Impression in E Minor

89.35 FM

Kyungsoo leaned back in his chair, arms cast over his eyes, headphones on his neck, while singing along to the song currently playing. He had his glasses momentarily perched on top of his hair, donning a casual black t-shirt and, unbeknownst to others, sweats with wine and sauce stains and bare feet. Sehun, on the other hand, shuffled through the studio dancing along while giving his best of a contemporary dance interpretation of the song, he wore a washed-out hoodie that looked suspiciously big on him and loose pants and his pink plush slippers he never admitted to having bought himself but he always brought along on every trip. The song slowly came to an end and Sehun sat down in the chair opposite of Kyungsoo, putting his headphones on, while Kyungsoo pushed up the lever for his microphone and Sehun's, placing his glasses on top of his nose with the other, speaking over the last fading chords of the song, “This was half•alive’s Pure Gold. I strongly recommend checking their music out and I don’t say this because I’m a radio host. It is eleven o-two in the evening. Welcome to today's late-night show Icing on the Cake no. 58 about the very clichéness that is Stargazing. I'm your host Kyungsoo Do and this is another involuntarily part of "Kyungsoo gets weirdly attached to weird things" and today I'm joined by an all-time favourite, Sehun Oh, independent film-maker. His new movie is currently playing in chosen cinemas throughout Vancouver. You can grab tickets to his show in local libraries and second-hand shops around town or on his website, part of the fees are going to an NGO here in Vancouver. At the end of three shows, chosen randomly, Mr Oh will be attending public discussions. Welcome and let’s hope you guys stay longer with us on this beautiful late summer Saturday night. If you have questions about tonight’s show or anything else, please call us under six-oh-four-eight-nine-three-five-x-x-x or write us a message on social media.”

Sehun clapped his hands, visibly happy with the introduction, “Kyungsoo, you're flattering me. Thanks for welcoming me once again on your show—I heard the listeners missed me a lot?”

Kyungsoo grabbed the nearest crumpled paper and threw it at his guest, “Don't fall off your high horse, Sehun. For those who don't know or are new to the show: Sehun and I are best friends and he's more of a Canadian than some Canadians are despite living most of the year in Seattle.”

“Aren’t you a fake Canadian as well, having moved here after school?” Sehun poked out his tongue.

“I was born an American-Korean with Canadian citizenship. But why don’t you tell us more about your film, before we start with today’s topic, Mr O-Apostrophe-Sehun?”

Sehun placed his chin in his palm and looked at Kyungsoo who encouraged him gently, “I’d love to. I don’t know how familiar with my movies the audience is, but I’m known for those kinda home-video-ish videos, a lot of improvisation. Conceptually, I usually focus on specific people, relationships, lots of conversation, et cetera. This time, it’s no different, but I worked together with a Canadian singer-songwriter and it was basically like a charade game where I threw in the subject and I put her together with people with criminal pasts and what would come out of those conversations. It does sound weird and it was since she’s your usual 1.60m girl, big eyes, petite figure, long curly hair, hippie-esque dress, flower crown, who talked over hours with ex-criminals, prisoners and whatnot. The movie is about showing the humanity in people who are shunned by society for what they did and cannot redeem it.”

Kyungsoo intercepted the short break with a question, “Mr Oh, you told me that you chose those people on your side, meaning you chose who was interesting and willing regarding their past. You didn’t interview people associated with murder and serious criminal offences.”

The other vigorously nodded his head, barely missing the microphone, laughing abashedly while apologising, “That’s right, I focused on the people with minor offences. And that’s why people should watch my movie.” Silence ensued.

Kyungsoo chuckled, “Dear listeners who aren’t aware, Mr Oh just made finger guns into the camera directed at him. This episode is also live-streamed on our webpage, just like all the episodes with guests. Visit www.eightninethreefive.ca, everything without hyphens. We’re back after a short break. Please listen closely to Krzystof Kobylinski’s Impression In E Minor and Chet Baker’s Autumn Leaves. We’re not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Kyungsoo muted their microphones.

“Soo, how much time do I have for a toilet break?” Sehun almost stood.

Kyungsoo shook his head, he craved a cigarette real bad since he didn’t leave his place before the microphone for two hours already.

“Eight minutes, ten max,” he the info break screen for the Livestream, and rolled away from the desk, taking his empty mug with him, “Coffee?” He shouted through the open door and received a faint ‘yes’.

