Chapter 154: End-of-Year Stage (24)

Chapter 154: End-of-Year Stage (24)

As time slipped away at an alarming pace, I was at ease thanks to the unwavering support of my fellow members. Though the nagging pain in my waist had dulled enough that I could move without much difficulty, we all unanimously decided that I should remain seated during the whole performance. It was a compromise we reached, as we balanced the artistic side of the performance with my injury management.

“It seems the dancers are tumbling a bit too swiftly, don't you think?" The choreography was designed with me at the center while the dancers moved around me like petals in the wind. It was a creative scene brainstormed by Jin-Sung and the choreographer—simply a visual metaphor for fleeting beauty.

There I was, at the center of this blooming chaos, pouring my soul into every note as I tried my best to embody the essence of a flower amidst the storm.

“Hyun-Woo, it's your cue to walk out onto the stage." I then followed the choreographer's direction and slowly rose from my chair to walk with deliberate steps.

“Take your time. Finish the part there... Perfect. When it ends, let the dancers envelop you. More aggressively!”

It was quite intense. The dancers adhered strictly to the choreographer's direction, converging on me with a ferocity that sent shivers down my spine. I recoiled instinctively with my eyes shut tight, bracing for the impact. And then, I counted.

‘One, two, three...’

As the next part seamlessly flowed, the dancers enveloping me dispersed like mist and moved on to the next scene. The rapid adjustments and on-the-fly changes had been honed by countless rehearsals for the KEW Awards. As a result, each training inched us closer to perfection.

“Okay, that's a wrap! We've nailed the dance, so let's commit it to muscle memory and not slack off in practice.”

A chorus of "Yes!" filled the room, a testament to our collective dedication. After a brief rest, we returned to the grind.

“Yoo-Joon, Hyun-Woo, let's drill the special stage routine," the choreographer announced, as if it were the next logical step. Yoo-Joon appeared momentarily surprised by the directive and exchanged puzzled glances with me.

“Right now?”

“Here?”

“In front of these many people?”

The choreographer's smirk was a mix of amusement and challenge. “You two should practice because you have only been memorizing the lyrics instead of actually doing it together. I will watch and give you feedback in the end.”

“...”

“When and where else are you going to practice then? You have time now, so it is a great opportunity.”

“But...”

“What do you mean by ‘these many people?’ You are going to perform in front of a gazillion audience later,” said the choreographer. However, we were still hesitant, looking at each other while debating whether to actually start practicing or not.

The Chronos behind-the-scene camera didn’t miss a beat, capturing every second of our hesitance.

“Getting cold feet now, of all times? No way."

“...”

We were definitely embarrassed to be under the spotlight in front of this number of people. On top of that, our friends were watching. It almost felt like I was rehearsing being a music show MC here.

Performing those exaggerated gestures unique to musicals here was challenging. It was usually even more embarrassing to do them in front of family and close friends. However, having been through the ranks of trainees and trainers, I had learned that embarrassment was just like trash in this industry; it needed to be thrown away.

Still, we almost came forward sobbing.

“Ah, hyungs. Why are you guys so shy?”

“Our main vocalists! You should present yourselves with pride and coolness!”

“Stop that nonsense!”

“Right! You all look like you are just itching to tease us!" As we bickered with the other members, the choreographer sighed deeply and pulled Yoo-Joon to the center of the practice room.

Then, Jin-Sung suddenly lifted the chair I was sitting on with a chuckle.

“Whoa!"

“Just stay there, hyung. I will move you over there."

“No, I will go by myself. Please, let me do it." Amidst Jin-Sung's teasing, everyone started to laugh. I was flustered and was eventually moved next to Yoo-Joon, along with the chair.

“Shall we start?"

“Just the singing..."

The choreographer saw our resistance and reluctantly nodded as if having no other choice. “Alright, just the singing part then. But after that, it's practice time with me until morning for both of you!"

“Yes, sir!"

Practicing until morning on our own seemed better in comparison. We were relieved that we didn't have to perform our exaggerated acts in front of the other members.

