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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Debut Day
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Seo Eunhye turned on the television. She connected to N-tube and went to the [JUN] channel.
She had given Seo Eunchan the ID and password, so he was the one uploading the edited videos.
A video appeared on the screen. Lee Minjun, who had been playing with Seojun, sat on the sofa holding him. Seojun was clutching his baby bottle tightly. *Suckle, suckle.*
"It's already the last episode."
"I know. You could really tell how much fun Seojun had."
The series, which had started with its first episode in early December, had already reached its finale.
They had watched the raw footage from Seo Eunchan whenever they had time, but watching the edited version with subtitles was a different experience.
A month had already passed, and Seojun was now nine months old.
"Nine-month-old Seojun has gotten even cuter and stronger."
"We've gotten used to him saying 'Mama' and 'Dada' now. The first time I heard it, I thought my heart was going to burst."
It felt like just yesterday that Seojun had opened his mouth while looking at the Christmas tree.
The moment he first said "Mama" and "Dada" was captured perfectly on the camera Seo Eunchan had left behind. Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun saved the video to their laptop, three external hard drives, and the cloud.
The Christmas tree that Seojun and Brown Black had decorated was still up in the living room, even though Christmas had passed.
"Alright, shall we watch?"
Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun watched the final episode playing on the television.
Sitting on his father's lap, Seojun handed over his empty bottle and looked at his own two palms. Having grown for another month, his hands were a tiny bit bigger.
The conductor's baton mark on his right palm had faded slightly, while the one on his left palm had grown a little darker.
As Seojun continued to grow, the mark of the [Orchestra Conductor's Connection] would eventually remain solely on his left palm.
'It should be okay to let the hyungs have my left palm.'
Over the past month, the couple had grown quite close to the members of Brown Black, who would call whenever they had a break during practice. Now, they felt like close younger brothers. Seojun giggled, "Ihihi."
[Let's send a final video message to Jun!]
As the subtitle appeared, the couple's gaze shifted to a frame on one of the display shelves. Inside were Brown Black's letter and an autograph.
It was the autograph Hwang Yejun had left behind, promising he would become a famous idol and that Seojun would have his second official signature.
"If Seojun's autograph is number two, who got number one?"
"It didn't show up in the video."
It was probably the man who had gotten an autograph at the playground back then. Come to think of it, the footage from the playground and the part where they sang a lullaby at night hadn't been shown either.
'Well, Samchon will take care of it.'
Seojun watched the screen. He could see his hyungs, faces flushed red, stammering through their video message.
He already knew the contents of the letter because his dad had read it to him, but it was much better to hear the hyungs say it themselves.
After the final episode ended, Seo Eunhye turned off the TV. She picked up her phone to check the view count. Hmm. A low groan escaped her.
"It seems like the people who watched the first episode are watching all the way through…"
"But there aren't that many viewers."
"Eunchan said he was more than satisfied with these numbers, though…"
Lee Minjun also looked up at the phone screen. Since they ran the [JUN] channel, they couldn't help but compare. They had grown accustomed to having over five million subscribers.
-That's because it's Seojun's channel! This is amazing for what it is! These guys haven't even debuted yet. They don't even have a fan cafe. It'd be a huge success if even a quarter of the views turn into fans!
That's what Seo Eunchan had exclaimed over the phone, thumping his chest in frustration at Seo Eunhye's disappointed tone.
* * *
Hello. We are Brown Black.
…
We hope you enjoyed [48 Hours with Brown Black and Jun].
Tomorrow at 6 PM, our debut stage will be on WNET's The Music Show.
If you have the time, we hope you will watch Brown Black's debut performance.
…
We want to become idols who move your hearts.
We look forward to your support.
Sincerely, All members of Brown Black.
* * *
The sun rose. It was Brown Black's debut day.
Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun sat on the sofa. Seojun also sat on his father's lap, hugging an orc doll.
"The boys are finally debuting."
"Seojun. Your hyungs are going to be on TV singing soon."
"Hyua?"
His pronunciation was getting quite close now.
"That's right. Hyung-a."
"Hyua. Uong-ong!"
