Second Try Idol

How could a bed be this soft? The plushness was unparalleled by the beds back at the Chronos dorm. On top of that, the fresh air and the luxury of waking up naturally without an alarm set the stage for a pleasant morning.

Today, I discovered that it was indeed possible to wake up feeling wonderful without any particular reason. I almost smiled at the thought, but then I hesitated after remembering the cameras that might be capturing this moment. I simply opened my eyes with an impassive expression.

Thanks to the thoughtful consideration of my members, I enjoyed a profoundly restful sleep. As I got up to tidy the bed and leave the room, I encountered Goh Yoo-Joon, fresh from a shower, with a towel around his neck.

“You are finally up."

“Did you come back from somewhere?"

“Ah, I went running with Yoon-Chan. Man, it's great for running here in the morning. You should come with us tomorrow."

“Sure."

Everyone was so diligent. Even though I hadn’t set an alarm, it was still morning. Yoon-Chan was showering now, and Joo-Han went out for brunch with Jin-Sung.

After a quick wash, I gulped down some water from the bottle that Goh Yoo-Joon had left open. Then I opened the fridge to grab a tart that Reina had given us yesterday.

“Well, there is nothing else to eat."

“Gosh, a chocolate tart in the morning... It's too sweet." Goh Yoo-Joon snatched the tart away and handed me some money instead.

“What's this?"

“Pocket money. Su-Hwan hyung left it for you because you were sleeping. Use this to join Joo-Han and Jin-Sung for lunch."

I nodded and checked the time on my phone. We had free time until our rehearsal at 2 PM. I guess I had enough time to step out for a bit then, not just for lunch at the accommodation.

“Alright, I will go eat something else.”

“Do you want me to come with you?"

“It's okay. I will let Joo-Han hyung and the production team know. I will be right back."

“Okie.”

I was not usually keen on going out, especially with my tendency to avoid people. Therefore, I wondered why I suddenly wanted to eat out. Perhaps because it was my first time in New York. Having spent almost the entire previous day in a daze and slept through most of it, I had missed out on sightseeing.

I felt surprisingly at ease amidst the foreign setting, so I ventured out but didn't go far. There were plenty of places to eat nearby, and straying too far from the accommodation with our schedule in mind was a bit unsettling to me.

I chose a quiet coffee shop over the crowded eateries nearby. I somehow managed to order in English that I had learned from Chronos's dedicated tutor and found a corner seat. Then, I admired the cafe’s interior.

‘How can it be so quiet here when the lunch spot next door is bustling?’ I did worry momentarily that I had stumbled upon a less-than-stellar establishment, but seeing a few patrons thoroughly enjoying their food reassured me.

As I was taking photos to report my whereabouts to Su-Hwan and the production team, while simply zoning out while waiting for my order, I was startled by a sudden greeting.

“Hello."

“…Ah."

I turned around and saw an elderly man in a suit smiling broadly at me.

“Uh… Hi."

I felt a bit intimidated, despite his kindly and approachable appearance. Oddly enough, his hair was dyed in a soft pink shade. As I awkwardly lowered my head, a hearty laughter burst out from the man.

“You are a singer from Chronos, right?"

“Huh?" Just as I was about to move away, I paused and looked back at him. “Do you know me?"

“Of course, my grandson is your friend."

‘His grandson? A friend of mine?’ I stared intently at the man. Was he just making conversation, or could it be true? Did I really have a friend from abroad…

“Oh."

As I gasped in realization, the man chuckled again, “My grandson is Daniele."

I had never expected I would meet Daniele's grandfather so unexpectedly, in a place so far from both of our home countries. Come to think of it, he did bear a resemblance to Daniele. I then offered him the seat across from me.

We exchanged simple conversations and touched on various topics.

“I'm glad I'm able to speak in a way that you can understand." The old man seemed to know quite a bit about Daniele. He mentioned having watched Graduating to see Daniele and even knew stories about him that were only shared among friends, which was not aired on the show. It didn't seem like he was lying to me.

Even after our food arrived, our conversation continued for quite some time, and I found myself fully opening up and enjoying the chat with him.

Suddenly, an excited voice broke through the calm atmosphere of the cafe. “Oh my God!!! I didn't know I'd meet you here! I'm so happy!!! Oh my God!! Hyun-Woo!"

A foreigner who had just entered the cafe approached me with tears in her eyes, overwhelmed with joy. I quickly greeted her and signed an autograph. After that, I sent her on her way, trying to be mindful of the grandfather and the cafe owner. It was a surprise to randomly meet a fan like this, even though Chronos wasn't widely recognized overseas.

I looked back at Daniele’s grandfather as I felt a sense of pride, and he laughed warmly. He showed understanding for the commotion. “You are quite popular, huh?"

‘Wait, was the hair of Daniele’s grandfather pastel blue?’

“Anyway, it was a good time. Nice to meet you," he remarked as he seemed ready to leave.

"Nice to meet you too," I replied.

As the man picked up his cane from the table, I was about to offer a farewell. But then, he looked at me with a kind smile and asked, “Are you enjoying this life?"

“…Sorry?"

"To make it your life, you will have to overcome many things."

“...”

I stood up and watched him walk past me with his cane. He paused and turned back to offer one last greeting, then slowly left the cafe. His parting words were too profound and cryptic to be just casual remarks.

***

Ch-Ha @dohacha12 · 5 minutes ago

Guys, check out Q-app right now. The fourth youngest is crying over seaweed soup. Seriously, please, I am dead serious right now. Damn, I want to keep making Yoon-Chan cry, then give him chocolate, see him smile brightly, and make him cry again aaaah...Alright, I will stop.

Replies RT Likes

Ch-Ha @dohacha12 · 2 minutes ago

So when is Again After Rainfall broadcasting~~~ I trust you, YMM. You better upload some fancams for the preview!

Ch-Ha was an anonymous account operated by Baek Go-Ri. She was suffering from Chronos loss[1]. Ever since Chronos ended their "Joy" activities and celebrated Yoon-Chan's birthday with a live broadcast, she had been rolling on the floor with happiness upon hearing about their appearance in Again After Rainfall.

And that was it. Since then, not much had been seen of Chronos, so Baek Go-Ri spent her days scouring BlueBird and occasionally posting yearning messages. Despite searching in English, all she found were irrelevant results with hardly anything about the group Chronos.

Yet, she habitually searched while hoping for something.

cha&cha @hyunchawoo · 1 day ago

Love u my, minimi hyun♥

(Suh Hyun-Woo smiling alone at a lunch cafe.jpg)

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└What's this? Where is it?

└New York Lunch Cafe! Hyun-Woo was smiling while eating because the food was delicious!

It was a photo of Suh Hyun-Woo happily eating lunch alone.

“What the hell? Isn't this candid photography? Foreign Rings have no respect for my boys’ privacy."

Still, it seemed he was doing well during the shoot. Baek Go-Ri felt a mix of anger at the invasion of privacy and joy at seeing a member's update for the first time in a while. She roughly translated a comment with Google, telling them to delete the candid photo.

‘They probably won't listen anyway.'

With creepy weirdos claiming to have boarded the same plane as Chronos or entered their dorm, the Rings' community was on edge. Actual photos of members being followed at the airport only heightened their anxiety.

Baek Go-Ri sighed, turned off BlueBird, and opened UTube.

‘I'm still hungry for more feeds about Chronos.' Her search for Chronos continued throughout the weekend.

1. Rings experienced a unique kind of withdrawal when Chronos had a lighter schedule, and their appearances on TV and live streams became infrequent, leaving fans longing for more moments to cherish. It seems like slang between Rings, haha. ☜

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