Second Try Idol

At the "Countdown" comeback stage, Chronos naturally secured first place. The Rings screamed in joy as confetti exploded all around. The members were surprised yet beamed, and they celebrated their first place. Yoon-Chan Park and Lee Jin-Sung teared up with emotion.

- Congratulations, Chronos! Please share your thoughts on winning first place!

Kang Joo-Han took the microphone at the MC’s cue. He was usually fluent in expressing his thoughts, but today, he hesitated before speaking. He wore an apologetic expression as he faced the Rings.

“Uh, thank you so much for first place. There are so many people to thank, and I'm sorry I can't mention everyone. The members worked really hard, and most of all, our Rings..."

“Kyaaaah!!!"

“You've all worked so hard. Waiting to watch us must have been exhausting and difficult, and all the members are well aware of it. We will do even better going forward. Thank you so much. We love you!"

- Alright! Thank you for your comments! Chronos, please prepare for the encore. As always, we will be back next time with Countdown alongside more music! Thank you!

With the MC's closing remarks, the encore began. Getting first place was incredibly special and moving for both Chronos and the Rings. This marked their first major achievement. Since they had gone through numerous challenges and incidents, including their trip to the US, it was more special than anything else for both the members and Rings.

***

I can barely contain my excitement as I share this. Our beloved Chronos has made a breathtaking comeback!!! And they snatched the first place right away, aah. Congratulations are in order!!! While many of you might have seen the broadcast, I wanted to capture the magic of that day in words.

On the day of the pre-recording, I was up before dawn since I was buzzing with anticipation. I caught a taxi to the broadcasting station. It was my first time at Countdown and, to my surprise, the stage was much closer and larger than I expected. It felt like stepping into another world. (I took a picture of my ticket number.jpg) I was on row 110ish.

Behind our beloved Chronos, there was a recording for Street Center. So, the Rings and Street Center fans were in front and behind me. The atmosphere was charged, though a bit chaotic as fans from both sides weren't really maintaining order (please, let's maintain order next time… 😭).

Once everything was organized a bit, the wait felt endless. But then, my boys ascended the stage with shy waves and literally stole my breath away. It felt surreal, like a scene ripped from a drama.

I stood frozen, mouth agape while clutching my Gori stick. How do people even begin to scream immediately? The members’ visuals were just otherworldly, even more mesmerizing in person than on TV.

They had transformed a lot. The cute and fresh vibe was gone, replaced by a mature, sexy allure that captivated everyone. They were divine, seductive, a bit extravagant yet marked by a touch of asceticism.

Conclusion: This performance had the best hair, make up and outfit!

Around that time, the whispers of awe from fans around me melded into a chorus of admiration. All I could hear were things like "Wow… I can’t believe the visuals I am looking at right now… Just… Wow..."

Hyun-Woo and Yoo-Joon stood out with their elaborate adornments. Yoo-Joon wore a fancy face chain, and Hyun-Woo had jewels under his eyes like in the music video. Joo-Han sported black nail polish, though it wasn't very visible on the broadcast.

Despite being a rehearsal, the members were dressed to impress, though some were in lighter attire or without some accessories. They went through the rehearsal twice. It seemed there were some kinks to iron out between Jin-Sung and Yoo-Joon, prompting ongoing discussions with the production team.

Still, whenever they caught the gaze of the Rings, the atmosphere lightened instantly. Their smiles and waves were genuinely heartwarming, and I was completely swept away by their charm.

The other members interacted with fans by checking if they had eaten or were tired. Our shy duo, Hyun-Woo and Yoon-Chan, lightly blushed at the overwhelming affection pouring out from the Rings, hahahaha.

Everyone was in high spirits throughout the rehearsals. At one point, all the members—including the usually reserved Hyun-Woo—burst into laughter. The reason? Yoo-Joon's face chain kept slipping into his mouth during the performance and sent hilarious and slightly embarrassing noises through everyone's in-ears.

