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

September 22, 8:00 AM Los Angeles time, 12:00 AM Seoul time.

At that special moment, Li Mingye pressed the send button and sent birthday wishes to Lin Nayeon.

Almost simultaneously, a reply popped up at the top of the phone screen, so fast it was as if she had been holding the phone and waiting for it.

"Thank you, honey, mua!"

It was followed by a string of pink heart emojis.

She has probably just finished her Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and is staying in her dorm room. She likely has roommates nearby, so making a phone call might be a bit inconvenient.

"I miss you so much, I'm going to die without energy."

Just looking at that line of text on the screen, Li Mingye could automatically picture her sweet and soft voice in his mind.

A smile played on Li Mingye's lips as his fingers flew across the screen.

"I'll be back soon, get clean and wait for me."

There seemed to be a pause on the other end, followed by a shy rabbit facepalm emoji, and a few seconds later the text message appeared:

"You're so lecherous..."

"I feel like there's a little rabbit who's even more lewd than me."

"No way!"

……

Meanwhile, inside the JYP dorm, everyone was gathered around a table celebrating Nayeon's birthday.

However, Lim Nayeon, the birthday girl, was staring at her phone screen, laughing incessantly. Her smile was almost too bright, her face flushed an unnatural red, and her eyes were glazed over, as if she were imagining something unhealthy.

Sitting next to her, Yoo Jeongyeon gave her a disappointed look, immediately spotting the problem. She reached out and gently patted Lim Nayeon's arm, whispering, "Snap out of it, it's time to cut the cake. Stop being so lovey-dovey."

"Huh?" Lim Nayeon snapped out of her daze, frantically fanning her face to cool it down, and smiled a little embarrassedly, "Sorry, I was just replying to messages."

She quickly recovered and let out a long sigh.

"Let's eat cake! Let's eat cake!"

In the end, not much of the cake was eaten. After all, everyone in the dormitory was a trainee, and they were extremely strict about managing their figures. Everyone just ate it for the atmosphere, cutting a few slices as a token gesture.

At noon on the 22nd, the sun was shining brightly.

Lim Na-yeon walked downstairs to pick up the birthday gift that Lee Myung-yeop had asked his assistant to deliver.

"Hello, is this Ms. Lim Na-yeon?"

A man in a neat suit walked over from the nanny van and asked Lin Na-yeon respectfully.

"Yes." Lim Nayeon nodded, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

The man smiled and nodded, then turned around and took a large, exquisite gift box from the trunk of the car. The box was large and flat, beautifully packaged, and exuded an air of mystery.

The man handed the gift box to Lim Na-yeon with both hands.

Holding the large gift box, Lim Nayeon was filled with questions, and her steps became lighter.

"Is this weight... from the flowers? Or the clothes?"

Anxious and worried, she hurriedly said goodbye to the man who gave her the gift, not even bothering to exchange a few polite words. Clutching the box, she quickly went upstairs and headed straight for Li Mingye's private lounge.

She closed the door, cutting off all outside views. Nayeon took a deep breath, anxiously yet carefully unwrapping the gift box, her fingers trembling slightly with excitement.

With a "click," the ribbon was untied.

After removing the gift box lid, Lim Nayeon was stunned upon seeing the gift, her pupils dilating slightly.

The gift wasn't a designer bag or expensive jewelry, but a painting.

Or rather, it's a sketch of Lim Na-yeon.

The painting is on a large sheet of paper, the painting is exquisite, the lines are smooth and delicate, and the handling of light and shadow is masterful.

In the painting, she has her hair tied in a high ponytail, with a few wisps falling beside her ears. Her mouth is slightly open, revealing her signature rabbit teeth, and her eyes are wide open, her expression both flustered and adorable, as if she has been suddenly startled by something. She is wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, exuding youthful energy.

"Wow!"

Lim Nayeon instantly felt an overwhelming joy welling up inside her. A huge smile curved her lips, her eyes crinkled with laughter, and she felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey, with pink bubbles rising in her heart.

