recording booth.

It was a long few days, watching band members funnel in and out. Hyunjin did his best to sneak into the room when allowed- simply wanting to hear the unique tones, and abilities they all possessed. A notebook sat in his lap, a pen scribbling away with both pictures and words to describe each one he was given access too. Each and every time, he made sure to bow his head in appreciation and utter a soft thank you. To anyone who didn't ask, it could of been seen as something snakey to do but the reality? Honey was already fitting things together in his head.. and some on paper. To compose music for the band was really what his heart desired.. all the acting, dancing and singing? Well.. it was just means to an end. Sure some would see it was ungrateful but his soul was searching for the end game. All he had to do was his best to keep up and try not to be completely misunderstood.

When it was finally his turn, Hyun wasn't too far away. He'd been sipping warm water leading up to his portion of the lines, avoiding any type of meal as well. Finally behind the glass, the nerves started to take hold but all it took was a few bounces from side to side to shake it off. Yet once the headphones were on, it was almost natural. The flow, the tone, the volume- it was seemingly effortless, even allowing him to put more flare into certain words. The commentary and constructive criticism irked him at times, mainly since it felt like his own vision was being ignored. But it was moments like that where he reminded himself, 'When we make it, there will be freedom.' And it was that mantra that got him through this session, and back onto the other side to observe and create.

Inside the recording booth, Seongha's fingers fidgeted slightly at his sides. Despite the excitement of finally being here, there was a weight of pressure on his shoulders. He only had one line in the chorus, and it had to be perfect. Every time he thought about it, a tinge of nervousness crept up his spine. He adjusted the headphones, feeling the soft buzz of anticipation in the air. As the track played, he began his main line: "첫 만남은 너무 어려워, 계획대로 되는 게 없어서." His voice sounded strong, but his nerves bled through the performance, making it a little too tense.

The producer's voice cut through the headphones. "Seongha, let's take it again. This time, sound more refreshing. Relax and think lighter." Nodding, he exhaled slowly, reminding himself to stay calm. He took another go, infusing his voice with a breezier tone. Still, the music cut off, the producer's voice coming back again. "Better! But try to imagine you're smiling while you sing. Make it feel like a good morning."

He grinned, taking in the notes with a nod. He could do bubbly-- he was great at bright. One more deep breath, and this time, he allowed a playful energy to seep into his tone, singing the line with a subtle smile. As he finished, the producer gave him the thumbs-up through the glass. Relief washed over him.

Seongha completed his remaining lines, adjusting his performance with each bit of feedback. After finishing his last take, he pulled the headphones off, feeling the familiar rush of satisfaction.

Before stepping out of the booth, he gave a small bow toward the staff, smiling gratefully. "Thank you for your hard work, everyone!" he called out, his voice filled with sincerity as he exited the studio, feeling accomplished.

Early, that can best describe the word that was in his mind. Donghyuck arrived 1 hour before everyone else to just collect his thoughts and calm down, he went over the lines of the whole song and not just his own, he wanted to make sure he knew the song completely, his fingers were getting small paper cuts on them from how often he would switch between the papers for the lyrics and for the movement counts for the choreography, he was working on both as he wanted to master both elements, so there could be no room for mistakes. Sighing he looked around and found an empty mic stand dancing a bit with it before it fell on a table and knocked his water over. “Oops.. well I guess I brought the rain in.” He chuckled a bit to himself and went to go grab a paper towel from the bathroom and he came back into the room wiping up his mess, wincing in pain a bit from his tiny paper cuts. Sitting back down he adjusted his newly dyed brown hair away from his eyes, but it kept falling right back into place. “Right straighteners.. of course.. they will not let my hair be curly again I guess.” Frowning to himself he decided to put all the papers down and go to get some food.

After getting some food and a quick nap, he walked back into the recording studio first and stood there listening to every members recording, he wanted to hear them and support them and cheer them on, he also offered each member water after they were done to make sure that they were well hydrated, it was a simple but caring act that he wanted to make sure that s were comfortable. He owes a lot to them, he wants them to be like family to him, a family that has went through their struggles and tribulations together, something that cannot be undone by anyone, and recording their debut song is just another task to help them get closer to debut. Pacing around gently, he noticed that the other members were getting critiqued on their voices and he was nervous about that as he has done well with the dance evaluations up until now, his voice was still a bit shaky, and he was scared about being told that his voice was not fitting the song or that it was not up to company’s standards for this specific title track. He wanted to get as much lines as he can but he also wanted to make sure that the group would shine as well. The caring for s goes back to how much he cares for his family and how he misses both of his parents deeply, he wanted to be in a group so he can fill the void that his parents left him when he was younger, as he is all alone now and has been since he has turned 21, but in life, he has to move on and adapt to survive especially in this business, that is what his parents would have wanted.

