Chapter 92: Debut Prelude (Part 1)

The song stopped, the music ceased, and all sounds seemed to vanish. In this narrow space, the two could only see each other.

Baekhyeong had a mature and beautiful face that was completely different from her age. Perhaps the years in Japan had a significant impact on her, shaping the Baekhyeong of today—a young superstar who was more mature than her peers.

The two approached each other, stopping only when they were a meter apart.

............

"Do you think Yunjae still has feelings for Baekhyeong?" At this moment, Jung Yunho, Kim Junsu, and others were crowded at the door, watching to see if there would be any unexpected sparks between Lee Yunjae and Baekhyeong.

"It's hard to say... It's been four years. Perhaps all that's left in their hearts is friendship!" Kim Junsu muttered to himself.

"Wow... This gossip is huge... Yunjae oppa liked Baekhyeong noona? Does Baekhyeong noona like him too? Do you know, Sooyoung?" Tiffany asked in a low voice, as if she had discovered a new continent, afraid that others would hear and cause unnecessary trouble.

Jessica shook her head silently; she really didn't know about these things. When she joined the company, Baekhyeong had already left, and Lee Yunjae rarely mentioned anything about Baekhyeong. Actually, the first to know about this were Kim Junsu and the five members of TVXQ, a small secret between them and Lee Yunjae. If it weren't for Jung Yunho and the others letting it slip today, Jessica wouldn't have known about this past between Lee Yunjae and Baekhyeong.

"OMG... This is serious... These two won't reignite their old feelings, will they..." Kim Tae Yeon opened her eyes wide, afraid to miss this historic moment.

Not just her, but Seohyun, Jessica, Yoo Ri... everyone's eyes were as round as lanterns, each blink capturing the scene like a shutter.

"Don't talk nonsense, about reigniting old feelings... There were no old feelings between them, so how can they reignite? Perhaps it's just a bit of affection... I wonder if it has grown more or is almost gone!" Park Yoochun said.

"Such a thrilling scene, it would be great to have a cup of popcorn and watch it!" Yoon Ah rubbed her hands and smiled.

Slap...

"Ouch... Yoo Ri, why did you hit me!" Yoon Ah rubbed her forehead, annoyed.

"At such a crucial moment, you're thinking about eating. You're a real glutton!"

"Quiet, look at Baekhyeong noona's hand, it's already touching Yunjae oppa's face... It's touching... It's touching!" Choi Sooyoung bit her finger, excitedly.

"Wow... Baekhyeong noona actually hugged Yunjae oppa... Oh my, if her fans see this, they'll tear Yunjae oppa apart!" Kim Hyo Yeon had already put four fingers in her mouth.

"Quick, quick... Form a wall of people in the front three rows and the back three rows... Don't let anyone see!" Jung Yunho whispered to the people around him, a bit urgently. At this moment, Lee Yunjae was still tightly hugging Baekhyeong.

Sigh...

Lee Yunjae took a deep breath, his nose full of Baekhyeong's hair scent. After so many years, it hadn't changed at all, still the same smell.

"Baekhyeong noona... I'm back!" Lee Yunjae whispered in Baekhyeong's ear.

Baekhyeong didn't speak, tears welling up in her eyes, her eyes red and her nose slightly sniffing, tightening her arms around Lee Yunjae.

After five minutes, Lee Yunjae finally let go of Baekhyeong, but Baekhyeong still clung to him tightly.

"Baekhyeong noona... If someone sees me hugging the Asian superstar so intimately, my career will be over... " Lee Yunjae patted Baekhyeong's back.

"You bastard, you've been back for so many days and didn't come to see me!" It had been months since she learned that Lee Yunjae was coming back, but he hadn't visited her, which made her very resentful.

Lee Yunjae reached out to wipe away Baekhyeong's tears, but was rudely pushed away.

"Are you Lee Yunjae? I know you! No matter how good your relationship with Baekhyeong is, you should know your limits. Whether in public or in private, I hope you keep a certain distance from Baekhyeong. It's for your own good. If you try to use Baekhyeong to spread rumors to boost your career, I advise you to stop dreaming. The consequences will be severe! Don't think I'm being rude, I'm just warning you!" The manager looked at Lee Yunjae coldly.

