Fight for it? RESQ - Stray Kids Hyunjin FF (RESQ SAGA PART 2)

89.

A few days later, the girls and I were at the Bobby Brown dance studio waiting for the Mamamoo girls to come. I was extremely excited because I was a really big fan of theirs, so I couldn't wait to meet them. 

"I still can't believe they were the ones asking for this collaboration," Lin said. "This is just insane."

"I know, right?" Leah agreed. "I must admit I have only heard their music and I don't really stan them, but I still can't believe they wanted to collaborate."

"You two must be really happy right now," Lin teased Mika and I. "I know you two really like them."

There then was a knock on the door and JYP came in with the Mamamoo girls, so we immediately stood up to bow.

"Good morning," we all said at the same time. "Hello, sir."

"Hello, girls." Said JYP. "I hope you will all work hard to prepare this stage with your seniors. Give them a good impression of what JYPe is like, okay?"

"We will, sir." Said Mika.

"Oh and, Soojin, please come to my office on one of your breaks," he told me and I nodded. "Make them feel comfortable and show them around, okay? I trust all of you."

"You don't need to worry," Mika assured him.

"I'll leave, then," he said. "See you later."

He then left, leaving us all alone with the girls. I felt really shy all of a sudden, so I unconsciously was a step behind the rest of the girls and almost hiding behind Lin. Each group then did their group introductions before we introduced ourselves individually.

"Moonbyul and I were the ones asking to collaborate with you," Hwasa said. "You don't feel like the typical girl group and we are big fans of your music."

"For real?" Leah asked and they nodded. "Wow, thank you!"

"Your last mini-album was also pretty risky," Solar said. "An album with no Korean songs? That was new!"

"We wanted to represent the countries where we are from with it," Lin explained. "We also want to explore new genres, styles and languages to work with to not cage ourselves in a certain type of music."

"Wow," Moonbyul simply said. "Are you seventeen or thirty?"

"She's an adult trapped inside the body of a teenager," Mika said.

"And a flipping tall one, that is!" Wheein stated approaching her. "How tall are you? And you, Soojin?"

"1,76m and 1,78m respectively," Lin answered with a smile. "We are in charge of raising the average height!"

"If I don't go near any of you when cameras are around at the MAMAs, don't take it personally," Solar said and we chuckled.

"Let's get to work now, shall we?" Mika said. "Which were the songs?"

"You are doing <Decalcomanie> first, next we are doing <Wow Thing> and then we are doing <Egotistic> all together," Solar answered.

"Okay, then. Let's start working now!"

ººº

"It's already lunch time," Lin stated after checking the time. "Should we take a break and eat?"

"I'm up for it!" Solar said. "I'm starving!"

"I'll go to JYP's office now, if you don't mind," I told them. "Get me something while I'm at it."

"No problem, go," Mika said and I immediately left.

Making my way through the building, I passed by many other artists working on their new music or practising old ones. I simply greeted them politely, not wanting to waste time.

When I reached the office, the door was already open and JYP was talking on the phone so I lightly knocked on the door so he noticed my presence. He then motioned me to go inside and sit down while he still spoke to the person at the other side of the phone call.

"Yes, thank you very much," he said. "When will you bring it?... Next week?... Perfect, thank you... Goodbye."

"Business?" I asked him.

"I bought new equipment for the studios," he answered. "You can take the old microphones for the at-home studio you have when they bring the new ones."

"Really? Thank you!"

"No problem. Now, I wanted to talk to you about your new album. I need you and Lin to create something for either the end of the year or the beginning of January."

"So soon? I don't have time!" I protested.

"Don't you have any songs already done?" He asked me.

"I have, but they are solo songs. They don't fit a group distribution," I told him. 

"And? Just rearrange them and use the ones you like the most."

"But they were meant to be my songs!"

"Soojin, I hate to break this to you but I never promised you a solo debut. In fact, I don't really think your style fits a solo debut and these things aren't exactly cheap. I have already invested a lot of money in all of you and I'm not willing to take such risk."

"And why is that, if I may know?"

"Soojin, you are a rapper. A female rapper. Can you name me any solo rappers? Successful and famous ones, I mean."

"Jessi, Hyuna, CL..." I began saying but couldn't really come up with very famous ones.

"See? You can't!" He exclaimed. "Soojin, debuting you is like a suicide."

"But I can sing too, can't I? The songs don't necessarily have to be a rap!"

"Soojin, stop it!" He said sternly. "I said you aren't debuting solo and that's final. Instead, you should start working on your comeback. That's unless you want me to call Twice's composers to create your new album. If this is the first, there won't be last."

"Fine!" I said standing up and pushing the chair back. "I'll continue being a music machine for you. Do you realise we have already released more than twenty-five songs this year? That I have written and released twenty-five songs since April? I'm burned out, Park Jinyoung, I'm burned out!"

I then left the office closing the door harshly and starting the staff and artists passing by. I then let out a scream that I muffled with my hands before sitting down on the floor and letting the tears fall as they pleased.