Chapter 52: The Last Time (2)
“Wow, news travels fast.” The manager grinned as he looked at his phone. Despite our best efforts to hide our newly styled hair behind hats, fans were already sharing news of our dyed hair on social media. As a result, the fans’ anticipation for our new concept was building, along with their interest in the live broadcast. This would surely boost our ratings and voting rates.
The manager kept expressing his amazement. "Looks like I don't need to worry about you guys. The fans are starting to move in an organized way."
"Really?" The stylist who was fixing my hair seemed very excited. "That's great! After all, you guys slipped up on the fan votes last time."
"Hey, don't touch on sensitive topics."
"Hehe, did I hit your nerve?" Chatting amiably, the stylist quickly finished my hair as the behind-the-scenes camera turned toward me.
- How do you feel about your last performance?
I smiled at the cameraman and said, "I am so excited. I can't wait to perform and show it to the audience. By the way, do you like my new hair?"
The cameraman nodded.
"I wasn't sure about this at first, but I'm getting used to it now."
Then, Goh Yoo-Joon came over and sat on the armrest of my chair. "This guy nearly cried during the bleaching process."
I nodded and then explained, "Yeah, it was my first time bleaching, and I thought I was going to die. It hurt so much."
"Gosh... when will this end...? My scalp... my scalp feels like it's on fire..." Goh Yoo-Joon exaggeratedly mimicked my reaction from that moment.
I scowled and pushed him away. "Hey, it wasn't that bad! You are exaggerating."
"It's true though. But this image suits you. You do look good." Goh Yoo-Joon teased me and ruffled my hair, so I just played along and laughed smugly. "You just realized that?"
"Ugh, so annoying." After feigning annoyance, Goh Yoo-Joon left dramatically.
With the behind-the-scenes camera here, other Chronos members took turns joining me. Before this, we only answered questions when the camera was in front of our faces, but we gradually got used to it, even sharing personal stories in front of it.
When we were ready, the other trainees came into the dressing room.
"Wow..."
"I've only seen scenes like this on TV or other artists' UTube channels..."
The bustling dressing room left the trainees in awe, just as we had been at first.
"Hey, don't just stand there, come over here!" shouted our manager.
"...Yes, sir!"
Hearing the manager’s shout, they went to their seats immediately and started preparing for the stage.
- Exactly. Even if we don't win, let's leave a lasting impression on the name Ash Black.
The live broadcast offered an in-depth perspective on Ash Black, spotlighting their robust team spirit. Instead of pointing fingers, they were introspective and united, gearing up for this competition with a collective front.
'I wonder why On-Sae left such a dedicated team for YU.' Ironically, this hard-working and cohesive group was on the brink of disbandment.
Post-VTR, Ash Black's performance commenced, seemingly drawing inspiration from our track “No Nights for Me”. Their stage was a blend of intensity and focus, their eyes not desperate for victory but eager to showcase their talents for the last time. Their sincerity was evident, and perhaps that was why the audience responded with such fervent cheers.
Following their performance, announcer Jeong Gyu-Chan stepped in for Reina to introduce the remaining groups.
Plagued by internal issues, Air Senior had a succinct VTR centered on rehearsals. Despite having improved their rank, the lack of a compelling original song left their performance somewhat dull and uninspired compared to others. It was evident that True Entertainment had given up on investing in Air Senior.
“That's just unfair," Reina commented under her breath, revealing a rare moment of frustration to us. The disbandment of Air Senior seemed imminent to everyone.
Next up were Street Center and Tru Bye, both in joint fourth place. Street Center stayed true to their signature style with a laid-back musical-themed song, while True Bye remained consistent in their concept, presenting a house music track[1].
Then there was High Tension, who lived up to their big agency reputation from the start of their VTR. With significant endorsements from their idol seniors and top-notch song selection, they delivered a flawless performance, bouncing back from their previous low rank—a testament to YU's caliber. As a result of this, the crowd's reaction was unsurprisingly ecstatic.
“Chronos, you're up next." We received our cue amid High Tension's performance, so we went to prepare backstage.
‘This is it... our final performance.'
Once a distant dream, the stage had now become a familiar battleground for me, bringing us to the peak of this journey. It was a chance like no other, and also one I was determined to win.
In truth, winning a spot in a reality TV show was less about the exposure and more a testament to our hard work. Yet, for us, it was more about proving our worth, especially in a contest with such high stakes. Therefore, I aspired to win the prestige of “first place” more than merely for the reality show.
“I really want us to win this," I muttered to the camera following me as we moved backstage.
The rest of Chronos members were already there, huddled together in anticipation.
“Alright, everyone’s here, right?" Joo-Han's voice lifted as he rallied the members. In a familiar motion, we all joined hands, forming a circle. “Remember the team chants we always did before our group choreography evaluations in trainee days? Let’s go with that today.”
To my right was Goh Yoo-Joon, and to my left was Han Jun. Both of them gripped my hand tightly as if in sync. “This might be the last stage for us with these members. Let's not leave any room for regrets."
“Okay!"
“Let’s!”
“Let's debut!" We pumped ourselves up with our chant. At the same time, High Tension's performance ended, and the VTR for Chronos started to roll. The video was close to ten minutes long, so I had planned to use this time to practice with Lee Jin-Sung. But then, Il-Seong grabbed my arm.
“Hyun-Woo."
“Yes? Hyung, what is it?" In the dim backstage lighting, Il-Seong pointed to a small TV setup behind the stage, wearing a knowing smile. “Take a look at that." The TV was playing the same VTR that was being shown on the stage screen.
“The video?"
“Yes, it's made for the five of you to watch," said Il-Seong. Led by him, I approached the TV. On the screen, Han Jun was sitting on a chair, having an interview with a somewhat awkward expression.
1. A music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute as a re-emergence of 1970's disco. ?