Chapter 24: The Banquet (Large Chapter)

  I came back late and since this part of the story isn't suitable for separation, I wrote it together. Sorry to friends who are waiting for updates.

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  Although the girls were previously clamoring for Ahn Jun-hee to treat them, making it seem like they wanted to drain his wallet, when he actually agreed and even let them bring friends along, the girls suddenly became subdued. By evening, after finishing their classes for the day, the group gathered at the company entrance, looking like a large crowd but in reality consisting of only over ten people, with each person bringing just one or two close friends, without the previous air of wanting to take advantage of him.

  When An Junhe asked where they wanted to go eat, even Xiuying, who usually loved to cause trouble, didn't make any excessive demands and just said: "Let's go have a buffet!"

  "If you're having a buffet, what's the point of inviting us?"

  An Junhe directly vetoed the proposal, but Yuan Er pinched her small mouth and whispered "Not eating a buffet, do you want to eat barbecue?" which reminded him. Due to the underdeveloped livestock industry in the country, most meat needs to be imported, making meat prices very high, and naturally, barbecue is even more expensive. Among his friends, there were not many who came from wealthy families, and with the company's monotonous fast food, he had been craving those fragrant barbecues for a long time.

  It just so happens that he remembered a barbecue restaurant not far from where he lived, and he took Zhishu there to eat. The meat quality of the five-flower pork was great, and they also had authentic Korean beef, which would be good for satisfying their cravings.

  "Alright, go eat barbecue."

  "It's too extravagant..." said Park Jeong-soo, who was closest to Ahn Jun-hee and often hung out with him. They had never seen Ahn Jun-hee spend money so lavishly before, and they privately guessed that his living conditions were probably not good either, since he had a paralyzed sister at home. Hearing him say this, they worried that he might be trying to show off in front of the girls.

  An Junhe, who had already started hailing a taxi, smiled upon hearing this and said, "Don't worry about it, I'm going to make some money anyway. Go ahead and splurge for once, we should have a good time when we're together."

  He insisted on his own, and there were 8 or 9 unfamiliar girls in the field. The three of them didn't want to embarrass him, so they advised him once and then dropped it, planning to talk about it again after getting on the car.

  More than ten people in a row, it took four taxis to squeeze everyone in. After waving goodbye to the drivers and walking together, Ahn Jun-hee got into the first taxi with four other boys. Apart from Park Jung-soo, Lee Hyeok-jae, and Kim Yeong-un, there was another boy who Soo-young had brought along, a good friend of hers named Kim Hee-cheol, a guy with half-long hair who looked like a girl at first glance.

  An Junhe didn't know him, and when they met at the company entrance earlier, it was just a greeting, without time to say much. After getting in the car, he told the driver the address and asked him not to drive too fast, so that the three cars behind could keep up. Then, he reached out his hand to Jin Xichen sitting in the back seat, "Sorry about that, I didn't have time to greet you properly earlier, let me introduce myself, my name is An Junhe."

  "Oh, hello!" He somewhat awkwardly shook hands with An Junhe and then stopped talking, seeming to be not the lively type.

  It was Park Jung-soo and him who had met before, and there were still topics to chat about, but the relationship wasn't very close either. They probably belonged to the kind of acquaintances who would nod when they saw each other, and the topics they talked about were also things from their trainee days. Taking this opportunity, Kim Young-yeon leaned into Ahn Jun-hee's ear and whispered: "Jun-hee, I've gathered all the money on me, Hae-jae, and Jung-soo hyung, you take it, we'll use it to pay the bill later..."

  As he spoke, he secretly handed over a roll of banknotes, all with denominations of 5,000 and 10,000 yuan, which added up to around one million.

  "Brother, you guys are really..." An Junhe smiled wryly, not knowing when they had gathered there. Apparently, the three of them were worried that he couldn't afford to pay the bill and didn't want to embarrass him, so they helped out in this way without his knowledge.

  An Junhe is not fond of showing off, and although he also treats others to meals when socializing, they are mostly just snacks, which has led his friends to be unaware of his financial situation.

  He didn't explain much, things like economic conditions, the more you explain, the more you show off, it's very hurtful. He just sighed and didn't refuse their kindness, of course, he also didn't take any money. Helplessly smiling, "I have a credit card, I'll just swipe it later, after a while when I get my pay, am I still afraid that I won't be able to afford a meal?"

  "Oh, I see..." Jin Yunyun nodded and stuffed the money into his pocket, "Take it, every little bit counts!"

  Looking at the roll of money stuffed into his pocket, An Junhe felt a wave of helplessness, but deep down, he was more warmly moved.

