Second Try Idol

♪ I am foolishly searching for you

My composition file that just flew away, woah-

It was a more desperate and poignant expression of emotion than the version we posted on the fan website. It was inevitable because Joo-Han hadn't been able to recover the files that he had lost back then.

Just as he pressed the save button, an error occurred and the files were lost. This led him to even develop a mistrust of the save button.

♪ Wow woah, I~ I am

The future copyright KING

But my file just flew away↑ Aaaargh!

It was actually a sad song, but the cast was laughing while rolling on the floor and shedding tears. Their faces immediately turned red with laughter. Among them were Jin-Sung and Goh Yoo-Joon, the lyricist of the song.

Yoon-Chan wore an indecisive expression, unable to either laugh or cry. He was cautiously observing me and Joo-Han.

Yoon-Chan finally lowered his head and chuckled. I couldn't laugh that hard. As with the last time I recorded a voice clip for the fan website, I was not naturally very reactive. Thus, I decided to empathize with Joo-Han's feelings instead of bursting into laughter.

Doing nothing at all wasn't an option, so I raised my hands high and waved them from side to side. Ji Byeok-San looked at me with tears streaming down his face. “Ahah! Hah! What is Hyun-Woo doing, haha!"

At least I, the composer of this song and a teammate, had to be moved by this performance. But...

♪ My! File!!! Ahh!

Every time Joo-Han hit a high note, the cast members could barely contain their laughter. I looked at Goh Yoo-Joon with a stern glance, and he quickly composed himself, came over to my side, and together we shook hands in solidarity. It created a wonderfully light-hearted atmosphere.

“Seriously, it's just too funny... So this is how talented musicians play around,” On Jeong-Woo remarked between chuckles, dabbing away tears of laughter.

“Despite everything, Hyun-Woo and Joo-Han's earnestness just makes the song even more hilarious.”

“But Yoo-Joon, you are one of the composers of this piece, aren't you?"

Goh Yoo-Joon responded with an embarrassed smile and nodded. “Me? Oh, haha!"

Ji Byeok-San chuckled as he remembered how Goh Yoo-Joon had been rolling around in laughter right next to him. “You were really giving your all while laughing at this.”

“Exactly," I interjected by putting on an exaggerated frown to stir up some playful trouble. “And to think of it, he wrote the lyrics himself."

“What? You mean he laughed that hard at his own lyrics?"

“Yoo-Joon's antics are something else when you watch him up close," Gun-Seok commented while gesturing toward God Yoo-Joon.

“I've kept an eye on him because I wanted our team to bond. You wouldn't believe how much he teases the other members."

Joo-Han added, “Yoo-Joon really enjoys playing around."

This prompted a surprised murmur from the group.

“He might look cool. He must be hearing that quite often, right?”

Yoo-Joon pointed his finger at me. “I heard from Hyun-woo that his first impression of Yoo-Joon wasn’t exactly a good one. He says that a lot.”

The attention I was receiving increased. I responded with a casual shrug. “We didn’t get along at first. After countless heated arguments, we ended up becoming close friends."

“Now, we are best friends," Goh Yoo-Joon added with a mischievous grin.

The cast took turns showcasing the Chronos team members and securing our screetime. Yoo-Joon and I shared a segment, Joo-Han’s nonchalance and the saga of his lost file were highlighted, Yoon-Chan’s eruptive laughter was captured, and Jin-Sung’s uncontrollable giggling resulting in him accidentally squishing Kim Do-Rim added to the comic relief.

As the actual competition commenced, the director laid out the next challenge.

- Based on the vibes you've just shown, you are free to shoot the music video as you see fit.

“Where should we film? Do we need to stay within this studio?"

- No, the location is entirely up to you. You can go anywhere that inspires your creativity. Let’s start!

The teams huddled together to brainstorm.

“What should we do? Where should we film?”

“How about a rainy street? The song is quite melancholic, and since ‘Kang Joo-Han’ is the title, it makes sense for Joo-Han to be our protagonist.”

I mulled over the possibilities considering the spontaneous nature of the song and its unpolished quality. Striving for high production values might miss the mark of the song. Instead, matching the B-grade emotional tone of the song with equally raw visuals could work better. Since the song was based on a storyline, I believed it would have been easier for us to create a plot for the video.

The lyrics were gloomy, so contrasting them with the typically bright concept of “Cha Cha” would be effective. Maybe giving it a black-and-white life vibe would work.

“Hyun-Woo, do you have any ideas?" someone asked me just then.

I cautiously told everyone about my idea. “How about a documentary-style concept? Something with a B-grade feel."

“A documentary?"

“Like Human Theater[1], it focuses on Joo-Han hyung's sorrow and frustration from the lost composition files... Something along those lines."

Ji Byeok-San thought for a moment before clapping. “That sounds great! It’s much better than walking down a rainy street."

“Yeah? That sounds good. I like the documentary vibe."

“And I have another idea..."

Ji Byeok-San leaned in uncomfortably close. “What is it? Let’s hear it."

I stepped back slightly and said, “The lyrics of the song "Kang Joo-Han" are funny enough when you just listen to them without thinking much, but they are even more hilarious when you read them."

Initially, the lyrics themselves had been crafted by Yoo-Joon with the intention of making me laugh, so the text was inherently humorous.

♪ Wow woah, I~ I am

The future copyright KING

But my file just flew away↑ Aaaargh!

