Second Try Idol

Chapter 348: Concert (12)

The solo track "Sirens" hinted at a mystical, almost haunting concept. Therefore, I was gearing up for a performance steeped in intensity and devoid of smiles. Surprisingly, what I heard was far from somber. "Sirens" turned out to be a vibrant pop dance music, shimmering with an air of mystery.

"Jin-Sung’s solo is all about the vibrancy of youth, Joo-Han went for something much darker this time, and Yoo-Joon’s got that sexy edge. So, we tried hard not to overlap your concepts."

"Dark theme for Joo-Han hyung?" I mused, recalling how downtrodden he looked after the solo track meeting I walked into. It dawned on me then why he was so somber. Joo-Han tended to buckle under pressure, especially when unprepared or when he had to do something unexpected. Well, he always pulled through brilliantly though.

"It's a surprising choice for Joo-Han hyung," I commented.

"Right? But hey, trying something new is what this phase is all about."

"And Hyun-Woo, you've explored sexy and dreamy before, but never this kind of vibe. It's a chance to show a fresh side of yourself, which we all think is pretty exciting."

The room hummed with positivity, a testament to the collective effort that went into crafting a track everyone was proud of.

"Our company's been hitting it out of the park with these tracks lately," I joked, half-serious.

The staff then chimed in playfully. "Well, we’re talking about Chronos here. We’ve got to live up to the name."

"The teamwork is strong as ever, haha. Feels solid having Allure and Chronos in this agency."

"Our label's been snagging top-tier songs lately. Producer Do is thrilled he doesn't have to nag anymore."

The room's focus shifted to Supervisor Kim, who tried to pout but ended up looking more aggrieved than anything. "I wasn’t being stingy on purpose! What can I do if there's just no budget?"

"That infamous budget excuse has been hanging around since Kun-Ho’s days," one of the staff quipped, prompting more laughter.

"You’re still saying that even with the Allure tour up next? That excuse is getting a bit old, Supervisor."

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The staff started laughing real hard. Supervisor Kim's routine grumbles about budget constraints had become a running joke among us.

"Whatever." With a theatrical sigh, he just shook his head and pushed the meeting forward, noticeably less uptight than before. He was perhaps feeling less burdened after the label’s launch.

After the meeting, we quickly wrapped up the recording and dove into dance practice. With a concert on the horizon, our schedule was insanely tight. On top of that, the preparations for my solo song, as well as Joo-Han’s and Jin-Sung’s, was a frenzied rush. As Jin-Sung's solo release neared, I found myself filming a special video for "Sirens."

"Hyun-Woo, did you sleep well?" the hair stylist asked while checking my hair.

I nodded silently to avoid disturbing the makeup artist.

Understanding my gesture, the hair stylist smiled. "Good! You need to be in top form today. We've got a full half day of beautiful dancing and singing ahead."

Despite having spent the previous night in the practice room, I surprisingly felt pretty good. Or so I thought. The overwhelming sleepiness I had felt until I got into the car had vanished, suggesting I wasn’t in that good of a shape because my body was kicked into high alert.

"Top form? Hyun-Woo barely slept because he was practicing. Joo-Han and Jin-Sung did the same."

"Chronos members don't rest even when told to," the hair stylist added, handing me a ginseng extract before finishing my hair.

Tae-Seong had been waiting silently, but he suddenly stood up. "We need to head out now."

The staff, who had been meticulously fixing my hair and makeup, finally stepped back. My makeup featured gray lenses and a pinkish tint. It was stage-like, but stark against my casual daily outfit, creating an intriguing contrast.

I turned toward the staff before climbing into the car. "Thank you," I said.

"No problem. See you there."

I plugged in my earbuds and let the strains of "Sirens" fill my ears. Over the past few days, I had come to realize that despite its different style, this song evoked emotions similar to those in "Joy." There was an unsettling mix of happiness and the fleeting joy of an ending, suggesting that performing it with a bright and lively vibe might resonate more during the live show than with a mysterious, dreamy approach.

