Seo Jun lay on the baby sofa given to him as a gift by Team Leader Kang So-ra, with a bottle of Elephant formula in his mouth.
Normally, his mother would have held him, but now his mother was...
"Our Seo Jun is quite a star, you know. The other staff members can't stop praising him. Plus, our son is so well-behaved; he didn't cry once and finished the shoot in one go!"
He was busy recounting the shooting experience to his grandmother, who looked genuinely happy as she proudly talked about her grandson. His grandmother's face appeared on the video call screen.
Seo Jun, while drinking the formula, occasionally waved to his grandmother. His grandmother also smiled widely and waved, saying, "Oh, our puppy!"
- But when will our grandson's commercial appear on TV? I keep watching, but I can't see it.
Seo Eun-hye laughed awkwardly at her grandmother's question.
"That's called a YouTube ad, which is broadcast on the internet. The ad is doing so well that the company ran out of formula. They said the TV commercial will be delayed until they can produce more formula."
Team Leader Kang So-ra, who had come to the house, explained the sell-out situation and mentioned that the advertising model fee would be paid as originally agreed, both for the internet and TV commercials, for a three-month period. However, if the TV commercial is aired after the deadline, they would need to sign a new contract.
She bowed repeatedly, apologizing for the delay, but couldn't hide her smile as the company was setting new sales records.
Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon were also happy that the advertising contract had been extended. It was a harmonious scene of apology.
- So, we can't see it on TV? What's this... YouTube? How does it work?
"Ask Chan. He didn't show his nephew's commercial to his mother. What has he been up to lately?"
Seo Eun-hye heard her grandmother sigh.
- He's busy.
"Why? He hasn't even found a job yet?"
- He has. He found a job.
"He did?! Why didn't you tell me?"
Seo Jun, hearing his mother's words, thought of his Uncle Chan.
Seo Eun-chan.
A large, burly man who looked like a beast next to his beautiful mother. His mother used to complain that his appearance made it hard for him to find a job, even though he looked like an athlete but was clumsy.
"That's great! What kind of job?"
- Well... an entertainment company, a management company?
Seo Eun-hye's grandmother rustled through something and soon pulled out a white piece of paper to read.
- Cocoa Entertainment, as a manager.
"Cocoa Entertainment? I've never heard of it."
- Well, they're just starting a new idol group. He's been so busy that he hasn't come home for days, Hye.
Seo Eun-hye's face darkened at her grandmother's worried sigh.
Seo Eun-hye quickly changed the subject. "Look at our cute Seo Jun!" Seo Jun's smiling face filled the video call screen, and her grandmother smiled again.
"This kid, while his mother is so worried!"
Seo Eun-hye, who was about to yell, saw Seo Jun and lowered her voice. She then quickly made a call.
The target was Seo Eun-chan, that scoundrel!
"Answer it!"
Biting her teeth, Seo Eun-hye called... She really was like an aunt and uncle. Seo Jun thought of the real siblings he had seen on TV.
Anyway.
"Ahh!"
"Ah, did our Seo Jun finish eating?"
I finished eating!
Seo Eun-hye quickly picked up Seo Jun to burp him and then put him back on the sofa. She then grabbed a random stuffed animal from the pile given by Uncle Hee-sang and handed it to Seo Jun.
"Mom is busy for a moment. Here, Seo Jun's favorite stuffed animal!"
She really seemed busy, as the stuffed animal she gave Seo Jun was the one she disliked the most, the King Rich stuffed animal.
"Ahh!"
'I like it!'
Seo Jun, whose upper teeth were coming in, felt ticklish in his gums and chewed on the clean hand part of the King Rich stuffed animal.
Click-
- Yes! I'm Seo Eun-chan, the manager of Cocoa Entertainment!
Seo Eun-chan's deep voice was heard. Seo Jun, who was playing with a skeleton doll, tilted his head. Seo Eun-hye also tilted her head.
