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

After they finished eating, they held hands and walked step by step along the street like an ordinary couple.

There was no destination, no timetable, and the pace was slow, as if they wanted to stretch the journey as far as possible.

At this point, Lim Nayeon started talking non-stop in retaliation.

All the trivial daily grievances that had accumulated over the past few days, with no outlet in sight, poured out like a floodgate being opened, chattering incessantly from her little mouth.

"...She thought it was Jeongyeon, but it turned out to be a trainee she didn't recognize at all. For a moment—haha, they were both completely dumbfounded!"

As she spoke, she laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight, reaching out to slap Li Mingye's arm, making a loud slapping sound.

When these funny things happened, she was wallowing in those gloomy emotions and couldn't laugh at all. Now, looking back, she finds them ridiculously funny.

Li Mingye would occasionally chuckle, and then share some of his observations from his time on the Korean Peninsula and in China in response.

As she was talking, Lim Nayeon suddenly stopped, her brows furrowed slightly, and her lips pursed so tightly they could hold a plastic bag.

"Are you... really close to Bae Suzy?"

coming.

It has that flavor.

Li Mingye couldn't help but laugh, so he reached out and pinched one of Lin Nayeon's cheeks, gently pulling it outwards.

"What time is it? Why are you still jealous?"

Lin Nalian rubbed the side of her face that had been pulled, baring her teeth, and then glared at him fiercely with her bright eyes.

"You should pay more attention to these details as you get closer to the end."

After she finished speaking, she gently bumped into him from the side. As a result, she lost her balance, swayed, and leaned closer to him.

"You're being naughty."

Li Mingye didn't respond to that. He simply tightened his grip on Lin Nayeon's hand, lowered his head, stared at the thin snow where footprints had been left on the ground, and walked forward step by step.

"Hey—why aren't you saying anything?"

Lim Nayeon quickened her pace to catch up with him, grabbing his hand and swinging it back and forth until they were almost at the same height as her.

Li Mingye turned his head, a wicked smile playing on his lips, his eyes full of provocation:

"I feel like there's no point in talking about this kind of thing with my ex-girlfriend, right?"

Lim Nayeon paused, momentarily speechless at his words. Then, she raised her chin and retorted with a righteous indignation:

"You're still holding my hand now, and I'm not your ex-girlfriend yet."

She raised their intertwined hands and waved them in front of his eyes twice.

"Did you see that?"

Li Mingye burst into laughter, his eyes narrowing into slits with delight, his shoulders shaking with the sound of his laughter.

With a smile still on his lips, he turned his head and suddenly blurted out:

"So when did you become my ex-girlfriend?"

Lim Nayeon immediately fell silent.

She blinked, and something flickered in her eyes that had been gesturing wildly just moments before. Then she slowly turned her head back and looked at the road ahead again.

The streetlights cast their shadows, sometimes long, sometimes short, overlapping on the thin snow beneath their feet, making it impossible to distinguish which one was which.

Li Mingye turned his head to look at her expression and couldn't help but chuckle. Just as he was about to change the subject, he suddenly heard a barely audible reply from beside him:

"Then let's wait until they loosen their grip."

She seemed to have made up her mind, but her hands clenched even tighter behind her back.

Li Mingye remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, silently approving the proposal.

The silence lasted briefly for several tens of seconds, not in an awkward way, but more like both of them were waiting for the other to speak first.

"Your hands are so warm," Lim Nayeon suddenly exclaimed.

Li Mingye nodded decisively, accepting the compliment as a matter of course, and then casually teased, "Your hands are so sweaty."

Nayeon's head snapped to attention, a tiny flame burning in her eyes, her rabbit teeth flashing dangerously, making her look like a little rabbit whose tail had been stepped on.

Her other hand moved over as well, precisely pinching the soft flesh on Li Mingye's side and making a 180-degree turn.

"Your hands sweat a lot! You're ruining the mood!!"

Li Mingye laughed loudly and tried to block her hand. The two of them tangled together under the streetlights, their breaths mingling and then being scattered by the snowflakes.

