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Chapter 54: The Last Time (4)

This part was sung by someone unfamiliar, not a member of Chronos. The entire group of trainees, now numbering fourteen, moved in a way that felt entirely different from the Chronos the audience had come to know.

I understand the weight of effort and will cheer for you. I want to be a companion who can support you. It’s nice, isn’t it??

Another trainee emerged, followed by yet another. Despite the absence of Chronos\'s familiar faces, their fans had no reason to complain. Kang Joo-Han had explained in a VTR what kind of performance to expect, and more than that, the lyrics sung by the trainees conveyed sincere feelings toward Chronos. The group of fourteen executed a dance routine that took center stage, evoking a melancholic yet bright ambiance within the song. It was a performance that effortlessly drew the audience into their story.

Could we not stand side by side? I regret not keeping the promise?

Han Jun took the stage, singing the part he had written. Chronos members, in a heartfelt gesture, passed the entire first verse to other trainees, illustrating the depth of our camaraderie.

So many tears shed. Enduring day after day, repeating \'just one more time’?

We remember your frustration?

Our camaraderie for each other was real. Though it was a stage with fourteen members, not only Chronos\'s fans but also others watching could feel a connection, imagining the tough times their favorite artists must have faced as trainees.

During Han Jun\'s part, Goh Yoo-Joon and I volunteered as backup dancers. In an instant, fans who knew about our special friendship from the VTR and preview videos started to feel a surge of emotions.

As the song transitioned into its second verse, like in the “Chronos” performance, the trainees gracefully exited the stage one by one, leaving Chronos to take center stage for the main part.

I believe this is not the end. If we keep walking, someday we will meet at the same place?

It was Lee Jin-Sung\'s part. With its promise of a new beginning and reunion, the song was reaching its conclusion, and soon, only Han Jun remained on stage without Chronos. The music briefly paused, and Goh Yoo-Joon’s and my gaze shifted toward Han Jun.

The music started again, and the part written by Kang Joo-Han for Han Jun followed.

Just cry one more time and stand up. Trust me one last time and jump without regret

?

I briefly caught Han Jun\'s wrist, our eyes locking for a moment, and then I smoothly let go. A faint smile appeared on Han Jun\'s face as he gracefully stepped backward, disappearing behind the stage. The spotlight that was previously focused on the two of us expanded, casting bright lights across the entire stage.

The once-silent stage now resonated with an impassioned melody. Park Yoon-Chan\'s voice which had been refined through countless hours of practice echoed powerfully. Contrasting with his first stage appearance, he now confidently fulfilled his role as one of the members, creating a truly moving moment for both the performers and the fans.

As the one with relatively fewer parts, I stepped forward, preparing to make my move.

I won\'t forget the tears we shed together. Let’s rise together-?

Changing the lyrics there was a purely spontaneous act on my part. My gaze was directed toward the back of the stage.

Let\'s meet again here?

Almost no one noticed that the lyrics displayed on the screen were different from what I was singing.

I changed it because, at the last moment before Han Jun left the stage, I saw a glimpse of my past self—full of frustration and ready to give up. I understood too well the sorrow of never being able to return to the stage I yearned for. Hence, I hoped we would meet again on the stage instead of regretting the hardships Han Jun had gone through to stand on it.

Before Han Jun realized the lyrics had changed, I already turned my head away. The audience displayed varied reactions; some stared blankly at the spot, while others erupted in cheers. Thus, Chronos\'s final stage on Pick We Up came to an end, a perfect finale to an adventurous performance.

"Great job, Chronos!" As the blackout curtain fell, announcer Jeong Gyu-Chan commenced his hosting.

"Phew..."

Exhausted after the final performance, we made our way backstage. Perhaps it was because it was our first time performing two songs consecutively, but my legs felt as weak as if I had been practicing for a long time.

“It was fantastic from the beginning to the end. Are you okay?" asked Joo-Han as he approached. I just nodded and leaned on his shoulder for support, making walking a bit easier.

"Man, that was awesome!"

"Everyone has worked hard! It was your first stage, and you did so well."

Joo-Han moved away from me to talk to each trainee. I then simply collapsed into a chair, completely drained.

"Hyun-Woo, you were amazing."

"Hyun-Woo was on stage from start to end, so he must be more exhausted than anyone else." Il-Seong and Jae-Seok patted my back while the staff crowded around me, wiping my sweat and drying my hair.

"We have to go back on stage soon, so quickly fix the makeup!" our manager shouted.

Reina and other groups from the studio started coming backstage, and Reina exclaimed, “You guys did really well. I watched from the back and was amazed. How did you all always bring such stages?"

“Right! We feel like we joined at the wrong time," said Ji-Hyuk.

“Thank you. It\'s all thanks to the hard work of the kids," replied Joo-Han. The members of High Tension talking to him seemed a bit drained. How could they not? The trainees from major agencies were highly anticipated at the start of Pick We Up, but their performances didn\'t stand out as much, overshadowed by the remarkable displays from trainees affiliated with smaller agencies.

