Chapter 45: Survival Entertainment Show - Group Original Song (2)

We filmed the scene of UNET announcing the competition theme a week after YMM’s urgent meeting. Even though we already knew the theme, we acted surprised for the cameras and had a brief discussion about it.

Post-shooting, I headed to the parking lot as I received a message from our manager. He was unexpectedly asleep in the driver's seat, so Joo-Han rapped on the window to wake him. "Hyung."

"...Ah, you're all here?" Our manager appeared worn out. It was an odd sight since he typically didn't sleep during our filming.

Despite no one blaming him, our manager seemed to feel the need to justify his fatigue. "I haven't been sleeping well lately due to all the concept meetings for your group."

"Have any songs arrived?"

"A lot of songs came in because Chronos is hot right now. Anyway, we're picking a song that matches your image and is suitable for the competition." After sipping the last of his now cold coffee, our manager started the car.

"Shouldn't we be involved in the meetings?" Lately, Joo-Han hadn't been called to the company even though he used to be composing with Producer Do. It seemed that beyond the initial concept, our input wouldn't be considered. This was frustrating.

Our manager shook his head. "You should be focusing on your performance. If you want to help, think about what you want to do for the final stage. We'll take that into account."

Confused by the directive not to involve ourselves in the song or stage selection, we had no choice but to comply as we were just powerless trainees. This would be our debut song as artists under the agency, and we could only trust that the company would undoubtedly ensure its quality.

Upon arriving at the dorm, Joo-Han stopped me.

I asked, "Why?"

"Let's have a talk. Come to my room." His serious look made me wonder if I was in trouble, maybe for my recent interactions with the Team D or for lounging around.

To my relief, he wasn't calling me in to scold me. "Hyun-Woo, you were behind the zombie stage idea for Team D, weren't you?"

"What? No, not all by myself."

"Really? I was certain it was your idea."

True, the zombie concept was mine, but it was a blend of Kim Jin-Wook's horror idea and On-Sae's musical theme.

As Joo-Han was seeking my confirmation, I said, “I did come up with the zombie part, but the overall stage was a mix of everyone's ideas."

"That's what I thought. You're really creative with such themes. Let's work together on this next one." He opened his laptop to a screen full of notes.

"Whoa! What's all this?"

"Thoughts I've been compiling. In a normal situation, I'd be arranging music now, but I've turned to stage planning instead as they are not letting me do anything."

His recent preoccupation was evidently for this reason.

Joo-Han continued, "Other groups handle their own composing, lyric writing, and choreography, highlighting their unique strengths. Our agency, however, doesn’t include member-created songs in debut albums."

Big agencies often employed many dancers for every stage, as they could handle the cost. However, doing such a thing regularly was beyond our company's scope. Hence, the upcoming song for our album needed to be manageable for repeated performances.

"We need to find something unique to us that will appeal to the audience."

"Exactly. How can we stand out in the competition?"

Though Producer Do suggested a dreamy concept, it felt slightly lacking. After all, it was already done in the competition, with other groups also exploring it. Now, the challenge of standing out among similar-level groups weighed heavily on me. I could envision various performance ideas and themes, but defining our distinct characteristics was hard.

"I will think about it," I said.

"I'll also ask the others. Despite our versatility, our defining trait isn't really that obvious."

I continued to mull over this even after leaving Joo-Han's room. Frankly, apart from Street Center's musical concept, the remaining groups weren’t that unique. So far, it had been about who performed better.

“A unique style for Chronos..."

"What? Quitting as a trainee? Why!?" Goh Yoo-Joon's loud exclamation startled me. He was angrily talking into his phone.

“What’s going on?” I asked silently as I approached him on the couch, but he just dismissively shook his head. It seemed that he was discussing a fellow trainee's decision to leave, a common occurrence in this uncertain industry. It was difficult to continue being a trainee when their future was uncertain. Just like that, the exhausted ones left, and the new ones replaced them.

I turned on the TV, wondering who it might be, as Goh Yoo-Joon only really knew YMM trainees since he had never been in other agencies.

“Hey. Who is that? Who is quitting?” I asked.

Come to think of it, it had to be someone close to us if Goh Yoo-Joon was trying so hard to convince the person. I shook him, who was still on the phone.

“Who is quitting? Who is that?” I inquired again.

Then, Goh Yoo-Joon got annoyed at me and mouthed silently. “Jun.”

“What?”

He was someone I had practiced with for five years. Shocked by the news, I listened as Goh Yoo-Joon explained, “He wanted to tell you too, but he couldn’t as we were in the competition.”

“What the heck? Why would he quit after five years of training?” I asked.

Goh Yoo-Joon turned his phone to speaker mode. "Hey, I’m putting this on speaker. Hyun-Woo is listening."

