Chapter Ninety: The Apink Dormitory March-Starlight Shines on the Peninsula(A traveler in a green robe wanders through misty mountains veiled in rain.)

Seeing Chen Zhe coughing violently, as though he might choke and lose his breath at any moment, Park Cho-rong hurriedly rose to her feet, intending to pat him on the back. But she had not expected Jung Eun-ji, usually so bold and unguarded, to move first. She came to Chen Zhe’s side and gently rubbed his back with her palm, easing the fit of coughing for him with practiced ease.

“All right, no need to keep patting me, noona. I just need a moment to recover,” Chen Zhe said at last, once his breathing had steadied a little. He stopped coughing hard and waved toward Jung Eun-ji to signal that she could stop, that he only needed to compose himself.

Seeing his gesture, Jung Eun-ji also stopped rubbing his back, though a trace of worry still lingered on her face.

“Phew, I nearly choked myself to death. Senior Hong Yu-kyung, your topic just now was way too dangerous!” Chen Zhe said, tapping his own chest and rolling his eyes at Hong Yu-kyung. He was thoroughly helpless against the perilous subject she had raised, though thankfully his violent coughing fit had successfully shifted the conversation elsewhere.

“Hahaha, so then, Ah-zhe, what was the reason you became an entertainer? Can you tell us? If it involves your privacy, then forget it!” It was not only Hong Yu-kyung who was curious about this question; the others in A Pink, including Chen Zhe’s close friend Oh Ha-young, were equally eager to know why he had suddenly chosen the path of an entertainer.

“This isn’t really private. About that Melody video, seniors, you should all have seen it, right?” Looking at the A Pink members who were watching him with curious eyes, Chen Zhe shook his head somewhat helplessly. Since it was hardly a secret, he decided to explain it openly.

“We saw it, we saw it. Back then, it was even the maknae herself who confirmed that the performer was you. At the time, none of us had imagined that the maknae’s new close friend would be so impressive!” At Chen Zhe’s words, the members of A Pink nodded repeatedly. Every one of them had watched that stage performance, and each had seen it several times, giving them a clear sense of just how remarkable Chen Zhe’s singing was.

“When I went up to perform, I discovered that I loved the feeling of standing on stage and singing. So, in order to keep enjoying that feeling, I chose to enter the entertainment industry and debut as an entertainer. After comparing the entertainment industries in China and Korea, I found the Korean one to be more professional, so I decided to debut here!”

Recalling that sensation, the exhilaration that made his heart race and his blood surge, a faint smile rose at the corners of Chen Zhe’s mouth without his even noticing. His voice, too, carried a note of joy.

“So Ah-zhe, you became an entertainer because you wanted to enjoy the feeling of performing on stage!” Looking at Chen Zhe, smiling so lightly and appearing so relaxed and bright, Oh Ha-young could not help but smile as well, as if his cheerfulness had somehow infected her.

“Still, I didn’t expect you to go into acting too, Ah-zhe. Are you aiming to develop into a truly all-round entertainer? But that must be very hard and exhausting, right?” Though Chen Zhe seemed relaxed and cheerful, Jung Eun-ji could still see the thick fatigue gathered between his brows. Her voice, too, softened with concern.

“Even though a packed schedule is indeed exhausting—especially when I was staying up late to practice before—that was probably the hardest stretch of days I’ve ever had. It felt as though every day dragged on like a year. And yet, those days also taught me so much, and gave me the feeling that I was filling myself out, becoming more complete.”

Though Jung Eun-ji had seen through him, Chen Zhe still kept that easy expression, the smile never leaving his lips. Even today, before coming to the dinner gathering, he had still been squeezing in practice and catching up on lessons. He had not wasted even a sliver of time, keeping himself taut and tightly drawn, leaving almost no idle moments at all. And he, too, genuinely liked that feeling of making himself fuller.

“Liking to enrich yourself is indeed a good thing. That is the only way one can keep improving. Chen Zhe’s example is worth learning from!” As the eldest among A Pink, Park Cho-rong had always looked after the younger girls in the group, and she was also quite concerned about their studies. Now that she saw in Chen Zhe someone younger still, yet worthy of being a model, she took the opportunity to educate her younger sisters.

“Hahaha, if Senior Cho-rong says that, it’ll just make me proud of myself!” Seeing that he had become the kind of “other people’s child” praised by Park Cho-rong, and noticing his close friend staring at him intently, lips lightly bitten and cheeks slightly puffed in that particular expression, Chen Zhe hurriedly put on an embarrassed look. He scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly, hoping to brush the matter aside.

“Oh, right, Unnie Cho-rong, that watermelon and those apples and pears were all gifts Ah-zhe specially bought for everyone when he came to visit!” Sensing the little exchange between Chen Zhe and Oh Ha-young, Jung Eun-ji gave a helpless shake of her head and spoke up as well, helping Chen Zhe shift the conversation. After all, given Chen Zhe’s current skills at changing the subject, he was really not very good at it.