Peninsula: Please, I only want to talk about ordinary people.

Chapter 44 Fireworks for Two

Jiang Yongtai ultimately failed to get the apartment keys back from Jiang Huiyuan.

She simply uttered, "I'm going to tell my mom," shutting down all his reasons and excuses.

He opened his mouth, watching her triumphantly push open the car door, jump out, turn back, wave at him, and say with a smile, "Goodbye, Oppa~ I'll come visit you when I have time~"

He sighed as he watched her retreating figure, started the car, and drove towards the upper cave.

Upon arriving at tvN, Kang Young-tae pushed open the office door. Park Soo-bin was biting her pen while facing the computer screen. Hearing the noise, she looked up, and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Oh, Yongtai, are you feeling better?"

Jiang Yongtai smiled and nodded.

"It's alright, Noona. What about the footage we recorded yesterday?"

Park Soo-bin gave him a reproachful look.

"Oh my god, you come in and start talking about work? The footage's in the archives, are you going to go edit it right now?"

"Well, there's nothing we can do, our group is small."

Jiang Yongtai shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness, but without any hint of complaint.

Normally, the editing team for a variety show consists of between thirty and forty people.

For large-scale outdoor reality shows like "Running Man," the post-production team typically consists of around 35 people.

Talent shows are even more exaggerated. Once the amount of material increases, the team can expand to more than fifty people. Conversely, for simple indoor interviews or idol group variety shows, the number of people will be much smaller.

The editor and producer in the team are responsible for storyline construction, shot selection, and pacing.

The program flow and game rules designed by the writers were used to build the storyline through post-production subtitles.

The visual elements, such as subtitle animation, sound effects, background music, color grading, and special effects, are usually handled by the assistant PDs in the PD team, while trailers are given to the youngest PD and rookie PDs to practice on.

When it came to Jiang Yongtai, he had to take on both the roles of PD and editor all by himself.

Fortunately, "Refrigerator Interview" is a small-scale online variety show with a limited amount of material. With Park Soo-bin and her two writers, it's enough to make do.

He chatted with Park Soo-bin for a couple more minutes before leaving the office to find the DIT, which is the materials manager.

After signing the handover documents, Jiang Yongtai took away several hard drives containing yesterday's footage and pushed open the door to the editing room.

Although Nan Shenghao was stingy with the staffing for Jiang Yongtai, he provided him with all the necessary equipment and even generously approved a private editing room for him.

After all, Nam Seung-ho himself worked his way up from PD, and once he started post-production, Kang Young-tae probably wouldn't be able to leave the room for several days.

Jiang Yongtai sat down in the chair, plugged the hard drives into the computer one by one, and then turned on the computer and waited for it to start up.

The control panel, monitor, and color mixing console in front of me were all placed in their familiar positions.

He took a deep breath, his eyes darkened, he flexed his fingers, and gripped the mouse.

His life as a beast of burden had begun.

Jiang Yongtai lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and watched the progress bar on the screen, indicating that the last piece of material had been rendered, reach the end.

He stubbed out his cigarette, sent the footage to Park Soo-bin, and left the subtitles and post-production to them. He considered himself to have finished the post-production work for the first episode.

Next, all we need to do is submit the finished product to the content provider (CP) for review. Once it passes, it will be sent to the broadcasting department for scheduling and online release.

He spent half of those three days in the editing room. When he got tired, he would lie down on the makeshift bed next to him, sleep for two or three hours, and then get up to continue editing.

After two days, I was completely soaked in the smell of smoke, and my shirt collar reeked of a thick tar smell.

-

Although he took a quick shower at the company on the first day, he couldn't stand it last night, so he went home, took a shower, and went straight to sleep. When he opened his eyes again, it was already noon the next day.

When I got up, I found there was another person in the living room.

Jiang Huiyuan nestled on the sofa, the TV volume turned down to the lowest setting, watching anime while hugging a cushion.

She's actually been coming every day these past few days. As the pandemic gets more and more serious, most people in the entertainment industry have had their schedules suspended, and IZ*ONE is no exception.

However, Jiang Yongtai wasn't home when she came the other day. She waited until almost midnight but he didn't come, so she simply slept in his room instead of going back.

Last night, Jiang Yongtai, exhausted, pushed open the bedroom door and saw a human figure bulging on the bed.

He barely had the strength to speak, so he simply dragged Jiang Huiyuan out of bed, pushed her out, and said, "Let me rest in peace for a while," before closing the door.

