Okasian took his headphones off and threw them against the floor as the beat stopped. A groan of frustration left his lips as he tried to wrap his head around the lyrics he had been trying to spit out for the last hour. He could hear them clearly in his head, but his rapping skills couldn't seem to keep up today. As he looked at his friend's Keith troubled face at the other side of the glass, he decided that it was time to call it a night. He walked out of the booth and settled besides him on the empty rolling chair that was to his right.

« What's up, man? » Keith asked before he picked up his soft drink.

Okasian sighed. « I wish I knew. This is whack ». Indeed, everything he had recorded the last few days sounded like utter garbage. To him, at least.

Keith made a loud slurping sound with his straw as he emptied his can. « Well yeah, man. »

Okasian glared at him. « Wow, thanks bro. Can always count on you to cheer me up, » he snapped. He rolled his chair back and stood.

« Oh come on! I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but yeah, you haven't been spitting fire like you usually do,' Keith rephrased in a more considerate manner. 'It's fine, it happens to us all,' he pointed out as he grabbed for another drink.

Okasian sighed again, this time feeling a little more relieved. He wanted to sit back down and just chill with his best friend, but he knew it'd be best to just get some sleep and be over with this day.

« True..., » he finally acknowledged. « I think I'll just go get some rest now, » he then added before making his way out.

« Okay bye, bro, » Keith yelled just in time before the door closed behind the other.

Okasian felt a weight lifted off his shoulders now that he was out of the recording studio. He could now try to focus on some other stuff like... His pace became slower. Like... He stopped in his tracks. He was now realizing just how much he had been absorbed in that one thing. His art was his everything. The inability of him being able to produce it just how he'd like was distressing for that reason. He was a born perfectionist and he wasn't going to release anything mediocre to the world just for the sake of making more dough; even though, he knew he had to keep it coming.

He retrieved his walking pace as his mind kept mulling over the matter.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

« Are you ing kidding me? »

Okasian had been expecting the unexpected today for some strange reason, but he had definitely not expected that.

Palo Alto laughed loudly, followed by Keith and Reddy. « Yes I am. I actually thought it'd be a great joke to make this morning, » he managed to say through his vibrating amusement. 

Okasian frowned. He knew sarcasm when he heard it.

« Gosh, this guy has some balls... Is he for real? » He exclaimed when he recovered from the mocking. 

Keith laughed louder. « This seems pretty serious, man,' he noted with a smile dancing on his lips.

Okasian shook his head vigorously. « No, no, no. I refuse. »

Reddy put a hand on his shoulder, trying to conceal the smile that was menacing to crack his lips. « Look, I actually listened to the song he did with Zion and the one he did with that rapper Iron and it wasn't bad,» he said in a tone that failed to be convincing.

« Pfff... not bad my . He's a damn idol and you all know how I feel about collaborating with them, » Okasian reminded with scorn.

They all nodded.

« I will say though that this guy creates a lot of his stuff so I mean I guess he's kind of an artist, » Keith observed nonchalantly.

Okasian cocked an eyebrow, confused. « How the do you know that? »

« Heard it from Zion. He really likes the guy, » the younger one pointed out.

« Well good for him. My answer won't change though. It's no, » Okasian  stated as he crossed his arms over his chest. He couldn't believe that singer had the nerve to ask him to rap on one of his tracks. He wasn't about to stoop so low.

It was now Palo Alto's turn to put a hand on his shoulder. « Just think about it. He apparently really admires you and I mean it could be good publicity for you and for our whole crew,' he added with a shrug.

Okasian rolled his eyes. That will surely ruin our image. « Whatever, man. Enough of that talk. I need to record now. » He got up and started gathering his papers, seeing his friends leave the room from the corner of his eye.

He had asked them for some alone time today at the studio to try to focus better. It was now time to put that to the test. He set up everything that was needed for him to start and a few minutes later, his lips were moving to keep up with the flow of the music. His first attempt was an utter fail. The second attempt was a little better. The third another disaster. After a while, he lost count, but he knew it wasn't going to get any better. He let out his anger on his headphones again and walked out from the booth.

