Chapter 37: I Despise It

"Wow, who is that guy? I know all the handsome guys in school by name, but I have no memory of this one at all!"

"You, you pervert, of course you wouldn't know. He's an employee at a coffee shop near the school, and he's a mute!"

"Right, right! It's him. I've been to that Left Bank coffee shop a few times. The coffee he makes is really good, and the cakes are delicious too. He has a warm smile, and he's a very kind guy. It's just a pity he's a mute, or I would have made a move on him long ago!"

"What! He's a mute?! That's such a pity!"

"Who would have thought... I didn't even realize he and Senior Liu Menglong are old friends. The world is really small!"

The bustling voices from the audience reached Li Yunzai's ears. Looking at the students pointing and whispering, Li Yunzai ignored them.

"Who would have thought... You've been missing for four years, and now we meet here. When I called you just now, I wasn't even sure. After ten years, you changed your hairstyle, and I almost didn't recognize you!"

Liu Menglong looked at Li Yunzai with a smile, his eyes full of schadenfreude. He naturally knew what Li Yunzai had gone through, especially since he was a trainee at JYP at the time, and he knew a bit more than the outside world.

Li Yunzai gave him a cold look, shrugged, and his hoarse voice reached Liu Menglong's ears: "Yes, I didn't expect to meet you here either! They say enemies are always close, and I didn't believe it before, but now I do!"

Liu Menglong was stunned, Soo Min was stunned, the male student was stunned, and everyone in the audience who knew Li Yunzai was stunned! The mute had actually spoken, shocking everyone.

"Why are you all so surprised? I never said I was a mute. I just have a sore throat, so I rarely speak!"

Everyone thought about it. Indeed, they had assumed it. Li Yunzai always communicated with customers using notes, and they had never heard him speak, so they naturally assumed he was a mute.

Regaining his composure from the shock, Liu Menglong said incredulously, "Four years ago, you had an accident that severely damaged your vocal cords, making you unable to speak... How can you speak now?!"

"Medical technology has advanced so much these days. Even AIDS can be cured, so there's no reason that a damaged vocal cord should make you a mute! If the medical level in Korea wasn't enough, I could go to a country with top-notch medical care!"

Li Yunzai looked at Liu Menglong as if he were an idiot.

"That's not right! Your voice wasn't like this before!"

In Liu Menglong's memory, although he and Li Yunzai weren't on good terms, Li Yunzai's voice was deeply etched in his mind. It was the most unique voice among the trainees at the time, like a stream of fresh water flowing through his heart. But now, Li Yunzai's voice was hoarse. Despite being young, after going through puberty, his voice shouldn't have changed so much. The only reason could be that although Li Yunzai could speak, his voice was no longer as pleasant as before.

"As long as I can speak, who cares what my voice sounds like!" Li Yunzai said indifferently.

"Today is a good day. Are you interested in playing with us? You were the captain of TVXQ, so why don't you give a performance for everyone?"

The audience was in an uproar. TVXQ, the top male group in Korea and even Asia, was far more popular than any other group, including later groups like Super Junior, BIGBANG, and SS501, as well as their seniors. The boy in front of them was the captain of TVXQ? If it weren't for Liu Menglong saying it, they wouldn't have believed it, but even now, they were still skeptical.

"He was the captain of TVXQ?!" Soo Min, standing at the edge of the stage, was blank. TVXQ, a name with such weight, and the captain, who was undoubtedly more talented than the other five members.

But didn't TVXQ debut with five members? Everyone's minds were filled with questions.

The uproar continued, and Liu Menglong cleared his throat, silencing the noise. "Although it's hard for everyone to accept, it's the truth! Li Yunzai was a trainee at S.M. for seven years, one of the most senior trainees. He was the closest junior to HOT, H.O.T., S.E.S., and now to Girls' Generation, TVXQ, Super Junior, and天上智喜, all of whom he has taken care of! And his best friend is the current Asian pop princess, BoA!"

