Second Try Idol

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“What about having Hyun-Woo and Yoon-Chan as the dual centers, just like when Yoo-Joon and Hyun-Woo were paired up in ‘Moon Sea’? How does that sound?”

“I'm totally on board. It puts less pressure on me that way,” Park Yoon-Chan said.

“Alright, so Park Yoon-Chan and Suh Hyun-Woo are the main characters. The song will be ‘There Is No Night for Me’ by Reina. Jin-Sung will handle the choreography, and the song arrangement will be done by me, Hyun-Woo, and Yoo-Joon. Let’s go with that.”

The meeting came to an end with Joo-Han’s summary. Despite Park Yoon-Chan's struggles within the team, he seemed to grasp our unease. Surprisingly, he was the type of trainee who showed rapid growth when entrusted with responsibility.

***

As the meeting wrapped up, the producer director entered the room and placed five compact cameras on the table. “Are you all familiar with self-cams?”

“Self-cams? Yes, we've definitely heard of those!” Goh Yoo-Joon replied with a mischievous glint in his eye. The director then smiled and gestured toward the cameras.

“This time around, each of you will document your stage preparations. But don't limit it to that; capturing moments of leisure and fun is also encouraged.”

As each of us took a camera, the director explained how to use them and then concluded the shooting session.

“Does it work like this?” wondered Joo-Han. On the way back to the dorm, Joo-Han was the first to try turning on the camera.

“I'm not really sure... If the red light is on, does that mean it’s recording?”

Still not used to being filmed, we switched on the self-cams but could only exchange awkward smiles. Now, someone needed to break the silence, but we had run out of things to talk about.

“...Ha ha, hyung, you start talking first.”

“Someone, please say something quickly.”

“...Like what?”

Our eagerness to use the cameras was evident, but once they were recording, we found ourselves at a loss for words. With visible discomfort, Joo-Han finally broke the silence in a stilted tone. “Ehm, We've just wrapped up shooting and are, well... on our way back to the dorm now.”

Hearing this, I couldn't help but cringe.

“Hey, why are you acting like that all of a sudden?” asked Goh Yoo-Joon, who was sitting next to me.

I silently gestured toward Joo-Han. “Look at how hyung talks. It’s cringy.”

Goh Yoo-Joon couldn't suppress his laugh when I pointed this out. However, our quiet exchange in the backseat didn't escape Joo-Han’s notice.

“What are you two discussing?” asked Joo-Han.

Goh Yoo-Joon casually shifted the blame my way and said, “He said you are cringy, hyung. That was what Hyun-Woo said.”

“Hey, Yoo-Joon laughed along too. But hyung, that’s not how you usually speak,” I remarked.

“Be quiet. We will see what happens to you two later,” said Joo-Han as he swung the camera in our direction.

“Oh, I really don’t know what to say!”

“Ah, why do the hyungs have to be like this?” Lee Jin-Sung cast us a disapproving look.

“Sometimes, Hyun-Woo hyung and Yoo-Joon hyung are the most childish ones out of us.”

Park Yoon-Chan and Lee Jin-Sung exchanged playful banter, yet weren't our jests and light-hearted antics diffusing the tension? Seeing that no one was telling us to stop, it seemed like they were all thinking the same thing.

The conversation continued in a somewhat light atmosphere for a while.

“We’ve reached the dorm. Everyone, be careful getting out,” our manager announced.

As the car came to a stop, Joo-Han cast a stiff glance at the camera, stating, “...We’ve arrived at the dorm.”

“...Ahahahaha”

‘See that? His discomfort is so obvious!’ Despite his usual eloquence, Joo-Han became too self-conscious in front of the camera. This scene offered an amusing and rare peek into Joo-Han's vulnerability, a side seldom seen throughout his years in the industry.

Our light-hearted teasing of Joo-Han persisted all the way to the dorm. It was then settled that Joo-Han would take charge of the filming when we were all together, and we were committed to getting comfortable with the camera quickly. In the meantime, we planned to relish in our playful banter for as long as we could.

After receiving our packed meals and gathering around the dining table, we exchanged glances, and silence ensued. After all, there was one self-cam in the middle of the table. While we wanted to continue chatting comfortably, we couldn't ignore the presence of the camera—it made us acutely self-conscious.

We silently enjoyed our meal, occasionally glancing at the camera. After a few moments of awkwardly playing with his food, Joo-Han cleared his throat. “Ehm, so, we stood on stage for the first time together.”

All eyes turned to Joo-Han.

“We’ve already performed Cha-Cha and ‘Moon Sea.’ What are your thoughts, guys?” Joo-Han asked.

“...What’s this all of a sudden?”

“Ah, don’t feel awkward. I heard this is something we are supposed to ask.”

I wasn’t entirely sure, but I recalled scenes on reality shows where some people ate together and shared their feelings. Despite the awkwardness, Joo-Han's question was surprisingly insightful.

While we had watched the show together, our hectic schedule left us with no opportunity to discuss our performances or share our feelings with the other members.

“Hmm, if you ask me so suddenly...” Goh Yoo-Joon bit his lip. I wondered if any of the members were completely satisfied with their stage performance. As everyone contemplated what to say, Lee Jin-Sung sighed, “I think I really need to practice singing a lot.”

“You did fine. Why do you think that?”

“When I was watching the stage performance with earphones on, listening to Hyun-Woo hyung and Yoo-Joon hyung’s vocals, and then it switched to my part, it felt like a wake-up call. That’s how it was.”

“‘Moon Sea’ was a bit like that, right? The dance was intense too. I didn’t know Hyun-Woo and Yoo-Joon had such powerful voices,” said Joo-Han.

