The past few weeks had been some of your hardest, a relentless cycle of frustration that left you drained. Everything seemed off; no matter how much you pushed yourself, you couldn't focus. Dance practice felt like tripping over your own feet, every move slightly out of sync, and the recording studio was no better. Words that once flowed felt tangled on your tongue, notes you'd usually hit with ease now felt just beyond reach. Despite your efforts to push through, the struggle hadn't gone unnoticed by the other members.

You stood in the recording booth now, headphones slightly crooked from how many times you’d dragged your hands through your hair. Seungmin sat behind the glass, guiding you through the harmony line he’d recorded earlier with Chan, who sat beside him. It was a simple harmony you would have gotten easily. But every time you opened your mouth, the note cracked, wavered, or strained.

Seungmin sat in the chair, head in his hand as he became more frustrated with you not being able to harmonise with his vocals. Chan pressed the intercom, picking up Seungmin's mood.

“Let’s try that one more time.”

One more time becomes five, then twelve, then more. Each attempt sounding worse than the last. You could see him trying, really trying to stay composed and patient. But the way his shoulders stiffened and the way his eyes flicked down every time you missed the pitch again… it was clear he was running out of patience.

You hear Seungmin sigh softly, not annoyed at you, just helpless. He presses the intercom himself.

“You’re not listening to the guide. I don’t know what you’re doing right now.”