Chapter Six: Tense Atmosphere

minutes before saying goodbye to each other. Park Bo-gum went on to focus on his upcoming engagements.While Chi Jingyuan put on a mask and slowly walked out of the coffee shop.Today he didn't feel li...Although he had a smile on his face, there was no emotion in his eyes.

The suspicion and displeasure that had been masked by the presence of Lee Xiu-man were gradually spreading. Ji Kyung-won could clearly feel that many of the eyes watching him did not contain goodwill.

Chi Jingyuan understood that his sudden arrival had caused a lot of trouble for these people. At least, his joining meant they had to reshoot the MV, which was a reason that made everyone unhappy.

Besides that, what's even more infuriating is his "airdropped" status.

This is a group that has already been confirmed to debut and has also set a debut date. They have completed their team divisions and all pre-debut preparations, even the preview video and MV. All they need to do is wait for the time to come so they can directly step onto the stage.

They each underwent years of rigorous training and countless preparations, enduring numerous rounds of fierce competition to finally make it into the debut group.

Several people had worked hard for many years before finally getting such an opportunity, but now a newcomer from the company has been directly parachuted into their group, able to enjoy the fruits of their labor together.

But he was powerless against the company's decision, and the extreme imbalance in his heart was difficult to suppress.

Fortunately, not everyone is like that. At least some people can control their emotions. After a few seconds of awkward and uncomfortable eye contact, Kim Jun-myeon SUHO clapped his hands, breaking the suffocating atmosphere. He took the initiative to come to Ji Kyeongwon's face, squeezing out a smile and saying:

"Annyeonghaseyo, I'm so glad to have new members join. I believe the company's decision is right. I'm Suho, the leader of EXO and EXO-K, born in 1991."

Pool Jingyuan quickly glanced at Kim Jun-myeon. He looked quite handsome, even with a lot of sweat on his forehead, he still had an air of refinement about him, like someone born into a cultured family. His first impression was good.

Ji-sung bowed lightly and said, “Annyeonghaseyo, I'm so happy to join EXO. My name is Ji-seung, born in 1994.”

Chi Jingyuan didn't introduce too much, as this kind of occasion and atmosphere weren't suitable for it. It was enough to know each other's ages and seniority.

Hearing that Ji Jingyuan was younger than himself, Kim Jun-myeon looked much more relaxed. He patted Ji Jingyuan on the shoulder and then gestured to the other members with his eyes.

"Annyeonghaseyo, I'm Do Kyungsoo D.O., born in 1993." The second introduction was Do Kyungsoo. He has prominent eyebrows and big eyes, with very noticeable under-eye bags. He didn't seem bothered at all and even smiled at Jiyoung while they exchanged greetings before stepping aside.

"Annyeonghaseyo, I'm Wu Shih-Hsun, born in 1994, and I was born in April." Wu Shih-Hsun is the third.

His face looked a bit more refined than the previous two, fair and delicate. After glancing at him, Chi Jingyuan's tone toward this same-aged person became a little more sincere: "I'm from May,"

"Oh, Kyungwon is a little younger than Sehun, so it seems like our maknae has changed." Kim Junmyeon laughed, actively livening up the atmosphere. It was obvious that he had good emotional regulation, accepting the existence of Ji Kyungwon and proactively adjusting the relationships between everyone.

"Huh..."

"Ah..."

A few awkward and strained agreements came, making the atmosphere a little bit better.

After all, it's always better to have someone who can respond and keep the conversation going than complete silence.

Upon hearing Ji Jingyuan's age, the others relaxed considerably. This is a place that places great importance on seniority, and facing someone nominally younger often makes one feel like they have an advantage.

"Hello, I'm LAY, born in 1991."

"Hello everyone, I'm LUHAN, born in 1990."

"Anihasaiyo…………"

The rest of the people began to introduce themselves one by one. Whenever someone spoke, Chi Jingyuan would bow slightly to the person introducing themselves in return. He had a good memory and already had each person's name and appearance memorized.

The introduction went quickly, and when it got to the last person, there was suddenly no sound.

The atmosphere became tense again. Qi Jingyuan looked at the last member who hadn't been introduced yet. He stood at the edge, leaning against the wall with a relaxed posture. His eyes were fixed on an empty space beside him, his face carrying a disdainful expression. He also reached up and twisted his earlobe before putting it to his mouth and blowing gently, seemingly unbothered by the attention of others shifting towards him.

Kim Jun-myeon signaled with his eyes several times but didn't get a response. Unable to do anything, he could only take the initiative and speak up: "Chanyeol, it's your turn."

Having been called out by the captain and his seniors, Park Chan-yeol couldn't just ignore it. He reluctantly straightened his body, gave a slight bow to the air beside him, and said in an annoyed tone: "Yes, I'm Park Chan-yeol, born in 1992."

Having finished, he turned away as if his task was complete.

This demeanor caused the few members around to exchange glances with each other. LUHAN nudged LAY, conveying something silently.

Ji Jingyuan clearly saw a flash of embarrassment and anger in Jin Jiumian's eyes from where he stood beside him. However, Ji Jingyuan seemed unaffected, still performing the same courtesy as before towards Park Chan-lyeok, but the curvature of his smile deepened noticeably, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Doki Soo and Woo Shi Hoon, who live closer to the Giheon station, seemed to notice Park Chan Ryeol's change in expression. The two looked at Kiheon and then at Park Chan Ryeol, finally exchanging glances with each other before quickly looking away.

Silence. Is the best commentary.

However, the introduction was over. Even with the atmosphere whatever it may be, Lee Soo-man's instructions had been followed. Kim Jun-myeon glared at Park Chan-yeol one last time before letting out a breath of relief and clapped his hands to prepare for the next topic: "Alright, the group has a new member, and she's also the maknae, which is something to be happy about. We…………"

"Bang! Bang!"

A sudden, enormous sound ruthlessly interrupted Kim Jun-myeon's words. The door that had been closed was kicked open with a bang, slamming against the wall with a sharp cracking noise before rebounding back.

Then he was kicked again, flying into the wall with another loud crash. The practice room door seemed to be scared, shaking and cowering, afraid to fight back, hiding off to the side.

But along with the sound came a hysterical face.

First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Networkr of their eyes. Some recognized him, others didn't, their expressions varied.Park Jin-young smiled faintly at the trainees and nodded slightly. He didn't say much, just waved them away and continued...