Chapter 1021: We Call the Rain (5)

The smell of damp rain hung thick in the air.

It was the sort of smell you expected outdoors, yet it had completely filled the studio.

"Uh..."

Biju and I looked out at the Souffles from the stage.

"Are you all okay?"

"Yeeees..."

Hundreds of Souffles sat there collectively drenched.

We had definitely given them umbrellas and raincoats as commemorative goods.

So how had this happened?

"Achoo!"

One fan sneezed loudly.

We asked,

"Why did you get soaked so badly?"

"I-it's... ah-choo!"

The male fan wiped moisture from his glasses and sniffled.

"We couldn't use the merch."

"..."

"If we used it here, we wouldn't be able to keep it in good condition..."

Apparently they had hugged the merchandise to their chests and simply run through the rain instead.

The explanation was so pitiful that Biju's eyes immediately grew misty.

Several fans looked just as miserable.

I let out a sigh.

"This is our lack of foresight. We should've given you regular umbrellas too."

"Nooo!"

"It's okay! We moisturized our faces!"

Someone shouted that they had basically applied a free moisturizing treatment.

We couldn't help laughing.

After looking over the Souffles who had gotten drenched because they couldn't bear to use the merchandise, our eyes wandered elsewhere.

Most of the fans had soaked jean cuffs and rain-darkened pant legs.

Their shoes looked completely waterlogged.

"The wind and rain must have been really bad."

"Yep!"

Apparently it had been one of those downpours where an umbrella was almost useless because of the wind.

We looked at the fans sympathetically before turning elsewhere.

The little underlings were standing near the staff preparing for rehearsal.

"You three didn't get rained on."

Nod nod.

"Why aren't you answering?"

Ri Hyuk shook his head and crossed his arms into an X.

"Ah, personal comments aren't allowed?"

Nod nod.

The fans burst out laughing at the younger members silently communicating through gestures.

I turned to Biju.

"Biju. Ri Hyuk can't say anything right now."

"Really?"

Excited, we immediately shouted:

"If you wear negative ion bracelets and receive far-infrared treatment, your body gets healthier!"

"If your body temperature rises by one degree, your immune system becomes five times stronger!"

"Pig's trotters are rich in collagen, so eating them gives you beautiful skin!"

Ri Hyuk closed his eyes and clenched his fist.

Beside him, Junghyun and Jiho doubled over laughing.

While the fans were laughing along, they suddenly began murmuring at my last statement.

"Wait... pig's trotters don't work?"

"Then what exactly is the purpose of the skin part?"

"Being delicious...?"

As the confused fans exchanged glances, I explained.

"According to Ri Hyuk, eating pig's trotters doesn't improve your skin. Once it reaches your stomach, the collagen just gets broken down into protein, so it has no special effect. Apparently the same applies to collagen creams."

"Ooooooh~"

After the collective sound of enlightenment came another wave of laughter.

"Welcome to WooBIZ's music show, where your common knowledge and education improve every day. Fun and informative, right?"

"It is a little unfortunate that it started raining so suddenly..."

Biju trailed off.

I called out to Junghyun.

"Oh right, Junghyun."

Nod.

"Yesterday I told you to hold a rain ritual. Did you do it?"

Nod nod.

Junghyun looked like a loyal retainer proudly reporting that he had fulfilled his assigned duty.

Seeing that he couldn't speak, I turned to the fans.

"Junghyun says he didn't perform a rain ritual yesterday. Therefore today's rain is entirely his fault~!"

"!!"

"Junghyun, your hyung forgives you."

"!"

The little underling silently cried out in protest while the other two nearly died laughing.

I glanced around.

Camera setup complete.

Stage setup complete.

The producer behind the cameras flashed an OK sign.

We turned back toward the Souffles.

"Souffles! Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Then shall we begin~?"

Every music show had its own unique characteristics.

And K-net's specialty was...

'Wow. They make us do so many things.'

Please hold your lightsticks like this during the opening.

Please cheer at approximately this volume.

And so on.

The Souffles grumbled internally while smiling brightly and complying with every request.

'My eyes are blessed.'

'This. This is exactly why I came.'

Simply looking at the two members standing on stage was enough to bring genuine smiles to their faces.

"Alright, we're starting the opening shoot. Please remain quiet."

