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TL: FoodieMonster007


Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Kiyeon met in an empty conference room at the company. Kang Kiyeon had suggested they meet at his place, thinking he would be tired from the long flight, but Lee Cheonghyeon refused.

He had deliberately chosen a place suitable for a formal apology. While Kang Kiyeon was not the type to fuss over minor details, Lee Cheonghyeon wanted to show how serious he was about his apology.

"Aren't you tired?"

"I slept on the plane."

"Like sleeping on a plane is ever comfortable."

Kang Kiyeon handed him a takeout cup from a tray. It was a roasted grain latte.

"What's the occasion for such a high-calorie drink?"

"A celebration for finishing my schedule, and we can't even order this when Iwol-hyung is around, you know."

Kang Kiyeon's own drink was an Americano. Lee Cheonghyeon struggled to keep from smiling, prompting Kang Kiyeon to ask if he was laughing at him.

Lee Cheonghyeon quickly waved his hands in denial.

After sitting down, they chatted about what had happened while they were apart. Lee Cheonghyeon ranked the best things he had eaten in Paris.

Kang Kiyeon shared a new picture of spArk that was currently booming among the fans. The topic of Jeju Island did not come up until they were halfway through their drinks.

"So, now that we've broken the ice, is it time to talk business?"

"You're starting to sound seriously like Iwol-hyung."

"I've still got a long way to go before I'm like him, and you know who you're starting to sound like? Jeho-hyung. Your speech patterns are identical."

"Now that's a serious problem in its own right."

A shadow crossed Kang Kiyeon's face. Lee Cheonghyeon cackled.

It was amusing that he admired Choi Jeho yet looked so displeased at the thought of resembling him.

"Well… I'm not sure how to begin."

"Just be comfortable. We have plenty of time," Lee Cheonghyeon replied, leaning back in his chair.

He had a knack for lightening the mood with a small gesture or a brief word. It might have been a result of growing up in a strict home, or maybe from spending so much time with his worry-prone friend.

This personality of his was helpful in many aspects of their team activities. Thanks to him, Kang Kiyeon was also able to begin speaking comfortably.

"About the title track. I know what your intentions were. I'm starting with this clarification so you don't worry that I misunderstood."

He had wanted to say that first. He wanted to reassure Lee Cheonghyeon, who must have been as concerned as Kang Kiyeon had been conflicted.

Lee Cheonghyeon gave an awkward smile, a sign that the message had been received.

"But I still acted sensitively because it hit a nerve. I know you made a rational decision, considering things like marketability and mass appeal, and that you were even trying to look out for the musical aspects that I should have been focused on."

It felt a little awkward having such a serious conversation between friends, but Kang Kiyeon did his best.

"I should have thanked you properly, but my gratitude came across too lightly. I'm sorry."

"How could you have thanked me any more than you did? You expressed more than enough the day you first heard the demo."

When you were as close as family, or perhaps even closer, you learned to understand certain things without them ever being spoken. Things like subtle emotional shifts or each other's true intentions.

Theirs was a relationship where both could grasp such things without difficulty. Even without Kang Kiyeon beaming and making a fuss, and even without Lee Cheonghyeon slaving over his laptop late into the night right in front of him, their sincerity was conveyed.

"You didn't feel I was being inconsiderate, did you?" Lee Cheonghyeon asked in return.

It was a question he had agonized over countless times, wondering how best to phrase it to Kang Kiyeon.

"You're the one who must have struggled the most. You don't like it when people point out your weaknesses, but you also hate touching on subjects others want to hide."

"And how did you know that?"

"And yet, you must have felt it was necessary, which is why you brought the finished song to me. There's no way I could be upset. A part of me I wanted to hide was exposed, and I took it out on you like a petty child. If anything, I should be the one apologizing."

"Can I ask who, exactly, you 'didn't want to be exposed' to? The fans? Or the other members?" Lee Cheonghyeon asked, not wanting to make the same mistake again.

"Including you," Kang Kiyeon replied.

"Me?"

Lee Cheonghyeon's eyes widened at the unexpected answer. He had thought they knew everything about each other, down to their lowest points. Did this mean there was still something left to hide?

Seeing Lee Cheonghyeon's confusion, Kang Kiyeon offered a faint smile and explained, "You saw me digging my own grave back in our trainee days, so it might not seem like a big deal from your perspective, but to me, you were first and foremost a competitor, you know?"

"Huh?"

"I could accept being a little less skilled than you, my friend, but I never wanted to fall too far behind. It felt like I'd been caught red-handed, if that makes sense."

Lee Cheonghyeon was a good friend and a shining talent. That was precisely why Kang Kiyeon wanted to be a colleague who would not be an embarrassment.

If he were to debut with Lee Cheonghyeon, he wanted them to create synergy, not to hear people say one of them was completely lacking. This applied not just to Lee Cheonghyeon, but to any member he might team up with.

It was a matter of Kang Kiyeon's last shred of pride.

