Chapter 1071: Overcooked (24)

The Phantom Flame Shot!

It was the secret weapon I had prepared for today.

-He's about to show us something straight out of a comic book!

The windup was so ridiculously long that it wasn't something I could pull out whenever I wanted.

There was always a ball flying at me.

But in a one-on-one situation like this, especially with only ten seconds left before the end of the game, it was the perfect shot to unveil.

Here I go! One million views!

But just as I spun my body in midair, landed, and prepared to launch the ball—

Fwoooosh—

"OUT!"

The referee pointed at the floor as he made the call.

The tip of my sneaker was touching the center line.

"..."

"..."

Silence settled over the arena.

With tens of millions of viewers watching through cameras and the entire audience staring at me, embarrassment surged from the tips of my shoes to the top of my head, instantly filling to one hundred percent.

Thunk.

Rrrrrroll.

The ball slipped from my hand.

As I sank to the floor and buried my face in my hands—

"Hahahahahahaha!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Through the gaps between my fingers, I could see the First Ladies clutching their stomachs in laughter. The audience exploded as though they had just witnessed a comedy special.

The American team members wiping away sweat on the opposite side weren't any different. Cold Brown had collapsed onto the floor and was literally rolling around while laughing.

Singer-songwriter Mandy Spice was grinning like a fox with her mouth wide open, while comedian Benjamin Washington shook his head with an expression that practically said, This kid is something else, while looking oddly respectful.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

As more than ten thousand people roared with laughter inside Madison Square Garden—

"Young man."

The NBA legend who had been laughing so hard he was shaking his head walked over and held out a hand to me.

His wrinkled face was filled with amusement.

"That was one hell of a shot. Shame it didn't count."

"Sir..."

As I grabbed his hand and stood up, he patted my shoulder and winked.

"Great game. And congratulations on the win."

The moment he said those words—

BEEEEEEP!

The buzzer sounded, and a red wave swept across the giant scoreboard hanging from the ceiling.

[Today's Winner]

CANADA

The Canadian flag rippled across the screen, and cheers erupted throughout the arena.

As the thunderous applause poured onto the court where Lenny Jones and I stood—

"Hyung!"

Junghyun came running over and wrapped me in a hug.

"You were amazing!"

"Thanks, Junghyun. I—"

Before I could finish, my teammates charged in.

Hailey Blue practically tackled me and ruffled my hair.

"You little punk! I believed in you! I knew you'd kick those American bastards' asses!"

Moonlight's youngest member, Jacob Ryan, came over and held up his hand.

"That was incredible!"

"See that, Jake? Now you understand why I brought him."

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, famous Canadian comedian Pete Jamison bounced his enormous belly into me and laughed.

Everyone was saying something from every direction, but since it was all in English, I couldn't catch everything.

For some reason, it reminded me of elementary school.

Back when I'd been the last survivor in a dodgeball match and carried my class to victory.

The same classmates who normally avoided me whenever sports were involved had rushed over shouting, "Woojuuuuuu!" and thrown themselves at me.

That was exactly what this felt like.

The Canadian teammates who had been somewhat distant at the start were suddenly tearing down all the walls between us.

"Come here. Hup!"

"Whoa, whoa! Wait!"

Pete Jamison effortlessly lifted me into the air and planted me on his shoulders.

Laughing loudly, he shouted,

"Behold! Our Sun!"

"SUN! SUN! SUN!"

I finally understood how Baby Simba must have felt in The Lion King.

When that monkey grandfather held him up and showed him to all the animals while basically shouting, Behold your prince!

It was probably something like this.

"WOOOOOOOOOO!"

Golden confetti rained from the ceiling while the Canadian actors paraded me around in front of the crowd.

The commentators were laughing so hard they could barely speak.

"Uh... I think I can get down now."

"No chance! One more lap!"

"WOOOOOOOOOO!"

Even the little underlings sitting in the VIP section were clapping and laughing hysterically.

Why Biju was standing there looking on the verge of tears while recording everything on his phone, I had no idea...

Anyway, after the victory parade finally ended—

I thanked everyone who kept ruffling my hair and patting my shoulders while telling me I'd done a great job.

"Kid, you earned this."

Now that the excitement of victory had cooled slightly, Hailey Blue thanked me sincerely.

"If you hadn't been here, we'd have gotten stomped by the Americans. Then we'd have spent months getting mocked online."

"I had fun too."

I gazed into the distance.

"Though the ending was a little unfortunate..."

"Oh. You mean when you stepped on the line and died?"

