An hour has past, and so has Jisung's confusion.
He sat in front of the mirror he passed by earlier like that one night, where he couldn't even glance at his reflection without regret. Jisung didn't feel modest, or ruptured, or anything on that list. He was still in complete shock that his reflection is actually something he can take in.
The same hair, eyes, lips, nose, jawline, clothes, hat- everything that was normal to him didn't seem normal anymore. He smiled brightly, just taking in his reflection.
"Feeling confident huh?" He heard the familiar accent from above. He looked up from where he was sitting and faced the voice head-on. It was Chris, who was standing behind him. He must have not noticed his reflection when examining himself.
"I guess," Jisung trailed off. Hell yeah, he giggled under his breath.
"I know, I felt the same way when I saw myself as well," another voice sarcastically chuckled from the other direction. It was Changbin, who was leaning against the door that Jisung had pushed open earlier.
"You know," Chris started off, gently falling to sit next to Jisung and leaning back casually. "Self-confidence would make such a good song."
Jisung blinked curiously, turning his gaze to Changbin who then spoke next. "Right? Definitely something to write about," he giggled slightly, coming over to join the two who were examining their reflections.
"Song?" He questioned.
Chris opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Changbin. "I write songs, he produces them. It's a trainee thing."
"You guys make songs?"
"Well, not together. But yeah, it's something we both share. The ability to read music," Chris slightly smiled, showing off his imprinted dimples. "Can you read music?"
Definitely. he thought to himself. It was a special talent he had since he was younger that no one actually acknowledged. The ability to point out a note just by it's sound, the ability to properly name rhythms and be able to similarly clap them out, the ability to write your own notes and rhythms and harmonize with even more notes and rhythms, it was something that Jisung actually seemed confident in, even during training. A lot of trainees had gotten training lessons just because they could sing, rap, dance, or even had the looks, but Jisung had gotten in because he could read music, sing, rap, and dance. It's something that still can make him smile even on his saddest days.
"The fact that you can read music and recognize a note just by ear it insane! We haven't had a trainee come in like you for almost three years now. That is talent!"
Although, he would sometimes wonder who that trainee was that came in three years ago.
"Yes, I can," he smiled confidently.
Both of their eyes widened, they looked kind of shocked actually. Changbin flicked the hair in his eyes out of his face, chuckling. "Knew it," he called out teasingly. "So you're like us."
"Are you a trainee?"
Jisung nodded.
"Are you... going to debut yet?"
Jisung shook his head no.
"That's pretty cool, huh?" Chris slightly smiled.
"What?"
"It's such a convenience that everyone I knew in this place is a trainee and Changbin can read music, and now you share that same quality? I'm trying to teach the others but it seems like only three of them get it," he jokingly sighed.
Wow, what a coincidence...
"Seungmin, Felix, and Woojin," Changbin added on. "Of course, the one Aussie will listen to you."
So that explains the accent. "Is Felix foreign?"
Chris nodded. "Oh yeah, definitely. He isn't used to being in a different country I guess. He can't even speak Korean fluently."
"Poor guy," Changbin sighed.
"I remember how confused I was when I got here."
That explains his little accent as well. It wasn't as strong as Felix's, but strong enough to assume that he is also foreign.
"You're foreign too?"
He nodded, looking down doubtfully. "Yes, Australia," he responded nervously. "BUT," this time he sounded more confident, "I'm pretty fluent and good with my surroundings," he finished speaking with a slight giggle and shy smile.
However, being the great person Jisung is, he could sense his nervousness in the tone of his voice. It was quite adorable but so worrisome, considering the past two hours he has spent with him always seemed confident. Despite barely knowing the guy, Jisung put on a concerned expression and faced his direction.
"What was it like coming from Australia to Korea? Or... whatever this place is?"
He looked towards Changbin with an apprehensive expression, slightly chewing on his lower lip, even Jisung could tell he was a bit uncomfortable with this question.
"I'm guessing it didn't go so well, huh," Jisung said with a comfortable smile forming on his cheeks.
