We had all gathered around the console with the producer, Yang Hyun-suk, Collins and Lee taking their seats while we stood around. The producer got the instrumental from Bang Yong-guk which he put in a flashdrive.171Please respect copyright.PENANAuNz6aKrYbg
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As much as I didn't feel nervous like I did before, I still found myself playing with my fingers that I hid behind me. I felt Yong-guk nudge me on the shoulder with his as he stood next to me. I turned to look at him. His smile told me to remain calm and that everything's going to be fine. I smile back, assuring him that I'm okay.171Please respect copyright.PENANAuwBA1hCfWr
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If I'm okay, then why do I feel uneasy?171Please respect copyright.PENANAvn5tF3pUZc
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We watched the producer insert the drive in the USB port of his laptop right next to the console.171Please respect copyright.PENANAAMqu6sI0sN
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I realise that the place is quiet, and I can feel the tension amongst ourselves. I looked at the other Toxins, and I can tell they're nervous. I wish I could tell them that all is well, but I would only be repeating what they said earlier. Let’s just see how all this goes.171Please respect copyright.PENANAVwCTtfWDI7
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Soon enough, the tune came flowing through the speaker after the producer hit the play button on his laptop, then came along the beat and other sound effects. I had my fingers crossed for the few seconds that passed. I just hope they like it.171Please respect copyright.PENANABDXGRrst38
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"Wait a minute, pause," said Yang Hyun-Suk.171Please respect copyright.PENANAcTbZLrffmW
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I felt my heart jump to my throat. What could be the problem now?171Please respect copyright.PENANAE5hJ9lU9RB
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The producer did likewise and all our eyes turned to Yang Hyun-suk. I could sense nervous tension in the air as we all looked at him. Could there be something wrong? We only just started.171Please respect copyright.PENANACnHotfZUtL
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There came a long pause as his eyes were fixed on the see-through glass of the recording booth. I can tell he’s thinking of something, but what could it be? Maybe, he doesn’t like the song. Could it be that bad? For him to stop it so soon, anyone could assume the worst.171Please respect copyright.PENANAZ3ccsjJohJ
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"May I see the lyrics?" he asked as he turned around to look at us. His eyes fell specifically on me, though.171Please respect copyright.PENANA6msZxSBorc
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"Of course," I said as I quickly rushed back to where we sat. I left my bag there with the paper with the lyrics in it. I picked the bag, looked inside and removed the folded paper. I make my way back.171Please respect copyright.PENANAMLrJdjp5EF
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I give the paper to Yang Hyun-suk and he quickly unfolded it. I’m glad I wrote the lyrics on a clean sheet of paper, because the other had a lot of scribbles and cancellations. That’s just the life of a song-writer, I guess.171Please respect copyright.PENANAUC5BcfBLoc
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He looked at the paper and now the nervous tension in the room got a whole lot worse. I saw him raise his eyebrow and I turned to look at Yong-guk. Surprisingly, he had a smirk on his face as he looked at me. How is he not scared right now?171Please respect copyright.PENANA2ql3sgmvks
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Yang Hyun-suk turned around on the swivel chair, then turned back to look at us. This is it. His final judgement.171Please respect copyright.PENANAwTcRAen6b2
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"This is good," said Yang Hyun-suk. "Once we fuse the instrumental with these lyrics, it will be a great hit."171Please respect copyright.PENANA9qPDH4C0rx
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I sighed in relief while the rest clapped and cheered a little, especially the ladies. I felt Yong-guk put his hand on my shoulder with a smile. He mouthed out an "I-told-you-so" and I couldn’t help but blush.171Please respect copyright.PENANAX96imngkXX
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"This is an excellent piece of work, Sam," said Yang Hyun-suk as he handed the paper to Collins. "As much as it is a breakup song, the tune and the beat make it fun to sing to."171Please respect copyright.PENANAaSYXq1RFeI
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"That was the whole idea," I said. "We wouldn’t have done it without Yong-guk, though. And the rest of BAP."171Please respect copyright.PENANAIAIgwgWyIT
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"It’s why we think Yong-guk should help out with the album," said Collins after looking at the paper.171Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4q8T1huas
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"Wait, did you say the album?" Mike asked sounding surprised.171Please respect copyright.PENANAWzZsJTEuJL
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"Yes, we had a long talk about it before coming here," said the producer. "I think he’ll make a great contribution."171Please respect copyright.PENANAjBuhsjd8Aa
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"Wow," said Jennie as she turned to look at Yong-guk. "I didn’t see this coming."171Please respect copyright.PENANAVxkQjgce0b
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"No one did," said Daniel.171Please respect copyright.PENANAwU8Y5qxX6p
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"This is going to be so exciting," said Jisoo.171Please respect copyright.PENANAK4PFM0Ojej
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The others started to talk amongst themselves excitedly and I couldn’t help but look on with a smile on my face. I felt a little nudge on my shoulder and I turn to see Yong-guk looking at me.171Please respect copyright.PENANA31jYto4oC7
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"Didn’t I tell you that everything is going to be alright?" he asked me.171Please respect copyright.PENANAZGRTXh3KJ1
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"Ya, you did," I said.171Please respect copyright.PENANAfzHeCqYfYs
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"I’m the one who assured you a 100%," said Seunghoon as he came to stand on my other side. Goodness, standing in between these two is getting unbearable by the minute.171Please respect copyright.PENANAk1PqMzNtbU
