Second Try Idol

The preparation period for a comeback always flew by quickly. I heard that the first broadcast of Again After Rainfall would start soon, but we were so busy that we even forgot the news that the broadcast was about to begin while we were on the move.

We decided on the parts, recorded, and practiced the choreography. The concept photo and music video shoots were approaching, and we had a lot of meetings about them. In the midst of it all, I prepared a solo track with Producer Do and Yoon-Chan.

On particularly busy days, I was so stressed that I would sometimes completely forget what I had done that day. Then, as I was putting everything in my career, the day when Goh Yoo-Joon would record his soundtrack and I would become his day manager as part of a video that would be posted on the Chronos UTube channel content.

“Is this really okay?”

“Yes, I drive really well. You don’t need to worry too much.”

“I've never seen you drive.”

Before we started shooting, the production team wanted to direct and edit the footage to only have me drive where there were no cars. However, I suggested showing them there was no need for that by offering to drive.

Honestly, I was very accustomed to driving. To Su-Hwan, I might have looked like a novice who just got his license at twenty, but I was a driver who had been accident-free for years, often driving trainees home and traveling long distances by car. I thought it would be better to just drive as well as I was trained to, handling the steering skillfully, rather than driving in a safe place with all the directing and editing to make the content as natural and enjoyable as possible.

After driving around the neighborhood, Su-Hwan silently nodded and let me drive alone from start to finish.

“Yes!”

As we got out of the car, the youngest staff member of the filming team attached cameras inside the car.

“When Yoo-Joon comes down from the dorm, pick him up and take him to the recording site. Greet the director first especially. And make sure there’s no inconvenience during the recording.”

“Okay.”

“Your job ends after you take him back for a meal and return to the dorm.”

“I just have to do what Su-Hwan hyung usually does, right?”

“…Yes.”

I smiled reassuringly and headed to the front of the car. The filming team had already set everything up and was just waiting for me to get ready to start moving.

“Thank you for your patience. Let’s start now.”

“Let's start the shooting.”

Our team staff signaled the start of filming. The shooting began as the camera’s red light came on.

First, I needed to start the video by greeting the viewers.

“Hello. I'm Hyun-Woo from Chronos.” I bowed my head in front of the camera and waved my hand. “It seems like it’s my first time hosting alone. I'm really nervous, but why am I alone?”

I showed the staff card hanging around my neck to the camera. “Today is the day Yoo-Joon records his first soundtrack, and I can't just stand by as a friend. So, I will be his day manager.”

- What is the first thing you will do as a manager?

I grinned and answered the cameraman’s question. “First, I have to call Yoo-Joon and throw him in the car.”

I immediately called him. His ringtone was set to “Blue Room Party.” The dial tone rang for a long time.

“…Hmm, he’s not answering.”

The call was eventually disconnected without an answer and, after a few more attempts, I finally headed to his dorm. “He is not picking up. I saw him up just a while ago. Hmm, that's strange.”

I just laughed and muttered to myself.

This was intentional. Goh Yoo-Joon was an extremely outgoing person by my standards. He usually picked up the phone as soon as it rang, even if he was asleep. It really didn't make sense that he was not answering, given that he knew we were filming. He was probably just messing around.

“He should be on time, right?”

As I grumbled and took the elevator up, the cameraman quietly laughed.

- You’re the one saying that?

“…Ah, hyung.”

He was the Chronos team cameraman who knew my sleeping habits. I smiled awkwardly at him and quickly finished the conversation before calling Yoo-Joon again as I reached the dorm. I quickly entered the dorm and, as I walked into the living room, Jin-Sung and Joo-Han greeted me with giggles.

“So, you finally came up?”

“Where is Goh Yoo-Joon?”

“In there!”

Both of them pointed to my room at the same time, and when I headed there, Goh Yoo-Joon was absurdly pretending to be asleep, sprawled out on my bed.

“Hey, what are you doing in my bed?"

“Zzzzzzzz..."

“We don't have time for this, Yoo-Joon." I swept off the blanket that Goh Yoo-Joon was sluggishly covered with and immediately smacked his visible behind. With a resounding 'slap!', Goh Yoo-Joon sprang up.

“Ouch! Hey!"

“Yoo-Joon, we are out of time. Who sleeps after getting all their makeup done? Hey, don't wash your face. Come on."

“Su-Hwan hyung, please change my manager. I can't work with this guy! Or at least switch to Joo-Han hyung! Ah, it still hurts."

This wasn't just a setup or for show. We really were short on time. Because we spent time driving around earlier, we were even short on time to deal with Goh Yoo-Joon's pranks.

I dragged a grumbling Goh Yoo-Joon and hastily shoved him into the passenger seat of the car in the parking lot.

