Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Accidental Success

At 8:30 in the morning, Li Yunzai accompanied Na Soyeon and BoA to the entrance of S.M Entertainment's building. From a distance, they could see a long queue stretching from the company's entrance all the way to the end of the street.

"It's all your fault... You made us end up at the very back of the line!" Na Soyeon estimated that there were at least four hundred people in front of them, and she glared at Li Yunzai with frustration. If it weren't for Li Yunzai's constant dawdling and reluctance to get out of bed, they would have arrived much earlier.

Li Yunzai pouted, silently protesting.

"Wow... These candidates who made it to the second round are all good-looking and have great figures... It seems our chances aren't very high!" BoA looked ahead and said with a hint of dejection.

"BoA-ssi... Don't boost their morale and undermine our own. I believe in you, you can definitely do it!" Li Yunzai encouraged her.

Soon, Li Yunzai, Na Soyeon, and BoA saw a few candidates walking out of S.M Entertainment, their faces filled with disappointment. As they passed by Li Yunzai, all he could hear was a series of head-shaking and sighs.

"The auditions are so strict. These people all look so handsome and the girls are so beautiful, how could they all be rejected!" Li Yunzai pouted and muttered to himself.

"I heard that this time, President Lee Soo-man is personally selecting the candidates. He is known for his keen eye, and those he selects have the potential to become big stars. At the same time, he is very strict, and even the slightest flaw will result in disqualification..." BoA's eyes flashed with a hint of passion, showing her admiration for S.M Entertainment.

Li Yunzai shrugged indifferently, not caring much since he wasn't participating in the auditions and didn't need to worry about Lee Soo-man. At this moment, Na Soyeon stepped out of the queue, looked ahead, and then returned to her place, sighing, "So many people in front have their families with them, just the presence of their support gives them an advantage..."

"Soyeon-ssi, aren't I your family support? Saying that really hurts my feelings!" Li Yunzai clutched his chest, pretending to be in pain.

"You, you would be a waste of talent if you didn't act..." Na Soyeon rolled her eyes at him.

The queue gradually moved forward. By 9:30, 150 people had already been interviewed, but only three had made it to the final round. The low selection rate was astonishing.

In a practice room underground at S.M Entertainment, Lee Soo-man, Kim Sung-soo, and Yoo Young-jin sat side by side, their brows furrowed. After an hour, they had interviewed 150 people, and only three were still under consideration. The ratio was extremely low. Kim Sung-soo and Yoo Young-jin exchanged glances, both sensing that Lee Soo-man was being particularly strict today, disqualifying anyone with the slightest flaw.

"Lee, aren't you being too strict? These kids haven't been trained, and you're setting such high standards. Isn't that a bit too much?" Yoo Young-jin finally spoke up.

Lee Soo-man shook his head slightly and said, "This time, I need to select one person from thousands, the best of the best. Look at those kids, they tremble as soon as they walk in. How can they achieve anything great? I don't see any potential or star quality in them."

Kim Sung-soo and Yoo Young-jin exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes. At that moment, another group of five candidates entered the practice room...

Outside S.M Entertainment, the sun rose higher, its scorching rays beating down on the candidates and their family supporters, all of whom were drenched in sweat. Prepared parents opened their umbrellas, while those who hadn't thought ahead, like Na Soyeon and BoA, had to endure the sun.

Li Yunzai hurried to a nearby convenience store to buy three popsicles to cool off. Being exposed to the sun in the summer was no joke, and staying in the best condition required staying cool.

Na Soyeon and BoA stood in the sun, sweating, while Li Yunzai ungraciously hid in the shade, wiping his sweat and munching on a popsicle, ignoring Na Soyeon's glare.

At that moment, his eyes caught sight of a couple of middle-aged people walking toward them. Instantly, his body tensed like a compressed spring, and he jumped up, pointing at the couple. He walked over to Na Soyeon and said, "Soyeon-ssi... look..."

Na Soyeon turned around and felt a wave of fear. She saw her parents walking toward her, looking as if they were about to eat her alive. In the next second, she moved, pushing Li Yunzai in front of her as a shield.

"Hehe... Uncle, Aunt, why did you come so late... hehe..." Li Yunzai laughed nervously.

Choi Ji-ya bypassed Li Yunzai, grabbed Na Soyeon's ear, and said, "You brat, are you trying to fly away? Do you know how worried we were about you?"

"Ouch... Mom, let go, everyone is watching, I'm the one who's embarrassed..." Na Soyeon struggled to say.

