The table looks at each other.
"Ok, we can provide a manager for the time of your collaboration but the makeover is required. We want you to make a big reveal of your identity at the end of their concert" someone says.
"Why do you keep your identity? Don't you want to be famous?" The guy at the top asks as he brushes off the other.
"No" I simply answer.
"I will not accept if I have to give my life away. I want to keep my personal life out of this. That is my only request" I say calmly. Shouting and acting aggressive will get me nowhere. Words are the only way right now.
"You are working with me for my name, not my real name" I conclude. The table is silent as they think about my answer.
"One song. One collaboration song with Stray Kids. If it works out well, we will consider more collaborations in the future but if it doesn't work out, we will not be releasing your song and you will not get payed" the guy at the top says.
"Ok" I agree. A few smile.
"Then welcome to the team" the guy at the top says.
"We will organize the paper work quickly so that you can get started right away" the top guy says as the others stand up. Only two people stay behind, the top guy and the one sitting on his right.
"You will be meeting Stray Kids today. We would like to ask how you know Felix" the guy at the right says.
"We went to the same high school" I simply answer.
"You're not romantically involved with him, right?" The same guy asks.
"No" I answer calmly. I try not to make a disgusted face.
"Why haven't we heard of you before?" The same guy asks. Why are they so involved in their personal life? Is this guy possibly their manager?
"We only bumped into each other the other day. He already knew of me before so he offered me a possible collaboration. I couldn't refuse" I explain.
"Why are you asking me? Wouldn't you believe Felix's word over mine?" I ask. They can't see my confused expression.
"You know how men are, always keeping secrets. He wouldn't tell me anything" the presumable manager says with a scoff.
"I see" I simply say.
Then someone walks through the door and hands over a few pages to the silent person at the top of the table and leaves, closing the door behind him. The top guy scans over the papers and hand them to me.
"You just need to sign here" the guy says as he slides the papers over to me. Already? We didn't even discuss the details.
I take the papers and read through everything. The two were just sitting there. I don't care much for the money so I don't really have a big issue with how little the offer percentage sounds. I just don't want them to screw me over. I heard a lot about the rotten treatment of companies towards their employees.
Since I don't have a manager, I have to make sure exactly what I'm getting myself into.
"Ah, you don't have to read through everything" the presumable manager says. I just carry on reading.
"Don't interrupt" the top guy tells the manager.
"Sorry" the manager says as he sits back.
"Go get coffee" the top guy tells the manager.
"Sugar and milk?" The manager asks me.
"No need. Thank you" I say and continue reading. It's actually pretty difficult to read with the whole disguise on.
The manager leaves so it's only me and the top guy in the room. He watches me as I read through the contract. I finish reading and everything looks fine. Everything has been addressed.
"Can I borrow a pen please?"
I run into Felix on my way out. It seemed he was waiting for me.
"That took longer than expected...So?" He asks, eyes full of expectation.
"You're looking at your collaboration partner" I say with a thumbs up since he can't see my smile.
"Fantastic!" He cheers and we high five each other.
"I'll treat you to lunch" he says with a huge smile.
"Nice" I say through my teeth as I hook my arm around his neck.
"Someone might see" Felix says through a pout as he shakes my arm off.
"Oh my gosh, the one guy asked me if I was romantically involved with you. I almost barfed" I say with a disgusted face through the disguise. He also pulls a face.
"I know right" I say.
"Why'd you have to put that image in my head?" He says with a shiver.
"Let's go to lunch" I say as I lead the way.
"I should really help upgrade your image" Felix says as he sips on his milkshake.
"Just tell me what to get and I'll wear it" I simply say, not really getting offended. He has the better fashion sense out of the two of us.
"Wouldn't it be fun if we could go shopping like old times?" Felix says with bright smile.
"No way" I say as I recall him giving me a ton of outfits to try on and I would be stuck in the mall for hours. And he would always cause me trouble when he would fight with the shop owners that they don't have it in a bigger size. And I hated the conversations from others pitying my 'handsome' brother being stuck with an ugly sister...whatever, I need to move pass that.
His face drops almost immediately.
"You're no fun" he says with a huge pout.
"Suck it up, Buttercup" I simply say.
"Hurry up with your milkshake. I wanna leave" I complain. We already ate lunch and I know he's doing this on purpose.
"You're slower than an old man" I whine.
"I am an old man. My back man" he whines as he rubs his back.
"Don't you have work to do?" I ask as I lean on my hand.
"Why do you want to leave so quickly? Got a date or something?" Felix teases as he sips his milkshake.
"No, but WE got stuff to do" I say.
