Chapter 335: Stay Strong (8)

Although the decision to establish the label was finalized, no immediate changes were apparent. Everything had been initiated by Supervisor Kim's impulsive decision, and while that got the ball rolling, every subsequent step needed to be approached with caution.

Su-Hwan had handed over his main managerial duties to Tae-Seong, who was now tasked with hiring a new manager and assembling a skilled team to manage both Allure and Chronos. It was definitely a process that promised to be lengthy. For now, our job was to stay focused and keep pushing forward with our responsibilities.

At the Chronos dance studio, a sense of unease hung in the air.

“Are we really not syncing up?” Joo-Han questioned, his head tilted in confusion after we ran through the choreography for “Parade” for the first time in ages.

Jin-Sung’s face contorted in frustration as he planted his hands on his hips and expressed his thoughts bluntly. “Honestly, that was a disaster.”

It seemed everyone had felt a looming scolding from Jin-Sung while performing the routine. “How could we forget this choreography? It’s the track we’ve performed the most. We even nailed it at every single event.”

I know, right? How could we forget this song’s choreography in particular? The situation was utterly baffling, especially to Jin-Sung, who couldn’t grasp how the steps could have slipped their minds.

To offer some excuses, excluding Jin-Sung, we hadn’t properly practiced just “Parade,” but even our latest song “Fantasy Spirit” during the slightly more than three months of our vacation.

Of course, not practicing properly wasn’t much of an excuse. But during the break, we were restricted to only light stretching instead of full practice sessions due to fatigue, muscle pain, and various health issues. This was a special measure taken by Su-Hwan, who knew very well that members were always in the practice room even on holidays.

Moreover, we were all mentally drained due to the incident involving Goh Yoo-Joon’s father near the end of our vacation. Thus, our performance of “Parade” was a complete mess.

“Adding a remix? Dance breaks? It’s too embarrassing to even show this to our choreographer.”

Goh Yoo-Joon hurriedly apologized to Jin-Sung before getting back on his feet. “But remember, our bodies memorize the way we move. A bit more practice, and we will be back on track, haha! Sorry, I was just joking. Let’s get back to it! We need to memorize ‘Chronos’ before the choreographer shows up.”

“Seriously. We’re struggling with ‘Parade’ and now ‘Chronos?’ It's time for a reality check! We will keep going until we can perform ‘Parade’ perfectly! Everyone, go review the choreography, and let’s hustle!”

We quickly gathered around the laptops to check the dance videos we had archived. Jin-Sung, our unyielding dance captain, was noticeably more ferocious today.

“Ah, now that I’m watching this, I definitely remember.”

“Why did I mess up this part? I should’ve reviewed this before coming to the studio.”

“I know, right? I didn’t think I’d completely forget it.”

It was entirely our fault for completely forgetting the choreography, so we couldn’t utter a word of complaint as we memorized the moves and immersed ourselves in rigorous practice while getting reprimanded.

Fortunately, the dance became familiar again after a few practice sessions, and we began to return to our original proficiency. However, the problem was that due to the extended rest period, we easily got out of breath.

***

Amid a flurry of rehearsals for choreography, live performances, song remixes, and concert staging, time flew by in a blink. In the thick of these preparations, Joo-Han, Jin-Sung, and I took a break to attend a meeting about upcoming solo releases.

“Considering the fans’ expectations, the order should probably be Jin-Sung first, followed by Joo-Han, and then Hyun-Woo.” Supervisor Kim suggested. He remained with us until the label transition was complete.

“Jin-Sung’s track is ready, so just recording and post-production are left. By the time it’s out, Joo-Han and Hyun-Woo’s tracks will be ready to go too,” he explained.

“Yeah!”

“Want to take a listen to Jin-Sung’s solo track?”

Supervisor Kim’s voice was lighter and more relaxed than before the label split was brought up, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He seemed to be under zero stress, to the point that made me feel a bit disappointed.

‘

Is he that happy that he won’t be managing us anymore? Hmm...’

“You know, Joo-Han really nailed the song. It was slow for a dance track, but Producer Do tweaked it just right.”

“Yes, I’ve listened to it.”

“Let’s all give it a good listen,” he said and cued up the track.

A vibrant dance beat pulsated throughout the room. Among the solo tracks we had, Goh Yoo-Joon’s was deep and Yoon-Chan’s had a tropical vibe, but Jin-Sung’s was infused with the fiery passion of youth.

Joo-Han had spent a ton of time crafting Jin-Sung’s solo track, and honestly, it was worth the wait. The song had Jin-Sung’s unique vibe, which meant Joo-Han had to tone down his own style a lot to make it work. He had stepped way out of his comfort zone to pull it off, which was probably why this took so long.

“It's killer, right? Totally my jam. Pure dance vibes.”

