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

Chapter 47 Nan-chan, do you like me? / Love Strategist (10000)

"I didn't cry! You're mistaken!"

Mina's hand was still being held by him, and she couldn't pull it back, so she could only quickly wipe her eyes with her other hand.

She sniffed, her voice still strained, but the nasal tone betrayed her.

"Let me go!"

But after the first drop, the rest of the tears could no longer be held back and welled up in her eyes.

She couldn't wipe it all off; as soon as she wiped off one line, a new one had already slid down to the corner of her mouth.

Jiang Yongtai looked at her profile, tears streaming down his face, gathering at his chin before falling and landing on the collar of his hoodie.

He could see it clearly; each drop felt like it was hitting his heart directly, bringing a stinging, aching pain.

He subconsciously raised his hand, and whether it was her trembling that came from the wrist he held, or his own trembling, his outstretched fingers trembled slightly as he touched her cheek that she had turned away from him.

The moment my fingertips touched her cheek, it was warm and moist.

He tried to turn Mina's face around, but she kept her neck tense and resisted.

"Nan-chan————"

He called out softly, not with coercion, but with pleading.

Mina seemed to understand everything contained in those two words, and her resistance gradually weakened.

Jiang Yongtai noticed this and carefully turned her around, finally getting a clear look at her face.

Tears silently streamed down her face, and a few strands of golden hair were stuck to the corners of her mouth by tear stains.

Her lips were still trembling, as if she was trying to hold something back, but in the end she couldn't hold anything back.

Her face wasn't contorted or scrunched up from crying; she was just quietly and restrainedly shedding tears.

There was something indescribable in those eyes—no anger, no accusation, only an overflowing, unresolved emotion that even she herself hadn't yet sorted out.

The Mina who was so elegant and flawless on stage, and who exchanged sharp words with him in the game until they rolled their eyes, is gone.

She now resembles a lotus flower that has been battered by a torrential downpour all night but is still stubbornly holding on. Even though she can't hold on any longer, she refuses to make her bend too awkwardly.

Jiang Yongtai felt as if his heart, which had just been struck hard, was twisted again, and his eyes welled up with heat, gradually turning red.

He gently wiped away her tears with his thumb, his movements so light it was as if he was afraid she would shatter before his eyes at any moment.

"—Why are you crying? Did I make you angry again?"

Mina felt the warmth of his palm and the gentleness of his fingertips. Looking at the face that was contorted with tears because of hers, her tears slowly stopped.

She stared blankly at his reddened eyes, then heard his words, and her cheeks began to slowly warm up.

Why am I crying? How dare you ask that?!

She grabbed the hand on her face in shame and anger, opened her mouth, and bit down on the palm muscle below his thumb.

She bit down hard, as if she wanted to pour out all the grievances, resentment, and guilt she felt towards Minatozaki Sana from this one bite.

Her teeth dug deep into his flesh, and she could feel the tips of her teeth pressing down.

Jiang Yongtai grunted, but didn't push her away or even pull his hand back, just letting her bite him.

It wasn't until a metallic taste entered her mouth that Mina realized how deeply she had bitten in.

She looked up and saw Jiang Yongtai gritting his teeth, his brows furrowed, but he was staring at her without saying a word.

Subconsciously, she licked the wound she had bitten herself with her tongue, bringing back an even stronger metallic taste.

Jiang Yongtai trembled slightly at her soothing lick.

"hiss----"

Mina was startled by the sound, and then realized what she was doing.

She immediately released her mouth, flung his hand away, and looked at the deep teeth marks and oozing blood on his hand with a complicated expression.

"—Doesn't it hurt?"

Jiang Yongtai glanced down at the wound on his hand, shook his head, looked up, and smiled slightly at her.

"I don't care how much I bite her as long as it keeps Nan-chan from getting angry."

Mina looked at his smile, puffed out her cheeks slightly, and turned her head away.

"I'm not angry!"

"Then why did Nan-chan say something like 'we're just friends'?"

Jiang Yongtai frowned and asked, still not understanding which of his words had ignited her.

"It's all because of you! Saying things like 'it's all drunken talk, don't take it seriously' ————"

Mina's voice grew softer and softer until it became a muffled murmur stuck in her throat.

It was already difficult enough that I had made up my mind to distance myself from others!

Then he said, "It was just drunken talk," as if she was the only one who had taken it seriously from beginning to end, the only one who had fallen for him.

She's not a clown!