"You didn't have to phrase it like that. Hailey. My heart is already wounded."

Junghyun's cheeks twitched as he tried not to laugh all over again.

I sighed.

"I really could've gotten a million-view clip out of that."

"It's going to be ten million views now."

"..."

Hailey was right.

In about a month, it felt like that clip would have something ridiculous like 22.3 million views and become endless meme material.

Just imagining the jokes that would appear on Korean forums made my head ache.

"Ugh..."

As I shuddered, my eyes met Colin Evans's from across the room.

He was staring at me blankly.

A strange look.

He was probably thinking about what I'd said earlier, but his expression was impossible to decipher.

I gave him a casual nod of greeting.

"Stop sulking and get over here."

Hailey beckoned me.

"Why?"

"You've got an MVP award to collect."

Workers were already setting up a presentation stage on the dodgeball court.

After the game ended and another commercial break began—

"CANADA! CANADA! CANADA!"

"WOOOOOOO!"

Canadians at home viewing parties were bouncing on couches while waving Canadian flags.

"Hey! Knock it off."

"BOOOOOOO! We can't hear losers! BOOOOOOO!"

"Hey!"

The Americans grumbled, but soon they were laughing and drinking beer along with everyone else.

Everyone looked happy.

That was fun.

At first, some people had been skeptical.

They'd said it was supposedly a charity event, but really just celebrities getting together to show off.

But the game had completely shattered those expectations.

An NBA legend versus NewBlack.

Celebrities displaying sportsmanship right until the end.

It had delivered everything people wanted to see—and then some.

The tension.

The excitement.

And even comedy at the end.

"Hahahahaha!"

Low-quality phone footage was already appearing on MyTube, and everyone burst into laughter again.

Sun Wooju preparing his ultimate technique only to die by stepping on the line.

Especially that final moment.

It felt like the entire event was saying—

-Winning and losing matters, sure. But at the end of the day, this was a game between friends.

As a friendship event between two North American nations, it had ended with laughter.

"Shall we make a toast?"

"Cheers!"

Americans and Canadians clinked beer cans together and laughed.

Then the commercials ended, and the broadcast resumed.

[And that concludes Supernova Dodgeball with a Canadian victory!]

After the sponsor logo for the cola company appeared beneath the words Supernova Dodgeball, the cameras showed Canadian fans still waving flags and American spectators laughing and chatting.

[Preparations for the ceremony are currently underway.]

A podium with bulletproof glass was being assembled.

[In the meantime, let's take a look at today's biggest highlights!]

Highlights of Hailey Blue's performance in the first quarter.

The Sun Wooju–Junghyun duo appearing from the second quarter onward.

The arrival of Lenny Jones.

One memorable scene after another appeared in slow motion while the upbeat sounds of Overcooked played in the background.

"Is that NewBlack's new song?"

"Probably. It's number one on the charts right now."

"Wow."

The music flowed live to an audience that had somehow climbed to fifty million viewers through word of mouth.

No matter which channel people switched to, it was the same.

The network editors had already prepared music tracks depending on who won MVP.

Earlier they had used Hailey Blue's music during the first-quarter highlights.

Now they were playing Overcooked.

"Hahahahahaha!"

And then came the slow-motion replay of Sun Wooju's bewildered expression after stepping on the line and getting called out.

Everyone laughed all over again.

Soon the broadcast returned to the arena.

[It is now time for the postgame ceremony. First, we will present the MVP trophy.]

Nobody had to say who it was.

Everyone already knew.

The President of the National Dodgeball Association, visibly thrilled, picked up the microphone and announced:

[SUN WOO-JOO!]

"WAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Amid thunderous cheers, a handsome silver-haired man stepped forward.

He casually brushed back his hair as he walked, looking more like a runway model than an athlete.

Wooju!

Holy crap!

While Souffle members were frantically creating GIFs online, the Association President shook Wooju's hand with tears in his eyes.

North American internet users immediately began commenting.

-Why is that guy crying?

-Because his niche sport just became mainstream.

-Oh.

-He looks like he wants to kiss him.

Flash.

Flash.

Flash.

Wooju posed before the sports reporters with the MVP trophy.

Pretending to kiss it.

Winking.

Hugging it while smiling.

Every shot looked effortlessly photogenic.

"Wow."

Viewers stared in admiration.

It was hard to explain, but he seemed to overflow with natural star power.

His eyes sparkled mischievously beneath his silver hair.

He looked like someone who had been born famous.