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"Okay, settle down, everyone," said Yang Hyun-suk as he stood up from his chair to address us. "Don’t get so excited. We need everyone’s cooperation to make this album a success."171Please respect copyright.PENANAMcJnMwF1GK
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We quieted down, but it’s obvious that the moment he walks out of here, the room will burst with excitement again.171Please respect copyright.PENANA5flrm21Iz2
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"Now, we would like to say something before we leave," said Collins. "We know that we don’t have enough time on our hands to make the album, but if we all cooperate, we won’t have any problems."171Please respect copyright.PENANAuKswMiEYTo
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"So, as we mentioned to you some time ago, you’ll be working with other lyricists and producers for the album, so we’ve to work effectively," said Yang Hyun-suk. "It will be tiring for you, but this song should be perfected today so as to make time to create others."171Please respect copyright.PENANApM2kHRGabP
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We all looked at each other. It won’t be the first time any of us has had to perfect a song or an album in a short period of time. Looks like us Toxins have to burn the oil before leaving.171Please respect copyright.PENANAuZp3tBVzCZ
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"And not forgetting that we should shoot a music video," Yang Hyun-suk soon added.171Please respect copyright.PENANA69gK9byTIy
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"Huh?" the rest of us muttered. There’s going to be a music video?171Please respect copyright.PENANAFv0HAnFMfZ
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"I know, this seems sudden, again, and we’re sorry about that," Yang Hyun-suk apologised. "We thought it would be nice to shoot a music video for the fans in order to promote the album. It will be stressful, but in the long run, it will be prove to be very effective."171Please respect copyright.PENANAYkoDnI38ZT
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The thought of making a music video still didn’t sit well with me. We’ll be so stressed out from making the album that I don’t know if we’re ever going to manage making a music video. But just like Yang Hyun-suk said, it will be effective when it comes to promoting the album. I look around and the excitement we had earlier just dissipated like it wasn’t even there to begin with.171Please respect copyright.PENANALwrT7h1jTo
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"So we’ll leave you to it, then," said Collins. "The earlier we start working, the better."171Please respect copyright.PENANAtRBPPPEFqJ
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"Yong-guk, Sam, you’re in charge," said Yang Hyun-suk. "Lee will be here if you need anything."171Please respect copyright.PENANAE4cPMnTLjX
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Yong-guk and I gave a nod of our heads. The two managers started to make their way out of the recording room wishing us the best. As soon as they left, there is silence amongst ourselves. A few seconds later, I went for the door and opened it to peek down both ends of the hall. They are gone. I closed the door and turned to address the others:171Please respect copyright.PENANASvnbyUcGX2
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"They are gone. You can let it out now."171Please respect copyright.PENANA3e4Gqs70Kd
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Like a tidal wave, everyone started to talk at the same time.171Please respect copyright.PENANAuEONwmUJcL
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"This is so not fair," I heard Zoey say. "Why do we’ve to make a music video? Isn’t the album more than enough?"171Please respect copyright.PENANAP5cxb52qBw
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"What are we going to do?" I could hear Rose ask her fellow BlackPink members. "The album is more than we can handle and we’ve to focus on our upcoming one. Now there’s a music video? No way!"171Please respect copyright.PENANAlt5QRK4CqP
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I clapped my hands loudly to try and capture their attention. It worked, surprisingly. Usually in such a large audience, it doesn’t.171Please respect copyright.PENANAvXM8QRTBza
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"Okay, I know this isn’t what we were expecting," I said. "Trust me, I feel like bursting right now, but it isn’t going to help us finish the album. A lot of people are expecting this BTW collaboration to happen, and we’ve to give them the best that we can offer. So can we please, settle down so that we can find a way to work around this? Complaining won’t do us any good."171Please respect copyright.PENANAajmEYgHC9V
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The others all looked at each other as though I had just said something strange, but it soon dawned on them that they had to chill out. Some even went to settle on the couch.171Please respect copyright.PENANAVjtC50CApN
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"I really need to sit down," said Jinwoo as he is the first to settle. "I feel like I just ran a marathon."171Please respect copyright.PENANAX0sEKt3Qup
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"Alright, everyone just take your seats, please," I said as I went for those who were still standing and pushing them towards the couch.171Please respect copyright.PENANAAK7yCKrQ6p
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"What is it, Sam?" Mino asked as he is one of the people I am pushing to go take a seat.171Please respect copyright.PENANAKnvNTl2jR5
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"All of you are my problem," I said as I put my hands on my waist, looking at them.171Please respect copyright.PENANAqzh5Ov5pgy
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When they had all settled, Daniel asked, "how can you say we’re your problem?"171Please respect copyright.PENANAign9jpY6sD
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"Because I’m in charge. You all look depressed and angry. It will be a problem to deal with because we can’t work like this."171Please respect copyright.PENANAzeqdrRwpFS
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"I know," said Seunghoon with his lower lip out in a pout. "Making a music video is hard."171Please respect copyright.PENANAioLR0d8KEK
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"Not forgetting that we also need to work on dance moves," said Mike.171Please respect copyright.PENANAwqnu0SJVaC
