Chapter 23 of 100

Chapter 23: Rumors

14 min read3,570 words

The next day, Li Yunzai, as usual, spent the morning hunched over his desk, and in the afternoon, after two hours of self-study, it was time to go home. As the school bell rang, Li Yunzai slung his backpack over his shoulder and dashed out of the classroom like a gust of wind.

"That guy... Last week, during the sports meet, I asked him to sign up for the 100-meter dash, and he even claimed he wasn't fast enough, which really pissed me off!" The physical education representative clenched his teeth and muttered to himself, watching Li Yunzai's disappearing back.

Due to Li Yunzai's reserved nature at school, he had no close friends in his class. After school, he quickly slipped out of the school gate and took the bus straight to S.M.

That night, at 8 PM, in the cafeteria.

After finishing his vocal and instrumental classes, Li Yunzai, with a rumbling stomach, headed to the cafeteria. The cafeteria was not very crowded, with only about ten people, making the spacious room seem rather quiet. Li Yunzai, eager for the day to pass quickly so he could return to learn dance from the six seniors, including Wen Zhenghe, grabbed a meal and sat at an empty table.

Just as Li Yunzai was eating heartily, the whispers of four trainees from Class B sitting at the neighboring table reached his ears.

"Have you heard? Liu Menglong from Class A is pursuing BoA!"

"Of course, although the news hasn't spread widely, many people already know. Liu Menglong is quite bold, considering the strict rule against trainees dating. He's openly pursuing BoA. Is he brave or just reckless?"

"Although the rumors aren't true, there have been similar rumors about seniors like Wen Zhenghe and Choi Sung-hee, but those were false. This time, someone actually saw Liu Menglong waiting for BoA after class and then going out for late-night snacks together. They seemed to be on good terms, laughing and chatting along the way."

"Indeed, no wonder. BoA is very beautiful, and who wouldn't be attracted to her? We are all mature for our age, so it's normal to like a girl... But I wonder how the CEO will handle this situation!"

"Hard to say. BoA is a key focus of the CEO. The practice room provided to her is much better than Class A's, and she has professional teachers. Clearly, she is a top priority for the company. However, there are also many rumors about Liu Menglong. Although he can be arrogant and domineering, his talent and abilities are above average, and he looks good. He entered the company just two years ago and is already in Class A, a talent that others can't match. There are also rumors that his family is very wealthy, which is why he can be so arrogant without being reprimanded."

"Not quite right! I heard the CEO values him highly, just like he values seniors like Wen Zhenghe. After Wen Zhenghe and Liu Jin debut, the CEO plans to start training the company's fourth group, with Liu Menglong as the pre-designated leader!"

"I heard from Liu Menglong's lackey, Jin Zixiao, that Liu Menglong's family background is actually quite simple, just a bit wealthy, not really rich. They have some influence locally. But I also heard that he didn't enter the company through a regular audition or a talent scout. Instead, he was exchanged from LOEN Entertainment by the CEO... He must be a key focus of the CEO!"

"Ah, we joined the company too late. The seniors in Class A might know more. But BoA isn't easy to pursue, and Liu Menglong might not have the skills!"

"BoA isn't someone to be taken lightly. Winning her heart is no easy task, and she probably doesn't have the nerve to date under the CEO's watch. Unlike Liu Menglong, who is a seasoned veteran in the company and doesn't take the rules seriously. Most of the trainees in Class A were recruited and trained before the company was even established, when there were no explicit rules against dating. Liu Menglong is the last of that batch!"

"But don't underestimate Liu Menglong. He has many tricks up his sleeve. Although he's only sixteen, this isn't his first time pursuing a girl. The last girl he dated... He has many ways to win a girl's heart, and I'm afraid BoA might not be able to resist!"

"Ha ha ha... Let's wait and see the show! If BoA falls for Liu Menglong, it will be quite a spectacle. Will the CEO punish Liu Menglong or kick BoA out of the company?!"

"Given the CEO's personality, he won't tolerate any nonsense. Both of them will likely face severe consequences..."

