arranging, he seems talented.”
“Oh…”
“Honestly, he could be put to work right away.”
“Oh wow.”
My expression brightened at his words, and Producer Na laughed.
“Are you that happy?”
“The talent I’ve been desperately needing has appeared.”
“That’s true.”
I thought I had to invite him immediately after hearing Nine’s remix.
He’s the same age as me.
Hyung-seop, inside the office, had a talent for emphasizing the mood of specific songs.
Making upbeat songs even more lively, and calm songs even calmer.
I’m confident in creating music, but I’ve always felt a bit weak in that area, so I’ve always hoped to have someone with that talent around.
“It looks like we’ll sign a contract today. He’ll start as a temp, and then he can decide from there.”
“That sounds good.”
Then we checked the most important aspect of employment.
“Any issues with the internet? No strange posts?”
“Except for a few videos on his MyTube account, he’s clean. You can tell… he doesn’t have the internet in his face.”
“That’s great.”
Feeling satisfied that there would be no issues with his work, I asked:
“May I go in and greet him?”
“Good.”
I entered the production team’s office with my younger siblings.
“Hello!”
“Hic!”
A young man in his twenties with dark skin was startled by our arrival and hiccupped.
Tall and athletic, he reminded me of a sports science student.
Hyung-seop, who had risen from his seat, was flustered.
“Oh, hel… Hic! Hellohic!”
“Hello, Composer.”
“Well, I’m not a composhic! Ah, I…”
I nodded with a smile.
“Junghyun.”
“Yes, brother.”
“Stop him.”
“Understood.”
I reassured Hyung-seop, who was as wary as a child at the dentist, with a smile.
And three seconds later.
“…Wow.”
His hiccups stopped as if by magic.
I gave Hyung-seop, who looked at me with surprise, a warm smile.
I felt proud to have made a good first impression.
“Wow, a celebrity…”
“Hello.”
“I was so amazed. I saw you on TV yesterday…”
The person, who had been rambling in shock, asked.
“Could we take a picture after this?”
“Of course.”
“I was worried my parents wouldn’t believe I got a job. So…”
“We’ll be seeing each other often from now on. No worries.”
The significance of seeing each other often seemed to carry weight, as his expression showed a flurry of thoughts.
I told him how much I enjoyed the remix and which parts I liked, and his eyes sparkled with joy.
Bijou said with a smile.
“Thanks to you, I felt even more spirited when dancing. You made the remix so fun.”
“Ah…”
“I’m happy to be working with you.”
Our second youngest’s sincere words made the other person gently round the paper cup in his hand.
The other siblings also greeted with smiles.
After welcoming Kim Hyung-seop, who had joined the production team on a temporary basis.
“I wonder if it’s too impersonal to talk about work from the first meeting…”
“Oh, no! It’s fine! I really want to work.”
“Our concert is coming up soon. I’d like you to look at a few of the MRs for it.”
“Yes! Yes!”
“Just some casual advice would be appreciated.”
I wanted to make the MRs for the concert version even more exciting.
To make the soufflés bounce so much they’d say, ‘This is where I’ll lie down today.’
I asked for advice that could slightly emphasize the mood of the songs without deviating from the original.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“Not yet…”
“Then let’s go to the beef restaurant up front. Go have some meat with the production team.”
“Beef?”
He looked bewildered at the mention of beef instead of pork.
I pulled out a card from my wallet and asked PD Na Sang-yoon, who stood there with a sly face.
“Who am I, PD?”
“You are the most dignified Sunwoo-ju of Lemon Entertainment.”
“No, not that much…”
The employees chuckled at my embarrassment.
PD Na, receiving the card as if bestowed a sword by a king, made my siblings and me burst into laughter.
Our new employee also smiled broadly, pleased with the cheerful atmosphere.
Good.
The production team had the same look when they first joined. Suddenly, I remembered last year, and it felt good.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Come here. Hyung-seop, let’s fill up on beef for lunch today!”
After waving goodbye to the production team employees who left early for lunch, excited.
We headed to the TF team’s office.
It was to hear about Mip’s reaction from Manager Hong Seo-young.
“You’ve been working hard, Manager Hong.”
“Did you come?”
“Yes, did you get any sleep?”
“No.”
With those words, Manager Hong, who had just handed us red ginseng, laughed.
