Chapter 1024: We Call the Rain (8)

Whenever people are forced to confront a reality they don't want to accept, they usually go through five stages.

Stage 1: Denial.

"No. That's impossible..."

"Is that the average rating? Or the peak rating? We promised based on average ratings!"

"Did a credible agency release that number? Which one? Nielsen?"

Stage 2: Anger.

"This is all Wooju hyung's fault!"

"How is it my fault? You all agreed too...!"

Stage 3: Bargaining.

"Come to think of it, we don't need to get so worked up. We said we'd go to Alaska, but we never specified how."

"Right, right."

"We could just land at an Alaskan airport and immediately come back~"

Stage 4: Depression.

"But there's no way they'd let us get away with that..."

"Sniff..."

Stage 5: Acceptance.

"We have to go..."

"We do. We made a promise to the viewers. We can't take it back now..."

By the time we'd completed the entire journey from denial to acceptance and were wearing resigned smiles—

The staff, including the audio director who had been covering his ears the whole time, finally spoke.

"Are you done now?"

"Yes."

"Then let's make it official."

One of the writers began typing a title onto the screen that had been displayed on the projector the entire time.

NewBlack's Travel Diary Season 3: Alaska Edition

At that moment, our next travel destination was officially decided.

"Little brats."

"Yes."

"What is NewBlack's greatest strength?"

"It is our ability to achieve spiritual victory!"

I shook my head.

"Spiritual victory? The correct term is rationalization."

"Rationalization!"

"That's right."

Our greatest strength was our astonishingly fast and accurate ability to rationalize.

An absolutely essential quality for surviving in the entertainment industry!

I addressed the members.

"Alaska isn't that bad. Alaska is still part of America, right? We're basically going on a trip to the United States."

"Wooooo! A trip to America!"

"And just look at the scenery."

Ri Hyuk nodded.

"There's plenty to see. We can even observe fjords in person instead of only reading about them in books. Alaska has unique cultural heritage sites too. It's a good opportunity."

"Exactly. Hyung, I saw Alaska on National Geographic once. It looked amazing."

Junghyun nodded enthusiastically.

Jiho and Biju joined in.

"Also! Also! What was it... we won't even sweat! The cold air will get rid of all our facial puffiness."

"And there are foods you can only eat in Alaska."

Staring at the photos of Alaska on the screen, we shouted together.

"The land of dreams and hope, Alaska!"

"Wooooo!"

"I'm so excited...!"

The PD looked at us.

"Guys..."

"Yes?"

"Sit down and stop crying."

"Sniff... sniff..."

We were trying our hardest to rationalize the situation, but honestly, we were devastated.

It wasn't that Alaska was bad.

It was the fact that we'd never even been given a choice.

If you walk into a supermarket and choose Babamba because you're suddenly craving it, that's one thing.

But walking into a supermarket and finding that Babamba is the only ice cream available?

That's completely different.

Junghyun immediately challenged my theory.

"Are you disrespecting Babamba right now, Hyung?"

"Honestly, your taste buds are just unusual, Junghyun. That kind of strange..."

"My grandfather's favorite ice cream is Babamba."

"Then it must be a special ice cream. I should buy one today too~" ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Anyway...

"So it's settled."

"Yep."

The destination for our reality show had become Alaska.

As we accepted our fate, Ri Hyuk spoke up.

"Shouldn't we get Producer Gu Jaeyoung's approval first? The promise was made during the Newniverse press conference."

"That's true."

All of us turned to the Travel Diary PD.

Stare.

Stare.

Faced with our obvious Why aren't you calling him? expressions, the PD spoke awkwardly.

"Well..."

"...?"

"Could one of you call him? To us, Director Gu Jaeyoung is a little..."

"Ah."

Gu Jaeyoung was currently serving as NBS's Creative Director and had enormous influence throughout the entertainment industry.

In other words, the staff felt intimidated.

I immediately called him.

After the pop song used as his ringtone finished playing—

"Hello?"

I switched to speakerphone.

"PD-nim~"

"Oh, Wooju. What's up?"

"We're having a reality show meeting right now. For NewBlack's Travel Diary Season 3."

"Ah, that."

We heard him checking something.

"That's the December schedule, right?"

"Probably, yes."

"Okay, but why are you calling?"

