Chapter 90: Brothers Reunite

After Li Shenxing and Kim Jong-kook pounded their chests and hugged each other, they also greeted the other two.

Li Shenxing looked Kim Jong-kook up and down and said, "Brother Jong-kook, it's been two years, and your arms are getting more and more developed. Are you trying to become a muscle man?"

Ji Taehyun took the opportunity to complain, "Yeah, he always uses those big arms to bully me, forcing me to exercise."

Hearing Ji Taehyun's words, Li Shenxing turned around and looked him up and down. "Brother, you still need to exercise more. Otherwise, you won't have the strength to play with your kids with that big belly."

Ji Taehyun said angrily, "Hey! You little brat! I'm speaking up for you, and Jong-kook just said that he was going to teach you a lesson when you came!"

"Ah! Brother Taehyun, don't say bad things about Brother Jong-kook. He wouldn't do that to me. We're good friends, right, Brother Jong-kook?" Li Shenxing said, hugging Kim Jong-kook's shoulder affectionately.

Kim Jong-kook also put his arm around Li Shenxing's shoulder. "Of course, it's been a long time since we've seen each other. How could I scold my brother as soon as we meet? It's Taehyun who always likes to play pranks and defame me."

Ji Taehyun looked up, speechless, and let out a sigh. "Wow! You two are really shameless."

Li Shenxing and Kim Jong-kook replied in unison, "That's all thanks to you." After saying that, the two of them high-fived to celebrate their默契 (rapport).

Ji Taehyun and Jang Hyuk are actors and have more free time compared to singers who have daily schedules. So after Kim Jong-kook called them, they both came over. Of course, it's also because the four of them are very close friends.

After chatting for a while, Li Shenxing started warming up, and Ji Taehyun was put on the treadmill by Kim Jong-kook.

Li Shenxing warmed up with jumping rope and jogging. When he felt ready, he stopped and walked over to Kim Jong-kook.

"Brother, let's have a few rounds of boxing!"

Kim Jong-kook shook his head helplessly. "I knew I couldn't avoid it. Let's go."

Ji Taehyun, who had been trying to be lazy, immediately got off the treadmill and ran to Li Shenxing's side. "Shenxing, you have to hit him a few more times for me. Who made him always threaten me with those big arms? I'm on your side, and I'll definitely cheer for you."

"Brother Taehyun, this is just a friendly match, not a real competition. You don't have to be so dramatic. What grudge do we have?" Li Shenxing really couldn't deal with Ji Taehyun, who always acted like a child and never behaved properly.

The four of them went to the boxing ring. Kim Jong-kook negotiated with the people training on the ring, and they agreed to let them have a match.

After putting on their boxing gloves, Li Shenxing and Kim Jong-kook climbed onto the ring. Since it was just a friendly match, they didn't wear headgear.

The others who were working out saw the match and put down their equipment to gather around.

Kim Jong-kook touched fists with Li Shenxing and got into position. "Come on, I'm ready."

Li Shenxing didn't rush in. He didn't know how Kim Jong-kook's skills had improved over the past two years, so he started by circling and probing.

When Li Shenxing felt it was time, he slowly moved closer.

"Whoosh!" A jab went toward Kim Jong-kook.

"Smack!" Kim Jong-kook blocked with his left hand and swung a right hook.

Li Shenxing jumped to the right, dodging it.

"Go! Shenxing, go! Hit his nose, kick his butt, monkey steals the peach, rub his eyes..." Ji Taehyun shouted from the side of the ring, as if he had a deep grudge against Kim Jong-kook.

...

After about half an hour of boxing, the four of them went to the rest area downstairs. The rest area had water dispensers and food like salads and milk, and you could also bring your own food.

Except for Ji Taehyun, who took milk, the other three each took a bottle of water and found a spot by the window to sit and chat. It had been a long time since they had seen each other, as they were all homebodies and rarely went out.

They chatted until it was time to eat, then they went to shower and change clothes.

Li Shenxing took them to a Korean restaurant in Insadong, Jongno District, known for its delicious and healthy Korean set meals, mainly to cater to Kim Jong-kook's taste.