Since this was WooBIZ's debut music show stage, and since K-net was obsessed with the phrase "first reveal," there was a lot to film today.

First came the opening sequence.

A set resembling an ancient Greek temple had been constructed on stage.

[♪♬♩—]

Sacred music began to play.

The kind of music that felt as though it should be echoing through a temple where divine flames burned eternally.

The Souffles sighed in admiration.

It was because of something Wooju had mentioned earlier.

-I played the violin part here myself.

As fans listened to the violin performance from the opening BGM that Wooju had personally composed, smiles spread across their faces.

'Does Wooju have forty-eight hours in a day?'

'When did his violin improve that much?'

It felt like only yesterday that he had mentioned taking string instrument lessons on Y app.

Now his skills had advanced enough to perform recordings like this.

While the fans marveled—

Hissss—

Dry ice rolled heavily across the stage.

The opening shoot began.

Wooju and Biju sat separately at opposite ends of the stage.

The backgrounds behind them differed slightly.

On the left, the lead vocalist sat upon a throne floating among clouds.

On the right, the main dancer sat upon a coral-decorated chair against a glowing blue LED backdrop.

'Wooooow...'

The heavenly visuals alone were breathtaking.

Then the two members rose from their seats.

And began dancing.

At first, their styles were completely different.

Wooju's movements were precise and impeccably clean.

Biju's were filled with dazzling techniques almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.

As they slowly moved toward center stage, however, something began to change.

'Wow...'

'How did they do that?'

Nobody understood how.

But their dance styles were gradually transforming.

Wooju's textbook-clean movements began incorporating flourishes.

Biju's intricate choreography became cleaner and more refined.

It looked as though they were adjusting themselves to one another.

Until finally—

Their styles became perfectly identical.

Every movement matched.

Every line mirrored.

Every gesture synchronized.

Then—

[-♪♬♩]

They leaned back against each other.

The music stopped.

The timing was so precise it looked measured with a ruler.

The cameraman captured their fingertips.

And the opening shoot concluded.

"WAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"WAAAAAAH!"

The fans finally released the cheers they had been holding back.

Moments ago the two had looked like mythical beings.

Now they were grinning and waving like playful troublemakers.

Wooju and Biju hopped down from the stage, reviewed the footage, then immediately bounced back.

"Everyone! One more take~"

"Okay!"

After shooting the opening sequence a few more times—

WooBIZ returned wearing their main stage outfits.

The venue exploded.

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

They were...

So beautiful.

Smartwatch-wearing Souffles could practically see the words [HEART RATE: VERY HIGH] flashing before their eyes.

'No, but seriously, look at our boys!'

How could anyone not react?

The styling perfectly embodied gods descended from the sky and sea.

Luxurious.

Free-spirited.

WooBIZ's concept for this promotion:

[The Play of Gods]

Tinted summer sunglasses.

Elegant rings and earrings.

Light jackets that radiated coolness.

Colorful blue-centered outfits that looked like modern reinterpretations of 1980s fashion.

'What brand are those jeans? I need to buy them before they sell out.'

'They're so beautiful today...'

WooBIZ flashed bright smiles toward the audience and recreated the final pose from the opening.

The dancers took their positions behind them.

As the cameraman zoomed in on their fingertips, the Souffles could already visualize the final edit.

A seamless transition between scenes.

A natural costume change.

"WAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The lightsticks began waving wildly.

The performance officially started.

A lively drum beat.

Standing back-to-back, Wooju and Biju danced like twins.

'Wow... it's like a mirror image.'

Perfect symmetry.

Wooju casually removed his tinted sunglasses and began singing.

Under the blazing sun

Ocean blue heated to perfection

A breathtakingly beautiful

Ocean view

He flicked the sunglasses toward the edge of the stage.

Then Biju took the same pose and continued.

The boredom I'd grown used to

The adventure I'd forgotten

I've been waiting only for you

To wake me up again

The audience couldn't help admiring Biju's vocals.

He was rapidly catching up to NewBlack's lead vocalist.

Their paired choreography continued.

The early sections, where they danced like twins, gradually evolved as the song built.

'Wow...'

It looked like waves rippling between them.

When Biju gestured toward Wooju, Wooju seemed naturally pushed away.

Like an actual current flowing between them.

Meanwhile, NewBlack's lead vocalist steadily climbed into higher notes.

