Chapter 1057: Overcooked (10)

The next day.

The main entertainment headline appeared across portal sites already crowded with Friday variety-show and drama news.

— New Universe Breaks Through the Cursed 20% Barrier... "Highest Cable Ratings in History"

Average viewership: 21.7%.

It exceeded the 16.3% achieved by GTV's travel variety show Sister Falcons: Season 2—the previous second-place record holder before New Universe—by more than five full percentage points.

"...That's impossible."

PDs and broadcasting industry professionals everywhere stared at the news in disbelief.

Twenty percent on cable?

That was the equivalent of a terrestrial network show pulling thirty percent ratings.

No—these days, even getting twenty percent on terrestrial television was difficult.

The flagship variety programs at every network were hovering around the ten-percent range.

As a result, whenever industry people gathered—in company cafeterias, coffee shops, anywhere—the conversation was always the same.

"Did you see New Universe's ratings yesterday?"

"It was insane. How does a cable show even break twenty percent?"

Someone spoke with a sour expression.

"It was because of Antarctica, that's all. They made a huge fuss about NewBlack's new song and the Antarctica thing."

"That explains why Gu Jaeyoung was making so much noise."

"NewBlack's fans probably all tuned in because of the new song teaser."

But even the people saying those things knew deep down that wasn't the real reason.

A variety-show PD in HBS's cafeteria shook his head.

"Come on. That's not it."

Everyone looked over.

"Our viewers aren't that sentimental."

Korea was a market where even Hollywood stars who delivered legendary fan service could fail at the box office if the movie itself wasn't good.

No matter how beloved NewBlack was, the idea that ordinary viewers would watch a variety show out of loyalty alone was ridiculous.

Sure, the Antarctica jokes and the teaser for NewBlack's new song had helped.

But in the end, the most important thing was—

"It's just fun."

"..."

"..."

Everyone silently agreed.

...The content is genuinely good.

In a genre where the director's abilities were so important that people jokingly called it "PD play," Gu Jaeyoung was absolutely flying.

Even sections that would have felt dull in other shows became engaging under his editing.

The industry professionals could only admire it.

Then someone added,

"That's important, but NewBlack's variety skills are crazy these days too."

"I always thought they were good..."

"In a restaurant variety show, the core appeal is interacting with customers and creating content from those encounters. They're unbelievably good at it."

To ordinary viewers it looked simple.

Funny idols meet funny customers.

But professionals saw something entirely different.

NewBlack effortlessly rescued customer remarks that could have made the atmosphere awkward.

They assigned personalities to customers the same way they would to variety-show guests.

Then they built chemistry around those personalities.

That's actually an incredibly difficult format.

There was a reason restaurant-themed variety shows rarely became major hits despite appearing everywhere.

The cast had to act as MCs too.

They needed to serve food while making small talk.

They had to actively communicate whenever problems arose.

"They've improved so much."

"They just keep getting better. At this point they're basically entertainers."

The PDs couldn't help envying Gu Jaeyoung.

I wish I could work with a cast like that.

Performers who understood variety shows.

Who knew exactly what would be entertaining.

Who acted intelligently to create those moments.

Performers who were attractive enough to provide visual appeal while also possessing the warmth that made people like them.

NewBlack possessed every quality an entertainer could want.

"And they're lucky."

"Ah, that's important too."

Some people simply attracted funny situations.

NewBlack was blessed in that regard.

The biggest laugh from yesterday's episode had come entirely by chance.

During a break, Ri Hyuk and Jiho had wandered around Goblin Street.

"We should get ice cream over there, hyung!"

The two bickering in front of a street vendor had become the episode's highlight.

After Ri Hyuk made a joke about science, Jiho pointed toward a poster on a nearby wall.

"Seriously, hyung. Can't you read what's written there? It says No Being Boring Allowed."

"What are you talking about?"

Ri Hyuk snorted.

"It doesn't say that. It says No Street Vending Allowed."

"Oh. You're right. No street vend—"

"..."

At that moment, silence fell between the street vendor and NewBlack.

