Chapter 360: Chapter 361:

Images began to form in the minds of the soufflés.

“Do you not want to go to work, Dad?”

“Yeah.”

“But you’re the boss, aren’t you?”

Amidst the audience’s uncontrollable laughter, CEO Park Gyu-ho let out an awkward chuckle.

Woojoo, with a bright smile, took the microphone.

“It’s truly a relief that our efforts have made your commute enjoyable, Mr. President. How happy have you become?”

“Show us with your body. With your body!”

Rising from his seat, CEO Park Gyu-ho laughed heartily, drawing a large heart over his head with both hands.

The soufflés clapped and laughed along.

“It makes sense.”

Considering the money New Black would bring in, it wasn’t strange to find joy in every commute.

Woojoo spoke into the microphone again.

“Wow, it still feels surreal.”

“Right. We never expected you to come, Mr. President.”

Bijoo added,

“But why Busan…?”

“My family home is in Busan. My parents live there.”

“Aha.”

It was an informative performance, revealing even the hometown of my agency’s CEO.

Junghyun took the microphone.

“I’ve been curious about the hidden gems in Busan. I’ll have to ask you after the show.”

“Junghyun, the CEO isn’t a food app.”

While Rihyuk clicked his tongue, CEO Park Gyu-ho burst into laughter and grabbed the mic.

“There’s actually a place that grills clams deliciously. I’ve made a reservation, so let’s enjoy it.”

“Wow!”

“I’ll treat you to an unlimited feast.”

“Unlimited!”

While the soufflés envied the romantic notion of ‘unlimited,’ the members of New Black’s eyes glistened with tears.

The members reached out with their microphones.

“Mr. President…!”

“Guys…”

“We really love you!”

“Me too…!”

As the soufflés burst into laughter at the sight of the agency president and idol members sending hearts to each other from afar, the talk slowly came to an end.

“Thank you for coming to today’s performance, Mr. President. The theme of the show is ‘encounters,’ and meeting you today has made us very happy.”

Woojoo, with a refreshing smile, bowed politely, and the other members followed suit.

“We’ve been spending money like water-drinking hippos. Mr. President, this time we want to use computer graphics in our music video. We want to go to America to learn choreography.”

“We’ve spent it like a waterfall.”

“Thank you for always believing in us, cherishing us, and supporting us.”

“Thank you.”

Woojoo and the members raised their fingers with a smile.

“Money.”

Then they drew an ‘OK’ sign.

“We’ll earn a lot.”

As laughter spilled from the audience, the spotlight lingered on CEO Park Gyu-ho.

Twinkle.

Like the mirrors Archimedes used to burn the Roman fleet, the lighting director quickly dimmed the brightness on his shining head.

Meanwhile, the CEO of Lemon Enter was wiping away tears.

“Don’t cry!”

The soufflés continued their ‘don’t cry’ chorus, encouraging him until they couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

When the emotionally rich middle-aged man dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief,

“If you have something to say, Mr. President…”

CEO Park Gyu-ho nodded.

“I’ll talk to you guys later. There’s something I want to say to everyone here.”

Then, turning his head, he gave a generous smile to those looking his way.

“Thank you for loving our kids. As much as you love them, we cherish them too. And we’ll ensure that the friends of New Black shine even brighter…”

The soufflés nodded.

“Light…”

“He really does shine.”

The audience’s gaze was stolen by CEO Park Gyu-ho, not with a halo, but with a spotlight.

“Anyway, thank you so much.”

“Wow!”

The members of NewBlack and the soufflés applauded together.

After the greetings, it was time to sing a song about the story.

“We actually didn’t know you were the CEO when we chose the story,”

Woojoo said with a slightly embarrassed face.

“We thought it was from an office worker, so we selected the song, but now we can’t change the MR.”

“We have to go with what’s been decided.”

When everyone was curious about the song selection, Woojoo signaled for the MR as if to say, “Please.”

“Our song selection by NewBlack is to comfort Mr. Eunseo, who always had a hard time on his way to work!”

“Sweet Potato Trio’s ‘May You Win the Lotto!’”

“Hit the jackpot!”

Amidst the soufflés’ uncontrollable laughter, the members of NewBlack swayed cheekily to the intro of ‘May You Win the Lotto.’

