Saturday, February 6, 2010, light snow
It was a late month in Seoul and fine snow was still falling. The cold wind blew through the glass curtain wall of the practice room, making a whimpering sound.
Ouyang Guang stood at the door of Jin Minzhi's office and knocked on the door with his fingertips: "Sister Minzhi, are you looking for me?"
“Xiao Guang, come in and sit down.” Jin Minzhi pushed a stack of documents to the corner of the table, smiling behind her glasses, “First, let me talk to you about the end-of-month assessment results for January—Zhang Yixing’s dance and vocal performances were both promoted to Class B, and his progress is very obvious.”
She paused and pulled out a report card. "You're pretty good too. Your rap continues to be the first in Class D, your vocal music has jumped from sixth to fourth in Class B, and your dance is still third in Class C. I'm very optimistic about your potential."
Ouyang Guang's heart began beating violently, and his knuckles unconsciously clenched the corner of his clothes.
Those days of staying up until the early hours of the morning in the practice room, those nights of repeatedly honing vocal skills until my throat became hoarse, now all turned into bright red rankings on my report card. "Thank you, Minji! I will keep working hard!"
Jin Minzhi nodded, picked up the coffee and took a sip. "The New Year is coming soon. The trainee contract you signed with Ji Si guarantees you the opportunity to return home twice a year. According to the contract, Ji Si decided to give you half a month off so that you can go home for the New Year."
Kim Min-ji took out a plane ticket from the drawer. "The flight will be at 7:15 tomorrow morning, from Incheon to Shenzhen."
This sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, and Ouyang Guang's mind went blank in an instant.
The high-intensity training as a trainee almost made him forget the passage of time. The sudden vacation at this moment seemed so unreal to him, as if he was dreaming.
After a moment of stunned silence, Ouyang Guang finally found his voice, "Thank you Sister Minzhi! Thank you so much!" He stood up and bowed deeply to Sister Minzhi, his eyes slightly hot.
After leaving the office, Ouyang Guang trotted back to the practice room, eager to tell his friends the good news.
Pushing open the door of the practice room, the heat wave and the smell of sweat hit me in the face. Zhang Yixing was repeatedly practicing a dance move in front of the mirror. Every turn and every lift of his hand was as precise as a machine. Kim Seung-hyun was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily, his hair soaked with sweat and sticking to his forehead.
“Brother Yixing! Seunghyun! I have great news!” Ouyang Guang waved his arms, his face filled with uncontrollable excitement.
Zhang Yixing stopped what he was doing, turned around and wiped the sweat off his forehead, a gentle smile appeared on his lips: "What are you so happy about? Look how excited you are."
"My boss, please give me half a month off so that I can go home for the New Year!" Ouyang Guang almost shouted this, his voice full of joy.
"Really? That's great, Xiaoguang!" Jin Shengxian jumped up and rushed over to give Ouyangguang a bear hug. "Now you can finally go home and eat the food your mother cooked and see your family!"
Zhang Yixing also walked forward and gently patted Ouyang Guang’s shoulder: "Congratulations, Xiaoguang, for being able to go home for the New Year and spend time with your family. But you must have a good rest after this break, and continue working hard when you come back!"
Ouyang Guang looked at his two friends, feeling touched: "We have a flight ticket early in the morning, so we have to pack our luggage today."
"Today is the Little New Year in the north!" Zhang Yixing's eyes lit up, "We have to celebrate. Let's eat dumplings together tonight! It can also be considered a farewell party for you."
"Okay, okay!" Jin Shengxian praised with both hands, and suddenly remembered something, stretched out his hand and poked Ouyangguang's chest, "Xiaoguang, don't forget to bring me local specialties when you come back! I want the kind that is super delicious and can never be bought in Korea!"
"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Ouyang Guang responded with a smile.
As night falls, the streets of Seoul light up brightly, and snowflakes flutter down under the street lights.
Three teenagers walked into a Chinese dumpling restaurant. As soon as they opened the door, the rich aroma of dumplings hit them in the face. The familiar Chinese conversation made Ouyang Guang feel very cordial.
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