Chapter 68: Chronos History (12)

“Man, Joo-Han hyung really nails it. I mean, just look at him. He is always impressive, right?"

“Yeah, he's quite something."

As the camera came in front of me, I couldn't help but beam with pride and say, “That guy over there is our leader."

“Our hyung indeed."

I always knew Joo-Han was skilled at playing the piano, but his performance in full attire under the stunning lights was something else. Meanwhile...

‘These people must really love chandeliers.'

It was likely a touch added by our planning team. Chandeliers always seemed to drain my energy, and I knew the reason behind it.

“Joo-Han hyung really looks like an idol out of a magazine, doesn't he?"

“Feels like we're watching him on a screen," I replied to Park Yoon-Chan's remark with a soft chuckle. The way the chandelier's light softly touched Joo-Han's hair and his angelic face, coupled with his intense focus on the piano, was a marvel to witness. It was as if he was meant to be there.

“By the way, what song is that? It sounds amazing."

“Right? I've never heard it before. I'll ask Joo-Han hyung about it later."

The melody was unfamiliar, but it was definitely not classic. I wondered if it was a new-age[1] song. Even though I prided myself on my eclectic music taste, the tune Joo-Han played was like a new discovery for me.

“I didn’t know there’s a song that Hyun-Woo and Yoon-Chan don’t know about. Is it new?" Goh Yoo-Joon asked, lounging on my chair's armrest.

“Not sure. Hey, Yoon-Chan, let me know the title later. I need to download it."

“Will do."

Even if it turned out to be a recent release in this era, to me, it felt like a relic from six years ago. Surprisingly, I hadn't been aware that such a musical gem existed.

“Hyun-Woo, it's your turn to shoot," announced a staff member. Goh Yoo-Joon stood up, making room for me, and Jin-Sung cheered, “Go get 'em, hyung! You got this!" I simply waved to the others and stepped into my designated set.

“This music video kicks off with you, Hyun-Woo, so your role is pivotal."

“Got it."

“Do you take acting classes at your agency?"

“...Uh... sorry?" I was taken aback by the sudden question. Noting my baffled expression, the staff tilted her head awkwardly. “No worries. You’ve got a knack for emoting on stage."

She led me to a desk strewn with clock parts. “You’ll be assembling a clock here."

“Assembling a clock?"

“Just pretend. Play around with the screws, as if you're putting together this half-finished clock."

“Alright."

“Channel that watchmaker vibe for us, please."

I sat down cautiously on the wooden chair, and gears started whirring around me.

‘Acting like a master watchmaker...’

“Just relax and do it."

“Okay!"

“Ready? Cue!"

On cue, I shifted my expression.

‘This is just like being on stage. Expressive acting. I am a watchmaker who has dedicated five decades to perfecting clocks. I can even sacrifice myself for the best clock.’

I fastened a screw, in sync with the noise of gears spinning around.

“Cut! Let's take a pause, uh, one sec!"

“Yes?" I got confused and looked up to find everyone, including the crew and my fellow group members, chuckling.

“Hyun-Woo, you seem a bit too stiff," someone commented.

“At this pace, you're heading toward a legendary blooper, hyung," Jin-Sung teased, recording me with the manager’s phone.

“You are so awkward."

“Awkward?"

The director nodded, a mixture of disappointment and slight concern on his face. “Let's give it another shot. Loosen up a bit."

“Okay!" I thought that I had performed quite naturally, but apparently, it was a miss.

‘How should I approach this? How did I act on stage previously?’

Feeling unsure, I settled back into the chair and just waited for the next cue. But no matter how many times we tried, the director didn’t give the okay sign.

As I floundered to get the right vibe, Joo-Han, just back from his own shoot and a brief catering run, approached with a suggestion for the director. “Perhaps incorporating some background music that complements Hyun-Woo's scene would be more effective than doing additional takes."

“Music? You mean 'Parade'?"

Joo-Han shook his head and then recommended a different track. “‘Second Hand' by Reina would be better." This unexpected song choice left the director and crew momentarily perplexed. They wondered why a non-Chronos track would be played during our shoot.

However, Joo-Han was undeterred and just set up the song on a nearby laptop. Soon, the distinctive ticking of “Second Hand” echoed through the set, setting a new mood. “Imagine you're in the middle of a performance, Hyun-Woo. Don’t think of it as just acting. Treat this like a stage. Director, you have to restart shooting now."

“Huh?”

“He excels on stage, so if he considers this as a performance, you wouldn’t want to miss capturing him on film.”

“...Ah! Okay.” The director was caught off guard and hurriedly signaled the start. The song featured Reina's soothing voice harmonizing with clockwork sounds, creating a classical mood. I grabbed the screwdriver once more, shifting my mindset from acting to performing.

I deliberately turned away from the camera, immersing myself in the music, as if I were part of a live performance. This approach relaxed me, and I started fitting the clock parts together more naturally. Reina’s music helped me sink deeper into the role.

Watching the scene quietly, the director gave a soft instruction as to not distract me. “Look startled, as if you've heard something from behind. Then, slightly turn to the back." On cue, a loud noise made me turn around, and I found Goh Yoo-Joon grinning after contributing to the sound effect.