“Lotto, lotto, lotto-lotto”

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,”

“Thursday, Friday, Saturday,”

“Saturday is the draw day.”

With Junghyun’s rhythmic vocals, the soufflés clapped along in response.

Listening to ‘May You Win the Lotto,’ the wish of every office worker, CEO Park Gyuhoo burst into hearty laughter.

After the song ended.

Finally, it was time for the prize recommendation.

“Ah…”

The soufflés squinted their eyes.

It was because they saw the sparkling eyes of the CEO of Lemon Enter, as it was time for the prize draw.

When everyone’s gaze lingered on the latest refrigerators and washing machines.

“Well, it’s time for the prize draw,”

Woojoo said with a beaming smile.

“Since we have a special guest today, we’ve prepared another special gift.”

“…?”

“It’s a chance for a free hug along with a CD containing our special handwritten autographs!”

While despair frosted over CEO Park Gyuhoo’s face, the members started to laugh cheerfully.

Woojoo held up the signed CD next to the refrigerator panel.

“What will you choose, CEO?”

The soufflés began to burst into laughter at the sight of the NewBlack members standing with faces asking, ‘Us or the refrigerator?’

“Um…”

The trembling fingers of the CEO of Lemon Enter eventually pointed towards the album, and everyone let out satisfied laughter.

After the encore of today’s performance.

“CEO!”

“CEO!”

We ran to the CEO who was waiting for us backstage.

After handing over the signed CD as promised and completing a round of hugs.

“Oh my.”

The CEO flicked his tongue while looking at his phone.

“Reporters are really fast these days. The articles have been out since an hour ago.”

“It’s because of the live broadcast on the Y app. It seems like the reporters who were watching in real-time immediately posted the articles.”

“Ah. The Y app.”

The CEO, who was usually busy with a heavy workload, didn’t know much about the details.

While we were chatting.

“Let’s go eat grilled clams! Grilled clams!”

“Are we going to eat grilled clams?”

Urged by the two who couldn’t keep their minds off food, the CEO laughed heartily.

“Alright, let’s go.”

The dinner party split into two groups.

The managers and other staff decided to move to the Hanwoo (Korean beef) restaurant reserved by the CEO.

While everyone stood awkwardly with their hands together, the CEO called out to Minki with a smile.

“It’s not polite for me to join the young people’s table.”

“Oh no, not at all, CEO!”

“It’s quite a tough schedule, continuously touring different regions.”

“Not really. These days, the kids have been treating us to expensive food everywhere we go, so we’ve been feasting. Really.”

In front of everyone, the CEO extended his card.

“You’ve all worked hard traveling all over the country. Today, eat to your heart’s content.”

“Thank you!”

The employees welcomed the appearance of the corporate card with a resounding “Wow!”

The CEO spoke with a note of caution.

“However, those who have to drive must not drink at all.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Right. Seo, the assistant… no, I shouldn’t call you assistant anymore. Manager Seo will take charge and manage.”

“Excuse me?”

During the moment Minki was puzzled with a ‘?’, we all widened our eyes in surprise with an ‘Oh?’.

Manager.

In our company, the title ‘manager’ has two meanings.

There are managers like Team 1 and Team 2, equivalent to department heads in a regular company, and then there are managers in the entertainment industry, which refers to a rank similar to a manager or director.

Minki asked with surprised eyes.

“…Am I being promoted?”

“There will be good news soon.”

“…!”

“And everyone here as well.”

A short gasp swept through the employees.

It wasn’t a loud noise, but excitement seemed to rise on everyone’s faces.

Amidst the noisy chatter, we moved to the dinner venue separately in an SUV with the CEO.

“Wow.”

Jiho’s eyes went round as he asked.

“Is everyone really getting promoted?”

“We’re planning a company-wide restructuring.”

“Oh.”

“We’re going to create a TF team that will be in charge of you and Scarlet separately.”

The CEO briefly summarized for us, who were curious.

The New Black dedicated TF team.

Seokhwan, who is in charge of us, will become the team leader of TF, and the news was that employees from various fields, including Hong Seoyoung, the assistant in charge of PR, will gather.

It felt like a small company within Lemon Entertainment, dedicated to New Black.

Assistant Hong will also be promoted to manager.

It’s not all confirmed yet, but we nodded at the CEO’s words to keep us informed.