  In this life, you will make many friends, but there are not many who care about your feelings and think for you.

  He silently pocketed the money and looked out of the window at the bustling streets, a faint smile playing on his lips.

  That barbecue restaurant is not far away, a 10-minute drive, and we arrived in the blink of an eye. When passing by our own building, Ahn Jun-he didn't even go to pick up Ji-soo together, but just called Mi-seon's sister to help make a meal for Ji-soo. My younger sister hasn't come out of her psychological shadow yet, and she can't let her see so many lively girls fluttering around in front of her.

  When they arrived at the barbecue restaurant, it was rush hour after work, and the store was very busy. The tables in the hall were all filled with people, so Ahn Jun-hee had to ask the boss to arrange a large private room for them. This sudden increase in expenses made Park Jung-soo's three people's eyes widen in shock.

  The girls, on the other hand, didn't have so many thoughts and as soon as they entered the private room, they cheered and occupied both tables in the room. They leaned comfortably against the chairs, blowing cool air conditioning while chatting about topics of interest to each other. For a time, the room was filled with the sound of cheerful chirping.

  The remaining five men had no choice but to let the waiter bring in a small square table again, and the five of them squeezed in.

  "Ah Xi, why is your butt so big?!" Lee Hye-jae, who was seated next to Kim Yeong-un, complained loudly. Compared to the sturdy Yeong-un, he looked like a small monkey, shrinking into the corner of the table.

  One person occupying one side of the golden cloud was unmoved, on the one hand issuing chopsticks and bowls, on the other saying: "Saying my butt is big, why don't you just say you want to sit with girls? I still don't understand you, a guy with a thief's heart but no guts."

  "Hey, Jin Yunyun, if you keep slandering me like this, be careful or I'll beat you up!"

  Ying Yun didn't say a word, he just rolled up his sleeves, revealing thick arms. With a slight exertion, the bulging flesh and muscles instantly filled He Zai's eyes, and he swallowed hard, not saying another word.

  On the other side, An Junhe ignored the bickering between the two and ordered dishes with the waiter. When the waiter asked about drinks, he turned to ask a few people: "Do you guys drink?"

  Park Jeong-soo and a few others hadn't even opened their mouths, but the girls on that side had already started shouting: "We want to drink soju! When we eat barbecue, we have to drink soju!" Among them, Su-young was the most enthusiastic, and Yoo-ri and Yoon-ah also looked like they were eager to try.

  "The little girl is gone." Li Hezai waved his hand in a driving motion and said to the waiter, "Just bring a few bottles of beer."

  He knew that An Junhe was also not stopping him, not because he was heartbroken about the money, but mainly because there were many girls and drinking baijiu wasn't suitable, so he helped the girls order some fruit juice instead and let the waiter go.

  "Brothers are really something, they drink beer themselves but make us drink juice." Yoon-ah puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

  "Whatever."

  "That's going too far!"

  Xiū Yīng and Yòu Lì also brought their friends along, causing a ruckus that made several boys feel like their heads were hurting.

  Fortunately, it wasn't long before the barbecue ingredients were brought up.

  This store is in a semi-self-service format, the ingredients are already mixed with sauce and seasonings are also well-prepared, leaving only the guests to grill on the iron plate before they can eat. Recently, this type of semi-self-service barbecue has been very popular.

  Along with the roasted meat came some seafood marinated in spices and herbs, as well as raw vegetables and shiso leaves.

  Now that they had something to eat, the girls finally calmed down a bit, each one enthusiastically placing slices of meat, both thick and thin, on the iron plate. As it sizzled, golden oil flowed out, and the aroma of the sauce slowly spread, their mouths watering at the edges, no longer paying attention to conversation.

  "Good grief, being with these girls is going to shorten my lifespan!"

  Park Jeong-soo, who was stirring the meat slices with chopsticks, took a sip of beer and sighed.

  Lee Hye-jae, who was closely watching his movements next to him, nodded repeatedly, and even Kim Hee-chul, who wasn't familiar with him, sighed, "I used to think I could live until 80 years old, but since getting to know a few girls, now I feel like if I can just make it to 50, that's thanks to heaven."

  A few people burst out laughing. Among men, to improve relationships is on the wine table, drink some wine, talk about women's topics, and immediately feel close.

  The meat was roasted in no time, and several people took turns using their favorite leaves to wrap it up, stuffing it into their mouths, chewing contentedly. The rich sauce and the aroma of the meat spread instantly in their mouths, and after taking a sip of cold beer, they were suddenly invigorated.

