Let It Shine | Nam Dohyon

2. 'Don't Run Away'

Practice Room 5E
After school

"Her beauty's crazy
I watch her from the crowd
Her voice is so amazing
She make her mama proud

I tried to send her flowers
But she has no address
Her home is in my heart
It's like she never left."

Dohyon waited anxiously as Eunsang recited his lyrics. The latter took his time filtering through the words. His eyes narrow in scrutiny. Finally Eunsang nods his head in approval.

"It's good. Really good." He smiles down at the younger boy slouched up against the wall. The kind of smile that showed off all of his pearly white teeth. "Is it about Olivia?"

The boy side eyes him before snatching back the song lyric sheet from his hands.

"Who else?"

He juts out his chin in a faux challenging manner. But soon he smiles the attitude away. Despite it all a rosiness spreads across his cheeks. "I'm going to need help with the vocals. I was hoping you could help me."

"Of course," Eunsang slings his arm around Dohyon's shoulders, "what are friends for?"

The younger boy just hums in response.

"So after that it goes:

This is more than a crush
More than a like like
More than a love
Baby imma make you mine
And I ain't givin' up."

"Yah, you use so many English slang words!" Eunsang exclaims.

Dohyon shook his head. "All Western artists do it. It makes it sound good." Eunsang nods his head obnoxiously. "Yah! Like you could do better!"

In actuality, Eunsang knew he couldn't. Dohyon has a gift with words. He knew just how to express how he felt and then be able to put it in a song and make it sound good. He had another level of talent. Eunsang was simply glad to be a part of his art. Even if it was only by adding some vocals.

"I didn't say I could do better. I was only speculating." He said in defense. Keeping his palms up.

"Start speculating the chorus," Dohyon snaps. He shoves the sheet of paper into the elder boy's hands. "The music is essentially finished. All we have to do is record."

•••

As fate would have it, walking past was Olivia. The young blonde trying to find the practice room her friends were in. She still got lost every now and then. And not being able to speak the language nerved her quite a bit.

Luckily some of the better English speakers adapted themselves to her. They spoke to her and made her feel welcome.

That was how she became friends with Wonyoung and Yujin. The first ones to speak to her, having the confidence to do so.

But they weren't there now and the girl was anxious to get to them.

That is until she started to hear a good song. The kind of good song that makes you stop just to indulge in it.

Olivia decides to pause for a moment in her movement to listen in to someone's practice.

"Shawty you got fire
But I'm preaching to the choir
I know you know
The whole world is watching you, so."

It sounded prerecorded. But she was impressed that it was all in English with a good pronunciation.

"Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you."

Then someone started rapping a verse:

"Uh, they say true love is blind
That real romance is timeless
You're like my favorite movie
Play it and rewind it

'Cause baby you're the finest
Your love I'm gonna find it
And when I do, I'll run away with you
Somewhere where they can't find us."

Olivia let the words absorb her. They were enticing and somewhat sweet in the way they were written. She wanted to know who was in the practice room but was afraid how the interaction would go.

What if the artist was upset that she had been listening?

"Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you."

Olivia quickly scattered away when she hears rustling inside the room. Still on her journey to find her friends.

She started humming to herself. "Don't run away, don't run away..."