Hyomin walked into the studio with Seunghyun to see Jiyong sulking while twirling in his swivel chair. He looked up with hopeful eyes and sprang to his feet upon seeing it was Hyomin.

“Wae! Why are the two of you together?” Jiyong asked even as he pulled a chair out for Hyomin. “We just happened to meet outside,” Seunghyun said as he took off his beanie and shades. He settled on the couch and picked up the song sheet. “Ahhh… how did the recording with Bom noona go?”

Jiyong explained how she had failed to tone down on the bridge so many times that they were almost going to quarrel when Bom made a quick escape. Hyomin was studying the lyrics and recognized it was one of her earliest poem – not something she was proud of. It was cheesy and reeked of teenage love – she had written it after experiencing her first love.

“I have to get this demo out by today and I need your help. I figured you might be able to capture the feeling in the lyrics, rather than Bom who was trying so hard to show off her singing prowess. Please? It’s just a demo to show how the song should be like and we’ll get a singer to record the actual one,” Jiyong pleaded.

Hyomin glanced at the two guys and gulped. “I’ve never recorded a song before… I only do musicals and it’s a bit different…”

“Just try,” Seunghyun said easily. “If it , we’ll tell you. And we won’t blame you. But just do us a favor and try.” Hyomin was still hesitating but Jiyong was blinking his eyes cutely at her now and she laughed. “Ok, I’ll try. But don’t judge me please.”

The guys gave her sometime to familiarize herself with the lyrics and melody, leaving her to immerse in the song with her headphones on. The guys settled on the couch casually, trying not to get in her way. Jiyong was flipping through the notebook again while Seunghyun tried to sneak peeks of it. Jiyong was protective over it and quickly closed it whenever Seunghyun drew too near.

Seunghyun tsk-ed his friend and stood up. “I’m getting some drinks. What do you want?” Jiyong asked for an Americano and Seunghyun plucked the headphones off of Hyomin. She looked up with wide eyes, clearly startled. “Are we recording already?”

“I’m getting drinks. What do you want?” Seunghyun asked. “Ice coffee?” Hyomin smiled and nodded. Seunghyun was about to leave the studio when Hyomin shot up from her seat again and turned to call him back. “Seunghyun-sshi! Seunghyun-sshi!”

Jiyong was puzzled why his hyung didn’t respond when she was clearly so loud. Hyomin was confused too but the answer dawned on her suddenly. “Seunghyun Oppa!” They both laughed at the comically cheerful look Seunghyun had when he turned back.

“Hyung! You’re embarrassing! You were waiting for Hyomin-sshi to call you Oppa?” Jiyong doubled over with laughter and clapped his hands. Hyomin cracked up too and pointed at the taller guy. “He was so demanding! ‘Call me Oppa, arasso?’” Hyomin smiled again. “Don’t forget my syrup.”

Seunghyun waved cheekily and left the studio. It didn’t take him long to get the drinks and head back to the studio. Just as he was reaching it, Seunghyun was surprised to see Sajangnim just outside the door, listening. Seunghyun realized that Hyomin had started singing.

Maybe it was because she wrote the lyrics, her voice conveyed a sweet nostalgia of a first love lost. Although the lyrics promised forever, she was more reflective and that lent it a whole new dimension to the song. Seunghyun could hear the sincerity in her voice and hesitated to enter the room.

Sajangnim was looking at him and pointing towards the studio. “Who’s singing? One of the trainees?” The music had stopped so the two men decided to enter the studio. Hyomin was still in the recording booth while Jiyong was at the control panel reviewing what they had just recorded. Seunghyun set the drinks down on the table and kicked Jiyong’s chair lightly to get his attention.

“Oh hyung!” Jiyong exclaimed upon seeing Yang Hyun Suk in the studio. He bowed and Hyomin was also observing from the booth. Seunghyun motioned for her to come out so she did. Yang Sajangnim turned to look at Hyomin properly. She was nervous as she wasn’t sure how YG’s CEO would react to her here in his building.

“This is?” Sajangnim asked. Jiyong smiled and patted her shoulder. “She’s my muse!” He said as he held up her notebook. “Her book is what inspired all the lyrics to the songs we recorded recently.” Hyomin was surprised with how candid Jiyong was in front of sajangnim and she could only watch silently as sajangnim took her book and flipped through it.

The questions started coming fast and furious. He wanted to know all about Hyomin and she answered every single question without hesitation. Her background, her school, her interests, her dreams and the last question caught her by surprise.

