I looked up at the clock to see 2:00am. I sigh as I lean back in my chair and take my glasses off.

It's going to be a long night.

I rub my eyes and close them for a moment as I collect my thoughts.

"Aish!" Where am I going with this song?

Some people would call me picky and some would call me a perfectionist. Either way, the process is long to get a good result no matter what you call it.

But wouldn't I be both? Don't you have to be picky to be a perfectionist? I hear I'm "gifted" but I don't know how true this is. Did this sense of sound I have really come from nowhere? Am I really gifted? No, it comes with practice. Long hours of staying up through the night to get the perfect key and the perfect notes--all just by hearing. If I don't like it, I'll simply get rid of it. It's as simple as that. To be able to have this sense of sound isn't simple. So, no, I'm not "gifted". Everything I have came with work and more hard work. Even my voice isn't "gifted". That comes with hearing, too. I listen to myself to make sure I hit notes correctly and sing in the correct tone. I listen to the music to make sure my voice is in sync.

I stop nibbling on my pencil and lean down in my chair to write down some notes on the piece of paper in front of me. I hear someone come into the room--and feel stand over my shoulder--as I continue to write on the paper.

"Neh?"

"We have to get up early. I think you should go to bed."

I smile and look up at the voice that belongs to no other than Kibum.

"I'm almost done this song. You can go ahead. You weren't waiting for me, were you?"

"Ani, I just can't go to sleep knowing your still up! The last time you worked this late was when we had a schedule at four in the morning and you didn't sleep a wink. I had to hear you whining about how tired you were all day!" He pouts.

I laugh. "I won't complain, I promise. Besides, that won't happen. I'll be able to get in a couple of hours of sleep."

"You only get ten more minutes!"

"Kibum--"

"Five!"

"Quit nagging! I could have been done!"

"I'm not nagging! I'm just thinking about your health!" He frowns and puts his hands on his hips.

"And waking up the other members." I sigh.

He looks embarrassed and just stands there looking at me. I continue to write on my paper as I feel Kibum take a seat next to me.

"Pop, ballad, R&B?" He asks.

"Ballad." My answer

"What you do best!"

"Heh, that's what I hear!"

"What's the story behind this one, Jongie-hyun?" He says cheefully. "Nothing depressing, I hope." He adds flatly.

"That depends on what your definition of "depressing" would be." I smirk.

"Yah! Just answer my question."

"Ani, nothing depressing. It's just about a girl's voice being music to our ears." I look at him and smile.

"That sounds...nice. What brought this one? I seriously wonder where you always get your inspiration." He says.

"You would be surprised. But, actually, I was thinking about my "gift" of sound!" I laugh.

"But it is a "gift". The way your arrange the music, the tone, the notes, everything! It's liked your gifted to make perfect sounds of music!"

"Hard work, not a "gift", Kibum-ah."

"Hard work? Maybe. But I think it's more of your heart!"

"Heart? Maybe that, too." I smile.

"Well, whatever it is, something gave you a good sense of sound. But why question it? Just accept it! Your sound of music, singing, everything--is just perfect! You just have perfect sound."

"What brought me the honor of Kim Kibum's flattery and praise?" I smirk.

He smiles. "I just speak the truth, like always."

Kibum's right. Why question it? I have a good sense of sound and I'm proud to accept it.



****

(A/N: It took me awhile to figure out Jonghyun's role of sense in SHINee. The others are easy, really, but I didn't know how to capture Jonghyun's. I hope I did it well ^^ Thanks for reading!)