After the car stopped, I removed my earbuds. Our first filming location was a serene park. It was an odd yet fitting setting for a special live video, reminiscent of Yoon-Chan’s session. The song's narrative was to intersperse live performance with cinematic clips, creating a story of a day-long date with the camera. It was like a half live performance clip, half music video.

As filming began, I immediately grabbed the hand of the hand model beside the cameraman.

"Make this the happiest day possible!" the director instructed. "Hyun-Woo, you are great with expressions, remember? Smile joyfully, and let the wind catch your hair. Act as if you’re touching your girlfriend’s hair~"

The storyline was simple yet profound. I am the boyfriend of someone on the other side of the screen, depicting our sweet, seemingly endless happy day together. However, the narrative takes a dark twist when I suddenly release the hand with a sinister smile during the stroll. This signals the end of the illusion.

The live session ends here. The scene shifts to show a silent bleak room, revealing that the beautiful days and even the boyfriend were all a dream. The main character ends up in distress and sad after a cruel twist of the story.

Anyway, I was holding the model's hand and doing my best in acting as if this was the happiest moment of my life.

"Hahaha... Haha, hahahaha!"

"Ahahahahahahaha!!!"

Right after my awkward laughter, a bizarrely real burst of laughter echoed behind me. It was oddly familiar and strange.

"That's him. Even his laugh sounds awkward when he’s acting. Rings, I promise I’ll make sure Suh Hyun-Woo never acts outside of Chronos activities."

"Cut, okay. That's enough. Just one more shot with the speaker on the set, then we can head to the live performance."

As soon as the director gave the signal, I turned toward the voice. As expected, it was Goh Yoo-Joon.

We had a kind of unspoken tradition where each member would visit the others during their solo live song shootings. When it was Yoon-Chan's turn, I went to keep him company. During Jin-Sung's, it was Yoon-Chan’s turn. During Joo-Han's, both Jin-Sung and Goh Yoo-Joon showed up. No one really decided this or pushed for it, but we just made a brief stop for emotional support.

"Hey, I would have felt left out if you hadn't come."

"You’re doing a special shoot, so I had to come no matter what."

I frowned. Goh Yoo-Joon grabbed the behind-the-scenes camera and approached me while filming.

"What the heck? I could hear you laughing from all the way there," I said.

"Dude, your acting is always so awkward." He chuckled and mimicked me before he calmed down. "Just wanted to check if you were doing okay."

"Ah, yes. Thanks for coming, man."

Goh Yoo-Joon handed me a coffee he’d bought and looked around the park. "It kind of reminds me of that old video call content."

"Ah, I didn’t think you would bring that up. Just hearing about video calls gives me chills." Goh Yoo-Joon and I exchanged knowing looks and laughed together as we recalled our video call content that had become infamous on UTube.

Goh Yoo-Joon quickly changed the subject and shoved the camera in my face. "Everyone, here’s actor Suh Hyun-Woo looking great today. Wow, so handsome!"

"What are you doing? Stop it. By the way, don't you need to go back? Aren't you in the middle of concert practice?"

"I’m just taking a break. Yoon-Chan's out on schedule, and Joo-Han hyung and Jin-Sung are in a meeting about their solo songs. I was bored, so I came here."

"Is that so? Anyway, it's good to see you."

"Right? Call me Hyung, then. But seriously, the song is so good. I've listened to it so much it’s stuck in my head."

"Exactly! You will absolutely love it, Rings," I spoke into the camera as if addressing the Rings directly. "I sing it loudly in the shower, and sometimes hum it without realizing. I’m scared I might accidentally hum it on Q-app before it's even released."

"Nah, we will be careful and make sure that doesn’t happen. Are you going back now?"

While Goh Yoo-Joon was busy talking in front of the camera, the director glanced over and jokingly threw out an offer. "Are you bored? Do you want to make a cameo, Yoo-Joon?"

"A cameo?"

"It’s a video going up on the Chronos channel for the Rings. Having one more of you guys appear would be great."

‘Is there even a spot for a cameo here? Are they thinking of making up a role just for Goh Yoo-Joon?’ As I silently pondered this, Goh Yoo-Joon exchanged a glance with Tae-Seong, then enthusiastically shouted, "Of course!"

We both got into the car and headed to the next location.