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"And there’s also an issue with wardrobe," Lisa pointed out.171Please respect copyright.PENANAR8MZfNIxEe
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"Also the theme and equipment for the music video," said Christine. "Thinking about it makes my head want to burst."171Please respect copyright.PENANAYh4tu7vhob
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"Okay, okay, I get it," I said. "But you’re forgetting that all of this will require a large number of people. We’re not alone in this. Everyone has a part to play, so can we try and do ours? Well, after we rest a little first. I won’t lie, this is a surprise for me too."171Please respect copyright.PENANAc3YzELpPRO
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"You can come sit here with me," Seunghoon suggested creating space on the couch next to him.171Please respect copyright.PENANAuwbf58bLK5
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Goodness. I forced myself to go there anyway.171Please respect copyright.PENANAQIAetR9l2Q
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We all sat in silence for what felt like forever. A lot of us seem to be deep in thought while others started to look through their phones. Yong-guk who had stayed behind with the producer by the console, stood up and came to stand in front of us.171Please respect copyright.PENANAmrqNrYIKGj
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"Okay, guys, break time is over," he announced.171Please respect copyright.PENANA57nOrKkRU2
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"Huh? Really?" Jennie asked as she is looking through her phone. She scratched the back of her head, making her look more confused.171Please respect copyright.PENANAx8ojOCKSoY
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"He's right," I said as I stood up. "We’ve had enough time to settle, so let's get to work."171Please respect copyright.PENANAAOPMTSalzk
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"But are we really going to manage this?" Mino asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAy3GGAsTLf3
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"I know we can." I went towards Yong-guk to stand next to him to face the others. "It's like I said earlier. We aren't alone in this. We've Yong-guk and the producer over here to make sure we finish this song today. We've lyricists and other producers coming in later to help finish the album. I know the music video is a real pushover, but there will be a lot of people helping us out with it. I don't want to make some boring speech about teamwork, but all I can say is that we're doing this for the fans to show that we love them."171Please respect copyright.PENANAqicACgIQQp
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A sudden round of applause filled the room coming from BTW. It startled me a bit. I didn’t expect this.171Please respect copyright.PENANAwzldCMr1xu
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"You've made an excellent point," said Lisa as she clapped and jumped up from her seat. "Let's do it for the fans, guys."171Please respect copyright.PENANANCuDy9Fdfh
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Everyone is now in agreement and the excitement that we had earlier came back. I smiled with relief. For a moment there, I thought I was going to lose them.171Please respect copyright.PENANAkaK4WRgCEg
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"Nice one, Sam," said Yong-guk. "That must be one of the greatest speeches I've ever heard. Short, but simple; straightforward and motivating."171Please respect copyright.PENANAvzXZe0Vw1c
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"Uh..., thanks," I said, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.171Please respect copyright.PENANAEdnlDtKaYo
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"Good job keeping your people under control," said Lee as stood on my other side. "I don't know how you did it, but you got everyone motivated again. You really deserve the best leader award."171Please respect copyright.PENANApTbQP2Vb9O
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"I'm glad that doesn't even exist," I said, smiling at her. I turned towards the rest of BTW. "Okay, settle down, guys. We need to organise ourselves, ASAP."171Please respect copyright.PENANAVWmd10LA48
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Everyone soon became attentive as they now had their eyes on Yong-guk, Lee and I. This is going to be one of my toughest times yet. I didn’t expect to lead such a big group.171Please respect copyright.PENANABBIhHcgISp
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"Okay, everyone, we don’t have enough time to goof around," I said. "So we’ve to be serious on the get go. You heard what the managers said. It’s going to be tiring, but I believe we can do it."171Please respect copyright.PENANAOWxfRYcLBt
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Yong-guk went on ahead to explain that we will have to hear how the song will play out first before we start to give out parts to sing. Mike and I were with him when making the instrumental and we knew how the lyrics will flow, so we would do a test-run and see if everything will be alright. If need be, we all know there might be a change here and there with either the tune on some parts of the lyrics.171Please respect copyright.PENANAOuq0wNw7la
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"Let’s get this on the move, Mike," I beckoned to him to follow me to the recording booth.171Please respect copyright.PENANAW3UFIs4L9X
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I reached the booth first with Mike behind me. Yong-guk and Lee went over to the console to join the producer with others joining behind them.171Please respect copyright.PENANAHvSIV1QEwp
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"You do the best you can in there," Yong-guk said to me before I went inside.171Please respect copyright.PENANAwsb5SbzlGC
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I gave a nod of my head while Mike said, "don’t worry. We’ll do it perfectly."171Please respect copyright.PENANAi1Cyd4uI9j
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"Oh, don’t forget this," said Lee as she handed over the paper where the lyrics were. "All the best."171Please respect copyright.PENANAx8mVLhHeYe
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"Thanks," I said. Everyone is actually hoping that all this will go smoothly, and that sort of builds up pressure. I turned to look at Mike who stood beside me and I can tell he’s feeling it too. I placed a hand on his shoulder assuring him that it’s all going to be okay.171Please respect copyright.PENANAIM2pkFExOV
