Chapter Text
"Seriously, Mark?" But Mark doesn't look up from the screen. Nor ease up the frown. "For God's sake, Mark! Mel is not your rival!"
Mark now finally looks at him, barely above his intertwined fingers, one eyebrow sardonically raised. And Donghyuck doesn't have any case to back his statement.
Mel, a Canadian artist of Korean descent, is like a female Mark. Besides their similar origins, they're the same age (Mel and Xiaojun have the same birthdays), they're rappers, lyricists, and producers.
Mel however, is a solo artist who debuted around the time Haechan fell pregnant. She seemingly came out of nowhere. Her company is tiny with a few typecast actors while she was the only musician under their management.
When the comparisons to Mark (and some absurd rumours) inevitably came up, SM looked into her and still didn't get much. But they could debunk the sudden rumour that she and Mark were an item in high school easily because Melissa Jooyeon Park didn’t live in Vancouver or Toronto the same time as Mark, didn't even go to the same schools, and she spent a good few years of her late teens in California before coming to South Korea while Mark had moved to South Korea during that time.
But Mark still took an instant dislike to her from the second they met. It was a weird run-in too.
Dream was up to the usual backstage shenanigans at a music show. Mark had been holding Donghyuck at arm's length and the younger whined with a drawn out "Mel!" And suddenly their green room's door opens from inside and a girl pokes her head in with a "Yes?" She proceeded to say she heard her name and then Haechan explained it's his nickname for Mark, then he introduced her to the other Dream members, and suddenly Donghyuck and Mel are talking like longtime friends and okay, Donghyuck now kind of gets why Mark didn't like her.
Mark had looked up her music that same day. "Derivative with no individualism," Mark had scoffed. Donghyuck kind of felt it was hypocritical to judge another producer but he wasn't going to put down his own work either.
Mel was on their minds for less than a day because Donghyuck did that whole talked-about magazine spread, cosied up to Super M, made Mark insanely jealous and gotten knocked up.
Until now.
The request has been sitting on SM's marketing desk for weeks while Haechan focused his comeback on NCT alone. But Mel's agency sent a polite reminder that made SM bring it up to Haechan who agreed to it with a shrug.
Apparently, Mel has only done collaborations since she debuted. She mostly produces tracks and invites vocalists to perform with her. An oddity to go on this long but Mark claims that’s exactly why she has no identity in her songs. They aren't major chart-toppers or music show winners. But buzz-worthy for mostly shoddy gossip that obviously her PR handlers spread for publicity.
Mel is coming out with her first full-length album now and she specifically requested Haechan for the title track. SM couldn't promise an immediate date and even offered other vocalists but Mel was adamant about Haechan. Even said she will wait as her album wouldn't release for another few months.
Donghyuck knows Mark wouldn't like it and he doesn't. He's back to researching her music style from her latest releases since he heard the news. And the company may have been fearing Mark's reaction to the collaboration because their first question was "What about Mark" when Haechan agreed.
Donghyuck told them and Mark that it's strictly professional and he's not convoluting it with Mark's feelings of jealousy or competition. It still didn't stop Mark from demanding that he be present when Haechan and Mel are working at all times no matter his own schedules and Mel's feelings about it.
And the company surprisingly agreed. Donghyuck gave a spiel about professionalism that he now has to keep it up with Mark and Haerin there. Mark is already being difficult and they've not even got the song yet.
Donghyuck isn't sure what will Mark accomplish researching her style. It's her album and her song. They have no production input beyond Donghyuck lending his vocals. Not like he's falling for some grand seduction scheme like Mark thinks. Hopefully he doesn't cause a scene.
"Make sure your daddy behaves," Donghyuck whispers to Haerin who is more focused on playing with the panda style packaging of Donghyuck's hand cream. He puts Haerin in her high chair and moves behind Mark to wind his arms around his shoulders. "Milk... quit it please...we really need to work out the guest list. We have to send out the invites this week." The mention of Haerin's dol is effective in getting Mark to put Mel at the back of his mind again.
The stress of planning a guest list is overpowering until the next Mel incident. One week before the dol, Haechan receives the song. He goes over the lyrics once, then is convening a council at the rooftop for the first time in a long while.
The last time they had one of their deep life discussions over drinks parties was when Jaehyun's debut drama was cancelled and he was snappish at Taeyong till he was able to vent out his feelings to the group and get over it. Tonight, Jaehyun is extremely amused by the sheet of paper in his hand. He points at a certain line and next to him Ten snorts.
"That sneaky bitch..." Ten sighs, sinking against Johnny's chest. He's feeling more amused than catty.
"I'll be honest," Taeil slurs after the second beer he just downed, "Even I thought she had a thing for Haechan."
"I guess I was in the minority," Renjun smirks at Haechan, "The first time we met her, I could see the way she was sneaking glances at Mark. And that oblivious idiot was glaring at her as if she was going to steal Hyuck."
Jeno chokes out a long gasp, stamping his feet on the metal stairs that Jaehyun shushes him. But Jeno is drunk and playful. "What if she mis... minter...mis-in-ter-pret-ted," Jeno shakes his head after getting the word out. "Mark's looks? Like she thought she was into her?"
