Chapter 378: Choose (21)

The action scene involved running down the bustling market street that led to the palace where the king lived. We had to fight enemies along the way.

“We will start filming in five minutes!”

Behind Goh Yoo-Joon, Jin-Sung, and me, who were the protagonists, the actors playing our allies lined up. As we waited for the signal to start, I could see the adrenaline pumping through everyone’s veins.

Once filming started and we began running toward the palace, stunt actors hidden throughout the market would come out and engage us in combat. It felt like the calm before a storm.

“Are you nervous about your first action scene?” the behind-the-scenes cameraman asked after approaching us during a break.

Jin-Sung lifted his fake sword and grinned widely. “I’m not nervous at all. I’m actually super pumped. I’ve always wanted to try this.” His eyes gleamed with anticipation.

I put a hand on Jin-Sung’s shoulder and nodded. “We even learned stunts for this day. It’s fun.”

“Yeah, and the stunt actors helping us are amazing.” Jin-Sung gave a thumbs-up and looked around as if to spot some of our talented helpers.

Although we were busy preparing for our comeback and didn’t get to practice much, we learned some basic stunts for the battle of Crimson Academy, and it was a whole new world.

Even the simple moves we learned quickly looked like something straight out of a drama or movie as stunt actors reacted dramatically to our swords, punches, and kicks. We got so into it that they even taught us a few more advanced moves toward the end, which made us feel like real action stars.

“But everyone’s holding different weapons?”

“Oh, right.” Jin-Sung had lowered his hand during the conversation, but he raised it again to show off his sword. “We were ambushed by King Joo-Han’s forces, so our weapons are all different. Yoo-Joon hyung has a bowl, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a fan.” I pulled out the fan hidden in my chest and showed it to the camera, feeling a bit like a magician revealing a trick.

Today’s final scene involved the king discovering Crimson Academy’s plan and ambushing us just after a meeting and a bowl of soup, and us fighting back and storming the palace earlier than planned.

The suddenness of the attack meant only Jin-Sung had a proper weapon. Goh Yoo-Joon used a soup bowl and some ceramics from the market, while I used a fan until I could grab an enemy’s sword. It was a testament to our resourcefulness and the unpredictability of our story.

The production crew’s announcement snapped us back to the task at hand. “We will start filming now!”

At the production crew’s shout, I clenched my fists and showed them to the camera. I hoped to convey our collective enthusiasm and determination. “We will do our best! It looks really cool, so please watch the music video. We got this!”

The behind-the-scenes camera captured my last words before moving back and gave us a final moment to gather our thoughts.

“Ready.” The members’ and actors’ expressions changed in an instant at the director’s words. The atmosphere became charged with energy.

Soldiers blocked our way and pointed their spears at us.

“Action!”

Goh Yoo-Joon took a step forward with his voice strong and defiant. “What are you doing? What have we done?”

“This is the king’s order. Arrest them all!” came the harsh reply, which was a command that echoed off the market walls.

“Yes!” the soldiers responded in unison.

The rehearsed battle began.

Goh Yoo-Joon threw and broke the bowl in his hand. The sound of shattering glass was deafening, but I couldn’t afford to look back at him. My focus was entirely on the three opponents in front of me. I pulled out the fan from my pocket and fought my way forward.

“Head for the palace!” one of our allies shouted, his voice a beacon amidst the chaos. I glanced back and kicked the enemy in front of me, then grabbed his sword before cutting him down.

The situation was far more urgent and fast-paced than during practice and rehearsals. With so many people fighting in unison, the sounds of shouts, weapons clashing, people groaning in pain, and the sounds of things breaking were everywhere. The environment made it impossible not to get immersed. Every sound and every movement was amplified, pulling us deeper into our roles.

I swung my sword and ran forward. Goh Yoo-Joon was leading the charge, Jin-Sung running beside me, and our allies following behind us. Their numbers dwindled with each step. The determination in everyone’s eyes was palpable as each of us was driven by the shared goal of reaching the palace.

I forgot my tiredness and panted heavily when we finally stood in front of the palace walls. The towering structure loomed over us, which was a symbol of the final hurdle we had to overcome in this shooting.

The director’s voice snapped us out of our intense focus. “Cut! Touch up the makeup, and we will shoot again.”

The immersion built up suddenly shattered, and I returned to reality. Looking back, I saw the actors who had been lying down struggling to their feet and returning to their places.

“Wow, this is fun...” I muttered. Jin-Sung chuckled and ran to Yoo-Joon.

But the fun of being immersed in the action scenes was short-lived. After filming this scene about five times, we all started moving mechanically without a word. By the time I was begging the stylist doing my makeup touch-up, saying I’d rather film choreography for fourteen hours, we finally wrapped up the day’s last shoot. Each repetition had drained us a bit more, but we pushed through, driven by the desire to get it perfect.

And when we monitored the footage we’d shot, smiles returned to our faces. The exhaustion melted away, and it was replaced by a sense of accomplishment and pride.

“This looks almost like a movie. The Rings will love it. We all look so cool.”

“There’s going to be fantasy computer graphics added to this, right?”

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

A staff member from the Chronos team laughed. “Yeah, even in the battle scenes. There will be computer graphics in the sky.”

As they said, we didn’t look like our usual selves on the screen. Even the simple monitoring footage during filming made us look amazing, far more than we could have imagined.

The sheer excitement of seeing ourselves in such a way was surreal. I could only imagine how incredible it would be once the music and computer graphics were added. No wonder this was the highest-budget production in YMM history.

The scale of the battle scenes involved so many people that it made it look like an epic showdown. It was as if the screen couldn't contain the energy and intensity of what we were doing.