 

Their radio station was a small one and it looked more like a small apartment than an actual radio station, but hey, they were independent and four to six hosts, depending on the week and day. Shows usually started around six or seven in the morning, mainly just music, very short and seldom announcements, usually about soirées or matinées and the radio’s focus always lay on Jazz, Blues, and everything in between, sometimes more experimental and diving into other musical and instrumental genres. Kyungsoo, the main host, had founded the station in his apartment during his third university year together with a friend who now works as a producer and musician known publicly as LOEY, privately as Chanyeol. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol lived together during their university years after Chanyeol, majoring and minoring in a whole package of Music Production and Sound Engineering, had searched for a roommate and Kyungsoo called him. At that point, Kyungsoo had already lived with his uncle for four years. He had to move to Canada after he finished High School right away due to personal reasons, and the closest first-degree relative was his uncle in Canada, so he moved from outer Seattle to Victoria. He started his vocational training in his uncle’s restaurant as a cook and worked for two years afterwards there before he continued studies in Vancouver. He started his studies in Literature and Stage Play and moved in with Chanyeol. The other always told him he had just the voice for being a radio host and dragged him along and that’s how Kyungsoo fell in love with the radio.

 

With twenty-five, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo sent for the first time on 89.35 and everything else is history after that. The two still live together and work with two other hosts at the station.

 

Sehun won his first indie award as newcomer filmmaker while still in film school. His film isn’t that much talked about, especially since the theme was kinda taboo in public and there had been a backlash when the film received the nomination, yet still one. Kyungsoo was the first to snag an interview, since unbeknown to many Kyungsoo had the best-friend bonus and acted in the field as well.

 

Kyungsoo stepped back into the booth, coffee in hand and a lingering smell of nicotine on his clothes and his hands. Sehun was already waiting for him, reading the comments on the live chat if some came in. He pointed one out to Kyungsoo. 

 

 

real__loey [✓]: So, you’re going to tell the audience about our outing last week? 😏😏😏

 

The comment got quite the attention since a lot of people already had been excited since Sehun was announced as a guest, but the fact that Chanyeol Park dared to write from his producer account? The audacity! LOEY was better known than radio host Chanyeol after all, and a lot of people didn’t even know what he looked like, LOEY that is.

 

They knew that he produced the title track for Sehun’s documentary-style road-trip movie 3,571 km, where Sehun and Kyungsoo starred in with two of their friends. The film was highly praised when it first came out for its seriousness about the meaning of friendship for adults.

 

“This was Autumn Leaves by Chet Baker. We’re back and for everyone who just turned in, I’m joined tonight by my dear friend Sehun Oh and we talk about stargazing today. And the chat already went haywire, we’re joined in the chat by the famous producer LOEY who already exposed us,” Kyungsoo sat back in his chair, checking the chat for himself.

Sehun made heart signs into the camera, “LOEY, I’m coming to get you,” he waved his phone in front of the camera and Kyungsoo just barely saw the twitter layout before Chanyeol sent him a twitter link to his producer account so Kyungsoo could see for himself. The former had early napped on the couch in the studio apartment and seemed to be awake enough to follow the livestream. He had posted a screenshot of the livestream.

“Anyway,” Kyungsoo started again, sipping on his coffee. “How many of you're able to see the night sky without much light pollution at all? I guess we’re pretty fortunate in Canada since we’re not as closely populated as other countries. And as Loey already pointed out, we had an outing last weekend with lots of beers, a telescope and someone knowledgeable in stars. We mainly just talked about everything else in between, tried finding star formations and some well deserved ISS sightings. If you’re lucky enough and look up at the right time, you can spot the International Space Station passing overhead, but there’s also an app for it that reminds you to look up.”

“I’m very unknowledgeable in this field and I’ve been dubbed the one farthest away from being a y brain man for reasons,” Sehun still sounded offended by the statement made about him a couple of years ago.

The message in the chat came exactly within the moment when Kyungsoo started laughing, wheezing out what was mentioned in the chat.

 

 

real__loey [✓]: You’re y as long as you don’t talk. 👏👏🤣🤣🤣

Faintly in the background, roaring laughter was heard.

 

They talked for half an hour about what they had learned from their friend and at some point changed into the discussion about a new meal creation Kyungsoo had come up with a couple of weeks ago when he was visiting Sehun in Seattle.

 

“We’re getting away from the topic. Sehun,” Kyungsoo clapped his hands.

“Yes,” Sehun came out of his reverie where one viewer asked about his stance on a specific medium he wasn’t too fond of. 