Although Minami spoke very softly, Kang Young-tae heard every word clearly and suddenly understood.

So that's why she did it —

But he explained it that way clearly to save her from being embarrassed by his inappropriate drunken remark at the convenience store, so why did it turn out like this—wait a minute!

He suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Mina's profile.

The skin connecting her earlobe to her neck was gradually turning red, and her lips were pressed tightly together, refusing to turn back.

Nan-chan took those words seriously; she was so angry with herself—

Jiang Yongtai was a little stunned. The words in his mind slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself from saying them.

"Nan-chan—do you like me?"

Upon hearing this, Mina turned around abruptly, her blush deepening, and her voice trembling slightly.

"N-No! I don't like you! You're overthinking it. How could I possibly like you!?"

After she finished speaking, she stood up before Jiang Yongtai could react, as if she wanted to flee the place immediately.

She shook off the hand he was holding, shouting frantically, "Let go! I don't have time for your jokes! We're just friends!"

It's that phrase again—"friends" again.

Jiang Yongtai usually uses this word as the most appropriate definition between the two of them.

Friends are people you can talk to about anything without any burden, but hearing her say it now sounds particularly jarring.

The last vestige of his rationality was burned away by a sudden surge of anger. He frowned, and instead of loosening his grip, he tightened it further, pulling down forcefully.

Mina stumbled again, bending over. Before she could regain her balance, a hand slipped through her hair, cupped the back of her head, and gently pressed down.

Jiang Yongtai simply tilted his head slightly and kissed her lips.

Those lips were softer than he had imagined, cool, salty with tears, and with a faint trace of blood left between her teeth from when she bit him.

All the noise in his mind vanished in that instant, and his anger dissipated as well.

Minami stared wide-eyed at Jiang Yongtai's face.

The warm touch on my lips sent a message to my brain that something was happening, and my heart started pounding wildly.

Her breathing was forced to stop, but her physiological needs compelled her to slightly open her lips.

In an instant, she tasted Jiang Yongtai's flavor: a faint smell of alcohol, and a hint of tobacco bitterness.

Mina blinked blankly, saw herself reflected in his eyes, snapped back to reality, and pushed him away with all her might, panting heavily.

Jiang Yongtai's back bumped against the sofa back, bounced, and he was still a little dazed.

He didn't even know what he was doing. By the time he realized it, he had already kissed her.

"I----"

"Snapped!"

He had only uttered one word when Mina bit her lip and slapped him hard across the face.

Jiang Yongtai's head was turned to the side by the slap. She subconsciously glanced at her numb palm, then looked up at the red mark that quickly appeared on his face.

Mina pursed her lips, said nothing, turned around and ran quickly to the entrance, opened the door and rushed out.

The door slammed back behind her with a loud bang.

Jiang Yongtai turned his head blankly, pursed his lips, and the lingering saltiness and her taste stimulated his taste buds again, and the scene from just now rushed back to him.

Mina's trembling eyelashes, the warm breath that escaped between her lips, the still-wet tears in her eyes when she pushed him away—

He shook his head awkwardly; the image didn't blur, but instead became clearer.

Just now—I kissed Nan-chan, right? Why—why did I do that?

He gave a wry smile, raised his hand to cover his face, and touched the spot where she had slapped him.

"hiss----"

He immediately removed his hand.

It's definitely going to be swollen tomorrow —

Jiang Yongtai suddenly thought of this, sighed, slumped onto the sofa, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

It's over, this time it's really over — it seems like I can't be friends with Nan-chan anymore —

He blinked his sore eyes and let out a soft laugh.

It wasn't until that kiss just now that he finally understood why he had reacted so strongly when she said, "We're just friends."

Why does my heart ache when I see her cry? Why can't I bear to throw away that sock? Why do I feel restless when she hasn't replied to my messages for four days?

The spot that originally belonged to Mina is no longer called "friend".

Mina ran quickly out of the apartment building, opened the car door and got in, slumping onto the steering wheel, her heart still pounding wildly.

I kissed Yongtai-san—he kissed me first! How dare he?!

She raised her head, panting heavily, and took several deep breaths to calm her breathing and heartbeat.

I glanced up at the rearview mirror and was startled by my reflection.

Her lips were slightly swollen, and the lingering blush on her face burned from her cheekbones all the way to her ears. Her eyelashes were wet and stuck together in clumps.

Two faint tear tracks remained on her cheeks, yet the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.

