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Chapter 137: End-of-Year Stage (7)

“What were you discussing with the manager earlier?” he asked.

“What are you talking about? Now you are picking fights over my conversations?”

“Why did you laugh at me?”

“I smiled because I was genuinely happy to see you so dedicated to your practice, hyung.” I was aware my actions could easily provoke him. Kim Jin-Wook looked like he was about to grab me by the collar, but he held back. He wasn’t foolish enough to start a physical fight with a senior.

“The manager mentioned something about us on the stage together for your debut.”

“...” His expression told me he already knew this.

“You swore you\'d never share a stage with me, but I guess things change when it\'s your own, right?”

“That’s not it.”

I understood the situation. As a trainee, what opinion could I have in my debut schedule? It was probably a decision made in some meeting, and even if Jin-Wook was frustrated, he couldn\'t really express it.

I playfully added, “Well, hopefully the schedule works out. I heard you are calling my company soon, right?”

His annoyance was evident as he said, “Stop being sarcastic, kid.”

“Hey! Watch your language with your se-ni-or! Use nice words, especially now that you are about to debut.”

“Are you a kid or something?”

I answered with a serious look, “Nope.”

“...”

“...”

He looked at me with disdain. Feeling awkward, I stood up. “I\'m heading out. Don’t forget to treat me to coffee or something once the schedule is fixed.”

I planned to buy coffee for my manager and the hard-working Jin-Sung before their practice ended. As I got up, Kim Jin-Wook stubbornly looked away. I just smiled and said goodbye to his manager who had just returned.

“Oh, I was about to come and get you, but here you are,” said Manager Su-Hwan.

“I was taking a quick break, needed to recharge.”

The manager gave me a sympathetic look and handed me a drink he had with him. It seemed he had visited the cafe. He said, “I haven’t seen you this worn out in practice before. I’d love to let you rest more, but...”

"Don’t worry, we are pretty resilient. I will let you know if it gets tough.”

Even after this practice, we still needed to practice for Chronos\'s special stage. If we kept up with this life for a month, we would likely end up mechanically performing on stage, devoid of spirit and passion. I didn’t want to complain though, as every active group was juggling a similar schedule around this time of the year.

The manager still looked apologetic. After all, he hadn’t seen us push ourselves to the brink until now.

“Great work today!”

At this moment, the second part\'s practice concluded, and a flood of exhausted people streamed out of the practice room. Even Jin-Sung, who was so thrilled about the practice, ended up sprawled on the floor.

“You alright, Jin-Sung?” I tapped his back, and his sweaty palm brushed against mine.

Jin-Sung grimaced and shook off my hand. “I\'m not tired.”

“Oh? Okay.”

“I rested too much. Normally, I don’t get this drained.” It seemed he was frustrated by his dwindling stamina. But knowing Jin-Sung, I just reassured him and handed over the drink from the manager.

Da-Win and Sae-Yeon also received coffee from the manager. At this moment, they let out a deep sigh.

“Ah, I can\'t do any more practice today. I just can’t keep up with it. I must be old now.”

“I know right? I\'m going to sleep like a log tonight.”

It looked like their individual stage practice for today would be canceled, given Da-Win’s subtle hints to their manager.

They just sat in chairs, lost in thought for a long time. This was my first time seeing them so drained. Of course, I hadn’t seen them practice ever since they debuted.

“Hyun-Woo, Jin-Sung, time to head out,” our manager announced.

Da-Win and Sae-Yeon quickly bid us farewell.

“You did great. I will see you around.”

“Take good care of yourself and see you tomorrow. We will sit here a bit more.”

“Sure! We will head out first then.”

The camera was still rolling. We then quickly stood up, bid farewell to the Allure, and said our goodbyes to all the other seniors who were still around. When we got into the car, the fatigue I had been holding back hit me all at once, and I fell asleep almost instantly.

***

“It\'s really baffling and unbelievable."

The members giggled at my remark.

- Aigooo~ He is sleeping so well!

- Yeah, he is like a baby!

From the video on the manager\'s phone came the playful voices of the thrilled members.

“You guys just can\'t miss a chance for some fun, huh? This was your idea, wasn\'t it, Goh Yoo-Joon?"

“Sure thing," Goh Yoo-Joon said, his lips curling into a mischievous smile, hinting at the playful chaos he\'d orchestrated. The whole event had played out while I was lost in sleep, oblivious to the world, and I didn\'t snap back to reality until we arrived at the practice room. They said they\'d tried their best to rouse me awake, but whether that was the truth or just a convenient tale, who could say?

“I tried to wake you up, really. If only Yoo-Joon hadn\'t stopped me!" Joo-Han retorted, his tone laced with a hint of annoyance. Yet, there he was in the video, caught up in the laughter, just as guilty of mirth as the rest.