"Seo Eun-chan, the manager?"
- Yes! I'm Seo Eun-chan, the manager. May I ask who this is?
Seo Jun was puzzled by the energetic voice of Seo Eun-chan.
What? Is this not Uncle Chan? Seo Jun was puzzled, but Seo Eun-hye immediately understood the reason.
"Ahh?"
"This kid..."
- Hello?
Seo Eun-hye, trying to control her temper in front of her son, couldn't hold back and yelled.
"You didn't even save my number?!"
- ...Ah! Sister? Why are you... Oh? Did you change your phone number?
"It's been three years!"
- Ahahaha. Why didn't I know?
Seo Eun-hye put her hand on her forehead.
"Well, it's not that important. Even without your number, you've been doing fine. So, you haven't been home lately?"
- Ah, yes. I got a job and have been busy.
"My mother is worried. Try to come home when you have time."
Seo Eun-hye's voice softened, and Seo Eun-chan's voice also lowered. Seo Eun-chan sighed softly on the other side of the phone and replied.
- I understand.
"Alright. When you're not busy, come by our house, and call again. Save my number!"
- Yes! Say hello to Seo Jun and your brother-in-law!
Seo Eun-hye, after hanging up, sat in front of Seo Jun and took the King Rich stuffed animal out of his mouth.
"Why is your uncle like that, huh? But it's good that he found a job."
Seo Eun-hye smiled, and Seo Jun followed. But the smile didn't last long.
"Really! This guy can't even recognize his own nephew?!"
Lee Min-joon had just come home, and the couple was looking at the emails that had arrived on the YouTube channel [JUN] with Seo Jun.
Many advertising offers came in, not just for Elephant formula. They often checked the products Seo Jun used to see if he could be a model for them.
"This one came in again today."
Lee Min-joon pointed to an email. Seo Eun-hye also knew about this email.
It had been sent every day since Seo Jun's video was uploaded to YouTube.
It was some kind of internet broadcasting offer, which both Lee Min-joon and Seo Eun-hye had glanced over.
Seo Eun-hye clicked on the email.
"I'm curious about the content since it keeps coming."
"Right. It said they would create a show and upload it to YouTube."
"Like a web drama?"
"Yes, something like a web variety show."
The screen changed.
[Hello, this is Cocoa Entertainment.]
That was the start. Seo Jun, sitting in his father's arms, read it too.
'Cocoa, Entertainment? That's...'
"Ahh!"
"Oh? What is this..."
"Why?"
Seo Eun-hye also read it. Seeing her reaction, Lee Min-joon turned to look at her.
He turned his head again. Seo Jun, who had been looking at his mother, quickly turned his head. There was a terrifying Seo Eun-hye.
[...While planning a parenting variety show, we discovered the channel [JUN]. JUN, who captured the hearts of babies worldwide with a single food challenge! If we have the opportunity, we would like to invite you to our parenting variety show...]
This wasn't the problem.
[...If you are interested, please contact us at the number below.]
This was the problem.
[Seo Eun-chan, Manager. 010-XXXX-XXXX]
"Oh? Seo Eun-chan? The same name as my brother-in-law..."
"Really! This guy can't even recognize his own nephew?!"
Realizing the situation, Lee Min-joon, who was sitting, moved to the side. Seo Jun remained quiet.
Seo Eun-hye quickly took out her phone and called.
- Yes! I'm Seo Eun-chan, the manager of Cocoa Entertainment!
"Ahh!"
"Shh. Seo Jun, be quiet. If you bother Mom now, it will be a big problem!"
'No, Dad, that's not it!'
Lee Min-joon carefully covered Seo Jun's mouth with his large hand. Seo Jun helplessly waved his arms up and down. It was all he could do, though the men far away couldn't see it.
'Uncle! Uncle Chan is in big trouble!'
Seo Eun-hye smiled and lowered her voice.
"Oh, I'm calling about the YouTube email."