"But when was this drawing of me?"

While overjoyed, Lim Nayeon also had a slight doubt.

Then, she carefully picked up the painting and discovered that there seemed to be a greeting card underneath.

Lim Nayeon picked up the greeting card, opened it, and read the familiar handwriting word by word:

My dream girl, Nayeon:

Life is good!

This painting depicts the first time I saw you.

I encountered many people and many things that day, but meeting you remains my most unforgettable memory.

Thank you for appearing in my life and making my ordinary days shine.

In the new year, may you always be surrounded by love and your smile always be radiant.

"Love you, Li Mingye"

Lim Na-yeon felt her heart pounding in her chest, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up inside her, bittersweet.

"Honestly, couldn't you have chosen a better time to draw it...?"

"And it's so cheesy, saying things like 'dream lover'..."

She complained with a blissful expression, unable to suppress the corners of her mouth.

Lim Nayeon took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, then quickly took out her phone and called Lee Myung-yeop.

"Feed?"

When the call connected, Li Mingye's voice came from across the ocean, filled with laughter.

Lim Nayeon didn't speak. She remained silent for a while, just listening to his breathing.

On the other side, Li Mingye glanced at the Peninsula time and knew that Lin Nayeon must have received a birthday present.

"How's the gift? Are you satisfied?"

After a while, Lim Nayeon answered irrelevantly, her voice as soft as water:

"You...you can draw too?"

Her voice was frighteningly sweet, with long, drawn-out endings, making it sound like she had transformed into a seven or eight-year-old girl.

Hearing that voice, Li Mingye felt a tingling sensation in his heart, knowing that Lin Nayeon must be quite satisfied. He said with a smile:

"I know a little bit."

Drawing was one of his hobbies before, and his skill level was only average. But now, after comprehensive training, his observation skills and hand-eye coordination have reached their peak. It's hard to say about other drawing styles, but he has a firm grasp on sketching.

When are you coming back?

Lim Nayeon's voice carried a hint of impatience and an undisguised longing.

"I already said I'd be back in early October, less than two weeks away."

"Okay, I'll wait for you to come back," Lim Nayeon said sweetly, then hung up the phone as if afraid she would say something even more cheesy.

Li Mingye raised his eyebrows, his expression revealing joy and anticipation.

"What's wrong? Why are you so happy?"

Kim Ji-won, who was sitting with him in the rest area, asked him with a smile, still holding a script in her hand.

Li Mingye didn't hesitate much and spoke casually:

"It's my girlfriend's birthday, I just called her."

"Oh, it's your birthday." Kim Ji-won nodded calmly.

Then, in the next second, before her brain could process the information in those words, she looked on incredulously, her voice rising an octave: "What? Girlfriend?"

"Yes." Li Mingye nodded naturally.

Kim Ji-won's pupils trembled, and her emotions fluctuated.

"Oh my god, he has a girlfriend? I had no idea he was going to pursue me!"

Kim Ji-won's face instantly turned red.

A slight unease flashed through her mind, as if something had been lost, but she quickly suppressed it. Then a hint of resentment arose, as if she blamed him for not saying so sooner, causing her to misunderstand, but she quickly brushed that aside as well.

She certainly doesn't have romantic feelings for Li Mingye right now, but she definitely has some affection for him, which leads to some unrealistic possessiveness.

Finally, she told herself:

"We've always been friends. Mingye didn't do anything out of line. I was just overthinking it. If I had asked him sooner, he definitely would have told me."

In the end, Kim Ji-won sighed silently, suppressing her discomfort, and jokingly complained with a smile:

"You have a girlfriend? Mingye, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Li Mingye responded with a smile, his eyes clear: "Nuna didn't ask, did he? If I were to bring it up, it would be as if I were telling Nuna not to have any improper thoughts about me."

Li Mingye raised an eyebrow and added the last sentence: "That's too arrogant."

Kim Ji-won's heart skipped a beat. She covered her mouth and chuckled softly, a complex look flashing in her eyes.