Chapter 8: One Year Later, Summer

At 4:30 PM, the school bell finally rang, signaling the end of the day. After assigning some homework, the teacher dismissed the class. The once quiet campus suddenly came to life as hundreds of students poured out of their classrooms, forming a stream of people heading toward the school gate, then dispersing to go home.

Lee Yunjae and Baek Soyeon walked out of the school gate with the crowd. Lee Yunjae looked around but didn't see the familiar tricycle motorcycle. He asked, "Uncle hasn't come yet?"

"Father is probably still at the store... When he's busy, he's really busy, and when he's not, he has nothing to do. How about I take you to his store?" Baek Soyeon suggested.

Without much thought, Lee Yunjae nodded, and the two walked along the country road side by side. The sun was setting, casting long shadows on the ground. The snow had melted into water, making the road wet. The brownish-yellow stalks of grass on the embankments on both sides looked desolate.

Baek Soyeon told Lee Yunjae that although it looked dead and lifeless now, this road would be beautiful in spring. In April, wildflowers and grass would grow abundantly, dandelions would fly around, and countless flowers, birds, insects, and butterflies would be everywhere. Lee Yunjae's face showed a look of longing. He had never walked on a country road since he was born. The scene of everything coming back to life in spring must be very beautiful.

The two walked side by side for about twenty minutes, and the sky gradually darkened.

Park Sanghyun's cake shop was near the local market, which was now at its peak hour with many people buying vegetables. Lee Yunjae and Baek Soyeon bought some stir-fried rice cakes and grilled squid from a food stall, eating as they walked. Soon, they saw a small cake shop in the distance.

At the front of the cake shop was a glass cabinet containing about ten cake models and some small cakes. Baek Soyeon, holding a test paper she had prepared, ran into the shop, and Lee Yunjae followed closely behind.

"Father... look, I passed! You have to keep your promise and buy me a HOT poster today!" Baek Soyeon said proudly, waving the test paper.

"Oh... you're both here! Let me see, did you really pass?" Park Sanghye took off his disposable gloves, took the test paper, and looked at it, frowning. "Soyeon... this score isn't something you changed, is it?"

There were two red lines on the 58, and a 62 next to it. Park Sanghye, recalling the various tricks Baek Soyeon had used before, couldn't help but be suspicious.

Baek Soyeon immediately protested, "Of course not... if you don't believe me, you can ask Yunjae. He can vouch for me! By the way, Yunjae and I are now desk partners!"

"Really... that's great! You two can take care of each other at school!" Park Sanghye said happily. "Alright, I'll trust you one more time!"

With that, Park Sanghye took out a five-thousand-won bill from his wallet and handed it to Baek Soyeon. She happily took the money, put down her backpack, and dragged Lee Yunjae out of the cake shop.

The market had many small shops with all sorts of items. Baek Soyeon, familiar with the area, led Lee Yunjae to a small shop filled with celebrity posters.

Lee Yunjae wasn't particularly interested in these celebrities. Their oversized clothing, more like bizarre outfits than fashion, and their colorful, long hair that could be braided, didn't appeal to him. He glanced at them a few times but couldn't muster any interest. Meanwhile, Baek Soyeon was enthusiastically picking out posters, as if she wanted to take them all home.

"Soyeon-ssi... your room is almost full of posters, are you still buying... do you have any more space to put them?" Lee Yunjae asked, feigning concern.

Baek Soyeon waved her hand, focused on the posters, and replied, "Can't I collect them... wow, they're all so handsome... I don't know which one to choose!" She was captivated by each one, having a hard time deciding.

In the end, Baek Soyeon spent twenty minutes carefully selecting six HOT posters. By then, Park Sanghye had closed the shop and was driving the two of them home, gradually disappearing into the night.

...

Lee Yunjae's life at the Park family's home was very comfortable. Park Sanghye and Choi Jiya treated him as if he were their own son, and Baek Soyeon treated him like a younger brother. Lee Yunjae quickly adapted to this family.

Over time, the neighbors learned that the Park family had a new child. Their first impression was that he was quiet, well-behaved, and played the piano well. Every evening, they could hear piano music coming from the Park home. At first, it was chaotic and sounded like noise, but after about half an hour, it became beautiful and melodious.

At first, the neighbors were puzzled, but later they learned that Baek Soyeon had started learning the piano from Lee Yunjae. Everyone understood why there was half an hour of noise every evening.

A month later, Lee Yunjae took his first final exam at his new school.

Traditionally, Class 3-1's scores, whether the highest, lowest, or average, were always higher than those of Class 3-2. However, this time, the results shocked everyone, especially Teachers Han and Kim.