Hyun-Woo was like, “Ahahahahahaha, Goh Yoo-Joon keeps spitting it out.”

LMAO I've never seen Hyun-Woo laugh like that. It was definitely a delight to witness. The laughter and camaraderie amongst the members were infectious, and it added a layer of intimacy to the event.

Anyway, the second rehearsal wrapped up. The broadcast seemed to be focusing on the members’ faces, so I can’t wait to watch their full cams on UTube.

“Phantom Spirit" is truly epic, not just when it comes to vocals but also its choreography. They are both beautiful and thrilling. Compared to “Joy,” it lacks acrobatics, but the group choreography seems even more challenging than “Parade.”

When the members came back on stage for the main recording, they looked even more glamorous... Those who hadn't worn jackets before put them on, and accessories that hadn’t been worn earlier were added. I was absolutely floored by how stunning they looked. I almost got a heart attack because they were so… GORGEOUS…

Hyun-Woo (my favorite), was literally in full bloom. Not that he isn't always, but the large, ornate earrings, jewel rings, and gems under his eyes were just flawless. He usually carries the glamor in Chronos, but he was so beautiful that I heard everyone around me praise his looks.

Hyun-Woo seemed to notice the fans' reactions and smiled knowingly before twirling around with his arms out, showing that he knew exactly what we wanted to see. It was incredibly adorable AWWWW so freaking cute 🥹 You are not usually so playful!

As I nearly cried out loud, Yoo-Joon laughed and said, "Look at him acting cute haha," and did the same spin himself. Those same-aged boys were just too cute, hahaha.

Meanwhile, Joo-Han watched them interact with Rings like a proud grandfather. He smiled warmly and clapped for the two of them, lol.

Anyway, they finished magnificently after two more recordings and descended from the stage with heartfelt greetings. It always feels like Chronos is determined to give their best performance, but this time it seemed that they had prepared more than usual... It was an overwhelmingly moving stage for me. It was the best performance and broadcast ever.

Congratulations on the well-deserved first place, boys <3 Rings will always be here, streaming and cheering for every goal you achieve... (Posted group photo of Chronos after Countdown.jpg) (Photo of Jin-Sung and Hyun-Woo after Countdown.jpg)

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The fan community of Chronos became a vibrant hub of activity as fans’ recordings and broadcast reviews were being posted on the forums one after another. The group's first full album had visually stunning and high-quality tracks that naturally generated intense reactions.

The Rings' fervor ignited immediately after the broadcast, buzzing with an energy that plastered real-time trends with everything related to Chronos and resulting in a flood of articles. This reaction underscored the overwhelmingly positive reception of Chronos's album “Phantom Spirit."

Following their triumphant comeback performance, an intriguing new post appeared on the Chronos fan website in the early hours of the next morning. The title was "Composed and Written by: Yoo-Joon, Hyun-Woo, Song by: Joo-Han." It sparked curiosity—what could this be?

Rings clicked on the link since they were curious. To their surprise, an audio file began playing unexpectedly.

- Ah, ah. Mic check. Can you hear this… haha, ah! Don't laugh, Suh Hyun-Woo.

- I wasn't laughing.

...What on earth was this?

- Eh hem. Please, no laughing. I’m serious. Turn around.

- I told you I wasn't laughing, and it wasn't funny. You are the one who is laughing, gosh.

Those were the unmistakable voices of Goh Yoo-Joon and Suh Hyun-Woo.

- Hello everyone, This is Goh Yoo-Joon.

- And I’m Suh Hyun-Woo.

- We are excited to present a song we just finished literally ten minutes ago.

- Indeed, we did.

- It took us just thirty minutes to make the song! This is our special gift for Joo-Han hyung, who usually crafts solo songs for the members.

Goh Yoo-Joon teased playfully, his voice gaining a lower tone. He was accompanied by Suh Hyun-Woo’s soft chuckles.

