Q: If you were given a choice, who would you choose to be your leader?

Seungyoon: Oh? Interviewer-nim, are you trying to sow discord? *laughs*

Jinwoo: Seungyoon-ie! He is doing well as our leader, so I don't think there's a need for change.

Seunghoon: Can I choose myself? Just kidding! I'll choose Seungyoon. Our maknaes are more mature than us hyungs after all, but someone needs to keep Taehyun in check. *glances sideways at Taehyun*

Taehyun: Even though I don't want to admit it, yeah, I'll choose Seungyoon hyung. NOT to keep me in check but just because he is befitting of the role.

Mino: Hey, why's no one voting for your ex-leader here! *laughs* Okay fine, I feel that Seungyoon does a better job than me too! Like what Jinwoo hyung said, there's no need for a change of leader.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The recording studio was exceptionally cramped with WINNER and Teddy occupying the room. 

"The jacket you bought me. You've probably forgotten all about it. With this jacket, I shall endure the harsh-'

Seungyoon's powerhouse voice faltered and cracked as he attempted to sing their new song, Jacket. The day's activities had weathered Seungyoon's already-battered throat, and it seemed like a smooth recording would not be possible for Seungyoon in that condition.

"Seungyoon, what's wrong with you today? Your notes were weak and breathless, and now your voice cracked? Has popularity gone to your head so much that you think your current third-rate singing is good enough?" Teddy ruthlessly criticised the leader, whom he had always held high expectations for.

"I'm sorry," Seungyoon apologised sincerely. "Let's record again. I'll do well this time."

Teddy, however, thought that it would be useless to record again with Seungyoon in this state. Instead, he said, "Come out. We will record Taehyun's part first."

Startled, Taehyun glanced uncertainly at Teddy to check if the older man was serious about it. Switching during recording was not uncommon to them, but for Leader Kang to be switched out...well, that was a first.

Seungyoon ran a hand through his hair in frustration as he set down the earphones. 

Various emotions surfaced in Seungyoon's heart: self-reproach for being a burden to the group, frustration at not doing well, and lethargy from his sickness itself.

Seungyoon was restless. Being in the vicinity of the other members induced a self-directed pressure to do well, suffocating the 22-year-old. He needed a breather, and that explained why Seungyoon had escaped out of the recording studio without warning.

Silence filled the studio following Seungyoon's sudden exit. No one moved nor said anything for a while as they registered what had just happened. Walking out halfway through work was anyone but Seungyoon's style. 

It took quite some time before everyone in the room (including Teddy) recovered from momentary shock. 

The first to react was Mino.

"I'm going to find him," Mino announced, excusing himself from the studio.

It was time for the ex-leader to resume his role, now that the current leader became the root of the problem at hand.

***

Oh my god, what was I doing!

Seungyoon hid his face behind a pair of hands as he reflected on his actions.

He had acted purely on impulse, allowing his emotions to get the better of him.

Now, as he sat in the practice room which the 11 trainees used to compete during monthly assessments, Seungyoon regretted his actions.

"Hey! It really is Seungyoon hyung! Why are you here? Mino hyung told us that you guys have a recording at this timing," a familiar voice resounded within the room. 

Hearing footsteps approaching his location, Seungyoon raised his head to identify the owner of the voice. However, all he could see were two blurred figures before him. Startled, Seungyoon shook his head in hopes of clearing his vision, although that merely served to exacerbate his pounding headache while vision remained blurred.

"Hyung, are you okay? You don't seem fine," another voice, higher-pitched than the previous, asked out of concern.

Despite the panic and pain which Seungyoon was feeling inside, he managed to match the voices to their respective owners this time.

"Ah. Hanbin and Bobby ah! I'm fine, just needed some alone time," Seungyoon forced a smile as he spoke to the blurred figures.

"Look, I gotta go back to recording now. I'll catch up with you guys next time, okay?"

Seungyoon knew that these two boys, young as they were, were sharp and observant. One was Ikon's leader while the other was somewhat like the unofficial co-leader of the team. Thus, he decided to flee before either one of them noticed something.

The moment Seungyoon stood up, he knew things were going to go terribly wrong.

His already blurred vision worsened to the point that he could only see bright lights and nothing else. Unable to see anything, save for an explosion of lights, Seungyoon felt himself swaying as he lost his sense of balance too.

"Oh my god!"

"Seungyoon hyung! What's wrong!"

Oddly enough, Seungyoon could still hear B.I. and Bobby's panicked voices clearly despite the fact that his world was literally spinning out of control. 

Seungyoon wished he could answer his dongsaengs and calm them down, but energy was leaking out of him so quickly that he no longer had much energy left to stay conscious.

Just then, deep voice rang in Seungyoon's ears, "YA KANG SEUNGYOON!"

And that was the last thing Seungyoon remembered as his world plunged into darkness.

Fufufu~ Yes I'm updating consecutive chapters!!! Thank you for all those who subscribed to my story (no worries, it's not the end yet)! It is really encouraging when I see people subscribing to my fanfic. Oh, and thank you for those who bothered to comment! I really do appreciate comments as they kinda drive me to write more! One more chapter to update for today~~~