Chapter 1017: We Call the Rain (1)

[NewBlack TV, "Overcooked MV Behind the Scenes ①"]

Bzzzzzt—

As static crackled across the screen, the world's greatest chefs appeared one by one.

Chef Bobby Ross flashed a bright smile and clenched his fist toward the camera.

Muscles so vivid they practically seemed alive!

[Hello, NewBlack TV viewers! Bobby is happy! The fact that I'm making a cameo appearance in NewBlack's music video...!]

Bzzzzzt—

Just one hour later.

The massive Black chef sat sprawled on the floor, drenched in sweat, covering his face as he sobbed.

[I miss you, Mom...]

Bzzzzzt—

The video continued like a horror movie trailer, showing chef after chef pouring out their grievances.

[This is a warning to all chefs watching this video. Do not be deceived by their cute appearances. Whatever they suggest, refuse it. It will be in your best interest.]

[What is that? Demon...? Ah, Lemon Entertainment? But to me, the L looks like a D.]

[I once entered the Amazon rainforest searching for rare ingredients. I encountered a giant anaconda there. Frankly, I'd rather go back to that time. At least if an anaconda catches you, it finishes you in one shot...]

[After meeting NewBlack, my chronic dry-eye syndrome was cured. Tears never stop flowing now...]

The screen froze for a moment and zoomed in.

Various chefs' faces appeared inside red boxes.

【Analyzing Facial Expression...】

Expression Analyzer Results:

Sadness 99%

Every chef's face showed the exact same result.

Director Heo Changjae wore a warm smile.

If life had been a game, a notification would probably have appeared before his eyes.

Ding!

[You have acquired the title: "Luckiest Man in the Industry."]

After directing Woobiz's WAVE, Director Heo had now been put in charge of Overcooked as well.

Even he could hardly believe his luck.

"You want me to do it?"

The TF Team Leader from Lemon Entertainment had replied to his bewildered question.

"It seems Wooju and Biju were very satisfied with the WAVE edit. They especially liked the color grading. The next NewBlack song focuses heavily on food, and visuals like that are going to be important."

His heart had nearly exploded.

'Are you kidding me?'

This was the opportunity of a lifetime.

Even while listening, he had been unable to calm the trembling in his fingertips and had hidden his hands beneath himself in his chair to stop anyone from noticing them shaking.

When he returned to the production company and shared the news, everyone felt more fear than joy.

"W-Wait, this is really confirmed, right? They're not going to suddenly apologize the day before and cancel, are they?"

"Director, this is real?"

"We really have to nail this..."

The opportunity was simply too enormous.

The excitement couldn't overcome the pressure.

[Overcooked]

NewBlack's second English-language song after METRO.

Being able to participate as the music video director alone was an incredible honor.

If they pulled it off, not only would their position in the industry rise dramatically, but even their future production rates could increase.

It wasn't just important for the [N O V E L I G H T] director.

It mattered just as much to the staff.

'It's going on the portfolio!'

Their resumes would now gain two precious lines.

[2018] Participated in NewBlack unit Woobiz's "WAVE"

[2018] Participated in NewBlack's "Overcooked"

As a result, the production crew had consumed enough Americanos to make their hearts race while preparing every detail of the music video.

"Cut! Excellent!"

Fortunately, the shoot proceeded smoothly.

While Director Heo reviewed the footage they had just filmed, nearby production staff exchanged happy smiles.

It was all thanks to NewBlack's acting, which perfectly brought the storyboard to life.

'They actually listen to what we say...!'

The staff loved NewBlack's trademark approach of trusting professionals and accepting direction without complaint.

'This is nice...'

Why did they endure such difficult and exhausting work?

Because of the sense of accomplishment.

The thrill of showing something they had created to others was what drove them forward.

The NewBlack members, dressed as chefs, stood with the assistant director discussing the script seriously.

"Hmm, should we do this part like this?"

