Camp Heartbroken | TXT Novella

Chapter 30 - Beomgyu

"You, who's staring at me blankly in the mirror Is not me."

Beomgyu coughs after repeating the verse for what seems like the fiftieth time. He peers out of the glass booth to one of Taylor's head producers, DJ Gee. He taps his throat and then the mic. "It's just that the words aren't like the usual pop song," he admits. "It's like my vocal chords can't keep up."

DJ Gee, who wears sunglasses and a beanie, gives him a single nod. He isn't the most talkative type, but his talent is clear. With his help, TXT's debut track CROWN is slowly materializing. The team members' voices have never sounded so harmonious together. "Try one more time."

Even with a positive mindset, Beomgyu isn't totally oblivious to their troubles. Their deadline to finish their lead track happens to be today. The last few recording sessions have been filled with his team mates tugging on their hair with stress and struggling with notes that would be easy on any other day. The absence of Taylor is an obvious factor. Adding to the mix is the shrinking timeline. In around three weeks, they're expected to have a full EP along with a dance routine for three songs. A feeling of unease is growing in the team. No matter how much energy Beomgyu tries to channel, he finds himself burning out—a match trying to light in a room with no oxygen.

"You, who's staring at me blankly in the mirror Is not—"

Before he can even finish the line, Beomgyu is hurled into a coughing fit. "I'm sorry," he whispers out. "My throat is really dry, like no matter how much water I have."

"Come back in a half hour," says DJ Gee. Leaving it at that, the master producer goes back to dragging audio files around on his desktop.

Beomgyu exits the music room. In the living room of Camp Heartbroken, his team mates look at him in expectation. They're waiting for his verses to be finalized. After he's done, CROWN will be finished. Of course, that's only if everyone is willing for the song to be taken from their hands.

"I think I can go a bit higher, actually," says Taehyun. "Plus my belting didn't feel right yesterday. It was like I was straining."

After hunching over, Soobin straightens his posture and looks thoughtful. "We have to let DJ Gee know if we want to redo anything."

Yeonjun shakes his head. "We've recorded so many takes. I think we should leave it, or we'll be trying to fix something that doesn't need it."

Kai is slouching, an usual sight for him. He only picks up the conversation when Sesame leaps onto his lap. "I feel a bit like Taehyun. My voice was really bad the other day."

Soobin looks toward Beomgyu. "What do you think?"

"I think I should finish my part before deciding," Beomgyu says quietly. "On one hand, moving forward sounds nice. Because we need to move on to the other tracks. At the same time, CROWN is our first big impression on everyone. I'm unsure overall."

Taehyun lets out a rare, frustrated groan. "I don't think I did my best."

"It doesn't have to be perfect," says Soobin.

Yeonjun falls off his chair, allowing himself to lie with his back against the floor. "I sat in on one of your sessions, Taehyun. You sounded perfect."

Taehyun shakes his head. "You heard me through the other side of the booth."

"What's the difference?"

The room turns terse and silent, and Beomgyu jumps in before the argument can get too heated. "Let's take a vote after I'm done recording."

"You, who's staring at me blankly in the mirrorIs not me."

Beomgyu sings as if the lyrics are embedded in his spirit. He closes his eyes and allows himself to feel the meaning and melody.

"Good," says DJ Gee. 

"There's a horn coming out of my head

What do I do? I don't know how to stop it."

"Better."

"But it's you

Your existence changes my world like magic

I'm not in pain anymore."

"That's the best you've done." The DJ sounds almost excited.

When he's done, Beomgyu exits with a smile and a load lifted off his chest. He meets the others in the kitchen, where Yeonjun is trying his hand at pan-frying steak. The aroma of pepper and Cajun spices awakens his senses. Although his throat hurts a bit, he's cheered up when Soobin hands him a hot green tea with honey.

"It's two to two," his leader says. "The vote, I mean. It's up to you whether we want to continue on CROWN or move on."

TOMORROW X TOGETHER eats without much conversation. But eventually, Beomgyu gains the courage to speak above the heaviness. His keeps his voice gentle but steady in conviction. "I think we should continue on. Let's move past CROWN."

Beomgyu is relieved to see everyone nod in between bites of overdone steak. But still, the atmosphere hasn't quite reverted. There's a thickness in the air that fills Beomgyu's lungs and causes him to doubt.

A/N: I think the #FlyTXT event is so cool! I hope my paper airplane makes it into TXT's cube. As always, keep your head high and take the time, when needed, to let your heart heal ♡.