<h4>Chapter 185: Joy (22)</h4>


    “In terms of songposition and even during our practice sessions, we''ve all leaned heavily on Hyun-Woo," Joo-Han pointed out, setting the stage for the following conversation.


    “A sub-leader? Me?" At this moment, the collective gaze of my fellow members felt incredibly intense. I''d never felt such a heavy mantle of expectation before. When Joo-Han suggested I take on the role of sub-leader, my immediate thought was “Why me of all people?”


    It was a fair question. After all, my persuasive skills were not that good, something that all the members were well aware of. On the other hand, despite his tendency to be the joker of the group, Goh Yoo-Joon seemed more naturally equipped to manage the dynamics within the group.


    “Wow, that is such a great idea." Goh Yoo-Joon broke the ice with his characteristic ease and then added, “Joo-Han hyung has been under a lot of strain, and having a reliable person by his side to offer him assistance would undoubtedly be beneficial."


    Goh Yoo-Joon''s agreement came with a hint of relief, almost as if he was d not to be in the spotlight for the role. Following his lead, Yoon-Chan and Jin-Sung also expressed their support.


    “Hyun-Woo hyung has always been like a stage leader to us. Having him as the sub-leader sounds like a solid n," Jin-Sungmented enthusiastically, and Yoon-Chan chimed in. “We all rely on him quite a bit already."


    “Hyun-Woo''s quiet nature and non-persuasiveness are something we''ve all grown ustomed to, so it''s all good," Goh Yoo-Joon joked, only to be met with a yful outburst.


    “Ouch!" I said.


    “Yoo-Joon has always been great at looking out for the rest of us, so we did consider asking him. But after watching how Hyun-Woo led during practice, he was clearly the natural choice," Joo-Han exined his decision.


    “I''m not cut out for leadership roles," Goh Yoo-Joon said while shooting a yful nce at Jin-Sung. “Besides, Jin-Sung here doesn''t listen to anyone but Hyun-Woo!"


    “What? No, that''s not true!"


    “It''s got to be Hyun-Woo, Jin-Sung''s favorite.”


    “No, that''s not it! It''s just that Hyun-Woo is genuinely caring. Seriously, I''m not a fan of all the jokes around. I hate you, Yoo-Joon hyung!"


    Amidst Goh Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung''s light-hearted bickering, I caught Joo-Han''s eye. He offered a reassuring nod, as if to say, <i>‘Just go with whatever feels right to you.''</i>


    I responded with a smile and a nod of my own. After that, I agreed, “Alright, I will give it a shot."


    With such strong encouragement from the group, there was no real reason to refuse. Despite the exhaustion from our relentless schedule, my fatigue paled inparison to Joo-Han''s. More than anything, Joo-Han needed a dependable pir to lean on.


    For me, epting the role of sub-leader within Chronos felt more like an honor than a burden. It was a chance to contribute further to our collective growth.


    Joo-Han acknowledged my eptance with a warm smile and a nod. “Thanks, I''m counting on you."


    Following Joo-Han''s lead, each member offered their words of encouragement, rallying around the new decision.


    The manager stated, “With Hyun-Woo taking on the sub-leader role, I will make sure to inform thepany. We have to prepare a bit before the official announcement."


    "Got it!"


    Right before theunch of our second mini album schedule, I stepped into my new role as Chronos''s sub-leader.


    ***


    Whether by coincidence or a pre-arranged agreement between YMM and the broadcastingpany, the teaser and preview clips for<i> Graduating </i>were released just two days before Chronos''s showcase. The lively and energetic theme song of <i>Graduating</i> apanied the teaser, which highlighted the most dynamic and joyful moments from the filming.


    The montage included scenes like the lunchbox sharing with Chronos and the students of Memory High, the sports festival events, and the broom fights among the students in the absence of Chronos. Then, the music stopped, and the screen darkened.


    [And then...]


    The screen transitioned with subtitles glowing in an emotionally charged, twinkling pink.


    [The bonds of friendship deepen...]


    The background music shifted to a touching melody, showcasing a tired Suh Hyun-Woo getting aforting shoulder rub from Jeong Hee-Su, with a faint smile gracing Suh Hyun-Woo''s face.


    [Experiencing ''togetherness'' for the first time]


    Edited with a poignant touch, scenes of students engaging in conversations, ying around desks, and taking leisurely walks on the school field unfolded.


    - Ah, this reminds me of my school days. It was just as noisy and bustling.


    A snippet from Goh Yoo-Jun''s first-day interview was shown, followed by Suh Hyun-Woo''s candid reflection.


    - I used to drag myself to school, sleep-deprived from endless practice sessions. School felt like a ce where you had to endure exhaustion and push through hardship. But now...


    Then, Yoo Joon-Hwan’s interview was added to the clip, echoing a sentiment of newfound ease andfort.


    - The fear of heading to school has vanished.


    The teaser skillfully avoided directly showcasing the Chronos duo, yet deftly integrated glimpses of Suh Hyun-Woo and Goh Yoo-Jun into the narrative. Their presence was seamlessly woven throughout.


    With KEW''s track record of delivering highly anticipated variety shows, the editing was impactful,plemented by an extensive promotional campaign. As a result, “Graduating<i>” </i>and “Chronos” swiftly ascended the real-time search rankings and trended on BlueBird, captivating audiences and igniting widespread interest.


    - A... The kids wrestling at the sports festival in the teaser, those are our kids.


    - LOL, why are you even happy about that?


