Chapter 1069: Overcooked (22)

At the same time.

The exact same scene was playing on screens across North America.

"Jamison is coming out, and Sun is entering!"

"Could this be Canada's secret weapon? The global superstar is stepping onto the court!"

House parties filled with Canadians and Americans.

College dormitory gatherings.

Bars broadcasting Supernova Dodgeball.

Everywhere—

[Estimated Live Viewership]

43,067,000

According to network estimates, over forty-three million people were watching live.

Nearly one-tenth of North America's population of roughly four hundred million.

For comparison, the average NFL game drew around fifteen million viewers, while the untouchable giant known as the Super Bowl averaged around one hundred million.

The numbers were staggering.

And now those viewers were being introduced to NewBlack's Wooju.

"That's NewBlack?"

"Yeah. That's him."

Even people who had only heard the group's name until now were getting a clear first impression.

"He's handsome."

"Actually kind of cute. My type, honestly. I usually don't date Asian guys, but I'd make an exception."

"Can he even throw a ball properly?"

Across North America, viewers stuffed themselves with pizza and beer while watching.

Americans looked curious.

Canadians, meanwhile, were less convinced.

Is he really that good? He doesn't look much different from Jacob.

Physically, he didn't seem that different from Moonlight's members.

That was what everyone was thinking.

Then—

"Uh-oh! The American team has decided to focus on Sun right away!"

Three balls flew toward Wooju.

And at that moment, viewers throughout North America experienced the same optical illusion.

The television seemed to slow down.

"...?"

"...??"

Wooju twisted his body along an unbelievable trajectory.

One ball slipped between his legs.

Both hands flashed like lightning.

The Americans' jaws dropped.

The Canadians' eyes widened.

No way...

And Wooju did not disappoint.

"Incredible! Sun catches two balls, eliminating two American players!"

Cold Brown and Benjamin Washington stood frozen in disbelief before the referee waved them off the court.

Then Wooju's return throw eliminated Colin Evans and another American celebrity.

BAM!

Colin yelped as the ball struck his back and trudged off the court.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Canadian team surged forward.

Before anyone realized what had happened—

The entire American team had been eliminated.

"WOOOOOO!"

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

Every Canadian in the arena jumped to their feet.

"My God!"

"What did I just witness?! That's absolutely unbelievable!"

The gloomy atmosphere among Canadian fans flipped instantly.

On television, a little girl with a Canadian flag painted across her face waved a flag while crying tears of joy.

Meanwhile, American fans clutched their heads.

Even the commentators were losing their minds.

"Let's see that again in slow motion!"

The replay began.

The silver-haired young man tracked the incoming balls with incredible dynamic vision.

His eyes almost seemed to glow.

Then—

He twisted.

Caught.

Threw.

"Wow..."

"WOOOOOO!"

It was a genuine superstar play.

Everyone watching burst out laughing in disbelief.

That's insane!

North American social media exploded with similar reactions.

-They're from South Korea, right? Not North Korea... right?

-Reasonable suspicion: NewBlack has two members named Kim.

-NewBlack: hahaha! We have come to avenge the Korean War!

-The era of NK-Pop has arrived.

While countless people joked online about whether they were really from the South—

Everyone in reality was still staring at the endless replays.

Was he an athlete before becoming a singer?

Even American viewers found themselves liking him.

Athletic ability was highly attractive in American culture.

Wooju had just scored major points.

Moments ago, he'd been "that skinny boy-band guy."

Now that image was rapidly disappearing.

More importantly—

The atmosphere had become fun.

"Long live Canada!"

"That's what I'm talking about!"

The previously depressed Canadians leaped up and cheered.

The Americans got fired up again as well.

Friends from both countries immediately resumed trash-talking each other.

"Our ace is finally out there. You're finished now. Canada is taking the glory."

"See that? That's Canadian power!"

"Prepare yourselves, hamburger people!"

The Canadians proudly talked trash.

The Americans fired right back.

"You think one player changes the whole game?"

"He just got lucky. The score difference is still huge. America wins this one. Hahaha!"

Everyone laughed and exchanged playful insults.

"BOOOOOOO!"

"BOOOOOOO!"

