Peninsula: My e-sports dream shattered, I chose to become an actor.

May 17th is Buddha's Birthday.

This is a Buddhist holiday commemorating the birth of Buddha Shakyamuni, and also a public holiday on the peninsula. JYP trainees, whose days are usually filled with schedules and practice, finally got a day to breathe.

Today, Lee Myung-yeop specially changed into a casual light-colored trench coat and invited Lim Na-yeon out. Their destination was the famous Jogyesa Temple Lantern Festival in Seoul.

To be honest, he wasn't particularly interested in this gala before. After all, he'd attended China's Lantern Festival before, which dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty and is far more culturally rich and grand in scale.

But it would be different if Lim Na-yeon were there.

"It's not prickly like that here, you idiot."

Seeing Lin Nayeon looking helpless and frowning at the pile of bamboo strips, Li Mingye chuckled helplessly and naturally took the scattered skeletons.

"Come on, look at me, I'll teach you."

He was going to see the lantern festival with Lim Nayeon tonight, and since he was already going to join in the fun, he thought he might as well get involved more, so he specially found a secluded craft workshop in the afternoon to make lanterns with Lim Nayeon.

Lim Nayeon rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at his profile, her nose twitching slightly, deliberately teasing him:

"How come you're so skilled at this? How many times have you watched the Lantern Festival with other girls?"

Li Mingye glanced at her speechlessly: "What's so difficult about this? You're just too stupid."

After saying that, he freed one hand and gently flicked Lim Nayeon's smooth, full forehead, smiling as he said:

"I've only shown it to you, okay?"

Lim Nayeon exaggeratedly covered her forehead, groaning in pain, but the joy in her eyes was impossible to hide, as if they were filled with tiny starlight.

Their relationship is just one thin layer away from crossing the line between "friends." However, since no one has revealed their intentions yet, Lim Nayeon seems to have some reservations.

After finishing the skeleton, Li Mingye returned the semi-finished product to Lin Nayeon. The remaining paper-painting steps were much simpler. Lin Nayeon chose the most classic three-colored lotus lantern, while he made himself a more complex rabbit lantern.

It took them almost an afternoon to finish their work.

"Look! Doesn't it look like you?" Li Mingye waved the rabbit lantern with long drooping ears in front of Lin Nayeon, his eyes full of mockery.

"No way! It doesn't look like it at all~" Lim Na-yeon pouted her signature pouty lips and shook her head in a coquettish manner to deny it.

Li Mingye looked at the rabbit lantern with a serious expression, then at Lin Nayeon's delicate face, and then sighed in a deliberately profound tone:

"Indeed, this rabbit's front teeth seem a bit small."

"Hey! Li Mingye!"

Lim Nayeon instantly bristled, turning into a crazed little rabbit, baring her teeth and claws as she lunged forward.

……

As night falls and the lanterns are lit, the lantern festival officially begins.

"Look, look! The parade is coming!"

Hearing Lim Nayeon's excited shouts, Lee Myung-yeop turned his head away.

Many aunties and young women carrying lanterns walked towards us, followed by floats carrying traditional figures such as the Four Heavenly Kings, lions, tigers, dragons, and elephants. Many young people pushed the floats along the way.

Lim Nayeon excitedly took photos with her phone, exclaiming in amazement. Lee Myung-yeop watched her with a smile, but inwardly he felt nothing.

Li Mingye looked at her with a smile, but his heart was completely unmoved.

It's alright, nothing special...

Just as I was thinking this, a float with a completely different style was pushed over.

"Holy crap, there's Thomas the Tank Engine too?"

Li Mingye couldn't hold back for a moment, revealing a confused and shocked expression. However, he didn't stop there; he quickly took out his phone and snapped a picture.

Immediately afterwards, floats decorated with the Little Prince, the Smurfs, and even the Minions drove by one after another.

Li Mingye obediently took the photos and took back the comments he had just made that he thought were meaningless.

It was like opening a blind box. Although it was a bit unserious and even a bit incongruous, at least he had some fun.

It feels like if Optimus Prime came to the Peninsula, they'd have to celebrate Buddha's birthday too.

He hesitated for a moment, then sent the photos to his friends.

Chou Tzu-yu replied the fastest:

"Wow, it's so beautiful! It makes me want to go out and play too."

It was followed by an emoji of a puppy rolling around.

Li Mingye was about to reply, "Then why don't you come out now?", but after thinking about it again, he felt that Zhou Ziyu meant she wanted to go out and play with him.

He glanced sideways at Lim Nayeon, who was taking a selfie at the right angle, silently apologized, and replied:

"It's okay, I'll take you out to play in a few days."

"((-^〇^)-) You said it."

Then Momo also sent a message:

"Are you watching too? Sana and I are here too! Where are you? We're coming to find you."

Lee Myung-yeop glanced at Lim Na-yeon, who was editing a photo, and replied:

"It's a pity, I have to go now, I have something to do later."

"Oh, that's a real shame. Sana really wanted to see you too." This was followed by a sighing emoji.

Putting her phone away, Lim Nayeon turned around and waved to him with a bright smile: "Mingyeop, Mingyeop, come over here, let's take a picture together!"

Lee Myung-yeop immediately moved closer, their shoulders touching. He smiled and made a peace sign, and Lim Na-yeon, looking at him in the camera, also made a peace sign.

With a "click," time stood still.

Li Mingye picked up his phone and glanced at it. The people in the photo were all smiles, with the lights behind them providing the perfect backdrop. Their pure joy almost overflowed from the screen.

After reading it, Lim Na-yeon nodded in satisfaction and put her phone away.

"Let's go explore some more."

Li Mingye and Lin Nalian carried lanterns as they strolled along the bustling street.

Couples walked by constantly, some flirting, others holding hands. A sweet atmosphere filled the air, and without realizing it, the distance between them gradually shortened; the occasional brush of their sleeves would send a subtle electric current through them.

As she looked at the colorful lanterns along the roadside, Lim Nayeon's pace slowed down, and the smile on her lips gradually faded, replaced by a slight purse.

She glanced again at the happy smile on Li Mingye's face and the rabbit lantern he was carrying, her mind filled with countless wonderful memories of the day, her eyes filled with uncertain emotions.

The lantern he was carrying emitted a warm yellow glow, illuminating Li Mingye's profile and making him look warm and handsome, just like the heart-fluttering male lead in a Korean drama.

Slowly, Lim Na-yeon stopped.

When Lee Myung-yeop sensed that Lim Na-yeon had stopped, he turned around and saw her standing there, holding a lantern in one hand and clutching her chest tightly with the other. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth was open due to excessive tension, revealing two bright rabbit teeth.

Li Mingye's heart stirred, as if he could read her nervousness and anticipation, and he slowly approached Lin Nayeon.

Sensing Li Mingye's approaching presence, Lin Nayeon's long eyelashes trembled nervously, and her heart nearly leaped out of her throat.

"collapse!"

Lim Nayeon felt her front teeth being flicked lightly.

She opened her eyes, confused, and saw Li Mingye with a wicked grin on his face, as if he had just pulled off a prank.

"Hey! Li Mingye!"

Enraged and embarrassed, Lim Nayeon completely lost control of her expression, raining down her fists on Lee Myung-yeop.

Li Mingye stood there motionless, letting her vent her anger, constantly crying out "it hurts," but his eyes were very gentle.

"Wait a little longer, this place isn't good enough yet."

He thought to himself.