He shook his head. "It was awful." Not the answer he was expecting to get, but only hearing that made him arch his back and give Chris his full attention. "I was 11. All because I could sing and read music, I was accepted and moved to Korea. I moved here with my mom. Sure, she was very supportive but even she didn't speak fluent Korean," he looked down again. "I struggled a lot. The change was so different and I was so unfamiliar with it." The more in depth he got, the more concentrated Jisung became. Looking at Changbin, he could also see the focus in his eyes and the gap in between his lips. Chris looked up, shaking his head and then flashing another nervous smile. "BUT," he started again just like last time. "I'm alive and here, so what could I be complaining about? Not very many people get this opportunity, it's not just ANYONE who can get into these programs, right?"
Hearing his last sentence, Jisung took that in and thought to himself. I'm alive and here, so what should I be complaining about? The struggle, the less food, less sleep, less rest. It's not just ANYONE who can get into these programs, right? Right...
"Moving on," he joked and quickly changed the subject. "How did you get here?"
Jisung shrugged casually. "Just woke up in a place that looks exactly like my company with a city in the sky and no human activity whatsoever, no biggy," he sounded slightly annoyed.
"You poor thing, you must be so confused," he heard Changbin sigh under his breath.
Believe it or not, Jisung didn't feel that confused. He felt safe rather then confused. It feels like now he can call his company his home. It had everything he had ever wished for. Supportive people just like him, decorations, and a place where he can look in the mirror and actually smile. It seemed like his anxiety was invisible or not present. Everything he would see right now would cause him to panic, especially talking to new unfamiliar people that he woke up to.
Jisung shook his head no confidently. "Is there anyone else here besides you 7?"
"Nah, and that's what's great because the other's are hella great and relate to one another. What could be better then living in a world with your kind of people?" Changbin smugly smiled. So true.
"The idea of it is so scary though," Chris added on. "Waking up to an unfamiliar place with 7 strangers that seem to be the only humans in the area. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now."
"Right, this is way too casual for my liking," Jisung chuckled, placing his head on his knees that we're scrunched up to his chest with his hands wrapping around his ankles. "Where are we...?"
"Well, to be honest, I don't even know where we are right now," he giggled again and flashed that shy smile once more. "We all just woke up here and it was kind of a 'welp, I guess we live here now' situation," he continued, focusing on the idea of this place. He shrugged, sighing looking up at the mirror again. "I guess we're all stuck here. With plenty of food, water, and... just us. But how can I complain. Last time I checked, I am still alive and made friends with 6 of the coolest people I have ever met-" he paused for a second then turned to Jisung. "Well... soon to be 7." Cute.
"Weren't you the first person to get here?" Changbin took the words straight out of Jisung's mouth.
"Yeah," he giggled. "It was so strange waking up to a place with no other human activity besides in the sky. I felt like I was the first ever human. Not long after that, two weeks later, two more showed up. Then more, then more, and now you," he said shifting his gaze to Jisung.
"How fascinating...," he mumbled under his breath. "This would be such a good song to write about."
"Hey! Chan! Changbin! New guy! Come outside, the stars are out!" The littlest one busted inside with amazing energy, a huge smiled sprawled across his face. Jisung's eyes widened at the sudden shock. Stars? In this new world?
"YAY, seeya outside," Changbin sprung up to his feet, running past the littlest, grabbing his hand and dragging him along to the opposite direction.
Chris slightly smiled, so lovingly and kindly, standing up and stretching out his body. "Are you coming?"
Jisung blinked, looking up at him confused. "Where?"
"It's a thing we do every night. We've been doing this since we all first met," he smiled again. "We stargaze and just talk, and we wouldn't want to leave the only other talking thing in this place alone, right?"
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Theme song: The Neighbourhood- Sweater Weather
AUTHORS NOTE: *accidentally dabs* Imma smell some weed before I move onto the next chapter, but hey. Our little anxious boy is making friends and NOT having a panic attack wtf. I mean- if I were to see Channie I would panic and dIE. Or be extremely comforted because I can trust that man with my life. K bai now