Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 139 Yoona's Regret (4K, take a break)
Sooyoung had a "I don't believe you" look on her face, but seeing that Yoona didn't want to say more, she didn't press the matter further.

Sunny observed Yoona's forced expression, knowing exactly what was going on, so she said nothing more. She turned and slipped over to Taeyeon's side, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"For your solo debut stage, should we... invite Yoona to join us separately?"

Upon hearing this, Taeyeon's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and she did not answer immediately.

Sunny sighed as she looked at her ostrich-like attitude and continued with the strong medicine:

"Given your current situation, I feel that even if the company forces her to go and support you, she'll probably find an excuse to skip it. And then everyone else will be there..."

Yoona is the only one missing…tsk tsk, what will the media and fans think? Is there discord within Girls' Generation? Is Taeyeon's solo performance being skipped by Yoona?

Taeyeon pursed her lips. Sunny's words were like a needle, precisely piercing the calm she was trying to maintain.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and walked in the direction where Yoona was.

Her steps faltered slightly. After stopping in front of Yoona, she cautiously began to speak:

"Yoona..."

Yoona looked at her calmly, waiting for what she would say next. Sooyoung and Seohyun, standing nearby, also watched this scene with curiosity.

Taeyeon mustered her courage and continued:
"My...my first solo performance, will you...come to participate?"

Upon hearing this question, Seohyun, who was standing next to her, immediately raised a question:

"Huh? Taeyeon unnie, didn't we all agree that we were all going to go and support unnie?"

Her clear eyes were filled with confusion. She looked at Taeyeon, then at Yoona, completely baffled as to the meaning of this private invitation.

Sooyoung's eyes widened as she looked at Taeyeon, who was filled with nervous anticipation, and then at Yoona, whose body seemed slightly stiff. Her mind was filled with questions.

what is happening? !

When Yoona, who was being questioned, heard Taeyeon's expectant question, "Will you come to participate?", she froze on the spot.

Reason and emotion were locked in a fierce battle in her mind.

The little devil of reason is screaming:
Reject her! Yoona! Just say you have something to do that day and can't go! Have you forgotten that dream you had last night?

But the little angel of emotions retorted vehemently:
'But... that was Taeyeon unnie's first solo stage! All these years, practicing together, debuting together, the Black Ocean together, crying our eyes out at concerts together... have you forgotten all of that?!'
This is Taeyeon unnie's dream! It's such an important moment, and if you're not there, it'll be like winning the Blue Dragon Film Award later and not having her there to congratulate you. Won't you feel regretful?

The little angel of emotion had barely finished speaking when the little devil of reason slapped her away:

'What's there for her to regret? She'll probably never win the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actress in her lifetime, so it doesn't matter whether she goes to Taeyeon's solo debut stage or not!'

Yoona was successfully persuaded by the little devil:

The words "I might have something to do that day and can't make it" were almost on her lips. But when she met Taeyeon's eyes, which were filled with tension, pleading and expectation, the words of refusal seemed to be stuck in her throat, and she couldn't squeeze out a single word.

Sunny's words were still echoing in my ears:

"family……"

Silence filled the practice room. A few seconds seemed to stretch into an eternity. Seohyun and Sooyoung felt an invisible pressure that made it hard to breathe.

Just as Sooyoung was about to ask directly, "What exactly happened?", Yoona twitched the corners of her mouth, a smile that barely made it into a genuine one, and said in a flat tone:
"Yes, I will definitely support you on your first stage performance."

There were no exciting words of blessing, no words of encouragement, and even the tone of voice was rather flat. It was as if they were fulfilling an obligation they had to do.

But even this simple, somewhat indifferent agreement made Taeyeon's eyes light up instantly. She nodded vigorously almost immediately, a joyful smile spreading across her face, and quickly said:
"Kamsammida! Yoona, you absolutely have to come!"

In Taeyeon's view, this is already the first sign that the deadlock is beginning to thaw! Yoona's willingness to come is a good start.

Although she would never back down on Jiang Che's matter, she also didn't want to lose her younger sister, Yoon-ah. Adults are all about wanting everything, wanting both, and wanting more.