Everyone carefully avoided eye contact and pretended nothing had happened.

The entire audience burst into laughter.

Even the broadcasting professionals found themselves fighting smiles.

"Anyway, I'm jealous."

New Universe had captured both ratings and buzz.

"My kids talk about New Universe at school every day."

"A lot of children watch it."

"It's just easy to enjoy. That's surprisingly hard to achieve."

"Man, I wish I could cast NewBlack on my show."

New Universe had already ranked first in last month's survey of Korea's favorite television programs.

Now it had completely established itself among the general public.

While people continued discussing its success—

"By the way, TBC's probably feeling sick right now."

"Seriously."

TBC management had pushed Gu Jaeyoung out after the ratings of their flagship program, Living Together, declined.

Now the man they had discarded had returned holding the highest ratings in cable television history.

Just as people wondered how those executives felt after claiming he had lost his touch—

Someone spoke up.

"They probably don't care."

"Why not?"

"Mission Singer is doing ridiculously well right now."

"Ah, right."

Since the appearance of King of Singers Sun Wooju, TBC's Mission Singer had been posting extraordinary ratings.

The Cha Woohyun versus Ri Hyuk battle hadn't even aired yet, and the competition show had already broken its own historical ratings records.

And just as the industry expected—

"What exactly did Gu Jaeyoung accomplish?"

TBC's executives weren't particularly concerned.

"If Gu Jaeyoung were the reason, only New Universe would be successful."

"But we're succeeding too."

"In the end, ratings depend on whether NewBlack appears or not. That's the real answer."

Sitting quietly in front of those executives was Mission Singer's chief producer, PD Park Yeonhee.

"So, PD Park."

"Yes?"

"Make this one work."

"..."

The executive slid a proposal across the table.

Park Yeonhee blinked.

[2018 Chuseok Idol Olympics Proposal]

The butterfly effect created by the massive success of New Universe and Mission Singer had finally begun spreading into the idol industry.

Around the same time.

The internet was in chaos thanks to Souffle.

[Part of Overcooked Revealed on New Universe]

Among all the promotions that had begun this week, this was arguably the biggest teaser.

Part of the chorus had finally been revealed.

At first, some people complained.

Why reveal it through New Universe?

But—

Okay. That actually makes sense.

Because the song's origin story was tied directly to New Universe.

[Nope. Overcooked.]

Every time NewBlack cooked hamburger patties, celebrity chef Bobby Ross complained that all the juices had escaped.

"You overcooked it."

Viewers heard the word so often it practically burned itself into their ears.

Perhaps because of that, an exhausted Wooju had started humming and casually created a song on the spot.

Just hearing the chorus makes my heart bounceㅠㅠ

What insane song has Sun Wooju brought us this time?

This sounds like another masterpiece.

The moment I heard it I started grinning like an idiot because Wooju's done it againㅋㅋㅋ

Souffle could barely contain their excitement.

The reason was simple.

Their self-proclaimed rival, Moonlight, had achieved terrifying results with its latest release.

A Billboard article had just appeared.

[Moonlight's All I Want Expected to Debut at No. 1 on Billboard]

All I Want.

One of the biggest boy-band hits of the 2000s.

Now reborn as Moonlight's remake.

Even Souffle had listened and thought:

Wow...

The song quality was undeniable.

Combined with the support of a famous producer and an aggressive record-label campaign, it was dominating music platforms everywhere.

"Ha..."

From Souffle's perspective, it was an impossible matchup.

NewBlack's new song had to compete against a remake of a legendary track beloved by American audiences.

In a short-term fandom battle, Souffle would naturally win.

But over the long run?

NewBlack would be at a disadvantage.

The general public's choice mattered.

And the song itself was simply overwhelming.

Then—

Ta-da~ Souffle! Want a taste of Overcooked~?

The partial chorus release made thousands of hearts pound.

There's something about this song.

Even from the chorus alone, there's something there.

It was an idol fan's instinct.

They couldn't explain it.

But years of accumulated fandom experience—an unconscious database built over countless comebacks—was telling them something.

