Second Try Idol

As I felt a sudden surge of gravity pulling me down, my body trembled as if on a wild roller coaster that plummeted fast in a falling plane. I was desperate for a solution, but I realized no one was here to save my life or offer an escape route. Then I crashed to the ground with a massive thud.

Bang!!!

A loud burst echoed as flames engulfed me. Despite my agony, I angrily thought about being smothered by the heat again. As I was about to faint, I saw images in black and white flicker before me.

“No!!! You can't do this... How can I live if you leave like this? I can’t stand this guilt!!! I should be the one dead instead!!!" My mother's wails of despair filled the air.

“Why! Why did you have to take him? Why! Whyyy...." Goh Yoo-Joon collapsed as he was overwhelmed by grief.

“Yoo-Joon, calm down. Try to settle down, man!"

“How can I calm down now? You fucking asshole... Why till the end... to a kid who's only known hardship... why till the very end... Do you really feel nothing, hyung?"

“How could I not feel anything? Just shut up and calm down."

I saw my fellow members struggling to steady Goh Yoo-Joon, their figures shaky and on the verge of collapse. Ah… This was my funeral; it was a scene painted in stark black and white.

“...Huh!" I jerked awake and sat up abruptly, gasping for air. Sweat and tears streamed down my face—a clear sign of the nightmare I had just endured.

“Haah..." I reached up to touch my face and then buried my head in my knees. It was just a dream… Thankfully, it was just a terrible dream.

As I tried to catch my breath, I felt a gentle touch on my back. “Drink some water."

“Huh! Man, you startled me!"

“...What's so startling about that?" asked Goh Yoo-Joon, looking puzzled as he handed me the water. He then gave my back a comforting pat. “What kind of intense dream made you cry like that? I was seriously freaked out. I thought you passed out."

After drinking the water to shake off the remnants of the nightmare, I said, “Thanks. Now, could you bring Yoon-Chan to me? I really need some healing."

“Ha, you are unbelievable~"

“Yoo-Joon, if you've woken Hyun-Woo up, both of you need to come out quickly. We have to eat, get ready, and head out."

We then got up and moved toward the living room where the Chronos team staff were already busy prepping for the day.

“Jin-Sung's outfit might take some time to fix. Is the dry-clean essential?"

“Try to get it done as soon as possible. Casual clothes will do for the rehearsal."

The stylists seemed particularly busy today. After all, it was the grand fan club inauguration ceremony for Chronos—a day we officially gained a fan base.

“Hurry up. Hyun-Woo, come out after you wash up. You are the last one."

“Typical Hyun-Woo hyung, always the last to wake up!"

"Hyun-Woo hyung must be tired from last night's practice," Yoon-Chan defended me, which felt like a bit of healing. I then patted his back and headed for a shower.

After showering, we grabbed a quick breakfast of kimbap[1] brought by the manager and then made our way to the fan-meeting venue.

“This place looks more like a concert venue, doesn't it?" asked Jin-Sung

“It's often used for concerts too," replied Joo-Han.

The Olympic Hall inside if Olympic Park was our destination, and it was a venue capable of holding around three thousand people, popular among idols for fan meetings and artists for concerts. After hearing about the fierce competition for tickets, I felt grateful that so many people chose to come see Chronos.

After we arrived, we set down our gear and headed straight to the stage for rehearsal.

“Hello! We are Chronos! Thank you for your help!"

After we greeted the staff from the stage, the sound of applause filled the air. The atmosphere seemed exceptionally supportive, perhaps because this team was specially put together for us, unlike the usual music shows.

“Thank you. Let’s start the rehearsal now."

***

“What’s going on with you, Jin-Sung? You were off beat all by yourself during the dance earlier."

“Which song? Parade? I danced as I always do."

“You might have mixed up your in-ear monitors. Better check them."

“Umm… I am sorry, but could you turn up my mic a bit, please?"

The rehearsal unfolded with an undercurrent of sensitivity and seriousness, more intense than usual. It felt akin to a concert performance, with lengthy stays on stage and each of us shouldering many responsibilities. Hence, any issues had to be addressed immediately. Finally, the prolonged rehearsal concluded after what seemed like an eternity.

My energy was already drained from the moment we started. Now, we had to come down from the stage and move to the saloon immediately. Well, it was a tight schedule, but it was something we were accustomed to.

Even while moving by car, we monitored each other on our phones and provided feedback. It had been a long time since we had such intense discussion sessions and monitoring after an end-of-year stage.

“Yoon-Chan hyung, if you look here, only your position is off. The site is wider than we thought, so we need to move further and find our spots."

“Ah, okay. I am sorry."

Upon arriving at the saloon, we scattered and started getting our hair & makeup done as usual.

“Hyun-Woo's hair color fades well, but it seems to not dye well. It faded quickly, didn't it?"

“Right? It just went back to blonde immediately."

“Going back to blonde is nice, but this shade isn't pretty. Let's go back to platinum blonde for Hyun-Woo."