“And you like Super Junior’s songs? You don’t like YG artistes?” Hyomin turned red and shot Jiyong an accusatory glare, knowing full well that he had been the one to blab about it. “I don’t like any artistes or groups in particular. What I like are the songs they sing.” Hyomin said truthfully.

“Do you like what Jiyong did with your poems?” he asked and Hyomin shrugged. “He bought them, it’s up to him what he wants to do with them. But I have liked all the songs he’s created with my poems so far.” Her answer seemed to have pleased sajangnim and Jiyong was smiling proudly at Hyomin.

“I tell you what, write us a song. Work with the boys and write a brand new song together. Not just lifting inspiration from your past works,” sajangnim said as he picked up both the old and new notebooks.  As suddenly as he had entered the room, sajangnim retreated with both notebooks tucked snugly under his arm. Hyomin’s mouth gaped open, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Jiyong was hopping up and down in excitement, declaring that this was the greatest opportunity Hyomin would ever get in her life. He deduced that sajangnim was interested in hiring her as a lyricist. “But…” Hyomin was too stunned to really know what she wanted anymore. Amidst the overwhelming reaction from Jiyong, a calm hand settled on her shoulder and she turned to see the comforting eyes of Seunghyun.

“It’s alright, don't overthink it,” Seunghyun smiled softly. “Let’s treat it like a fun project and try to enjoy it. Who knows how it’ll turn out?” It was good that the two guys balanced each other out nicely – while Jiyong may overwhelm her, Seunghyun was around to help her push him back.

They started work immediately. Brainstorming wasn’t easy – such a deliberate attempt to write a song was awkward for everyone. Jiyong then shared how he used to get random ideas from casual conversations and Hyomin’s mind started to wander to the day’s events at the cafe earlier. Seunghyun was tinkering with some beats when Hyomin’s eyes lit up.

“Could you play that again?” Hyomin asked and Seunghyun stared blankly at her. Hyomin looked at him and sighed when she realized he had been serious about how he was going to be addressed. “Seunghyun Oppa!” she emphasized, “Could you play that again, please?” Jiyong snickered when Seunghyun smiled triumphantly and waited patiently for Hyomin to settle back in her seat. She was deep in thought and Jiyong was about to get bored when she started scribbling and humming. She looked up timidly as she sang the four lines out timidly.

“Oh! That’s a start!” Jiyong marveled at the beginnings of a catchy chorus. Seunghyun looked at the lyrics again and raised a brow. “These are your thoughts about today?”

Only the white chair that you sat in
has your scent on it
You left leaving only a heartless silence
Waiting for you, this little cafe

Hyomin nodded and put pen to paper again. “Jiyong-sshi, think you can expand on the melody? I’m not sure how we work best – melody first or lyrics first?”

It went to and fro – Jiyong expanding on the melody, Hyomin drafting out the lyrics and Seunghyun refining her words. Complaints that the key was too high; who was more suited for which part; what Seunghyun’s rap will be like…

The usual Ice Coffee, Espresso double shot
Close your eyes,
Let it slide smoothly down your throat, Music we used to love
My heart beats faster
The tremors when I first met you
The cafe helps me remember that attraction
I always helped her get the syrup
Now I hate that sticky sweetness
 

“Wae~!” Hyomin shoved Seunghyun playfully when he shared his rap and he laughed. “Sugar just destroys the true taste of coffee!” He laughed as Hyomin pouted and drank the last drops of her sweet ice coffee in an act of defiance. It was a playful atmosphere but not as chaotic as when it was just the guys. Maybe it was because a girl was there with them now.

But Seunghyun noticed too that Hyomin was not a girly kind of girl. She didn’t play with her hair or bothered too much with make-up. He was fascinated by how she would bite her lower lip when she was engrossed in her writing. Her fringe would slip down to almost cover her eyes and Seunghyun had resisted the urge to tuck that loose strand of hair behind her ear when she was writing. It was really strange for him since he had only bumped into her a couple of times and each time, they had not said much but just exchanged greetings and Jiyong would take over all conversation after that with his questions around her writings. The meeting today at the cafe had been unexpected and the usually shy Seunghyun had found his legs walking over towards her…

Hyomin yawned while slumped in her seat. It was almost midnight now but the two guys were still busy discussing the arrangement. She rested her head on the table, hoping to get some shut-eye. Seunghyun saw her eyes shut dreamily and within seconds, she was asleep with her left cheek pressed onto the table top. He smiled and motioned for Jiyong to keep his voice down. Jiyong watched as his hyung took his coat and draped it over Hyomin’s shoulders.

Jiyong smiled quietly and cocked his head to the side. Seunghyun met his questioning smile with an equally mysterious smile but both men said nothing. They had a song to complete.