Seojun tapped the phone. *Hyung-a, I miss you!* Recognizing the gesture, Seo Eunhye sent a B-Talk to Seo Eunchan. A reply came back without a second's delay.
>Seojun wants to see the boys. Can you guys talk?
A call came from Seo Eunchan.
"Seojun. It's your hyungs."
"Hyua!"
-Seojun!
-Wait! Don't push!
-Hwang Yejun! Calm down!
-Uwahhh. Seojun!
The screen filled with the faces of Brown Black. Their elaborate makeup hid their complexions, but their expressions were grim. They looked tense and anxious, biting their lips. Seojun tilted his head.
The Conductor's Bond was fine. It was high for being so far apart. But.
'The Connector's Bond. What's wrong with it?'
The number, once so high, had dropped by 20 as if it had all been a lie. Seojun was bewildered.
"Hyua? Iiing?"
-Seojun. Do you think we can do well?
Amidst the noisy chatter of Brown Black, a single question broke through.
At those words, not only Seo Eunchan, who was holding the phone, but also the couple and Seojun froze.
The boisterous members of Brown Black fell silent too.
Right. *Can we do well?* The others will all do fine. But what about me? Me? There was no self-belief. That lack of faith was affecting the bond.
Seeing the dejected members of Brown Black, Seojun clenched his fists. Then he thrust them high into the air.
"Haiiing!"
'Fighting!'
So what if the 'Connector's Bond' is low? I'll just raise the 'Conductor's Bond.' I've never used it like this before, so I don't know if it'll work, but… cheer up!
Seeing Seojun raising both his arms high, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun quickly chimed in.
"Look. Even Seojun is telling you 'fighting!' Cheer up. You can do it!"
"You practiced so hard and even re-recorded everything!"
-That's right. You guys practiced day and night! And your skills improved so much while filming with Seojun!
Seojun kept cheering "fighting." As he raised his arms and bobbed up and down…
-Ahaha.
Hwang Yejun's stiff expression softened. His laugh was the cue for the other members to burst out laughing as well.
That little baby, a baby who couldn't possibly understand, was cheering them on.
-Seojun is cheering for his hyungs like this!
-We can't just sit here whining.
-Watch us on TV!
-Seojun, thank you!
"Kyahahaha!"
Seojun could see the 'Connector's Bond' gradually rising. What a relief. He let out a sigh and then giggled.
After the video call ended, a message came from Seo Eunchan.
>Thanks. The kids have their spirits back!
Seo Eunhye put down her phone and looked at the television, which was playing a commercial.
The channel was WNET. Seo Eunhye let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth.
"...Should we tell them about us going to America today?"
"Hmm. We're supposed to have dinner today, so let's tell them then."
Lee Minjun said, patting Seojun's belly.
* * *
The last Thursday of December. Rehearsals were in full swing at the WNET broadcasting station.
Lee Sangcheon, the producer of The Music Show, was watching a rookie idol group singing on stage through the monitor.
"The song seems good, but they look shaky, just as you'd expect from a new agency's first group."
His junior, Kim Minhyeok, said as he handed him a cup of coffee. Lee Sangcheon shrugged and took the cup.
"That kid is in that group, right?"
"Yeah."
Kim Minhyeok made good coffee, which was why Producer Lee Sangcheon was quite fond of him. In a place where people drank coffee like air, being able to brew a good cup was a small but very valuable asset.
Kim Minhyeok himself knew his coffee-making skills were top-notch and diligently served it to his superiors.
"A rich kid doing this kind of work."
"Well, there are quite a few sons and daughters of wealthy people around, aren't there?"
"Still, they usually become actors or something. Or they join a major agency."
The rookie idol group that had been on stage left with slumped shoulders. Producer Lee Sangcheon's eyes followed their retreating figures.
"If he's the youngest son of King's Market, he could just fool around for the rest of his life."
King's Market.
It was one of the top three Korean markets, operating stores all over the United States, centered around LA's Koreatown.
It was a massive market frequented by many people, as it stocked not only Korean ingredients but also those from various other Asian countries.
Recently, there had been speculation that its aggressive business strategy might push it past its competitors to the number one spot.
"It must be pretty competitive over there too."
