Chapter 464: What Should We Do From Now On (28)

The Sequence Members who hadn't been a part of Original Chronos and who hadn't taken part in the

Pick We Up

session were tasked with writing personal lyrics for the song "History." Their homework would be reviewed at the next rehearsal. Aeon, Byeong-Kwan, and On-Sae felt the weight of needing to revamp existing lyrics, but they could count on the support of their Sequence members to navigate this creative challenge.

This first practice session was primarily dominated by planning and discussions, setting the stage for their second practice scheduled a few days later.

Upon arriving at the practice room, I was taken aback because I found the Allure members already deeply focused on practicing. My surprise must have been evident because I blurted out, "Huh?" which prompted a playful jab from them.

"Gosh, look at him. He must have thought we weren't going to practice at all."

"Suh Hyun-Woo, that's too mean. We've been practicing hard to survive in this cutthroat idol industry," they retorted. After seeing my stunned expression, the Allure members smirked and mockingly pinched their noses.

I played along by feigning shock. "You guys memorized the choreography?" Of course, I was joking.

Tae-Il chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, kid! What do you think of us?"

Da-Win clicked his tongue and sarcastically addressed the behind-the-scenes camera. "Did you see that? This is the real version of Suh Hyun-Woo from Chronos, Rings."

"No~ Why do you say that?" I protested.

They pointed at me after they joined forces to tease me. "Here we have a junior who views his seniors as lazy, not even bothering with the choreography."

All eyes from the Allure members landed squarely on me. I waved dismissively at the camera, playing it up like I was being wrongfully singled out, maybe even teasing them a bit. "What are you even saying, senior? I’ve always held you in the highest regard."

"Ah, cut it out. You don't really mean that."

"But I truly do—"

"Yeah, yeah." Tae-Il from Allure burst into laughter, effortlessly shutting down my protest.

Honestly, even when I tried to say something heartfelt, they teased me about how cheesy it sounded. So, I just flashed a grin and didn’t bother sucking up anymore.

Back when Chronos was seen as just a rookie group, we made sure to show utmost respect by always addressing the Allure members with 'senior' whenever cameras were around. As time passed, it became clear to everyone, not just to the Rings and Perfumes, that Allure and Chronos shared a bond deeper than mere acquaintance. We truly enjoyed each other's company in a brotherly manner.

It became natural to drop the formalities on camera, so gradually, we did just that. This allowed us to chat and joke freely without any pretense.

Despite my playful tone, I was genuinely awestruck. Who could have imagined witnessing the Allure members practicing the "Parade" choreography? And they were impressively good at it, too. Their experience could not be underestimated.

While the Allure members consistently exuded perfection in their performances, Chronos' choreographies were notoriously tough, even for us, the original performers. Seeing them nail it from the first rehearsal was beyond surprising.

Tae-Il noticed my astonished expression and let out another disbelieving chuckle. "Hyung, looks like Hyun-Woo really thought we wouldn’t practice at all. Oh, Hyun-Woo, it’s a bit embarrassing to see a senior floundering the choreography in front of the juniors, isn’t it?"

"Well, we weren't sure which parts we were supposed to cover, so we just memorized Joo-Han's part in ‘Parade’ to start."

"There’s no way I can handle your or Jin-Sung's parts."

"You guys are doing more than enough, so that’s okay. Haha." I threw another thumbs-up at the Allure members while feigning more flattery, right when the choreographer walked into the room.

"Hello! Wow, everyone’s already here? You guys are from Allure, and over there are Chronos members, and the ones by the mirror must be from Sequence, right?"

"Yep."

It was my first time meeting the choreographer. The air was tinged with a slight tension as he approached us, repeatedly offering nervous greetings. We needed someone to cleverly adapt the choreographies of "Moon Sea" and "Parade" for our mixed group, and that was his main task.

The scattered members gradually gathered around the choreographer. With all eyes on him, the choreographer smiled awkwardly, sat down with the papers he brought, and quickly motioned for us to do the same.

"Let me introduce myself first. I am Han Jeok, and I will be overseeing the choreography for our joint concert."

As soon as Han Jeok introduced himself, responses erupted from the group.

