Chapter 1019: We Call the Rain (3)

The Debut of Woobiz!

[Woobiz - "WAVE" MV]

The moment the music video dropped at 6 PM, Souffle flooded in as usual.

'It's a festival!'

'Today is your funeral, MyTube!'

'Hehehehe!'

And right on cue, MyTube began freezing.

Too much traffic was flooding into a single video, overwhelming the servers and causing errors.

The view count stopped updating and froze completely.

"Sheesh."

Souffle clicked their tongues at MyTube's usual incompetence and started watching.

As they cheered and enjoyed the music video—

"Hmm..."

"Hm."

Souffle weren't the only ones watching.

The comeback hadn't been heavily promoted to the general public, but Woobiz's debut was one of the biggest topics in the music industry.

Wooju and Biju are debuting as a unit.

It was a crazy combination.

The composer behind Answer, a song widely considered a future Grammy contender.

A vocalist capable of standing among the King of Singers level.

And NewBlack's main dancer, widely regarded as one of the greatest performers in the idol industry.

'I have to watch this.'

From agencies with artists currently promoting on music shows to industry professionals across the board, everyone was paying attention.

'Whatever Wooju writes becomes a trend.'

Composers and A&R teams from various companies gathered around as if attending a lecture.

"Retro synth-pop."

"I heard that genre's been gaining traction in America lately. Not mainstream yet, but it's popping up more often."

"It feels like there's some electronic influence mixed in too... The hook is really well written."

Interest flickered across the composers' eyes.

It was definitely unusual by current industry standards.

A summer song with unmistakable K-pop colors while maintaining a distinctive atmosphere of its own.

The sky-blue-haired singer-songwriter walked forward, gesturing almost like he was rapping.

Bada— Bada—

No one...

The softly delivered "No one..." echoed through the rising section.

The blue-haired main dancer passed in front of him, pointing at the camera with a grin.

No one at all

Can stop us

He stepped back slightly.

The two stood side by side.

Dancers lined up behind them.

Then came the chorus.

There were barely any lyrics.

Mostly choreography.

And yet everyone's jaws dropped.

The melody, engraved over the powerful beat like stars scattered across a night sky, made Korean composers blink.

"What the hell? How did he write this?"

"Honestly, I don't even think you could copy this."

"We need to organize reference materials and hold a meeting. It'll probably take a week to analyze this properly."

While composers studied it like a research project—

There was another group watching just as carefully.

'Wow...'

'That's insane.'

Other idol fans.

Even if only one of them had debuted solo, it would have attracted attention.

But Wooju and Biju together?

Any K-pop fan would be curious.

Look at the budget lol

Lemon really has money

Gyuho seriously doesn't hold back

Fact: The reason Lemon is desperately expanding into content businesses is because they make ridiculous money from idols lol

Honestly I think it's more than money. Once you become world-class, all the talented people naturally gather around you

All of that was true.

The financial power of Lemon Entertainment, now the industry's number one company.

The brand value of NewBlack, capable of attracting elite talent from everywhere.

Everything had come together perfectly.

What had WAVE originally been before it became WAVE?

[Flap Flap]

The best planners in the business had transformed a song about "a fish's little adventure" into a story about "the adventures of gods."

Top engineers handled the mixing and mastering.

The costume team.

The music video crew.

All of them had worked together to turn Flap Flap into WAVE.

'Money really is powerful.'

'I'm jealous...'

Idol fans watched with admiration.

This is so fun

Summer commute song secured

Watching this MV somehow makes you feel cooler lol

That's because it's raining like crazy right now...

I thought there was a breeze but my window was literally open lol

Souffle, open your windows while watching. It's basically a 4D experience

The melody was addictive.

Refreshing.

Easy to listen to.

But more than anything—

'They're ridiculously good.'

'The performance chemistry is insane.'

Everyone's eyes drifted toward the two idols dancing back-to-back like reflections in a mirror.

Neither was overacting.

Neither was forcing expressions.

They were simply smiling.

Yet their charisma practically overflowed.

'They really are good.'

Even idol fans who weren't particularly fond of NewBlack couldn't help laughing in disbelief.

Wooju and Biju danced across the screen, riding the wave choreography from side to side.

The chorus of the song once known as Flap Flap.

Bada— Bada—

The faint "ocean~ ocean~" hidden inside the chorus had people unconsciously humming along.

Meanwhile, the expensive scenes kept rolling by.

Driving red sports cars.

Leaning beneath palm trees while sipping mojitos.

Souffle burst out laughing.

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Kim Biju's job satisfaction is at maximum

Why does Biju look so happy lol

That's genuine happiness

Kim Biju is living the dreamㅠㅠ Filming a music video alone with his favorite person

Biju's smile looked one hundred percent real.

Not the sort of expression that could be produced by acting alone.

Every time he shared a scene with Wooju, he looked genuinely delighted.

At the same time—

Wooju's eyes are dripping honey too

His most obedient and hardworking little brother lol

They're both so cute

The way Wooju looked at Biju in the music video was filled with affection.