He knew he couldn't leave yet; that would hurt his pride too much. He let himself drop on his rolling chair and turned his laptop on again. He needed some kind of inspiration, something to spark that fire inside him and make him unstoppable. He needed music. He pressed play on the playlist of songs he had be meaning to listen to for a while and closed his eyes. As more time passed, he felt bored, none of the songs reaching him at a deeper level. He finally pressed the pause button and sighed. This slump was seriously getting the best of him. He tried to figure out what he could be doing at this point when he suddenly remembered the collaboration request he had received this morning. He caught himself laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. He couldn't believe an idol had just reached out to him with the hope that a collab would actually take place. In what world? Maybe in ing sea world. But the words of his friends came back to his mind and he couldn't help but feel intrigued. He typed in the singer's name on Spotify and clicked on the songs that Reddy had talked about. He closed his eyes again.

When he reopened them, his forehead creased as his brows furrowed. This was by no means his go-to kind of music, but it actually wasn't bad. He found himself enjoying the soft tones of the other's voice which had a way of perfectly melding with the melody. And that was deeply disconcerting to him. He had been expecting to be rolling on the floor laughing at how indigestible his music was, but he now felt more calm, weirdly soothed by what he had just heard.

« Whatever, » he said out loud for the empty room to hear. « I'm not doing it. »

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

« Glad you're doing it, bro, » Palo Alto said with the remnants of his previous laughing fit.

Okasian glared at him. « Don't get it twisted, Pal. I'm just going to meet the guy to see what he's about, » he justified as shame still ate at his core.

« Yeah, yeah, I get it. I hope it goes well. » He then sent him off with an encouraging nod.

Okasian stepped out of the van slowly, dreading the little meeting they had arranged. He'd never thought he would've found himself in that position one day; it really wasn't a place where he wanted to be. To be compromising his art like that... Although there was a reason he had accepted to give the other a chance in the end. He had heard something in his music, in his voice, that had resonated within him.

So he stepped into the little café they had chosen to meet at and his eyes instantly found him. The blonde was already sipping on an iced coffee at the back of the shop, still oblivious to his presence as his gaze was fixed on his phone.

Okasian stepped forward in a determined manner, his jaw working hard on a piece of chewing gum. He finally stopped in front of their table and let himself disgracefully plop on the empty chair.

The blonde who had seen him make his way had put away his phone in the meantime, staring directly at the one he had been so eager and so nervous to meet. « Annyeonghaseyo, my name is Kim Jong-' »

« I know who you are, » Okasian cut off, already annoyed. « Let's skip all that formal alright? ». He caught the other wincing at his swearing. Great, this is going to be just great.

Jonghyun looked down, feeling ridiculous. « Ah yeah... »

« Look, I agreed to meet you 'cause I guess I was curious... » That was the truth even if he wasn't going to outright say that he loved his voice. Okay, maybe not loved... that he liked his voice.

« Glad you agreed to meet me. » Jonghyun's lips cracked into a wide smile. « I fell upon the Orca Tape and I couldn't stop listening to it and then I listened to most of your solo stuff and the stuff of the other Cohort's members and I thought 'It's something like that that I need in my new album', » he blurted passionately.

Okasian looked at him in disbelief. Before he could open his mouth again, a waitress stopped before them.

« Can I get you anything? » she asked as she turned towards him.

The brunette took a few seconds to think. « Yeah, just black coffee. » He gave her a curt smile as she nodded. « Oh and wait, » he called just as she started to move away. « I'll take an almond croissant too,» he indicated. He had suddenly felt his sweet tooth tingling; another thing to add to the unusual events list.

« Okay, so where were we... » Okasian chewed some more on his gum. « Oh yeah you liked the Orca Tape and all, but why choose me? »

Jonghyun felt heat rush up his cheeks. He silently prayed it didn't show. « I really want you to be part of my album, the way you rap... your flow... it's just... I love it, » Jonghyun let out through his nervousness, admiration, clumsiness and starstruckness.

The older one blinked at him, slowing the pace of his jaw on the chewy substance in his mouth.

« Really?» He uttered, still trying to figure out if the other was for real.

« Yes, I really admire you, » Jonghyun went on before he bit on his lip.