"Aunt... Look at all these people, can we settle this later at home?" Li Yunzai also tried to persuade her.

"Honey, forget it! As long as the child is safe, that's all that matters!" Park Sang-hae also pretended to mediate, and Choi Ji-ya finally released Na Soyeon's ear.

"BoA-ssi, let me introduce you, this is my mom and dad!" Na Soyeon introduced BoA.

BoA looked at Park Sang-hae with a puzzled expression and then said confidently, "Uncle... Didn't we meet yesterday on the train?"

Park Sang-hai's smile froze, and Na Soyeon looked at him in confusion, waiting for an explanation.

"How could that be? I only arrived in Seoul this morning, you must have mistaken me for someone else!" Park Sang-hae wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking, this girl's eyes are really sharp...

"Oh... Oh, I see," BoA said, though she still had some doubts, she didn't press the issue. Li Yunzai, however, gave Park Sang-hae a deep, strange look, and Park Sang-hae glared back at him, as if everything was understood without words.

"Uncle, Aunt, let's go to a shady spot... it's too hot here!" Li Yunzai suggested.

"You go ahead, I'll stay here with them!" Choi Ji-ya was prepared and took out an umbrella from her handbag, holding it over Na Soyeon and BoA. Li Yunzai and Park Sang-hae walked to a shady spot and sat down.

"Uncle... Did you follow us all day yesterday?" Li Yunzai looked at Park Sang-hae with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Park Sang-hae shook his head vigorously, denying, "How could that be... I only found out you were in Seoul in the evening... If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have let you come!"

Li Yunzai shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.

Two more hours passed, and by now, 300 candidates had been interviewed, but only 5 had made it to the final round. The queue was gradually shortening, and Na Soyeon and BoA were slowly moving forward. The entrance to S.M Entertainment was now within reach.

At that moment, another middle-aged woman approached, looking anxiously around the crowd. Her gaze finally settled on Na Soyeon, and she walked over with a relieved expression.

"Mom..." BoA called out loudly when she saw the woman.

"Oh, you naughty child... You're such a worry!" BoA's mother sighed loudly.

"Where's Dad? Didn't he come?" BoA looked around but didn't see the familiar middle-aged man.

BoA's mother shook her head and said, "Your dad wouldn't come, he hates the idea of you being a star. I came secretly because I was worried about you being alone in Seoul!"

BoA's eyes welled up, and BoA's mother patted her head, sighing silently. They say a parent's love is boundless, and at that moment, Li Yunzai truly felt the genuine care parents have for their children. He lowered his head, and Park Sang-hai, seeing this, patted his shoulder.

BoA then introduced both sets of parents, and BoA's mother joined the family support group.

It was already past noon, but no one left. The candidates couldn't eat, constantly practicing their dances and singing, ensuring they were in the best condition for their turn.

Two more hours passed, and by 2:00 PM, the scorching sun was finally starting to set. At the entrance of S.M Entertainment, only 50 candidates remained, their nerves taut. Na Soyeon and BoA were in the last group to enter, and the pressure they felt was evident. The atmosphere became increasingly tense, and even Li Yunzai felt nervous, his heart racing.

Finally, the most critical moment arrived. Candidates began to walk out of S.M Entertainment, looking dejected, and the queue grew shorter, with only a dozen people left. By 3:00 PM, it was finally Na Soyeon and BoA's turn.

Li Yunzai followed the group into S.M Entertainment. The building looked old from the outside, but the interior was newly renovated, though the space wasn't very large.

Led by the staff, they arrived at the underground practice room. Li Yunzai estimated that there were about ten rooms in the basement, some of which were playing music and the sound of footsteps, indicating dance practice.

Lee Soo-man's brows were furrowed. After 7 hours, only five out of 500 candidates remained. He was disappointed; none of the five who made it to the final round met his standards to become a superstar representing Asia. They were only suitable to be regular trainees. Even someone as ambitious as Lee Soo-man felt disheartened. Would there be someone he liked among these last five? Could a miracle happen?

At the entrance of the practice room, Li Yunzai and the others were stopped, only allowing the candidates to enter. Na Soyeon took a deep breath, as did BoA. They looked at each other, then stepped into the room that could make or break their dreams, their hearts pounding.

"Soyeon-ssi, BoA-ssi, I believe in you, good luck!" Li Yunzai shouted from outside.