NewBlack's leader had always doted on him.

[Biju is the type who handles everything perfectly on his own. That's exactly why I keep paying attention and trying to take even better care of him.]

Even in behind-the-scenes videos, Wooju could often be seen quietly looking after Biju while Biju took care of everyone else.

[Isn't our Biju amazing?? I've always thought people who dance well are incredibly cool.]

Even backstage at concerts, Wooju would film Biju's solo stages while grinning from ear to ear.

Perhaps because of that, Wooju's signature warm eye-smile appeared constantly throughout the music video.

They truly seemed to adore each other.

Souffle watched in complete satisfaction.

Other idol fans nodded along as they watched.

Everyone experienced different emotions.

'Hehehe! I'm so happy!'

'Hoo...'

Fans of idols currently promoting on music shows nodded.

'Well. If we're going to lose, at least it's an honorable death.'

Losing to a fandom powerhouse despite mediocre music would have been depressing.

But if the song was this good?

You simply accepted your fate with dignity.

'Although...'

People watching the music video slowly turned toward their windows.

Most of them lived in Seoul.

Swoooooosh—

The rain had only grown heavier throughout the entire music video.

Lightning flashed.

Thunder rolled.

'Why is it raining this much?'

'This is weird.'

The rain never stopped.

Not until Wooju and Biju ended the livestream with:

"We'll see you on music shows~"

And then—

"Huh?"

"What?"

Everyone blinked.

Barely moments after the livestream ended, the rain began slowing down.

Chirp chirp—

Birdsong echoed beneath the cool evening sky.

Souffle and countless idol fans throughout Seoul stared outside in confusion.

'Just a coincidence, right?'

'Yeah. Coincidence.'

Whatever the case, everyone enjoyed the clear skies and refreshing breeze.

Meanwhile, there were people even more confused than anyone else.

Inside the music video production company's conference room.

"Everyone, come look at this."

"Huh?"

"No, the comments..."

Director Heo Changjae gathered the staff around.

The comment section was filled with praise.

Who directed this MV?? It's insanely good lol

They must've filmed hundreds of takes

Legendary music video

Director, may blessings follow you

The production staff stared blankly.

'We just did whatever Wooju and Biju told us...'

'They kept telling us to reshoot it...'

Watching compliments pour in for a career-defining masterpiece that had practically been forced upon them, Director Heo and his team smiled awkwardly.

But there was someone even more surprised.

"...What?"

The TF Team at Lemon Entertainment.

Manager Hong Seoyoung, who oversaw NewBlack's promotion and marketing, blinked repeatedly.

"What is this?"

"What is it, Manager?"

"The freeze ended, but the view count is weird."

"Too low?"

"Too high."

WAVE's views were climbing faster than any music video they'd ever released.

Hong Seoyoung's mind spun rapidly.

'It can't be domestic. We barely promoted it compared to usual. Besides, most MyTube views come from overseas anyway.'

Which meant WAVE was exploding internationally.

'What's causing it?'

The Pyeongchang Olympics effect had already been reflected.

The impact of Answer hitting Billboard #1 had already been reflected during White Night.

Their first-week sales had reached 1.99 million.

There hadn't been any major overseas-focused activity since then.

The view trajectory should have been similar to White Night.

But...

"Why is the gap this large?"

"Could there have been some external factor?"

"The biggest recent external factor would be the world tour and..."

At that moment.

The entire TF Team felt an unspoken gaze.

"..."

"..."

They slowly turned.

On the sofa sat a pink plush rabbit.

A giant rabbit doll with a face overflowing with star quality.

Bathed in a pink aura.

Staring at them with a pitiful expression.

Manager Hong Seoyoung refused to acknowledge reality.

"...It can't be that, right?"

"..."

"..."

Every member of the TF Team stared into the distance.

Unfortunately, their theory was correct.

MyTube views were generally determined far more by overseas audiences than domestic ones.

"Oh?"

"NewBlack!"

"So that's NewBlack!"

People all over the world clicked on the trending thumbnail.

Until recently, NewBlack's position had been:

Apparently they're some boy group called NewBlack and young people are obsessed with them!

The younger generation loves them.

I don't really know them, but I hear they're popular.

Popular among younger audiences.

Met with confusion from adults.

Then Uncle Bunny happened.

And everything changed.

Constant exposure.

Adults now recognized NewBlack's faces.

'Oh! So these are the NewBlack guys!'

Of course, recognition didn't automatically turn everyone into fans.

But when a video appeared in front of them like this, they became curious enough to click.

Just like anyone might click on a music video from a popular singer.

'NewBlack's new MV!'

'Oh?'

People already standing on the edge of becoming fans.

New Souffle who had joined recently.

All of them clicked.

A flood of viewers arrived.

The global-scale recruitment campaign known as Uncle Bunny.

And even now, it continued in real time.

Bunny Bunny Uncle Bunny

Om Bunny Uncle Bun Me Home...

I... shall click on a NewBlack video...

The most powerful anti-child weapon ever accidentally created by Sun Wooju.

