Chapter 20: Survival Show - Cover Song (5)
At the bustling cafe filled with people who were enjoying their weekend, some customers recognized Da-Win as a member of the renowned group Allure. However, despite the attention, Da-Win didn’t seem bothered and simply tilted his head in response to my question.
"A favor? Let's hear it," he said. Da-Win seemed a bit hesitant and started to fiddle with his phone. Seeing him behaving like this, I immediately got the hint and waved my hand dismissively.
"I won't take up too much of your time. I just want some feedback related to this competition."
As the top idol group in South Korea, Allure wouldn't be able to grant time-consuming requests, even during their downtime. Hence, Da-Win probably fiddled with his phone to adjust his schedule for a challenging favor.
Hearing my request, he finally stopped fidgeting, wearing a slightly relieved expression. "I can provide feedback at any time. Even if you send me a dance video, I can call you and offer some advice."
"Thanks. We initially planned on performing ‘Goblin,’ but the song suddenly changed."
"Oh, I've heard. Another group took it, right?"
I nodded. Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing to admit. Unlike “Goblin,” which we could perform with our eyes closed, “Moon Sea” was a song even Allure hadn't performed often. Thus, we hadn't been taught this song even during our training days.
"I've skimmed through the video, but it's hard to study the details like that, and it's awkward learning dance moves in front of a camera."
"I see." Da-Win understood my issue.
While scratching the back of my neck, I awkwardly added, "Also, umm... our manager hyung hinted that it'd be good if Allure members showed close ties with us on screen."
"Oh, I see. Okay, got it."
In other words, I was asking for him to appear in front of the camera during our practice.
Da-Win laughed, "That’s not a big deal. I will bring all the members. After all, we practically live at the company nowadays."
Being directly under the same company as Allure, Chronos had garnered significant attention from Allure’s fanbase. However, a considerable number of them reacted sensitively toward our company and us on various social media platforms. They expressed their concerns with comments like “Just pay more attention to Allure,” “How is the agency going to manage another group when they can’t even take proper care of Allure?” and “I’m going to be furious if you label the new group as Allure’s brother group.”
This scenario posed a potential risk in the upcoming competitions where votes and viewer reactions were crucial. Therefore, we had to secure the favor of Allure fans, and to do so, we had to demonstrate a strong bond with our labelmates and receive visible support from them.
Considering how Da-Win frequently checked social media, he seemed to acknowledge our manager's concerns. "It's actually good timing. We are too idle off-stage."
"Thanks. That's a relief."
Da-Win nonchalantly nodded and continued texting, probably informing other Allure members to free up their schedules.
“But seriously, I was surprised watching the audition videos. What happened during these years? Weren't you filled with determination during your debut audition? You seemed to have a different attitude back then,” Da-Win muttered. Well, once someone experienced the harsh realities of life, they changed. Also, changing the future was no easy task.
"I've been practicing for a decade. I have to debut now."
"Ha, right! Hyun-Woo needs to debut too. I want to start eating meals on your dime."
I grinned, "Of course, meals are on me next time."
"Ah, such spirit! Shall we leave?" Da-Win collected his coffee tray and rose from his seat. Heading to the counter, he drew the attention of the crowd. He was ten years older than me. I wondered if it was because he debuted quite late compared to most idols, but his humble way of acknowledging every gaze he met was truly admirable.
"Let's go." He put on his sunglasses and led me outside the cafe, where a crowd of fans had gathered. Seeing them, I took a step back and lowered my head.
"You go ahead, hyung. I'll head straight to the practice room."
Seeing my visible discomfort, Da-Win was about to say something but then received a call. After saying bye, he disappeared into the crowd.
"Whew." Thankfully, the fans followed Da-Win, and they were out of sight.
I made my way to the second-floor practice room, feeling a slight edge in my nerves after unexpectedly encountering large crowds. My unease likely stemmed from past experiences when I still bore a scar on my face. I understood that confronting such lingering trauma posed a considerable challenge, particularly with upcoming performances on the horizon.
***
When I walked into the practice room, Joo-Han and Park Yoon-Chan were lightly trying out the choreography for “Moon Sea” with Lee Jin-Sung at the center.
“Have you memorized it already?”
“Nah, I am just watching it once and repeatedly trying to match what I saw,” said Lee Jin-Sung in a discouraged tone. Contrary to his expectations, copying the movement seemed quite challenging.
"I thought it couldn't be more difficult than the cover song I did for my debut group audition, but it's really hard."
"’Moon Sea’ is definitely tough. I'll help too."
I rolled up my training suit sleeves and sat in front of the laptop. While “Goblin” complemented Lee Jin-Sung's robust dance style, “Moon Sea” required a more dreamy and languid expression. It demanded precise and graceful movements, so even the subtler moves were complex, making it a challenging piece to master in a short time.
"Let's play the song for now and try dancing to it, I guess? Let's film and compare our dance."
I took the phone from the manager and started recording. As the song started, Lee Jin-Sung danced around while continuously shaking his head. "Ah, this isn't it... I've covered this before, why isn't the feeling the same?"
"Maybe your dance style has become too fixed lately?"
"Maybe? Hyun-Woo hyung might cover it better."
Hearing Lee Jin-Sung's words, Joo-Han nodded. "Hyun-Woo should take the lead; he excels in bringing out this kind of dance style."
Meanwhile, Goh Yoo-Joon was pulling his hair out while jotting down rap lyrics in the corner of the practice room.
"What are you doing? I thought you gave up on ‘Goblin’ and didn’t need to write the rap part anymore?" I asked.