-

Mina looked at her face in the mirror—a face that couldn't hide anything—and immediately buried it in her arms, leaving only her bright red ears showing. She didn't look up for a long time.

After a while, she gritted her teeth.

Mina, are you crazy? He hasn't said anything yet! And don't forget Sana—

Thinking of that name that stood between the two of them, her gaze lowered, and she silently picked up her phone, opened Kakao, and her finger hovered over Jiang Yongtai's profile picture.

Her eyes, which had just stopped stinging, started to burn again. She sniffed, and without further hesitation, pressed her finger to block the number.

After doing all this, she tossed her phone aside, raised her hand and rubbed her face vigorously. When she put her hand down, all her expressions were gone.

I started the car and drove back to the dormitory.

Mina picked up her phone again after parking the car downstairs at the dormitory building.

The screen suddenly lit up, startling her so much that she almost dropped it.

But then she remembered that Jiang Yongtai had blocked all the ways he could contact her, so it couldn't be him.

She was relieved and looked down at the screen; it was a message from Park Jihyo.

"Mina, are you coming back or not? Sana came looking for you just now, but I made up an excuse to send her away."

Mina's heart tightened, and she felt inexplicably guilty. She quickly typed back, "I'm already downstairs, I'm going up now."

She pushed open the car door and walked into the apartment building, constantly giving herself a pep talk in the elevator.

Don't be nervous if you see Sana later!

My relationship with Yongtai-san ended before it even began—I did nothing!

The elevator doors opened, and Mina let out a breath, her expression returning to normal.

Pushing open the dormitory door, I found the living room lights were off, with only the nightlight at the end of the corridor casting a dim yellow glow.

She changed into slippers, and as she passed by the door of Minatozaki Sana's room, she unconsciously paused, then lowered her head and quickly walked back to her own room.

The lights in the room were off, but a small area of ​​a mobile phone screen was still lit on Park Ji-hyo's bed.

Hearing the door open, she immediately turned around and saw that it was Minami. She breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Mina, you're finally back! I thought you weren't coming back at all~"

Mina didn't turn on the light. She fumbled to take off her hoodie and put on her pajamas, saying calmly, "No, how could I not come back?"

After saying that, she pursed her lips, subconsciously thinking about where she would sleep if she didn't come back.

If she doesn't come back, is she supposed to stay at Yongtai's house? Where will she stay? Sana's room? No way!

"That's good. Sana came looking for you just now, and I told her your computer was broken and you went out to surf the internet. Aren't I clever?"

Park Jihyo raised her eyebrows smugly, indicating that she was loyal and had not betrayed her.

"Thank you, Sana, you believe me?"

Minami smiled at her, then lifted the covers and lay back down on the bed.

"Of course I believe her. She's not going to actually test whether your computer is broken or not."

Park Jihyo chuckled, then shifted closer to Mina's bedside, lowering her voice and suddenly becoming mysterious.

Why were you in such a hurry to go out just now?

She paused, a mischievous glint in her voice: "You—you're not in a relationship, are you?"

Mina twitched the corner of her mouth in the darkness.

Ever since this woman started dating, she's been keen to encourage others to do the same, saying things like, "We're at the age where we can date."

To put it bluntly, she was afraid that it wouldn't be good if only she and Momo Hirai were in talks with Twice, so she wanted to bring in a few more people to share the pressure from the company and public opinion.

"No, how could that be? A friend of mine just had some trouble, and I went out to help."

She casually offered an excuse.

"What kind of friend would make you run out in the middle of the night? Besides, Mina, you clearly don't have many friends—"

As Park Ji-hyo spoke, she felt something was amiss, so she picked up her phone and shone the screen light on Mina's face.

Mina was startled by the light, raised her hand to shield her eyes, and said helplessly, "What's wrong? Would I lie to you?"

Even though she raised her hand quickly, Park Jihyo still noticed the tear stains on her face that hadn't been wiped clean, and her obviously red eyes.

Park Jihyo's voice suddenly tightened: "Mina! You're crying?!"

Mina's heart sank. She pulled the blanket up a little, turned her back to Park Jihyo's bed, and tried to make her voice sound as quiet as possible.

"No, it's just that the wind blew when I went outside just now, and my eyes are a little dry."

"Could the wind blow out tear stains?"

Park Jihyo didn't believe it at all. She threw off the covers, sat up, and became serious.

"Mina, who did you go to see?"

Mina pursed her lips, knowing she couldn't fool them anymore.