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The two of us go in the booth to the centre of the room to the microphones and the headphones mounted, ready to be worn. We put the headphones on and Yong-guk instructed through the mic on the other side that they will first play the instrumental, then we can see how to fuse in the lyrics. The good part about working with Mike and Yong-guk yesterday, is that even when we were making the instrumental, we sort of tried to work with the lyrics we had. But anything can happen, so we’ve to be ready to make some changes.171Please respect copyright.PENANAoiOMiZ2o37
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"Okay, are we ready?" the producer asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAj4c6WqHyRv
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Mike and I gave him the thumbs up. The instrumental started to play and we listened intently. As soon as the instrumental was done, I could see the rest of BTW looking excited. Looks like they like the instrumental. Now the hard part begins. I found Mike looking at me.171Please respect copyright.PENANA4CqufxtSc7
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"I’ll give you two some time," said the producer. "Tell us when you’re ready."171Please respect copyright.PENANA1QUDDCBeS7
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Mike and I looked at the paper I had placed on the stand before us. We talked a little and agreed on a few things that we already thought about yesterday. As soon as we were done, we gave the producer and Yong-guk a thumbs up. We're ready to go.171Please respect copyright.PENANAZzIbs7DnBN
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I see the producer hit the record button on the console and the music soon started to play. I began with a little harmony before I started to sing out the lyrics of the first verse. I had to sing the lyrics out a little faster due to the fast beat of the instrumental. Mike joined me afterwards.171Please respect copyright.PENANA04uEreqxFC
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I didn’t think much about it as I continued to sing alongside Mike. And I later realised that this song is pretty fun to sing to. As we entered the chorus, I realised that Mike and I were actually snapping our fingers and moving from side to side to the tune. When we finished the chorus, the producer held us to a stop.171Please respect copyright.PENANA7ikQqzaFQx
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Mike and I turned to the window of the recording booth and we noticed everyone looking at us. It’s hard to tell whether we did the right thing or not.171Please respect copyright.PENANApcVk3Q1eBa
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"Okay, guys," the producer started to say. I think we might be doing a do-over by the way he sounded. "The song is great."171Please respect copyright.PENANAG0sTWmnccd
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I’m shocked. He looked so stoic I thought he would make us do a do-over. I can now see the rest of BTW smiling on happily like a team they were supporting had won a game. Lee gave Mike and me a two thumbs-up. Yong-guk continued to smile back at us, looking on proudly.171Please respect copyright.PENANA3yJ0PyYp80
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"That’s good," said Mike, looking relieved.171Please respect copyright.PENANAt5J0i1TH9y
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"Tell me about it," I said. "I thought he was going to make us do it all over again."171Please respect copyright.PENANAKuLYxvkx74
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"You’re a genius, Sam. We wouldn’t have gone through the first verse if you hadn’t tried to compose the song yourself while working on the instrumental yesterday. You knew how the song should go from the get-go."171Please respect copyright.PENANAdOp8pZB1tg
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"Thanks, but you also have to give credit to Yong-guk. He’s the one that started working on the instrumental."171Please respect copyright.PENANAe5vE9FbyD3
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"You guys are amazing!" came Zoey’s voice through the speaker. Mike and I turned to the window and saw her standing next to Yong-guk and speaking into the mic. She's really loud, that Mike had to remove his headphones and pretended that his ears had been pierced by her voice by sticking his index finger into one of them.171Please respect copyright.PENANAKVWwDdtqKz
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"Okay, you two, that was amazing," said Yong-guk, speaking though the mic. "Let’s go through it one more time then we can move onto the second verse."171Please respect copyright.PENANAokpLFsgiTC
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Just like that, we continued composing the song. And so far, it went on smoothly. On the second verse, we had to work around the rap parts first with Mike before we sang them out, but that also went on fine with a few changes. We finished composing the song, and Mike and I were able to go sing the song from A to Z perfectly.171Please respect copyright.PENANA4sK5S36mzk
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"Great work you two," said the producer through the mic. "Let’s take a break for thirty minutes, then we can start working on the song with everyone else."171Please respect copyright.PENANAtevRzaGxsW
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I remove the headphones from my head. I take in a deep breath and realise that I’m so beat. Mike looked just as tired.171Please respect copyright.PENANAuzIrqU76eY
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"Gosh, what time is it?" Mike asked after he put his headphones away.171Please respect copyright.PENANAPJ3zqhO0jq
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"I have no idea, but I do feel like I’ve been in here forever," I said.171Please respect copyright.PENANAfFI7bpMA3M
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We make our way to the door of the recording booth and as soon as Mike opened the door, Zoey is standing there with a smile on her face.171Please respect copyright.PENANA1mwYhT4ViS
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"You two did great," she said.171Please respect copyright.PENANAeOGtlBerWL
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"Thanks," said Mike. "I really need to sit down."171Please respect copyright.PENANARYWo6y0H1O
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"Not to mention that I’m also thirsty," I added.171Please respect copyright.PENANAMFTBwtQJZi
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"Lee went out to get some refreshments with Lisa and Seungyoon," Jisoo answered. "They’ll be back soon."171Please respect copyright.PENANA17fFG9biIC