“I’ve considered this and that, but many believe that it’s difficult to operate properly with the current structure.”

The CEO led us to a grilled clam restaurant with a hearty laugh.

A shabby sign.

The place we had driven to from Nam-gu was a two-story store with its sign turned off.

“Let’s put aside the complicated matters for now.”

The restaurant owner greeted us.

It was the CEO’s favorite spot, and today, it seemed they were open just for us.

“Wow…”

Yellow flames danced merrily over the charcoal shaped like lightning bolts.

Just looking at the grill made our mouths water. Jung-hyun sipped his water with a sigh.

“Wow.”

We all smiled happily at the basic side dishes like warm seaweed soup and shrimp dishes.

The warm broth made our bodies shiver.

The CEO said with a smile.

“Don’t fill up on too much water. We’ll have ramen later.”

“Wow…”

Then, scallops, abalones, and clams, sprinkled with seasoning and garlic, were placed on the grill.

My siblings and I nodded in agreement.

“I can’t help it. We need a drink.”

“Right. We should drink on a day like this.”

Then we called the owner.

“Please give us four bottles of cola!”

“Yes!”

Having been drinking only diet cola recently, just seeing regular cola made us feel good.

And when we were about to enjoy the fantastic taste of grilled clams.

I placed a well-cooked scallop on the CEO’s plate and asked.

“What brings you all the way to Busan?”

“Ah, I came down to my hometown early because there seemed to be a lot of meetings around Lunar New Year.”

“I see.”

“I also came to watch your performance, not expecting that story to win.”

We all nodded in understanding.

“It wasn’t a deliberate choice. It just caught our eye.”

“Right. Among our fans’ nicknames, there are ‘mom’ and ‘aunt,’ but ‘dad’ is rare.”

The CEO burst into laughter upon hearing that we chose ‘Eunseo’s Dad’ because it stood out so much.

CEO Park Gyu-ho said.

From my hometown’s local festival to the bustling events, it’s been quite the ordeal. Have you traveled all the way from Jeju Island to Busan now?

“No, I couldn’t make it to Jeju Island…”

“Why not?”

“The snow was falling heavily.”

It was because the snow had poured down so intensely in the Honam and Jeju regions that the runways at Jeju Airport were closed.

I was glad I didn’t have to take a flight, but I truly felt sorry.

“We had planned to film a travel reality show, and we intended to perform during that trip.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Yes, we did go live on the Y app, but it still feels regrettable.”

After our casual chat about recent hardships and needs, we savored grilled clams followed by a hearty seafood ramen.

As the yellow pot bubbled with the simmering broth,

“The real reason I came is because of your settlement.”

“Oh.”

“Your settlement for the last half of the year.”

It seemed about time.

The CEO fiddled with his toe socks, smiling.

“The amount is quite substantial, so I thought I should tell you personally.”

“Is it a lot?”

“The amount each of you will receive is…”

He tapped on the screen and then showed us the figures.

In that moment,

It felt as if time had stopped.

Bijoo and Ryuk’s eyes widened, and Jiho, who had been slurping ramen broth, dropped his spoon with a clang.

Normally, I would have caught the falling spoon with my foot.

“Wow.”

Jung-hyun seemed incredulous too.

“Is this for real?”

“Of course.”

The ramen was boiling over, but the shock was enough to make us lose our senses.

The amount was incomparable to the first half of the year.

It must have been the impact of the concerts. So this is why senior idols tour overseas all year round.

“Considering the increase in advertising revenue in the second half, I’ll give you the detailed breakdown later.”

The CEO spoke to us, his face a mix of amusement and surprise at our stunned expressions.

“Congratulations, really.”

“Thank you…”

“While I’m here to inform you about the settlement, there’s another important matter to discuss.”

“Something important?”

He wiggled his hole-ridden toe socks again.

“Like with Scarlet, it seems about time for you too. There are a few things I need to tell you.”

“?”

“Usually, when celebrities start earning big money, scammers tend to follow.”

“Ah.”

It was a warning to be wary of swindlers targeting easy money, much like the last settlement period.

It was like CEO Park Gyu-ho’s lecture on ‘Identifying Scammers!’

A and B, the principal and the agent, suddenly came into play.

“Wow, these examples are so realistic.”

“They’re all stories from our company’s actors.”

“Oops…”

“It’s a story born from experience; you’ll enjoy listening to it.”