  "Ah, it's been a long time since I've had such a taste." Park Jeong-soo sighed and got up to pour An Jun-hee a glass of wine. "Come on, let's first congratulate you on your upcoming debut, drink this cup."

  Several others also nodded in agreement, raising their glasses. The orange-yellow liquid, bubbling with gas, swirled inside the transparent cups, reflecting the light and looking hazy yet resplendent.

  "It always feels weird to toast with beer!" An Junhe chuckled and clinked his glass against a few others, downing it in one gulp.

  When it comes to debut, although they all seem happy and congratulate him, Ahn Jun-hee is still sensitive enough to notice that Park Jung-soo, Kim Hee-chul, and the others have a slightly dim gaze. The four of them, even the one with the shortest training period, has been practicing for over two years. Two years may not seem long, but it's enough to wear down a person's patience and enthusiasm, especially when every day they see familiar trainees around them, unable to bear such days, leaving in despair, the longing for debut becomes more urgent, of course, the sense of disappointment is also stronger.

  Lee Hyeok-jae, who had just swallowed a piece of roasted meat, pulled Ahn Jun-ho and drank another glass. He said to him in an acidic tone: "Just thinking about it makes me jealous of you, how long has it been since you debuted... Why is this?!" He suddenly pretended to collapse, shouting loudly: "Even with people like Park Jung-soo and Kim Young-yeon, why can't I even see a shadow of my own debut?! Is heaven just that jealous of talented people?!"

  Park Jeong-soo and Kim Yeong-yeon, who were lying down and got hit, suddenly exploded in anger. One of them pressed him down, saying "Ah, you little brat, do you want to die?"

  "Ah, brother, I was wrong, spare my life, brother!"

  "Spare you? In your dreams! Junhe is coming to hold down his legs, today he's going to get a good thrashing!"

  "Haha!" An Junhe laughed and indeed went up to grab He Zai's leg.

  He Zai struggled hard and said, "Brother, you are all my brothers. I was wrong, isn't that enough?"

  Three people didn't care how mournfully he shouted, they just subdued him with one move, Jin Xitang sat beside them, smiling silently as he watched.

  He could see that Lee Hye-jae was intentionally being playful, probably not wanting to bring up heavy topics during happy times. What he envied was the tacit understanding between the four of them, following Lee Hye-jae's playfulness to heat up the atmosphere, whether it was roughhousing or joking around, it was all about diverting attention and not bringing up unhappy things.

  Thinking of this, he also joined in and rolled up a handful of vegetable leaves and stuffed them into Li Hye-jae's mouth who was shouting loudly.

  Not far away, the girls who were attracted by the commotion on this side smiled and watched a few boys fighting, Xiuying clicked her tongue and sighed: "Their relationship is really good..."

  "... Yuuri gave her a strange look, "Xiangying jie, why do I always think of something unhealthy when you say things like that?"

  Xiu Ying gave her a cold glance, "That's your own psychological problem, what does it have to do with me?"

  "Of course, it's related to my sister." Yun'er said with a smirk beside her, "My sister usually talks about boys and says things like CP, Wang Dao, etc. They say I'm perverted, but actually, my sister should be called perverted instead."

  Xiu Ying, who was caught off guard, slapped the table and exclaimed, "Hey, are you two trying to rebel?"

  As soon as the words fell, Xiao Xian, who had been quietly roasting meat, suddenly said: "Sister shouldn't say those things anymore. I'm still young, and hearing too many strange things will affect my correct outlook on life. And it's not good for sister either. Isn't sister a Christian? Always mentioning those things, sister will go to hell after death!"

  "...will go to hell after death..."

  "...will go to hell..."

  "Hell..."

  This fatal blow suddenly made Xiuying's whole body turn pale, staring at Xiaoxian with a stunned expression, her lips trembling and unable to speak.

  Yoon-ah and Yoo-ri got excited, patted each other's hands, and praised Soo-young without stopping, "Soo-young is really amazing, one sentence made Choi a pervert get hit, in the future also want to work hard."

  Xiao Xian remained expressionless, but shot a glance at her two sisters and reminded them: "Sisters, don't make such big movements. Scientific research has shown that intense activity during meals can severely harm the spleen and stomach, affecting nutrient absorption. If you keep doing this, you'll die soon."

  “……”

  “……”

  The two excited people suddenly stiffened.

  The other girls watching on the sidelines were giggling, but only Soo-young, who was expressionless, let out a low sigh as she swallowed a piece of barbecue.

  "Oh, what a terrible child..."

  ……

  "You go back by yourselves, it's alright?"

