“It is a beautiful song, Jin-woo dongsaeng,” Hyun-jo said softly.
“Gomabseumnida,” Jin-woo said. He couldn’t seem to get any other words out.
“Your performance was nothing short of amazing, Jin-woo dongsaeng,” Teacher Kim said. “I was awestruck with the changes in your vocals. It blended seamlessly with the changes in the melody and rhythm.”
“I am very impressed,” Soon-joon said. “You really know their voices, and it showed. Thank you for the pleasure of hearing you sing. I feel this was rather difficult for you, and I thank you for continuing on, seeing it through to the end.”
“They are my favorite band,” Jin-woo said softly. “It is only because I’ve listened to them so much that I know their styles so well. I know my song will sound even better when they sing it.”
Jin-woo appreciated how Soon-joon didn’t bring up the idea of him performing the song at the concert. It showed how much of a decent man he was. He knew of Jin-woo’s… issues with singing and didn’t hold it against him. After a few more minutes of chitchat, Jin-woo returned to his seat. Most of his classmates congratulated him, but some were unhappy. Mei kept shooting him dark looks. Others muttered under their breath. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to worry about that. Their issues were precisely that: their issues. He had more important things to deal with. When they were finally dismissed, Hyun-jo stopped them by the door. He waited until the other students had left before he spoke.
“Soon-joon-nim is working out next year’s details with Seonsaengnim, so he asked me to convey his request.”
“You’re always so formal and polite,” Min-su said with a smile. He simply bowed with a soft smile.
“What can we do for Soon-joon-nim?” Jong-in said.
“Well, in effect, this request is for you and Min-su-ya,” Hyun-jo said. “He was very impressed with your songs, and he would like to have Bam Kiseu record them as well, if you will allow.”
“Pinch me,” Min-su said softly. Jin-woo reached out and pinched her, as per her request. She jumped a little and then glared at him while rubbing her arm.
“What? You told me to pinch you,” he said with a shrug.
“Why did you have to do it so hard?”
“For all the times you smack me in the head.”
“Learn to dodge.”
“Are you two finished?” Jong-in said with a sigh.
“For now,” they answered. Jin-woo giggled. He couldn’t help it. He was feeling good. Hyun-jo smiled at their antics.
“Of course we’re going to permit it,” Min-su said, putting her arm through Jong-in’s. “We wrote the songs for them to begin with. I just didn’t think we’d be offered something like this.”
“Had we been able to choose more than one winner, rest assured, you three and Tae-ri dongsaeng would have been standing up there together,” Soon-joon said as he came over to them. “I could not let those songs go. We’ll see if they want to work all three of them into the concert. I also need to speak with Tae-ri dongsaeng. I think he might do well with a pair of trainees I’m working with.”
“Live? You want them to perform them live?” Jong-in said softly.
“We’ll see what they say. I’ve always been a firm believer on receiving input from the artists themselves,” Soon-joon said. “Now I know you three have other work to do. We’ll see you tomorrow at the office.”
“Soon-joon-nim?” Jin-woo said suddenly, remembering what Jong-in had said as he felt the prickles on the back of his neck.
“Yes.”
“I need to talk to you about my other situation,” Jin-woo said, shooting a quick glance to see if Mei was watching him. “Could I meet with you tomorrow morning?”
Soon-joon looked at Hyun-jo.
“Your first meeting is at ten o’clock,” Hyun-jo said with a smile. “I will let Hyung-jun hubae know you will be meeting with Jin-woo dongsaeng at nine o’clock if that is agreeable with you both?”
“That is fine,” Soon-joon said, and Jin-woo nodded.
“How do you remember it all?” Jong-in asked.
“Practice.” Hyun-jo smiled.
They said their goodbyes, and then Soon-joon and Hyun-jo walked out of the room after pausing to speak with Tae-ri. Soon-joon handed Tae-ri his business card before they left. Jin-woo nudged Min-su and then gestured to the departing couple. She smiled when she saw Soon-joon’s hand resting at the small of Hyun-jo’s back. Jin-woo wondered if Soon-joon even realized he was doing it. He didn’t think so.
“They make such a good couple,” Min-su said softly. “He’s waited so long.”
