Chapter 1022: We Call the Rain (6)

Shhhhhhhhh—

"It's raining..."

"It's really pouring..."

"Biju, have you ever been to a water park before?"

"When I was little. Maybe once or twice with my family."

"This is basically my first time."

"..."

Shhhhhhhhh—

Rain fell in silence.

It was unbelievably depressing.

Having grown up in the port city of Gunsan, I was familiar with the ocean.

But water parks?

I had almost no experience with them.

Back when we were trainees preparing to debut with TNT, we'd even talked about going to Caribbean Bay after receiving our first vacation.

"I always had this image of water parks. Scorching sunlight. Cool pools. People laughing everywhere while getting blasted by those Wonhyo Skull Water cannons..."

"..."

"But it's raining..."

Shhhhhhhhh—

"Why does it feel like the rain keeps answering me? It's like it's making fun of me."

"Isn't that just your imagination...?"

Shhhahahahaha—

"Hey!"

Shhhahahahaha!

"Rain, watch your attitude...!"

"Hahaha!"

Biju burst out laughing at the sight of me pointing accusingly into empty space.

The wind kept twisting the sound of the rainfall into something strange.

"Wooju-ssi. Biju-ssi."

The assistant director from PBS Music On stepped beneath the tent where we were standing.

His glasses were completely fogged over from the humidity.

He removed them and wiped them against his shirt.

"What's going on?"

"We contacted the Meteorological Administration through the news division. Apparently this rain is covering the entire Gyeonggi region. They're saying it'll likely continue for several more hours."

"Ah..."

"Originally it was only supposed to affect northern Gyeonggi, but the cloud system drifted south."

We had already waited around thirty minutes in hopes that the rain would stop.

Apparently it had no intention of stopping.

The producer carefully studied our expressions.

"Do you think... you'll still be able to perform?"

"We'll get ready."

"Yes, sir! We'll prepare immediately!"

Nearly thirty staff members were watching us.

The production crew needed to finish the prerecording and return to Seoul.

The audience was waiting desperately.

"Let's just do it in the rain."

"Yes, hyung."

An outdoor stage in the rain was practically every performer's nightmare.

For band musicians, equipment could be damaged.

For performance-focused idols like us, there was always the risk of slipping and falling during choreography.

Not to mention rain constantly getting into your eyes.

There was a lot to consider.

Fortunately, we had professionals.

"Guys, we brought the most waterproof outfits we could find."

The stylists arrived carrying wardrobe racks.

Biju and I immediately replied with mournful expressions.

"Please make sure the material doesn't show water."

"The fans don't really like seeing us soaked..."

Normally, when a T-shirt got drenched and revealed someone's physique underneath, the crowd would explode into cheers.

Articles would appear.

-Sun Wooju's Unexpected Physique... Ranked No. 1 Among Comedian Bodybuilders

I wouldn't have minded seeing an article like that after all the exercise I'd done.

But—

"Kyaaaaaaagh!"

The Souffles absolutely hated it.

During the NewNiverse driving-license special, we'd held a workshop with fans and secretly asked them various questions.

-What do you think about this? Let's say we use water cannons during a concert and our clothes get soaked, revealing our silhouettes a little...

-Eeeeek!

-You hate it that much?

The reasons varied.

-I-I feel like that shouldn't happen!

-It's not that I hate it, but if it's intentionally done...

-I don't need to see that!

As a result, we'd chosen outfits that wouldn't become particularly revealing when wet.

The stylists shook their heads.

"Kids these days are so fragile."

"Tsk. Why are they so weak? Back in our day, idols started summer stages shirtless."

"That's right. You'd do a virtual marriage show, film mixed-gender commercials, perform paired choreography at year-end festivals, and blow up the fandom while you were at it."

The staff who had lived through second-generation idol fandoms began reminiscing.

Then the oldest team leader quietly reflected on first-generation fandoms.

"We used to get into mass brawls..."

"..."

"Everyone talks about the good old days, but things are much better now. There were a lot of dark histories back then..."

The staff who had been nostalgically discussing second-generation fandom culture immediately adopted respectful expressions.

I laughed.

"I think it's less about the era changing and more about our image."

"That's true. You guys definitely have a more approachable vibe."

Even if we wanted to try a sexy concept, the surrounding reaction would probably be:

"Eeeeeeeeek!"

accompanied by full-body cringe.

Honestly, I understood why.

Just imagine Jiho attempting a sexy concept.

