Chapter 73: Chronos History (17)

Chapter 73: Chronos History (17)

SES stood as one of South Korea’s top three major channels, with Don’t Run, Fly! Flying Man serving as the cornerstone of viewer ratings during SES's weekend evenings. Although it faced a decline due to issues with a cast member, it remained as SES’s flagship program, leaving an enduring legacy that spanned an impressive fifteen years. This achievement was particularly notable given the prevailing trend of decreasing TV viewership in the era dominated by smartphones and streaming sites.

“Us? Casting on that show?"

Why? We hadn't even debuted yet, and their rival company UNET was supporting us.

‘Isn't it too early for other broadcasters to scout us despite our rapidly growing popularity?’

When everyone was dumbstruck, only Joo-Han smiled contentedly. “Other broadcasters recognize the value of Chronos too."

“Huh?"

He bewildered even Mr. Seong, showcasing his remarkable wit. Mr. Seong hesitated briefly, then shook his head. “It's not that. It's just that after inviting High Tension, they thought of us as a bonus..."

“...Bonus?"

At this moment, Joo-Han found himself speechless, and Mr. Seong continued, “CEO Shim shares a brotherly relationship with their director. Hence, when they invited High Tension for content planning, they included us in their conversation as well."

“But why does everyone look so serious? Isn't this good?"

“It is good, just a bit worrying."

“Why?" Lee Jin-Sung asked, which made Supervisor Kim and Mr. Seong sigh.

I vaguely understood the situation. Despite our participation in entertainment shows and acting classes, our company concentrated more on enhancing our stage skills. As a result, we were more comfortable within our circle and didn’t have much connection.

The senior group Allure, with years of entertainment experience, gradually started to shine in variety shows, but they too had a rough start. As they didn’t have much connection, they initially had to face extensive editing, and their well-thought-out comments often left the veteran MCs at a loss.

“If even Allure went through that, imagine how bad it will be for you guys?"

“How were these kids during the unit shoot?"

“It was a flop except for Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung. Jin-Sung only did well because he teamed up with his friends. The rest barely made it with their looks, not their humor or contents."

The most camera-shy members in YMM were all in Chronos. Kang Joo-Han, Park Yoon-Chan, and I were not talkative at all. The challenge intensified when we found ourselves in the company of High Tension, and we would have to fight for screen time among regular celebrities. It was likely that we would be edited out.

If we failed to deliver in our first appearance, it could potentially lead to no more casting opportunities from show production teams.

Mr. Seong sighed deeply and explained, "Listen carefully. It's not confirmed yet, but you'll probably appear after your debut. Not all of you though, just two."

“Then Yoo-Joon Hyung and Jin-Sung should go." After Park Yoon-Chan suggested this, Mr. Seong and Supervisor Kim simultaneously shook their heads.

"Leader Joo-Han must go, and we have to decide the other. Honestly, I don't expect Joo-Han to make much of an impact there."

Joo-Han nodded in agreement and said, “I'll try my best, though."

This time, it wasn't about being articulate or not. Joo-Han was simply bad at games, and the show Flying Man revolved around various games where participants eliminated each other to survive. Naturally, those who lasted longer got more screen time, while those eliminated early were barely featured.

Those well-versed in games undoubtedly held an advantage, and guests would face merciless elimination. If Joo-Han, who wasn't particularly skilled in games, got eliminated early, his presence would fade away entirely. This was the source of concern for Supervisor Kim and Mr. Seong.

“Isn't Hyun-Woo good at games?"

“Mr. Seong! I'm good at games too!" Goh Yoo-Joon asserted, but Lee Jin-Sung vehemently disagreed. Jin-Sung attacked, “Compared to Hyun-Woo hyung, you're nothing."

“Hey, you! What kind of respect is that to your elder!? I am going to tell manager hyung that you called me nothing!”

The bickering between Goh Yoo-Joon and Lee Jin-Sung was quietly quelled by Mr. Seong. “Both of you, quiet down. We are in the middle of a meeting. Supervisor Kim, Yoo-Joon might be amiable, but that doesn’t mean he is good at broadcasts.”

“Truth is, Chronos isn’t exactly familiar with shows yet. Even in the reality shows, it’s Lee Won-Jae who somehow keeps it going.”

“I feel the same." I knew music broadcast hosting scripts were cheesy, but I didn't expect to exchange such dialogues with Goh Yoo-Joon. We received the script from the manager yesterday, but it was so cringe-inducing that we couldn’t even bring ourselves to practice it together. We were caught in a cycle of frustration and resignation, trying to maintain our image.

Manager hyung playfully teased us, “You have come this far. You guys are no longer trainees. Remember, you're professionals now, so work even harder.”

“...”

Hearing this, I put down the script and glared at the manager. However, out of the blue, Yoo-Joon said, “Come on, let’s rehearse.... Hyun-Woo, please accept my feelings.”

“...” I looked at Goh Yoo-Joon with a disillusioned look and then picked up the script again.

“Eh-hem. Yoo-Joon, are you confessing again?”

“...Are you doing that on purpose?”

“What do you mean?”

Goh Yoo-Joon stared at me and then turned to the manager. “Manager, we've got a big problem. Suh Hyun-Woo's acting is awful."

“What can we do?" The manager spoke as if it was someone else's issue. “Well, it’s just another embarrassing moment for Hyun-Woo. We're here. Let’s get out."

The car had arrived at the broadcasting station. Even though we were only hosting the event, the fans greeted us with waving hands and warm words.

“Hyun-Woo! Yoo-Joon!"

“You guys got this! We're watching!"

“Good luck! Do your best!"

Seeing the fans waving various gifts and the slogan from the last round of Pick We Up, my nervousness eased a bit.

“Thank you. We'll do our best."

“Are you waiting outside? It's hot," Goh Yoo-Joon asked the fans, who then shook their heads with touched expressions.

“Some are watching the live show at a coffee shop, while others already got the spots in the audience seats!”

“Oh, I see. Thank you for coming to support us. We will do our best!” Goh Yoo-Joon’s smile triggered another burst of cheers among fans, and I found myself hiding behind our manager, feeling a bit embarrassed by Yoo-Joon’s exuberance.

"Let's go now." The manager gestured toward the building, eliciting sighs of disappointment from the fans.

I spoke up cheerfully and confidently. “Thank you, Rings!"

In an instant, the crowd erupted in excited screams.

“Wow!"

“Kiyaaaaak!”

I hadn't expected such an enthusiastic response, so I exclaimed, “We'll give it our all!" With my hands full of gifts, I raised my tightly clenched fist in the air and followed the manager.

“Manager, can I spoil our debut song on stage?"

“What are you planning to do? Show me a preview first." As I chatted with the manager and walked toward the entrance of the broadcasting station, something caught our attention.

“Hey, what's that guy doing?" Goh Yoo-Joon pointed to a man lurking behind a pillar in the cafeteria. The man held what looked like a film camera and was scanning every passing celebrity. When our eyes met, he startled and quickly disappeared into the cafeteria.

“...What's that about?" I was about to dismiss it as just another person from the broadcasting station, but the man's suspicious behavior made me pause. Inside the cafeteria, he didn't order anything but just sat down, blatantly surveying the people walking by.

“Just ignore him. He might be here for the music broadcast or something. It's best not to meddle with suspicious people."

We were pulled past the man by our manager, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of discomfort.