“He’ll get his way in the end,” Jong-in said. “Now we’ve got to get to work.”
“Not before caffeine,” Jin-woo insisted. “I’ve had one small cup, and that is so not enough to get me through this day.”
“Agreed.”
Walking arm in arm, they made their way out of the building and headed for the nearest coffee shop, heedless of the eyes that followed them.
Ki-tae
“THIS IS definitely yours,” Cheongul said as they listened to “Untainted.” Jong-in’s lyrics were poignant, his mix complex.
“It wouldn’t be right for either of us to sing it,” Ki-tae agreed.
“It’s…. I don’t know what to say,” HanYin murmured. “It’s almost too… intimate, too personal to perform before an audience.”
“It fits with ‘Yes or No,’ doesn’t it?” Ki-tae said.
“I… I hadn’t thought of that,” HanYin said.
“This is a flashback concert, but I don’t see why we can’t debut more than one new song,” Cheongul said with a shrug. “It’s just before the spring festival, a time of renewal and new beginnings. Makes sense to do a few new things, doesn’t it?”
“It does.” Ki-tae grinned. “Let’s move on to the next one.”
“Hyun-jo-nim said this was Min-su-ya’s composition,” HanYin said as he queued the song. He pressed Play, and they all leaned back in their seats to listen, eyes closed.
“Holy shit, my girl can drop a beat.” Cheongul laughed as his chair rocked forward and nearly shot him out of it. “And she raps too!”
“A match made in the studio.” HanYin snickered. Cheongul threw a stress ball at him, which HanYin deftly caught.
“One word: piano!” Cheongul said pointedly, smiling when HanYin blushed furiously.
“‘Your girl,’ huh?” Ki-tae chuckled. “Going to tell her that anytime soon?”
“Leave off,” Cheongul said. “This is a bit… new for me, and you know it. Besides, I already told her.”
“You did? And? What did she say?” HanYin demanded.
“She loves me too.” Cheongul smiled.
“Then I’ll stop busting on you about it for now,” Ki-tae said. He turned his attention back to the music. “This has got a lot of energy. It’s upbeat but still has the solid drops.”
“Add it?” HanYin asked.
“Add it,” they said.
“Now for Jin-woo-ya’s. His was the winning selection. Hyun-jo-nim said we should brace ourselves,” HanYin said. Then he hit the space bar, and they resumed their positions, but not for long.
“Holy shit,” Cheongul murmured. “Is that…. I thought they had to do this by themselves, no collaborations.”
“That’s all Jin-woo,” Ki-tae whispered, awed by the layered vocals. “That’s all him. He’s got a what… four, four and a half-octave range?”
“No, that’s a solid five,” HanYin said. “You can hear it at the end of the notes. He’s hitting middle five.”
Cheongul said, “Two points of view, each looking at the other but feeling invisible.”
“Ironically that’s the title: ‘Invisible,’” HanYin said, glancing at the email.
“Listen to the tones. When he finishes a verse, he drops his pitch to match the music, a sort of natural fade,” Ki-tae said, shifting in his seat.
“The harmonies, they are tight.” Cheongul moved closer to the speakers. “The buil
dup, you almost don’t even notice it amid the strings. It’s like riding a roller coaster, and when you hit the top, there’s that almost imperceptible stop before you drop.”
“Amazing,” Ki-tae said. “And it suits us. This is a duet, though.”
“Yeah?” Cheongul said.
“Um, there’s three of us, remember?” Ki-tae said sarcastically.
“So what, we’ve done solo songs before. I always take the lead in ‘Master.’ I don’t see why this has to be any different,” Cheongul said. “Jin-woo-ya can.”
“No, he can’t,” HanYin said with a shake of his head. “Jin-woo-ya cannot perform this in front of an audience.”
“What do you mean?” Ki-tae demanded, turning to face him. “Why wouldn’t he be able to do this with me?”
HanYin said, “It’s not my place to tell, so I’m not going to say any more than that. Just don’t ask him to do this.”
“How do you know that?” Ki-tae asked.
“It was while you were out of the building all day. I guess Abeoji brought up the idea of them singing with us at the festival, and Jin-woo-ya had an adverse reaction to it. I was sitting with him when he woke up,” HanYin said.