- Ah, hey. Sorry, I didn’t tell you sooner. I only decided today and just finished talking with the company.

In our company, only me, Goh Yoo-Joon, and Han Jun were of the same age, so we always stuck together until the audition teams were formed. Hence, it was unexpected to hear Han Jun decide to quit.

- After not making the debut team, I tried hard, but I couldn't see a future in it. I don't think I'm cut out for debut.

Goh Yoo-Joon responded angrily, “Hey, you should at least try standing on stage before quitting!"

- Your performance on TV made me realize... I doubt if I could ever be that dedicated. Anyway, it’s not easy to get a chance to be on stage.

That triggered a thought in my mind, and I said, “Well, that's true, but quitting like this seems wrong."

- It’s fine. Don’t worry about me, and just focus on your performance. It’s already determined.

I quietly stood up and went to Joo-Han's room.

Seeing me, Joo-Han inquired, "Why are you here again?"

"Hyung, did you know Jun is quitting?"

"...Quitting? Hasn’t he been training for four or five years?" Joo-Han was surprisingly calm about it, being used to trainees leaving after a long tenure.

Joo-Han continued, "It’s a pity. He should’ve tried for another year."

"Goh Yoo-Joon is actually trying to convince him to perform on stage at least once," I added.

Hearing this, Joo-Han simply went back to his work and commented, "It would be great if trainees could get such opportunities, but it might be hard for them who are not in the debut team."

“That's why I thought, what if we include the trainees in our upcoming performance?"

Joo-Han looked confused. “What do you mean?"

"We could use themes like youth and history. It's our last chance anyway. When else will we all perform together?"

Last time, when True Bye presented a youth concept, the response was phenomenal. Now, that made me think that perhaps Chronos’s biggest strength—our tight-knit bond and camaraderie—could resonate deeply with the audience.

"What about focusing on friendship as our unique trait?” I suggested. The emotional connection shared by us, the fourteen YMM trainees, couldn’t be easily replicated by other groups.

“We won’t overly play on emotions though. Let’s make sure our dance elements are strong.”

After thinking about it for a bit, Joo-Han nodded. “Hmm, that’s a great idea. More members could help in creating more dynamic formations. Plus, this could give Jun a chance to perform too."

Then, Joo-Han half-jokingly asked, "Are you pushing this concept just to get Jun on stage?"

I simply smiled. "Well, if it's likely to work, why not give it a go?"

Of course, I couldn't assert that my idea was flawless.

"We should discuss this with Producer Do, though he might strongly oppose it."

"If he does, there's nothing much we can do."

"Then, presenting all fourteen of us as a single group would be ideal."

Joo-Han seemed positively inclined toward the idea. As he gestured for me to leave, he started dialing our manager's number.

"Yoo-Joon, are you still talking to Jun? Let's tell all the other trainees to meet up after a long time."

***

- Heading into a meeting now. Producer Do is surprisingly open to the idea. It might not work, but I’ll let the guys know.

"Got it. I just got to the dorm." I finished the call and went to the living room. It was bustling with over ten people gathered after a long time.

"Wow, this place is great."

"You lived here? Only two per room?"

"Joo-Han hyung has his own room. I’m so jealous."

As boisterous and restless as ever, the trainees weren't as gloomy as Han Jun, who had spoken about quitting.

"Ah, I saw your performance. It was like watching real celebrities!"

"But why did you call us? Aren't you busy with stage preparations?"

"Sit down, everyone," I said.

"Look! Decorations! They have cool decorations here!"

“...” I shook my head.

Caught in the thrill, Lee Jin-Sung and Goh Yoo-Joon were too absorbed in listening to other trainees’ words. Meanwhile, lacking Joo-Han’s leadership qualities, I struggled to get their attention. Thankfully, Il-Seong, who used to take the lead when Joo-Han wasn't around, stepped in to help.

"Hey, everyone, Hyun-Woo is asking us to gather. Come to the couch!"

Finally, the members started to gather around, and Il-Seong asked me, "I heard a bit from Yoo-Joon, but is it true we're going to perform together?"

His question prompted a lively discussion among those who hadn't heard the news yet.

"No, it's not confirmed yet. We just thought it would be nice to try it for the last round of the competition."

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I then glanced at Han Jun, who looked surprised.

“We thought it would be fun to perform together. So far, it’s just been Joo-Han hyung, Goh Yoo-Joon, and me discussing it.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?!” Lee Jin-Sung exclaimed. “But I am so down. I’d love to perform on stage with everyone here.”

The other members also reacted positively.

“So, we are going to be part of

Pick We Up

?” They seemed genuinely happy at the prospect of being part of a notable performance.

“Sure. How are we going to do it? Are we going to be dancers in the back?”

I shook my head in response to a trainee’s question and answered, “No, as a group. That’s why I wanted to meet and discuss it.”