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Chapter 62: Chronos History (6)

How did we, who once could barely survive a day without our phones, adapt to the ceaseless presence of cameras? The answer lay in our escape—immersing ourselves in the irresistible rhythms of the dance game, Just Dance.

Hey, hey. You, you! I don’t like your girlfriend! No way, no way! I think you need a new one! Hey, hey. You, you! I could be your girlfriend!?

Grooving to the catchy tune, I playfully nudged Yoo-Joon\'s shoulder. Our ‘pair dance’ was simple, just moving forward and backward, but it was a blast.

Park Yoon-Chan and Jin-Sung joined the game, dancing alongside us. “Ah, look at them go. This is Chronos at its finest!" exclaimed Joo-Han. Seated on the couch, he clapped along enthusiastically to the rhythm.

“Phew... Huff...! This feels like a full workout."

“I could probably do this dance in my sleep by now." Even with our strong work ethic, we were split between intense debut preparations and our newfound obsession with Just Dance.

We were currently living with the goal of mastering all the songs in the game, and I couldn’t help but worry about how this would be portrayed on the reality show. The dorm footage was probably going to be filled with scenes of us eating, Joo-Han working on songs, and playing Just Dance.

“Hyung, shall we try the most difficult one next?”

“What’s the most difficult song?”

“It’s ‘Rasputin!’”

“Alright, let’s do it.”

“Just give me a moment to catch my breath.”

Having just danced to three songs consecutively, including "Girlfriend", we were left as drained as we would be after an intense dance practice. I tried to sneakily sit next to Joo-Han but got yanked back to my spot by Jin-Sung. Then, the legendary “Rasputin” started.

“I’m exhausted...” I said, but my body moved on its own, following the on-screen dancer. That was the power of habit.

Right as we were wrapping up “Rasputin” with fervor, our manager stepped into the living room, looking bewildered. “Still at it? You guys have endless energy. Maybe we should extend practice hours."

Jin-Sung was panting but managed to ask, “Why are you here, hyung?"

Just as the manager reached for the remote, I protested, “No! Don\'t turn it off, only thirty seconds to go!"

“We need to leave now."

“Where to?" I asked after pausing the screen. It was obvious that the manager was trying to dodge the question, and he turned off the TV.

“Ah!"

“Let’s get moving."

Ignoring our collective groans, the manager led us out of the dorm. Joo-Han watched the door for a moment before standing up. “Let’s go. If In-Hyun hyung is being this secretive, it must be related to the show."

“Seriously, if he’s going to be this obvious, he might as well just tell us." We grudgingly set down the game sticks and headed to the parking lot. Despite our complaints about the abrupt departure, we were used to such surprises from our Pick We Up days and climbed into the car without much fuss.

“Where are we heading?"

“We’ll drive for about an hour. Use this time to rest up and recharge," replied our manager. As expected, cameras were hidden all over the car, and our manager remained tight-lipped about our destination.

‘Guess we\'ll find out soon enough.’

I leaned back, closed my eyes, and decided to take this chance to rest, especially after the energy-draining “Rasputin” session. “Shh, Hyun-Woo hyung is trying to sleep," Jin-Sung whispered, finally hushing as the car embraced a tranquil silence, suggesting that the others were also settling into slumber.

***

Knock, knock.

I was jolted awake by the sound of knocking on the window. Outside, a camera loomed close and pressed right up against the window.

“Ah... you scared me," I screamed.

“We\'ve arrived. Ready to get out?" said our manager. He opened the door to the backseat, and we stumbled out of the car, still groggy from sleep. Then, we confronted the camera head-on. “Where are we..."

- Good afternoon. Did you have a nice nap, Hyun-Woo?

“Hello..." I greeted back, glancing around. Following a lengthy drive and a refreshing round of deep sleep, we found ourselves at an amusement park. Gazing at the distant roller coaster, I felt a cold chill running down from the top of my head. “We’re shooting at an amusement park today?"

- Yes, Hyun-Woo, do you enjoy rides?

I shook my head silently, already feeling a chill of apprehension coursing through my body. “Ah... Tinta Land today? I really hate this."

“Why hate it? Are we going on rides for today’s shoot?" From somewhere nearby, I could hear Jin-Sung\'s sighs and Yoo-Joon\'s excited voice as they were getting mic\'d up.

“Why did it have to be..."

- Hyun-Woo, you’re afraid of rides, aren’t you?

‘Don\'t say that with a smile, please.’ I nodded stiffly, and the curious voices of my group members reached my ears. “Hyun-Woo can\'t handle rides? I thought he was good at them."

“I have never seen him scared on a ride before, have I?" wondered Yoo-Joon. I shook my head strongly, making my dislike abundantly clear. “I don\'t know. At some point, I just couldn\'t do them anymore."

How could someone who had experienced a plane crash even think of calmly getting on a ride that simulated falling from the sky? Just thinking about it made me shiver.

Yoo-Joon looked concerned and asked, “What are you going to do then? Don’t you have to go on them if it’s part of the shoot?"