- We created it in thirty minutes, convinced Joo-Han hyung for just five seconds, and recorded it in ten minutes. Let’s give it a listen!

- Yes, let’s share it.

- Composed and written by Yoo-Joon, Hyun-Woo, and performed by Kang Joo-Han. The song title is "Kang Joo-Han."

‘...?’

Though Rings were still confused about what was happening, the duo’s amusing banter kept them engaged. As a gentle and beautiful instrumental began, the initial bewilderment turned to anticipation. The song named "Kang Joo-Han" was sung by Kang Joo-Han himself, and it turned out to be unexpectedly serene and poignant.

What an unusual blend!

Joo-Han sang:

♪ Woo- I am Kaaaang Joo-Han

'...?'

♪ I am foolishly searching for you

My composition file that just flew away, woah-

What was this? Despite the bizarre lyrics, the composition was surprisingly good for something crafted in just thirty minutes. The beauty of the song and the quality of the vocals made the quirky lyrics sound almost endearing.

♪ Wow woah, I~ I am

The future copyright KING

But my file just flew away↑ (off-key)

As the other four members tried to stifle their laughter, their quick breaths were audible.

- Is he actually singing this seriously?

Suh Hyun-Woo’s bewildered muttering was a testament to the spontaneity of their creation.

Rings often found Chronos’ antics baffling yet endearing.

♪ My! File!!! Ahh!

Kang Joo-Han's voice echoed as if he was truly lamenting a lost file, and the room soon erupted with Jin-Sung's hearty laughter. How chaotic.

Yet there was no explanation for why this was suddenly uploaded without any provided backstory. Rings speculated that perhaps Chronos would reveal more during their next appearance on Reina’s Hot Evening Radio or propose discussing it at the upcoming third Chronos Meeting. That way, the song’s backstory would be uncovered.

***

“Kang Joo-Han," created on a whim the previous night and became an unexpected hit among the Rings. Though it was an absurd song that had popped out of nowhere, the fans embraced it with amusement and took it as just another instance of the band's playful camaraderie.

Last night, Goh Yoo-Joon and I meticulously composed and wrote "Kang Joo-Han," following our plan. However, Joo-Han's file vanished unexpectedly amidst our creative fervor.

“..."

Silence enveloped the room for a few moments. Joo-Han quietly left Producer Do’s studio with a resigned air. He found the company's practice room for trainees and geared up to rehearse some trot music, which was his coping mechanism. Goh Yoo-Joon cleverly intervened and convinced Joo-Han to swap his trot practice for our new song. His strategy was brilliantly successful.

Joo-Han was slightly bewildered but spirited and performed "Kang Joo-Han" passionately in front of the members. He spontaneously infused the performance with impromptu ad-libs like "My! File!!! Ahh!" enhancing the humor and charm of the recording session. We captured this unique moment in an audio recording.

We played the quirky track for Manager Tae-Seong. He listened intently with his expression unchanging, but he gave a subtle nod of approval. He then quietly shared the recording with Su-Hwan, who found it so amusing that he immediately set it as his ringtone.

When we uploaded the recording to the fan website, it was met with a storm of laughter. It was evidenced by endless rows of 'hahaha' filling up the comments section. Although we were slightly embarrassed by the attention, the humor of the situation left us feeling delighted.

This evening brought a new adventure. After flawlessly wrapping up our second music broadcast of the day, we didn’t pause to rest but headed directly to the recording studio. Today marked a significant session, which was an official recording of a track sent over by Callia Lawrence. This was just another day in the life of Chronos, but there was an air of anticipation about what was to unfold.

- What brought you here?

“Oh, here? It's supposed to be a secret for now, but it might get disclosed around the time it’s broadcast... We are here to record a track that will soon be unveiled," I explained and hinted at the special nature of our visit.

We were there not just for any recording, but for an episode of the game variety show Newbie Crew, specifically for a segment titled “With the Camera.” The setup was intimate as the camera was focused solely on me, capturing every one of my nuances with close shots.

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