AVENUE 17 | SVT ENSEM. [✔️]

25. This is Happiness

{ "And it's all that my emotions can conjure up" }

「

prod-nim
online

hey myungho?
are you and jun free now?
want you in for lyric crunching

hi hyung!
i think he's free i'll get him to come

sure

be there in 15 with him!

of course you will😉

😳
seen

」

[MINGHAO] was true to his words and appeared at jihoon's studio with junhui attached to him. jihoon went straight into work mode and minghao felt himself settle in as well.

"i've done a bit of brainstorming and wrote a few lines that could fit in the song according to your theme. check it out," jihoon pulled up his notes. "i've also kinda blocked out which parts go with the different sections of the song."

he circled his clicker around a sectioned off part, "that's a verse; maybe two blocks, actually... that's a chorus, probably wanna repeat that... made space for a bridge here if you want..."

minghao was all wrapped up in the process, nervousness and excitement bubbling within him. sparing a glance at junhui, he looked the same. he looked ready to start.

"i think all that's so cool. that is amazing, jihoon." junhui said, smiling in awe. jihoon accepted it graciously with thanks. then, the door opened.

"oh, hey guys! hi ji!" soonyoung went over and casually pecked jihoon on the lips. he took a seat on the floor next to jihoon, pulling out his phone. the whole room was stunned. "well," minghao started.

jihoon exhaled loudly and cleared his throat, recovering from the sudden sign of affection. "kwon soonyoung, what did i say about just doing shit?" soonyoung looked unbothered, "sorry, baby." jihoon groaned.

"forget the sappy couple shit, let's start crankin'!" junhui said enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together. the room laughed.

and crank they did. about 30 minutes of writing and exchanging of ideas later, the trio (they had minimal help from soonyoung) had basically written up the whole song. what was left was the careful choosing of words and trying to make the whole song sound more refined.

"that's some great work," jihoon complimented, admiring the long digital lyrics sheet of a note they created together. he turned back, "mind if i do the final edits?" minghao shook his head, "go ahead, hyung. we trust you." jihoon smiled, "great. i'll have it done by the end of the week."

soonyoung suddenly piped up, "oh! can you show us your dance?" the two main characters shared eye contact. minghao felt like junhui was asking for him to answer. "sure!"

on the way down, junhui complained that he wasn't in dance clothes but minghao quietened him down with jokes. "we're only about slightly less than three-quarters through it." minghao prefaced. soonyoung shrugged, "that's fine. i'm excited!"

"oh! a prop?" jihoon commented, seeing the looped ribbon. junhui chuckled, "it was haohao's idea. smart brain."

minghao felt heat explode in his cheeks. in the mirror, he caught soonyoung and jihoon sharing a look. the couple stood near the back, facing the mirror. minghao signalled jihoon to hit play and he and junhui started the routine.

"yea, that's it for now." minghao breathlessly said, trotting over to quieten the music. soonyoung began clapping, "that was so cool!" jihoon also approved. minghao looked at junhui and a proud smile couldn't help but grace both their faces. this was gonna turn out so well.

【 ☆ 】

at hug, [JOSHUA] and seokmin joined jiwoo behind the counter. another slow day meant another day of chatting and heart-to-hearts until closing. "have you guys noticed something?" seokmin asked. "what?" joshua pushed.

"since we arrived at Avenue, don't you think this place has formed more meaning?" joshua scrunched up his face, "what do you mean?" seokmin exhaled, "well, don't you realise how many- i guess- special events have taken place here?"

joshua recalled every instance someone proposed to hold a celebration at Hug. "and how many time we celebrated or hosted something here? there were more times in between, you know," seokmin said, looking joshua in the eye.

"more times when we weren't even here to see."

joshua averted his gaze. realisation dawned upon him, "yeah..." he softly said.

"i've seen it," jiwoo popped in. both owners looked at her. "sometimes they come in for a simple coffee. or when they buy snacks for dates," she giggled. "they come here a lot- is all... i'm adding..."

joshua felt emotion rising through his bones, "i'm grateful for them, to be honest," seokmin went in to hug him. jiwoo beamed on the side. in the warm atmosphere of Hug, the setting sun coming in as their backdrop, the three members of Hug Cafe stood behind their counter.

"i'm so damn glad we moved in to avenue." joshua said. seokmin smiled up at him, "we've got so many more reasons to continue. eleven, to be exact."

and for the first time in a long, long while since opening Hug, joshua felt... happy. happy to have Hug, to have seokmin and jiwoo, to have moved to Avenue and have met eleven great friends and (for the majority) apartment mates. for the first time, life felt like it was moving in the right god damn direction and joshua felt so... happy.