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Chapter 138: End-of-Year Stage (8)

In this high-energy atmosphere, it was no surprise that Chronos, a group known for their passion and drive, were pushing their limits in rehearsals. Despite their exhaustive schedule, they were committed to excellence.

“Don\'t forget, Halo\'s Music Bus airs tonight," the manager reminded us, but I was too spent to respond.

I just nodded, lost in my own thoughts, and then mustered the energy to ask, “Can I catch it later on replay?"

“Absolutely. I will make sure you can watch it on the laptop in the practice room.” Given our relentless practice sessions and minimal sleep, keeping up with live broadcasts was a luxury we couldn’t afford right now.

As I stretched and eased the tension in my legs, I took a moment to observe my fellow members. Joo-Han, Goh Yoo-Joon, and Park Yoon-Chan were deeply engrossed in their “Parade” routine with the choreographer, while Jin-Sung was diligently working on the joint performance. Their exhaustion was evident, but their dedication was unwavering.

Having put in hours of practice this morning, I took a brief rest, burying my face in my knees to conserve what little energy I had left. Even in the midst of this grueling schedule, I reminded myself that neglecting my health and wellness was not an option. The last thing I needed was to falter on the actual performance day after all the hard work.

While half-asleep, I sensed someone sitting next to me. I looked up to see Joo-Han unraveling his earphone cords.

“Are you doing okay, Hyun-Woo?" he asked with concern.

“Yeah, just catching a quick break.”.

“Make sure to apply some muscle patches back at the dorm, and don\'t rush to bed."

“Okay.”

Then, he handed me his earphones. As I accepted them, he urged me to listen to a song. “While you\'ve been busy with practice, a new track came out. Remember the indie band you mentioned? Producer Do decided to go ahead with the collaboration. Give it a go."

“Already?”

That was a fast decision. Well, Joo-Han and Producer Do were known for their impeccable taste, so I had anticipated a swift decision.

The moment I put on the earphones, Joo-Han\'s signature emotive hip-hop intro filled my ears. The track was polished by Producer Do and weaved an exhilarating melody with its synth sounds. Just like that, a wave of awe washed over me. “Wow..."

I was amazed at the transformation the song had undergone. The rich layering of sounds in the intro greatly amplified my anticipation, and Joo-Han watched me with a satisfied grin, a stark contrast to his frustrated state when he had acted like a madman.

The fatigue that was clouding my senses disappeared as I immersed myself in the music, envisioning the future performances this song would inspire. The melody cascaded softly before evolving into an irresistible chorus. As excitement peaked, it erupted into a dance break punctuated by an electrifying guitar and drum crescendo. The song conjured vivid imagery in my mind, with each member\'s dance moves and scenes crystal clear.

“This is amazing..." I kept exclaiming without realizing it.

It felt like receiving a much-needed boost amidst our hectic schedule.

Joo-Han\'s smile widened at my response. “Is it that good?" he asked.

“More than good, Hyung," I assure him.

After the song ended, I removed the earphones and expressed my admiration. “This is insane. It\'s fantastic."

“You played a part in this too," he reminded me.

We still had a long way to go before our comeback. The lyrics weren\'t finalized yet, and there was much to be done, but I couldn’t help feeling eager to share this track with the world.

Sensing my impatience, Joo-Han patted my back silently and stood up. “Let\'s focus on practice for now. Don\'t get too carried away. The song is not even finished yet. I only brought it for you to hear.”

“Got it." I was re-energized by the new music and our shared passion.

Joo-Han briefly discussed the next steps with the choreographer before we dove back into practice. “We\'ve got \'Blue Room Party\' down, so let\'s shift to \'Parade\'. Dancers, get ready!"

“Okay!”

“This time, we are adding vocals!"

We quickly got into our formation. Everyone had grown accustomed to enduring the strain, so no one complained about the short rest despite still panting for breath.

Soon, the remixed intro started, accompanied by an English narration recorded separately by Goh Yoo-Joon. In perfect sync, Jin-Sung made a gesture of placing his hand on his chest in greeting. Meanwhile, I simulated changing clothes and positioned myself with the dancers in my spot.

In just three days, the choreography had achieved a commendable level of completion.

***

After our grueling late-night practice session, I made my way back to the practice room, fresh from a quick shower at the company.

“Hyung, hurry up. You\'ve got to see this. We are all over the portal sites!" Jin-Sung burst out with an excitement that was hard to ignore. It seemed like our appearance on Halo\'s Music Bus had set the internet on fire. Only a couple of hours had passed since the broadcast, and we\'d already dominated the trending topics on portal sites, the Bluebird issue section, and even the top spots on UTube\'s popular videos list.

This level of buzz wasn\'t entirely unexpected, considering Yeong-Yee\'s massive influence. Just a hint about her attendance had previously dominated the search engines and flooded the news.