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I went over to sit on the couch with Mike. There were others there as well.171Please respect copyright.PENANANSHZOaIUqI
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"This song is really going to be a hit," said Mino as I sat next to him. "And you guys were really amazing."171Please respect copyright.PENANAq255mjq7mm
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"Thanks," I said. "Isn’t it almost close to noon or something? I feel like I had been in there for hours."171Please respect copyright.PENANAukvfXws77b
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"That’s how it always is with recording booths," said Jennie who sat on the other end of the couch. "You tend to lose track of time. But you guys only took two hours in there."171Please respect copyright.PENANAbrEwfW81nh
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"Seriously?" Mike can't believe it. "Two hours?"171Please respect copyright.PENANARBtcLP8XTh
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"We were also as shocked as you are when we found out how much time we spent," said Yong-guk as I saw him approaching us after he stood up from his seat.171Please respect copyright.PENANAyYmvG6g6cn
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The door to the recording room flew open. Lee, Lisa and Seunghoon came in the room with plastics filled with water bottles and packaged food.171Please respect copyright.PENANA4iIk56kKDl
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"Ah, you're out," said Seunghoon as he came with Lee and Lisa to where we sat. He gave me a bottle and food. "Here, looks like you need this."171Please respect copyright.PENANApCJI244aww
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"Thanks," I took the water bottle from him. After unscrewing the lid I found myself gulping down huge chunks of water down my throat. I almost finished the whole bottle. I must have been really thirsty.171Please respect copyright.PENANA256jyv0fFx
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"Okay, everyone," came Yong-guk. "We need to put the song on record soon. So while we drink our water and have a bite to eat, let’s divide the song into parts and see who will sing what verse. We’ll have a lot of you for backup vocals."171Please respect copyright.PENANA34MbbmIddW
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And we did just that. A lot of us will have parts to sing from the first verses, the bridges and the chorus. And those who rap mainly took the second verse, the third and last verses. Let’s not forget that there’s also going to be backup vocals.171Please respect copyright.PENANAE7kdVIevfK
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"I had to type and print out the lyrics for each and everyone of you," said Lee as she went round giving out the printed papers.171Please respect copyright.PENANAgU4OVUdDXk
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"Okay, I think we better get started," said Yong-guk. "Sam, will you be able to sing?"171Please respect copyright.PENANAj9GgLABrdH
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"Ya, I’m not that tired," I said. I didn’t have to look at the lyrics now that I’ve mastered it by heart.171Please respect copyright.PENANAOknlao5TbU
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"Okay, so everyone will have to go in the booth," said the producer who was still seated near the console.171Please respect copyright.PENANAxh5M4INmO0
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"The sooner we get over this, the better," said Christine.171Please respect copyright.PENANA1BM4dowmbA
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"Let’s all do our best and not make too many mistakes," said Mino.171Please respect copyright.PENANA0EkwsUPnW9
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A lot of us were all up and making our way to the recording booth. I’m just glad that it’s big enough for all of us.171Please respect copyright.PENANA03XOmcfW86
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I was just giving myself a good stretch with my arms in the air when all of a sudden, the lights went out.171Please respect copyright.PENANARVwIhrhrNb
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Zoey and a few girls screamed. But Zoey is the loudest.171Please respect copyright.PENANAyhOiqFhkAK
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"Zoey!" I called out to her. "Calm down."171Please respect copyright.PENANAoJpgnUEXVI
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"What the heck?" I hear Jisoo say as she already had her phone out and switching on its torch.171Please respect copyright.PENANAwATlVHhPJY
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"This is strange," said the producer. "Power rarely goes off in this building. And if it did, the generator would be running by now."171Please respect copyright.PENANAh6PZyW3LVX
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"Great, just when we were supposed to be recording the song," said Seungyoon, sounding frustrated.171Please respect copyright.PENANAGrVFQfMeMn
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"I know," said Daniel. "Could something be wrong with the power source?"171Please respect copyright.PENANAjJhZGtJQAT
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"I better call the managers and ask if they’re still in the building," said Lee. Her phone went on in the dark and she started to call Collins.171Please respect copyright.PENANANx7lx5U3Qj
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We all could hear Collins’ line ring on Lee’s phone. I could see in the partially dark room that some people had come back to sit on the couch. I took my phone so as to turn on the torch. I noticed that I have a message. I wonder who it’s from.171Please respect copyright.PENANApfNFKtR4dR
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"You better come over and sit, Sam," said Seunghoon as I felt his hand on my shoulder.171Please respect copyright.PENANAdxdfpwnXk3
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I didn’t refuse as I took a seat. I looked around and I couldn’t help but wonder what could be going on.171Please respect copyright.PENANAFvJ78GFXry
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"Hello, Collins?" Lee said over the phone. "Are you still in the building? Oh, I see. Okay, we’ll wait."171Please respect copyright.PENANABGAwm7JGqP
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"Are they still around?" Jinwoo asked. I looked around. I wonder where he’s standing.171Please respect copyright.PENANAEuhPbVKvZu
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"Yes, they still are," Lee replied. "It’s seems the whole building is out of power."171Please respect copyright.PENANAUoIvxaXQuB
