Chapter 77: Chronos History (21)

“Still filming? Man, I have been waiting forever. I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I came here.”

“Why did you even come here? You could have just started eating first.”

“Kim Seong-Jin also said that he is working late today. Am I the only one lounging around?”

Director Lee Won-Jae sighed as he looked at his friend Han Bu-Joon casually taking a seat next to him. Han Bu-Joon was the main director of SES's flagship program,

Flying Man

. He and Lee Won-Jae had become friends after joining SES in the same year.

“It's not that you're lounging. You're the normal one here."

“In this industry, I'm the abnormal one," Han Bu-Joon replied with a chuckle.

“Ah, didn't your station have another meeting tonight? How did you manage to skip it?"

“Are you kidding me? I've been swamped with overtime because of some live broadcast intrusion incident. I only managed to escape today." It was already past 7 PM. To protect the cast and staff, Han Bu-Joon only started filming late in the afternoon to avoid the heat.

The compensation issue for the cast affected by the recent intrusion incident remained unresolved, and the continuous meetings had disrupted their long-awaited gathering. To add to the disappointment, his colleagues, Kim Seong-Jin and Lee Won-Jae, couldn't attend due to working overtime.

Bang! Bang!

“Da-Win hyung! Hyun-Woo, Hyun-Woo's here! I'm out of bullets!"

“Ah, dang, how did he sneak up here?"

The production team offered substantial rewards to celebrate Chronos's debut, and that fired up their passion. Han Bu-Joon was exhausted. However, as he watched Lee Won-Jae's tired expression, he laughed before admiring Chronos.

“It’s my first time seeing Chronos in action, but they're really going at it."

“They're rookies. Their eyes still blaze with ambition, and they give it their all."

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Even in the midst of chaos, Suh Hyun-Woo and Lee Jin-Sung led the charge toward the enemy's base with support from their team members. Han Bu-Joon's attention was drawn to the three members, especially Suh Hyun-Woo and Goh Yoo-Joon who were almost leaping into action.

“Whoa, how fast is Suh Hyun-Woo?"

“Is that the same Suh Hyun-Woo I know? It's quite impressive. Wasn't he always slow?"

“Nah, hyung, just his actions. Didn't you see him on

Pick We Up

’s sports day? He was in the relay."

Bang!

- Sae-Yeon, you're out. Head to respawn.

“...Ah, Goh Yoo-Joon!"

Goh Yoo-Joon was stealthily scoring kills from behind an obstacle, while Suh Hyun-Woo skillfully dodged the Allure members, advancing steadily.

Lee Jin-Sung stood out as the funny member. “Ah, senior, please, just this once. Please, I beg you. I'm just a newbie, hehe."

“It doesn't matter if you're the youngest. You're not part of our team."

“No, no, I'm now a member of Allure. I'll start from doing chores." In his attempts to avoid being shot, Lee Jin-Sung was rolling on the ground and pleading on his knees, cheekily asking for mercy.

The team was quite well-balanced. Despite being newbies, their personalities shone through.

“I heard Chronos’s agency hasn’t decided on whom to send to

Flying Man

. Maybe one of those three, excluding the leader?"

“Oh right, did you say Joo-Han was confirmed? He is the one watching from the back, and next to him is Park Yoon-Chan."

“Those two seem like they have a good head on their shoulders." Kang Joo-Han and Park Yoon-Chan, who had moved a bit forward from their original spots, were aiming at Tucan, who was trying to infiltrate Chronos's base.

- Tucan, you're out. Head to respawn.

Kang Joo-Han took out Tucan, and Park Yoon-Chan peeked out to survey the opposite side. He then whispered something to Kang Joo-Han, and they both moved forward to a better hiding spot as soon as Joo-Han nodded.

“What do you think of Park Yoon-Chan?"

“Yoon-Chan? He's a nice kid. Quiet, so not really cut out for an entertainment show... but I have a feeling he might be venturing into acting soon."

“Oh really? He acts?"