"—A friend."

"What kind of friend would make you run out in the middle of the night and come back crying?"

Park Jihyo had already walked to her bedside. Afraid of waking the neighbors, she kept her voice very low, but the anxiety in her tone was not diminished at all.

"Did someone bully you? Tell me, what happened!"

"Nobody bullied me—"

Mina buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled.

The two were silent for a few seconds. Park Jihyo didn't ask any further questions, but simply sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Mina, we've been roommates for so many years, what can't you tell me? Besides—I'm the team leader."

Park Jihyo's words make sense. In fact, when it comes to who Mina is closest to in Twice, besides Minatozaki Sana and Son Chaeyoung, it's Park Jihyo, who shares a dorm with her. Their birthdays are only a month apart.

If we're talking about understanding Mina, the two people mentioned earlier probably don't know her as well.

Minami opened her eyes and looked at the bedside table, where she kept the little things Jiang Yongtai had given her. Her throat tightened slightly.

"—Jihyo, tell me, what should you do if you fall in love with someone you shouldn't?"

But she regretted it as soon as she said it.

Sure enough, Park Ji-hyo became excited immediately upon hearing Mina's honest confession.

"Hmph, I knew you were out meeting men! But—"

She paused, and her tone suddenly became strange.

"Are you two dating? From what you're saying, it sounds like you're the one pursuing him? You shouldn't like him—could it be?!"

Park Jihyo suddenly raised her voice as if she had thought of something.

"Hush! Hush!"

Mina quickly turned around and sat up, looking at her with a helpless expression.

"It's not what you think! He doesn't have a girlfriend, and he's not married!"

Park Jihyo let out a long sigh of relief and patted her exceptionally gifted chest.

"That's good, that's good. I thought—"

She shook her head, then widened her eyes and looked over in surprise.

"So you're really pursuing him?!"

Wow, Mina not only fell for a man, but she's also actively pursuing him?!

Mina nodded, thinking of her own situation with Kang Young-tae, then immediately shook her head, saying uncertainly, "—No, it's hard for me to explain. We—we probably have feelings for each other."

She remembered his proactive kiss in the apartment earlier.

Based on her understanding of Jiang Yongtai, if he didn't like her, he wouldn't do such a thing, even if he was drunk!

Park Ji-hyo nodded with interest.

Usually, they are the ones who listen to her love stories, but now it's finally her turn to be the listener, and the host is Mina. However, she immediately frowned: "Then why do you say you shouldn't like him? You like him, and he likes you, so what's the obstacle?"

Is he a newcomer and still under the dating ban?

She only wanted this one possibility.

Mina paused for a moment, realizing that Mina had gone astray again.

"He's not an idol—"

But keeping it all hidden like this was too inefficient, so she gritted her teeth and decided to reveal a little bit of the truth.

"actually----"

Mina leaned close to Park Jihyo's ear and whispered something.

"What?!"

Park Jihyo's eyes widened in shock after hearing this.

Mina quickly covered her mouth and warned:

!

"You're being too loud!"

Park Jihyo nodded quickly, indicating that she would be quieter, and Mina then let go of his hand.

Park Jihyo let out a long breath, her eyes still gleaming with excitement: "Phew~ So, he's your Japanese friend's ex-boyfriend? And he came all the way to Seoul to see you?"

Mina pursed her lips and nodded, silently apologizing to her in her heart.

She made up a little lie, but she couldn't really tell Park Ji-hyo that her "Japanese friend" was Minatozaki Sana.

"Please think about this carefully for me. I'm telling you this because I want your help, not for you to laugh at me!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I'll be serious."

Park Jihyo made a no-questions-asked gesture and rested her chin on her hand, thinking seriously.

"Hmm—this is indeed a troublesome matter; the person you like is your friend's ex-boyfriend—"

If things go wrong, you and your friend will break up—

She suddenly clapped her hands, grabbed Mina's shoulders, and stared into her eyes.

"I've got it! But there's a very important condition: you have to tell me first."

Mina swallowed nervously. "Um—go ahead and ask."

"Did he and your friend break up amicably? This is very important!"

If it was an amicable breakup, then I don't think your friend will mind too much, since there wasn't any major conflict.

"—What if it isn't?"

Mina recalled how Sana Minatosaki cried on Minatosaki's shoulder until dawn after being dumped unilaterally.

I spent a long time comforting her, listening to her repeat the same sentence over and over again—"Why did he break up with me like this!"

