Song of the Morning (About You) - Minsung

6

Time went by, the apology never happened, and, not surprisingly, Jisung didn't feel better.

He wasn't avoiding Minho necessarily, they just silently agreed to avoid talking about what happened. It was a little awkward at first, but they went back to how they were. Everything was fine, right?

Not quite.

The universe decided to torture Jisung through the very segment Minho discovered through...being awake at 5AM? The explanation sounded odd in the moment, and even more strange upon reflection. Everyone had different sleeping habits though. Jisung was living proof for years now, so who knows what that was about.

First was the increased requests for love songs. Break-up songs, finding love in a club, successful (and unsuccessful) first dates...he made them all, even if multiple suggestions came in during the same shift. The obsession of sorting out his feelings for Minho amidst the guilt of keeping him at arm's length was eating him alive. He thanked whatever was above for being able to make lyrics generic, or opting for instrumental tracks like the early days of the segment if the urge to write about him was too strong.

Then came what he would eventually call "the proposal shift." It was simultaneously the most impactful moment of his radio career and pure torture. A pair of lovers called back and forth, trading song requests for one another. Little did she know he was on his way to propose to her. Jisung was on the call when the proposal actually happened. It was surreal to be so intricately woven into someone's proposal story. The thought that in the months leading up to the wedding, or at the wedding itself, or on subsequent anniversaries, that he, Han Jisung, would be mentioned again and again, was crazy to him. They would know him by name at first, then in spirit as "that overnight DJ" as the details became more fuzzy with time.

Of course he would write a song celebrating the momentous occasion the next week! The song infused shimmers of the late winter to early spring air with the most sentimental lyrics Jisung could muster. He wasn't writing lyrics inspired by his life, he convinced himself, but instead to commemorate a beautiful moment. The happy couple called in, grateful for his generosity and sharing his talent with them. Jisung told them that including a random college kid in such an important moment of their lives was more valuable than they could know.

His current campsite in the metaphorical woods near life's metaphorical river was constantly windy and cold now. The dark clouds overhead would threaten to downpour and trigger a flood, but instead would release a gentle drizzle glittering in sparse sunlight. The romanticization of his internal turmoil made him feel like the universe was laughing at him instead of providing guidance.

Shockingly enough, the aftermath of the proposal shift wasn't the breaking point of Jisung writing a song specifically about Minho. That moment, although beautiful in its own right, wasn't what made him consciously decide to share a personal song with all of collegiate suburbia. He thought he recovered quite well.

It was just another week as spring was finally here to stay. Just another round of calls for requests and chats and general overnight shenanigans.

"FM89?" Automatic. Rehearsed. Just another listener.
"Soulmates."
Ice filled his veins. "I'm sorry?"
"Soulmates."
The feeling didn't leave. "What do you mean?"
"Song of the morning. That's you, right?"
"Yeah."
"So do a song about soulmates." The caller hesitated for what felt like hours. "Do you believe in them?"
Jisung studied the details of the station phone intently. "I don't know."
"Then maybe you'll find out."

"Thanks for..." The caller hung up before he could finish.