Chapter 95: Debut (18)

I ended up barely singing. My performance consisted of about fifty percent huffing and puffing, twenty percent singing, and the remaining thirty percent dancing. While performing, I felt like I could hear the laughter of the production team from the next room.

When the moon rises (gasp), I sit (ha)... on the edge of your bed (huff)...

Now it's midnight(huff), and now I have become an adult (heup)...?

What would one feel if a friend of theirs unraveled themselves like this right before their eyes? At least for Goh Yoo-Joon, it was hilarious enough to roll on the floor laughing. His laughter was so infectious that even Lee Jin-Sung, who was dancing next to me, couldn't hold back and burst into a fit of laughter.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

I directly became the center of attention. Hearing the commotion, the production team had gathered outside the large glass windows of the house. At this moment, we were the hottest spot in the vicinity, and there I was, the sexy star of the show.

But then, this weird thought hit me. ‘

Why am I going all out for this?

I'm twenty-four, looking nineteen, and honestly, I don't care if we have to cook curry or braised short ribs with aged kimchi.’

Why (gasp) are you looking (heup) at me like that? (Huff)...

Is it still... awkward??

After receiving the microphone from Joo-Han, I came to my senses and realized that my sole focus was to lower the score. Therefore, I enthusiastically sang while crawling on the floor.

This was the problem. Turning nineteen again, I found myself doing everything with all my efforts, even feeling proud and amused, which was a bit strange. I then gave up on singing and just lay on the floor, finishing the song with a sentimental pose and expression from around 2009.

“Let's applaud Hyun-Woo!" Joo-Han warmly clapped at my fiery performance, and so did the members and the production team outside the house. The karaoke machine then announced my score.

[We support your passion! 54]

The hard work paid off. Amidst the cheers, I bittersweetly got up and sat on the couch, wishing no one would talk to me anymore.

“Thanks to Hyun-Woo's effort in getting a low score, the rest of the members don't have to worry about their scores. I'll sing next," said Joo-Han, confidently taking the mic and pressing buttons on the remote control. He suddenly looked sad, reminiscent of my “2009 expression”.

The song was “Don't Know How to Not Love You,” the original soundtrack from the internet novel-based movie

My Boyfriend is Alien

. The song was very beloved during the late 2000s.

“Wow!" All of us cheered. The lyrics of the song were cheesy, but its composition was a masterpiece, making it tough to sing. Joo-Han was not a bad singer, but he still struggled with the song’s emotional expression and high notes, which posed a challenge even for the original singer.

I watched him with interest, lost in nostalgia. Joo-Han bravely held the mic.

Are you happy there?

I loved and missed you

I can’t consider that a memory

Because the scars in my heart haven’t healed

Please let me live

Please let me forget about you...?

“Dang, haha..." Joo-Han suddenly covered his eyes and lowered his head while singing well.

“What is going on, hyung?"

“Ah... tears just..." Joo-Han pretended to hold back tears and put down the mic without singing another verse.

“What's this!" Goh Yoo-Joon laughed and cried out. Feeling dumbfounded, I asked the production team outside the window, "Is this how it's supposed to be?"

Joo-Han pretended to cry, alternating between singing and murmuring, “it hurts,” while clutching his chest. Wasn't Joo-Han a bit too different from his usual image, or had I been mistaken about the twenty-one-year-old Joo-Han all along? He ended up scoring 53 points, somewhat similar to mine.

“...”

He sat down, looking dazed, and then got up. “Now, Jin-Sung and Yoo-Joon can sing comfortably. Hyun-Woo and I have lowered the scores, so sing whatever you want."

“...Hyung, thank you so much.” It was fun to see Joo-Han's serious sacrifice and how the members were sincerely moved. I looked at them disdainfully and leaned back on the couch.

“Isn't this the first time Goh Yoo-Joon is properly singing on the show?" I remarked.

Surprised, Yoo-Joon stopped pressing buttons and said, “Oh, that’s true.”

“The fans will love it if it's broadcasted. Yoo-Joon hyung's voice is a killer."

“Ah, what! Don’t hype it too much!" Yoo-Joon yelled and turned his head as he got embarrassed, but he seemed quite pleased.

“Hey, since you are up for singing, choose something you really shine in. I have been dying to hear the one you belted out at your debut audition.”

“The song I sang at the audition?” Goh Yoo-Joon paused for a moment and then removed the song number he had pressed in.

“Alright, then I am going for Suh Hyun-Woo’s request.” He punched in a well-memorized number with confidence. It was “Blue Night,” a smooth, late-night vibe R&B track—simply a perfect match for Goh Yoo-Joon's rich, deep voice. Personally, I always had a soft spot for his rendition. Keen to share his stellar vocals, I flung the window open for the production crew to get an earful and let my eyes drift shut.

When Goh Yoo-Joon's velvety tones filled the air, tranquility enveloped the room, and even the rowdiest members and crew hushed down... As the last notes of Goh Yoo-Joon's song faded, he nabbed a whopping 98 points. Pleased as punch with Yoo-Joon’s scores, Joo-Han nodded in satisfaction.

“Jin-Sung, just go with the flow, man."

“What’s 'go with the flow'? You're asking the impossible, hyung."

“Just wing it."

