"As someone who enjoys music, I love spending time with people who I can interact with through music." Yoongi began the intro of Suchwita as he looked at the camera while Sarang stood on stand by.
"Today's guest is Choi Sarang. Occupation: Best-selling and steady selling artist who has also won the hearts of people through not only her music but also through her phenomenal acting. She has become the first artist ever to chart 10 songs on top10 of Billboard Hot 100. And is also a two times Emmy Award winner."
"She has returned to the industry after some time but her impact has only grown tremendously despite the long hiatus."
Sarang blushed slightly at the praise as Yoongi read what Sarang has said about the show.
"I'm a bit late but can I still book a table?"
"Known as being the 술퀸 and the best drinking buddy among her friends, we finally have her here with us." Yoongi continued as he referenced to her nickname of 'alcohol queen'.
Sarang laughed a bit in embarrassment at that as she finally made her entrance once Yoongi called her in. "Welcome, welcome!" He said standing up in a very professional manner, making Sarang smile.
"Oh sunbaenim, hello!" Sarang jokingly said as she made a dramatic bow only for Yoongi to start bowing back.
"Oh I should be the one calling you sunbaenim, I'm a rookie fifth gen idol who just debuted." Suga joked along as he bowed once again.
"Oh is that so? Then fine, you're the hubae here." Sarang conceded with a smirk as she took her seat.
"Ah it's so good to see you here." Yoongi said as he took his seat too.
"Is this geonbbang?" Sarang asked with a small laugh as she pointed at the dish in front of her.
"Don't worry more food is on the way." Yoongi replied as he gestured towards the entrance.
Meanwhile Sarang took her time to greet all the staff and waved towards the camera.
"Finally we meet here on Suchwita." Yoongi announced as he gave her a big smile before looking around perplexed. "Did you come empty handed?"
"Ah of course not. How can I?" Sarang replied in a scandalous tone as she placed the bag she had kept near her chair on top of the table.
"So what drink did you bring today?" Yoongi asked in his host like voice as he tried to hide his excitement. However Sarang knew him too well and wiggled her eyebrows to rile him up further.
She finally took out the bottle from the bag and Yoongi gasped in surprise.
"Is that....?" He trailed off as his eyes sparkled.
"Redbreast Single Pot Still? Yes it is." Sarang answered gleefully as she handed him the bottle.
"I've been meaning to try this for a while now." Yoongi admitted as he assessed the bottle before letting out another little gasp. "Almost two decades old? This is a treat." He gushed making Sarang laugh.
"I remember you said that you wanted to try this whiskey some time so when I found one I bought it in hopes of sharing it with you." Sarang commented before clearing her throat and making Yoongi look up once again. She reached into the bag and took out another bottle much to Yoongi's delight.
"Glenfarclas 25 year old too?" Yoongi looked like Christmas had come early for him.
"I wasn't sure which one you'd like so I bought both." Sarang said with a smile while shrugging.
"We're going to crawl out of the studio by the time this interview is over." Yoongi noted with a laugh as Sarang agreed.
Both whiskeys that Sarang had bought were pretty strong. Although since Sarang and Yoongi were heavyweight and could hold their alcohol pretty well they might not end up crawling out of the studio at least.
"This is going to be fun." Yoongi announced as Sarang laughed while their managers looked at them pleadingly, begging them silently to drink in moderation. "So what took you so long to come here Sarang-ssi?"
"What took me so long? What took you so long to invite me here?" Sarang countered with a raise brow as Yoongi poured some whiskey for them.
Sarang looked at the camera before pouting and pointing an accusing finger towards Yoongi.
"It's been more than a month since my comeback and this guy didn't invite me until now." Sarang raised her brow as she looked at a snickering Yoongi.
"You were busy here and there." Yoongi defended himself with a smile. He loved to tease Sarang.
"Oh please oppa. I've been in Korea for more than twenty days now. You are the one touring here and there." Sarang scoffed jokingly as she clinked her glass with Yoongi.
"Oh that's my bad then. Sorry, sorry." Yoongi replied with a smile, his tone changing to informal as he relaxed.
"It's okay, I'll think of it is my promotions being extended. Or an early promotion for my next comeback." Sarang answered with a laugh as the two finally dropped their teasing.
