Second Try Idol

I stared at the ended call screen.

“..."

There was something that Ji-Hyuk knew. Before hanging up, his laughter sounded suspiciously sly. I recalled how casually he had asked his question.

- I heard a member of the idol group has been confirmed to appear, and that's you? Maybe I should join too?

He even shared some trivial information—that the head of YU was drinking buddies with the director of SES entertainment, so Ji-Hyuk could appear anytime if he wanted. He kept pushing me for an answer. Of course, I refused and insisted on not overloading his schedule and taking proper rest if needed.

“Sigh..."

Somehow, I had this feeling that I might run into him at the cast meeting. Even though Ji-Hyuk rarely ventured into variety shows and claimed to dislike them, he often made appearances on Team D members’ regular shows to show his face as a new celebrity extrovert.

I saw Kim Jin-Wook once reluctantly offering his thanks after being dragged along for a joint appearance, witnessed through Team D’s group messenger.

“..." I chuckled at the darkened screen and set down my phone.

Actually, it would actually be a relief if he joined since I was too shy in front of strangers.

I gathered my thoughts and looked back at my computer screen, which had been flickering all this time. “Wow, it’s changed a lot..."

The MMORPG[1] was celebrating its tenth anniversary. I had wondered if it might look a bit outdated now, but it really didn’t.

Sure, you could tell it was from a previous era by the graphics and avatars, but the character selection screen had changed a lot since I last played ten years ago, or rather four to five years ago because of my situation. While it couldn't compete with other games that might be released in the future, the skills available for career trials had become quite flashy, and the UI[2] had been conveniently updated.

“It’s like an entirely new game."

It had changed so much that it almost felt like I couldn’t even claim I had played One Hours before.

I anxiously chose a Swordsman character, a melee damage dealer. I let my heart guide my choice. The only thing that remained the same was that the characters available were still fixed by career types. I will skip explaining the game’s storyline now since it will slowly unfold during the broadcast.

After finishing a simple tutorial and looking through the cash shop, patch notes, the event window for check-ins popped up.

“Updates every week..."

Updates happened weekly, and while the cash shop items that once blatantly squeezed money from players, prompting widespread resentment, had mostly disappeared, a few things still made me chuckle. It was clear that the developers still had affection for the game.

‘Is this game still being worked on?’

While I was alone swinging a sword with my basic gear, a user named 'Duplicated Nickname Or Something' apparently took pity on a newbie like me and performed a drive-by gifting (where an older player gifts items to a newbie and runs away).

- Enjoy One Hours~

The user, who exuded the aura of a veteran player, rode off on a dragon after saying that. They were Level 120.

“...Huh?"

‘Come to think of it, the max level when I last played was 75.’

I heard that the number of skills (special moves) had also greatly increased. Therefore, I was practically a newbie again in essence.

Knock knock.

"Hyun-Woo, time to stop and go to bed. We have to be up at 6 AM tomorrow," Joo-Han told me.

“Ah, okay."

I blankly stared at the not yet fully unlocked skills window.

“You darn kid." Joo-Han smacked my back and gestured for me to hurry out. He seemed really displeased that I was using my sleeping time to game with only two days left until our comeback.

To be honest, I was anxious because it was my first time doing a variety show alone.

I nodded obediently and headed back to my room, thinking I should probably ask the producers to remove the ‘only max-level experienced member among the cast’ title they planned to give me.

Tme passed by in a flash, and the day of the showcase for our first full album “Phantom Spirit” arrived before we realized.

***

Every day, the faces of the employees brightened with each new record we set. Chronos made a dazzling comeback and was achieving fiery interest, reactions, and results like never before. It was to the point that upon hearing we were candidates for the number one spot on UNET Countdown this week, I was certain we'd take it.

However, no one felt relief at this successful start, especially not the members of Chronos. Our mindset was resolute, separate from the album sales and the successful comeback.

This stage held more meaning to us than any previous comebacks.

“Chronos! Get ready!"

“Okay!"

After responding to the staff's call, we gathered in front of the curtain.

“The day has finally come, hasn't it?" Joo-Han said as he clasped his hands together.

Yoon-Chan already looked like he was about to cry. Since the end of our last activities with “Joy,” so much had happened leading up to today. It had been a lengthy and exhausting process.

Although we were tired, the Rings, who had to keep up with us through articles, news, and announcements, must have been even more worn out. This stage was meant to show those fans, who had supported us through their worries, that we were okay now.

I believed this showcase had that much significance, which was why it felt so solemn.

“We all worked really hard."

“Yes."

“There have been many challenges, but let's forget all of them now and focus solely on the stage. We can create a perfect performance with our efforts, right?"

“Yes!"

Joo-Han looked around at us with a pleased smile. It was rare to see such a deeply emotional expression on his usually reserved face. Naturally, this instilled a sense of discipline in us younger members.

“Everyone!"

“Let's nail it!"

“Yeah!!!"

As we shouted our chant loudly, the staff and dancers around us applauded. They were the ones who had closely watched all our preparations for this comeback.

The announcer Jeong Gyu-Chan jovially introduced us.

