"So, here's the task for Group. This week, the four of you will cover TVXQ's 'Before you go.' How you divide up the parts will be left to you. Discuss among yourselves. I'll be there to help you out in choreography during morning hours but regarding vocals, I'm afraid you are on your own.
As for solo dance cover and solo vocal cover, you are free to choose them as long as it doesn't go against what the company is trying to portray in each of your respective images.
Oh, by the way, we have also a rotating system regarding the leader position. This week, Hanbin is the leader. The leader will decide the positions and the parts."
Lee Jae Wook, who choreographed many songs for Big Bang and 2NE1, informed them exactly what he received from the CEO. He didn't speak a word more or less. After he was done, he took a seat nearby.
Jun, Daniel, Suga, and Hanbin sat on the floor after they received the lyrics sheet from the staff.
After listening to the song, a couple of times, Hanbin divided the lyrics into 9 parts and stayed silent while looking at the three of them who are waiting.
Hanbin let out a sigh, "man, this is so tough."
If he is in a normal group, it would have been easier for him but all the other three teammates of him are exceptional singers. Suga was easier for him.
However, Daniel and Jun are different. Both of them can sing high notes, although their ranges are different. Still, both of them are suited to every part of this particular song.
The other thing he was worried about it is that he wasn't as close to Daniel and Jun as he was to Suga. So, he needed to put extra care into their feelings and can't give priority to one over the other.
Hanbin decided to play safe.
He started to distribute it fairly among the four of them except for three key parts, which should be sung for about 30 seconds without taking a breath if possible. He felt that he or Suga was suited for this as they were both rappers.
Since the part is big, Hanbin wondered whether he should give to one person or just break it into further and distribute it among the four. After thinking for a while, he decided on the latter, once again playing safe.
Jun naturally didn't like how the parts were divided except for that high note chorus he will have to sing while Hanbin sing his part. But, in the end, he accepted, thinking that it is just an evaluation, not some competition. Moreover, it was Hanbin's job to lead. If this doesn't work, it's on his neck.
Whether the group debut delays or not, his solo debut is already fixed anyway.
Jun played it along and followed Hanbin's instructions as it is. By noon, everyone already memorized the lyrics and could even sing it without looking at the lyrics or going off tune.
Jun and Daniel seemed to be satisfied the most.
"Hyung, it's really different from the Treasure campus," Daniel said to Jun as they left for lunch. Jun nodded in agreement.
As they were early, except for a few staff members, no one was really at the 22nd floor's cafeteria.
The menu wasn't much. There are veggies, rice, sausage, and seaweed soup.
As soon as Daniel, Hanbin, and Suga, the three of them take the first bite of a sausage piece, their facial expressions suddenly changed.
It's not that their taste is bad but for some reason, their palates weren't just satisfied.
In the end, they were just eating for the sake of filling their stomachs. So, they forcefully started to swallow the food.
Jun was the first to finish everything. Hanbin and Daniel followed the suit. Suga wasn't done even half. Jun felt like Suga was struggling. The three of them waited.
At this moment, Jun found a few other male trainees entering the cafeteria. All of them looked very young and about the same age around 12/13. Out of them, he only recognized one fellow. It was another dongsaeng from the survival program who was also recruited by YG after placing 18th at finals.
"Yeongue-yah," As Daniel was too shy to call out loud, Jun took up the task. He waved his hand.
"Hyung?" Yeongue looked like he saw a ghost but soon, a wide smile appeared on his face as he scurried forward towards the table.
Meanwhile, one of them whispered something to the others as everyone also looked in the direction of Jun's table.
They too followed behind.
"It looks like Yeongue was really surprised that you are here, Hyung," Daniel commented in a low tone.
Suga and Hanbin also glanced in the direction upon which, a couple of them let out a wide smile and closed their mouths as if they were seeing a celebrity.
At that moment, Jun already realized the meaning behind their expressions. He didn't care about them and stood up from the seat to greet the 13-year-old.
"Hyung, when did you arrive? You disappeared so suddenly back then. I heard the news. I'm so sorry for your loss." As Yeongue conveyed his condolences, Jun ruffled his hair with a smile, "thank you, I'm fine, now. Anyway, it's been three days since I was here. I wanted to contact you but I don't have your number."
"Ah, I didn't actually buy one. We aren't allowed to take in. So, I thought it's better to call from the dorm or the reception." Yeongue replied slowly before he spotted Daniel and greeted him, "Daniel-Hyung."
Just as he was about to greet the other two, his fellow trainees arrived together.
Little did Jun expect, as soon as they arrived, after greeting the seniors, the one in the front talked to Daniel, instead, "You are Kang Daniel-sunbae, right? The winner of Treasure Campus. We saw an article."
"Eh?" Hanbin and Jun abruptly turned their heads in surprise. Jun found a look of disappointment flashed in Hanbin's eyes but quickly disappeared. As for Suga, it was a little bit of a challenge to find what's going on in his mind. Suga's concentration appeared to be on the salad.
Meanwhile, Daniel nodded, "Yes."
The 13-year-old then said, "Yeongue mentioned sunbae. It's an honor."
Yeongue started to introduce the team as someone suddenly pinched his arm from behind.
"Hello sunbae, I'm Park Jeong-woo"
"Hello, I'm Lee Inhong"
"Jung JunHyuk"
"Yi Su Yun"
"So Junghwan"
"Kim Jeongseob"
Unfortunately, Jung JunHyuk, this 13-year-old Korean-Canadian rapper recognized Suga but addressed him as 'Gloss' at first but no one in the group had yet to recognize Hanbin, who was with the company for the past 3 years.
It was only after Daniel introduced Hanbin as B.I., everyone realized that this is the guy who wrote and produced several songs for the rookies and even experienced artists of the company.
"So, how long were you guys training, here?" Jun asked them, trying to converse with them freely while casually putting his arm around the little harry potter's shoulder. Due to the differences in height, it gave an illusion as if an older sibling is taking care of his younger brother. Both of them are close enough for him to act like that. So, Yeongue also didn't mind it.
Jun had an experience with senior/junior trainees' hierarchy at ZC. So, he wanted to be free, instead of staying distant. Who knows, within three to four years, some of these will also debut and he might write songs for them.
He found out that most of them started training from a few weeks to a few months. While others went through either normal audition or street casting, Jeongseob was recruited after participation in 2017's K-pop star program.
Soon, Suga was done with his food and Jun said goodbye to Yeongue, not forgetting to ask the location of their training room as he intended to stop by, during the free time practice after the dinner.
As they were returning back to their training room, Suga suddenly stopped in his tracks as something clicked in his head, "SungJun-ssi…"
"Yes?" Jun flinched a bit as he was suddenly called by Suga of all the people.
"Instead of eating at the cafeteria, can we bring lunch boxes from the dorm? After eating your cooking for the past three days, I think I can't eat the food at the cafeteria." He said to Jun, surprising the latter and also the other two that are listening.
Almost instantly, a smile appeared on Jun, "of course, for sure."
Soon, the other two also decided to jump on the ship
And so, Jun formally became the personal chef for the group, for so many years to come.