Final Puzzle Piece || SKZ 9th Member

The Popular Trainee

[The year 2017]

Bangchan just finished practicing when the sun had disappeared from the sky. It was a pretty tiring day, even when he had done this routine for six years now. Especially because he didn't get much sleep last night.

Even so, Chan still considered stopping by his studio to finish the song he had been working on. It wasn't a difficult decision, of course, he always chose his studio over his bed no matter how much his body told him that he needed to rest. That was how instead of the lobby floor, his finger pressed the floor number where his studio at.

The hallway was quite empty with only some younger trainees who hadn't gone home still practicing. They greeted and bowed to Chan when they made eye contact. He returned all their greeting by smiling warmly at them. Having been around for a long time, Chan was arguably popular among the trainees and well respected. Some silly rumor even said that he was JYP's son himself. Ridiculous he thought. They don't even look alike at all.

As he walked down the hallway, passing some studios, Chan's feet slowed down in front of the vocal room. A soothing, melodic voice was heard singing 'Lost in Love' by Taeyeon & Tiffany from Girls Generation. He used to hear someone singing on this floor as it was a vocal studio zone and he never stopped to listen before. But now, he didn't know exactly what held him from continuing his walk to the studio, but he wanted to stay there, he wanted to listen more.

Chan eventually placed his back against the wall and closed his eyes as he started enjoying the soothing voice of whoever was singing in there.

Chan was so captivated by the voice that he didn't realize the song had ended already. He only opened his eyes and straightened his body back when he heard the door open. 

A girl who looked younger than him came out from that vocal room, carrying a guitar bag on her back. She jumped a bit with eyes widened when she saw him, then quickly bowed.

"A-annyeonghaseyo," greeted her.

Chan bowed back and smiled at her. "Annyeong. Are you a new trainee?"

The girl shook her head. "I've been here for more than a year now."

"Really? How come I never saw you around before?" Chan asked, more to himself than the girl. Meanwhile she just laughed awkwardly, thinking how pathetic she was that Bangchan, the popular trainee who everyone knew, didn't know her. "May I ask your name?"

The girl looked taken aback by Chan's question as she wasn't ready for that when he literally just asked a simple basic one. She stuttered and suddenly forgot her name. "I-I'm... I'm... I'm Ryu... aish, pull yourself together," she grumbled the last words to herself and made Chan worried when she unexpectedly slapped her own cheek. "I'm Ryu Kala."

Now it was Chan who was taken by surprise. "Ryu Kala? You're JYPE's secret weapon everyone keeps talking about."

"S-secret weapon? I think you're talking about someone else."

"No, it's you. Ryu Kala. I remember because you have a unique name," Chan insisted. "You deserve the title though. Your voice is amazing."

"Ah, t-thank you." Kala who was a bit overwhelmed by the compliment only bowed again, especially when it came from Bangchan. She didn't know how to react to being called such a title other than saying thank you. 

Chan smiled sweetly he could cure depression with it. "I'm Bangchan, by the way."

Kala nodded. "I know. S-sunbaenim¹ is popular among the trainees." (¹Senior)

"Am I?" he teased a bit.

"Y-yeah. And you're from Australia. That's so cool."

Chan laughed. "I hope to see you around more, Kala."