As I slurped my ramen, the boss shared various stories about money management.

“Did you listen well?”

“Yes,” we replied with a smile.

“Thank you so much.”

“Sure.”

The boss asked us while devouring his ramen, “Have you thought about what you’ll do with your settlement money?”

“Yes,” I answered.

“I’m thinking of looking for a nice house in Gunsan.”

“I also want to find homes for my sister and parents…” Bijoo added, her face beaming with a happy smile.

Just thinking about telling my sister, parents, and Minjun made my heart flutter with joy and nearly burst with happiness.

I empathized. The thought of doing something new for Madam Kim Deoksoon always excited me.

“I’m still undecided.”

“I’ll buy something for Yein if she wants…”

While the other two pondered their plans, the youngest, tapping away on her phone, suddenly looked upset and said, “I contacted my sisters and parents, but they told me to just use it as my allowance.”

She had boasted about earning money, but it seemed her family had casually dismissed it, suggesting she use it as pocket money.

We comforted her, laughing gently at her crestfallen expression.

Meanwhile…

“Well, first things first.”

We looked at the boss’s toe socks and said, “We’ll buy you a pair of socks, boss.”

“Oh, these?”

“They have a hole.”

“Ha! I can just patch that up.”

We spoke earnestly as the toe of his sock wiggled through the hole.

“We’ll buy them for you.”

“No…”

“We insist on buying you socks, boss.”

“Oh, that…”

“We’ll buy them.”

“…”

Overwhelmed by our intense gaze, the boss, mid-slurp, sadly looked at his favorite item and nodded.

‘Comfort.’

‘Comfort.’

Finally, our bloated stomachs eased, and we looked at each other, patting our bellies.

January passed, and February arrived.

The persistent winter.

People wished it away, saying, “It’s getting tiresome now,” but winter teased back, “Not so fast!” as the cold continued to mock us.

“Rihyuk, look!”

“Rihyuk, look!”

At 7:12 AM.

We waved at Rihyuk with our gloved hands, smiling.

“Rihyuk…”

“Oh, stop that. It’s embarrassing.”

“Okay.”

His ears began to redden.

“…”

“Are you really going to stop if I ask you to?”

Eventually, we exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

“Rihyuk, look!”

“Rihyuk, look!”

Despite the early hour and everyone’s tired faces, their skin was fresh, and their eyes sparkled.

Bijoo, wearing a beanie, gazed at the crashing waves and said, “The dawn’s cold on the east coast is wonderful.”

“Right. The winter sea looks especially beautiful today.”

“The sight of seagulls flying is lovely.”

Thanks to our recent settlement, everything in the world seemed blissfully beautiful.

I’m still planning what to do for my family, but every night, my bank account greets us in my dreams.

Dressed up like Kevin from Home Alone, we looked at each other and fidgeted with our gloves once more.

“Ah, the clothes Bijoo bought are really warm.”

“The teddy bear hat you bought is so cute, I love it.”

“Ah, wearing the sneakers Hyuk bought feels like flying.”

“Hmm.”

“The jelly Bijoo bought is delicious.”

When we burst into laughter, showing off the gifts we exchanged to commemorate our settlement.

The managers and staff also laughed warmly beside us.

“The world is so beautiful.”

“And the clothes are warm.”

Our staff, clad in luxurious padding, smiled contentedly, saying how beautiful the world was.

Thud.

A car arrived in front of us as we were hanging out near the harbor.

“Hello!”

“Yes, hello!”

The production team of ‘My Hometown Now’ greeted us as they unloaded their equipment.

Then we all moved to the Gangneung Passenger Terminal.

Today was the last recording of , and an extra episode after finishing the last small theater tour in Gangneung.

“Let’s go. To meet the soufflé.”

Our destination was Ulleungdo.

It was a surprise event for the soufflé, who had no idea we were coming.

All over Ulleungdo.

From morning, loudspeakers blared everywhere.

Ah-ah, dear residents-

Today, the popular singer New Black is visiting Ulleungdo to film ‘My Hometown PBS’ and also provide a fan service of singing to a fan-

We ask for your cooperation-

Let me inform you once again-

Fear began to show on the faces of teenagers as the broadcast continued.

“…”

Soufflé, who had sent a story from Ulleungdo, felt her heart racing crazily since morning.