193 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.193 #193. Reunited With Them Wow... Sometimes life surprises you with unexpected days like this... Even the teacher, who usually talks a lot, seemed unusually quiet today. "What time is it?" "It's 2:50 PM." "Ten minutes left." As I fidgeted nervously with my fingers, I somehow instinctively knew that they had arrived. The familiar voices coming down the hallway included my girlfriend Doa’s voice too. -Knock, knock. When the teacher nodded slightly, I took a deep breath and opened the door. "Welcome!" The Closer crew, exuding the vibe of a group of high school girls on a school trip, had surprisingly all decided to come to our office to record their third album on the same day. "Wow~" "Hello~ Ashblock!" "Wow! Lucario... Oh, what was your new name again?" "Hey, Minny. Minny." "Oh, right. Minny!" "Ah, yes. Hello." Four familiar faces. One new face. Jennifer definitely looked Korean-American, judging by her manner of speaking and style, which gave off an international student vibe. Her look had a subtle mismatch with the typical Korean sensibility. "How have you all been?" The teacher seemed to enjoy this situation immensely, smiling like a grandpa during the holidays. “Yes! We really enjoyed your songs!" "Hahaha. We really pulled all-nighters to make it happen." The teacher placed a hand on my shoulder and, unexpectedly, started a round of compliments that hadn't been in the script. "Our Minny here pulled off something big this time. Almost the entire song came from them." Although compliments about my looks didn’t affect me, praise about music made my face flush with heat. Doa caught that moment and smiled slyly. Her expression seemed to say, "You like this, don't you?" which left my eyes wandering all over the place. Ugh... Stop teasing, Kim Doa. “Jennifer, it's your first time here, isn't it?” "Oh, yes! Please take good care of me." "How do you find the place?” “Wow... This building is amazing! The others kept praising it.” “There were some who had a rough time here though, really?” The teacher's light-hearted laughter turned to Humouring. “Hahaha. I'll be finishing on time today~ Yes, I've been practicing the songs hard." "Alright then. Who wants to go first?" Since there was no set order, we asked for their opinions. Suddenly, a game of judgment began. Doa started it. “Hmm~ Mu-ring, shouldn’t the youngest go first in a situation like this?” “The older sisters should set a good start to motivate the producers to work hard~” “But wait... Isn't Jennifer the youngest?” “Hey, Lea. You go first.” “Me...? You want me to go first?” Passing the responsibility onto each other, watching Closer was surprisingly entertaining in person. So they actually have fun with this. Although Doa occasionally showed group chat screenshots, seeing it live was different. They stood there chatting for about five minutes, and when no conclusion was reached, they ended up using a ladder game app. “Ahh!” “Awesome!” “Ah~ Nice~” “Hah... It's Eva..." “Why am I after Lea?” A moment of mixed emotions. It was Clover who was chosen to go in first. “Hm... Hm...! Please take good care of me.” She gave a charming smile and a slight nod before entering the booth. “Will the rest of you stay here or in an empty meeting room?” Before another game of judgment began, Jennifer, the de facto leader, quickly proposed a solution. “We'll leave to respect each other's privacy.” “Okay, when it's your turn, I'll let you know through Minny.” The group hurried out. As soon as it was just the two of us guys left, the usual silence settled in the workroom. “So, Mr. Rover! Are you ready?” “Oh, yes! Yes, I'm ready!” Not being a first-timer, there was much less to explain, which was convenient. “Then shall we?” The recording began, and the teacher handed me his card. “Get Closer something to drink each.” "Can I get something too?" "Buy something for me as well." "Sure thing." While I'd become quite accustomed to proposing ideas for composing, the teacher was much better at directing recordings. He explained what he wanted very clearly and precisely and immediately grasped the nuances. -Knock, knock. Entering the meeting room, the chatter ceased, and four pairs of eyes turned toward me. "...Already done?" Jennifer, who was next, widened her eyes in surprise. “No, I’m just heading to the café to get drinks for everyone. If there's anything specific you'd like, let me know, and I’ll take care of it.” “Oh, then I’d like an iced Americano!” “Same here~” “I’ll have a matcha latte, please!” Of course, I already knew Doa’s choice. As I noted the orders down on my phone, I turned to Lea, who hadn’t yet responded. “Oh... Being the last should mean I can go choose for myself, right?” “...What?” It wasn't a strange suggestion, but I felt my eyes trembling. Humouring stifled laughter behind a hand. Jennifer blinked in confusion. And then... I gulped audibly as my throat tightened. “Oh~ On second thought, I’ll go too.” Doa chimed in, breaking the hesitation. “Why? Not fond of matcha latte?” Lea asked her, and Doa shrugged playfully. “No, I just... wanted to see what they have for myself.” “Is that so? Then why don’t we all just go together?” “No need. Humouring and Nipper can just stay here. They wouldn't need to make a trip.” The café expedition team was set with three members, and Doa and Lea followed me closely to the café across the street. "Lea, what do you want to drink?" "I'm... hmm... thinking about lemon tea." "Really?" "Yeah. I tend to avoid coffee before a recording." That made sense. Since I wasn't a singer, I hadn't been that attentive to such details. "I’ll have a matcha latte!" Doa sidled up to me, putting on a playful act. "Oh, okay. So, Lea, shall I order you a lemon tea?" "Yes, that sounds perfect." After paying and receiving the buzzer, the two of them settled by the window, engrossed in conversation. "Is that new?" Doa's eyes landed on my finger. "Sorry? Oh, this ring?" "Yes, it's really pretty!" I wondered if she was deliberately bringing it up, and looked at Doa's hand, noticing the absence of the couple ring she usually wore. "Is it from your girlfriend?" Though she flashed her trademark smile, I immediately realized this was her test. "Yes, it’s a gift from her." "Wow~ Amazing~ Your girlfriend has great taste~ Right, Lea?" Though she smiled, her expression held a subtle complexity. "You're right. It's so pretty. Is it designer...?" "Hey, isn't this the one? The one that celebrity promoted!" Just then, the buzzer went off, and I headed to the counter, wiping the nervous sweat from my forehead. Today... she really meant business. I hadn't expected the three of us to go out for coffee like this at all. Why hadn't she given me a heads-up? She came so prepared, leaving me flustered. When I returned with the coffee, Jennifer had taken her turn in the recording booth, with Clover now taking her place outside. "Oooh, who picked mine? I’ll have to thank them." "Aw, unni, you know I know your tastes perfectly~" Doa winked playfully at Clover, and Clover affectionately grabbed Doa's cheeks. I used to think she only did that to me. This feels... different. "Are you all going for a dinner gathering after you finish today?" Doa had mentioned it, but since I was out of words, I pretended I didn’t know and asked. "Yes! It’s actually our first time all meeting together~" Humouring nodded excitedly, and Clover followed suit in an infectious display. "I see. Did you book a restaurant nearby?" "Yes! Lea suggested going back to the place Ash Block recommended, so we’re heading there." Ah, that place. The description immediately jogged my memory. "It’s delicious there. I recommend the crab cream pasta." Intending to return to the workroom, I mentioned they could call me when they finished and left the meeting room. Someone came out behind me—it was my girlfriend, Lucca. "Nice ring, Minny." Kim Doa, basking in her own amusement. I let out a slight chuckle, responding in a professional tone. "My girlfriend has a good sense for things." What can I do with her, really.