Chapter 47: Survival Entertainment Show - Group Original Song (4)

"Ah." I woke up feeling like I had slept very well. I then looked at the sunlight streaming through the window while stretching and yawning.

Last night, we ended up just eating chicken after failing to convince Han Jun. He was in such a deep slump that even being in the practice room was becoming a struggle for him. It felt like urging him to continue would be nothing but coercion, so both Goh Yoo-Joon and I decided not to talk about it anymore.

"Ah, my stomach feels bloated." It felt as if I had downed soju on an empty stomach, but I knew this was just because I had eaten too much. I then got up and left the room with my heavy eyes, hoping that a glass of water could help me refresh myself.

"What? Did everyone sleep here last night?" The living room looked like a scene from a college MT[1], with trainees sprawled out on the floor, exhausted from the previous night's reunion. I noticed Lee Jin-Sung and Park Yoon-Chan among the trainees, mingling and sleeping.

"Ah, well." It seemed that they had decided to stay over, chatting away into the early hours. After carefully stepping over them, I turned on the TV.

A rerun of Pick We Up's fourth episode was playing on UNET. The scene where I yielded the center position to Park Yoon-Chan was on, captioned with 'Sharing is caring.’ I wondered what image the broadcasting company had of us that even the background music for us was different, portraying us as unusually soft and kind. The moments of our internal strife were smoothed over as “Chronos actively sharing opinions.”

"...Hyun-Woo, you are up early."

"Hyung, you are awake?"

Il-Seong suddenly sat up, stretching his limbs wide. He then wiped the drool from his mouth and clumsily crawled onto the couch, which was a familiar sight that took me back to our days living together.

Il-Sung asked, "Why did you wake up so early?"

"I went to bed early last night."

Il-Sung’s voice was still hoarse after waking up. He then leaned back on the couch, looking groggy as if he were half-asleep, and looked at the TV.

On the screen, Chronos members were collapsing one by one, unable to keep up with the grueling practice routine.

Il-Sung chuckled softly. "Yoon-Chan and you are both working hard."

"We've come this far, so we have to go all out."

“I was genuinely surprised. You and Yoon-Chan didn’t seem to be that hard-working before. No offense though.”

His words reminded me of how we had undergone several transformations throughout our journey, evolving from an unknown debut team to emerging as top contenders. Of course, some of us also learned how to let go of our greed as the competition progressed.

"Hyung, have you thought about your part of the lyrics?"

"Lyrics? I decided on them yesterday," Il-Sung said with his characteristic arrogance, making me chuckle. I then asked, "What are they?"

"How can I just say it without music? I'll tell you later." His arrogance quickly melted into shyness, making me laugh again. It was amusing how he could be so silly. He then exclaimed, "I wrote about what I wanted to tell you guys. There's a lot I want to say to you."

"Really? I haven't decided yet," I said.

"You're smart, so you'll come up with good lyrics quickly."

Il-Sung was looking at us on the TV with a content expression. It was impressive how he remained patient despite the anxiety of seeing his younger friends debut first.

After a moment of silence, he said, "I'm thinking of switching to acting."

"Acting?"

"Yeah. Now that the debut team is formed, they probably won't be creating an idol group for a while. And with my age and experience..."

I was disappointed but understood his decision. Il-Sung was one of the oldest trainees, and age was the most significant among the factors working against him.

"Did you talk to the company?"

"I was going to, but then Jun decided to quit. I thought I'd wait first so I don't worsen the mood in the dorm."

Everyone seemed to be finding their own path. Thinking of this, I felt a bittersweet feeling.

“I joined the agency only to show up on the television. I had no intention to debut as a singer, so it’s okay. It's so hard to do what you want.”

"It's not easy. But hyung, things will work out if you keep doing it."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

I smiled sheepishly and nodded. "I'm debuting after enduring ten years as a trainee."

Il-Sung was silent for a moment, then smiled broadly, and nodded. "Thanks for the advice. I guess things do work out if you work hard."

Soon, the other members started to wake up. At this moment, the manager entered the dorm, rousing everyone up. "You all know cameras are coming to the practice room today, right? Get up and wash up thoroughly! Don’t show up like you just rolled out of bed!"

"Yes, sir!"

I was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected scene before me as I was about to get into the washroom. Eleven people were neatly lined up before me, engrossed in conversations as they waited their turn. Inside the washroom, two people were taking quick showers, making the most of the limited space to save time.

The trainees laughed out loud as they noticed me standing there, seemingly lost in thought. “Welcome. It has been a while since you had an intense shower, hasn’t it?”

“You are the last in line, Suh Hyun-Woo.” Goh Yoo-Joon didn’t miss the chance to tease me. Even Joo-Han had cleverly secured a spot closer to the front, showcasing his experience as the ex-leader of the dorm.

"Should have come out sooner," he chided. "These guys are lightning-fast when it's about food or showers. Didn't you know?"

"I guess I forgot," I sheepishly admitted.

"Oh, the naive Suh Hyun-Woo, you've let comfort dull your senses. Get to the back of the line, buddy."

Resigned to my fate, I realized a proper hair-drying session was out of the question today. Yet, I found myself not particularly annoyed. The bustling, almost chaotic energy of the dorm was oddly entertaining. I obediently trudged to the end of the line, casting occasional glances at the TV humming in the background.