, this is getting so corny. « Alright, man. I get it. But you do know that I don't collab with idols, right?»

Jonghyun felt his chest tighten at those words. He didn't want to be seen as a mere idol. He had been working really hard the last few years to show people who he truly was as an artist.

« I don't want you to collab with an idol, I want you to collab with me as an artist, » he strongly defended.

Okay this guy definitely has some balls. « Yeah but to the public's eye you're an idol and I'd be associated with that, » the brunette countered. As he saw the other's hurt face, he suddenly felt bad.

« Listen, » he started again. He sighed and gave himself a moment to organize his thoughts. « I'm not saying no, but I need more. Come to the recording studio and show me what you got, » he settled as he leaned back against his chair.

The waitress came right at that moment with what he had ordered. She then turned to Jonghyun.

« Anything else for you? » she asked.

« No, I'm fine, » he said with a smile.

She left again.

Okasian took out a napkin and spit his gum into it before rolling it into a ball. He lost no time to bite into his croissant. He hummed his contentment at the sweetness of the pastry. This little meeting wasn't all bad after all.

« Okay, deal, » Jonghyun agreed before he took his plastic cup into his hands again.

Okasian gave him a little smile. Oh well... gotta try new things right?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

« So when's your little friend coming? » Keith teased as he opened another can of his favorite drink.

Okasian rolled his eyes. « He should be here any minute, » he indicated as he looked at some of his homies' insta pages.

Both of them turned their heads as they heard knocking on the door. It suddenly opened and in came Palo Alto, followed by Reddy, JayAllDay and finally Jonghyun.

Okasian cocked an eyebrow. « What are you all doing here? » he asked as he looked at his friends. This was supposed to be a private session.

« Aaah... We just wanted to meet Jonghyun, » Reddy said with a far from subtle mischievous smile. 

The other two nodded with the same expression on their faces. Okasian wanted to punch them all.

He then turned his gaze to the intruder who didn't really stand out as much as he'd thought he would. He had on a snapback, an oversized HBA hoodie, black skinny jeans and matching Timbs. He looked quite different from the first time they met. He found himself silently approving.

« Well you met him now, haven't you? So get out, » he ordered sharply. « And you too, Keith, » he specified as he saw his friend slouch into his chair.

« What? » the one in question exclaimed. « I thought I could stay, » he loudly protested as he straightened up.

« Yeah, well no favoritism in The Cohort, » Okasian reminded. « Move, » he repeated more gently.

All four of them finally left, giving the two of them a few inquisitive glances before shutting the door.

He turned again to look at the one who was now standing at the corner of the room.

Okasian smirked. We're that intimidating, huh? « Sit, » he said as he gestured towards the chair Keith had been in a few seconds ago.

Jonghyun did just that and put his bag down on the floor. « Why didn't you want them to stay? » he then inquired.

Okasian cocked an eyebrow. Doin' you a favor, bro. « They'd just distract us with their loudness, » he outlined, deliberately leaving out the fact that they'd probably laugh at them.

Jonghyun acknowledged his words with a few slow nods. « I see... »

The older one could feel that he wasn't convinced, but there was no point making a case out of it. « Okay so what you got? » he asked.

Jonghyun picked up his bag and took out a bunch of papers and a USB flash drive. « The track's on this, » he said as he put the little device in front of the brunette.

« Alright. » Okasian took it and plugged it into his laptop. « Are you going to sing? » he then asked.

« Yeah, can I use the recording booth? »

« Sure. »

Jonghyun made his way to the booth and turned the knob. Just before entering he turned. « It's the first track named Collab # 1, » he indicated before stepping inside.

Okasian selected the file and waited for the other to get ready. When he saw the other give him a thumbs up, he pressed play.

The music started bumping through the speakers. Okasian relaxed against his chair as he heard a catchy ambient sound underlined by a heavy bass. It was kind of like... kind of like his music. He waited with a piqued interest for the other to start singing and when he did, the rapper didn't know what to think. To his ears' pleasure he was hearing the blonde live and it was truly a beautiful thing, but something was still off.

He clicked the pause button, which caused the younger one to open his eyes and give him a confused look. Okasian gestured for him to get out of the booth.