Guys. Trust them.

They believed in the members' ambition.

In their hunger for success.

This time more than ever, they didn't want to lose.

Because if NewBlack fell behind on the charts—

[Moonlight's All I Want Crushes NewBlack's Overcooked]

They didn't even want to imagine the headlines.

Moonlight's fandom was already waving chart achievements around social media.

See this? Hehe.

Souffle smiled.

Then we'll show them our strength too.

Creating great songs was the members' job.

Promotion was the fans' job.

And so Souffle all around the world began preparing for the arrival of Overcooked.

Meanwhile—

"Hey, did you hear? NewBlack's going to Antarctica."

"Seriously?"

Among ordinary people, not fans, the biggest topic by far was Antarctica.

[The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Instagram Right Now]

The social-media account responsible for the King Sejong Station had uploaded a poster.

A photoshopped image combining a 2014-era NewBlack wearing penguin costumes with Antarctic glaciers.

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ They actually look excited

Policy Maniac strikes againㅋㅋㅋ

My niche field becoming mainstream? I can't resist this

Congrats on Antarctica, NewBlack

It would've been hilarious if the rating ended at 19.9%

(Imagining 19.9%) "Just like our first-week sales of 999,999 albums, 19.9% is not 20%."

It would've been even funnier if they passed 20% the following weekㅋㅋㅋ Viewers don't understand variety shows

Does anyone know how the researchers at King Sejong Station reacted? I'm curiousㅋㅋㅋ

Not long afterward, a scientist currently stationed in Antarctica posted a tweet.

Polar Scientist Kim Minhwe @min_sushi

There's a lot of excitement about NewBlack visiting King Sejong Station. Several people have asked me about it, but everyone's actually reacting pretty calmly.

We'll be gone before they arrive anyway... 😭😭

Since staff rotations happened every December, the scientist explained that they wouldn't get to see NewBlack themselves.

They'd only be watching through television, just like everyone else.

The internet laughed.

Of course, not everyone was amused.

Antarctica, Antarctica. I'm already sick of hearing about it.

Why are people so excited about idols going to Antarctica?ㅋㅋㅋ

At least they passed 20%. Maybe people will finally stop talking about it.

Is this really something worth celebrating?

Others immediately responded.

Yes. It is.

Every day the internet is full of exhausting news. NewBlack content is harmless and fun.

Let people enjoy something wholesome for once.

Most people simply ignored the complaints.

As ordinary viewers continued chatting and laughing about NewBlack—

"Hey, did you see the Idol Olympics announcement?"

Someone posted new information.

And the smiles instantly vanished from idol fans' faces.

Holy—

The kind of news that made idol fans jump out of their seats.

— Chuseok TBC Idol Olympics Introduces Vocal Competition... "Live Singing Only, No AR Allowed"

The Overcooked promotional campaign had officially begun.

With about a week remaining until release, we were back on our Asian tour.

At the same time, we were finalizing promotional schedules.

"For domestic promotions, music shows, NewBlack TV's special stage, and university festivals should be enough."

Ri Hyuk's suggestion made me nod.

"Let's do that."

"We should still review everything that comes in, just in case."

We gathered together and looked through variety-show proposals, including observation programs and other offers.

"Eek!"

Jiho suddenly looked horrified.

"What?"

"The PD's name was Lee Namguk."

"So?"

"For a second I thought it said Antarctica."

We burst into laughter.

At first it was genuine laughter.

Then it became the laughter of people masking pain.

"This is all my fault."

"Yep."

"I should've promised to go to space if ratings hit thirty percent."

"Exactly."

"Something like, thirty percent ratings and we'll go to outer space."

"..."

The members stared at me in horror.

Only Junghyun seemed intrigued.

"Ooh."

Biju immediately turned serious.

"Hyung, maybe don't make promises like that."

"R-right."

"Seriously."

"I was joking."

I said I was joking.

Yet the distrust in their eyes remained.

Ri Hyuk spoke up.

"Looking at it positively, it's still a great opportunity."

"Exactly."

