Chapter Text
"Could you plase draw out the “gaze” a little longer please ?"
Lily felt like she was going crazy. She did not want to spend her frustration on her members, but she recognised that Sullyoon was acting more cautious in the recording booth. Had she already become a scary director with the few days’ experience she gained this week with the recording of “Loud” ? Or maybe was she just turning into a scary unnie…
"You went back to a “s” sound right now, please focus on bringing out the “z” like we practiced yesterday."
Although she tried to stay collected, her fatigue was getting the best of her. Her tone was becoming sharper by the minute, and she knew that it did not help obtain the polished version she was seeking for. She had had to ask for Sullyoon to come back to the studio although the team had planned on finishing the mix and calling it an end this morning. Sullyoon’s pronunciation was lacking and Lily couldn’t bear, for the life of her, to listen to an opening that was supposed to be the first impression the public would have of the song and her writing skills.
After yet another shortened “gaze” from Sullyoon, Lily sighed. Her co-director and the rest of staff had left when the night had begun to fall, leaving her in charge in a way that also gave her the opportunity to take some liberties. She could allow herself a bit.
“Yoona-ya, I’m sorry, let’s take a break. I can’t focus right now and I feel like we are going nowhere like this. Let’s come back around by twelve ?” She observed the doubting eyes the younger kept trailed to her lyrics’ sheet, as if pushing through with her best efforts could be enough to help them out of the situation. “We’re finishing soon though. We only have this line left, then we can go back to the dorm together.”
Lily tried to offer a reassuring smile to the younger, who only nodded quietly before leaving the booth. It was common for Sullyoon to shut off when she grew too tired, so the older did not take any offense at her silence, although she was worried she had hurt her feelings. It was often hard to handle criticism, or even difficulties, in an environment that expected you to be constantly perfect while running on chronic lack of sleep. She would make sure she had not overstepped when she’d have taken to herself the ten minutes she had asked for, collecting her thoughts in a corner of the room.
Haewon had left a simple message half an hour ago to ask when they both would be back. She did not however expect the missed calls that appeared on her opening screen when she turned over the phone she had neglected earlier in order to give her full attention to the recording process. She frowned over the notifications that made her heart pick up. It was unusual that she would call, especially multiple times.
“Lily ?” called the synthesised, yet still distinctive voice after two rings.
“Hello, you’ve called me ?” She tried to make herself comfortable in the softest couch the room provided. Maybe it was the unusual situation, or the fact that the seat was still uncomfortably hard, but she could not shake off the tension in her shoulders. She wondered if Sullyoon was around or if she had left further to take advantage of the break. She had to be careful to keep her tone neutral just in case.
“Hi baby.” Her voice was sweet, full of aegyo. Another unusual aspect that got Lily torn between the uneasiness that creeped down to the tensed fingers gripping her phone, and the sudden warmth that filled her chest up to her cheeks. The younger tended to be more reserved if she could not be sure there were no witness around. But here she was, displaying affection as if they laid together in the privacy of her room. “I was just missing you, I hoped you would come around ?”
“I am sorry, I am busy.” Lily babbled, flustered. “I should be free from tomorrow though, I can make some time for you ?” She could already picture the sulk rising on Wonyoung’s face. It had come off as a question, but she was pretty sure she would be spending tomorrow’s afternoon in IVE’s dorm : she was already picturing herself in the arms of her girlfriend, relishing on the high of finishing a song she had worked so hard on.
The easing that was to be expected from such a nice prospect was turned down by Sullyoon entering the room, two bottles of water in hand. Lily straightened while signifying that she was on a call. Sullyoon understood the message and dropped quietly on the couch next to her after having put the extra bottle in front of the older. Close enough to catch what her counterpart said.
“Unnie…” She whined, the pout in her voice that always made Lily’s heart clench clearly audible to her trained ear.
“Thank you for the call.” She interrupted quickly. “Let’s talk of the precise conditions by text. I have to go back to work. I will meet you tomorrow.”. She turned the call down in a swift tap that pinched her heart in the wrong place.
She needed to play it cool as to not rise anymore suspicion from her groupmate, but, as her gaze met Sullyoon’s, it was like it was written all over her face. How ironic.
"I'm so afraid it's written all over my face
They might see it plainly in the lingering gaze"