...

Li Yunzai's heart trembled. He hadn't been at the school for long, and he was already out of the loop. "Sister BoA, don't let Liu Menglong get his way. He's not a good person..."

For the rest of the day, Li Yunzai's training was somewhat distracted. Finally, at eleven, after cleaning the floor, he left the practice room.

Today was supposed to be a happy day, as he was going to learn dance from Wen Zhenghe and the others. However, hearing the rumors about Liu Menglong and BoA left him feeling quite troubled. He was debating whether to talk to BoA about it and warn her about Liu Menglong...

Before he knew it, he had reached the apartment entrance and climbed the seven flights of stairs. Climbing the stairs was no longer as difficult for Li Yunzai. He had learned to control his breathing, and although he was a bit tired, he no longer felt short of breath or parched.

Opening the door, he saw Li Wenyu already in the dorm, fiddling with a small camera. The living room had been transformed, with the sofa moved against the wall, leaving a space of about ten square meters, perfect for dancing.

"Brother Wenyu, won't teaching me delay your training?" Li Yunzai asked, a bit apprehensive. After all, Li Wenyu and the others were about to debut, and he didn't want to hinder their training.

Li Wenyu chuckled and said, "No problem... It's not a big deal. Spending half an hour each day to guide you won't delay our debut. If a little time could delay our debut, it would mean we still have a lot to improve. It's better to delay than to embarrass ourselves after debuting!"

Li Yunzai was touched. "Thank you, Brother!"

"Alright, don't be so sentimental. Learning from me won't be easy. You need to be mentally prepared. Half an hour with me is equivalent to an hour and a half of training!"

Li Yunzai nodded heavily. In the few months at S.M, he had not only learned singing and dancing but also learned to endure hardship.

Putting down his backpack, Li Yunzai started with some stretching and warm-up exercises. Li Wenyu set up the camera and also warmed up his joints.

"Yunzai, today I'll teach you a simple handstand. The basic handstand involves using your hands and head as support to maintain balance. This is the most basic form. More advanced forms include handstands with just your hands and even one-handed handstands."

Li Wenzai played some music, careful not to disturb the neighbors, and turned down the volume. Then, in Li Yunzai's eyes, Li Wenyu seemed to perform the handstand effortlessly, hands on the ground, head forming a triangle with his hands, and his body twisting into a perfect handstand. It was the first time Li Yunzai had seen a handstand so closely, and it looked very cool and impressive.

After a few seconds, Li Wenyu flipped back to his feet and warned, "You're a beginner, so be careful with your wrist joints. The more difficult the move, the easier it is to get injured! Also, maintaining balance is crucial. Only by maintaining balance can you hold the position longer!"

Li Yunzai nodded and, following Li Wenyu's example, began to try. On his first attempt, his head hit the ground before he could fully invert. This happened several times.

Rubbing his sore head, Li Yunzai looked at Li Wenyu with a pained expression. "Brother, why is this so hard... I think I need to buy a helmet. My head is starting to bruise!"

Li Wenzai laughed heartily, remembering his own struggles when he first learned to dance. Unlike Li Yunzai, he had to figure it out on his own without a teacher.

"Balance, remember the word 'balance.' Although hip-hop looks complex, you need to grasp its essence, the rhythm and balance!"

Li Yunzai rubbed his head and tried again, focusing on balance rather than the perfection of the move. He found the balance point in the dance move.

After falling several times, Li Yunzai gradually got the hang of it. After about twenty attempts, he managed to hold the handstand for four seconds before falling.

Clapping came from the doorway. Wen Zhenghe and the others had arrived.

"Yunzai, your form is good. Although it's not perfect, you've already found the balance. With practice, you can make it look better, but finding the balance is the hardest part!" Wen Zhenghe, a dance expert, understood the nuances of hip-hop.

"Right, if you keep this up, you can take the monthly exam for Class C this month!" Shin Hyesung praised.

