Lee Jae recalled his time as an SM trainee on "You Quiz on the Block." Lee Jae appeared on the tvN variety show aired on October 22 and shared his experiences. He said, "My schedule is fully packed right now. There are so many things going on. Being here now feels like a dream, and it doesn't feel real," showing happiness despite his busy schedule.

Yoo Jae-suk asked Lee Jae about his recent experience performing on "The Jimmy Fallon Show" as part of the complete Huntress lineup. Lee Jae recalled, "I was really stressed. That morning, I actually lost my voice." He explained, "I had so many schedules and was so busy, but my body couldn't keep up. My throat and lungs got worse, making it hard to breathe, and I even had pitch breaks."

Lee Jae said, "Until two months ago, I was just a composer, but my life suddenly changed 180 degrees. 'Golden' became a global hit, and my first performance was on 'The Jimmy Fallon Show.' The pressure was enormous." He added that he was able to get on stage thanks to the comfort and support from his fiancée.

Lee Jae revealed that he spent 12 years as a trainee at SM. He recalled, "I started when I was 11 years old. I was a trainee alongside Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, and f(x). I practiced from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. I worked really hard. It's amazing that I did that at such a young age."

However, he ultimately did not debut and ended up terminating his contract. Lee Jae said, "I think SM and I didn't align well on ideas. Also, SM wanted a clean voice, so I even tried to change my voice." He continued, "I was in my early 20s at the time, which was considered old to debut. I missed the debut timing. There are debut trainees and trainees, but I was always a trainee."

Lee Jae shared that after starting at 11 and finishing his trainee life at 23, he terminated his contract and cried in a taxi on the way home. He said, "I worked so hard, and this is how it ended? The wound was so deep, and I thought, 'Life is really hard.'"

Especially, Lee Jae said, "I cried my heart out after hitting number one on Billboard. I kept crying remembering the day I finished my contract and was going home after being a trainee. I told myself, 'You did so well. Good job,'" drawing attention. Lee Jae's story touched many people.