Chapter Text
Doyoung woke up and immediately groaned. The room reeked of cigarettes and beer and body odor. He realized he was still wearing last night’s clothes. Holding his breath, Doyoung turned over to see if anyone was in bed beside him, and let out a relieved sigh when he saw that there was no one there. He had a bad habit of sleeping with people he shouldn’t.
“Dude!” yelled Johnny, NCT’s drummer, from the doorway, “We’re gonna be late if you don’t get the fuck up!”
“ImcomingImcomingImcoming,” Doyoung muttered, as if saying a single prolonged word.
He groaned again as he got up from bed and found it hard to walk completely upright. Limping to the bathroom, he grabbed the bottle of Pepto Bismal and took a swig, trying not to gag. He also popped a few Advil before brushing his teeth, trying his best to belatedly tackle his hangover. Doyoung knew he didn’t have time to take a shower, so he splashed some water on his face and used a washcloth under his arms.
It’ll have to do.
He stumbled back into his tiny bedroom and grabbed the first clean looking shirt and pair of jeans he saw.
“How late did you stay out?” yelled Haechan from the living room, the band’s rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist.
“We didn’t even hear you come in,” added Jungwoo, the group’s bassist.
Doyoung ignored the questions and touched his throbbing head.
There was a soft knock on the doorframe.
“Uh, Doie? You almost ready, man?”
It was Mark, NCT’s lead guitarist, and currently Doyoung’s favorite person in the world due to his softer speaking voice.
“Yeah, come on, let’s go.”
Everyone agreed to split an Uber, not trusting the subway to get them from their cramped apartment in Bushwick to midtown in time for the meeting. It was a beautiful, sunny day and Doyoung was so grateful he remembered to grab his sunglasses on the way out.
He was having a hard enough time as it was.
This was a big day. They were heading to SM Records’ office to meet with their A&R guy to discuss the logistics of recording their debut album. The songs were mostly finished, they just needed the touch of an experienced producer to glossy them up a little. Doyoung knew they were beyond lucky to have this opportunity.
After riding what felt like the world’s fastest elevator, Doyoung took a moment to regain his bearings, wishing he’d thrown a Dramamine or two into his morning medicinal cocktail.
“There’s my favorite band!”
Strolling towards them was Byun Baekhyun, their A&R man.
“I bet you say that to all the bands,” said Haechan.
Baekhyun laughed, “Yes, but when it comes to NCT, I mean it!”
He gave each member a one armed hug before gesturing them into a large conference room that mercifully included a spread of coffee and bagels.
Though still young, Baekhyun was a legend. He was in EXO, one of the most influential bands of the last decade and went on to have a record-breaking solo career. To everyone’s surprise, at the height of his fame, he chose to step away from the spotlight and go into the business side of music. The first band he signed was Red Velvet, who went on to win Best New Artist at the Grammys. Doyoung hoped for even a modicum of that success.
“Alright, so,” Baekhyun begun, “here’s what I’m thinking… Lee. Tae. Yong.”
Doyoung choked on his coffee.
“The producer?” asked Jungwoo.
“That’s the one!” said Baekhyun, “We just managed to sign him to our production roster and I think it’ll be a terrific match.”
“The last song he worked on reached #1 and stayed there for like, ever,” said Mark excitedly, “would he really work with a group like us?”
Doyoung put his hand up.
“Mr. Byun–”
Baekhyun laughed, “Please, call me Baekhyun.”
“Mr. Byun,” Doyoung continued, pointedly, “I think I speak for all of us when I say that we greatly admire your opinion but–”
“–but you were hoping I’d pair you with someone like Chanyeol, is that it?” finished Baekhyun.
“Well frankly, yes,” said Doyoung.
Park Chanyeol was Baekhyun’s former EXO bandmate and the top rock producer. It seemed like a no-brainer.
“Listen,” Baekhyun said, leaning back in his chair, “that would be the simple thing to do, right? But I really think you guys would benefit from working with someone who’s just as young and hungry as you are.”
“But Taeyong’s a hip-hop producer!” cried Doyoung, “We are not looking to change our sound.”
“And I wouldn’t want you to!” said Baekhyun, “Taeyong’s a really talented kid, and he’s a great lyricist to boot, I know that’s something you were looking for.”
Doyoung stared at his coffee again. It was true, he was hoping to work with a producer that had a knack for songwriting as well. Doyoung never had a problem with melodies—but words were hard. Mark tended to handle the lyrics for the time being. He had great potential, but he was also young and inexperienced and sheltered—through no fault of his own—and Doyoung often wished their songs could convey a more worldly sentiment.
“How about this,” Baekhyun started, “you guys go meet up with Taeyong in the studio for a week—we’ve already booked the time—and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll give ol’ Yeollie a call. How’s that sound?”
“Fine,” Doyoung grumbled.
“Great!” Baekhyun clapped his hands together, “I’ll have my assistant send you all the details. Please try to be a little less worse-for-wear tomorrow, eh?” he added, winking at Doyoung.
As the band was leaving, Baekhyun grabbed Johnny by the wrist.
“Hey,” he said, “What’s Doyoung’s deal with Taeyong?”
Johnny laughed, “You gathered it was more than a difference of taste?”
“Obviously,” said Baekhyun, “I’m guessing there’s some kind of history there?”
“The three of us were in a band together,” Johnny said, “Years ago. It all ended very amicably, aside from those two.”
“Well shit,” Baekhyun chuckled, “Usually my team is better at research than that!”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” said Johnny, “Even I don’t know what really went down. Besides, if there’s one thing I know about Doyoung, it’s that he’s competitive as hell. Working with someone he hates could be a good thing!”
Baekhyun laughed and patted Johnny on the back, “Thanks for letting me know. Call me if any serious shit goes down though, okay? I don’t want this to get messy.”
“You got it, boss!”