“Okay,” Ki-tae said. “I guess I need to talk to him about it.”
“Don’t push, Ki-tae. You know how we get, and Jin-woo-ya’s just as proud as the rest of us,” HanYin said.
“I know when not to push, HanYin,” Ki-tae said. “I just… I don’t understand why I don’t know this about him.”
“It’s not easy to tell people about what hurts us. You know this,” Cheongul said. “Ask him about it, but if he’s not ready, you have to give him the time.”
“It hurts,” Ki-tae said.
“I know,” Cheongul said. “I… I told Min-su about Mikiko and Tashi, and she told me what happened to her. It was hard on both of us. The pain is still close.”
“We’re getting maudlin, and it needs to stop,” HanYin said. “You guys remember this one?”
Ki-tae hadn’t noticed HanYin fiddling with the computer while he was talking to Cheongul. What played on the screen was one of their oldest music videos. It didn’t look like much now. They didn’t have Gojira when that video was done. Otherwise their dancing would have been tighter, more precise. Still, it was a feel-good video that was fun to make. Soon they were laughing at their own antics.
“Oh my God, look at my hair!” HanYin laughed at the bright orange locks he sported. “Who convinced me to do that?”
“I believe that was our first stylist, Anyi seonbae, who I still feel was in need of serious medication. She was way too… much,” Cheongul said.
“And LeiChen-ssi isn’t?” Ki-tae chuckled.
“LeiChen-ssi is at least amusing and sweet, and he just doesn’t care what other people think. Not only that, but he has incredible fashion sense and knows what it’s like to be under those stage lights, so he doesn’t layer us in fabric,” Cheongul said. “I swear Anyi seonbae was not all there.”
“She had her quirks,” HanYin said. “That color doesn’t look good on me at all.”
“Not in your hair, at any rate,” Ki-tae said. “I personally think the purples and blues suit you better.”
“That more reddish purple works for you,” HanYin said. “Remind me never to do orange ever again.”
“Don’t do orange ever again,” Ki-tae and Cheongul said in unison. HanYin winged the stress ball at Ki-tae. He snagged it immediately.
“So we have three new songs to perform and one remix,” Ki-tae said. “Do you want to do ‘Yes or No,’ HanYin?”
“Let’s put it in for now, and I’ll make a final decision closer to the concert,” HanYin said quietly. Ki-tae tilted his head and studied his brother.
“What is it?”
“I wrote that song when I was uncertain about Jong-in,” he answered. “I’m still a little uncertain. I don’t know if he’s going to stay. He’s been trying to be a normal guy, and I’m so far from normal it’s laughable.”
“Have you talked to him about it?” Ki-tae asked. “Maybe Jong-in-a is just as unsure as you are.”
“It’s hard to have the time. He works so much, but if I offer to help him, he’s going to get upset, just like he did with Jin-woo-ya.” HanYin smiled. “He’s so proud and determined and strong-willed.”
“You’re a goner,” Cheongul said with a small smile. “You love him.”
“I do,” HanYin said softly. “But the question is, does he love me?”
“Only one way to find out,” Ki-tae said.
“I don’t know if I’m strong enough to hear the answer.”
Ki-tae pulled HanYin to him, chair and all, and hugged him tight. Two seconds later it was a three-way hug. “We found some pretty amazing people, ones we can be completely honest with about who and what we are. We’re not letting them go.”
“What if they walk away?” HanYin whispered into Ki-tae’s neck.
“They won’t,” Cheongul said.
“I… I can’t lose him.” HanYin’s tears wet Ki-tae’s neck. “It will kill me.”
Soon-joon
SOON-JOON LOOKED at the envelope sitting on his desk, Hyun-jo standing next to him. He had a bad feeling about this and was loath to open it. Yet he knew he had to. They needed to know what level of threat they were facing.
“Shall I?” Hyun-jo asked, setting a hand on his shoulder. Soon-joon could feel the soothing energy flowing into him.
“No,” Soon-joon said. He reached out for the envelope, taking Hyun-jo’s hand. “Just… be here.”
“If I haven’t left in over a thousand years, what makes you think I’m going to leave now?” Hyun-jo muttered. “Baka.”
