Chapter Twelve: Hear Me Call You Sister Once

On an ordinary and unremarkable morning, Lin Shouxia arrived in front of the KBS television station building, seated in the nanny car provided by his company.

As soon as he opened the car door, several female fans dressed as students happily gathered around him, holding up support signs and calling out his name. Seeing fans waiting for him right at the entrance of the TV station deeply moved Lin Shouxia’s heart.

He had mentally prepared himself for only a four-digit number of fans following his support group. After all, he hadn’t officially debuted yet, had only participated in one variety show recording, and hadn’t even released any work.

The weather was quite cold today; Lin Shouxia had even prepared himself for the possibility of seeing no support at all. The sudden appearance of fans not only surprised but also strengthened his determination.

He resolved to work hard—not just for himself but to give these fans, who put in effort to support him, a proper response.

“Oppa, are you going to release a song soon?”

“Yes, the music will be released before the show airs.”

“Everyone, please go home early. The weather's cold lately, and the morning dampness is heavy. Don’t catch a cold.”

Lin Shouxia’s cheeks stung from the biting north wind. He didn’t know how early these kids had come to wait, nor how long they had endured the wind.

“Oppa, can I get your autograph?” A plump-cheeked little girl suddenly appeared from the side, handing him a poster she had prepared in advance.

“Of course, no problem.” Lin Shouxia smiled and nodded at the girl, who looked like a middle school student. He bit open the pen cap and signed his name on the poster.

“Do you want it personalized?”

The man glanced at the girl’s shivering shoulders, chilled by the cold wind, and feeling a pang of sympathy, he wanted to make it up to these adorable fans as much as possible.

“Shouxia.” The agent frowned beside him. He understood the mutual affection between idol and fans but also had to fulfill his professional responsibilities.

If every fan got a personalized autograph, they would definitely be late for work today.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on the time.”

The man gave the agent an apologetic smile, then turned his attention back to the stunned little girl.

“What’s your name?”

“Hm?” The girl was clearly still overwhelmed by the huge surprise. In that brief moment of hesitation, she found herself holding a piece of chocolate.

“Here, have some candy. Can you tell me your name?”

“Okay.” Her voice trembling, the girl swallowed nervously. “My name is Zheng Yaxian. I’m a trainee at YG. Oppa, can you wish me an early debut?”

Zheng Yaxian nervously swallowed again, staring at the man’s profile, hardly believing she was receiving such treatment.

“All right.”

Lin Shouxia nodded and signed the poster as requested, then handed it back to Zheng Yaxian.

He waved to the waiting fans and, amid their disappointed gazes, was gently but firmly pulled into the television station by his manager.

Accompanied by his manager, Lin Shouxia met with senior Lee Maozhen, who had contacted him earlier.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they began rehearsing for the upcoming duet segment.

As a professional music variety show, Lee Maozhen, the host, possessed an outstanding voice and vocal performance skills.

He was among the first industry insiders to notice Lin Shouxia’s videos.

He had formed a preliminary understanding of this newcomer’s singing abilities.

Yet, when it came time to sing face-to-face, he was still stunned by the completeness of the man’s vocal talent.

Accompanied by piano music, the two performed Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” in its entirety.

Lin Shouxia smiled courteously at Lee Maozhen and began chatting with him about recent life and the original passion for singing.

When the conversation reached a natural pause, Lee Maozhen glanced at Lin Shouxia’s eyes and then started the next topic.

“Actually, most people know you because of your unexpected rise on TikTok, singing IU’s songs and becoming IU’s colleague. How has that affected you mentally?”

“You can say anything—whether troubles in daily life or difficulties on the path of pursuing music. Feel free to speak openly.”

“Lee Maozhen’s Service” was a very popular music variety show, one Lin Shouxia often followed, so he was familiar with the host’s style.

He pondered briefly and then began the conversation.

“If I talk about troubles, there definitely are some.” Lin Shouxia scratched his head sheepishly.

“I often forget that I am already an artist and casually show up at places where young people gather.”

“Not adapting well to the life of an artist is quite common among newcomers.”

Lee Maozhen nodded, summarizing the man’s words briefly.

This was actually a normal phenomenon; social media often reported sightings of new artists in certain areas.

“Also, musically, I must thank senior IU.”

“Senior gave me the chance to chase my dreams.”

Lin Shouxia looked sincerely into the camera and spoke from the heart.

Though he longed to shed the label attached to him, he had to admit that without Lee Ji-eun’s name, the clips of him on “I Live Alone” wouldn’t have spread so widely.

“I will also do my best with my music to repay senior’s recognition.”

Lee Maozhen nodded. Lin Shouxia’s words were flawless. For a newcomer to behave so appropriately in front of the camera was almost a gift.

The rest of the work was quite simple. Following the script, Lin Shouxia, encouraged by Lee Maozhen, performed his soon-to-be-released debut single.

Then the two entered the duet segment.

………………

[Hey, was the show that Younglu talked about premiering tonight?]

[Yes, that’s right.]

Lin Shouxia glanced at the living room. Even Lin Yinglu was curled up on the sofa with a big bag of snacks.

Though verbally opposed to her brother’s reckless pursuit of dreams, she was supporting his career through her actions.

[It’s about to start. Any reminders before I watch?]

[Probably... no major mishaps.]

Lin Shouxia pursed his lips, recalling his performance for a moment before hesitantly replying.

He thought he did pretty well that day, right?

At least, there were no catastrophic failures...

[How are the music chart results?]

[I haven’t paid attention. The company should tell me tomorrow.]

[Hey, all four of us in the dorm have been streaming your songs.]

[Thanks...]

[Is “thanks” all you’ve got? How about calling your sister to listen?]

[…]

“Onni, what’s wrong?”

“Maybe she’s scrolling TikTok. Although ‘Lee Maozhen’s Service’ is quite good, there’s no reason to switch the channel to KBS so early.”

In the kitchen, Kim Dongtian and Ning Yizhuo, who were preparing corn for a late-night snack, leaned their heads together. They looked up at their eldest sister on the sofa and then whispered to each other.

“Speaking of which, onni also borrowed my Melon account today...”

Suddenly, a surprised exclamation came from the sofa, interrupting their information exchange.

Giselle covered her mouth, unable to hide her astonishment: “Is this the person we met the other day?”