FOR A FEW MINUTES, everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Dahye felt the air in her lungs disappear, her throat constricting as the muscles on the elegant column of her neck tighten, leaving her literally breathless. Although she couldn't feel it herself, she felt the skin on her hands and arms go cold and clammy. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous to see this man again, why he made her body go into panic mode. Was it because she hadn't expected to seem be signed to the record label no other than H1GHR itself? Yes. Was it because she remembered the brief moment they almost shared last night? That, she wasn't sure about.
Regardless, before she had the moment to excuse herself to go to the bathroom and get back her cool, the man moved swiftly towards them, his eyes not looking anywhere but hers. Dahye pursed her lips, moving her eyes away from his brutally insistent gaze to stare out the window. The cloudless sky and glass skyscrapers piercing through the air didn't giver her any answers. She forced herself to not look even when Jay's laughter sounded and he rose up from his seat, giving a manly hug to the man who had identified himself as Minsik last night. Jay's mood has changed drastically in just a few brief seconds, his stone-cold face and somber tone becoming jovial and cheerful. He seemed to be genuinely happy to see Minsik, even though Dahye couldn't say the feeling was the same for her.
"Minsik, man, I'm so glad to see you." Jay laughed, patting the younger man on the back as they hugged. "Fuck, man, how long has it been since we last saw each other? Six months, maybe longer?"
"Yeah, half a year sounds about right," Minsik laughed in response. "Man, you were right when you told me those Los Angeles fans are crazy. They kept throwing lingerie at me onto the stage the entire night."
Hoody scrunched her nose, clearly not impressed with how wild the American crowds were. "So, what? If me and Dahye here were to perform the guys would throw condoms at us?" She asked. ChaCha and Hyukwoo coughed awkwardly at how blunt the raven-haired rapper was, while Seonghwa and the others busied themselves by talking and going over the documents detailing the collaboration even though Dahye knew they were listening intently.
Minsik hadn't been expecting such a question. He fumbled for an answer, looking a bit uncomfortable under Hoody's scrutinizing gaze. "Um...I can't say for sure, but-"
Just then she laughed, the tension in the air dissolving at the slightest. "Nah, I'm just messing with you. You're too uptight, relax a little. We're all friends here." She gestured around the room, giving him a playful punch on the am.
Minsik flashed a stiff smile, yet it still graced his face beautifully. "Ah, okay. Damn, do I really look that nervous?"
ChaCha then lent a hand to the younger rapper, putting an arm around the latter's shoulders. "It's cool, man. We got you all here to break the ice anyways. Hoody here is just teasing you, isn't she? She's a sweetheart."
"My real name is Kim Hyungjung, but everyone calls me by my stage name, so you're welcome to join the club." She bowed down gracefully, receiving the same response from Minsik. He knew he already warmed up to Hoody: her style, her attitude, the way she spoke reminded him of some of his female friends back in his home town. They all had the smart-ass, sarcastic attitude that Hoody herself had, and Minsik felt that he could trust her and become friends with her easily.
Seonghwa, Hyukwoo, Mintaek, and the rest of the members of AOMG introduced themselves to Minsik, who was later joined by the rest of the boys from H1GHR. The boys, plus Hoody, seemed to get along well right off the bat, dapping each other up and laughing as they exchanged embarrassing and funny memories from concerts and tours. Dahye watched them with a smile, preferring to stay on the sidelines for the time being. She would have plenty of time to meet them anyways; the purpose of this meeting was to get them to make a collab together, which meant both parties would be visiting each other a lot more often once they were back in Seoul.
Dahye was thinking of how it was going to feel strange to work on music with people she had never met before. Usually, there was one or two other people-usually Jay and Hoody, and sometimes Chase-when she recorded her songs in the studio. Sometimes she liked to record by herself, because that way she could keep her mind empty and not worry about someone else hearing the raw, draft version of the song first. She would spend several hours in the studio, which was something Jay still couldn't do even though he had been in the industry for more than just a few years. She reached to take a sip of her drink until she discovered that the cup was empty, and at that moment saw someone walking towards her from her peripheral. She twisted her head to the side, coming face to face with an oversized, dark blue suit jacket obscuring her vision. She craned her neck up, this time seeing the face of a young boy, possibly sixteen or seventeen, with eyes pulled into crescents and curly black hair. He bowed down formally and then stood back up, smiling brightly.