Lee Won-Jae shrugged nonchalantly. It was just his hunch. “Just keep an eye on him, I guess."

After twenty years in the industry, he had seen countless idols turn into successful actors, and Park Yoon-Chan exuded the same aura as them.

“Really? I trust your intuition, so I'll keep an eye out. Who's the standout member for screen time? I'm leaning toward one of those three up front."

The screen time for the confirmed participant, Kang Joo-Han, was a hit or miss. He could either manipulate other cast or betray them to get more screen time, or he could be too quiet and end up being completely edited out. If he shone on screen, he could be a frequent invitee. However, Han Bu-Joon didn’t have high expectations of him as he was a newbie.

They needed to choose another member wisely, someone who could secure more screen time or make a big splash. The members who particularly stood out were Lee Jin-Sung and Suh Hyun-Woo. Since their TV debut, they had become the talk of the town and seemed likely to survive until the end.

“Honestly, they are all great."

[Allure's first tower has been captured.]

While Han Bu-Joon was closely analyzing Chronos, one of Allure's towers was taken down by Suh Hyun-Woo. As a result, Han Bu-Joon's attention naturally shifted to Suh Hyun-Woo.

“

Whoa

, look at that!"

Lee Won-Jae watched Suh Hyun-Woo with a proud smile. “Hyun-Woo always makes a quick impact, snagging the good parts at just the right time.”

“You seem quite fond of him," said Han Bu-Joon.

“Hyun-Woo was the top choice for screen time in

Pick We Up

. As a director, I'm grateful to him. Personally, I'd recommend Hyun-Woo or Jin-Sung for

Flying Man

."

Lee Jin-Sung was not only dynamic but also an excellent participant in entertainment shows, while Suh Hyun-Woo consistently created memorable moments in every episode of

Pick We Up

. He dominated the thumbnails during “Cha-Cha” season, made headlines with his first close-up appearance and dance performance in “Moon Sea”, displayed consideration for the timid members, ruled the stage with a king-like presence for the “keyword competition”, and gained popularity for his chemistry with Woo Ji-Hyuk, as well as for befriending the initially distant Kim Jin-Wook during the unit competition.

Han Bu-Joon nodded after hearing Lee Won-Jae's words. “It's a shame to take just two members considering the shooting is after Chronos's debut."

“Oh, is that so?"

“Yeah. If they're your favorite group, maybe we should consider taking all five."

If they were as promising as they seemed, investing a bit more even for a minor appearance could be worth it.

Lee Won-Jae smiled contentedly after hearing this and then looked at Chronos. They were a hard-working group, so even someone as seasoned in the industry as Lee Won-Jae adored them.

***

“Watch out! Goh Yoo-Joon and Lee Jin-Sung are on their way!" I heard the warning cry, and my grip was tightening on Da-Win, as I was determined not to release him. Despite his efforts to pull away and head toward Goh Yoo-Joon, I held on.

“Run, Yoo-Joon. Run! Hyung, I've still got bullets! I can still take my shot!"

"Suh Hyun-Woo, let go of me! Ah, this kid..." Da-Win protested, his voice a mix of irritation and amusement.

“I can't, hyung. If I let you go, you'll shoot me," I replied, my tone playful yet cunning. In this game, my grip was like a shield. It was a sly tactic perhaps, but what could a little trick like this count for when custom microphones were at stake?

Goh Yoo-Joon was still very much in the game, and Lee Jin-Sung was backing up Joo-Han and Park Yoon-Chan, keeping the Allure members at bay. Midway through, I noticed the shift in the way we called the Allure members—“senior” had transformed into the more familiar “hyung.”

- Kim Da-Win, you're out. Head to respawn.

“So ruthless, even to their seniors.”

“But you're the one who said seniority doesn't matter," Goh Yoo-Joon retorted, his breath short.

In a swift move, before Yoo-Joon was taken out, I managed to eliminate Da-Win. As I finally released him, he wandered off toward the respawn point, his laughter tinged with defeat.

Suddenly, my wristband vibrated, which was a signal that I was out of the game too.