The audience's uproar reached new heights. HOT and S.E.S. were the idols of the past, but they still held a special place in people's hearts. And Girls' Generation, TVXQ, Super Junior, and天上智喜 were the pillars of S.M. Entertainment, the top groups in the music industry. BoA was the pride of Korea, the national pride!

Everyone's minds were blank. The information Liu Menglong revealed was too shocking, and no one could believe it. Someone asked doubtfully, "Senior Liu Menglong, is what you said true or not?"

"Of course it's true!" Liu Menglong blurted out, "I was a senior trainee at S.M. at the time!"

After saying that, Liu Menglong wished he could slap himself.

"No wonder Senior Liu Menglong dances so well and sings so beautifully!"

"Wow! I'll have to go to Left Bank Coffee Shop more often to dig up more juicy stories about the trainee days of Girls' Generation, TVXQ,天上智喜, and Super Junior!"

"Ha... How are you going to dig them up?"

"Of course, I'll use my charm to make him spill everything he knows!"

"Good luck with that! He's seen Girls' Generation, S.E.S., and天上智喜. Do you really think he'll be interested in you? I'm more likely to succeed!"

The audience, filled with self-proclaimed fangirls, started discussing.

At this moment, someone asked, "Senior Liu Menglong, why didn't you debut? With your amazing dance skills and beautiful singing voice, and your good looks, there's no reason you shouldn't have debuted!"

Sure enough, here it comes! Liu Menglong's face stiffened, and Li Yunzai smirked. Liu Menglong's past was far from spotless.

"Well... I had my reasons for leaving!" Liu Menglong stammered, his face turning pale.

"Senior, weren't you transferred to JYP at the end of 1997? Why haven't you debuted yet?" Li Yunzai's calm words made Liu Menglong feel as if a worm was stuck in his throat, making it hard to breathe.

"Wow, so Senior Liu Menglong not only stayed at S.M. but also at JYP. No wonder your dance and singing skills are so strong!" Many fangirls' eyes sparkled with admiration as they gazed at Liu Menglong.

Li Yunzai couldn't help but sneer and whispered in Liu Menglong's ear, "Senior, you really do better in school, with so many fans. It seems being kicked out of JYP was for your own good!"

Liu Menglong's face stiffened. Li Yunzai's words were a deliberate insult. At this moment, he wished Li Yunzai were still a mute, unable to speak.

But Liu Menglong wasn't one to be easily defeated. A plan formed in his mind, and he shouted to the audience, "Does everyone want to hear the former captain of TVXQ sing a song?"

The audience erupted in cheers, shouting, "Yes!"

Hehehe... Liu Menglong's words pushed Li Yunzai to the forefront. A live performance by the captain of TVXQ was far more appealing than the reason why he left S.M.

Li Yunzai looked at Liu Menglong's despicable smile coldly. He had just said his throat was sore, yet Liu Menglong still wanted him to sing, clearly trying to make him lose face in front of everyone.

The captain of TVXQ! Li Yunzai coldly snorted. This identity had once brought him the greatest pain, a pain he would never forget.

"Come on, where are the applause? Let's give a warm welcome!" Liu Menglong led the applause, and the audience followed, filling the field with enthusiastic clapping. Students shoveling snow in the distance turned to look at the stage.

Li Yunzai seemed not to notice, shook his head, and slowly walked off the stage.

"Hey, where are you going? Why aren't you singing? Did you lose your ability to sing after your vocal cords were damaged?!" Liu Menglong shouted as Li Yunzai walked away.

The audience booed. If he couldn't sing, how could he be the former captain of TVXQ?

But Li Yunzai seemed deaf to the boos, and Liu Menglong watched his back, feeling a sense of satisfaction: "Hmph, you're just like me, a discarded person. No matter how talented you are, you're still discarded. But I'm better off, I'm a student at Seoul Arts University, while you're just a coffee shop worker."

Seeing Li Yunzai's misfortune, Liu Menglong felt a sense of relief. But just then, a soft, hoarse voice drifted into Liu Menglong's ears: "This stage suits you, but it's too small for me. I despise it!"

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End of Chapter 37