Chapter Sixteen: Lee Hyori

Entertainment at Your Side

Story begins: December 2004
Recommended Song: Lee Hyori – “Ten Minutes”
Disclaimer: This story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental.

Lee Hyori stepped out wearing a black down jacket, followed by an assistant. “You must be Jiang Yihan, right?” Lee Hyori's smile was captivating, her crescent-shaped eyes seemed to spark with electricity.

“Oh, yes! Hello, Miss Lee Hyori.” Jiang Yihan was caught off guard by this sudden meeting.

“Hehe, don’t be nervous.” Noticing Jiang Yihan’s stiff expression, Lee Hyori burst into laughter. Seeing her so relaxed, Jiang Yihan felt his anxiety ease a little and managed a sheepish smile, lowering his head in embarrassment.

“I’m about to have dinner. The show ran so long, and I noticed you hadn’t eaten much, so I stopped you. How about joining me for a meal?” Lee Hyori explained her purpose, her laughter fading.

Jiang Yihan’s face was filled with confusion and disbelief. An invitation from such a famous beauty was rare, and for a just-turned-twenty-year-old like him, nothing could have prepared him for it.

Lee Hyori laughed again at the adorable look on his face—allow her to use “little brother,” though at twenty-five herself, the “little” was a stretch. Yet Jiang Yihan’s youthful expression made her think of him as even younger—a baby face, after all. She returned to the topic. “You must wonder why I’d say this, right? Hehe! Aren’t you friends with Kim Jaejoong? Before he left, he asked Moon Hee-joon to take you out for dinner, since you’re about to enter the entertainment world, and he wanted Moon Hee-joon to give you some guidance. But Moon Hee-joon had a schedule, so that request ended up with me. You just told me you were only a student—hmph! Looks like that camera really is filming you.” She pointed to the perceptive Korean PD nearby who had already switched on the camera. “So, don’t you want to have dinner with me?”

After Lee Hyori’s explanation, Jiang Yihan’s confusion vanished, and his chest warmed with gratitude. Kim Jaejoong, though a recent acquaintance, treated him so well. In the entertainment industry, Jaejoong was still a junior and had no real standing to ask favors from seniors, but because HOT used to be under the same company, and when Jaejoong was a trainee, Moon Hee-joon took care of him like an older brother, Jaejoong went to him for help. Thinking of this, Jiang Yihan couldn’t help but smile—Jaejoong truly was good to him. He grinned brightly at Lee Hyori. “Of course I’d love to! How could I refuse a dinner with Hyori noona?”

He finished by swinging his left hand behind his waist and making a gentlemanly gesture with his right, inviting Lee Hyori to lead the way. His youthful attempt at maturity kept the group laughing as they moved forward.

“Jiang Yihan, I’ll just call you Yihan, okay? You seem so familiar, hope you don’t mind.” Once seated in a small restaurant, Lee Hyori opened the menu and started chatting.

“Hehe, of course I don’t mind. I used to avoid talking to people, worried I’d accidentally speak informally and offend them. I’d always call everyone ‘Mr.’ or ‘Miss’—in Korean, you just add ‘xi’ to the name. But you letting me call you by name makes me feel much more comfortable.” Jiang Yihan responded with a smile, recognizing that this gesture of closeness was rare among Koreans, but as a Chinese, it felt quite natural.

“Hehe, yet you still call me Miss Lee Hyori! I’m older than you, and your future senior—just call me noona. I am a few years older, after all.” Lee Hyori finished looking at the menu and ordered a few dishes for herself. “What about you? Any special requests?”

“No, no, it’s fine. Hyori noona, you order—I’m good with anything.” Jiang Yihan responded naturally, not at all pretentious. Lee Hyori was nothing like her TV persona. Right now, she wasn’t the dazzling star, nor the cool advertising queen, nor the sultry performer—just a warm, friendly big sister. Well, a very beautiful one. Jiang Yihan liked this approachable side of her.