- Suh Hyun-Woo, Goh Yoo-Joon, you're out. Head to respawn.

“Ah, so close!" I exclaimed. We were on the brink of capturing their base.

Sae-Yeon had outmaneuvered both me and Goh Yoo-Joon, not sparing a backward glance as he and Tucan sprinted away.

“Let's go, Tucan!"

“Since when am I 'Tucan' to you?"

Resigned, Goh Yoo-Joon and I could only watch their retreating figures, our eyes reflecting a blend of frustration and disbelief.

“We were almost there," lamented Goh Yoo-Joon as he wiped away the sweat that had gathered on his brow.

“Seriously. Let the others handle it. Let's just catch our breath. I'm about to pass out," I said.

“Yeah, I feel like I am going to die." Goh Yoo-Joon collapsed to the ground, and I followed, lying flat on the group. Each breath was a struggle.

I hadn't expected the survival game to drag on this long. The constant running in the stifling heat was taking its toll, and even speaking was a challenge now as my chest heaved for air.

“Water! I need water!"

“Maybe we should just stop..."

‘Ughhh. Why were there two towers?’

Our carefully styled hair was now soaked with sweat, hanging limply around our faces.

“...Goh Yoo-Joon, come on, get up. Let's head to respawn and rest,” I said.

“Already? I can barely breathe."

“I'm going ahead then. I really want that custom mic."

“...Yeah, we would look amazing on our debut with that mic." Goh Yoo-Joon mustered the strength to say this and slowly rose to his feet.

Just as I extended a hand to help him up...

“Yoo-Joon, Hyun-Woo! Over here!"

“Huh?" I turned, startled by Joo-Han's call.

Our attention snapped to our base. Joo-Han and Park Yoon-Chan, who were supposed to be handling Sae-Yeon and Tucan, were now racing toward us, urgency written all over their faces.

“What's going on? Aren't you guys supposed to take them out?" I asked, feeling perplexed.

“Why is hyung running so hard all of a sudden?"

They sprinted toward us with determination, their hair whipping in the wind, and their faces set in steely resolve. Then, to my surprise, Park Yoon-Chan stumbled over a balloon obstacle, but Joo-Han didn't stop. He kept running.

The sight of Joo-Han with his fringe pushed back and a grimace on his face was strangely amusing. Despite my exhaustion, I let out a burst of laughter.

“Why did you come here, hyung?" I managed to ask, but before I could get an answer, Joo-Han had dashed past us.

“Ah.”

However, the surprise was fleeting as Joo-Han quickly brought down Allure's remaining tower.

“Wow." I clapped my hands, impressed by his quick wit and swift action.

[Chronos's first tower has been captured.]

[Allure's second tower has been captured.]

Red lights lit up in Allure's base.

[Chronos's second tower has been captured.]

[Chronos WIN!]

Groans and sighs came from Team Allure.

“We were so close to turning it around."

“I wondered why Joo-Han suddenly took off. Now, it all makes sense."

“See, I told you. Joo-Han isn't one to just guard a base."

Joo-Han's bold decision to abandon holding off Allure members and rush toward us was a stroke of genius. Although Sae-Yeon and Tucan were fast, Joo-Han's strategy to take down one tower was quicker than their attempt to destroy two of our towers.

- Chronos has won! Great job, everyone. Please gather here.

Director Lee Won-Jae called out.

“Ugh..." I groaned.

As the cameramen returned from outside and started filming us again, I sprawled back down on the sandy floor.

All of this for a microphone...

But in truth, it was more about the spirit of the game and the drive to win at all costs, not only about the reward. I felt like I had just performed five consecutive songs on stage.

Exhausted from the frantic running, it took us a moment to respond to Director Lee Won-Jae's call. I was lying there and looking up at the darkening sky. Then, Joo-Han's hand suddenly came into view.

“You did well. Get up."

I got up with his help and headed to the location for the ending shot. We had successfully secured the custom microphones, and the filming wrapped up as the night fully set in. It marked the end of our final shoot before our debut.