Bzzz.
Han Seongtae was changing clothes when he noticed the smartphone on his desk vibrating and went over to it.
—Lee Seunghyeon: When are you coming?
It was a message from Lee Seunghyeon, who was in Canada.
As Seongtae considered how to respond, another message arrived with a notification chime, making him blink.
—Lee Seunghyeon: (Photo attached)
It was a photograph of Lee Seunghyeon performing in a street musical.
—Lee Seunghyeon: Looks fun, right?
Isn’t that a little too obvious? Seongtae muttered, a smile forming on his lips.
Seunghyeon’s question about whether it looked fun seemed almost like a provocation, as though he were asking how Seongtae could possibly be recording music when he should be acting.
If he hadn’t had something more important to do, Han Seongtae would have rushed straight to Canada.
Not right now.
There was something he needed to do first.
If he weighed the importance of his responsibilities, recording was the more pressing matter at the moment.
His passion for acting remained unchanged, but sometimes he needed to swallow his disappointment.
Tap, tap-tap.
Having sorted out his thoughts, Han Seongtae tapped the screen and sent a message.
—I’ll see you in Canada soon.
No reply came.
Without any lingering hesitation, Han Seongtae slipped his smartphone into his pocket.
Putting Canada out of his mind for now, he headed toward the recording studio.
Dum, du-du-dum.
Music flowed from the speakers inside the car.
They were songs from albums Kay had produced.
You have to know your enemy to win.
Han Seongtae had no intention of demanding effort only from Kay.
Just as Kay was working hard, Han Seongtae would put in the effort himself.
How long had he been driving?
When the navigation system showed that roughly half the travel time remained,
Bzzzz.
He received a call from Kim Minseok.
“Hey, Minseok. I’m on my way.”
—Actually, I don’t think you need to come today.
For some reason, Kim Minseok’s voice sounded somewhat heavy.
They had been laughing and drinking beer together just yesterday. There was no reason for his mood to become so gloomy all of a sudden.
The Kim Minseok he knew was not someone whose emotions changed without a reason.
“What happened?”
—I don’t think we’ll be able to record today.
“Why?”
—Kay says it’ll be difficult for him to work today. He says he needs some time to think, so he wants to take just today off.
Hearing Kim Minseok’s explanation, Han Seongtae let out a hollow laugh.
“Why did he say something like that?”
Lying on his bed and staring blankly at the ceiling, Kay murmured quietly, almost as though
reciting the words to himself.
His eyes looked lifeless as he stared upward.
Han Seongtae had told him that if he kept doing things that way, even something that should work would fail.
Remembering the expression on Han Seongtae’s face when he said those words, Kay furrowed his brow.
He embarrassed me in front of everyone.
Ever since he had decided to become a singer, things had gone smoothly for Kay.
People had done nothing but praise him, calling him a genius.
Not a single producer he had worked with had ever cursed at him or reprimanded him.
Everyone had praised him.
That was why he had felt so offended when Han Seongtae criticized him.
He’s not even a singer. What does an actor know about music to say something like that?
Even thinking those words to himself irritated him, so Kay got out of bed and sat down at his workstation.
Bzzzz.
As his fingers moved, the sound of a violin came from the speakers.
The violin was followed by a piano, then a guitar……
Countless sounds came together to form a single melody.
Even though he had been tinkering without much thought, the resulting music sounded quite good.
Can he even do something like this? He doesn’t know anything about music!
Kay let out a sigh.
He felt like he could simply declare that he would no longer work on the project.
But strangely, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
He had a premonition that the moment he walked out and declared he was quitting, something irreversible would happen.
Kay briefly took his hands off the workstation and shook his head.
“I don’t think he would’ve said that without a reason.”
Their interaction had been brief, and the recording session had not gone well.
Even so, he could tell that Han Seongtae was not the sort of person who would lose his temper recklessly.
And that wasn’t simply because of what the people around him said.
If he were someone who got angry easily, he wouldn’t have granted my requests more than a dozen times.
The Han Seongtae he had seen was a composed person, not someone who acted because he couldn’t control his momentary emotions.
It was rather ridiculous for someone who had barely known Han Seongtae to be so certain of that.
But Kay trusted his own judgment.
And that was precisely why Han Seongtae’s words bothered him even more.
Feeling as though he was missing something, Kay bit his lip.
They were recording together, yet it seemed as though Han Seongtae alone was looking at an entirely different world.
He felt frustrated because he simply couldn’t organize his thoughts.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Letting out a deep sigh, he raised his head slightly.
A file was visible on his monitor.
[Revival (feat. Han Seongtae)]
It was a song that had not yet been completed.
The song they had repeatedly recorded until yesterday.
As though entranced, Kay opened the file.
I collapsed
My body won’t move
His voice came through the speakers.
It was his own voice, but he couldn’t help smiling at how good it sounded.
His smile did not last long.
The result doesn’t matter
The process is what matters
The instant Han Seongtae’s voice came through the speakers, Kay’s expression stiffened.
Why did it feel so different when they were singing the same song together?
It was a song he had created, yet when Han Seongtae sang it, the emotions changed.
One thought led to another.
Ah, is that what it is?
A realization suddenly struck him, and Kay let out an involuntary groan.