“Chronos is at number three!" Jin-Sung announced proudly.

“Wow, that\'s awesome. We really owe senior Yeong-Yee a big thanks.”

“Aren\'t you more excited, Hyung? This is huge!" Jin-Sung prodded, a hint of surprise in his voice.

“Alright, I am going to turn on the episode," Joo-Han interjected, calming Jin-Sung down and starting the replay of the broadcast that the manager had recorded.

The beauty of watching replays was skipping straight to the good parts. We were so tired that nobody needed to say it aloud, and Joo-Han intuitively fast-forwarded to our scene. The video started with Yeong-Yee\'s new song, just before our appearance.

Goh Yoo-Joon couldn\'t help but express his admiration. “I was bummed about missing this live. Senior always nails it with the vocals."

“Totally. I never understood why she doubted her singing."

“Wait, Senior Yeong-Yee said what?" Joo-Han chimed in, catching bits of our conversation. We shrugged it off and refocused on the laptop screen.

Yeong-Yee\'s solo performance wrapped up, leaving a lingering sense of anticipation in the air, punctuated by the audience\'s cheers. Then, it was our turn to take the stage.

“Oh, look at our hyungs..."

“Why? You look downright adorable."

“Joo-Han hyung, you are not teasing us, right?"

“Ah... no, seriously, you guys rocked it."

“...Really, where exactly?"

Goh Yoo-Joon’s costume and our on-stage acts drew a mix of embarrassment and laughter from us. Honestly, it became so cringeworthy at one point that Goh Yoo-Joon and I had to look away. On the other hand, Joo-Han couldn\'t help but chuckle. Jin-Sung analytically dissected the dance, while Yoon-Chan earnestly tried to pinpoint the highlights of our performance in response to my questioning.

“Argh! I can\'t watch this anymore!" Goh Yoo-Joon exclaimed suddenly, fleeing the room.

I forced myself to watch until the end, gradually getting used to the cringe. There were shots of Halo who was observing us from a corner, and his face filled with a proud and almost affectionate gaze.

The medley scene that followed was actually quite flawless—or rather, impressively perfect. Both Goh Yoo-Joon and I were visibly nervous, but we managed to pull through the interview part decently.

“You both did well. It was tough, but you guys really put in the effort," Joo-Han commended.

“Oh, the effort... it\'s nothing compared to what we are going through now..." Yoo-Joon said.

I quickly clamped a hand over Goh Yoo-Joon\'s mouth. “Shh, let\'s not talk about that. Admitting it only makes it harder."

Thankfully, Goh Yoo-Joon kept quiet this time instead of teasing me, probably too exhausted for his usual antics.

“Anyway, let\'s head back to the dorm now. Everyone deserves a good rest after today.”

“Agreed!" Reenergized by the idea, Goh Yoo-Joon led the way as we all gathered our things and left for the dorm.

“Great job today, everyone. See you tomorrow, and don\'t forget to rest well," the manager said, holding the dorm door open for us before heading back to his home.

Once inside the dark dorm, I flicked on the lights and headed straight to my room to collapse on my bed. The sound of water running signaled that the others were taking turns showering. While waiting for his turn, Jin-Sung turned on the TV with his leftover energy, but he earned a gentle scolding from Joo-Han to keep the volume down.

No matter how tired we were, the atmosphere was still warm and familial. Listening to the sounds of my teammates, I chuckled to myself in the dimly lit room and finally checked my phone, which I hadn\'t gotten around to earlier.

Hmm, during our return to the dorm, “Tenten Yeong-Yee” had been overtaken by “Chronos” as the top trending topic on the portal site. Perhaps the flow of time was indeed unstoppable. It was bittersweet when I thought about Senior Yeong-Yee, who had worked hard yet still showed moments of insecurity.

In this busy season, Team D and the trainee group chats were quiet. However, I received one message from an unexpected person.

[Dad]

My finger was ready to scroll over it but paused.

\'Dad?\'

It was rare for him to contact me first. Concerned that something might have happened, I opened the message. And then, my finger stopped again.

[We watched the broadcast, and your mom liked it very much. Yeong-Yee is her favorite singer. I know you are busy, but drop by home sometimes. Mom misses you.]

“...”

A simple “yes” would suffice as a response, but my finger hesitated over the screen for a long time. If I had to really count it, it had been over five years since I last saw my parents.

I had been a terribly unfilial child back then, avoiding my parents to spare them the sight of my ruined face. And now that I had returned to the past, I still ignored their wishes to see me. Such behavior was really rotten.

Should a son like me brazenly face his parents again?

- Yes, Dad. Thank you.

I sent a brief reply to my father, feeling the weight of my heart grow heavier. It took me a long time to fall asleep, as I was weighed down by feelings of stuffiness.