Second Try Idol

Chapter 92: Debut (15)

Deciding to go all-out with dance songs for the live show meant that we really had to keep an eye on our energy level. This left Joo-Han somewhat reluctant to jump to a decision, but I reassured him to lighten his load, saying it was just a thought I had.

“Anyway, hash it out amongst yourselves. I will make sure we get ample time to get ready.” The manager dropped us back at the dorm and then took off.

It had been about a week since that day. During this time, the famous Topside Homepage Master, a big name in the fan site world, had totally redone her page. When our stylist first mentioned it, I took it as just another piece of good news, but I soon realized I had underestimated her influence.

In just a week, the majority of our BlueBird fans were sporting pictures taken by her, and our UTube clips were drawing in new fans faster than regular music show broadcasts.

Of course, with Topside shifting her focus to us, some River’s fans started a bit of a commotion on the internet, but we didn’t let it bother us. We were still on the fence about the setlist and the concept. Despite our daily brainstorming sessions, with so many opinions, it felt like we were just going in circles.

Meanwhile, our episode of Flying Man went on air. We had gone all in, not holding back, and luckily, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Some people who typically steered clear of idol-based variety shows even ended up watching our entire episode after catching clips of us goofing off and singing.

One More Go · 1 day ago

These rookies are nailing variety shows. LOL when Suh Hyun-Woo claimed he was the prettiest and the others agreed 😂😂😂

Rollorovai · 1 hour ago

Is there anyone crazier in Chronos? 😂😂 They blew my mind at the karaoke session. I laughed so hard 😂😂

Yoo Hyun-Jin · 1 hour ago

Exactly!!! Our Hyun-Woo is the prettiest!

I thought we did a good job of turning our raw, unpolished comments into a fun variety material. However, with the added subtitles and background music, they just seemed like comical acts. Not everyone saw it that way though.

Eshinsumble · 36 minutes ago

But that’s only funny because it’s a variety show. Maybe it's because I've been working too long, but I found it a bit too disrespectful toward the seniors...

2 replies

└ Right? Am I too serious? Even trying to watch it as entertainment, I had moments of doubt.

└ Yeah, I felt the same ?? They just debuted, right? But seeing others' reactions, maybe I'm overthinking...

└ Why do some people are too serious? I found it okay...

I wasn’t concerned about these small controversies. After all, we couldn’t please everyone, especially in a variety show, where humor was so subjective. I chalked it up as a temporary fuss that would blow over soon.

Just when I thought the Flying Man broadcast had closed without a hitch, the next episode brought me up again.

“Seong-Cheol hyung asked for Hyun-Woo’s number to meet up later, but after filming, Hyun-Woo looked genuinely sorry and turned him down."

Dada brought it up, and Lee Ye-Hee let out a sigh. “Poor guy. Hyun-Woo must have really hated him."

“No, that's not it! He said he didn’t have a phone!" exclaimed Goh Seong-Cheol.

Yoo Il-Seok scoffed, “Seong-Cheol, you still don’t get it?"

“What don't I get?"

“Did Hyun-Woo really turn you down because he didn’t have a phone?"

That was when Yoo Il-Seok and Goh Seong-Cheol started their fake scuffle. My refusal to meet with Goh Seong-Cheol after filming became a talking point. Since it was unprecedented for a guest to openly refuse such an invitation, Flying Man played it up as a comedic episode.

While it was just a passing mention now, it suddenly shot into the limelight within a month. Right on cue, a scandal involving Goh Seong-Cheol's personal life broke out, stirring up a major controversy. As a result, he was forced to step down from all his regular shows, and celebrities who were close to him also faced some backlash.

My initially blunt actions were now being lauded in light of the scandal. My firm rejections on Flying Man and the story of my real-life refusal were seen as astute moves by a rookie idol who had seen through Goh Seong-Cheol's true nature.

Despite the initial criticism for being disrespectful, the controversy ended up enhancing my image.

Chochun Hyun-Woo Chips @woo0817 1 AM

I felt so unjust when Hyun-Woo was labeled arrogant, but honestly, I was baffled by that guy’s behavior too. Now, it all clicks. Cheering for my boy's swift judgment

Replies 0 Retweets 2.4K Likes 2.6K

Our fans beamed with pride, and the wider public started to regard me as a righteous figure with an upright image. Was it because of my daring presence on variety shows, my wholesome image, or the way I managed the live broadcast fiasco? Some netizens even suggested that I should fill Goh Seong-Cheol's vacant spot on Flying Man.

At first, I brushed it off as mere gossip, but after returning from a music show, I almost dropped my kimbap[1] in shock because Flying Man actually reached out to me.

“Did Flying Man seriously send an invitation to me?" I questioned in disbelief.

“Yeah! Their response is impressive. They've aligned with public sentiment and extended an invitation," the manager boasted.

