just as areum is contemplating what to say next, thumbing through a catalogue of topics in her mind and weighing all the appropriate options, she hears hyorin ask about her comeback. immediately, something in her relaxes, welcoming the mention of work. this she knows how to talk about.
"we're preparing for one too," she replies, nodding. "the date hasn't been finalized yet, but the next full album is projected to be released sometime this quarter."
areum pauses, catching herself slipping too much into the tone she uses in team meetings and press conferences and feeling the need to adjust. in a lot of ways, professionalism is a comfort zone for her, familiar territory she knows how to navigate. areum knows that if she wanted, this could be where she draws the line, keeping hyorin at arms length and at a distance of polite, predictable encounters—bowed greeting in elevators and company corridors, the occasional shout-out on livestreams and radio shows—all falling under the category of friendly colleagues that would at minimum satisfy fans and pr managers alike.
but a part of her hesitates at the thought of stopping here.
it's true that to an extent, areum still feels awkward around the members of angelix, having trained in their debut lineup all those years ago. she'll be the first to admit that she hadn't been the warmest trainee to them back then—closing herself off to everything but the competition and pulling away even more once their paths to debut diverged.
but despite all that, hyorin had always been someone who areum remembers as exuding gentleness and warmth, quietly carrying a sweetness like the furled buds of a spring tree—one breath away from blossoming. in waiting rooms, scrolling through her phone as she monitored her feed, areum had watched the clips her fans sent her of hyorin singing along to her songs and had felt her sincerity then—the open, uncomplicated appreciation hyorin had for her music, expressed wholeheartedly and without an ounce of reserve. areum had wanted to respond in some way back then but wasn't sure where—or how—to begin.
an idea comes to her now.
making up her mind, areum smiles and leans in with a slightly conspiratorial air. "i have a few acoustic demos on my phone right now if you want to take a listen. they're just rough drafts at the moment, but if you're interested in reviewing them, i'd love to hear your thoughts."
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