Chapter Eleven Reunion (Part One)

  Didn't see it yesterday, thanks to Canglong Xiakong's update ticket, although I couldn't get it... Thanks to Resplendence for the reward and gg6056 for the evaluation vote~

  Also, I have to work overtime at night, so there's only one update today.

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  A huge dance hall, filled with festive Mid-Autumn decorations, a large red curtain covering the mirrored wall, several strands of silk ribbons swaying in the bright lights, at the front stage, two speakers playing lively piano music, on both sides, long tables were set up with various snacks and drinks for people to help themselves. As people chatted and moved around, Ahn Jun-hee stood in a corner with Park Jeong-soo and others, gazing back, lightly sipping the juice from his cup.

  He didn't like this kind of occasion, where the young boys and girls in their prime should be spending their last years of youth in an ivory tower, but instead they had to be invaded by society early on, abandoning their innocence and naivety, making themselves worldly-wise and skilled at socializing. Just looking at them made him feel a whiff of the corrupting influence of the adult world.

  Perhaps in some people's minds, this is a kind of maturity, but in his eyes, which have experienced the fleeting nature of things, they have lost too many precious things.

  "We already know what's going on online." Park Jeong-soo whispered softly, interrupting his thoughts. "Don't mind how those people evaluate you, when your TV series is broadcast and the results are good, they will naturally shut up."

  "I know, thank you Zheng Zhuo!" An Junhe smiled and said. He didn't mind what those people said, but since his friend was concerned, he had to respond.

  Hearing them talk, He Zai's mind wandered again, and he curiously asked, "What if the results are bad?"

  "Bang!"

  Ying Yun slapped him on the back of his head, "If your grades aren't good, I'll kill you, to apologize to the world!"

  "What's it got to do with me? Beat me again?"

  "Who made you a jinx!"

  Then the two of them started fighting, and before long, as had happened countless times in the past, He Zai was overpowered.

  He often bullied them, and the others were used to ignoring his miserable cries. An Junhe looked at the crowd and wondered, "Why didn't I see Xiuyan and the others? Didn't they get selected?" In this kind of occasion where they could interact with seniors who had already debuted, the company must have selected the trainees based on their performance, so it was strange that they weren't selected.

  "You know Sooyoung's personality." Heechul shrugged, "Too inactive, did you find her to be a freezer?"

  Park Jeong-soo nodded in agreement, "Su-young, Yu-ri and Yoon came, they must have gone crazy somewhere again! Speaking of which, you don't know yet, do you? The company recently recruited a new female trainee, her skills are amazing, 9000:1, the grand prize winner of this audition."

  "Huh?" An Junhe was slightly surprised, but only surprised. Standing out in the selection doesn't mean you'll make it big later on. Ability is important, but timing is also crucial. If you can't seize the opportunity or have bad luck and don't get a chance, no matter how strong your abilities are, you'll be stuck in the crowd of trainees, living a dull life.

  Just like Park Jung-soo, he was originally supposed to debut in 2002, but unfortunately, his luck wasn't good and the World Cup happened, affecting the entire Korean entertainment industry. The group he joined had a three-month buffer period, but it didn't attract enough attention to meet the company's expectations, and ultimately disbanded.

  Thinking so, he lost interest in knowing more, his eyes scanned the crowd, preparing to call Xiuying and the others. Those few wild girls were really careless, running around and playing at this time, what if the seniors had all arrived and they came back late, it would undoubtedly leave a bad impression on the seniors.

  He had just taken out his phone when the conversation between the two people beside him made him pause.

  "Wasn't that female trainee participating today too? Why didn't I see her? Hmm... what was her name again? Kim something?"

  Park Jeong-soo thought for a moment and said uncertainly: "Kim... Kim Tae-yeon? I think so, but I don't quite remember."

  The moment he heard the name, their conversation gradually receded from his ears, and all the noise seemed to be excluded by an invisible veil. An Junhe stared blankly ahead, and in his field of vision, that summer afternoon reappeared - the majestic and prosperous city, with half of it bathed in thick sunlight, and the other half shrouded in gloom. The mischievous girl who had smiled as she got on the bus, but hid her worries behind a smiling face, turned away from the sunlight and disappeared into the cloudy darkness, seemingly entering another world, where she vanished in his world.

  After that, I also found Teacher Zheng Chunyuan to ask about her situation, but it was clear that she had disappeared very thoroughly and never came back to Hancheng. Several months passed, the scenes of laughter and playfulness slowly faded away, becoming a black-and-white blurry memory, as if they were about to be forgotten, but at this moment, they all rushed out again.

  For a moment, he came back to his senses and found Hee-jin sighing beside him, saying: "You're old, you can't even remember other people's names."

  Park Jeong-soo was about to retort when Ahn Jun-hyuk suddenly spoke up: "It's Kim Tae-yeon!"

  "Huh?" The two of them turned their heads and looked at him strangely: "Do you know him?"

  Hah, it's not just recognition... this stubborn yet timid little girl!

  He smiled and shook his head without answering, then handed the cup to Hee-chul. "You guys talk first, I'll go out for a bit."

  "Wow, everyone is almost here, why go out again?"

  "I'll be right back!"

