Second Try Idol

Chapter 386: Red Rouge (5)

Yoon-Chan needed to go out for his part soon. Although the situation seemed pretty hopeless, we decided not to panic since it was just a rehearsal. Tearing his outfit right from the start wouldn't be great, so I thought it would be better to just have him take off his shoe and carry it as he went back in formation instead of taking drastic measures.

I nudged Yoon-Chan’s foot and signaled him to remove his shoe. He looked at me in surprise but quickly changed his expression and stood up.

‘Hmm?’ Just as I was about to panic that his outfit had torn, I noticed that he left his coat and shoe behind on the floor as he headed back into formation. Without hesitation, Yoon-Chan removed his coat and shoe to continue.

I picked up his coat, watching him receive cheers from the Rings. ‘That’s impressive. Good job, Yoon-Chan. Thank goodness he’s wearing black socks with that black T-shirt.’

The lighting for "Red Rouge" was dark enough that his bare feet wouldn't be noticeable, and it was fortunate that he was professional enough to handle the situation smoothly. Although we debuted together, seeing Yoon-Chan mature felt like watching a student grow.

I untangled the fabric from his shoe and placed it where he could find it later. If this had been a real performance, it could've been a heart-stopping moment, but Yoon-Chan dealt with it well on his own. I might have overreacted.

After that, the rehearsal and pre-recording went off without a hitch. The rigorous practice paid off, and there were no mistakes as long as we stayed focused.

When we returned to the waiting room after recording "Red Rouge," the hot topic was Yoon-Chan's outfit mishap during rehearsal.

“He suddenly jumped forward, and I felt something was off. He seemed to be missing something.”

“Yeah! I was shocked when Hyun-Woo hyung wasn’t where he should’ve been,” Jin-Sung added.

“I thought I needed to help Yoon-Chan, but he managed well on his own.” I gave Yoon-Chan and the behind-the-scenes camera a thumbs-up before sitting on the couch.

Yoon-Chan didn’t look too happy, though. He seemed quite shaken. Goh Yoo-Joon noticed and playfully draped an arm around Yoon-Chan’s shoulder. “Why the long face? It was just a rehearsal, and you handled it perfectly.”

“Luckily, it ended well... thanks to Hyun-Woo hyung. But it was the first time Rings saw something like that, and instead of focusing on the performance, they had to see me fussing over my coat and socks,” Yoon-Chan replied glumly.

“What did I do? I did nothing,” I said.

Yoon-Chan looked up at me with gratitude in his eyes. “You signaled it was okay and nudged my shoe. That helped me stay calm.”

I didn’t remember doing that, but seeing Yoon-Chan so thankful, I let it slide. “Anyway, it wasn’t your fault. It won’t be aired, and even if it was, you handled it great,” I reassured him.

Goh Yoo-Joon and I quickly changed our outfits for the next rehearsal and recording of "Ario 愛." Despite thinking that the simpler "Ario 愛" should have been performed first, my doubts vanished upon seeing the new set.

“Su-Hwan hyung must have pushed for this set. It’s amazing. His support for us is amazing,” I marveled.

Compared to "Red Rouge," which had a lot of effort put into it, "Ario 愛" was on another level. The set featured a towering traditional Korean style building, semi-transparent red curtains, and a floor filled with flowers.

“How much did this all cost?” Joo-Han murmured.

The set and our costumes were impressive, and I joined Joo-Han in admiring everything. He looked me up and down and said, “This outfit suits you best.”

“Totally!” Jin-Sung agreed by draping an arm around my shoulder. “How come everything looks good on you, even when you dye your hair, hyung? What is this called... umm... fusion of hanbok? I don’t know.”

This time, we were wearing modernized hanbok. Unlike the dark outfits of "Red Rouge," "Ario 愛” featured bright white and red ensembles. The stylists had put in a lot of effort to try different styles, including hair styles, for each performance.

Jin-Sung had long, flowing hair tied back. Joo-Han and Yoon-Chan had highlighted streaks, and I had my hair partially braided, with the braids pushed behind my ears.

