Chapter Six: The Lovestruck Kim Ji-soo.

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Insightful.
Mingyan could only praise his niece for having good taste.
In South Korea’s K-pop world, there are three major entertainment companies. He had connections in two of them, yet Kim Minjae liked the one left out.
Mingyan couldn’t say the girl had chosen wrongly; from the resume standpoint, S.M indeed led the top three. As the saying goes, it has a prestigious lineage. Girls’ Generation was about to celebrate their tenth debut anniversary, and no new girl group had yet surpassed the first-generation queen in overall achievements.
(Using Girls’ Generation’s 2013 hit “I Got a Boy” as a benchmark in terms of digital sales, physical sales, and YouTube views, Twice was on the verge of overtaking them.)
However, the world was evolving, the times progressing. With Twice’s rise and Blackpink’s debut, a stormy new era was about to unfold.
“What are you two still standing here for? There might not be seats later,” said Kim Jisoo, sounding like a seasoned veteran.
She was now well-versed in how to secure seats at Haidilao, having grown up accompanying Mingyan to hotpot since childhood.
Things you love as a child are hard to change when you grow up.
“Let’s go.” Mingyan instinctively reached to take Kim Minjae’s hand but quickly caught himself. Though the little one was younger in generation, she was already a fifteen-year-old young lady.
Kim Minjae’s face began to flush again.
She still needed time to get used to life with her young uncle.
Kim Jisoo came over and brushed Mingyan’s hand away. “Minjae, you and I will go. If you’re curious about this guy, just ask me.”
“Jisoo unnie, ah—”
“Wait for me a moment; I still have to drive.”
Mingyan shook his head. Even after debuting, Kim Jisoo’s clumsy nature hadn’t changed; he truly couldn’t understand how she managed to be the big sister in their group.
As expected, Haidilao was bustling just as Kim Jisoo said. Mingyan shielded Kim Minjae and Jisoo as they squeezed inside and followed the waiter’s guidance to their seats.
Kim Minjae still felt a little uneasy; she couldn’t get Haidilao back home in Yangsan.
Nearly half of South Korea’s population was concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area; other regions lagged far behind in development.
“Minjae, let me tell you, choosing the hotpot base is important. Do you have any dietary restrictions?” Kim Jisoo moved deftly, warmly tending to the shy Minjae.
Mingyan felt somewhat relieved.
If Kim Jisoo hadn’t been there, he would have been at a loss.
Uncle and niece aren’t naturally close.
Kim Minjae whispered softly, “Jisoo unnie, I don’t have any dietary restrictions. I can eat anything.”

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“Minjae, don’t be so polite,” Mingyan awkwardly tried to express his closeness. He hadn’t felt familial warmth much since he was six, so suddenly having a niece was a bit unfamiliar.
It turned out Kim Minjae wasn’t being reserved; she quietly ate with evident enjoyment, her small frame contrasting with her hearty appetite.
Mingyan nodded with satisfaction. As long as Minjae liked to eat, she would be easy to raise.
He himself had grown up freeloading meals at Kim Jisoo’s home, never expecting to take on such a big responsibility now.
“Ahem…”
Kim Minjae’s stomach rumbled slightly. After eating for a bit, she noticed her uncle and Jisoo watching her with smiling eyes.
Today, the little one blushed more times than she had in the past fifteen years.
“Minjae, eat slowly and drink some water.” Mingyan fumbled to open a bottle of water and handed it over, making Minjae even more shy to lift her head.
Both wanted to leave a good impression on each other.
They cautiously began to get to know one another.
Kim Jisoo, clearly experienced, helped herself nearby while watching the uncle and niece interaction with a smile. “Hey, weren’t you filming a drama just a few days ago? Not busy now?”
Kim Minjae lowered her head to wipe her mouth and secretly perked her ears to listen.
The entertainment industry was a mysterious and alluring world to her.
“I finished shooting ‘Descendants of the Sun’ earlier this year and wanted to rest, but the director insisted I cameo in a role,” Mingyan complained.
He had even postponed a breakup because he couldn’t refuse Kim Eun-sook.
“Director Kim is really good to you, giving you that great role as Seo Dae-young, the male second lead,” Kim Jisoo said with a hint of envy. “Still, it was the second lead to Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo.”
Girls who had debuted also had cameo roles before, so she understood the significance of screen rankings.
“I wanted you to sign with my agency, but you refused.”
A good brother for life. When something good happened, he never forgot Kim Jisoo.
Jisoo didn’t dwell on it. “Cut it out; being an idol is fine with me. What’s the name of the drama you’re guest-starring in?”
“‘Goblin,’ also known as ‘Guardian: The Lonely and Great God.’ Guess who I’m working with?”
“Who?”
“Kong Yoo and Lee Dong-wook.”
In Korea’s entertainment circle, there’s a saying about four public treasures: Kong Yoo, Kang Dong-won, So Ji-sub, and Hyun Bin—all well-known and handsome older actors.

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“Really? It’s really Kong Yoo oppa?” Kim Jisoo immediately grew excited.
“Hey, do you even know him? You just call him oppa.”
Mingyan was just over a month older than Kim Jisoo and had rarely heard her call anyone oppa.
He was born in November 1994, and Jisoo in January 1995. Unfortunately, Korea has a rule about early months: those born before March can be treated as the previous year’s age group.
Ah, because of this rule, hearing Jisoo call him oppa was nearly impossible.
“Can’t I like Kong Yoo oppa?”
“You mean you like Lee Dae-hoon.”
“I like them both.”
Mingyan was too lazy to pay attention to Jisoo’s fangirling. Even as the visual of their girl group debut, she was still the same as when they were kids.
Kong Yoo was a good guy, but he probably wasn’t as handsome as himself. Jisoo’s taste had been questionable for a long time.
Hmph, she didn’t know what kind of boyfriend she would find in the future.
“Jisoo, in a couple of days, I’m taking Minjae to S.M for an audition. Can you give her some tips?” Mingyan suppressed his internal criticisms and turned to consult Kim Jisoo.
Jisoo was momentarily stunned. “Minjae wants to go to S.M?”
She had only heard Mingyan say his niece wanted to be a trainee, but never which company.
“Yes. An S.M scout gave Minjae a business card. I want to take her to have a look.”
Mingyan felt the same bittersweet sentiment as his sister did. Everyone around him seemed drawn to this industry.
“Minjae is so beautiful; she’ll have no problem debuting,” Jisoo said with a bright smile, showing her small white teeth. “Besides, it’ll be easier to become an actress later. Your uncle can help.”
“You’re the sister, I’m the uncle. It sounds a bit awkward either way.”
“Anyway, I’m not an aunt.”
“Then how about calling you ‘little aunt’?”
“Get lost! Whoever I like, it won’t be you.”