As a result, when she came out of her bedroom at noon today, she was sitting in the living room again. She didn't know if she slept in the living room last night or if she had made do with the room of Sana Minatozaki, which she least wanted to go to, for the night.

Jiang Yongtai didn't say anything to her. After changing his clothes, he left with the words "I'm going to work" and went out again.

He looked at the materials he had sent and took out his phone to reply to the work messages he hadn't processed yet.

After swiping around, all the red dots on the screen disappeared. My finger hovered over Kakao's chat list and swiped down.

Mina's profile picture lay there quietly, the last message still being the same one he sent. Since that night, she hasn't sent a single message.

Jiang Yongtai stared at Mina's profile picture, his brows furrowing slightly.

Is Nan-chan still angry?

This is the first time since the two reconnected that they haven't spoken for so long.

There have been times in the past when we didn't contact each other, but at most it was only for a day. This time it went on for three days.

Jiang Yongtai thought about it more and more and it seemed possible. After hesitating for a moment, he raised his phone, took a picture of the computer screen, opened her chat window, and sent it to her.

The message was displayed immediately after the "1" disappeared, indicating that she was holding her phone and saw the message right away.

Jiang Yongtai stared at the screen for several minutes, waiting for Minami to post something—but nothing came.

Oh no, it seems Nan-chan is still angry.

He gave a wry smile, pondering what to say to break the one-sided "cold war," when the door to the editing room was suddenly pushed open.

Luo Yingxi stood at the door with a smile, "Yongtai."

Jiang Yongtai turned around and paused for a moment.

"Youngseok oppa? What brings you here?"

He hadn't seen Na Young-seok since the day he returned from Jeju Island, and the two hadn't exchanged a single message.

"I came to see you." Luo Yingxi walked in and glanced at the computer screen.

"I heard you took over a web variety show, and the first episode is already filmed. How's the post-production going?"

Jiang Yongtai put down his phone and moved his chair aside.

"I just finished editing the last piece of footage and sent it to writer Xiubin and the others to make subtitles."

"Oh?"

Luo Yingxi shifted his gaze from the screen to his face and raised an eyebrow.

"So fast?"

Jiang Yongtai gave a wry smile.

"Brother, stop making fun of me. It's a 50-minute indoor interview variety show. The footage is only from four cameras. Three days is already a long time."

Na Young-seok smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Your group has a small number of people, so this progress is already very fast."

Jiang Yongtai looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Brother, you even know this?"

"Of course." Na Young-seok had a gentle smile on his face.

"After all, you were hired by me, so it's only right that I care about you more."

Jiang Yongtai smacked his lips inwardly as he listened to his words.

He sensed a tiny bit of remorse in Luo Yingxi's emotions, but only a tiny bit.

It seems he still feels somewhat guilty about the "Love by Transfer" incident, though not much.

Jiang Yongtai smiled.

"Okay, thanks bro. But I thought the first project I'd be working on after I came in would be 'Love on Transfer,' I didn't expect it to be this one."

He deliberately dropped the title "Love by Transfer" to see Na Young-seok's reaction.

Luo Yingxi's expression didn't change much, and he spoke with the tone of someone who had been through it all.

"Is the 'Transfer Love' project too big? The higher-ups are still considering it. Isn't it good for you to do this first?"

You'll still be the main PD. Once things are ready, you can start filming "Love by Transfer".

Jiang Yongtai nodded slightly and responded with a smile.

"Yeah, you're right, but 'Love Through Transit' is my child, and I just want to see him as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, there will be opportunities."

Luo Yingxi smiled and then changed the subject.

"By the way, the 'Mapo Handsome Men' magazine is having a dinner party tonight. You should come too. You've been busy for several days, so relax a bit."

Jiang Yongtai took his slight guilty conscience to heart, but put on a troubled expression.

"Isn't that inappropriate? It's an outsider for me to attend your gathering—"

"How can you be considered an outsider? You've seen plenty of those people before, you're just one more."

Luo Yingxi shook his head, looking helpless. "Youting keeps talking about you to me, saying why I didn't bring you here. She's tired of seeing all our faces every day."

"The writer, Yu-ting? It's been a long time since I've seen her."

"It's settled then. I'll send you the location later."

Luo Yingxi patted Jiang Yongtai on the shoulder again, leaving him no room to refuse.

"I'm leaving now, you can continue."

Jiang Yongtai stared at the door that had closed again, his gaze darkening.

Luo Yingxi was definitely not there to show concern for him; his real purpose was to invite him to dinner that evening.