Heavy eye makeup.

Bright red lips.

Our youngest member blowing kisses.

"Mwah~♡"

Biju and I thought about it for a moment.

Then we answered in the most serious tones possible.

"Something is fundamentally wrong."

"It really doesn't feel right."

After changing outfits—

Adding waterproof, anti-slip covers to our shoes—

Switching from cumbersome headset microphones to handheld mics—

Checking our makeup—

We were finally ready.

"Done."

I peeled apart and reattached the Velcro on my shoes to make sure everything was secure.

Then Biju and I looked each other over.

Blue hair.

Matching costumes.

The outfits resembled summer versions of the ski suits first-generation idols used to wear.

Ski goggles.

Sleeveless vests over short-sleeved shirts.

And water guns hanging from our waists.

"Biju. You look amazing."

"You look incredible too, hyung."

"Kyahaha!"

"Hehe!"

The two fans of each other clapped hands excitedly and spent several minutes taking selfies.

Meanwhile, the PBS staff completed their final stage inspection and gave us the signal.

"Dancers!"

"Yes~!"

Together with the dancers waiting in another tent, we headed toward the stage.

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the audience.

As we waved to the crowd, I quietly whispered to Biju.

"Biju."

"Yes?"

"Is it just me?"

"Hm?"

"Doesn't your body feel strangely light today?"

"...Oh?"

Biju's eyes widened.

"Actually... I think you're right."

"Right?"

I couldn't explain it.

But I felt unusually free and light.

Which meant—

"Don't you think we're going to have a great stage today?"

I simply had a good feeling.

The famous domestic water park was celebrating its twenty-second anniversary.

Normally every pool would be packed during summer.

But today—

Whoooosh—

There wasn't a single person in any of them.

Not even the indoor pools.

Lifeguards carrying inflatable tubes around their waists stared across the empty water.

"Is this for real? There's literally nobody here."

"They all went to watch NewBlack."

"Damn it. I want to watch too..."

If not for work obligations, they would have been there as well.

'I want to see WooBIZ too...'

'NewBlack came all the way here and I can't even watch.'

The employees assigned to the outdoor wave pool stage area were the envy of everyone else.

Meanwhile—

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Holy crap, NewBlack!"

Guests wearing life jackets covered their mouths with one hand while filming with the other.

One father carrying his daughter on his shoulders pointed toward the stage.

"Ayoung, look over there. Do you know who those guys are?"

"No."

"Those uncles are friends with Rabbit Uncle."

"Kyaa!!!"

People everywhere were discussing Rabbit Uncle and supermarket uncles.

Then WooBIZ appeared.

The crowd burst out laughing.

"They actually came out wearing raincoats."

"So cute!"

WooBIZ and the dancers were dressed in raincoats for rehearsal.

PBS cameras moved busily throughout the venue.

The Souffles seated in the front row exploded with cheers.

After briefly checking stage positions, WooBIZ picked up their microphones.

-Hello, everyone!

"Hello!"

-Wow... there are so many people here.

Wooju and Biju looked around in amazement.

Everyone who had come to the water park today seemed to be gathered in this one location.

Then Wooju turned around.

And immediately started laughing.

-I mean...

He lifted his microphone.

-When music shows used to do summer specials, this outdoor wave pool would always be visible in the background. Waves crashing, people floating around everywhere... it was supposed to feel like summer.

-And yet nobody's there.

Everyone laughed awkwardly.

It was true.

The giant outdoor wave pool behind WooBIZ was completely empty.

-Anyway, thank you all for coming outside to see us despite the rain. Especially our Souffles—

"Kyaaaaaaaah!"

-Souffles, calm down. There are other people here too.

The Souffles immediately switched to normal cheering.

The general audience burst out laughing.

Wooju threw finger hearts toward the fans before addressing everyone.

-Today we're going to perform a song called WAVE. Does everyone know it?

"YEEEEEEES!"

-Let's see how well you know it.

Biju raised his microphone and softly sang.

Bada— Bada—

Nobody

His beautiful voice alone drew thunderous cheers.

'What the hell.'

'That's insane live singing without any accompaniment.'

Faced with that reaction, Biju blinked blankly while holding out the microphone.

Wooju stepped in.

-Everyone.

"Yeeees?"

-Could you maybe sing along...?

'Oh right!'

The audience laughed awkwardly.

Biju sang again.

Bada— Bada—

Nobody

This time the crowd responded.