The restaurant was simple—not the fancy Western-style or luxurious Korean eatery he’d imagined, but a homely little place with a few tables, several stoves, and a partition for the kitchen. Simple didn’t mean unclean; it was spotless, almost like a family-run eatery, and felt cozy. Outside, the weather was cold, but inside, the stoves burned warmly. There weren’t many diners—apart from their group, just one other table. Before long, the dishes Lee Hyori ordered arrived, including the nutritious Korean favorite, grilled pork belly. Meat in Korea was expensive, almost a luxury, so being able to eat it regularly was a treat.

They ate and chatted, with the assistant present but silent, while the Korean PD filmed as usual.

“Yihan, which company did you sign with?” Lee Hyori expertly placed meat on the grill, since Jiang Yihan had no clue and could only watch hungrily.

“I signed with ABC Company. Hyori noona, do you know it?” Jiang Yihan’s eyes were drawn entirely to the sizzling meat, its aroma whetting his appetite.

“ABC? That’s a strong company.” Lee Hyori flipped the meat so both sides cooked evenly. “When did you sign?”

“End of November.” Unable to resist anymore, Jiang Yihan started munching on kimchi as a side dish. “I only came here to study in September, and then ended up signing by chance.”

“You just arrived in September? What do you mean?” The meat finished quickly. Lee Hyori wrapped it in lettuce and popped it in her mouth.

“I’m an international student from China—didn’t Jaejoong mention it?” Jiang Yihan copied her, wrapping meat in lettuce and eating it.

“You’re an international student?” Clearly, Kim Jaejoong hadn’t told her. “That explains why you just watched me grill instead of doing it yourself! Haha! Here!” Realizing Jiang Yihan’s reason, Lee Hyori put several pieces of grilled meat into his bowl, her expression indulgent, like a sister doting on her brother. Perhaps because Lee Hyori was the youngest in her family and never had the chance to be a big sister, meeting someone so lovable, even after just getting to know him, she naturally wanted to “give him more meat.”

“Yeah, I’m not very good at it, so I just watched you.” Jiang Yihan’s cheeks reddened slightly.

“But you’re still studying—don’t the visa procedures make things complicated? ABC Company signing you is a bold move.” Lee Hyori returned the conversation to the topic of entertainers. “When are you planning to debut?”

“I told the company before signing, the visa was a big issue, but they said it’s all sorted. I don’t really know the details.” The pork belly with rice wasn’t as good as home-cooked meals, but still decent, and Jiang Yihan ate happily. “The company said I’d debut in January, I think. I’m not really sure, can’t remember exactly, hehe.”

“January? But you just signed, didn’t you?” For most Koreans, this was a surprising revelation. “You’re debuting without going through the trainee process? Your company really is bold.” Lee Hyori, who’d endured a long trainee period herself, sighed. “Will you debut as a singer or as an actor? ABC is well-rounded, strong in every field. Do you know how they’re positioning you?”

“Guess, Hyori noona!” Jiang Yihan didn’t give a direct answer.

“I think your acting should be good—your looks alone are impressive.” She studied his angular features, deep black eyes, and the subtle smile at his lips and made her first judgment. “But since Jaejoong asked us to look after you, and both Moon Hee-joon and I are singers, I’d guess you’re debuting as a singer.”

Lee Hyori’s guess was spot on.

“Hehe, that’s right. The company wants me to debut as a singer first.” Jiang Yihan took a sip of hot soup—so comforting. “Then I’ll challenge acting. I’m taking acting classes now.”

“Looks like your company has big plans, wanting to make you an all-around artist. Not bad.” Lee Hyori appraised Jiang Yihan and judged he had a promising future. “You should have a good career ahead—your conditions are excellent, and as long as the opportunity comes, you’ll shine.”