“It’s almost twelve and that means we’re coming to an end for this week’s podcast. If you ever want to see the Aurora Borealis, the best time to see them is from September until March and for those of you who don’t know, you can watch the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, in the southern hemisphere from March till September. Thanks for tuning in this week again. The next song also introduces the Late Night Jazz playlist, Abusey Junction by KOKOROKO and I strongly advise you to search up the live version of that song by Brownswood Recordings, but before that, I feel like No Wyld's Shade featuring Kamauu and Like a Feeling of May by Toshiyuki Terui. Goodnight.” Kyungsoo muted the microphone for the radio but not the stream.

“Huh, really?” Sehun seemed amazed. Kyungsoo couldn’t help himself but stare incredulously at the younger.

“You’re –now it doesn't matter anyway anymore–ing kidding me, aren’t ya?”

Suddenly the door behind Kyungsoo was being opened and revealed a Chanyeol that looked like he saw a ghost. He made an ‘I’m watching you’ motion and turned around, closing the door behind him.

Kyungsoo quickly narrated down for the listeners what had just unfolded.

“Sehun, you just presented why you had been called the least y brain man, Chanyeol was the one to tell us that information last week,” he tapped with his fingers against the desk. Sehun’s eyes comically enlarged and he wordlessly removed his headphones and stood up, “Chanyeol-baby, I’m so sorry,” the outcry was picked up the microphone and the viewers spammed the chat with laughing emojis. Kyungsoo’s eyes followed the chat and he read out loud along, “'Mr Oh calls Chan baby xDD'. 'waaaait, so chan was present the whole time?!?!' Yes, Chanyeol was present the whole time, he had been here all day long. Why you ask Because we live together and he’s still putting together the Late Night Jazz playlist for tonight until three. We start the morning show later tomorrow, just a quick intro around eight this time and then the semi-regular program starts around one in the afternoon again. Tomorrow’s host is having a meeting before noon, so she’s going to be here at one until seven or eight in the evening.”

A disgruntled looking Sehun who rubbed the back of his head came back with a closely following Chanyeol. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the two are back. According to Sehun’s look, I take bets on whether he said something insensitive again and received a hit from Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo put on his best announcer voice, leaning close to the mic to enhance the fake tension. Chanyeol came to him and pulled Kyungsoo's swivel chair back and almost flopped down on Kyungsoo’s thigh sideways. "Starting bet is 10 cents and a cracker."

“Chanyeol here, a piece of advice to everyone out there dealing with their own Sehuns, whack ’em,” Chanyeol leaned into the microphone. 

“Chanyeol? We don’t promote violence here, even if I support this statement in this case,” Kyungsoo wrapped an arm around Chanyeol’s side who threw an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders to hold himself balanced.

“You guys are so mean,” Sehun whined into his microphone after he took off his cap to turn it back and placed his headphones over it again.

 

Kyungsoo announced the end of the podcast at the radio frequency and thanked everyone for listening and announced the next couple of songs Chanyeol had chosen. They let the stream running. Chanyeol leaned on his arms near the monitor and read the comments, while Kyungsoo leaned to the side on his arm and let his other hand run absentmindedly up and down his back, while Sehun was talking about what he was currently reading.

 

 

 

mroldman: My name is Herbert, I’m 78 years old and I wanted to thank you, youngsters, for this radio station. I was a jazz trumpeter in my younger days. My nephew told me about this station and the two very nice young men who run it. He is currently sitting next to me, while we sipped some whiskey listening to you. :-)

 

A big fat grin split Chanyeol’s face open, “Welcome Herbert and thank you for giving us your love. We’re on a mission to bring young and old together with our selection of songs. And if you’re living in the space of Vancouver, you can usually grab us on your radio at 89.3 or 4, even better if you manage the get the half steps on 35.”

 

 

 

you: i love how comfortable Chanyeol and host Soo seem to be with each other. xoxo from detroit

 

“They have been living together for ten years already,” Sehun answered, a loving gaze on his two friends, “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t envy them.”

“Yes, Kyungsoo was the one saving me from starving and I bet everyone in the Engineering Department envied me for getting all the homemade food delivered by Kyungsoo when he had time. Did you guys know that he studied Literature and Stage Play and now works as a screenwriter despite him having learned to be a cook beforehand?” Chanyeol started rambling about Kyungsoo and Sehun broke into a fit of laughter. Chanyeol once had exclaimed that gushing about Kyungsoo was his hobby and showed him off at every occasion.

“Why don’t you also tell them about my cringy Tumblr blog where I published my stories?” Kyungsoo half-jokingly added until he realised what he just did. “On no, I swear to God! Chanyeol!” Chanyeol knew Kyungsoo’s URL by heart and had it all ready typed out by the time Kyungsoo had finished speaking and sent it off.