Finally, Wooju stepped up to the microphone.

[First, I'd like to say a few words to my teammates.]

The Canadian team members immediately perked up.

With a serious expression, Wooju said:

[I think this trophy was well deserved. About eighty percent of the victory was thanks to me.]

"You little—!"

Hailey Blue immediately booed while Pete Jamison put on an exaggerated look of outrage.

Everyone burst out laughing.

Wooju laughed as well.

[Just kidding. Thank you very much for inviting me to participate in this friendly match between Canada and the United States. It was truly an unforgettable experience in many ways... and when I get home, I'll be kicking my blankets very aggressively tonight.]

As he finished thanking everyone, he turned toward the camera.

[And to the viewers watching in Korea... yes. Everyone. I have successfully introduced K-Dodgeball to the world.]

The Korean viewers watching live nodded solemnly.

-Well done, Wooju.

-Yes. This is true K-Dodgeball.

-See that, foreigners? THIS is K-Dodgeball!!! (proud)

-Look at everyone switching sides lol

-To be fair, maybe they should've removed the Korean flag from a few moments...

After finishing his speech, Wooju raised the trophy.

At that exact moment, the Korean national anthem briefly began playing as background music for the MVP ceremony.

The sight of Sun Wooju placing a hand over his chest as though he were representing the national dodgeball team sent the crowd into laughter.

-Flutter

-Damn it, why is the national anthem so funny here? lol

-Did he win an Olympic gold medal? lol

-The Americans have incredible timing.

-Look at that emotional expression lol. Five years as an entertainer really shows.

After the MVP ceremony concluded, the Canadian team posed for commemorative photos with the Prime Minister's wife while holding the trophy.

The American and Canadian teams exchanged jerseys.

Meanwhile, a new stage began taking shape inside the arena.

[The event isn't over yet! We still have performances from world-famous artists, so don't go anywhere!]

Viewers across North America nodded.

The dodgeball game wasn't the only reason they'd tuned in.

The gala concert afterward was another major attraction.

"Who's performing tonight?"

"Hailey Blue is definitely confirmed. Maybe Cold Brown and his crew too?"

While people chatted about the lineup, others who hadn't watched the game—or had only just heard about it—started checking online.

What's all the commotion about?

Curious about who had won Canada versus America, they asked:

-Who won today??

The replies arrived instantly.

-Korea won.

-No, seriously.

-Korea won.

-????

It was a mystery no one could possibly understand without having watched the game.

"Guys!"

"Hyyyyungs!"

"Did I do well?"

"You were amazing!"

The underlings surrounded Junghyun and me, patting us while laughing.

Ri Hyuk said,

"We were sitting near the President of the North American Dodgeball Association. He spent the entire game praising you."

"What did you think?"

"You were incredible."

Ri Hyuk nodded warmly.

"And you even created a black-history moment that'll help promote our album. Truly wonderful."

"..."

"I'm just really glad it wasn't me."

I glared at the evil little brat.

But he merely smiled blissfully, like someone savoring a cup of coffee.

"Mmm... the aroma of future embarrassment."

Biju looked devastated.

"I took too many pictures. My phone storage is completely full. I should've brought an SD card."

"You took that many?"

"Yep!"

His gallery was packed with photos.

Junghyun peeked over.

"Am I in any of them?"

A moment later he quietly retreated with a sad expression.

Just then Jiho spotted someone in the distance.

"Hyungs, our manager is calling us."

"Oh. It's probably time to change for the performance."

The gala concert was next.

We quickly dried our sweat-soaked hair, got our makeup touched up, and transformed into stage-ready versions of ourselves.

Sniffing my outfit, I frowned.

"The sweat smell is a little concerning..."

"It's fine."

Ri Hyuk smiled.

"Compared to the people here, it's nothing."

"I-Is it?"

"Every time the people next to me raised their arms, I felt like running to the bathroom. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought I was going to throw up."

I couldn't help laughing at Ri Hyuk's misery over everyone's armpit odor.

Soon we headed toward the entrance in our stage outfits.

The area that had been a dodgeball court only moments ago had already transformed into a concert venue.

Watching the sea of bustling staff members, I couldn't help staring.

"Wooooow..."

Ri Hyuk said,

"They do this during the Super Bowl too. They can build an entire performance stage in about five minutes."

"That's incredible."

Huge stage platforms rolled across the floor.

Within moments they were assembled into a single massive structure.

Sound systems.

Lighting.

Every aspect of the production.