At that point, everyone still thought the same thing.

Wooju, high-fiving his teammates after the play, was simply Canada's ace.

One player can't change an entire game...

At most, people thought he'd evened the balance between the two teams.

Now the match would become a competitive comeback battle.

That was what everyone expected.

Instead—

What unfolded was something entirely different.

"Sun jumps and avoids the throw in midair!"

Wooju casually hopped over a ball.

While rotating in the air, he threw one of his own.

BAM!

BAM BAM!

The ball struck Cold Brown's arm and ricocheted into Colin Evans.

Mandy Spice tried to catch it—

Only to get hit herself.

"OUT! Three players eliminated at once!"

"A true superstar play! Are you all seeing this?!"

As the commentators screamed, Canadian viewers roared.

"SUN! SUN! SUN!"

"All hail the Sun!"

"Now THIS is sports!"

The silver-haired young man casually high-fived Hayley Blue and brushed his hair back.

Everyone stared.

Why does he look even more handsome now...?

He was already ridiculously attractive.

Adding athletic dominance somehow applied an entirely new filter.

As Canadians celebrated and Americans clicked their tongues—

"Sun dodges again! He's controlling the entire match with that unique rhythm!"

"Another complete elimination!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"CANADA! CANADA!"

"OUT! This match has become completely one-sided!"

"Canada has tied the United States!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAH..."

"WAAAAAAAH..."

"Four eliminations! Sun is absolutely unstoppable!"

"Canada is overwhelming the United States on the scoreboard!"

"..."

"..."

The Canadians gradually stopped talking.

Instead, they began carefully glancing at the Americans.

The exact opposite of earlier.

Even the Canadians who had been talking trash online were now reduced to:

"Uh..."

"Well..."

Then a new development occurred.

"The American team has called an emergency meeting!"

And then—

"It appears the American team has a secret weapon of its own! Benjamin Washington is coming out, and a new player is entering!"

America revealed its trump card.

The American team on the court felt like they were losing their minds.

"WOOO!"

"WAAAAAAAAH!"

The silver-haired idol moved like a bolt of lightning.

Every time he moved, another teammate was eliminated.

Every time they regained their bearings, a ball was already flying toward their faces.

Benjamin Washington clenched his fist.

"Damn it!"

He grumbled.

"Isn't Canada cheating too? Since when are former professional athletes allowed?"

"He's not an athlete."

"..."

Cold Brown's response silenced him.

Still—

Wooju looked athletic enough to make anyone suspicious.

How is that possible?

Every movement seemed absurd.

He spun through the air and threw rotating shots.

He casually caught balls flying between his legs.

The crowd roared.

The Americans suffered.

God, that's annoying.

The problem was Wooju's off-beat rhythm.

Everyone used feints.

But Wooju's timing variations were extraordinary.

This one will hit him!

Just when they felt certain—

Boom-clap-clap.

He moved off-beat.

Slipped away.

Then flashed them a smiling glance.

Silver hair fluttering.

The fact that he was handsome only made it worse.

And his throws?

Alright, here we go! One... twooooo...

AAAAAH—!

...Huh?

Two and a half and a quarter and a quarter...

...?

Three!

GYAH!

They couldn't predict it.

Sometimes he threw off-beat.

Sometimes he threw perfectly on-beat.

It was complete chaos.

This is infuriating.

Colin Evans blew air through his nose.

Watching Wooju toy with everyone over and over again finally snapped something inside him.

He hurled a ball with all his strength.

Then—

"...?"

Wooju saw it with unbelievable reflexes.

He tilted his head slightly.

The ball missed.

And continued flying straight behind him.

"GUH!"

It struck Jacob directly in the face.

Jacob grabbed the bridge of his nose as people around him shouted.

"HEY!"

Cold Brown patted Colin's shoulder.

"Colin. A game's a game. Don't put your emotions into the throw."

"...Sorry."

For some reason, Colin suddenly felt like the only villain in the arena.

His mood plunged into the abyss.

Damn it.

Every time Wooju did something, the crowd exploded with applause.

He hated it.

Wooju shone so brightly that Colin felt like moonlight disappearing beneath the sun.