"Hello, noona," he had an adorable smile, Dahye mused to herself, when she noticed the boy's two bunny-like front teeth. Two dimples carved deep into the sides of his face, giving him even more of a youthful look.
"Oh, hello," Dahye smiled politely, standing up from her seat to bow in greeting.
"May I sit here, or is the seat taken by anyone else?" He pointed to the chair right next to her. Even though it had been previously occupied by Hoody, Dahye saw her friend standing across the room, talking with two other members from H1GHR, not looking like she would be returning to sit down anytime soon.
Dahye shrugged, "Be my guest. I hope you won't get bored, though. I'm not exactly the greatest talker."
The boy laughed, rolling his seat up closer to hers. "I enjoy meeting new people. I'm Kim Haon, but everyone calls me just Haon."
Dahye nodded, shaking his hand. "I'm Jang Dahye, but I go around by Heize. I'm pretty sure you already know that though, considering the awards show last night."
Haon's nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I've been listening to the album on repeat for days now. It's everything I had been expecting times a hundred, but none of your albums have disappointed me."
Dahye laughed softly at the praise, "Ah, thank you, that means a lot. I didn't know you were a fan of my music, though. How come I never met you before?"
"I'm pretty new in the company," Haon pointed towards where Jay was sitting, conversing with a group of older men, who were no doubt board members and contract dealers for both companies. "I dropped out of high school last year, and Jaebom hyung signed me six months ago."
Dahye's eyebrows lifted at the slightest. "That's very impressive. Jay must have been seen the potential in you if he signed you to the label at such a young age. Usually he encourages young artists to finish at least high school before pursuing music, but he must have seen that talents lie elsewhere."
Dahye remembered the times when she had almost little to none of the opportunities Haon had now when she was at his age. When she was around the age of sixteen, she was forced to make the choice between whether she wanted to quit school or start considering music as a serious career and probably be broke and starve, as her father had put it. She chose neither, deciding that she wanted to finish school and at least get her diploma so that if music didn't work, she would have a better chance of finding a job than without having anything as a safety net. She worked part-time at three different jobs: washing dishes at a restaurant, ringing up at a neighborhood bodega, and a hostess at a home food restaurant-in addition to going to school, using the money she earned to pay for studio sessions and also for other expenses such as transportation and meals.
But then again, there hadn't been much she could since her neighborhood was one of the poorest neighborhoods outside of metropolitan Seoul. She lived in a secluded, back alley neighborhood of Daegu,where it took three hours to get to Seoul and three hours to get back, but that was if the traffic was good and there wasn't rain. Sometimes, she had to choose between using her last bit of money for that week on the bus fare or getting herself a warm meal, especially when it was winter. In order to sleep out the freezing, sub zero winter temperatures of Seoul, she would sleep in local saunas, stashing the money into her shoes and keeping her coat on for extra warmth. If she didn't have any money left to eat, she would have to shoplift a few kimbaps when the store clerks didn't bother enough to pay attention, eating them one by one as she trekked back to Daegu on foot. She was sure that's why she went through so many rolls of duct tape; because she walked for such a long distance, the soles of her shoes would be ripped open by the second week and she would have to make do with the repairs by using tape.
"-and I'm so grateful...Noona? Noona?" Haon's voice snapped her back to reality, startling Dahye as she jolted in her seat. "Noona, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm sorry. I got lost in my thoughts." She said apologetically, "That was really rude of me to not pay attention. I hope I didn't miss out too much on what you were saying."
Haon waved his hands in a reassuring gesture. "I was saying I'm grateful that Jaebom hyung signed me to H1GHR. Without him, I don't know what I would be doing right now. Probably delivering food or washing dishes somewhere." He laughed.
After a moment of silence, she said, "May I ask you something?"
"Sure, noona," Haon replied brightly, ready to answer whatever she had in her mind.
"I apologize if this sounds rude, but why did you drop out of school?" She asked. "Was it because you wanted to pursue music, or because you didn't want it anymore?"
Haon thought for a minute, his eyebrows pulling in. Finally he shrugged, as if the question was nothing of great importance to him. "I don't think I was meant to be a student, you know? Staying in class all day for twelve hours, then studying until midnight, stressing over tests...that wasn't the life I wanted to have in the future. I was only good in music and literature class anyways, so I didn't see the point in staying in school any longer."
