When we got to the recording set, it truly looked like the ResQ version of 'Two Kids Room', only it looked whiter and overall more girly-like. It's not like I really minded where we were since what mattered was the content, but I really liked how the set looked.
What we would be doing was pretty simple: the staff had gathered pictures of each of the pairs either alone or together and we just basically had to talk about them and some anecdotes revolving those pictures. It would be an indirect way of showing fans things that they may have not known before while also looking back at old memories.
Instead of giving us the pictures on their own, they handed us an album, so I was even more excited now because I was sure there would be embarrassing pictures too.
The video would have no introduction, so Soojin and I just sat down on the couch and Soojin picked it up to show the first picture since we had been told it was mine.
"I really like this picture, actually!" Soojin said and turned around the album so I could see it too.
It was very similar to the first picture I had uploaded on my private Instagram account -although it wasn't the same- but I didn't know whether I could tell the actual story or not, so I decided to just tell half of it.
"Oh, I remember this day!" I said. "It was actually a day I went out to the arcade with Jisung."
"You two went alone? When?" Soojin asked me.
"It was before we went on tour. We decided to hang out and go to the arcade to celebrate his birthday," I explained. "I remember that there was one claw machine full of Kermit the Frog toys and I really wanted one, so I tried a bunch of times."
"You got it in the end, at least!"
"It was actually Jisung who got it for me. I'm really bad at claw machines, to be honest," I said.
Soojin then sent me a smirk and wiggled her eyebrows and I just rolled my eyes and hit her arm.
"What?!"
"Don't be an idiot, Soojin!"
"I didn't say anything!"
"But you were thinking it!"
It was then my turn to pick up the album and this time the picture was Soojin's.
"Oh, I haven't seen this one before!" I said and showed it to her. "Why do you have a picture in front of the washing machine?"
"Oh, this is from pre-debut days!" she said smiling brightly. "I smile now but that day I was seriously pissed off!"
"What happened?" I asked her curiously.
"Before debuting, Leah, Mika and I shared a dorm together. We decided to split up the chores so that one person didn't have to do everything... or that at least was the original idea," she said and we both burst out laughing.
"Did you have to do everything?"
"They don't know how to cook for their life. Mika only ever cooked ramen," she said. "When Lin joined, I remember being so happy because that meant I wouldn't have to always do it!"
"But what about the washing machine? Was it that they made you do the laundry when it wasn't your turn?"
"It was rather me fixing the washing machine because Leah broke it," she admitted. "Although I may look cute in the picture or whatever, if you look carefully you can see I'm sending her a death glare."
We then turned the page of the album together to see the next picture and both immediately burst out laughing since we didn't even know that picture existed.
"Isn't this from that day we went together to the gym while the rest of the girls were promoting overseas?" I asked Soojin.
"The 'gym rest'! You are right!" I said. "I can't believe we managed to survive through that day and even have the energy to joke around."
"To everyone watching, that day we created half of the dance routines from the album and Alix learnt the dances to our old songs," Soojin said looking towards the camera. "It's either we were so exhausted that we just resorted to messing around or we are idiots."
"Although I wished it was the first one, I bet it was the second," I said and we both laughed. "For real, I just to joke around and all of that before joining the group and all, but after joining you it has just gotten out of control. I have changed a lot in just a few months."
"To be honest, I sometimes forget that you just joined us this April. None of us had ever seen you before that but I think we quickly bonded together," she said.
"You liar!" I said hitting her with a pillow. "We didn't bond together quickly! It took us weeks!"
"Okay, fine, you are right!" she said defeated.
"I remember one day you said something along the lines of 'I'm starting to like you' when it had already been a few weeks since I joined."
"You responded way too coldly saying 'that implies you didn't like me before' and left," Soojin said imitating me. "Jisung scolded me that day saying I was really rude!"
"Did he really?" I said and laughed. "I must admit I replied very coldly, but I didn't like the way you phrased it at all that day. I was already having a hard time getting to befriend you, especially Leah, and that really didn't help."
"Oh, what happened with Leah? I'm curious!"
"About that..." I said and turned abruptly towards the camera. "Look forward to the Leah x Alix episode coming soon!"