"Ah the food is here." Yoongi said as he watched Sarang's face light up at the various assortment of delicious meal. He couldn't help but laugh. Both Sarang and Jungkook were so alike. Especially when it came to food. No wonder they were best friends.
As the meal was set Sarang looked around the set with inquisitive eyes.
"It's been a while since you went on a show all by yourself right?" Yoongi asked knowingly.
"Yeah. I haven't been on a one on one show for a long time now- Wow that looks delicious." Sarang stopped midway to appreciate the fruit and nut platter along with a boiling pot of Buddae-jjigae.
Yoongi laughed at her getting distracted before looking at the camera and saying fondly. "She and Jeon Jungkook are the same. They stop thinking whenever there's good food in front of them."
As the two drank their whiskey and ate the snacks they kept joking around before finally turning towards discussing Sarang's new music.
"So Choi Sarang how does it feel to make a comeback after a while? And one that is so successful?" Yoongi asked as he slipped into his host persona.
"Oh it's amazing. I'm so grateful to everyone for supporting me so much and showering me with their love and support." Sarang answered as she bowed while looking at the camera.
"Was it hard to slip back into the idol persona after almost three years of being away from it?" Yoongi questioned as he put ice in her whiskey.
"It wasn't easy yes. But it felt so good to be finally releasing new album, going on comeback shows and doing other promotional activities. I thought that it'd be difficult since I was out of loop for a while but everything came so naturally that I realize that being an idol is like my home. I feel at ease whenever I'm doing my idol related activities."
Yoongi nodded understandingly.
"I've always said it but to me you are one of the idols who truly genuinely loves being on stage."
"I do. It's a really big part of me." Sarang agreed.
"So let's talk about your hiatus and everything that followed it." Yoongi said as he stirred the army stew.
"Well it was a really tough time for me back then. As some might know, I was holed up in my parents home in Jeju by myself for couple of months during Covid outbreak. And although I didn't mind living there persay. Considering I got to enjoy clean and fresh air every day and got to see the beautiful starry sky every night from my backyard, but what was troubling me was my slump."
Faint gasps were heard from the staff at the revelation. Sarang continued her story as Yoongi gave her an encouraging look. Sarang downed her whiskey in one go before silently asking Yoongi to refill it.
"For the first time in my life, I wasn't able to create new music. And it went on for months. It felt like someone was ripping my heart apart cause music was everything to me. Music is my first love, music is my identity. Making new music was not just cause of my profession, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was my hobby, my everything. I used to make at least one song every day. Music flowed through my veins. So to have it snatched out of me so suddenly, without any notice was really hard."
The air in the studio grew somber as everyone attentively listened to what Sarang had to say. Yoongi had brought out some soju too.
"I felt so lost back then. It was like I was standing in the middle of a fork in a road. But both roads lead me to dead end. I've never felt such a despair before so I had no idea how to deal with it."
Yoongi looked at Sarang with understanding shining in his eyes. He has grown through something similar, and he knew what music meant to Sarang. He also knew how important it was for Sarang to share this right now. She was carrying this by herself for too long. Only by releasing herself from this burden will she be able to move on. So he let her continue without interrupting her.
"I felt like it would be the end of me. The end of my career. Cause what was left of Choi Sarang if there was no music? I'd have been just a shell. Some might feel like I'm being overdramatic-"
"No, not at all. Every emotion you felt was valid. And no one can downsize it. Anyone who's familiar with you, knows how much music means to you. They'll never downplay your reaction to being in a slump." Yoongi said with a serious look making Sarang smile slightly.
"Thankfully I finally was able to overcome the slump and released HITIBO and Vintage. I purposefully chose an upbeat album cause I wanted to temporarily forget about all the doubts and trials I faced in those six months."
Yoongi nodded sagely as he poured them another glass of whiskey. So far none of them were feeling tipsy even though they were already on their third glass.
"I was so thrilled when I finally was able to music again. But in my mind and heart I knew that I needed some time off to cool myself. I was too burnout. As an idol and producer, you need to be constantly churn out new music and have a comeback every three months or so."
Yoongi nodded as he agreed with what Sarang was saying.
