Months on, and we were about to begin promotions for our third album. The song was named Hasayaki, after Onew-hyung’s chorus. The producer-hyung added various instrumentals to the melody, although it still retained the essential tune I heard in that playground all those years ago. Not that I minded. That simple melody was something I wanted to keep to myself.
And her.
The song did not receive much air-time, and its sole selling point was that it was “100% composed and written by the Shinee members”. Not that I minded once again. The song would find its lovers; it deserved nothing less than an understanding ear which could appreciate it for what it is, as it is.
The dance studio at the extreme end of the corridor of SM’s HQ, next to the props storeroom, was the least popular studio. It was also my favorite hangout. Few liked to enter this room due to its musty smell, and it was the one place I could collect my thoughts when things proved too tiresome.
Leaning against the mirrors, in the dark, I stared at a bunch of gym mats leaning against the wall. I hummed the tune over and over again, with the silly hope, wishing so, so hard it could transport me back in time. The empty room threw echoes of the melody back at me - simple, lonely, bittersweet.
“What’s the song you’re humming?”
W-what?
“Huh?” I immediately tensed. The rare moments of privacy were the one reason I liked this room. But this time, I wasn’t alone.
“The song that you were humming. Just now. The one that went like this…” I saw a small, petite figure emerging from behind the mats. Inwardly, I scolded myself for not checking if anyone was behind those mats.
Pabo.
Vulnerability was something I did not like to show to others, and Hasayaki’s melody was nothing short of me stripping my soul just about bare for the world to see. I saved for myself only the simplicity and the underlying memories, which were too personal and painful for the world’s eyes.
Wait.
I mentally stopped the train of expletives running through my mind. Something about the voice was wrong.
Or, just… right.
In a split second, I was transported back to the playground, where a silly young boy made a fool of himself, and found his best friend.
The next moment, I was back to the time, when a foolish teenager broke the heart of his best friend, and unknowingly, broke his own heart.
Then, the melody ended. Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill from them, as I squinted to make out the face belonging to the figure standing before the mats.
“I like it.” This time, those honest words I said in the playground many years ago came from a quiet voice; so familiar, but lost in a time I could only hope but never expect to return to.
It was the same voice which echoed in my dreams, almost every night since I penned the melody.
The voice I wanted so desperately to hear, but knew I had lost the right to hear the day I single-handedly broke two hearts.
“M-me too.” Much as I tried to hold back the waterworks, tears began streaming down.
Pangs seared through my heart as in the dark, I made out a smile, the same quiet smile, which was meant for me only, not the trophy I was handing to its new owner.
“Annyeong, Jonghyun sunbae. I’m Eunsook, the new trainee…”
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p.s: this is kinda a continuation to
"Childhood melody". it'll form part of a new series, kinda a general continuation of hasayaki. IM BACK TO BEING (MORE) HAPPY? =D
HEEHEE. and i am crazily proud of this. please flood me with comments thank you! =D including negative ones. cause im proud of this one and nothing's getting me down for this.
im gonna be spreading out the updates which are mostly written already. partially cause im down with an ear infection and my meds leave me in a very very bad state, so i won't be able to come up with the last chapter until much later. and then i'll be really busy so i can't update. so i figured why not spread out updates? =) running back to the toilet after this. =(
ALSO, my new obsession: dubu lipseul. im sure a few people here would agree they are GAWJES. me this morning: playing lucifer, watching dubu sing the first line, rewind, replay, rewind, replay, rewind, replay (rinse and repeat for 10 minutes) i claim dibs on them. not forgetting, thank YOU mr(s) producer-nim and director-nim for bringing those lips to their full luscious potential. end of creepy noona ramble.
p.s: i've incorporated a LITTLE more of an addition in one of the later chapters. so do leave a note if you're interested in being notified when i finally post it up. =)