Baekhyeong could be considered S.M. Entertainment's prized possession. If it were under similar circumstances, Lee Soo Man might not care if TVXQ dated, but he absolutely wouldn't allow Baekhyeong to cross the line. S.M. could offer Baekhyeong a very lucrative contract, but they wouldn't allow her to date a man. Baekhyeong's manager not only managed all her activities but also her private life, ensuring she didn't get too close to any man. All this was because Baekhyeong was too special and too successful.

Lee Yunjae was a newly debuted artist. Although he had good relationships with groups like Shinhwa, TVXQ, BoA, Girls' Generation, S.E.S., and HOT, he still lacked recognition. Using friends to boost his fame was understandable. Especially if he were to be linked with a superstar like BoA, the news would spread across Asia the next day. Even if it turned out to be false, it would have a significant negative impact on BoA, while it would benefit Lee Yunjae. Therefore, he had to do everything to prevent this.

"Oppa, don't treat Yunjae like a thief... We haven't seen each other for so many years, can't we even hug?" Baekhyeong countered.

The manager just said coldly, "Baekhyeong, you need to understand that your career is at its peak, and being single adds a lot of value. If a scandal breaks out, it will be a fatal blow to you. As your manager, I need to prevent such accidents, even if it's just a hint, I need to nip it in the bud!"

Baekhyeong felt helpless. Although she was cultivated by S.M., and received the best treatment in the company, with only An Ji Hyun, the oldest 'senior artist' in S.M., on par with her, she had to pay the price of freedom. Every day, except for sleeping, she was 'monitored' by her manager. It was an invisible cage that trapped her.

From initial discomfort to tolerance, then to habit, and finally to numbness, Baekhyeong was completely under Lee Soo Man's control.

"Do you think if I really wanted to be with Baekhyeong noona, Lee Soo Man could stop me?!" Lee Yunjae's eyes seemed to glow with a green light, staring directly at the manager.

"You... " The manager pointed at Lee Yunjae's nose, too angry to speak.

Lee Yunjae pushed his finger away and said, "We're all civilized people, we can talk things out. Don't you know that pointing at someone's nose is very impolite! If it were someone else, your left eye would already be a panda eye!"

In Korea, pointing at someone's nose is a very insulting act, and even if the other person hits you, you can't complain. Who made you point at their nose?

"I... "

The manager hadn't even finished a sentence when Lee Yunjae interrupted him again, "I, I, I, I... What are you saying! Don't worry, I and Baekhyeong noona are just very close like siblings. Don't you know we entered the company together? Don't you know we have a ten-year friendship... Oh, right, when I joined S.M., you were still selling fish in the market..."

Lee Yunjae's words were deliberately meant to provoke the manager, who turned red with anger but couldn't say a word. Indeed, when Lee Yunjae joined S.M., the manager was still selling fish in the market.

At this moment, Baekhyeong intervened to defuse the situation, "Oppa, go help me confirm the performance time with the director, and check if I have any other activities tonight!"

The manager glared at Lee Yunjae and stormed off.

"Years have passed, and your tongue has become sharper!" Baekhyeong gave Lee Yunjae a playful glare and then laughed.

Thinking of the manager's red face, she felt a bit relieved, but she also didn't want any unpleasantness between Lee Yunjae and the manager. The people around her, like the manager and the driver, were all Lee Soo Man's 'trusted confidants,' loyal to him. If the manager added fuel to the fire and said something bad about Lee Yunjae to Lee Soo Man, it wouldn't be good.

Lee Yunjae shrugged indifferently, "Talk to people like people, talk to ghosts like ghosts. Look at him, so arrogant, as if he's Lee Soo Man... making a mountain out of a molehill!"

Baekhyeong rolled her eyes and said, "It's better to avoid trouble. Let's not make enemies if we don't have to. A step back makes the world a wider place, right? Don't argue with them!"

"Hey... What are you guys looking at!" Baekhyeong suddenly saw a wall of people at the end of the corridor, with Jung Yunho, Park Yoochun, Kim Junsu, Kim Jaejoong, and Shim Changmin at the front, the tallest, blocking the way, and Girls' Generation tightly surrounding them.

"Hey... Disperse, disperse, nothing to see, everyone go!" Jung Yunho waved his hand, and the wall of people dispersed.

Hearing this, Lee Yunjae looked deeply at Baekhyeong and sighed inwardly: Baekhyeong noona, one step back, then another, even if the ocean behind you has a limit, will you still choose to step back when you reach the end?!

Let's go all out! Third update! Please collect and recommend!