"If not—then this is troublesome."

"9

Park Jihyo shrugged, her brain only deducing these two options.

"It depends on how much you like him and whether you're willing to lose a friend for him."

Mina lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously clutching the corner of the blanket. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke softly, as if to herself: "—I think they probably broke up peacefully."

She hadn't forgotten Sana Minato's recent attitude towards Kang Young-tae, nor had she forgotten what Sana had said to her in the coffee shop.

Sana—she should have let go.

"Then there's no problem at all~ Mina, you can go ahead and talk with confidence!"

Park Jihyo patted her shoulder earnestly, looking like a dating guru who had successfully taken on a student.

"----Um.

"6

Mina nodded hesitantly, unsure whether she should listen to her.

Park Jihyo saw through her hesitation at a glance, put her arm around her shoulder, and the two of them lay down together against the headboard.

"Judging from your expression, is there some other problem?"

Mina lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers, and slightly pouted: "—There is a problem."

"Tell me! I'm a master of relationships."

Park Jihyo puffed out her chest, having completely forgotten that when she and that top star were just starting their ambiguous relationship, she would pester Mina every night to ask her "What does his message mean?" and "How should I reply?"

Back then, Mina was just like she is now, with a calm smile on her lips, analyzing things for her point by point, talking eloquently.

Now the tables have turned, and the two have switched roles.

It can only be said that everyone becomes a master of relationships after falling in love versus before.

Only during certain periods does she resemble a dating apprentice.

"----that is."

Mina turned her face away, not daring to look at her, and muttered something under her breath.

"I just blocked all his contact methods — he just did something 'bad' —"

"What bad thing happened? He hit you?!"

Park Jihyo's voice rose again, clearly indicating that she had misunderstood something, completely unaware of Mina's flushed cheeks.

"—No, don't ask that! Just tell me, should I add him back?"

Mina covered her face, trying to lower her fever, but the moment her fingers touched her cheek, the image of Kang Young-tae's thin lips involuntarily surfaced in her mind—

How could a man's mouth be more—more alluring than hers!

Perhaps it was too late, Park Ji-hyo also felt sleepy.

She yawned, stretched her arms, and her pajamas were pulled open with the movement, revealing a deep glimpse of her bare chest.

Mina's gaze reflexively drifted over, as if drawn by a magnet, and her tongue unconsciously darted out a little, resting on the corner of her lips.

Park Jihyo keenly sensed the malicious gaze beside her, quickly covered her collar, and glared fiercely at Mina.

"Mina!"

Mina always takes advantage of them when they wear figure-hugging clothes to make unwanted advances, and she never changes her ways despite repeated warnings.

"Dog is beautiful, dog is beautiful~"

Mina apologized softly in Japanese, but still glanced at it again, not giving up. Seeing that she could see nothing, she looked away with slight disappointment.

After Park Jihyo's analysis, her previously low mood had improved considerably; otherwise, she wouldn't still have the mood to "obsessively" pursue Park Jihyo.

Park Jihyo was too lazy to argue with Mina. After being roommates for so many years, Mina had already seen everything that Mina should and shouldn't have seen.

She smiled and poked Mina's head.

"Looks like it's not a big deal. Judging from your expression, you've probably already forgiven him in your heart."

She paused, blinked, and her tone suddenly became serious.

"Getting down to business, I don't think it's a bad thing that you blocked him."

"Is there even an explanation for this?"

Mina's eyes lit up as she looked at her with a thirst for knowledge.

"Didn't you say he 'probably' had feelings for you? And you were the one who pursued him—tsk tsk~"

Park Ji-hyo still finds it hard to believe that Mina would take the initiative to pursue a man.

"I didn't pursue him! I told you I just had a crush on him!"

Mina felt a little embarrassed and annoyed by her gaze, and she grabbed her arm in dissatisfaction, naturally rubbing her face against hers.

"Alright, alright, even if what you're saying is true."

Park Jihyo felt a little uncomfortable from being rubbed against, so she changed her position and continued, "So you're still the one who takes the initiative, right? This is a good opportunity to test whether he really likes you, how much he cares about you, and see if he'll take the initiative to come to you."

His previous ambiguous attitude towards you—how is he any different from those scumbags who play the "nothing-no-thing" card? Let him cool off for now!

"—I've blocked him, how can he contact me?"