Despite all the different styles, Goh Yoo-Joon kept his hair neatly pulled back. For once, he seemed a bit disappointed because he felt less noticeable in the more comfortable outfit and hairstyle.

“I’m hungry,” Jin-Sung suddenly said.

“Starting to relax now?”

Jin-Sung pouted. “I’m hungry even when I’m nervous!”

“Hyung, Jin-Sung didn’t have breakfast,” Yoon-Chan explained on his behalf.

“No wonder you’re hungry,” I said with a nod.

None of us had eaten, but Jin-Sung skipping breakfast was unusual. He must have been really focused on the recording today. We’d been at it since early morning, so hunger was understandable.

“Tae-Seong hyung said he put some pork belly in the fridge. Let’s eat it after we’re done,” Joo-Han suggested.

Jin-Sung eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t lie! We’re not going home after this, are we?”

Joo-Han then answered honestly. "Nope."

After a long pre-recording session, we weren’t headed straight back to the dorm or practice room. We had another schedule, which was our first solo variety show filming.

“The Rings must be hungry too, right?"

“We just got our earnings, so let’s start bringing packed meals for them during pre-recordings.”

“Yeah, that will be better for everyone.”

With some light-hearted conversation to ease the tension, I headed back to the stage alone, following the staff’s instructions.

“You got this, hyung!”

“Do your best, Suh Hyun-Woo.”

Hearing my members’ cheers as I walked out, the Rings’ excitement mixed with curiosity. Why was I the only one out? Where were the other members? They probably thought the others weren’t ready yet, but this was a special stage.

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight focused on me in the middle of the elaborate set.

“Whoa!!!”

The Rings knew this was the start and cheered for me. Their voices hinted at the building anticipation as the director signaled the beginning of the performance.

Pling-

Pling- Pling-

The strumming of a gayageum[1] could be heard. I danced to the rhythm of the instrument and music. This choreography wasn’t part of the original "Ario 愛," but a special stage prepared just for this first performance. Ever since Rings commented on how graceful my dancing was, these delicate and elegant dances had become my specialty.

Pling!

With the distinct melody of the gayageum, I spread my arms and bowed slightly. I focused on my fingertips. I aimed to look as elegant as possible, letting the flowing hanbok accentuate my movements.

Shortly, Jin-Sung joined me on stage. He matched my dance without a hint of a smile, spinning with a lifted leg and bringing his extended hand to his chest.

“I’m really bad at being graceful! This is a disaster!”

I remembered Jin-Sung’s initial reaction to this choreography. He had been horrified by the elegant moves during practice, constantly complaining about their difficulty. Yet here he was, nailing the dance on stage and showcasing the grace and poise our choreographers had drilled into us.

His expression was perfect, and he executed the moves with the elegance our choreographers demanded. Jin-Sung was truly the most professional member of Chronos.

Following Jin-Sung were Goh Yoo-Joon, Joo-Han, and Yoon-Chan. We formed a circle and continued the choreography, with Jin-Sung and I moving to the sides. Goh Yoo-Joon, Joo-Han, and Yoon-Chan danced with the backup dancers by kneeling down in perfect synchronization.

As they did, Jin-Sung and I ran forward and did a somersault.

Pling!

The deep sound of the gayageum marked the end of our special dance break. We maintained the formation and our positions, then seamlessly transitioned into "Ario 愛."

The camera, previously at a distance, zoomed in to a close-up of Goh Yoo-Joon, who was seated at the center.

♪ A delicate flower petal gently rests on my hand

Floating lightly, then falling to the ground again

As one petal after another falls

I float them on a sunlit lake, missing you

Ario, Ario Ai-

Goh Yoo-Joon had a deep and resonant voice. As expected, he instantly set a heavy, captivating atmosphere whenever he started a song. The stage was dimly lit, and a few red petals softly fell from above.

1. A traditional Korean string instrument with 12 strings, though modern versions can have up to 25. It is played by plucking the strings with the fingers or a plectrum, producing a rich, resonant sound. ☜