"Were your parents upset when they learned about it?"
"No, not really," he smiled. "They were waiting for the time when I would say something like that, so when they learned I wanted to pursue music as a career they were really supportive. They even let me go on High School Rapper, where hyung discovered me. I owe it all to my parents really."
"That's very generous of them," Dahye smiled wistfully. "I bet they're really proud of you, too."
"My parents run a home foods restaurant. They knew each other from high school and fell in love, but their parents didn't want them to get married so they did in secret." Haon started, "My parents had me when they were pretty young too, so they grew up along with me. My mom always says "You were the best gift of my childhood, Haon-a". They never forced me to do things I didn't want to, and supported me in whatever I wanted to go after."
"You have a beautiful family." Dahye said, feeling herself smile as Haon's lips pulled at the corners, his eyes crinkling into half moons. "And I have no doubt that's why you're such a kind person who has so much ahead to look forward to. I believe you're going to be very successful in the future, Haon."
The young boy blushed, bowing from where he was seated. His cheeks flushed an adorable red as his smile widened. "Ah, thank you, noona. I promise I will work very hard and prove myself to you guys. Please take care of me as we get to work together later on."
Dahye patted the top of his head, giggling softly to herself. After exchanging a few more words, Haon left to go mingle with the other artists in the room. Dahye's eyes searched around the room, trying to locate Minsik. It was to no avail; she couldn't see him anywhere, which troubled her at the slightest. Was he avoiding her? It seemed like it. Earlier when he was talking with Jay and Hoody, he freely interacted with them but pretended not to see her at all. She wasn't hurt, per se, she didn't even know who the guy was fully, but yet it ticked her off. Wasn't it him who almost tried to kiss her the previous night? Wasn't it him who complimented her?Dahye once again realized it was impossible to understand men. A bit irritated and determined to see what was going on, she got up from her seat with the empty drink cup in her hand to find the nearest trash can. Realizing there was none in the meeting room, she walked outside, hoping there was at least one in the hallway. The meeting was just about to start, so she knew she had to be quick. Just as she rounded a corner blocked by a wall, she almost collided with another person. She walked back quickly, luckily managing to not trip over her own feet, as she saw who it was.
Minsik's eyebrows rose a few inches on his face, although he composed himself back quick enough to not give away anything. Dahye felt a strange dropping sensation in her chest, but forced a smile on her face to look neutral. Minsik looked good in his suit, no doubt tailored just for him. Both of them didn't know how the start the conversation, looking anywhere but at each other. Dahye's eyes focused on the floor, trying to see her blurry reflection on the tiles. Minsik, in his attempt to distract himself from her perfume-the same one she wore last night-stared at the wall ahead of him.
"Well," he began-
-at the same same time she said, "This is awkard,"
Minsik chuckled, "I guess I could have approached you without trying to knock you down."
Dahye chuckled in return, "Please. I'm not the one to fall easily. But thing's for sure, I did not expect to see you here." At that moment somehow, the panic and nervousness all escaped her body. Maybe it was because he was standing in front of her, so real and so true, and she was clearly hearing his voice.
"Yeah, same here," Minsik nodded in agreement. "I can't believe that we're basically from the same company and never met each other before. I gotta say, I'm disappointed in myself. I would have wanted to get to know you earlier."
"I guess you can make up for that time now that we're gonna be working together more than ever and seeing each other everyday." Dahye said. "I'm surprised that I didn't know about you before either. When did you sign with H1GHR? I'm sure I would have seen you around."
"A few years ago. Actually, this year is gonna be my fourth year with them." He responded.
"Ah, okay, that explains why we're meeting each other just now. You're pretty new in the company." Dahye said, doing the quick calculations in her head. After Jay had left 2PM back in 2009 and established AOMG the same year, he wanted to expand his enterprise and give chance to younger artists who wanted to be in the industry but didn't want to be signed to a company that would restrict their art. So, three years later in 2013 when he had built enough of a reputation as a CEO and mogul among several other respected names, he created H1GHR with ChaCha with the intention of making it a sub label. Ever since then, the company had debuted some of the best and the brightest names in the rap and hip-hop faction of South Korea's music industry, growing beyond Asia and becoming quite the hit in the Western countries such as America as well as European countries that were also developing their own rap and hip-hop culture. Dahye couldn't have been more proud of Jay for what he had accomplished in the last few years, and she was quite impressed by Minsik's progress as well.