"Since you make your own music for the most part I can see how difficult it can be for you. People don't realize but creating new music is pretty difficult too. Even if you're a prodigy like Sarang, there comes a point where you exceed your limits, and you must take a moment to collect yourself. You need time to make new memories to make new music. How will you have any time if you're busy for 10 months in a year?"
Sarang ran a finger on the rim of her glass as she listened to what Yoongi was saying.
"I don't think many people know this, but you were the first person I approached when I was considering a hiatus." Sarang began as she looked at Yoongi who nodded.
"It was sometime after my surgery right?" Yoongi questioned as he recalled the day Sarang had told him of her plans to go on a hiatus.
"Even though you were on a hiatus you released a lot of new songs. From OST albums, to collabs. So I don't know how much of a break you were on." Yoongi said with a laugh as he successfully managed to lighten the mood.
"I love music, I love being an idol. But I also love acting so much. So I thought it'd be better for me to focus a bit on acting for a while. As I spent my time a bit more relaxed and experienced a lot of things, I naturally was able to create new music." Sarang agreed.
"A slump is inevitable, there's no one who lives without one. What do you have to do? Just keep going. Don't think about it much, just keep doing what you've always done. Some people say there's a special way to overcome a slump, but that's not true. just keep going, and you'll improve. And I hope you know that taking a break is fine too. You deserve to take a break every once in a while."
Sarang gave Yoongi a grateful smile as she clinked her glass with his.
"Ah I've made the mood serious haven't I?" Sarang grimaced as she looked around the set, only for the staff to shake their heads and tell her it was okay.
There she had finally admitted it out loud. Sarang had never talked about this in front of others. Only Yoongi and Jungkook knew of her slump. So it felt good to finally have the cat out of the bag. Her heart felt lighter. And she felt happier.
"So now that's cleared, let's talk about your latest album. It's your self-titled album and the first full length album in almost three years. What do you feel about it?" Yoongi said with a small smile as he handed her a bowl of army stew.
"Oh this looks delicious." Sarang hummed in satisfaction before remembering what Yoongi had asked. "Ah yes! The album."
The entire studio erupted in giggles at Sarang's antics.
"It's okay, take your time. We have all day." Yoongi said with a smile.
"Yes, so my album.. It's called Sarang. And like you said it's my first full length album in a while."
"Why is it titled as Sarang though?" Yoongi asked as he turned off the stove and filled his bowl with the stew too.
"Well it's self titled, so it's like my story. And also cause Sarang in english means love right? And my debut album was titled as Love. All of my earlier songs revolved around the feelings of different loves. So this album was like a continuation of my debut work. Like the twenty six year old Sarang's answer to the eighteen year old Sarang."
"Ah so like a homage to your past self?" Yoongi nodded in understanding.
"Yes kind of like that. Although I feel like this would've been perfect for my 10th anniversary album, but I guess it's better to release it right now."
"It's full of love songs. I listened to the album and it's really good and flows really well. As expected from our musical prodigy." Yoongi complimented Sarang who covered her face in embarrassment.
"Ah thank you. Some of the songs that I picked for this album have been in archive for a while now and after tweaking them a bit, I finally added them to this album. If you look at the tracks of this album, almost all of them are somewhat referencing to past songs of mine."
"Why love songs though?" Yoongi looked like he was on the verge of solving the mystery. Sarang realized that she had to keep her face neutral or Yoongi wouldn't be the only one realizing the fact that Sarang was in a relationship.
"Why not? Besides I felt like going back to my roots would be a good way to restart my life after the slump."
Of course Sarang couldn't tell him that Jungkook was the one who inspired this album. He was the one who she was head over heels for and dedicated the entire album to.
Yoongi didn't look convinced by the notion but he thankfully dropped the topic and moved onto another.
As she was taking a sip of her whiskey, suddenly Sarang felt a small tug on her pinky finger and looked down at it with a frown before looking up and scanning the crowd before her eyes landed on someone standing behind the stylists towards the very back. Sarang let out a big smile as she waved her hand making Yoongi and the rest of the staff turn their heads in unison.
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A/N:- I've been meaning to post the suchwita chapter on Yoongi's birthday which was it took me a while. I hope you guys don't mind 💗
On that note, I must say that I've been missing our min yoongi a lot and i wish him a very happy birthday.
I hope this chapter was upto your liking 💗
Thank you for being patient with me🥺💗
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