Echoes of the Alley

27 - Crossroads

The following morning, sunlight filtered weakly through Jisung's curtains, casting soft patterns on the floor. He blinked awake, disoriented by the unfamiliar feeling of peace in his chest. For once, the suffocating weight of expectation wasn't the first thing to greet him. He shifted slightly and caught sight of his phone on the nightstand, the memory of Minho's visit from the night before flickering to the forefront of his mind.

Minho had stayed longer than Jisung had expected. They hadn't talked much after the initial outpouring of emotions; instead, they'd simply sat together, the silence between them comfortable. Jisung hadn't realized how badly he'd needed that until now.

Stretching, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and reached for his phone. There was a new message from Minho, sent late last night:
Minho: Hope you're feeling better this morning. Don't forget, you're not alone.

Jisung stared at the screen, his heart twisting. He quickly typed out a reply:
Jisung: Thanks for yesterday. It really meant a lot.

The message delivered, and he set the phone down, exhaling deeply. Today felt like a chance to reset, but he still wasn't sure where to start. His thoughts drifted to the studio—and the looming expectations waiting for him there.

—
When Jisung arrived at the studio later that morning, the atmosphere was palpably different. Felix was already there, sitting cross-legged on the floor as he fiddled with a MIDI controller, a small smile playing on his lips. Jeongin was sprawled out on the couch, his head bobbing in time with the beat Felix was working on. Seungmin stood by the whiteboard, scribbling something in his neat, deliberate handwriting.

As Jisung stepped inside, Felix's eyes lit up. "Morning, Sungie!" he chirped. "You're just in time. I think I've cracked the rhythm for that chorus we were stuck on."

Jisung managed a small smile, nodding. "That's great. Let's hear it."

Felix pressed a few buttons, and a layered beat filled the room. It was upbeat yet intricate, with subtle flourishes that gave it depth. Jisung's head unconsciously began to nod along.

"It's good," he said, his voice quiet but genuine. "Really good."

Felix's grin widened. "Think we're on the right track, then?"

Jisung nodded again, moving to his usual spot by the table. He pulled out his notebook, the blank pages from yesterday now filled with faint traces of hope. Maybe today would be different.

—
They worked through the morning, bouncing ideas off one another with more energy than they'd had in days. Jisung found himself relaxing as the session progressed, his confidence slowly returning. Even Seungmin, who had been tense and irritable recently, seemed more at ease.
During a short break, Felix plopped down beside Jisung, handing him a bottle of water. "You're doing better today," he observed, his tone light but caring.

Jisung twisted the cap off the bottle, taking a sip before responding. "Yeah. I think I just... needed a reset."

Felix nodded knowingly. "Sometimes that's all it takes. You've been pushing yourself so hard, Sungie. I'm glad you're letting yourself breathe a bit."

Jisung offered a faint smile, gratitude flickering in his chest. He still had a long way to go, but for the first time in a while, he felt like he was moving in the right direction.

—
Later that evening, after the session had wrapped up, Jisung lingered in the studio while the others packed up their things. He'd scribbled down a few lines of lyrics during the day, and now he was tweaking them, trying to capture the elusive feeling he'd been chasing.

"Still here?" Minho's voice broke through the quiet, startling Jisung. He looked up to see Minho leaning casually against the doorway, his bag slung over one shoulder.