Second Try Idol

On the night of our third music broadcast, Chronos triumphed once again and secured first place.

Again After Rainfall had turned into a massive hit for us. The more episodes were broadcasted and the more performance videos were uploaded to the Again After Rainfall UTube channel, the more the sales of “Phantom Spirit” album soared dramatically.

Since our debut, I couldn\'t recall a time when we had been so talked about as the heart of the Korean Wave. The constant epithets of fame seemed to affirm that we indeed have made our mark both nationally and internationally.

“Alright! Time for the first-place promise! Joo-Han!"

All members eagerly pushed their microphones toward Joo-Han. The pledge of the day involved Joo-Han, who had recently made waves with his solo debut “Kang Joo-Han,” performing a trot version of “Phantom Spirit.”

“Am I performing alone? Was that the plan?" Joo-Han was clearly flustered because he thought the performance was meant to be a group effort. He reluctantly pushed the microphone away.

Yoon-Chan began singing with a bashful smile.

“Pfft!”

With a tone that was neither suited for trot nor sung properly, Yoon-Chan awkwardly tried his hand at singing trot. He seemed to be trying hard, but it sounded more like a speech than a song.

As Yoon-Chan sang, Joo-Han was moved by the performance. He grabbed a total of four microphones, including mine, Goh Yoo-Joon\'s, and Jin-Sung\'s, and started singing the trot version of "Phantom Spirit."

Goh Yoo-Joon and I sat and laughed until Jin-Sung was prompted to stand up.

“Hyung! We are dancers, you know."

“Jin-Sung? Just hold on a minute."

Goh Yoo-Joon laughed uproariously. “Wow~ This outfit is going to stretch."

We were dragged along by Jin-Sung like clothes hung on a rack. We had to keep headbanging until the end of the song as we were encouraged by the enthusiastic cheers of the Rings. The headbanging was as intense as when Goh Yoo-Joon had cracked a toilet.

My headband flew off while shaking my head, and though I didn\'t know where it landed, I decided not to worry about it. It wasn\'t sponsored or anything.

“Thank you, everyone!"

“See you tomorrow!!!"

“Yes!!!"

“Great work today! Get home safe, and get lots of rest!"

We exchanged glances while saying bye to the Rings.

‘Are they coming?\' Everyone was communicating with their eyes. The years spent together as trainees meant we could still understand each other with just a look.

‘Are they coming now?\'

‘I don\'t know either.\'

As our farewells wrapped up and we were about to head backstage, suddenly a commotion arose from behind the stage.

“Hahaha! Hello, everyone!”

“Uh? What? Huuuh?”

Famous celebrities and cameras began swarming onto the stage. The audience was initially startled but soon welcomed them with loud cheers as the celebrities greeted the spectators and waved cheerily at us too.

“Oh, Chronos! Nice to meet you! I guess it’s the first time seeing you in person."

Even though we expected them to come up, us huddling in the corner might have been natural.

“Why is Chronos huddled over there?"

“Are you guys penguins? Hahaha!"

“Ah, that\'s not funny, hyung."

Because their presence was quite assertive, we were all quite shy.

“Hi, Rings! Excuse us for a moment!"

“Sorry, but we need to take Chronos with us!"

Only after the attention of the cast shifted from the Rings to us did we timidly step forward to offer a sheepish smile and greeting.

“Hello."

“Hello, Seniors."

“Ah, Chronos members, it looks like we scared you. It\'s okay. We won\'t bite. Come here, come here."

“Wow, they are so nice to a popular idol?"

The main MC Ji Byeok-San approached us and led Joo-Han by the hand. We followed the seniors.

“Now, time to say goodbye to the Rings. Chronos, say your final farewell to your fans."

“Waaaahhh!!!"

The Rings sensed that this was our entertainment show appearance, so they brightly waved their light sticks to send us off despite the sudden situation.

“We will do our best, everyone!"

“We will be back!"

The cast members made sure to hold each one of us as if we might run away and led us to the filming location. It was the cast of KEW\'s long-running variety show Every Day Different Entertainment! Slacker Number One."

Ji Byeok-San, Gun-Seok, Joo So-Dam, Kim Do-Rim, On Jeong-Woo, and different guests were invited each time. With a motto of doing something fun each time because they were too lazy to plan a fixed variety format, the content and genre changed every week or fortnight and offered new entertainment.

After a recent member revamp, Slacker Number One had reached its peak. It seemed like our music show schedule was followed by filming this variety show.

“Wow, Chronos. You are the trend in South Korea~"

“No, not really."

“I enjoyed watching your headbanging earlier, you guys."

“Who was it? Joo-Han? Is Joo-Han the leader? He was earnestly singing trot."

“You guys are all too shy for having headbanged earlier! Haha."

“So cute~ You guys are like prey while we are predators!"

The cast briefly discussed our first place encore performance and interviewed us.

“Shall we formally greet the viewers?" Ji Byeok-San suggested.

Yes!” Joo-Han answered energetically. “Let\'s greet them! One, two, three!"

“Hello! We are Chronos!"