While everyone was admiring the footage, Su-Hwan had been quietly observing, then he mumbled from the back almost as if talking to himself. “We should use this for the English-speaking market promotion video and press release. Tae-Seong, make sure to inform them.”

***

The second day marked the final shoot in the historical theme. The atmosphere was charged with a mix of exhaustion and anticipation. It was the confrontation scene between the members storming the palace and those defending it. Every move and expression had to be perfect.

After finishing the choreography shoot on the third day, our long and arduous preparations for the comeback were finally over. The relief was palpable, but so was the anticipation for what was to come.

Now, all that remained was to heighten the Rings' expectations by practicing diligently until the comeback and participating in variety shows timed with our music broadcast activities. We were ready to give our all because we knew the fans were eagerly waiting.

The first scheduled activity wasn’t for us, but rather for a junior group, similar to what Allure did for us back in the day. It felt like a rite of passage, a tradition being handed down in YMM.

The new group from YMM, Sequence, was participating in

Pick We Up Two

. Even though the show hadn’t officially aired yet, they had already started filming. I heard their interview with On-Sae and the pre-released video of Sequence’s audition were already up on

UTube

.

However, I hadn’t had a chance to watch them yet. Our schedules had been so packed that finding time to even catch up on these things felt impossible.

Before our scheduled guest appearance as daily teachers on

Pick We Up Two

in a few weeks, we were set to film a scene today where we guide Sequence in a comfortable atmosphere as a senior group. It was a chance for us to share our experiences and hopefully ease their nerves.

Us, the Chronos members, had suddenly found ourselves seniors, so we wore bright expressions. It was a new role for us, and we were all excited to embrace it.

Other than Jin-Sung and Goh Yoo-Joon, even Yoon-Chan couldn’t hide his anticipation. It was a rare sight that made everyone smile.

“Oh, I’m really looking forward to this. Actually, this will be the first time we are seeing Sequence because of our schedule.”

“Ah~ Our juniors, ahh! Hyung, I feel so hyped, we finally have juniors!” Jin-Sung’s exclamation made the rest of us laugh.

As we made our way to the practice room where the Sequence members were training, the director asked me a question. “Sequence members have a deep connection with you, right?”

I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me. “Yes, that’s right. They appeared during our original competition. Hearing they were joining as Sequence made all our members really happy.”

Not only that, but the trainees who joined after our debut and who appeared as extras in our music videos were also in Sequence. We knew all their faces, so it was impossible not to feel excited for them. It felt like seeing younger versions of ourselves, full of dreams and ambitions.

“Ah, is this the place?” Joo-Han asked as he held the practice room door handle.

The inside of the practice room became noisy with voices quickly quieting down as soon as the song playing came to an end. The silence was palpable, which was a stark contrast to the lively chatter just moments before.

“Oh, why did it suddenly go quiet?”

“They must be waiting for us to come in,” Goh Yoo-Joon said, trying to suppress a laugh. Their tension was almost tangible through the door, a mix of excitement and nerves.

Joo-Han opened the door and walked in with a wide smile. “Hello, guys. Sorry to interrupt your practice.” He walked in cautiously, his voice carrying the politeness that put everyone at ease.

As soon as Joo-Han hyung greeted them politely and we all entered the room, the Sequence members responded with a thunderous greeting.

“Hello! We are scene stealers, Sequence! Nice to meet you!”

The intensity of their greeting caught us off guard, and we momentarily hesitated before responding. “...Huh? Oh...”

“Wow, they’re really enthusiastic. Sequence, nice to meet you! Scene stealers, Sequence!” Goh Yoo-Joon mimicked their greeting gesture with a playful grin.

It seemed the company had put effort into creating a proper greeting, unlike Allure and Chronos, who didn’t have a specific one. Seeing the familiar trainees stiffly standing there made our members lose it.

“Oh my gosh, this feels weird. In a good way, though!”

Goh Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung grabbed Yoon-Chan, shaking him with excitement. Their laughter echoed in the room. Joo-Han quickly calmed them down, seating both Chronos and Sequence on the floor before restoring some order to the chaos.

Then Il-Seong raised his hand. “Seniors, can we introduce ourselves one by one?”

As soon as Il-Seong referred to us as seniors, half of our members bit their lips and tried hard not to laugh. While it was appropriate to call us seniors on broadcast, it felt strange since he was like a neighborhood gym buddy to us. The contrast between our casual relationships off-camera and the formalities on-camera was amusing.

Only Joo-Han remained unfazed, and he nodded calmly. “Sure. We need to remember your names.” He nudged Goh Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung, who were still trying to stifle their giggles. “Listen carefully and remember to call them by their names when you meet them later.”

Il-Seong pointed to a member. “We will start from the left.”

The trainee, who seemed new, alternated his gaze between his own band mates and Chronos with wide eyes before standing up and bowing ninety degrees. His movements were a bit stiff, betraying his nerves.

“Hello. I am Aeon, the main vocalist of Sequence. Nice to meet you!” Aeon bowed once more. His voice was steady, but you could sense the excitement underneath.

As Aeon straightened up, the other Sequence members started murmuring and pointing at him. “Aeon joined YMM only because he admires Senior Hyun-Woo!”

“He is a huge fan of Senior Hyun-Woo. Aeon watches his focus videos every day!”

“...Really?” I asked, surprised by this revelation.

Aeon looked shy, but nodded vigorously. “Yes, I really admire you, Senior. I mean, I respect all the Chronos senior members, but I joined after auditioning because I’m a big fan of yours.” Aeon said, his voice wavering with nervousness. It was clear how much this moment meant to him.

Seeing him so nervous and unable to make eye contact made me feel just as flustered. His sincerity and admiration were touching, and it was a reminder of how far we had come and the impact we had on the next K-Pop generation.