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CRUSH CULTURE: CHAP. THREE
It's been a week now since Jeongguk signed with Kim Records and they've been working on recording his debut single and album. Hours have been spent in the booth and many more in the practice room. The process of debuting a new artist so soon has become a grueling process.
He was declared to only have to train for three months, the shortest training period known to man at Kim Records. Usually it would take a year or two for someone to freshly debut under the label, but considering Jeongguk's immense amount of past training such time wasn't needed.
He's mainly been focusing on learning his choreography and conveying the emotions to a 't'. However he didn't think such training was needed either, trying to convince the choreographer to believe him so that he could warm up on his vocals. But Jeongguk was as see through as they come, incredibly insecure about his voice — the company knew he would try anything to sing the song one more time but intensive training would only damage his vocal cords.
Taehyung had been very strict at enforcing this also, threatening to fire everyone in the company, including his artists if they allowed Jeongguk to sing over the set time limit that he had installed for him prior to the printing of the contract.
It seemed as if there was no way out for Jeongguk, but in present day he was alone in the practice room. The instructor leaving to get some water, which is the usual time that Jeongguk used to get in some extra vocal "warm-ups".
Coincidentally Taehyung was also surveying the practice room at said time. It was his monthly inspection of course, to make sure that everything was running well, and when he heard in a soft whisper the lyrics of his trainee's new song he was pissed off.
Long strides carried him into Jeongguk's designated practice room. His posture stiff as he stood still staring at the brunette, "And what do you think you're doing?"
Shocked, Jeongguk's voice wavered from the melody as he forced his mouth shut, "N-nothing just waiting for Songdeuk to get back..."
Anyone could tell he was lying, again he was as clear as glass. Jeongguk was a transparent, readable person. A trait that had really made him himself, and to take that away would be diminishing to Jeongguk's character as a whole.
"You know I don't like liars Jeongguk."
His voice was prickly like thorns in a way, it wasn't smooth like most deep voices. It attacked you from every angle like a pack of wild dogs needless to say. So when he scolded you it always made you feel just a bit uneasy.
"I told you that you shouldn't exhaust your voice over its limit. I want you sounding all nice and pretty for me during your debut." Taehyung said, his body slowly slouching and his jaw slack as he began his weird habit of chewing non-existent gum.
"I-I'm a guy, I-I don't sound pretty I sound manly." Jeongguk stammered, cheek bones and the bride of his nose now stamped with a rose color as he spoke to the latter.
"Adjectives don't have assigned genders Jeongguk, so if I want you to sound pretty for me that's what I want. Do you understand?"
Unconsciously, Jeongguk nodded, sweat covered hair bouncing with each lazy jerk of his head, "Y-Yes sir."
"Good, so now that we're on the same page, come here."
The younger's eyes widened at the revelation, his brain not really processing what Taehyung said at the moment. So his body stayed still, still rooted in the same place he was when Taehyung arrived.
"Are you deaf Jeongguk? I told you to come here didn't I?"
Blinking himself back into reality, Jeongguk responded with a quick 'oh right' before scampering on his feet across the studio to Taehyung, who was looking at him with a unreadable expression.