"But then, when I started thinking of that as 'the image I have to project,' things got complicated. I started wondering, is this all I have to offer?"

"What are you…"

"Even though I knew it wasn't meant to drum up sympathy, I still felt that way. You know how you can get defensive when something hits a nerve? I lacked self-confidence, so I just directed my frustration elsewhere, that's all."

Kang Kiyeon admitted his feelings frankly. He was surprisingly honest.

"If I'd just admitted I was being petty sooner, we wouldn't have had to beat around the bush like this. I was immature."

"It was a topic that you needed time to process."

"Even so, I should have talked it over with you sooner. Especially since I know what you're like. While I was just thinking about how to turn down your song, you must have been agonizing the entire time you were working on it, wondering if it was okay to write a song with such a concept, whether you should even show it to me, and if you did, how you would explain it."

Kang Kiyeon was always at the core of Lee Cheonghyeon's actions. He had written the song with his friend in mind, worried that his suggestion might hurt him.

That was why he had tried so hard to convey his opinion properly. Even at the very end, he had been fully prepared to respect his friend's wishes if Kang Kiyeon was not on board.

Kang Kiyeon had been different. It was likely because it was his own album, but at the end of his thought process was himself.

He had felt ashamed at having his inner self exposed and, driven by the desire to present a polished image, had chosen the alternative.

"Now that I've acknowledged my inner weakness, I'm planning to get my act together."

"If you felt like hiding it, that's a valid emotion too. I don't think you need to force yourself to ignore it."

"Do you let emotions dictate your work?"

"Are you Iwol-hyung now?"

"I've been thinking for a bit now, but isn't our perception of Iwol-hyung a little intense?"

The unexpected joke lightened the mood in the conference room. Both of them burst out laughing in disbelief.

"I've tried to approach this rationally. Chart performance, song quality… whatever I consider, your recommendation is the right one. I'm also curious to see how the song you pushed for so hard will sound once it's recorded."

"You could end up at a disadvantage if you only look at it from others' perspectives. It's meaningless if it's not a choice you've made with your whole heart," Lee Cheonghyeon countered seriously.

A sincerity uncharacteristic of him was evident in his quiet, measured tone.

"Are you really going to make a song you have reservations about the title track for your first solo album? Think it through carefully. This isn't my album, it's yours."

"What have I lost out on? Is it as bad as you, who slaved away writing a song for your friend only to get a lukewarm response?"

"I'm telling you, you expressed plenty!"

"Besides, you keep drawing a line, saying 'your album, my album'… Did you work on this song thinking it was just someone else's problem?"

Kang Kiyeon hit the mark. Lee Cheonghyeon was speechless.

He had poured as much, if not more, effort into this song as he did for the group's tracks. He could declare with certainty that he had put his entire heart into it.

"And my reason for choosing B wasn't just 'anything but A.' I chose it because I thought it suited who I am right now. I want you to know that I didn't choose one of them reluctantly."

Lee Cheonghyeon fell into thought at the added remark. The melody of Option B was certainly bright and hopeful.

It suited Kang Kiyeon of spArk.

"If I have to reveal myself on stage, and since I'm releasing a solo album, I wanted to show the best side of myself. Option B must have been the result of you picking up on that need. You captured it well, so I'm grateful for that, too."

It was in moments like these that Kang Kiyeon realized just how incredible Lee Cheonghyeon was. He felt an obligation to be completely honest with a friend who had shown such sincerity.

"Talking about the past doesn't necessarily mean I haven't grown, but I felt so guilty and insecure that I thought I had to present myself as having moved on from the past, like Seongbin-hyung did with his solo. Am I too conscious of the other hyungs?"

"How can we not be conscious of them when we're stuck together 365 days a year? Although lately, we've been so busy it feels more like 300 days. I'm very conscious of the hyungs, too."

"See? That's why you're starting to sound like Iwol-hyung."

"Weren't we just having a perfectly heartwarming moment?"

Ignoring the dumbfounded Lee Cheonghyeon, Kang Kiyeon took the lid off his paper cup. He folded the now-empty cup to prevent any remaining liquid from spilling.

"Do you remember that Q&A live we did a while back?"

"The one with Jeho-hyung?"

"Yeah. When I was asked what song I've been enjoying recently, I said 『MooNStruck IOve』, but to be honest, if we're talking about my all-time favorite, it's still 『On A High Note』."

"『On A High Note』?"

"It's weird, isn't it? My own dark days are kind of embedded in that song, but it's still my favorite. It's just like how 『What I Want To Say』 was your favorite."

"……"

"I guess sincerity is what really resonates with people. If I'm not as technically skilled as Joowoo-hyung and can't be as emotionally expressive as Seongbin-hyung, then the least I can do is be honest."

The time had come to end the discussion that had been going around in circles. The corners of Kang Kiyeon's mouth lifted into a smile.

Lee Cheonghyeon's eyes widened.


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SS Chapter 83: A Mediocre Talent (1)


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