Chapter 91: A Fleeting Glimpse

To Lee Yunjae, these six people were both his teachers and friends. The six members of Shinhwa had taught him vocal techniques and musical instruments, and Lee Yunjae had learned his dance moves from Lee Minwoo, Shin Hye-sung, and Andy. Later, Lee Yunjae passed on what he had learned to Jung Yunho, Leeteuk, Kim Heechul, Kim Hyoyeon, Kim Junsu, Kim Jaejoong, and others.

In a certain sense, these relationships could be called master-disciple relationships.

For Shinhwa, Lee Yunjae was their junior, closer to them than Jung Yunho, Kim Tae-yeon, and others, an irreplaceable 'friend.'

"You finally came back... You left without a word, not even telling us! You deserve a beating!" Shin Hye-sung wrapped his arm around Lee Yunjae's neck and tapped his head a few times.

Lee Yunjae immediately begged for mercy, "Ah, Hyung, I'm sorry... Stop, please! So many people are watching, how embarrassing! You're choking me..."

"Alright, stop fooling around... As long as Yunjae is back, let's not bring up the past!" Eric said.

Many of the singers present couldn't help but glance at Lee Yunjae. In recent days, the 'Lee Yunjae album scandal' had been all over the internet, making it hard for them to ignore.

The director on site was frustrated. It was supposed to be a rehearsal, but it had turned into a reunion. He couldn't help but say, "Attention, please! Non-rehearsing singers, please go backstage to rest and do not interfere with the stage rehearsal!"

The singers gradually retreated backstage, and Lee Yunjae followed the six members of Shinhwa. The nine members of Girls' Generation had to stay on stage for another rehearsal. However, the director had learned his lesson and instructed them to stand closer to the center, so if any accidents happened, they wouldn't fall off the stage.

Actually, today he should thank Lee Yunjae. If not for Lee Yunjae's quick reflexes in catching Jessica when she fell from the stage, the consequences would have been unimaginable, and as the director, he would have faced severe repercussions from S.M.

When the nine girls returned to the stage, they were clearly more excited. Lee Yunjae's appearance had stirred their hearts, making them unusually agitated.

Backstage, Lee Yunjae followed Shinhwa and received many admiring glances. Not many people could be so close to Shinhwa, especially not groups like TVXQ or Super Junior. As Lee Yunjae walked, he saw a familiar figure approaching.

"Jung Joon-ho, this is Lee Yunjae, right!" As the host of today's show, Lee Hyori, wearing a revealing, tight-fitting dress, her strong and slender legs were eye-catching.

"Right... Hyori, let me introduce you. This is our junior, Lee Yunjae. Yunjae, this is Lee Hyori, you should know her!" Jung Joon-ho introduced.

Of course, he knew her! Lee Yunjae nodded subconsciously. This was the second time he had met Lee Hyori; the first was on the stage during a Christmas Eve concert, but it was clear that she hadn't recognized him.

"Senior, hello! I just debuted today, please take care of me!" Lee Yunjae handed an album to her.

Lee Hyori took the album and giggled, "Oh, I wish I hadn't ordered it online. Now I have two albums... Yunjae, can I return the one I ordered?"

Lee Yunjae was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Sure, sure, I'll refund you!" As he spoke, he reached into his bag for his wallet, but a delicate hand stopped him.

"I was just joking, you took it seriously!" Lee Hyori winked at Lee Yunjae. Her eyes were beautiful, with colored contacts and eyeshadow, very alluring.

"Actually... there's no money in this wallet! Hehe..." Lee Yunjae smiled slyly. This was a sponsored item he had just received from the company, and he thought it looked nice, so he brought it. The wallet was empty, and there was another wallet in the bag.

Lee Hyori gave him a playful glare, not expecting her attempt to tease him to backfire.

Ha... The six members of Shinhwa laughed heartily, seeing Lee Hyori's embarrassed expression.

At this moment, another sexy and alluring woman approached, smiling, "Your Yunjae, even Lee Hyori was fooled by you..."

