Chapter 1068: Overcooked (21)

“Junghyun.”

“Yes?”

“The whole country is probably watching by now, right? Thinking, so NewBlack is competing in a dodgeball match.”

“Probably, yeah.”

I nodded at Junghyun's answer.

“Let's show them.”

“Show them what?”

“Korean dodgeball.”

“I'll do my best.”

“Just for today, we're representing the nation. Our mistakes are everyone's mistakes, and our achievements are everyone's achievements.”

Somewhere, I could almost hear phantom voices screaming, "No! You're not our representatives!"

But I simply smiled.

“Kyahahaha!”

A youthful-faced singer-songwriter standing nearby, Kelly Nelson, brushed back her black hair and asked,

"What are you two talking about?"

"We were saying we should show everyone what Korean dodgeball is all about today."

"And what exactly is Korean dodgeball?"

"A cold, merciless world of competition. If your class loses the class match, you don't get any ice cream..."

When I told her about the class-versus-class games we used to play in elementary school with ice cream on the line, she burst out laughing.

Kelly Nelson held out her hand.

"Just call me Kelly."

"Sure."

"I was too busy earlier to say anything, but I've been listening to Overcooked nonstop lately. It honestly feels exactly how I'd imagine a song about cooking should sound. It was completely my style."

Her eyes sparkled.

"...If you're interested, how about working on a song together sometime?"

"I'd love that."

While exchanging contact information with a Grammy Album of the Year winner and casually discussing future collaborations...

I also spent time swapping contacts with a famous Australian actor and the rest of the team, getting to know everyone.

“OK!”

Hayley clapped her hands sharply, drawing everyone's attention.

"Everybody ready?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you all sound so dead? ARE YOU READY?!"

"YEAH!"

She gathered everyone together.

"We'll be entering the arena soon. Tens of millions—maybe even a hundred million viewers—will be watching us."

I expected some speech about responsibility and representing our countries.

Instead—

"This is an incredible opportunity for us."

"...?"

"A chance to promote ourselves to tens of millions of viewers. If you attract attention during this dodgeball match, that's another talk-show booking. Another opportunity to advertise your whiskey brand or your cosmetics."

She pointed at a famous Canadian actress.

"Sandy. When people see you sweating today without your makeup smudging, they're going to buy the hell out of your waterproof products."

"!"

"In the future, you'll sell that brand for a hundred million dollars and buy a villa in the Caribbean. Your cheating husband will spend the rest of his life regretting it."

"!!"

Then she turned toward Moonlight's youngest member, who was quietly munching sunflower seeds like a squirrel.

"Jake. Your group has seven members, right? Hard to get speaking time on talk shows."

"...!"

"Nobody wants to give up screen time. But if you create a memorable moment in today's dodgeball match, you'll stand out."

Every time she motivated another person, their eyes burst into flames.

Public attention.

Was there any greater motivation for entertainers?

Hayley turned to us.

"The same goes for you two. The Overcooked performance is important, sure. But the more attention you get today, the more synergy it'll create for your stage."

"...!"

"Become the MVP of Supernova Dodgeball. Stand on the podium while some badass Korean Arirang starts playing."

She seemed to have misunderstood what a national anthem was, but it was still incredibly motivating.

When Junghyun's and my eyes began shining at the thought of using dodgeball to amplify our stage performance—

"Now everyone has a damn good reason to work hard, right? Let's go!"

A sports staff member wearing an intercom headset entered and gestured toward us.

Time to go.

Hayley's wrist-guarded hand stretched forward.

Everyone stacked their hands on top.

"Three, two, one...!"

"GO TEAM CANADA!"

We shouted the cheer together and thrust our arms into the air.

Loud music echoed from outside.

While cheers and stadium songs blared through the arena, we walked down the corridor in uniform alongside the Canadian team.

Light glowed beyond the dark tunnel.

After arriving first and lining up in formation, the American team walked up and stood beside us.

"Hey~"

"Look at you."

The American and Canadian teams greeted each other enthusiastically.

Then my eyes met Colin Evans'.

"..."

He immediately looked away and smiled at Jacob, one of the Canadian team members.

"Good luck."

As the two exchanged a few words, I whispered to Junghyun.