I nodded and said, “I always thought I\'d have to face this someday. However, I didn\'t expect that day to be today.” I had anticipated that my career would eventually involve amusement parks and bungee jumping. However, since becoming trainees, we had never been anywhere separately, so claiming I couldn\'t ride because of an accident would be nothing but a lie. Well, considering that such a situation arose earlier than expected, I could try minimizing the number of rides.

“In-Hyun hyung, Hyun-Woo and Jin-Sung are frozen stiff. What are we going to do? You\'re definitely going to get scolded by the fans."

“What, both of them can\'t handle rides?"

“Look at their faces. They’re terrified. Shouldn’t you have warned us beforehand if they were this scared? They\'ve gone pale." Joo-Han was arguing with the manager on our behalf.

I let out a sigh and headed toward the shooting location. Well, there was nothing a rookie singer could do after arriving here. Any complaints would have to wait and be conveyed through the manager later.

With all members settling into their designated spots marked by the staff, the individual cameras shifted focus, and the main camera lit up.

- Hello everyone, how have you been?

“We\'ve been good. Are we going on rides today?" Joo-Han’s question was met with an enthusiastic nod from the director. However, the director’s smiling face looked devilishly happy. Yes, they were thrilled to be in an amusement park.

- Our staff had a thorough discussion about what Chronos fans would love to see.

"Ah, I really don\'t want to..." Despite Jin-Sung\'s reluctant protest, the director was unfazed.

- We thought fans would love to see Chronos having a blast on the rides.

“Yay! So, we can just ride whatever we want?"

“Are we playing games?"

Among the excited members, I voiced my complaint once more. “We would have had fun already if you gave us a ball. Haha...”

As I spoke with a mischievous grin, Director Lee Won-Jae responded with a sly smile, as if he didn\'t fully catch my suggestion. ‘If only we had ‘Rasputin,’ not even a ball... we could have had a blast.’

- It looks like Jin-Sung and Hyun-Woo are afraid of rides.

Director Lee\'s comment sparked laughter from Goh Yoo-Joon. The latter then said, "I\'m not sure about Hyun-Woo, but Jin-Sung? He definitely can\'t even try the Scream ride. There is a rumor that he only ate marble ice cream when he went to an amusement park on a school field trip."

“Unlike what people think, he\'s faint-hearted. I heard he spent a whole day on the carousel."

“Hey, why are you picking on my brother?" I protested, shielding Jin-Sung and igniting a wave of laughter among the staff and members.

- Of course, those who can\'t handle rides can stick to the carousel.

Director Lee looked at me and Jin-Sung.

- But where\'s the fun in just riding the carousel? We\'ve prepared a game. It\'s an individual competition, though you will move in pairs for convenience.

“What kind of game?"

- We\'ve prepared missions for each ride. Complete them with any member and score points individually.

This news brought a glow to the faces of the ride-loving trio. “So, being good at rides is an advantage?"

- Indeed.

“What about Jin-Sung and Hyun-Woo?"

- But wait!

The teasing members suddenly fell silent after seeing Director Lee\'s meaningful smile.

- You should have a different partner for each ride, and both must succeed to score points. Only after pairing with everyone can you reset and pair up again.

The trio’s eyes sneakily shifted toward me and Jin-Sung. They anticipated the penalty for those less adept at rides.

Director Lee beamed and nodded.

- Yes! Everyone must team up with Jin-Sung and Hyun-Woo at least once.

‘Who plans this program? Maybe it\'s Director Lee.’ As the members\' expressions soured, he laughed even harder.

Park Yoon-Chan cautiously asked, “Is there a prize for winning?"

- Of course. The top two get to be music show MCs for an episode.

After we heard the director’s grand announcement, our eyes widened in shock. Our faces were the very picture of astonishment.

“A music show MC?”

“Wow, that’s crazy!”

“Seriously? We get to do that?” Director Lee nodded affirmatively to Jin-Sung’s question.

- Of course, but remember, the last-place member will face a penalty.

“What might that penalty be?”

- That is a secret. I have full faith in Chronos to deliver a fierce yet fun competition.

The reward was so enticing that the thought of a penalty barely crossed our minds. The chance to be a music show MC, even if just for one episode, could open doors to future opportunities, maybe even catch the eye of other broadcasting directors. It was an incredible chance, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I could actually place in the top two. The odds seemed stacked against Jin-Sung and me.

- Are you all ready?

“Yes, sir!”

- Then, let the game begin!

As I was lost in my worries, the director signaled the start of the game. The others immediately scattered, reluctantly grabbing the nearest person.

“Wait, what about me... Oh...” In the midst of this, I found myself standing alone, unclaimed.

- Haha, looks like Hyun-Woo is even worse than Jin-Sung, huh?

Director Lee chuckled heartily, and I scowled and muttered under my breath. “We are pretty much the same.”

Goh Yoo-Joon took Jin-Sung, obviously to take care of the younger one.

I dragged my feet forward with a heavy sigh. “Ugh... Where is the carousel, Director?”