« What's going on? I wasn't even halfway through, » Jonghyun complained.

Okasian could feel his frustration, but this was necessary. « How do you feel singing this song? » he bluntly asked.

Jonghyun blinked at him, confused. « What do you mean? »

« I'm sure you had an answer in your mind when I first asked you that, » Okasian pressed.

Jonghyun suddenly looked down. « I'm not sure what you mean... »

The brunette snorted. « Did you make this song trying to please me or something? »

Jonghyun looked up again, the confusion even more clear on his features. « I... » He crossed his arms.

« No, I mean... well yeah, » he started again, « I wanted to be inspired by what you do so that we could make something good together... »

« I'm all for making something good, but you don't sound comfortable on that track, » Okasian noted squarely.

Jonghyun frowned, unsettled. He made his way to the empty chair and sat. A sigh suddenly left his lips.

« So... does this mean I blew my chance? » He shyly inquired.

Okasian's gaze narrowed. Where is all that confidence you had before? « No, » he instantly answered.

Jonghyun felt his shoulders drop at the sound of that word. « But the song is , right? »

Okasian couldn't help the smile that cracked his lips. So you can use those words too, huh? « I'm not saying that, I actually like the beat, but we need to change some things around... maybe make it a little faster to change the way you sing it, » he shared.

Jonghyun nodded in approval. « Aaah, I see what you mean... »

« Yeah? Alright, good ». The brunette smiled again. « I can tweak the track for you whilst thinking about what rap I could come up with, » he offered.

The blonde was now smiling too. « Yeah, that'd be great. »

« Okay so I'll send the new version to you in a few days and then we can meet up again, » Okasian said as he saved the track in his files.

« Thank you so much, Oka... » He stopped, making the other look at him strangely. « Um, can I call you by your first name? »

Okasian had to take a few seconds to ponder on that. He didn't want to get too familiar with the other, but he realized that in the end it wasn't really going to make a difference.

« Yeah, sure. »

« Okay. Thanks Jiyong. »

Okasian watched as the blonde went back to the booth to pick up his papers. He still wasn't a 100% convinced that he should be participating on that track, but something inside him made it feel right.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jonghyun had been staring at his screen for the last few minutes, waiting for Okasian's message. He was supposed to have sent the track half an hour ago.

Okay, calm down, Jjong. Maybe he had to discuss something with one of his friends...

He jumped as his phone started buzzing. He looked at the number, but didn't recognize it. He was almost tempted to not answer, but decided to anyways.

« Hello? »

« Yeah, Jonghyun. It's me Okasian, » the other notified.

« Oh! » Jonghyun felt his excitement pick up again. « Are you going to send me the track? »

« Not yet. I have a favor to ask, » the older one indicated.

Jonghyun frowned for a slight moment before pushing his confusion aside. « Yeah, what is it? »

« I'd like you to come to the studio right now. I need you to listen to something, » Okasian rapidly explained.

Jonghyun looked at the time. It was almost midnight. That's weird... « Yeah, okay sure, » he agreed nonetheless.

« Okay, see you soon, » Okasian concluded before hanging up.

Jonghyun went to his wardrobe and looked through his clothes. After a few seconds, he decided that fashion didn't matter right now. He'd just go in his plain black hoodie and gray sweatpants. As soon as his Timbs were on his feet, he stepped out and climbed into his car.

The drive there was about half an hour. Half an hour during which he could come up with all sorts of scenarios as to why the other wanted to see him at this hour. Before he could rack his brains some more over the matter, he was in front of the building. He stepped out of the car and made his way to the front door where he pressed on the button besides it and waited.

« Yeah? » he heard through the intercom.

« It's Jonghyun, » he said loudly.

He heard a buzzing sound and opened the door. A few flights of stairs later, he was entering the recording studio where Okasian was, a bottle of soju in his hand and a cigarette between his lips. He seemed nervous.

« What's up? » Jonghyun asked as he sat in front of him.

Okasian took a puff before lowering his cigarette. « I finished the track and started writing a few ideas for the rap and... » He took a sip of soju. « I'd like you to listen to it, » he finished as he turned to look at his papers.

