Chapter 375: Choose (18)

Jin-Sung's fast rap fit perfectly with the strong trumpets and jazz melodies. It was surprising how well it all came together. He had received a lot of help from Kim Jin-Wook while creating the rap part, which made me think it would have a relaxed yet aggressive vibe similar to Kim Jin-Wook's style.

However, that wasn't the case. Kim Jin-Wook had suggested a fast, light rap that emphasized rhyme. This matched Jin-Sung's personality and preferences. Despite his tough appearance, Kim Jin-Wook was surprisingly considerate, always thinking about what suited others best.

♪ I wear a gold-plated ring and drown in inferiority

Ah, so heavy that my hands drop to the keyboard

They move uncontrollably

I feel proud of the most pathetic things in the world

I can't let go of the red button in my left hand, boom

Jin-Sung had fully transitioned to Chronos' main rapper, and his skills improved rapidly. Every practice session seemed to unlock new potential. Not only was he great at rapping, but he also excelled in gestures. He matched his hand movements to the dancers’ and changed his expressions according to the lyrics, finishing his part stylishly and with confidence.

After Jin-Sung’s rather long part ended, he exchanged pleased glances with us from behind the dancers. It was now Yoon-Chan’s turn. The members lowered their stances to stay out of sight and blend into the background.

The dancers who had been hiding rushed forward and lined up irregularly. They bent and rose one by one, creating a mesmerizing wave effect. The wave started from the far right and moved to the far left, where Yoon-Chan emerged from behind the dancers like a phantom perfectly on cue.

♪ I no longer getting swept away

Face things head-on

Someday, the crown on your finger

Will wobble precariously and fall off

As Yoon-Chan finished his part, the dancers who had dispersed regrouped in perfect unison and created another wave. This time, the wave moved from left to right, toward where I was standing. When the wave reached me and the dancers parted, revealing me as I began my part.

♪ The king's crown came off

Hey, hater, look at me again

No one is getting swept away by you

I moved forward through the parted dancers. The light beneath me turned red and cast an intense glow. A camera zoomed in on my face for a close-up before pulling back. I finished my part with a serious expression and joined the dancers and members for the chorus formation. The adrenaline rush from performing was exhilarating.

The chorus of "Red Rouge" was a dance break and chorus rather than singing. Unlike our previous title tracks, which exploded with intensity during the chorus, this one was laid-back and addictive. The catchy beat and melody would quickly turn it into a cover challenge, helping it chart on Billboard. The rhythm and moves were contagious, making it easy to see why it would become so popular.

As the chorus started, everyone moved minimally and changed their expressions. The entire choreography for the chorus was a lazy wave, particularly emphasizing a hip-centric wave while looking down with a smug expression, with hands in pockets.

The once-bright lighting turned dark and the floor lights turned red, intensifying the dark atmosphere. It felt like we were in the middle of a dark, mysterious performance, and the atmosphere added to the allure.

After filling the chorus with waves from head to toe, we suddenly dropped to our knees and lowered our positions dramatically. As Joo-Han walked out singing, the dancers and members created a leg bridge with their arms while matching his movements. From the front, it looked like a tunnel made by the dancers obscured the members. It was an impressive visual, perfectly choreographed.

Joo-Han started the second verse and led into the chorus, then the highlight part. The highlight was usually handled by Yoon-Chan or me, but it was taken over by Goh Yoo-Joon this time.

The dancers and members left the stage and Goh Yoo-Joon remained alone in the spotlight. He lip-synced his part with his unique vocal color and performed with intense emotion despite being watched by everyone. He nailed it without a hint of embarrassment. His ability to command the stage was impressive, and it showed how much he had grown as a performer.

After Goh Yoo-Joon finished his part, the dancers and members rushed back onto the stage. We performed the dance break under the lead of Jin-Sung, then wrapped up the first shot of the "Red Rouge" choreography scene. The energy in the room was electric because everyone fed off each other's excitement.

“Cut!” the director’s satisfied call rang out.

The members and dancers, who had been holding their poses, breathed a sigh of relief. Chronos' choreography was never easy, but we might never get used to such difficulty, especially during the chorus wave, where we had to hold our breath to execute the moves. It was quite grueling.

