Second Try Idol

Chapter 83: Debut (6)

The rules of “Jump Over Score Ninety! Coin Karaoke” were straightforward. We just needed to belt out any song that was not our own and aim to score above ninety points.

However, here was the twist—the karaoke machine wasn’t the one dishing out scores but the subjective whims of Flying Man’s filming staff. Hence, the real challenge was less about vocal chops or volume and more about picking tunes that would strike a chord with the staff. In essence, the karaoke was just a smokescreen, and the true game was to win over the hearts of the staff.

That was exactly why Goh Yoo-Joon and I found ourselves grinning, standing before the staff with microphones in hand.

“Ah~! Ah! It's so dazzling! Ah, my eyes! They're blinded!"

“Why, Hyun-Woo? You too? The brightness is too much!"

As we laid it on thick, our teammate Yoo Il-Seok swooped in, exaggerating. “What's up with you two? What happened?"

“It's Yoo-Joon's blinding handsomeness!"

“No way, it's Hyun-Woo's radiant charm!"

As we gestured, fainting at each other’s beauty, Woo-Seok seriously stepped forward and announced, “Chronos will sing High Tension's 'You Are Shining.’"

“Uh... hahaha! They are crazy funny!" Other team members, Lee Ye-Hee and Jang Seok, laughed hysterically at our introduction.

Unperturbed, we stood up and passionately sang “You Are Shining.” The High Tension members just watched us in amazement as we exaggerated our performance of “You Are Shining”, including the choreography, to appeal to the staff. Luckily, Director Han Bu-Joon and the staff seemed very pleased.

“Great, great! Well done! Hyun-Woo, Yoo-Joon, you're doing so well!" Feeling thrilled, Yoo Il-Seok praised us and joined in the dancing. Being complimented by Korea's top MC, I felt excited and danced even harder, my rainbow-colored curly wig bouncing with every movement.

“Isn't this too strong for the first turn?"

“How can we beat them!?"

We gave it our all until the end, eliciting laughter from everyone before collapsing exhausted into our seats. It was tiring but fulfilling.

‘Why does making people laugh feel so good?’ I felt like I understood comedians a bit more.

“Good job, guys. Well done!" Playing along, Yoo Il-Seok treated us like comedy martyrs and helped us back up. We then returned to our seats, wearing the sourest faces we could muster.

“Come on, our Chronos kids! They just debuted a week ago! With those curly wigs and all that effort, and you give them only ninety-five points?" Yoo Il-Seok laid the groundwork, and Woo-Seok rolled with it.

“Ah, no way. Even one hundred points would be a loss for Chronos after they've dropped their image like this!"

Another cast member, Jang Seok, then smacked Woo-Seok in the mouth, scolding him, “Be quiet! Quiet! Quiet! Let's see the score."

- The staff's score is ninety-five points.

“Ah, that’s too low for our kids! Isn't that too stingy?"

We were quite satisfied with the high score, but as soon as it was revealed, Yoo Il-Seok and Woo-Seok pretended to be outraged and rushed at the staff. I guess this was how variety shows were done.

“These guys have to live with curly hair and pelvic dances for the rest of their singing careers! Ninety-five points?" Woo-Seok made a gesture as if he was about to lunge at the staff in frustration.

“No, seniors, we're fine! Please calm down." We quickly went to him, pretending to hold him back.

“Woo-Seok, there's nothing we can do! Director Han Bu-Joon is always this heartless and merciless! Tss!"

“Your team members are such hard workers" Our skit was finally calmed down by Goh Seong-Cheol's remark.

Were we so impactful as the first act? The scores for the following High Tension teams barely made it over ninety points. Despite their efforts to be funny and energetic, High Tension still looked too cool, so they couldn't quite move the staff.

Just when it seemed like no one could surpass our score, Jin-Sung and Joo-Han...

“And Yaaaaah!"

“Ah... huh..."

Another regular cast member, Dada, burst into hollow laughter and yelled, “Why are Chronos kids like this today? Hilarious!"

I was awestruck and shocked by Joo-Han's performance, so much so that I couldn't react for a while. Dressed in a dress and makeup, he passionately sang the highlight of Whitney Houston's “I Will Always Love You.”

The song was obviously stretching beyond Joo-Han's vocal range, so it inevitably led to off-key notes. However, his falsetto, combined with a comically exaggerated wig and an unflappable expression amidst our laughter, was beyond everyone’s expectations.

Our team members, Yoo Il-Seok and Woo-Seok, were rolling on the floor laughing. Honestly, Joo-Han, who was usually dignified and elite, and I, who was typically gentle and demure, had always been confident in our ability to make people laugh ever since our Cha-Cha days. So, it felt almost like a matter of pride to be funnier than High Tension.

Joo-Han had certainly made an impact, and Jin-Sung was now repeating a “drrrrrring” sound, with his face painted black. As expected, their team scored an impressive ninety-eight points.

“Wow, you guys are amazing. Respect," Dada exclaimed, giving us a thumbs-up.

“Is Yoon-Chan's team the only one left now?"

“Alright, everyone, let's calm down and not put pressure on Yoon-Chan. It's okay if it's not funny. Just take it easy."

“Sure..."

It seemed like the cast of Flying Man had researched Chronos before shooting, showing consideration for the relatively quiet Yoon-Chan compared to other members. However, they didn't know much about him.

Yoon-Chan and Lee Ye-Hee from his team stepped forward.