"What about you? When did you sign with AOMG?" He asked, leaning sideways against the wall on his right. The fingers of his left hand busied themselves by twisting the rings on his right hand. The silver and gold bands—no doubt Cartier—winked like jewels under the lights on the ceiling. Dahye's eyes were too focused on his hands; large, the tops of his palms lined with prominent veins, complimented by slender pianist fingers. Minsik had to gently bring her back to reality before she finally snapped out of her gaze.
"Oh, I signed the year Jay started the company. I was one of the original members, so me and the others like Seonghwa who were first signed were kind of the trial and error for the company." She explained, remembering how hard they to work to make AOMG into what it was today.
"I bet," Minsik nodded, frowning slightly. "It must have been really hard on you, yeah? Since it was a new company too there was probably a lot of pressure on you and the others."
"Definitely, that's exactly what happened. Jay trusted us a lot and had really high expectations. Especially from me because I was the first female member signed to the company and I was also the youngest." When AOMG was first established, there had been a lot of hurdles thrown in their way. First was the fact that Jay was a disgraced artist in the country. After the posts from his old MySpace page were leaked, he was forced to quit 2PM. Although it had been quite hard on him to leave his group members and lay down his position as the group leader, it also turned out to be the best decision of his life even if it didn't seem that way at first. Second, the artists—including Dahye herself—Jay had signed under his company were virtually unknown. Except for Seonghwa, Hyukwoo, and Kisok, who were known by some because Seonghwa was a producer at the time and Hyukwoo and Kisok were household names in the underground scene, everyone else had to build up their reputation from scratch. Add into the mix the first few year consisting of surviving on convenience store-bought foods, sleeping on floor mattresses, and spending hours upon hours in the studio, Dahye knew they deserved every last bit of the success, fame, and fortune they had right now.
"Well, whether he knew it or not, he created his dream team back then. I don't know if I already said this before, but congratulations on the awards last night. I haven't listened to your album yet, but I have it downloaded and ready for the plane ride back home." Minsik said, pulling himself away from the wall.
"Thank you, that would make me very happy." Dahye smiled in return, "I'm loving this conversation we're having, but if I'm not mistaken the meeting's gonna start soon, so we better hurry." She said, checking her watch.
"Shit, you're right," Minsik laughed. "By the way, there's a trashcan right down the hall here. I'll wait for you if you want throw the cup away before we go back in." He pointed down the hallway where Dahye saw the unmistakable silver cylinder that was the trashcan.
"Okay, that would be great. I'll be quick, I promise." She flashed a quick smile before hurrying along the carpeted floor, walking as fast as she could in her heels. Minsik stared after her, smiling to himself for no particular reason other than the barely there, yet still present fluttering feeling inside his chest. For one reason or another, he had a feeling that good things would be happening when he was with Dahye, and he hoped that that was truly the case.
___________
HELLO AGAIN EVERYONE, I HOPE YOU ARE ALL DOING WELL. I ONCE AGAIN APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE, BUT I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH A LOT, FROM ONLINE SCHOOLING TO FAMILY STUFF TO TAKING CARE OF MYSELF. WRITER'S BLOCK DOESN'T HELP THE SITUATION EITHER.
ANYHOW, I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS CHAPTER. I'M ADDING IN BITS AND PIECES OF INFORMATION ABOUT EACH CHARACTER AND THEIR BACKSTORIES AS I GO TO GIVE YOU A BETTER SENSE OF WHO THEY TRULY ARE. I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS STYLE. I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT DOING A Q&A IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, SO COMMENT DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE IN MIND—IT CAN BE ABOUT THE BOOK, ME, OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT. I WANT TO CONNECT MORE WITH MY READERS AND ALSO GET TO KNOW YOU GUYS BETTER, TOO!
ALSO, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE STAY SAFE AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES. LISTEN TO THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO YOU BY THE HEALTH OFFICIALS IN YOUR COUNTRY. DO NOT JUST IGNORE THEM FOR THE HELL OF IT—THEY ARE THERE TO PROTECT YOU AND THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU.
REMEMBER TO VOTE, COMMENT, AND ADD TO YOUR LIBRARIES PLEASE! IT MEANS A LOT(: