Chapter 100: Debut (23)

Chapter 100: Debut (23)

‘Ah, this song... I have heard of it, but I don’t know exactly when or where.’

It oozed a new-age vibe, crafted mainly from piano melodies, yet it wasn't a tune I recognized. Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

“Ah, this one! Isn't it the song you played during the music video shoot?" I said.

“You remember that?"

“I was curious about the title since the song is so good. Yoon-Chan mentioned he'd ask and tell me, but I've heard nothing yet."

“Yoon-Chan did ask, but I told him not to disclose it."

I gazed at Joo-Han, his smile so puzzling that I couldn’t guess the meaning behind it. Why? My head tilted inquisitively as I sought an explanation. The song then evolved, weaving more instruments and layers in it with each moment.

After a brief pause, Joo-Han looked at me and casually dropped a bombshell. “It's your solo song."

“Huh? Wait, what?" His tone was so nonchalant, as if he was discussing something mundane. I was stunned and just stood there, staring blankly. Feeling the awkwardness, Joo-Han quickly moved to the next track.

The new melody that filled the room felt like an upgraded version of the solo track Joo-Han had just mentioned in passing. Now, it really sounded like a complete music piece.

As the intro faded, Goh Yoo-Joon's voice emerged. It was a temporary guide track in English. However, the fact that Goh Yoo-Joon recorded it and Yoon-Chan intentionally kept me in the dark suggested that all the other members were in on it.

“Why? Did you compose it, hyung?"

“Yeah. ‘Woof Woof Meow Meow’ was just a fun little thing I made when I first downloaded the editing program. But this, your solo, is my first serious piece, man."

“Why? Why my solo song..."

Overwhelmed by the unexpected gift, confusion hit me before joy could take hold. As if expecting my reaction, Joo-Han simply replied, “It's called ‘Once Again.’ You've been in this industry for ten years. Think of it as my debut gift to you."

“...” The tears I had held back during Pick We Up and my debut now burst forth uncontrollably at Joo-Han's words.

“Hey, don't cry here," he said, patting my back in an awkward attempt to comfort me. Despite my best efforts to wipe them away, tears kept streaming down my cheeks. I should've let it all out when I debuted. Now here I was, ridiculously sobbing on the practice room floor, not even during my debut or Pick We Up.

“Hyung..."

“I know. Stop crying. Jin-Sung's going to come for practice soon, and you know he will start crying if he sees you like this."

I cried a lot, probably making Joo-Han feel pretty uncomfortable, but he stayed by my side, comforting me until the end.

Finally, when a throbbing pain hit my head, I managed to compose myself and act as if nothing had happened.

Eventually, we unanimously decided to stick to only the key parts of “Need” and move on to the next song.

***

On an unusual day off, with no schedule to rush to, I found myself practicing into the wee hours of the night. By the time I woke up, it was already past 2 PM.

‘Hmmm... I wonder if Yoon-Chan and Jin-Sung made it to school.' As I sipped water in the kitchen, I was lost in thought and just gazed into the empty living room. At that moment, my phone buzzed.

- Hyung, I've sent you our dance challenge video.

Jin-Sung shared a clip of him and Yoon-Chan doing the dance challenge in their school corridor.

“...Heh, this is going to be a hit with the Rings. They will love this."

There they were, in their school uniforms, dancing to “Parade” amid the raucous cheers of their fellow students. Filmed by a friend of theirs, the video captured live comments like “Wow, awesome!” in the background.

Watching them, one overly gentle and the other a bit too fussy, I had my doubts about how they'd fare in school. However, it was evident that they were quite a popular duo.

I forwarded the video to our social media manager and, for the first time in ages, logged onto the Chronos UTube page. My schedule had been so packed that I hadn't checked the recent uploads, and since dance challenges weren't known for immediate responses, I hadn't bothered to check.

However, feeling somewhat cut off from the world with all the rehearsals and performances, I figured it was time for a bit of “checking the world.”

“What's this? Huh? What?" I couldn't help but mutter in disbelief. The views on the dance challenge were skyrocketing. Was I seeing this right? In just three days, the video had surpassed a million views—an unprecedented feat for our channel! My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The sheer influence of teenage power was evident here, with a slew of videos from individuals joining the challenge cropping up as related content under the same hashtag. And we hadn’t even uploaded the clip from Jin-Sung and Yoon-Chan, which was anticipated to generate the most buzz.

“Wow... Wow..." As I continued to watch the related videos in astonishment, one particular video caught my eye. It was a “Parade” dance challenge done by a foreign reactor, a name familiar to anyone who followed K-POP reaction channels.

***

Something was shifting in the world of “Parade” and Chronos. As expected, the dance challenge video featuring Jin-Sung and Yoon-Chan in their school uniforms quickly went viral, racking up an impressive number of views.

The “Parade” dance challenge had officially become a trend, so students were copying Jin-Sung and Yoon-Chan's routine in school corridors, and as the buzz grew, not just fans and the general public, but even renowned celebrities started participating in our dance challenge. In an instant, the recognition for both Chronos and our debut track “Parade” soared.

A mere “why not give it a try?” idea had ballooned into something massive, much to YMM's delight. They even roped in Allure to join the challenge and managed to get our manager In-Hyun, Supervisor Kim, Mr. Seong, and even the stylists on the bandwagon.

By this point, we had clinched both first and second spots on the music charts with “Parade” and “History.” We were physically, emotionally, and mentally riding the wave of success.

It had been exactly a week since we uploaded the first dance challenge, so our expectations started to swell. It felt like we were surfing on a tsunami, amidst a surge of incredible firepower and an influx of new fans. We were looking forward to the first place on the digital music charts, and it seemed within reach.

“We're going to snag first place in Parade's final week, right?" the manager declared confidently as we headed to the KEW Music Showcase. No one responded, but deep down, we all entertained the possibility, especially given the frighteningly swift ascent of Parade's popularity. Filled with anticipation and secretly hoping for that coveted top spot, we made our way to the music show.