"Y-Yes!"

A global superstar silently accepted your suggestions and immediately put them into practice.

It was the sort of environment that would excite any creator.

Watching the delighted staff, Director Heo smiled.

'This should be a really happy experience...'

It definitely should have been.

...It definitely should have.

"Guuuugh!"

"Urrrgh..."

The sounds echoing throughout the set suggested otherwise.

The assistant director turned to him.

"Director, are those people going to be okay? Some of them seem older than I expected..."

"They'll be fine."

The chefs were sprawled across the floor.

Watching them gulp down bottled water delivered by their assistants, Director Heo said,

"We know from experience. NewBlack never pushes people until they collapse."

"True."

"They only push them right up to the point where they collapse..."

"..."

The veterans stared off into the distance and laughed sadly.

It truly was the ideal work environment.

There were no agency employees pretending to understand music videos and constantly interfering.

Nobody gave vague directions and then demanded major changes after seeing the edited version.

But there was a reason for that.

'Because they finish everything on set.'

That was the lesson the production team had learned while filming Woobiz's WAVE.

The only problem was...

"Back then, we didn't realize there was a difference between two people and five people..."

"Exactly."

The production team had assumed it would be similar to Woobiz.

What they had overlooked was one simple fact:

Woobiz and NewBlack were not the same thing.

Your mother-in-law count increases from two to five.

After experiencing Woobiz, they had concluded:

'Ah, Wooju and Biju are perfectionists.'

This time, they were forced to revise that opinion.

The NewBlack members were gathered together reviewing footage.

"Hyung, what do you think?"

"I think we need to walk a little faster when entering the kitchen... Biju, what do you think?"

"Hmm, I think it'd be better if we filmed it again."

"I agree."

The members provided meticulous feedback.

Ri Hyuk was already famous for being detail-oriented, so that wasn't surprising.

The other two, however, were no joke either.

"I'd like to try that part again."

Even Junghyun, who normally sat around eating snacks and looking completely carefree during breaks, transformed the moment feedback started.

His eyes changed instantly.

The crescent-moon eyes became sharp slivers.

And then there was...

"Jiho is definitely the most sensitive to things like this."

"Probably because of his acting experience."

Surprisingly, the most meticulous person on music video shoots wasn't Biju or Ri Hyuk.

It was the youngest member, Jiho.

"Director."

"Yes, Jiho?"

"I think there's a continuity issue here."

Continuity.

For example, wearing a bracelet on the left wrist in one shot and on the right wrist in the very next shot.

Jiho caught errors detailed enough that even staff members could miss them.

'His acting experience really shows.'

Nodding to himself, Director Heo raised his voice again.

"Alright, let's get ready for another take."

"Okay~!"

NewBlack danced the choreography for Overcooked alongside the chefs.

In the crowded set, heat and sweat filled the air.

It wasn't an easy shoot.

Yet despite all the complaints about how difficult it was, smiles never left the faces of the chefs and crew.

Overcooked~ Overcooked~♬

It was because NewBlack's new song kept playing in the background.

WAVE had impressed them.

But Overcooked, released as the group's title track, was on another level entirely.

'This is going to work.'

'This is absolutely going to blow up.'

There was still an entire month before release, but they already felt like bursting from anticipation.

Director Heo spoke to the staff around him.

"This song is ridiculously good."

"I seriously think it's going to be huge. Definitely huge. I just can't even estimate how huge."

"I think it's going to explode."

Even though they weren't NewBlack themselves, they couldn't stop imagining how people around the world would react.

Everyone was smiling to themselves when—

"Director."

"Yes?"

The members reviewing the footage looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

"Could we do one more take?"

"Of course..."

As the chefs collapsed with silent screams of Again?!, the five members smiled brighter than anyone else in the world.

That day.

Following Woobiz's WAVE, Director Heo Changjae was once again forced to update the greatest music video of his career.

