Peninsula Cicada Song Diary

It was still raining outside, and the vehicles passing by crawled along like snails in the gloomy rain with their hazard lights on.

Just a window away, in the brightly lit JYP cafeteria, employees on their lunch break lined up in an orderly fashion with white ceramic plates to get their food.

There were still many dishes available today, including meat and vegetables, soup and snacks. However, in addition to focusing on the dishes, many people also gave a portion to the boy in front of them who was chatting and laughing with Park Jin-young.

They had never seen this boy at the company. Nor had they seen him on television.

"Is he a new trainee?" an employee nudged the arm of the person next to him.

"I haven't seen their photo on the list. Maybe they're newcomers from the actors' department next door?" The person in charge of the trainee department next to him was also unsure.

"Tall, fair-skinned, and handsome." An employee remarked, looking at the sculpted profile of the young man in front of him. "If he were an actor, he'd be typecast and only be able to play roles in idol dramas."

"Maka, it's even more obvious when she stands next to the president. Their skin tones are completely opposite, which reminds me of the fairy tale 'Beauty and the Beast'."

"Wow! You really dare to say that? Are you out of your mind?"

"Don't you think it's a vivid description? Besides, everyone around here is talking about it. We're so far away, the president can't hear us." He was confident.

The surrounding whispers about the boy's identity were so mixed together that it was impossible to hear a single word.

At least "beautiful" Pei Xiyan couldn't hear clearly. He followed the queue to the grilled mackerel with soybean paste, picked up a piece, and put it in the porcelain bowl.

"Itzy will definitely succeed."

"Why are you suddenly saying that, junior?" "Beast," who was picking out a bowl of soft tofu soup, turned around.

"I believe in my music, and I also believe that their own efforts will not let them down." Pei Xiyan was very confident, and she also felt that the wildebeest, after a long journey, would eventually cross the crocodile river and the lion and tiger forest, and arrive at the lush grassland.

"I believe it too." After placing the tofu soup on the plate, Park Jin-young picked up tongs to pick up his favorite organic vegetables. "But when you said you wanted them to participate in writing the lyrics, I was still taken aback."

"But the senior still agreed."

Park Jin-young, unfazed, said, "This doesn't cost anything, and if the lyrics are chosen, it can boost the children's confidence, so why not give it a try?"

"What you said is absolutely right." Pei Xiyan's suggestion wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment thing; he had his reasons. "When I'm writing songs for Nuna and the others, I also listen to their opinions on the lyrics."

"?" Park Jin-young blinked a few times in confusion, realizing something was off about what he was saying.

"You, Noona... are you a celebrity?"

"Didn't I tell my senior?" Pei Xiyan also took a bowl of soft tofu soup.

"Ani." Park Jin-young recalled their last conversation, "You only talked about your noona's flaws last time..."

"It seems I didn't say that, Miane." Pei Xiyan smiled. "My Nuna is beautiful and has top-notch skills. It's a pity she's not an entertainer."

"Junior, even if you're not an entertainer... wait, your surname is Bae." After finishing his vegetables, Park Jin-young picked up his plate and started thinking.

Aside from the impossible Bae Suzy, other companies have good-looking employees with the surname Bae...

There was only one answer left. After glancing at the employees around him, Park Jin-young's lips moved silently. Pei Xiyan could tell that he was saying, "Ah-il-rin."

He nodded in agreement.

"Daibak." Park Jin-young shook his head and sighed at the answer he had received, having chosen a secluded spot to sit down. "You, Noona, are actually Irene."

"I thought my senior would have guessed when he knew my name." Pei Xiyan took out her phone to take a picture, following the familiar procedure of reporting.

"You and Irene..." Park Jin-young squinted as he examined his face. "You two do have a similar aura; there's a cool and aloof quality in your eyes and brows."

"Judging by her face alone, she's definitely the type that's hard to approach..."

"That's true." Pei Xiyan nodded in empathy. He didn't make many friends in middle school because when he put on a stern face, he exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay, just like Sun Wukong's magic that drew a circle on the ground to imprison Tang Sanzang. If Tang Sanzang didn't leave, demons and monsters wouldn't dare to enter the circle he drew on the ground.

"But junior, you don't know, a lot of girls like your kind of temperament. Do you know what 'ascetic type' is?" Park Jin-young changed the subject and began to coax, "Being an idol can definitely create an era."

"Senior, you can make money lying down, so why do you still need to stand up?" Pei Xiyan didn't understand.

"Life is a long river; if it flows quietly and unchangingly, it would be too monotonous," Park Jin-young said. "Don't you want to try what it's like on the platform, junior?"

"I stood there."

"How are you feeling?"

"Not bad. There was no noise from the audience during my speech; everyone listened attentively."

Park Jin-young chuckled, "Not on this kind of stage."

"I know what you mean, senior." Pei Xiyan picked up her utensils to eat, "It's just that I'm tone-deaf when I sing."

"Junior is too modest." Park Jin-young took out his phone and showed a photo, which turned out to be Pei Xiyan's university transcript. "Besides full marks for lyrics and composition, his vocal performance is also close to full marks."

Looking at the photo, Pei Xiyan paused, her chopsticks in her hand, and a possibility came to mind: "Wenxian teacher must have sent the senior to persuade me."

"That's part of the reason," Park Jin-young frankly admitted. "But I also think it's a shame that a striker who's skilled with both feet and even heading should only use his right foot to shoot."

"As long as I score a goal, that's fine." Pei Xiyan smiled indifferently.

"Junior is right, as long as we score goals, that's enough." Park Jin-young smiled, put away his phone, and didn't try to persuade him any further. Nobody likes listening to long-winded speeches while eating, and the principle of moderation applies at all times.

Pei Xiyan kept his head down and ate very slowly. He was somewhat distracted by Park Jin-young's words, and more importantly, he was thinking about the choices that Pei Joo-hyun, Minatozaki Sana, and Hwang Ye-ji had made without hesitation.

During his university years, Li Mingzhe enjoyed playing Souls-like games. Before he got hooked, he thought that games where one mistake could lead to death, were difficult to control, and looked like torture games were not fun. But once he started playing, he became addicted, playing day and night, sometimes all night long. When he finally defeated the slave knight Gale, he was incredibly excited... His roommate, Jin Nanxi, thought he had gone crazy. A person whose emotions were usually more stable than a block of wood was being controlled by a stupid game, acting like he was in love.

So Jin Nanxi, not believing in superstition, also tried it out. Then she went even crazier, yelling like a rooster after defeating a boss, and for days she completely forgot about bars.

He felt that the stage was like this kind of game, and Bae Joo-hyun, Minatozaki Sana, and even Hwang Ye-ji were so engrossed in it that they wanted to go on stage even when they were sick.

Lost in thought, Pei Xiyan noticed that the rustling sounds around her had grown louder, filled with excitement and surprise. She picked up the grilled mackerel and broke it up, ignoring the noise.

Until footsteps approached.

"Pdnim, can we sit here?"