  He turned a blind eye and waved his hand, passing through the crowd, and disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Park Jeong-soo and Kim Hee-ja bewildered.

  ……

  Because tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, and the fourth floor is holding a party, those who should stay are all gathered there, and those who shouldn't stay have all gone home. The usually bustling company suddenly seems much quieter, each practice room is quietly closed, without the usual faint music, without the rhythmic footsteps, the cold-toned energy-saving lamps radiate a faint glow, the corridors intersect, cold and quiet as if gloomy.

  The basement was still damp and cold, with no signs of life, the air seemed stagnant, occasionally a faint sound came from the ventilation ducts, it was unclear whether it was a mouse or something else, the soft rustling sound was infinitely amplified by the quiet environment, at first listen, it sounded like a horror movie scene, making people feel a chill down their spine.

  On the second floor underground, in a changing room next to a practice singing room, a pair of clear eyes peeked out through the ventilation window and observed for a while before hiding. Not long after, a faint glow appeared inside. The changing room was small and could only hold one person. The owner of those eyes curled up inside, and the weak light from the toy flashlight didn't provide much illumination, but apparently, the girl didn't mind these things.

  Under the faint light, she held up the pea pod doll in her arms and chuckled: "This place is so scary, right?"

  The doll's plastic eyes stared blankly at her.

  "Oh, poor little Xiaoyan is so scared that she doesn't dare speak, come, let sister give you a hug!"

  "Sister is so mean, I'm not afraid at all."

  "Liar is not good child, must be spanked, slap!"

  "No, sister, I was wrong...... Hehe!" The girl muttered to herself, then couldn't help but giggle and hug the pea pod doll tightly in her arms, squeezing it so hard that the poor thing instantly became misshapen.

  After a moment of daze, she picked up the doll again, stared at it for a while, then pouted: "Not like Xiaoyan at all... Hmm, how about calling you Zhīxióng?"

  Then, in a high-pitched voice, imitating the delicate tone of a child, he said: "Zhi Xiong is a bad egg, I don't want him ~"

  "What's your name? Are you going to call Jun-he..."

  Brilliant...

  The moment the name was spoken, she froze, her clear eyes clouded with confusion, staring blankly at the top of the wardrobe. A moment later, as if all strength had left her body, her hands holding the doll dropped, placing it on her shoulder, the soft and fluffy sensation brushing against her cheek, bringing a gentle warmth.

  An Junhe...

  She whispered to herself, how long has it been since this name wandered around her? A few months! But in her feelings, it seemed like several years had passed. She left and no longer attended vocal music classes, no longer came to Seoul, and honestly stayed in Jeonju, living a plain and ordinary middle school life, trying hard to forget everything about the past.

  Actually, sometimes I think about it and feel that I'm being unreasonable. He's going to debut and walk the glamorous path of a star, but what does that matter? Everyone is still friends, maybe in the future their friendship will fade due to differences in status, but at least for now, he can still make her laugh, still silently comfort her, his attitude has never changed from start to finish.

  It's her who has changed!

  Is it inferiority or jealousy? All I remember is that when I learned he was going to debut, my mind was filled with all sorts of possibilities. I thought about how he would get busier and wouldn't have time for her anymore; I thought about how his popularity would rise higher and higher, and one day he might look down on a country girl like her again; I thought about having to face his cold and distant demeanor in the future...

  It's all acted out like this on TV, and suddenly I feel a heartache!

  She also told herself that Kim Tae-yeon wasn't a fool who didn't know the score, and Jun-hyuk hyung wasn't that kind of selfish person.

  But all those wild thoughts in her mind kept making her worry that they might actually come true, so she thought to herself, rather than waiting for that to happen, why not just leave now and at least suffer a little less, she didn't want to become one of those stupid female leads on TV who cry themselves to death.

  So I escaped like this and returned to Jeonju, thinking that I would forget, but as time passed, the name became more deeply etched in my memory. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I would suddenly regret this hasty and weak decision and scold myself: Kim Tae-yeon, you've been watching too much TV!

  Maybe I'm really stupid...

  She hugged the doll, dazed and thinking that when she was still taking vocal lessons, she wanted to follow in his footsteps, asking her teacher to help her send S.M. a resume for the audition, but because of evasion, she forgot about it, this seems to be a gift from heaven to make up for her regret - one day, suddenly received a reply that passed the preliminary round.

  Even though it's been a long time ago, she still remembers the day she received the receipt, her heart beating violently as if it was going to jump out of her chest.

  Can't say clearly why I was excited and happy, vaguely ran to participate in the re-election, and emerged from the confusion...

  When she came to her senses, she had already become a trainee. It was as if in her subconscious mind, she still wanted to return to this place, to the path that she had once decided on, to follow his road.

  You said you wouldn't come here again, how did you end up coming back? After sobering up, the girl felt a bit embarrassed and then deceived herself by saying: No way, the contract has been signed, can't get out of it, might as well stay!

  Actually, I'm secretly delighted.

  She knew that if it weren't for this, she would be like an ostrich, always escaping and never admitting her mistakes, even when she knew she was wrong and regretted it - stubbornly and obstinately refusing to acknowledge it!

  ;