Inside, Yoo Young-jin, who had been looking at documents, looked up at the sound of the voice. He saw a chubby-cheeked boy with a fringe covering his eyes, cheering for the candidates.

Honest, cute, and with a decent voice, this was Yoo Young-jin's first impression of Li Yunzai. He then shook his head. A child of ten or so, whose voice hadn't fully developed and was about to enter puberty, might sound good now, but would his voice still be appealing after puberty? Yoo Young-jin smiled slightly, shaking his head without a clear answer.

Outside the practice room, Li Yunzai, Park Sang-hai, Choi Ji-ya, BoA's mother, and the other parents watched nervously, silently cheering for their children.

Inside the practice room, the five candidates lined up, all girls. Some were cute, some beautiful, and some had a unique charm. They were all comparable in appearance.

Lee Soo-man, Yoo Young-jin, and Kim Sung-soo's gazes slowly swept over Na Soyeon and the other four girls. In terms of appearance, these five girls were indeed better than the previous ones, but they might be all show and no substance. They needed to see their performances to make a final judgment.

"Alright, let's start with the first one on the left. Sing and dance, show us your best!" Yoo Young-jin said.

Following this order, Na Soyeon and BoA were the fourth and fifth to perform, the last two out of the 500 candidates. They were essentially the closing acts.

The first girl was tall, about 15 years old, with long, smooth hair and a delicate face. However, when she started singing, everyone felt goosebumps. Her overly sweet, childlike voice was hard to bear, as if it was forced.

Before she finished the first verse, Yoo Young-jin called a stop. Her voice was unsuitable for singing, not just because it was unpleasant, but because it was grating to the ears and the heart.

The second girl was a cute, delicate little girl with black-rimmed glasses, following a cute route. When the music started, it took her several seconds to begin singing, showing a complete lack of rhythm and musical sense. Her voice was passable, but they had already rejected countless candidates like her. When Kim Sung-soo called a stop, she was also rejected.

The third girl had a slightly androgynous look and had a bit of a rap flavor, but it wasn't satisfactory and she was placed on hold.

Finally, it was Na Soyeon's turn. She took a deep breath, slowly walked to the microphone, and Li Yunzai, watching from the door, noticed her hands trembling behind her back, indicating her nervousness.

"Na Soyeon, what song will you perform?" Yoo Young-jin asked.

"Edelweiss, I will sing Edelweiss!"

Everyone was taken aback. "Edelweiss" was a world-famous song, included in many elementary school music textbooks and a theme from "The Sound of Music." However, it was more of a children's song, and most of the candidates today were singing the latest pop songs or even English songs. Singing a children's song was a first.

Lee Soo-man, Kim Sung-soo, and Yoo Young-jin smiled and looked at Na Soyeon, making her even more nervous.

"Are you ready? Let's start the music!"

Yoo Young-jin gave the order, but the music for "Edelweiss" didn't play. He turned to the staff, who was sweating profusely, and said, "Producer Yoo, we don't have the backing track for 'Edelweiss' here!"

The staff was helpless; who would have expected a candidate to sing a children's song? Yoo Young-jin was taken aback but didn't blame the staff. He turned to Na Soyeon and said, "I'm sorry, we don't have the backing track for 'Edelweiss.' Can you sing it a cappella?"

A cappella...

Na Soyeon was stunned. She had always practiced with a backing track, which helped her find the right feel. Now, without it, she was in a dilemma.

"Oh no, what should we do..." Choi Ji-ya, though not a fan of the entertainment industry, was anxious that her daughter wouldn't even get a chance to sing.

Li Yunzai clenched his teeth, thinking, it's just a backing track, he could play the piano. He walked into the practice room and said to the three judges, "Teachers, I can play the piano to accompany Soyeon-ssi. Do you think... that would be okay?"

Lee Soo-man raised an eyebrow, looked at Yoo Young-jin and Kim Sung-soo, who nodded. Yoo Young-jin said, "Alright, you can accompany her!"

Na Soyeon's face lit up, and Li Yunzai smiled at her before walking to the piano, opening the lid, and running his fingers over the keys. Soon, a familiar melody began to play.

Playing the piano accompaniment for "Edelweiss" wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible. For a master pianist, it would be a piece of cake, but for a ten-year-old boy in 1997, when many children hadn't even seen a piano, it was quite an achievement.

Lee Soo-man furrowed his brow, then raised an eyebrow, and finally shook his head, lost in thought. Yoo Young-jin, however, looked at the small, thin back with a hint of curiosity.