Cats express their emotions through their whiskers.
By looking at their whiskers, you can instantly tell whether a cat is currently in a good mood, comfortable, wary of something, or tense.
Perhaps cats are far more honest than humans who can speak. After all, people living in modern society often hide their emotions beneath their expressions.
Inspired by that sincerity, I’m embarrassed but I tried writing some lyrics…
This is really embarrassing.
Letting out a groan, Do Yeonjae looked down at the notebook filled with disorganized lyrics and scratched his forehead. Is this right? The only lyric writing he’d done was scribbling about two lines when RAYEON released their 4th anniversary fan song, so whatever sentence he wrote seemed strange.
How does Kwon Isoo even write lyrics…
Come to think of it, there was a NEOS B-side track that used unique metaphors like cat whiskers.
The song called ‘Pebble,’ an indie rock genre track that Kwon Isoo solely composed and wrote lyrics for, contained content about how a stone rounded and worn down by seawater might look smooth and pretty on the outside, but its inside might be broken.
The image of a tiny pebble being pushed around by waves represented imperfect youth, and also illuminated the hidden feelings of idols who become perfect while being worn down by the public’s gaze.
The lyrics were even more charming because they reached each listener differently. Even for Do Yeonjae, depending on his condition on the day he listened, the song’s lyrics would feel different.
It would be good to go with an indie rock genre like that song.
Hmm… After pondering for a moment, Do Yeonjae turned on his computer. When he typed ‘NEOS Pebble’ into the YouTube search bar, a live video from their 3rd album comeback showcase from earlier this year appeared. I’ve already watched this a lot… Saddened by the fact that there was only one stage, he clicked the video.
Among the NEOS members sitting in chairs, Kwon Isoo, who created a calm atmosphere with his covered hair, opened the introduction with a composed tone.
– Gradually becoming round
oh, carrying traces
of brokenness no one knows
Kwon Isoo’s characteristically trendy tone flowing through the headset captivated his ears. Despite having such a distinct personality that you could tell the voice’s owner immediately upon hearing it, it was a tone that naturally blended with any song. Do Yeonjae opened his mouth in admiration.
He’s incredibly handsome…
It was definitely a stage he’d turned on to look at the lyrics, but whenever Kwon Isoo’s part came, his gaze invariably moved upward.
Isn’t it cheating to have that face, that height, and be good at producing too? The unfortunate thing is that the camera doesn’t capture even half of what he looks like in person.
While admiring his excellent features, the song was already ending before he knew it. Ah, I need to look at the lyrics. Belatedly coming to his senses, he dragged the playback bar forward. Kwon Isoo started the first verse with the same expression as before.
– Gradually becoming round…
The moment he tried to concentrate with a serious face, suddenly his headset was yanked off.
“……”
Among the people who come to the dorm, there’s only one person who would do such a rude thing. Frowning slightly and turning his head, the person he expected was right before his eyes.
“…Do Yeonu. I told you to contact me in advance if you’re coming to the dorm.”
Seeing Hayun-hyung fidgeting behind him, the situation was obvious. He must have shown up without warning and used the excuse of delivering mom’s side dishes to get let in, and Yoon-hyung couldn’t bear to ignore him and confirmed his residency with the management office.
No one was happy he came, yet he was really shameless.
“Even if you’re family, I told you the rule is to notify in advance when visiting the dorm. How many times do I have to say it before you understand.”
“Why bother with the annoying contact? The door opens even if I just come.”
His shrugging shoulders were utterly nonchalant. Swallowing a tired sigh, Yeonjae turned his gaze toward Hayun. I really told him many times that he doesn’t have to let him in…
“From next time, you can really ignore him, hyung.”
He didn’t want to blame Yoon-hyung for this problem. The one who blatantly abuses hyung’s consideration is the one at fault.
Even though Hayun-hyung is soft-hearted, he’s been active in the rough entertainment industry for several years anyway. And yet, the reason he keeps failing to refuse an impolite person is definitely because he’s a member’s family.
Which also meant it was his own fault.
“Well, he said he brought side dishes from your mother… And.”
Hayun trailed off and glanced at Do Yeonu. Even though he dyed his hair light brown because he didn’t want to be mistaken for twin brothers, his face really looked exactly like Yeonjae’s. Except for having a prickly impression and being shorter, he looked so similar that he could be called just another version of Yeonjae… So his heart kept softening.
But he couldn’t tell Yeonjae these inner thoughts straightforwardly. As he kept his mouth tightly shut, Yeonjae asked gently.
“And?”
“Nothing… I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“Why are you apologizing, hyung. You don’t need to.”
