"People on the Move" cast mbers widened their eyes when they saw us holding the docunts labeled "Street Boys."
"Street Boys?"
"Yes. We’re the managers in charge of Street Boys."
"...Hold on."
Park Hobum narrowed his eyes like a tiger sizing up prey.
He asked Eunsung,
"Bina."
"Yes, hyung~"
"Isn’t Street Boys the group NewBlack is closest with? I think Hanjo even ca out with us when we did the special forces episode."
"That’s right."
Eunsung tattled cheerfully.
"And they were on Ju Sehan with us last ti too."
"Right. Right."
He seed to an when Hanjo, LB, and Giwon joined the NewBlack tasting segnt on Ju Sehan.
The People on the Move cast protested to production.
"Junki, isn’t this way too disadvantageous for us? If they’re best friends, they’ll know everything starting from food preferences."
"Exactly!"
As the codians clamored that it was unfair, Producer Do Junki answered,
"Yes. Our production team thought a lot about that part. But unfortunately there was no helping it."
"Why?"
"In the music world, there aren’t many groups who aren’t close with NewBlack...."
"Ah."
"Makes sense."
Seeing the cast nod as if enlightened, we burst into laughter.
"Rookie idols are the ones with fewer points of contact with NewBlack. We did try to book them, but sadly most agencies were reluctant...."
We could guess why.
We pictured a rookie boy group sharing a music-show waiting room with us.
— "Well, since we’re managers today, please rest comfortably."
— "No, we can’t if our seniors aren’t resting."
— "You don’t have to sit at attention."
— "This is more comfortable."
The awkward air would hang over the entire shoot.
Which wouldn’t be fun either.
Hearing that Street Boys was the option production arrived at after much fretting, the cast accepted it.
"Even if it’s disadvantageous, it’s fine!"
Eunsung clapped to fire everyone up.
"We’ll just win!"
"That’s right!"
"Even if it’s NewBlack, we’ve got years in the biz. We know manager work better."
"Our odds are higher."
While the People on the Move cast traded lines about having the advantage thanks to experience,
Ri Hyuk raised his hand.
"Producer!"
"Yes."
"How are we handling driving? We do have soone who can drive on our team, but it’s not ideal."
"Who can drive?"
At eldest Lee Pilseung’s question, we pointed at Junhyun.
He gulped.
"...We’d better find a driver."
"I drive well."
Junhyun protested, eyes wide, but no one believed him.
It was true, of course.
It’s just that with the image he’d built up, no one believed it.
This is why a person should live normally day to day.
"...I really do drive well."
We patted sulky Junhyun in passing and listened for the producer’s answer.
"We’ve already contacted your company. A separate driver will be assigned."
He added that a supervisor would be attached to each team.
"In this special, it’s crucial that you take the lead as managers! You won’t get help from anyone. From music-show rehearsals to radio and variety schedules—you’ll handle it all yourselves."
Producer Do Junki grinned and shouted,
"All right! Enough boring explanations! Now we’ll move to the agencies that will beco your new hos! That’s all!"
Amid the production crew shutting caras down and packing up, the People on the Move cast said their goodbyes.
"Have a good shoot!"
"Thanks for your hard work. See you in three days!"
Each team boarded vehicles heading into Seoul.
It was the mont People on the Move’s extre-job experience—Manager Special—truly raised its curtain.
Inside the car, with caras installed.
We craned our necks toward the tablet in Ri Hyuk’s hands.
"...."
Ri Hyuk looked at us, unimpressed.
"Why are you looking from such weird angles? Doesn’t your neck hurt?"
"Is this our first broadcast, hyung? This is the angle that cos out best."
At Jiho’s words, we all nodded.
We’d mapped out the cara positions and were twisting our bodies just so, tilting our necks to look most handso.
"...You guys really fuss over that."
After smoothing his blond bangs with prim little strokes, Ri Hyuk briefed us.
"Street Boys’ agency is DNS dia."
"We know."
"They started as a label called Dinosaur Entertainnt. DNS is from Dinosaur."
"Dinosaur Entertainnt...!"
A T. rex roared kwa-ang in my head.
Dinosaur Entertainnt, really.
It fit the naming for why DNS dia’s CEOs Im Hyunsik and Park Gyuo are such close friends.
"Wow, thank goodness it’s DNS."
The youngest’s eyes sparkled.
"If it were still Dinosaur Entertainnt, I might’ve gone there. An agency nad Dinosaur."
"Dinosaur is legit."
While the two fools went "dinosaur..." and blushed, Ri Hyuk continued.
That Street Boys have a senior girl group called La Vie en Rose, and who else is on the roster.
After confirming info we mostly knew,
"I hope the kids are doing okay."
The topic shifted to Street Boys.
Ri Hyuk shrugged.
"I texted with Giwon recently—he said they’re insanely busy with music shows right now."
"It’s their busiest ti."
Hanjo had told today was their last music show.
We’d talked about eting up after the holiday to hit a board ga café together.
"They won’t know we’re coming like this. Heh heh heh heh."
"Ha ha ha!"
Just picturing Street Boys bug out their eyes going what the— made grin on reflex.
