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Chapter 90: Debut (13)

“Where are we going, hyung?" I asked and pulled out my earphones. The other members who were still awake also sat up to take a look.

“This doesn\'t seem like the way to the practice room.”

However, our manager offered no explanation, remaining silent at the wheel.

Sensing my unease, Joo-Han playfully smacked the manager\'s back from the passenger seat. “Hyung, is this another one of your surprise pranks? You promised no more of those."

“...”

Silence followed and then. “...Wait a second."

Joo-Han directly leaned in to look at the manager. All of a sudden, his expression shifted to one of shock. “Hyung, are you crying?"

“What?" I echoed, feeling surprised.

"Hyung is crying?"

We all leaned in out of concern, while the manager kept driving toward our mysterious destination. He remained tight-lipped and shook his head, acting as if nothing was wrong.

“Hyung, what\'s the matter? Is something up with your family? You\'re not... kidnapping us, are you?"

“No, no, it\'s not that..."

Eventually, the car halted in front of a building, just a mere ten-minute drive from our company.

“Then what\'s up? Why are you so upset?"

“Overwhelmed with emotion..." the manager mumbled, burying his face in his hands. His body shook with sobs, creating a moment that was both touching and a bit exasperating.

“Hyung, come on, don\'t cry. How old are you!” As we tried to console our forty-year-old manager, Jin-Sung was roused from his nap. He then blinked groggily and peered out the window. “Hyungs, I recognize this place."

Hearing Jin-Sung\'s observation, Joo-Han and I stopped our comforting efforts. “Where are we?”

“It\'s the new practice room that either High Tension or True Bye use. It was our unit competition team\'s practice room."

‘Ah, that place!’ Joo-Han had mentioned how High Tension got a new practice room while we were still using Allure\'s whenever it was free.

“So that\'s why you\'re crying, hyung?" I asked.

Finally, the manager managed to stop sobbing and nodded. “Congratulations, guys. Chronos finally has its own practice room."

“We\'re practicing here now?" I unfastened my seat belt and leaned out the window that Jin-Sung had opened to get a better view of the building. It was a brightly lit four-story structure, its newness evident from its pristine exterior.

“So we don\'t have to wait for Allure’s room to be free anymore..." Joo-Han muttered, visibly pleased, and it triggered another round of tears from the manager.

“I\'m sorry that I only managed to arrange this now. I really wanted to get you guys your own practice room even during Pick We Up, but Supervisor Kim was adamant that it couldn\'t happen until after debut..."

‘Ugh, again with Supervisor Kim.’ Sighing, we stepped out of the car. Our journey could have been so much smoother without those constraints.

“The first step should be taken by Chronos," the manager declared as he handed the keys to Joo-Han.

Finally, our very own practice room. It seemed that Supervisor Kim was swayed by Chronos\'s growing popularity and finally decided to invest in a proper space for us.

Emotionally charged, we walked toward the practice room. “Let\'s open it!"

“Yeah!"

Through the glass doors, we could see the expansive room that was now ours. A small sign reading “Chronos” adorned the door. From the lobby to the hallway and the visible practice room inside—every inch of the place radiated luxury. It appeared that Supervisor Kim was finally addressing our internal needs.

Seeing this, I felt a surge of emotion so strong that I almost joined the manager in his tears.

Joo-Han swung the door open, and we all stepped inside, flicking on the lights to survey our new domain. “Wow, all the equipment is brand new.”

“It’s going to be great to practice here. We are going to try out Street Center’s choreography, remember?" Swiftly, we all unloaded our bags, our spirits lifted by the allure of the new practice room.

“We have spent so much energy since dawn for the music show, so let’s just sync up quickly and wrap up for today.”

The real challenge with Street Center’s choreography was figuring out if the five of us could fill a space designed for fifteen. As Lee Jin-Sung, Joo-Han, and the manager debated whether to hire additional dancers, I approached Goh Yoo-Joon. He strained to open his weary eyes, clearly showing signs of exhaustion.

“Everyone\'s stamina is impressive. How do you keep going after waking up at 5 AM?" Yoo-Joon asked.

“I take naps whenever I can. On the other hand, you are a light sleeper. It’s hard for you to doze off outside.”

“That explains my fatigue.”

After experiencing more predictable and regular sleep patterns during Pick We Up, we found our current erratic schedule to be a challenge.

“Hey, didn\'t you have something to tell me earlier?" I prodded Yoo-Joon.

“Did I?" Goh Yoo-Joon replied, a puzzled look crossing his face.