No one at all~♪

Can stop us~♬

The song had only been out five days.

Yet everyone knew it.

Because it was literally everywhere.

Just today alone, people had heard Bada— Bada— playing more than five times throughout the water park.

-Great. Then while we're at it, would you like to learn the fan chant too?

"YES!"

After several practice rounds with the audience—

WooBIZ and the dancers finally removed their raincoats.

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

The cheers doubled instantly.

Faces hidden until now became visible.

The costumes were finally revealed.

Fair skin.

Unreal beauty.

Cute outfits beneath their goggles.

Their blue hair was already becoming soaked as they stood back-to-back in the opening formation.

-Alright then, music—

-Please~!

The intro to WAVE began.

Another wave of cheers erupted.

The enormous crowd roared as though attending a full concert.

Smiles spread across Wooju and Biju's faces.

They were supposed to look serious.

Instead, they looked too happy to stop smiling.

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

The audience screamed even louder.

Wooju pressed his lips together, regained control, and instantly transformed into stage mode.

Under the blazing sun

Ocean blue heated to perfection

A breathtakingly beautiful

Ocean view

His pale blue hair was already drenched.

The sky was cloudy.

Rain was falling.

Yet somehow his hair still gleamed like silver.

"Under the blazing sun, ocean blue~!!"

"A breathtakingly beautiful ocean view~!"

The audience sang along.

Wooju's smile deepened.

The boredom I'd grown used to

The adventure I'd forgotten

The audience continued through Biju's part.

As the camera focused on Biju, Wooju's smile widened again.

'They're enjoying it!'

'Everyone's enjoying it!'

The crowd fed energy into the stage.

The stage fed energy back into the crowd.

The dancers couldn't stop smiling.

Neither could the PBS staff monitoring everything in real time.

"This is really good today."

"Seriously. Something's different."

Sometimes there were stages like that.

The weather was bad.

The conditions were objectively poor.

Yet somehow—

Everything felt perfect.

The audience's energy and the performers' energy connected like a perfectly timed high five.

Today was one of those days.

"Director, this is supposed to feel like a 90s summer special. Make sure you get lots of background shots."

"Got it~"

"Are the fancams turning out okay?"

The director in charge of fancams silently gave a thumbs-up.

Not just PBS staff.

Everyone filming on their phones felt the same.

'Holy crap.'

'Is there really something special about today?'

Wooju had worried that rain would ruin the fancams.

He had been completely wrong.

Souffles hidden throughout the crowd covered their mouths.

'This atmosphere is legendary...'

The rain didn't feel like rain.

It felt like water cannons blasting during a summer festival.

As though the sky itself had seen WooBIZ performing and decided to join in.

The soaked blue hair.

The droplets running down sharp jawlines.

The happy smiles that kept escaping because they were genuinely enjoying themselves too much.

The deafening cheers and singalongs.

Bada— Bada—

Nobody

No one at all

Can stop us

The audience shouted "YEAH!" after Nobody and No one at all, then screamed "WAVE!!" at the final line.

The chorus choreography began.

'Wooooow...'

Because of the rain, WooBIZ had slightly reduced their movement range.

The choreography was slower than usual.

It should have looked restrained.

Instead it felt more alive than ever.

They rode invisible waves.

Wrists snapping fluidly through the air.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

Then WooBIZ grabbed the water guns attached to their waists.

The moment they fired them into the air—

PAAAAANG!

The installed water cannons activated.

Water erupted skyward.

It didn't reach the audience.

But droplets showered across the outdoor pool.

Nearby spectators laughed in surprise.

'Holy...'

At that exact moment, the artificial wave machine activated behind them.

Every time the song hit Bada— Bada—

Every time the choreography mimicked riding waves—

Real waves surged behind WooBIZ.

The recording finished perfectly in a single take.

Cheers exploded.

"This is insane."

"Seriously unbelievable..."

"I heard NewBlack concerts are ridiculously fun."

The ominous murmurs of ordinary people reached Souffle ears.

Then—

-Everyone!

"YEEEES!"

-Did you enjoy it?

"YES!!!"

-It feels like a waste to leave already. Should we perform a few more songs?

"YES!!!"

The atmosphere, already incredible, somehow grew even hotter.

Meanwhile, Souffles disguised as ordinary guests stared at their camera screens and swallowed hard.

'A legend was born.'

Blue hair.

Sky-blue hair.

Blue stage lights casting shadows across impossibly beautiful faces.