“Hehe, our president says the same. After I debut, Hyori noona, please take care of me!” Jiang Yihan, nearly finished with his meal, chatted happily. “Hyori noona, I’m currently recording my album, but progress is slow. Any tips you can share? I’m getting frustrated.”

“You’re recording an album?” Lee Hyori put down her chopsticks and shared her experience. “Actually, there’s a lot to get used to in the studio. For example, hearing your own voice in your ears, or how every flaw in your vocals is exposed after recording, or how every note is scrutinized to achieve perfection. That’s why it’s different from singing in a practice room or live on stage. In the studio, a singer’s voice can be adjusted to its best, even with computers correcting imperfections. So in the studio, focus on singing each line well, paying attention to small details, rather than worrying about the song’s continuity or trying to sing it all in one go. In the studio, it’s meant to be segmented work. If you let go of the burden of singing the whole song perfectly and concentrate on every detail, recording will go much faster.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Yihan’s mind was spinning a little. “It sounds like a simple method, but without experience, I’d never know to do it that way. Thank you for your guidance, Hyori noona!”

Both laughed together.

Later, Lee Hyori shared her stage experience. “There’s actually a difference between performing on music shows and at open concerts. At music shows, you can’t really see the fans clearly—you are the focus, so your facial expressions, like smiles and eye contact, must be impactful. When the camera is on you, unleash your charm for it. When it’s shooting the whole stage, your facial expressions should be directed at the fans below, but for the camera, use your body language—always pay attention to the details. At open concerts, it’s different. You need to interact with the fans, since the venue is larger and they can’t see your face well, so interaction and body language should take center stage. Stirring up the atmosphere is very important.”

Lee Hyori spoke, and Jiang Yihan listened attentively, absorbing her advice. She went on to talk about recording shows, what directors look for, and how to satisfy both producers and audiences, teaching Jiang Yihan many valuable things. The meal lasted over an hour, leaving Jiang Yihan deeply enriched and Lee Hyori delighted.

On the way home, Jiang Yihan said to the Korean PD, “You really scored today, getting so much footage of big stars.” The PD smiled; indeed, today’s shoot had yielded plenty. Once home, Jiang Yihan called Li Ran, boasting about having dinner with Lee Hyori—a tone that left Li Ran helpless. Then, worried that Jiang Ziyi was still in class, he sent her a text: “Yiyi, I just finished recording. I had dinner with Lee Hyori—just the two of us!”

“Really? Wow, brother, I finally feel like you’ve actually signed with a company—it’s suddenly real, meeting actual stars. But I still don’t feel anything about your debut, it doesn’t seem real,” Jiang Ziyi replied quickly, not really paying attention in class.

“I feel the same. Li Ran keeps telling me I’ll debut in January, and there’s less than half a month left, but I just can’t imagine it.”

“Maybe when you’re on stage, it’ll hit you. When I see you on TV, maybe then it’ll feel real. By the way, brother, your commercial has been ready for ages—why hasn’t it aired yet?”

“Maybe… they said it’ll air on New Year’s Day, a good omen for the new year, so probably January 1st. We’ll see then. Oh, any plans for Christmas?”

“No. I just arrived, don’t know anyone, so nothing special.”

“Hehe, then I guess Kwon Ji-yong hasn’t invited you out. How about we all go out together—you, me, and Li Ran?”

“Brother, Kwon Ji-yong and I are just friends, okay? If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll go out with Li Ran and ignore you for Christmas.”

“Haha, okay, okay, I won’t say more. But can you guarantee Ji-yong doesn’t have any feelings? My sister’s a fantastic girl—it’s hard not to like her, haha.”

“Only you, as my brother, think so! Hmph, I don’t care what others think.”

“Oh, so Yiyi’s not confident? Should we ask Kwon Ji-yong how he feels? Haha.”

“If you keep teasing me, I really won’t spend Christmas with you.”

“Alright, alright, it’s settled—let’s all go out together that day.”

The siblings’ messages ended in playful banter.