Chapter 104: Your Train of Thought Is Completely Out of Sync With Mine

As an agent with a penchant for efficiency, Im Soo-ho acted quickly. Apparently preoccupied with other matters, he dropped Chen Zhe and Krystal off at a Chinese restaurant. After warning Chen Zhe to be wary of paparazzi and instructing him to get in touch once they finished eating, he hurried off again.

Fully disguised, Chen Zhe and Krystal entered the restaurant and were led by a waiter to a private room. Once they had ordered their food and drinks and the waiter had served their juice, the pair finally took off their masks, sunglasses, and baseball caps. They took long, satisfied sips of the refreshing juice to soothe the summer heat.

"Zhe, when are you heading to the set of 'Reply 1997'? The girls from Girls' Generation said they want to come support you!" Having seemingly adjusted to the situation, Krystal spoke with more ease and naturalness. She gently stirred her mango juice with a straw, asking the question as if it were a casual afterthought.

"Are only the girls from Girls' Generation coming to support me? Aren't you planning to come, Noona?" Catching the blind spot in her words, Chen Zhe feigned a pitiful expression, acting as if he were deeply saddened by the prospect of her not coming.

"You... idiot, stop making that face!" Even though she knew Chen Zhe was just teasing and that his expression was entirely performative, she found herself inexplicably susceptible to it. She immediately delivered a playful karate chop to his head.

"Also, you've already started using informal language with me in private, so why have you gone back to calling me Noona?" Krystal’s hand didn't stop, raining down light, rapid chops on his head. To Chen Zhe, the dissatisfaction in her tone felt more like shyness.

"Then I’ll just call you Krystal from now on!" Hearing this, Chen Zhe’s eyes lit up. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and looked at her with a grin, clearly delighted by her reaction.

"Hmph, you can call me whatever you want, you idiot!" Her tsundere side seemingly back in action, Krystal felt the warmth from his grip on her wrist. She gave a small huff, her cheeks flushing, and turned her head away.

"So, is 'idiot' your version of informal address for me? It’s certainly unique, Krystal!" Leaning closer to her ear, Chen Zhe whispered, his warm breath brushing against her. He could clearly see the crimson hue spreading from her earlobes across her entire ear.

"Of course not, who would use a term like that! And don't try to change the subject; you still haven't answered my question!" Stung by his teasing, Krystal glared at him with feigned annoyance before tapping his hand with her free one, signaling him to let go.

"I honestly don't know the specific start date yet. I'll have to wait until after the meeting in a few days; I assume they'll announce the schedule then!" Obediently releasing her, Chen Zhe tilted his head with a smile and spread his hands, indicating he truly was in the dark.

"Well, once you find out the exact schedule, make sure to let me know so I can tell the girls. They’re still waiting for the news," Krystal said, her eyes darting away to avoid his gaze, her words clearly contradicting her true feelings.

"Yes, I’ll be sure to tell you first, Krystal!" Seeing through her pretense, Chen Zhe didn't call her out. He simply nodded with a smile, promising that she would be the first to know.

Just as they finished speaking, the waiter began serving their dishes. The two stopped talking, focusing entirely on their meal; after a grueling morning, they were both genuinely hungry.

——————Time Skip——————

After lunch, Im Soo-ho picked them up and drove them back to LOEN. For some post-meal downtime, they took a leisurely walk on the rooftop of the LOEN building before returning to the recording studio.

"How was the break? Feeling confident about the recording this time?" Bae Soo-yong looked them over. Noticing the change in their demeanor compared to the morning—the awkwardness was gone, replaced by a natural, easy interaction—he nodded with satisfaction and asked his question with a smile.

"Yes, we’re confident, Teacher Bae/Director Bae!" Chen Zhe and Krystal replied in unison, their voices filled with assurance. The main reason they hadn't performed well earlier was the awkward incident, but now that they had cleared the air and grown closer, their confidence was much higher.

"Excellent, that’s the spirit! Remember this state of mind and let's get started!" Hearing their synchronized response, Bae Soo-yong was even more pleased. He clapped his hands, clearly satisfied with their attitude.

After reviewing their sheet music and warming up their voices, the recording resumed. This session was a complete success; the two tracks were approved by Bae Soo-yong on the second take, finalizing the Korean duo version of "Melody."

"Very good, you two did a fantastic job this time!" As Chen Zhe and Krystal emerged from the booth and removed their headphones, Bae Soo-yong swiveled his chair to face them, clapping and offering generous praise.

"Thank you, Teacher Bae/Director Bae, for your hard work as well!" Flustered by the compliments, the two bowed politely in response.

"Right, you two can take some free time for yourselves now. Try not to disturb me, I need to focus on finishing up the final processing of the tracks!" After a few more words, Bae Soo-yong told them they were free to go. However, remembering the awkward incident from the morning, he added a special reminder, clearly worried that their bickering might interfere with his work.

"Yes, Teacher Bae/Director Bae, we'll head out now!" Understanding exactly what he meant, Chen Zhe and Krystal both felt a pang of embarrassment. After another polite bow, they left the studio.

Since it was still early, the two decided to linger at LOEN for a while longer. Led by Chen Zhe, they made their way to the employee lounge on the second floor.