At that moment, she seemed to see a glimmer of hope for repairing their relationship.

Sunny, who had been observing quietly from the sidelines, couldn't help but click her tongue inwardly when she saw this.

She glanced at Taeyeon, who was beaming with joy, and then at Yoona, who appeared calm on the surface but was probably in turmoil inside. A sense of helplessness welled up inside her.

'Ugh, these two teammates are such a handful... And why am I the one putting out the fire that Jiang Che started? It's so annoying!'

'However, judging from the current situation, Taeyeon shouldn't have any problem making up. After all, that team leader is already thinking about building a harem for Kang Cheol, what problem could there be?'

Sunny's lips twitched as she recalled Taeyeon's earlier comment that "even if Kang Cheol had a dozen more girls, she wouldn't mind."

So the crux of the problem clearly lies with Yoona. But since Yoona agreed, doesn't that mean a wound has already been torn open within her?

“Okay,” Sunny thought to herself, and an idea became clear:
'The one who tied the knot must untie it. I can't keep paying for Jiang Che's mistakes forever, can I? I need to put some pressure on him when I get back!' Thinking this, she started mentally ranting again:
'A man who keeps shouting about becoming the Pirate King can't even manage his own crew. What kind of Pirate King is he? What's the point of going to the New World? He might as well just become a mountain bandit king!'

At the same time, a deeper worry crossed her mind:

"We mustn't let some man suddenly appear and cause some new '930 incident'... Otherwise, it will be too late to cry."

On the other side, although Seohyun and Sooyoung were full of doubts and felt that the two of them were acting strangely from head to toe today, at least they were on the surface to be harmonious.

The two exchanged a glance and tacitly decided to suppress their curiosity for the time being and use this topic to encourage Taeyeon.

"Unnie, good luck on your first stage!" Seohyun said earnestly.

"That's right, Taeyeon's solo is sure to be a huge hit!" Sooyoung chimed in with a smile, trying to bring the atmosphere back to normal.

"Kamsangmidah! Thank you all." Taeyeon thanked her sisters one by one, her smile becoming much more genuine.

Soon, with the arrival of the other members, the atmosphere in the practice room seemed to return to its former harmony and congeniality. Everyone began to do their own activities, some stretching, some chatting.

However, the invisible barrier between Yoona and Taeyeon remains clearly visible.

Yoona walked to the window, pretending to look at the street scene below, but her mind was in turmoil:
"How could I have agreed so impulsively?" But soon, she began to find reasons for herself, trying to convince herself:

"Everyone else went, and it would seem strange if I weren't... Yes, I can't let my personal feelings affect the team. Besides, wouldn't it be petty of me not to go?"

More importantly, there was that thought hidden deep in her heart, one she was unwilling to admit directly—"If I go, is there any chance I'll see that bastard?!"

Thinking about it this way, I feel a little better.

Soon, the day passed by in rehearsals, daydreaming, and the occasional, unavoidable eye contact with Taeyeon unnie.

When Yoona returned to her apartment, it was already dark. She unlocked the door, only to be met with a deathly silence that seemed to devour her.
In the past, no matter how late it was, there would always be a light on for her at home, and that bastard would always say "You're back?" in that irritating tone when she opened the door. But now, there's nothing.

She paused subconsciously for a moment before reaching out to turn on the living room light. Everything was just as she had left it that morning—neat and tidy, but lifeless.

She took off her shoes, too lazy to even straighten them, and walked barefoot, her steps heavy, to the sofa, letting herself sink into it.

The silence amplified all her senses, making the emptiness in her heart even clearer.

During the day at the company, the complex emotions she felt when facing Taeyeon unnie—grievance, resentment, and even envy that she herself was unwilling to admit—once again surged into her heart like a tide.

And that… that damn, silent “goodbye” lip-syncing.

Yoona closed her eyes tightly, trying to banish these images, but they remained as clear as if branded.

"It's only been a few days..." she murmured to herself, "but it feels like years have passed..."

A strong sense of regret quietly arose.

If... if I had just bury my head in the sand back then, would I be feeling so much worse now? If I hadn't said such hurtful things, if I hadn't made things so tense...