Why? To treat him to a nice meal as an apology and keep him on his good side? Or—

He sighed.

Nam Seung-ho asked him to take over "Refrigerator Interview" and said he would handle the rest, but it's been almost two weeks and there's still no movement from there.

Surely Nan Shenghao's words weren't just meant to make him give up early and obediently take over the project?

The emotions I felt while reading in front of the vending machine didn't seem fake at all.

He shook his head.

Since Luo Yingxi made a special trip to call him, he would go and see if this meal was a "trap".

Mina sat on the floor of the practice room, her back against the mirror, her bangs damp with sweat.

She hugged her knees, her phone resting on her lap, the screen lit up, displaying the photo Jiang Yongtai had sent in the chat box.

She stared at the photo for a long time, lost in thought.

Actually, Jiang Yongtai was half right. She had indeed deliberately not messaged him these past few days, but not because she was still angry.

I just wanted to cool down the overly close relationship between the two of us.

She didn't want her relationship with Minatozaki Sana to be ruined because of what happened between her and Jiang Yongtai.

After all, it's awful to have fallen for my best friend's ex-boyfriend.

If Sana Minatozaki finds out about this —

She couldn't imagine how Sana would react, but she was certain that she wouldn't support her; she might even point at her and call her a "traitor."

Mina gave a wry smile, her fingertips gently tracing over Jiang Yongtai's profile picture on the screen.

She added him back to her Kakao account after she returned from Japan and was recuperating at home. They played games together for more than two weeks before she removed him from her blacklist.

From then on, chatting no longer revolved solely around games.

Jiang Yongtai gradually became her confidant, listening to her pour out things she didn't want her family and teammates to know, things that would only cause them worry.

He would also tell her about the trivialities of work, the troubles of being a corporate slave, and some ideas about variety show planning.

She didn't know why she suddenly wanted to scroll through the chat history, but her fingers had already made the decision for her, scrolling up one line after another until they stopped at the Kobe Port Fireworks Festival last summer.

The photos she sent him are still there, and his "comparison photos" follow right below.

Mina looked at the conversation and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

As dusk fell, Mina stood in front of her front door, looking down at the yukata she was wearing, her brows furrowed.

"Oh, Kassan, I don't want to go out—"

"Nan is such a beauty today, come and spin around for me to see~"

Sachiko Nai, dressed in the same yukata, completely ignored her daughter's resistance, smilingly took her hand, and gestured for her to—

Go around in a circle.

Mina sighed. Over the years, she had long since grown accustomed to her mother's "forced" methods.

She obediently turned around, but before she could put her arms down, her face drooped again.

"Oh, Kassan, is that alright? Even if you want me to go out, why do I have to wear a yukata?"

She wore a light apricot-colored yukata with pale pink floral patterns scattered on the fabric, and a wide black belt tied around her waist, creating a soft contrast with the yukata, making her look neat and dignified.

Her long black hair was styled into a low bun, adorned with a black bow hair accessory. As she stood there, her aura emanated quietly, like a white plum blossom under the moon.

Sachiko Nai raised her phone and took several pictures of her.

"Of course you have to dress like this for the fireworks festival, right? Oh, Kasan is wearing it too, isn't he? Let's go, your brother and the others are waiting."

She took Mina's hand, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Meiyo and Meikai were already waiting at the door. When they saw Mei Minami come out, Meikai exclaimed "Wow!" in an exaggerated way.

"Kawaii, my sister is definitely an idol!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was slapped on the back of the head. He turned around, somewhat dazed.

Meiyo withdrew his hand expressionlessly.

"Get in the car."

Naikai rubbed the back of his head, looking aggrieved, and obediently got into the car.

Mina smiled gently as she watched the interaction between the father and son, and then stepped forward to take Minayo's arm.

"Oh, Tossan~"

Meiyo's expression changed seamlessly, his previous coldness towards his son vanished, and he smiled gently.

"Nan looks great today. Don't blame your mother; staying home for too long isn't good for you."

Mina nodded slightly. "I understand."

She let go of her father's hand, walked to the car door, but suddenly stopped and looked back at the window of her room on the second floor.

Yongtai-san asked me to play games with her today, but she hasn't told him she's going out yet.

"Minami, what are you thinking about?" Sachiko Nai asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"It's nothing, Okasan."

Minami shook her head slightly, lowered her head, and got into the car. After settling in, she took out her phone and opened Jiang Yongtai's chat window.

