because each story can have only 200 parts and I am a terribly long winded person, hence the overflow to Volume 2.
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Fanfiction from an overactive imagination & random fandom.
Once again disclaimers: This is a fan fiction inspir...
It was mid-December. Zhang Zhehan sat in his Shanghai apartment, bundled up in a fleece blanket. He glanced at the clock nervously; there was still time to retract this decision, if he wanted to.
He had already recorded several songs in the studio. Thanks to his manager Ms. Xie's extensive contacts, they had engaged quality songwriters and lyricists. The production team was world-class, just what he needed to launch his songs internationally.
Yet, on the cusp of his global debut, he had cold feet.
From the video screen, Yang Yang smiled at him, trying to reassure him. He had finally wrapped up his war movie and just returned to Beijing that day. During their time apart, they had thrown their hearts and souls into their respective projects. He knew how important this new career was to Zhang Zhehan, and he had looked forward to finally making his comeback.
But as it is with life, the more you value something, the more fear and uncertainty you have of failure. He understood why Zhang Zhehan was fretting away.
Zhang Zhehan fidgeted uncontrollably, as if there were ants in his pants.
What if my fans hate it? What if it was a flop? What if the evil competitors somehow manage to sabotage my comeback, even though it was out of China?
He had planned this all so meticulously, what if it didn't work out?
There were so many what-ifs, and as the seconds ticked by, the list of worries seemed to get longer.
"It's just one song, baby." Yang Yang assured him. "You're just releasing one song to test the water. I think it'll do great, and I'm sure your fans will love it."
"How?" Zhang Zhehan wailed. "I don't have a promotion budget and there is no marketing for this."
"You're not dropping the whole album at once. You're easing into this one song at a time. I think that's a good pace." Yang Yang comforted him for the nth time. "Besides, you're not aiming to conquer the music chart. You wanted your fans to find your voice."
"That's right." Zhang Zhehan remembered why he was doing this. He wanted always wanted to launch a music career and let his voice be heard, particularly since he was unfairly silenced. As a singer he would earn royalties from the number of streams on Spotify and other music platforms. He had already had a successful fashion launch, and now it was time for his music.
He laughed self-deprecatingly. He had been so damn sure about his aspirations, but suddenly got the jitters right before the main event.
"Why is your album so short anyway?" Yang Yang deftly switched the topic to alleviate his boyfriend's nervousness. "This mini album, Deep Blue, has only 6 songs?"
"7 songs." Zhang Zhehan corrected him. "The album is less than 30 minutes in length, enough for you to complete your 5km job while listening to it."
Yang Yang laughed and continued. "That's what I am asking. Why only 7 songs? You have recorded enough material to release a full length album of 10 to 12 songs.
"It's like a capsule collection, Yang. Do you know what that is?" Zhang Zhehan smugly informed him. "It's just like my label Ehzz. Each release has only a few pieces." He went on to educate his boyfriend about his rationale for releasing bite-sized nuggets.
Yang Yang hid a smile as his ploy worked. Zhang Zhehan now got distracted with talking about other things that he forgot to be anxious for the time being.
By the time he realised it, the latest single <Melancholy Sunshine> was released online, and on schedule. Zhang Zhehan looked at the time with a yelp, and checked the plethora of chat messages which he had missed.
"Oh shit, Yang, I have to go!" Zhang Zhehan waved apologetically to his boyfriend and blew him a kiss. He smiled as Yang Yang kissed the screen, and regarded him for a long moment in silence.
"What is it?" Yang Yang raised his eyebrows quizzically. "Don't you have to call your manager back?"
"In a minute." Zhang Zhehan smiled affectionately at the handsome face of his boyfriend. He sighed, letting himself fall into the bewitching spell of the fox-like eyes. "Yang, do you know what does the album name Deep Blue mean?"
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"Hmm...." Yang Yang's thick brows slanted as he tried to think of an answer smart enough to match his boyfriend's intellect. "Is it the supercomputer which plays chess?"
"No." Zhang Zhehan chuckled and his expression softened. "What has the color deep blue?"
"Err....was it the hankie I left at your Shanghai apartment?"
"No, silly, that was light blue." Zhang Zhehan smiled. Unfortunately he had some calls to make and had to finish up their little guessing game. "Something vast and contains a lot of water."
"Aha the sea!" Yang Yang shouted triumphantly.
"What is bigger than the sea?" Zhang Zhehan prompted.
"Uh...the ocean?"
Zhang Zhehan nodded with affirmation. "And who is named after the ocean?"
Yang Yang's eyes widened and his jaw fell open. "You...didn't...."
"If I name it ocean, it will be too obvious, right?" Zhang Zhehan winked. "But yes, you are my ocean, and my inspiration."
"I had always been fascinated by the deep sea, and the initial collection for Ehzz contained a lot of undersea motifs like the whale, and the jellyfish, which you know is the symbol for my fandom. You are also named after the ocean, so everything just made sense, like how I was meant to be associated with the ocean."
He smiled winsomely at Yang Yang on his phone screen. "Is this album for you? In a sense, yes. It is dedicated to my mother, my friends and everyone who believed in me, never gave up on me, and loved me unconditionally."
"Thank you, Yang, for loving me, and believing in me."
Yang Yang bit his lip and hot tears prick his eyes. He was already touched when Zhang Zhehan said that he named a song after one of his more popular roles, but his boyfriend also thought about his real name when he named his album.
Honestly it hadn't been an easy relationship. The secrecy and time apart was not the biggest impediment. It was toughest during the darkest moments of Zhang Zhehan's life, when he was holed away at home and depressed, overthinking things and drowning in despair.
After what seemed like a long time, he finally clawed his way out of the pits. It was an arduous and difficult route, but he stayed true to his values. He poured his heart and soul into every product and project, until he was satisfied with the final result. This resonated strongly with Yang Yang, and made him love and admire him even more. He had no doubt that like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Zhang Zhehan would return, burning brighter than ever before.