Hearing their discussion, I grimaced and reluctantly nodded. At this rate, I would lose all my hair when I was older.

Except for Goh Yoo-Joon, whose black hair suited him perfectly, all members decided to switch up their hair color for our first fan meeting: Yoon-Chan went for a vibrant orange, Joo-Han opted for a cool ash brown, and Jin-Sung—much to our relief—stopped whining and embraced a bold bright blue.

“Noona, it really hurts...." grumbled Jin-Sung.

I said, “Yep, that's why I said bleaching hurts."

Sure enough, Jin-Sung regretted his words less than a minute after the bleach was applied.

Going back to platinum blonde, I left the fate of my head and face in the hands of the excited stylists.

“Hyun-Woo looks plain at first but becomes glamorous with just a touch. It's nice."

“Hyun-Woo, can you lift your head a bit?"

“Yes?"

As I lifted my head, the stylist grabbed my face and drew something near my eye. “It's cold. What is it?"

“A beauty mark."

“A mark?"

As I looked into the mirror, I saw a new mark under one eye. “Why do I need this?"

“You might think it's nothing, but fans love it. Platinum blonde with a beauty mark. This is the description of gorgeous."

I had never heard of makeup that involved a beauty mark before. Hence, I stared at the annoying faux mark for a while and then got up, putting on the lenses the stylist handed me.

The manager said, “The boys are blooming, totally blooming. The finishing touch is the lenses for sure. Good luck!"

“Thank you!"

With the manager's final confirmation, we headed back to the venue. On the way, we noticed a long line we hadn't seen before. It was made of the Rings who had been waiting outside since our rehearsals. Recognizing our car, they waved.

“Can we roll down the window and say hi?" Jin-Sung asked.

However, the stylist firmly said no. “No. We've done your hair and makeup. What are you thinking? The wind and your exaggerated move will ruin them. We will greet them more energetically later but not now."

“It's really cold outside," I murmured softly, feeling both sorry and thankful for those waiting in the cold.

Then, after finishing a call, Su-Hwan hyung said, “The cast of Graduating has arrived in the waiting room, uh... all four of them."

“Ah, thank you. The guests are for me and Goh Yoo-Joon."

“High Tension might come by later too," said Goh Yoo-Joon.

Hearing this, Joo-Han laughed, “High Tension only has extroverted people, haha. Idols who come to watch another group's fan meeting are only High Tension."

“Especially Ji-Hyuk. He even went to the Street Center concert, bringing wreaths and rice[2]"

It seemed Ji-Hyuk was really well-connected with other people. Following Joo-Han, Goh Yoo-Joon also started chatting.

Right then, my phone vibrated at a perfect timing.

- Hyung is going to your monumental first fan meeting today >0< I’ve prepared a gift too. It’s something Hyun-Woo will really like ^^ Make sure to greet me warmly! Got it? (Woo Ji-Hyuk winking selfie.jpg) - Ji-Hyuk

“We've arrived. You can head straight to the waiting room."

I merely chuckled at Ji-Hyuk's affectionate message and got out of the car to head to the waiting room. As I opened the door, familiar faces sitting with a few cameras turned to look at us.

“Oh! Uh... hello," I said.

“Hello." Hee-Su, Joon-Hwan, Daniele, and Lee Cheol-Min were about to greet us warmly but stepped back shyly when they saw the other members following us.

“Wow, you guys came early! We've been waiting for you for quite a while~." Goh Yoo-Joon approached them with a warm smile. However, they remained frozen and awkward in this unfamiliar situation.

Then, Joo-Han stared blankly at the awkward four and the cameras before breaking into a wide smile. “It's the students from Memory High! Nice to see you guys! I'm the guardian hyung for Hyun-Woo and Yoo-Joon."

Joo-Han had quickly grasped the situation. Amused by Joo-Han's transparent behavior, I approached the kids too and asked, “Have you guys eaten?"

“Uh? Of course...." They were about to greet me warmly too but hesitated and stepped back awkwardly.

“What's with Suh Hyun-Woo? He looks like a real idol right now...."

“Why is everything so sparkly? Did you bleach your hair?"

“The makeup is so heavy. Did you draw that teardrop?"

“Wow! Such a pretty face, indeed! Awesome...."

Despite their attempts to engage with us, they maintained a physical distance as they were unaccustomed to my appearance—something meticulously crafted by the salon's stylists.

1. A beloved Korean dish consisting of seasoned rice and various fillings like vegetables, fish, and meats, all rolled in dried seaweed and sliced into bite-sized pieces. It is renowned for its delightful mix of savory flavors and contrasting textures.​ The best tip is to have it with tteokbokki sauce! ☜

2. Idols often receive wreaths and bags of rice at their concerts as gifts from fans, which serve as symbols of support and celebration for their achievements. The rice is typically donated to charities in the idols' names, reflecting the fans' desire to share their success and goodwill with those in need. ☜

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