Chapter 1029: We Call the Rain (13)

Recently, Souffle had finally been able to enjoy fandom life like actual fans again.

-There are... no normies...!

For once, the general public that always seemed to be tagging along with them had no interest in WooBiju's promotions.

There was no variety-show content to talk about, and they were literally just performing on stage. From a normal person's perspective, there wasn't much to pay attention to.

'Kyaaaa!'

'This is so nice! So peaceful!'

They simply watched the choreography videos uploaded to NewBlack TV and WooBiju's self-produced content while happily clapping their hands.

Just like any top idol's comeback, the fans fangirled while the general public casually listened to the songs or watched the occasional variety appearance.

That didn't mean their digital performance was weak, either.

[Peach @peach_jiho · 3 PM]

I was supposed to meet my friend in Myeongdong but she's terrible with directions and I'm losing my mind lol

===

Me: Where are you?

Friend: I'm at the place that's playing the WooBiju song right now.

Me: WAVE?

Friend: Yeah.

===

In the attached video, the poster was walking through the middle of Myeongdong.

She passed a cosmetics store playing WAVE.

Then a café was playing WAVE.

After passing the café, a restaurant in the alley was playing WAVE.

Her friend kept saying she was near somewhere playing WAVE, but there was no way to figure out where that was.

It was the kind of summer hit that seemed to be playing everywhere you went.

'Makes sense.'

Souffle nodded.

Articles were already calling WooBiju the ultimate winner of the Summer Song race of 2018.

It fit the sweltering heat perfectly.

There was only one unfortunate thing.

'Why does it keep raining every time there's a music show recording...?'

While everyone else was sweating from the heat, Souffle were walking around with raindrops running down their faces.

At this point, it had even become a meme on online communities.

[The True Summer Song Brings Rain (feat. WooBiju) - Long Post Warning]

It was a compilation thread put together by a Souffle.

The brief shower that had fallen when WooBiju released the song at 6 PM.

The shower during the prerecording at the water park.

The increasingly bizarre streak of rain coinciding with every live stage they performed.

-The concept is solid lol Zeus (lightning) + Poseidon (water)

-Water splash attack lmaoooo

-I mean individually they're coincidences lol but how does it keep raining exactly where they're performing?

-It didn't even rain in neighboring towns during that prerecording lol

-You people are really overreacting over four or five rain showers. Why not just hold an actual rain ritual already?

It was supposed to be a joke post.

Then, as always, some people completely missed the point and started taking shots.

-The public response is weak so they're promoting anything they can now lol

-Guess they really don't have much to brag aboutㅠㅠ

-Huh...? WooBiju's response is weak??

-I mean honestly, aren't normies not really reacting? Everyone just says it's a NewBlack song. They don't even know the name WooBiju.

The replies exploded instantly.

-Weak public responseㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah yes, of course.

-(Mango Chart Weekly #1.jpg) Yup, you're totally right. So please support WooBiju, the group with weak public recognition~~♡

-Hey... I'm not even a NewBlack fan but saying the response is weak is a bit much lol

-Why are there so many comments?

-Because some lunatics said WooBiju has zero general public recognitionㅋㅋㅋ

-Leave them alone. They're probably attending Hogwarts.

The argument fizzled out before it could even become a real fight.

The post that started in entertainment communities quickly spread elsewhere.

People burst out laughing at GIFs of drenched idols and drenched fans holding mini fan meetings while sharing bittersweet smiles.

-The true summer song is completed by a torrential downpour.

-WooBiju, please come to my neighborhood...ㅋㅋㅋ

-Alright everyone, time to hold a rain ritual.

-I seriously hope it rainsㅠㅠㅠㅠ I'm dying from the heat and my boss won't let us turn on the AC.

People joked around, telling them to go perform a rain ritual.

Then—

-Holy crapㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Look at thisㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-???? An article just dropped.

Netizens crowded around the link that had appeared on the forums.

-'Summer Kings' WooBiju to Visit My Hometown Next... "We'll Hold a Rain Ritual"

"...?!"

"Achoo! Ughhh..."

A slight chill ran through my body as my nose started running.

The elderly villagers around us immediately asked,

"Oh dear, are you alright?"

"Here, drink some hot broth."

The villagers poured warm banquet noodle broth into paper cups and handed them to us.

Biju and I both shivered as we gulped it down.

"Ahhh..."

"Hyung, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I think it's because I got caught in the rain all of a sudden."

Maybe because we'd been caught in that sudden shower, I felt slightly chilled.

Still, I was in a great mood.