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"This has never happened before," said Jennie. "So what could be the problem?"171Please respect copyright.PENANANc0yJzmJ4j
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"Let’s just stay put as the managers have suggested," said Yong-guk. "I bet the power will be back up in no time."171Please respect copyright.PENANAe93Eq6gHrq
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"Gosh," said Zoey. "This is why I don’t like recording rooms. There are no windows in here at all and the air-con is off."171Please respect copyright.PENANAiK5edQ7yfk
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"Maybe we can just step out of the room for a bit," I suggested. "That’s if anyone wants to go out since it’s too dark in here."171Please respect copyright.PENANAb7e6GOUM0i
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"But let me advise not to go too far," said Lee.171Please respect copyright.PENANA0JC2JM1SlS
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Apparently no one left the room. Everyone including Yong-guk and the producer came to join some of us on the couch. The good thing is we were keeping ourselves occupied. Some were on their phones while some of us were engaged in small conversations. It’s then that I remembered that I had a message on my phone. I went on to check it while Seunghoon was talking to Zoey and me who sat on my other side. I read the message and I’m confused.171Please respect copyright.PENANA0tEMRc6RfQ
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"Why would he text me this?" I asked out loud.171Please respect copyright.PENANAeb7jfs5tPj
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"Hmm? What is it?" Zoey asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAJk1hAQp7pm
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"It’s G-Dragon," I answered, reading the message for a second time. "He’s telling me to stay where I am. I wonder why. Is he coming here to the studio?"171Please respect copyright.PENANAcf1faAlKE5
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"Uh…, guys," Lee called out to all of us. "I just received a message from Collins. Apparently the lines to the power have been cut."171Please respect copyright.PENANAeegdKzLd5E
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Everyone let out murmurs of surprise. Who could do such a thing? I don’t know what made me look at GD’s message again, but I found myself quickly standing up. Everyone now turned to look at me.171Please respect copyright.PENANAbGUhzCkEOk
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"We need to leave," I said. "I’ve a bad feeling about this."171Please respect copyright.PENANAmtAogxz4D6
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"Why do you say so?" Seunghoon asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAT2ERiXGyYN
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"Isn’t all this weird? The lines to the power have been cut. Someone did this. And I think I know who did."171Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7p8VuiayY
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"No way," said Zoey as she also stood up beside me. "You can’t be serious, right?"171Please respect copyright.PENANA5Qqtitfljw
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"Who are you talking about, Sam?" Yong-guk asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANA44AxOqQNQ6
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"Johnny," Lee answered. The sound in her voice was realisation that I might be right on this one. "Goodness, he really knows no bounds."171Please respect copyright.PENANAfsXR952TIf
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"Wait," said Rose. "Are you sure? All this seems a little surreal. Why would he be here to cut the power? How would he even come here to begin with?"171Please respect copyright.PENANATkJwEf9Z3l
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"GD," I answered, "he sent me a text just now telling me not to move from where I am. Something is definitely wrong."171Please respect copyright.PENANAeYOZge4SRe
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"Maybe he’s just planning to come here," said Lisa. "And besides, Johnny can’t have been moving around on his own just to go and cut the power line. The security guards would’ve caught him."171Please respect copyright.PENANALhjRAdyEkC
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"Johnny is clever," said Daniel. "Don’t ever underestimate him."171Please respect copyright.PENANADbYhnXklkh
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"If it is him, why would he go through all this trouble?" Seungyoon asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAZT6sWFNEgf
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"To get to us," Christine answered.171Please respect copyright.PENANABuqiuxNkWr
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"That’s just your paranoia talking," said Lisa. "You’ll see. The power will be back up in no time."171Please respect copyright.PENANAXKKySuW3DA
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Lee’s phone started to ring. She quickly answered it. "Yes, Collins?"171Please respect copyright.PENANAaX64ZCQkI4
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A period of silence followed and when Lee told Collins that she understood, she cut the line and looked at us.171Please respect copyright.PENANA8LM3MW75uj
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"Collins just received word that there’s someone in the building that they suspect cut the line," she said. "The guards are searching the area, so they’ve advised that in case the person might be armed, we stay where we are until they find him/her."171Please respect copyright.PENANAc3m4Eot7BT
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"Oh, my," said Jisoo. "Looks like Sam was right."171Please respect copyright.PENANACYnSUnxNc1
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"Okay," said Jennie. "If it does turn out to be Johnny, I’ll kill him."171Please respect copyright.PENANAsHql30LyKw
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"Me too," said Zoey.171Please respect copyright.PENANABtfuVud9Lg
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"But we can’t stay here," said Mike. "Can’t we just go take in some air at least?"171Please respect copyright.PENANAfoQh7IGpxE
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"You can, but don’t go too far," Lee warned. "You must remain in the hall."171Please respect copyright.PENANAneEJ97JHDO
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"Thank goodness there are bathrooms on this floor," said Daniel. "Some of us would’ve been in really big trouble."171Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8pXwf8SXZ
