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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: First Encounter
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"Wow, it went up again."
Choi Siyun said, refreshing the [JUN] channel.
Every time he refreshed on his brand-new FinePad, the subscriber count for Channel [JUN] jumped by a dozen or so.
Kevin and Hwang Yejun, seated at their computers, were also browsing American and Korean websites, looking into Channel [JUN] and Elephant Formula.
Their manager, Seo Eunchan, had told them that the baby they would be filming the childcare show with, a boy named Lee Seojun, had starred in the Elephant Formula commercial.
"[Wow, the ad's effect is incredible. Everyone's scrambling to get it. For it to be sold out on this shopping site too... does that mean it's sold out almost everywhere in the world? Wow. How is it so effective? It looks like a normal commercial to me... For parents to have this kind of reaction, there must be some hidden message or something I'm missing.]"
"Kevin's speaking English again! Doctor! Dr. Park Seojin!"
Hwang Yejun, who was often teased by the members for his less-than-perfect Korean, let alone English, shouted as he watched Kevin mutter at a terrifying speed—in English, no less.
Sitting apart from them, Park Seojin—who was summarizing and taking notes from a pile of childcare books like [Become a Childcare Master!], [What 8- to 10-Month-Olds Need], and [Turning Your Baby into a Genius]—looked up at Hwang Yejun, his face shadowed with dark circles.
"The shoot is in three days. Instead of looking at useless things, read this book."
At Park Seojin's half-dead gaze, the fidgety Hwang Yejun quietly turned off his computer and took the book.
"But I get sleepy the moment I look at a book…"
"It's fine. It's half pictures."
Such was the meticulousness of their leader, Park Seojin, who even chose a book suited to Hwang Yejun's level. Hwang Yejun looked at the title.
[Fairy Tales for Babies Under 12 Months].
"Read it until you can narrate it smoothly, like a storyteller."
"Yes, sir."
Sitting next to Hwang Yejun as he started reading the fairy tale book, Choi Siyun put down his FinePad and went over to Park Seojin.
"Seojin hyung. What should I do?"
"You… [Kevin. Give me your card!]"
Kevin, who had been intently analyzing the Elephant Formula commercial, pulled a card from his pocket and tossed it over. Park Seojin caught it with practiced ease and handed it to Choi Siyun.
"You go to the nearest superstore and buy some toys a baby would like. He's eight months old, a boy. Got it?"
"Of course I do. What's the limit?"
"There is none."
"Okay! I'll be back!"
"However…"
Choi Siyun, who had been excitedly putting on his shoes while dreaming of browsing the new products in the superstore's electronics section, froze at Park Seojin's low mutter.
"If Seojun doesn't like the toys, you won't be able to use your precious electronics for a while."
"...For how long?"
Park Seojin's eyes glittered menacingly as he smiled as brightly as an idol in front of his fans. Choi Siyun felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had just seen the devil's grin.
"If we screw this up, forever?"
Park Seojin, the leader of the yet-to-debut group [Brown Black], was staking the group's entire future on this shoot.
* * *
"Alright! Installation complete!"
Uncle Chan said. He had come over early in the morning and installed black cameras all over the living room, bedrooms, and even the kitchen.
"Here and here. And I installed one here, too."
"We won't be here anyway. Do you really need to tell us?"
"The homeowners should know."
Seo Eunchan shrugged in response to Seo Eunhye's question. Then, he picked up his phone and made a call.
"Yeah. It's me. Are you ready?"
-Yes! Just a moment!
Park Seojin, on the other end of the line, looked at his members, who were sitting in front of him and staring at him intently.
They were in the apartment building's parking lot, at Seojun's home.
Inside the car with heavily tinted windows, four men sat, a mix of anticipation and anxiety making them restless.
Seo Eunchan's voice came through the phone.
-If you're ready, come on up. And don't forget about the cameras.
"Yes!"
The call ended. Park Seojin looked up from the now-dark screen.
The four of them had met after long and separate trainee periods, bouncing from place to place before finally settling at Cocoa Entertainment.