"Maybe it's because this is the players' entrance tunnel, but I'm actually nervous. It really feels like we're about to compete in a sporting event."

"It's definitely different from entering a concert."

It felt similar to the first time we participated in the Idolympics.

An exhibition match held at Madison Square Garden, one of New York's most famous arenas.

Estimated live viewership: tens of millions at minimum.

"Let's do some mental training."

"Should we each pretend to be the calmest person we know?"

"Let's do it."

I thought of the calmest person I knew and began my mental exercise.

"I am Kim Junghyun. I grow vegetables... vegetables calm me..."

"I am Sun Wooju. I am a composing goblin. I torment the producing team... it brings me joy... my heart is at peace..."

Junghyun copied my expression while I copied his.

Before long, we'd both achieved inner peace.

Then we looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"We're such idiots."

"Want me to add you to the idiot brothers line with Jiho and me? We've got an opening."

"I'm good."

I declined and casually threw an arm around Junghyun's shoulders.

Reliable.

Each of our members had different strengths.

The person I relied on depended on the situation.

Before performances, I felt most secure with Biju.

For duets, Ri Hyuk was the most dependable.

For acting or directing music video scenes, Jiho was unmatched.

And when it came to hip-hop, rap, variety shows, and sports—

Junghyun was the member who put me most at ease.

"Thanks for doing this with me, Junghyun."

"I'm really happy I got to do this with you too, hyung."

We exchanged warm smiles.

Then the call came for both teams to enter.

Straightening our uniforms, we stood tall.

“WAAAAAAAAAAH!”

The distant roar of the crowd echoed through the tunnel.

The opening performance featuring both nations' mascots and cheer squads must have just ended.

After brief speeches about American-Canadian friendship from the spouses of the two national leaders—

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome the players from both teams!"

At the signal from the event staff, the team captains moved to the front.

For the United States, stand-up comedian Benjamin Washington—the event organizer—led the way.

For Canada, Hayley took point.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Thunderous cheers.

Flashes everywhere.

The arena was packed with American and Canadian fans waving flags and screaming.

Everyone looked excited.

We'd held concerts here before, but somehow this felt completely different.

My chest trembled lightly.

Broadcasters wearing headsets spoke rapidly into microphones.

Then—

"It is now time for the national anthems."

The two teams stood before the crowd as the American anthem began.

"O say can you see—"

"By the dawn's early light—"

A military band performed majestically while one of America's most famous divas sang with dazzling technique.

Apparently she had wanted to participate in Supernova Dodgeball but had settled for performing the anthem because she was pregnant.

After the Americans finished their solemn anthem with hands over their hearts—

Canada's anthem began.

"O Canada!"

"Our home and native land!"

A world-famous Canadian diva belted out the anthem with tremendous power.

Both singers were so famous they regularly headlined stadium tours.

If either one held a concert in Korea, they'd probably sell out the Olympic Stadium for three straight days.

As we stood quietly, the Canadian celebrities around us hummed along or rested their hands behind their backs.

The atmosphere was completely different from the Americans.

'Hyung! Over here! Over here!'

At that moment, I spotted our little underlings in the staff seating area staring at us with sparkling eyes.

I greeted them with a smile.

Then—

"Both teams, please complete your handshakes and return to your positions."

After exchanging friendly handshakes with the American team, we returned to the bench.

Hayley Blue and the Canadian starters began warming up.

The Americans stretched their shoulders and cracked their necks.

"Hmm."

Junghyun leaned toward me.

"Do you think we'll be okay?"

"About what?"

"The Americans look a lot bigger than the Canadians..."

He wasn't wrong.

The American team definitely looked stronger.

In terms of fame, the teams were fairly even.

Physically, though, the Americans seemed superior.

"Let's watch for now."

As we talked, preparations finished.

The referees placed six balls along the center line and raised their whistles.

"Canada! Are you ready?"

Hayley Blue and her teammates crouched into running positions.

"USA! Are you ready?"

Cold Brown, Colin Evans, and the others swallowed hard and prepared themselves.

The referee blew the whistle.

"Three, two... one!"

"DODGEBALL!"

FWEEEEET!