"Well, did you see today's article? The one about us hitting fifteen percent ratings?"

His laughter sounded like a bandit roaring with delight.

"Of course I saw it."

"So while discussing destinations, we started thinking about Alaska. Since the promise was made during the Newniverse press conference, we wanted your opinion."

"What opinion is there to give? If you want to go, then go."

"...You're okay with it?"

"Of course."

His tone made it sound like the answer was obvious.

"We're going to Antarctica anyway."

"..."

While the reality show's staff burst out laughing, he continued.

"Alaska and Antarctica create a similar image. People think of both as extreme environments. I was already worried about covering both because the settings overlap too much."

Everyone nodded at the analysis of the variety-show genius.

While he continued saying, Anyway, I'm all for it~

Jiho suddenly leaned toward the phone.

"PD-nim~"

"Oh, Jiho~"

"The Travel Diary staff are here too. Could you say something encouraging? You're basically the boss of NBS~!"

"The boss...? Come on..."

Sounding embarrassed, Gu Jaeyoung cleared his throat.

Even though it was only a phone call, our production staff instinctively folded their hands and listened respectfully.

"I really enjoyed Travel Diary Seasons 1 and 2. You all did a fantastic job establishing the members' characters."

"Ooooh!"

"If I could offer one piece of advice..."

His tone turned serious.

"These kids are funniest when they're suffering. Don't let them rest too much just because it's a vacation. Work them hard and give viewers plenty of laughs."

"We'll keep that in mind!"

I jumped in.

"Thank you, PD-nim."

"Hm? I wasn't finished yet—"

"I'll call you later."

"Wooju?"

Beep.

And just like that, Gu Jaeyoung departed after delivering words capable of turning a person's insides upside down.

The reality-show staff burst into laughter.

"Wow, I seriously feel like I just met a celebrity."

"That's insane. I talked to a top star."

While the staff excitedly chatted among themselves, I looked at the screen again.

Alaska

The likely filming schedule would be sometime around late October or early November.

Meaning Alaska would probably be freezing.

Filming wouldn't be easy.

Still—

"This isn't bad."

The younger members agreed.

"The publicity alone will be incredible."

"The ratings could be pretty good too."

Up until now, our reality show had mostly been content watched by Souffle.

And that wouldn't change.

Season 3 would still be an idol travel reality show made for Souffle.

But that didn't mean only fans could watch it.

If you really thought about it, there wasn't a huge difference between a regular travel variety show and an idol travel reality show.

The main distinction was whether professional comedians were present.

And we were professional entertainers.

"Exactly."

The PD nodded.

"I think so too. If this goes well, the ratings could be pretty strong. It's fifty-fifty, but still."

"The promotion will definitely be huge."

At the moment, if you searched for NewBlack online—excluding the WooBiz articles—every recent headline was about Alaska.

And if we followed that up with:

NewBlack heads to Alaska in their travel reality show!

Then—

Oh? NewBlack's Alaska travel diary...?

People would be curious.

Curious about Alaska.

Curious about the group that had promised to go there if the ratings reached fifteen percent.

Curious about watching NewBlack suffer—

No, enjoy themselves while traveling through Alaska.

From an entertainer's perspective, it was an opportunity we absolutely had to seize.

"Little brats."

"Yes."

"Let's endure a little longer. For the Number One Entertainer of the Year award..."

"Number One Entertainer of the Year!"

All of us °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° nodded with fierce determination.

We intended to make viewers pity us enough to give us the award.

Recently, Souffle had been living their best lives.

[Mold Loved by Seo Ri Hyuk @penicillin_lee · 11h]

(Photo of WooBiz.jpg)

180803 Music On pre-recording #WooBiz

They absolutely destroyed it.

[Squid Princess @squid_princess_official · 6h]

(News photo of WooBiz smiling brightly in the rain.jpg)

If anyone asks what freshness is, show them WooBiz.

But somehow I still didn't get to see the performance...

Souffle spent the entire day replaying the stage WooBiz had performed at the water park.

Haaah...

I wish they'd perform every day.

This is paradise...

The promotion offered more than just visuals.

There was the choreography practice video, where the dance-line duo of WooBiz demonstrated their live singing skills while performing.

And PBS's music show concept had been particularly memorable.