“But you also wrote those great Jazz album reviews, what did you expect me to do?” Chanyeol looked genuinely curious at Kyungsoo through the screen.

“I—” Kyungsoo just shook his head.

“Kyungsoo is whipped,” Sehun bellowed away from the microphone.

 

Someone with the username loey_fangurl4518 wrote, Chanyeol raised an accusing eyebrow at that name, how was he even having fans when he was usually in the background and people didn’t even know what the producer looked like, he even once found fanfiction about himself. And he knew that Kyungsoo once wrote a very cringy one as payback after Chanyeol had exposed pictures of him during his drunk college days. And the fanfic shot through the roof, for Kyungsoo had chosen people Chanyeol gladly never worked with, but the knowledge sat deep with him.

 

 

loey_fangurl4518: is loey still here??? I luv him sooo much <3

Kyungsoo bit down on his lip, before breaking into laughter, smacking Chanyeol’s back, somewhere between his crackling laughter he wheezed an inaudible ‘fanficʼ and died again. Chanyeol, embarrassed, apologised for Kyungsoo’s sudden outburst of weirdness.

“No, he isn’t here anymore,” Kyungsoo finally answered after he had wrestled Chanyeol back on his lap after he wanted to get away, heaving a deep shaky breath.

 

But both of them were soon distracted when a viewer asked them about one album those two couldn’t have a more different opinion on and it ended in a ten-minute discussion why it was so bad or why it was so good, depending on whose side you chose.

 

Suddenly Chanyeol swung his leg over Kyungsoo’s other one, so he sat facing the camera, back completely to Kyungsoo and covered the sight. Kyungsoo managed to move the latter's arm up and slipped his head through, looking at the screen. He heard Sehun cooing and taking his phone out and definitely taking photos.

 

 

kimjongin: Great podcast as always. And Dae says hello as well 🐻

“Thanks, Nini and Dae, I’ll let you know in advance if I should visit Seattle soon,” Kyungsoo smiled in the camera, a glint of something in his eyes. Sehun looked up.

 

Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Chanyeol suddenly talked about the fact that he had to make an announcement, “Or two, it’s two. Kyungsoo will have a very special guest on the podcast and stream next weekend.”

”I do?” Kyungsoo was confused and his confused look earned him some swooning in the live chat.

“Yes, since this producer is nominated for an award and might be forced to make a public appearance sooner or later, he rather does it sooner.”

Chanyeol had been nominated recently and his chances as Loey had been high to win the award. Kyungsoo’s eyes widened.

“We schedule the stream earlier next week, around eight-nine-ish, information will follow. The guest for next week will be Loey.” Sehun unironically gasped and Kyungsoo felt his eyes bulging out of its sockets. He whisper-shouted, “Are you sure?” Both knew how much Chanyeol valued his privacy.

“Yes, yes. And the next announcement is a very simple happy birthday to a special person.”

 

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Nicole121314 #1
Chapter 5: These 3 boys bickering is non stop haha... and Kyungsoo being so serious its like in real life hehe
Teneky
671 streak #2
Chapter 5: 💗💗🌹💗🌹💗💗

It's always fun to see their interactions and the way Kyungsoo smacked Chanyeol. Aww, my poor baby! But it's easily imaginable, that's Our soo. Hehe 😉😉😈😈

'Stranded and dying Whale' - that part got me laughing like a maniac! 😂😂

As always, the boys know how to do the job and what guests to bring. I am impressed and FTISLAND's song is just wow! 🥰

What are friends for than to mock you at times, right? hehe 🤗🤗

Okay, Kyungsoo has serious mood swings lol But that's his charm, I can't complain! 😈😈

Aww, I loved the dancing scene of those two. So cute!! 🥰🥰🤗🤗

Thanks for the update! 

💗💗🌹💗🌹💗💗
Nicole121314 #3
Chapter 4: Crybaby Chanyeol is cute hahaha
Teneky
671 streak #4
Chapter 4: Yay an update! :D

Oh, I loved this chapter. :D
I thought about it and I now find the relation with Lucas! It hit me like lighting and I was like "LUCAS!"
Aww, Yeol cried but I also found it cute how Kyungsoo reacted.

Good chapter and thanks for the update!
Teneky
671 streak #5
Chapter 3: The screenplay was fun and well written if I may say so myself. I love it and can't wait for an update. <3
Teneky
671 streak #6
Chapter 2: Very cute, and I can so imagine them in the late-night radio shows xD
Teneky
671 streak #7
Chapter 1: Very cute and funny interactions, as I read it I was able to imagine it all. <3 CUTE!!!