Maybe this is why kids love surprising their parents.
"Sheesh, how old are you all, really."
"Then don’t join in when we surprise them, Seo Ri Hyuk."
"Why? I’m joining."
As Ri Hyuk blushed and stuck to us,
Biju declared with resolve,
"This ti we’re going to take really good care of Street Boys."
"Of course."
"We’ll make them cry tears of gratitude."
While the writer in the passenger seat hesitated, we waved at the cara.
"Hello! Concrete!"
"NewBlack is going to take care of your idols for two nights and three days. Ha ha ha!"
"We’ll show you managers with all-ti talent."
Waving at the cara and shouting Street Boys’ cheer—"Go Street!"—we heard the passenger-seat writer turn.
"Right, the Street Boys mbers still don’t know, right? And you’ll be working as managers this ti."
"Ah, yes."
"Through the agency, we’re planning to hand Street Boys fake business cards in advance. Do you have any preferred nas?"
It sounded like they’d make cards, like Chief Manager So-and-so from So Company.
"One mont."
We quickly divvied up tasks among ourselves. As usual, Ri Hyuk’s tablet showed a hierarchy of boss and flunkies.
We assigned ranks and filled in aliases.
Junhyun asked,
"What are you going to be, hyung? Chief Manager Ujuseon?"
"No."
Ujuseon has been used too much; it’s stale. The mont Street Boys saw it, they’d know.
Muttering Seon Uju, Ujuseon... sothing clicked on my tongue.
"Joo Sunwoo."
"Oh. Sounds like a real person."
"I’ll be Chief Manager Joo Sunwoo."
"Nice. The na sounds hyper-competent."
We celebrated the birth of Chief Manager Joo Sunwoo, the evil manager, and submitted the list to the writer.
By then the DNS dia building had co into view in the distance.
It was our second visit to the DNS building.
We’d been there on Christmas Eve 2014 to rehearse for a joint year-end stage.
mories bubbled up of us huddled in the practice room, scooping Baskin Robbins ice cream.
"Nostalgic. Really."
"That was when the legends of Liberal Arts and Sciences appeared on stage."
I told tactless Junhyun,
"Potato Manager, keep quiet."
"Yes, Chief."
We all laughed at sulky Junhyun, then looked out the window.
"Wow...."
That exclamation wasn’t from us; it was from the writer in the passenger seat.
She seed stunned by the number of sasaengs lined up around DNS dia’s building—close to dozens were waiting.
They seed to be waiting for Street Boys to return and practice after the music show.
Counting heads, the writer asked,
"There are so many fans. Is it always like this?"
Glancing at the cara, I smiled and nodded.
"This is amazing. Are these... all scribbles?"
"Yes."
On the walls down to the underground parking lot of DNS dia, "Street Boys!", "Namu♡", "Gyuo♡Hyunsik" and the like were plastered.
I’d thought only our company was like that, but it seems similar here.
Soon, after the People on the Move crew from two vehicles and our team t up in the underground lot, a guide scurried out.
"Welco! Oh! I’m really a fan!"
"Hello."
"If it’s not rude, could I at least get a handshake?"
We bowed and shook hands with the PR staffer who offered both hands.
"Please take care of us."
"Oh no, I should be asking that. Was the trip all right? I heard traffic is heavy today."
"Yes. We ca comfortably."
Beaming almost excessively, the PR staffer led everyone along.
Destination: the third floor.
A hallway lined with orchids and album posters like a movie theater.
After a newest album jacket photo of Street Boys in red jumpsuits giving a thumbs-down, a eting room appeared.
"Hello!"
"Oh— wow, it’s really NewBlack...!"
Three n and one woman.
Seeing them pop up and clap, we laughed and took seats.
After friendly greetings, we got right to the point.
"All right!"
We clapped our hands and grinned.
"So what shall we do?"
"Yes. You’ll be Street Boys’ managers from Sunday tomorrow until Tuesday morning."
Another staffer continued.
"Today, you’ll receive training with us for the day. You need to learn manager duties."
"Yes. So we split roles among ourselves in advance."
"Did you?"
As the managers looked at us like we were cute, we said,
"I’m taking overall command."
"I’ll monitor the mbers’ moods, identify difficulties, and resolve them."
"I’m in charge of food and treats."
"Schedule managent."
"Odd jobs..."
The managers burst out laughing.
Then they praised us for dividing well by strengths, and asked,
"You all know the mbers’ nas, right?"
"Yes. Hanjo, Rex, IP, LB, Giwon, Saebom, Younghan, Yugeon, Moong. They split into rap, vocal, and dance lines...."
"Then our new song too."
"We’ve been listening."
The managers paused, then asked,
"What did you think?"
"It’s good."
"...!"
They reacted like critics had given them a five-star rating.
"Ahem."
Regaining calm quickly, DNS dia’s managent team continued.
"We’ve already given the mbers a heads-up that there will be a reality-variety shoot."
"Yes."
"You said you’d hand over business cards later. When the mbers arrive, we’ll tell them new managers are coming."
"Yes!"
Then ca an orientation on manager work.
We learned parts we hadn’t known as singers, and confird things we did know from watching our managers.