Although Class 3-2's average score was still lower than Class 3-1's, the highest score this time came from Class 3-2. Lee Yunjae achieved a perfect score in all subjects, setting a precedent for Class 3-2, which had never had a perfect score before. He even scored fifty points higher than the top student in Class 3-1.

These fifty points came from the bonus questions on the math test. Lee Yunjae answered all the bonus questions, giving him a significant lead over the top student in Class 3-1.

Teacher Kim regretted it deeply. She remembered that the principal had wanted to place Lee Yunjae in Class 3-1, but she had insisted on keeping him in Class 3-2, thus losing such a talented student to Class 3-2.

Some were worried, while others were happy. Teacher Han finally had a reason to feel proud and received a substantial year-end bonus.

Baek Soyeon also achieved her best-ever score in the final exam, breaking the 80-point barrier in math. However, this was all thanks to Lee Yunjae. The first rule of the Park family's exams was 50% luck and 50% skill.

With Lee Yunjae, the "exam god," around, Baek Soyeon mostly copied the answers. To avoid being caught by the teacher, she intentionally got a few questions wrong.

After the final exam, winter break began, and it was soon the end of the year. Although his parents were not around during these months, Lee Yunjae did not feel lonely or sad. He even felt very happy.

...

January 27, 1997.

Spring Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday that is also celebrated in Korea. Every household was decorated with lanterns, and the atmosphere was lively. Children were playing with firecrackers, having snowball fights, and building snowmen outside. On this day, Lee Yunjae met Baek Soyeon's grandmother and uncle.

Grandma Park was a kind and gentle old woman with calloused hands, a simple and honest farmer. Her uncle was a worker who worked hard and was very sincere, a middle-aged man. His wife had taken their child to her parents' house, so he came to the Park family's home to celebrate.

As night fell, every household was brightly lit, and snow began to fall outside. Inside, the atmosphere was warm and cozy. Grandma Park liked Lee Yunjae very much and kept adding food to his plate, which made Baek Soyeon jealous.

Lee Yunjae spent his first Spring Festival at the Park family's home, receiving several red envelopes, though the amount of money was not much, he was very happy and satisfied.

That night, after everyone was asleep, Baek Soyeon quietly went out, climbed up the wooden ladder at the door, and crawled into the attic. She saw Lee Yunjae sitting by the window, looking at the snow outside with a somewhat lost expression. She quickly ran over and jumped into his bed.

"Yunjae... are you thinking about your mother?" Baek Soyeon sat down next to Lee Yunjae.

Sometimes, children's intuition is sharper than adults'. Although Lee Yunjae smiled at the dinner table, when he played with the neighborhood children, he always sat on the side, looking at the road as if waiting for something.

"Mother said she's going to a faraway place for a long time... a very long time!" Lee Yunjae took out a ring from his collar and held it in his hand.

Baek Soyeon laughed, "Don't cry... I can only cry, I don't know how to comfort anyone!"

Lee Yunjae chuckled. Whenever Baek Soyeon cried, Lee Yunjae would always comfort her. Over time, the bond between the two as siblings grew stronger.

"Tonight, I'm sleeping with you... the fireworks are so loud, I can't sleep alone!" Baek Soyeon lay down, taking over most of the bed, and said.

Lee Yunjae immediately objected, "No... you're a girl, I'm a boy... we can't sleep in the same bed!" Lee Yunjae had slept with Baek Soyeon once and didn't want to "share a bed" with her again. With Baek Soyeon around, it was always a sleepless night.

"You're my little brother, I'm your big sister... what's wrong with that!" Baek Soyeon said firmly.

Lee Yunjae was speechless, not knowing what to do.

"I'm going to sleep, don't disturb me!" Baek Soyeon closed her eyes, turned over, and took most of the blanket. Lee Yunjae immediately retaliated, pulling the blanket back. The two wrestled on the bed until they were exhausted, and the attic finally became quiet. Outside, fireworks exploded, briefly illuminating the sky before disappearing.

After the Spring Festival, it was soon February 14th.

February 14th is a romantic day, both Valentine's Day and Lee Yunjae's birthday. Lee Yunjae was born on this romantic day.

Although in 1997, Valentine's Day was mainly celebrated in Western countries, this day was very important to Lee Yunjae. After today, he would be one year older. At eleven, he was transitioning from a child to a young boy.

Park Sanghye and Choi Jiya took Lee Yunjae's first birthday at their home very seriously. Park Sanghye made a large cake, and Choi Jiya prepared a table full of delicious food.

Baek Soyeon's gift to Lee Yunjae was a simple and cheap greeting card, but with her special touch, it held special meaning. Each card represented a wish for Lee Yunjae, and she would do her best to fulfill it. This tradition of giving cards continued for many years.

...