"Yongtai-san, I'm sorry, I have to go to the fireworks festival today, so I can't play games with you."

The message was replied to very quickly.

"I understand, there's no need to apologize for this."

It's good that you went out, otherwise I would have thought Nan-chan had become a bound spirit~

Mina frowned slightly as she looked at the words, and puffed out her cheeks.

"Isn't Yongtae-san the real KBS ghost story? It's terrifying."

"How did I become a ghost story?"

"Because no one works overtime later than Yongtai, when the security guard hears Yongtai making noise during his patrol, he thinks it's a ghost."

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Hehe, Nan-chan's joke is really funny."

Hearing the undisguised sarcasm in his words, Mina's smile vanished instantly.

A few days ago, while playing games, she suddenly told a lame joke, and Jiang Yongtai remained silent for a full five minutes.

She initially thought he had disconnected, but when he came back and said, "I was just frozen and just thawed," she was so angry that she logged off without even saying goodbye.

"Baka!"

Mina muttered a curse under her breath, her fingers tapping rapidly on the screen as she began to retort.

She didn't notice that the three people in the front and back seats were having a silent meeting with their eyes.

Meikai's mother, sitting in the passenger seat, winked: "Oh, is Minami in a relationship?"

During the time my younger sister was back, my mother spent the most time with her.

Mei Yang glared at him fiercely: "Don't talk nonsense! Your sister is still an idol, how could she be dating at this time?"

Sachiko Nai's gaze fell on her daughter, who was typing with her head down in the back seat, before shifting her gaze to the other two.

"I don't know either, but Nan has been checking her phone a lot lately, like she's chatting with someone—probably Sana and the others?"

Minami suddenly raised her head and looked straight at the driver's seat.

"Oh, Tossan, weren't we supposed to leave? Why haven't we driven yet?"

Meiyo hurriedly looked away, cleared his throat, and remained calm.

"Now, open it now."

He started the car and drove towards Kobe Port.

The car stopped after less than ten minutes.

Mina was still looking down, her screen displaying a sarcastic message from Jiang Yongtai. She was retorting with even more hurtful words when she suddenly noticed the car had stopped moving. She looked up in confusion.

"Oh, have we arrived yet?"

"We haven't arrived yet, this is the most we can drive. Let's walk."

Minami looked out the window; the crowds outside had become quite dense.

The lanterns along the road formed a warm orange light, and men and women dressed in various colored yukatas walked together in twos and threes.

The air was filled with the aroma of takoyaki sauce and the sweet scent of apple candy, while the faint rhythm of taiko drums could be heard in the distance, like a prelude to a fireworks festival.

She nodded and reached for the car door, but Sachiko Nai handed her a face mask from the front seat.

"Nan, wear this."

Minami paused for a moment.

Hyogo Prefecture is neither Seoul nor Tokyo, so not everyone may recognize it.

But the mother was still afraid that if someone recognized her, it would make her uncomfortable and turn a perfectly good fireworks festival into a hiding and humiliation.

She smiled at Sachiko Nai, took the mask, and carefully put it on.

Then he picked up his phone again and sent a message to Jiang Yongtai.

"Yongtai-san, I'm going to watch the fireworks festival now."

"Okay, but it's a pity, I've never been to Japan before, and I've never seen a fireworks festival."

Mina looked at the sentence and her fingers subconsciously typed out a few words: "I can take a picture and show it to you."

Then he deleted them one by one, replacing the line with: "It's really a pity, Yongtai-san, come again next time if you have the chance."

She felt it wouldn't be appropriate to actually take the photos and send them, since they weren't in a relationship where they could share photos with each other.

She put her phone into her handbag, got out of the car, and took the hand of Sachiko Nai, who was waiting nearby.

The family walked through the glow of the lanterns, blended into the crowd, and slowly headed towards the harbor.

Mingyang walked at the front, glancing back every now and then to see if his wife and daughter were following.

Mei Kai, with her hands tucked into the sleeves of her yukata, followed slowly at the back, her gaze wandering around, mostly looking at the young girls in yukatas.

The closer to the port, the denser the crowds.

Street vendors were shouting their wares, fried noodles were sizzling on the griddle, and a few children in wooden clogs were standing in front of the shaved ice stall, pointing at the menu hanging above their heads.

The air was filled with the aromas of various foods—hot, sweet, and salty—which, carried by the night breeze, wafted into the crowd.

Mei-Yang finally found a decent spot near the breakwater, just big enough for the whole family to sit down, and turned around to wave to them.

