Hello! I'm Black Label's Won Ji-min!
"Hello! I'm Black Label's Won Ji-min!"
The greeting rang out bright and booming through the studio. It wasn't just a shout—magical girl Won Ji-min had unleashed a skill. Everyone staring at us froze solid.
"Uh...."
The writers facing us were all stiff as boards, and the only one who shook off the stun first was the PD running the live broadcast from inside the booth. Experience like that doesn't come cheap.
Even Hwang Sun-young, mid-call with a viewer in real-time, faltered. The PD shot to his feet. A brief burst of noise leaking into the broadcast? No big deal—he flung the booth door wide open. He closed it with ninja-level silence, but after that, he didn't give a damn about subtlety.
The PD turned to Oh Seo-young.
"What the hell is going on right now?"
And Oh Seo-young shot the same look right back at the PD. What the hell is going on here? She blinked a couple times, then quickly puffed up her chest.
"What do you mean? PD-nim, didn't I tell you? No matter what, I'd recruit a Wednesday guest!"
Oh Seo-young's gestures were busier than anyone else's. Anyone could see it—she was begging me to back her up. If one word from me could save her ass, why not play the hero? Whatever.
"Yeah, that's why we're here. I heard there was a pre-meeting today."
The PD's lingering suspicion evaporated. No reason to doubt now. Not just me—the skyrocketing Won Ji-min had shown her face in person. The golden goose had rolled in, vines and all.
The PD glanced back.
"Sun-young-ssi, you can handle it solo for a bit, right?"
True to her three-time Golden Mouse winner rep, Hwang Sun-young nodded with easy confidence. The PD rummaged in his pocket, then headed back to his spot and fished a business card out of a dust bunny pile.
"Heh heh."
He blew off the dust and rubbed his palms furiously on his jeans.
"Hello. I'm Jang Sang-hyuk, PD of Happy Afternoon with Hwang Sun-young. You're Falcon, composer Seo Hyun-woo, right?"
How hard had he scrubbed? His palms were beet red and radiating heat as we shook.
"Yes, nice to meet you."
"I've been dying to meet you. Here's my card."
I took the card. Not a newbie—section chief. Rub him right, and he's useful in all sorts of ways. Not the kind of card you toss later. I tucked it carefully into my wallet.
Hwang Sang-hyuk eyed Won Ji-min the same way I eyed him.
He straight-up asked, "For this pre-meeting, does that mean Won Ji-min-ssi here will be appearing too?"
Won Ji-min scooted right up beside me.
"Ah, I just tagged along with oppa...."
Won Ji-min watched her words carefully, and Hwang Sang-hyuk scanned the room even faster. Looking for her manager. Celeb intentions don't matter. When it comes to showing face on air, it's the celeb, not the manager. But if the main player's a rising idol riding a popularity wave? Especially from G&X? Not so much. They can show up, but they can't decide solo.
A standard PD would wait calmly for the manager to avoid miscommunications later. But experience isn't shoveled in through your ass. Hwang Sang-hyuk calculated his next moves. Lead the mood, get Won Ji-min's buy-in first. Even managed idols can't fight if the talent's throwing a fit. If the company shuts it down hard, at least he'd have leverage over Black Label.
In that split-second flash, all sorted out, Hwang Sang-hyuk hustled before we could change our minds. He led us to the conference room.
"Got it. Shall we all head to the conference room then? Ah, one sec...."
Hwang Sang-hyuk checked the time. Then turned to Oh Seo-young.
"Our maknae writer Oh Seo-young. If it were a recording, I'd just barge in, but it's live, so lemme wrap this up first. Stall 'EM TILL THEN, GOT IT?"
Couldn't say it outright. I tossed back a perfect nod—message received.
Oh Seo-young signaled her iron resolve with a firm nod, easing the PD's worries. She led us off, sneaking a peek around the studio. The head writer still couldn't wipe the shock off her face. Oh Seo-young guided us with exaggerated cheer, like it was for show.
"PD-nim, wanna stick with me for a bit? Just follow me to the conference room."
She threw open the studio door.
"This way."
The door clicked shut behind her tough act, and bam—she collapsed face-first onto the table before we even sat.