While their performances were commendable, they probably didn\'t hold high hopes for clinching the first-place spot again. My personal guess was that the winner would either be Street Center or us.

"Is Chronos ready?" A staff member asked through the walkie-talkie, and instead of us, our manager and the stylists answered, “Chronos is ready!”

“Then we\'ll go on stage in one minute! All performers, be ready.” The staff member relayed through the walkie-talkie, and Jeong Gyu-Chan announced the entrance of the performers.

“Air Senior will be the first to enter.”

The staff swiftly cleared the curtains at the back of the stage for easy movement. After that, all the performers, including Reina, stepped onto the stage.

"Great job, Chronos!"

"High Tension!"

The cheers from the fans were louder than ever, showering the hard-working members with applause. Each member bowed slightly to their fans, yet their expressions retained a tense undercurrent of nerves.

The most crucial announcement had yet to come.

“The last round of Pick We Up for group original songs has ended." As Reina started speaking, the audience stopped talking and focused on the proceeding. Their expressions were as serious and tense as those of the performers, and they were fixed on the stage.

"Now, we just have the final rankings left to announce. Oh, our group members and even the fans are giving some intense stares." Reina joked a bit, but the mood of the audience who were anticipating the vote results didn\'t lighten.

Hesitating a bit, Reina looked back at her cue cards. “Before we announce the final results, let’s hear from each group about their last performance. Let’s start with Chronos. Joo-Han, how do you feel about wrapping up the last round of Pick We Up?”

The microphone was handed to Joo-Han, and he answered, “Well, since we first started preparing for Pick We Up, a lot of memories come to mind. What can I say? The preparation for Chronos’s first stage—our first performance—was tough, but we made it to the end by relying on each other. Regardless of the ranking we’ll receive, I believe we can humbly accept it because we gave our best in our performances.”

We all nodded in agreement with Joo-Han’s well-articulated thoughts, and Reina softly expressed her admiration before asking the other groups for their thoughts.

"Hyung, but are you really okay even if we rank last?" Lee Jin-Sung whispered this question while the other groups were sharing their thoughts.

Joo-Han turned to him and grinned. "If we don\'t get first place, it\'s an all-night practice for Chronos."

Lee Jin-Sung and Goh Yoo-Joon were completely taken aback at Joo-Han\'s matter-of-fact statement.

"Wow, he\'s ruthless."

"We just finished our competition."

Joo-Han\'s dual nature was almost scary. But honestly, after such great songs and performances, it would be ridiculous for us not to win this competition.

"Guys, we should probably start paying attention now." Park Yoon-Chan\'s comment made me and Joo-Han turn back to face the front. Now, only the final rankings were yet to be announced.

"I will now announce the final rankings for Pick We Up, with a reality show appearance at stake. First, the live audience score, then the official website voting score..." As Reina spoke, the scores and rankings fluctuated. The name of our group, Chronos, also moved around but never dropped below third place.

"With the live audience score, the streaming audience score, and finally, the scores from previous competitions combined, the final rankings are!"

1st Place: Chronos

2nd Place: Street Center

3rd Place: High Tension

4th Place: True Bye

5th Place: Ash Black

6th Place: Air Senior

My breath was stuck in my throat.

"The final winner is Chronos! Congratulations!" With a \'pop\', confetti fell from the sky, and our fans erupted in enthusiastic cheers. It was somewhat of an expected victory. We had always been among the favorites to win, and despite the risks, this stage was very well received.

However, expecting it didn\'t lessen the surprise.

“This is crazy," Goh Yoo-Joon muttered quietly from behind, and Park Yoon-Chan was quietly sobbing.

"Chronos, please come forward!"

Reina presented us with the trophy and a bouquet, and we stepped forward in a daze, propelled by the moment. After that, Joo-Han received the microphone.

"Congratulations on the final victory. Can we hear your thoughts?" inquired Reina. Joo-Han was the first to collect his thoughts and speak.

"Uh... Thank you so much. Our members worked hard, but above all, thanks to our fans who supported us vigorously-"

While Joo-Han was speaking, I gestured for the trainees backstage to come forward.

“We will continue to work hard as Chronos. Thank you so much."

The other trainees hesitantly came forward to the stage front, and the fans cheered on them.

“Hyun-Woo, please say a few words." The microphone was then passed to me.

“Uh... I, well..." I was at a loss for words to describe this feeling.

“Thank you so much. I\'m so happy we could finish our last competition without regrets. Above all, thanks to our fans who supported us even when we were nothing, and to our original members who willingly joined us on stage despite the pressure, I love and appreciate you all so much."

Each Chronos member was given a chance to speak. With Lee Jin-Sung ending in tears after seeing Park Yoon-Chan cry, our part was over.

“Thank you for supporting Pick We Up until the end. We look forward to the future of the six groups that have shown us great performances. As we say goodbye to Pick We Up, let\'s anticipate the future of our K-POP stars. Thank you." Along with Reina\'s final words, the ending jingle played.

Following that, the trainees and other groups gathered to congratulate us. And so, my first journey with Chronos—Pick We Up—came to an end.