Shhhhhhhhhhh—

The sound of rain echoed outside while the villagers sat inside the community center eating banquet noodles with bright smiles.

"Ahh, finally. Rain."

The village chief grinned as though a burden had been lifted from his chest.

"Just seeing rain after all this time makes me feel refreshed. Well, this alone isn't nearly enough, but still."

"Exactly."

"This is why the old folks called it a blessing rain."

Everyone looking out at the rainfall wore the same smile.

At first, they'd worried because the rain had come down so heavily.

Even during a drought, rain needed to fall in moderation. We'd heard torrential showers weren't necessarily helpful.

Fortunately, after pouring heavily for about thirty minutes, it had settled into a steady, manageable rain.

The villagers gazed outside with satisfied smiles before turning back toward us.

"Looks like the rain came thanks to you boys."

"Th-That's not true."

Biju and I both waved our hands frantically.

"It isn't."

But the adults clearly weren't listening.

"Attention, villagers! From today onward, our village anthem shall be WooBiju!"

"Ah~ Sounds good~"

"Applause~~!"

Technically it was WAVE, not WooBiju, but what did it matter?

Everyone was happy.

The villagers immediately started singing.

"I can't live without you~"

"I can't stop loving you~"

The lyrics somehow sounded like a fusion of several different songs.

We ended up humming along ourselves when—

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

The rain suddenly intensified.

"..."

"..."

Silence fell over the community center.

While someone muttered that it really was a miraculous song, the staff from My Hometown approached us.

"You'll need to head to the next location now."

"Okay~"

We weren't filming in just one place today.

The route started in Hongseong County, passed through Daejeon, continued all the way into North Chungcheong Province, and eventually returned to Seoul.

We stood and bowed.

When we explained that we had to leave, disappointed looks appeared from every direction.

"You should stay the night~"

"We still have a lot of schedules left today."

"Oh dear. You boys work hard."

Warm, wrinkled hands patted our shoulders and squeezed our hands.

The warmth reminded me of my grandmother.

"Then we'll be going now~"

"Take care~"

As we waved goodbye and climbed into the vehicle—

Something felt unusually heavy in my pocket.

"...?"

"??"

...When did they put this in there?

At some point, my pockets had been stuffed full of snacks.

All I could do was laugh.

After unwrapping a piece of scorched-rice candy, I smiled and headed toward our next destination.

"Woooooooah!"

"Hello, everyone! WooBiju is here~!"

We visited Daejeon for the first time in a while and performed WAVE in front of Expo Fountain.

We bought fried soboro buns as gifts for the younger members.

We traveled through cities and villages across the central region, performing stages and holding rain rituals everywhere we went.

But...

-Yes, every time we've performed WAVE lately, it seems to rain.

-WOOOOOOOAH!

-But... it's not raining??

Aside from the brief shower in that village in Hongseong County, every place we visited greeted us with blazing sunshine.

The sky was being contrary on purpose.

Every time we told people, "Rain tends to fall when we perform..."

The sun immediately came out in full force.

"The sky is really clear at times like this..."

"It's too clear. It reminds me of you, hyung."

"Hehehe!"

Anyway, it was fine.

Part of the reason we'd proposed this project was because if rain was going to fall, it might as well fall in drought-stricken regions.

But the real purpose of appearing on My Hometown was to put our performances in front of the public.

-1.9%

That was the nationwide rating for our appearance on PBS music program Music On.

Three times the program's usual ratings.

Biju and I had generated plenty of buzz by going to the water park, and our stage even peaked at a 4.0% minute-by-minute rating.

Even so, it was impossible not to feel a little disappointed.

By comparison, the recent ratings for My Hometown were...

-8.3%

Its biggest strength was reaching demographics that rarely overlapped with platforms like MyTube.

Of course, our goal wasn't to tell them, "Please stream WAVE!"

Instead, it was:

"We're still active~"

And then hearing them laugh and say,

"They're still around!"

"Always stay vigilant."

My eyes gleamed.

"The moment we neglect even one demographic, a competitor could appear."

"That's right."

The entertainment industry was overflowing with substitutes.

We might look like national idols now, but that could change at any time.

What if a stunning four-member trot idol group suddenly appeared like a comet?

-Oh my! Juseon!

-...Yes?

-I'm sorry. This is how things turned out!

-What? You said you'd love us forever!

-Love naturally leads to breakups. Sometimes even divorce. You're still young. Hohoho...

As the image of smiling elders fading into the distance flashed before my eyes, I clenched my fist tightly.

Biju nodded with a grim expression.

"I refuse to accept that."

"Unacceptable."