Kim Minhyeok responded to Producer Lee Sangcheon's comment.
"But why did you give them the open slot? Even if someone canceled, there was a whole month to fill it. You could have brought in any famous group for a special stage. Could it be, sir…"
Kim Minhyeok made a circle with his thumb and index finger. Lee Sangcheon smacked him on the back of the head. Ouch!
"Sir! It was a joke! A joke!"
He hit me really hard! Kim Minhyeok rubbed the back of his head.
"We're taking The Music Show overseas starting next year, you know."
"Yes. Something like, 'Global Hallyu,' right? The higher-ups seem to think they can make anything happen just by saying it. How many foreigners even know about Korean idol groups…"
"That's why, to draw a large audience, we need to hold it in places with large Korean populations. Like LA, for instance…"
Kim Minhyeok let out a sound of realization.
"LA means King's Market!"
"Exactly. It's a good opportunity to give them a canceled stage slot and build a positive image. If it goes well, they might become a sponsor. If not, well, it doesn't matter."
"Then shouldn't you go say hello? You should at least meet them and shake their hand, so they know, 'Ah, this is the producer who got me the spot.'"
Kim Minhyeok shrank under Producer Lee Sangcheon's glare.
"You're probably the only one who can express 'pathetic' with your entire body like that, sir."
"How many years have you been working here…"
"Yes, yes. I'm sorry."
-It's too bright!
One of the singers who had come up in turn shouted into the microphone. The music stopped, and the lights dimmed.
Kim Minhyeok and Lee Sangcheon looked at the monitor screen.
Seeing the face of the person who had shouted, Kim Minhyeok sighed heavily, and Producer Lee Sangcheon put a hand to his forehead.
It was the leader of West Wing, a five-year-old boy band. *Right,* he thought, *I was wondering why it was so quiet.*
"Ah, that pain in the ass again…"
"Watch your mouth."
"Yes, yes."
Lee Sangcheon gave instructions through the microphone, and the lights came back on. The rehearsal started again.
West Wing moved half-heartedly before finishing their rehearsal and leaving the stage.
Kim Minhyeok, who had been watching the screen with a displeased look, gulped down the rest of his coffee and looked up.
"Ah, where were we?"
"About not going to say hello?"
"Yes. Why not?"
A man and a woman came up on the next stage. They were a unit formed by a member from a boy group and a member from a girl group, with a 'couple' concept.
Rumors that they were dating started swirling right after the meeting to create the unit. Although both individuals and their agencies denied it, the fact that the relationship between the two groups' fanbases soured afterward wasn't even worth mentioning.
"The entertainment industry is a place where rumors of dating and marriage spread just from making eye contact. If you brush shoulders, rumors fly that you're on bad terms, that you're enemies. And if you're even slightly cold to someone, bullying rumors start."
Producer Lee Sangcheon crumpled his paper cup.
"So imagine what would happen if I went to the waiting room of some kids who haven't even debuted and introduced myself as the PD here. How do you think that would look?"
"Ah…"
"People would usually assume I took a bribe."
Producer Lee Sangcheon tossed the last of his coffee into his mouth.
"If that happens, their image suffers, and so does mine. They just need to think that the producer of The Music Show gave them a stage."
"Then if you move somewhere else, the new PD gets all the credit, right?"
"They probably know the current PD's name."
But Brown Black was in no state to be thinking about the producer's name. Six groups were huddled together in a large waiting room.
The space was cramped, so the four of them were squatting in a corner, each holding a phone. Seo Eunchan spoke quietly.
"Guys. Snap out of it."
They were all staring intently at their phones. Kevin's phone displayed rap lyrics, Choi Siyun's showed a choreography video, and Park Seojin and Hwang Yejun were listening to music with earphones.
They were all out of their minds after making a series of mistakes during rehearsal. Seo Eunchan sighed at the sight of them muttering frighteningly to themselves.
He had been trying to talk to them for a while, but there was no response. He wondered if they could even hear his voice.
Their eyes were all red. He had told them not to cry because it would ruin their makeup, so they seemed to be holding it in with all their might. Just as Seo Eunchan was about to sigh again, his phone rang.
It was a savior!
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