»Chapter 05 - He

He.

It was the only word Jiyeon thought of as she saw him sitting on the big leather chair lots of bosses seems to prefer to show their authority. 

Definitely not my day.

Jiyeon frowned and pitied herself as the man she saw earlier that day stood up and gave a respectful bow. She answered him with another one and took the hand of his as he reached them out. The surface of his palm was rough and dry. Jiyeon hated the feeling - or rather, she hated the fact that she actually liked his warm hands. Woohyun's hands were always cold, although she didn't know why. Since her body temperature was usually colder than normal people, she was used to his cooling touch. It remembered her of the sweet smell of winter.

"This is Kim Myungsoo, one of the songwriters in this company." Mrs. Park, a woman in her thirties with a loosened bun decorating her dark hair, introduced them to each other.

"I am happy to meet you, Park Jiyeon." Myungsoo curled up his lips and brushed off a strand out of his sight. "I believe it's not our first encounter," He added with a knowing smile.

"The pleasure is all mine," The other uttered, hiding her distressed tune. 

Jiyeon couldn't hinder her shivering when Mrs. Park told her to work with him for the following weeks. She had offended Myungsoo a great deal and God did an impressive job to bring her as a subordinate of Myungsoo's. Stay cool and keep your head up, Jiyeon. It's in your blood, remember? She ed her hands into her jeans pockets, hiding her anxiety. "So, what is it that I have to do?" she asked tentatively.

Myungsoo shook the leather-bound notebook that show distinct signs of wear in his hand, with a smile hooked onto his face that Jiyeon couldn't quite decipher. Weariness? Hostility? How was it possible that they could both exist at the same time? "Oh, we have loads to do," he said, as though he was calculating something beneath that bleak eyes of his. "Let's waste no time, shall we? Come on. Follow me to the studio."

Jiyeon trailed along the wall of the narrow aisle that led to the studio, her eyes raked around where frames of idols this company had generated were hung onto the wall with lights illuminating them in glamorous glows above. If Suzy wasn't here, she would love this place a lot; This place where she could create the music she love, sing her soul out, expressing her dreams in every desirable way. Her eyes fastened on the biggest picture hung. Suzy. She wrestled the urge to gag at that picture - Suzy smiling as if she deserved the success she gained throughout the year. 

"Hurry up."

Tearing her gaze from that picture which left her in distaste, she quickened her pace into the soundproof studio, its door shut behind her. Her browns knitted together in displeasure. One thing she despised in life was being bossed around by people. Myungsoo, especially. This studio was spacious and had every equipment needed. She sat back against a hard plastic chair beside Myungsoo as he took out his music sheets that were yellowing at the edges out of his notebook that had been pressed between. The air went lead heavy all of a sudden. The yellowed music sheets seemed to have tickled her memories with a vague familiarity - They reminded her of how many hardships she had to go through alone to be who she was now, the continuous rejections from producers, the utter failure at hitting notes perfectly and the venomous criticisms. Jiyeon stared down at her calloused hand that showed her hard work throughout the year. She can never give up. If she can't leave, she will make Suzy do so.

The plucked guitar strings snapped Jiyeon out of her reverie. Then that was when a string of beautiful notes started soothing her eardrum that had been remorselessly tortured by the untalented musicians in cafes, which she had to leave without even finishing her cup of coffee. "The chorus sounds terrible!" she commented honestly. Apparently, she could see that her flippancy was wearing on Myungsoo's patience but she didn't really care. If he wanted a perfect work from her, he'd have to expect these comments from her. 

"Just in case you didn't know, you're not here to complain about the chorus. You're only here for the lyrics and one thing you should take note before you spill any words, you do not say a word against my song. It's my song and I do whatever I want with it," Myungsoo groaned after stopping his guitar by slapping his palm against the strings. 

Little did she know, Myungsoo had been preparing this song for a couple of years, altering it again and again, throwing crumpled music sheets across the floor each time despair hit. There was no way he was going to allow her to do anything with his tough grind. "Well, I'm expected to perfect each song produced, aren't I?"

"Well, just so you know, I'm your instructor and you're merely a tenacious trainee under me. So you listen to whatever I say."

"Change the G-minor into E sharp minor. It'll sound much better," Jiyeon said, as if everything Myungsoo just said were just the slightest breeze of air and she took no notice to it as if it wasn't a big deal. Seeing Myungsoo who wouldn't budge, she grabbed the guitar from him and played the same song again but a few changes to the notes she felt irritating to her sensitive ears.

A chill scraped up his spine when he realized how much more beautiful the piece had been after just the slightest touch my Jiyeon. His eyes widened at her. Jiyeon who noticed that from the edge of her vision quirked her lips upward cheekily. 

How's that huh, instructor? 

As soon as Jiyeon opened the door of the apartment she was living in, she sighed and collapsed on the next best sofa. Her head was dizzy and it felt as if she had run for a mile. The first day in the company was quite tiresome to her especially after a night singing at the bar.

"Are you okay?" 

Jiyeon hummed without opening her lids knowing it was only Eunjung who shared the place with her.

The older girl approached her and put down a cup of coffee on the small table near the armrest.  "I take that as a no," She said and chuckled lightly. 

Sitting down correctly, Jiyeon gulped down the energy booster and filled her grumbling stomach with the liquid until there was no drops left. She put down the cup and stood up, heading the bathroom to freshen herself. "When I come back, I want another cup of coffee. This time warmer."

"And I take that as a thank you!" Eunjung concluded with a simple smile and made her way towards the kitchen.

Jiyeon floated towards her room. It was clean and organized on the outside, but if one would look closely, they would find unmatching things inside. She didn't know why she still had her book for chemistry from her high school days on her desk, but she didn't really mind that much. The basketball her Uncle gave her lost its round form and left a deflated orange synthetic material. But there was one thing she was proud of.

Letting her silky hair fall on her shoulder, she approached the photo frame of Woohyun and her sneaking for the first time in the night. Her scarf was thick and almost hid her eyes, while Woohyun probably put on anything he could found in his drawer just so nobody couldn't see his face. She admitted,  They went ice skating in the empty ice rink where Woohyun had reserved it for the night just for the two of them. She tore her gaze to the red scarf around her thick neck that made her look as if she had bloated neck. Woohyun. He encircled it around her freezing stiff neck with his gloved hands. Even though his hands were still cold through the thick material, she didn't mind. All she had ever wished for was just him and his love.

But now, even though she had just gone through the most frustrating day with Myungsoo, Woohyun was not here to make her feel better. Not a single text, a single phone call. Nothing. 

"Am I still that woman you kept your heart with?" she whispered to herself, eyes still focusing on the picture that only brought memories that worsen her day to a further point.

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This might be (almost) the last update. Please do comment!