That was exactly why, even as WooBiju, we still needed to tell the older generation:

"We released a new song~"

Once you carried the title of National Idol, you couldn't afford to lose any generation.

Such was the destiny of being Number One.

You had to keep defeating challengers forever.

"Um..."

After listening to us, Mingi hyung looked slightly horrified.

"You guys are honestly the most ruthless people I've ever met..."

"Thanks for the compliment, hyung."

"I feel like you're getting scarier every day."

As I flashed a grin at our manager, who seemed genuinely impressed by our poisonous determination—

The production staff approached us while we rested after finishing the final shoot.

"Wooju, Biju. Thank you so much for today!"

"Thank you! Everyone worked really hard today too~!"

While our managers handed out cold drinks and the camera operators cooled themselves by pouring bottled water over their soaked hair—

"When do you think the broadcast will air? Tomorrow?"

"It'll probably start airing little by little from today."

"Today?"

"Yes. The footage we filmed this morning was sent over immediately. I think a few scenes from Hongseong County will make tonight's broadcast."

The assistant director smiled.

"I think you'll like it."

Naturally, we became curious.

How exactly would we appear?

6 PM.

PBS1's My Hometown aired on televisions all across the country.

Some viewers tuned in specifically because they'd heard NewBlack would appear.

Most, however, simply had the channel on already.

In rural households with elderly residents, PBS1 was practically the default channel.

[My Hometown]

After the charming logo featuring various regions appeared, the preview for today's episode began.

A youth association president driving a tractor through a village.

A fishing boat catching summer octopus.

Then—

"Hm?"

"Huh?"

The adults' eyes widened.

A familiar face had appeared.

Biju, with his bright blue hair.

Wooju, with his sky-blue hair.

They popped onto the screen.

[Rain! Rain! Please Come Down!]

...It looked like they were doing something strange.

But everyone was delighted to see them.

'Wooju! Biju!'

'Where are the other boys?'

The two had appeared on the show for a long time in the past and had been rare young guests, making them particularly memorable.

The viewers' hearts raced as though grandchildren had come to visit.

Soon the scene switched to the studio, where the male and female announcers greeted viewers.

[Did everyone have a good weekend?]

The hosts delivered their opening remarks.

[The recent heat wave has been relentless. Between the extreme temperatures and tropical nights...]

After a brief informational segment about heat-related health concerns and emergency contacts, the program proceeded as usual.

Meanwhile, netizens watching live began chattering.

-When does NewBlack show up??

-No idea.

-Probably at the end. They were introduced last in the opening preview.

Just as predicted, the program was nearing its conclusion when the hosts said:

[And now for today's final segment.]

[These are some very familiar faces, aren't they? National idol group NewBlack has returned to My Hometown following the debut of their two-member unit, WooBiju!]

The panel applauded enthusiastically.

Then a pre-recorded interview appeared.

[Hello, viewers!]

[We're WooBiju~!]

The older viewers turned up the volume.

[The reason we're here today is...]

Wooju held up a sketchbook and began explaining.

Two young men in raincoats were singing on the page.

-Wooju... don't draw.

-That art style pisses me offㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-It's honestly impressive how none of the facial features look right.

-Man, I'd draw better gripping the pencil with my fist.

The next page showed rain falling.

After explaining how it had become depressing that rain kept coincidentally falling whenever WooBiju performed—

Biju and Wooju's eyes sparkled.

[We seem to have a pretty strong connection to water.]

Thus, they had decided to launch a Rain Ritual Special.

Some sharp-minded employee at Lemon Entertainment was probably coughing up blood somewhere while screaming, "Pseudoscience...!"

The older viewers, meanwhile, nodded in approval.

'Makes sense.'

'Those two must have a lot of Water in their fortunes.'

And so WooBiju headed toward their first destination:

[Hongseong County, South Chungcheong Province]

The village appeared beneath a clear blue sky while only their voices could be heard.

[Whenever I see cicadas, I think of Ri Hyuk.]

[Right?]

[How does such a tiny body produce such a loud voice?]

The sound of cicadas echoed throughout the village.

Then came a song destined to make someone extremely angry.

Who is Seo Ri Hyuk~

A cute little cicada~♬

That's right~ He's called a cicada because he's beautiful every day~♬

But he's still a cicada~♪

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-So cuteㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Is this promotion or an insult?

-It's stuck in my head~ Seo Ri Hyuk is a cicada~ A cute little cicada~

The blurry figures sharpened into focus.

Two young men in adorable outfits greeted viewers cheerfully.

Then the village chief appeared and explained the local situation.

-Holy...

-The drought was this bad?