There was no doubt in my mind that Goh Yoo-Joon was the mastermind behind the whole thing. With me still swimming in my dreams, they decided to just haul me to the practice room. And, true to Goh Yoo-Joon\'s style, he didn\'t opt for the conventional shoulder carry; instead, he swept me up in a bridal carry, as if straight out of a drama scene. Clearly amused by the scene, Joo-Han captured this comedic gold on camera, all the while cracking jokes.

In the early parts of the video, Lee Jin-Sung looked like he was struggling to keep his eyes open, but soon enough, he found his rhythm and synced up with Goh Yoo-Joon\'s silliness.

“This is so touching," remarked Park Yoon-Chan as he observed, adding a layer of emotion to what was essentially a prank turned into a moment of camaraderie. It was a fine line between being part of the joke and being the joke itself.

Meanwhile, the manager was giving the video another run-through. “Hyun-Woo, how about we edit this footage and upload it on our official UTube channel?" he proposed. The response was immediate—everyone was nodding except for me.

“Definitely! I would be posting it on BlueBird if you hadn\'t mentioned it," Joo-Han eagerly added.

I let out a resigned sigh and gave a nod of consent. “Make sure the editing is spot-on, please."

This whole episode was reminiscent of Jin-Sung’s pancake incident, which was a hit with the fans. Hopefully, this would receive a similar reception. Just like that, we smoothly transitioned from joking to preparing for our special stage.

The songs in the lineup for KEW\'s award ceremony were “Blue Room Party” and “Parade,” with the plan to open with “Blue Room Party” and conclude with “Parade.”

Serving more as a warm-up, “Blue Room Party” maintained its usual tranquil and smooth flow without any dramatic flair. The distinct choreography gradually heightened the intensity, leading up to the doorway of the blue room. After delivering my final lines and flinging the door open, the ambiance transformed. The lighting shifted, unveiling Jin-Sung with a cane in hand amidst a sea of pastel-colored flowers, ready to greet the lens. This marked the start of “Parade,” and we planned to remix the final dance break to align with the award ceremony\'s vibe.

With our jam-packed schedule looming over us lately, I pondered if we had the energy to pull it off. However, to be honest, we were excited to do this even if it meant stretching our limits.

Lee Jin-Sung, who was running on fumes just moments before, was now a dynamo of energy, bouncing around with fresh vigor. This was not a moment to shrink back but rather to showcase our capabilities and talents.

“Thanks in advance for pushing through despite the busy schedule." I voiced out.

“We got this!”

The only one wearing an apologetic look was the manager. After that, the choreographer made her entrance and said, “Jin-Sung, this is your first stint with Blue Room Party’s choreography, right? We are going to carve out a niche for you. It might feel a bit awkward at first, but I have full confidence that you will quickly get the hang of it and follow along."

“Counting on you," Jin-Sung responded with enthusiasm in his voice. And with that, the rehearsals for Chronos kicked into gear.

***

“Hyun-Woo hyung, is Joo-Han hyung dead?"

“Looks like Yoon-Chan\'s checked out too, eyes wide open and all."

“...Ugh!" We completely zoned out for a moment. Was the dance sequence seriously this challenging? Putting aside its complexity, it was insanely taxing! “Blue Room Party” was a breeze in comparison. It was unchanged and straightforward, so we just had to mimic the version Jin-Sung had joined.

However, we funneled all the conserved energy from “Blue Room Party” straight into “Parade.”

The dance breaks at the beginning and end were just the main parts, but there were many intricate elements sprinkled throughout the song. Usually, I could memorize a choreography in a day, but today, I was so tired that it got me quite confused.

The stage’s theme was around a circus of dolls, where the dancers would be the ones controlling us, the dolls. Hence, many dancers had to participate, and the choreography for each part was complex. The problem was that so many parts had changed, and the dancers played such a significant role that today, much of it had to be simplified to focus solely on image-making.

“Can we pull this off within a week...?” I voiced my concern, sounding doubtful.

Joo-Han quickly grabbed my shoulder, reassuring me. “We can do it. Trust me, Hyun-Woo.”

“\'Huh? Weren\'t you passed out, hyung?”

“We have to do it. If Chronos messes up, we will be locked in the practice room for twelve hours!” Joo-Han exclaimed.

‘Ah, this hyung, his physical strength might be weak, but his pride is strong.’ I knew he couldn\'t stand to see mistakes made on stage, no matter how tough it got.

“Got it. I will do it.”

Drenched in sweat, Joo-Han nodded satisfactorily and then helped Yoon-Chan, who had fainted with his eyes open, to stand up.

Joo-Han said, “If we nail this performance, let\'s have a team dinner. It will be on me.”

At his words, Goh Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung, who were sitting and chatting, immediately stood up. “Can we have Korean barbecue?”

“Sure. Let’s go for that. I don\'t mind spending on you guys. We will get payment by then too.”

‘Korean beef, now that\'s a treat.’

“Korean beef!” I cheered, gathering my energy and standing up. At least, I now intended to memorize all the choreography before leaving the practice room.