⊱ calls

@『 ✦ 』rohwan byun。 she let out a long yet soft sigh, rethinking over the choices of pieces she had long planned. perhaps it would be time for another bout of zoom meetings to reaffirm for everything before the big day. "Anyhow, thank you very much for indulging me despite knowing that i might have wasted your time when that can reinvested in your work." humming in thought, she nodded and looked at the digital clock on her work table. "I think it is getting late and i apologized for calling up the wrong person. I won't be disappointed for sure. I'd be busy the entire time too. Thank you again." With that said, she bowed her head as if he could see her and hung up with another long sigh resonating in her room.

@『 ✮ 』bibi lee。 the quips from the singer through the phone were paid heed by jasper (or tyler at this very moment) with a roll of his eyes. there’s enough yipping and yapping from whiny singers from this profession; it all became a bore once he’s heard enough. as she plays part of the drum line clip, he listened to it in a scrutiny. if he had to be honest with himself, it exceeded his expectations —- by a margin. the percussions of the song were still not up to par, at least by his “rigorous” standards. people often mistake jasper’s (or tyler’s technically speaking) tenacity with production quality for being a “grump”. but really, it’s not that deep. after much contemplation, he spoke matter of factly. “well. everything i’ve heard from the percussion was very static. where’s the flavor? the dynamics? also, how much reverb did you use? it all sounds so muddled and foggy. you gotta shorten that decay time and most importantly, use a lot less.”

@『 ✦ 』jasper lee。 she adjusted herself on her seat, raising her knees so she could prop them against her workdesk- her phone left her ear, the loudspeaker button pressed so she could place the device down yet still talk to him easily. lithe fingers found her keyboard, peering at the melody line in scrutiny. only to pause in her tracks and raise a brow in the direction of her phone. she often wondered how he had any friends, if any at all with that sulky personality of his. but truth be told, it was amusing to her; most of the time, he just sounded like a grump and she had her fun in teasing him about it. "hey, top 40s pop isn't so bad!" she laughed, shaking her head at him even though he couldn't see it. sure, the charts weren't her thing even if her label had so begged for her to create more mainstream music but bibi was always one to bend her own way- even if it meant seeking help from prickly men like him. "wash your mouth with soap, ty. discrediting my skills like that doesn't look so nice, given how i made your made our own track better last time." her grin was disarming but with a hint of audacious haughtiness in it, she held her head high, pressing on the little button so the music could flow from her speakers. "but here! tell me what i should do about the drum line, it doesn't seem right to me."

@『 ✮ 』bibi lee。 jasper adjusted his airpods as he heard bibi’s soft, yet steely voice on the other end. he could tell she was a little exasperated, but at the end it was proven time and time again that he can always make her wait for him a little longer. even with his uncompromising and strict nature, the singer put a lot of her trust into him. “pft, as if i’d make anything as generic as some top 40s pop song.” he scoffed after the quip, reclining further in his chair. if he had to be honest, he forgets that he isn’t /really/ tyler sometimes. when people believe his persona, it’s very easy to slip into it, as if it’s a pair of slides. this mask of anonymity made him feel potent, but it’s too bad he had to retain a level of restraint in order to separate the mask from his real self. having enough of his introspection, he decided to attend to more important matters, such as helping out some hipster singer with their follow up single. well… what could possibly go wrong here? “more fun thing.. huh. and you need my expert opinion right now? hmm… i mean if this is the dilemma you’re having then your song must be . but before i make too many sweeping judgements, play an excerpt for your song for me.”

@『 ✦ 』jasper lee。 bibi waited with baited breath for him to pick up- three rings sounded and she began gnawing on her lower lip nervously. was he busy? she sighed, beginning to pull her phone away until the click sounded, his voice slipping through the earpiece. "hello?" she murmured into her phone, sinking back against her chair and further into her oversized hoodie. his voice, a soothing yet rough rasp, was always one of those moments that took her aback and she found herself wondering what could a man with such a beautiful voice look like. yet, she would never ask. "yeah yeah, making mainstream music, i see. kidding," she quipped playfully after a clear of - he couldn't know how that raspy tone of his made her nervous. "is that so? what if i told you i had a much more fun thing to do? like my own song that needs your expert opinion on?"

@『 ✮ 』bibi lee。 jasper sat in his rotating chair for hours, listlessly looking through the tracks of one of the new songs he made for some other underground label. make something catchy and hip for tiktok, they said. he scoffs at himself, feeling uninspired by the mindless drivel he was forced to produced until his phone ringtone interrupted his reverie.

