A bowl of kimchi ramen

  "How are you still here?" Yoon Hyun walked out of the LOEN building and saw Lee Ji-eun, who was still wandering around outside, so he greeted her, "Aren't you going back to class?"

  "It's been a really long time since I've gone to school." Lee Ji-eun said with some embarrassment.

  Yoon Hyeon was taken aback for a moment. It seemed that none of the trainees in the entertainment industry had good academic performance either...

  "Aren't you going home?" Yoon Hyun changed the subject.

  "Uh... today's interview here includes lunch..." Lee Ji-eun said with a hint of embarrassment.

  Yin Xian was taken aback for a moment, looking at the little girl in front of him with some incredulity.

  It was only then that he noticed the little girl's clothes were quite ordinary. Was her family having a hard time? Yun Xian wasn't sure. Just as Yun Xian was about to leave, he seemed to see a mixture of shyness and annoyance in the little girl's eyes.

  Is she embarrassed about her own problems?

  Yoon Hyeon himself was somewhat embarrassed.

  "If you're not afraid that I have ulterior motives...I'd actually be happy to invite you out for a meal..." Yoon Hyun thought for a moment, then forced out a sentence, "To celebrate us both passing the interview."

  "This... don't bother Senior anymore." Li Zhen entangled for a moment and shook his head.

  "Come on! Unless you think I'm a bad person, can't you just give me some face?" Yun Xian insisted.

  Lee Ji-eun lowered her head with a bit of embarrassment.

  "After that, we'll probably be seniors and juniors! It's not a problem to take the opportunity to improve our relationship!" Yoon Hyun was helping Lee Ji-eun find an excuse. This little girl seems to have a bit of a middle school second-year pride... No choice, age... probably around 2nd year of middle school?

  "In that case... I'll have to trouble you, senior!" Li Zhenen bowed respectfully.

  "Shall we go? Do I look like a bad guy?" Yun Xian joked again.

  "No! Senior, you are absolutely a good person." Li Zhen shook his head very seriously.

  Anyway, Yoon Heon finally comforted this somewhat rebellious and contrary little girl.

  "What do you want to eat?" Yoon Hyun asked Lee Ji-eun with a smile as they got on the car.

  "Yes, senior." Li Zhi En was very obedient... well, still a bit unfamiliar.

  "Stop calling me sunbae all the time. Didn't I tell you before? Just call me oppa." Yoon Hyun waved his hand, "What do you want to eat? We'll go eat whatever... how about some barbecue?" Yoon Hyun asked while looking at Lee Ji Eun's face.

  Lee Ji-eun's eyes sparkled for a moment, but she shook her head and said, "Grilled meat is too expensive..."

  "It's okay." Yoon Hyun smiled, looks like this little girl is hungry... "Let's go, I know a place where we can get discounts on barbecue..."

  Then, Yoon Hyun took Lee Ji-eun to Kang Ho-dong's barbecue shop by car.

  "OPPA, you know the owner of this store...?" Li Zhen looked at Yoon Hyun with an incredulous gaze.

  "It just so happens that we met once and hit it off, so he gave me a membership card for this store, which supposedly gives discounts." Yoon Hyun smiled and said, actually, Kang Tae Dong's card was just a VIP reservation number for a private room, the discount thing... is usually just a trivial matter. But Yoon Hyun wouldn't tell Lee Ji Eun that.

  "Really......" When Li Zhen looked at Yoon Hyun again, his eyes were already filled with reverence. She didn't know that what Yoon Hyun said about "having met once before" and "getting along quite well" was the truth. These two sentences sounded like polite humility no matter how you listened to them...... If it was really humility......

  Everyone in the entertainment industry knows that this barbecue restaurant is owned by Jiang Hudong... Being able to get to know Jiang Hudong... Even if you're an artist who hasn't debuted yet, it's destined to be a smooth and brilliant path...

  Since there were only two people, Yoon Hyun didn't ask for a private room and instead sat down with Lee Ji-eun in a corner of the main hall.

  "Oppa, you've ordered too much, can the two of us finish it?" Lee Ji-eun said with a bit of embarrassment after Yoon Hyun had finished ordering.

  "It's okay, eat more, such a happy thing, we have to celebrate somehow." Yoon Hyun smiled mischievously.

  "Oppa, aren't you going back to celebrate with your family?" Ji-eun Lee asked with some surprise.

  Yin Xian was taken aback for a moment. He really hadn't thought about going back to celebrate with his family... His dad didn't count, but his mom wasn't very supportive of him entering the entertainment industry in the first place. As for his sister... forget it, this job was even introduced by her, should he go find her to celebrate? Wouldn't he just be giving her a chance to show off as the introducer? Forget it...

