Second Try Idol

Chapter 325: Break (21)

“Seriously? A courage test? I thought this was supposed to be a relaxing vacation. I’m totally against it!"

Jin-Sung's voice echoed loudly right after the Q-app session ended. Given his fear of ghosts, his reaction was totally expected.

What was that earlier? The Republic of Joo-Han... It seemed like today was just another day when Joo-Han would sweet-talk Jin-Sung into doing something he didn’t want to. But, surprisingly, Joo-Han just nodded, which was a simple gesture that threw everyone off.

“Then just stay here, Jin-Sung. You don’t have to do anything you don't want to."

“...So, you’re just going to leave me out of the screen time?"

“You can get plenty of footage just chatting here."

“But if I am the only one sitting out, won’t everyone think I lack enthusiasm?"

Jin-Sung was bewildered that Joo-Han was actually taking his side for once. He started listing the reasons he felt compelled to participate.

However, Joo-Han just gave him a look that mixed disbelief with pity and shook his head. “We are in the middle of nowhere. What if something actually happens? What if forcing you to participate ends up badly? I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you."

“...Huh."

“Why would I force you into something you hate during what’s meant to be a refreshing trip? Making you do something you despise would just annoy the Rings even more. Do I really seem that cruel?"

“Man, Joo-Han hyung's manipulation skills are top-notch. He knows just how to pull the loyalty strings,” Goh Yoo-Joon murmured to me quietly.

I couldn’t help but nod in agreement as I watched Jin-Sung. His eyes welled up with tears, seemingly on the brink of breaking down.

Why on earth had Joo-Han ever dreamt of becoming a singer? If money was what he was after, politics might have suited him better.

Jin-Sung pouted and clung to Joo-Han. “But what if something really scary happens? You guys should stay back too. Okay? I’m really worried."

In the middle of this soap opera drama between Joo-Han and Jin-Sung, Goh Yoo-Joon chimed in.

“Ah, don’t sweat it. I actually want to go."

“How are we going to handle the courage test? Let’s make it fun like a treasure hunt. One team hides the treasure, and the other seeks it. It will save us time and it will be more enjoyable, right?"

“No..."

In the end, it was decided by a show of hands, and everyone except Jin-Sung agreed to take part in the courage test scheduled for the next night. Jin-Sung was visibly shaken because of Joo-Han’s warning that there might really be danger, and he couldn’t hold back his tears even though he had decided not to join.

***

All of us gathered in the living room to watch the pre-release video of Newbie Crew. Initially, I had planned to watch it alone, but it seemed everyone was equally anxious about the Rings' reaction.

After noticing from the Rings' comments that my screen time was significantly less than expected, Joo-Han suggested we watch it together and discuss why.

‘How little could my screen time possibly be?'

Since I carried the game on my own so much, I should have had a decent amount of screen time by default. However, the preview from Newbie Crew made it clear that even solo efforts could be overshadowed.

“Wow, that's really unfair. They've used Suh Hyun-Woo for all the promotions."

“And the thumbnail has Hyun-Woo hyung too... He barely appears in the video..."

“Even when it's Hyun-Woo hyung carrying the game, shouldn’t they at least show him in the frame? Why show the others from Hyun-Woo hyung's point of view?"

“That’s exactly my point..."

It felt like there was a deliberate underplaying of my contributions. Meanwhile, my character received the most screen time in the game. It seemed as if my character had hijacked all my real-life footage. Was my face shown for just three minutes in a thirty-minute video? Sure, the actual broadcast could be different, but the preview alone looked grim.

After watching for about twenty minutes, I realized why. I had been too quiet because I was intensely focused on the game. While my mind was a whirlwind of strategy and tactics, my voice was notably absent.

“Your character and game actions are prominent, but you barely spoke a word," Joo-Han pointed out.

“That’s true... I hadn’t noticed that at the time."

Unlike others who had plenty of lively reactions and kept the party vibe alive, my contributions went largely unnoticed.

“...Was I wrong to try so hard?"

“No, you've got to keep pushing. Some folks are all about creating a stir just for laughs. You need to keep at it. Gotta work hard and make your presence felt at the same time."

Despite our efforts, I feared our upcoming live raid wouldn't compensate for the lack of visibility so far. It felt like all the effort might just be going unnoticed. I was feeling really down, so I sat there quietly watching the video until the end.

Joo-Han, ever the optimist, patted my shoulder with a smile. “Hyun-Woo."

“Yeah?"

“You kept the game alive but stayed too quiet. What should we do to fix that?"

“..."

His smile sent a shiver down my spine. As I felt his hand gripping my shoulder a bit too firmly, Joo-Han leaned in and whispered softly, “You should cry."