“Isn't that amazing?"

“Does that mean we'll see Hyun-Woo hyung on Flying Man every week?"

“Our Hyun-Woo soaring on Flying Man! When does the filming start?"

Before I could say anything, my fellow members already erupted in excitement. However, Joo-Han's question was met with a nonchalant shrug from the manager. “We haven’t given them a response yet."

“What? Why not? It should definitely be a yes!"

“I agree, but Hyun-Woo's input is crucial. We can likely adjust the schedule, but we must avoid overloading him."

“Ah..." They acknowledged the manager's point of view and looked at me for a decision.

Without much thought, I said, “I’d like to decline."

“Ah..." My response was greeted with sighs. They understood the demands of our schedule but seemed confused by my swift decision to pass up a golden opportunity.

“It's really disappointing..." Jin-Sung muttered.

“True, but we've just debuted. Taking a regular slot on a show amidst mixed public opinion feels risky for me. Right now, focusing on Chronos as a group seems better," I said.

If I were to join Flying Man, we’d have to adjust our schedule around it, and the impact of my variety image on Chronos was a major concern for me. I just wanted to concentrate on performing with Chronos for the foreseeable future.

The manager was torn about the offer but quickly accepted my decision. “I will let them know. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is."

Back at the dorm, despite the day’s exhaustion, we dipped our tired feet in ice water and resumed our setlist discussion. “Let's follow Hyun-Woo's suggestion and go with all dance songs," Joo-Han announced after having spent days watching videos on UNET’s UTube channel.

“I’ve been thinking about the setlist. We should start with a Pick We Up medley and conclude with ‘Parade.’"

“Pick We Up medley?"

Joo-Han handed us a paper he had scribed on quickly.

1. Pick We Up medley (10 minutes)

(‘Moon Sea’ - ‘No Nights for Me’ - ‘Need’ - ‘Woof Woof Meow Meow’ - ‘Chronos’ - ‘History’)

2. Original songs by us (5 minutes)

3. Cover songs

(Allure’s ‘Goblin’ (remix), Street Center’s ‘One’)

4. ‘Parade’

“I always wanted to include the Pick We Up medley from the beginning, and we lost in our last bet at Street Center, so I added ‘One.’”

The setlist was really well thought out. The fatigue that would come from consecutive dance songs would be mitigated by the energetic Pick We Up medley and a bright song from Street Center.

“Hey, I really wanted to do ‘Need.’”

“Are we doing ‘Goblin’ too? Yeah, we are direct juniors of Allure, so it would be regrettable not to do it.”

“Wait a moment.”

I stopped the members who were satisfied with the setlist. There was a trap in the Pick We Up Medley.

“Hyung, what is this ‘Woof Woof Meow Meow?’” I asked.

“My original song.”

“...Are we doing this too?”

“Don’t you like it? You said because I wrote it, you’d have done it even if you didn’t like it. Besides, we need to add a cute song in the middle.”

Yoo-Joon and I pursed our lips and glared at Joo-Han. However, when Joo-Han glared back at us, we quickly averted our eyes.

“Don’t tell me we have to wear animal pajamas and headbands for that?” Lee Jin-Sung asked in horror.

“Why? It worked well for Cha-Cha. I added that song instead of Cha-Cha. Just think of it as fan service.”

In fact, our fans who had seen “Woof Woof Meow Meow” expressed a lot of interest in seeing a Chronos version of it. As soon as the topic of fans came up, we couldn’t help but be convinced.

“But hyung.” Park Yoon-Chan raised his hand. He had given up on “Woof Woof Meow Meow” a long time ago.

“Yes, Yoon-Chan, why?”

“What are the songs on number two? We will do ‘Woof Woof Meow Meow’ in the medley, right?”

“Oh, that.” Joo-Han rummaged in his pocket and took out his phone. “You were all pretty upset, weren’t you? You were protesting why my first original song wasn’t performed by Chronos.”

“Of course. I still feel upset about it.”

“I’m sorry, so I tried to make it as quickly as possible. I’m not sure if you’ll like it, but fortunately, it’s a slow dance song, so it fits well in the middle.”

“Wow, you finished it already?”

It seemed like the song he had been working on whenever he had time was now complete. Was this guy really a genius? I knew he was smart, but I wasn't aware he was such a genius, so it was quite surprising.

“The lyrics are still undecided. Actually, it’s my first time making something proper, so I’m not sure how it will turn out,” said Joo-Han sheepishly and played his original song on the phone.

The flowing music was a perfect Chronos song, so perfect that Joo-Han didn’t need to feel embarrassed about it.

1. A popular Korean dish made from cooked rice and other ingredients rolled in dried seaweed sheets and then sliced into bite-sized pieces. It’s like a Korean-style sushi roll without fish. ?