Chapter 59: Chronos History (3)
Cameras were all over the dorm now. Thanks to Joo-Han's insistence, we had tidied up the place, and it was now spotlessly clean.
"Man, I'm bored. Hey, wanna go to the convenience store?" suggested Yoo-Joon.
"No, it's too hot." I quickly shot down Goh Yoo-Joon's suggestion and pulled the fan closer with my foot. With the cameras rolling, we couldn't even sneak a glance at our phones. Jin-Sung and Park Yoon-Chan were busy playing a dance game on the gaming console given by Allure, while Joo-Han was deep into composing music.
Left with little choice, I joined Goh Yoo-Joon in battling the overheating laptop while playing Crazy Arcade.
“It must be nice for Joo-Han hyung since he has a PC. Hey, can I buy one too once we debut?"
“Why are you asking me? Yo, are you seriously throwing water balloons at my side?" I hastily maneuvered my character to dodge the balloons and nudged Goh Yoo-Joon with my body.
“That's how you play this game. It's different from a shooting one. I was asking just because if I get one, it will have to be in our room, and I don’t want to bother you.”
“I don’t care. But then, I am going to use it too. Let's go to the internet cafe later for a shootout game. Loser buys ice pops,” I replied.
“No way. Let's stick to Crazy Arcade. You're too good at shooting games." As we were idly chatting and wrapping up a game round, the door opened with a knock, and the youngest writer of Chronos History peeked in.
"Whoa!"
We were startled by her sudden entrance, so we jumped up. Then, she quickly gestured for us to be quiet, placing her index finger over her lips. “Can you two come out for a second?"
“Uh, sure!"
She sneakily led us out of the dorm, and we walked slowly until we reached YMM's office cafe terrace. There, Director Lee Won-Jae and Writer Song Yi-Hee were waiting.
“Hey, you're here, how are you guys doing?”
“Hello, we are doing very well. Thanks for asking,” I answered.
“So, how's the dorm atmosphere with the cameras around? Is it too uncomfortable?"
“We've been used to it ever since the unit training camp."
A camera was set up on the table, and the young writer brought us some drinks. I wondered what this was all about. As we looked around, feeling puzzled, Director Lee laughed heartily. “We've brought you two here because we are going to prank Joo-Han."
“A prank?"
Director Lee nodded. “Isn't it almost Joo-Han's birthday?" He then explained that they wanted to throw a surprise birthday party for Joo-Han.
“We will tell Jin-Sung and Yoon-Chan later, but for now, just keep it to yourselves. We brought you here to keep it a secret from Joo-Han."
“What's the plan?"
“Here's the scenario.” Writer Song Yi-Hee had our attention as she unveiled the storyboard. “Your roles are crucial here.”
The scenario was like this. On the day we were to record Chronos’s opening track for the first time, Goh Yoo-Joon and I, who were known for our frequent spats, were scripted to have a showdown right in front of the composer.
“We've already briefed the composer, and he's happily on board,” Song Yi-Hee assured us.
“Umm...Okay,” I replied somewhat hesitantly.
“We've got the whole day. Why not start from the easiest level and conquer them all?"
“Then, we would end up spending the whole day here. We don't want to disturb Joo-Han hyung, who's busy working," Yoon-Chan noted, then Lee Jin-Sung sat on the couch after placing the consoles on the table.
“Yeah, we shouldn't interfere with his composing," he agreed.
“I got some sausages for everyone," Yoon-Chan announced, distributing them to us and Joo-Han, who was engrossed in his work. As we sat side by side, munching on sausages, we exchanged knowing glances.
“You heard about the plan from the director, right?" Yoo-Joon asked, and both of them nodded, sausages still in their mouths.
“If you guys start fighting, I will step in at the right moment.”
“Yoon-Chan, didn’t you take some acting classes? I’m counting on you for this," I said.
“Then Hyun-Woo and I will slip out at the right moment to get the cake ready." When we were discussing Joo-Han's surprise birthday party, our faces were filled with worry. It was our first time doing something like this, and Joo-Han, of all people, was our target. No wonder we were nervous.
***
The day had finally arrived. It was our first recording session for Chronos History. When we reached the studio of composer Oh Dong-Hoon, we looked at each other, keeping Joo-Han in the dark. As soon as Joo-Han knocked, the door swung open, revealing the composer himself.
“Hello, we are Chronos," we greeted.
“Oh yes, I know. Come on in," he responded warmly.
We then entered the studio with our heads lowered slightly, taking in the sight of high-end equipment far beyond what our company’s studio had. There were even air purifiers and humidifiers here, and cameras were strategically placed all around the room.
“Take a seat. You all look even better in person," the composer complimented.
“Nah, thank you, though..." we mumbled, already feeling intimidated before the recording had even started. Oh Dong-Hoon had a formidable presence, and we were all quite shy around adults. It seemed like we were all a bit scared of him... myself included. His piercing gaze seemed to scrutinize us intensely.
Oh Dong-Hoon looked us over and then let out a chuckle. “It's good to see such polite kids. I've heard about you from Reina, seen you on stage too."
“Thank you!" we responded in unison.
“I'm Oh Dong-Hoon, in charge of your title track, ‘Parade.’ Looking forward to working with you."
“We are grateful for this opportunity!"
That was when my eyes met with the composer’s. As I hesitated, he gave me a meaningful smile, sending an unspoken signal that seemed to say, 'It’s showtime.’
“You’ve all memorized the lyrics, right?" he asked.
"The lyrics?" My heart sank. We hadn’t been informed that the lyrics were finalized, let alone memorized them. Didn’t our manager say that we’d be getting them on the spot?
As we stood there, flustered, the composer sent another meaningful smile my way, and this time I got it. It was the cue to start the hidden camera prank. His face suddenly turned stern. “You came to record without memorizing the lyrics?"
Unaware of the setup, Joo-Han hesitated before bowing his head. “Sorry, we were under the impression we'd receive the lyrics here. Is that not the case?"
The composer frowned deeply. “What are you talking about? Who comes to record without knowing the lyrics?"
“We are so sorry," Joo-Han apologized, his body bending even more under the weight of the composer’s annoyance.
‘Why, though?’ Even when we knew that this was all an act, our expressions hardened.
‘Did we really have to force Joo-Han to apologize? Especially for something he hasn’t done wrong and during what was supposed to be a joyful occasion — his surprise birthday party.’
I chewed my lip while watching the scene, feeling an irritating mix of emotions. The situation felt almost too real. Even though it was intended to create content for the show, this prank made everyone involved feel unpleasant.