Letters On Our Skin || BangChan

66

Chi organized a driver for me, even though I told her repeatedly that I could drive myself to the Studio Choom offices. But she wouldn't let me get a word in, and so I find myself seated in a chic black car on the way across town.
I am dressed in a pair of dark blue, lose jeans and a tight black top with a cream colored, cropped knit sweater over it. I have a backpack with my iPad and a notebook to my feet.
After I've left Chan's studio yesterday, I went home and spent hours listening to Donkey Kong, trying to figure out key points for the choreography, trying to get a feeling for the mood and aesthetic of the song.

I love the song. It's darker and moodier, it has a strong message and a really catchy chorus.
I do wonder, though, how Bahiyyih wants to convey those emotions. I never worked with her before, and I only ever saw her in the news or on social media platforms, but she seems like a very sweet, very innocent person.
And she's pretty young, only 17. I wonder if the song might be a bit too honest, a bit too edgy for her.
I don't want to judge though, and it's not my job to decide the song. If she wants to do Donkey Kong, she'll get to do Donkey Kong.

The driver drops me off in front of the building and I press the bell button.
A voice answers from behind a speaker, "Studio Choom Administration and Executives, how can I help you?"
"Hi, this is Park Olivia, I have a meeting with Jung Taeyoon because of the Artist of the Month video?"
"Fifth floor, Miss."
The buzzer sounds and I push the door open, before I enter the elevator and press the button with the big 5 on it.

The front desk is right across the elevator, and the lady behind it gets to her feet the second she lays eyes on me.
"Olivia, so good to see you, please follow me."
She leads me into a room with a circular table and floor-to-ceiling windows.
A group of people - three men, four women - are already in the room, preparing a presentation. There's a huge basket with snacks and fruit in the middle of the table and a notebook with a sharpened pencil attached to it in front of every seat.
"Mr. Jung, Miss Park is here," the front desk lady announces and opens the door further to reveal me.

A tall man with a strong jaw and thick hair, dressed in a pair of suit pants and a black shirt, turns to us and rushes over.
"Ah, Olivia," he exclaims and reaches out his hand for me to shake, "Great, great! Come in, have a seat, we're just about to start."
I step into the room and he introduces the other people to me.
The head of the styling team, the producer team, and the head of the tech department have gathered to brainstorm with us.
Finally, Taeyoon motions to the girl already sitting at the table.

"Bahiyyih, meet Olivia," he says and the girl gets to her feet right away, pushing a thick strand of her hair behind her ear, "Olivia, meet your client Bahiyyih."
Bahiyyih is beautiful. She's slender, and a bit taller than me. She has a delicate face and big, dark eyes framed by long lashes. She's wearing her blonde hair in a long braid down her back.
She smiles and bows her head, when she reaches out her hand to shake mine. 
"It's so nice to meet you, Bahiyyih," I say, "I've heard so many great things about you. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to work with you on this project."

Taeyoon asks us all to sit, and Bahiyyih pulls out a chair beside herself for me to sit.
On her other side sits her manager, to my other side sits Taeyoon.
He directs our attention to the screen and explains how this is going to work.
I try my hardest to pay attention to everything he says, but there is a lot of legal phrases that I don't really understand.
When I glance at Bahiyyih, she's typing something on her phone beneath the table.  I look away, but I feel her tap my leg beneath the table and I check to see her phone on my thigh.

On the screen, it says, "I do not understand what they're saying, but I'm very happy that you're here. I love your videos."
I smile and bow my head slightly to type back quickly, "I don't understand either, but it's okay. I don't think we have to. I am very happy to be here, I love the song you chose. I can't wait to get started. :)"
Bahiyyih reads what I typed and giggles silently. Then we both turn our heads back towards the screen.

After Taeyoon explained what they are envisioning for the video, he turns towards me.
"Olivia, have you had the chance to listen to the song yet?"
I sit up straighter. "Absolutely. I brainstormed some key points for a choreography last night, but I do need a few days more to complete it."
"Perfect, that is good progress," Taeyoon nods, "You are free to use the Choom practice studios, I'm sure our choreographers would love to give input if you should need some. We're here to help you, after all."
I look at Bahiyyih and my eyes switch from her to her manager, "Could Bahiyyih meet with me in the practice studios? I think it's be great for the choreography to hear her input and her thoughts, it makes the choreo a lot more organic and real. A lot more expressive."

They exchange a look and the manager says, "She has a few schedules over the next few days but she could afterwards or before that. We can make it work, I'm sure."
The meeting commences and we go over a few other points, before the it finally ends about two hours later. Before I know it, I shake another round of hands and exchange phone numbers with Bahiyyih.
When I'm back in the elevator, my phone ding-dings.
It's Chan, and I immediately call him back.

"I have so much to tell you," I say the second he picks up, "You're never going to believe it, Channie."
"Okay, okay," Chan chuckles, "I'm right outside, I brought food with me for you."
I exit the building and turn around myself with my phone still at my ear.
"Look to your right, silly," Chan says through the phone, "A little more!"
When I finally find him, I all but skip over to him and basically jump into his arms.
He places his arms around me and we both laugh, as I press a kiss to his throat.

"You're so cute," he says as he kisses my temple, "I'm so glad you had a good day so far. I brought you chicken tacos and an ice tea!"
He holds up a bag and a cup with a paper straw.
"I got them from that place you like close to Han River," he adds and I all but melt in his arms.
I stare up at him and he is the only thing I see. He takes up all the space in my world and I don't understand how I could have ever done anything else but love him.
"You're perfect," I tell him and nothing has ever felt this true.