novellhall Chapter 4 Do you like Taeyeon that much?
Chapter 4 Do you like Taeyeon that much?
The waiting room fell silent, and everyone looked at Kwon Yuri.
Lee Soon-kyu was a little confused. Had Yuri and Ji-hyung oppa met before?
Her gaze swept back and forth between Lee Ji-haeng and Kwon Yuri.
These two people don't seem like they'd ever cross paths.
Immediately afterwards, Kim Hyoyeon, who believed she had seen through everything, broke the silence.
She looked at Kwon Yuri with a mischievous grin: "Seriously, Yuri? That kind of old-fashioned pickup line isn't popular anymore."
Choi Soo-young chimed in, "While Lee Ji-haeng seems to be your type, you can't be in such a rush!"
Tiffany blinked, then said blankly, "Huh? Yuri's going to steal Sunny's man?"
"Hey! Silly Pani! What are you saying?!"
"No, it's just that it looks really familiar!" Kwon Yuri argued anxiously.
Lee Soon-kyu glanced helplessly at the sixth sister, just about to try and smooth things over for her.
Unexpectedly, Li Zhixing suddenly stepped forward.
He stared at Kwon Yuri, his tone expectant: "When?"
"what?"
Kwon Yuri was startled by his sudden approach and instinctively leaned back slightly.
Li Zhixing pressed on, asking, "Yuri-xi, when did you first see me?"
Sensing the seriousness in Lee Ji-haeng's tone, Kwon Yuri tried hard to recall, then hesitated and said, "I can't remember... was it last year? Or the year before?"
Upon hearing this ambiguous answer, the light in Li Zhixing's eyes dimmed.
"So that's how it is."
Li Zhixing took a half step back, the seriousness on his face vanishing in an instant.
"That must have been a chance encounter."
He said in a matter-of-fact tone, "After all, with my appearance, even if it's just a chance encounter, it's hard to forget."
"Tch~"
The girls in the waiting room paused for a second, then burst into a chorus of boos and laughter.
"Oh, has Zhixing always been this narcissistic?"
"It's true he's handsome, but saying it out loud is really annoying!"
"Sun-kyu, your friend's skin is even thicker than yours!"
"Hey! Choi Sooyoung, what do you mean?!" Lee Soon-kyu's eyes widened, but she couldn't help but laugh along.
Sometimes, this kind of unconventional "thick-skinnedness" is much more effective than a polite bow and greeting.
After a few jokes, the initial awkwardness and unfamiliarity of meeting for the first time dissipated completely.
"Go eat your food!"
Lee Soon-kyu ignored the members who were still gossiping and pulled Lee Ji-hyung towards a corner of the waiting room.
At a small round table in the corner, Kim Tae-yeon rested her chin on her hand, a faint smile on her lips.
Compared to the members who were making a ruckus just now, she sat quietly in front of the computer, watching the show like an outsider.
Her eyes held a curious look as she looked at Lee Soon-kyu, this friend who had suddenly appeared and was somewhat unpredictable.
Seeing the two walking towards her, Taeyeon looked up and her gaze naturally fell on Lee Ji-hyung.
"Taeyeon!"
Lee Soon-kyu leaned forward like she was showing off a treasure, her tone tinged with a hint of smugness, "Ji-hsing oppa is a fan of yours! He said you're his favorite singer!"
Li Zhixing looked down at the pale, petite, and even somewhat weak "little devil captain" in front of him.
If he hadn't heard it with his own ears, he would have found it hard to believe that such a thin, small body could produce such an infectious and penetrating singing voice.
"Taeyeon-ssi, I really like your singing voice."
Upon hearing the fans' praise, Kim Tae-yeon skillfully switched to "idol mode".
She stood up, a perfectly timed smile of surprise and gratitude appearing on her face, and bowed slightly, saying, "Really? Thank you so much. It's my honor to receive Zhixing's affirmation."
"That's not all!" Lee Soon-kyu added enthusiastically from the side, "Even Zhixing Oppa's ringtone is your song 'If'!"
Kim Tae-yeon's eyes lit up.
For a singer to have their songs set as ringtones is undoubtedly the greatest recognition of their talent.
This gave her a genuine sense of pleasure, and she proactively suggested, "Then... would you like me to sign your autograph?"
"sign?"
Li Zhixing's expression turned somewhat strange.
He turned his head slightly and glanced at a figure on the opposite sofa who was still fast asleep with his head covered.