He remembered how he had been so obsessed with creating good music that he had done nothing but insist on his own opinions.
Feeling embarrassed, Kay raised his hand and covered his face.
He felt as though he understood a little of what Han Seongtae had been trying to tell him.
“Ha…… This is driving me crazy.”
Through the gaps between his fingers, a spark of life had returned to his eyes.
Silence filled the Youth My Way studio.
In that silence, Han Seongtae stood with his arms crossed, looking into the recording booth.
Kay was singing.
I’m moving forward
Though I don’t know where this road ends
As the song came through the speakers, a peculiar expression appeared on Han Seongtae’s face.
He’s changed.
Because he had gone home and listened to Kay’s singing repeatedly, Han Seongtae immediately noticed the difference.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the emotions had changed.
Much of the stiffness he had sensed during the first recording had disappeared, bringing Kay closer to the person Han Seongtae had known in his previous life.
A genius really is a genius.
Watching Kay change so rapidly without even needing an explanation from him, Han Seongtae shook his head.
It seemed he no longer needed to worry.
“Wow… That’s insane. Kay, what happened to you in just one day? The song sounds incredible!”
“Seriously. I think this is the best I’ve ever heard you sing, Kay.”
Kim Minseok and the sound director praised him from beside Han Seongtae.
Hearing their words, Han Seongtae nodded reflexively.
—Thank you.
Kay smiled awkwardly at their praise and bowed his head.
After a few more takes, Kay emerged from the recording booth and approached Han Seongtae, who was standing quietly.
“I’m sorry about last time.”
Seeing Kay bow deeply, Han Seongtae immediately shook his head.
“I’m the one who should apologize. I think I spoke too harshly back then.”
“No. Thanks to you, I was able to recognize what I was lacking. Thank you for your advice.”
Han Seongtae smiled at Kay’s words.
“I realized I was rushing too much because I was so focused on having to create a perfect piece of work.”
“That can happen. I was the same way.”
“You too, Seongtae?”
“Yes. There have been many times when my perspective narrowed because I thought all I needed to do was act well.”
“Ah.”
“What matters is doing better from now on. Let’s do our best together.”
Han Seongtae smiled and reassured Kay, who was apologizing.
If Kay had been acting solely for his own satisfaction, Han Seongtae would not have gone this far in speaking to him.
“Now that you’ve finished talking, shall we get started with the recording?”
Hearing Kim Minseok’s voice from beside them, Han Seongtae smiled and nodded.
This time, Han Seongtae and Kay needed to record together.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes. Let’s do our best.”
Han Seongtae entered the recording booth with Kay and put on his headset.
—We’ll begin recording.
Following Kim Minseok’s voice, the instrumental accompaniment filled his ears.
Han Seongtae examined the sheet music while listening to Kay sing beside him.
The lyrics were written beneath the musical notes.
Looking over those lyrics, Han Seongtae let out a faint breath.
[‘The Actor of Eternal Youth’ awaits the story you will tell.]
Seeing the constellation’s message, Han Seongtae opened his mouth.
The moment his voice began to flow from his lips,
“……!”
Kay, standing beside Han Seongtae, flinched.
Han Seongtae did not notice Kay’s reaction.
He merely looked at the lyrics and let his voice emerge.
He sang.
No, he acted the part of someone singing.
Han Seongtae was not a singer, but he could portray one.
He understood the feelings of the person contained within the lyrics and brought them to life through his acting.
However, acting could not create singing ability that he did not possess.
What he was doing was acting and expressing emotion.
As Han Seongtae sang, he turned to look at Kay.
Was it a coincidence?
Kay was looking back at him as well.
Watching Kay open his mouth again and sing in time with his own voice, Han Seongtae smiled.
Kay’s singing was changing.
Amazing.
Kay listened to Han Seongtae’s singing with admiration.
If emotions themselves could sing, wouldn’t it sound something like this?
Han Seongtae’s singing left a profound impression on him.
I think I finally understand.
He could now see something he had been unable to see when his perspective was narrow.
Kay looked at Han Seongtae.
Before his eyes, Han Seongtae was singing while moving his entire body.
This man is acting even at this very moment.
Han Seongtae was portraying a person who was singing.
He understood the emotions contained in the lyrics and expressed them through acting as he sang.
That realization astonished Kay.
He wondered whether he could do the same thing if he were in Han Seongtae’s position.
Just as Han Seongtae could act even when he was not somewhere meant for acting, could Kay sing somewhere that was not meant for singing?
Thinking that it would be difficult, Kay could not help admiring him even more.
He felt as though his perspective was broadening.
Kay laughed softly as he realized that something within him was changing.
So singing can be this enjoyable.
There was something wondrous about this moment, facing Han Seongtae.
A gentle smile appeared on Kay’s lips.
[‘The Founder of Jeet Kune Do’ is astonished by Kay’s transformation.]
[‘The One with a Thousand Faces’ looks at you and says you did well.]
[‘The One Who Defined an Era’ closes his eyes to appreciate the song, saying that it has become a pleasure to listen to.]
Seeing the gods’ reactions to Kay’s transformation, Han Seongtae laughed.
He was very much looking forward to the result of this recording.
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