six || txt (COMPLETED)

●・𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚢 𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚎・●

.·:·. magic .·:·.

Yoongi was smiling proudly. The gums showed whenever he moved his head around, his eyes closed as he delved into the music surrounding them.

Ara's heart was thumping against her chest and ears, though. And she couldn't register the music blasting through the speakers. She could recognize her own voice curling through the air, but she couldn't quite tell which song it was.

These demos were her babies. She was as excited as she was scared. Yoongi's face said she shouldn't worry, but of course she did. What if these songs were discarded? What if after hearing them, someone else up there decided they weren't good enough, or that they weren't what they wanted the comeback's theme to be?

The tapping of her fingers on the table was almost deafening for her, even when the music was blasting. Yoongi seemed to personally like the concepts she was working with, and the melodies she'd used.

Of course, this was the first draft. She needed to keep working on them, but she liked the direction of the work. It felt organic, and it flowed effortlessly whenever she sat and tried to work on it. It felt like her fingertips were connected to the keyboard and the electronic drums, music rippled through as if she herself was made of it, as if every cell in her body resonated with the melody; as if every cell in her body was the melody.

Sooner than later, the music stopped. It was the end of the second demo she had been working on. Her plan was to make five more, to have enough for a comeback.

"It's good", that's all her sunbae said.

"That's it?"

"I mean, it is good", he commented.

"But...", Ara added, her voice thin enough that anyone could tell her confidence was on the floor.

"But we need to make five more like them", he smiled. "I think this could actually become an album, so don't be scared. It's such a good job; these two songs are a blast. Let's work on the progression for the bridge on the first one, and then we'll maybe get to the second one's build up and... I think we should change the beat here", he clicked his mouse to start playing the song on the part he wanted to work on.

She nodded.

"So it doesn't suck", she was elated.

"Of course it doesn't! Don't be so harsh on yourself. Everyone else is; we should at least be the ones to talk nicely to ourselves and make it bearable".

"Make what bearable?"

"Life", he replied. "I know why you're here and not preparing this upcoming comeback with the kids", he ruffled his hair with his left hand, his right one going straight to the ice americano cup next to the computer. "Being an idol is not exactly the glamorous life everyone talks about".

"Yeah...", she replied. She didn't know what else to say. She didn't even know if Yoongi wanted her to reply, to begin with.

"But it's worth it", he added. She looked straight into his eyes, the cat-like features turning into crescent moons as he continued. "Not the fame, not the money. The music", he licked his lips and then took a sip of his coffee. "Making music is... like making magic".

She nodded slowly, entranced by his words.

"I'm not gonna lie, I've thought about giving up more times than I can count; more times that I want to count", he looked at his computer screen. "But this, here, this is magic", he pointed towards the mix of volumes, sounds, melodies that flooded the screen. "And we get to make it. And people get to listen. We; us and them –them who listen–, we all heal. It's a healing magic".

She felt like this was both a motivational speech for her, but also a moment for him to pour his heart out. And if he felt comfortable enough around her to pour it out, she'd listen. All in all, she owed him, at least, that much.

"Anyways...", he kind of snapped out of the trance. "Have you got lyrics? So far there's only melody", he said as if he hadn't talked about his feelings so openly just before.

"Yeah, yeah", she scurried to get up and find her tablet. She'd worked on them while mindlessly drawing Yeonjun's lips on the corner of the digital page.

"Cute", she heard him say, to which her cheeks turned red. "Is it this one?"

"Yeah, this one goes with the second memo", she tapped her fingers nervously on the desk.

"Have you got the members parts thought of yet?", he asked, still eyeing the lyrics.

"Kind of?", she replied. He looked at her with his eyes blank. "I mean, I don't know. I didn't write the lyrics thinking of that", her cheeks turned red. "More like I was just writing".

"Good", he smiled softly. "That's how great songs are made. The parts will find the members".

She felt so proud. Yoongi had said great songs while talking about the way she'd approached song writing.

"You know, if you ever truly want to stop being an idol, don't ever stray away from music. You're making magic here, Park Ara".

All ara needs is some encouragement 🥹

-baobab.