Chapter 467: What Should We Do From Now On (31)

I held the camera tightly as I scanned the surroundings. The buzz of the rehearsal site humming could be heard in the background.

"Where should I start my exploration...? Ah."

Before I could even decide, the perfect candidate for my first interview was standing directly in front of me, almost as if he'd read my thoughts. Goh Yoo-Joon pointed at himself with a look of mock astonishment on his face.

"Hey~ Suh Hyun-Woo~ I’m right here~ Where are you off to when I’m right here?"

"Oh! There you were, Goh Yoo-Joon, how could I miss you?"

"Ha, I’m always non-existent on his radar, everyone."

It was funny how proximity could make someone’s presence so familiar that you almost forgot they were there. Now was one of those moments when he blended into the background.

"I honestly thought you were tagging along to handle interviews with me."

He grinned and gently elbowed me in the ribs. "What? You should have mentioned it earlier. I’m swamped, but sure, I’ll stick around."

"Oh, if you’re busy, it's really no problem."

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Just as I was about to coolly leave Goh Yoo-Joon behind and proceed alone, he quickly grasped my arm firmly.

"Didn’t you say you were busy?" I asked.

"Busy? Our schedules are synced, man. Let's tackle this together."

"Alright, teamwork it is then."

I might have sounded a bit harsh, but honestly, it was a relief that Goh Yoo-Joon was accompanying me. Given that I was filling in for Kun-Ho, who was an expert at walking around with a camera in hand to provide content, and that my own moderating skills were admittedly a bit rusty...

Both Goh Yoo-Joon and I had a tendency to get sidetracked, but having him by my side definitely made the ambiance more lively and the flow of the recording way smoother.

"So, which spot should we head to first?" I asked, to which Goh Yoo-Joon surveyed the scene. His eyes darted around before settling on a particular area.

"Look over there. Our leader is right there."

Joo-Han was in the midst of stretching and casually chatting with the staff. His demeanor was relaxed yet focused.

"Should we start with Joo-Han hyung then?"

"Let’s do it! Hyung!" Goh Yoo-Joon bolted forward with enthusiastic vigor. He shouted as he ran toward Joo-Han before me. His energy was off the charts today. Well, to be fair, he was perpetually high-spirited. Gloominess seemed foreign to him all the time.

I followed him with the camera while shaking my head at his antics and slowly making my way to where Goh Yoo-Joon and Joo-Han stood.

Joo-Han was caught off guard by Goh Yoo-Joon's sudden appearance. He turned toward me with a startled expression. "What's going on?"

"We are conducting an impromptu interview during rehearsal. Are you busy?"

"Not at all, I’m free."

A staff member conversing with Joo-Han discreetly stepped out of the camera frame, allowing Goh Yoo-Joon and myself to slide naturally beside Joo-Han.

"Are you guys making rounds, interviewing together?"

"Yep, it just happened that we are," I replied with a shrug.

Joo-Han glanced between us, and a playful smirk played on his lips. "Is this the resurgence of the cutie and the freshie?"

"Ah, hyung!" Goh Yoo-Joon recoiled as if bitten and pushed Joo-Han toward me in mock annoyance.

I pushed Joo-Han away. He bounced back like a weebly-wobbly toy and grinned broadly. "Cutie and Freshie, what brings you here for an interview?"

"What can you tell us about the performances Chronos has prepared for this joint concert?" I asked, trying to match Goh Yoo-Joon’s grimace.

With the smoothness of a seasoned performer, Joo-Han dove into an explanation. "We’ve put together a myriad of performances. You two have been especially practicing hard for them, haven’t you?"

"Definitely," I agreed, the weight of our efforts resonating in my voice.

"Ah, it was definitely grueling."

We both chuckled together. Our camaraderie was evident as we responded to Joo-Han’s questioning. The preparations had been extremely arduous, which was a sentiment any group juggling album promotions could echo. Describing them as "tough" was merely an understatement.

"We've got collaborations with other groups and some exclusive performances specially curated for this concert."

"Oh, which performance are you personally most excited about?"

"For me, it’s the duet between senior Kun-Ho and our very own Hyun-Woo. Also, the Original Chronos’ performance... Oh, does that sound odd now? I’m really looking forward to what we’ve cooked up as a label family."

After Joo-Han elaborated, he briefly paused to massage our shoulders in a brotherly fashion. It was a gesture that brought a brief respite to the tension.

"But, have you two managed to eat?"

"Eat?"

"Some lunch boxes arrived earlier."

"...When?"

Just as the question left my lips, Goh Yoo-Joon stealthily rose to his feet.

"Huh? Hey!"

He was ditching me? My eyes accused him, but Goh Yoo-Joon put his hands together in an apologetic gesture and vanished in the direction of the food. Joo-Han and I exchanged a knowing look and shook our heads.

"Apologies, everyone. He has been running on an empty stomach since yesterday’s rehearsals. That’s why he’s like that."

"People who needed to eat already did so last night. But those who had to sleep went directly to bed. Following that, both Goh Yoo-Joon and Suh Hyun-Woo ended up crashing as soon as we got to the dorm."

"Why exclude yourself? You skipped meals and went to sleep too."

"Do you know what the funny thing is? When we woke up, the lunch boxes meant for the three of us were nowhere to be found. Park Yoon-Chan and Lee Jin-Sung had licked them clean as well."

"No wonder I didn’t see them around."

I laughed at the absurdity of the events. Joo-Han and I stood up while still chuckling.