Yoon-Chan looked like he was overwhelmed by pressure. “I'll start then. Ye-Hee and Yoon-Chan will sing 'Rasputin.’"

“What...?"

‘This is crazy.’

The Chronos members were already biting their lips, trying not to laugh. Yes, Yoon-Chan was also a part of Chronos. Striking a pose, he started dancing to “Rasputin,” a song we often danced to when bored at the dorm—the ultimate Just Dance challenge.

Even the most composed member like Yoon-Chan was hilariously breaking character. Hence, we just couldn’t hold our laughter in.

While everyone was rolling on the floor laughing, Goh Yoo-Joon, Jin-Sung, and I exchanged glances and joined Yoon-Chan, dancing to “Rasputin.” Honestly, “Rasputin” had more synchronized choreography than our own title track.

“Why are they like this?" Woo-Seok exclaimed in confusion.

“What do you guys even do at the dorm?"

“How do they even sync at this?"

At that moment, we were all earnestly into “Rasputin.” The moment we decided to let loose and just be funny on the variety show, all the tension vanished. We then danced to “Rasputin” till we were sweating, collapsing on the floor in the end.

“You guys did great," Yoo Il-Seok said, sounding like a proud teacher praising his students. Thus, Yoon-Chan and Lee Ye-Hee's team secured ninety-nine points and a revival ticket.

In the car moving to the next filming location, the teams were divided into Chronos and High Tension teams. However, the cast continued to talk about the karaoke session. “I mean, I watched “Red Riding Hood ChaCha” back in the day and have been looking forward to meeting you. You guys are beyond my expectations!" Yoo Il-Seok said, prompting Dada to chuckle.

“Don't lie, hyung. What did you say when we had dinner yesterday?"

“Be quiet!"

“You said the rookie groups were too much to handle!"

“Shh!"

“You threatened to not let Director Han Bu-Joon off easy if this episode wasn't fun!"

“This brat!"

Luckily, it seemed that the Flying Man’s cast was quite pleased with us. “What delightful guys. Feel free to call me hyung," Goh Seong-Cheol said, sitting next to me.

Yoo Il-Seok immediately pounced on that. “Seong-Cheol, how old are you to be called hyung? You're nearly forty!"

Goh Seong-Cheol looked embarrassed and then asked me, “How old are you, Hyun-Woo?"

“I'm nineteen."

Then, Goh Seong-Cheol responded arrogantly, “Eh, not much of an age difference!"

“What do you mean ‘not much of a difference’!?" Yoo Il-Seok laughed, and everyone joined in. However, I wasn't amused.

Did I know too well about Goh Seong-Cheol? Most of his jokes weren't really my cup of tea. Despite the light-hearted atmosphere, Goh Seong-Cheol seemed to be giving me a discreet nudge. Having concluded a chat with Yoo Il-Seok, Goh Seong-Cheol turned back to me with a familiar glint in his eyes.

“Hyun-Woo, let’s not lose touch after this show, okay? Dinner is on me next time.”

His offer caught me off-guard, and I mustered a bashful reply. “Ah, I’d find that a bit too much...”

“Look at that! Your suggestion seems to be a burden on him.” My timid refusal seemed to spark a playful banter among the group, turning the tables on Goh Seong-Cheol in a mock uproar.

“Ha-ha, just offering a meal here, what's so overwhelming?" Goh Seong-Cheol chuckled under his breath.

In the variety show realm, some jokes landed differently depending on who was on the receiving end. My response was a prime example. Though Goh Seong-Cheol laughed along with the rest, there was an unmistakable hint of a nudge directed at me. If it had been any other member, perhaps they would have felt flustered, but knowing his ways, I chose to feign ignorance.

“So, Chronos, this active variety scene must be new for you guys. How do you fare with games or sports?" Dada asked, sparking interest. “I heard one of you won a wrestling competition and another was a track star?"

Ye-Hee chimed in, impressed. “Oh, really? You guys must be very athletic.”

“Indeed," Joo-Han interjected with a confident grin. “Dancing on stage has made us pretty agile."

The conversation took a turn toward me. “And what about you, Hyun-Woo? Are you into gaming?"

“Me?” The question hung in the air. How could I boast about my skills?

As I grappled for words, Jin-Sung jumped in. "Hyun-Woo hyung is great at games, especially computer games."

Woo-Seok nodded approvingly. “Ah, a strategic thinker like myself."

Then, Yoo Il-Seok playfully smacked Woo-Seok’s mouth, reprimanding him. “How dare you compare yourself to Hyun-Woo?"

“Ah, hyung! Why do you have to be like that?" Woo-Seok protested, rubbing his mouth.

“Hyun-Woo hyung and Yoo-Joon hyung were always sneaking off to the internet cafe during our trainee days," Jin-Sung revealed.

“They're still gaming fanatics.”

“So, you two are regular gaming buddies, huh? What do you think about Hyun-Woo’s gaming style then?" Yoo Il-Seok asked, his gaze shifting to Goh Yoo-Joon.

Goh Yoo-Joon rolled his eyes, and then with a mischievous grin, he spilled the beans. “Well, speaking as his gaming comrade, Hyun-Woo's style of gaming is..."

“Why the hesitation?"

“It's a bit... nasty," Goh Yoo-Joon confessed, his laughter ringing out as he playfully jabbed at my gaming ethics. And there we were, my closest friend dubbing me as nasty and the whole group erupting into laughter.