Beneath the dazzling scoreboard and blazing lights—

The players sprinted toward each other.

The crowd erupted as the match officially began.

“WOOOOOOOOOO!”

Celebrities charged forward, grabbed balls, and immediately began firing.

Six orange balls flew through the air.

Cold Brown eliminated Kelly Nelson with his first throw.

Moments later, Hayley Blue nailed him square in the solar plexus.

"GUH!"

Everyone laughed as he stumbled off clutching his stomach.

Jacob Ryan from Moonlight hurled a ball with all his strength—

Only for Colin Evans to catch it effortlessly.

"NOOOOOOO, JACOB!"

"Jacob's out."

Jacob was eliminated.

Cold Brown returned to the game.

Back and forth the momentum swung like ping-pong.

The crowd loved it.

“WOOOOOOOOOO!”

Hayley Blue fought valiantly to the end, but three simultaneous throws finally took her out.

The United States claimed the first point.

[USA : Canada]

[1 : 0]

Blue waves rolled across the giant screen.

The next round went to Canada thanks to excellent teamwork.

The score was tied.

[USA : Canada]

[1 : 1]

But America immediately took the next point.

Then another.

And another.

2:1.

3:2.

4:2.

The United States gradually pulled ahead.

American viewers cheered.

"USA! USA!"

"Woooh! Loser!"

Americans at watch parties teased their Canadian friends.

The Canadians responded with things like, "Just wait, you healthcare-less savages."

Then the first ten-minute quarter ended.

"We'll be right back after a short commercial break!"

As the arena buzzed with energy and advertisements for Korean automobiles and American streaming platforms filled television screens—

"Hyung, hyung."

Jiho called out to Ri Hyuk from the staff section.

"What?"

"How do you think this is going to turn out?"

Ri Hyuk adjusted his glasses dramatically.

"Unless something changes, America wins comfortably."

Biju tilted his head.

"Why?"

"Overall balance. The Americans have better physical attributes, but Canada has advantages too."

"What advantages?"

"Dodgeball tends to favor Asians."

"...Really?"

"There are several reasons. Most importantly, dodgeball is more about avoiding hits than landing them. Smaller bodies have an advantage."

He wasn't wrong.

Most of Canada's players were slim.

Kelly Nelson was around 160 centimeters.

Jacob Ryan was about 175.

Their tallest male player was around 181.

Meanwhile, nearly every American player—even the women—approached 180 centimeters.

"Ultimately it's a matter of target size. Smaller targets are naturally harder to hit."

The others nodded.

Canada definitely seemed better at dodging.

"So the balance works. America throws better but gets hit more. Canada throws worse but avoids getting hit."

"Then why is Canada losing?"

"Stamina."

Ri Hyuk gestured toward the Canadians.

"They're already breathing hard."

"Ah..."

The Americans were forcing them to move constantly.

Knowing Canada's strengths, they were spreading the attacks around to wear them down.

The Canadians were visibly exhausted.

"If that continues, their reactions slow down. Then America wins."

"Wow. Hyung, you're exactly like one of those glasses-wearing strategist characters from sports manga."

"Heh heh heh."

"Like the exposition guy sitting on the bench explaining everything."

"...!"

As Ri Hyuk prepared to punish the youngest member—

Someone sitting behind them spoke up.

"You seem to be having a fascinating discussion about the match. Would you mind letting me in on it?"

A middle-aged white man introduced himself.

"I'm the president of the National Dodgeball Association."

"Oh..."

"You seemed unusually serious about dodgeball."

Ri Hyuk explained his analysis in English.

The association president looked intrigued.

"You're absolutely right. The American strategy clearly focuses on draining Canada's stamina."

A blush appeared on Ri Hyuk's face after receiving validation from an expert.

The dodgeball enthusiast continued.

"But I believe Canada is intentionally trying to drain America's stamina as well."

"...Really?"

"You can tell from their movement."

He pointed toward Hayley Blue and the Canadian team.

"They keep forcing the Americans to move forward and backward. The Americans probably don't realize it because there isn't much lateral movement, but Canada is definitely steering them in that direction."

"Oh..."

So even though it looked like Canada was being dominated, they were playing strategically.

"Still, Canada remains at a disadvantage. America has the superior endurance."