Jonghyun's mouth opened to let out an almost silent Oh. And then his lips stretched into a wide smile. He was excited to hear the other rap live in front of him.

« So just press play when I'm ready, kay? » The older one indicated as he got up. He put down his drink and crushed the rest of his cigarette against the ashtray he had put near him.

Jonghyun watched him enter the booth, almost fidgeting on his seat as he waited. When the other nodded, he pressed play.

The beat resonated through the studio and Jonghyun took a few seconds to get acclimated with it. It was his, but changed in the way the other had suggested. He liked it. He suddenly heard a sharp inhale before the rapper started delivering his lines.

Jonghyun bobbed his head vigorously as the other's flow hit the beat perfectly. But then the latter stopped and he couldn't help but pout.

Okasian stepped out of the booth and made his way towards him. « What did you think? » he asked, staring right at him.

« I love it. It's perfect, » Jonghyun instantly answered with a smile.

« Tsk. It's not perfect... I guess it's alright... » Okasian acknowledged with a little smile of his own. He sat. « It's not done by the way. This bit just came out of me today and for once in a very long time, I didn't feel like it was , » he shared as he picked up his drink again.

Jonghyun's eyebrows rose. « You've been having trouble creating? »

« Yeah for a few weeks now and it's been a real pain in the , » the brunette went on.

Jonghyun acknowledged that feeling with a nod. « Well glad you got some inspiration from the track. »

« Yeah, it's cool... »

They then fell into an awkward silence, both not looking at each other as they started losing themselves to their thoughts.

« Hey would you like something to eat... or drink? » Okasian suddenly offered.

Jonghyun took a few seconds to think. He was just now realizing how long ago he had eaten. « Maybe a little something to eat... what do you have? »

« I think we have some leftover pizza from earlier. It should still taste good, » he noted with a little embarrassment. They didn't have much here.

« It'll do, » Jonghyun reassured with a smile.

Okasian got up and left the room only to come back minutes later with a plate in which he had put two slices of pizza.

Jonghyun noticed they were hot as he took the plate from the other's hand. « Thank you for heating it, » he said with a little laugh.

« Well I didn't take you for a cold pizza kind of guy so I thought it'd be good to heat it up, » the brunette joked.

They smiled at each other before Jonghyun took his first bite. It did still taste good.

« So have you composed most of your tracks yet? » The older one inquired with genuine interest.

Jonghyun nodded as he finished his second bite. « Yeah, I've been working on that album for a while now, » he shared.

« That's cool. You know, I heard a few tracks from your first album and it wasn't bad, » Okasian said before realizing how rude that sounded.

« It wasn't bad? » The blonde echoed with a chuckle. « I'm guessing that was supposed to be a compliment? »

« Yeah, definitely. I didn't mean it like that, I mean... the tracks were good, » Okasian retrieved as he purposely avoided the other's gaze.

« Thank you. It means a lot, » Jonghyun signified earnestly.

« Aish, stop that, it's nothing, » Okasian dismissed as he felt more and more uncomfortable.

« No, it's not nothing. I'm really glad you agreed to this collaboration. I don't think you understand how happy this makes me, » Jonghyun pressed with the passion he always had in his voice whenever he opened up.

Okasian blinked at him. His heart was beating faster. , this guy needs to stop. « Relax, man. It's cool, » he said trying to keep a composed demeanour.

« Okay, I get it, » Jonghyun uttered with a laugh.

Good. « I should be done soon with the rap, » Okasian indicated as he turned to his laptop. He clicked on a few things before hitting the send button. « And now you should see the new track in your inbox. »

« Cool. I should be done soon too... hopefully, » he replied with more laughter.

Okasian nodded. Yeah and then we can each get back to our lives.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

« So what do you guys think? » Okasian asked as he expectantly looked at his friends.

« Damn, bro, » Reddy let out. « That was fire, » he then added as the other two nodded vigorously.

« Yeah, seems like you finally got out of your slump, » Palo Alto nodded as he squeezed the brunette's shoulder.

« It's a shame we can't keep that for one of our tracks, » Keith remarked as he rocked in his chair.

« It wouldn't have been the same, man. It's good because it's on his track, » Okasian observed not without a little uneasiness. It made him feel weird to see that this collaboration was probably the best thing that could've happened to him right now.

