Second Try Idol

My outfit was meticulously coordinated in shades of black and featured sections designed to resemble a sheer, see-through texture, revealing glimpses of skin beneath. It was the same costume I had worn during a previous music video shoot, and it was laden with embellishments that made dancing a cumbersome endeavor despite its striking appearance.

In the enveloping darkness backstage, I made slight adjustments to my attire and ensured everything was in place before reassessing my pose. Soon, the haunting prelude of our title track, “Phantom Spirit" resonated from the speakers.

The lighting was deliberately subdued and cast a focused spotlight solely on Jin-Sung. The ethereal sound of a solitary xylophone could be heard and marked a serene beginning without any accompaniment. Jin-Sung was stationed at center stage, kneeling with his head down. He slowly raised his head and started to dance with a dramatic flair. His hands moved with precision and grace.

***

‘Oh.’

A reporter who had been focused on the camera screen with a tired expression quietly admired the performance. The gloomy xylophone melody and the solo dance performed by the main dancer Lee Jin-Sung with the members of Chronos in the background impressed him.

This time, the choreography uniquely featured kneeling movements and had the performers place their hands and the floor. Surprisingly, the rapid actions were perfectly synchronized with the slow beats of the xylophone. Although the choreography was complex, Lee Jin-Sung's unique strength and vibe made it look incredibly cool.

Chronos had always come up with unique and challenging choreographies. As this was their first full album, it seemed they had thoroughly sharpened their skills. Although this was just the beginning of the song, Lee Jin-Sung completely overwhelmed the audience from the first impression.

The xylophone sound, which was the introduction of "Phantom Spirit," suddenly changed to a pluck sound. Then, one instrument after another layered over this sound.

Just as the emotions in the music were about to heighten, the song intensified and began resembling an orchestra. The choreography that started with Lee Jin-Sung’s part soon flowed through the others. In the end, it became a group dance that seamlessly led into the first part of the song.

♪ Nightmares are rampant,

I sink into this place,

The more you meet me,

The larger my presence grows

Suh Hyun-Woo started singing and the members began to dance. Lee Jin-Sung was in front of Suh Hyun-Woo, but he slid on his knees to the back of the dance formation. Suh Hyun-Woo used only the strength in his legs to slowly rise from his kneeling position and walk toward the center.

It was hard to rise without using one’s hands from a kneeling position. Because of this move, Suh Hyun-Woo had to live with muscle pain for practicing this.

As soon as Suh Hyun-Woo reached the center of the stage, he finished his part and immediately stepped back. Goh Yoo-Joon slowly walked out singing in a low, somewhat sticky and cheeky voice. He fully utilized his fearsome expression and sang with a serious expression, his eyes squinting.

♪ When I speak of love

You say you are suffocating

When I want to be by your side

You creak

♪ (Smile)

(Hurry up and smile)

Could the breathy whispering heard in the background of the title track also be Goh Yoo-Joon’s? Meanwhile, dancers entered the stage behind them, and the members adjusted their formation.

♪ In the darkness beyond the night,

I wait for you to find me

The dancers moved their arms as if they were blooming flowers by lowering their stance. Kang Joo-Han emerged from the center and danced under the spotlight.

♪ When you awaken,

Let's dance in the fantasy

This was Kang Joo-Han's first-ever solo dance part. Although he lacked the technique to lead the dance part with the backup dancers compared to Lee Jin-Sung or Suh Hyun-Woo, he meticulously executed each move without missing a beat, even in the throes of excitement. His intense expression was particularly impressive.

Once Kang Joo-Han's part ended, Suh Hyun-Woo suddenly burst from behind the dancers, who were mixed in the choreography. He moved together with the dancers toward the center of the stage as if he was taking away the spotlight from Kang Joo-Han.

♪ In my world, you gradually

Rise up

Suh Hyun-Woo's unique expressiveness and acting shone on the stage again. His gaze looked down as if sizing the viewer up, a cheeky smile lightly forming on his lips, and his look that was complete with a black shirt and jewels around his eyes perfectly suited "Phantom Spirit.”

♪ Now, it’s our world

Phantom Spirit

Before the chorus, Suh Hyun-Woo and the dancers engaged in a dance break.

♪ The moon shines like winter,

Can I still see you even in the darkness?

Even if you are from another world,

I can love you without any problems

Again, the orchestra and accordion resumed. The dancers moved behind Suh Hyun-Woo's movements, and as Suh Hyun-Woo clasped his ring-laden hands in the air and spread them out, the dancers also dispersed around him by lowering their stances. As Suh Hyun-Woo clutched his head with his hands bent down, the dancers gathered around him as if to tear him apart.

He sang in a seemingly maddened voice. Everything looked like a well-coordinated musical or performance.

“Ah.” The reporter from UNET, who seemed to be enjoying their performance differently from others, breathed out softly.

‘When did they improve so much?’

This reporter, who had covered their stages since their Pick We Up days, was just amazed at the impressive growth of Chronos.

‘Look at those expressions, observe the stage manners, and see how stable their vocals are during live performances. Who would think of them as first-year idols?’

YMM, that makeshift company, had always had an incredibly good pool of talents relative to its investment.

Suh Hyun-Woo, who unusually had a long part, finished his verse from his individual parts to the chorus, and exited to the side with the dancers. Lee Jin-Sung's rap immediately followed.

♪ I open my eyes in this night

I stagger and grope along the wall,

Whispering love as I search for you,

I love you, wake up

Lee Jin-Sung was another talented member of Chronos. He was often mentioned as one of the top dancers, not only in his group, but across the industry.

