Second Try Idol

- Grandpa? No way, he doesn't dye his hair. His hair is white!

- Pink or blue by chance?

- Never! Grandma would hate it. I'm in the middle of a shoot, so I’ll talk to you later. Peace out, man!

“Ah, that's right. He is a model."

Daniele vanished with that hurried reply. So, who was the man I had been chatting with? Why was he posing as Daniele's grandfather? I couldn't quite recall whether his hair was pink or blue, but I did remember feeling momentarily intimidated by the bright color. Was he just an old man with an interest in K-POP or Korean variety shows?

As I was lost in thought about the encounter, Goh Yoo-Joon joined me while fiddling with his phone. “What's this about Daniele's grandpa? You met him?"

I nodded. “I thought I did, but it turns out I was wrong. It wasn't Daniele's grandfather."

Goh Yoo-Joon frowned. “So you were chatting with a stranger? Be cautious, man, especially since we are outside of Korea."

“I was cautious. His hair was pastel-colored, but he knew so much about Daniele..."

He was so knowledgeable about conversations we had among ourselves, not just what was aired. This had made me think he must be the real deal.

Goh Yoo-Joon shook his head as he was unimpressed. “If I were you, I would have avoided talking to him in the first place.”

“Let's see if you'd do the same in that situation."

As we were quietly bickering, the production team came over to set up the microphones. “We are about to start filming the practice session. Reina will join after her individual interview, so just focus on practicing."

“Got it!"

Yesterday, we arrived at the accommodation; today, we were setting up the setlist and rehearsing, and tomorrow, we would perform on the “street” that was personally scouted by Reina. If everything went according to plan, we would also meet Callia Lawrence there.

The first goal of Again After Rainfall was to successfully conclude the performance. Thus, we had to pull out all the stops and showcase our abilities to the fullest from the first stage.

“Let's start filming! Slate, please!"

At the Director's command, Jin-Sung raised his hand high and clapped sharply. And so, the filming of our rehearsal started in earnest.

“Is there anything in particular you want to show off in the first performance?"

“Me."

As I raised my hand, everyone's attention turned to me. “I want to perform “Encore Night."

“Then let's have Hyun-Woo perform ‘Encore Night,’ and Yoo-Joon can add the harmony as we practiced."

“Sure."

“Shall we give it a try right away?” As Joo-Han finished speaking, the band members behind us swiftly flipped through their files to find the score for “Encore Night.”

Choosing the setlist from the already-decided songs meant that both Chronos and the band were fully rehearsed, even though it was our first time syncing up. I cleared my throat lightly and took a sip of water. Then, I held the microphone and said, “Yes, let's start."

I closed my eyes and quietly captured the emotion. The soft sound of a piano soon began to fill the air. As the layers of musical instruments gradually built up, a shiver of excitement ran through me from the tips of my fingers. After that, I sang by pouring my heart into the song.

I know I can't see you after this night

We can dance sweetly and look into each other's eyes

but we don't even know each other's names

That's why I'm going to enjoy it more

This feeling that might be the last one♪

Before coming here, we had discussions among the members about the song selection.

We agreed not to transform group songs into acoustic versions, except for dance tracks.

Of course, there were many Chronos songs we could perform, like “Blue Room Party,” “History,” and other ballad tracks. However, we decided it was better to focus on individual songs that could showcase each member's talents more effectively. We wanted to avoid the show being branded as just an idol promotional program that followed the previous season's trend of performing famous pop songs.

Without interrupting our practice, Reina quietly waited until we had selected all the songs and finished rehearsing.

As Joo-Han's solo song concluded, Reina approached with applause and admiration. “You guys always sing so well. Has your voice gotten prettier? I watched closely, thinking I'd give some feedback, but there's nothing to criticize."

“Thank you, Senior!"

Reina pulled up a chair and sat across from us. “The location for your first performance has been decided."

“Where is it?"

“There is no need to go far since it’s your first time. So, we will perform right in front of the accommodation. Did you see the lunch cafe just across from here?"