« Oh so you like his work now? » Palo Alto teased with a laugh to which his friends joined in.

« I mean it's not all good... »

He couldn't help but think of some tracks he had fallen upon by accident, like Woof Woof and Colorful, but he knew that wasn't his making, that was marketing; they needed to put out those type of songs to keep up with a certain image. The tracks the other had made though on the SHINee albums were quite nice, but he wasn't going to outright say it to his crew.

« But he's got talent... » he admitted.

Howling sounds came out of their mouths, making Okasian roll his eyes in annoyance. es.

« Where's his part though? » Keith finally asked as they calmed down.

« He should be sending it to me soon, » the older one answered as he took out his phone.

No new texts. He had been eagerly waiting for the other to tell him that he was done, but it had been a few days now since he had last texted him. Yes, they now texted. They had found themselves texting each other after their last meeting just to exchange ideas and sometimes talk about other stuff.

Okasian suddenly remembered a nice conversation they had had about the music industry and how they both at times felt like quitting it all. He smiled.

« Hey, what you smiling about? » Reddy called out.

« His little friend Jjong probably sent him a cute lyric like 'Baby, my heart hurts, save me from this curse, ', » Keith mocked.

Their howling started again. Okasian abruptly stood up. He had enough.

« Why am I even friends with you guys? » he snapped before walking out of the room. He could hear them calling him back but he paid them no mind. Instead, he looked at his phone and started looking through his messages. He clicked on the blonde's number and waited.

« Hello? » he heard at the other end.

« Yeah, Jjong. It's me, Oka- Jiyong, » he rectified.

« Oh hey! »

« So um, how's the track coming up? » the older one verified as he stopped in the middle of the hallway.

« Um... » The blonde sighed. « It's um, coming along... » he added uncomfortably.

Okasian didn't need to analyze his tone too much to know what that meant. « You haven't added any verses, huh? »

He heard another sigh at the other end.

« I'm sorry, I just seem to be... I don't know what's wrong... guess your slump was contagious, » he bantered with a little laugh.

Okasian clicked his tongue. « Well your first verse inspired me so maybe listening to my part would help you, » he observed.

« Oh you finished it? » the younger one exclaimed with excitement.

« Yeah. »

« I'd love to listen to it, » he voiced in the same tone.

« Do you have some time now? » Okasian asked as he rocked on his heels.

« Yeah, I do. »

« Okay maybe we could meet up at a restaurant or something, I'm getting hungry... » the brunette proposed.

« Yeah, sure, » Jonghyun agreed with a smile the other could not see.

« I'll put the track on my phone so you can listen to it there, » Okasian said as he took out his wallet.

« Okay! »

He looked through it to find the card of a good restaurant he had gone to recently. He found it.

« Look, I'm going to text you the address of the place, okay? »

« Yeah, fine. See you soon, » Jonghyun said before hanging up.

Okasian looked at his phone, perplexed. For some reason, he had felt a weird energy coming from the other just now. He shrugged it off and made his way back to the recording studio to save the track on his phone.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They were now both sitting on comfortable mats, faced with tons of foods displayed in various plates. They were both avidly eating, having exchanged only a few words between bites since they had arrived.

Jonghyun suddenly stopped, putting his chopsticks down to think. He could feel the other's gaze on him as he looked down, but he didn't say a word just yet.

« Jjong, are you okay? » Okasian asked as he paused too.

« Yeah, yeah... It's just... I want to be honest with you, » Jonghyun gravely stated as he locked eyes with him.

Okasian's eyes widened, taken aback by the sudden change of demeanour. « Woah, okay... »

Jonghyun chuckled. « I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. I guess I'm now realizing how much this has been worrying me, » he shared in a soft voice.

« What's been worrying you? » Okasian inquired, feeling worried in turn.

The blonde took a deep breath. « I think that what's been making it so difficult for me to finalize the song is the fact that I'm really scared of disappointing you, » he admitted as he looked down to his hands.

Okasian blinked a few times, surprised. « Seriously? You had no trouble coming up with lyrics the first time, » he pointed out.

« Yeah well I had already written those before deciding I wanted you on the track, » Jonghyun revealed shyly.