Passersby glanced at them, gave them a look that said, "This couple is so lovey-dovey," shook their heads, and walked on.

The atmosphere between them certainly didn't resemble that of a couple about to break up. You could easily believe they were still deeply in love—and in fact, they truly were.

Even though we're breaking up today.

The two of them walked aimlessly along the street for the entire afternoon, talking about whatever came to mind. Sometimes the conversation would stop, and neither of them would rush to fill the gap.

No one thought there was anything wrong with it; in fact, deep down, they were all secretly and greedily enjoying the moment.

Wasting time with someone you like is actually a very happy thing.

But such time is always short-lived; the sky quickly darkens and the streetlights gradually come on.

The snow continued to fall at a leisurely pace. They walked to a street lamp and stopped at the same time, as if on cue.

That's enough for now.

Lim Nayeon was still holding his hand. The two stood facing each other, her eyes were moist and bright, reflecting the light of the street lamp, and also reflecting him.

At this moment, Li Mingye spoke up somewhat cluelessly: "Aren't we going to grab a bite to eat first? I've already made a reservation."

Lim Nayeon shook her head, her movements so quick it was as if she was afraid she might change her mind at any moment.

She didn't hide the longing in her eyes—in fact, she never could; her eyes were a hundred times more honest than her mouth.

"I'm afraid if this continues... I really need to change my mind."

When she said that, her expression was open and honest, and she even smiled, but something in the corner of her eye flashed under the streetlight.

Li Mingye took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil within him, and raised an eyebrow with feigned nonchalance:

"How about a farewell kiss?"

Lim Nayeon pouted in disgust, but her eyes were already red with tears.

"You look like a jerk."

"You've discovered this," Li Mingye pretended to smack his lips, teasing himself with a tone of self-deprecating tone, "It seems I haven't hidden it well enough."

Lim Nayeon maintained a faint smile, her eyes never leaving him.

Li Mingye finally dropped his nonchalant expression. He sighed softly, and white breath slowly escaped from his lips.

"So, I'm letting go?"

"Um."

He stopped being coy and withdrew his fingers one by one from between hers.

Lim Na-yeon's hand remained suspended in mid-air.

My fingers were a little stiff from being gripped so tightly.

They stood an arm's length apart, staring intently at each other.

Under the streetlights, Li Mingye smiled with relief and reached out his hand.

"Still friends?"

Lim Nayeon wiped her eyes haphazardly with her other hand, then wiped them a second time, before reaching out and taking the hand he offered.

Her voice had a heavy nasal tone, yet she still pronounced each word clearly:

"We're still friends."

……

"I'm back..."

When Lim Na-yeon returned to her dorm, her voice sounded weak and listless.

Yoo Jeongyeon and Park Jihyo peeked out from their beds at almost the same time, their eyes both filled with the same cautious concern.

"How are you, unnie?" Park Jihyo couldn't help but ask first.

"Hmm..." Lim Nayeon bent down and slowly changed her shoes. When she straightened up, she sniffed. "I broke up with him."

Yoo Jeongyeon unconsciously tilted her neck to one side, her gaze sweeping back and forth across Lim Nayeon's face several times.

Not right.

Why doesn't it seem as heartbreaking as I imagined...

"Can you tell me what exactly happened?" Park Jihyo's curiosity was completely uncontrollable. She leaned forward half a body, her eyes gleaming with gossip.

"This..." Lim Nayeon looked up at the ceiling, her lips involuntarily curving upwards, as if recalling some beautiful memory.

"That's how it is..."

Yu Dingyan listened quietly to the whole thing, making expressions of surprise or amazement on her face, while her mind was racing with comments.

What does "still friends" mean?

Isn't this just like a lotus root still attached to its roots, someone who hasn't given up on their wicked intentions?

Which other breakup process is this harmonious? Can these two really be considered to have broken up?

Yu Dingyan was internally ranting, but her expression remained perfectly composed.

She looked at Lim Nayeon, who was now completely different from the listless person she had been when she first opened the door, and was talking nonstop.

She shook her head.

Never mind, as long as unnie is happy.