"Anyway, thanks for the interview."

"You’re leaving already?"

"Yes."

Although it was an unconventional interview with scarcely any questions, Joo-Han waved nonchalantly. He sent me off with a friendly gesture.

I spoke toward the camera. "Where should I go next? There are quite a few people around, but I wonder if anyone is in the waiting room right now."

Kun-Ho and Su-Hwan had slipped away to grab a meal, leaving the place quieter than usual. Given the grueling hours everyone had committed to the rehearsal, it was common for members to disappear momentarily to catch a break or fuel up.

Just as I pondered the possibility of finding someone in the waiting room, a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Ah, hello, Senior!" I instinctively bowed as a figure approached from the opposite end of the corridor.

"Ah...! Hello! Long time no see, right?"

The figure was none other than Yeong-Yee with her fiery red hair piled high, sporting oversized sunglasses indoors, and waving exuberantly at me. Although she approached me with a friendly handshake, there was a strangely quiet air about her.

"Uh~ What was your name again?"

Ah, it seemed she had forgotten my name. I maintained my composure and shook hands with Yeong-Yee before reintroducing myself. "I’m Suh Hyun-Woo from Chronos."

It was understandable. Even if we were both part of this concert, names could slip one's mind. I recalled hearing that Yeong-Yee had always struggled with names, often finding the task tedious.

"Ah! Yes! Hyun-Woo, right? How have you been?"

"I've been well, Senior. And you?"

"Of course, I’ve been good~ But what's this? Are you filming something?"

"Yes, I’m documenting our journey around the joint concert rehearsal site. Actually, if you’re available, could we do a quick interview?"

"Huh? Oh, of course! If it’s you who’s asking, I can't say no." Yeong-Yee removed her sunglasses and gestured toward the camera. It was a fortunate coincidence that our paths crossed during her rehearsal break. Graciously, she agreed to the interview. "Hello, everyone! I am Yeong-Yee!"

"Haha, this is Yeong-Yee, everyone. How was the rehearsal, Senior?"

"Rehearsal? It was thrilling. I've never experienced a stage this grand before."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. It might surprise you, but even at the height of my popularity, opportunities to perform on such grand stages were rare. It’s still challenging today."

Yeong-Yee caught my arm and guided me to a nearby chair. This eased us both into a more relaxed conversation.

"Can you imagine how grateful I am? Our talented juniors are doing so well, and thanks to them, I even get to experience these stages."

"We are the ones who are honored, Senior."

"Right. Next time, let's have a duet, Hyun-Woo."

"I'd love that!"

Yeong-Yee's manager signaled it was time to leave by pointing at his watch. "Yeong-Yee, I’m sorry to interrupt."

"Ah, right. Anyway, keep up the great work with your interviews, Hyun-Woo."

"Thank you very much!"

"Also, I brought some lunch boxes for everyone in the waiting room. Make sure to share them with the others later, okay?"

"Really? Thank you so much!"

After Yeong-Yee slipped his sunglasses back on and waved a final goodbye to the camera, she and her manager vanished down the hall.

I turned back to the camera. "Folks, it seems Senior Yeong-Yee has brought some lunch boxes for us. You know, back when Goh Yoo-Joon and I briefly worked with her, she often brought us meals as well."

I continued my walk and glanced around, searching for another interview possibility. The rehearsals might have wrapped up by now.

"She is truly a thoughtful person." Finishing my thought, I reached the front of the waiting room labeled Sequence. "And here we are..."

I pivoted the camera to show the door marked "Sequence."

"This is the waiting room of the youngest group at YMM, Sequence. I thought, 'Maybe their rehearsal has just ended?' but honestly, I’m not sure if anyone is inside. Let's find out."

I flipped the camera toward me and knocked on the door.

"...Yes!"

"...Yep! Just a moment, please!"

A puzzled frown crossed my face. The responses seemed hurried and slightly delayed.

"...What could they possibly be doing in there?"

As I mulled over whether to enter or not, the door cracked open. Il-Seong’s head popped out. "Oh? Ah, what’s up, Hyun-Woo?"

Relief washed over Il-Seong’s face upon seeing me, but his expression quickly shifted to surprise at the sight of the camera. "Are you... filming right now?"

"What do you mean 'right now?’" I laughed off the awkward moment and joined Il-Seong inside.

Like Chronos in our early days with the senior group Allure, it seemed Sequence still felt a bit uneasy being candid in front of the camera.

"I was just recording some behind-the-scenes footage. What are you guys up to? What's this?"

My gaze swept across the room, capturing the members of Sequence one by one with the camera. My eyes landed on a cake on the table.

A cake? I was confused, but suddenly remembered that today was Han Jun's birthday. We had long decided against exchanging gifts on our birthdays, so it had slipped my mind.

Come to think of it, there was another camera other than the one I was holding.

"Ah, it's Jun's birthday today," I murmured, my attention focused on the cake.

Il-Seong chimed in. "Yeah, that's why we were planning a surprise party for him. Want to join in, Senior?"

"Oh, absolutely!"

I eagerly agreed to Il-Seong's proposal, setting the camera down to help orchestrate the surprise birthday party for the Sequence members.

While setting up the candles, Jae-Seok grinned and suggested, "Should we call Goh Yoo-Joon?"

"If Senior Yoo-Joon isn't too busy, yeah, sure. But this is perfect. Senior Hyun-Woo can be Jun's birthday present."