“Yes, right before we met Reina at the broadcast station cafe," I reminded him, recalling his serious demeanor.

Something seemed to click inside his head, and he chuckled lightly. "Ah, that. I feel a bit shy about it, but I\'ve tried to write some lyrics."

“You wrote lyrics?" I asked, feeling surprised. It seemed that his previous venture into rap writing had sparked his interest.

“Yeah, and I\'d like you to take a look. I\'ll show Joo-Han too, but he\'s pretty serious about lyrics, so you first," he said.

“Sure, I\'ll check them out back at the dorm," I agreed. Goh Yoo-Joon had always had a knack for lyricism in my trainer years, even earning some royalties from their Japanese album tracks, though not as much as Joo-Han.

Joo-Han finally broke our reverie. “We\'ve thought it over and decided to go ahead with the dance cover using just us, even though we are short on dancers." With that decision, we dove into a simple choreography session.

***

After the practice, Lee Jin-Sung and I remained in the practice room, motivated by the fresh excitement of the new space and the enthusiasm from our fans to witness the main dancers take on a demanding routine as a duo.

“How about a slow dance, Jin-Sung?"

“A slow dance?"

“There\'s a dancer’s work I\'ve been wanting to cover," I explained as I pulled up a video on my laptop. This dancer\'s performance from six years ago still resonated with an undeniable, timeless sexiness. I had planned to propose it for On-Sae’s team back then but couldn’t find the right timing. It seemed that the task was now mine to undertake.

Watching the video, Jin-Sung imitated the dancer with a thoughtful tilt of his head. His reaction was far more pronounced than during our “Moon Sea” days. It seemed he had realized that our dance styles didn\'t quite align.

“Do you want to give it a try?" I asked.

“Umm...” He hesitated as the dance was clearly outside his comfort zone. It was understandable that he was concerned about not showing his perfect move to the fans. However, I knew he wouldn\'t refuse outright; his pride as a dancer wouldn\'t allow it. And I was ready to help him master it.

“I\'ll do it. I have to," Jin-Sung resolved.

His determination brought a smile to my face.

“Let\'s nail it today and shoot the video at dawn," I said, assuming the role of a teacher.

“Start by stomping hard and then slowly draw back," I instructed.

“Like this?" As the one usually teaching us how to dance, Lee Jin-Sung hesitated and awkwardly followed my instructions. While dissatisfied with not being in control, he knew that even a genius like him couldn’t excel in all genres. For his development, he should learn the genres I excelled at. So, I deliberately pretended not to notice his bewilderment.

“Now, stretch your arm and pull back with a wave," I continued.

“The moves are simple enough.”

“Yes, but you\'re rushing the arm pull, and your wave is too vigorous." I pointed out.

“Too vigorous?" He looked puzzled, as he was confident that he had mimicked me correctly.

I demonstrated again, emphasizing the need for a balance between strength and fluidity. “The choreography needs to be sophisticated, sexy, and a bit daring," I described.

This was a different ball game for Jin-Sung, a departure from his usual high-energy performances.

“You make it look better," he admitted.

“Stomp, stretch, and pull back," I instructed again.

Silently, he complied, and I caught his outstretched hand from behind.

“Hyung?" he asked in a surprise.

I continued guiding him, determined to help him grasp the essence of the dance. After all, my role wasn\'t just to lead but also to elevate his performance to new heights.

“This level of relaxation is perfect.”

"Ah," he replied, his voice tinged with a touch of realization.

“Feels a bit restrictive, doesn\'t it? But once the music plays, it won\'t feel that way.” I taught him the whole dance routine like this before finally playing the music.

After memorizing the steps with some uncertainty about the choreographer\'s style, Jin-Sung felt delighted when the dance fit perfectly with the music. "Hyun-Woo hyung, you really teach well. I\'ve always thought so.”

Teaching the whole routine first before playing the song allowed Jin-Sung to synchronize with the rhythm independently. This approach felt more gratifying than instructing the dance alongside the music from beginning to end. I had employed this method in the past when I was a trainer. It was to bond with students who were daunted by my scarred face.

“Fun, isn\'t it? Let\'s master up to the first verse and upload the cover video. The fans will love seeing a different side of you, Jin-Sung," I encouraged him.

His excitement was palpable as he eagerly accepted my guidance. He then said, “Hyung, you know how much I admire you, right? I\'d love to post more dance videos with you."

“That\'s a great idea. It could make for excellent content," I agreed, feeling pleased.

Jin-Sung’s initial reluctance, which stemmed from the unfamiliar genre, quickly dissolved in the glow of achievement and the affection of a respected hyung.