[This summer's hottest force in music has arrived!]

The exact same announcer-style voice from old 1990s music programs.

[The group here to cool off your summer heat is none other than WooBiz! Shall we enjoy a little WAVE~?]

The special WAVE stage was presented exactly like an old-school music show from decades ago.

Photos and fancams from the recording spread across the internet, causing Souffle's pride to swell.

Hehe...

The two of them looked like a painting even standing still.

Then they danced.

Then they sang.

And the song itself was so good that it had reached Number One despite fierce competition from other summer songs.

PBS can be annoying though...

The station ignored performance clips uploaded by ordinary viewers but aggressively filed copyright claims against videos uploaded by idol fans.

Although lately they seemed to have given up.

Souffle happily watched fancams filmed from every imaginable angle.

"Hm..."

Still, because this was fundamentally a music promotion cycle, the general public didn't seem particularly interested.

Not that there was a lack of discussion.

Among themselves, Souffle had been joking that WooBiz apparently summoned rain wherever they performed.

But telling normal people that...

...would be weird.

It had only happened a few times.

If they started saying, It rains every time WooBiz performs!, people would obviously tell them they were being ridiculous.

So they kept quiet.

Let's see... what NewBlack news is there today?

Most posts on general community sites were about yesterday's Newniverse or Mission Singer.

Yesterday's King of Singers Sun Wooju performance

[Breaking] Sun Wooju becomes the 45th King of Singers (Third Consecutive Victory)

The youngest-member energy radiating from this unfamiliar father (feat. NewBlack's Jiho)

And then there were the ratings.

Newniverse's 15% ratings pledge—NewBlack heads to Alaska?

The Goblin Restaurant preparation episode had instantly surpassed fifteen percent ratings.

People were interested.

Are they really going?

Seriously?

Everyone watched with sparkling eyes.

Especially one particular group.

The government agency overseeing Antarctica's King Sejong Station.

[Real-time reactions from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries SNS]

People clicked the post and immediately burst out laughing.

Republic of Korea Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries @korea_mof

Only 5% more until Antarctica. Hehehe...

#CongratulationsOnNewBlackGoingToAlaska #AntarcticaKingSejongStation

LOLLLLLLLLL

Why are they so excited?

The SNS manager is adorable LOL

My ultra-niche field is about to become mainstream

At this point they should visit Antarctica out of loyalty lol

As people laughed at the ministry's enthusiasm—

A new video appeared on NewBlack TV.

[Response Regarding the 15% Ratings Pledge]

The thumbnail was completely black, making it impossible to guess the content.

Some viewers clicked expecting a video of NewBlack kneeling and begging for mercy.

Instead—

"...?"

"??"

No captions.

No explanation.

Just video.

A polar bear?

A polar bear waddled across a snowy plain.

Then beautiful Alaskan scenery began appearing in stunning 4K.

What kind of video is this?

There wasn't even a single subtitle.

It looked like something that would play on a display television in an electronics store.

Animals running across grasslands.

Waterfalls.

Snow-covered conifer forests.

"...?"

"??"

Finally, a vast white snowfield filled the screen.

Then text appeared in a bold calligraphy-style font.

We're Going, Alaska

"!"

"!!"

The logo appeared.

NewBlack's Travel Diary Season 3: Alaska Edition

Coming Soon

Until now, NewBlack's Travel Diary had been better known through clips like Australia Busking, Sun Wooju vs Great White Shark, and NewBlack Gold Coin than through the actual program itself.

NewBlack's Travel Diary?

What's that?

Almost immediately, NewBlack's Travel Diary began climbing the trending searches.

Today was TBC's music show.

And, as always, during the pre-recording—

SHAAAAAAAHHHHH!

It rained.

Looking blankly out the window, Biju sighed.

I tried to reassure him.

"At least this time it isn't our fault. The weather forecast said it was going to rain today."

"That's true."

"So it's not because of us—"

At that exact moment—

The moderate rain transformed into a full-scale water bombardment.

SHAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

"..."

"..."

Outside, people were running around screaming beneath umbrellas.

And naturally—

Drip.

Drip.

The Souffle members we'd met during pre-recording looked exactly like drenched puppies.

"Souffle..."

"Waaaaaaah..."

"Sorry. We did it again..."