Rabbit Uncle, long treated as NewBlack's unwanted child, was now repaying their neglect with spectacular filial devotion.

Gulp.

Biju swallowed.

"Should we check?"

"Let's do it."

We took a deep breath.

The others gathered around.

"What do you think the chart ranking will be?"

"W-Well... we didn't really promote it..."

Honestly, I was nervous.

Normally we'd climb the charts through public attention.

But most people didn't even know we'd released a song.

"Let's just check."

"Okay."

Biju and I opened the chart.

[Mango Realtime Top 100] As of 7:00 PM

#1. Woobiz - WAVE

"Huh?"

"Oh?"

Number one.

Not just number one.

A completely dominant number one.

Biju and I blinked.

'So Souffle are just that strong.'

'They're amazing!'

We were still marveling at the fandom's power when Jiho looked at the chart and suddenly screamed.

"Hyuuuuungs! Congratulations!"

"WOOOOOOOOOO!"

The others immediately threw themselves at us.

We hugged each other and jumped around.

That's right.

It was a hit.

The veil is lifted from Woobiz's WAVE MV... "The greatest summer song in years has arrived"

Woobiz's WAVE sweeps music charts with a Perfect All Kill

Woobiz's WAVE reinterprets mythology... dazzling visuals captivate viewers

Despite minimal promotion, the song had naturally become a hot topic.

We browsed reviews on Mango.

Checked MyTube.

"Hoo..."

Not quite Rabbit Uncle levels, but the views were climbing at an unbelievable speed.

Ri Hyuk looked at the numbers.

"This might be our fastest ten million views ever. If things keep going like this, a hundred million isn't impossible."

"Wooooow..."

Reaction videos were appearing everywhere.

Foreign reactors.

Detailed analysis videos.

One analysis caught our attention.

[As many of you already know, Woobiz's music video is based on Greek mythology. Specifically, Zeus and Poseidon.]

Screenshots appeared.

My lightning-bolt earring.

Biju's trident ring.

[But here's the important part. In mythology, both gods are sons of Kronos!]

A famous eighteenth-century painting appeared.

Kronos Devouring His Children.

[And who is Kronos? The god of time.]

Ticking clocks filled the screen.

The analysis continued.

[In the original myths, these gods rebel against Time itself. What's important is the distinction between two concepts of time in Ancient Greece: Kronos time and Kairos time...]

[The music video's central theme is not passive Kronos time, but actively lived Kairos time...]

Ri Hyuk rubbed his chin.

"Ohhh."

"...?"

"...??"

The rest of us stared blankly.

I called out.

"Guys."

"Yeah?"

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"If we ever leave this room..."

I pointed at the screen.

"The fact that the original title was Flap Flap remains a secret forever."

We all hooked pinkies.

No matter what.

The truth must never be revealed.

Still, one thing was undeniable.

The response was already incredible.

Now all that remained was to see how the public reacted.

"Let's wait and see."

"Okay."

It usually took about a week before you could properly judge public reception.

It was too early to declare victory.

Even though I wanted to keep checking my phone, I put it away and prepared for our next schedule.

K Net Music Show - Woobiz Debut Stage

After saying goodbye to the others, Biju and I spent time practicing alone in the rehearsal room.

Discussing choreography.

Planning promotions.

"We don't have physical CDs to hand out when we greet people at music shows."

"True."

"So should we prepare something else?"

"Hmm..."

An idea came to me.

Biju immediately clapped his hands.

"That's amazing!"

One brilliant promotional idea after another followed.

"Hehehe!"

"Hihihi!"

Even I thought they were excellent.

Thursday finally arrived.

Ahead of Woobiz's first music show appearance, Ri Hyuk, Junghyun, and Jiho stood outside K Net's headquarters.

Ri Hyuk adjusted his sunglasses.

"Honestly, I'm worried."

"Huh? About what?"

"Wooju hyung and Biju hyung."

Junghyun tilted his head.

Jiho nodded.

"I know exactly what you mean. Somebody needs to be the brakes, but neither of them has brakes."

One reason Ri Hyuk was absolutely essential to NewBlack—

He was the one who said no.

Whenever someone proposed an insane idea, he'd step in and stop it.

But with those two...

"Hehehe! Biju! What about this?"

"I love everything you do, hyung!!"

One man who had been completely insane since birth.

One man who radiated a gentle, persistent madness.

For days they'd been whispering together and giggling about something.

Honestly, it was annoying not knowing what they were plotting.

But more than that—

It was worrying.

'What are they trying now?'

'Seriously, those hyungs...'

Ri Hyuk sighed.

"I'm telling you. We're the only normal people in this group."

"Exactly~"

The three casually walked toward their destination.

Then arrived.

And froze hundreds of people in place.

"...?"

Fans stood outside K Net headquarters, stunned.

The ThreeBlack members approached the fan manager and held out a phone with bright smiles.

"We're here to check in for Woobiz's public broadcast."

"..."

"..."

A massive earthquake struck Souffle's eyeballs.