Spring arrived, and the embankments were no longer barren. Lush green grass grew everywhere, and wildflowers bloomed randomly. Clusters of dandelions floated in the spring breeze, seeking a place to land.

Lee Yunjae moved from third grade to fourth grade, but his desk partnership with Baek Soyeon remained unchanged. Over these months, Lee Yunjae's name had spread among students and teachers. He consistently scored perfect marks in monthly exams, setting a record for the longest streak of perfect scores in all subjects, which he maintained.

This was a proud achievement. No one could guarantee a perfect score in the next exam, but Lee Yunjae achieved it repeatedly, surprising everyone. This also brought great honor to Park Sanghye and Choi Jiya. In the past, when they attended parent-teacher meetings for Baek Soyeon, they always sat in the back row, and their daughter's name was always called out for criticism. Now, they sat in the front row, envied by all the other parents, feeling a sense of pride.

Whether in studies or life, Lee Yunjae had fully integrated into the family and school. He made more friends, and his relationship with Baek Soyeon grew even closer, surpassing that of real siblings.

...

Time always passes quickly, sweeping away leaves and erasing traces.

A year had passed, and Lee Yunjae had been living with the Park family for two years. The child had grown into a young boy.

On a cool early summer night, crickets chirped, and a clear, cold moon hung high in the sky. Lee Yunjae sat by the attic window, hugging his knees, counting the stars, while Baek Soyeon lay on his bed, playing with a magic ball.

Although they should have understood the difference between boys and girls at their age, the two siblings didn't seem to be aware of it. Baek Soyeon still often slept with Lee Yunjae.

"Yunjae... what are you planning to do during the summer break?" Baek Soyeon asked, holding the magic ball in her hands.

Lee Yunjae turned around, lay down next to Baek Soyeon, and sighed, "It's already summer break... it's not as interesting as school..."

Baek Soyeon glared at him, "You, you're turning into a bookworm! You spend all day reading... I'm tired just looking at you!"

"Reading is good, it's better than you being idle all day! These past few days, you've been sneaking around, practicing songs in your room. What are you up to? When did you become so interested in singing?" Lee Yunjae asked, tilting his head.

Baek Soyeon put down the magic ball, pounced on Lee Yunjae, and pointed at his nose, "Hey, you actually eavesdropped... you're getting bolder and bolder!"

Lee Yunjae frowned, "Big sister... you were singing so loudly, I didn't want to hear it, but it still reached my ears. What can I do?"

Baek Soyeon said fiercely, "If you tell my parents, you're dead! Got it?"

"Huh... you can't tell Uncle and Aunt, so mysterious. What are you planning?" Lee Yunjae pressed, "Tell me, or I'll tell them right now!"

Baek Soyeon gritted her teeth, staring at Lee Yunjae, wanting to bite him. She bared her teeth and said, "You swear not to tell my parents! Or you'll have a headache and a stomachache, and you'll die!"

Is that how toxic it has to be... Lee Yunjae thought for a moment, then raised his hand, "Okay, I swear... now tell me!"

"Alright... I'll tell you... I want to be a singer!"

Lee Yunjae couldn't help but laugh, rolling on the bed, "Soyeon-ssi, you're joking... you can chase stars, but being a star is a different story. Focus on your studies, get into middle school, high school, and university. Don't dream of being a star, okay?"

Hearing this, Baek Soyeon pouted, "You look down on me!"

"I'm just being honest... Soyeon-ssi, you have a good voice, but you're far from being a professional artist," Lee Yunjae said bluntly.

Baek Soyeon rolled her eyes, "I didn't say I want to be a professional right away, just that I want to be an artist... without training, of course, it's not possible!"

"Training? What do you mean?" Lee Yunjae asked curiously.

"Wait here!" Baek Soyeon got out of bed, put on her slippers, and ran downstairs. A few seconds later, she came back, holding a poster and threw it at Lee Yunjae, "Look for yourself!"

Lee Yunjae sat up, unfolded the poster, and saw the familiar members of HOT, which Baek Soyeon had introduced him to. Below were the large letters "S.M" and a prominent line: "1997 S.M Special Audition."

"What does this mean?" Lee Yunjae asked, confused.

"Don't you know S.M? It's a big entertainment company. HOT is an S.M artist. Now S.M is holding an open audition to recruit trainees. If you become a trainee, you have a chance to debut!"

After Baek Soyeon's explanation, Lee Yunjae finally understood, but then laughed, "Sister, can we stop dreaming... look at where the audition is... it's in Seoul. Are you going to take the train there alone?"

"That's why I have you... we'll go together. I'm going to the audition, and you're coming with me!" Baek Soyeon said matter-of-factly.

"What... you want to run away from home with me?!" Lee Yunjae was stunned...

Future updates: 5,000 words on the first day, 10,000 words on the second day!

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