However, his singing wasn’t good, and he was self-conscious about his limited parts and live performances to the point it was noticeable. The reporter heard he had completely switched to rap this time, and that choice seemed to have been very wise.

♪ My heart races

Is it fear, or is it love?

When I whisper into closed ears,

The you in this fantasy says

It's love

Lee Jin-Sung had been telling everyone that he admired and was a fan of Kim Jin-Wook. Although Kim Jin-Wook was a junior singer, being from the same Pick We Up batch, Lee Jin-Sung had no hesitation in talking about his admiration and being a fan. It was highly likely that Kim Jin-Wook had influenced his switch to rap.

Was that why? Lee Jin-Sung's rap eerily resembled Kim Jin-Wook's style. And it sounded quite pleasing. Rather than being in an ambiguous position between singing and rapping, it seemed not bad to outright declare, ‘I’m a rapper now.’

Behind Lee Jin-Sung, Goh Yoo-Joon and Suh Hyun-Woo supported him as dancers. The complexity of the choreography performed by the two members behind Jin-Sung was extraordinary. Suh Hyun-Woo had always held such a position, but it was quite surprising that Goh Yoo-Joon, who was usually seen as an average dancer, joined this part.

The UNET reporter analyzed the stage and members as if he were now a Chronos analyst. Goh Yoo-Joon joining this dance part was likely because the dancing abilities of the remaining members, Kang Joo-Han and Park Yoon-Chan, were even worse, but even so, Goh Yoo-Joon’s dancing had improved significantly. Probably because the group had two top-level dancers.

As Lee Jin-Sung's part was about to end, Goh Yoo-Joon stepped back. Then, Suh Hyun-Woo was pulled out by the dancers to Lee Jin-Sung's side.

As Lee Jin-Sung sang his part with a voice filled with fervor, he turned to lock eyes with Suh Hyun-Woo, who reciprocated the intense gaze. Amid the swirling music, their stares grew fierce and brimmed with theatrical hostility.

In a dramatic flourish, Lee Jin-Sung lifted his hand and pressed it against Suh Hyun-Woo's forehead as if aiming an imaginary gun with the precision of an actor. Suh Hyun-Woo played along perfectly and gradually sunk to the ground, his knees touching the floor in surrender. Suh Hyun-Woo glared at Lee Jin-Sung, but eventually lowered his eyelids and cast his gaze downward.

♪ I only need the you in this fantasy,

I’d kill the real you

Bang!

With the sudden, sharp sound of a gunshot echoing from the background music, Lee Jin-Sung mimicked firing the gun. Suh Hyun-Woo reacted instantly, recoiling and tumbling backward in a choreographed fall. As he hit the floor, Park Yoon-Chan’s rich voice took over and propelled the performance into its compelling second verse.

‘Park Yoon-Chan's vocals are powerful and emotive, and his performance is even better.’

The reporter was captivated and marveled at the exceptional quality of the performance despite his outwardly weary and tired look. This stage offered a feast for the eyes and ears, surpassing anything Chronos had showcased before. It had definitely been meticulously prepared and plenty of skill had been put into the performance.

The reporter, though watching with a critical eye, couldn't help but get carried away by the spectacle. If he had been merely a spectator rather than a journalist, he might have been awestruck and watching with his jaw on the floor without even realizing it.

The other journalists had been largely indifferent, but they couldn't help but offer some applause as the performance wrapped up.

“Huff… huff… Thank you!" the Chronos members gasped, barely catching their breath as they quickly acknowledged the audience before hurrying offstage. There was still one more stage to go.

- Alright, that was the title track ‘Phantom Spirit’ from Chronos' first full album ‘Phantom Spirit'[1]. It was an unexpectedly breathtaking performance. We will shortly continue with “Flamma," another track from the album. Please stay with us.

The change between the two performances was stark, so a costume change was necessary due to the differing moods of "Phantom Spirit" and "Flamma." During this brief interlude, Jeong Gyu-Chan helped to seamlessly bridge the transition and gave Chronos a moment to prepare.

Backstage, the air was thick with urgency. The members were changing their clothes and putting on accessories without even having time to catch their breath.

“Ugh…” Goh Yoo-Joon was visibly struggling for breath while managing to assist his fellow member Park Yoon-Chan. He handed him a bottle of water with a supportive nod. “Here you go, Yoon-Chan.”

“Th… Thank you." Park Yoon-Chan shook off the weariness by drinking some water.

Meanwhile, Suh Hyun-Woo had exerted himself with more dance sequences than usual during “Phantom Spirit,” so he was dead tired.

Observing him, Goh Yoo-Joon couldn't help but chuckle as he tossed a towel to him. “You look dead on your feet. Are we sure this choreography isn’t too much for you?"

They had just finished one song.

“Man, this is going to wear me out... Su-Hwan hyung, I think I'm going to die. It's really draining my life essence," Kang Joo-Han said in a hoarse voice as he clutched the lapel of Lee Su-Hwan's clothes.

Lee Su-Hwan sat next to Kang Joo-Han, soothingly rubbed his back, and handed him a bottle of water. “You are not going to die. It's not that bad. Just one more song to go."

“Eh, when did Joo-Han hyung and Su-Hwan hyung get so close?"

In the midst of this, an energetic Lee Jin-Sung seemed curious about when Kang Joo-Han and Lee Su-Hwan had gotten so close. Kang Joo-Han gestured for him not to make him talk, and gulped down the water.

The break was very brief. As soon as their outfits were changed, the members had to rush back on stage immediately.

- The members are now ready. Here is "Flamma" from Chronos's first full album, “Phantom Spirit!"

1. Their title track has the same name as their album. ☜

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