Chapter Thirty-Three: A Visit to SM, and the Reunion of the Three (A bonus chapter for 10,000 rewards to honor the sleepless and weary)

The night passed swiftly, and by a little after nine the next morning, Choi Sooyoung arrived at SM Entertainment with the siblings in tow.

“So this is SM Entertainment? Why does it feel less impressive than LOEN?” Chen Zhe leaned closer to Sooyoung, lowering his voice as he uttered his first impressions of the SM building.

“Small but complete,” Sooyoung replied, her gaze slightly evasive. Though she felt Chen Zhe’s comment was justified, she still tried to defend her company, “Even if the exterior isn’t as striking as LOEN’s, the facilities inside are just as good.”

Sooyoung’s retort seemed to convince Chen Zhe, who nodded in agreement. “You’re right, after all, SM has produced big groups like SJ and Girls’ Generation. You really can’t judge by the building’s looks.”

Outwardly, Chen Zhe played along, but inwardly he couldn’t help but continue complaining about SM’s headquarters. The low, outdated building didn’t look at all like the leading star factory in Korean entertainment ought to.

“Alright, let me take you to the front desk to register.” Noticing Chen Zhe’s wandering gaze, Sooyoung tapped his forehead lightly with her finger, signaling him to quiet down and not let his thoughts run wild.

“Hello, these two are important guests invited today by Director Lee Sooman and President Kim Youngmin to visit SM Entertainment.” After greeting the receptionist, Sooyoung explained the siblings’ purpose for coming.

“Hello, Sooyoung-ssi. The president gave instructions this morning: you’re to host these guests first. He and the director have an important meeting with the board, so they’ll come meet your guests after it’s over,” replied the receptionist with a smile.

Understanding the reason for the board meeting, Sooyoung didn’t ask further, but shifted the topic, “Did the president mention any areas we shouldn’t show them?”

The receptionist recalled her instructions, “President Kim said you can take them anywhere except the new boy group’s practice room and the top floor. Everything else is fine.”

After gathering a few more details about President Kim’s requests, Sooyoung called to the siblings, ready to begin their day-long tour of SM Entertainment.

“Damn!” “Ah!” Bad luck struck right at the start of their visit. On their way to see the SM A-class trainees’ practice room, Chen Zhe, eager and walking ahead, collided with someone at a corner.

Both parties were knocked to the ground, suggesting they’d been moving at quite a speed.

“Who’s rushing so fast—delivering food or something?” Though he’d been knocked down, Chen Zhe, sturdy as ever, wasn’t hurt, and grumbled with annoyance.

“It’s you who wasn’t watching where you were going!” As Chen Zhe stood and dusted off his pants, a familiar female voice came from the other side—one he could swear he’d heard before.

“Huh, it’s you guys?” Looking up, Chen Zhe saw two girls sitting on the floor, rubbing their backs, and his eyes narrowed in recognition.

They were the same trainees he’d met in Myeong-dong—future Red Velvet members Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi. No wonder the voices sounded familiar, he thought.

“Sorry, are you alright?” Seeing that the girls hadn’t responded, Chen Zhe, feeling both sides shared responsibility for the collision but knowing he was unharmed, reached out his hands to help them up.

“Oh, it’s you!” Seeing his hand and hearing his familiar voice, Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi paused, looked up, and were stunned to see Chen Zhe smiling gently at them. They hadn’t expected to run into him here, and exclaimed in unison.

“Sitting on the floor isn’t ideal, why not stand up first and then be surprised?” Seeing their dazed expressions, Chen Zhe tilted his head and chuckled.

His words jolted them from their shock. Using his arms for support, they stood up, but even after rising, they continued to stare at him in amazement, as if too astonished to speak.

“Seems we’re fated to meet—this is our second encounter. Joo-hyun-ssi, Seul-gi-ssi, so you’re SM trainees?” Even Chen Zhe, with his thick skin, felt a bit awkward under their gaze, so he spoke quickly to break the ice.

“We really are destined! But Chen Zhe-ssi, why are you at SM? Did you join SM?” Seul-gi, noting his fashionable outfit and enhanced good looks, felt her heart race with excitement and blurted out her question.

“I was invited by Director Lee and President Kim to tour SM today, not to join.” Chen Zhe shook his head in exasperation at their immediate assumption that he’d joined their company, and explained. Seul-gi visibly lost some of her excitement upon hearing this, leaving Chen Zhe even more puzzled.

“A tour? Who’s showing you around?” Joo-hyun, catching the key point in his words, asked with curiosity, as she hadn’t seen anyone with him.

“They’re behind me—I walked too fast, so they couldn’t keep up, but they should be here soon.” As Chen Zhe silently calculated the distance and speed between himself and Sooyoung, footsteps suddenly sounded behind him.