"We don’t need to handle face ti, right?"
"You know face ti?"
"Yes. eting with the producer before going on a music show, right? So they can set the lineup."
"...You know way more than we expected."
Every ti we knew sothing, they clapped and said we were impressive, which felt oddly embarrassing.
Maybe because we always asked, "What’s that?" whenever our managers did sothing, we had lots of chances to act like we knew.
Biju said fondly,
"Wooju hyung takes care of a lot, always. He says a producer needs to know the business besides making albums."
"He’s ticulous and relentless. This guy."
"It’s not for nothing we entrusted him our brains~"
Everyone laughed at the maknae’s sunny line.
I smiled at my brothers bragging that they’d entrusted with their brains.
"Use yours too."
"Flunkies don’t need ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) that."
Still, maybe because we acted like we knew, the trainers got excited and taught us more.
From small tips like always carrying power banks, to what to do during broadcast rehearsals.
We focused hard through the orientation.
All that remained was morizing.
"morize, flunkies."
"Yng."
"Okay. First to morize everything gets the gummy worm king!"
"And you?"
"I morized while listening."
While I used gummies as bait to make the younger ones morize,
I asked the managers,
"You said tomorrow’s first schedule is HBS music show? Pre-recording."
"Yes."
Then it happened.
We heard a lively commotion from afar—Street Boys must have arrived at the company.
Debutmates who knew nothing.
"Then...."
We asked with a smile,
"First up, we’ll have to go wake the mbers at dawn, right?"
"That’s... right?"
My heart was already thumping.
Street Boys’ dorm.
In the hip-hop group’s place—a villa split across two floors—quiet breathing and snores drifted.
[AM 03:23]
Only the red digits of a bathhouse-style clock glowed in the dark.
A living room with reality-show caras installed here and there.
— There’ll be a reality shoot.
— A reality shoot?
— Yeah. They’re coming to wake you at dawn. They might wake you in so weird way, so don’t be too shocked.
— I’ll tell the guys.
The Street Boys mbers felt sothing was off.
"A new manager is suddenly coming too. What is this."
It was confusing, but with week two of music shows and the last broadcast ahead, there was no ti to care.
Two weeks of sleeping at dawn and waking at dawn.
So they’d said whatever and dove into bed.
— What’s this about a new manager tomorrow. Chief Manager Joo Sunwoo?
— Here’s what I think.
Gamnamu glared with his signature thick brows.
— Generally, when strange things happen? If you guess NewBlack, you’re right.
— To such a claim, I give you Wooju hyung’s famous quote: If you’re going to talk nonsense, whisper it to your pillow.
— Ah. But the na does feel kinda sus.
— Right?
— But your credibility is zero because you believe in UFOs.
— UFOs are real....
No one listened to Gamnamu.
They just hoped the new manager would be decent and competent.
"When you look at NewBlack, they do incredible work...."
But they didn’t know NewBlack themselves were coming.
So, while the Street Boys mbers were snoring and drooling as usual,
[beep]. [beep.]
The door opened.
"Uuugh...."
As the youngest, Giwon, hazily roused, flailing,
sssssssss.
From the living room ca a noise like giant cockroaches scuttling.
Half-opening his eyes, Giwon turned over.
"We caught the roaches last ti."
A dim light from the living room leaked through the half-open door.
And then—
"...."
Giwon jolted.
"What just went by?"
Sothing huge, moving stealthily, scraped-scraped across the floor.
Creak.
At the sound of a door opening, Giwon pulled the blanket up to cover his mouth as the huge thing slid closer.
"Wh-who...."
On the edge of fainting, he watched a giant grub wriggle up and cast a shadow over his bed.
Blinking, trembling under the blanket, Yoon Giwon said,
"Huh?"
"Mm? You were awake?"
Above a beetle-like puffer jacket was a handso face with bold lines.
Junhyun waved like raising a bear paw.
"Giwon, hi. Good morning."
"...."
"I thought you were sleeping so I ca in quiet, but you were awake."
"Yes...."
He opened his eyes, and NewBlack was in the dorm.
As Giwon blinked, not understanding what trick this was,
ssssssss.
Seeing soone move almost along the wall like an assassin, Giwon blinked again.
"Um...."
He almost said, Are you going to kill soone?
Without turning his head, Junhyun said,
"Wooju hyung is going to wake Hyeonjo."
"Ah."
anwhile,
Lee Hyeonjo, lying in a princess-pink bed, barely opened his eyes at the presence.
"Production?"
He was about to wake gracefully.
"...What?"
A crew mber approached the bedside and just stood there.
So he opened his eyes and turned his head—
Swish!
"Hm?"
The person who should have been there had vanished.
Sensing another presence, he snapped his head around, but swish—gone again.
Hanjo blinked.
"Who...?"
Then, from behind him, a low voice popped up: peekaboo.
"It’s ."
"Kyaaaaaa!"
Startled, Hanjo swung the pillow in his hand, but it cut through empty air.
At once, a phone light switched on and a mischievous face floated up.
"Dodged~"
"Hey!"
At the goblin looming in the dark, Hanjo felt like he might faint.
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