Chapter 201: Joy (38)

“Wow, just wow... Suh Hyun-Woo, after all the good times we've shared, you hit me with this?"

I couldn't help but let out an awkward chuckle as Goh Yoo-Joon, with cheeks flushed red, seemed to paint me as the ultimate villain.

I said, “No, no, it's not that I dislike you or anything. It's just that I have a slight preference for Yoon-Chan. Also, Yoon-Chan doesn't keep me up with late-night gaming sessions."

“But you are always glued to

UTube

as well! Waah, I feel betrayed."

I shrugged nonchalantly and redirected my gaze forward. What could I say? My preferences leaned more toward Yoon-Chan.

“I will go ahead and press it then," Yoon-Chan said with a playful grin on his face as he reached for the lie detector button.

“Just so you know, if this turns out to be true, we are on a two-day break from each other."

Goh Yoo-Joon's words faded into the background as I purposely ignored him.

“Look at Hyun-Woo hyung casually throwing shade at Yoo-Joon hyung like it's nothing."

Pungchik, pungchik, kungchik, pungchik-

The lie detector took its sweet time and drummed up an unsettling tension in the air.

“Hmm, this is taking a bit longer than usual. Are you feeling anxious, hyung?" Jin-Sung chimed in, barely containing his excitement.

“It's gotta be true. It has to be. Come on." The thought of the electric shock setting cranked up to the max loomed over me. However, outcomes always had a way of defying our desires, cold and indifferent.

“Aaaargh!!!" A sharp current zapped through my palm, causing me to yelp in surprise and fling the detector onto the table. I clutched my hand, and I was just about to complain about the pain when I noticed the others. Instead of offering consolation, they burst into laughter.

As I tried to regain my composure amidst their laughter, the amused director announced,

- Congratulations, Hyun-Woo. You are the one!

“What? About what?" I asked with a puzzled look.

"For those who've been caught lying, there's a penalty awaiting. So let's keep it honest from here on out, shall we?

“So, it seems Hyun-Woo is quite content with his current roommate situation."

“Indeed."

Next up were Yoon-Chan and Jin-Sung, who boldly claimed “YES” to “Have you considered joining another group?" and “Do you see someone in the group as a rival?", only to be revealed as lies.

With everyone else falling into the trap of lies except for Joo-Han and Yoo-Joon, the director seemed overjoyed as he prepared the actual penalty. Stand mics were set up in front of us, lining side by side.

- You've all done splendidly on your mission. Now, it's time for the real penalty. You see the stand mics in front of you, right?

“Yes!"

- For the two who avoided the penalty, you will use regular mics. The rest will perform the new song "Joy" on slightly peculiar mics. Please, enjoy yourselves and give it your all.

“Peculiar mics?" I got curious and tapped the mic with my finger.

"Ah-ah." I expected some sort of voice modulation. However, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. What was supposed to be so peculiar about that?

As the three of us exchanged wary glances, Joo-Han asked, “Is everyone ready?"

“Yes!"

“Alright, let's get started. Here's our title track from Chronos's second mini-album

The Dawn of Youth

, ‘Joy.’"

Following Joo-Han's introduction, the familiar intro of my favorite "Joy" started to play. Performing the song purely with vocals without the choreography felt refreshingly new. I wasn't sure what the penalty entailed but was convinced that anything short of voice alteration would be manageable. I started to sing my part.

And that was when the mic head started its wild dance.

“What the..." So, this was the catch. The mic head whirled in every direction, making it a challenge to keep up. Given the lowered sensitivity, even a slight distance from the mic would make the vocals barely audible, and it was nearly impossible to sing properly with the head spinning like this.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

I chased the mic, determined to keep singing. Jin-Sung couldn't help but laugh at my plight, only to face the same dizzying challenge with the rotating mic.

Amidst our laughter and struggle, Joo-Han and Goh Yoo-Joon's parts flowed smoothly, leaving just Jin-Sung, Yoon-Chan, and me frantically moving to keep up with the song and complete the filming.

***

“Hyung, are there no plans to perform ‘Once Again’ anytime soon?"

-...What's with the sudden call and this out-of-the-blue question, you brat?

“..."

In life, it was all about lending a hand to one another. That was exactly why Kim Jin-Wook lent his rap skills to my solo track, and I made a cameo on his broadcast. Therefore, regardless of our history or who the person was, if they offered a helping hand, I could manage a warm greeting.

‘Isn't that what being part of a society is all about?’

- If you've got something to say, spit it out. Don't dance around the topic.

“How have you been, hyung? I've been tuning into your show."

