C H O P P Y | kwon minsik

n i n e t e e n ; meeting

        DAHYE, JAY, AND HOODY walked through the lobby of the conference center to get to the elevators after exiting the small Starbucks on the main floor. There was a little over ten minutes left before they would start the meeting about the upcoming collaboration with Jay's sub-label, and Dahye couldn't explain the feeling in her chest other than excitement and nervousness. She was ecstatic to be working with such a talented group of people that Jay had handpicked himself and cared so much about, but at the same time she was nervous about being in a room filled with completely new people. Her friends would be there, but she would still feel as if all eyes were on when she wasn't looking, silently judging her and creating false thoughts about her in their heads.

        Dahye was more than aware of the fact that almost everyone, if not everyone, in Korea knew about her now that her album would gain more attention than it already had. The most vulnerable parts of her being would be displayed out in the open for anyone who wanted to pick and prod at it, for antis who wanted to tear her apart, and for the big wigs to assume false shit about her. The happiness she felt from winning the Daesangs last night had suddenly evaporated into thin air, leaving her hollow and empty and cold. Dahye dragged down the sleeves of her jacket and tucked under arm underneath the other, taking a sip of her coffee. She was suddenly grateful that Jay had bought her something stronger than the usual matcha drink she got; the coffee gave her the buzz she was craving since she woke up, occupying her mind from thinking about unpleasant thoughts. 

        Jay pressed the button to call down the elevator, leaning on his hip as he examined the papers held together by tong in his hand. His eyes scanned the words, terms and conditions, and key points, memorizing them in case he needed to bring them up during the meeting. Although he had been prepared for this meeting long ago, he still wanted to be professional and not read off the paper in front of his colleagues like a fucking elementary student learning his ABCs. One of the reasons for the seriousness in the young CEO's face was because of the recently hired Supervisor for H1GHR, a man by the name of Kim Songpil. He definitely wasn't someone Jay liked all too much. Actually, if it hadn't been because of Cha Cha convincing him to give the older man a chance and not be so biased based on his gut feeling, Jay would have fired Songpil already, or at least taken away a great deal of his authority in the company. There was something slimy about the man that Jay had noticed the minute he had stepped into his office back in Seoul on the first day they met. His beady eyes and greasy smile put him off, and even he, Park Jaebom, was unsettled whenever the man was around. Jay was sure that Songpil would try and say something against him during the meeting and he didn't want to leave it to luck if it came to dealing with the man. The last thing he wanted was to look fucking clueless when he was supposed to know everything that happened in the company, from the stocks of food in the cafeteria to the number of rolls of paper towels in the bathrooms. 

        Jay looked briefly back at Dahye, watching her worry the straw between her teeth. He gave her a sympathetic smile when their eyes met, her fidgety ones focusing back in place when she saw the warm smile on his face. He mouthed "Are you okay?" at her, gaining back a nod of her head as a yes. She was soon talking with Hoody about something Jay couldn't hear, but he was glad that the other female rapper was here so that Dahye could be distracted. Jay knew that she was feeling anxious to be in the same room with so many new people and he knew that everybody would want to talk to her about the Daesangs and other things in general. Although she would talk with them out of common courtesy, Jay also knew that she wouldn't be comfortable at all. Luckily all of AOMG would here, the rest of the crew who weren't at MAMA had arrived early this morning on the first flight, so Dahye would at least be surrounded by people she had come to consider her family for the past few years. 

        When the elevator came down, they all got in, Jay hitting the button to the top floor. It was a quiet ride to their destination, save for the clicking of Dahye's nails on her phone screen as she texted with Kisok, no doubt sending their location to the other three men. Jay checked his watch, seeing that they still had some time before they had to begin the meeting. If there was one thing he hated besides fake people and stuck ups, it was being late to important events such as award shows and meetings such as this one. AOMG and H1GHR were still fairly new companies although he had been in this industry for over ten years, and he knew that their reputation and integrity depended on their achievements and how others talked about them.