There were occasions when some people let down their guard and left their spots. Those were the moments to snatch their spots, so I had to stay in front of the washroom.

Once we were all set, we left for the practice room.

"Remember, no swearing in front of the camera and avoid any over-the-top pranks, especially with the Chronos guys. Their fans will get mad about that," the manager reminded us, his voice firm yet seasoned with a hint of gentleness.

“Okay, hyung!” we answered.

“And Chronos guys, you haven’t debuted yet, so make sure you watch out for your actions.”

These gentle reminders were necessary with such a lively group. After all, most of them had never faced the cameras before. Thanks to the manager, we were a bit more at ease and comfortable amidst the prep work. "And no fighting. If you must, save it for your email later."

"Who even fights over email? We won't fight, hyung," one of us assured him, though with a hint of doubt in his voice.

"You'll see. It's not always easy to keep tempers in check when we're working so closely," the manager reflected, a note of wisdom in his voice. His words seemed to resonate with the trainees, reminding them of the times we'd bickered and argued, sometimes up to seven times a day.

"Well, Suh Hyun-Woo and Goh Yoo-Joon were the ones stirring up most of those fights.”

"Can't deny that," I agreed, a hint of nostalgia coloring my tone.

Following that, Goh Yoo-Joon's boisterous retort cut through the air. "What are you talking about?" Everything was chaotic inside the car, a testament to our group's vibrant dynamics.

However, the moment the cameras outside the practice room came into view, a hush fell over the members. Their previously lively banter gave way to tense silence.

"Look at all those cameras!"

"There are so many. This is freaking crazy!"

"Hye-Seong, watch your language!" the manager reprimanded, only to be met with a rebellious sticking out of the tongue.

"Well, we aren't on camera yet," answered Hye-Seong to defend himself.

"Better start practicing now. It's easy to slip up when you're actually on camera.”

As the car came to a halt, a swarm of cameras and crew descended upon us. Our once-unconstrained movements now seemed almost hesitant under their watchful lenses.

"Don't be too nervous," Joo-Han said as he tried to calm down the nervous trainees. "Just answer if they ask you anything. Keep it simple."

The first ones to step out were the Chronos members, followed by the other trainees. Luckily, the cameras seemed more interested in us, allowing the trainees a momentary break.

"Hyun-Woo, how have you been?" a cameraman asked, zooming in. I concealed my slightly swollen face[2] behind a mask and nodded. "I've been doing well. How about you, sir?"

The cameraman returned the smile, nodding before his gaze shifted to the trainees.

"Who are these guys?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

Before I could respond, Goh Yoo-Joon wrapped an arm around my shoulder and replied, "These are the members who will be joining us on stage this time."

"Joining you?"

I chimed in. “It’s the original Chronos.” Strictly speaking, it was not true, but I just let it slide.

The cameraman looked surprised. “Original Chronos?”

“Oh, Original Chronos! That sounds cool.”

Goh Yoo-Joon admired the name I came up with.

“They were the trainees we were originally going to debut with. We decided to perform together one last time.”

"Why is it the last time? Because it's the final round of the competition?" inquired the cameraman.

I just smiled bitterly at his question, avoiding a direct answer. Someone would mention it in an interview later, so I didn’t want to be the one to explain.

"Wow, there are so many cameras. What do we do?" As we entered the building, cameras were installed everywhere, even in the corridors and practice rooms. Seeing this scene, the trainees stiffened up, conscious of the cameras.

"Don't worry about it. Just relax," said Joo-Han.

I playfully hit Joo-Han on the back. "You were the most nervous one back then."

"No, that's not..." Joo-Han laughed awkwardly.

Goh Yoo-Joon, still with his arm over my shoulder, chuckled and pulled me into the practice room first.

"Wow, this practice room is amazing!"

The trainees looked around the room with their mouths open in awe. I understood their feelings, knowing that they were still using the shitty practice studio A and B.

All fourteen trainees had arrived.

"Everyone, gather in the middle.” Joo-Han brought the members to stretch in the middle of the room. As they huddled together, Joo-Han distributed several sheets of paper. "I told you to think of lyrics yesterday, right?"

"Yes!"

Joo-Han continued to explain in a gentle tone, as if he were an elementary school teacher. "I'm going to hand out a paper for each of you. Write your name and the lyrics you thought of, then submit them to me. Okay?"

"Okay!" The trainees responded energetically, and one of them raised his hand.

"Teacher!"

"Yes, Woo Jae-Seok student."

‘

Why are they role-playing all of a sudden?

’

"What's that big board next to you?" At Woo Jae-Seok's question, everyone's eyes turned to the board hidden behind a cloth next to Joo-Han.

"What this is... “ Joo-Han confidently pulled down the cloth, revealing a large board with words written on it, separated by several blank spaces.

"This is our lyric chart."

"Wow!"

"I’ve written the parts that repeat in the chorus and my part. We will discuss the lyrics you submit and decide where to place them."

Joo-Han then handed out the paper and pens to each member. "Now, please write down the lyrics you've thought of."

1. Membership Training (MT) is an event held among university students in South Korea. These events last roughly two days and are considered free-form training sessions, where students spend time socializing with peers in the same academic majors or clubs, often at a remote location. ?

2. Many people have puffy faces in the morning, including myself haha. ?