  Wait a minute... Come to think of it, why didn't this little girl go back and celebrate with her family? She came for the interview alone today, and she even wanted to have lunch at that place... Could she be a runaway?

  "I don't have anyone to celebrate with either!" Yoon Hyun thought it was better not to say too much. After dinner, just send the little girl back home... "So, let's just celebrate together, the two of us."

  Li Zhen nodded and didn't say anything.

  Before long, the dishes were served. The two of them started eating with their hands.

  Although Li Zhen has been saying that the dishes are too many... Okay, Yoon Hyun took that sentence as a polite remark. The little girl's appetite is comparable to another 93-year-old girl Yoon Hyun knows.

  "Jieun-ah, slow down, don't eat too much, it's bad for your stomach." Yoon Hyun finally couldn't help but say. He had finally noticed the difference between Lee Jieun and Park Jiyeon. Park Jiyeon was originally a big eater, while Lee Jieun... seemed like she hadn't eaten this much in a long time.

  "Sorry..." Ji-eun Lee immediately put down her chopsticks.

  Yoon Hyun couldn't help but laugh: "Ji-eon... I'm not afraid you'll eat too much... I'm afraid you'll ruin your stomach..." As he spoke, Yoon Hyun wrapped another piece of roasted meat and handed it to her. "You seem like you haven't eaten so freely in a while?"

  Li Zhi'en nodded awkwardly.

  "How long have you been away from home?" Yoon Hyun asked casually.

  “OPPA……”

  "Is it because your family doesn't agree with you taking the civil service exam?" Yoon Hyun asked, "According to what you said, you should have already..."

  "It's not like that..." Lee Ji-eun hastily argued a sentence and then shut up.

  Yin Xian was taken aback for a moment, then didn't say anything more. If it wasn't running away from home, then... did that mean there was no home to return to?

  Is the little girl an orphan? She should be in an orphanage then... Wait a minute, it seems like I was also alone in my past life and lived for many many years by myself...

  Suddenly, Yoon Hyun felt a sense of closeness to this little girl...

  Under Yoon Hyun's intervention, Lee Ji-eun was still eating non-stop, but it was clear that she wasn't eating as quickly as when she first started. Now, Yoon Hyun also didn't force the young girl to control herself. He himself had been hungry before and knew this feeling. The restaurant owner back then was also smiling like that, watching him stuff his stomach with a big table of delicious food, without caring about anything else.

  Just eat then... It's better to have a stomachache from eating too much than to be in pain from being hungry.

  Just as Yin Xian was smiling and helping a little girl roast meat and wrap rice, a shadow loomed over.

  "Little kid, you're here again?" A loud and clear voice.

  "Ah! Tiger Dong Ge!" Yin Xian was taken aback for a moment, and saw the big fat man smiling at him. He had been to his store many times in the past year or so, and the two of them were already familiar with each other.

  "Keep your voice down." Jiang Hudu made a quiet gesture, then sat down beside Yin Xian without any politeness, "So, the little girl you brought today must be your girlfriend, right?"

  "I said... Tiger Dong Ge..." Yun Xian's face turned black, "Don't say it's not, even if it is true, letting you say one sentence, I'm afraid it will become untrue... Are you doing this on purpose? Let me introduce, this is our company's trainee who is about to sign a contract, his name is Li Zhi En."

  "Hello, Senior Jiang Hudu!" On the other hand, Li Zhen who had just been scared silly had recovered his senses and hastily saluted.

  "Your company? Have you signed with a company?" Jiang Hudu's concerns were apparently more realistic.

  "Yes. I signed with a small company. Maybe I can release an album soon." Yoon Hyun said with a smile.

  "You little rascal! You've finally taken this path after all!" Jiang Hudu burst out laughing, "Two years ago I said you had the potential to be a performer, but back then you said you weren't interested..."

  "I didn't say I wasn't interested, Brother Hu Dong. At that time, I said I had to study first. Now that I've basically graduated from graduate school without any problems, I thought I'd give the entertainment industry a try... Speaking of which, it's still you, Brother Hu Dong, who gave me the confidence to think I could give it a shot!" Yin Xian said with a half-truthful and half-joking tone.

  "What about me? It seems I've done something incredible!" Jiang Hudu said with a smile, "But you're going to release an album? So soon? Are the songs... written by yourself?"

  "Yes... otherwise I wouldn't be able to release an album so easily." Yoon Hyun said with a smile.

  "Wow! I originally thought you only had the potential to be a comedian, looks like I underestimated you!" Jiang Hu Dong was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Not bad! After releasing an album, come to brother's show to promote it!"

  "I'm afraid I won't have a chance to go on Tiger Brother's show as a newcomer!" Yin Xian said with a smile, "If there is an opportunity, I will definitely go!"