Is it possible to maintain the superficial "cohabitation" life, and still see that noisy, delicious-cooking guy when you come home every day?
If... I could be like Taeyeon unnie, greedily grasping at the present without caring about the future, wouldn't I be much happier?

My thoughts drifted away, and the scene of that birthday night seemed to reappear before my eyes—fireflies as dazzling as a galaxy, and that guy sitting in the hazy light with his guitar, singing that song that belonged only to her.

(My feelings for you)

"(What kind of air has it become?)"

"(Will you remember me?)"

She unconsciously began to hum a tune softly, her mind filled with the focused look in his eyes as he sang, and the silly little deer doll he had placed in her arms.
It was that five-pointed star necklace he said was meaningful, and every word he said at the time.

A wave of soreness rushed to the tip of my nose, my eyes burned, and my vision blurred rapidly. Warm tears streamed down my face without warning.

"Woo..."

A suppressed sob finally broke through her throat. She curled up, burying her face in her knees, letting the tears flow freely. After what seemed like an eternity, the crying gradually subsided, leaving only soft sniffles. And then—

Her stomach growled at an inopportune moment, the sound particularly loud in the quiet room. All day long, aside from a small piece of bread she absentmindedly nibbled on at lunchtime, she had barely eaten anything. The intense hunger temporarily pulled her from her sorrow.

She sniffed, wiped away the tears on her face haphazardly with the back of her hand, struggled to stand up from the sofa, and walked unsteadily toward the kitchen.

Opening the refrigerator, there was actually quite a lot of food inside—vegetables, eggs, and even a few boxes of unopened meat.

The problem is... she doesn't know how to cook. Before... Jiang Che used to cook for her. Only then did Yoon-ah belatedly realize that the guy had been cooking for her for almost seven months without her noticing.

She stood there blankly in front of the refrigerator, staring at the ingredients inside, her mind a jumble. One moment she saw Jiang Che's back as he busied himself at the stove in an apron, the next she saw his smug, self-satisfied expression as he held up a plate.

She only snapped out of her daze when the refrigerator started beeping because it had been running for so long, and slammed the refrigerator door shut in frustration.

With a "bang," the kitchen fell silent once more.

She walked to the center of the living room, stood there blankly for a while, and felt a little lost. Her stomach was still protesting, but she had no appetite at all.

Her footsteps seemed to have a mind of their own, and before she knew it, she had reached the bedroom door.

Pushing open the door, her gaze immediately fell on the bedside table—the slightly silly-looking deer doll that Jiang Che had given her on her birthday.

He remained quietly in the same old spot, his dark, innocent eyes gazing at her.

She walked over, picked up the doll, and hugged it to her chest. It was soft to the touch, but it brought her no warmth. She then opened the bedside table drawer, where the five-pointed star necklace lay peacefully.

The items are still there, but the person who delivered them... is gone.

This realization, like a dull knife, cut her again. The tears she had just stopped threatened to overflow once more. She hugged her deer plushie, turned onto her side on the bed, and...
She buried her face in the soft fabric, her shoulders trembling slightly, and suppressed sobs echoed in the room once again.

Perhaps because she was physically and mentally exhausted, she cried and cried until she fell asleep while hugging the silly little deer doll.

Meanwhile, a familiar car quietly stopped downstairs at Sunny's house. In the driver's seat, Taeyeon gripped the steering wheel, but her eyes were fixed on the window upstairs, which was lit by a warm light, as if drawn by a magnet.

She was almost back home when, for some reason, the steering wheel seemed to have a mind of its own, and somehow, it ended up back here.

It felt like a tiny claw was scratching at my heart.

I want to go up.

Even just a glance, a hug.

But another voice was slamming on the brakes:
'No way! Yoona seems to be showing signs of reconciliation, and I'm already rushing to Sunny's house? What if Yoona finds out? Won't our relationship, which has just improved, instantly revert to its original state?'

"I'm so conflicted," she muttered to herself.

"But it should be... okay, right? As long as I don't say anything, Sunny doesn't say anything, and Jiang Che doesn't say anything... how would Yoona know?"

(End of this chapter)