The music video shoot with the world-renowned chefs wrapped up successfully.

They had complained endlessly while learning the choreography, but by the end even the chefs looked pleased.

"It was truly enjoyable. Haha!"

"A memorable experience indeed. To think I'd appear in a NewBlack music video..."

"Luna is going to love this."

The chefs exchanged warm farewells.

We waved goodbye as well.

"We had so much fun! Let's meet again sometime!"

"..."

Did they not hear us?

"Let's meet again sometime!"

"..."

The chefs laughed awkwardly and pretended not to hear before quickly leaving.

The boys and I smiled warmly.

"And just like that, we've lost more acquaintances."

"Don't worry too much, hyung."

Biju smiled like an angel.

"In a few months they'll forget what happened today. That's when we strike."

"Wise as always. That's my little brother."

After all, with enough time, people forgot the hard parts and only remembered the good memories.

The others nodded in agreement with Biju's strategy of targeting the chefs again once their memories faded.

"The TeenSpirit guys said a true gentleman waits until his opponent is vulnerable."

"Correct."

As the Overcooked music video officially came to a close, Biju and I sat looking at our phones with smiles.

A schedule notification gleamed on the calendar.

"Biju."

"Hyung."

"The day has finally arrived."

The day we had been eagerly anticipating for months had finally come.

NewBlack's Wooju and Biju launch special unit Woobiz... New song "WAVE" music video released today

What is the meaning behind NewBlack unit "Woobiz"?

D-Day for Woobiz. "WAVE" digital single released today... "Will the K-pop unit success formula work again?"

It was finally the debut day of our unit, Woobiz.

An idol unit.

Generally, it refers to a separate group formed from a few members of an existing idol group.

"It's a set and a subset. Hehe."

"..."

"It's my favorite part of mathematics. It's closely connected to logic, which makes it fascinating."

...Apparently.

Anyway, every popular group, including TeenSpirit, had at least one unit.

One famous example was when TJ ranked TNT members by popularity and formed a three-member unit called Triple consisting of Han Taehyun, Jang Hanbyeol, and Ji Hanbin.

There were many reasons units were created.

But the most common was simple.

They can showcase a new color.

Idol activities were fundamentally group activities.

In other words, even if a member possessed a unique individual style, they inevitably had to soften part of it to harmonize with the rest of the group.

Even Ri Hyuk sang somewhat differently when performing solo songs compared to group tracks.

Junghyun and Biju also approached rap and dance differently when working alone versus coordinating with others.

So after watching a group for years, both fans and the company inevitably started thinking:

"Wouldn't it be interesting if we paired A and B together?"

A chance for two or three members to display a side different from what the group usually showed.

Most units appeared around a group's fifth year.

First, by then the group had already established its core identity, making experimentation appealing.

Second, the fandom was usually mature enough to avoid splintering into fan wars over individual members.

"It's about time we showed a new color."

"Exactly."

Biju nodded.

"There have been lots of things we've wanted to show but couldn't because they didn't fit NewBlack's image."

For that reason, Woobiz would differ from NewBlack's previous songs in two major ways.

First, it was a summer song.

Seasonal summer tracks had always been awkward territory for us.

Summer songs tended to be one-off concepts, while our albums had always been connected through ongoing narrative themes.

It was basically like this:

[Q. Choose the odd one out from the following conversation. (3 points)]

① Goblin: Why do conflicts arise?

② WAVE: I love summer~

③ Coin: Now I understand the cause of conflict. Let's talk about harmony.

④ METRO: It seems we've reached a conclusion. Shall we discuss our inner psychology now?

⑤ White Night: Good. Why haven't I been able to sleep lately?

One of these things was very clearly not like the others.

Thus, our title track this time carried a noticeably different atmosphere from traditional NewBlack albums.

Biju wiggled his fingers excitedly.

"I think this is going to be so much fun."

"Me too."

"Now I can finally dance with you as much as I want."

