Chapter 11: The Future Starts to Change (5)

My debut outfit had changed from the traditional black suit and tie to a somewhat loose-fitting shirt paired with beige pants. It seemed that changing the roles and songs also called for a change in attire.

"Wow, you guys look so different up close."

Our manager lined us up, repeatedly expressing his admiration. Indeed, we usually roamed around in workout clothes and messy hair, but after donning our new outfits, we started to look like true celebrities.

"Getting dressed really does make a difference."

Lee Jin-Sung seemed quite pleased with his appearance, continually stealing glances at himself in the mirror, wearing a somewhat arrogant expression on his face.

"Let's get going. We are running late."

"Okay!"

The members then got in the car and headed to the filming set.

"Oh, by the way, there’s supposed to be an article coming out today related to our survival show." Our manager scrolled through his phone and then passed it to Goh Yoo-Joon who was seated in the front passenger seat.

"The article is out. Here."

After skimming through the article, Goh Yoo-Joon had a mix of astonishment and admiration on his face as he passed the phone to the rest of us in the back seat.

"Wow, they are calling us a prospective group. Like we are promising rookies or something," exclaimed Yoo-Joon.

"Even SU Entertainment is participating. I thought their CEO said he wouldn't send anyone," added the manager.

While our manager and Goh Yoo-Joon chatted, the phone made its way around and was eventually handed to me.

[UNET's next big project: Boy Group Survival! Six teams from each agency will battle in

Pick We Up

]

(Picture of the previous

Pick We Up

logo.jpg)

UNET is gearing up for a survival competition among prospective boy groups. In

Pick We Up

, six prospective boy groups from various agencies will face off in a reality show.

Pick We Up

is the boy group version of last year's

Pick We Up

, where the girl group Renewal, who were the final winners, made a successful debut amid much attention. Consequently, the upcoming actions and cast of

Pick We Up

are attracting significant attention as well.

Meanwhile, UNET revealed that filming has already begun, and several top-tier agencies, including the famous YU and SU Entertainments, are participating with their top prospects.

[email protected]

There were more articles like this. From its trending status, it was clear that the show was already generating significant buzz.

"I've read all of them." I handed back the phone without much emotion and looked out of the window again.

"Wait, did you say it's a reality show? Did we ever discuss this?" asked Jin-Sung.

"We did at the meeting. You must have missed it while you were distracted, Lee Jin-Sung," said the manager.

"That's not it. There's just been so much information lately."

The car was filled with the loud chatter of my group members, but my mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with the upcoming profile shoot rather than the audition or the reality show.

“By the way, I haven’t told you guys yet, but during the profile shoot, UNET will be bringing in cameras to film a brief introduction video," the manager blurted suddenly.

Yes, my mind was occupied because of that.

"What? Why are you telling us this now?"

"I just found out a few hours ago. Just act naturally during the shoot. Don't be too conscious of the camera, but if they approach and ask questions, make sure to respond with enthusiasm."

Once again, my thoughts drifted back to the moment of the accident. All the footage from that day was discarded due to it... And I couldn’t help but recall that traumatic event.

"We're also going to shoot some behind-the-scenes footage on our end. Just try to stay relaxed."

"Why didn’t you mention this earlier? The guys are already quite nervous."

"Haha, my apologies for the oversight. I should have informed Joo-Han in advance."

Shortly after our conversation, we arrived at the filming site. One by one, the members and I stepped out of the car, following the manager's instructions. I paused for a moment to take a deep breath, reminding myself that all I needed to do was stay focused to ensure that the day would proceed without any issues. I was determined not to lose this second chance.

"Once we're inside, make sure to greet everyone loudly and mind your manners, okay?" the manager advised.

"Of course. We've gone through three years of etiquette training at the company."

"Let's do this, Chronos," Joo-Han pronounced our group name with a cheeky grin, which drew chuckles from all the members.

"Wow, I still can't get used to the name Chronos."

"It's not the name we're not used to. It’s just Joo-Han hyung's awkward way of saying it that’s weird."

Everyone continued to chatter about the group’s name until we entered the filming set. Upon arrival, we suddenly became stiff, looking around as if we were newcomers in Seoul.

Then, a friendly staff member noticed us and smiled. "Chronos has arrived!"

All eyes were on us following the staff's announcement, and we quickly bowed in unison.

"Hello! We're Chronos! Nice to meet you all!"

Our well-practiced greeting elicited laughter and positive responses from the crew on the set.

"Oh, what great voices."