-I'm in Gwangju and it's seriously awful.

-The dried-up reservoirㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Viewers who hadn't fully understood the severity of the drought across the central region finally grasped the situation.

Then the mood softened again as WooBiju received a warm welcome from the villagers.

And finally—

The rain ritual.

"Hm?"

"Huh?"

People watching television blinked.

They'd been wondering what exactly a rain ritual performed by idols would look like.

Then—

-Wooju..??

-The Human Cultural Heritage segment is back.

-Is he possessed again??

-Currently summoning a twenty-year veteran grandfather from the rain-ritual industry.

-Spending today's gacha rolls trying to summon SSR Grandpaㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Wooju sat quietly on a straw mat with his eyes closed.

Then—

"Hohoho..."

A grandfatherly laugh escaped him.

With a flick of his wrist, he struck the small gong.

CHANG!

"...?"

"??"

CHANGLARARARANG! CHANG CHANG CHANG!

As Wooju spun his head like someone possessed, as if twirling a farmer's ribbon hat, viewers erupted into laughter.

"Cough! Cough! Pfft!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Beside him, Biju stared up at the sky with a terrifying expression.

His arm shot upward accusingly.

Then he began waving both arms like someone possessed as he performed his rain-ritual choreography.

-What's wrong with himㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-The members themselves said these two are the most dangerous combination.

-Ri Hyuk: The biggest problem in our group (other than me) is the complete lack of social dignity.

-What a waste of talentㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Intangible Cultural Heritage Minus One.

-The villagers' expressions = my expression.

Biju danced as though pleading with the heavens and cursing them at the same time.

Wooju continued pounding the gong.

After the grand Human Cultural Heritage segment finally ended—

The actual rain ritual began in front of villagers who were still blinking in confusion.

[We pray for rain~ We pray for rain~ We pray to the spirits of heaven and earth~]

Everyone laughed as Wooju performed the ritual in a rich, resonant voice.

'He's actually serious about this.'

'I'll give him that.'

At first it was funny.

But as Wooju and Biju continued earnestly, sweating heavily while giving it their all, smiles gradually spread across people's faces.

This wasn't:

"Should we jokingly try a rain ritual?"

They were genuinely committed.

And then—

As they performed a special version of WAVE on the village mats as the final segment—

『At that very moment...!』

The production staff's voices could be heard.

[Huh? It's raining.]

[It's raining!]

Actual raindrops began falling from the sky.

Then the rain quickly intensified.

"...?"

"??"

Viewers tilted their heads.

The timing made absolutely no sense.

-??

-Huh?

-It's actually raining??

The villagers hugged each other and cheered as rain poured down around them.

The viewers all wore the exact same expression.

Then the assistant director's voice explained:

[The Meteorological Administration issued an advisory an hour ago.]

A rain cloud had simply happened to pass through the area at that moment.

Everyone nodded.

'A coincidence.'

'Just a coincidence.'

Meanwhile, a beautiful harmonica melody played over the footage like something from a movie soundtrack.

Scenes of WooBiju embracing the villagers and celebrating together filled the screen.

Then—

Freeze.

The image faded dreamily and the segment ended.

'Huh? No!'

'Already?'

The ten-minute segment had vanished in an instant.

A preview immediately followed, showing WooBiju's upcoming visits to different regions throughout the week.

Mountain villages.

Performances beneath the blazing sun.

And more.

[Please look forward to WooBiju's rain-bringing journey~!]

The screen returned to the studio amid enthusiastic applause.

As the hosts shared their closing remarks, articles began flooding the internet.

GIFs appeared everywhere.

"Hm?"

"Oh?"

People found the joke about WAVE making it rain surprisingly amusing.

Still, the reaction wasn't particularly huge.

"Did you see that? Wooju and Biju went on My Hometown and it rained."

"I saw witness posts. Apparently they performed at some fountain in Daejeon earlier too."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. It's weird how it rained at exactly that moment."

For the general public, it was simply one mildly interesting topic among many. ℴℴ𝘮

A fun little story.

Nothing more.

At least until dawn the next day.

Ding-dong.

[Korea Meteorological Administration Weather Forecast]

Ding-dong.

[Due to rain clouds formed along the western coast this afternoon, rainfall is expected across South Chungcheong Province and other central regions.]

Ding-dong.

[We would like to clarify that there is absolutely no scientific correlation between today's rainfall forecast and popular five-member idol group NewBlack.]

[For further details, please refer to the official statement... (truncated)]

Ding-dong.

[Once again, we emphasize that there is no scientific relationship whatsoever between today's rainfall forecast and popular idol group NewBlack.]