"She definitely did!" Sungchan stands up, then wobbles till he steadies himself on his feet. "I remember now! I didn't know who she was back then. I was hosting and at camera rehearsal she was telling the staff that she knows Mark Hyung from when they were in Canada. I thought maybe it's real. I didn't even bother finding out she used to live in America before. What difference does it make? I should have told the company she's the originator of those fake rumors."
"To reiterate Ten's point," Yangyang says, tugging Sungchan back down to the floor, "What a sneaky bitch!"
"So I'm not reading too much into it?" Haechan muses out loud, peering into the almost empty bottle of soju. He's a playful drunk usually. But he's not in a very giggly mood tonight.
"It's clear as day..." Doyoung scoffs because he's not drunk as much as the others. "We're so into the artist's frame of mind, we can tell this stuff. The references to sun and the puns with 'mark' - God, I hate that Mark's name is so pun-able - it's obvious! All of Haechan's lines are about being inadequate for their lover and not only apologising for not being enough but handing over their lover on a platter to the superior choice. And look at the superlatives on the rap part. She thinks too highly of herself."
"Trying really hard too. She used to not use English a lot in her previous songs. But suddenly she's throwing up lines about how much she has in common with the supposed lover in English." Johnny reaches around Ten to stroke at Haechan's nape. "She thinks our Haechannie has no English skills."
"Well she can't hold a note!" Jeno scoffs, "I'm the last person who can be prejudiced against another rapper but did you hear her on the demo? She's tone deaf on the vocals!"
There's murmurs of agreement from the others but Haechan's attention is on Johnny. He shifts making Johnny's hand slip to his upper back and pins him with a curious look. "Is that what she's saying? That I'm not compatible with Mark because I don't know English? I know she's assuming I don't. But is that it? Is it a metaphor about communication?"
Johnny's had the most to drink among them and so this questioning flusters him. "I think what Haechannie is saying is..." Jaehyun releases the paper from his fingers, letting the cool breeze blow it into a convenient puddle of water by the wall. Who cares about it anyway! "Miss Park Jooyeon has not defined what makes the sun duller than the shooting star that makes aaallll the dreams come true."
"Hmm... note, she's saying why she's better. But what makes the sun inadequate?" Doyoung then murmurs theories to himself but settles for cursing out the woman.
"Who cares? She's clearly got the wrong idea. Wait till she finds out Mark called her music 'derivative' and a tired copycat of CL sunbae," Yangyang cackles.
"You know what!" Sungchan gasps, "Mark Hyung should drop a diss track. That should make the shooting star's dreams go," Sungchan makes a fading whistling sound as he gesticulates something going down.
"It'll be a diss track on Hyuck too you idiot!" Renjun huffs but Jeno shakes a finger at him. "Nah! Only if Hyuck does it. Mark will take one look at the lyrics and pull the plug on this whole collaboration."
"Unless, Haechan turns it down." Taeil turns to Haechan with a curious look. "Will you do it?" They don't receive an immediate answer.
Instead Donghyuck opens his palm and watches a snowflake land in it. The others also start to realise it's the first snow of the season, catching the falling snowflakes on their padded jackets and blankets. The single heating lamp they have doesn't make for a hindrance as much as the dim lights from their phones but Haechan still has his eyes trained on the specks of white in his bare hands.
"After Wyn was born, Mark told me he dreads the first snowfall. Like something will happen and he won't realise it's snowing."
"As long as it doesn't have to do with Miss Star Bitch." Scoffs Ten.
While the first snowfall was uneventful, lot of things happen. Haerin's first birthday for one. And they're back to work the next day before flying to Hong Kong for an awards show.
The original schedule was for Donghyuck to record the song during the first week after they're back between full group practices for awards shows and promoting 127's digital single. Sasaengs, necklace thieves, and meddling mothers throw all the plans for a loop.
Mel was the last thing on their minds. But Mel's company didn't forget and this time they weren't patient.
However, Donghyuck was unaware they sent a reminder while he was in the hospital.
"Behave for Halmeoni okay? Don't run off again." Taeyong does a quick run through of his mental checklist and only then leaves Haerin with Mark's parents. He's 15 minutes early, but the manager tells him that the other party has arrived and waiting.
Just out of sight of the glass walled meeting room, Taeyong takes a moment to soften his expression before proceeding. "Morning! Sorry for the wait! I need to make sure the baby has eaten or my day goes horribly." He's announcing to the room as soon as he enters, earning a few chuckles. The endeared and the unamused give an idea of who he has to keep an eye on. But his eyes zero in on the girl in the far end of the table that he almost misses the question from the SM marketing rep.
"The young lady giving you a hard time?"
"Oh, always!" Taeyong groans playfully. "She's got a new thing now. She always wants to play or roam around while she eats. Takes forever to get through a meal." While Taeyong talks, his eyes are discreetly trained on that girl. He notes that they don't press to start the meeting before time though no one else is expected.