For a moment I found myself marveling at the power of a country possessing some of the world's most advanced concert infrastructure.

[Please welcome the Supernova Dodgeball Gala Show!]

The opening act was Hailey Blue.

Standing beneath the lights with a blue guitar custom-built for her by a famous instrument manufacturer, she looked every bit the pop superstar.

The crowd's cheers were deafening.

[Please welcome Canada's shining star, winner of eight Grammy Awards and a multi-platinum recording artist—Hailey Blue!]

The moment she began performing her latest song, the arena exploded.

Meanwhile, on the court below, the production staff and volunteers who had helped create today's event were jumping up and down from the front rows.

Hailey smiled warmly, shaking their hands one by one as if thanking them personally for their hard work.

"Wooooow..."

For people like us, who loved watching live performances more than anything in the world, it was pure happiness.

After Canada's national singer Hailey Blue finished her set—

[And now please welcome four-time Grammy nominee Cold Brown!]

There had been a long list of accolades before that, but the fact that they specifically mentioned only his Grammy nominations made me laugh.

I was starting to understand why Cold was so obsessed with winning one.

Taking the stage, he performed a collaboration track with several famous rappers and delivered an explosive hip-hop performance.

One after another, Canadian and American artists alternated on stage.

"Talk about lucky."

Both sides had fought endlessly over who would get the closing performance.

Neither the American nor Canadian organizers had been willing to compromise.

Eventually the discussion had devolved into:

Just let NewBlack close the show.

As a result, we'd inherited the finale.

The smooth atmosphere made me smile.

"Should we start warming up?"

"Yep."

"The artists before us have already done all the hard work building the crowd's energy. We just need to ride the wave."

That was what I was thinking while preparing backstage.

Then—

[Please welcome the legend of country music, Beau Riley!]

A famous singer in his fifties stepped onto the stage wearing a cowboy hat.

"Whoa!"

"Why, hyung? Is he famous?"

"He's a legend in that genre."

Country music.

A genre that might feel unfamiliar to Koreans, but one of the biggest genres in America.

Not a perfect comparison, but in Korea it held a position somewhat similar to trot music.

If younger generations listened to hip-hop, middle-aged and older audiences listened to country.

And Beau Riley was one of the absolute giants of the genre.

His global name recognition wasn't particularly high, but within the United States he was famous enough to rank among the top five touring artists in attendance numbers.

[Good evening. What an incredible atmosphere.]

Orange hair and a matching beard peeked out from beneath the cowboy hat.

The singer looked like he had stepped straight out of the Old West.

The crowd cheered as he strummed an acoustic guitar.

[Thank you for inviting me to such a wonderful event. I was deeply moved watching today's game. It began with competition and ended with unity. It was truly beautiful. Thank you to all the players.]

As he continued strumming, he added:

[And because of that, there's something I'd like to say after watching today's event. Seeing this spirit of unity reminded me of something.]

He looked directly into the camera.

[Modern society is consumed by conflict. Events like this are precious.]

Americans and Canadians nodded.

[Social media is everywhere, and people no longer extend tolerance to one another. Back when our country was great, things weren't like this. We respected differences instead of condemning people for their opinions.]

The crowd erupted in applause.

[But as guaranteed by the Constitution, we have freedom of expression. A culture where people are publicly attacked simply for holding different opinions should disappear. Just as we all became one today.]

I assumed he was simply giving a speech like many musicians did during charity events.

The Americans seemed enthusiastic.

"That's right!"

"Exactly!"

Then—

[And in that spirit, I would also like to proudly express my own views today.]

Rustle.

Beau Riley reached into his jacket.

And pulled out a bright red cap.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

The atmosphere froze instantly.

"..."

"..."

The audience that had been cheering seconds earlier suddenly fell silent.

Holding the hat proudly aloft, he declared:

[I believe society should allow everyone to express their political beliefs openly.]

Around the venue, staff members stared with their mouths hanging open.

Meanwhile, the country musician calmly began performing one of his hit songs.

Murmur.

Murmur.

Chaos started spreading through the arena.

Everyone had thought it was a heartfelt speech about unity.

Instead, the mood had suddenly crashed headfirst into Republican-versus-Democrat politics.

Without realizing it, I let out a quiet sigh.

"I knew things were going too smoothly."

I had thought all we needed to do was show up and enjoy the feast the senior artists had already prepared.

Instead, the table had just been flipped over right in front of us.

Chuckling helplessly, I turned toward the underlings, who were already looking at me.

"Let's hold a strategy meeting."