Second Try Idol

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We arrived at a spacious studio set up behind the stage. As the main host, Reina was in the center of the room, and we could see chairs of various colors arranged on either side for each group. We took our seats on the chairs labeled “Chronos.”

The atmosphere was bustling, and every so often, the sound checks of the large screen and speakers behind Reina would jolt us as the crew made final adjustments to the stage conditions. Amidst the chaos, we trainees could only be silent, merely observing and trying to gauge the situation.

"Wow, the tension here is something else," Lee Jin-Sung whispered.

"I know, right? I wasn’t this nervous when we were in the waiting room," Goh Yoo-Joon added, sharing his feelings.

This was our first performance in front of other groups in a competitive setting. Moreover, all of the day's performances were set to be streamed live and later uploaded as video clips. Given the extensive practice every trainee must have undergone, our level of nervousness was beyond words.

"Okay, everyone, relax your faces! We are about to start shooting! Ready! Five! Four...! Hi, cue!"

Reina, who had been looking at the script expressionlessly, abruptly lifted her head and smiled at the director's cue.

"Time to meet the future K-POP stars all in one place! Welcome to Pick We Up! I am Reina, the host of the program."

Reina skillfully hosted the show, mentioning the hot topics related to Pick We Up over the past week. Among them, our group Chronos was the highlight, but High Tension, who came from a major agency, and Street Center, who presented a group dance in a musical style, also received a lot of attention.

"You will all present songs that you have been practicing hard on to the audience, and they will be streamed live exclusively on UNET’s official UTube channel. Thirty percent of the scores will then be determined by audience votes, thirty percent by live streaming text votes, and forty percent by fan votes on the official Pick We Up website."

In other words, our rankings were entirely in the hands of the fans and viewers. It wasn’t just about the ratings; the broadcasting company would also use this as a measure of popularity that would influence their editing.

"Based on the rankings, the first-place team will receive a reward, while the last-place team will face a penalty. So, give it your best shot. Before we start the performances, please note, as is customary in survival shows, there will be no rehearsals. Now, shall we decide on the performance order? Can each group's leader please come forward?"

Following Reina’s instructions, our leader Joo-Han, stepped forward to draw the lot. Ideally, the last performance slot was the most coveted as it left a lasting impression on the audience.

Historically, Joo-Han wasn’t known for his luck in draws. Even before we debuted, he consistently lost at rock-paper-scissors for practice room reservations, so he often delegated the task to either Lee Jin-Sung or me. His streak of misfortune even extended to the room selection draw for our dorms, where he ended up in a cramped, stuffy single room.

Surely, our team leader couldn’t have the worst luck out of all these leaders, right?

‘Eh, what does it matter if it's not the last? As long as it's not the first, it’s all good.’

...That was what I thought until I saw Joo-Han, looking panicked and turning to us while holding a stick. No way, right?

"Ah, there's no way, hyung..."

"Even if he's unlucky, he can't be that unlucky, right?"

Park Yoon-Chan and Lee Jin-Sung seemed to share the same thoughts as they spoke with trembling voices. And then, we heard Reina's voice.

"Chronos, number one. Chronos has drawn number 1. Please prepare for the stage right away."

"Number one Chronos, prepare the stage. Goodness me. Their group life is like a sitcom."

At this moment, we had no choice but to listen to the Pick We Up staff making fun of us.

"Since it has come to this, let's give it our all as if our lives depend on it."

"Alright. Well, what can we do? We've been ready to give it our all since the audition anyway."

"...Well, some people are certainly looking forward to our performance."

"That's right, hyung. So throw away that signboard now."

I took the number one signboard from the dazed Joo-Han and handed it to our stylist.

Joo-Han said, "I'm sorry. I did my best. You should draw next time, Hyun-Woo. I really can't do this."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Now, hurry up and get to the front." Feeling a mix of pity and amusement, I gave Joo-Han a gentle push toward the front. His apologetic expression was typical of someone not well-versed in handling pressure. With assistance from the staff, we equipped ourselves with microphones.

“Thank you for your patience, everyone. Chronos's performance, the first act of Pick We Up, will commence shortly. We kindly ask for a bit more of your time.”

The audience erupted in cheers at announcer Jeong Gyu-Chan's words. He was our stage host for the program. Shrouded in blackout curtains, the stage held the props for our performance: a bed for me, a chair for Goh Yoo-Joon, and a standing microphone. Shifting my gaze, I noticed Allure and other artists from various agencies seated as guests near the stage, close to announcer Jeong Gyu-Chan.

‘So this is really happening.’

Thud, thud.

My heart started pounding. I thought that I wasn't nervous. However, it was the stage I had been yearning for since the accident, so it was understandable that I was nervous.

In just five minutes, Chronos and I would step onto that stage, ready to showcase the performance we had diligently rehearsed over the past week.

"Shall we all count down together? Five, four, three, two, one! The protagonists in Red Riding Hood! Chronos!"

With the introduction by announcer Jeong Gyu-Chan, the introduction video of Chronos was played, and we headed toward the stage.

***

“Chronos? Who is Chronos again?”

“They are the ones who did the Cha-Cha.”

“Oh, the pendant thingy? Those funny guys, right?”

The audience stirred as they watched the introduction video of Chronos. The videos showed footage from our profile shoot, some practice videos, and Red Riding Hood Cha-Cha. Although there were some serious moments in the clip, most of them matched the funny image that the public knew.

“What have they brought this time? It's not another weird joke, is it? Haha!”

“Come on, surely not— it’s only funny once. Well, maybe they brought something bright and cute this time?”

