Jun Ho’s POV

“We have eaten and we have fixed the lyrics. The most important last thing to do is to find someone who can save the OST.” I mentioned to her as we sat in front of the small campfire the staffs prepared for us.

It was already dark and the night was settling in. The weather was getting colder, hence, a blanket over our laps to keep us warm.

“We need a singer to finish it off.”

“Who do you think of? I have already thought about it,” So Eun said to me.

Of course I had one person in mind, “The person has to be clean, confident in singing high-pitched tones, a person who can sing it perfectly without difficulty…” I described him and looked at her, “Lee Jung sunbaenim.”

She nodded, as if she did not expect me to mention his name. Nevertheless, I called Lee Jung to ask his permission to sing our song. I knew he was the perfect person with the most beautiful voice.

“Hello? This is 2PM’s Lee Jun Ho,” I called and introduced myself.

He said hello and I continued with my request, “I’m composing a song for MBC’s drama OST. The melody is one and the lyrics are almost done…” Somehow, I became more nervous, “Honestly, this song… we need someone to save this song…”

“Oh, I think you have found the wrong person!” Lee Jung joked and I laughed along with it before he continued, “I’m not a doctor. I can’t save it. Come to the studio first and I’ll take a look at it, okay?”

“Yes, sunbae-nim. Thank you.”

I put down the phone and told So Eun our plans. With nervous hearts, we hurriedly packed our things and got prepared to go to his studio.

“Ah, will he like our song?” So Eun sighed and remarked as we made our way to Lee Jung’s studio in my car.

“I think he will like it,” I replied her with confidence. She did not seemed too keen on the idea and I added, “Since Lee Jung is a singer-songwriter, we can take his advice as well.”

She simply nodded to what I had said in acknowledgement.

“Nervous?”

She nodded again.

“Even more nervous than meeting the directors?”

She looked down in shame and said truthfully, “Not to that extent!”

As the cameras were turned off, I knew it was the time for me to ask her truthfully. I stared into her face while making sure my eyes were still focused on the roads while I was driving. I coughed and touched her hand briefly, “You don’t look so good.”

“Nah…” She denied but her eyes had betrayed her.

“Liar,” I remarked gently and asked again, “Is there something wrong? Have I said anything wrong? You don’t look so happy since we talked to Lee Jung on the phone.”

She bit her lips in nervousness and I knew she was not fine.

As soon as the car stopped due to the traffic, I tilted her head to look at me and questioned, “What is it, So Eun? You can tell me.”

“Well, I was just thinking…” She stuttered, “I was just thinking maybe Lee Jung isn’t suited to sing this song. I wanted a gentler voice as compared to Lee Jung’s voice – not to say Lee Jung is an amazing singer! I just hoped for someone else.”

She pouted and I resumed driving when the traffic light switched to green again. I smirked and glanced at her briefly. She was playing with her fingers as she waited for my response. I smiled cheekily, “You were hoping I will sing it.”

“You knew!” She pointed a finger at me and became exasperated, “Ugh, then why did you want Lee Jung to sing it despite knowing who I wanted in the first place!”

“But there’s something I’m not sure about,” I admitted.

“What?”

“Why did you want me to sing it?”

There was an awkward silence.

We almost reached the studio and she had not given me a proper answer. I did not repeat the question as I did not want to force an answer from her.

After a moment, she remarked, “I want you to sing my song. I want to hear the lyrics from your own mouth – your own voice.”

♪ ♫ ♬

We bought food like pig trotters and chicken for him before we entered the studio. We knocked on the door to find him at work. For a moment, I was feeling guilty for intruding his work. In any case, I bowed and greeted him, “Hello.”

After explaining the whole project idea and what was really going on in this show, he said he would take a listen to see if the song fitted him. He took So Eun’s scrapbook and played the music to see whether the lyrics suited the song – and also his voice.

I was really nervous because Lee Jung himself was a lyricist and a composer so he could tell us where we had gone wrong and what could be improvised to make it better. Or worse, he could entirely reject our offer for him to sing our song.

Occasionally, I would check So Eun’s expression as well. She was worried  but still, in anticipation.

“It’s good,” Lee Jung commented simply that it made me dubious about his true words, “I like it.”

“Really.”

He laughed and said, “Looking it from here and there, the lyrics are really well-written!” We started laying down the rules and the schedule for the song to get permission from the directors. Lee Jung was a very supportive senior so he shook my hand, “Guess we have to unite in strength then.”

“Thank you very much.”

♪ ♫ ♬

So Eun’s POV

“Where’s my car?” I scanned around the pathway and the roadsides. I placed one finger near to my lips and asked again, “Where’s my car… and manager? She’s supposed to be picking me up from the studio.”

“I know,” Jun Ho whispered, “I asked her to leave without you.”

“What? Why did you do that?”

Jun Ho did not answer my question and took me by the hand firmly. He pulled me to another carpark and swiftly took out his car keys upon reaching his car. Without taking a look at me and moving to the passenger’s seat after letting go my hand, he said, “Well, I’m taking my girlfriend home.”

I gave a small smile but frowned again, “My manager will suspect.”

“Let her be. I think she sort of knows our relationship. When I told her I was taking you home, she gave a smirk, trying to hide it from me and agreed readily.” Jun Ho shrugged and took out a bouquet of flowers from the passenger’s seat.

“What in the world…”

“For you,” Jun Ho sniffed the flowers to make sure they were still pleasant and gave it to me with both hands, “Tulips? I hope you like tulips.”

Unable to hide my happiness, I accepted the flowers and went into the car.

“Are you sure it’s convenient for you to take me home? Perhaps your dorm is out of the way…” I muttered under my breath.

He took a quick look and me and assured, “No, in fact, my dorm is really near to your apartment. Maybe around a ten minutes ride there.” After explaining, Jun Ho tried to cover his laughter for no apparent reason.

“Why are you laughing?” I questioned.

“Well, I just got reminded of a really funny incident happened a year ago,” Jun Ho did not try to cover it this time and told his story, “Back then when we were not as famous, Jun Su got locked out from our dorm because the security guard did not recognise him as one of the 2PM members. He tried calling us and the managers but no one picked up. He had to wait in the cold for almost two hours.”

“Oh my! That’s really sad! But funny too…” I laughed out loud, imagining the main vocalist of 2PM standing at the security guard post, waiting for s to come home so he could get pass his own house door.

Jun Ho smirked, “Jun Su’s self-esteem was hurt. However, Taec was really hoping Jun Su wouldn’t come home because Jun Su takes over ¾ of their room and Taec’s been unhappy for a long time!”

I nodded, “So Jun Su and Taec share one room. How about you?”

“I share one with Woo Young but he loves sleeping on the floor at the living room with Chan Sung. That means the whole room is mine!” Jun Ho seemed happy with the arrangement.

“Eh, I think you kicked the poor guy out of the room! You’re worse than Jun Su!”

“Am not! At least I’m the neatest guy among them… Well, after Nichkhun. Nichkhun is such a grandmother and a clean freak. People may misunderstand him otherwise for being too organised and well-mannered.”

“I don’t believe you! I don’t remember you cleaning the house even once before.” I argued and made a face.

“Do you want to bet?”

“Bet?”

“That my room is clean… after Nichkhun’s.”

“Alright but how would you prove it?” I challenged.

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

Jun Ho pondered for a second while keeping his eyes on the road, “I’ll show you around my dorm tomorrow.”