"Oh my gosh! I recognize you from

UTube

!"

"I’ve watched your videos!"

"Haha, really? Thanks!"

Han Jeok was a dancer and choreographer well-known through

UTube

for his creative work. He was a familiar face to many of us.

I was somewhat star-struck, having only seen him online. And it seemed Han Jeok was just as intrigued by us. "I’ve seen quite a bit of you on TV and online. It's surreal to be working together. I’m truly honored."

With a modest clap, Han Jeok welcomed the collaboration and moved swiftly to business. "I heard about your ‘Moon Sea’ and ‘Parade’ performances, so I’ve tailored some dance moves specifically for them. Let’s review them. Feel free to give your input."

"Have you already finished the final version?"

"Oh no, not just yet... Umm..." Han Jeok seemed slightly flustered. "Well, it's not the final version because both ‘Moon Sea’ and ‘Parade’ are intricately structured, more so than your other songs."

Everyone seemed to agree, myself included. I had been curious how they would adapt these pieces to suit our group's size. "Moon Sea" was somewhat manageable, but "Parade" was notoriously difficult to modify due to its complexity. Even a seasoned choreographer like Han Jeok would find it challenging to revise in a short period.

"But we’ve made an effort to adjust to the number of performers. We’ve paid close attention to the relationships between you all."

"Relationships?"

"Since this joint performance is a special event for the fans, I thought it best to consider the relationships among the members when crafting the dance pairings."

Han Jeok began setting up their laptop with the new choreography.

"Just a quick search on

UTube

shows how long you've been together. Fans have even compiled videos of you all. It's quite touching."

From the time the Allure members began actively supporting us during

Pick We Up

and throughout our formative years, any small gathering between us sparked a flurry of videos highlighting the dynamics between Allure and Chronos.

The announcement of this joint concert had only intensified the online buzz, with countless videos of Allure, Chronos, and Sequence hanging out popping up. It appeared that Han Jeok had watched some of those clips.

"So, I thought maybe creating dance pairs that fans would appreciate might be a nice touch. The song parts are divided accordingly anyway. For instance—" Han Jeok pointed at me and Da-Win. "From what I've heard, neither of you are main dancers?"

"Uh, no. We’re not."

"But the two of you are known for your camaraderie."

Back when Da-Win had been the leader of the trainees, he often looked after me, the youngest. Many stories naturally stemmed from our interactions, and were frequently mentioned in interviews and shows.

And so, we were perceived as inseparable in the eyes of our fans.

"Perhaps you two could incorporate a pair dance or something similar, even if you are not the main dancers."

Da-Win nodded at Han Jeok's suggestion, then pointed at me. "This guy is almost at the level of a main dancer, though. He wasn't quite there during his trainee days, but he has improved dramatically."

"Haha, well. I've put something together along those lines. Let's take a look."

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Han Jeok pressed play, an awkward smile on his face as the choreography video began to roll.

"There are a few event-specific elements, but I made sure it all looks impressive."

As the dance unfolded on the screen, everyone, including the ever-joyful Allure members and the rest of us, watched intently. Han Jeok's knack for blending creative pairings and group dynamics was undeniable. The choreography not only highlighted individual talents, but also weaved a narrative that showcased our collective identity.

At some point, we appeared as a single unit. At another, individual flair and group characteristics shone through by reminding us of the unique spectacle of a joint stage. The standout moment for me was—

"Wow, this is really good," Goh Yoo-Joon commented without looking away from the screen.

"As expected, Joo-Han and Suh Hyun-Woo have a significant portion of the choreography."

Indeed, Joo-Han and I found ourselves woven into various combinations throughout the performance. While we often danced in the background during others' vocal parts, the aggregate of these moments revealed a considerable amount of screen time.

Han Jeok nodded in confirmation. "Yes, this arrangement considers each person's relationships and movements when assigning dance roles during the vocal parts. Please let me know if there are any adjustments needed. It could be a bit taxing to both sing and dance like this."

"Sure." I replied briefly and turned my focus back to the choreography. Listening to Goh Yoo-Joon's observation, I realized just how intertwined Joo-Han and I had become with everyone involved.