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"I suggest not to go there alone," said Yong-guk. "Who knows what might happen."171Please respect copyright.PENANAn00dqW6xBT
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"Noted," said Jinwoo. "Johnny is now starting to get scarier by the minute."171Please respect copyright.PENANAr2NgSx5JLo
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"Trust me, it only gets worse," said Zoey.171Please respect copyright.PENANA707iXHyJut
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"I’m just going to step outside for some fresh air," said Mike.171Please respect copyright.PENANAU03xjnpgTc
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"I’ll go with you," said Mino.171Please respect copyright.PENANAXt9Vm0nI3D
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I looked around and I can feel the uneasiness in the room. This isn’t good. Whatever Johnny has planned is ruining our chance of recording the song, if not the whole album. I would’ve called GD to see if the two of them are together, but I would only end up shouting at him.171Please respect copyright.PENANAtVINtyL2F8
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Mike and Mino went out of the room together. With the door open, streaks of light from the windows in the hall, found its way into the dark room.171Please respect copyright.PENANA7oFZHOJ5mA
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"What are we going to do, Sam?" Zoey asked as the both of us sat back down on the couch. "We can’t just sit here and do nothing."171Please respect copyright.PENANA4kBSBDdDv6
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"Remember what we promised Lee and Collins?" I reminded her. "We told them that we won’t get involved with this. Let the security guards do their job."171Please respect copyright.PENANA826xmUqfVr
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"Do what?" Seunghoon asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAkvxt78odOn
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"Nothing important," I quickly answered. "Johnny is giving us a hell of a time. Too bad we can’t do anything but let the guards do their job."171Please respect copyright.PENANACHqp7eOM1F
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"Ya, true. But I don’t think Johnny is armed or anything. He can’t go to such an extent, can he?"171Please respect copyright.PENANApcWxXC2Ekf
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That’s what I fear, actually. But to keep things calm, I shake my head. "Nah, I bet it’s just one of his silly pranks. Let’s just wait and see what he’ll do."171Please respect copyright.PENANAEk4RzG6P03
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I turned to look at Zoey and I can tell she’s feeling exactly the way I am right now. Johnny is unpredictable, thus making him dangerous. 171Please respect copyright.PENANAY9Dlo6bHJb
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"Ah, guys," came Mike now standing in the doorway and blocking some of the light coming in the room. "I hear people coming up the stairs."171Please respect copyright.PENANAUlS3raERpf
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"People or someone?" Lee asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAxYNCojrHLX
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"Definitely sound like people," came Mino.171Please respect copyright.PENANA5jL40keept
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"Come inside, you two. In case it's Johnny, we better be safe."171Please respect copyright.PENANAyCYPEaNNed
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Mike and Mino did as they were told and Mino did likewise to lock the door behind him. He and Mike stood by the door. Everyone in the room is now silent. We could hear footsteps getting closer and closer. I’m counting two people. Could it be GD and Johnny?171Please respect copyright.PENANAQFWIFtTt3t
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"They must be in here," came a voice. Surprisingly, it didn’t sound like either of the two. But it did sound familiar.171Please respect copyright.PENANAbjhTshK9v0
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There came a knock. With our torches on and pointed at the door, Mike gave a nod of his head that he’ll open it. We all held our breaths as Mike took hold of the door knob. I surely hope it’s not some kind of joke and we end up finding Johnny.171Please respect copyright.PENANANSe5mlMvJ9
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When Mike fully opened it, two men in black stepped in. They were security. And one of them was with us last night at the park. The one who carried Christine on his back.171Please respect copyright.PENANAU2WWQWV5Cp
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"Oh, it’s you," I said, full of relief.171Please respect copyright.PENANAt2e4W3ZutC
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"Good, looks like everyone is alright," said the guard as he looked around the room. "It’s been confirmed. It’s Johnny who is in the building."171Please respect copyright.PENANAH9ENcg4BRO
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"Now I’ll definitely kill him," said Jennie, not sounding happy at all.171Please respect copyright.PENANAdOCbAWKWdb
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"Are you saying that we have no choice but to stay here?" Zoey asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAfIIOMRANhf
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"I’m afraid so," the bodyguard replied. "If it were any normal power cut we wouldn’t have a problem. But this is Johnny we’re talking about. We don’t know what he can be up to."171Please respect copyright.PENANAhEGIlwv78k
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"Didn’t he come here with G-Dragon?" Lisa asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANA5f7IrT3pHU
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"He did, but even GD doesn’t know where he is. He told us that he and Johnny had gone separate ways when Johnny had excused himself to go to the bathroom."171Please respect copyright.PENANA3CfJxv4bSj
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I raised an eyebrow. GD texted me a few minutes before the power went out. Did he have a hunch that Johnny had been up to something this whole time and still brought him here anyway?171Please respect copyright.PENANAl5j7zEGHz4
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"Could it be that the two of them planned this together?" Mino asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAGx1W3fBggG
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"I don’t think GD would plan to do something that would jeopardise the entire agency, right?" Jisoo asked. "That would be going too far."171Please respect copyright.PENANACjLMzDiZIk