They had faced many frustrations and failures along the way. With nowhere else to go, all four of them considered this debut their last chance.
"This could be our last chance. This company is different from the others that just strung us along and delayed our debut. There's almost no other place that would create an opportunity like this for a group that hasn't even debuted yet."
Park Seojin's words were as much a vow to himself as they were to his members.
"Everyone, let's do our best!"
He pushed open the firmly shut car door.
* * *
"Hello! We are Brown Black!"
The four men bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle to the couple.
Seojun, nestled in his father's arms, clapped at their spirited greeting, while Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun broke into a cold sweat and took a step back.
Seo Eunchan watched them with the proud gaze of a father admiring his well-behaved children.
"B-Brown Black?"
"Yes, brother-in-law. We decided on the group name. We're shortening it to B.B. It's cool, right?"
"I… I guess so? It's nice to meet you. I'm Seojun's dad, Lee Minjun."
Lee Minjun greeted the four with an awkward smile. Seo Eunhye also introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Seojun's mom, Seo Eunhye."
"She's my older sister."
The members nodded at Seo Eunchan's words. She was the owner of that booming voice from the phone call. Unlike the intimidating-looking Seo Eunchan, she was a conventional beauty.
"Hello! I'm Park Seojin, the leader of Brown Black."
"I'm the rapper, Kevin Kim."
"I'm the sub-vocalist, Hwang Yejun."
"I'm the dancer and the youngest, Choi Siyun."
Then they bowed at a 90-degree angle again. It was starting to get overwhelming.
Lee Minjun quickly guided them to sit. There wasn't enough space on the sofa, so everyone gathered on the living room floor.
There were fruits and snacks on the table, but the members of Brown Black were so stiff, as if at a terribly formal meeting, that they couldn't even glance at the refreshments, let alone move.
Seo Eunhye was the one to break the awkward silence.
"Is there anyone else coming?"
She had thought a production crew would show up, like for a broadcast variety show, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Seo Eunchan shook his head.
"We're not planning to make it that big. Just something small. The cameras are already installed and recording, and for any other filming, it'll be me and... hold on..."
Seo Eunchan stood up and made a call.
As their manager, Seo Eunchan, stood up, the members of Brown Black twitched, wondering if they should stand up too.
"Yes, yes, 12th floor. That's right, unit 5."
After a brief conversation with someone, he hung up.
"She's here."
Just then, the doorbell rang. Seo Eunchan opened the door to reveal a woman with a bob haircut, carrying a large bag.
"Hello."
Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun, who had been sitting, stood up to greet her. Seojun, still in his father's arms, also greeted her with an "Aboo!"
The members of Brown Black, who had been fidgeting awkwardly, shot up to their feet and bowed deeply to the newcomer.
"Hello."
"Nice to meet you."
"This is Dr. Kim Hwaryeon, a pediatrician. She's the older sister of our company's PR team leader."
"I'm Kim Hwaryeon."
Seo Eunhye's and Lee Minjun's eyes widened.
"Wait, what kind of shoot is this that you brought a pediatrician?"
"Seojun is going to be filming with strangers for 48 hours without his mom and dad. Did you think you and brother-in-law would be at ease? I'll be here as his uncle, but having a doctor around will make sure you don't worry."
Seo Eunhye was amazed by her brother's thoughtfulness.
"I never knew you could be this considerate. I'm impressed."
"Ahem."
Clearing his throat, Seo Eunchan averted his gaze toward the Brown Black members.
Seo Eunhye, Lee Minjun, and Seojun also turned to look.
The four men, who were standing awkwardly, flinched as all eyes fell on them.
"It wasn't my idea, it was Seojin's."
"That makes more sense."
"Hey, sis!"
The look in Seo Eunhye's eyes changed. Yep, her brother was still the same old blockhead.
Lee Minjun, expertly ignoring the sibling squabble, walked over to the man who had introduced himself as Park Seojin.
Lee Minjun was deeply touched by Park Seojin's consideration and thoughtfulness for both the baby and his parents.
