Jae scrolls back to the chorus loop, headphones tight over his ears, as the studio door swings open. RM steps in first, dropping his battered notebook onto the mixing desk. Suga follows, folding his arms and scanning the project file on the monitor. J-Hope leans against the vocal booth glass, bouncing on his heels, the beat already working through his body. Jimin sets his coffee down, eyes fixed on the waveform dancing across the screen.
“Let’s hear it from the top,”
RM says, voice even but expectant. Jae’s fingers hover over the spacebar. Behind him, the pressure in the room thickens. The first chords play out, Suga’s face unreadable. J-Hope starts nodding along, then stops, raising an eyebrow. Jimin closes his eyes, listening for something deeper. All four look to Jae, waiting. The track fades. Silence, then Suga speaks:
“Is that really the hook?”
RM flips open his notebook. It’s time to defend the sound, or start again.