“Today’s session went really well, Kihyun,” his vocal coach Boah announced with a smile, and Kihyun nodded, reaching down to collect his bag. “We’ll continue next week with concert preparations, okay?”

“Sounds good,” he agreed, reaching for the door handle and opened it. “I’ll see—”

His sentence stopped abruptly at the sound of another voice. Although a little muffled with the door that separated the practice room from the studio he had been in, Kihyun was immediately transfixed by the soul in their singing. It was unlike something he had heard in a long time, and as a seasoned idol, Kihyun had come across a whole heap of talented singers.

But this voice was something spectacular.

Inquisitively, Boah rolled her chair towards his rooted spot, frowning for only just a moment. And then she grinned. “Ah, it’s Y/N.”

“Y/N?” he echoed softly, not turning to look at his teacher. “Is she an upcoming idol trainee?”

Boah’s expression fell. “No. Just someone who likes to sing. She normally uses a different practice room.”

“And you’ve not scouted her to companies yet?!” he asked incredulously, finally taking in her expression. It was hard to read. Kihyun cocked his head to the side. “She’s beyond debut ready with vocal control like that. I honestly wouldn’t bat an eyelid if you told me that she was my senior.”

“She’s not idol material,” Boah informed tersely, turning back to her desk and rearranging her belongings.

“How is she not?” Kihyun breathed, pointing towards the door repeatedly and then walking back over to Boah’s side. She avoided his gaze, which only made him more intrigued. “A voice like that could win accolades, noona.”

“I know.”

“Then?”

“It’s best you don’t pry into the situation, Kihyun. Y/N is the best singer I have in my studio. If I had magical powers, I’d have her name plastered everywhere. It’s not without trying, either. The industry isn’t looking for someone like her.”

Kihyun glanced back at the door. “Well, they should be.”

“Being an idol isn’t just on talent these days,” Boah answered, her clipped tone drawing his attention back to her face. She smiled grimly, patting his lower arm softly. “You should know.”

“I know talent when I hear it too,” he offered, his eyes lingering on the door. “Can I—”

“Kihyun, your next schedule is important. We need to go,” his manager Joonhyung called out, and with a groan, Kihyun bowed distractedly to Boah and stepped out of the room, his gaze stuck on the room with the beautiful voice.

The following week, Kihyun’s time slot with Boah had changed due to his schedule, so when he arrived, he had to wait for her current client to finish. Curiously pottering around the waiting room, Kihyun’s eyes turned to the practice rooms.

Would he hear that voice again?

“Hyung, are you going to get coffee?” he called out, not facing his manager.

“Do you want some?”

“No, I’m fine. But don’t you usually head off whilst I’m in here to take a break? You can go now if you want.”

“If you were anyone else, I’d take that as a hint of being up to no good,” Joonhyung chuckled as he got up. “I’ll be back when your session’s finished, okay?”

“See you then.”

Kihyun then headed down the hallway, peering in the small windows of each studio door. Nothing seemed to trigger him to investigate further until he turned the corner.

There it was.

He stopped outside the door, hearing the faint music of an Imagine Dragon song. Not only was his interest piqued from last time, hearing the familiar music drew him up to the door, all but pressing his ear to it. Without even thinking it through, his hand reached for the handle, twisting it so he could get a better listening experience.

However, the door was locked.

Startled by the fact he had gone so far as to interrupt someone’s training session, he stumbled back, especially when the room fell silent before him. He waited with bated breath for the door to open, but no one came forward, no doubt frustrated by his rudeness.

Groaning, Kihyun stepped forward to briskly offer an apology, his head turning when he heard someone call for him. Glancing at the door in front of him again, Kihyun sighed heavily before dashing down to the vocal studio where Boah was waiting for him.

He didn’t see the door in question had opened, where you watched his departure.

Another week went by, and Kihyun was still obsessing over your voice. He heard it in his head often, replaying it as if he was deconstructing the layers to learn from it. However, both times he hadn’t gotten a proper listen in, and he only grew frustrated. He wanted to hear it in person and confess that he was already a fan.

If he could encourage you, maybe he could help you reach out for a singing career if you wanted one. Truthfully, he had gone as far as fantasising over a duet on stage with you, humouring himself over the possibilities of working alongside such a voice.

Alas, every time he brought you up to Boah, she only grew cagey.

“Let it go, Kihyun. Y/N doesn’t need this.”