At this point it felt less like coincidence and more like destiny.

No, seriously.

Junghyun had literally been performing anti-rain rituals.

Why was this still happening?

When I complained to Grandma about it, she'd presented an innovative theory.

Maybe it's because the song has too much water energy. Other energies can't overcome it.

That's right.

WAVE was a masterpiece infused with the principles of yin, yang, and the five elements.

I vaguely remembered her continuing into an analysis of my personal fortune.

Anyway.

"Souffle! Shall we get started?"

"Yes!"

"Music, please~!"

"WAAAAAAAH!"

The pre-recording and broadcast went smoothly.

After a mini fan meeting in the rain—

"Hello!"

"Gasp...!"

Biju and I headed to Mission Singer as guest panelists for Ri Hyuk's competition.

The regular panelists greeted us dramatically.

"How have such distinguished guests ended up in this humble place...?"

"Oh my! Our junior entertainers!"

We chatted with comedians and entertainers who complimented WAVE and declared that they'd happily become servants if it meant getting invited to Alaska.

Then—

"Hello."

"Guh... th-th-th..."

"...?"

"Th... th... hello...! Ah, what's wrong with me? H-Hello!"

"...??"

Several junior idols became so nervous upon seeing Biju and me that they started speaking an alien language.

Eventually the audience entered.

"Oh?"

"Huh?!"

People's eyes widened when they spotted us.

We waved and greeted them.

Then Biju and I reviewed the contestant booklet while waiting.

"Wow."

"Hyung, it's Ri Hyuk."

We smiled proudly at the name:

43rd, 44th, 45th King of Singers Sun Wooju

Looking at the photo of Ri Hyuk wearing his sunflower mask and making a cute V sign, I chuckled.

Then I examined the lineup.

Some familiar contestants appeared, including the now-familiar Premium Supporting Actor Jangjorim.

And then there were the four challengers.

"Today's lineup doesn't look ordinary."

"Y-Yeah..."

Their masks made identification impossible.

But even through the photos, their presence felt intimidating.

One mask stood out in particular.

A harp.

...Why did it look like the final boss?

"What do you think will happen today, Hyung?"

I covered my mouth and whispered back to Biju.

"Unless something unexpected happens, I think Ri Hyuk probably keeps the crown."

"Right?"

It would take someone like Cha Woohyun or Yoon Chanhyuk suddenly appearing and going, Haha!

Otherwise, the odds heavily favored Ri Hyuk.

Even someone like The Moon, whom we'd seen before...

In this competition, Ri Hyuk would probably still have a slight edge.

Not only because of his skill.

But because I'd arranged the song.

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

"Recording begins now~"

The floor director stepped onto the stage and clapped the slate.

The broadcast started.

A competition unlike any you've seen before! Trusting only your voice and yourself! Mission~

Singer~!!

After everyone shouted the program slogan together, the new challengers began entering one by one.

"Huh...?"

"Huh?!"

As each introduction played, the audience started murmuring.

Nicknames built around their hit songs.

"Isn't that The Moon? Isn't it?"

"Looks like Yeon...? That vocalist is insane, right??"

"Holy crap, that's Baek Siyeon..."

Biju and I froze.

"...?"

"...??"

One top-tier vocalist after another appeared.

Then—

Ding ding ding~♪

A haunting harp melody echoed through the studio.

A distorted voice spoke.

My apologies for arriving late, Lord Dionysus.

Another voice answered, using the voice of Dionysus from a famous animated series.

You've completely ruined the mood, so take responsibility~!

Understood.

Even through the voice modulation, the speaker sounded dignified and commanding.

Someone wearing the harp-shaped mask strode onto the stage, cape billowing behind him.

I'll take responsibility. For today's stage.

Gulp.

I could clearly hear one of the panelists swallow.

Then the only ballad singer in Korea standing over 190 centimeters tall appeared.

Without realizing it, Biju and I grabbed each other's hands.

That person...

That man is...

The harp-masked contestant raised his microphone.

Hello. I am Orpheus, the God of Song.

"Cha Woohyun..."

"It's Cha Woohyun...!"

As shocked voices erupted around us, we both thought of someone who was probably wearing the exact same expression backstage.

Ri Hyuk...!

Oh dear.

What in the world were we supposed to do now...?