  "En..." Jiang Hu Dong nodded, then looked at the little girl who was as nervous as a quail on one side, and smiled again. "Forget it, I won't disturb you from eating. It seems that this little girl has lost her appetite."

  "Will Tiger Dong give us a free meal today?" Yin Xian said with a mischievous grin.

  "No..." Jiang Hudu shook his head, and with Yin Xian, who always came to his store, he was no longer polite. "I just checked the bill for your table...". Then he smiled and said, "I really don't know how a student like you knows so many girls with such good taste in food, great..."

  At this point, Jiang Hudu seemed to suddenly remember something: "Right, you just said you were going to graduate from grad school?"

  "Yes..." Yun Xian nodded slightly.

  "Then you... uh... wait a minute, don't you know..." Jiang Hudu pointed at Yoon Hyun and said.

  "Uh... if you're asking whether I'm the one from Seoul University... yeah, that's me." Yoon Hyun smiled slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.

  "Aren't you very familiar with Kim Tae-hee?"

  "That... the news about Taehee unnie before, do you still remember it, Donggu hyung? That was a long time ago..." Yunhyeon nodded.

  "......It seems I've really done something extraordinary......" Jiang Hudu's expression suddenly turned serious.

  "Brother Tiger Dong... how can you do this to me......" Yin Xian was really embarrassed this time.

  "Alright, I'll let you off this time because of Kim Tae-hee's face... today, this table is on me..." Kang Hu-dong said generously.

  Yin Xian also didn't know what to say anymore.

  "Hey! You little brat, I gave you a free pass and you didn't even say thank you!" Jiang Hudu said with some dissatisfaction.

  "Isn't it because of Taehee sister's face? I should be thanking her instead..." Yun Hyun said with a straight face.

  Jiang Hudu was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing.

  After exchanging pleasantries, Jiang Hudu left. After all, this was a time when people usually had dinner, and many of his acquaintances would come to visit, so it was necessary to give them some face and pay a visit as a courtesy.

  It's just...

  "Ji-eun, what's wrong?" Yoon Hyun looked at Lee Ji-eun with a complex expression on her face, somewhat puzzled.

  "Yin Xian... senior..."

  "I told you to call me OPPA... Do I look old?" Yun Hyun interrupted her.

  "OPPA...... You're quite familiar with Tiger Dong-ge, huh......" Li Zhi-en's expression was cautious.

  Yin Xian burst out laughing, wrapped a package of rice and directly stuffed it into the little girl's mouth: "Eat up!"

  The atmosphere became lively again.

  "Oppa... you know Kim Tae-hee sunbaenim? Can you... introduce me to her?"

  "Wow...... You're a graduate student at Seoul University...... That's amazing......"

  "Wow...... all the songs in your upcoming album are written by yourself...... that's amazing!!!"

  "OPPA...... In the future when I release an album you must help me write songs too......"

  Yoon Hyun hasn't even signed a contract or debuted yet, but he's already won over his first little fan with just one meal of roasted meat...

  The time it took to eat this meal was also extended.

  "I'll send you home......" The two finished their meal and left the barbecue shop.

  "No need to trouble OPPA... I'll just go back myself." Ji-eun Lee said with a bit of embarrassment.

  "It's okay, where do you live? I'll send you there." Yoon Hyun insisted.

  Lee Ji-eun seemed to be a bit hesitant and thought for a moment before nodding her head.

  Under Lee Ji-eun's lead, Yoon Hyun drove into a residential area.

  This place looks pretty good! Jiangnan... and it's not far from JYP company either... Is this girl really that poor?

  Yoon Hyeon became slightly curious.

  "I'm temporarily living on the third floor of that building," Lee Ji-eun pointed to a building, "But I should be moving into LOEN's trainee dorm soon if everything goes smoothly with the contract."

  "Uh..." Yoon Hyun's eyes scanned to a sign at the entrance of the apartment building, his eyelid twitched, but he didn't say anything.

  No wonder she just said that she had gone to interview many trainees from various entertainment companies, but somehow JYP was missing...

  Lee Ji-eun went upstairs and Yoon Hyun left by car.

  That night, Yoon Hyun-hee learned that Yoon Ji-hye's audition had basically come to an end and she would likely be releasing her album soon, so Yoon Ji-hye sent out a treat warrant to Yoon Hyun-hee.

  However, only the two siblings knew about it, and Yoon Ji-hye didn't inform those few girls who were still on good terms with Yoon Hyun.

  Although it's a very delightful thing, but to Quan Baolan and Li Zhi Xian, it might be somewhat bittersweet... To avoid having to comfort the injured sisters later on... let's just keep it to ourselves!