[ incoming call: Bibi L. ]

grunting softly, he stretched over to retrieve his phone, swiping to accept the call. it was refreshing to not receive a call from some annoying telemarketer. he clears his throat before speaking, beginning with a graveled rasp. “hey bibi. i’m honestly preoccupied with something at the moment. but i’d be willing to respond if this matter is worth my time.”

@『 ✦ 』jasper lee。 needless to say, her makeshift studio in her apartment was loud, one of the songs she'd been working on reverberating against the walls. but she was not satisfied; her perfectionist self was too irked by the way it didn't too well on the drum beat so she did what she thought was best then. after all, expert geniuses always listened to another expert genius. bibi sighed and turned out the volume as she picked up her phone, clicking on the one person who could save her from the pit of no-muse she was stuck in.
[ outgoing call: Ty K. ]

@『 ✮ 』sohyang han。 he taps the pencil against his script and hums at her words. "well, fair enough. if one piece is already long then how are you going to memorize all of them and thinking you could play them all in a split second when the symphony starts to play?" he only hums in a lower tone at her words, knowing how strict he has sound so far, just like how he had been to his crew and his directing career. "i am glad. i might have offended you in the meanwhile so i apologize for that. not that many like me for the way i talk." he tries to picture himself being so outgoing once in a while, despite his job requires a lot of interaction with people, he still considers himself awkward in meeting people outside his social circle. "i don't easily regret it. but then like i said, i may not be available at most times, so don't be too disappointed when you do."

@『 ✦ 』rohwan byun。 as he admitted that he was not the type to be all friendly over the phone, she only have to agree. she didn't know what he could be like and he was a complete stranger. if anything, she felt intrigued by his advice and wondered just how just he could be in person. "small piece... well, sure it's small but the duration though..", she chuckles at the thought of how painfully long each performance could be. "if you don't mind, perhaps i can send you a ticket to my upcoming performance just so you can understand my plight. I should really get in touch with the conductor as speedily as I can. really appreciate your advice." surprised at his extending offer to be texted at any time, she only murmurs in thought and responds with an expectant tone. "well, if you don't mind me needing a dinner buddy or just someone to talk about anything under the sky.... sure, I will! Just don't regret your choice."

@『 ✮ 』sohyang han。 he clicks his tongue listening to her words, shaking his head as he wasn't really trying to help with her anxiety during the bickering earlier. "well you thought too much, sohyang. i am not that nice of a person." he hums quietly at the compliment to his name, a small smile playing on his lips before it falls back to his default expression once again. "i still stand by my point. practicing all of them when you are only required to play a small piece doesn't worth the price. if you don't understand what you will be playing and has to guess it by listening to the symphony behind you, it will only make the audience think that you are unprepared. so the fact that you should confirm with your conductor is valid." he says in a calm tone, all performance are somehow interrelated in a way, even when he is just a spectator of actors acting out a scene, he also doesn't appreciate when they are not fully prepared. he takes a long breath and breathes out slowly, not answering to her right away. "i wouldn't insist to be treated on a meal, it is an accident anyway. but if you insist, you can just text my number. i am rather busy on most days so i wouldn't encourage that honestly."

@『 ✦ 』rohwan byun。 a smirk plays out on her lips and she hums in response, nodding her head as if she thinks the other person could see her on the other side. "uh oh. it's not helping my anxiety either when you messed with me. rohwan.. it's an unique name." balancing the phone in between her cheek and shoulder, she flips through pages of pieces in a folder she has and lets out a small sigh after hearing his piece of mind regarding her method. "most of the pieces i have already memorized and practice before. i never get nervous before though, like all of that disappear the moment i stand on the stage and literally losing myself in the music. i should have double-checked with the conductor on the pieces before agreeing to taking up the concert. thank you, mr. rohwan. you have somehow calmed my anxious mind down a little despite the wrong number. and so sorry for the drama earlier on. If possible, can i treat you out for this?" she let out a small sigh after realizing how long she has been holding her breath while /rapping/ her thoughts out.

@『 ✮ 』sohyang han。 rowdy. out of every r starting word, it has to be rowdy? he rolls his eyes, a small sigh escaping his parted lips before he repeats his birth name. "ro, hwan. rohwan. not rowdy. is this your little revenge on my name just because i was messing with you just now?" he can't help but to wonder, maybe she was pretending to be confused just to make fun of his name. "well that's unfortunate," he rubs the end of the pencil against his temple, listening to the story from the other side. "but personally i don't think practice all pieces would be an efficient way." his eyes drift across his room to his script again. "you have time constraint and how are you going to distribute that to all pieces available? even if you did practice, would it make sense if you got nervous and forgot everything while you are on stage?" he hums, quite straightforwardly giving his opinion. "i may not be in the same professional as you do, but focusing on what would be played on the performance is the most crucial."

