Chapter 272: First Full Album (8)

Stalkers were stalkers, but work was work. Time passed regardless of the stress Joo-Han, I, and the agency experienced because of the stalkers, and our comeback date was slowly approaching. No matter what incidents occurred, we couldn't neglect the work we had to do.

“Hyun-Woo, are you already practicing your acting for the music video?"

“Huh? Oh... sorry-"

“No, no, don't apologize. I'm fine with it. Please keep that vibe for the shoot."

Even during the previous "Parade" shoot, the director lauded the idea of maintaining the same demeanor and complimented my look when I was pale as heck from the lighting incident. And today, he was doing the same thing.

Today was the day for the first regular album, “Phantom Spirit,” concept photoshoot. I finally returned to the black hair I had longed for. With the main color concept of Chronos now being black, I felt it was time to embrace it. As the stylist said, it was time for my scalp to breathe.

Meanwhile, Goh Yoo-Joon, who had maintained black hair until now, dyed his hair ash gray. Joo-Han opted for dark blue, while Yoon-Chan finally moved away from red to become a brunette.

“I love how their images drastically change with each dye. This concept is so unique, perfect to achieve what we have in plan.”

“Exactly. I'm curious about this concept too. In “Parade,” they had more of a boyish vibe, but this time, they feel more mature."

The visual director was pleased with the director's praise. She went on a lengthy explanation about the details of the costumes and the meanings behind the accessories while smiling proudly about the focus for this concept.

This time, our costumes were all black. Some members wore suits, while others, like me and Joo-Han, wore outfits with long trailing lace or see-through elements. The costumes were certainly unique. I was the epitome of eeriness: black hair, a black lace-adorned outfit, white scarf, red lips, and several jewels under my eyes.

Thanks to this concept, Goh Yoo-Joon was able to wear a jewel-encrusted face chain that somewhat covered his still slightly swollen cheeks.

“This is really annoying," Goh Yoo-Joon said while fiddling with the dangling jewels of the face chain near his mouth.

“If noona likes the Rings’ response to this, she's going to make us wear them on stage too. How are we supposed to dance with these things?"

“It's really bothersome. The jewels keep jingling and hitting my face."

Having worn a face cover during a previous end-of-year stage, I roughly knew what it felt like. It might look good to others—actually, I didn’t find it pretty—but it was extremely uncomfortable for those wearing it and dancing.

The behind-the-scenes Chronos camera was filming Joo-Han as he lost the rock paper scissors, so his turn to film got delayed. Then, the camera approached us. I waited for it to come closer and timed what I wanted to say accordingly.

“We are currently shooting the concept photo for our first regular album ‘Fantasy—’”

“‘Phantom Spirit.’ Yes, we are at the shooting set for our first album. Right, Hyun-Woo?"

“Ah, you..." I was about to say something more. Each time the behind-the-scenes camera approached, it only captured us zoning out or goofing around. At the very least, I was resolved to have made broadcast-worthy comments during that time when I drove Yoo-Joon around as his manager.

Goh Yoo-Joon looked at me smugly since I was unable to even get angry in front of the camera and just eye-signaled him. He burst into his distinctive laughter. He opened his mouth so widely to laugh that he nearly bit into the end of the face chain.

I clicked my tongue and got up. Goh Yoo-Joon was being immature. “Is this funny to you?" I asked.

“Hyun-Woo, time to start shooting."

“Okay."

Since we decided on the order in which we would shoot our pictures through rock-paper-scissors matches, I was the first one that day.

***

“Kneel over there, as if you’re praying. Look somberly at the camera," the director instructed.

I knelt and clasped my hands as if praying.

“Chin up, have a humble posture, but with a not-so-humble expression. Act sexier!"

I kept telling myself not to laugh while trying hard to follow the directions, but I couldn't help it due to the constant emphasis on being sexier. I struggled to finish my shoot without continuously chuckling. Not just me, but every member burst into laughter at least once.

Next we had shooting in groups of two or three. I heard that in the Chronos universe story of this album “Phantom Spirit,” I was not close to Jin-Sung, but to Goh Yoo-Joon. Therefore, I was paired with Goh Yoo-Joon for the shooting this time.

