Peninsula Cicada Song Diary

As November drew to a close, Bae Joo-hyun moved dorms and began her busy schedule before her comeback. Meanwhile, Bae Xi-yan, who had been writing songs at home for two days, finally remembered something.

So, this month, Pamela visited the JYP building for the first time.

The weather isn't fluctuating between warm and cold; the temperature just hovers between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius. Summer breezes feel cool, but now the wind just feels bone-chilling.

Fortunately, Pei Xiyan was never one to sacrifice warmth for style; the long black down jacket that reached past his knees made him unafraid of the wind.

The coffee shop on the first floor was as lively as ever. As Pei Xiyan passed by, she subconsciously glanced at the glass. Behind her, there were couples whispering to each other, white-collar workers diligently typing on their laptops, and fans wearing celebrity merchandise...

The bright, smiling face he had imagined, the one that could dispel the cold, was not there.

"I know how busy everyone else is, how could they possibly be here?" Pei Xiyan shook her head, mocking her own wishful thinking.

"Producer-nim."

He looked away and found that Huang Lizhi had stopped a few steps in front of him.

She must have just come down from the practice room, still slightly out of breath, with wisps of white mist constantly being exhaled. She was wearing a thin, hoodless sweatshirt suitable for training, and her hair was tied into a high ponytail at the back of her head as usual, neat and tidy.

Her head is very round, and to be honest, it suits all kinds of hairstyles. Pei Xiyan doesn't know why she prefers high ponytails so much, not just this time, but the two previous times they met.

"Lizhi-xi." Pei Xiyan nodded in greeting, noticing the banknotes clutched in her hand, then glancing in the direction of the coffee shop, and casually guessed, "Did you come downstairs to buy coffee?"

"Yes." Hwang Yee-ji nodded, her high ponytail swaying gently, making people want to touch it.

In the Peninsula, where seniority is strictly enforced, buying coffee is usually done by the youngest member of a group.

But in ITZY, the new girl group that is about to debut, the rules are reversed. Hwang Yeji, the oldest member with the softest personality, becomes the one who helps buy coffee from time to time.

"I happened to come here to see you about something." Pei Xiyan smiled slightly. "I'll treat you to coffee. Let's go upstairs together."

"Ani." To be honest, Huang Lizhi was already quite surprised to run into Pei Xiyan. Her fox-like eyes widened for a moment, her cat-like lips parted slightly, and she hurriedly waved her hands, her whole body conveying rejection.

"How can we let the producer treat us? We should be the ones treating the producer." She looked down and counted the banknotes in her hand, wondering if she could have enough money to buy another drink.

"I'm not so bad as to let you treat me." Pei Xiyan turned and headed towards the coffee shop. "Come with me."

His tone was irrefutable, and he pushed open the coffee shop door, keeping his hand firmly on the door as he went in, clearly indicating his intention to wait for her to enter.

"I..." Huang Lizhi opened his mouth as if to speak, then pursed his lips, clutched the banknotes, and jogged into the coffee shop.

The coffee shop had the air conditioning and heating on, which felt nice and warm on my skin.

Pei Xiyan walked to the front desk, looked up at the menu, and asked, "Lizhi-xi, could you tell me your preferences?"

"Oh." Huang Lizhi wanted to refuse again, but the words stuck in his throat, and he could only passively follow Pei Xiyan's rhythm.

"Ryujin is... Jisoo is... Chaeryeong is... Yuna is..."

She mentioned the tastes of the four members, but not her own.

"What about Li Zhixi herself?" Pei Xiyan asked, looking at her.

Huang Lizhi lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling in front of him. "I don't like coffee."

"Mian nai," she even apologized in a low voice, sounding extremely aggrieved.

On the peninsula, it's quite strange that someone who can't drink coffee is like a Chinese person who can't drink plain boiled water.

"Why should Li Zhi apologize?" Pei Xiyan was somewhat amused and exasperated. "Am I some kind of messenger sent by the Coffee Church to exterminate those who don't drink coffee?"

"Not everyone likes coffee," he said. "Neither do I."

With sugar added, it was barely palatable; without it, Pei Xiyan didn't even want to look at it.

That iced Americano was one of the few bitter coffees he ever finished.

"Qinjia?" Huang Lizhi looked up with delight, feeling a sense of joy at discovering a kindred spirit.

"Yes." Pei Xiyan smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Why suffer when you can enjoy sweets?"

"Maga!" Huang Lizhi nodded his little head, feeling that what he said made perfect sense.

She just can't stand the bitterness of coffee, like a cat can't stand chocolate.

After ordering four coffees, the waiter reminded them that they would have to wait a while, so Pei Xiyan and Huang Lizhi found an empty seat nearby and sat down.

Huang Lizhi was inevitably a little nervous when he met Pei Xiyan before, as he was alone now.

"Is the producer here to ask us for lyrics this time?" She awkwardly placed her hands on her thighs, trying to avoid making the atmosphere between them awkward.

Pei Xiyan did indeed come here today for this matter.

"Well, more than two weeks have passed without us realizing it. I wonder how your writing is going," he said.

"Actually, we finished writing it in two or three days after we received the demo." Hwang Li-ji grinned, revealing his neat, white teeth. "We've been wanting to give it to the producer, but..."

Even if she stopped there, Pei Xiyan knew what she was trying to say.

"But I actually took so long to come." Pei Xiyan continued, sighing, "Sigh, it seems I'm really an incompetent producer."

"Ani, that's not what I meant." Startled by his casual joke, Hwang Yee-ji explained in a flustered manner, "How could the producer be an incompetent producer? We all know the producer is very busy, and we all think the demo you wrote sounds great..."

They received the demo that day, and after Pei Xiyan left, they listened to it immediately and thought it was great. So, that afternoon, they unusually skipped practice and instead played the song on repeat in the practice room all afternoon. As a result, when they went to sleep that night, the catchy electronic "dalladalla" was stuck in their heads.

"A producer who can write a demo like this will definitely become a top producer in the future," she said with certainty.

Pei Xiyan blinked, as if she had realized something.

"Does Reiji know my name?" he suddenly asked.

"The producer... isn't his name Pei Xiyan?" Huang Lizhi asked cautiously, his surprised look seeming to ask, "Does he have another name?"

Pei Xiyan couldn't find a single problem with her words: "My name is indeed Pei Xiyan."

"Yeji and ITZY will definitely become top girl groups in the future," he said with a smile, offering his blessings.

"Kamsahamida." Huang Lizhi scratched his cheek sheepishly, his smile a little goofy.

The waiter didn't make them wait long.

"Sir, your coffee is ready."

After picking up the coffee bag from the front desk, Pei Xiyan looked at Huang Lizhi and said, "Lizhi-xi, let's go."

"Yes, producer."