Chapter Thirty-Four: Visiting SM, A Reunion of Three (To Be Continued)

“Hey, kid, why are you walking so fast?” Just after the two had spoken, Chen Zhe heard the slightly complaining voices of his sister and Choi Soo-young behind him.

“Oh? Who are you two?” As she approached, Choi Soo-young saw the two girls standing opposite Chen Zhe. She paused for a moment, a little puzzled, and asked.

“Hello, Senior Choi Soo-young, I am Bae Joo-hyun, and this is Kang Seul-gi.” Having recognized that the woman behind Chen Zhe was indeed their senior from Girls’ Generation, Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi hurriedly bowed and greeted her, their movements unusually smooth and practiced.

“Hello, Miss Bae Joo-hyun, Miss Kang Seul-gi. Do you know Chen Zhe?” Since she didn’t really know many of the trainees in her company, Choi Soo-young could only address them as they had introduced themselves. Looking at the two girls and Chen Zhe, she felt that there was more to the story—something she wasn’t privy to.

“Soo-young nuna, have you forgotten what I told you before? The reason ‘Melody’ became known to the public?” Chen Zhe tilted his head slightly, glancing at Soo-young with a touch of helplessness.

“Wasn’t it because you saw two trainees performing on the street, and then your sister dragged you onto the stage when you went over to watch?” Soo-young replied, still confused, simply recounting what she knew.

“Wait, trainees? Could it be that you two are the trainees that this kid Chen Zhe met?” As soon as she finished speaking, Soo-young seemed to finally realize.

Chen Zhe had encountered two trainees during a street performance; after coming to SM, he seemed to know these two trainees. But he hadn’t been to Korea before, so there was only one possibility.

These two trainees in front of her must be the same girls Chen Zhe had met earlier. To confirm her guess, Soo-young turned to them and asked.

“If Senior Choi Soo-young is referring to Chen Zhe’s street performance of ‘Melody,’ then yes, that was us,” Bae Joo-hyun answered with calm composure, facing her company’s respected senior.

“Oh, so it really was you two! I saw your performance as well. Your singing was very impressive.” Although she had only watched Chen Zhe perform ‘Melody,’ it didn’t stop Soo-young from adopting the demeanor of a senior, praising her juniors.

“Thank you for your kind words, Senior Choi Soo-young!” Having received praise from their senior, Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi bowed gratefully. But with Soo-young’s authoritative presence, the two became much more reserved compared to how they’d been with Chen Zhe.

“By the way, Miss Bae Joo-hyun, why did you both seem so anxious just now? Did something important happen?” Watching the slightly nervous Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi, Chen Zhe asked curiously.

“Oh, we nearly forgot—we came out to buy water!” Upon hearing Chen Zhe’s question, Kang Seul-gi suddenly remembered, recalling the hurried reason for their outing. She turned to Bae Joo-hyun, slightly flustered.

“Senior Choi Soo-young, Chen Zhe, sorry, but we have to go, we have something urgent to attend to!” Remembering their purpose for coming out, and feeling uneasy with their senior present, Bae Joo-hyun quickly bowed and prepared to leave.

“Alright, go take care of your business!” Soo-young noticed their discomfort and simply nodded, signaling her understanding.

“Yes, Miss Bae Joo-hyun and Miss Kang Seul-gi—let’s talk again next time!” Chen Zhe waved with a bright smile as they bowed and turned to leave.

“Yes, let’s chat again next time, Chen Zhe!” Kang Seul-gi smiled sweetly at Chen Zhe, then pulled Bae Joo-hyun along as they hurried down the corridor.

“Kid, looks like Yu Qi was right—since you arrived in Korea, your luck with girls has been off the charts! Even bumping into girls you know around the corner, and not just one, but two at a time!” Watching Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi disappear into the distance, Soo-young reverted to her usual self, slapping Chen Zhe’s shoulder and teasing him.

“Soo-young nuna, don’t make fun of me!” Chen Zhe rolled his eyes, once again confirming in his heart that Soo-young and his sister were truly kindred spirits.

“Alright, Soo-young, enough nonsense. Weren’t you going to show us around the practice rooms? Hurry up!” Just as the two were about to start their usual banter, Chen Yu Qi suddenly stepped forward, tapping their shoulders with a serious tone.

It seemed that, for the moment, only the usually unreliable Chen Yu Qi actually remembered their purpose here.

Led by Choi Soo-young, Chen Zhe and Chen Yu Qi toured the SM Entertainment A-level trainee practice rooms. They learned and documented some of the operational procedures, and observed the trainees’ daily practices.

“Alright, we’ve finished touring the practice rooms. The president’s meeting isn’t over yet. Let me take you to meet my teammates—they’ve been curious about you for a long time, especially since ‘Melody’ appeared!” After finishing the tour, Soo-young stretched and suggested it to the siblings.

“Nuna, your teammates—the members of Girls’ Generation? But why have they been curious about me for so long?” Hearing that Soo-young wanted to introduce him to the other members of Girls’ Generation, Chen Zhe’s interest was piqued. Yet he found it odd that, according to Soo-young, the other members seemed to know him already.

“Because they’re all aware of your existence—my dear little brother!” Soo-young winked mischievously at Chen Zhe, deliberately leaving her words unfinished to prompt his curiosity.

“What does that have to do with them being curious about me?” Annoyed by her half-explanations, Chen Zhe still followed her lead and pressed her for more.

“Because whenever I call you and your sister, they overhear—and I’ve described you to them, too.” Seeing that Chen Zhe had taken the bait, Soo-young didn’t keep him guessing, but answered directly.

“What kind of descriptions would make them curious about me?” Hearing Soo-young’s answer, Chen Zhe felt increasingly uneasy, his questioning becoming faster and more urgent.