Chapter 15: Survival - Red Riding Hood Cha-Cha (3)

After the performance concluded, the judges' laughter led us to exchange awkward glances among us. I adjusted my skirt, which had ridden up during the dance, and also took a moment to fix my wig. It was only then that Reina finally stopped laughing and addressed us.

"Firstly." She started surveying us with a smile gracing her face.

Reina was the top solo singer in South Korea, and I never thought I would get the chance to make eye contact with such a superstar. Each of us noticeably flinched whenever our eyes met Reina's, and I was no exception. With her ten years of experience in the industry, her formidable presence was undeniable.

"Who chose the song?" she asked, her curiosity evident.

"Pardon?" Having been maintaining eye contact with Reina, Lee Jin-Sung asked for clarification.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Who chose the song

Red Riding Hood Cha-Cha

?"

"Oh, that..."

All eyes turned hesitantly to me. Then, Reina's eyes shifted to me, and I felt a cold sweat running down my spine.

I swallowed hard and nodded with the gaze of a newbie. "It was... It was me."

"Oh? Your name is...?"

"My name is Suh Hyun-Woo."

Reina and the other judges collectively gasped in recognition as I said my name.

‘Why are they reacting like that?’

Reina smiled when she saw my confused expression. "Ah, the member from that incident?"

"Excuse me? Oh."

Reina pointed up at the lights. Ah, she was talking about the lighting accident. I nodded awkwardly, finally getting her hint. "Yes, that's me."

"Oh dear, it was quite the situation from the start. Are you okay now?"

"Yes, I was hurt a bit, but I'm fine now."

The real danger I had faced in the past was far more severe than this minor injury. Hence, when I spoke in a stoic tone, the judges seemed to look more dramatic as if they had been present at the accident scene.

I noticed a camera angle changing, probably zooming in on the scar on my ankle. I flinched slightly but let them film.

"Anyway, back to the main topic." Reina smoothly transitioned, attempting to restore the ambiance that had momentarily been disrupted by the discussion of the lighting accident. Her gaze once again fixed on me. "Why choose this song? Other groups opted for cool songs. Were you trying to be humorous with Cha-Cha?"

Her voice took on a colder tone, seemingly trying to inject a sense of tension befitting an audition setting. My team members looked at me with worried eyes, but I remained unfazed.

"Since other groups would likely choose cool songs, I thought we could leave a stronger impact by doing something different."

"That's the reason behind your decision?" she pressed, her eyes searching for any sign of uncertainty in mine.

"Yes."

‘Who am I, really?’

I was a high schooler auditioning in front of influential people despite having not debuted yet, and I was also a young adult in my twenties who had lived through regrettable incidents in my previous life. Moreover, I had altered my destiny multiple times to reach this point, even if it meant standing here in a Cha-Cha outfit...

Perhaps surprised by my composure and indifference, Reina seemed taken aback. She had likely expected me to react with bewilderment, similar to the other trainees she had encountered.

Then, a middle-aged man beside her spoke, "This song seems risky for an audition. Do you consider the audition as a joke? Hmm, it doesn't seem like it. You've shown your skills very well. Well done."

"Thank you."

"I'm not looking for your gratitude. I want to know your intention behind this song. This is an audition, after all. What if you were eliminated because of wearing a skirt? Is Hyun-Woo the leader?"

"No, our leader is right here." I gestured toward Joo-Han. The man I assumed to be the show's director stroked his beard, appearing somewhat displeased. Hence, the atmosphere grew tense once again.

"Do you really think you'll be okay as long as you make an impact, Hyun-Woo? Do the leader and the other members feel the same way?" He framed his question as if he believed we hadn’t taken this opportunity seriously, attempting to create content by nitpicking our choices. However, I wasn’t easily swayed.

Back when I was a trainer, I had pointed out and critiqued others countless times during monthly evaluations, debut team auditions, and more. Critique was no stranger to me, and thus, I wouldn’t be shaken that easily. I firmly believed their focus was on our performance, not on critiquing us in this manner. Since I was confident, I wouldn’t waver.

"We didn’t choose this song to joke around. If possible, could you give me a minute to explain?"

"An explanation? Well, let's hear it."

Despite his blunt response, I could confidently say that he was probably pleased to have secured the content. I was certain, speaking from the perspective of someone who worked in the same industry.

I acted as if I was cautious, seeming to gauge their reactions. However, I spoke with clarity, “I understand that our approach might seem like mocking the show, especially since we are auditioning in this attire, singing a song from an animation.”

This aspect had been a concern even before the audition, especially in terms of its potential broadcast content. After hearing this, the judges gestured for me to continue.

“But from our standpoint, we believed this was the only viable method.”

"The only method?"

“Yes. Prominent groups from other renowned agencies will undoubtedly present themselves with flair. And given that we are the last in the lineup, we contemplated how we, Chronos, could effectively capture your attention.”

“I see your point.”

“We genuinely believe we have showcased our abilities.”

Even if our approach could be perceived as comedic, our primary goal was to firmly display our talents. We might have crafted a somewhat embarrassing narrative for ourselves, but we were confident in our dance and vocal abilities. I trusted that the judges would be able to see and acknowledge our efforts.

