Second Try Idol

Chapter 349: Concert (13)

"Suh Hyun-Woo, look over here." Goh Yoo-Joon whipped out his phone camera and snapped a pic of both of us. "Okay! I will post this on BlueBird after you’re done recording. Take a pic of me, too. Just make sure my outfit gets in the frame."

"Okay, you really are hyped, huh?" I took Goh Yoo-Joon's phone and began taking photos.

"It's exciting, isn't it? The director's earlier comments made me feel excited." Goh Yoo-Joon nodded emphatically, his enthusiasm matching the director's words.

Up until that point, the plan had been to film me wandering around with the camera for everything but the live broadcast. Thus, I wondered when and where Goh Yoo-Joon would appear in the clip.

But to my surprise, the director had carved out a significant role just for him. His task was intriguing because he had to play a passerby in every scene and also portray the hands of a narrator awakening from a vivid dream in the final shot. His face would remain unseen, adding a layer of mystery.

Essentially, the director had cleverly designed it so Goh Yoo-Joon could be part of every possible scene.

"Hmm~" Goh Yoo-Joon hummed a cheerful tune, clearly pleased with the arrangement.

Despite being suddenly caught up in the shoot until just before the live broadcast filming, Goh Yoo-Joon seemed genuinely content. He joked, "Should I sneak in a glance at the camera as I walk by? I should ask the director."

His fondness for engaging with the camera and rallying the fans was well known, so he surely loved to have such an opportunity.

Our next location was a meticulously decorated cafe. I had a scene where I conversed directly with the camera, while Goh Yoo-Joon had to blend into the backdrop as Customer Number One.

"Hyun-Woo, let's make it look natural. Say something casual as if you’re just chatting."

"Okay."

"It’s hard not to keep glancing at Yoo-Joon because of his amazing looks," the director playfully remarked as he readied the set.

Could I just say anything? I’d done plenty of that in music video shoots. Speaking to a camera was a bit novel to me, but I was ready.

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Goh Yoo-Joon's voice came from behind. "How about starting with an introduction?"

"I was just getting to that," I replied, unfazed by speaking alone before an audience. I launched into a lively promotion for "Sirens," our upcoming concert, and even a few personal TMIs.

Goh Yoo-Joon giggled from behind me. "Wow, this is hilarious to see from here."

The shoot moved smoothly onward, and Goh Yoo-Joon even shot a close-up of his hands in a dimly lit room before we both returned to the practice room.

***

I adjusted my hair and makeup right on the set where the live show was going to happen. The first outfit was this ivory suit with all sorts of stuff hanging off it, and I had these long ponytail extensions mixed into my real hair.

"That's it! This is so Sirens!"

The stylist always loved going big with styles, so she was all smiles and snapped pictures from every angle.

I checked myself out in the mirror and said, "Noona, you are really into sticking jewels on your face these days."

"It's not just a recent thing. I've always loved that. You know I am all about the glam, right? I just haven't had much chance to show it off lately." She sighed a bit as she threaded golden glittery strands through my hair.

Since us Chronos members were busy with concert prep, there hadn't been much call for such dramatic styling. From what I heard, the solo songs of Joo-Han and Jin-Sung weren't about flashy looks either. Maybe that was why today the stylist’s hands were all over my face non-stop.

Tae-Seong had been watching from the back, and he checked his watch before coming over. "It's time to go."

"Oh, sorry. He’s good to go like this, Tae-Seong." Her hands finally left me, and I stood up and headed to the set.

"Wow." I couldn't help but let out a little gasp at the sight. It felt like our company was really splurging on us these days. Was this Su-Hwan’s doing or had Supervisor Kim finally decided that investing in the idol scene was worth it? I could really feel the power of the big bucks at the set, and no wonder—the place was massive, divided into two.

One part looked like a temple with huge white marble floors, statues on every column, and even had a fountain set up. The other was all done up with soft purple lights, looking a bit like a dance studio with one wall turned into a giant mirror. It was big enough to catch all of us dancers and me in one shot.

"Thank you in advance." I greeted the staff and walked into the first marble-floored set, where a staff member quickly mic'd me up and ran through the basics.

