Chapter 36

‘Sing me; Remember me; So that I could last forever - Sing Me’

Momo was on a k-drama binge again. Making up for lost times she claimed.

Jae and Dowoon were napping in their room after coming back from the studio, while Young K and Wonpil have locked themselves in Sungjin’s room for an express lyrics writing.

Since their outing at Dongkook, the boys somehow found a new lease of life and have been composing like crazy.

So, without a room to rest in, the leader ambled along till he found Momo laughing away in front of the television.

“What are you watching?” he asked her, plonking himself beside her on the sofa.

“You’re Beautiful.”

“Aah, with Park Shin Hye,” Sungjin recognized the cult idol drama immediately.

“Uhuh, and Jang Geun Suk and your sunbaes from FT Island and CN Blue.”

“You’re getting to know your Korean bands now, huh?”

“I am,” Mom grinned. “Also, the second lead, played by Yonghwa, is supposed to be from Busan.”

Sungjin laughed at how Momo was paying tribute to his own thick Busan accent.

“Yes, he was. Yonghwa is a Busan guy himself.”

“He is? Oh, I didn’t know that,” Momo said.

The two of them were speaking comfortably in Hangul. Momo very much like a native speaker now, and Sungjin in his satoori.

“She’s really cute, isn’t she? Park Shin Hye.”

“Yes, she is... but it’s such a lie,” Momo grinned.

“What is?”

“That idols live in a big huge mansions like that.”

Sungjin laughed at her candid statement.

“Yeah, this place is such a dump compared to that, isn’t it?”

“This is not a dump,” Momo protested, “and it is way cosy, don’t you think?”

“You always see the bright side of things, don’t you?”

“Isn’t it true?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sungjin shrugged. “I mean, big stars like Big Bang, they each have their own pads. We just haven’t gotten that big yet.”

“But you grow apart, if you live separately,” Momo looked at guitarist beside her. “What happens if suddenly, one of you wake up in the middle of the night with a new tune or words to sing to? Who can you share it with?”

“I don’t know. In fact, I don’t know what the future holds, to be honest,” the raspy vocalist said. “At the rate things are going now, I’d like to stay with this bunch of idiots forever. But I know time will come when we will break apart.”

Both of them stared blindly at the TV, the plot lost upon them.

“New bands will be born, old ones will die. And in this industry, by the time we are 30, that’s old enough already.”

“In Japan, there are bands that live on til they’re in their 60s. In the US too.”

“Like Journey.”

“And Aerosmith.”

“Oh yeah,” Sungjin grinned thinking of the weather-weary face of Steve Tyler. “Monkey Magik has some matured members too.”

Sungjin spoke of another well known Japanese band.

Since Tokyo, the boys have been diligently studying their foreign counterparts, knowing they still have along way to go till they can match the prowess of a matured band.

“Yes,” Momo nodded, “they’ve been around forever. The best part is, being in a band, even when you are older, you would still look cool playing your instruments instead of prancing around on stage.”

Sungjin laughed at the image of an ageing Day6 dancing on stage.

They stayed silent watching the telly til Momo spoke again.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know Day6 when I first met Brian-san,” Momo said.

“Like you said, we went with the promotions all wrong.”

“Not totally wrong. Your initial way built your credibility. It’s just now to go all out with the hype.”

“Yeah, we seriously need to work at being more popular.”

Momo looked at the leader and smiled.

“Popularity will bring you fame and fortune... that’s true. But beautiful, memorable, meaningful music will make you immortal,” Momo looked at Sungjin seriously. “Day6 will be legends, I just know it. Your songs are different. You can’t pin down a Day6 genre. Day6 is Day6. Just keep creating from the heart, and your music will live forever.”

Sungjin looked at her in wonder.

Though Momo has been around them for some time, this was the first time he actually sat and talked with her.

Really talk.

And he was surprised at how easy their conversation was going.

“I envy Young K.”

Momo cocked her head at the out of context statement.

“Not only he is a good student and ultra talented. And too good looking for his own good,” Sungjin looked at Momo with brotherly fondness. “He knows how to pick the girl too.”

Momo look down with a shy smile, knowing it was futile to hide her feelings about Young K.

The other boys have accepted who she was to Young K now.

She looked up at Sungjin with returned affection, thankful for the leader’s kind words.

“But your dancing skills still far outweigh his.”

They both know it was a lie but went to laugh at its utter silliness, non the less.

Foxi’s Notes – Sungjin is the epitome of a perfect k-pop leader. He’s calm, funny, voice never out of pitch, a disciplinarian and a perfectionist. He makes no excuse for his strong satoori accent and is proud of his Busan background. Day6 actually played tribute to it in their ‘When You Love Someone’ MV (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWQ1xOfUNYQ (3:37-4:03).

He’s a terrible dancer (lols) but revels in its sheer craziness.

Here’s our very own Bob the Dance Machine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akKcpEG3Q24) and a hilarious comparison between Bob and Mr Perfect YK (lols) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tGQNROv6to)