He smiled for the cameras.

But his eyes narrowed.

"Jacob, you okay?"

"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you...?"

"Sorry."

"Whatever."

Even Jacob, Moonlight's youngest member, was openly annoyed.

Hey! There are cameras everywhere!

Tens of millions of people were watching.

And yet his teammate was acting visibly irritated.

Colin was getting a headache.

Even the Moonlight members in the audience scratched the backs of their heads in frustration.

Then—

FWEEEEET!

The referee blew the whistle.

The American team gathered together.

Everyone shared the same thought.

We can't stop Sun Wooju with our current lineup.

He was rampaging like a honey badger confronting a cobra.

The solution was obvious.

"Let's send him in."

"Our secret weapon."

"I agree."

"So do I."

Coaches.

Staff.

Players.

Everyone agreed.

Their ultimate trump card.

The weapon they had sealed away because using him too early would feel unfair.

They approached him.

"Lenny."

"Hmmmm..."

An elderly man stroked his long beard and chuckled.

As if asking,

What business could you possibly have with an old relic like me?

"Is it time?"

"Yes."

"I thought so."

He rose.

Everyone looked up.

A towering shadow fell over them.

Height: 213 centimeters.

An NBA legend.

A legendary center who dominated the seventies and eighties.

Lenny Jones stood.

"I thought I'd spend the whole day sitting on the bench. It's nice to actually play. Ho ho ho."

The strongest player in the tournament had arrived.

A wingspan exceeding two meters.

A legendary alley-oop specialist whose catching ability bordered on absurd.

A boss character so unfair that he had originally been scheduled to appear in the fourth quarter as a special event.

Instead—

He was appearing during the tutorial.

As he stretched, American fans erupted.

"LENNY JONES!"

"LENNY JONES IS PLAYING!"

Canadian fans, meanwhile, tensed up.

He was nearly seventy years old and had been retired for more than thirty years.

Nobody underestimated him.

Then Lenny Jones strode directly toward Wooju.

The size difference resembled David and Goliath.

"So we've finally met. Ho ho."

"Mr. Jones."

"Call me Lenny."

The old man rotated his arm.

"I'll show you what it means for a former professional athlete to still be walking around healthy after seventy years."

"It'll definitely be difficult facing you."

The much younger athlete smiled.

"No matter who I am, the gap between a professional and an amateur is enormous. Even if you've been retired for thirty years."

"Oh? Admitting defeat already?"

"No."

Wooju answered confidently.

"That's why I brought Junghyun too."

"Hello, sir."

Kim Junghyun popped out from behind him.

The green-haired member adjusted his wrist guards.

"Two of you..."

The old legend laughed.

He had battled NBA giants his entire life.

The confidence of these youngsters amused him.

"Let's see what you've got."

"We'll show you."

Wooju grinned.

The old man grinned back.

Then they turned away from each other.

The atmosphere in the arena became even hotter.

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

An NBA legend entering the game had elevated everything.

The commentators were practically foaming at the mouth.

American fans suddenly regained their confidence.

As I rolled my wrists, Hayley approached me.

"Well done. The plan worked."

"Yes."

Lenny Jones entering the game had been our goal all along.

The grandfather sitting on the bench had obviously been America's secret weapon.

We needed to force him onto the court as early as possible.

If he entered during the third or fourth quarter after I'd already exhausted myself—

We'd have no answer.

"Honestly, though, I still don't see how we're supposed to beat him."

Junghyun nodded.

"I've been watching carefully, but I can't find any openings."

"Really?"

"None. There are trajectories that look hittable against normal players."

"But not him."

He sighed.

"No matter what angle we throw from, he'll catch it."

This was one of those moments when I wished Ri Hyuk were here.

I glanced toward the VIP section.

The underlings were waving enthusiastically.

Not particularly useful.

"Hmm..."

I stared at Lenny Jones across the court.

I couldn't see a solution.

Then—

"Why overthink it?"

Hayley smacked both of us on the shoulders and grinned.

"Back in the slums where I grew up, we had a saying."

"...What was it?"

"Even a boxing champion can't beat a group beating."

"...Fair enough?"

