Second Try Idol

Chapter 24: Survival Show - Cover Song (9)

Suh Hyun-Woo quickly became the center of attention when his audition video on UNET went viral. This made Woo Ji-Hyuk suspect that Hyun-Woo only got his center position primarily based on popularity alone. As Woo Ji-Hyuk bit his lip nervously, the cameras that were eager to capture every moment focused on the expressions of High Tension’s members.

“Regardless of his lack of passion... his performance is outstanding...”

Rumors typically circulated around skilled trainees, yet Ji-Hyuk had only heard tales of Kang Joo-Han’s composing skills and Lee Jin-Sung’s dance background. There weren’t even any whispers of Suh Hyun-Woo.

“Well, maybe YMM hid him really well, fearing that another company might snatch him away. Our agency did the same, didn’t they?”

Ever since Suh Hyun-Woo’s regression, those unaware of his increased passion saw him as a frighteningly strong and serious contender for the win. Some trainees openly sent wary glances his way, even neglecting the camera.

Meanwhile, the performance was gradually reaching its climax. Suh Hyun-Woo and Goh Yoo-Joon, who had been alternating in the center, gracefully stepped back. Following that, Lee Jin-Sung, who had lingered on the side with minimal involvement in the song, finally took center stage.

The melancholy beat of “Moon Sea” transitioned to a deeper, more sorrowful tone, giving way to an intense dance break led by Jin-Sung. The captivated studio’s cast watched closely, and their focus was mirrored by the audience and livestream viewers alike.

Just five minutes ago, the chat room had been filled with “lol” while watching Chronos’s group introduction video, but now all of those comments were gone. The chat window suddenly froze, making one wonder if there was a lag, and then someone suddenly donated two thousand won[1] accompanied by a comment:

- Wtf. Chronos should have done something like Pikachu after Red Riding Hood. What the hell is this? So cool.

Despite the childish and blunt comment that was filled with humor, the chat remained somewhat quiet. Instead, there were comments angrily telling people not to donate[2] during the performance. No one wanted to experience any disturbances during the performance.

The piano’s minor bass notes had been the backbone throughout the latter part of the performance. However, as the center shifted from Suh Hyun-Woo to Lee Jin-Sung, it started to incorporate more harmonies of melancholy, deepening the emotional resonance.

The fast and refined choreography started to intensify, seemingly expressing profound emotions. It felt as though long-suppressed feelings were now surfacing. Even the viewers couldn't help but experience some tingling in their noses and tightness in their chests.

Inevitably, people started to be captivated by Chronos. The close-ups of the members still retained the hint of newbies' awkwardness, yet that too swiftly faded away, especially when Suh Hyun-Woo reclaimed the center.

- Wow, they’re freaking good...

- Who was it that said Chronos is a B-grade comedy group?????

- Damn, I'm seeing these guys for the first time and they are amazing.

- Is this their first performance?? Really looking forward to them.

- I don’t know if it’s better than the original, but they’re damn good.

- Wow...... This is insane...... Where did the Red Riding Hood go???? OMG??????? OMG????????

- If they perform this well, why in the world did they do the Red Riding Hood thingy? They look amazing when they’re all dressed up

- Who was the member shown in the bed scene earlier?

- I became a fan after the Red Riding Hood, and now I’m so overwhelmed with my love for them <3 My babes can be sexy too. Can’t stop crying ahhh.

- The person in the bed was Suh Hyun-Woo. The one in the chair was Goh Yoo-Joon.

Just like that, the performance quickly unfolded. When the beat intensified and reached its peak, the music suddenly softened. The members, who had been bending over, straightened up one by one and gracefully exited the stage. However, Suh Hyun-Woo remained, casting one last look at the camera that captured him in a one-shot before departing as well.

The sole figure left was Goh Yoo-Joon. Much like at the beginning, he slowly walked back to the chair and took a seat.

“Shh-.”

With a long, lingering breath filled with an aftertaste, he closed his eyes, and the performance quietly came to an end.

***

One, two, three-.

As we stepped off the stage, staff members swarmed around us.

"Great job! You were perfect, kids! Oh, I don't know why I'm crying when you are the ones performing. It was just crazy! I loved it!"

I didn't have time to notice things like our manager's excited voice, the stylists' hands wiping away our sweat, or the crew’s invasive cameras.

"Whew, huff, w-why is it so quiet?" I asked.

Even though quite some time had elapsed since the performance concluded, the auditorium was silent, devoid of any applause. I looked around as I was puzzled.

‘Was it not good? Did we not do well enough to get a reaction despite our best efforts?’

Just as my expression started to stiffen with anxiety, a loud cheer erupted, completely dispelling my worries.

“Woooooooooooooooh”

"Wow! I thought there was no response. I was just sitting there on stage!" said Yoo-Joon.

"Yoo-Joon! You did so well!" exclaimed our manager.

Yoo-Joon finally made his way backstage and was immediately surrounded by the staff.

"Great work, everyone! When the shooting is over, let's go back to the dorm and get some rest!"

That was when I realized that the performance we had practiced so hard for a week had ended successfully. Only after I stepped onto the stage and received the cheers I had always dreamed of that I truly felt the surge of emotions and the release of tension.