♪ Woo- I am Kaaaang Joo-Han

The lyrics were transcribed so meticulously that I wondered if they were drawn directly from an alien language or ancient texts at first glance.

“We could use those texts as subtitles, kind of like karaoke, where the words light up as they are sung.”

“Oh…"

My idea might not have been brilliant, but given that the others had no suggestions and considering I was a guest, they decided to adopt it.

“So, where should we shoot? Any good places?"

“What about our company?" Joo-Han suggested.

“Your company?"

Joo-Han nodded affirmatively. “We have a studio there, and there seem to be many suitable spots for filming. It’s also where the file got lost, so it’s perfect for emotional immersion."

Kim Do-Rim looked toward the production team and Su-Hwan for approval. “Can we shoot at the YMM office?" he asked, his tone was slightly hesitant.

Su-Hwan immediately nodded and stepped outside with his phone, presumably to confirm with the company. It seemed more of a formality than a necessity. YMM would surely agree since they had nothing scheduled and would be willing to facilitate a broadcast for their artists.

“Shall we head out then?"

Because the filming was green-lighted quickly, everyone's spirits lifted. We promptly boarded the van arranged by our team and headed toward YMM.

***

It turned out that the Cha Cha team had opted for a luxurious "Red Riding Hood Cha Cha" theme, starkly different from ours. Joo-Han had pried this information out of Jin-Sung while Ji Byeok-San had coaxed it from Gun-Seok. They had managed to book an entire opera house for their shoot.

The thought of an opera house hosting Cha Cha made us chuckle. “There’s that dialogue in the beginning between Hyun-Woo and Yoo-Joon."

“Just to clarify, Hyun-Woo, that's actually part of the song, right?" Kim Do-Rim casually asked, resting his hand on my shoulder before we boarded the van.

I nodded. “Yes, it's part of it. It wasn’t originally scripted, though. It was just casual conversation that somehow became part of the song."

The dialogue had been spontaneously included during a pre-shoot meeting.

‘If it’s going to be funny, might as well go all out…' Yoon-Chan had surprisingly suggested it back then.

“I didn’t realize Chronos had such a humorous side. Ah, I laughed so hard earlier, I’m still feeling it," Ji Byeok-San complimented us.

I could only smile shyly and nod. “Thank you."

“But how will we handle the narration? Yoo-Joon isn’t on our team," On Jeong-Woo pointed out nonchalantly.

“Why don’t you do it?" Ji Byeok San said.

“Me? Really?"

“Who else? You brought it up, so you handle it."

“Ah, hyung. How can I take on Yoo-Joon’s role? I will get criticized."

I couldn’t see On Jeong-Woo’s face from my seat next to Ji Byeok-San at the driver's side.

“Oh, come on. You are saying that you can’t when you’re smiling so confidently. Just be honest. What do you think?"

“Ah, nah~"

“You like the idea, don’t you?” Kim Do-Rim continued to playfully tease On Jeong-Woo, who seemed to be enjoying the banter.

“If I really do it, I will be criticized. Rings are scary."

As I turned around, I saw On Jeong-Woo rubbing his shiny bald head and looking slightly embarrassed. He was well-known as the representative bald actor in the entertainment industry.

Ji Byeok-San chuckled. “Wear a wig. Let’s sync up with Hyun-Woo in a bit."

“Thank you, senior," I responded.

On Jeong-Woo awkwardly nodded. “Just call me hyung, Hyun-Woo."

The conversation continued warmly, and soon the YMM building loomed into view. Ji Byeok-San casually mentioned something intriguing. “You never know what to expect. I’m looking forward to something specific at this YMM shoot."

“What are you looking forward to?"

“YMM. Isn’t Allure their artist as well?"

“Oh, right. Are Chronos members and Allure close?" On Jeong-Woo asked.

Joo-Han replied, “Yes, we are super close. Hyun-Woo and I especially spent a long time as trainees with the Allure seniors."

“Really? You were trainees together? That’s interesting, considering the difference in your debut times. Didn’t your debut happen way after theirs?"

“Wow, that’s even better if you guys are close."

What was he implying? As I pondered Ji Byeok-San's words, he grinned broadly. “I talked to Da-Win recently, and they are just hanging out now that their activities are over."

“Really, hyung?"

“If we are lucky, maybe we can get Allure for a cameo. There’s also Producer Do at YMM.”

“Producer Do is under YMM?”

“Yes.”

Producer Do often appeared on variety shows and was fairly well-known as a semi-celebrity to the public. At this point, I had a rough idea of the grand scheme that Ji Byeok-San was planning.

The “Red Riding Hood Cha Cha” team could reliably deliver laughs with their luxurious sets, confident cosplay, and certain comedic flair. However, turning the sad ballad of "Kang Joo-Han" into comedy was honestly a gamble despite its humorous lyrics, and I wasn't entirely sure it would work.

But we had Ji Byeok-San. If the other team was armed with guaranteed laughs and opulent sets, our team had Ji Byeok-San's formidable network.

“Our music video is kind of about Chronos' growth. Since there are only two members here, Yoo-Joon will be played by Jeong-Woo and Yoon-Chan by a member of Allure. Ah, that sounds great."

Ji Byeok-San was dreaming big to ensure we'd win the competition.

1. 인간극장 (Human Theater) is a South Korean documentary series focuses on the everyday lives of ordinary people. It showcases their personal stories and challenges in a narrative format. ☜

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