The girl sits quietly next to a person who radiates "manager" from his under-eye bags. He knows Melissa Park is exactly Xiaojun's age, a late debutante by today's standards, but she seems to embrace that image. He hears she gets treated like a senior due to being older than many idols and she is cordial and sisterly, but struggles to communicate in Korean a tad.
That's not what Taeyong sees today. She doesn't seem very tall but she's slender and has a distinctly youthful face. Her mixed race features - eyes a light brown to match her natural hair colour - are her selling point.
But from what Taeyong has researched, her style has been stereotypically hip-hop though her music is still very much pop. Nothing wrong with it but she embraced it with panache. He sort of commends the hard fashion making a coordinated contradiction to her soft features.
The Mel Park sitting in the SM conference room is fake. Like a partner in an unlabelled relationship meeting the parents for the first time, Jooyeon has ditched the crop tops and garish coats for a solid blue cape style pantsuit that makes Taeyong, in a regular sweater and pants, feel underdressed. Her hair is straightened out and sprayed with not a strand out of place and she's missing any kind of distracting accessory except the delicate watch on her wrist.
He notices the watch because she can't hide the fidgeting itch of boredom. Her phone is on the table in front of her but she is trying very hard to not pick it up and use it as a distraction. There's a file open in front of her with what Taeyong doesn't know, but she's obviously not reading anything off it.
If one didn't know Mel, they could mistake her for an actress getting ready for a press conference of a new project with the look she's going for. Taeyong doesn't think she'd make a very convincing actress.
Making a big show of checking the time on his phone, Taeyong decides starting 10 minutes early might be good.
"I've got to get to hair and makeup after this, so should we start?"
"Won't Haechan-ssi be joining us?" The man seated directly opposite Taeyong asks. But the NCT leader doesn't bother with the answer their management can so easily give. "As we mentioned earlier, Haechan-ssi is indisposed right now. He is unable to work until he recovers." Their manager's cordial response is met with quiet disgruntled reactions from the other people.
A good time to surprise them. "Miss Park-" Taeyong starts unsurely but she plasters a charming smile to correct him. "Please call me Mel."
"Okay, Mel... since the recording is delayed, we'd like to offer you a little something to make up for it." Taeyong gives the manager his cue to slide a thin folder towards Mel. She takes it with a soft thanks and opens it to reveal a music sheet. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I really do see my early days struggling to compose a song in you. You have potential beyond being an imitation of tried and tested artistries."
The way she goes rigid but keeps her polite facade is telling that she hasn't yet received criticism to her face. A part of Taeyong wonders if she only does collaborations to shield herself from commentary while the other artist takes both the good and bad attention. There must be a catch, after all, to choosing to be in the background of your own songs. He will find out later that Mel doesn't indulge in the performance and presentation of her song after she's produced a track leaving her management to find other ways to promote her music.
Taeyong is distracted from his subtle observation of Mel by his phone buzzing a harsh rhythm with a series of messages.
Doie:
another psychotic break
This is the third time Taeyong!!!!
The doctor might be right. His mother is a trigger.
she thinks haechan's acting hyung!!!
I cant trust this woman to not hurt him
John:
shit Mark and Hyuck's mom r exploding at each other.
Should I intervene?
Yong, ask the company to send more security. This woman's crazy!
She just tried to shove the sedative into Hyuck herself.
My Valentine:
Hyuck's mom was close to stabbing the injection into Hyuck's stomach
I never thought I'd be manhandling an old woman but I dont regret it
We're literally locked inside the room with her outside and she's screaming
Hyung we need to get bodyguards out here
Mark's Mom:
I'm sorry honey but I'm on my way to Sunny. This has gone far enough.
Wynter is with her grandfather.
Can you please make sure Wynter has some kind of security with her?
Taeyong wills his hand to not tremble as he picks his phone off the table and tucks it with his hands in his jacket pockets. Although he inaudibly whispers to his manager to send security to the hospital stat, he quickly schools his frown back to the polite facade from earlier.
He's a little scared of himself how switching the personalities comes so easily to him now. With a face like his attracting attention before anything else he used to put a lot of effort to put his guard down and show his real personality.
It took him a while to realise not everyone deserves that. Especially not this girl who is out to humiliate Haechan.
Unfortunately for Melissa Park they're feeling extremely protective about Haechan right now.
"Sorry, lot of things going on. As I was saying, Mel, you're still learning Korean aren't you?" Taeyong waits for that reluctant nod before he continues "I could tell you worked very hard in your previous songs to compose it entirely in Korean. So to have the rap parts in your song completely in English clashes too much with your style and the vocal parts. Don't misunderstand, we want to help you have a great song beyond lending one of our vocalists. So Mark and I," her eyes twinkle so brightly at Mark's name, Taeyong wants to pluck them out. "Reworked the rap parts in Korean while still keeping the original meaning intact. You can still keep the original if you don't want to share producing credits-"
"I'll take it." Mel says, startling her management. SM, not so much.
"Great." Taeyong croons in a fake exaggerated way, he hopes she doesn't catch on. "You can go ahead with the recording. Haechan will join you as soon as he can."
Mel nods enthusiastically when Taeyong closes with his trademark motherly smile. Hook, line.