    - School uniforms, gym clothes, and the whole high school vibe... I''m totally hooked from the first episode.


    - Seriously...I knew it was a school-themed variety show, but seeing it in action is just a killer. It''s too good... Someone, exin to me why this is absolutely perfect... I need to turn on the Q-app right now...


    Hours after the teaser''s release, KEW, as if rowing a boat swiftly, uploaded a sneak peek video on the newly minted <i>UTube</i> channel for<i> Graduating.</i>


    The first video spotlighted the popr singer and homeroom teacher of Memory High, Kun-Ho, looking visibly nervous as he painstakingly memorized each student''s name and face from the attendance list. Spotting the names Goh Yoo-Joon and Suh Hyun-Woo, he murmured, "Some familiar names here."


    Then, he greeted his fellow teachers and headed to meet the students, with the camera capturing his every step.


    The second video captured the students'' initial reactions as they entered the ssroom for the first time, including the priceless moments when theyid eyes on their new ssmates.


    The third video focused on Suh Hyun-Woo and Goh Yoo-Joon during ss time.


    [A struggle to stay awake, but the relentless schedule takes its toll.]


    This caption was apanied by lubies you''d y for infants, serving as the background music. The video adorably showcased the duo nodding off with soft, soothing sound effects.


    Goh Yoo-Joon eventually sumbed to sleep, while Suh Hyun-Woo fought the urge, his head drooping despite his utmost efforts. asionally, Suh Hyun-Woo would straighten up and nudge Goh Yoo-Joon awake. These tender moments were also captured in the video.


    As multiple clips from <i>Graduating </i>were posted, Rings, who were already scouring the web after the teaser''s release, quickly discovered them.


    - Rushed over here as soon as I heard the sneak peeks were out. Going back healed and happy...^^ God bless you, everyone~


    - Wow, suddenly the world feels brighter. I am going crazyyyy. Am I really drooling over videos of them dozing off???


    - When the screen went ck, I was shocked to see my reflection! Dang, I had the blissful face of a parent watching their child...


    - LOL, our kids are getting shy as they open the ssroom door for the first time. They are practically radiating awkwardness from their entire bodies AHAHAHA.


    - I hope this boosts Chronos''s individual poprity, considering it''s a majorwork variety show.


    The efforts of the editor who toiled through the night, Chronos''s influence, and KEW''s marketing prowess started to make some waves. Because it was popr across all social media, Rings and the fans of heartwarming reality shows were increasingly looking forward to the show.


    ***


    One day before theeback showcase and just about an hour before the music video release, we gathered in a corner of the practice room for amemorative Q-app live session.


    “Let''s start with greetings and a big thank you for making us number one on the real-time search rankings."


    “Okay."


    “Let''s keep the sub-leader news under wraps for now, and only share what''s been decided about ‘Joy.’"


    “Okay!”


    The decision for me to take on the sub-leader role was quickly finalized thanks to suggestions from the manager and Joo-Han. It was an internal matter for Chronos, and thepany readily agreed, as they recognized the increasing schedules of Joo-Han


    Deeming it too premature for a public announcement, we decided to keep it unofficial for the time being. We just had ns to make it official at the fan club inauguration if the arrangement proved sessful.


    Joo-Han briefed us on what needed to be shared and what to withhold, then took his seat. The manager checked the time and fiddled with the setup phone. “We will start in a minute."


    As he spoke, the chatter that was mainly from Goh Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung subsided. After a brief moment...


    “Let''s get started."


    With that, the live notification <i>''Ding!</i>'' sounded, and I turned on the Chronos official phone to ess the live broadcast screen.


    “...”


    <i>‘Huh, fifteen hundred viewers? Wow, two thousand... Three thousand... The numbers are climbing so fast. Why are there so many people? We did announce the broadcast time, but it''s barely been a minute.’</i>


    I was astounded by the rapidly increasing viewer count, and then I sneakily showed the screen to Joo-Han, who nced at the chat before facing forward. “It''s been a while, everyone!"


    “Rings! We really missed you a lot!”


    “Let''s start with a greeting. Ready? One, two, three!"


    “Hello! We are Chronos!"


    Thements flooded in, along with a torrent of emotions from fans who had been eagerly awaiting this moment.


    — It''s been ages ?? I''ve missed this so much!


    — I''ve been longing to see you too!!!


    — I adore you guys so much! I just couldn’t wait to see you!


    — This is insane, my heart''s racing aaaaah


    — Rushed here straight after my shift ended, this is just what I needed <3


    The chat was a blur, proceeding so fast it was nearly impossible to keep up. It felt as though Rings'' enthusiasm and numbers had doubled while we were preparing for theeback.


    Joo-Han nced at the chat and then asked, “Rings, you''ve been waiting for a long time, haven''t you?"


    “Yes!!!”


    We answered Joo-Han''s question on behalf of Rings, echoing their sentiment.


    “We are back with our new song ‘?: Joy’ after ‘Parade’ and ‘Blue Room Party!’”


    “Whoaaaa!”


    “We really wanted to do this sooner, but various preparations and end-of-year stages made us keep you waiting longer than we hoped. We are truly sorry for that."


    I nodded in agreement with Joo-Han''s words and added, “But the wait was worth it. We''ve got some great tracks lined up for you."


    “Right? With just about an hour left, how is everyone feeling?"


    Joo-Han turned the question to us, and each member shared their excitement and brief thoughts on the music video we had all previewed. The interaction was heartfelt, a genuine exchange between us and the fans eagerly typing away, their anticipation palpable even through the screen.