Fate part 2

Chapter 203

Namjoon's P.O.V.
"Where the f*ck did that file go?" I've been writing for my album for hours. I forgot about the one we want to release soon. The choreographer can't work the title track until I'm done with it and had it approved. They need at least a week to make it, usually two is best.. Then the stylists need some time to get the outfits together and they work with other groups, so that's another two weeks. The learning of the dance can be done in parallel, but the filming can take 3 days if there are multiple outfit and set changes.. Editing can be done in two days, but the behind the scenes takes longer. That's another week. We planned to do the comeback in two months. That's February. Jungkook will be back from Quebec WITH Meganne in a week. I only have two days to finish this and get it approved AND I CAN'T FIND THE DAMN FILE.

Min just finished filming with SHINee yesterday.. After a week! Now, she's working on her winter collection for her business and is working on a painting for a charity event in parallel with the new collection of oil paintings she got herself into last month. The last one doesn't have a deadline, but still.. I don't want to bother her with that.
She'd have to stop whatever she's doing which she might not be able to do. She'd have to get out of our second apartment, her art studio, and get to our place, see if it's on my laptop home. Maybe it's not even there!
Maybe she's not even painting.
She could be at JYP for all I know! I totally lost track..

Where did I put this stupid document?- Who's ringing me? "Hello?"

"Hey, Joonie."
Hobi, thank goodness.
"I wanted to know if you could spare a few hours to shop for suits? Our hyungs can tomorrow and we've been having issues finding time. I know my comeback and Jin hyung's are the main reason now, but yeah.. Can you?"

Yeah. It was a solo comeback season for half of us at this point.
"Let me check."
Oh sh*t. Right. Damn. Why do I always seem to forget he's getting married?
"Y-yeah. That should work."
Clear your throat. Idiot.
"Send me the time and place, I'll be there."

"You're sure?"

Not at ALL.
"Come on, hyung. Of course, I am! I'll do an all nighter to get the title track up and running, but it's worth it to be there for you."

He sounded thrilled.
"Great! Don't fall asleep on your keyboard."
He hung up.

How could I? I was panicking!

Mina's P.O.V.
I took off my gloves and answered my phone. "Hey, Hobi-ssi! What's up?"

"Hey, Mina." That didn't sound like a guy shopping for his wedding suit tomorrow. "I think our leader has a problem."

Well.. "Can't say the short deadline isn't stressful."

"Can you text him for me? Figure out what's going on?" He'd been working on it since the end of October. Since Jungkook couldn't rerecord vocals, he had to work around what he was given. Of course, Kookie had an amazing voice, but I know he would have liked that part in a slightly lower register. He'd been babbling about it for the past two weeks and he refused to digitally alter it. He could, but it wouldn't be genuine. It didn't feel right to him.

"I'm pretty sure I know what's going on. Let me finish what I was doing, and I'll get on it. I'll text you in 30 minutes, okay?"

A sigh of relief. "Thanks a lot."

No worries. Once done, 10 minutes later, on my way home, I rang him up. "Before you say I'm not supposed to call you when you're at the studio, I know. You can get mad at me later." Silence. "You know I wouldn't call for nothing."

"You're not busy?" Jeez. Really?

Phones distort voices, but that was not his usual tone, mad, sad, or happy. "Would I risk calling if I were?"

Obviously not. "Well.. No. I'm just stuck with the track."

"Weren't you almost done? You wanted to change the few seconds at the end because you found the ending too abrupt."

"You actually listened to what I was saying?"
Why wouldn't I? I knew nothing about how songs were made. It was interesting to hear him explain his train of thought.
"I'd be less stuck if I actually had the track with me."

He didn't?
"On what flash drive did you put it on?"

"Flash drive? It's on my laptop and I copied it on my computer here. The file was on my desktop."
There was the stressed tone I was waiting for.
"Mina. I have until tonight to send it! What if I lost it?"

You didn't. You made the mistake once, more than twelve years ago. You wouldn't do that again. "Take a deep breath. Did you put it in the Cloud?"

"Not until it's the final version."

"Do you have a folder for your new album?"

"Yeah, but it's not there! I have two USB keys here and they don't have it." A slightly shaky sigh. "I'm so f*cked."

"I'll be at the apartment in a minute. I'll check your laptop. Is that okay?"

"It's my problem-"

Okay. Sweet won't cut it. "Namjoon, I didn't ask if you wanted me to help. I asked if I could look into your personal belongings."

"Uhmm. Yes.. Please." Good. I'll do that. It's not like I didn't know the password. I was just being mindful.

"Perfect. I'll do that." I opened the door. Yes, Mushu. I'm happy to see you too, but I need to check something important. "Let me find it.. There it is." Looking into it, I was missing important info. "What's the name of the file?" No sound. "Do you really think not spoiling the track name to me is the priority right now?"

"You're right, you're right. Just tell me if the file is there. Don't open it."

"I promise. What is it?"

"Folder is Mirrors, the track is Life."

A chuckle escaped. I couldn't help it. "You have a lot of songs with that word in the name."

"I'm not the one who chose the name! My title was a lot longer."
I looked.
"Is it there?"

The folder was. The track wasn't. There was a New Album folder though.
"Can I look into other files?"
He gave me the okay. I opened it and there it was. Life.
"Found it!"

"Oh thank goodness, you're so smart. You deserve a full bow, I swear.."
The relief.

"I'll send it to you right now and for the love of the Chaetpugi brothers save a copy on your studio computer."
And.. sent

A nervous laugh.
"I will. Thanks a lot, Kitten."
Pleasure is all mine.

"Text me if you need anything, handsome."

That seemed to cheer him up a bit. "Sure thing. I'm probably not gonna be home tonight."

"It's okay."
Because I wouldn't be either.
"Bye~"
We hung up and I mastered a plan with some of the guys.
.
.
.
I carefully pulled the headphones off his ears.
"Up for a break?"

The bothered one glanced up. "What are you doing here?" Ordering his thoughts.
"You don't even have the keys.. or the password."

"What did you say?"
I showed him the set in my hand.
"A little bird lent them to me, including the password, but what's good of a password if I don't have the key to the studios' corridor."