Chapter Eighty-Eight: The First Encounter with Apink

Hearing Jung Eun-ji’s words, Park Cho-rong did not react strongly. She merely nodded faintly, as though she had long since expected this. The ones who had no preparation, on the other hand, were startled by the news. Apart from Chen Zhe, Jung Eun-ji, and Park Cho-rong, everyone else stood frozen in place, their faces carrying an unmistakable look of astonishment.

“Mm, let’s go inside and talk first. If someone sees us outside, it’ll be a little troublesome.” Seeing the younger girls in her group all standing there in a daze, Park Cho-rong gave a helpless shake of her head. Then she turned her gaze back to Chen Zhe, offered him a gentle, sweet smile, and spoke in her distinctive baby-soft voice, saying something no one could refute.

“Wait, wait—Ah Zhe becoming Eun-ji unnie’s little brother, I had absolutely no idea about this!” As Park Cho-rong’s words brought everyone back to their senses, Oh Hayoung was the first to react. Looking at Jung Eun-ji and Chen Zhe, her expression was one of utter disbelief.

“All right, all right, let’s go inside before we talk about this!” Before Chen Zhe and Jung Eun-ji could even speak, Yoon Bomi and Kim Namjoo each grabbed one of Oh Hayoung’s arms and, half coaxing and half dragging her like a child, forcibly led her into the house.

“Ah Zhe, let’s go in too!” Seeing that Hong Yookyung, the second youngest of her group, had already taken the fruit bag containing apples and pears and gone in ahead of them, Jung Eun-ji let go of Chen Zhe’s shoulder. After patting him lightly with a smile, she took his arm and led him toward the house. Chen Zhe, still lost in thought, was caught off guard and staggered as he was pulled along.

“Noona, are you holding my arm because you’re worried I might run away? But wow, noona, you really are strong. The Busan tomboy reputation is no joke!” Reacting quickly, Chen Zhe immediately braced himself with his legs and waist, steadied his body at once, and shot Jung Eun-ji a helpless glance, unable to resist teasing her.

“You little punk, how dare you tease your noona!” Hearing his lightly mocking complaint, Jung Eun-ji could not help glaring at him. Then she lifted a hand and gave his back a firm slap, as though trying to teach this disrespectful new younger brother a lesson and show the dignity a noona should have.

“All right, you two stop fooling around and come in already!” Watching Jung Eun-ji and Chen Zhe roughhouse, Park Cho-rong’s lips curved into a faint smile. She seemed genuinely pleased by the sight, but she still chose to interrupt, stopping the two of them from making a scene at the entrance to the Apink dorm.

“Yes, Cho-rong sunbae.”

“Yes, Cho-rong unnie!”

At Park Cho-rong’s words, both Chen Zhe and Jung Eun-ji stopped at once, answering in unison. Their uncannily synchronized movements and speech startled Park Cho-rong yet again.

After patting her chest and settling her emotions, Park Cho-rong turned her eyes back to the pair, made a welcoming gesture, and indicated that they should go in first. She would follow at the end and close the door.

Seeing her gesture, Jung Eun-ji tugged Chen Zhe’s hand, signaling him to go in first with the watermelon while she brought up the rear. Chen Zhe glanced at her helplessly, but did not hesitate. Carrying the watermelon, he went inside first. After taking off his shoes and changing into the indoor slippers Park Cho-rong handed him, he passed through the entryway into the Apink dormitory’s living room.

Once in the living room, Chen Zhe set the fruit bag containing the watermelon on the coffee table. Then Jung Eun-ji, who had followed behind him, pulled him down onto a two-seater sofa.

“Would Chen Zhe-shi like water or a drink? I’ll go get it for you!” Hong Yookyung had also set the bag of apples and pears on the table. With a quiet smile, she looked at Chen Zhe, who had been dragged down by Jung Eun-ji and still seemed not to have fully reacted.

“Water is fine, thank you, Hong Yookyung sunbae!” Hearing Hong Yookyung call his name, and being tugged again by Jung Eun-ji, Chen Zhe finally came to himself. He smiled and nodded at her, saying what he wanted to drink.

Hearing that water would do, Hong Yookyung nodded and asked whether room-temperature boiled water was all right. After receiving Chen Zhe’s affirmative answer, she headed alone toward the kitchen to get him some water.

“All right, Ah Zhe, you still haven’t answered my question from just now. How did you suddenly become Eun-ji unnie’s little brother? How is it that I know nothing about this?” After answering Hong Yookyung’s question about the drink, Chen Zhe fell silent again and started thinking. He felt as though something was off, but for the moment he could not put his finger on it.

Just then, Oh Hayoung’s faint, lingering voice sounded by his ear, interrupting his thoughts once more. Still somewhat dazed and not fully recovered, Chen Zhe instinctively looked up—only to find Oh Hayoung’s face already right before his eyes. Her youthful features carried a faint, delicate fragrance.

Oh Hayoung’s sudden move successfully startled Chen Zhe. He reflexively rose, and the result was that their foreheads collided with a dull thud. The sound made even Jung Eun-ji, sitting beside Chen Zhe, feel a twinge of pain in her teeth; as an onlooker, she could not help wincing on their behalf, let alone the two people involved.

The two of them separated quickly, both foreheads instantly turning red. Their brows had knitted into tight knots as they endured the momentary dizziness and the lingering ache. Chen Zhe covered his forehead with his hand and drew in a hiss of breath, as though trying to ease the pain that way.