The producer called for his name “Donghyuck, you are up kid, break a leg.” He jumped up with excitement and banged his knee on the glass table that he spilled water on earlier, and the excess water, like raindrops from a cloud, splashed onto his pants and his shirt. In pain, he winced a bit, but smiled lightly. “Yes of course, I will not disappoint you!” Stepping into the booth he sighed, and tried to get into the character of singing and he shook his head after a couple of takes. He felt his voice getting hoarse and he wanted to say something, but he started to grab at the left side of his shirt and started twisting it lightly, he was sweating a bit and kept looking around and finally he had to speak up. But him speaking up could alter how many lines he receives in the future, but if it is for the better of the group, who cares right? He wants to make sure that everyone is treated equally as well. If he has to suffer then it is okay.

He held his hand up, “Can you wait a second I-“ The producer gave a slight annoyed look and rubbed his hand against his eyes and clicked the red button harshly, “Wait? Kid, we need you to finish the recording, you are sounding fine, you don’t have many lines, so it won’t be looked upon that bad, so do not worry, we can clean it up in post.” With that remark, Hyuk frowned a bit and he sang his final take, which is perfectly with tone and matched the aura of the song, but it made him feel less excited about the debut stage. He did not bow at the producer, he bowed at his manager, “Thank you Bonbon manager-him I appreciate your time here with us.” He said this in a professional tone and then turned to the Producer, “Thank you for your time as well, maybe next time, let us speak our mind please just a tiny bit more, because we want to be sure that this song is as successful for you as it is for us.” He bowed afterwards and left the room, before turning back and saying “I meant no disrespect, I just want everyone to be successful, and for us to have a happy future together as a group and working with a great producer as yourself!”

Smiling he shut door and skipped down the hallway, after being away from anyone in the company he went into the corner an empty room and silently cried to himself, was he sad? No, it was tears of happiness, being able to do something that his parents wanted for him since he wanted to join a company and debut as a k-pop idol, the situation was overwhelming for him of course. With that he collected himself and he went off to go find some cute band-aids to cover his paper cuts. He stood up and found some band-aids and wrapped his fingers and scrolled through his phone on the group chat and texted, “Just finished recording, who wants me to pick some stuff up for dinner?” He was back to his caring self just like that, he needed to be that for his group, he wanted to be that, because he appreciates s.

Levi felt a bit too comfortable in this moment, but perhaps that was just a front. If anyone were to look closely, they’d see his foot bouncing off of the floor. The smile on his face served as a potent distraction from his nervous ticks. With one hand pressing the headphone down onto his ear and his eyes reading over his notes for his lines, he released a shaky exhale before going doing his first actual recording attempt.

“Could you try it a bit… less excited? You sound like you’re about to burst out of the microphone.” The producer’s voice pierced the silence of the recording booth. Levi nodded eagerly and took a few moments to swallow some water and practice a few calming breaths before going through the line once more.


The next few takes felt like a fever dream; they passed by so quick with little instruction. There were a few compliments from the producer, but Levi felt like he was in a creative trance, unable to truly process his surroundings since he was too focused on his sound.

“Levi? Earth to Levi. You’re done, buddy.” The producer let out a hearty chuckle.

Levi could barely see some movement through the glass as he brought himself back to reality, placing the headphones down onto the stand and downing the remainder of his refreshing beverage.

[post deleted by owner]

it wasn't Vincent’s first time stepping inside the recording booth and no matter how many times he had been inside — to test his own skills or accompany a kind senior to their recording or sometimes requesting to be inside, sitting in a corner to get familiar with the environment — it still gave him that feeling of gentle suffocation and too many what ifs.

sometimes Vincent hates how his mind races miles per minute.

“are you ready to go?” the voice, gentle and supportive, rang loud and clear through the microphone. and as kind as was the timbre and the smile, it did absolutely of a job to reduce his jitters.

“yeah—”

what else could he say? hold on, my dude. I need five more minutes?

when he had clearly took enough time to scream and clear his throat in front of the crew at the cost of painting his skin thickly like a clown.

“Don't worry, Vincent. you're good. like really good for a rookie. chill!”

it wasn't that Vincent couldn't chill, as they asked. he was chill. very chill, in fact.

“one more time—” he didn't wait for the confirmation and turned away from the mic, screamed loudly in various pitches, and turned back, face flushed, “sorry. it's just……”

“It's alright Vincent. we get it. now start—”

the fear — it had more to do with pride than fear and he knew it damn well — was still present but he braced it.

he had to record the song anyways. and couldn't delay any longer.

music poured into his ears. the habit built over the years of training and conditioning his heart and mind kicked in that instant.

the first session was done. he looked at the people on the other side.

“quite good. but can you be more energetic?”

“like I'm going to eat fried chicken, type of energetic or beating….. I mean after school baseball match level?”

“what is even fried— never mind. it's after-school baseball.”

“got it”

the second session was done. done too soon.

(not that there was much in a group of twelve.)

Vincent thought he might have ed it up but another glance at the producer and crew and they all were smiley.

he couldn't help raising a brow.

“great job! your recording is done.”

Okay. It's his turn to record his lines. Not nervous at all... Alright, maybe a little nervous. In prepration, he warms up his vocal chords with some practicing along with drinking warm tea with honey. It must go perfect today or he would punish himself later for it. Stepping into the studio, he greeted the manager and the producer.
"Sorry for my lateness. I'll get started right away."