The president nodded.

"For that strategy to make sense..."

He smiled.

"Canada would need a secret weapon."

"..."

"The American lineup is obviously using its starters. It looks like Canada's goal is to weaken them first."

At the words secret weapon, the three NewBlack members looked toward the bench.

Wooju and Junghyun sat there blowing bubble gum.

The silver-haired young man in a red Canadian bandana looked like he belonged in a fashion magazine.

Biju secretly zoomed in and took a picture.

When Wooju noticed and gave him a wink, Biju covered his mouth.

The association president looked puzzled.

"Is something wrong?"

"I think..."

"...we know what the secret weapon is."

"...?"

As the NewBlack members nodded while staring at their leader and rapper—

The match began tilting further and further toward America.

When the score gap exceeded ten points—

Now.

Watching the exhausted American starters, Hayley Blue narrowed her eyes.

She signaled the coach.

The coach grinned and nodded.

Moments later, he walked over to the silver-haired young man.

Wooju rose to his feet and began stretching.

Good.

We've drained their energy.

Now get in there.

Our secret weapon.

Hayley Blue and the Canadians grinned wickedly.

The situation grew increasingly dire for Canada.

Every time the score gap widened, Canadian fans grabbed their heads.

"Noooooooo!"

"Ughhh!"

At first, people assumed they wouldn't care much since dodgeball wasn't one of Canada's pride-and-glory sports like hockey.

But once America started running away with the score—

It began to hurt.

Online, Americans were already posting things like:

"Canada getting absolutely destroyed lol."

Even Americans attending watch parties with close Canadian friends were holding back celebrations because the score had become so lopsided.

Then—

"The match continues to swing toward the United States—but wait! Canada is making a substitution!"

"Who's entering?"

"Jamison is coming out, and Sun is entering! The superstar mercenary player representing Canada!"

A chubby comedy actor waddled off the court, gasping for breath.

Then the camera found Sun.

The arena immediately stirred.

"He's unbelievably handsome!"

"The crowd is buzzing!"

Sun Wooju stood there wearing knee pads, shorts, and a short-sleeved jersey.

Silver hair gleamed beneath the lights.

One hand rested casually on his hip beneath a Canadian bandana.

He looked every bit the effortless ace.

After high-fiving the comedian, he jogged lazily onto the court.

"Interesting timing for a substitution."

"Will he become Canada's shining sun—or disappear behind the clouds? We're about to find out!"

Hayley Blue patted Wooju's shoulder like she'd just acquired reinforcements.

Cold Brown immediately began warning his teammates.

Viewers grew curious.

Does he have something special?

To them, NewBlack was just a K-pop boy band.

A famous celebrity had entered the game.

Many Canadians remained skeptical.

We'll see.

Compared to the rugged Americans, Wooju looked far too slender.

Then—

"The match resumes!"

Apparently the Americans had reached an agreement.

From the very start, they focused all their attacks on Wooju.

Cold Brown.

Colin Evans.

Benjamin Washington.

Three balls flew toward him simultaneously.

"The balls are headed straight for Sunny!"

"That looks impossible to dodge!"

Three balls closed in.

Wooju tilted his head.

Tilt—

Like a wobbling toy, his body leaned off rhythm.

Colin Evans' ball slipped through the gap between his arm and leg.

Then—

Snap.

Snap.

His hands moved like a spider's.

He caught the other two balls one after another.

And immediately launched a counterattack.

BANG!

BANG!

Two American players were eliminated instantly.

Two more were struck moments later.

Four players disappeared in an instant.

The crowd erupted in shock.

"!"

"!!"

Across the Pacific, Korean viewers watching online suddenly widened their eyes.

T-that's...

The replay rolled.

Boom—

Wooju leaned his body at an odd off-beat angle like a traditional wobbling doll.

Then he rose.

Creaaak—

He snatched the ball.

Whip-whip-whip—

And fired.

Boom da-ra-ra-ra—

The Americans collapsed before they could even react to the strange rhythm.

The Korean audience stared in disbelief.

Gutgeori rhythm!

At that moment, the final boss of Supernova Dodgeball had arrived.

Sun Wooju, Master of Off-Beat Timing.