“Yeah! Great!"

“But doesn\'t Chronos have something like a greeting gesture idols usually have?"

“How about this? Hello! Uuuaaah! We will control time! We are the gods of time, Chronos!"

“Ew, what was that? We are not in the 90s. That’s too outdated, ugh. Gun-Seok should keep his mouth shut!”

As expected from the seasoned veterans of the variety show circuit, every word prompted an avalanche of lively banter. There was no doubt that this was the secret sauce for ensuring ample screen time. Having experienced this during Flying Man, I now fully grasped why the cast used to joke about the opening part lasting an hour.

Our response was subtle but telling. With smiles that didn\'t quite reach our eyes, we gravitated toward one another. It was a cluster of nerves disguised as camaraderie. It wasn\'t an intentional gathering. Rather, it seemed driven by a primal discomfort that brought the younger members closer together.

Our little huddle didn\'t go unnoticed. Joo So-Dam chuckled heartily at our formation. “Look at Chronos. They are huddled together like a flock of penguins again. We aren\'t that intimidating, are we?"

“No, not at all, Senior," we chorused while vigorously shaking our heads and waving our hands in denial.

Ji Byeok-San pointed at us and shared his amusement with a booming laugh. “It’s my first time meeting Chronos in person, though I\'ve seen you on broadcasts. You guys are the type who seem calm now but will turn the game on its head once it starts."

His observation was spot on. That much was evident from our earlier headbanging antics.

The show\'s opening continued and, thankfully, the hosts adeptly filled any gaps to ensure our transition from newcomers to featured participants was seamless.

“So, what\'s on the variety agenda today?"

The moment the signature line from Slacker Number One was recited, the production team eagerly presented two mysterious paper envelopes.

- Today, Ji Byeok-San and Joo So-Dam will lead the teams...

“Huh? I get that Byeok-San oppa is the leader, but why have me as a leader too?"

- Yes, today you two are the captains. Please choose your envelopes.

Despite the cast’s playful urging to just pick randomly, both leaders engaged in a playful standoff. They eventually settled the matter with a spirited game of rock-paper-scissors.

- Alright, now that everyone has made their selections, it\'s time to form the teams. To expedite the process, our team leaders can determine their teams by engaging in a quick game of rock-paper-scissors.

“Here we go. Rock, paper, scissors!"

The two leaders launched into the game with theatrical gestures and picked team members one by one. First, they chose the standout \'Slacker\' members, those who had previously shone as aces, followed by the Chronos members. And finally, those ranked lowest among the \'Slackers.\'

I found myself teamed up with Ji Byeok-San and Joo-Han. Ji Byeok-San seemed genuinely delighted, possibly because he regularly followed our variety shows as he had chosen mostly entertainment-focused members. Neither Joo-Han nor I had previously showcased our comedic talents on air, and the opposing team had snagged our group’s renowned entertainers, Goh Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung.

Ji Byeok-San’s comment felt like mere courtesy under the circumstances.

“But really, what’s the use of choosing the team? We don’t even know what we are up against. How can we strategize without information?"

“Exactly. What are we supposed to do with these distinguished guests today?"

The cast’s question was met with an announcement from the production team.

- Today’s variety challenge involves winning a prize through voting! It\'s dubbed ‘Pick Mew Up.’

“Seriously? What even is that?"

A wave of cold scoffs echoed among the cast members. It was a clear indication that the title seemed all too derivative of Pick We Up, likely crafted intentionally since we were alumni of the original show.

As a unified wave of critique washed over, Joo So-Dam proposed pragmatically that we might as well begin planning.

“What does \'mew\' stand for in \'Pick Mew Up?"

- Oh, right. \'Mew\' stands for music video.

“Eh? A music video?"

- Indeed, you will collaborate with the Chronos members to produce your own music videos.

“And how are we expected to produce a music video in just one day?"

- Of course, crafting a flawless music video in such a brief window is unfeasible. But I trust you will figure it out.

The director\'s response had a tinge of smugness. It sparked a fresh wave of complaints from the cast.

“That is such an irresponsible comment!”

“Wow, after a decade in this business, he’s truly become a seasoned \'Slacker.’”

- Oh, haha, remember, there\'s always the option to shoot everything in one take.

“And what about this envelope? Does it contain the songs?" Kim Do-Rim from our team asked, prompting a nod from the director.

- Yes, the envelopes selected by each leader contain songs relating to the Chronos members. You are to shoot a music video based on the selected song. The final pieces will be unveiled live to viewers shortly thereafter, and we will all participate in tallying the results.

“What the… You are so mean. A one-take music video?"

The director ignored Ji Byeok-San’s exasperation and pressed on.

- Please reveal the songs contained in the envelopes.

When the mission songs were revealed…

“...What on earth is this?"

A natural sigh escaped my lips as the rest of the cast erupted in a frenzy. “Oh, no…."

With everyone in disarray, the Director smirked malevolently. The chosen songs were our notorious blunder “Red Riding Hood Cha Cha” and the recently released “Kang Joo-Han.”