“It was so exciting that I couldn’t sleep.”
“Oh…”
“There was a lot happening last night. Which would you like to hear first? The good news or the good news?”
“The good news!”
We all answered with laughter.
The best news was the public’s favorable reaction.
Usually, popular variety shows are written by entertainment reporters who craft articles that are likely to resonate with the audience.
And the headlines were all rave reviews.
‘MIPF’ as New Black’s mentor, ‘Ratings + Buzz’, caught both rabbits
“TV chasing people,” viewers burst into laughter at New Black’s TV pursuit
‘Such a mentor has never existed before’, reasons to look forward to projects involving New Black
Manager Hong showed us the articles he had collected, some with thousands of comments.
“Wow…”
It was the kind of comment count you’d expect from a scandal as big as a celebrity growing hemp on a weekend farm.
Even scrolling down to the best comments, they were all positive.
LOL, that was hilarious for real
A legend after a long time, laughed all day thanks to this
The chemistry with yesterday’s MIPF cast was great, laughed till I drooled
Whoever is in charge of tv ppl, you must be getting a lot of praise right now
Daddy’s TV is rolling
Didn’t know it could be this funny… LOL, so happy to see such an entertaining special after a long time
Nowadays, when I watch TV, celebrities laugh without expression, but I laughed along every time on TV LOL
Keep New Black forever
Was it a knockoff? Or Jjapaghetti? Anyway, I want to do that too haha
The number of likes on each best comment was also astonishing.
Rihyuk was amazed.
“People call it the national variety show, but I didn’t realize its impact since I don’t watch TV.”
“That’s true, but you guys were so funny yesterday…”
“We admit it. It was funny, wasn’t it?”
“It was hilarious. Especially Bi Ju did a great job.”
“Thank you, Manager.”
Bi Ju, making a ‘V’ with both hands and bowing his head, made Manager Hong smile.
“Go into any community, and you’ll find a gif of Bi Ju in the best posts.”
Overall, it was fun, but the last part seemed to have the strongest impact.
“It really exploded and drove the buzz.”
“Definitely.”
“Right. Who wouldn’t be curious about a TV coming to life and revolting against humans?”
It was thanks to the internet’s beautiful cycle of ‘What’s that?’ → ‘I can’t be the only one not seeing this. Check it out.’ → ‘What is that?’
I even saw a meme where Bi Ju, riding a bicycle, gets lost, merged with a movie scene saying, ‘You didn’t cherish the TV…’
“I heard the ratings were not much different from usual, but I think they’ll shoot up from next week.”
“The PD must be thrilled.”
“The production team seems really excited, uploading behind-the-scenes videos on MiTube.”
It wasn’t just the production team.
As a long-prepared project, the excitement and anticipation of the cast were evident.
Even now, the MIPF members were sending frantic messages in the group chat using New Black emoticons.
“And this is important…”
Manager Hong Seo Young said.
“People who vaguely knew about you have embraced a new image.”
“A new image?”
“Like producing or composing.”
“Ah…”
“We’ve shown our vocal skills in ‘Song Camp’, but honestly, that’s not what the general public has focused on until now.”
Our proud smiles were met with encouraging words.
“If this spotlight continues on producing, it will positively affect us in some way.”
“Yes, we love that.”
Getting attention for something fun is great, but being recognized for our main profession is the best.
It’s only the first episode, so there’s much more to show.
The thought of revealing our new facets to the public over the next two months was exhilarating.
At first, I hesitated to appear on MiPro, but the outcome was so positive it was beyond understanding.
“You did really well. Just by appearing on that broadcast, you’ve enjoyed the promotional effects that would have cost billions in album promotion.”
As we talked about promotion, my counterpart seemed to recall something.
“Oh.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want that moving TV?”
“No, thank you.”
“The manufacturer contacted us, expressing their gratitude towards Bijoo and asked us to pass on their thanks.”
Jiho patted my back with a ‘wow,’ and Bijoo was pleased.
“If you want a moving TV, they said they’d send a few. Interested?”
“I’ll politely decline.”
I didn’t want it at all.
“But if they expressed their thanks, does that mean they expect sales to increase?”
“No, that doesn’t seem to be the case… It seems the second-ranked brand is satisfied with the impactful image promotion.”