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"Jisoo is right," I said. "GD might have acted like a jerk last night, but never in his right mind would he do this. I guess it’s why he sent me a message telling me to stay where I am before the lights went out."171Please respect copyright.PENANAJhUBBZqgjJ
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"Then why the heck did he bring Johnny if he knew he’s only going to pull off his dangerous pranks?" Daniel asked.171Please respect copyright.PENANAKuybkXDyDN
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"We won’t know until we find Johnny and talk to GD. So for the time being, we better let security do their work to find Johnny."171Please respect copyright.PENANAVhG1OG46P3
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I could hear Zoey murmur beside me. She really wanted to get out there and deal with Johnny herself. But we made a promise to Lee and Collins. We aren’t going to do anything like that from now onwards.171Please respect copyright.PENANAdsISyTqYb2
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"We will stay here with you until we know that everything is under control," said the other bodyguard.171Please respect copyright.PENANAxuUCecuGXW
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"Great, just when we're about to start recording, we’re now taken aback by Johnny," said Christine, sounding frustrated. "If I were out there right now, I would kick him in the butt."171Please respect copyright.PENANAAkRXvuekrv
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"Same here," said Rose. Jinwoo chuckled.171Please respect copyright.PENANA9zWyFFRuPi
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"I would've suggested that we go some place else to record," said Yong-guk. "But now we're stuck here."171Please respect copyright.PENANAZSfASJDBsp
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"Wait, why can't we do that?" Mino asked. "If you ask me, that sounds like a good idea."171Please respect copyright.PENANAT7lhk0a01V
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"It does," I said. "But Johnny is no fool. He knows that if we do walk out of here, he will jump us."171Please respect copyright.PENANAy0hYMExmVp
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"Why isn't the backup generator working?" the producer asked. "It should've started by now."171Please respect copyright.PENANAghNHaiH1SP
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"They're working on it," said the guard whom we were with yesterday. "It should be back up in no time."171Please respect copyright.PENANAkDGMtzAtqL
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Immediately, he said that, the lights came back on. We couldn't help but cry in relief.171Please respect copyright.PENANAbUvvawIgom
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"Finally, we can get back to work," said Jisoo.171Please respect copyright.PENANAMyEg2PoXvk
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While the others were excited, I noticed that myself, the other Toxins, Yong-guk and Lee weren’t. I guess it's obvious. Johnny is still out there.171Please respect copyright.PENANAJuUdnUrQRr
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"Okay, let's get back on schedule guys," said Lee, clapping her hands so that we could all get her attention. "Let's not forget, we don't have much time left on our hands."171Please respect copyright.PENANA9u0Wwqgfq9
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We all stood up from our seats and started to make way to the recording room. I stopped for a bit and pulled out my phone. I really want to call GD to find out where he is and if he knows where Johnny is too. I turned to see Lee talking to the guards, obviously telling them to keep an eye out while we work. I look at my phone again and bit my lower lip. Should I really call him?171Please respect copyright.PENANA9jHLnOFSO9
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"Hey, Sam, we're waiting for you," Yong-guk called out to me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I'm the only one who isn’t inside the recording booth.171Please respect copyright.PENANAWhVgedpB0V
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"Give me a minute," I said and I turn around to make the call.171Please respect copyright.PENANAZVqQRHtUmZ
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I put the phone to my ear and GD's phone started to ring. He finally picked the call on the third ring.171Please respect copyright.PENANAdTrrNp5yPi
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"Sam?"171Please respect copyright.PENANAYvnGKzTK1W
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"GD, where are you?" I asked, not too loud for anyone out of the booth to hear.171Please respect copyright.PENANARguUOVnOis
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"I'm downstairs. I was looking around for Johnny but I can't find him. I tried to go outside, but the guards have this place on lockdown."171Please respect copyright.PENANAJ79tsNutcN
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"Wait, did you just say lockdown?" I can't believe this.171Please respect copyright.PENANAA3XYzbY4aD
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"Ya, no one is allowed in or out. If I had known Johnny was going to pull off something like this, I wasn't going to bring him here."171Please respect copyright.PENANAcpsPAKA0RD
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Serves you right, I thought, grateful for not saying it out loud. "Okay, you take care. If you hear anything about Johnny's whereabouts, call Lee."171Please respect copyright.PENANAqtQrRtWVq2
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"Will do. Don't go out on your own, Sam."171Please respect copyright.PENANAghIDDZGsqP
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"I won't." I soon cut the call and made my way to the recording booth.171Please respect copyright.PENANARignAiiloN
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I start to wonder how this place could be on lockdown just over Johnny. Did something else have happened that we aren’t aware of? We aren't even aware that we're on lockdown. It will be best to tell the others later so that we can focus on the song. Telling them now will make them panic.171Please respect copyright.PENANA6xehkx0s8k
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"Okay, guys, are you ready?" the producer asked, seated on the other side of the booth.171Please respect copyright.PENANAXWIXwCXLIK
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Most of us said we were and others gave a thumbs up. I put my headphones on and soon, we started recording the song.171Please respect copyright.PENANA75HSEVPixl