Moreover, even though they were idols—albeit pre-debut—it seemed they had refrained from wearing accessories or makeup out of consideration for the baby.
Near the entrance was a huge pile of luggage brought by Brown Black. Judging by the items peeking out of the bags, they seemed to have studied a lot about babies.
At this rate, he felt he could entrust Seojun to them without worry.
"Thank you."
"Not at all!"
"Here. Would you like to hold our Seojun?"
Lee Minjun lifted Seojun from his arms and handed him over to Park Seojin.
Park Seojin, who had never even been near a baby this young, took Seojun carefully, his hands trembling.
"Aboob!"
'This is a little uncomfortable...'
But seeing the expressions on Park Seojin, who was holding him, and the other three, he decided to hold it in. He had a feeling that if he started crying, they might all start crying too. Their faces were just that grim.
Lee Minjun adjusted Park Seojin's posture.
"If you hold him like that, Seojun will be uncomfortable. Put your arm inside like this…"
With his dad's coaching, Seojun's position became more comfortable, and he broke into a bright smile. Being held by someone new for the first time, after being held by the same people every day, felt different.
"Kyaaaaak!"
"Dr. Kim Hwaryeon!"
"[Doctor! Doctor!]"
"What! What's wrong with him?!"
"Aaaack!"
A single baby's laugh was enough to send Brown Black into total chaos.
Park Seojin and Kevin repeatedly called for the doctor, while Choi Siyun quickly pulled out one of the toys he'd bought. Hwang Yejun was so flustered he couldn't form a single word and just screamed.
It was utter pandemonium.
"Is this… going to be okay?"
"Well, the doctor is here. But isn't this pretty funny?"
Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun whispered to each other. Just as Lee Minjun said, the situation, which had only lasted a few minutes, was hilarious.
Seo Eunchan looked at the cameras installed in the living room and smiled knowingly.
"I knew it was a good idea to set these up early."
Kim Hwaryeon carefully held up a camera. It was the same type they used for dance practice at Cocoa Entertainment.
"I've been filming since I came in. I got everything."
"That's great! The more footage we have for editing, the better."
Seo Eunchan smiled and reached for the camera Kim Hwaryeon was holding. Or he would have, if she hadn't taken a step back.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Oh… um… I'm sorry."
Kim Hwaryeon couldn't bring herself to say it, but Seo Eunchan, who had lived with his intimidating face for 29 years, understood instantly. It was his scary face again, wasn't it?
And indeed, Dr. Kim Hwaryeon had subconsciously recoiled from Seo Eunchan's fierce expression.
"It's fine. You can just give me the recording later…"
Kyahahah-
"Doctor! S-Seojun won't stop laughing!"
"[Is he sick or something? Why is he grinning like that?!]"
"Kevin, English! Speak Korean! I can't understand you! But Seojun really is laughing too much! Doctor!"
"This one! Should I give him this one?"
Seo Eunchan turned his head toward the source of the commotion.
The members of Brown Black were frantically trying to soothe Seojun, stomping their feet in panic. Choi Siyun was waving a doll he had pulled from a large suitcase.
Seo Eunchan slapped his forehead.
"No. He's laughing because you guys are hilarious."
"Kyahahahaha!"
Seo Eunchan's words didn't even reach Brown Black's ears. They were too panicked to hear anything.
Seojun had never seen such funny people before. He was laughing so hard that tears were about to…
"Seojun has tears! Tears!"
"Seojun's crying!"
"[Doctor! Doctor! The kid's crying while laughing?! Is it a disease?!]"
"S-someone… can someone else hold Seojun for me?"
The power of a single teardrop was immense. Hwang Yejun and Choi Siyun scrambled in confusion, and Kevin yelled "Doctor!" Park Seojin held Seojun with trembling arms, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Watching Brown Black stomp their feet in panic, ahahaha! Mom and Dad were clutching their stomachs with laughter, and eventually, the doctor and Uncle Chan burst out laughing too. Seojun also laughed joyfully.
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