"Exactly. Just do it."

Somehow, that restored my confidence.

The next round began.

"Canada! Are you ready?"

"YES!"

Junghyun and I crouched into starting positions.

"USA!"

"YES!"

Lenny Jones stood smiling.

The rest of the American team prepared to charge.

"Three, two, one... DODGEBALL!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

As both countries waved their flags—

Junghyun.

Hayley.

And I.

All attacked simultaneously.

Even a former NBA player can't dodge three balls at once!

All three balls flew.

Then—

SWISH!

The old man's arm moved at impossible speed.

He casually caught Junghyun's ball.

Used it to deflect mine.

Then—

"!"

"!!"

A ball came flying back.

BAM!

It hit my forearm.

Before I could react, Hayley was eliminated too.

Off-beat.

On-beat.

None of it mattered.

He simply threw honestly.

And we couldn't react.

FWEEEEET!

The rest of our team fell in rapid succession.

America took the point.

Cold Brown hugged Lenny Jones.

Colin Evans was smiling again.

The American crowd shook the arena.

"What was that?"

"What was that, hyung...?"

Junghyun and I stared at each other blankly.

It was the first time since our debut that we'd been completely overwhelmed physically.

"What do we do?"

"We experience it."

"...?"

"We keep playing until we figure out the answer."

"Got it."

The game continued.

At first we suffered repeated defeats against the sixty-something monster.

The score gap shrank rapidly.

But before long—

We adapted.

"America wins!"

"Canada!"

"America!"

Back and forth.

Like ping-pong.

The atmosphere shifted.

What had started as a cheerful exhibition match was slowly transforming into something much more intense.

However—

"This won't work."

Jacob voiced his concern.

"It's too hard to beat them."

"Agreed."

Hayley nodded.

"We're spending way too many resources just dealing with that old man."

America won without any specific formula.

Canada, however, had exactly one.

Eliminate every other player.

Then bombard Lenny Jones with four or five balls simultaneously.

The Americans had figured this out and were adapting.

"Hmm..."

We needed another solution.

Then Junghyun raised his hand.

"What about this?"

"...?"

"Let's eliminate him in the middle of a round."

Everyone looked skeptical.

But they agreed to try.

The third quarter began.

Balls immediately started flying.

Junghyun and I focused on dodging.

"Junghyun! Move!"

"Yes!"

Step one:

Survive.

We avoided the incoming barrage and quickly gathered balls.

Junghyun! Now!

Got it!

Junghyun threw both balls in rapid succession.

FWOOOSH!

Both targeted Lenny Jones' upper body.

The throws were so fast they were difficult to follow with the naked eye.

And yet—

Lenny caught them both.

As he used one ball to knock away the other—

I leaped from behind Junghyun and threw.

Straight at his legs.

FWOOOSH!

The timing window was microscopic.

No matter how athletic someone was—

A pair of arms extended upward could not physically drop to leg level that quickly.

As I watched the ball's trajectory while landing—

I smiled.

Got him.

It felt like one of those scenes that would look incredible in a highlight reel.

I could practically hear the crowd roaring.

I imagined the hundreds of memes and GIFs that would flood the internet.

Then—

You think that'll hit me?!

The old man's eyes seemed to say exactly that.

He moved to dodge.

But my throw curved slightly.

Just enough.

BAM!

The ball connected.

Lenny Jones' eyes widened.

The ricochet sent another player—Colin Evans—out as well.

Then silence fell.

Because everyone realized where the ball had landed.

"..."

"..."

The throw aimed at his legs.

The dodge.

The unfortunate final destination.

Male spectators collectively groaned.

"Ughhhhh..."

Lenny Jones dropped to one knee.

Then—

"GYEHK...!"

A strange sound echoed through the arena.

Everyone turned.

The ricocheted ball had struck Colin Evans in exactly the same place.

THUD.

The Moonlight member collapsed to his knees.

Players from both teams immediately rushed over.

"Oh no, Colin!"

"Colin!"

The audience burst out laughing.

"Are... are you okay?"

While patting the fallen man's back along with everyone else—

I had no idea.

At that very moment, across the internet—

People had begun calling me:

Ball Hunter.