@『 ✦ 』rohwan byun。 she her right eyebrow up in surprise at his revelation of his name and for a moment, it does sound like a word despite knowing that it is a name pronounced in both their native language. "Did you just say Rowdy?" she double checks to make sure it isn't her ear and if it indeed is, she will be having a hard time performing in near future. "Yeah.. it's urgent and imagine you go up there on the stage, doing a solo performance with the symphony backing you up only to realize you both play different pieces. It'd be nicer to be prepared both physically and mentally before the performance. I would not want to see that happening ever. Perhaps i should practice all the concertos in case."

@『 ✮ 』sohyang han。 despite the other person couldn't see what he is doing, rohwan a brow as he listens to the slight changes in voice, sounding like a late acknowledgment of her wrong call. he merely snickers on his side, listening to her introducing herself with what it seems like a piece of additional information about her. "Sohyang, I see." that gives him no chance to be stubborn so he answers her question when she has asked for his name again. "Rohwan is the name." he spins the pencil in his fingers and hums quietly. "It seems like you have something urgent to the person you are looking for."

@『 ✦ 』rohwan byun。 even after hearing the person on the other side denying that it was not whom she was looking for, she felt defeated and jutted her lower lip out. "I apologize for dialling the wrong number. If you really do have to know who I am.. well.. I am... ssohyang," she revealed and reached up to smack her lips for mispronouncing her name. "I mean, Sohyang." getting "reprimanded" by a complete stranger over a phone and a mistake she should not have made, she jutted her lip out even more and let out a loud sigh again. "I'm sorry and i will not do that again.. i should have saved that Ashy's number.. Oh may I know who i'm calling?"

@『 ✮ 』sohyang han。 he exhales a long sigh from the lady's response through the other end of the phone, as if she is too confident that this number should lead to the somewhat 'Ash' she was looking for. but rohwan is more than aware that this is just a wrong call, and for some reason he doesn't want to fight with this lady. "I don't think I should be telling you my name when I don't even know who you are, Missy," he spins the pencil in his fingers and hums. "Firstly, I am offended by the fact that you accused me of stealing when this is absolutely my phone; Secondly, I still have no idea who this Ash you are looking for but you really should have saved the number before you dial the numbers with your eyes closed." he casually catches the pencil that is about to fall off from his fingers, gaze drifting towards the script on the table from time to time. seems like it is still common to have wrong calls despite the smart technology nowadays.

@『 ✦ 』rohwan byun。 "MIss."

that unfamiliar voice stopped her from railing off the tracks and her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, wondering who she has been talking to all these while. bubbles of anxiety crept up inside towards her heart and she breathed in and out deeply to keep calm. clearing her voice once again, she spoke with a hint of wariness. "If this is not Ash, then.. may i know who I am speaking to?" sohyang yanked the phone away from her ear to look at the number on the screen and double-checked it once again, feeling still confident that it was the right number. "did you steal this phone?? Is Ash not with you!? You thief—", she started to pace around her house, looking for her iPad to call the police hotline, worrying for her agent even though that agent was probably just sleeping at this hour.

@『 ✮ 』sohyang han。 the heater regulating warm air into the room is the only source of sound as he spins on his office chair, a pen tapping on his chin. he had just printed out the soft copy of scripts his team had sent him earlier, and here he is reading it through while circling the details that didn't seem fitting. it was at the very moment, the calling ringtone cuts off his train of thoughts, and he stares at the unknown number showing upon the screen. who could it be? he simply put down his script and picks up the phone, only to be hit by very absurd questions from the other end. "Miss," he clears his throat and calmly replies to the voice on the other side. "Firstly, we don't have any Ash over here. Secondly, I believe I am not able to confirm whatever concerto that you are planning to play."

@『 ✦ 』rohwan byun。 realizing that she needs to call her agent about her upcoming performances, she punches in the number on her device as she remember off the bat and is super confident it is the right number, placing it near her right ear. “Hello, Ash?”, she greets the moment she could hear the other line being picked up after a couple of rings. “about the upcoming performance, is it confirmed that i am to play Sibelius Violin Concerto, Op 47?”

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