That day—

[180803 WooBIZ (WBZ) Music On Fancam - WAVE]

Before it was eventually reported for copyright infringement, one fan's fancam became the fastest fancam in history to surpass ten million views.

Today felt different.

-Thank you!

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

The audience's energy was incredible.

Even the dancers looked pleased, clearly aware that they had just delivered something special.

"Great work, everyone."

"Wooju hyung, you were flying out there."

"Biju-ssi was absolutely legendary today..."

Everyone warmly exchanged compliments.

Then, while PBS staff rapidly dismantled the stage and prepared to leave, we continued saying our goodbyes.

The assistant director approached and offered me a handshake.

"Thank you for working so hard despite the rain. I'm just relieved the performance finished safely."

"You all worked incredibly hard too."

"If only the weather had been better..."

That was when—

"Hm?"

"Huh?"

The surroundings suddenly felt quieter.

We looked up.

The rain had stopped.

The producer blinked.

"Well... it'll probably start again in a minute..."

As if heaven itself were saying, Actually, no, sunlight suddenly poured through gaps in the clouds.

"..."

"..."

The producer and I slowly turned to stare at the distant mountains.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Yes..."

We parted with miserable expressions.

Biju and I hugged each other and wailed.

"If it was going to rain, it should've at least committed!"

"Exactly!"

"This is unfair!"

"It's cruel!"

The rain clouds had already moved on.

Wonseok hyung, who had been supervising the site, laughed in disbelief.

"How does the weather manage to do this every time?"

"Seriously..."

"People online are starting to talk about it too. They're saying it always rains whenever you perform."

I looked genuinely thoughtful.

"If this keeps happening, maybe we should visit a drought-stricken area sometime."

"That's actually not a bad idea."

The staff seemed oddly interested in the concept of driving water trucks to farms as a promotional event.

Meanwhile, having completed the prerecording, we stretched comfortably.

We suddenly had plenty of free time.

Normally we'd still need to participate in the live broadcast.

But today's special recording had already replaced that obligation.

"Why am I in such a good mood?"

"It's strange. We were supposed to create a free and relaxed atmosphere on stage, and somehow I genuinely felt free."

"Right? What was that?"

Just as we were discussing it—

Ding.

A message arrived in the group chat.

Jiho:

Hyung

Are you busy??

I'm shopping online right now

Help me pick clothes

Ding.

Ri Hyuk:

Where are you?

I have something I need advice about

Ding.

Junghyun:

Kim Biju

Do you know where my power bank is??

The sensation of soaring freely through the sky suddenly descended back to earth.

Biju and I quietly lowered our phones.

"Biju."

"Yes?"

"Come to think of it, we're already at an amusement park."

"Right."

The water park was directly connected to a zoo and amusement park.

Biju's eyes widened as he realized what I was thinking.

I smiled.

"Instead of going straight back to Seoul..."

"Yes?"

"Should we stay and have some fun?"

"...!"

His face lit up immediately.

"Let's do it!"

For some reason, I felt as though I was floating.

Seoul.

SamBlack sat together in the practice room staring at their phones.

"That's weird."

Ri Hyuk frowned.

"According to social media, the prerecording ended already."

"Yeah. Why aren't they back yet?"

They tried calling.

Only to hear:

The number you have dialed is currently unavailable...

'What?'

'They said they'd come right back.'

Then Junghyun looked down at his phone.

"Hm? Hey, look at this."

"What is it?"

"What?"

"Apparently it's a real-time update on Wooju hyung and Kim Biju."

The post was titled:

[Live WooBIZ Updates]

They opened it.

Videos immediately appeared.

[Holy crap! WooBIZ...!]

[No way!]

WooBIZ wearing adorable animal-ear headbands while watching pandas and red pandas.

WooBIZ riding a safari tour.

WooBIZ making peace signs along flower-lined paths.

Their muscular manager and bodyguard wearing pink rabbit-ear headbands.

"..."

"..."

Ri Hyuk stared silently at the photos.

Then he turned to Junghyun.

"I think I've seen that expression before."

"What expression?"

"What do you mean?"

Ri Hyuk hesitated.

Then carefully replied.

"...The expression of people who've been liberated from childcare."

"..."

"..."

The three quietly stared at the photos of WooBIZ wandering around with the happiest smiles imaginable.

Then all three pretended not to notice and looked toward the distant mountains.

'No way.'

'Nah...'

They were absolutely right.