“Let's start. I will play the song." The choreographer played the music, and Joo-Han's eyes sparkled brightly.

A beautiful white Christmas

“Once we are done in the photo zone, we will head backstage," instructed Manager Su-Hwan.

“Understood!"

“You guys will be backstage clapping and cheering as the hosts belt out Christmas carols. Ok, let's make our way down now."

After arriving at the venue, we stepped out of the car and straight into the whirlwind of photo shoots and briefings before being whisked away to the backstage area. The entire backstage was buzzed with the energy of artists and staff gearing up for the opening.

In the midst of this bustling backdrop, SES's behind-the-scenes cameras darted about, snagging interviews here and there. Amid slight nerves, we had our makeup touched up and costumes adjusted, all the while keenly aware of the cameras weaving through the crowd.

After that, one camera made a beeline for us. Conveniently in its path, Joo-Han and I greeted it as if it were an old friend. “Wow! Hello there!"

- Hello, this is the New Year Party Cam. Team Chronos, could you send out a Christmas greeting to our viewers?

The cameraman prompted us, and Joo-Han tactfully stepped aside, nudging Jin-Sung and Yoon-Chan into the limelight. I then offered a reassuring pat to the backs of my somewhat startled companions.

“A holiday shout-out to all our viewers, please."

“Ah, yes!"

“Yes! Merry Christmas! ...All together now! Merry-"

“Wishing you all a joyful Christmas!"

Yoon-Chan and I ignored Jin-Sung’s attempt to lead and synced up our greeting, inadvertently irking Jin-Sung who then shot us a glare. Yet, his look was more amusing than intimidating.

- And what special plans do the members of Chronos have for Christmas?

Goh Yoo-Joon, who had been chatting with Joo-Han, smoothly joined the conversation. “Oh, there is no doubt! We are spending it with the SES New Year Party."

I chimed in, “And after the party wraps up, we are planning to call our parents, celebrate with some fried chicken, and then practice as usual."

“Here's to a happy Christmas in the practice room!"

The cameraman nodded in approval, a wide grin spreading across his face as he suddenly offered a handful of quirky items.

“What are these?"

- Please, take them.

The items in question were an assortment of festive props. They were Rudolph noses, reindeer antlers, Santa hats, fluffy beards, and a weird tree costume mask.

I accepted them, feeling bemused as I looked questioningly at the cameraman.

- Today’s mission involves these props. Please wear them to add some fun to the opening!

“Are these props part of our mission?"

- That's right.

“Wow, look at this interesting piece!" Goh Yoo-Joon grabbed the tree costume mask and inspected it closely. The mask had a cut-out for the face, which meant that anyone who donned it would be transformed into a Christmas tree.

- We are counting on you.

We gathered around the props with the cameraman’s encouragement and formed a circle, realizing that the backstage buzz was all due to this mission.

With a resigned shrug, Joo-Han picked up the tree costume. “Let's divide these among us fairly and settle the tree costume with a game of rock-paper-scissors."

We exchanged puzzled glances at Joo-Han's suggestion.

“Really?"

“Yeah, why? Rock-paper-scissors."

It was a well-known fact that Joo-Han had quite the losing streak when it came to games of chance like rock-paper-scissors. It was almost impressive how consistently he managed to lose every single time.

Perhaps it was because the stage was right around the corner? Or maybe he had simply forgotten just how bad he was at rock-paper-scissors, considering it had been a while since his last game.

“Well, if that is what you want.”

The sly Goh Yoo-Joon pretended he knew nothing and stretched out his hand. “Even if you end up wearing the tree costume, no complaints, okay? Just happy and enjoy it, get it?”

“Okay.” Joo-Han excitedly extended his hand. We simply looked at him with a mix of amusement and pity. Knowing that he was about to suffer, we then shook our hands up and down.

“Rock, paper, scissors!"

And there it was, the inevitable outcome... just as expected...

“...Huh?" the bewildered voice of Joo-Han resonated.