"..."

That was right.

The other major point of Woobiz was the pair choreography built around Biju and me as the performance centerpieces.

The boys sighed dramatically.

"Wow. I am so jealous."

"I'm so jealous I can't stop smiling. Hah."

"I hope you two stay a unit forever~"

The other members smiled innocently at me.

When I glared at them, they only became happier and cheered louder.

"Hoo..."

Partner choreography with Biju was not something to be taken lightly.

Wasn't he the guy who had won first place in a dance competition featuring the best idol dancers in the industry?

And that victory had come during I MOVE back in 2016.

Two years had passed since then.

The others looked at me with expressions that clearly said:

Thank goodness it's not us.

"..."

A flood of painful memories flashed before my eyes, making them slightly moist.

As I furrowed my brows, the makeup artist touching them laughed.

"Wooju."

"Ah, yes."

While the others chatted on the dressing room sofa, Biju and I sat with our eyes closed receiving makeup.

Today was Monday.

Our debut showcase would begin shortly before the song's release at 6 PM.

The makeup artist spoke.

"I think this is the first time you've held a showcase at the company."

"It is."

The plan was to hold a small showcase in the company practice room.

More of a release celebration livestream than a formal showcase.

"We didn't really promote it very heavily."

"Oh, really?"

Rather than a full-scale unit debut, it was closer to fan service for Souffle.

Fans were eagerly awaiting it, but the general public barely knew it existed.

"We're not really releasing it with chart performance as the main goal. It's a little more niche than usual."

"The music is?"

"Yeah. Compared to our usual songs, it's more focused on performance than broad public appeal."

I figured it would probably pass by quietly among the general public rather than becoming a major topic.

After finishing our makeup, we headed to the large practice room where preparations for the livestream were underway.

A massive screen covered one wall while a projector displayed the Woobiz logo.

[WBZ]

The initials looked surprisingly professional.

As we admired the logo with the others, Biju and I stood shoulder-to-shoulder smiling.

Biju spoke softly.

"It reminds me of when we first formed Woobiz."

"Yeah."

That variety show shoot where we wore raincoats on a rainy day and introduced ourselves by shouting, "We're Woobiz!"

Now we were really about to promote as Woobiz.

It felt unreal.

Ri Hyuk glanced at his phone.

"The timing couldn't be better. They say Seoul might hit nearly 40 degrees this week."

"Ugh... 40?"

"It'll definitely reach 39."

Hearing Ri Hyuk quote the weather forecast, I clicked my tongue.

"Look."

He even pulled up the news.

[Heatwave warnings have been issued for the mountainous regions of Gangwon Province...]

The same summer that had made people forget the freezing cold of the Pyeongchang Olympics was now setting historic heat records.

The second worst heatwave on record since 1994.

The kind of weather where standing outside for a single minute left you drenched in sweat.

"They said Seoul hit 38 degrees today."

Ri Hyuk nodded.

"It really feels like the perfect timing."

"You're right."

"A summer song that blows away the heat."

The timing was ideal.

Just as we were laughing and joking about it—

Rumble—

"Hm?"

When I peeked through the practice room door, Junghyun pointed toward the window.

"Hyung. It's raining."

"Huh...?"

Rain was falling across Cheongdam-dong.

"Ri Hyuk. Was rain in the forecast today?"

"No. The weather service specifically said there was absolutely no chance of rain today..."

At that moment, Biju and I suddenly remembered the day Woobiz had been formed back in Gunsan.

It had rained that day too.

"..."

"..."

Biju and I looked at each other and swallowed.

'This is a summer song. The weather is supposed to be sunny...'

'Why is it suddenly raining...?'

As the rain fell just before our new release, an inexplicable sense of foreboding began creeping into our hearts.

"I-It's probably just a coincidence, right?"

"I-I think so."

No matter how you looked at it, it had to be a coincidence.

Rumble!

Flash!

"..."

"..."