With that, Taeyang stepped into the booth with a water bottle that was drank about more than half way down. He set it away from him and puts on the headset. The lyrics were highlighted in front of him for his lines. There not much but it was enough to show his own skill with vocals, rather than dance.
"Wait wait.. sorry.. Can we do that again?"

Back to the top, Taeyang started and harmonize on key. It felt perfect to him when he fimally matched the key. Proud of himself when he finished, he had a big grin spread across his lips in victory.
"Thank you Tae. You may leave."

Taeyang bowed to express his graditude. He took the water bottle and took off the headset before saying his goodbyes then disappearing out of the studio.

wonwoo takes his place in the studio. he steps into the room with focused and calm demeanours. it's a lie if he said he isn't nervous, but he will try his best right now. the producers cue up the track and wonwoo starts to pay attention. he taps his fingers, feeling the beat through the vibrations. the track starts and his deep voice cuts through the room, delivering his rap lines with his own styles. the producer nods appreciatively, adjusting the dials and making some small tweaks to capture the best sound out of him.

after a few takes, wonwoo steps out of the booth. he grabs an energy drink and taking a small sips before discussing his performance with the producer. "what do you think, should I go even lower than that?" asked him. the producer smile and shaking his head. "you already did so good, it's already low enough. it's y." the praise got wonwoo to laughs and rubs his nape, stealing a quick glances at his manager with a soft smiles. "thank you , I'll do my best with the stage soon!"

Wonbin closed his eyes as the music cut off again, his jaw clenching in frustration. He’d lost count of how many times they ran the track back because of his vocals or lack there of at the moment. His teeth sunk into the plush of his bottom lip in an attempt to keep his emotions at bay.

‘One, two, three.’ He mumbled out under his breath, finding his happy place. “Sorry. One more time?”

The raven haired idol smiled, his lips swollen from his aggressive gnawing as he listened to the few pointers added to the other 20 just from this session alone. Taking in the tips and doing a few warm ups with his throat, he made his last attempt of what he thought was singing.

Jisungs fingers tapped lightly against the edging of the music stand where his papers lay, a pen neatly tucked over his ear that he was using to make neat notes here and there as corrections and constructive criticism was received. He clicked his tongue softly before lifting a hand to signal at the producers to stop the music, "May I perhaps offer a.. suggestion?"

His eyes focused hard on the sheets of paper in front of him while he waited for a response and once given an all clear he unleashed all his thoughts onto the unsuspecting producers; barely giving them a chance to offer any input until he managed to get everything out and finally fall silent, waiting for a response.

It wasn't a really a helpful nor positive one. Instead something along the lines of we'll consider it but for now just run the lines as instructed. So with a somewhat heavy heart he continued to do so, trying his best to put his all into it for the rest of the group.

"Mingi-ah"

instantly he was snapped out of daydreaming, just staring at the piece of paper with lyrics with no thought in his hand. he almost forgot he was standing in the recording booth if wasn't for one the producers getting his attention again. "hm?" he hums out as he looks up, only seeing himself but know his hands are probably landing on the producers.

"try again... you sound too rough, too serious. this is a happy song not about your first love who left you." mingi immediately nods as he heard the producers' words. he cleared his throat as he looks at the lyrics again, his eyes scanning the paper.

"could you tell me which parts i could do better in?"

his hand lifting the pencil on the music stand and immediately marking the papers with notes as he listen to the producer speak. he knew he was running out of time so he made sure so wrap it up quickly. "okay, ready." he said as he put the pencil down.

he listens to the count down as he nodded his head along with the beat. immediately he starts singing.

"I think it sounds too happy, is that a thing?"

Yeonjun's reflection stares back him in the recording studio, the god awful lighting making him look about fifty years older then he actually was. Despite the semi-awkward stare, he knew that his eyes were probably on one of the producers on the other side of the screen. They'd been at this for the last hour, Yeonjun going his lines again and again but time... He doesn't know what it is, but there's this niggling feeling that something is just /off/.

"Choi-ssi, it's meant to be a happy song."

"I know, it's just..." Yeonjun his lips, eyes tracking across the ceiling before dropping back to the one way window. It was meant to be an upbeat song, but right now, it felt like he was singing something for kindergarteners. "I'd just like to try it a few more times, if that's ok? We still have some time before Taeyang hyung comes in?"

"We've got about ten minutes left of your session, so make the most of it."

Yeonjun grinned and bowed, "Thank you, I won't let you down."

He slipped his headphones back on, hearing the eight counts before his first line and three, two one-

He opened his mouth and started singing.

(starter)
In preparation of recording the title track, the bunny made sure that the pantry tray was filled up with water bottles and energy drinks for the members. Resting on the tabletop and looking at the members who individually enters the recording booth, Bonbon watches in anticipation to hear the melodic voices of the members. His eyes shifting between the music producer and the booth, hoping that the recording session is an efficient and smooth one.