After sending the flustered Hayun away to rest, Do Yeonjae grabbed his notebook and plopped down on the bed. While massaging his stiff neck, he asked Do Yeonu, who was surveying his room.
“Why did you come?”
“Why are you acting so obviously annoyed? It’s not like you were particularly busy… Ugh, were you sitting alone watching this kind of crap?”
What Do Yeonu pointed at was Kwon Isoo singing the first verse of the ‘Pebble’ stage. Even though he’d stopped playback as soon as the headset was pulled off, his face was clean without a trace of embarrassment.
“This is Kwon Isoo, isn’t it. Aren’t you filming something with him?”
“Do Yeonu, what do you mean calling a person ‘this.'”
“That’s not something someone who uses ‘you’ to their hyung should say.”
“Hyung my ass…”
Going on and on about being born one minute earlier. Answering dryly, Do Yeonjae pressed his temples firmly and then gripped the sheets with his hands. Leaning his body back, he stared straight at Do Yeonu’s face.
I’m strangely in a bad mood…
For some reason, the picture of his twin looking at Kwon Isoo was irritating to his eyes.
Well… there was a reason for feeling this way. What Do Yeonu had been greedy for all this time wasn’t only Do Yeonjae’s possessions.
It had been countless since their distant childhood. The toys he liked, the side dishes he ate well, the clothes he enjoyed wearing… and even close friends.
His twin brother’s temperament was twisted and selfish enough to ruin friendships through manipulation. He realized this again around the third year of middle school.
‘Do Yeonjae, I’m dating Kim Siyeon.’
‘Really? Congratulations.’
‘…What? That reaction.’
‘I said congratulations. Do you have more to say? I need to go to the practice room.’
‘Weren’t you the one who liked Kim Siyeon?’
‘Huh? What are you talking about…’
Apparently, because he gave Kim Siyeon chocolate, Yeonu thought he liked Kim Siyeon. He’d only given a small token of gratitude because she was kind enough to prepare summary notes for him since he couldn’t keep up with classes due to his trainee life.
When Do Yeonjae was genuinely baffled, Do Yeonu’s face showed rapidly cooling interest. And the very next day, the two had broken up.
He thinks he realized it around then. Among the things worth giving to Do Yeonu, material things were the most convenient and cheap.
While lacking greed was Do Yeonjae’s nature, the habit of quickly cutting off anything and leaving not a trace of lingering attachment might have been caused by Do Yeonu. The more interest he showed in something, the more things Yeonu coveted.
That’s why he loved singing.
Because it was something solely his own that couldn’t be taken or lost.
Unlike Do Yeonjae who was indifferent to worldly affairs, the cunning and sly Do Yeonu also received their parents’ love quite well. When young, he didn’t want to bother tattling about his brother’s true nature to parents busy with overtime work, and after growing up a bit more, it became even more troublesome. After all, he had to stay at the trainee dorm, and the one living with their parents at the family home was Do Yeonu.
Do Yeonjae was reasonably satisfied with this moderately harmonious family atmosphere. If Yeonu would properly play the role of a son in his busy place, he was willing to satisfy Do Yeonu’s greed to some extent going forward.
Though dealing with that filthy temper is terribly annoying sometimes… At least when a cat gets feisty, its pointy whiskers are cute. This bastard who’s not even as good as cat whiskers…
Yeonjae, who was looking at the lyric-writing notebook, glanced at Do Yeonu fiddling with pants in the closet and smirked. Those are the pants Kwon Isoo complained about having a cheap zipper.
“Why are you looking at the pants, Yeonu. The length won’t fit you anyway.”
“What did you just say?”
“Whatever… Alter them yourself if you want.”
Waving his hand halfheartedly, Yeonjae lay down completely on the bed. There were no lyrics worth writing in the notebook anyway, so he figured he’d just stare at the ceiling until Do Yeonu left.
Do Yeonu, whose expression twisted from the fact bombing, glared at Yeonjae viciously before sneering.
“Ha, what idol. People should know how fucking rude you are.”
“Hearing that from you is a bit…”
“Yeah, well. I’m not exactly good-natured either. But bastards like you who pretend to be nice then stab people in the back really make me want to kill them, they’re so fucking annoying.”
Do Yeonu continued spitting out harsh words like throwing trash on the ground. Did he come all the way here just to say that… If so, just send it by chat. As he just kept silently staring at the ceiling no matter what Yeonu said, his collar was soon grabbed. Yeonu, who forcibly pulled Yeonjae toward him, fumed while breathing heavily.
“Hey, don’t my words sound like words to you?”