Come a little closer

So close

That I can hear

Your heartbeat

Biju layered harmonies beneath him before taking over.

The sound of our hearts

Ringing loud and hot

The destination

Visible beyond the horizon—

The atmosphere practically shouted:

Ready? Let's go.

While Ri Hyuk silently thought, I need to practice more...

The two members launched into choreography that made them appear to be riding atop waves.

Bada— Bada—

Nobody

Wooju danced as though carried by the ocean's current.

Biju answered each movement.

No one at all

Can stop us

The chorus.

A dance-focused section with almost no lyrics.

The dance line of NewBlack took over completely.

"!"

"!!"

Refreshing energy exploded from the stage.

Wooju and Biju rode invisible waves, wrists snapping gracefully through the air.

Nothing like the casual rehearsal version.

'Oh...'

'Wow...'

It wasn't as razor-sharp and synchronized as a standard NewBlack performance.

The choreography intentionally carried a freer spirit.

One suited to the song.

And yet every gesture captivated the audience.

'What is this?'

The dancers around them hit crisp angles with military precision.

Meanwhile, Wooju and Biju flowed.

It didn't feel like they were performing rehearsed choreography.

It felt like they were simply moving however the music carried them.

The smoothness of the dance lines was so natural that it barely even registered as dancing.

"Wooooow..."

The Souffles stared with their mouths hanging open.

Meanwhile—

"..."

"..."

Behind the staff area, SamBlack's eyes had become suspiciously moist.

'Kim Biju...'

'How much did he practice?'

'Damn it! These hyungs are unreal!'

They had known something was up.

Biju was always dragging Wooju away to practice.

But they hadn't realized the result would be this impressive.

Maybe it was because only the dance line members were performing.

But it felt like the stage itself was saying:

-Hohoho! You three were our training weights all along!

Like the classic sports manga moment where someone removes weighted ankle bands.

Wooju and Biju had just unclipped the ankle weights labeled "little underlings" and revealed their true power.

The youngest spoke wistfully.

"Hyungs..."

"Yeah..."

"When we get back, I think we need to practice choreography more."

"I think so too..."

The little underlings silently wept.

'Again. They've pulled ahead again.'

'At this rate we're going to stop being underlings and become background extras.'

'Those jerks. I'll practice singing harder and make them suffer.'

While SamBlack disguised their emotional eyes as simple admiration—

WooBIZ finished the highlight section of the third verse and struck their ending pose.

Pop!

Golden confetti rained from above.

The two handsome young men smiled brilliantly beneath the shower of gold.

However...

That perfect ending shot never made it into the final broadcast.

"Director."

"Hm?"

"Wooju just got gold teeth."

The K-net staff, overflowing with enthusiasm for NewBlack, had prepared a very generous amount of gold confetti.

Several pieces had flown directly into the members' mouths.

Both Wooju and Biju smiled.

Sparkle—

The two golden-toothed idols beamed brightly.

The entire studio exploded with laughter.

WooBIZ's successful debut!

As soon as K-net's live broadcast began, WooBIZ immediately became the center of attention among idol fans.

[Yes~! The world-class superstars have finally united as a unit!]

[Today's Music K features the first-ever broadcast performance of WooBIZ's WAVE, along with several special segments!]

K-net's excitement was obvious.

'The ratings must have gone up.'

As expected, viewership was significantly higher than usual.

And the moment ratings surged the most was, naturally, WooBIZ's debut stage.

The music video had only shown brief glimpses of the choreography.

Everyone had been curious.

And as expected—

The top was a top for a reason.

The moves aren't even that difficult but they have so much styleㅋㅋㅋ

They literally look computer generated

Looks easy until you actually try covering itㅋㅋㅋ

Insane...

Wow the camerawork is actually amazing today

That's because $$$ (nod)

People watched in disbelief as the two singers danced nonstop while delivering crystal-clear live vocals.

'So that's actually possible.'

The choreography was packed with constant footwork.

Yet neither of them showed the slightest sign of losing breath.

The performance was amazing.

But the song itself was incredible too.

Even people who initially reacted with, "Hm?" had already added it to their playlists and were humming it absentmindedly.

Fellow idols watching the live broadcast felt the same way.

"Bada~ Bada~"

"Nobody can stop us, damn it~"

"Man, this unit is making me emotional. Should we form one too?"