Since we were still rookies, we couldn't fool around during shooting. However, the problem was that we couldn't stay serious either. Goh Yoo-Joon kept laughing at how serious I looked, which caused a significant delay, one that was not originally planned.

The concept mostly involved meaningful shots like me pushing Goh Yoo-Joon down or sitting on the opposite side of the camera angle and staring at Goh Yoo-Joon, who was looking straight ahead.

***

It had turned to a dark night. After the first shooting session, we waited until nightfall, when we were split up to different shooting locations. I changed into another costume, which was the ruffled shirt I had worn during the “Parade” and “Joy” shoots.

“Your hair being dark now is the only flaw, but it’s a music video,” the director commented regretfully while fiddling with my hair. “Well, we can’t do anything about that now."

“Hyun-Woo, you will have to say goodbye to that outfit after this shoot. You've worn it long enough, right?"

“I don’t think so. I think the noonas might keep it for later use at concerts or fan meetings to revive memories," I told the director before starting the shoot.

The reason I had worn this worn-out outfit again was to leave a significant spoiler for the concept photo for the upcoming music video. I was dressed in the ruffled shirt I had previously worn only on sets adorned with pastel lighting and beds, but I was on the set for “Joy” this time. It was the school field.

A fantasy world costume in a modern setting did not quite match, but that was the point. It felt as if I was signaling my return to reality after being trapped in a fantasy realm, right in the center of the sports field.

“Let's begin shooting," the director announced.

At his cue, I obediently let go of the objects I held, my face devoid of emotion.

“Once more," he directed.

“Okay." I picked the items up and then dropped them again as instructed.

“Ah, the name tags aren’t showing as well as I expected. One more time, please."

“Alright," I repeated the action of dropping the items that cascaded from my grasp. The objects were none other than name tags. These weren't just any name tags, as they belonged to the school uniforms of Goh Yoo-Joon, Yoon-Chan, and Jin-Sung. Only their tags were present, while mine and Joo-Han’s were notably absent.

I continued to drop them expressionlessly, revealing a critical spoiler for the "Phantom Spirit" storyline.

“Perfect! Hyun-Woo, your acting has really improved.”

“Haha. Thank you," I chuckled.

“That's a wrap. You can relax until the others are done.”

With the director's consent, I approached Jin-Sung. He was shooting in a classroom repurposed as our clubroom. My scene was outdoors, while Jin-Sung's was within the heart of the school.

“Is Jin-Sung almost done?" I whispered to Su-Hwan, who was quietly waiting in the classroom.

Su-Hwan signaled for me to be quiet with a silent shake of his head and a finger to his lips. I nodded and watched Jin-Sung shoot.

The room was quiet. All eyes were on him as he finally seemed to grasp the emotional depth required for the scene. He was clad in his school uniform, holding a hat reminiscent of our fantasy adventures. His gaze was lost in the window's reflection against the backlight.

He was clearly grappling with difficult emotions. It was hard to tell whether they were of joy, bitterness, or relief.

The director likened his expression to "that of a retired office worker," a comment that might have thrown Jin-Sung off in capturing the right emotion.

“Are the other members still on set?"

“Yes, Supervisor Kim is looking after them. Joo-Han is upstairs.”

“Ah..."

Supervisor Kim had given up on the manager role nearly two decades ago, but he had been deemed trustworthy enough to take up the position again.

“Must be tough for you.”

“Not at all. I'm learning a lot," he responded, though his expression suggested discomfort.

“And where is Joo-Han hyung actually?"

“He is shooting on the rooftop. Would you like to see what he’s up to? He's there with Hye-Ri.”

“Sure.”

Su-Hwan led me to the rooftop where Joo-Han was filming. He had also donned his costume from our fantasy narrative. It was name tags for me, a hat for Jin-Sung, and a watch for Joo-Han. He was clutching a pocket watch that Yoon-Chan had handled during our previous shoot. Joo-Han’s face was etched with sadness as he stared into the void. He was visibly distressed.

The contrast was stark against the backdrop of our last album's theme. It seemed we had ventured into an entirely reversed narrative.