Second Try Idol

Chapter 113: Replacement (2)

“Two, three! Hello! We are Chronos! Nice to meet you all!"

“Hey there! Chronos!"

We greeted everyone with the brightest smiles we could muster, as we were determined not to let the residual gloom from earlier affect our radio appearance.

“Welcome. I heard about your recent win on a music show. Congratulations on taking first place."

“Thank you! We are looking forward to today's show."

The radio show was transitioning into the next section with commercials airing. While the director, Joo-Han, and In-Hyun exchanged a few words, we warmly greeted Senior Reina, who was waving enthusiastically from inside the booth, with a beaming smile.

“Keep the energy up, higher than usual. There's a script, but feel free to stray from it as long as you keep the flow going."

“Chronos is ready to go in."

“Yes!" We entered the booth, once again saying hello to Reina.

“Senior, we are counting on your guidance today!"

“It's been a while! I've been following Chronos's journey. I always knew you'd do great!" Reina spoke energetically and gestured toward the radio's front camera.

“Please give a wave to the camera for the listeners."

Upon Reina's cue, Goh Yoo-Joon pulled me toward the camera. “Let's act like we are all buddies here."

“Act friendly? What does that even mean?" I laughed and waved at the camera along with Goh Yoo-Joon. Behind us, Joo-Han and Yoon-Chan bowed deeply toward the camera with their formal grace.

“What’s this? Why are you guys so formal?"

“We should do the same!" Seeing them, Goh Yoo-Joon and I hastily bowed as well.

Reina watched and chuckled at our actions. “You've been on variety shows, and now you are not even nervous in front of the camera, are you?"

“We do get nervous, but it's getting a bit more comfortable. Haha. Guys, let's take our seats,"

Joo-Han instructed. The director outside the booth signaled the end of the commercials, and we settled into our seats.

“Eh-hem, uh-huh. Ah." We cleared our throats, mentally preparing for the broadcast to resume. Soon, the show recommenced with the intro.

- Do you know who’s with us today? They are the monsters of the industry who are dominating stages and variety shows! The phenomenal newcomers who just clinched their first music show trophy today! We've got the members of Chronos with us!

“Two, three! Hello! We are Chronos. It’s an honor to be invited here!"

- It’s great to have you, Chronos. Fans have been eagerly waiting. First, congratulations on your first place!

“Thank you."

- You must be having hectic days. Are you getting enough rest?

“Yes, we are well-rested and in great condition as we prepare for our follow-up song."

- That's a relief. It's common for artists to struggle with sleep during their activities, especially those who are newly debuted. I am concerned as a senior, and I'm sure your fans have the same concern.

“Ah, thank you. We are taking good care of our health, so don't worry!" Joo-Han reassured. Despite the close call with the wasabi earlier and the struggle to recover during our activity period, we managed to maintain our health until the official activities for “Blue Room Party.”

- I’ve had a connection with Chronos since before your debut, haven't I? I've been watching and supporting you since then, as you've always been impressive on stage.

We continued with updates and reminiscences for a while. Having known Reina since our time on Pick We Up and up to “Parade,” we easily filled the time with lengthy conversations recalling mutual memories.

- Personally, I adore the ‘Blue Room Party.’ From the intro, I already thought, 'Ah, this is a masterpiece. Who created it?' And listeners, believe it or not, the leader Joo-Han is the composer.

Joo-Han shyly acknowledged with a nod. “Yes. It was surprising and heartwarming to see how much love it received. It’s beyond my expectations."

- I already had a feeling from the start. It's just too good. Now, as we are about to dive into the main session, we received numerous messages on ‘Reina’s Hot Radio’ website once the listeners heard Chronos was showing up. They said, 'Ask Chronos Anything!' Joo-Han, would you please read one of the messages for us?

At that moment, a message popped up on the monitor for Joo-Han to read.

[My dearest Joo-Han, I'm always watching and supporting you. You consistently prioritize the members, showing your steadfast leadership. But beyond what we see on screen, I'm curious about what the members think of you!]

- Wow. Our listeners are curious about the real Joo-Han—the one off-camera—as he always exudes such maturity. So, Joo-Han, hush! Chronos, what kind of person is Joo-Han to you?

Excluding Joo-Han, the members collectively let out a playful "Hmm-" in response.

Joo-Han simply shrugged his shoulders and asked, “What? It's not like there's anything particularly different about me, right?"

- Joo-Han, please, stay quiet for now. Haha!

After a brief pause, Goh Yoo-Joon chimed in. “Joo-Han hyung is always a reliable figure, even off-air. Well, he's a bit more sensitive and sharper off-camera. All in all, scary when he's scolding us but always dependable."