"...So, we don't need the magic pendant anymore?" I jokingly asked the manager, who vigorously nodded in agreement. I was trying not to get too emotional.

"It was amazing. I will show you the video of the performance later. Supervisor Kim is going to regret not debuting you sooner." Seeing how excited our manager was, I assumed that we really did well. The manager engaged in a brief conversation with me and then discreetly stepped back, mindful of the cameras.

As I wiped away my sweat while walking, the camera director asked, "How do you feel?"

"I feel great."

The camera director seemed to expect more reactions from me, but my mind was aflutter, and I couldn’t think of any other words. The joy of our successful performance and the overwhelming response filled me with gratitude. Yet, the thrill of standing on stage, once an unimaginable dream for me, eclipsed everything else.

‘How could I possibly articulate all these emotions?

"Hey, good job," Yoo-Joon cheered, draping an arm around my shoulder, his infectious laughter echoing the euphoria of the successful performance.

"Hey, you did well. You were all worried and stressed over it for a week," I teased Yoo-Joon as I shrugged off his arm. He then let out a deep sigh, a completely different kind from the one he had on stage.

"That's right. I would have gone bald if you weren’t by my side, Joo-Han hyung—no, this was all your fault to begin with!" Yoo-Joon giggled, and the camera director asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I have never really written rap lyrics before. Joo-Han suddenly suggested it, so I ended up making it in just one week."

The camera director widened his eyes in surprise at Yoo-Joon's response. "Really? It was so good. I couldn't tell it was your first time."

"That's because Joo-Han hyung helped me a lot. However, it was actually really fun once I tried it."

The camera naturally shifted to focus on Yoo-Joon, so I turned around to check on the other members. Yoon-Chan and Joo-Han were talking, and Jin-Sung seemed to have exhausted himself with the last dance break. He was almost being carried by the manager.

"Phew... That was intense."

Having been at the center of the dance for most of the performance, I was barely able to walk back to the waiting room. My whole body was trembling.

"Guys, you know there are cameras in the waiting room too, right? We will watch the other groups' performances in the waiting room and head back to the studio in two shifts!"

"Okay!"

The corridor leading to the waiting room bustled with people, making it difficult to distinguish who belonged on our team. I simply nodded in acknowledgment at the broadcasting staff, who congratulated us along the way, urging myself to keep moving.

To be honest, I was so out of breath that it was hard to manage my expression. I then took a big gulp of water from a staff member and entered the waiting room.

"Phew, ah, that was tough. What? Are they already showing the introduction video for the next group?" Yoo-Joon remarked as he dried his hair with a hair dryer.

The introduction video for the next group, Street Center, was playing on the large TV in the waiting room.

"Wow, this video is awesome. As expected from their agency, their choreography is really good." Jin-Sung repeatedly expressed his admiration, and it was indeed true. The introduction video for Street Center focused mainly on the group dances, utilizing their large number of members.

"Hyungs, did I ever tell you? I used to be part of a dance team with some of them," Jin-Sung shared excitedly. We offered brief smiles in response, dividing our attention between drying off our hair and watching Street Center's captivating performance. Known for their entertainment value and backed by a prestigious agency, they held our attention with their stage presence.

Following them were High Tension and Ash Black. As Ash Black took the stage, we—now dry and reinvigorated in our stage outfits—made our way back to the studio.

“Chronos is back!”

As a staff member informed us that we had returned to the studio, the gaze of the performers, who had been looking at the screen, turned toward us.

"Good work."

"Great job, Chronos! The performance was really cool and unexpected!"

We bowed our heads in gratitude for the praise from Reina and the other groups, and we quickly took our seats to not disturb the performance of the other groups.

The atmosphere in the studio was noticeably tenser upon our return than before our performance. All the groups were whispering amongst themselves and analyzing the screen as if conducting research.

Of course, since there were cameras present, they were analyzing the performance of their competitors without making any aggressive comments.

Prominently displayed on a large digital board, the streaming numbers fluctuated with each performance, and it was clear that the broadcasting crew would highlight our reactions to these changes.

"Last but not least, Air Senior, please get ready for your performance."

It was the last group’s turn. At the mention of Air Senior, we reflexively turned our heads away from the screen. Air Senior was getting ready to head to the stage. The camera then focused on us, capturing the frozen expressions of the members, while Joo-Han and I exchanged glances and started to speak.

"...Wow, their outfits really match Goblin’s vibe."

"...Right. I wonder how well they arranged the song?"

Park Yoon-Chan then joined the superficial conversation between Joo-Han and me. "I'm looking forward to it. Haha..."

While our tones lacked enthusiasm, it was exactly what UNET wanted, right?

Honestly, we didn't care if our wary expressions were captured on camera. It would be better than showing a carefree attitude. We shouldn’t pretend to be nonchalant about not being able to perform a hit song by our senior artists.

Air Senior glanced at us with a flat expression, and I secretly glared at them, flashing a confident smile.

'Think you can beat us?'

Seeing my arrogant expression, Air Senior furrowed their brows and left the studio.

Afterward, groups that had performed earlier came back one by one, sharing their reactions to the stage performances. After repeating this sequence a couple of times, announcer Jeong Gyu-Chan introduced Air Senior's performance.

1. Korean currency. ?

2. There is a system where people can pay the UTube channel when they are on live broadcast. ?