Goh Yoo-Joon nodded at Joo-Han’s words. “Right, I was really surprised by Hyun-Woo. I even asked myself if he has always been this skilled.” freewebno(v)el

“I agree. I personally think Hyun-Woo has improved a lot since the debut team audition,” Joo-Han remarked.

Lee Jin-Sung nodded vigorously. “Not just that, but when I watched the 'Moon Sea' performance, I was really impressed by his eye contact and expressiveness. It was like I was watching a different person. I didn't know he had that side to him.”

“Ah, stop-.”

My skills suddenly improved thanks to my experience as a trainer... Although it pricked my conscience a bit, it still felt good to hear their praises.

“No, really, I'm not just saying this. Recently, you seem to be working really hard, and it makes me think I need to work hard too.”

I didn't know what to say, so I just smiled awkwardly. I did notice that the members were following my opinions more lately, but I didn't realize they were thinking this way. I was especially surprised by Yoo-Joon’s compliment as he was usually stingy with praise.

“Hyun-Woo has a really good sense.”

“No, seriously, how do you expect me to react to all this? Let's just stop. It's embarrassing.”

“You are happy though, hahaha.” Yoo-Joon giggled, teasing me as I blushed. He then suddenly let out a deep sigh. “Aish, I need to practice dancing more seriously. I thought I was doing okay, but I was shocked when I couldn’t keep up this time.”

“Yoo-Joon, you struggled a bit at first, but later you followed along well, right? You were great as the center, and more than anything, you danced with feeling.”

After the streaming of “Moon Sea,” there was a surge of inquiries about which member started the opening, and it was understandable. Yoo-Joon's star quality was something we all recognized even before we became the debut team.

While we were talking, Park Yoon-Chan was unusually quiet. Despite having the skills to be on the debut team, he seemed to be losing confidence among the other members and hesitated to join the conversation.

I then glanced at him and said, “I've been thinking... Since we are still in competition, it would be good to increase Yoon-Chan's part.”

“No, hyung. I'm not...”

“I personally find it really regrettable. Yoon-Chan's falsetto is a big part of Chronos’s charm.”

This was an attempt to include Park Yoon-Chan in the conversation, but it wasn’t just empty talk. In our previous performance, we couldn’t use Park Yoon-Chan’s gentle voice to its fullest due to our song choice. After all, Allure usually went for a strong concept while giving up on softness.

I honestly thought it was a waste not to use Yoon-Chan’s strengths. While his live stage performances were inconsistent, the first line in “Moon Sea” would have suited his voice better than mine.

Joo Han nodded. “Right. So we are going to significantly increase Yoon-Chan’s part this time.”

“...Thank you.”

Park Yoon-Chan’s words carried the weight of determination, a distinct change from the timid tone I had become accustomed to. His sudden show of resolve wasn’t the only change within Chronos—my active participation seemed to be influencing the dynamics, especially Park Yoon-Chan’s newfound ambition.

“I’ll assist you. Let’s practice together every morning before the others arrive.”

The suggestion ignited a spark of eagerness in Park Yoon-Chan’s eyes, and his response was filled with fresh energy. “Okay!”

Inwardly, I wondered just how far we could go with this renewed vigor. Park Yoon-Chan’s commitment to improvement showed a promising future for Chronos.

***

Before dawn, Park Yoon-Chan and I arrived at the practice room, devoting a solid three hours to the choreography. I hadn’t forgotten the self-cam; I had set it to rotate on the table to capture our session.

“Try to exaggerate your movements more.”

“Exaggerate?”

“Make them more powerful. When you extend your arms, it looks kind of flimsy.”

I then mimicked Park Yoon-Chan’s dancing, and he chuckled weakly.

“Did I really dance like that?”

“Yes. If you dance like that, it takes time to transition into the next move. That is why you keep slowing down.”

This was my first time closely scrutinizing Park Yoon-Chan’s dance technique, and the issues were immediately apparent.

“You should consider strength training. We can request a personal trainer from management.”

“A personal trainer? Will the company cover that?”

“They probably will now.”

We were the first idol group to launch after Allure, and we were growing quickly and gaining popularity without much investment. Therefore, the company would likely be willing to invest in the members.

“How about building some muscles? You don’t need a six-pack like Jin-Sung or Yoo-Joon’s, but you should have enough muscles to move your body as you wish.”

"Got it. Hyung, can you play the music one more time, please? Oh, can you also film me dancing?"

"Yeah, sure. Be careful now. You tend to miss a move right before the chorus when the dance speeds up."

"Wait, I missed a move? Just a moment, let me watch the choreography video once more."

I stepped aside to give Park Yoon-Chan some space to check the choreography.

Just then, I heard a bustling noise.

‘What’s that?’

I stopped talking and turned my head toward the door when it suddenly swung open. Following that, a few people burst in.

"Uh... who are...?"

‘Are these people from our company?’ I had never seen these adults before. They entered without permission, so we awkwardly stood up and watched them warily.

After that, they asked us nicely with broad smiles. "Why are you here so early?"

"Excuse me?"

"Uh..."

While we were pondering whether it was appropriate to ask about their identities, one of the men seemed to grasp our awkwardness and showed us a camera he was carrying.

"Hey, we're from UNET. We're here to set up a camera in the practice room, but we didn't expect anyone to be here so soon."

"Oh, hello!"

We finally greeted them properly. The man smiled, indicating that they were not there to interrupt, and gestured for us to continue our practice. As they started installing the cameras, we tried to shift our focus back to the task at hand.