Hearing my question, Goh Yoo-Joon shouted in frustration, "Exactly! But Joo-Han hyung insists on adding a non-existent rap part!"
Joo-Han clicked his tongue at the sight of Goh Yoo-Joon, whose hair stood up like a bird's nest. "Tsk, you make a fuss even when given an opportunity. Didn't you boast about your lyric-writing skill in front of the camera? Don't you want to showcase it?"
"Ah, hyung!"
"Write a rap that encapsulates the pain of a breakup, but keep it languid to match the song's mood. Don’t make it too energetic. Write it and then bring it to me for review."
Despite his frustration, Goh Yoo-Joon went back to his notepad, his determination renewed.
Meanwhile, Park Yoon-Chan discreetly sipped on a diet shake from his bag. Although Joo-Han had spoken his piece, he still seemed concerned and walked over to nudge Goh Yoo-Joon's leg gently. Seizing the moment, I subtly shifted the camera’s focus from filming Lee Jin-Sung to capturing the playful interaction between Goh Yoo-Joon and Joo-Han.
"Why do you guys always start fighting as soon as practice begins? Stop and gather in the middle!" Having observed us for a while, our manager finally lost his patience and gathered us in the middle of the room.
"You need to practice seriously and cease the idle chatter. You can chit-chat or have an immature fight in front of the camera later. It's time to bring out your best and break free from the Red Riding Hood image, okay?"
"Ah."
Upon hearing this, the members' eyes flared with determination again. I had been slightly relaxed after the audition, but I recalled that we were still in the preparation stage for the new song. The thought of being associated with the image of the Red Riding Hood made me tense again.
Indeed, I couldn't let people remember me as the “Red Cape Thumbnail Guy”.
"Hey, Jin-Sung. Let's watch the video again. Let's master it today and teach the other members."
"Okay, hyung. As soon as I heard the Red Riding Hood story, it was like some of the choreography memories came flooding back."
Lee Jin-Sung and I repeatedly played the dance video of Allure on the laptop.
Meanwhile, the other three started to discuss other arrangements with the manager.
"The change of positions happens a lot. Since we have fewer members, it might be better to adjust our choreography according to the movements," I said while trying out the choreography. Lee Jin-Sung nodded, watching the video with determination, and then let out a sigh.
"Ugh, I need to watch this in slow motion. Not only are there many small moves, but the choreography itself is also really fast."
"...I agree."
Come to think of it, the seniors had also said that this song was the most challenging to memorize in their interviews. When selecting songs, I initially believed there could be no better choice than this one. However, considering the complexity of the dance and our relative lack of experience, mastering it might prove to be a bit challenging.
It was then.
"Oh! Look, the kids are practicing!"
"What are you doing? You just started practicing, didn't you? Still fresh?"
The practice room door suddenly swung open, and the members of Allure strolled in, chatting away on their phones. Caught off guard by this unexpected intrusion, we shared quick, confused looks before swiftly getting up to greet them.
"Hello!"
"Oh, are you practicing for that? The survival variety show you're participating in?"
"Da-Win told us it's a very difficult song. Can you tell us which song it is yet?"
"Ah... Not yet. It hasn't aired yet."
Laughing heartily, the Allure members enthusiastically shoved their phone cameras in our faces. Intrigued by their unusually lively behavior, I glanced at one of the phone screens and saw a flurry of chat messages scrolling by.
They must be live broadcasting.
"Everyone, these are our juniors. Can we film for a moment?"
"Yes? Ah, yes!"
I glanced at the manager, wondering if we could appear on the broadcast now, and he mouthed. “Just do it.”
‘Why are they here out of nowhere?’
As the Allure members gathered us in the middle of the practice room, everyone had a clueless expression on their faces. Da-Win smiled as he looked at us in that state.
“We are doing a live broadcast with the fans, and I happened to see you guys on my way. So, I thought I would introduce you to them. Is that okay?”
“Uh, no. I mean, yes!"
I wasn’t expecting this at all. It seemed that Da-Win remembered our earlier conversation at the cafe and decided to be considerate before going live. Holding a phone, Tucan spoke up, his eyes on the screen.
"Everyone, meet our first juniors. Do you know about the survival entertainment show being prepared on UNET? They are the popular ones with the red cloaks."
"They look handsome without the cloak, right?" As Allure members spoke, our group started to nervously adjust our hair and clothes.
"Everyone, say hi."
"Yes! One, two, three!"
"Hello! We're Chronos! Nice to meet you!"
Allure gave each of us a chance to introduce ourselves.
— They seem more normal than I thought, huh? I thought they would also be noisy in real life.😂😂😂
— The person with the black tee in the middle is Cha-Cha, the center, right?
— Sae-Youn, wish me luck for my test tomorrow.
— 😂😂😂😂 What? They looked so different in the video I saw. This is heartwarming.😂😂😂
— So cute... so young...!
— (LOVE♥emoji) Love uuuuuuuuuuuuuu♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
— Oppa, it's my birthday today. Can you wish me a happy birthday?
— Look at the oppas taking care of their first juniors… Awww, So sweet.
It was surprisingly pleasant to see Allure’s fans being so warm and welcoming to us. While it was somewhat embarrassing, it was also a delightful experience to spot a few of our own fans in the mix.
Facilitated by the Allure members, our brief appearance on the live-streaming app and the casual conversation were going smoothly until:
— Can you please do the Magic Pendant part once???
With that single comment, the stage was set for what would later be remembered as Chronos’s most legendary moment.
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