Second Try Idol

Chapter 397: Red Rouge (16)

Chapter 397: Red Rouge (16)

The filming location for "Red Rouge" was a historical drama theme park associated with a folk village.

“Just as I thought, Stew Rion can rent out a place like this without any issues.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

When we were filming the music video, we couldn’t use this location because it was being used for a historical drama shoot. Following the production team's guidance, we moved to the waiting room, changed into our costumes, and then headed to the stage setup.

“Gosh! What is this?” Joo-Han exclaimed in awe as soon as he saw the stage.

The low stage blended perfectly with the history-themed surroundings, while the tall lighting structures, red cloth draped across the set, and the carefully decorated buildings and lights created a breathtaking scene.

“...This is no joke,” I muttered, genuinely impressed by the stage before me.

“It feels like we are doing an end-of-year special stage,” Goh Yoo-Joon whispered to me and looked around with wide eyes.

He was right. The scale of the set made it feel like a major year-end show. In terms of details, it seemed even more elaborate than the year-end stage we had performed on previously. It was as if the set was loudly declaring, ‘This is the power of money!’ The dark wooden floor matched the background perfectly by completing the impressive scene.

- How do you feel about this?

A behind-the-scenes camera crew from Stew Rion’s team approached us while we were getting our hair touched up.

Goh Yoo-Joon couldn’t hold back his excitement. “I’ve heard a lot from my idol friends. They said Stew Rion’s stages are no joke.”

“Me too. Everyone talked about how amazing the Stew Rion team’s support was,” I added.

“I didn’t expect it to be this impressive, though. Seeing it in person is even more overwhelming.” Joo-Han said.

The interviewer, who was standing next to the cameraman, laughed heartily.

- Stew Rion will be thrilled to hear that. He is always involved in planning and stage design discussions.

“Really? Thanks to him, we’re going to make some amazing memories here.”

- Your costumes are very unique. Can you explain them a bit?” the interviewer asked.

“Well, it’s a fusion of the Joseon Dynasty[1] concept. Since the music video takes place around this period, we all have specific roles. For example, I am dressed as a nobleman from a prestigious family,” I explained.

Goh Yoo-Joon pointed to the flower in my hair and added, “He is just a flower boy.”

“Oh, come on. And Goh Yoo-Joon, what are you dressed as?”

“I think I’m just a commoner?” Goh Yoo-Joon said by showing off his hanbok to the camera. It was a traditional hanbok without much alteration.

In fact, our costumes were also a spoiler for "Ario 愛." In the music video, I was a nobleman, Yoon-Chan was a bodyguard, and Joo-Han was dressed as a king. However, we couldn’t dress Goh Yoo-Joon as a clown and Jin-Sung as a blacksmith without knowing how the Rings would react.

Thus, they wore different costumes. Goh Yoo-Joon wore a similar nobleman outfit with a neck tattoo, and Jin-Sung had a long, tassel-like earring in one ear.

However, Chronos' international recognition had been skyrocketing recently. It wasn’t a sudden surge but rather the result of people starting to notice the efforts and qualities they had been building up all this time. More people gradually began mentioning Chronos when discussing K-pop idols, and their music videos and albums started naturally climbing the charts.

To Stew Rion, this was the most crucial time for Chronos to succeed internationally. As more people became interested in them, appearing on Stew Rion’s channel would be a pivotal moment. His clips were a must-watch for anyone who loved K-pop

Stew Rion's channel could be the springboard that propelled Chronos to massive success. The idea that his platform could be the catalyst to elevate a beloved group was incredibly exciting for him.

To ensure that Chronos' stage would be the best it could be, Stew Rion spared no effort. He was confident that Chronos would become a much bigger group than they were now from this performance onward.

***

“Hyun-Woo, let's remove the flower.”

“Huh... What? The flower?”

“Yeah, they told me to take it out.”

I panted as I caught my breath after the first rehearsal. As soon as we stepped off the stage, the stylist approached me with a regretful expression and carefully removed the flower from my hair. She then replaced it with a wig and long tassel earring similar to Jin-Sung’s, much like the ones we used during "Sirens."

“Why? Did it look weird on the monitor?” I asked.

“I thought it was fine, but Stew Rion said you were the only one who looked cute.”

“...”

“Suh Hyun-Woo is speechless at the sudden compliment,” Goh Yoo-Joon commented as he passed by, narrating as if he were a sports announcer.

I knew it. The flower boy look was a bit much. I became relieved and headed toward the monitor. The red lighting, dark scenery, and soft candles reminiscent of a massage parlor surprisingly matched well with the "Red Rouge" concept.

“We need to be careful with the hanbok during the dance break. Joo-Han hyung, is the costume uncomfortable while dancing?”

Despite the discomfort, the dance break we prepared especially for Stew Rion’s channel looked fantastic with the hanbok. Now that I had a ponytail instead of the flower, it might actually add a nice detail to the choreography.

“Yoon-Chan, can you look at the camera for longer? There’s going to be a close-up before the camera pulls back.”

“Ah, yes!” Yoon-Chan responded promptly.

After monitoring the rehearsal with the production team, we made adjustments to any uncomfortable costumes and hairstyles. Then, we returned to the stage.

“Let’s start the main recording!”

The lights turned red again, and the moon appeared overhead. This created a perfect backdrop. We stood in formation, heads bowed, with black-clad dancers kneeling behind us.

Soon, the sound of a wind pipe and janggu[2] echoed through the air, slow and majestic as if heralding the arrival of royalty. A single spotlight cut through the dark red lighting, and my brief solo dance began.

1. The Joseon Dynasty, which lasted from 1392 to 1897, was a Korean kingdom famous for promoting Confucianism, its cultural achievements, and creating the Korean alphabet, Hangul. It’s considered a golden age in Korean history with big strides in arts and government. ☜

2. A traditional Korean drum. ☜