« Oh... »

They fell into an awkward silence for a few seconds, both distracting themselves with their chopsticks as they thought of their present predicament.

« Don't think too much about your lyrics, » Okasian finally said. « Just concentrate on what message you want to convey as an artist, what your art's all about, » he went on with conviction.

Jonghyun nodded to show he was registering his words. « I get it... »

Okasian knew that advice wouldn't be enough. He needed a little extra push. He took out his phone and plugged in his headphones. He handed them out to the other. « Listen, » he gently ordered.

Jonghyun took the items from his hands and put on the headphones. He pressed play. His ears were suddenly submerged with the beat he had been continuously replaying the last few days. And a few seconds later, the other's voice joined in making him completely captivated. Even after the rap was over, he kept the headphones on, taking a little longer just to recover.

He finally gave them back. « Wow... » That was the only word he could say right now.

Okasian grinned, which he didn't do often around people he wasn't close to. « So you like it? »

« If wow isn't a good indicator of that, I don't know what is, » Jonghyun joked.

« True that, » Okasian agreed with a laugh. « I don't want you to feel like you have to make your parts fit with my rap, I mean I can still change it if need be, » he then pointed out.

« No, no, it's perfect. No need to change it, » Jonghyun instantly objected. « I'm not gonna lie this makes me feel a little more pressured, but I think that'll help inspire me for the rest of the track. »

Okasian stared at him for a while. He could sense the burden the other was carrying and he didn't like it at all. « Just do you, okay? » he advised.

Jonghyun stared right back at him, suddenly feeling a little emotional. But he knew it wasn't time to get sappy. « You can count on it, » he reassured with retrieved vibrancy.

Okasian smiled. « Good. »

They both started eating again before falling into pleasant conversation. Needless to say, they were definitely starting to share more than what the work required. They were getting comfortable around each other.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Okasian couldn't help the smile that suddenly crept up on his face. He was overwhelmed with satisfaction and joy as they sat there in sudden silence. They had just finished listening to the final version of Jonghyun's track in the latter's home studio and it was amazing. He had been expecting the other to step up to the plate, but he hadn't been expecting so much in all honesty. The lyrics were brilliant and the singing, perfect.

« Jjong, that is doopppe, » he let out excitedly.

The blonde grinned as he still stared at the screen of his laptop. « Thank you. »

« It just all fits so well... I'm impressed and... surprised, » the brunette then admitted as he looked at him.

« Well I'm really glad you like it, » Jonghyun voiced with utter contentment. He then turned to look at the other. « I... um... I do have a favor to ask, » he shyly said.

Okasian blinked at him, surprised. « Yeah? »

Jonghyun rubbed the back of his neck before clearing his throat. « I'd love to make this track my title track... » he softly shared.

Okasian's mouth fell open. « Oh... » He knew what that meant.

« I know I've already asked you a lot already, but you wouldn't have to perform with me every time. I can have a double title track as I did last time, » Jonghyun rapidly added.

Okasian took a few minutes to ponder on his words. His first impulse was to say no, that that was going beyond what he had signed up for, but that impulse faded. He really loved the song and believed in it and a big part of him was even flattered to see that the other loved it so much that he wanted it to be his title track. But was he ready to stand on stage with an idol?

He looked at the other and saw such anticipation in his eyes that he felt himself falter.

« Okay, » he finally said as he relaxed into his chair.

Jonghyun's eyes widened. « Really? » he exclaimed.

The brunette laughed at the other's expression. « Yes, yes. It'll be my pleasure, » he reiterated.

« Oh my god, thank you so much, » the blonde said as he bowed numerous times.

« It's cool man, » Okasian instantly uttered to calm him down.

Jonghyun stopped and gave him another smile. « You are truly incredible. »

Okasian felt himself get warmer. « Pfff, it's just part of my job. »

« I do believe you're not just doing that because you have to. You believe in the song now, » Jonghyun observed with a knowing smile.

Okasian snorted. « You know what's going on in my head now? »

« Well I mean, I don't claim to know you very well, but we've spent fairly enough time together for me to be able to figure out how you think, » Jonghyun explained.