“Whew... Huff...”

As I straightened my back and looked up at the darkening sky, someone jumped on me from behind. Judging by the weight and strength, it was Jin-Sung.

“...Jin-Sung, you almost made me fall.”

“I barely jumped on you! If you fall so easily, no wonder the Rings call you a paper doll.”

“And this is why they call you Little T-Rex.”

As Jin-Sung and I bantered, the behind-the-scenes camera caught on and moved closer.

“But it’s so cold. So cold, everyone,” Jin-Sung said while shivering. The weather had been warm until noon, but it turned chilly as night fell, with strong winds blowing during the choreography.

The wind did add a nice touch to the effects, though. It made the fire we used for the performance flicker and enhanced the chilly vibe, but it was still freezing. When dancing, it wasn't too bad. However, we were unable to put our hands in our pockets or cross our arms just before the shoot. We just stood there, shivering.

“Whew...

At least you can’t see my breath. But yeah, it's cold.”

I wrapped myself in the jacket the stylist brought me and walked with Jin-Sung to the monitoring area.

“You did great. I loved how your expression changed the moment the music started. Excellent job.” The director praised us and gave us a thumbs-up. Despite it being our first dance shoot, we knew exactly what to do. The members and dancers moved seamlessly.

In the first shoot, you usually expect some issues with speed, angles, or positioning. But despite the complex choreography and wave movements, everything was perfect.

“It looks like the special training with the dance instructor paid off, right?” I said as I glanced at Jin-Sung, who grinned proudly.

“Special training, huh?” the behind-the-scenes camera asked.

Suddenly, we heard sighs from behind us.

“Yeah, the special training was intense,” Joo-Han said.

“It really was. I'd love to share it with the Rings someday if we get the chance,” Goh Yoo-Joon added.

They said that as if they had truly been overwhelmed by the training. No wonder they looked exhausted. Our comeback preparation was incredibly intense. Whether it was choreography or recording, nothing was easy. Practicing this choreography in particular was grueling. Jin-Sung had practiced until he perfected every move, and he hadn’t let us leave until we perfected the moves.

Since waves were essential to the choreography and Goh Yoo-Joon and Joo-Han were not strong in that area, they had to practice relentlessly. They even revisited the basics they hadn't done since trainee days.

“Ah, I haven't done this since I first started training. It's a blow to my pride,”

Goh Yoo-Joon had grumbled.

“If you practiced so much, why can’t you do it now, hyung? Were you slacking off back then, hyung? Or maybe you haven’t practiced waves recently.

”

“...I’ve never really practiced waves on their own... I didn’t know I needed to...”

Goh Yoo-Joon had mumbled as he glanced at Jin-Sung.

Joo-Han had nodded to himself and silently resumed practicing waves against the wall.

“Head, chest, stomach, hips, legs. In that order, now wave! Practice!”

Jin-Sung had become a drill sergeant, and he had instructed the rest on how to perform perfect waves, including the hip wave crucial for "Red Rouge."

“Should we practice the basics too? Hmm, nah. Let’s just focus on the choreography,”

I had suggested.

“Yeah, let’s do that...”

Yoon-Chan and I had also been stuck in the practice room, so we mastered the choreography in a few days. Being confined led to increased practice time and higher-quality performances naturally followed. Additionally, all the members had been working on their physiques for "Red Rouge," making us look even better.

Joo-Han clapped his hands and smiled brightly after finishing the monitoring. “I think we will finish this quickly.”

But that was wishful thinking. Joo-Han had no luck with probabilities, whether it was rock-paper-scissors or drawing lots. What were the chances we'd finish quickly today?

Several hours later, we were still reshooting.

Someone let out a hollow laugh. “Haha...”

I lost count of how many times we listened to the full song and performed the choreography.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

We shot again and again. We even changed costumes and did it again, back to the set and one more time. Eighteen hours after starting the shoot, we were still going.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted,” Jin-Sung said. He was usually full of energy, but him saying such a thing meant this was really hard.

Just because the music video was simple didn't mean the shoot was easy. Focusing on the choreography meant endless repetitions. I even started thinking that running through the hallways for the "Parade" series in the middle of the night was better.