“What if you end up being eliminated from the audition?” Reina suddenly interjected, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She then chuckled softly and rested her chin on her hand. It seemed like she already knew we wouldn't be facing elimination and just wanted to tease me a bit.

Suppressing my astonishment, I grinned sheepishly. “I am quite confident that we won’t face elimination... My apologies if that comes across as arrogant.”

“Why are you so confident?” she pressed, curious about my reasoning.

“Despite our unconventional appearance, we truly gave our all during the performance,” I explained earnestly.

Joo-Han then subtly added to the conversation. “We have great confidence in our skills...”

Goh Yoo-Joon cautiously chimed in and broke the brief silence. “Also, we did generate quite the buzz even though it could be considered not ideal...”

“Ah, hyung. Don’t bring that up!” Lee Jin-Sung hastily interrupted Goh Yoo-Joon. Park Yoon-Chan tried to hush Goh Yoo-Joon too, but he got distracted adjusting his rising skirt due to sweat. The frosty atmosphere of the audition room gradually warmed up and became friendlier.

“Director, aren't they just adorable?”

“Absolutely. They have a point in everything they've said.”

The individual I had assumed was the director turned out to be the head director of this particular show. Judging by his facial expression, he seemed to find our antics either amusing or endearing. Throughout our interaction, the director frequently chuckled as he reviewed our documents and occasionally glanced at our unique outfits.

“You folks truly know how to entertain people,” he remarked with a smile.

We were quite the comedic group, and we hoped that our humorous approach would ensure us a substantial amount of screen time.

“It's evident that you took a playful approach with the cartoon music, but it's also clear that a considerable amount of preparation went into it.”

“...Thank you so much!” We all expressed our gratitude, bowing in unison at a ninety-degree angle, which was customary for newcomers in the industry.

“You all showcased impressive talents. You all haven’t even debuted, yet you managed to do a live performance with such enthusiasm. The one in pants seems particularly adept at dancing.”

“Yes, I was part of a dance team before becoming a trainee with the others,” Lee Jin-Sung responded, shifting the focus of the conversation not only to me but also to the other members of our group. The judges, including Reina and the director, proceeded to engage in a discussion about the talent show where Lee Jin-Sung had showcased his dance skills.

Following that, they playfully teased Park Yoon-Chan’s striking outfit and commended my ability to hit stable high notes. Eventually, they directed their questions to Joo-Han, which was to be expected.

“It seems like all the members have a strong bond. How long did you practice for this performance?”

“We dedicated about a month to practice. As soon as we received news of our broadcast appearance, Hyun-Woo came up with this idea, and we immediately got to work,” Joo-Han explained.

“Were there any conflicts during that period? Given the unconventional song choice, it seems possible that there might have been some disagreements among the members.”

Joo-Han hesitated briefly before responding with a laugh. “Not at all. All the members trusted in the process and followed through diligently, which allowed us to prepare in time. We've been through a lot together over the years, and we've become a team that truly understands and supports one another. We always encourage and compliment each other.”

Lee Jin-Sung and I naturally put our hands on Goh Yoo-Joon's shoulders. I urged, "Control your expression."

"I am..." Goh Yoo-Joon muttered under his breath.

Joo-Han was obviously lying. There had been disagreements and moments of discord among us: during the initial song selection, multiple times throughout the practice sessions when morale was low, while arranging the song, during wardrobe decisions, and when determining the center position. Recalling the recent arguments and challenges, it was remarkable that we had managed to resolve everything and present a united front.

True to his nature, Goh Yoo-Joon wasn't adept at concealing his feelings or making empty promises, so his face involuntarily contorted. I wasn’t certain if the camera had captured that moment.

As the conversation continued, Joo-Han skillfully engaged with the judges. Eventually, the discussion came to an end, and the director expressed his satisfaction with a nod.

"Chronos, you are an intriguing group. This audition was quite an experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing you on the main broadcast."

"Thank you!"

Our first official shoot concluded. As Joo-Han opened the door and each member exited one by one, we heard a "Cut!" and the audition site suddenly became noisy.

In the midst of the chaos, I thought I heard the director’s voice. "Who is Chronos's manager? Tell the manager to come see me for a moment."

Before I could wonder why our manager, Park Yoon-Chan closed the door as the last one out. Then, my thoughts naturally got distracted.

"Great job, everyone."

"Is Cha-Cha really over? Are you sure it's over?"

The members had been practicing only Cha-Cha for a month and seemed in disbelief that it was over, so they kept asking Joo-Han. After answering a few times, Joo-Han became exasperated and covered the mouths of Goh Yoo-Joon and Lee Jin-Sung.

After waiting in the waiting room for about thirty minutes, our manager came up to us with an unusually bright expression.

"Hyung, what's going on?"

"Hyung, please don't smile like that. It's scary."

"Right, your face looks like a thug from a crime drama."

Despite our teasing, the manager kept smiling and said, "Guys, congratulations. I knew you would do well."

"What are you talking about?" The members looked puzzled but hopeful. I wasn’t the only one who had heard the satisfied director's voice looking for our manager earlier.

With an excited voice, the manager said, "Both your audition and profile videos will be pre-released!"

"Really?"

"You and one other big agency group are the only ones getting pre-released. You can make a strong first impression. Guys! Well done! Well done!"

Our survival show journey was going surprisingly well.