<h4>Chapter 52: The Last Time (2)</h4>


    “Wow, news travels fast.” The manager grinned as he looked at his phone. Despite our best efforts to hide our newly styled hair behind hats, fans were already sharing news of our dyed hair on social media. As a result, the fans’ anticipation for our new concept was building, along with their interest in the live broadcast. This would surely boost our ratings and voting rates.


    The manager kept expressing his amazement. "Looks like I don''t need to worry about you guys. The fans are starting to move in an organized way."


    "Really?" The stylist who was fixing my hair seemed very excited. "That''s great! After all, you guys slipped up on the fan votesst time."


    "Hey, don''t touch on sensitive topics."


    "Hehe, did I hit your nerve?" Chatting amiably, the stylist quickly finished my hair as the behind-the-scenes camera turned toward me.


    - How do you feel about yourst performance?


    I smiled at the cameraman and said, "I am so excited. I can''t wait to perform and show it to the audience. By the way, do you like my new hair?"


    The cameraman nodded.


    "I wasn''t sure about this at first, but I''m getting used to it now."


    Then, Goh Yoo-Joon came over and sat on the armrest of my chair. "This guy nearly cried during the bleaching process."


    I nodded and then exined, "Yeah, it was my first time bleaching, and I thought I was going to die. It hurt so much."


    "Gosh... when will this end...? My scalp... my scalp feels like it''s on fire..." Goh Yoo-Joon exaggeratedly mimicked my reaction from that moment.


    I scowled and pushed him away. "Hey, it wasn''t that bad! You are exaggerating."


    "It''s true though. But this image suits you. You do look good." Goh Yoo-Joon teased me and ruffled my hair, so I just yed along andughed smugly. "You just realized that?"


    "Ugh, so annoying." After feigning annoyance, Goh Yoo-Joon left dramatically.


    With the behind-the-scenes camera here, other Chronos members took turns joining me. Before this, we only answered questions when the camera was in front of our faces, but we gradually got used to it, even sharing personal stories in front of it.


    When we were ready, the other trainees came into the dressing room.


    "Wow..."


    "I''ve only seen scenes like this on TV or other artists'' UTube channels..."


    The bustling dressing room left the trainees in awe, just as we had been at first.


    "Hey, don''t just stand there,e over here!" shouted our manager.


    "...Yes, sir!"


    Hearing the manager’s shout, they went to their seats immediately and started preparing for the stage.


    A few minutester, we followed our manager to the studio.


    "Chronos is entering!"


    "Hello!"


    "Oh? Chronos got some glow-up as well?" As we entered the studio, their crew took notice of our new hairstyles.


    The other groups also turned their attention to us.


    "Woah, my Hyun-Woo''s hair looks great!" shouted Ji-Hyuk as he waved. In response, I could only shoot him an awkward smile and wave back.


    Today, the studio was more colorful than usual. Other groups had also dyed their hair and put extra effort into their appearances for thest round of thepetition.


    "It really hits home that this is thest round. You all are debuting this year, right?" asked Reina as she sorted her cue cards. Immediately, her words stirred up excited murmurs around us. Somehow, it seemed like everyone present had already debuted. It was impressive how just a change in hairstyles could transform the studio''s atmosphere.


    "Not all trainees these days are good-looking, but all of you here have outstanding appearance."


    "That''s true. They must be the best groups of their agencies. It''s rare to see such uniformly attractive groups."


    As the director and Reina engaged in this conversation, the studio felt unusually warm and friendly, perhaps an effort to ease the tension of thest live broadcast. With their efforts, the studio environment became gentler than ever.


    "We will start filming soon!"


    Reina got up from her seat, and Director Kim Shin-Sik also left the studio to stand by the camera. “Alright, everyone. We’ve got a great vibe going here. But remember, it’s live on the television, so let’s keep our focus sharp and avoid any slip-ups. This is our final show, so let’s make it our best performance, the best episode ever. Countdown to recording, five, four, three... Cue!”


    The studio instantly came alive with the opening background music, apanied by the roaring cheers of the audience. Today was different from previous shows, as the audience could see everything from the beginning to the end, a departure from the usual behind-the-scenes secrecy.


    “Wee to the moment where the future stars of K-POP shine! Hi, I''m Reina, your host for <i>Pick We Up</i>. We''ve been together for over two months, and sadly, today marks our final round."


    Reina turned to each group''s leader, asking for their thoughts as they faced this final hurdle. The interviews, likely due to the live broadcast''s pace, were brief yet impactful. Reina then reminded everyone about thepetition''s theme and the importance of the viewers'' votes.


