Chapter 145: Behind the Scenes

In the JYP trainee dormitory, in front of the television, Minatozaki Sana—a devoted little fan of Chen Zhe—pulled along Hirai Momo. Momo had been introduced to "Melody" by Sana and had since become a fan of Chen Zhe as well, and the two of them were now waiting for Chen Zhe to take the stage.

"Momo-chan, look quickly! Chen Zhe-sang is coming on!"

Because they didn't understand Korean, Sana and Momo found watching Music Bank a bit dull. Although the melodies sounded pleasant enough, the lyrics were entirely lost on them.

It wasn't until the camera panned to the cheering banners in the audience that they recognized the Chinese characters for "Chen Zhe" on the signs and realized whose turn it was to perform. Sana excitedly nudged Momo by her side.

"Yeah, yeah, Sana-chan, I see it. Chen Zhe-sang looks like he's suddenly grown up so much compared to when we saw him at the amusement park that day!"

Even without Sana's reminder, Momo had spotted Chen Zhe's name on the support banner immediately. Though her expression wasn't as ecstatic as Sana's, her gaze was fixed intently on the television screen as she spoke in an even tone.

"I wonder when we'll be able to stand on that stage and perform just like Chen Zhe-sang!"

Listening to the somewhat melancholic tune, Momo's mood suddenly dipped. Having crossed the ocean away from home to come to an unfamiliar place like South Korea to chase her dreams, listening to a completely foreign language in an unfamiliar environment, coupled with doubts about whether she could ever debut—all under the evocative stimulus of "Melody's" melody—even the usually optimistic and cheerful Momo felt a wave of sadness wash over her.

"Don't worry, Momo-chan, we'll definitely debut. Didn't we come here precisely to become idols and debut? How can we even think of giving up now?"

Sana, who had seemed entirely absorbed in Chen Zhe's performance on television, had actually been keeping part of her attention on her best friend. Noticing the shift in Momo's mood, Sana didn't hesitate for a moment. She instinctively wrapped her arms around her friend in a familiar, comforting embrace, offering words of encouragement and pep—though perhaps she was also saying them to reassure herself.

While this pair of little Sakura girls watched the television and comforted each other, over in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, Im Nayeon had returned home quite early thanks to the holiday.

"Nayeon, how come you suddenly got so enthusiastic about watching Music Bank today?"

Since tomorrow was a day off, Nayeon's father had also come home early. After putting his things away, he was surprised to see his daughter eagerly glued to the television.

Curious, he walked over and saw that it was KBS's Music Bank playing. Normally, his daughter would head straight to her studies upon coming home, so seeing her break routine to watch TV prompted her father to ask with a smile.

"Hey, isn't that the son of Chairman Chen from the YueLong Construction Machinery Manufacturing Group? How did he end up becoming an entertainer? Little Nayeon, could it be that you're watching Music Bank because of him? Ah, I remember he was your blind date partner, wasn't he?"

With nothing else pressing, Nayeon's father sat down alongside her, curiously watching the television with his daughter. When the broadcast reached the segment where Chen Zhe took the stage, seeing him slowly rise from beneath the stage, a look of blank surprise crossed her father's eyes. Then, he rubbed his eyes hard in disbelief, scarcely trusting what he was seeing.

He was familiar with Chen Zhe's appearance because of that nominal "blind date," which was actually just a social meeting arranged for the next generation to get acquainted. He certainly wouldn't have minded if the two of them hit it off and started dating, so he had consented to that gathering and naturally seen photos of Chen Zhe.

Remembering that he had also given his daughter permission to become a trainee, he figured Chen Zhe suddenly becoming an artist wasn't too far-fetched after all. Yet, seeing Chen Zhe brought back memories of the blind date they had orchestrated.

An urge to tease his daughter welled up inside Nayeon's father, so he intentionally adopted a playful and teasing tone to question her.

"What are you talking about? Ah-zhe and I are just friends! Dad, and that wasn't a blind date!"

True to form, upon hearing her father's words, Nayeon's ears instantly perked up. She puffed up like an angry rabbit, her voice rising sharply and her words tumbling out at a dizzying speed. Even after she finished speaking, her cheeks remained stubbornly puffed out in anger.

"Yes, yes, yes, Dad knows you're just friends. Dad was just joking, don't go puffing up your cheeks like that!"

Watching his daughter's adorable, huffy appearance, Nayeon's father couldn't help muttering inwardly: Was it really nothing, or was it something? I was just making a joke, is there any need to instantly turn into a spiked-up ball?

Despite his internal grumbling, since his precious little girl's feathers were ruffled, Nayeon's father didn't dare push his luck. He simply went along with what she said, trying to coax her into calming down.

————————— Line separating the heroines who have not yet officially debuted —————————

Because it was a holiday and she was close to home, Kim Ji-soo had also returned home early today. Spurred by the recent blockbuster success of Reply 1997 and the earlier massive popularity of Melody, Ji-soo couldn't help but feel a growing curiosity about Chen Zhe—a boy younger than her who had already starred as a male lead in a hit drama and even composed his own music.

Hearing other trainees at the agency mention that today was his debut stage, Ji-soo temporarily set aside the video games she had been planning to play, turned on the television for the first time in ages, and settled in to watch Chen Zhe's debut.

Meanwhile, across the ocean in Brockville, Ontario, Canada, the girl who had woken up from a dream in a panic opened her laptop, intending to search for some information that had piqued her curiosity.

While looking into whether SM Entertainment had held any recent auditions in Canada, she unexpectedly stumbled upon SM Entertainment's promotional campaign for the song Melody, along with a newly uploaded music video.

Curious, the girl clicked on the video. Two painfully familiar names greeted her eyes: Chen Zhe and Jung Soo-jung, who played the male and female romantic leads in the MV.

After watching the entire music video, the girl's brow furrowed tightly. An oppressive, heavy feeling settled in her chest, and for reasons unknown, a deep sense of sadness washed over her.

"Wendy, hurry down for breakfast!"

Just as the girl was about to be overwhelmed by sorrow, a woman's voice drifted up from downstairs—gentle yet carrying an undeniable firmness that pulled her back from the depths of her grief.

"Ne, I know, Mom! I'm coming down right now!"

Pulled away from her sorrow, the girl—no, Wendy—gently raised a hand to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes, and responded to her mother's call with her usual cheerful tone.