“Hey, you—I mean, Mr. Manager—you have the authority, but please be considerate of the artist. I'm requesting a manager change."

“Okay, Yoo-Joon, please buckle up."

“Will do."

Despite his complaints, he obediently fastened his seatbelt. As I started the car and drove out of the parking lot, Goh Yoo-Joon began fixing his tousled hair in the mirror. “Just lying down got my hair all messed up. I'm going to get scolded."

I glanced at Goh Yoo-Joon and said, “No, it's fine. You look just like you usually do."

“That isn’t a compliment, is it?"

“What are you talking about? Want some coffee?"

“Yeah."

I pointed to the back, and Goh Yoo-Joon reached into the back seat to grab his cup and mine.

“The Americano is mine, right?"

“Yep."

Goh Yoo-Joon untangled his fingers from his hair, started drinking his Americano, and opened up the lyric sheet.

“Are you going to practice signing? Do you want me to play the song?"

“...Yeah. Hey, it feels weird getting help from you. It's kind of funny."

“Just for today. It's your first schedule, so I should do this much." I played the song I got from Joo-Han and focused back on driving.

Joo-Han was indeed amazing. He had been proudly selected for the soundtrack among many competitors. He was modest, saying that many people at the company helped and that Goh Yoo-Joon singing it made it more popular but, in my opinion, he really was talented. I heard that even Producer Do's song had been among the soundtrack candidates.

Goh Yoo-Joon loosened his throat and continued practicing, alternating between singing softly and loudly. He sneaked a glance at me and sipped his coffee. “But does my singing bother you while you are driving?"

“Not really. It's fine. Keep at it." I used to drive while the trainee students talked or sang. It never really bothered or disturbed me.

Goh Yoo-Joon cooed and clapped. “I thought about this when we were training together before, but you really drive well. You’re amazing."

“Haha."

“You’re a natural even at driving. It's really amazing. We met in middle school, rode the bus to school, practiced, and now here we are, you driving me to schedules."

Exactly. I never thought the day would come when I'd be driving Goh Yoo-Joon in my car.

I just smiled without saying anything, turned the steering wheel, and fumbled for my coffee to drink. I brought up the questions I had prepared to ask during the ride. “Rings are curious why you and I call each other by full names instead of just our first names. They are wondering why we use surnames."

“…Eh? …Ah!" Goh Yoo-Joon laughed incredulously as if the question was funny and looked at me. “Out of nowhere?”

“Ah, it's just a question. Don’t think too deeply about it. Rings are curious, so that’s why I brought this up."

“Ah, um. Yeah. But isn't this kind of like a brother thing?"

“Ah, right."

We had become so used to it that we didn't feel it was weird, but when the agency told us to call each other by first names on air, it was only then that Rings got curious. At that moment, we realized that how we called each other was unusual.

“In middle school, we weren't exactly close at first."

“Right. We have very different personalities."

“I'm quite introverted and he likes going out and hanging with friends, so honestly, I didn't like him much back then. We used full names to call each other in the past.”

“Yeah, even after we became close, it just became a habit to call each other this way and we kept it that way.”

“Should we try changing things around just this time? The Rings might want us to call each other in a more friendly manner. Don’t you think so?”

Maybe. After all, the company told us to standardize our addresses to just first names among the members. But, after a moment of consideration, I shook my head. “No, let's not do it."

“Yeah. We can't do it." Goh Yoo-Joon agreed right after proposing it as if he immediately realized it wasn't a good idea.

A bit of affection? Cringe? There would be none of that between us. Not unless there was a change in our relationship, like in the past.

“Our conversations really lack substance."

“We usually just talk nonsense when we’re alone."

“I wonder if the company regrets it or if they are wondering why they had to choose us for this schedule." Goh Yoo-Joon giggled. He stretched and fiddled with a decoration hanging from the rearview mirror. “What's this? An air freshener?"

“Huh? I don't think so. It might be a talisman pouch."

“It's not an air freshener?"

I shook my head to indicate no. Our parents also hung something similar in their cars, so I knew exactly what it was. Inside the pouch, there was a talisman wishing for safe travels.

“Why?"

We were almost at our destination. It was while I was half listening to Goh Yoo-Joon and searching for a parking spot that he said, “Hm, there's a scent coming from somewhere."

“It’s probably from you or me."

“No, it's a faint scent coming from the car. I've smelled it a lot somewhere before."

“Where?"

- You have arrived at your destination. Navigation will now end.

I was about to respond to Goh Yoo-Joon's comment when the GPS cut him off. I stopped talking and unbuckled my seatbelt.

“Let's get out."

“Okay. Are you going to carry the luggage, manager?"

“Yes, go up ahead."

“I will hold the elevator." Goh Yoo-Joon got out of the car and headed to the building first.

I casually ended the conversation and followed him by carrying his stuff.

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