I understood when they said only twenty units had sold nationwide since the launch.
I was more curious about who would buy twenty moving TVs.
I just wondered why it was developed in the first place.
“Let’s wrap up here.”
After receiving coaching from Manager Hong on what to be careful about in interviews and SNS uploads regarding MiPro.
“Is there anything you should warn us about the TBC program featuring TeenSpirit? Anything good to know in advance?”
“There’s no issue with the content, but there’s one thing that bothers me…”
“What’s wrong, Woojoo?”
Manager Hong asked with a slightly surprised face.
“They at least applied BB cream, but I appeared bare-faced.”
“Oh…”
“…”
“You said you were busy, right? Go and practice quickly.”
“No, I…”
The siblings burst into laughter at the sight of Manager Hong waving his hands with an annoyed expression.
Our segment on TBC’s ‘Please Take Care of My Manager’ was worry-free.
I appeared bare-faced, hood drawn tight, and was extremely nervous.
“Oh. It turned out better than I thought, right?”
“…”
“For a bare face, it came out well?”
As the subtitle [Why are the brothers here…?] appeared, the quintet’s entrance showed me looking quite good.
It was much better than I had worried.
Instead.
“Be mindful, Sunwooju…”
“You got lucky this time. Ah, how could it be like that?”
“Why am I taller than Kim Bijoo, so my face isn’t covered?”
“Kim Junghyun, will you keep quiet?”
The siblings were like charred lumps of coal, chugging sparkling water as if it were strong liquor.
They regretted applying BB cream just to save themselves.
“Have a drink. Our BB Creams.”
As if toasting, four of them raised their bottles, recalling the snotty photo from the Mango Awards and grumbling about being tricked again.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
I just gave them a sly smile.
Anyway, the scene where we and TeenSpirit exchanged balloons while having a polite conversation became a minor topic of conversation.
There wasn’t much content, but it was because of what the TeenSpirit members shared on the Y app.
-Yes, the NewBlack members live upstairs. We shared our Wi-Fi with them on their first day moving in…
-We were proud to hear they used the balloons we gave them during the MiPro recording. They said you’d know if you watched the broadcast.
-We’re not exactly close, but we’re getting to know each other with mutual interest…? We’d like to become closer.
Perhaps because words like ‘damn’ were censored, they couldn’t think of an appropriate way to describe our relationship.
That’s how Yeonhu’s comment became a hot topic.
-TeenSpirit’s Yeonhu mentions NewBlack on live broadcast “We’re in the stage of getting to know each other with interest… Please watch over us”
Everyone burst into laughter at the article title that oddly resembled a dating rumor.
When I jokingly asked when they’d publish a breakup article, they all fiercely dissed Yeonhu with apologies.
I never knew there were so many variations to the ‘final education level’ joke.
“I’ve never seen a nationality like ‘Used Country’ before.”
“Definitely, expressions used in life, not just in books, have their value. It’s like seeing a language alchemist every time.”
“If we’re being precise, wouldn’t it be more like a dark sorcerer?”
The unexpected encounter with Teen Spirit was brief.
“Hello!”
It was the day the A-Ten members were scheduled to visit Lemon Entertainment’s practice room for a mid-rehearsal check.
Just before the broadcast recording, a surprise guest visited the company.
Of course, I wasn’t shocked. They had been making a fuss for three days with messages like “Coming in D-3,” “D-2.”
“Hello, New Black fans!”
“Wow!”
“I thought you might be tired from preparing for the concert, so I, Han Taehyun, have brought gifts!”
“Wow!”
I squinted at the figure who was hogging all the cheers from the younger members, arms wide open.
Pointing at the armful of gift packages, I asked, “Why did you buy so much? Are you a peddler?”
“A peddler? If you don’t cancel, I’m taking all this back.”
“Confident about getting a refund?”
They couldn’t get a refund, so who used to always ask me for favors?
They smacked their lips.
“Ah, starting to nag even before the broadcast.”
“You came at the right time.”
“Did I arrive well?”
“It’s so good to see you after such a long time.”
I laughed and playfully hit their arm, and the idol with mint-colored hair, who had been sulking, cracked a smile.
Han Taehyun.
The main dancer of the seven-year-old boy group TNT was today’s surprise guest from Mr. Producer.