- It's about time for you to make your entrance. Chronos, wow, you guys shouted your chant so energetically that we could hear it all the way over here. I am really looking forward to this. Shall we have Chronos make their entrance now? They are making a splendid comeback with their first full album “Phantom Spirit.” Please welcome them with applause.

“It’s time to walk on stage!" Following Jeong Gyu-Chan’s cue, the staff gently pushed each of us toward the stage. We bowed lightly and proceeded to the center of the stage.

Instead of applause, the audience was filled with the sound of camera shutters and flashes.

- Yes, the members of Chronos have arrived in very stylish outfits. Could we have you greet everyone first?

We stood in front of our chairs and picked up the microphones.

“One, two, three."

“Hello, we are Chronos. Nice to see you again!"

- Ah, wonderful. Please take your seats.

Jeong Gyu-Chan continued talking without a pause to ensure we weren’t left feeling awkward in the silent audience filled only with the sound of shutters.

The members all took their seats, and the interview portion of the showcase began.

- How have you guys been? We’ve seen you continuously on shows like Again After Rainfall, but it seems like it’s been a long time since we’ve seen you in album activities.

“Yes, that’s right."

- Could you share with us how you’ve been lately?

Joo-Han answered the question. “As you know, we just finished filming Again After Rainfall in the United States. Since then, we've been focusing on the album. It hasn't really been that long, about four months?"

Joo-Han rolled his eyes toward the ceiling and chuckled slightly. “But it felt much longer because of so many things that happened."

The other members nodded silently. Everyone probably had a lot to say, but they couldn’t, so they just smiled and nodded. It must have been painful for everyone.

During our first schedule in the US filled with neglect and discrimination, I collapsed and my condition worsened. Amidst the tight schedule dedicated to our comeback, incidents of stalking and personal information leakage occurred. We also had to move out.

Honestly, it had been physically, mentally, and emotionally very tough, almost as if each day felt like a year.

Joo-Han subtly expressed this with a calm smile, apologizing to the Rings who were worried.

- A lot of Rings and the public have been eagerly waiting for your comeback. First off, we should congratulate you.

Jeong Gyu-Chan complimented us on our music video views, album performance, and everything praiseworthy before continuing with the questions.

Joo-Han and I answered questions about the album and upcoming schedules, while the other members took turns answering everything else. Having gone through three showcases, we were now skilled enough to handle unexpected questions adeptly.

- And there’s another thing we need to focus on.

Jeong Gyu-Chan glanced at his cue card and then at me. I instinctively brought the microphone to my mouth, ready to answer.

- This is about the solo track “Forest” by Yoon-Chan, included in this "Phantom Spirit" album.

Yoon-Chan, the main focus of the question asked by Jeong Gyu-Chan, also picked up the microphone and quietly responded, "Yes."

- I heard Yoon-Chan's solo track “Forest” was composed and written by Hyun-Woo. Is that true?

“Yes, that's right."

Yoon-Chan set down the microphone, apparently passing the question back to me.

- I've listened to it as well, and it was a very refreshing and mystical track. I personally thought it would be great to see it performed on stage with choreography.

“Ah, thank you." I smiled lightly and bowed slightly.

- What inspired you to create this song?

“Uh... ‘Forest’ was initially composed with a member's solo in mind. It started as a very calm and tranquil song," I replied smoothly.

Of course, I never mentioned that the song had originally been intended for TV show soundtrack consideration and that it had been meant for Goh Yoo-Joon, not Yoon-Chan. That would have surely changed the atmosphere and response from the host.

“It has a very soothing vibe, so I wanted to give it to our representative soothing member, Yoon-Chan."

I looked at Yoon-Chan warmly as I spoke. Yoon-Chan seemed deeply moved as if he just found this out.

I felt a bit guilty and awkward but pretended not to notice. “After hearing that Yoon-Chan’s track would be included in the album with the help of many people, it transformed into the refreshing and bright song as it is now. I would also like to see it performed on stage with choreography someday, just as you have mentioned. Yes."

I thought I answered quite calmly and well.

Jeong Gyu-Chan then briefly asked Yoon-Chan for his thoughts, and Yoon-Chan combined praise, humility, and emotion in his response with teary eyes. He basically praised me throughout the process. I simply smiled wearily and subtly patted Yoon-Chan on the back, signaling him to stop praising me.

Also, the recent news articles about a collaboration with Callia Lawrence, notable points about this activity, costumes, concepts, music videos, and choreography led to longer and more detailed questions and answers than in previous showcases.

After concluding the interview, Jeong Gyu-Chan sounded very excited.

- Well, then let's take a look at the stage performance that Chronos has been diligently preparing.

“Yes!" We put on solemn expressions and stood up. It was finally time to showcase the title track “Phantom Spirit” and another included track known as "Flamma".

1. Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games combines elements of role-playing video games with the ability to interact with a vast number of players online in a persistent virtual world. These games often require a subscription or are free-to-play and are available on various platforms including PCs, consoles, and mobile devices, and continue to evolve even when the player is offline. ☜

2. User Interface refers to all the visual elements and tools that allow players to interact with the game, such as menus, icons, and informational displays like health bars and maps, which are crucial for enhancing usability and accessibility. ☜

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