Li Yunzai had been at S.M for two and a half months, during which there had been three monthly exams, but he hadn't participated in any of them because he wasn't qualified. He had always been an observer. Although he wanted to participate and compete on stage, he lacked the skills.

"Really? Brother Shin, you're not joking, right?" Li Yunzai was overjoyed. He had been looking forward to the monthly exam for a long time.

"Of course not... We have no reason to joke. Yunzai, keep working hard. Your instrument skills are already strong, and you've been practicing vocals with us for two and a half months. If you focus on one song, you should be fine. For dance, you have a solid foundation, so you can start learning other styles. Aim to surprise the CEO and Jinyong by the end of the month!" Park Joong-jae advised.

At that moment, Li Yunzai had forgotten about BoA and Liu Menglong. His mind was focused on the monthly exam.

"Brother Zhenghe, how's the song recording going? Is it almost done? When do you know when you'll debut?" Li Yunzai asked, genuinely concerned. He had no ambitions to be an idol before, but after training and being inspired by the seniors, he was now enthusiastic about debuting.

The group sat on the sofa, looking a bit tired. Lee Sun-ho rubbed his temples and said, "It's almost done, in the final recording stage. But Yunzai, we'll be very busy after debuting and might not have time to teach you dance one-on-one. You can borrow the camera to record your practice, and we can review the videos to correct your form!"

Li Yunzai nodded and said, "No problem, compared to your debut, my dance practice is a small matter!"

Indeed, Li Yunzai had no complaints. Compared to the debut of Wen Zhenghe and the others, his dance practice was a minor issue. If it caused them to divert their attention and affect their debut, he would feel guilty.

...

Days passed, and Li Yunzai recorded his entire dance practice each time. Sometimes he felt embarrassed to watch the videos because his dancing was so... terrible.

His legs flailed around, and although he maintained some balance, his body was still tilted. When Li Wenyu performed the move, it looked beautiful, but when Li Yunzai tried, it was a mess, ugly, and lacked any beauty.

He later sought advice from Shin Hyesung on how to make his moves look better. Shin Hyesung simply told him, "The Great Wall wasn't built in a day. With consistent practice, finding the reasons for your mistakes, and correcting them, your moves will naturally improve."

There were no shortcuts. Only through continuous practice, correcting mistakes, and repeating the process, would his dance moves become beautiful.

In the following days, Li Yunzai no longer practiced blindly. He spent more time analyzing the videos, looking for ways to improve his ugly moves, how to bend and extend his legs, and how to position his body for a beautiful handstand. After about half a month, he finally managed to perform a beautiful Breaking handstand.

This was a significant day for Li Yunzai, as he performed his first beautiful Breaking handstand. The group name for Wen Zhenghe and the others was finally decided: "Shinhwa." They had finished recording their songs and were about to start the busy and complex process of shooting the music video. The trio of Kim Yu-jin, Choi Sung-hee, and Yoo Soo-young, known as S.E.S., was also in the final stages of preparation before their debut.

Li Yunzai had secretly visited them a few times. As the first female group in the Korean entertainment industry and the progenitors of future idols, S.E.S. carried a lot of hope and expectations. S.M. invested heavily in their training and image, building connections to pave the way for their debut. By the end of 1997, a groundbreaking female group would appear, a fact that was already predetermined.

While Li Yunzai was training intensively, Shinhwa and S.E.S. were busy with their pre-debut preparations. Amidst the company's full efforts, the rumors about BoA and Liu Menglong seemed to have disappeared.

Half a month ago, the cafeteria was filled with various versions of the rumors, but now they had vanished, and everyone seemed to have a tacit agreement not to discuss the topic.

Li Yunzai was secretly relieved, speculating that Liu Menglong might have been rejected by BoA and was now embarrassed. No one wanted to talk about it, fearing that if Liu Menglong heard, he might take it out on them. So, everyone kept quiet.

Thus, October passed quietly and busily, and Li Yunzai finally faced his first monthly exam, a mix of nervousness and excitement building in his heart...

---