As laughter filled the air, it was clear that the audience was expecting another comedic performance. It was understandable though. For them, it was hard to picture Chronos in a serious light even if they were to showcase an intense performance, such as Allure’s song, that carried a serious vibe.

However, among the audience, some Allure fans were seriously flipping between the introduction pamphlet and the video, their expressions thoughtful.

“‘Moon Sea?’ Really?”

“Doesn't 'Moon Sea' seem a bit mismatched for them?”

The ones speaking were Allure’s fans. They had come to watch Allure, who were now among the audience, observing the performance. After all, unless the general audience were particularly fond of idols, they wouldn't be very familiar with Allure's ‘Moon Sea.’

On the other hand, the fans of Allure knew that no matter how you rearranged the song, you couldn't erase its unique sexiness and languidness.

“Them, doing this song?”

Those kids who looked clueless and didn’t know what to do on the live broadcast? They were even less experienced and younger than Allure, so it would not be easy for them to cover this song.

The Allure fans became somewhat quiet, while the other fans and a small group of excited Chronos fans remained noisy.

The introduction video finally ended. Following that, the hall went dark, and the black curtains rose. With everyone's anticipation, Chronos's performance started.

“...Sigh.”

Under a solitary spotlight on a purple-hued stage filled with smoke, Goh Yoo-Joon sat alone on a chair. He then tilted the stand microphone toward him and let out a deep, resonant sigh. Goh Yoo-Joon, the only Chronos member with a strong and sharp aura, locked eyes with the camera, instantly transforming the atmosphere in the hall to one of intensity and anticipation.

The bustling audience suddenly hushed into an eerie silence. Following this stillness, the rap commenced, delivered with an almost chant-like rhythm. The lyrics were created by Kang Joo-Han and Goh Yoo-Joon, who had stayed up all night for a week.

“The black sea is illuminated only by moonlight.”

The rap lyrics portrayed someone walking alone in a dark place. Cute and bright stage? Forget it. Despite the solemn and heavy song choice, which was different from what the audience had expected, they quickly immersed themselves and concentrated with their mouths agape.

“The black sea.”

While lying on the bed, Suh Hyun-Woo started the first line. The audience then inhaled sharply at the close-up shot of him.

The stylist was firm in her resolve to break Suh Hyun-Woo away from the enchanted pendant theme, so she had prepared an outfit that paired with Suh Hyun-Woo's languid expressions, makeup, and choker. As a result, his appearance stirred feelings of affection in the audience and awakened their dormant desires.

Hyun-Woo also embodied the role flawlessly. After delivering the lengthy opening line, he rose from the bed while maintaining his somber demeanor. Like the Perfume[1], he had also immersed himself in “Moon Sea” upon its release, mastering the song’s unique expressiveness.

By the time Suh Hyun-Woo reached the center, the other members, whom the audience hadn’t noticed as they were focused on Hyun-Woo, had moved into their formation and stopped.

“I leave you in the water.” With Hyun-Woo’s second line, the choreography started. The perfectly synchronized group dance made the audience and the streaming viewers explode in real-time.

“What the heck... They are fucking cool...”

“I thought they would go for a brighter performance?” commented one of the fans who came to support High Tension. It was a very good performance with an unexpected twist.

Meanwhile, the studio was silent. Even though the red light on the camera was on, and the song was being played loudly on the screen and speakers, no one spoke a word. It was a stage that no one had anticipated.

Of course, some trainees knew “Moon Sea” and considered it one of Allure's legendary songs. However, even they had thought that Chronos would arrange the song to match their cheerful atmosphere, not change it to be even deeper.

They were a group that had recently attracted fans with their comedy and B-grade sensibilities. From the beginning, they had a unique approach, and that was indeed Chronos.

"Hey, isn’t this a bit risky?”

"Yeah, and apart from the overlapping concepts, why are they performing so well?” sighed High Tension’s leader Woo Ji-Hyuk, as he watched Suh Hyun-Woo on the screen.

Goh Yoo-Joon changing the atmosphere with just a single sigh at the beginning had a huge impact, but the one leading the whole stage was the main vocalist and center, Suh Hyun-Woo.

"Has he already debuted and come back? He doesn’t seem like a trainee," asked Woo Ji-Hyuk.

"Hyung, I heard he’s one of the oldest trainees in YMM.”

"Is that why? No, he’s been training for a long time, but why hasn’t he debuted with those skills?”

Excluding his vocal skills, he seemed to capture the choreography even better than Lee Jin-Sung, who was famous for his dance skills. Suh Hyun-Woo was also handling most of the chorus dance parts, and his facial expressions were not like those of a trainee.

“Anyway, a former trainee of YMM said he was really surprised after watching Red Riding Hood Cha-Cha. He said that apart from his skills, Suh Hyun-Woo wasn’t the type to work hard, and he wasn’t a trainee that their agency would push forward.”

“He was working this hard but still got that feedback?” Woo Ji-Hyuk's comment led the youngest member to shrug his shoulders. The Suh Hyun-Woo he knew had a vastly different reputation, but perhaps that former trainee’s words were driven by jealousy.

“Regardless, Chronos is proving to be a formidable group. They are rapidly ascending to stardom.”

“Setting aside their skills, it seems like there is a smart member in Chronos. Is it Kang Joo-Han or someone else?”

The performance seemed to be organized with an understanding of what appealed to idol fans and what might attract them to become enthusiasts, but it was something the agency would not have suggested. If not a member, at least someone well-acquainted with the industry must have advised them.

1. Perfume is the name of Allure’s fandom. A ‘fandom’ refers to a dedicated and organized community of fans who passionately support and follow a specific idol or group in the South Korean entertainment industry. ?