“The one crowded with people?"

It seemed she was talking about the cafe right next to where I had lunch, the one that seemed ready to burst with the crowd gathered around it. “If you go down the alley behind that cafe, there's a place for street performances. Since there are many lodgings around here, street performances tend to draw large crowds."

“Wow, we are performing there?"

Reina nodded. “Yes, I've rented a spacious area. Of course, there's no stage, though."

The thought of a street performance split the members between those who were nervous and those who were excited. Performing in English and dancing to our songs in front of strangers felt surreal. I wondered if we could actually draw a good response from foreigners.

Reina noticed my nervousness and reassured me with a bright smile. “It's okay. I've done street performances in New York for the previous season of the show. Everyone will enjoy and react positively with your capabilities."

“I hope so."

“Let's not worry and get back to practice. This is the first performance we will be showing to the famous Callia Lawrence, so we need to show her how great we are."

“Yes!”

Reina skillfully tuned the band's play and refined our vocals to ensure our practice was perfectly concluded. At 6 PM, we were given free time again after practice.

***

After dinner, I stopped Jin-Sung, who was about to return to his room. “Jin-Sung, how about doing Dance Combo Season Three?"

“The Dance Combo? Sure, but now?"

When I nodded, Jin-Sung looked puzzled as he didn’t get it. He then asked, “In that practice room earlier? It's a bit... there are too many instruments, and it's cramped."

“No, not there." I pointed toward the entrance of our accommodation. “Outside. The spot where Reina mentioned earlier."

I was referring to the street performance area behind the lunch cafe.

Jin-Sung finally understood what I meant, and his face lit up. “Yeah, let's go. Should we go now?"

“Just a moment, we need to get permission first."

Why was I suddenly proposing a street dance performance with Jin-Sung? Ever since Reina mentioned the street performance area, I had been contemplating how we could use it for Chronos-exclusive content.

After all, it was a rare trip to New York. For Chronos, who were relatively unknown in the USA, it seemed too wasteful to perform only for the broadcast.

The first video of Dance Combo garnered a significant number of views over time, thanks to its English title. It was similar to a viral dance challenge, and both the first and second videos had a considerable amount of English comments.

Therefore, with the help of our staff, filming the third video as a street performance in New York seemed like an exciting idea that could capture the attention of many domestic and international netizens.

I immediately called Su-Hwan to discuss the street performance with Jin-Sung, and he was all for it. Then, our behind-the-scenes camera crew rushed over.

“What about the Again After Rainfall’s production team? They offered to accompany us earlier."

As I asked Su-Hwan, who was panting from running down from the fifth floor, he smiled broadly and shook his head. “We are making this exclusively Chronos content, so I turned them down."

“...Wow."

‘Su-Hwan hyung, I didn't know you are so keen on views.’

“How did you come up with the idea? It's admirable to see you striving for growth, brainstorming, and coming up with ideas," asked Su-Hean

“Ah, well, it just seemed like a shame not to use the space for a performance when we had the chance. Plus, Jin-Sung used to do street performances before debuting."

“Well, I was just a kid back then."

“Shall we go now?"

After catching his breath, Su-Hwan led us outside and said, “The writer told me the rented performance space isn't available now, but there is a free spot for busking[1]."

“A free performance space?"

“It's a place where anyone can come and perform without a special reservation. We can perform there."

As we headed to the location, Jin-Sung and I quickly decided on which songs and dances to perform. Having rehearsed many dances together before, we didn't take long to decide.

Upon reaching the street performance area, we found a mix of countless people and artists, both performing and watching.

1. Busking is when people perform out in public spots, like streets or subways, hoping for some tips from the crowd. They could be jamming on guitars, busting out dance moves, or doing magic tricks. It's a cool way for performers to share their skills with people passing by and maybe make a little cash or get noticed. But I doubt that Hyun-Woo and Jin-Sung are doing this to make money. ☜

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