In the alleys of Insadong, traditional Korean houses (hanok) and restaurants are lined up. In one corner of those alleys, there is a restaurant called "Leizu" that serves a special natural wild plant set meal. "Leizu" refers to the daughter of the ancient agricultural god. The dishes here do not use any chemical seasonings and have a very rich and pure flavor, loved by both locals and foreigners.

The secret to the deliciousness of the dishes in this restaurant lies in the special wild plant sauce. This sauce is made by fermenting wild herbs, pine needles, bamboo leaves, and various fruits sent directly from Yeongam County, Jeollanam-do, for a year. It is very flavorful. Both the ingredients and the seasonings are made from wild plants, which is why the dishes are not only delicious but also very beneficial to health.

After the four of them were seated by the server, they each chose their favorite set meals from the menu. Li Shenxing also ordered stir-fried octopus, grilled beef, and raw ray. After ordering, the server left. None of them ordered alcohol; Li Shenxing was driving, Kim Jong-kook rarely drank for health reasons, Jang Hyuk also rarely drank, and Ji Taehyun didn't order any because no one was drinking with him.

"Brother Taehyun, how was the filming this time?" Li Shenxing asked.

The movie script he wrote, "Very Special Broadcaster," had just finished filming, and Ji Taehyun was the lead actor.

"Speaking of which, I haven't formally thanked Shenxing yet. If it weren't for Shenxing's strong recommendation, I might not have gotten the lead role in this movie." Ji Taehyun picked up the barley tea on the table, changing from his usual playful demeanor to a serious one. "Shenxing, I'll toast to you with tea instead of alcohol. Thank you!"

Li Shenxing raised his tea cup and clinked it with his. "Brother Taehyun, you're being too formal. The lead role was written with your character in mind. Who else would I recommend if not you? We're brothers, and I have to help you."

Ji Taehyun didn't say anything more about gratitude. Gratitude isn't just about words; he would remember this in his heart. Then he started chatting about some fun moments from the set.

After the meal, Ji Taehyun had to go home early to be with his wife, and Jang Hyuk also left, saying he had to go back to the company for some work.

"Brother, do you have anything to do?" Li Shenxing asked Kim Jong-kook.

"No, just going back to the company to familiarize myself with the songs."

"Perfect. I just finished writing a song. Let's go to your company, and I'll sing it for you. I feel like it's still missing something."

"Sure, your love songs are amazing. Can you write a few for me sometime?"

"The songs for your current album are all set. Let me know when you start working on your next one."

"Great! I'll definitely remind you." Kim Jong-kook patted his shoulder happily.

Li Shenxing followed Kim Jong-kook to his agency and went straight to his practice room.

Kim Jong-kook opened the door and went in first. "Do you want to rest, or..." He didn't finish his sentence but pointed to the piano in the corner of the practice room.

Li Shenxing didn't answer but went straight to the piano bench, stretched his fingers, and opened the piano lid. He started with Richard Clayderman's "Wedding in a Dream" to warm up.

After finishing "Wedding in a Dream," Li Shenxing took a few deep breaths, stretched his fingers, and then started playing the song he wrote for Hyori.

"Thump... thump thump..."

"Thump..." As the last piano note faded, no one in the room spoke. One was lost in the imagery of the piano piece, and the other was reflecting on the imperfections in the performance.

When Li Shenxing stopped thinking, he asked Kim Jong-kook, "Brother, how does it sound? Any feedback?"

Kim Jong-kook sighed and replied, "Shenxing, listening to that made me want to get married."

Li Shenxing said with a smile, "Then get married! It's not like you don't have women who like you. You're just too picky."

"Tsk! You're just talking out of your ass! Getting married isn't that simple. I'll wait for the right one!" Kim Jong-kook said dismissively. "Forget it! Let's talk about your song."

Seeing Kim Jong-kook change the subject, Li Shenxing didn't press the issue. Even though they were good friends, matters of the heart were something he had to handle himself. He could only hope she would break free from her mental prison soon.

Then Li Shenxing started discussing the issues with the song he had just played.