Yoon-Chan nodded in agreement. “That's true. He pretends otherwise but deeply cares for the members. Since our trainee days, he's been the leader, always bearing his own grievances while standing up for us, even if it means facing backlash."

- Indeed! It's clear that Joo-Han is deeply trusted by the members. This must be why he's the leader, right?

We playfully continued to reveal various aspects of Joo-Han—such as Jin-Sung’s frequent scoldings from him, his subtly dual nature, his notorious sleep talking, and more—all while exchanging knowing glances with each other.

“Still, I love Joo-Han hyung to the moon and back."

“Who else could lead us if not Joo-Han hyung?"

“We love you, hyung."

- Now, the members are trying to smooth things over. But it's evident that Joo-Han is a respected and beloved leader to the other members! Next, Hyun-Woo, would you mind reading the following message?

“Not at all!"

The message on the monitor changed, and I calmly read it out.

[Hello! I'm a fan in my forties and have been ardently loving Chronos since before your debut! Watching Chronos grow fills my heart with pride! After hearing about Yoon-Chan and Jin-Sung's grades during Yoo-Joon and Hyun-Woo's live broadcast, I've become curious. What were Yoo-Joon and Hyun-Woo's school days like?]

- Oh! About the school days of these two! As far as I know, both Yoo-Joon and Hyun-Woo took the GED, right? Did you attend high school up to the first year?

“Yes, we were in the same school and class."

“We were even desk mates."

- Wow, that's quite a bond. Any memorable experiences?

“More than anything, I remember the daily battles of waking up every morning."

Hearing this, Goh Yoo-Joon made a face of sheer distaste. “Ah, right. Back then, with Joo-Han hyung and most trainees being students, alarms would ring throughout the dorm every morning. There was chaos as we tried to wake those who overslept. We then rushed to shower one after the other."

“Everyone practiced till dawn, so we were half-asleep at school. We even had bets on treating each other to the snack bar if we woke up late. Things like that."

Struggling to wake up after practicing until dawn, yet unwilling to be tardy, we ended up making such bets to motivate each other. Though, we'd end up dozing off at school anyway.

“Oh, I just remembered. Amidst the tight schedule, Joo-Han hyung would diligently wake up early and manage to secure good grades, right?"

As I spoke, Reina's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Joo-Han.

- Joo-Han was a good student?

Joo-Han confidently replied, “I was consistently top of my class until my third year of high school. My grades did drop a bit then."

- That's impressive.

“The truly impressive part was him waking up earlier than other trainees, attending early morning classes, practicing, and almost achieving perfection. That’s just him."

The members took turns reading messages and engaging in conversation. Thanks to Reina's accommodating hosting skill, we gradually relaxed, and the conversation flowed more naturally. Then, a message appeared on the monitor, signaling the end of the session.

- Dear listeners, we've read various messages from you. Now, it's time to listen to some live music, and we've got a special treat today! Chronos has prepared solo cover songs for us!

At Reina's cue, we made an effort to refocus. Even Jin-Sung, who was getting ready for Jin-Wook’s rap part, bit his lip nervously. After all, it was our first time unveiling the solo songs to the public, so my heart pounded with excitement.

- So, who shall we start with? Let's begin with Hyun-Woo! Hyun-Woo, you recently released your solo song ‘Once Again,’ right? Could you give us a brief introduction to the song?

I was the first to go. “‘Once Again’ is my first solo song, composed by our leader Joo-Han and written by me. Oh yes, Jin-Wook, who appeared with us on Pick We Up, contributed with the rap lyrics and featured in the music."

- Joo-Han composed the first solo song for you, right? Joo-Han, could you tell us why you decided to give the first song to Hyun-Woo?

Joo-Han responded, “Hyun-Woo has been a trainee for a decade, and I've been one for eight. Over the years, I've seen how diligently Hyun-Woo has worked."

- Ten years? That's a long time. Such perseverance is truly commendable.

“Yes, that's why I had always hoped Hyun-Woo would debut. When we finally debuted together, I gave him this song as a celebration."

- It's evident that Chronos members share a deep bond with each other. The lyrics must resonate with many young people, especially since Hyun-Woo wrote them.

I added, “I tried to encapsulate the emotions I felt during my trainee days in the lyrics. Jin-Wook also helped me a lot with writing the rap.”

- Nice! Jin-Sung is going to take the rap part today instead of Jin-Wook. Why don’t we listen to it now?

Jin-Sung and I moved forward to the microphone.

- It’s ‘Once Again’ by Hyun-Woo and Jin-Sung.