EVE's preparations went faster than they anticipated, and now, almost all of the songs had been recorded.
With some inevitable frustrating moments and a couple more missing socks later, EVE was now going to film their music video.
June looked at the calendar with a distressed look, biting his lips in anxiousness.
"Yo, are you alright?" Zeth asked, patting his back.
June sighed and turned to Zeth. "It's already November 1st."
Zeth smiled. "Yeah, can you believe it? We started with Rising Stars back in July, and three months later, we're filming our music video!"
June clicked his tongue. "Do you know what this means?"
"That it sucks we can't attend any Halloween parties this year?" Zeth warily asked.
"No!" June exclaimed. "It means I'm going to be Hoho in a couple of days! November 4th, to be exact."
"Oh," Zeth scratched the back of his head. "I forgot about that."
"And to add to that, my fucking sock is missing again," June ranted. "I don't know why they keep disappearing. Do you guys devour socks or something? My dirty laundry was filled with socks just yesterday!"
Zeth pursed his lips. "Look, man. I'm losing socks, too. It's just the rule of life."
"What's gotten June so heated up?" Akira asked, popping from his room.
"Nothing," June sighed, trying to calm down.
"Well, we need to go. Chul is waiting downstairs," Akira said. "Don't worry, bro. I'll buy you plenty of socks when we get our first paycheck!"
"Alright, I'll keep your word on that," June said. "Let's go."
The eight of them went out of their dorms and into the tinted van, where Chul was waiting.
"You're late," Chul said before instructing the driver to get going.
"Sorry," Jaeyong apologized. "Jisung couldn't find his sock."
Chul sighed and handed them a stack of papers. "Well, we won't have any time to orient you in the shooting set anymore, so read this."
Jaeyong distributed the papers, where the mood boards of their music video were shown.
June looked through the papers and raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise. Their Creative team definitely did a great job with the concept this time. They perfectly captured the mood of 'Oasis,' and June was genuinely excited to film it.
"We're going to a different beach this time," Chul said. "We rented the entire venue for today and tomorrow, so we'll have the place by ourselves."
"Woah, talk about the budget!" Akira exclaimed.
"Yes," Chul said. "So, make sure to do your best. It's rare for groups to have this much budget these days."
June shook his head. Of course, their group deserved a big budget. With the amount of money Azure had gained from Rising Stars, it should be a given for them to get a decent budget.
"Familiarize yourselves with the filming concept," Chul instructed. "We'll arrive in about two hours, and we'll film right away when we get there. Got it?"
"Got it."
***
They finally arrived at the beach, and it was more beautiful than the members had imagined.
The water stretched along the coastline; and since Azure had rented the entire place, it felt like a secluded paradise hidden from the hustle of the world.
It was definitely different from the beach where they had their concept shoot. If that beach felt like a vacation spot where people played beach volleyball, walked around in bikinis, and drank sweet coconuts, then this one felt more like home—where someone grew up swimming with their friends.
Surrounding the beach was lush tropical grass that climbed the edges of the cliffs that framed the cove. The vibrant greens contrasted deeply with the earthy tones of the cliffs. The scent of saltwater mixed with the sweet aroma of flowers which wrapped the area in a dreamlike atmosphere.
The water was so blue that it practically mingled with the sky. It was difficult to determine where the water ended where they were standing.
This wasn't just a beach—it felt like an island of memories. The shoreline seemed to hold echoes of childhood laughter and footprints of those who wandered its length over the years.
It was already afternoon, so the sun was almost setting, only adding to the beauty of the natural paradise.
"Was there a place like this in Korea?" Ren asked with wide eyes. "This feels like the eighth wonder of the world!"
"The Creative team tried really hard to find a suitable place," Chul said. "You can thank Rei over there for finding a place."
The eight members turned to the young woman, around the same age as them, and smiled in gratefulness.
June flashed her a bright smile, genuinely appreciative of what she had done, and Rei felt her heart skip a beat.
"Well," Chul clapped. "Time to go to your posts. You already know what to do, right?"
"Yes," Jaeyong responded. "June will start filming first."
Chul pursed his lips and nodded. "I'll be in my own tent," he said. "Don't look for me unless it's really urgent."
The members of EVE nodded.
"Meanwhile, the other members can go to that large cabin over there," Chul pointed to a beautiful wooden cabin. "You'll also be sleeping there for tonight, so choose your rooms."
The members' expressions instantly brightened when they saw their house for the night.
They ran to the cabin like little kids while June shook his head in amusement.
Chul and June were left all alone, and there was a sense of hostility in the air. They had never been alone in each other's presence aside from the time when June thought he was an intruder.
Chul nonchalantly picked on his nails while June stood there, just observing him.
"Well?" Chul asked after a while. "Are you just going to stand there? You need to change into your clothes so we won't have any delays. We need to finish all individual shoots this afternoon until the evening."
"I know," June said.
"Then, go," Chul said.
"I just have a question," June said, taking a step closer to him.
"What?" Chul raised his eyebrows, feeling strange from the way June looked at him.
"If you dislike me, then say it right to my face, manager."
