Chapter 141: Behind-the-Scenes Anecdotes-Starlight Shines on the Peninsula(A traveler in a green robe wanders through misty mountains veiled in rain.)

The reason Krystal reverted to that state, aside from the LOEN cameraman capturing footage for the debut reality show, was the presence of people who had come to support Chen Zhe. Alongside their fellow SM artists, there were also celebrities from various other agencies.

For instance, Chen Zhe’s very first close friend in Korea and her fellow group members, as well as Eun Ji-won, a senior actor he had met on the drama set, were all there. The appearance of so many unfamiliar faces coupled with rolling cameras made it little wonder that Krystal felt somewhat unaccustomed to the environment.

"Maknae, why have you been staring at Sunbae Krystal and Chen Zhe-xi this whole time?"

Being Chen Zhe's first friend in Korea, Oh Ha-young scanned the two of them with a perplexed gaze. She had a lingering sense that the atmosphere between Krystal and Chen Zhe had shifted into something unusual.

Noticing the odd behavior of the youngest member beside her, Park Cho-rong, acting like a motherly leader, quickly reached out to tap her shoulder, lowering her voice with a reminder. Merely observing Chen Zhe casually would have been harmless.

However, scrutinizing senior Krystal in such a manner was inappropriate. If anyone noticed, it could easily be misconstrued as a lack of manners.

"Ah, unnie, it's fine! I was just suddenly curious about something!"

Startled by the tap, Oh Ha-young quickly recovered her composure and slowly averted her gaze from the faces of Chen Zhe and Krystal. She claimed everything was fine, though her tone dipped noticeably lower.

"Curious? Curious about what? Oh, I see—our maknae is finally growing up!"

Hearing the sudden drop in the youngest's tone, Park Cho-rong paused, asking a subconscious question out of curiosity. Receiving no immediate answer, she turned her head to look at Chen Zhe and Krystal herself.

Seeming to realize something a moment later, she patted Oh Ha-young’s shoulder once more, her voice softening into a teasing lilt.

"All right, Che-ah, grab your signed CDs. I'll take you to greet the senior singers. Don't leave people with the impression that you're an impolite newcomer."

To support her junior labelmate today, Lee Ji-eun—who should have been resting at home with no scheduled activities—had specifically come to Music Bank.

Yet, to her surprise, her junior possessed an astonishingly wide network, ranging from top-tier veterans like Eun Ji-won and powerhouse groups like Girls' Generation and Super Junior, all the way down to a rookie girl group just one year into their debut.

Lee Ji-eun was tempted to tease him about whether he was a social butterfly, but checking the time, she swallowed the urge and told Chen Zhe to get ready so she could lead him to greet the seniors promoting during the same broadcast cycle.

"I'll come with you guys too. I'm here representing the drama crew to hold down the fort for our little maknae."

Just as Chen Zhe and Lee Ji-eun finished coordinating with the rest of the supporters and prepared to leave, Eun Ji-won dusted off his trousers and stood up alongside them.

After stretching his limbs and noticing the eyes of the entire waiting room fixed on him, he waved his hand with a smile and spoke.

Beyond representing the drama crew to cheer Chen Zhe on, Eun Ji-won’s connection with Chen Zhe had deepened significantly over the course of filming.

No longer viewing Chen Zhe merely as a promising junior, he had begun to regard him as a younger brother. Hearing that an established solo artist was also making a comeback during this broadcast cycle, he worried that Lee Ji-eun alone might lack the seniority to command the room, and thus decided to accompany them and lend weight.

"Then we should also—"

"No, Heechul-oppa, you and the noonas don't need to come. Ji-won-hyung and Ji-eun-noona are quite enough. If too many people go, I'm afraid others will think I'm here to pick a fight!"

Seeing that the veteran Eun Ji-won was tagging along, Kim Heechul, Shindong, Im Yoon-ah, and the other SM artists could no longer sit still, quickly rising to join the entourage.

Before they could finish, however, Chen Zhe cut them off. Bringing a massive troop of top-tier seniors to greet other artists would undoubtedly look like an aggressive intimidation tactic.

Moreover, parading a huge crowd through the backstage corridors of Music Bank felt altogether too awkward, prompting Chen Zhe to reject their offer without hesitation.

***

Some time had passed since Lee Ji-eun and Eun Ji-won ventured out with the novice Chen Zhe to greet the seniors. Within the dressing room, the remaining SM artists had drifted into scattered conversations in twos and threes.

Only Park Cho-rong and Oh Ha-young, standing off in a corner, looked somewhat out of place. Everyone else present was their senior, making it difficult for the two rookies to chime in.

"Annyeonghaseyo, you must be Oh Ha-young-xi, Che-ah's very first friend in Korea, and her leader, Park Cho-rong-xi, right? I'm Chen Zhe's noona. My younger brother has always been a handful, so thank you for taking care of him!"

Today marked the milestone of her younger brother's debut, an event Chen Yuqi would never miss. She had arrived alongside the members of Girls' Generation.

Amidst the chatter, she had immediately spotted the isolated figures of Park Cho-rong and Oh Ha-young. Since Chen Zhe, the host of the room, was away greeting seniors, Chen Yuqi assumed the responsibility of tending to the guests as his older sister.

Naturally, she had no intention of cold-shouldering anyone who had turned up to support her brother.

Thus, upon noticing the pair standing alone, she had recruited Im Yoon-ah—renowned for her exceptional social skills and mischievous charm—to help break the ice.

As for how she knew them, Chen Zhe had secretly introduced them to his sister upon arrival precisely so she could manage social duties in his absence.

"Hello, Chen Yuqi-xi, Yoon-ah-sunbae. It's actually our maknae who has consistently troubled Chen Zhe-xi!"

Seeing that her youngest member had frozen up, perhaps out of shyness, and failed to respond, Park Cho-rong had no choice but to step forward and shoulder the conversation.

"Are you Park Cho-rong-xi, the leader of Apink, and Oh Ha-young-xi, the maknae? Annyeonghaseyo, I'm Im Yoon-ah of Girls' Generation. It's wonderful to meet you, and thank you so much for coming out to cheer for our little brother Chen Zhe today!"

Smoothing down the slightly rumpled hem of her outfit from their earlier horseplay, Im Yoon-ah cleared her throat and flashed a warm, amiable smile. Backed by her formidable social prowess, she proved to be the ultimate assistant to Chen Zhe and Chen Yuqi.

"Oh, if I recall correctly, you're Apink, the group that debuted just last year, right? I never expected that you two knew Che-ah as well."

Just as Park Cho-rong was about to reply to Im Yoon-ah, a cool, melodic voice cut smoothly into the conversation.

At the sound, all four women turned their heads toward the source, instantly spotting Krystal approaching them with a bright smile playing at the corners of her lips.