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

After seeing Lin Nayeon off, Li Mingye did not leave immediately.

He leaned against the wall by the roadside, his back against the cold bricks, his eyes quietly watching the pedestrians coming and going on the street.

He'd been through many breakups, but this was the first time he'd ever experienced heartbreak.

He felt inexplicably depressed. Even though everything seemed to have been handled properly, he didn't feel the relief he had expected after unloading a heavy burden.

There are still some things I haven't said, and it's not appropriate to say them, so I can only keep them to myself.

He suddenly felt that this was the perfect moment to light a cigarette.

Unfortunately, he doesn't smoke.

He didn't even have a lighter.

As night quietly slipped in, there were even more couples on the street, all of them incredibly affectionate.

Some held hands, some put their hands in each other's pockets, and some leaned their heads together, sharing a pair of earphones, exuding a strong "sour smell of love".

Standing in this sea of ​​pink bubbles, Li Mingye belatedly felt a sense of unease.

Do I look pathetic standing here?

He quickly shook his head, banishing the embarrassing thought from his mind.

Li Mingye gently kicked a pebble on the roadside, then suddenly remembered that he seemed to have booked a private room at the restaurant.

Why don't we go? We have nothing else to do anyway, and we can't just go home and stare at the ceiling all by ourselves.

He took out his phone, ready to call the driver to pick him up.

Then, the finger remained hovering above the screen, not falling down for a long time.

An idea popped into my head without warning.

Should we... call someone else?

Ji-won noona won't do. She specifically messaged me today saying she has plans for tonight—actually, she just doesn't want to come.

She knew he was breaking up with Lim Na-yeon today, so she made it clear beforehand: I won't see you today.

Li Mingye understood that it was because she hadn't gotten over her guilt towards Lin Nalian, and he didn't want to force her.

In that case, find someone you can confide in.

Several faces flashed through Li Mingye's mind; some were too busy, others were not suitable, but finally settled on a certain face.

His eyes flickered, and his fingers began tapping the screen again.

……

In a JYP trainee dormitory, a cell phone vibrated.

Sana Minatozaki was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, bored out of her mind, holding nail clippers and trimming her nails.

Today is Christmas, an annual event for couples on the streets of Seoul.

But for single people like her and Momo who neither have boyfriends nor want to go out and witness couples being seen together, the wisest choice is to stay in their dorm room and not move.

She put down the nail clippers, casually picked up her phone, and glanced at the screen.

Then, her fingers unconsciously tightened around her phone, her lips parted slightly, and her expression froze on an unexpected curve.

The message on the screen was just one line: "Is Sana free tonight?"

Contact person: Li Mingye.

Sana Minatozaki was stunned. She blinked and subconsciously turned her head to glance at the other bed.

Hirai Momo was lying on the bed, her whole body tucked under the covers except for her head, holding a tablet in her hand, intently watching anime.

"I've had someone I like for the first time, and I've also gained a lifelong friend. The two joys overlap... But why did it turn out like this...?"

Momo repeated her lines softly, her tone conveying a serious immersion in the role.

This anime was recommended to her by Li Mingye not long ago; it's called "White Album 2".

She naturally paid close attention to it, and sometimes she would even pause to memorize a few lines, saying that she would discuss the plot with Li Mingye later.

Sana Minato's gaze lingered briefly on Momo before quickly looking away.

She lowered her head again, staring at the line of text on the screen, her heartbeat subtly quickening.

She bit her lower lip and tentatively typed a few words: "Oppa, is there something you need?"

"Oppa, what's up?"

Li Mingye's reply came very quickly:

"Would it be alright if I treated you to a meal?"

Sana Minatozaki's pupils widened slightly, and she unconsciously swallowed.

What's going on? On Christmas Eve, someone suddenly invited me to dinner...

Is it a date?

She glanced quickly at Momo, who was engrossed in anime across from her in front of the wardrobe, and a vague feeling, which she couldn't quite put her finger on, either a sense of immorality or guilt, crept up into her chest.

Her finger hovered above the screen, hesitating for several seconds before typing her reply: "Why so suddenly?"

This time, there was no immediate reply. The screen displayed "typing" for a while, then stopped, then reappeared, and then stopped again.

Sana Minato stared at the status message that appeared and disappeared intermittently, feeling her breathing rhythmically rise and fall with it.

Finally, the bubble popped out:

"There are some things I don't know who to talk to, so I thought of Sana."

Sana Minato felt as if something had gently bumped into her heart.

She subconsciously pursed her lips, and her calves dangled off the edge of the bed, swaying gently twice.

She bit her lower lip, her fingers acting faster than her brain:

"Why me?"

She regretted it as soon as she sent it—doesn't that sound a bit smug?

She shouldn't have pressed the issue like this, given her usual emotional intelligence, but she couldn't help herself.

She desperately wanted to know the answer.

This is a big star who took the initiative to ask her out to dinner! And on such a special day!

Li Mingye's reply paused for almost half a minute before slowly appearing on the screen:

"Is it okay to explain it this way, because I feel Sana is a trustworthy person? (laughs)"

These words were like a pebble thrown into the water, creating ripples in her heart.

Sana Minatozaki quickly covered her mouth to prevent herself from making any obvious noises, but the laughter that leaked out from between her fingers was impossible to suppress.

"What's wrong, Sana?" Momo looked up, casting a curious glance from above the tablet.

"Nothing much, just saw a really funny video."

Sana placed her phone screen-down on her lap, turned her head naturally, and moved with such fluid and fast movements that she didn't even have time to feel guilty.

Momo hummed in agreement, then lowered her head again to continue watching the animation. She didn't even lift her eyelids.

Sana Minato secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze lingering for several seconds on the half of Momo's head sticking out from under the blanket.

Li Mingye is the person Momo likes, am I being inappropriate...?

Her phone vibrated again. She turned it over and saw a new message:

"So, Sana, will you come?"

Sana Minatozaki took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and slowly typed:

"Please wait a little longer, oppa, I'll be there."

Why care so much? She's just going to have a meal; she'll just consider it as helping Momo gather some information.

She tossed her phone onto the bed, stood up briskly, and opened her wardrobe.

She didn't have much time left, so she could only tidy up quickly.

She quickly scanned the items, pulled out a cream-colored knit sweater and a dark long skirt, compared them in the mirror, and then began searching for the corresponding hair accessories.

The commotion of getting dressed and putting on makeup was quite loud. Hirai Momo turned her head again, blinked, and asked, "Sana, are you going out?"

Sana Minatozaki paused almost imperceptibly while applying makeup, her voice surprisingly calm:

"Yeah, a friend suddenly asked me to go shopping, I'll go."

"Oh." Hirai Momo didn't suspect much, after all, Sana's social circle was much wider than hers, so it wasn't surprising that someone would ask her out.

Seeing that Hirai Momo instantly believed her, Minatozaki Sana secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a slight sense of guilt welling up inside her.

Is it necessary to keep this from Momo?

However, she quickly convinced herself.

Momo would definitely be unhappy if she found out, so let's not tell her. Just this once.

She suppressed her slightly racing heartbeat, looked at her face in the mirror, which was almost finished with makeup, and pursed her lips.