"Senior, hello!" Lee Yunjae bowed slightly and handed her an album. "Senior Choi Yeon, I didn't fool Hyori, we were just acting... Hehe..."

The sexy woman was none other than the beautiful Choi Yeon.

This small prank clearly brought everyone closer, and with Shinhwa's support, Lee Yunjae quickly integrated into the circle, forming good relationships with Lee Hyori and Choi Yeon.

After chatting for a while, Lee Yunjae began the ritual of a new artist—visiting seniors. The backstage area had no rest rooms, so those who were close gathered in small groups to chat. Looking at the crowd of singers, Lee Yunjae began to worry if the albums he brought were enough.

There were quite a few people today, and just those Lee Yunjae could name included Psy, Jewelry, Jazz, Buzz, Younha, SS501, Brown Eyed Girls, Big Bang, Wonder Girls, and some he didn't recognize, perhaps new debuts like himself or lesser-known artists.

Lee Yunjae sighed at the hardships of a new artist and began visiting each senior with an album.

"Senior, hello!" Lee Yunjae approached Big Bang and handed them an album.

G-Dragon took the album, looked at Lee Yunjae for a few seconds, and said sincerely, "Hello... Yunjae, don't call me senior, we're the same age, let's be closer! I've listened to your songs, and I really admire you. Your singing and songwriting skills are something I need to learn from. I'd like to learn from you when I have the chance."

"Don't say that... Don't flatter me so much, I feel a bit overwhelmed! Besides, my songs aren't as popular as your 'Lies.' Let's learn from each other!" This wasn't just flattery; Lee Yunjae genuinely admired G-Dragon for creating 'Lies,' a song that had become a household name in Korea. As fellow creative artists, they were both competitors and admirers of each other.

After leaving Big Bang, Lee Yunjae approached Wonder Girls. Honestly, from an appearance standpoint, S.M.'s Girls' Generation was more outstanding than JYP's Wonder Girls, but Wonder Girls' talent was not to be underestimated. In 2007 and 2008, the only group that could match Girls' Generation was Wonder Girls. However, because Lee Yunjae had written 'Gee' for Girls' Generation, it gave them a slight edge over Wonder Girls.

In the end, it took Lee Yunjae over half an hour to visit all the seniors, and by the time he was done, the large backpack he had brought was nearly empty.

After visiting everyone, Lee Yunjae returned to where TVXQ and Girls' Generation were, but he seemed distracted, often looking around as if searching for someone.

"Oppa, are you looking for BoA?" Jessica seemed to understand Lee Yunjae's thoughts. "Before we went on stage, BoA went out with her manager. She went in that direction!" Jessica pointed.

"I'll go check!" Lee Yunjae suddenly felt a strong desire to see BoA. It had been four years, and although his vague feelings for BoA had turned into friendship, it didn't mean he didn't miss her.

Watching Lee Yunjae walk away, Sunny muttered to herself, "Yunjae oppa isn't as handsome as I imagined, but his smile is very warm..."

"Flirt!" Tiffany teased.

"Hey, silly T, what are you saying!" A burst of laughter from the Girls' Generation group caught the attention of many male singers.

Lee Yunjae left the backstage area and entered a corridor. From a distance, he saw BoA's back and a middle-aged man, who was likely her manager.

He stopped about a hundred steps away from BoA. Lee Yunjae looked at the familiar back and smiled foolishly. The BoA of the past, now the Asian pop princess, seemed like it had all happened yesterday, and the memories were vivid.

Lee Yunjae stood still, but he caught the attention of BoA's manager, who frowned slightly.

BoA, confused, turned around. At first, she didn't pay much attention when she saw Lee Yunjae, but on the second look, she fixed her gaze on him. Her eyes widened as the figure before her overlapped with the person in her memory.

As BoA turned, her long hair swayed slightly in the air, and that fleeting glance was deeply etched in Lee Yunjae's heart.

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End of Chapter 91