IQ148 // namjoon ✔️

__NOVEMBER__

He's tried humming to himself.
Nothing.

Everytime he fails to come up with anything, he ends up leaning back in his chair and directs his grumbling towards the ceiling. He now associates the squeak of his chair with failure. He's heard the squeaking so many times at this point that it's driving him mad.

NamJoon whirls in his chair; it releases a continuous squeak as he spins in circles and the walls of his studio blend together. Maybe being in such a closed environment isn't helpful for his creative mind either.

His creative space is currently closed up.

His brain is his profession and his brain is currently not putting in the work; it's hard to thrive in a creative career when the creativity stops working. It's one of the many complications of relying on a constant output of artistry: there's not always going to be a constant input of inspiration. Sometimes, an artist needs to search for it.

With a new sense of determination, NamJoon stands from his desk chair with a final squeak before grabbing his long liner jacket and turning off the lights of his studio. He makes the short trip down the hall to another studio room.

He stops at the door of the studio titled 'Hope World' and knocks thrice. NamJoon can hear shuffling on the other side and lots of typing before the door finally opens to reveal a smiling Hoseok. He's holding the earmuffs of the headphone wrapped around his neck, expecting this to be brief so he can quickly put his headphones back on again. NamJoon can tell Hoseok is in the middle of recording.

"NamJoon!" Hoseok greets him, bright as ever.

"I just left the studio," NamJoon says. He points with a nod of his head at the studio mic set up behind Hoseok, "You busy?"

"Just recording some vocals, a few verses for the mixtape."

That's right... Hoseok is hard at work to finish his personal mixtape for release.

Not wanting to keep him for too long, NamJoon cuts straight to the point, "I'm having trouble writing this song for the next album... Do you have any ideas?"

"For the album?" Hoseok pouts and racks his brain, "Not off the top of my head. Why don't you ask Yoongi-hyung? He might be able to help."

NamJoon nods and allows Hoseok to close the door to his studio.

NamJoon nervously treks over to the Genius Lab, Yoongi's own studio, that's further down the hall. He ignores the RIPNDIP brand placemat in front of Yoongi's door with a cat holding up its two middle fingers and endearingly telling him to 'fuck off.' NamJoon rings the doorbell installed by Yoongi himself, in case he may be in the middle of producing and can't hear people knocking. After a moment, the door opens and Yoongi silently holds the door open for NamJoon to come in.

NamJoon sprawls across the couch pushed into the corner of the studio as Yoongi sits at his desk. Yoongi focuses on the monitor and clicks around with his computer mouse; he's in the middle of producing a song for the next BTS album.

"I need some advice." NamJoon exasperates as he watches Yoongi roll around his studio in his chair, trying to put this song together.

"What's up?" Yoongi asks concerned, but never breaks away from what he's doing. His work ethic is on a whole different level. Yoongi can definitely help NamJoon break through this writer's block.

"Hyung... I can't think of any lyrics."

"What can I do?"

"Hyung, please help me! I need to finish the song." NamJoon pleads with him.

Yoongi hums to himself; NamJoon can't tell if it's in thought or the melody of the song he's producing, "Why don't you try doing what you usually do when you get song ideas? Go on a bus ride or ride your bike or something. Go for a walk in Ttukseom, maybe."