I then stood up quickly and tried to get away as Soojin threw the pillows towards me.
"Are you really not going to tell me?! 2000 liners have no secrets!"
"It's not a secret! I'm just giving it suspense!"
ººº
After we were done recording, it was time for Leah and Mika to record their section too and Soojin and Lin would follow later, but I had nothing else to record that day. I thought I would be able to rest a little after that, but Yeongjae told me we needed to go to the JYP building because JYP wanted to see me.
I thought he would probably want to talk to me about my anxiety and the promotions since he had already said he was worried, but he had said he would be keeping an eye on me so it made no sense.
When we arrived there, I headed alone to his office since Yeongjae had to go back with the girls. I had already been alone with JYP on more than one occasion, so I didn't mind it.
The office door was ajar, so I just knocked on the door lightly and opened it completely but JYP was nowhere to be seen. He already knew we would be meeting there, so I just sat down on the couch and waited for him to come as I read some of the magazines there.
A deja vu feeling rushed through me as I read articles about me revealing that I was a producer. It reminded me of the day I was waiting on that same couch for JYP and he said that the fans deserved to know the truth. He really was right and I felt a lot freer after getting that off my chest.
"Is the Gate To Heaven sitting down on my couch?" JYP said faking a fanboy voice. "I'm a huge fan!"
"I sometimes think you are an eighteen-year-old trapped in the body of a man in his late forties," I said and stood up. "Why did you want to see me? Did something happen?"
"Nothing bad, don't worry," he said and sat down on his desk chair while I sat down on one of the chairs in front of it. "I wanted to talk to you about Itzy's comeback."
"Oh, the girls told me the other day at the award show. I didn't know they would be using my songs!" I said.
"Although not all of the songs made the cut for the 'ICY' mini-album, the rest of them were too good to just be discarded and I noticed that they matched each other pretty well and could be used for another album. I hope you don't mind my decision."
"I'm very happy, to be honest. Are all of them going to be in the album?"
"Yes, every single one of them. There will also be another one with Oliver Heldens, the DJ, but other than that one, the rest are yours."
"Top tier producers, I see. ITZY aren't here to play!"
"You don't even need those collaborations. You are one of the top producers of the industry at only nineteen and Soojin and Lin are also very well known for their producing skills too. You don't need collaborations with outside producers."
"I'm flattered," I said with a smile. "Anyways, back to ITZY, which song is going to be the title track?"
"'Wannabe'," he said. "It was the one you sent a dance demo with and I was very surprised by how different the dance looks compared to the other songs but at the same time has a sense of familiarity."
"Don't tell them I said this, but Wannabe is actually one of my favourite ones," I admitted. "It was also one of the ones that took me the longest to make."
"I can see why. It is very you," he said. "Just like 'Cherry' or 'Nobody Like You'."
"Sad but true," I said and chuckled.
"Anyways, that's not why I called you. I actually wanted to ask you for a favour."
"What is it?"
"Since you created the song and the dance, I was wondering if you could show Itzy the dance before they have to record it. You will have more than a month, so time is not a problem, but I know you are busy with your own schedule," he explained. "You don't have to start this week or the next one, but I want them to be ready for recording for after the Golden Disk Awards in January."
Our 'free time' before going back again on tour was basically half of December and even so, we still had to prepare the award stages, so I knew that by agreeing it also meant that I would get no free time at all during that time. The problem was that I knew that JYP had asked me to do it because it was an excuse for me to be with them but it would also benefit the girls time-wise as I could just teach the dance to them directly and also record the songs with them at the studio, so they wouldn't have to wait for a dance teacher to learn the dance or a producer at JYP to be free.
"I'll do it," I said after a few seconds. "I will talk to the girls and try to match schedules so that we have time for everything, but I will do it."
"Are you sure? You are working on many things at the moment and I don't want you to end up burn out. You can refuse if you want to, I haven't told the girls anything yet."
"I'm certain," I told him. "I want to do this."
"If that is the case, talk to the girls whenever you can and send me a schedule so I can book the studios for you under my name."
"Using 'boss power', I see!"
"You can only book studios three hours at a time. Booking them under my name means you can have it for as long as you want. Being the boss has to have its perks!"