Chapter 174: Joy (11) |
On the silent night before the day of the music video shoot, I stumbled back to the dormitory. After a quick rinse and an ice pack session, I finally hit the bed past midnight, exactly as our manager had predicted.
Throughout the preparation phase for the shoot, I was trapped in a fog of drowsiness and struggled to keep my eyes open. Despite the manager’s warnings about not minding my swollen face, he quietly brought over a chilled energy drink with a knowing look and placed it gently over my eyes to reduce the puffiness.
The beauty shop was alive with a symphony of voices and the whir of hairdryers—a rather noisy backdrop for a nap. Yet, I found myself drifting in and out of sleep amidst the hustle and bustle. I surrendered myself entirely to the designers and stylists and then woke up to find my hair and makeup impeccably done.
“The bleach has left your hair so light that even if it is toned down, it's still radiant. Seems like bleaching is your destiny, Hyun-Woo. Looks like you will have regular touch-ups.”
“The neat and straight hairstyles give these boys a more youthful appearance. It's a stark contrast from their usual looks,” said one of the stylists. Indeed, the simplicity of the style and the lighter hair color made us look like any other students you might encounter on the street.
“Time to change, everyone!" The stylist handed out school uniforms to each of us before herding us into the changing room. We then quickly slipped into the uniforms and boarded the van headed to our shoot location.
After a while, we arrived at the grand and picturesque high school, a place we had visited before for a concept photo shoot. We were relying on its charm once again.
“Two, three! Hello, we are Chronos. Thank you in advance for your support!" We greeted the staff upon arrival.
Immediately, a staff member clutching a bundle of papers approached to brief us on the specifics of the music video shoot. “You might have a rough idea, but let me give you a detailed rundown.”
“In this scenario, Hyun-Woo, Yoon-Chan, and Jin-Sung are first-years in the same class, while Yoo-Joon and Joo-Han are third-years in another. So, you will be split into two groups and film separately in your classrooms before coming together for group shots. We will also capture your solo scenes before switching locations."
This music video intended to explore the backstory leading up to "Parade". At first, we were all ordinary students before somehow transitioning to the fantastical vibe of the previous video. This transformation still baffled me.
“After we wrap up in the classrooms, we will move to the schoolyard for more scenes. As night falls, we will head back indoors for the night shots.”
Jin-Sung's complexion turned a shade paler after he heard this. He asked, “We are going into the school at… night?"
The staffer nodded nonchalantly and replied, “Yes, the concept revolves around Neapolitan ghost stories, so a scene set in a night-time school is essential."
“There will be adequate lighting, right?" Jin-Sung inquired, his voice laced with apprehension.
Seizing the moment, Yoo-Joon draped an arm around Jin-Sung to tease him. “What's the matter, Jin-Sung? Scared that mentioning ghosts will summon them to haunt us during the shoot?"
Hearing this, Jin-Sung was visibly startled and squirmed out of Yoo-Joon's grip. “Ah! Stop it! Don't even whisper the word 'ghost!’"
His genuine fear was too amusing not to tease, so I also joined in the fun, playfully prodding. “Why? Afraid that talking about ghosts will make them materialize and hover around us?"
“Aaaah!" Jin-Sung screamed in earnest, shaking off my arm and clinging to Yoon-Chan for dear life.
Yoon-Chan seemed to be everyone's sanctuary. While he grimaced at Jin-Sung's grip, he reassured him all the same. “It's okay, it's okay."
“Why do you fear ghosts?" I teased further.
“Stop it with the ghost talk, will you?" Jin-Sung pleaded.
Joo-Han joined in and flashed a mischievous grin at Jin-Sung. “You know, they say ghosts are particularly fond of those who fear them the most."
“Enough, hyung!"
“I, for one, wouldn't mind an encounter with one," Joo-Han mused thoughtfully. “There's an old saying in the industry, isn't there? Spotting one during album preparations is an omen of success."
Yoo-Joon nodded and added fuel to the fire. “You mean like hearing an unexpected voice on a recording or catching a glimpse of a figure in the mirror while practicing? Plenty of tales like that."
Joo-Han's eyes sparkled with an unmistakable glimmer of anticipation. He stated, “All the Allure hyungs had terrible nightmares when preparing for ‘Goblin.’ So, I think it’s not too bad to see ghosts at least once today. We will hit the jackpot!”
“...”
“This is just one step closer to my dream," he said with a tone of determination in his voice that hinted at his ultimate goal of becoming the undisputed Copyright King.
“Wow." Yoo-Joon couldn't help but express his awe, and his hands came together in a spontaneous round of applause. “To think you'd even embrace the collective ordeal of nightmares for the sake of hitting it big… Your dedication to the almighty dollar is downright awe-inspiring."
“Haha.” Our banter elicited amused chuckles from the staff who excused themselves after giving us a final rundown of the shoot.
“Let's get this show on the road, everyone. Please proceed to your designated shooting areas.” The director announced and prompted us to split up and go to our individual scenes.
***
The shooting atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed than in the past, and our spirits were buoyed by a sense of anticipation and excitement rather than anxiety as we pushed open the door to Classroom 3 of Grade 10. What greeted us inside was quite the spectacle.
“...Oh! Good morning, Seniors!"
“...”
“...What?”
Oh, shoot. I felt like my heart was about to sink. I reflexively took a step back before gathering my courage and stepping forward once again to take in the scene before me.
The classroom was bustling with extras, all decked out in their school uniforms and beaming at us with bright eager smiles. Their eyes shone with such intensity that it was almost too much to take in.
As I hesitated at the doorway, our manager stepped in to shed some light. “These are B-tier trainees from our agency. Given the school setting, we've brought them all in for the day."
“Ah, got it," I acknowledged, finally stepping into the classroom with renewed confidence. Yoon-Chan and Jin-Sung followed closely, positioning themselves on either side of me as we made our way to the front of the class.
Realizing that I was the eldest and thus the de facto leader of our little trio, I knew it was up to me to address our young audience. I took a deep breath and said, “Hello there!"
“Hello!!!” Their response was vibrant and synchronized, which helped break the ice and put us all at ease. I suggested they take their seats, and they complied while filling the room with the sound of shuffling chairs and subdued chatter.
The atmosphere was intimidating with the tall trainees standing up en masse. They looked at us as if we were celebrities[1].
During our days as trainees, we mostly trained alongside A-tier trainees. As all Chronos members were part of this small group of A-tier trainees, we rarely encountered those from B-tier.
Unlike A-tier which had more freedom in training, B-tier trainees used larger practice rooms outside of the main building for group training. It was not even the practice studio within the company building but another one outside the agency.
Thus, we might seem more like celebrities than fellow trainees or colleagues to them. Most of them looked at us the way A-tier trainees would look at the senior group Allure.
“Thank you for your help in advance. We aren’t the best at acting, so there might be a few bloopers, but we will try to wrap it up as quickly as possible."
“Thank you, we are in your hands!"
After the greetings, we turned our attention to the staff, ready to begin filming.
“We are starting… now.”
***
The scene was simple: break time at school. My best friend Yoon-Chan and I were having a pleasant chat when he stepped away for a moment, and Jin-Sung took his place. I continued the conversation with Jin-Sung naturally, and when Yoon-Chan returned and saw this, he appeared puzzled at the door. Straightforward, right?
“Cut. Hyun-Woo, can you try to make the conversation a bit more natural? Like how you talk normally?"
“Ah, yes!"
“And Jin-Sung, try not to fidget so much. Walk over a bit more relaxed."
“Got it!"
“Let's try again."
Our acting ability… sucked. Jin-Sung just had to walk over and sit down in a relaxed manner. After that, we were supposed to laugh and chat naturally, but our acting skills were just so lacking. Jin-Sung was still struggling to catch the vibe as headed out of the classroom to retry his entrance.
Natural conversation… How did one do that, especially in an unnatural setting? Up until now, I had only expressed extreme emotions like power, ease, and excitement on stage.
Seeing my inability to grasp the concept, Yoon-Chan gently touched my arm. “Hyun-Woo hyung."
“Hm?"
“It's just the two of us here. No one else."
“Now?"
What was he talking about when there were so many people around? As I started to look around, Yoon-Chan quickly placed his hand on my shoulder to stop me. “Don't look around, hyung. Just think of it that way. Try to think that it’s just a conversation between the two of us and not a shoot. I will ask you simple questions, and you just answer me."
Yoon-Chan had to be an angel.
“Okay."
“Let's start the shoot again. Cue."
The shoot resumed. As the extras pretended to chatter in the classroom, the camera rolled. I simply looked at Yoon-Chanas as I felt slightly nervous.
Yoon-Chan asked with a kind smile, “Which songs do you think Joo-Han hyung would prefer, ‘Woof Woof Meow Meow’ or ‘Blue Room Party?’”
“…Huh?"
“Joo-Han hyung seemed really happy after ‘Blue Room Party’ was released. How much do you think he made from that?"
“Uh, well..."
“How many times does Jin-Sung get scolded by the members in a day?"
“Um, nine times?"
“How many times does Yoo-Joon hyung get hit on the back by Joo-Han hyung and you in a day? And how many times have I failed my diet?"
“Innumerable..."
As I imagined Jin-Sung being scolded by Joo-Han, I spontaneously laughed. Yoon-Chan continued with light-hearted questions about our members, and I responded with a mix of disbelief and amusement. Surprisingly, we had struggled with this conversation but passed without issue as soon as I started responding to Yoon-Chan's questions.
1. lol Hyun-Woo must still feel like he hasn’t made a debut yet. ☜