Lee Jin-Sung grumbled under his breath after hearing Joo-Han's peculiar request and gripped the mic. It looked like he'd set up his song choice while I was lost in the melody. It was Chronos's “Parade”, marking the finale of this game. Despite our exhaustion from laughter, tumbling, and dancing, our youngest’s “Parade” recharged us. We then clapped along with tambourines and cheered him on.

“You are a bit tired, aren’t you?"

“Yup."

Goh Yoo-Joon flashed a mischievous grin, seized the remote, and glanced at Lee Jin-Sung, who was cutting a rug barefoot. Then, Goh Yoo-Joon hit the trot[1] music button.

“When you're getting tired, trot's the beat."

“Huh?" The sudden trot rhythm threw Lee Jin-Sung off his groove, making him gawk at Goh Yoo-Joon.

“Ah, this is the stuff!" From lounging on the couch, Joo-Han directly perked up and got into the swing. Lee Jin-Sung was also getting carried away with his moves and shifted into a lively shoulder dance.

“This is it!” Goh Yoo-Joon sprung to his feet and made a beeline for Lee Jin-Sung.

“We'll make it through! We'll make it through! Once this struggle is over! The glitz will just fade away?!"

“Ahahaha!” I lost it. The laughter just burst out of me. Flipping a cool song into a trot hit? I couldn’t keep a straight face like this.

Lee Jin-Sung wrapped up his turn amidst a wave of affection from the crew and members. He snagged a solid 72 points, smack dab in the middle of the pack. With Joo-Han's spot-on calculations and a few selfless acts, we scored enough to snag our grilled meat and Doenjang Jjigae[2] fix.

***

Before we dove into dinner prep, we squeezed in a quick breather. Everyone unpacked in their rooms and then gathered around in the living room.

"Yoo-Joon and Joo-Han's guide tracks have been sent over to Producer Do, and we are still waiting to hear his opinion. Hyun-Woo, are you gonna kick off the choreography once the track's locked in?"

“Yep. Still gauging how Producer Do might switch up the tune."

I guessed the grind of the past few months had us all in work mode, so we were still hashing out details for the upcoming live show.

“After this shooting, let's drill according to the setlist. ‘Need' is Hyun-Woo’s unit battle tune, so he's on point for that, and I'll handle ‘Woof Woof Meow Meow.’"

“Got it."

“The real question is when Supervisor Kim and In-Hyun will schedule the live broadcast. With just two weeks left on our promotion schedule with ‘Parade,’ I don’t think it’s a good idea to do the live broadcast so soon."

“Yeah, it might be better to push the live broadcast back for the next song promotion.” I couldn't mask my sourness as I responded to Joo-Han. After all, abandoning “Parade” really felt like a missed opportunity.

I was the only one who truly grasped the raw potential of “Parade.” Ending our debut schedule of the song without a clean sweep of the school charts or claiming the top spot was a bitter pill to swallow. Sure, the success of a hit track wasn't a solo act. Timing, opportunities, the label, and the entire group of five boys had to collaborate, giving their best. But there had to be another rung to climb.

“What's up, Hyun-Woo?"

“Hyung, what if we do

a

challenge before wrapping up 'Parade?’"

“...A challenge?" Park Yoon-Chan and Lee Jin-Sung were quick to jump on board.

“Awesome, I'm all in! Let's roll with it."

“Yeah, me too. 'Parade' has got some slick moves. Teens will eat it up."

Joo-Han reacted the last. “What is the challenge? Like that Ice Bucket thing?"

“Well, not quite the same..."

While most of the younger crowd was immersed in social media, dance challenges were still on the rise. A few years down the line, they would become mainstream. If Chronos, with our current buzz, kicked off a dance challenge, the teen scene would go wild for it. The quick and enthusiastic response from Park Yoon-Chan and Lee Jin-Sung was evidence enough, as they were high schoolers.

“Come on, hyung! Let's give it a try, yeah?"

“You really think it'll fly? Isn’t that more of a

Teen&Talk

[3] craze?"

“

Teen&Talk'

s where the teens are at."

Joo-Han's lukewarm reaction spurred the high schoolers to hustle and convince him. For those not familiar with

Teen&Talk

's dance challenge origins, it might seem off-putting at first, much like Joo-Han's reaction. For them, it was just another app that was more notorious for spammy ads than anything else.

“Hmm... I'd love to back whatever you guys are into, but I'm concerned Chronos might catch heat from that app's rep."

I shook my head. “Hyung, the dance challenge doesn't have to be a

Teen&Talk

exclusive. We could kick it off on

UTube

."

While trends might start on

Teen&Talk

, once dance challenges hit the mainstream, they would spread across many platforms like

UTube

and

Teen&Talk

. Hence, if someone launched a viral video on

UTube,

it would spread to

Teen&Talk

as well.

Joo-Han was wary of jumping in due to potential backlash, but he was tentatively swayed by the idea of posting on

UTube

. “I will discuss it with In-Hyun hyung.”

1. A popular genre of Korean music with a distinct rhythm and vocal style, characterized by repetitive and simple melodies. ☜

2. A traditional Korean stew made with fermented soybean paste, various vegetables, seafood or meat, and often tofu, known for its hearty and savory flavor. ☜

3. It’s TikTok ☜