"Did you guys practice the greetings as well? Come closer, let us see your faces." The staff seemed very friendly toward us, probably because they found our rookie enthusiasm endearing.

"You all look handsome. Today's photos will turn out great."

"Thank you so much. They are new, so they might lack experience," our manager said.

"Don’t worry. We've got plenty of time for the shoot, so let's do our best."

We continued to greet the people on the set. Then, Park Yoon-Chan and Lee Jin-Sung came to an abrupt stop, their faces etched with frowns.

"Cigarette smoke."

"Look at that smoke over there."

Upon hearing them, Goh Yoo-Joon directly covered his nose with an unpleasant expression.

"Smoking on the set? Are they out of their minds?" Yoo-Joon blurted out.

"Quiet," Joo-Han hushed Goh Yoo-Joon, "You never know who might overhear."

Nonetheless, both Joo-Han and the manager’s expressions became serious.

“Hello, sir. This is Chronos.” The manager approached the smoking man while greeting him, but everyone knew that the manager was trying his best to relax his expression. The smoking man then glanced at the members with a weary expression.

"Oh, they are still kids. I'm the lighting director. Yes, do your best."

"...One, two, three. Hello, we are Chronos! Thank you in advance for your help!"

"Ah, you guys are noisy." The lighting director waved his hand dismissively as if we were a bother to him.

Taking the cue, we all turned away and left the director alone. Goh Yoo-Joon couldn't help but voice his thoughts, "What’s with him? He’s really unpleasant."

"I agree. His words are quite off-putting. Is it because we’re just newbies?"

The behind-the-scenes camera continued to roll, capturing our interactions. However, despite the generally friendly atmosphere on the set, the lighting director’s rudeness was evident.

'And that man... he was the cause of my accident in the past.'

After we completed our round of greetings, UNET cameras had also arrived. When one of the cameras turned toward us, Goh Yoo-Joon, despite his earlier complaints, managed to put on a smile. Nevertheless, his smile seemed forced and awkward.

"Hey, relax. Just be natural," I whispered to him.

"Easy for you to say," he muttered in response.

As Goh Yoo-Joon and I took our seats, the stylists started to work on fixing our disheveled hair. Seizing the moment, I called out to our manager, "In-Hyun hyung."

"Yes? What is it? Are you still feeling unwell?"

"No, not that. When we went to greet the lighting team earlier, the lights seemed a bit shaky. Could you check on that?"

"Really? I didn't notice. But sure, I will go and check."

From the outside, the lighting equipment seemed to be perfectly fine. However, based on my knowledge of the accident, a small screw inside had come loose, and the already unstable equipment had been overheating for a while, which likely caused the screw to loosen even more and fall out.

If the manager didn't recheck the equipment, I would probably suffer from a potential accident again.

"Let’s start shooting!"

As the photo shoot started, I noticed the manager talking to the lighting director. From their expressions, it was clear that the director was being defensive, insisting that there was no issue with the lighting equipment.

For a brief moment, the lighting director’s gaze met mine, and he pointed at me sharply.

"The member in the center! Look straight ahead! How about changing your posture a bit?"

"Oh, yes!"

I quickly shifted my focus and concentrated on the shooting.

***

"Did you sleep well?" The UNET camera approached as I was having my individual shoot.

"Sorry?" I was looking at the chandelier lights above us and was taken aback by the sudden question. The cameraman kindly smiled and asked again, "Did you sleep well?"

I awkwardly smiled. "Ah... Well, not really."

"Is it because it's your first shoot and you're nervous?"

"Yes, I couldn't sleep."

I couldn't sleep thinking about the lighting accident. After that, the cameraman didn't ask any more questions, but the camera kept filming me, making me wonder if I should say something.

"Hyun-Woo really couldn't sleep. You were the one walking around the dorm living room in the early morning, right?" Joo-Han recounted as he came over and put his hand on my shoulder. I truly felt relieved by his gesture.

I replied, "That wasn't me. It was Yoon-Chan who went to work out. Did you know he hits the gym every morning?"

"I knew about that. He is really committed to his diet."

When I continued the conversation with Joo-Han in front of the camera, the manager quietly called me from behind the camera.

“I will go ahead with the shooting,” I said.

As I rose from my chair, the camera’s focus seamlessly shifted to highlight Joo-Han, leaving me to discreetly pull the manager aside to a quiet corner. His expression was one of evident frustration.

“He got really defensive, insisting that there’s nothing wrong with the equipment. Even when we tried to check it, he lashed out, cursing at you guys who haven't even debuted yet, questioning what you could possibly know about such matters,” the manager exclaimed.

