# Chapter 79
“Yes, that’s right. That’s why I’m saying this. That’s right. I really like Crop Five. If Crop Five weren’t talented enough, I would have stepped in and stopped them. But as you said, PD-nim, because this opportunity is important, that’s why I’m saying this. Because it’s something that only Crop Five can do.”
Crop Five looked at him with touched expressions, as if they hadn’t expected Ki Hyunshin to go that far.
The atmosphere momentarily became awkward.
The PD gave a hollow laugh, as if he found himself in a situation where he seemed to be opposing Ki Hyunshin over something he hadn’t meant to be significant.
It seemed he hadn’t meant to belittle Crop Five, and he laughed bitterly, appearing flustered.
“Since we’re here to do well, let’s get started right away.”
As Hyung spoke to clear the atmosphere, Sijin’s gaze turned toward me.
He couldn’t speak precisely because other people were present, but I think I understood what he meant by looking at me.
Whether he wanted me to show his abilities in this setting to secure a part, or if he wanted me to do as I usually would.
Thinking it would be an answer for Sijin, I said to Crop Five:
“Imagine I’ve been captured by a villain. When the villain says, ‘I’ll let you hear just one song before I kill you,’ I want it to be a song I could choose. So it would be better to have more parts, right?”
At those words, all the Crop Five members burst into laughter.
“No. Why are you being so extreme? Is this a situation where such words should come up?”
Cha Yeonwoo said that but still cleared his throat.
It seemed like he thought that now that things had come to this, there was no way they could just casually get through it.
“Then who wants to go first?”
“I’ll play the piano.”
Ki Hyunshin went to the piano first with an expectant expression and took his place.
“Then I’ll go first. If I go later, I think the comparison would be unfavorable.”
“Ah, I was going to go first. Can’t you yield to me, Irun hyung?”
“No, I can’t. I think it’s better to raise you to be strong.”
While Seo Irun and Lee Dagyeong were going back and forth, Cha Yeonwoo quietly moved next to the piano.
When Ki Hyunshin saw him and asked with a smile if he wanted to go first, Cha Yeonwoo nodded, and that’s how the order was decided.
Cha Yeonwoo sang intelligently with a refreshing voice.
He poured all his effort into the part he wanted to take.
Everyone who heard his song burst into laughter.
“Alright. I clearly understand which part Yeonwoo wants.”
Next, Lee Dagyeong sang, and after everyone sang in order, only Han Sijin remained.
“Sijin must be nervous, right? Are you okay?”
At Sarah saem’s words, Sijin grinned.
Then he closed his eyes as if trying to focus on his emotions.
I could see some people quietly shaking their heads.
Expressions of contentment appeared on each face, as if noticing the change.
The scattered night,
The accumulated longing locked in you.
To have a day,
Your brief heart.
Even though he wasn’t singing loudly, his voice pierced the ears clearly.
The first thing people admired was his diction.
The premium diction that was said to precisely hit the ears even when rapidly delivering long sentences was now showing its true value.
With lyrical lyrics continuing from the beginning, it wasn’t entirely easy to express emotions, and no one in the room was expecting it either.
Since part of it had been sung to gauge each member’s vocal range and capability, they would have expected it even less.
Then suddenly, when he poured out emotions as if spitting them out, people all around stared blankly at Sijin, silently gasping with surprised eyes.
Ki Hyunshin, who had been playing accompaniment, lifted his head and looked at Han Sijin with a satisfied face.
That’s it.
The message in that expression was roughly that.
He seemed to want to tell everyone in the room that this was exactly what he had been talking about.
Several people readjusted their posture.
They were clearly trying to maintain objectivity, thinking that while the emotions and sentiments in the beginning were good, that wasn’t everything.
After smoothly handling the key change in the middle, when it was rushing toward the climax, Han Sijin stood straight with a relaxed expression.
Everything about him was amazingly natural.
Standing with his hands down looked endlessly sophisticated, like a top model’s pose.
Even while belting out explosive high notes, his face didn’t distort.
I could see Sarah saem smiling and shaking her head repeatedly.
I had wondered if he had changed his vocal technique for this song, and seeing Sarah saem’s expression, my thoughts seemed to be right.
‘Like Ki Hyunshin.’
That was my impression after hearing the song.
To say he sang like Ki Hyunshin was extremely high praise, despite negative evaluations about losing individual color or whatnot, that was hard to hear otherwise.
