Sing For Me

Training

Erens POV

I wake up in the morning, I groan and stretch out my back, before heading downstairs to get a cup of tea. I see my Mom sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee and an excited look on her face. "You're never chipper in the morning, what happened?" I ask.

"Guess who just got signed to Big Hit?" I almost drop my mug.

"It better be me." She nods and I yell in happiness, setting down my tea to jump up and down and hug my Mother. 

"Thank you so much." She strokes my hair and hugs me back

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Training begins the next day, I'm introduced to a small group of very kind people. Zeke who is my new vocal coach. Nile, my new dance instructor. And Nanaba who is teaching me how to write and compose my own music. I'm meeting with Nile for my first dance lesson. I walk into the studio and say hello to Nile, "Eren," He smiles at me and shakes my hand. 

The only thing that I'm sort of upset about is that I have to quit school so I can train for 7-9 hours a day. But I'm willing to give up my education, once I become successful, I might be able to go back to school, or at least take online courses. 

We get started immediately, he teaches me the basic beginning of contemporary dance. He told me that once I get good enough at contemporary we'll move on to other genres like ballet and breakdancing, he plans to teach me a wide variety so that I have a good basis for when I go to Korea. After stretches, we begin. 

At the end of the 2-hour lesson my shirt is soaked with sweat, and muscles I didn't even know I had are aching. Nile chuckles and claps me on the back, almost knocking me over, "You did really well for your first lesson, I have very high hopes for you Mr. Jeagar." I smile at him and exit the studio, grabbing the small bag I brought with me on the way out. I go to the bathrooms and change into a pair of jeans and a black and white striped shirt, applying more deodorant so I don't kill Nanaba when I meet with her. I fix my bangs in the mirror on the way out and leave the studio. 

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Half an hour later I'm meeting with Nanaba at her apartment to start the basics of songwriting and composition. "Now, your state of mind will change from now to when your training in South Korea, but the key to writing honest, raw songs that people can relate to is to be honest with yourself and accept how you feel and to understand that what your feeling is okay. Each thing you feel is unique to you, no two people feel the same feeling in the same way. And one of the beautiful things about music is that is can convey things words can't, aka feelings." I nod.

"That's really amazing, I've never thought about music in that way." She smiles

"Not many people do, most artists find a catchy beat and throw together trash lyrics and pass it off as music. And I'm not saying that the beat isn't important, because all parts of a song are just as important as the lyrics. But the lyrics are what the majority of listeners are going to take in, they aren't going to consider the message the beat is trying to convey unless they have been musically schooled, and not many people have. I will teach you later on how to convey a message through a beat, but for now, I am going to teach you how to go inside your own mind and create poetry." 

For the next two hours, she works with me, explaining in fine detail how the best lyrics can be created in very simple ways. Once I leave, my head is swimming with knowledge, and I have a new appreciation for true artists. 

I catch the bus to Zeke's music studio for my vocal lesson. 

I sit down in the studio and we begin going over basic vocal exercises warm up. Then we do some basic tests, how wide my range is, how much control I have, etc. "My main goal is to help you keep your incredible range.  Your at the age where your voice is changing, and as it changes I want to make sure you don't lose you high notes." We work for the next few hours, going over exercises to work my vocal cords that will help me sustain my high notes for the future. The last thing that we do is Zeke gives me tips to exercise my lungs so that I can belt for longer and sustain longer notes.  

I get back home at around 6:30 and immediately collapse into my bed. I check the calendar hanging on my wall. I filled it out with my schedule last night, and I groan. Monday, Nile, 9 am to 6 pm, Tuesday, Zeke 8 am to 5:30 pm, Wednesday, Nanaba, 7 am to 5 pm, Thursday, Nile, 10 am to 7 pm, Friday, Zeke 7 am to 5:30 pm, Saturday, Nanaba 7:30 am to 7 pm, Sunday off. Repeat. I roll out of bed and go back downstairs when I hear Mom calling me for dinner. I scarf down the food and quickly jump in the shower, washing away the sweat from the day. I then change into my pajamas and go to bed. 

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Over the next few months, I'm worked to the bone, but I can see incredible amounts of improvement. My dance lessons have become my favorite part of my training, we have finished working on advanced contemporary moves and routines, moving on to the more elegant style of ballet and the rougher style of breakdancing. I have noticed that any remaining baby fat on my body has melted away, revealing a slender frame with lean muscles, I must say that I like my new look. My face has changed the most however, my cheeks are much less rounded, my jawline is much more defined and my cheekbones have become more pronounced, my neck has become seemingly longer with the lack of a slight double chin and extra skin. Plus I've gone down a dress size.

Mom recently had to take me on a shopping spree because all my old clothes were too big, my pants hanging loosely at my hips and my shirts hanging off a shoulder. I have worked hard with Zeke and Nanaba, understanding how to translate feelings into a more poetic speech, soon I'll learn how to create music to go with the poetry. And with Zeke, I have gained more control, and I've learned how to make the notes clear and precise.

And I now have a tutor that I meet with on Sundays, who is teaching me Korean, I have worked with him for a few weeks, and surprisingly enough, I'm almost fluent. He was very surprised at how quickly I soaked up the language.

Today I have a meeting with Erwin, whenever I have an off day I typically have to go meet with Erwin to discuss my progress and when I will be going to Korea. I arrive at the small waiting area and check-in with the receptionist. I sit in one of the chairs and wait to be called in. 

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The discussion is brief but what we discuss is important. I will be leaving for Korea in 3 months and my training to be doubled. I make my way to the dance studio after our meeting, knowing that Nile is with another student, but he allows me to use the studio whenever I need to, whether it's to blow off steam or to get in extra practice, and for that, I am entirely grateful. 

I walk into the studio, trying to find a smaller side studio to use, but alas they are all in use. With no other choice, I peek my head into the main studio, catching Nile's attention, "Hi Eren." I wave,

"All the other side studios are full, do you mind if we share this one?" He shakes his head.

"Not at all, I'm working with a new student an I might use you as an example." I nod and step into the room setting down my dance bag and changing my shoes. Nile goes back to working with the student and I begin working on some of the newer breakdancing moves Nile and I worked on Thursday. 

Once I'm comfortable with the new moves, I switch to refreshing some of my older temporary moves, getting back in the groove of the softer more fluid movements. I then move on to one of my favorite choreography pieces that Nile taught me, Butterfly, it goes to Butterfly by BTS, and it is one of my favorites. 

I sing the song in my head, keeping time with the beat as I remember the soft, gentle choreography. Once I finish I go to take a drink from my water bottle and take a little break. 

I watch as Nile teaches the newer student the beginning to a simple choreography. The student seems around 16 and is fairly good looking, dark brown hair and blue eyes. Fairly toned and average height, he seems fairly average. I watch for a little longer, occasionally giving small pieces of advice and correcting things that Nile misses. 

I dance for around 45 more minutes before I leave and take the bus home.