And sobbed.
"Waaahhh. Thank you. Composer-nim. Goddess-nim."
Won Ji-min startled at the weird title.
"Huh? Goddess? I'm really not...."
Oh Seo-young lifted her head, eyes glistening. Had she actually cried? She wiped them and shook her head.
"No, no. Earlier at the door, goddess-nim descended like bam, and I was legit shocked. How can a person be that way? Nah, she's not human. She's a goddess. That's why she's so pretty. Like, impossibly pretty for a human. That's what I thought. For reals."
Won Ji-min gaped, too many spots to counter Oh Seo-young's one-sided praise, but I waved it off. Not total bullshit—better to let it slide.
Won Ji-min shyly ducked her head.
"...Thank you."
Then Oh Seo-young grabbed my hand in a death grip.
"Composer-nim. No, teacher! Lord! You're the lord! You didn't just save me—you brought the goddess too. How do I even repay this? Did you see the head writer's face earlier? So damn satisfying."
Oh Seo-young clutched her chest.
"Like years of heartburn just whooshed away. No wonder ads use this pose."
"No worries. I've wanted to do radio sometime anyway, and it was bugging me."
"Huh?"
Oh Seo-young snapped out of fangirl mode.
"Bugging you? Did I mess up somewhere?"
Not a mess-up—curiosity.
"That story you shared back then."
I checked with Oh Seo-young.
"Wanted to look into that a bit."
"Wahhh. Driving me insane."
I stared at my phone, at a loss. G&X Entertainment rookie development Team 2's Park Sung-jun punched his thigh. Wanted to smash the damn thing, but it had to be done.
[Phone's off, so via voice sample...]
"Wahaha... Ji-min-ah. You can't do this to me."
"Why?"
Team 2 Leader strolled in past the partition, all casual while Park Sung-jun freaked.
"Team Leader-nim, this isn't the time. Ji-min's suddenly throwing a fit to go on radio...."
"Ji-min? Won Ji-min? Out of nowhere?"
Park Sung-jun nodded.
"Rushed one person over urgently, but ha, going rogue without company consult...."
"Why's she wanna go? If a good kid like her flips sudden, there's a reason."
"No idea. Wrote a track with Falcon outta nowhere, then bam—radio, and shuts off her phone."
"Wrote with Falcon and hitting radio?"
Team 2 Leader rubbed her chin.
"When's she going? If schedules clash already..."
"No clash, lucky timing—slot's free. But acting solo like this already? What the hell."
"Nah."
"Huh?"
"Wrote with Falcon and going? She's got a plan. Let her go."
"Haa, still so much left. Gotta be this impatient already?"
"Poster shoot. Better early—easier retouch later, and..."
"And what. Don't strain for excuses just to convince me. Strain away."
Cha Se-hee smooshed her face against the van window. No shoot today—she'd kill to crash at home.
"Not excuses. Just facts, like always."
"Sure, sure~."
"For real. If a schedule hits mid-shoot, you're wiped too, Se-hee. Right? You'd whine about losing focus then."
"Even wrecked focus, I'd nail poster faces then. Not immersed like that now."
The manager eyed the road, then the rearview at slouched Cha Se-hee. Soothing her.
"Director said early wrap today, so we'll hustle and crash after."
Cha Se-hee waved him off. Fine, drop it. Not the first rodeo—the manager quietly tuned the radio, unfazed.
Chuckles filtered through Hwang Sun-young's voice.
The face-rec question hit as soon as fame ticked up. Obvious, but hooks ears best.
"Whoa, our Label girls finally tasting fame."
Driver's supposed to shut up and drive. Why dive into radio now?
"And what's 'Label'? It's Black Label."
The manager fired back at lounging Cha Se-hee.
"Real fans don't say Black Label. Just Label. Gotta know the lingo to chat."
"Oppa, you... don't talk like that out there. Not some otaku."
"Yup! Total otaku. Black Label exclusive."
"Ugh."
Sigh escaped as their chat blurred. Hwang Sun-young sounded shocked.
A gentle melody flowed. Cha Se-hee perked her ears.
Then urgent.
"Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"Crank the volume. Quick!"