He then unexpectedly refused, saying, "Forget about the autograph; I already had it a long time ago."
"However, does Taeyeon have any plans to release a new solo album soon? It's been a while since we've heard any new music from you since 'Can You Hear Me' last year, which is a bit of a shame."
Kim Tae-yeon was slightly taken aback, not expecting that he not only refused to sign an autograph, but also naturally urged her to start talking about the new song.
"Whether we release a new song depends on the company's arrangements, but..."
She seemed to remember something, glanced at Lee Soon-kyu beside her, and her eyes became mischievous: "There will indeed be a new OST in a while, it's an insert song for the drama 'Heading the Ball to the Ground' produced by our company."
"But it's not a solo, it's a duet with Sunkyu."
Li Zhixing raised an eyebrow slightly.
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Lee Soon-kyu beside him, his tone carrying a hint of teasing:
"So Sunny was involved too... I guess I'll have to figure out how to extract Taeyeon's audio track separately."
Lee Soon-kyu was instantly annoyed.
"Hey! Li Zhixing, don't go too far!" She angrily grabbed a wad of tissues from the table and threw it at him.
"This is my first OST!"
Lee Ji-hsing slightly tilted his head to dodge the paper ball, and seeing Soon-kyu jumping up and down, he finally couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Just kidding. Since Soon-kyu is involved, I will definitely enjoy this song."
Kim Tae-yeon was amused by the familiar interaction between the two and covered her mouth to giggle.
She looked at the man in front of her, and a sense of curiosity arose in her heart.
Sun-kyu has a good personality and can get along with anyone.
But this is the first time Taeyeon has met a male friend like this, with whom she can joke and tease each other without any reservations, yet still maintain a sense of propriety so as not to be disliked.
The two definitely don't look like a couple; they're more like longtime buddies who have been bickering for a while.
"So good-looking, with a clean and composed demeanor, and such refined manners... Where did Sunkyu find such a friend?" Taeyeon muttered to herself.
At the other table, Choi Soo-young and Kim Hyo-yeon had already turned their attention back to lunch.
Kwon Yuri ate half-heartedly, her brows furrowed, trying to recall where she had seen Lee Ji-hyung before.
She always felt that this seemed very important.
Pani's mind was clearly not on the meal; she kept glancing at the small round table out of the corner of her eye.
Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Does Zhixing usually... only listen to Taeyeon's songs?"
"Um?"
Meeting Tiffany's gaze, Lee Ji-hsing instantly understood her little secret and smiled in perfect agreement: "How could that be? Actually, I've been listening to Tiffany-ssi's songs too. Her recent song 'I'm Alone' is really good."
Pani's eyes instantly curved into crescent moons with a smile: "Really?"
Lee Soon-kyu, standing to the side, rolled her eyes, seemingly wanting to get a little revenge on Lee Ji-hyung for his earlier teasing. She deliberately dragged out her words to stir things up: "It seems like Ji-hyung oppa also likes Tiffany. Should we consider switching to another fan?"
"Huh? Is that okay?"
Pani stared at him expectantly.
Hearing this blatant attempt to poach her partner, Kim Tae-yeon raised an eyebrow, looking at Lee Ji-hyung with a mixture of amusement and a competitive spirit, as if waiting for his response.
Li Zhixing glanced at Li Shungui speechlessly.
He then stroked his chin and pretended to be deep in thought.
His act of seemingly seriously weighing the options piqued everyone's interest.
Two seconds later, Li Zhixing sighed and spread his hands with a regretful expression: "That seems a bit difficult!"
Tiffany's smile froze, and she pouted in dissatisfaction, complaining, "What?! You like Taeyeon that much?"
"Hahaha--"
Seeing Tiffany's embarrassed expression, Lee Soon-kyu, Kim Hyo-yeon, and the others burst into laughter.
Taeyeon also breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief, and then pursed her lips.
They were laughing together in the waiting room.
Jessica, who had been taking a nap on the sofa in the corner, was finally woken up.
She shifted restlessly in the blanket.
"Shut up... What are you all arguing about now?"
"Jessica, wake up! Sunny's friend brought some delicious food!" Kim Hyoyeon called out to her.
Jessica slowly sat up, yawning slightly with her messy blonde hair.
Then, with some difficulty, he opened his eyes.
Then, she saw the man at the small round table opposite her, who happened to turn his gaze towards her.
Jessica was stunned.
"Hey! Li Zhixing! What are you doing here???"
......