- …

Especially when I was the one asking for a favor, it was crucial to approach the situation with respect and politeness.

“Hyung, how about we grab some coffee? A little coffee break, perhaps? Together."

- I'm about to hang up.

“Wait, please. Hyung, I really need a favor. I will buy the coffee if you agree to meet me."

Truth be told, I didn't particularly have an issue with Kim Jin-Wook. Our occasional spats were more habit than anything else. Recently, I had come to view him as a fairly reliable business connection.

Kim Jin-Wook remained silent for a moment after my plea. Then, he quietly responded.

- Come to the office.

“Now? Okay, hyung. You know I have nothing but respect for you—"

Click.

[1]

“Damn."

It was 10 PM, which was quite late. A meeting hadn't been on my agenda, but I had a favor to ask and thus needed to be accommodating to Kim Jin-Wook's schedule. I tossed my phone aside on the bed and hurriedly got ready. The idea to meet just sprung up spontaneously.

As the preparations for the comeback and the inaugural ceremony kicked off, Goh Yoo-Joon's solo track hit a creative block. Unlike "Once Again," which was fueled by personal experiences, crafting lyrics that encapsulated Goh Yoo-Joon's persona and theme was challenging.

I could craft some passable lyrics. However, given that this was Goh Yoo-Joon's debut solo, I aimed to deliver nothing short of excellence, and this led me to seek out Kim Jin-Wook.

Despite our differences, Kim Jin-Wook's talent in composition was undeniable, and I had to agree that his musical sense was impressively good.

After notifying Joo-Han and our manager, I caught a taxi to YU. I arrived with cups of coffee in hand as I promised and entered a studio room. There, Kim Jin-Wook was preoccupied with his phone, and he glanced up at me with a hint of irritation.

I greeted him with a friendly smile and bowed slightly to exaggerate my respect toward him. “Good to see you, hyung."

“What brings you here?"

“May I dive straight into it? But first, here's your coffee."

Kim Jin-Wook took the coffee, his expression laced with skepticism.

‘Why are you two so close?’

It felt as if Halo's puzzled question was echoing in my ears once again.

‘I know right? Why do we end up meeting despite not being fond of each other?’

I took out a notebook from my bag and handed it over to Kim Jin-Wook. Then I said, “One of my members is about to release a solo, you see."

“Mhm."

“I've been tasked with writing the lyrics, but... I've hit a wall."

Kim Jin-Wook glanced over the lyrics I'd scribbled down while holding the coffee. “These seem fine to me. What's wrong with them?"

“I'm aiming to enrich the imagery and ambiance. I want to deliver the best possible lyrics, but I'm at a loss on where to enhance my work."

“To give proper feedback, I'll need to hear the song."

Luckily, I came prepared and played the song for Kim Jin-Wook without hesitation. He listened intently until the end and then nodded in approval. “You are considering making changes here?"

“Yes, exactly."

“How about incorporating some English lyrics in this section?"

“English lyrics, you say?"

“The track's got a deep, sexy vibe, so adding a few English lines could really elevate it."

“I see."

Kim Jin-Wook then took a pen and jotted down several English phrases that could replace or supplement my original lyrics.

“You seem to like me, hyung. You are surprisingly helpful."

“I keep telling you. If only you'd keep quiet more often, we'd always get along like this."

“That's not been my experience. You treat your manager just the same as you treat me."

“...Just go, we are done here."

“Come on, hyung, let's chat a bit more. The discussion about the lyrics isn't over yet, and I can't just take help and leave."

“It's better if you don't touch anything other than the parts I've corrected. You write better than you think you do. It would be good for you to have more confidence," said Kim Jin-Wook as he handed me back my notebook, as if he had nothing more to say. Then, he started editing his work again.

I looked at the notebook for a moment. The English lyrics I jotted down briefly to match the rhythm of the song fit perfectly. I then revised some other lyrics into English on the spot and hummed them softly.

Then, Kim Jin-Wook, who had been acting as if I wasn't there, glanced at me and asked, “Do you want to try doing the feature your manager asked you to do last time?"

“A feature?" I remembered Su-Hwan mentioned something like that. Well, Kim Jin-Wook helped with the lyrics, so doing that kind of favor should be fine.

“We need to get permission from the company to do it officially."

“Just try singing it for now."

“Okay."

After I nodded, Kim Jin-Wook immediately played the song for me. “I thought your voice would fit really well too. I've been keeping you in mind."

“Well, thanks.”

Like I highly regarded Kim Jin-Wook's skills in composition, lyrics, and rap, it seemed that he also had a high opinion of my singing abilities and voice.

1. Jin-Wook hung up. ?