Peninsula Cicada Song Diary

Sana Minatozaki had actually thought about this answer. Yeouido is only so big, and there's only so much space.

Despite this, looking at the simple "yes" on the screen, Sana Minatozaki was still somewhat lost in thought.

"Oh?"

Son Chaeyoung, who was watching from the sidelines, gasped in surprise. Hearing the commotion, nearby members turned to look. "What happened?"

"It's nothing." Coming to their senses, Minatozaki Sana and Son Chaeyoung quickly shook their heads in denial, their movements in unison.

"Kakao~" Another message came in.

[Actually, I was at the door.]

He didn't say which door it was, but when Sana Minato turned her head, she seemed to see a boy standing outside the door through the door panel of the waiting room.

So, am I that important person...?

[Really?]

[Just kidding.]

Someone walked past her. After replying to the message, Pei Xiyan turned her head. The door to the waiting room next to her looked no different from EXO's waiting room. The same door panel, the same handle, and the furnishings inside were probably similar as well, except that this door had a different word written on it.

twice.

Pei Xiyan really did go to the restroom; there were still traces of water from washing his hands under his fingernails. However, people's eyes always tend to catch sight of things. On his way back, he accidentally saw this door and then the nameplate on it. As if there was some kind of magic inside, he stopped in his tracks.

If you were a monster, that room might contain Tang Sanzang, who was on his way to the Western Paradise to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures. If you were Voldemort, that room might contain Harry Potter with the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, although the room wasn't the downstairs cubicle and might be a bit too big for Harry Potter...

If... Actually, there are no ifs, I am Pei Xiyan.

He didn't want to lie to himself; that magic was from Sana Minatozaki.

A few minutes ago, Pei Xiyan looked at the door and had an urge to tell her that she had arrived, but she quickly put the idea out of her mind.

Pei Xiyan knew that Minatozaki Sana was currently in her comeback period, and her schedule was already packed, likely even more so this month. A little more rest was definitely a good thing. He would have left already if he hadn't suddenly received a message from Minatozaki Sana on his phone.

There was no reply from the other end. Pei Xiyan put away her phone and prepared to leave. At that moment, she heard a faint sound, and then the door next to her opened.

A small head peeked out from the crack in the door, its long, reddish-brown hair hanging down the edge of the door, like a squirrel whose tail had accidentally drooped onto its head.

"Hehe." Sana Minato saw him, a hint of surprise flashing in her bright eyes, as if to say, "You really were here." She smiled, and the sun, which had disappeared today, reappeared in her eyes, bright and dazzling.

In an instant, Pei Xiyan was transported back four days. On stage, she winked at her camera lens, and as she pressed the shutter, the surrounding scenery seemed to slow down indefinitely, like a slow-motion scene in a movie. The sounds around her began to lengthen, the air began to stagnate, and the lights began to fade...

Only the Sana Minatozaki in the photos is vibrant and lively, just like she is now.

"Shh." She then put her finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture at him.

Pei Xiyan pulled down her hat brim, said nothing, and quietly watched her walk out before gently closing the door behind her. The Music Bank live stream was at four in the afternoon, and she was wearing a warm enough plaid coat, so she didn't have to worry about being cold.

She didn't speak to him. First, she looked around silently, then determined a direction and started walking in that direction.

She walked very slowly today, taking each step very steadily. Pei Xiyan blinked, but did not follow.

Perhaps sensing his presence, Sana Minato suddenly put her hands behind her back and secretly beckoned him with one finger, the bend resembling a fishing hook. Pei Xiyan was certain that such a hook would never catch a fish in the water.

But there was no water around, and I wasn't a fish.

He smiled slightly and followed her slowly, keeping a distance of three or four meters, like a staff member taking a walk.

"Sana." "Sana-senpai."

"It's you guys."

After walking for a while, a commotion arose ahead. Sana Minatozaki ran into a group of male idols returning from rehearsals. She seemed to know them well, chatting and laughing. She even tried to compare her height with theirs, and they weren't that different.

The male idols in that group weren't very tall. The tallest member only reached his own eyebrow, and the others were much shorter.

After chatting for a while, they parted ways. Sana Minato continued walking, while Pei Xiyan noticed that a few of the boys looked back reluctantly.

Pei Xiyan recognized them; Park Jin-young had once pointed to a group photo of JYP artists and introduced them as if they were his own treasures.

Stray Kids, a rookie boy group that debuted with JYP last year.

It just doesn't seem to have made much of a splash, not even as much as SM's NCT Dream.

The boy band looked at Pei Xiyan with surprise as they passed by. They didn't know Pei Xiyan; they were probably just surprised at how tall he was, or perhaps they were reminded of the fear of being dominated by giants.

Pei Xiyan nodded to them, and they returned the nod. The two groups passed each other, and Pei Xiyan continued to leisurely follow Minatozaki Sana.

She walks straight, he walks straight; she turns a corner, he turns a corner; she opens a door and goes in, he follows her in...

The door closed, and the two entered a stairwell. It was quiet, a good place to talk, with steps leading up and down, and at the top of the steps were glass windows offering a view of the outside.

The weather outside was gloomy, similar to the weather when he met Minatozaki Sana for the second time, except that the rain wasn't as heavy today, unlike that time when it looked like the sky was about to dry up.

"What are you looking at?"

Sana Minatozaki's voice made Pei Xiyan turn his gaze away. He looked at Sana Minatozaki. She was leaning against the closed door, looking at him with curiosity on her pretty face.

"It depends on the weather," Pei Xiyan said frankly.

"What's wrong with the weather?" Minatozaki Sana tilted her head as usual.

"It's a bit like that day," Pei Xiyan said.

Sana Minatozaki knew which day he was referring to. She glanced outside, revealing her beautiful profile, and said, "Aren't we the same?"

"Why is Xiyan at KBS today?" She turned around. "Is it for work?"

"Because of a bet," Pei Xiyan said.

"What kind of bet?" Minatozaki Sana asked, still curious.

"Uh..." Pei Xiyan didn't really want to say it, after all, it wasn't something to be proud of, and it was even a little embarrassing.

"It's okay if Shiyan doesn't plan to say anything," Minatozaki Sana pouted.

The stairwell was rather dark; I don't know why the lights weren't on. Her eyes, in this environment, were almost unfair—bright and pleading as she looked at you; it was hard to say no to such eyes.

"Because it's a little embarrassing." Pei Xiyan scratched her right cheek.

"I won't laugh." Sana Minatozaki's deep brown eyes were filled with unwavering conviction.