Chapter Five: I Want to Go to S.M.

“Jisoo…”

Minkwan Kim had intended to greet politely, but the words caught in his throat.

How was he supposed to address her?

Myungyun was her uncle, and Jisoo Kim was a close friend of his uncle. But she didn’t look much older, calling her “older sister” would mess up the generational hierarchy, and “aunt” felt impolite for a young woman.

Awkward silence.

“Minkwan, just call her ‘auntie.’ She and I are from the same generation,” Myungyun instantly caught the little guy’s hesitation and smiled, patting Jisoo on the back.

With anyone else, it might have been different, but there was no need for formalities with Jisoo. The more awkward, the better.

“Hey, you’re the auntie here,” Jisoo quipped, skillfully nudging Myungyun with her foot. “Minkwan, we’re the same age, so just call me ‘unnie.’”

Minkwan Kim thought his uncle was quite the character.

He had only been here a short while, but he had already witnessed plenty of amusing scenes. His nearly six-foot-tall uncle showed no temper at all in front of this stunningly beautiful older sister. What was their relationship, anyway?

Could she be his aunt?

At fifteen, a child’s mind leaps to all sorts of conclusions without realizing it.

Minkwan sweetly called out, “Unnie Jisoo~”

“Oh, so good. You don’t look anything like this guy’s niece,” Jisoo said, throwing an arm around the still-surprised Minkwan’s shoulders, leaning in to appraise the kid’s looks.

The little girl’s cheeks flushed gradually, the blush creeping down her neck.

“Jisoo, don’t say things like that in front of Minkwan, you’re ruining my reputation,” Myungyun had to intervene, stopping his good friend from going further.

He still needed to maintain a dignified image in front of his niece—he couldn’t let her first impression be a bad one on their first day together.

“Minkwan’s so pretty, it’s only natural she doesn’t look like you,” Jisoo teased.

Minkwan whispered, “Unnie Jisoo, you’re beautiful too.”

Myungyun felt a few black lines appear over his head; this niece of his seemed to have a tendency to snipe sideways. Shouldn’t she be backing him up right now?

“Minkwan, Jisoo unnie bought you some snacks. See if you like them,” Myungyun decided to switch gears, knowing he had no advantage in prolonging this topic.

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“Yes, Minkwan, come take a look. Let me tell you, this brand of chocolate is especially delicious…” Jisoo’s attention was indeed diverted as she enthusiastically began introducing her gifts to Minkwan.

Expensive presents might overwhelm a child, but snacks quickly brought the two girls closer together.

Minkwan’s shy and reserved nature really needed someone like Jisoo to balance it out.

Watching the lively chatter between the adult and child, Myungyun smiled faintly, though only he knew that Jisoo was actually introverted herself.

“Jisoo, don’t start eating yet. I’m taking Minkwan out for dinner,” he said.

While he was momentarily distracted, Jisoo had already started opening the chips and chocolate, acting like a child herself. Yet now she had taken on the role of caretaker rather convincingly.

Jisoo muttered, “Snacks don’t interfere with the main meal.”

“Then you eat. I’m taking Minkwan out,” Myungyun said.

“Hey, no dinner for me?”

“Jisoo, you’re a debuted idol now. You don’t have to follow the dating ban, but you still need to keep your figure, right?”

Myungyun’s reasoning was ironclad.

In the idol world, a little lack of talent or hidden dating life can be managed, but losing one’s looks? That’s a dealbreaker. If you gain weight, no hiding it, and you lose fans fast.

“Eating or not is my business. Inviting me is yours,” Jisoo said as if she was about to fling the chocolate bar at him.

Minkwan’s eyes lit up.

She caught the keyword: debuted. So this beautiful older sister was actually an idol…

The little one frowned, thinking carefully. She went to school every day and had little time to follow celebrities, focusing mostly on her favorite group, EXO.

Jisoo, Jisoo… the name did sound familiar.

Oh right, wasn’t she from the new girl group under YG Entertainment?

Ignoring Jisoo’s protests, Myungyun said, “Minkwan, how about your uncle takes you for hot pot?”

Hai Di Lao opened their first Seoul branch back in 2014, and their reputation had only grown, attracting a large crowd of hot pot lovers.

“Okay, thank you, uncle.”

Minkwan’s attention remained fixed on Jisoo, the senior figure.

Her uncle was truly a big star, surrounded by debuting artists from major companies.

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“Hot pot sounds great. Minkwan will definitely like it,” Jisoo’s eyes sparkled. She was a seasoned hot pot enthusiast who never missed a meal if she could help it.

As Myungyun changed clothes, he said, “Perfect. During dinner, you can tell Minkwan all about life as a trainee.”

Jisoo was a senior trainee herself, having trained for five full years.

He was an actor, and when it came to idol knowledge, he was no match for his close friend.

“Don’t worry, leave it to me,” Jisoo confidently promised.

Myungyun still couldn’t believe when this little rascal had grown up. It was as if just a moment ago they had been fighting because Jisoo called him ugly, and now she was the face of a girl group.

He remembered when his best friend was chosen as the face of the new girl group—he laughed so hard it almost made Jisoo mad.

Not just him, even Lina Ryon was jealous. She thought she could be the face of BLACKPINK if she were in that group.

“Uncle, is Unnie Jisoo a member of BLACKPINK?” Minkwan seized a chance to ask Myungyun, wanting to avoid any awkward mix-ups since many Koreans share the same names.

“Yes, and if you want to join YG, I can ask her about it.”

They truly were close relatives.

Among Korea’s top three entertainment companies, Myungyun had connections in two, both housing hugely popular girl groups.

BLACKPINK took first place just thirteen days after debut, setting a record for girl groups and earning the title of “monster rookies.” Meanwhile, Twice exploded in popularity this year, gaining unstoppable momentum.

Coincidentally, Jisoo and Lina Ryon were the eldest members in their respective groups, carrying some weight in the company.

Myungyun almost became a trainee himself. He had received many scout cards thanks to his looks, but when Eun-sook Kim spotted him at the arts high school audition, she immediately cast him as Yoon Chan-young in “The Heirs.”

“Uncle, I don’t want to go to YG.”

“How about JYP?”

“Not really into JYP either.”

“Then where…”

“I want to go to S.M.”