"here."

Sachiko Mina pulled Mina over and took out a picnic blanket from her bag to spread it out.

As Mina sat down, she casually straightened her yukata and glanced around.

Her breathing quickened again as she passed through the crowd. Now, even outside of a stage, as long as many people are watching her, that anxiety would rise up—

Overhead, the first wave of fireworks had already begun to rise sporadically, not yet the official start, but just a test and warm-up.

A few small fireworks bloomed high in the sky, shining for no more than two or three seconds before melting away, followed by a long silence, and then another one, exploding alone.

Each time a few fireworks went off, a slight commotion would rise in the crowd.

A child rides on his father's shoulders with his head tilted back, couples stand side by side in silence, some people hold up their phones, and others talk quietly to their friends who have come with them.

Mina was still wearing her mask, only her eyes were visible.

She looked up, watching the lone firework bloom and fade away, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

Sachiko Nai turned her head to look at her daughter's upturned profile.

The mask covered most of her face, revealing only the outline of her eyebrows, eyes, and nose. As the fireworks exploded in the sky, her eyes were briefly illuminated before dimming again.

She reached out, picked up the weeds from Minami's knees, and gently flicked them away.

"Nan, do you remember when your dad first took you to see the fireworks festival when you were little? You cried when the first firework went off."

Mina turned her head and blinked.

"—Is there?"

"Yes, your brother even imitated your crying, and your dad hit him on the back of the head."

She paused, then softened her tone.

"In the blink of an eye, Nan is now someone who can take care of others."

Mina was taken aback, wondering why her mother had suddenly brought this up.

Sachiko Nai didn't look at her, but instead looked up at a preparatory firework slowly rising in the night sky.

"But Okasan sometimes still wonders—when you're out there, is someone taking care of you?"

Mina listened to her mother's words and fell silent.

She thought of the group of people far away in Seoul, her teammates who worked hard for her sake even after she left.

"—Yes, Sana and Momo took good care of me, as did the staff I worked with."

Sachiko Nai shook her head.

"I know Sana and Momo, but your company isn't."

Mina heard a hint of resentment in her mother's words. She didn't argue, but simply tightened her grip on her mother's arm and gently rested her face on her shoulder.

Sachiko Mei continued gently, "Besides your teammates, who else is there?"

Mina frowned slightly and thought about it seriously.

"And also—my fans, they're so good to me."

Sachiko Nai shook her head again, a playful smile appearing on her lips.

I'm not talking about fans.

"Who else, Okasan?"

Mina was completely baffled as to what her mother wanted to ask.

Sachiko Nai gestured with her chin toward her handbag.

"That person who makes you laugh lately, hasn't he been taking care of you?"

Minami paused for a moment.

Oh, what did you mean by "Yongtai-san"?

She shook her head instinctively.

"Oh, Kassan, I was chatting with Sana and the others."

Sachiko Nai gave her a deep look, then turned back to look at the night sky.

"Hmm... I guess so."

How could she not have realized that what she said in the car earlier was just to cover for her in front of her husband and son?

Otherwise, if the father and son found out, Mina might be banned from using her cell phone.

Mina heard the undisguised teasing in her mother's tone and shook her mother's arm in embarrassment and annoyance.

"Oh, Kassan!"

Sachiko Nai laughed smugly.

The father and son next to them didn't hear what the mother and daughter were saying, but they both curiously leaned over.

Mina caught a glimpse of her father and brother's expressions, bit her lip, abruptly withdrew her hand, and angrily turned to look at the sky.

Oh, Kassan, you know nothing!

She was just chatting with Yongtai-san; there was nothing particularly exciting about it!

Moreover, Yongtai-san didn't take care of her at all; the snacks he gave her before were just a side effect!

Playing games with her was just a way for him to please her so she would report on Sana's affairs to him!

The only reason I'm looking for her now is to find someone to play games with!

The reason I'm willing to play with him is because I'm so bored recuperating in Hyogo. Nagata is so lazy, and if I don't take him along, nobody will want to keep him company!

If we're talking about taking care of someone, it's her taking care of him!

She and Yongtai-san were just gaming partners who got along well; they weren't even friends!

Mina nodded seriously at her conclusion, inwardly criticizing Kang Young-tae without holding back.

Suddenly, several fireworks rose into the sky at the same time and exploded with a bang above her head.

Gold threads, silver threads, and red fragments of light filled the entire night sky.

The fireworks festival has begun.