He suggested I cry as if I was frustrated by a loss in the game. When I remained silent, he quickly added “Just kidding,” though his tone was anything but joking. He patted my back and disappeared.

“Wow, that was like an affectionate version of a smackdown. Just a pat, but seriously creepy,"

Goh Yoo-Joon mumbled to himself before heading back to his room.

I was beginning to understand why Jin-Sung thought Joo-Han was intimidating.

“Hyung, do you want to go over the video once more with me?”

After everyone else had left, Yoon-Chan stayed back to rewatch the pre-release video with me.

The mental exhaustion from filming Newbie Crew was significant, and receiving so little screen time felt deeply unfair. Therefore, I resolved that if there wasn't a good time to speak up, I'd at least try to express my frustration more visibly even if it meant shedding tears.

***

Joo-Han greeted Yoon-Chan and Jin-Sung with a smile as they returned from their swim.

“Did you go swimming this morning? I could hear you guys from all the way in my room."

“Whoa, did we wake you up?"

“No, I was about to get up anyway. As long as you guys had fun, that’s what matters."

I took another sip of my orange juice, watching Joo-Han looking noticeably relaxed and content. It was a rare break from our usual hectic schedules, and it seemed like he was making the most of this downtime along with all the members.

Though it appeared Joo-Han had been up at dawn fiddling with some music software, there was a different feel to doing something out of passion rather than under pressure.

“Hyun-Woo, the company said they’ve sent over the collaboration track with Reina. I will forward it to you, so listen to it later."

“Oh, it's already here? Thanks."

The final mix of the track I'd worked on with senior Reina had arrived. Although it was complete, it still needed the official go-ahead.

Su-Hwan promptly sent me the track file, but I set my phone aside without checking it. There was something else I needed to address first since it was already 8 PM.

“The sun’s setting." Joo-Han's comment turned Jin-Sung pale. I gave him a playful tap on the back, stood up, and grabbed the communal phone for Chronos.

“Should we start the Q-app?"

“Yeah."

“What? Are you serious? Are we really doing the courage test?"

“Yes, yes, yes, for real." Goh Yoo-Joon covered Jin-Sung’s mouth with his hand, shaking his head as he chuckled.

The time for our promised courage test with the Rings was here. Joo-Han was casually holding a piece of paper labeled 'treasure.’ He settled onto the couch.

After mounting the phone on a tripod and getting everyone seated, Su-Hwan briefed us from behind the device. “The site for our courage test is safe. There are no dangerous structures or ominous rumors. But just in case, I will be nearby, so make sure to bring your phones."

“Got it."

“Stick to the planned route. The woods are safe, but still warrant caution."

“Of course."

Su-Hwan rattled off a list of precautions, waited for our acknowledgements, then turned on the Q-app live. Thanks to earlier announcements on BlueBird, viewers flooded in much quicker than usual.

“One, two, three!"

“Hello, we are Chronos!"

The chat exploded with activity. Joo-Han wasted no time and dove right into this evening's agenda. “As we promised, we’ve set up a courage test for tonight. But we figured you wouldn’t enjoy it if we forced everyone to participate. So, Jin-Sung will opt out and, instead, he will take charge of tonight's event."

Jin-Sung nodded vigorously. Every time he nodded, his eyebrows dropped as if he was about to cry. “I really can't do this. I'm sorry, everyone. If I go there and hear even a bird chirp, I will just faint on the spot."

I nodded in agreement and added, “That’s right. We can't risk a broadcast accident by forcing Jin-Sung to go, so the four of us will form teams and proceed two by two."

“How will we form the teams?"

Goh Yoo-Joon clung to my back. “Me! I will go with Suh Hyun-Woo!"

‘Why is he like this?’ I squinted half my eyes open to look at him.

“I’ve been into a haunted house with Suh Hyun-Woo during a shoot before,” Goh Yoo-Joon confessed. “He was not scared at all."

Well, I might be scared if I actually met a real ghost.

“I’m honestly a bit worried! I want to go with someone who isn’t scared."

Joo-Han raised his hand. “I’m not afraid of ghosts either."

Goh Yoo-Joon shook his head. “No, you are the type to call out to the ghosts to make our next album a huge success. That's even scarier."

“And you’d kick Goh Yoo-Joon if he clings to you when he gets scared."

“...Then I will go with Yoon-Chan,” Joo-Han decided. “If it’s just me and Hyun-Woo, our team would be totally boring. No impact at all."

Joo-Han readily teamed up with Yoon-Chan instead of arguing. He then explained the rules of the courage test to the viewers and switched the phone on the tripod to selfie video mode.

“Now that we’ve formed teams, shall we start? Yoon-Chan and I will hide first, so Hyun-Woo and Yoo-Joon, you guys will come find us after."

Thus began the first Chronos courage test.