Idols' eyes sparkled.

'That choreography looks fun. I should try covering it.'

As singers, they were naturally more sensitive to music than the average listener.

They could immediately tell how good WAVE was.

'This song is seriously good.'

Light enough to work perfectly as a summer song.

The choreography also looked ideal for talent shows and company outings.

'They're getting first place next week.'

Today's winner was Scarlet's comeback song, which had already been dominating for a month.

It felt like Lemon Entertainment was passing the baton to itself.

Serenity and Wonder Child—both originally expected to contend for first place next week—could only clap politely while smiling with distant eyes.

Serenity and Wonder Child both have good songsㅠㅠ

The competition is just too strong

Even KM and MOP are getting pushed back by Lemon now

Nah, it's just NewBlack being monsters

Lemon's increased investment in production is really showing

Wooju: I literally did everything???

Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes stories from today's broadcast also became popular.

The sudden shower in Sangam-dong.

The glowing LED umbrella merchandise.

And countless other anecdotes.

WooBIZ's WAVE achieves a Perfect All Kill at No. 1

"This summer belongs to WAVE" — the strongest contender in the summer song war

[Relay Dance] WooBIZ - WAVE

Alongside clips of Wooju's violin recording and various practice videos uploaded to NewBlack TV.

The view counts soared.

NewBlack's antis looked on unhappily.

"Hmph."

"Hmph..."

Just as they frowned at all the praise—

A post caught their attention.

[Fans with insane personal comments during today's WooBIZ mini fan meeting]

Personal comments.

The type where fans shouted individual messages at idols and disturbed everyone else.

The antis' hearts began racing.

'This is it!'

'We've found it!'

But what appeared on their phone screens was—

(SamBlack hopping around while shouting their hyungs' names.twt)

The three NewBlack members who had attended the prerecording.

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Holy crap I panicked for a secondㅋㅋㅋ

Those three are famous lol. I heard they hugged the performers afterward and went out to eat together

Apparently they even take the same flights and follow schedules together

Wow stop the malicious commentsㅡㅡ people are already making PPT evidence files

I demand public discussion regarding favoritism toward specific fansㅠㅠ

This absolutely needs to be dinosaurized

Watching everyone joke around, the antis felt rain falling inside their hearts.

As they quietly closed the page and stared off into the distance—

"Hm?"

"Wait..."

Idol fans busily enjoying themselves noticed a new announcement.

[Tomorrow's PBS MusicOn WooBIZ Prerecording Location (+ Additional Information)]

It revealed the unique location for WooBIZ's next prerecording.

I had loved music shows since I was a child.

And because of that, there was one eternal truth in my mind regarding seasonal songs.

-Summer means water parks. Winter means ski resorts!

Those special summer music show episodes filmed at water parks.

The stages built directly beside giant pools.

"Finally..."

I stared at the stage with tears of emotion in my eyes.

A famous water park in Yongin.

The very place where old music shows used to film summer specials.

And right there stood WooBIZ's special stage.

"I've finally fulfilled my dream! Kyahahaha!"

"I'm so happy too~"

A special stage built in the center of the water park.

When PBS had asked whether there was anything special we wanted to try, I had immediately suggested this.

And they had accepted without hesitation.

After all, didn't WAVE contain retro influences from the 1980s?

There couldn't be a more perfect stage for a summer song.

Everything was perfect.

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

The audience cheered from inside the pools.

The stage was sturdy and safe.

Our condition was excellent.

"But..."

There was one problem.

"Junghyun."

[Yes.]

Junghyun answered energetically through the video call on my phone.

"Didn't you say you performed a rain ritual yesterday?"

[I did.]

"Then what exactly is this?"

I turned the phone around and pointed it toward the sky.

Shhhhhhh—

Thin raindrops fell steadily over the water park.

A place that should have been blisteringly hot.

[Nature works in mysterious ways, hyung.]

"..."

[Anyway, I'll be going now.]

Claiming he had leg day, Junghyun abruptly ended the call.

Biju and I silently stared at the cloudy sky.

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

"Wow, it's so much cooler now!"

The audience loved it.

They thought the weather felt amazing.

But somehow, we only felt sad.

This was terrible fancam weather.

"Why..."

"Why does this keep happening..."

Why did it keep raining every single time?!