"What stuff?" Felix asks with a tilt of his head.
"Work stuff. Remember, we're going to work together now and we probably need to start" I say.
"Yeah...The group should know about the collaboration by now" Felix says in thought.
"Don't you wanna see your friends?" I ask as I watch him drinking his milkshake so damn slow.
"I live with them" Felix deadpans.
After that fun conversation, we head back to the company and I was back in full disguise.
Felix leads me to Stray Kids' studio. We enter the studio and there isn't anyone there yet.
"Fancy" I say as I look around the room. It's big enough to fit everyone from Stray Kids with a huge table in the middle of the room and a few instruments on the other side of the room. I look through all their instruments. They got a nice set here.
"Don't your friends like you?" I tease with an amused smile as I sit down at the noticeably empty table.
"It's probably because you're here" he says as he sits down.
"Stop being lazy and get paper so long" I say.
"Paper?" Felix laughs.
"How old are you?" Felix laughs as he opens a laptop.
"Oh yeah. Technology" I tell myself like the idiot that I am. I shift closer to Felix's laptop.
"Hey hey hey" Bang Chan announces through the door and in comes the rest of the group. I tried to remember their names. Felix joins his group automatically.
(Quick message: You don't have to know or remember upcoming names and faces. It doesn't effect the main story all that much.)
"Hello, we are Stray Kids" they introduce themselves to me in perfect unison. I stand up quickly.
"Hello. Nice to meet you" I say with a tiny wave.
"Are you really Coloured from YouTube?" I believe his name is IN, asks.
"Uh, yes..." I say more like a question. In hindsight, that sounds super suspicious.
"Cool. I'm a huge fan" he says cheerfully with the cutest smile.
"Me too!" Another, pretty sure it's Lee Know, cheers.
"We watch your videos the minute you release them" IN says with stars in his eyes.
"Enough. We've got work to do" Felix cuts in like the old fart that he is. Couldn't he just hold his mouth for once. This is the first time I get to interact with fans.
(Guys, I have no idea how artists write songs. I did see an interview where they sometimes write the lyrics first then the melody but other times it's reversed where they have the melody first then the lyrics-if they even write anything at all. Please forgive my ignorance...)
"So, I'm pretty sure all of us have heard you sing before and have a good idea on what kind of voice you have and your range" Bang Chan is the one to take charge. Before I could say anything, he asks a question.
"Do you know our voices?" Bang Chan asks seriously.
"I have an idea" I say with a nod. I do listen to their music but I get mixed up with whose voice is whose.
"Cool, then since that's sorted, what kind of song should we write about?" Bang Chan gets straight into business as he asks the group.
"What about a love song?" Lee Know says with a weird look in his eyes in my direction.
"No" Felix protests before I could.
"Why not?" IN asks with a pout.
"Yeah, the fans would love it" Han says with a smirk. I notice he took a quick glance towards me. Is there something behind me or...?
"Coloured, what do you suggest?" Changbin asks and I feel the table turn to me. Luckily, I'm still wearing the sunglasses so I can freely look at their faces. I see Felix is giving me a don't-say-something-stupid look. I wish he could see the panic in my eyes. I don't freaking know! Don't ask me!
"Let's get some inspiration flowing" I say as I stand up. They look at me with confused eyes as I walk towards the bass, plugging it in and playing a random melody that popped into my head.
(I do not own the video. Super cool.)
I play the same melody a few times over and then I start adding on more chords.
"Oh yeah!" Bang Chan cheers and starts banging on the table, joining in on my melody. I see the others nodding their heads to the beat with smiles on their faces. Felix was typing away on his laptop.
The banging stops and I come to a sudden end with the melody.
"I don't know how to end it" I say, more to myself.
"It sounds really good. We can definitely use that."
And after a few tweaks, a chorus-more like-a sound, is somewhat formed.
"Guys, we still haven't decided what to sing about" Han brings to the group's attention.
"I think anxiety would be perfect for this sound" I bring up. Felix gives me a discreet look but doesn't say anything.
"It totally fits the melody but isn't it kind of depressing?" Hyunjin brings up.
"It's getting kind of late. Why don't we all try to think of something and we'll get back together tomorrow" Felix suggests to the group after a quick glance at his watch.
"Ok" we all agree.
"Care to join us for dinner?" Bang Chan asks me.
"Rather not. Thank you for the offer though. I'll see you guys tomorrow" I say as I gather whatever I brought along with me.
"Aww, you sure?" IN asks with disappointment and a huge pout.
"I'm sorry. Maybe another time" I apologize.
(I do not own the videos.)