Mina was momentarily stunned. Fireworks were exploding one after another overhead, their colorful lights illuminating the darkening night sky time and again.

People around exclaimed in surprise, children shouted "Amazing!", and people in the distance clapped. The rhythm of the taiko drums mixed with the sound of fireworks exploding ignited the emotions of everyone present.

Sachiko Mii took out her phone, nudged her arm, and whispered, "Minami, take a picture for me. Your father's photography skills are terrible. He's okay at taking pictures of bones, but not people."

Keming Yang obviously heard this and coughed dryly beside him, retorting somewhat awkwardly.

"My skills are pretty good! Nan, give me your phone, I'll take the picture!"

He strode over, took Sachiko Nai's phone, and, following a photography tutorial he'd seen on YouTube, crouched down to find the right angle before solemnly addressing his wife.

"Come on, look here—okay, let's change poses and take one more—"

Sachiko reluctantly cooperated with her husband, but couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. She gave Mina a look that signaled her to reshoot the scene later.

Mina looked at her loving parents and nodded with a smile.

She looked up at the sky again, the light from the fireworks reflecting off her face.

Sana and Momo probably want to see it too, right?

She thought of her teammates in the group chat, took out her phone from her handbag, took a few pictures of the night sky, and sent them to Twice's group chat.

As soon as the news broke, several people who were playing on their phones popped up.

Lim Nayeon replied the fastest: "Wow, is it a fireworks festival? I'm so envious!"

Hirai Momo followed up with a selfie of herself lying face down on a pillow, her eyes half-closed.

"Take me back to Japan!"

Mina laughed as she watched their conversation, then paused for a moment.

Yongtai-san — it seems he also said he wanted to see it.

She hesitated for a moment.

Fine, I'll just consider it a perk that he played games with me. If he replies to my satisfaction this time, Yongtai-san can be my friend.

She clicked on Jiang Yongtai's profile picture and sent him the photos of the fireworks she had just taken.

"South."

Sachiko Nai's voice came from the side, carrying a hint of encouragement.

"Everyone's watching the fireworks now, so feel free to take selfies!"

Minami paused for a moment, then glanced around.

Everyone around them was looking up, their gazes fixed on the night sky, and no one noticed who was next to them.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pulled off her mask, held her phone up to her face, and slightly turned her face to let the fireworks behind her into the frame.

In the video, a few strands of her black hair were blown by the night wind, and the light from the fireworks fell on her face, giving her skin a light red glow. Her eyes were bright, and a faint smile played at the corners of her mouth.

With a click, she pressed the shutter.

Mina lowered her head again and returned to the chat interface with Kang Young-tae. She wanted to send the fireworks photos she hadn't finished sending, but her fingers were too fast, and she accidentally selected the selfie she had just taken as well.

By the time she realized what was happening, the picture bubble had already popped up.

Minami's eyes widened suddenly.

She stared at the "read" mark on the screen that had instantly changed, and immediately pressed the undo button, retracting the selfie she had just taken.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was still pounding in her throat.

She probably didn't see it—she posted so many pictures, she wouldn't have seen that selfie right away.

My phone vibrated; a message from Jiang Yongtai popped up.

"Nan-chan looks beautiful today, and the fireworks are beautiful too, thank you."

He saw it.

Mina covered her face.

This time, however, he didn't say anything strange. He just praised her, without any sarcasm or irony.

She opened her fingers a crack, looked at the screen again, pursed her lips, and typed a few words.

"Yes, thank you."

Jiang Yongtai's information popped up again.

"After watching Hyogo Jibakure's fireworks, let me show you Seoul KBS Goblin's fireworks."

Mina frowned in confusion. "KBS is setting off fireworks tonight too?"

A photo was sent over.

In the photo, Jiang Yongtai is holding a lit cigarette. A firework filter was added above the cigarette butt, blurring the red and green light effects into a mess.

Mina paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"It's so ugly, and Yongtai-san, your filter looks so fake."

"Unnie, what are you looking at?"

Sun Caiying's voice came down from above.

Mina suddenly snapped out of her daze, flipped her fingers to cover her phone screen to her chest, looked up, and smiled seamlessly.

"I didn't see anything."

Son Chaeyoung tilted her head, her expression clearly saying, "I've already seen it."

"I just saw it, unnie! That photo is so stupid. How could anyone think you can just put a filter on a cigarette butt and call it fireworks?"

She thought Mina was scrolling through funny memes on Instagram.

Mina paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Yes, that's really stupid~"