« Is that so? » Okasian threw back. « Okay well, what am I thinking about right now? »

Jonghyun scrunched up his nose. « That's not what I meant. »

« What am I thinking about right now? » Okasian repeated, putting emphasis on every word.

The blonde didn't give himself much time to think. « You're telling yourself that I'm a cool guy after all. »

A loud laugh burst out of Okasian's mouth. « Wrong answer. I was thinking about getting cigarettes and beers, » he corrected.

Jonghyun pouted. « Okay, but I'm still right, huh? »

Okasian debated on whether or not he should be admitting to that. Aish, whatever. « Yeah, you're pretty cool. »

The younger one couldn't hide his happiness at the sound of those words. He grinned again before pushing himself up to stand.

« I can't help you with the cigarettes, but I do have a few cans of beer, » he informed.

« Okay, cool. »

The brunette watched as the other one stepped out of the room to go get the drinks. He knew he should've probably put an end to their meeting and gone back to his apartment, but for a weird reason, he didn't want to leave.

Jonghyun came back a few seconds later with cans of beer. He placed them on the little space left on the bureau facing them before sitting down again.

« Oh shoot, » he exclaimed as he was hit with realization. « Did you want something to eat? » he offered right after.

« No, beer's fine, » Okasian reassured as he opened a first can. A sigh of content left his lips after he took a sip.

« You're lucky I had those in the fridge, I don't usually drink, » the younger one shared.

« Not a drinker, huh? » the brunette teased.

« No. I can't handle alcohol very well ». Jonghyun's cheeks were now red with embarrassment.

Okasian chuckled. How cute. He froze as he realized what thought had just formed in his mind. What the ? He took a few more sips to calm himself down. It was just a momentary slip, Ji. You haven't been getting enough sleep. This rationale was solid enough for him right now.

« Are you okay? »

Okasian jumped slightly as he was taken out of his head.

« Yeah, yeah... sorry I space out sometimes. » He offered the other a smile.

« Ah, I get it. Happens to all of us. » Jonghyun extended an arm to take a can.

« So how come you have those if you're not a drinker? » the older one suddenly thought to ask.

Jonghyun smiled sheepishly. « I was really stressed out over our track and all so I succumbed to this method to calm my nerves. »

« Good thing the track's done. » Okasian then laughed openly, feeling a lot more at ease now that the alcohol was starting to kick in. It'd usually take him a lot more than that, but his lack of sleep was truly to blame here.

« So what about you? Are you finally able to create more tracks? » Jonghyun inquired.

« Not yet. But I feel like it'll be much easier now, » he replied confidently.

« Good, » Jonghyun cheered. « Can't wait to hear them. I'll probably be the first one to buy your album, » Jonghyun half-joked, half-meant.

Okasian shook his head. « No need for that. I'll send you a free copy. »

Jonghyun blinked at him, surprised. « I wouldn't feel comfortable... I'll buy it, » he finally replied.

« No. » Okasian paused. His answer came out more strongly than he'd intended. « I wouldn't feel comfortable letting a friend pay, » he then explained in a softer tone.

Jonghyun tried to hide his joy at those words, but failed. « So we're friends, huh? »

Okasian gave him a blank stare. He took another big sip of his beer to give himself a few more seconds to think. Why do I keep acting so weird?

« Yeah, yeah, whatever, » he dismissed right after.

Jonghyun laughed. « I'm glad we're friends. » And then kept on smiling. «I'm glad you gave me a chance.»

Okasian bit his lip, feeling uneasy. He's making things corny again. « I'm glad too, » he said despite himself.

« Let's cheer to my album and to yours, » Jonghyun proposed as he brought his can closer to his.

Their two cans collided and they locked eyes. « To our albums, » Okasian started.

« To our albums, » Jonghyun echoed.

They both avidly drank before putting their empty cans down.

Okasian leaned back in his chair while the other opened another can. He could still see the utter joy on the other's face. And for some strange reason, he couldn't look away. There was something about this guy that he couldn't shake off. It was unsettling him more and more, but he kept pushing it to the back of his mind.

In a few weeks this will all be over and then none of this will matter.

With that reassuring thought in mind, he opened himself another can and relaxed.