    “Since we''re live, your performance and connection with the viewers and audience are just as crucial as their votes. Keep in mind, the winning team will have the opportunity to star in a reality show by UNET."


    As Reina spoke, a stagehand signaled the start of the show. She then nced his way and smoothly transitioned to the next segment. “Let''s get rolling with the first act. Kicking things off is Ash ck, who ced sixth in ourstpetition. Ash ck, please head out and show us your best performance!"


    As Ash ck’s members appeared on the stage, their VTR started to y on the screen behind Reina. The video started with them expressing their disappointment about their ranking.


    - Sorry, hyungs.


    On-Sae’s apology cut through a tense silence, but his team members quickly cheered him up.


    - You did your best, On-Sae! No need for apologies, especially when you already performed so well!


    - Yeah, it''s not your fault, On-Sae. Don''t make it harder on us."


    Yet, their underlying sense of dejection was obvious. While teams like True Bye had made impressive gains, Ash ck had unfortunately slipped to sixth ce, sapping their morale.


    - We all could have done better. Let''s push ourselves till the very end!


    - Exactly. Even if we don''t win, let''s leave asting impression on the name Ash ck.


    The live broadcast offered an in-depth perspective on Ash ck, spotlighting their robust team spirit. Instead of pointing fingers, they were introspective and united, gearing up for thispetition with a collective front.


    <i>''I wonder why On-Sae left such a dedicated team for YU.'' </i>Ironically, this hard-working and cohesive group was on the brink of disbandment.


    Post-VTR, Ash ck''s performancemenced, seemingly drawing inspiration from our track “No Nights for Me”. Their stage was a blend of intensity and focus, their eyes not desperate for victory but eager to showcase their talents for thest time. Their sincerity was evident, and perhaps that was why the audience responded with such fervent cheers.


    Following their performance, announcer Jeong Gyu-Chan stepped in for Reina to introduce the remaining groups.


    gued by internal issues, Air Senior had a sinct VTR centered on rehearsals. Despite having improved their rank, theck of apelling original song left their performance somewhat dull and uninspiredpared to others. It was evident that True Entertainment had given up on investing in Air Senior.


    “That''s just unfair," Reinamented under her breath, revealing a rare moment of frustration to us. The disbandment of Air Senior seemed imminent to everyone.


    Next up were Street Center and Tru Bye, both in joint fourth ce. Street Center stayed true to their signature style with aid-back musical-themed song, while True Bye remained consistent in their concept, presenting a house music track[1].


    Then there was High Tension, who lived up to their big agency reputation from the start of their VTR. With significant endorsements from their idol seniors and top-notch song selection, they delivered a wless performance, bouncing back from their previous low rank—a testament to YU''s caliber. As a result of this, the crowd''s reaction was unsurprisingly ecstatic.


    “Chronos, you''re up next." We received our cue amid High Tension''s performance, so we went to prepare backstage.


    <i>‘This is it... our final performance.''</i>


    Once a distant dream, the stage had now be a familiar battleground for me, bringing us to the peak of this journey. It was a chance like no other, and also one I was determined to win.


    In truth, winning a spot in a reality TV show was less about the exposure and more a testament to our hard work. Yet, for us, it was more about proving our worth, especially in a contest with such high stakes. Therefore, I aspired to win the prestige of “first ce” more than merely for the reality show.


    “I really want us to win this," I muttered to the camera following me as we moved backstage.


    The rest of Chronos members were already there, huddled together in anticipation.


    “Alright, everyone’s here, right?" Joo-Han''s voice lifted as he rallied the members. In a familiar motion, we all joined hands, forming a circle. “Remember the team chants we always did before our group choreography evaluations in trainee days? Let’s go with that today.”


    To my right was Goh Yoo-Joon, and to my left was Han Jun. Both of them gripped my hand tightly as if in sync. “This might be thest stage for us with these members. Let''s not leave any room for regrets."


    “Okay!"


    “Let’s!”


    “Let''s debut!" We pumped ourselves up with our chant. At the same time, High Tension''s performance ended, and the VTR for Chronos started to roll. The video was close to ten minutes long, so I had nned to use this time to practice with Lee Jin-Sung. But then, Il-Seong grabbed my arm.


    “Hyun-Woo."


    “Yes? Hyung, what is it?" In the dim backstage lighting, Il-Seong pointed to a small TV setup behind the stage, wearing a knowing smile. “Take a look at that." The TV was ying the same VTR that was being shown on the stage screen.


    “The video?"


    “Yes, it''s made for the five of you to watch," said Il-Seong. Led by him, I approached the TV. On the screen, Han Jun was sitting on a chair, having an interview with a somewhat awkward expression.


    1. A music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute as a re-emergence of 1970''s disco. ?