“...Oh, is that so?”

“This is unacceptable. If there’s a potential issue with the equipment, shouldn’t we at least double-check it? His carelessness can lead to serious consequences.”

The manager’s frustration seemed to grow as he thought about the lighting director’s dismissive attitude toward our worries. The manager was particularly upset because it seemed as though the director couldn’t comprehend the severe repercussions that could arise from such negligence.

Lost in my thoughts, I muttered under my breath, "Damn it."

"...Whoa! Hey! Are you crazy?" the manager exclaimed, taken aback by my uncharacteristic outburst.

"Huh? Oh."

"How can you swear here, of all places? There are so many eyes on us." The manager’s expression grew stern. Feeling awkward, I looked around and quickly excused myself from the spot.

“I’m sorry. I'm going to shoot the subunit scene now,” I said

“That guy hardly ever swears, so why did he choose to do it here?” I overheard some staff members whispering amongst themselves as they looked at us. Even Lee Jin-Sung was watching me with curiosity.

With only the unit scene—the scene of my past accident—remaining, I took a deep breath to steady myself. If I had to face those harsh lights without any assurance of the equipment’s safety, I needed to be fully composed.

“Hyung, why does the manager look so upset?” Lee Jin-Sung inquired, as his attention was now on me.

"Ah, I did something."

"Did you scare him by saying that his hair is getting bald again?"

"No, it wasn’t that."

Lee Jin-Sung chuckled and entered the set. I then took my designated seat, adjusted my posture, and looked at the camera.

"Can you make a slightly dazed expression? Relax your face and tilt your head slightly to the right."

‘When did the chandelier fall? Was there any warning before the lights collapsed?’

As I tried to remember the timing, the photo shoot continued. I merely followed the director's instructions, changing positions and getting uncomfortably close to Jin-Sung.

"Wow... it's creepy to be this close to you," he joked with muffled pronunciation as if he was conscious of his breath.

I teased, "Didn't you brush your teeth? You ate a lot during lunchtime."

"Yes, I did brush my teeth."

I continued the photo shoot with anxiety as if I were playing Russian roulette.

"Hey! Hey! Get out!"

The sudden descent of the chandelier, accompanied by the urgent shouts from the lighting crew, immediately captured my attention. The grand light fixture crashed down from above us.

"Oh." That was all I could utter as I realized the gravity of the situation.

"...Huh?" Lee Jin-Sung, on the other hand, was momentarily frozen. He could only stare at the falling chandelier with widened eyes.

‘Are you out of your mind?’

Adrenaline was surging through my veins. Without a second thought, I clenched my teeth, grabbed Jin-Sung by his collar, and pulled him toward me while I took a swift step back. In the chaos, Jin-Sung toppled onto me.

"Ah, ah!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with shock.

The chandelier and lights crashed to the ground, shattering upon impact. Their fragments were sent flying in all directions, and some found their way to my leg.

Sssssh-

The sound of fabric and skin being torn filled my ears.

"Aaargh!" I couldn't hold back the cry of pain.

"What, what happened?!" Panicked screams echoed throughout the set.

The broken lights, now a pile of wreckage, sparked and ignited the carpet, setting it ablaze.

'Damn, was that supposed to fall on my face?'

My mind was in turmoil. It had been a close call, narrowly avoiding what could have been a catastrophic incident.

"Phew..." I exhaled with a shaky breath as I tried to assess the situation through the thick smoke.

I then turned my attention to Jin-Sung, who was still on top of me. He looked stunned as he stared at the wreckage.

"...Hey, are you okay?" I asked. My voice was strained as I started to feel the pain in my leg again.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I was scared... but are you okay?" He quickly scrambled to his feet, his concern evident on his face. "Thank you... Hey! Your leg! You're bleeding!"

Both of us were not injured to a serious extent. "Phew, that's a relief," I murmured, as the reality of the situation started to sink in.

"No, Hyun-Woo! Your leg is bleeding, are you okay?" Jin-Sung's worry was palpable.

The staff started to gather around me with concerned expressions. At that moment, the pain in my leg or the possibility of shards embedded in my skin seemed inconsequential. What mattered was that we both emerged from the incident without severe injuries.

My teammates looked at me with serious expressions as I was carefully helped to my feet and led toward the waiting vehicle.

‘It’s over,’

I thought to myself. Everything had come to an end.

Yes, the shoot was ruined, and I was injured, but the overwhelming relief that we had both narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation made those details seem trivial. Yet, as soon as I settled into the car, a sharp pain shot through my nose, bringing a new wave of discomfort.