“What is so bad about her? I can’t imagine anything that would—”

“Perhaps you should stop imagining altogether. Curse you and your innate ability to hear the subtleties of vocal changes. You’re too well-trained for your own good.”

“I only have you to thank for that,” he quipped earnestly, and Boah rolled his eyes. “Noona, at least introduce me before I go mad.”

“No.”

“Why? Am I that much of a threat?”

“You know, Hoseok once complained about how you never let go of the smallest of situations to me when I used to train him. I’m starting to see why.”

Kihyun nodded. “When I get fixated on something, I don’t give up until I understand it.”

“Can’t you bend on the idea just once?”

“I want to sing with her.”

Boah’s head snapped up, gauging his expression. “You’re genuine.”

“Why would I not be?”

“People would easily take advantage of someone like Y/N. Call me protective.”

“I’m me, noona. Not some hotshot company with money to make. Just a guy who loves to sing,” he mentioned, tilting his head in hopes he could see her expression soften even just a little.

She inhaled deeply, leaning back in her chair. “You won’t do anything dumb?”

“Nothing that isn’t consented to by Y/N herself,” he vowed, holding his hand up in oath.

“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

“Or be blown away when Y/N and I harmonise perfectly together.”

“I know you’re confident in your skillset, but have you ever stopped to think Y/N might not agree?” Boah teased, and Kihyun gaped at her, pouting for effect.

“I have, actually. I had a nightmare about it two days ago.”

“I hope she lets you down gently,” Boah told him with a pat on the back before standing up. Kihyun looked up at her, and she sighed. “Coming?”

“Where?” he asked, cottoning on to what she was insinuating a second later. Leaping out of the chair, he nodded enthusiastically. “Now?”

“Y/N’s down the hall. Maybe she’ll agree to sing for you. Maybe. The same self-confidence you have isn’t something she possesses.”

Still nodding eagerly, Kihyun walked at Boah’s side with a bounce in his step. “Even a recording. I just need more of her voice.”

“Don’t we all,” Boah hummed with a wide smile, stopping outside a door. She knocked three times, and soon there was a click of the lock, and the door latched open.

Kihyun peered into the room, excited to meet you.

“Mind if we join your session today?” Boah asked, stepping inside, and Kihyun followed her in, glancing around the studio for you.

“We?” a feeble voice asked from behind him, and Kihyun spun around, finding you behind the door.

He didn’t mean to stare.

Frankly, he was confused. Sure, you weren’t at the weight level of a typical female idol, and he knew first-hand how hard it was to endure that type of diet even as someone who wasn’t overweight. He knew a lot of people who were told as trainees to lose some weight and had become successful, though. Glancing away to look at Boah’s side profile, he wondered why she was so reluctant to support you in a career of singing if it was only a slight weight issue. He knew people who had faced a whole lot worse than that.

You could easily become a Youtube sensation if the idol path wasn’t for you. In fact, he would be supportive of you remaining healthy and empowered instead of the gruelling physical life of an idol.

Just as long as the world heard your gifted voice.

“This is Kihyun. He’s a fan of yours.”

“That was my line,” he remarked, smiling loosely and holding out his hand to you. You stared at it for a moment, reaching to yank down the sleeve of your sweatshirt before taking it briefly.

“Main vocalist of Monsta X, right?” you offered, and he grinned.

“You know of me?”

“Who doesn’t around here,” you replied, flicking your gaze to Boah before smirking. “She brags about you way too much.”

“Now, now. I’m just blessed to have you both,” your teacher announced with an awkward laugh, gesturing to the small couch in the corner for Kihyun to sit with her. “And I talk a great deal about you too, Y/N.”

“She’s right. After hearing you a couple of weeks ago, I’ve wanted to know all about you,” Kihyun said honestly, and you shrunk back, nodding softly. He realised he was being too eager and smiled. “Sorry, I’m just really excited to meet you.”

“Meet me?” you repeated, and he nodded immediately. “Wow.”

“What are you working on today?” Boah wondered, and you glanced to your setup nervously, shrugging a moment later.

“Nothing much.”

“What about the song we practised last time?”

Your eyes flashed with fear, staring in Kihyun’s direction and shaking your head. “I uh—”

Starting up from the pre-chorus of Natural, Kihyun launched into the lyrics of the song he had heard you sing last week. You watched in awe as he led the way up into the chorus effortlessly, his eyebrow arching to invite you to join in.

Closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, you began to sing.