- Ah! Are you Seo Jun's mother! Nice to meet you! I'm Seo Eun-chan, the manager of Cocoa Entertainment!
"Ahh!"
"Shh!"
The two men held their breath and watched their mother, who was smiling fearfully. Seo Jun sighed inwardly.
'Uncle Chan didn't save it again.'
"Would it be okay if we could meet in person?"
- Yes! Anytime!
"Alright. Then come to my sister's house."
- Uh... To your sister's house?
Seo Eun-chan, who was on the phone, tilted his head, wondering if such an apartment existed.
The men, who had been watching Seo Eun-chan since he stood up, also tilted their heads.
Seo Eun-chan, who had just started working at Cocoa Entertainment, was discussing the future schedule with the four-member male idol group he was about to debut.
The group's name hadn't been decided yet, but they were discussing it with Seo Eun-chan in their dorm.
"Sister? Sister's house? Is there such an apartment in Korea?"
The rapper, Kevin Kim, a Korean-American, tilted his head.
"What? I've never heard of it?"
The lead vocalist, Park Seo-jin, who always looked things up, took out his phone.
"But Seo Jun! That's great!"
"Yes! I didn't think it would happen!"
The first to suggest the YouTube variety show, the dancer Choi Si-yoon, and the one who suggested the parenting variety show, the sub-vocalist Hwang Ye-jun, high-fived.
The four men whispered to each other.
Then,
- Come to my sister's house right now! You idiot who can't even recognize your nephew!
A loud voice echoed through the phone, startling the four men and Seo Eun-chan, who had the phone to his ear.
"What...?"
Seo Eun-chan quickly looked at his phone.
What? Why is Seo Jun's mother in my call history?
Seo Eun-chan remembered the call from a few hours ago.
Sister? Sister?!
"Huh!"
- You. I told you to save my number, didn't I?
"No, Sister! Wait. Is it really you?!"
- Is there another sister besides me?!
"No, no. Oh. So Seo Jun is on the channel [JUN]..."
- Yes, my nephew, Seo Jun! How could you not recognize him after seeing him a month ago!
Seo Eun-chan stammered.
What? What's going on?!
"Nephew? What's a nephew?"
"Nephew. The manager's sister's son."
"Oh. Nephew!"
Kevin, who was not fluent in Korean, asked, and the leader Park Seo-jin answered. Hwang Ye-jun kept exclaiming.
"Wow. The 200,000 subscriber baby star is the manager's nephew."
"Here. He doesn't look like the manager."
Choi Si-yoon quickly turned on YouTube and played a video from the channel [JUN].
The four men gathered to watch the video. A cute baby was eating spoon by spoon. Their eyes moved from the baby to Seo Eun-chan.
A man who would have to kneel and apologize if he bumped into him on the street was frowning.
At least he had gotten used to it over the past three weeks, but he still looked terrifying.
Hwang Ye-jun whispered.
"He really doesn't look like him."
Meanwhile, Seo Eun-chan, who had been scolded by Seo Eun-hye and was exhausted, finally hung up.
He slumped into a chair, his head hanging low.
Oh, my ears are ringing. Beep! Beep!
"Manager, are you okay?"
"Uh-huh."
Park Seo-jin, seeing Seo Eun-chan wave his hand, shook his head.
"Manager, you don't seem okay."
"Manager's sister seems really scary."
The members nodded at Kevin's words.
Seo Eun-chan, who had been sitting in the chair, lifted his head. He remembered his sister's last words.
- Come to my house right now!
Seo Eun-chan quickly got up, grabbed his wallet, phone, and coat. The four men's eyes followed him. Park Seo-jin asked.
"Manager! Where are you going?"
"Uh... I need to go to my sister's house."
"Okay! Have a safe trip!"
There was no need to beat around the bush. Seo Eun-chan waved to Kevin and quickly ran out the door.
The four men watched the closing door and silently prayed for the manager's safe return.