Stay - Stray Kids Han Jisung FF (RESQ SAGA PART 3)

39.

Soon after the live, the media was quick to write articles about me having nearly joined Itzy and it became such a big discussion that it had somehow become a trending topic on Twitter worldwide as well as the most searched thing on Naver. Due to that, JYP had decided to release a statement about it explaining everything but skipped the part about me writing the songs because I really didn't want the people to know what my songs were. I still wasn't ready to reveal it because that would mean people would get to know which songs I produced for SM artists. Some of the songs I had produced were actually very famous but I didn't want to be regarded as a producer yet.

The day we had to record with the Stray Kids boys finally arrived and we were told Jackson would be joining too since he was free that day. In a way, I was jealous because I was a big fan of him and only Lin and Soojin would be collaborating with him. It made a lot of sense, though, since Lin and Jackson were basically like siblings and Soojin was very close with the Got7 boys.

"Again!" JYP told Minho for the nth time. "Minho, we have been with your song for more than two hours now. You keep sounding restrained, let go a little!"

"I'm not used to this type of music," he said as he turned his paper with the lyrics again to start recording. 

"Minho," I called him. "Imagine you were singing this song to the person you like. Try to sound softer as if you were singing it to them."

"Alix, this isn't precisely a love song," he pointed out making everyone, including JYP, laugh.

"I know, idiot! I'm not telling you to pretend it is, just pretend you are singing it to someone else. Immediately you will sound softer," I said rolling my eyes. "Come on, we still have two songs to go."

"And Jackson's part too!" JYP said and checked the clock. "Where is he, by the way? He said he would be here an hour ago."

"Apparently something came up so he asked us to record his part last since he will be late," Lin explained. 

Shaking his head, JYP turned back around to face Minho and he started recording again. Thankfully, this time he sounded much better and he recorded it a lot quicker.

"You are a really good producer," Jisung, who was sitting beside me, said. "How many songs have you ever produced."

"I don't know... about thirty? Forty maybe?" I answered him. "I don't have a count."

"Wow! That's really impressive! You need to show me all of them!" He exclaimed.

"Jisung, Alix, stop chatting and go to the booth," JYP told us. "Who goes first?"

"Why don't you try to record both of them at the same time?" Changbin suggested. "That's how they did it the other time."

"Really?" JYP asked surprised. "Off you go, then. To the booth!"

We both then went inside and, since we were basically the same height, we set the microphone comfortably for both of us and put the headphones on.

"Jisung, you go first," JYP said and set everything. "Good luck!"

Jisung then cleared his throat and I moved to the side so he could sing comfortably. Since the booth wasn't too big, I had to stand almost in front of him, so we were making eye-contact unless either of us looked down or closed our eyes.

For the first part of his verse, he recorded it with his eyes closed. JYP seemed to be really pleased with how it sounded and he just told him to jump right onto the second part, which surprised all of us.

For the second part, he didn't close his eyes and instead looked at me in the eyes with a smile as he sang, which took me by surprise and made me slightly blush. Since the lighting inside the booth wasn't particularly blinding, thankfully, he didn't seem to notice and just went along with it.

"Okay, you need to join him now, Alix!" JYP said when he finished.

To say we were all shocked was an understatement. No one ever had been able to please JYP in terms of recording in just one go and even less for two consecutive parts.

"Dude, what the hell?!" Minho exclaimed. "How on Earth did you do it, Jisung? Teach me, master!"

"You are an idiot!" I said chuckling. "Chorus, right?"

"Yes, we'll do the adlibs and all last," JYP told me. "If you both manage to finish all of your parts in one go, I will invite you all to a barbecue."

"Okay, guys, do it!" Chan exclaimed standing up. "For the love of God, do it in one go!"

"Jisung, Alix! Jisung, Alix!" they all chanted making JYP shake his head.

JYP then played the last part of Jisung's verse so I got my timing right and I honestly didn't know where to look at. We both had memorised the song so we didn't bring a paper with the lyrics and couldn't look at it and I also found it uncomfortable to look at him, so I didn't know what to do. The added pressure of doing well on the first try wasn't exactly great either.

When I finally had to sing, I started with my eyes closed and remembered the day very vividly, happy thoughts immediately invading my mind. When he had to join me for the second part, though, he looked at me and smiled as he sang, which made me unconsciously do the same.

"Barbecue! Barbecue!" They all chanted when JYP stopped the track. "Remember you promised, PD!"