  It's time for dinner, Yoon Hyun leaves home.

  But just as he was driving out of the garage, Yoon Hyun saw a small convenience store by the road and a girl carrying a bag of food coming out of it, at which point he suddenly fell silent...

  For some reason, he thought of the little girl who had lunch with him at noon. It seemed a bit inappropriate to bring her to this gathering tonight... So... why not buy something for her to take away?

  In Yoon Hyun's mind, he suddenly remembered the owner of the restaurant in his previous life who always smiled. Although he had a bit of an arrogant tone when speaking, he would never forget that when he was penniless and starving, the boss cooked him a bowl of wonton noodles.

  He let out a long sigh. Yoon Hyun parked his car in front of the convenience store.

  Before long, Yin Xian drove up in his car to where the girl had gotten off at noon.

  Although it's almost April, the sun still sets very early. Just as Yoon Hyun was about to call Lee Ji-eun to come down and pick up something, he saw a small figure carrying a suitcase walking along the road...

  "What's wrong?" Yoon Hyun pulled over and saw Lee Ji-eun with a tear-stained face.

  "There's... nothing." Li Zhenen saw Yoon Hyun's first reaction was... panic...

  "Have you been kicked out because your rent is due?" Yoon Hyun looked at the suitcase Lee Ji-eun was carrying, and... a guitar on her back.

  "Uh..." Li Zhi'en nodded slightly.

  "Where are you going next?" Yoon Hyun asked.

  "I still... don't know." Lee Ji-eun shook her head. "Anyway, there aren't many days left. As for LOEN's side..."

  "What about these few days?" Yun Xian's eyelid twitched slightly.

  "I'm sure you'll think of a way... if all else fails..." Li Zhi En originally wanted to continue, but in the end didn't.

  "You..." Yun Xian suddenly felt that his past life was not pitiful at all.

  "It's okay. I'm not like I haven't... Now that we're all grown up, there's nothing to be afraid of." Li Zhi'en smiled stubbornly.

  The tears on my face haven't dried yet...

  "You... before..." Yoon Hyun suddenly felt a pang in his heart. How old was this little girl? She had been through homelessness before, how old was she back then?

  "If all else fails, I'll just go see my mom once... it shouldn't be a big deal to stay with her for two days." Li Zhi'en said suddenly.

  Yin Xian was really stunned this time. She wasn't an orphan... Then, she would rather wander the streets than return to her home... What kind of place is it? And besides, why did they say she was just staying there temporarily?

  "If I hadn't come, where were you planning to go tonight?" Yoon Hyun asked. At this time of Seoul, it was not warm at all.

  "Think I'll... spend a night in the underground tunnel." Li Zhi'en patted the guitar on his back, "Maybe can still earn some food money too."

  "Alright, let's go, get in the car."

  "What?" Li Zhi'en was slightly off, with a hint of panic in his eyes.

  "What else can I do for you?" Yoon Hyun said with a hint of helplessness. "I'll go arrange a place for you to stay."

  “OPPA……”

  "Stop nagging. Get on the bus!" Yun Xian said rudely. He was a bit puzzled about what was going on with this little girl and her mother... how could it be...

  "Oh..." Li Zhen obediently got on the car.

  Yin Xian was stunned for a moment... This little girl is quite well-behaved...

  Yoon Hyun had originally planned to take Lee Ji Eun back home, but after some thought, he didn't do so. Although she was still a young girl, she was a female after all, and living in his own house might be a bit inconvenient...

  Near LOEN Entertainment's building, Yoon Hyun found an inn and then... he got into trouble.

  The little girl is still young and doesn't have an ID card. It seems like it's not possible to open a room...

  With your own ID? Don't be ridiculous, the police will come to check on him soon... Taking a minor girl to open a room, what do you want to do?

  Communicated with the hotel's front desk for half a day, to no avail.

  After a big detour, Yoon Hyun finally brought Lee Ji Eun back to his own home.

  "The company will arrange for your trainee dormitory later, so you can stay here with me for now." Yin Xian said with a magnanimous expression, "If you're afraid I'll... cough... just lock the door from the inside when you're in the room. Just remember the password for the door."

  Li Zhen nodded calmly.

  "What was it...?" Yun Xian suddenly remembered that he was supposed to have dinner with his sister tonight.

  Then...

  Yoon Hyun was scolded badly over the phone...

  However, he still left a mind and did not tell Yoon Ji-hye that he had hidden a little loli, otherwise...

  After apologizing to his sister on the phone, Yoon Hyun rummaged through the fridge and found some kimchi, then cooked a bowl of kimchi ramen for Lee Ji-eun and himself.

  It seems like there's really something mysterious going on...