We did a quick rehearsal, and then it was straight into the real filming. The lights in the stark white set went out, and loads of dancers stepped in and took their places.

The director signaled us with a spin of his finger. "Let's get started."

The place quieted down in an instant. Soon after, the lights snapped back on, and I lifted my head just in time with the music and faced the camera. The director gave another signal, and the MR kicked in.

Synthesizer tones[1] stretched out. The dancers slowly moved into formation and shaped the scene. I stepped in time with them and moved forward. The drawn-out note sped up into a lively prelude.

I beamed a bright smile, tuned to the prelude. It was not just any smile, but one our choreographer described as 'sly fox smirk.' As the camera drew near before backing off, I launched into the dance. And then came the first verse.

? Yeah- How have you been?

Under the beautiful sunshine,

I pull your hand towards me

What do you want to do today?

Let's quietly whisper and do whatever you desire

As I sang in sync with the dancers, the camera moved closer. I kept my gaze fixed on the camera as I moved along the planned path. At the beginning of the first verse, I focused on maintaining eye contact with the camera and conveying a bright atmosphere instead of performing a tough dance routine.

The dancers encircled me tightly and lowered their stances to focus their gaze. I leisurely made eye contact with the camera while lightly riding the rhythm as I sang. The song progressed.

? Tell me anything,

Like Like lie lie lie-la

Don't worry about anything else

You are trapped in my love

Just call my name

The song's melody, the sound of the instruments, and the lyrics gradually shifted the mood.

? Sirens, Sirens

You will experience so much

I will sing a love songs just for you

For you falling down

The song and dance became significantly more challenging than in the first verse, making it hard to catch my breath. However, that only drew me deeper into the performance.

Today, my body seemed to move exceptionally well. I even managed to use the long ponytail in my performance and added an experimental touch to the live show.

"Cut! Good job! Well done. Let's take a short break and go again," the director called out after the third take of "Sirens." Heavy breathing could be heard after the director gave the satisfied OK sign. The dancers collectively collapsed on the set and gasped for air.

After the playful antics of the first verse, the second was crammed with difficult, intricate, and intense choreography. The dancers had lifted me or lain underneath to create dynamic shapes. Therefore, the repeated runs must have been grueling.

"Great job, everyone," I called out.

"Hyun-Woo, come down here quick!" I was summoned by the stylist without a moment to rest. I had to quickly cool off before switching up my hair, makeup, and outfit.

As I downed the water Tae-Seong handed me and rushed around, a wave of fatigue hit me the moment I sat down to fix my makeup.

The hair stylist’s words echoed in my head, reminding me I needed to be in top form since I was in for a half-day grind. If I had known it would be this tough, I would have made sure to get a good night’s sleep.

Changing outfits and even swapping out my lenses weren’t the best things to do. My eyes weren't feeling great.

"Dang, I’m totally spent." Now I understood why even the members, including the ever-energetic Jin-Sung, returned completely worn out from solo song shoots.

My reflection in the mirror seemed to wear my exhaustion. Suddenly, the behind-the-scenes camera zoomed in close. I glanced at the camera and muttered to myself, "It really is tough doing this alone."

"What's up?" a staff member with the camera asked.

I stepped back from the camera and answered, "I just performed ‘Sirens’ three times. It feels like performing ‘Parade’ three times back to back, but I'm still keeping my chin up."

After throwing an ‘I’ve got this’ pose to the camera and straightening my outfit, I stood ready in my black outfit that was loaded with details and slightly torn for texture.

"Hyun-Woo, are you all set?"

"Yes!"

"Good luck!"

I fist-pumped once more toward the camera, got into my cheer-up stance, and stood up. There were two tasks to tackle in the second set: one live performance of "Sirens" and dance breaks at the middle and end of the live performance.

Since Su-Hwan had excused me from today's concert practice, there was no point in holding back. I was ready to expend every ounce of energy before heading back to the dorm.

1. Synthesizer tones in music are created by electronic instruments called synthesizers, which generate and shape sounds using various methods like oscillation and filtering. These tones can mimic real instruments, produce unique sounds, or create ambient effects, adding a lot of versatility to music production. ☜