Joo-Han’s eyes were heavy with fatigue, but he still managed a warm smile for Jin-Sung. "It’s your song, after all. A dance song is the vibe that suits you the best. I’ve made sure the vocals aren’t too challenging, so you can focus on performing without any stress.”

“Thanks, hyung," Jin-Sung replied, his thanks coming off a bit rough like he was some tough guy in a movie. He then turned to Supervisor Kim and gestured with a raised hand. “Supervisor, I’ve got an idea.”

“What’s up? Something about the solo track?" Supervisor Kim asked, his attention piqued.

“Yeah. Since this song is all about dancing, can I take a crack at choreographing it like I did last time?"

Jin-Sung’s suggestion seemed to lift a weight off Supervisor Kim's shoulders, who was already struggling with the concert budget. He brightened up, visibly relieved.

“Really? Go for it. That’s an awesome idea. You’ve got a knack for choreography, too.”

“Yay!” Jin-Sung cheered, clearly pleased.

“And hey, if I need help, there’s always the choreography team."

I chimed in, trying to push our luck a bit. "Supervisor, is Jin-Sung also shooting a special video for his solo track?”

Supervisor Kim shot me a look that screamed 'Are you kidding? Can you not read my mind? It’s obvious.'

“Well, we did that for Yoon-Chan under different circumstances. We needed to squash some rumors about his talent. No plans this time around, though.”

“But considering it’s a killer dance track, and he is part of the dance line, wouldn’t it be cool to record one? Might boost his profile,” Joo-Han interjected.

"When we released

Again After Rainfall

, the dance video with Jin-Sung and Hyun-Woo got tons of views internationally. It might be a good chance to showcase what our main dancer can really do,” I added. nudging the idea forward.

“We don’t need a big setup. Just Jin-Sung, a couple of dancers, and some slick lighting in an empty studio could really make a stunning visual. Jin-Sung knows how to fill the screen by himself, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Can we make it happen, Supervisor?"

“Hyung... All this effort just for me... I’m about to tear up,” Jin-Sung joked and got sentimental over the support.

Since the label was going to be split off from the agency anyway, Joo-Han planned to make sure to squeeze the budget before the meeting ended.

“Hmm...” Supervisor Kim seemed hesitant. He appeared to be contemplating whether to use more of the planning team’s budget here since the budget would also be split off with the label later.

But, finally, he caved. “Alright, you guys have a point. Let’s shoot it.”

Thanks to Jin-Sung, we saved on choreography costs. Chronos was the main artist of YMM after all.

“...Ah, screw it! If I’m not investing in you guys, then who am I investing in? Go for it.” Supervisor Kim half-joked, then fell silent as he got lost in thought again.

A moment later, he made a decision. “Let’s shoot everything. We will film Joo-Han’s and Hyun-Woo’s tracks when they are ready, and might film one for Yoo-Joon too.”

“Wow. You’re the best, Supervisor!” Joo-Han raised his thumb in approval, making sure Supervisor Kim felt appreciated. Securing the shoot for all our solo tracks had Joo-Han grinning all day long.

***

Two weeks flew by, and Jin-Sung’s solo was out, prompting heated discussions on Chronos's official

UTube c

hannel and the fan community website. People were very excited about it. He dived into choreography sessions with a dance coach just as the guide for Joo-Han’s solo track dropped.

While we were on our way to the final shoot for

Newbie Crew,

I was engrossed in memorizing the lyrics of my latest solo track, “Sirens.” Tae-Seong dropped news of an unexpected schedule out of the blue, catching me off guard.

“A new schedule?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes.”

“As ‘Eden?’”

Eden was a makeshift alias I had created in a rush. I intended to use it when I released the song I had collaborated on with Reina. We planned to launch it anonymously and add an air of mystery.

Reina, a senior in the industry known for her exceptional production skills and savvy, had managed to transform Eden, a supposed newbie, into an enigmatic figure that everyone was buzzing about. The curiosity around Eden’s real identity was sky-high, and some fans were even trying to match the voice and body type to known celebrities to guess who it might be.

Although Reina kept insisting Eden was a fresh face in the industry, her cryptic hints had people speculating whether Eden was actually a seasoned artist or truly a newcomer.

As odd as it may seem, rumors were floating around that I was Eden. Given the delicate situation where our secret could easily be unraveled, the fact that a schedule had come up for 'Eden' was thrilling yet nerve-wracking. Reina had surprisingly agreed to it.

“How are we going to pull this off?" I questioned.

Tae-Seong caught my eye briefly in the rearview mirror and quickly looked away as he pondered my question. He finally broke the silence, his voice carrying his usual blunt tone. “She is thinking about using a blindfold or a mask. Also, she suggested you should consider changing your way of speaking.”

“Change my way of speaking?"

Tae-Seong nodded seriously with his stern face. “Maybe you could try using a dialect or something?" he suggested, adding another layer to our elaborate disguise.