“Now, smile as if you're the happiest person in the world!" My eyes met with Goh Yoo-Joon’s, and we both broke into broad smiles.

“Next, stand up and slowly walk toward something," the director guided. I then stood up and walked toward a fixed point, lost in the moment.

“Cut!" Visibly pleased, the director signaled a successful take. “Great job! The members really support each other well. Next up, Jin-Sung, please head to set B."

With the members' assistance, my first shoot wrapped up swiftly. Taking a seat, I observed Jin-Sung, now adorned with a black star artfully drawn under his eye. It wasn’t immediately apparent, but the star beneath his eye, coupled with the colorful cane and his uniform, emitted a distinct circus ringmaster vibe.

Jin-Sung stood amid a sea of pink and purple roses, lip-syncing the lyrics. His expressions changed with the music, and fairytale lighting in the set enhanced the overall ambiance. The playful Jin-Sung had vanished, replaced by a commanding presence reminiscent of the Joker.

“Absolutely legendary," I muttered in awe. When I glanced around the set, I noticed the absence of Goh Yoo-Joon and Park Yoon-Chan. “Where did Goh Yoo-Joon and Park Yoon-Chan go?”

The manager was watching Jin-Sung with satisfaction and replied, “They're shooting outside."

“Outdoor scenes too?"

“Yoon-Chan has to do some running," answered the manager. I peeked at the storyboard, noting that the two—representing the modern world in our Chronos universe—had numerous outdoor scenes.

“Sounds exhausting," I commented.

“You're up for some tough scenes too," said the manager.

“Me? Why?" As soon as I flipped to the first page of the storyboard, I understood. It unveiled my role as the medium connecting two worlds. In the story, my brother vanished before my eyes. After extensive research, I stumbled upon another world and devoted my life to uncovering a way to reach it, convinced that my brother resided there.

However, as the ruler of that world knew that I had crossed over from another world, he became intrigued by me and imprisoned me deep underground. While I remained trapped, I continuously sent out rescue signals to someone in the present day.

In this story, I was trapped in a prison, meaning that I would have to convey a range of emotions like sorrow, struggle, and pain throughout the shooting. “Hyung, I should have gotten an acting lesson if it was going to be like this.”

“True. Want to start now?" asked the manager.

“No, thanks. Let Yoon-Chan take acting lessons instead. He still wants to act."

“Let's focus on the debut first. Don't worry too much. You were doing well earlier, so just think of it as being on stage till the end."

“Crying and struggling on stage are not common. I'm an inexperienced rookie singer, you know?" I shook my head.

While the manager and I bantered in front of the camera, Jin-Sung's shooting wrapped up. The director announced, “Let’s clear the flower bed and bring in the light bed! Thirty-minute break!" Hearing this, the staff started moving efficiently. Excluding the two members who had gone outside, we sat in our chairs, engaging in pointless chatter before standing up.

“Since we have nothing to do, let's go see the other two shoot."

“Are they together?" I asked. The manager shook his head. “Yoon-Chan went to a nearby school, and Goh Yoo-Joon is at the pedestrian crossing right here."

“Then I'll go see Yoo-Joon," I said.

“In-hyun hyung will take Jin-Sung. Goh Yoo-Joon is nearby, so I'll go with Hyun-Woo to see him," said Joo-Han. The manager seemed uneasy about us moving without staff, but after a moment's thought, he nodded. “Well, there's a camera, and Joo-Han is with you, so it should be fine. Call immediately if there's any issue, and the big pedestrian crossing is right outside the building."

“Okay."

We wrapped ourselves in blankets and stepped outside the building with mini fans in our hands. The combination of blankets and fans was weird, but the presence of cameras and numerous staff members made the gathered onlookers' stares somewhat less embarrassing.

“Where's the pedestrian crossing?"

“They said it's right outside, but I don’t see it."

“Is that it?" A crowd had gathered at a pedestrian crossing in front of a cafe near the building, where filming equipment seemed to be in place.

“Looks like that’s it. Let's go."

“Okay." I fanned my face with the mini fan as I followed Joo-Han. Our unique outfits and the camera attracted a lot of attention. People stopped and started taking pictures with their phone cameras. I wondered if they even knew who we were.

As we headed toward the pedestrian crossing, wondering if they knew us, someone recognized us. “Isn't that Chronos? Yes, it's Chronos!"

“Yes, yes! That's Suh Hyun-Woo and Kang Joo-Han!"

“Wow, they're really good-looking." The girls, seemingly aware of who we were, slowly followed us, filming with their phones.

“What kind of shooting is this?"

“Considering their hidden outfits, it must be related to their debut album. This is crazy. Suh Hyun-woo!" While I pretended not to hear, I was startled when someone called my name. The unknown girl was waving her hand excitedly and shouted, “I'm your fan!"

“Ah, thank you." I quickly erased my startled expression and smiled, waving back. At that moment, the murmurs started.

“They are Chronos."

“Are they Chronos? Wow, this is my first time seeing them."

“Aren't they the group that won

Pick We Up

? They look amazing in real life." The people who had just realized we were Chronos started to buzz with excitement.

1. A genre that typically combines elements of ambient, classical, and world music to create calming, meditative soundscapes often used for relaxation or spiritual purposes. ?