People nodded their heads here and there.
Some whistled softly.
Crop Five applauded enthusiastically, more excited than the others, and I joined in.
Wow, my baby!
“He opened up about 80 percent.”
Ki Hyunshin said without hiding his pleased feelings.
“You should do that part.”
When he said that and started playing the accompaniment for the part he was originally supposed to take, Han Sijin shook his head with a surprised face.
“You should do that part, sunbaenim.”
“No. I can’t bring out your sensitivity. What’s the point of being greedy for parts? The important thing is to release a good song. I’m not saying I’ll give up everything. I’ll do the parts that I can better express.”
In the momentum, he sang while playing the phrases he mentioned.
It wasn’t a part that required technique, but it was where the lyrical content reached its climax.
Listening to his song, I naturally understood why Ki Hyunshin had said that.
“Wow. Han Sijin has really become a monster. Ki Hyunshin-ssi was right. I was wrong. I admit defeat.”
At the PD’s words, others also nodded in unison.
“Sijin, how did you think of singing the song like that? How much did you practice? It’s not easy and even dangerous to change your vocal technique so perfectly like this. But this challenge is so interesting. I’m really looking forward to it. Singing like this with Sijin’s vocal tone. You can’t imagine how long I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
While Sarah saem’s high praise continued, the Crop Five members seemed more excited than if they were being praised themselves.
“Sijin has always been good. Really good.”
When Seo Irun put his hand on Sijin’s shoulder and spoke, other members also eagerly testified to how hard Sijin practiced.
“Wow. Honestly, I thought it might be a risky attempt for Crop Five, but these guys are really amazing, aren’t they? It’s like they were put into a tiger’s den and learned how to hunt from the tiger. I thought they would be eaten.”
“Oh, I’m really looking forward to it. It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve been this nervous and excited. I’m so looking forward to it.”
I tried several times to lower the corners of my mouth that had risen, but eventually I just gave up.
I thought there was no point in pretending to be different when everyone else already felt the same way as I did.
“Doesn’t the concept just draw itself? I think working on this will be extremely easy. They were already people who looked good in anything, but this time I think people will collapse just from them breathing.”
While conversations at the level of a random talk fest were going back and forth, Ki Hyunshin and Crop Five seemed to be getting more thoughtful.
This was their album and their song.
Creating the best possible distribution to produce the best result would have been more urgent for them than anyone else.
Hyung also seemed to know they were worried about such issues and ended the meeting.
Rather than ending the meeting, more precisely, he let Ki Hyunshin and Crop Five go.
The remaining people looked like they would continue the meeting.
I came out with Crop Five, and Ki Hyunshin also joined our group.
“I’m really looking forward to it. Hah. I used to be really good with words, but all I can say is this. But I’m really looking forward to it.”
At Ki Hyunshin’s words, the Crop Five members also actively agreed.
“Sunbaenim, that’s what I want to say too. I’m usually really good with words. But it seems like I have nothing else to say. I’m really, really looking forward to it.”
After moving to the practice room, Crop Five and Ki Hyunshin sang together.
They agonized over the best part distribution, critically evaluating each other, and when they couldn’t reach a conclusion, they looked at me.
It was truly difficult.
“How did it end up like this? You guys are really good. I wanted to say something intellectual and professional too, but you’re just good. Everyone is good. All of you.”
So I was grateful for the parts that only Ki Hyunshin and Han Sijin could do.
Because then we wouldn’t have to worry this much.
“How about letting the person who wants it more have the part, Hyunshin hyung?”
When I asked if we could give the part to the person who wanted it more actively between the two, Ki Hyunshin and Han Sijin laughed together.
“Then there would be bloodshed. The more I sing, the greedier I get, and now I want to do it.”
Uh…
Come to think of it, Ki Hyunshin’s gaze seemed to have changed too.
Even Sijin, who had been easygoing until just now, was now shaking his head with a relaxed smile.
“I don’t think that’s possible, sunbaenim. Hyung said it himself. When he can listen to only one song for the last time, he wants to hear this song. So I should let him hear my voice for a long time.”
“Don’t say that, just protect Seomin well. And nothing like that will happen to Seomin. Who would be crazy enough to kidnap the grandson of the Seyoung Group Chairman?”
At Ki Hyunshin’s words, before there was a chance to tell him that there had been such a person, everyone started pouring out their own stories from all sides.
It was really a scene too precious to watch alone.
