Yang Jeongin was beginning to think he’d never get over being perpetually nervous in the JYP building. He was a young, Busan boy who made his way to the big city of Seoul and in one the biggest entertainment companies—he would like to think he somehow earned his right to be nervous about things, thank you very much. Still, even after a few weeks, he would still spend most of his time inside the building with careful steps and a need to hide away.

 

Specifically, Jeongin found that the vocal practice rooms were the place to be. It was the perfect location to just stay by himself, singing his heart out so that he could practice without worrying about being judged. He would stay in a room located along the most isolated hallway he could find on their practice room floors. It was there that he spent most of his free time apart from regular training.

 

It was also there that he first met Hwang Hyunjin.

 

People didn’t normally enter a room they knew was occupied—and it was easy to tell if a room was occupied, too, by the light that would shine through—which meant Hyunjin definitely meant to enter the room. Jeongin was in the middle of singing when he heard the door creak open, making him immediately stop and turn towards the sound, heart caught in his throat. Was he being too loud? Did his voice bother someone?

 

Instead he was met with a look of awe on the other boy’s face.

 

“Your voice is so nice!” Hyunjin had gushed immediately, entering the room and closing the door behind him. His eyes were sparkling as he stared at Jeongin, who was still a little too shell shocked at the then stranger invading his space. “Can I stay here while you sing some more?”

 

“I—“

 

“Oh, sorry, my name is Hyunjin,” the boy interrupted to introduce himself, arm extended for a handshake that Jeongin nearly missed, but eventually took with a clammy hand. “Hwang Hyunjin. I haven’t seen you around before, but I’ve only been here a few months, anyway.”

 

Finally shaking himself out of the shock a little bit, Jeongin let go of the other boy’s hand before he held it for a bit too long and replied, “I’m Jeongin. Yang Jeongin. Uhm, I’m sort of new, too.”

 

Hyunjin nodded in understanding, “that makes sense. I’m in the dance team so I rarely get to hear the vocal trainees practice, but I’m sure I would have noticed your voice in a heartbeat if I’ve heard it before.”

 

The boy smiled brightly again, his eyes turning into little crescent shapes as he positioned himself on the chair that Jeongin ignored in favour of singing while standing up. He was actually serious about staying in the room, Jeongin realized belatedly, turning him into a nervous ball of worry once more. There was a part of him that was also secretly glad about the turn of events, too; it gave him a little bit of encouragement regarding how his voice sounded.

 

“W-what song do you wanna hear?” Jeongin mustered up the courage to ask.

 

“The song you were singing earlier sounds great,” the other boy replied with a smile. “Kim Bumsoo’s I Miss You, right?”

 

The younger boy nodded, turning away from the other before he began to sing again. It came out a bit timidly at first, still finding the entire situation bizarre in a way, before Jeongin eventually loosened up and sang freely. He stopped after a few verses and was met with an enthusiastic applause. At least, as enthusiastic as one person could make it, as Hyunjin got up from his seat.

 

“You’re really good! But ah, I have to go, I told the dance coach I’ll only disappear for a little while,” Hyunjin said, smiling cheekily as he glanced at the wall clock in the room before heading out. He stopped halfway out the door and called back, “I’ll look for you again!”

 

It turned out that Hyunjin wasn’t kidding at all when he said that. It came as a surprise when Jeongin found himself in the other boy’s presence again in the company cafeteria the next day. He was seated with Hyunjin across him, with the other boy smiling brightly as he asked for yet another song. The younger boy still couldn’t believe it—there were dozens of other trainees out there with far superior voices than he had, why was Hyunjin following him around?

 

“Sing here? In the middle of the cafeteria?” Jeongin asked, bewildered.

 

Hyunjin paused to consider this, before ultimately shrugging, “I just want to hear you sing again. I can wait till we’re back upstairs.”

 

The younger boy easily chose the latter option, dragging Hyunjin back inside his usual vocal room after they ate. It became routine, soon after. Hyunjin would pop into the room at least once a day, followed Jeongin even when the younger was just walking around, and even right before Jeongin left for the dorms sometimes. Each time, he would ask for a song with that bright smile