Soon-joon chuckled softly as he tore open the envelope. He dumped the contents onto his desk. Three pictures poured out, one in pieces. All of them were Ki-tae, and they were very candid shots. It was clear Ki-tae did not sense the person following him. Either that or he did not consider that person a threat. I warned you was scrawled in red across one of the whole pictures. A chill went through Soon-joon, and then he got angry. His claws shot from his fingertips, piercing through the photo paper. Someone dared threaten his son.
“Easy, xīn’ái,” Hyun-jo murmured. “We will find this person, and they will no longer be a threat to our family.”
“It cannot happen soon enough for me.” He sighed.
“I know,” Hyun-jo said. “We have a threat from two sides, and it is aggravating.”
“How is that investigation going?” Soon-joon asked.
“The footage is not the best quality, and I believe the perpetrator knew of the cameras. Their movements were too deliberate for them not to know. They made sure their face was not seen in more than a one-quarter view, making it difficult to do any sort of composite.” Hyun-jo moved behind him and massaged his shoulders as he spoke. “The clothing was very loose, but if I were to hazard a guess, I do not believe we are seeking a large male as the destruction of the furniture would imply. While knives are typically a male weapon of choice, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Jin-woo-ya’s stalker is female.”
“You do not guess, Hyun-jo,” Soon-joon said drily.
“I do not have all the information yet, therefore I will not commit to anything beyond a possible theory,” he said.
“Your theory may be more valid than you think,” Soon-joon said.
“Oh?” Hyun-jo said. “Your meeting with Jin-woo the other day?”
Soon-joon nodded. “One of his classmates, Byun Mei dongsaeng, has him concerned. He said she has often displayed… overfamiliarity and a distinct lack of personal boundaries with him but has gotten worse over the last several weeks. I would like you to look into it please.”
“Byun? Any possible relation to Seung-ri hubae?”
“Possibly. He started caring for his sister-in-law and niece after his brother was killed in that train accident several years ago. Honestly, I am hoping there is no connection. Seung-ri hubae adores his niece.
”
“I will look into it,” Hyun-jo said, his lilting voice as soothing as it was arousing depending upon his Fox’s mood. “Now relax, or I will have to use drastic measures… again.”
Soon-joon chuckled. He wondered if Hyun-jo realized that was not a deterrent.
Jin-woo
THE FESTIVAL of Dano approached faster than anyone truly wanted. In between their multitude of meetings, promotional events, and rehearsals, Ki-tae and HanYin were in the studio with Jin-woo and Jong-in preparing “Invisible” for its debut. Cheongul worked on Min-su’s song. HanYin spent extra time not only at the offices, but his home studio, rehearsing “Untainted.” Each wanted to make sure these songs were perfect, and the stress was getting to them.
Jin-woo stretched out on his bed, his body as exhausted as his mind. He had returned to his apartment infrequently in the past several weeks. With all the work they’d been doing, he hadn’t had a chance to think about his break-in. He wasn’t sure the police were making any real effort to solve the case, but he knew Shin-bai and Hyun-jo were working on it, and that made him feel better.
Tomorrow night he would be at Eumak Nabi Theater. The venue had sold out in mere hours after the announcement was made. The social medial sites were all abuzz with the news. On more than one occasion, he and Ki-tae were stopped by fans while they were out. Ki-tae would smile, sign autographs, and take pictures with them. A few had gotten too intense, and Shin-bai quickly stepped in. Since the last envelope, Shin-bai did not leave Ki-tae’s side until he was safely in his apartment, at the house, or with Jin-woo in his apartment. Even then he was outside watching, keeping them safe. It was terrifying to think someone wanted to hurt Ki-tae. It made his little stalker seem almost insignificant. At least there wasn’t a threat to Jin-woo’s life.
Jin-woo sighed as he sat up. He needed a shower, and then he needed to get some rest. Tomorrow was going to be hectic from beginning to end. Yet there was an energy that seemed to fill all the people involved, a certain level of excitement as they prepared for the performance. They hadn’t done a flashback concert before. Bam Kiseu occasionally pulled out an old song during a tour, but mostly they performed the new music. It was going to be interesting to see how the fans reacted. Jin-woo thought it was awesome, but he was a fanboy, and everything Bam Kiseu sang was incredible, as far as he was concerned.
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