CHAPTER 3:NOTES BETWEEN US

Chapter 3: Notes Between Us

The blank page stared back at her like a challenge.

Hana tapped her pen against the edge of her desk, eyes darting between her old lyrics and the glowing screen of her phone. Jisoo's number sat in her recent calls list—untouched. She hadn't messaged him yet. Not because she didn't want to.

Because she wasn't sure she could still write anything worth sending.

Three years without music felt like a forgotten language. She hummed quietly, trying to catch a melody, but it slipped away before it could take form.

She sighed and reached for the notebook, flipping to the last page she wrote before she stopped.

"Even shadows need a place to shine…"

The words still felt true.

The next day

Her phone buzzed.

[Unknown Number]: You said you'd think about writing. Want help thinking? I'll send a car. Come to the studio.

She stared at the message for a full minute before replying:

Hana: Fine. But I'm not writing anything poppy about soda bubbles or summer hearts.

Jisoo: No bubbles. Got it. Just bring that voice.

Eclipse Entertainment Studios – 5 PM

The studio wasn't what she expected.

It was sleek, yes—glass walls, polished floors—but it was also… warm. Posters of Eclipse's albums lined the halls, a hallway hummed with soundchecks from trainees, and the smell of takeout lingered near the lounge area.

Jisoo was waiting at the entrance with a cap pulled low and a hoodie that looked too comfortable to be expensive.

He grinned when he saw her.

"I wasn't sure you'd come," he said.

"I almost didn't," she replied honestly. "Then I thought—you still owe me milk bread."

He laughed. "I'll buy you a bakery if this goes well."

He led her into one of the side studios—small but filled with equipment. Guitars, keyboards, a glowing computer screen, and an acoustic panel in the corner.

"Here," he said, pulling out a chair for her at the keyboard. "No pressure. Just… play."

She hesitated, then sat slowly. Her fingers hovered above the keys, unsure.

"Start with the shadows line," he said gently.

She nodded and whispered the words as her fingers found the chord. Something stirred inside her chest. A hum. A memory. A feeling she hadn't let in for a long time.

The melody came slowly… but it came.

Suddenly the door burst open.

"Yo, hyung, are you—wait. Who's this?" A guy with bright blond hair and a piercing glare walked in, followed by another member with sleepy eyes and headphones around his neck.

"Oh great," Jisoo muttered. "The peanut gallery is here."

The blond crossed his arms. "You said you were recording a solo. You didn't say you were bringing a guest."

"She's not a guest," Jisoo said, turning serious. "She's a songwriter. A real one."

The sleepy-eyed one raised an eyebrow. "Since when do we bring outsiders to write Eclipse songs?"

"I'm not writing your songs," Hana cut in before Jisoo could answer. "I'm just… here."

There was a silence.

Jisoo sighed. "Guys, this is Hana. She wrote the first song I ever performed. She's not here to impress you. I invited her because she has something… honest. Something we don't hear often."

Blondie scoffed. "We'll see about that."

"Give her a chance," Jisoo said. "You trusted me when I said we needed a new sound."

Sleepy-eyes finally gave a nod. "One track. Let's hear what she's got."

Later, after they'd left and the door was closed again, Hana sat quietly, pulse still racing.

"They hate me," she said.

"They don't hate you. They just don't know you yet," Jisoo replied, leaning against the wall. "They'll come around."

Hana looked at him. "You really believe that?"

"I believe in you."

She blinked. The words hit deeper than he probably meant them to.

"You've always had a voice that mattered, Hana. Even when no one heard it."

She smiled slowly. "You still owe me a bakery."

He grinned. "Then I better start saving."

End of Chapter 3