"Not everyone gets to visit Antarctica."

"We should be grateful."

"True."

"..."

"..."

At this point we had fully entered the self-rationalization stage.

And honestly, it wasn't even wrong.

Very few people ever got the chance to visit Antarctica safely with government support.

It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"The only disappointing thing is that we can't share this good fortune with everyone."

That was all.

Even as I reminded myself to be more careful with ratings promises in the future, I couldn't stop smiling.

21.7%

The variety show we'd started on the uncertain foundation of NBS had become a massive success.

While reviewing additional domestic promotion ideas with gratitude—

We received a call from PD Park Yeonhee of Mission Singer.

"Huh?"

It was about the Chuseok Idol Olympics.

Her voice sounded deeply troubled.

"I wouldn't say I wanted to call. This is more of a confirmation call."

Apparently the network executives kept pressuring her to contact NewBlack, so she was doing it as a formality.

She explained the situation.

"The executives were apparently very impressed by Mission Singer. Now they want to turn the Idol Olympics into a vocal competition."

"Wasn't it mostly games recently?"

"The gaming segments weren't getting ratings. Except for the episode where Wooju got eliminated, which became a MyTube hit."

"..."

The e-sports direction hadn't worked.

So they wanted a new format.

Ri Hyuk's vocals are getting attention?

The Idol Olympics are basically idols competing against each other anyway.

Then let's hold a vocal competition.

Who's the best idol vocalist? No AR. Pure live singing. Gold, silver, and bronze medals.

They were even planning to rename it the Idol Olympics.

The moment we heard it, everyone felt dizzy.

"Uh... I imagine the reaction would be intense."

"...Yes."

An elite-grade bait move from TBC.

Especially in an idol industry already obsessed with rankings.

"The president wants NewBlack to serve as judges."

"Us?"

"Yes."

"We've only been active for five years."

"I said exactly the same thing..."

Naturally, we declined because of scheduling conflicts.

PD Park Yeonhee had expected as much.

After all, we already had commitments.

Once the exhausted-sounding producer hung up, we all shuddered.

Jiho shook his head.

"If it were me, I'd rather run a race."

"No. Getting injured would be worse."

Still, the idea of ranking idol vocals and awarding medals felt incredibly like something a television network would invent.

"If they do this, people will be talking about it until next Lunar New Year."

"If someone's condition is even slightly off, there'll be hundreds of posts claiming that's their real live ability."

"Ugh..."

We all shivered and changed the subject.

We'd finished reviewing domestic promotions.

Now it was time to look overseas.

"Let's see."

The schedule was packed.

Appearances on major East Coast and West Coast talk shows.

Programs like The Alan Dale Show and The Larry Gordon Show.

Guest spots on Good Morning USA.

Famous FM radio programs.

Every possible promotional opportunity had already been booked.

It felt as though the record label and agency were saying:

We'll push as hard as possible.

A full-scale counterattack against Moonlight's All I Want campaign.

Ri Hyuk looked surprised.

"Wow. They're even trying to get us onto SNL."

"The comedy show?"

"Yeah."

Of course we knew what SNL was.

But judging from our blank expressions, Ri Hyuk explained further.

"It's one of the highest-profile stages you can get."

"Oh."

"I think they're saying they'll invite us if the song performs well after release."

We continued organizing our final schedule for Overcooked promotions.

Then—

"Huh?"

A direct message appeared on Instagram.

From Hayley Blue.

"Hayley sent me a DM."

"What does she say?"

"Apparently there's a good opportunity to promote the new song."

The members immediately perked up.

"What kind of opportunity?"

"Dodgeball...? A dodgeball match?"

I blinked.

"She says Team USA is playing Team Canada and wants us to join Canada as guest players."

"...?"

Before I could ask what on earth she was talking about, Hayley sent over a poster.

[SUPERNOVA DODGEBALL]

"Supernova Dodgeball...?"

"What is this?"

We stared at the poster advertising a friendly match so significant that even the First Ladies of both countries were scheduled to attend.

...What exactly was this supposed to be?