Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Slightly Inexperienced Youths

Listening to Jung Soo-jung’s unique voice singing “Melody,” fragments of memories that Chen Zhe had deliberately tried to forget resurfaced deep in his mind. Though those recollections were already shattered and incomplete, one phrase echoed persistently in his thoughts: “The girl who mattered to me…”
“Melody” (duet), “The melody in my mind keeps spinning.”
“Loved you” (duet), “There are so many words I forgot to tell you.”
“Melody” (duet), “Countless moving notes fill my life.”
“Loved you” (duet), “Only after losing you do I realize I should have cherished you.”
Those fragments of memory, though broken and indistinct, conveyed an inexplicable sadness to Chen Zhe, a sorrow that welled up from within and subtly altered his mood. His voice gradually took on a tender, mournful quality.
“The song I couldn’t write for you at the time remains my eternal regret when love is gone.”
“If all the mistakes could be made over again, would the outcome change?”
“The song that finally ends with a rest” (duet), “I listen to the memories flowing through every note” (Jung Soo-jung’s harmony: “memories flowing through”).
“Why, after so many years” (Jung Soo-jung’s harmony: “so many years later”), “can I still not say goodbye” (Jung Soo-jung’s harmony: “say goodbye”).

Because of those fragments, Chen Zhe’s mood grew increasingly subdued. He still didn’t know to whom that phrase referred, but the sadness it evoked was genuine, deeply stirring his heart.
Thanks to Chen Zhe’s emotional outburst, this session of recording was unexpectedly successful. Aside from a brief lapse at the beginning when he was lost in memories—causing a minor mistake—the rest of the segments were performed brilliantly by both Chen Zhe and Jung Soo-jung.
“Very good. You two did exceptionally well. Rest a bit, then record the first and second sections again,” Bae Soo-yong said softly, turning in his chair and, for once, showing a hint of satisfaction as Chen Zhe and Jung Soo-jung exited the recording booth.
“Thank you, Director Bae!” Having regained his composure, Chen Zhe glanced at Bae Soo-yong in surprise. He had heard of this director’s formidable reputation at the company—rarely did anyone receive praise from him. Now, having been complimented, Chen Zhe exchanged a look with Jung Soo-jung; both bowed to express their gratitude.
“Zhe, what are you thinking about?” Jung Soo-jung asked quietly after wetting her throat with mineral water. As they settled back onto the sofa, she noticed Chen Zhe was still in a daze, gripping his bottle but not opening it. Puzzled, she tilted her head and poked his shoulder with a finger.
But Chen Zhe seemed utterly lost in his world, neither hearing her voice nor noticing her gesture, continuing to stare blankly ahead.
Seeing he was ignoring her, Jung Soo-jung’s cheeks puffed out like a bun, clearly a bit annoyed. She stopped poking his shoulder and instead raised her hand to poke directly at his cheek.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Chen Zhe, just snapping out of his reverie, felt a finger pressing hard into his cheek, making a small indentation around it. Still slightly confused, he turned to look at Jung Soo-jung, keeping his cheek pressed.
“Hmph!” Jung Soo-jung snorted when he finally responded, gave one last poke, then withdrew her hand, crossed her arms, and turned her head away, still pouting and refusing to acknowledge him.
“Hey, why is your face so puffed up? Even if So-yeon came over, she probably wouldn’t recognize you!” Chen Zhe scratched his head, baffled by her sulky demeanor—he had no idea what had triggered it. But though he couldn’t figure out why, he knew exactly what to do next: he pulled out his phone, pretending to take a photo.

“Hmph, you just love teasing me, don’t you?” Though her head was turned, Jung Soo-jung was still paying attention to him. Seeing his actions, she reached to snatch his phone away. Chen Zhe, anticipating her move, raised his phone higher, showing no intention of handing it over. Annoyed, Jung Soo-jung punched him lightly in the chest and got up to grab it.
Chen Zhe’s lips curled into a smile, ready to tease her further. He stood up as well, holding the phone a bit higher, smiling broadly at her without saying a word.
Looking up at Chen Zhe, whose height was nearly 180 centimeters, Jung Soo-jung glared at him, calculated the height of his raised phone, and began stretching as if warming up for a sport. After finishing, she stood on tiptoe and, before Chen Zhe could react, jumped up, reaching for the phone.
At that moment, a coincidence occurred. Chen Zhe instinctively stepped back, moving the phone further away, shifting his weight backward.
Jung Soo-jung, focused entirely on the phone, saw his hand retreat and lunged forward, stretching desperately toward it.
When she finally grabbed the phone, her body was nearly pressed against his, her face almost touching his. Achieving her goal, Jung Soo-jung exhaled unconsciously, and that warm breath brushed against Chen Zhe’s cheek—the final straw.
With his cheeks slightly flushed, Chen Zhe stumbled backward, as though tripping over something, and fell onto the sofa. Jung Soo-jung, whose momentum was still forward, followed him and toppled onto the sofa as well, the two of them colliding with a loud crash.
The noise was so loud that even Bae Soo-yong, wearing headphones and reviewing the newly recorded song, heard it clearly. Thinking something heavy had fallen, he quickly removed his headphones and looked toward the source of the sound. When he saw what had happened, he froze, apparently stunned by the scene before him.