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Chapter 398: Red Rouge (17)
Chapter 398: Red Rouge (17)
It had been a long time since I felt this thrilled just by the stage setup alone. The stage was vast and imposing, stirring a mixture of awe and anticipation in all of us.
Boom. Boom.
The night wind was cold, and my breath hitched with each loud beat of the drum. It wasn't nervousness, but excitement. The stage was so well made that it was impossible not to feel exhilarated.
With numerous dancers and a resonating floor, it felt like we were moments away from charging into the palace for a rebellion. In this setting, I performed a brief solo dance. I maintained my form but added more power than usual by pausing with each drumbeat to emphasize my posture. Then the spotlight above me abruptly went out.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Jin-Sung positioned a bit away from me and took over with his solo dance. He moved to the center and performed a longer solo. I quietly moved behind Yoon-Chan, waiting for the intro of "Red Rouge" to start.
The intro was powerful and jazzy with a Western flair, and was now adorned with traditional Korean instruments. It felt slower and heavier. The dark background added to the gloomy, eerie atmosphere. The arrangement was entirely different from the aggressive and powerful original "Red Rouge."
Soon, the song began.
***
"Good job, everyone!"
"Good job! Let's move to the next filming location!"
"We’re heading to the next location!"
It was fun.
The crew hurriedly packed up and prepared to move. The members and I were lying on the stage, staring at the sky until Tae-Seong called us down. The atmosphere created by the stage made us so immersed that our expressions and emotions flowed naturally.
'This is why we perform.'
With a faint pop, the lights went out. I took a deep breath and got up. Tae-Seong offered a rough hand to me and the other to Jin-Sung.
"We need to move to the next location quickly."
"Oh, okay. ...Whoa!"
As soon as I grabbed Tae-Seong's hand, I was practically lifted to my feet. His strength was as incredible as ever. Jin-Sung immediately jumped onto his back with Tae-Seong's help as well.
"I’m running out of energy~"
"Come on, don't lie. I’m older than you, but I’m still good."
"Out of energy~"
Despite my words, Jin-Sung clung to Tae-Seong's back and refused to let go. Among us, Jin-Sung was the biggest member, yet he acted like a baby.
Tae-Seong didn't mind and carried Jin-Sung on his back while helping the rest of us up and moving to the next location. We didn't go far. It was just to another spot in the same theme park. The stage for "Ario 愛" was a pavilion floating on a pond.
If "Red Rouge" had a dark atmosphere with red cloths, "Ario 愛" was blindingly bright with lights shining from all directions. As it became darker at night, the lights became even more pronounced.
Looking at the setup, it was clear they planned filming specifically at night, but the schedule starting in broad daylight suggested they always intended for a long interview.
"If we stand there, we won't see anything," Goh Yoo-Joon said as he approached.
The lights were shining toward the pavilion from all directions. Of course, they would adjust the positions before the rehearsal, but it seemed like it would be hard for us to see the cameras or crew while dancing and singing.
‘But aren't our costumes an even bigger concern?’
"Visibility isn't the problem," I said.
"Right? It feels like we've been shooting a music video for two days."
"Even though we did a lot in one day, wasn’t it fun? Right, hyung?"
"Yeah," I nodded to Jin-Sung, feeling both exhilarated and exhausted. The interview was long, and the performance recordings took a considerable amount of time. It felt like we spent around eight hours just on Stew Rion's channel.
Despite the fatigue, it was incredibly fun, just as Jin-Sung said. When else would we get to perform on such a grand stage? It felt like being part of a movie scene.
Jin-Sung perhaps thought our conversation was over, so he leaned forward to chat with Goh Yoo-Joon. Meanwhile, I fished around for my phone, which I had carelessly tossed aside earlier.
"Oh, right."
I had been checking fan reactions on BlueBird before the recording. The screen showed a post about Chronos' segment on Pick We Up Two.
- Ah, I finally saw it... I haven’t seen the stage yet, but I watched the part with our boys. And surprisingly, Hyun-Woo was good at teaching the juniors aw
- Right? I was shocked since the members always joke about him not being persuasive.
- ???? Our boys are seniors now. I’m so proud, but can’t believe time went by so fast!
- Watching them teach the juniors made me realize they’ve grown up. It was really touching... ????
- Senior Hyun-Woo is no joke.
(Hyun-Woo explaining while the Sequence members take notes.gif)
- He claims to be bad with words but teaches really well, haha.
- Sequence members are clearly fans of Chronos lol
(A nervous, excited Aeon and Hyo-Joon from Sequence, with Hyun-Woo explaining something.gif)
I had worried about coming off as arrogant since the end of filming, but the fan reactions were positive. As for the fans of Sequence, I didn't feel the need to check their reactions. When I scrolled further, I saw comments about the other members.
- I was surprised to see Yoo-Joon teaching vocal theory so well.
- Agreed. I thought he was just naturally talented, but he taught the Sequence kids so well according to theory. You are such an amazing man, Yoo-Joon ❤️
- He must have worked so hard. The amount of effort you have put in was worth it, Yoo-Joon! I am tearing up ????
- Yoon-Chan being shy around the juniors is so cute, aww
- How can Yoon-Chan be awkward with the kids, lol
- I love how Joo-Han listens calmly and responds thoughtfully when talking to the younger members ❤️
- Jin-Sung's genius dance explanations, understood only by another dance genius lol
- ?? They say geniuses can't teach...
(Jin-Sung practicing dance with On-Sae.jpg)
I was curious about how the other members had done, and it seemed like everyone had their moments and taught well.
"We’re here. Good job, everyone."
As I turned off my phone, the van came to a stop. Joo-Han and I woke up the dozing members to head into the dorm.