Chapter 295: First Full Album (31)

Chapter 295: First Full Album (31)

Ji Byeok-San appeared to be scheming to feature his beloved connections in the upcoming music video. Although YMM had a scant roster of active artists, Ji Byeok-San had a certain connection with all of them except Chronos as this was our first encounter.

Allure, Yeong-Yee, Kun-Ho, and even Producer Do were likely to get along well with him as they had all been indebted to him through his programs at least once.

“Let’s see who’s around at the company right now."

I decided to lend my active support since Ji Byeok-San seemed to have no intent to create a music video solely with the Chronos members and team Slacker. “Maybe we should reach out to Allure?"

Imagining the rival team’s grumblings— "Ah, they even brought Allure! Had we known, we would have called someone too!" —and our actors’ witty responses brought a smirk to my face. It promised to be an entertaining scenario.

Ji Byeok-San nodded approvingly at the idea of making a call, and his voice carried a note of firm resolve. “But remember, no matter who we bring in, the main stars are Joo-Han and Hyun-Woo. Let’s keep that in mind."

“Yes, of course.”

“Let’s ensure their faces are prominently featured for two-thirds of the music video. It’s like in those dramas. Chronos are the protagonists while Slackers and the YMM family make impactful cameos. Wow..."

I had learned that it was crucial to wholly embrace the insights of seasoned professionals in the world of variety shows. Those adept at generating laughter were worth their weight in gold and guided us halfway to success. Joo-Han seemed to agree as he listened intently to Ji Byeok-San's strategies.

I took out my phone in the presence of everyone, dialed Da-Win, switched to speaker mode, and placed it near the microphone. Da-Win answered quickly. His voice was thick with sleep.

- Uh, Hyun-Woo. What's up?

His drowsy tone made me chuckle.

“Oops, it looks like we woke you up," Ji Byeok-San expressed his apologies with a look of regret.

I nodded empathetically and asked, “Senior, were you asleep?"

- ...Hmm?

Da-Win was caught off guard by the sudden formal address and became momentarily speechless, but he quickly grasped that this was for a broadcast and adjusted his tone. His voice became clearer.

- Are you filming right now?

“Yes... We are shooting Slacker Number One."

- ...Oh.

As soon as I revealed that we were filming, the reactions around me became awkward. That was when I realized my mistake. Why did I admit so quickly that we were filming? It was obvious that I really lacked a sense for variety shows.

“Hyun-Woo, could I have a word with him?"

“Ah, yes."

Ji Byeok-San gestured to me, and I quickly handed him the phone.

“Hello, Da-Win~"

- Ah, who is it? Ah, Ji Byeok-San hyung?

“Hey, Da-Win. Sorry for the sudden call, but what are you up to?"

Given the level of familiarity between them as evidenced by their recent phone conversation, their dialogue flowed effortlessly.

“We are at YMM right now, can you come out for a bit?"

- Why are you at our company? Well, if you call, then I must answer. Sae-Yeon might be there too.

“Oh? Is Sae-Yeon here too? It would be great if he could also join us."

- I will ask Sae-Yeon. He might be working, but I will come right now.

Da-Win immediately adjusted his voice to match the tension of the shoot and agreed to the sudden request. Ji Byeok-San hung up the call and smiled brightly, “See? Da-Win and the guys from Allure are so nice to come here to help us."

“Hyung, is it really okay to just call top stars like this? Oh, gosh."

- Hey! I'm a top star too!

While other cast members and the Allure members praised Joo-Han's acting, it seemed more like he was genuinely annoyed by the memory rather than acting.

Anyway...

“Hyun-Woo, get ready."

“Yes, Senior," I whispered back to Ji Byeok-San and prepared to enter the frame. The production team handed me a plate of fruit.

My task was simple. It was to attempt to deliver this plate to Joo-Han, witness his anguish, and react with sympathy.

“Hyun-Woo, go! Go!"

Directed by Ji Byeok-San, I walked toward the studio.

“Ugh... I lost all of them... I can't recover from this..."

I stood at the door and watched Joo-Han suffer with concern. Then, I hid behind the wall and made sure Joo-Han didn’t notice me.

“...How. To. Comfort. Joo-Han," I muttered softly.

“Ahaha, Cut! Wait, wait a moment."

“Yes?"

Ji Byeok-San raised his arms to form an 'X' and urgently halted the filming. I was surprised and looked around at the cast.

“...”

Everyone seemed bewildered, which made me feel quite embarrassed.

“...Um. Ahem." Da-Win covered his mouth with the back of his hand and laughed. Sae-Yeon turned away with his hands on his hips. It was evident that he was trying to suppress his laughter.

“Why..."

As Ji Byeok-San approached me with a smile full of laughter and grabbed my shoulder, I realized something.

“Hyun-Woo, I don’t usually say this, but..."

Right now, I didn't have Yoon-Chan to comfort me.

“You suck at acting, aren’t you?”

At Ji Byeok-San’s candid question, everyone—staff and cast alike—burst into hearty laughter. I smiled as nonchalantly as possible. “...Yes.”

No matter how much I tried to appear unaffected, I couldn’t stop my eyes from trembling. Without Yoon-Chan, no one could cover for my acting. All I could do was dance and sing.

Without Yoon-Chan, this was the limit of my acting ability.

“Ah, I didn't know. Chronos are human after all! Look how adorable! Everything is perfect except for the acting! Ah, this also adds a touch of humanity, right?" Ji Byeok-San playfully teased me and prompted laughter from the cast. He then kindly said, “Just take it easy, relax."

“Okay. I will try my best."

In truth, I had already been trying hard. ‘Is there any way to comfort Joo-Han? How to comfort Joo-Han...'

I silently rehearsed the lines while looking around. Da-Win and Sae-Yeon were done laughing, and they were recording me with their phones like adults watching a school play.

Far away, On Jeong-Woo, who was playing the role of Goh Yoo-Joon, was wearing a wig on his bald head. After looking at him, I thought, ‘My poor acting doesn't really matter.’

The reshoot started, and I recited my lines with the cue sign.

“How... to... comfort... Joo-Han..."

Shortly after the cut sign, the set erupted in laughter.

‘Whatever.’

The clip would probably circulate on UTube or on the personal channels of Rings for a while. Since my variety show image had been ruined since the Cha Cha days, I decided to give up and focus on performing well on stage later.