  Happy times always pass quickly, after finishing dinner and sitting idle for a while, the girls had to leave. At the entrance of the barbecue shop, An Junhe sent them one by one to the taxi, still asking with some unease.

  In the car, Choi Soo-young waved her hand and said, "It's okay, Jun-hee hyung is really overprotective."

  An Junhe handed her a popsicle and laughed scoldingly: "No big or small! Let's go, after arriving home safely, remember to give me a call."

  "Got it!"

  The taxi started, and the girls all stuck their heads out of the window, a chorus of "goodbye" in unison, which earned An Junhe many envious, jealous and hateful glances from his fellow men.

  Everyone has left, only Park Jeong-soo and Kim Hee-seop are left. Ahn Jun-hyuk looks at them and smiles: "How about you guys? Do you want me to send you off?"

  Four people rolled their eyes, and after one meal, Park Jeong-soo, Lee Hye-jae, Kim Yeong-un, who were already familiar with each other, not to mention the newly acquainted Kim Hee-seon, also became much closer.

  An Junhe wanted to hail a taxi for them, but Park Jeong-soo stopped him. "Let's walk instead. It'll be good exercise and help with digestion."

  "Let's go!" An Junhe nodded, and several people walked along the road, heading back in the direction of the company.

  In a high-latitude city like Seoul, the temperature difference between day and night is quite large. Although it's very hot during the day, the temperature drops quickly at night, and the streets are filled with cool breezes. Many people come out to enjoy the evening air, and there are many street stalls selling snacks or small trinkets, making it the most lively time of day.

  Hee-jae, Young-un and Kim Hee-chul, who were walking ahead, soon caught the attention of the lively crowd and ran out of sight. Park Jung-soo and Ahn Joon-hee didn't bother to take care of them either, and walked slowly against the cool wind.

  "Does your brother smoke?" An Junhe took out a cigarette, lit one and asked.

  Park Jeong-soo shook his head, "My throat isn't too good... You should also smoke less, you're going to be a singer in the future, so take care of your throat more. If possible, quit smoking!"

  "Hmph, I don't smoke much, whether I quit or not doesn't matter." An Junhe smiled slightly, taking a deep breath. As the flame flickered, the pungent flavor filled his mouth.

  "After a moment of silence, Park Jeong-soo suddenly asked, 'When are we going?'"

  An Junhe knew what he was asking and replied: "Baogen Shu said that he would take me there tomorrow, the sooner the better."

  "That's good!" Park Jeong-soo let out a sigh, although he tried to hide it, his expression was still somewhat desolate. "You're going to be busy from now on, I don't know when we'll have another gathering like today."

  "It should be getting less and less, right..."

  Hearing this, Park Jeong-soo could no longer hold back his low spirits, and a look of sorrow floated onto his face. It was the pain of parting from friends who were about to drift away, mixed with his own self-pity.

  But in the next moment, his depressed heart was suddenly filled with excitement.

  An Junhe smiled and looked at him, saying slowly: "...... because you guys are also about to debut!"

  Park Jeong-soo's eyes widened, his heart racing wildly in that instant, pounding against his chest so hard it hurt. His lips trembled as he asked in a shaking voice, "W-what did you just say?"

  "I'm telling you, bro, you guys are almost out of the woods!" An Junhe repeated, adding another sentence, "It's what Uncle Bao Gen said, the company is planning to launch a large-scale boy group, and you, He Zai, and Ying Yun have all been selected."

  "This... is really true?" Staring blankly at Ahn Jun-hee, Park Jung-soo felt that his brain had been shocked by this sudden surprise, losing the ability to think for a moment. After a while, seeing Ahn Jun-hee not having any intention of joking, he finally confirmed that this news was indeed true!

  Standing there in a daze, many thoughts emerged from the bottom of my heart, but they were chaotic and couldn't be sorted out. There was only one thought that was clear and intense:

  He's also about to debut!

  A gust of cool wind blew, and Pak Jeong-soo suddenly woke up. He looked at Ahn Jun-hee, who was smiling softly beside him, waiting for him. On his face, which had almost become numb, a smile grew bigger and bigger, gradually spreading into silent laughter. He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Ahn Jun-hee's shoulders, rubbed them hard, and called out in a low voice: "You little brat, why did you only tell me this now? I almost cried several times during dinner, do you know that? You're doing it on purpose, aren't you? What a terrible guy!"

  He couldn't control his joy anymore, and burst into loud laughter, the piercing sound of which made people around him subconsciously back away, their eyes looking at him as if he were a madman.

  An Junhe lets him make a scene, but just smiles and says nothing.

  Friends' depression he was of course aware of, and all he could do was this...