Page 137 of Hope & Harmony

But people can’t save you.

You can only save yourself.

And you can only hope you’re strong enough to do it.

Especially knowing how horrible people in the industry could be—specifically one that didn’t want you dating anyone but your fans. Idols were called idols for a reason.

So I studied her songs, I felt them, and then I convinced the rest of the guys I’d get her and her team for our next album. We didn’t want to be forgotten after being out of the scene for two years, but we also wanted to show a more mature side of ourselves.

And she had that. She felt that.

Would we still be relevant?

Would people forget us?

Would it matter in the long run if the music was complete shit anyway?

No, even if we failed, we needed to show it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly; isn’t that why music transcends languages, orientations, worlds?

Because it hits different.

I wanted to be known for that, and I know the other guys did too.

I cleared my throat. “Ready?”

She stared at me, black headphones on, eyes staring straight through me. Her hair was longer, blonde with shots of pink in it, and her makeup was perfection despite the fact I could still see some dark circles under her eyes.

High on caffeine. Typical.

Low on food. Also typical.

Her eyes blinked away. “I’m starting you in like I said, eight counts into the rap. You have the lyrics in front of you, want me to play the demo first or?—”

“—I’ve got it, I heard the butchering earlier.” I grinned.

Her lips twitched. “Sure, yeah, okay, go for it, Hills.” The music started, and then she stopped it. “Seriously though, you told me your name was Johnny.”

“Hills.” I nodded. “Johnny Hills. It’s my middle name. My stage name is Hills.”

Most K-pop artists had them.

“Oh.” She exhaled like it was a relief I didn’t lie to her. “All right, let’s go, I’ll let you do your thing.”

The song was fast coming in, the melody had shifted from the chorus down into the third rap, which would go into the main killing part and bridge into the, whoa, okay, there was a lot going on. I didn’t get to hear all of it when I listened to the demo, and since I wasn’t in the booth, I didn’t actually hear him do the rap, I just assumed it was shit when he walked out and swayed against each wall down the hallway until he finally made it to the elevator only to hit the down button then the up button and stumble against his girlfriend for the seventh time.

Wasted.

Messed up.

I focused as much as I could while Lyric tapped her bare nails against the headphones and nodded at me.

I took a deep breath and dove headfirst into it, kind of the way I dove headfirst into her, without thinking of the ramifications.

“We are the stars that shine

We are the stars that shine

You by my side

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