yournovel Chapter 18 The Starting Point for Both of Them
Chapter 18 The Starting Point for Both of Them
The next morning, around six o'clock, just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Yan woke up.
It wasn't the alarm clock that woke me up; it was the rustling noises outside the door that jolted me awake.
He rubbed his messy hair and pushed open the door, only to see Kim Minjung already changed into the beige outfit Kwon Minwoo had given him, standing in front of the full-length mirror in the living room, repeatedly adjusting the height of his ponytail.
Sometimes it was tied too high, like a rocket, sometimes it was tied too low, drooping behind the neck, sometimes it was tilted to the left, and sometimes it had to be taken apart and started over.
She had clearly been fussing for a while; several hair ties—black, pink, and transparent—were scattered around her.
Jiang Yan leaned against the door frame for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Stop pulling! You're going to pull my hair bald if you keep doing that."
"Oppa!" Kim Minjung glared at him in the mirror, her cheeks puffing out. "I have to meet the HR department staff and the trainee manager today. I have to make a good impression!"
As she spoke, she pursed her lips again in front of the mirror, practicing the smile she would give when meeting her seniors. She couldn't maintain it for more than three seconds before bursting out laughing.
"No, no, I can't pretend to be aloof."
"Who told you to pretend?" Jiang Yan turned and went to the bathroom to wash up. "Just be yourself. What do you want for breakfast? We have toast and eggs at home. I'll make you fried egg toast."
"I'm not hungry!" Kim Minjung waved his hand vigorously.
No sooner had she finished speaking than her stomach let out a loud rumbling sound.
"Um... well, let's eat some then."
"it is good."
After washing up, Jiang Yan went into the kitchen, melted a small piece of butter in a frying pan, fried two soft-boiled eggs, sandwiched them between golden-brown toast, added two crisp lettuce leaves, and squeezed on some ketchup.
The two sat at the dining table in the living room and finished their breakfast, enjoying the morning light streaming in through the balcony.
While Jiang Yan was clearing away the dishes, Jin Minzheng ran to the mirror again and tidied his collar and hair one last time.
The early spring breeze was still a bit chilly, but the sunshine was wonderful, shining on the grand streets as if gilding the entire city.
From Hapjeong to Cheongdam-dong, the entire journey, including the subway and walking, takes about forty minutes.
Kim Minjung kept taking deep breaths and muttering to himself the whole way.
"Kim Minjung, you can do it!"
"It's just SM, what's there to be afraid of!"
"Your mom's still watching over you in Busan!"
He looked exactly like a soldier about to go into battle, giving himself a pep talk.
Jiang Yan walked on her outside, silently shielding her from the crowd of passersby without saying a word.
As he passed the vending machine at the subway exit, he bought two hot Americanos and handed one to her.
The warm paper cup pressed against his palm, dispelling some of the coolness from his fingertips. Kim Minjung looked up at him.
Jiang Yan pursed his lips and said nothing, only gently patting her shoulder.
Kim Minjung thought he was being reassured, so he took a deep breath, brought the hot Americano to his lips, and carefully took a sip.
"puff……"
She was so distressed that her face scrunched up like a steamed bun, her features all squeezed together.
"Oh no! It's so bitter!!!"
"Americano without sugar or milk, of course it's bitter." Jiang Yan leisurely sipped his own drink, looking at her scrunched-up face, a smile hidden in his eyes. "Get used to it in advance. You'll have plenty of this kind of hardship to endure when you're training until the early hours of the morning at SM."
"Oppa, you did that on purpose!"
Kim Minjung made a face, but forced herself to take another small sip. Although it was still so bitter that she frowned, she didn't throw it away. Instead, she slowly drank the whole cup, sip by sip.
It was tough, but she felt that Jiang Yan was right, so she just considered it as getting used to it in advance.
After this little incident, Kim Minjung felt much more relaxed and stopped tripping over his own leg while walking.
After turning the last street corner, the gray glass curtain wall building that had appeared countless times in her dreams suddenly came into view.
SM Entertainment headquarters.
The building is a modernist geometric structure with sharp angles, and its huge and austere glass curtain wall reflects the color of the entire sky under the sunlight.
The security guard at the entrance was wearing a crisp uniform and stood ramrod straight.
People come and go, each dressed in elegant personal clothing, with impeccable makeup, walking briskly, and even speaking in hushed tones. The entire building exudes an efficient yet detached sense of order.
Kim Minjung stood at the entrance of the building, looking up at the huge white SM logo, as if he had been nailed to the ground.
"What's wrong?"
"My... my legs are a little weak."
Her voice trembled, but if you looked closely, the light in her eyes shone brighter than ever before.
Jiang Yan glanced at his watch; it was 8:50.
The HR department is already open for business.
Kim Minjung signed the contract today; he specifically completed the formal onboarding process two days in advance.
If anyone looks down on her, makes things difficult for her, or bullies her because of her seniority, he will be right here.
Even if he is just a new producer who has just joined the company, he has no seniority, no say, and is nothing here.
But he has built up some connections now, so if something really happens, he can stand by her side immediately.
"Let's go." Jiang extended her hand, palm facing upward.
Kim Minjung looked at his outstretched hand, then looked up at the building again.
She took a deep breath, and instead of taking his hand, she clenched her fist.
Then, she lifted her foot and took her first step steadily.
"Oppa, I've grown up now. My fellow trainees will laugh at me if they see this."
The sunlight fell on her back, stretching her small, thin figure very long.
Jiang Yan stood there, watching the small figure with a high ponytail walk step by step towards the revolving glass doors of the SM building.
She walked steadily, without looking back, her steps more firm than ever before.
Jiang Yan looked down at his hand, which was still hanging in mid-air. His fingertips curled slightly, and then he slowly pulled it back, put it in his coat pocket, and a smile that he couldn't quite describe appeared on his lips.
The little kid who used to hold hands with me everywhere I went has now pushed my hand away and said he's grown up.
Jiang Yan looked up at the huge white logo on the top of the SM building. The morning light spilled out from the edge of the logo, making him squint slightly.
He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling the feeling in his chest that was hard to describe as either relief or disappointment, and then followed after him.
The interior of the SM building was even more spacious than Kim Min-jung had imagined.
The lobby has a high ceiling that spans three stories. The smooth, off-white marble floor reflects the huge circular LED screen overhead, which is playing music videos of the company's artists on a loop. The images change silently, like an endless exhibition.
The receptionist, dressed in a black uniform, swiped her employee ID card expressionlessly. Occasionally, a few young people who looked like trainees would come out of the elevator. They would pass each other without even exchanging glances, like marbles fixed on a track, each rolling towards their own destination.
Kim Minjung stood inside the revolving door, trying to appear calm, but his round eyes still wandered around uncontrollably.
The crystal chandelier on the ceiling floats down to the densely packed platinum records on the wall, and then from the platinum records to the gray security door at the end of the corridor that requires facial recognition to enter.
Jiang Yan stood half a step behind her and gently patted her shoulder.
Through the beige coat, he could feel the girl's shoulder muscles were taut like a fully drawn bowstring.
"Let's go. I'll take you to the HR department to register first, and then you can start working."
"Aniga! I'm going to practice, not to work!"
"Oh, right, that thing is much harder than going to work."
"Hey! Oppa! How could you say that?!"