Mina felt that something was wrong with this logic, but after thinking about it carefully, apart from the time she took the initiative to ask him out at the pop-up store, it seemed that he was the one who came to her first.

Yongtai-san was quite proactive—although every time he came to see her, he would brush it off with the word "friend."

Mina puffed out her cheeks slightly. Thinking about it, he did indeed seem a bit like a "scumbag"!

"Didn't he come all the way from Japan to see you? He'll still have to go back eventually, won't he?"

Didn't you say you needed to go back to Japan for a follow-up medical check-up before filming the music video? Couldn't he come see you then?

Find a mutual friend in Japan and briefly mention your itinerary to them. If they really like you, they'll be eager to visit you.

Park Ji-hyo gave her a well-reasoned suggestion.

After hearing this, Mina vaguely felt that this setting didn't seem to match the real facts, but she still nodded.

Jihyo didn't know that Youngtae-san worked in Seoul, but her approach was worth considering; trying a different method should work.

She smiled and rested her head on Park Jihyo's shoulder.

"Thank you, Jihyo. I have an idea!"

"Okay, that's good."

Park Jihyo flicked her nose and teased her.

"Aigoo, I never expected Mina to be like this when it comes to dating~"

Mina wrinkled her nose, and "inadvertently" reached out and grabbed a handful of Park Jihyo's softness.

"You're going to die, Mina!"

Park Jihyo exclaimed in surprise, and the two of them started fooling around on the single bed.

A moment later, Mina was pinned down by Park Jihyo, panting and raising her hands in surrender. In terms of fighting ability, Park Jihyo, who had been working out for many years, was stronger.

"Hmph~"

Park Jihyo hummed smugly, rolled off her, and, still wanting more, turned to her side, leaning closer and lowering her voice.

"By the way, is that guy you call 'Someone' handsome?"

Mina was panting, and the image of Jiang Yongtai suddenly popped into her mind. She pursed her lips and nodded shyly.

"----handsome."

How handsome?

"Hmm—more handsome than yours."

Mina carefully compared the styles in her mind and came to a very definite conclusion: Kang Young-tae's style was something no idol could compare to.

Park Jihyo raised an eyebrow, her anger turning into a mocking laugh: "Is that so? Then let me inspect the goods for him first this time—"

"Yada!"

Mina pulled the blanket over her face.

At that moment, Jiang Yongtai, who was already asleep on the sofa in the apartment, turned over and sneezed for no apparent reason.

He groggily wrapped his coat around himself, unaware that the two women had already labeled him a "scumbag" during their late-night chat.

"—For the next episode's guest, I suggest we look out for someone from JYP."

-

Park Soo-bin tapped the notebook lying on the conference table with his pen.

"Among the idols who have recently made a comeback, I think Cho Miyeon of Gidle is a good fit."

I've seen her on variety shows; she has good variety show skills and a cheerful personality, so Sana shouldn't encounter difficult interviewees right away.

She looked up and her gaze fell on Jiang Yongtai, who was wearing a mask. Her brows furrowed slightly.

"Yongtai, what do you think?"

Jiang Yongtai's slightly vacant eyes refocused, and he tapped his right hand, which had a band-aid on it, twice on the table, then nodded to her.

He had indeed been daydreaming; even though he knew he was in a meeting, his mind was still on what happened in the apartment last night.

I woke up this morning to find that I had slept on the sofa all night.

When I went to wash up, my face in the mirror was indeed swollen, and I could vaguely see a handprint. The teeth marks on the handprint were still there. I could only put on a band-aid, wear a mask, and take a taxi to work.

My car is still parked in Hongdae, and I'll have to go pick it up after get off work.

Although he was distracted, he still caught every word Park Soo-bin said.

"I think writer Soobin's proposal is very good."

I've met Zhao Meiyan a few times before; she's indeed a very cheerful person. Like Sana, she's an ENFP, so she's naturally easy to approach.

He raised his chin and looked at the new face that had just appeared at the end of the conference table.

"Try contacting CUBE first, Hyunwoo, go and contact them."

About two weeks later, Nam Seung-ho finally remembered him. This morning, as soon as he entered the office, a new PD was already waiting next to his workstation.

From now on, trailers and behind-the-scenes footage can be handed over to newcomers, and Jiang Yongtai's burden has finally been lightened a bit.

Seeing that he was distracted but still managed to keep up with the conversation, Park Soo-bin didn't bother to pursue the matter any further.

After all, he is the main producer, and he can't be allowed to be absent-minded during meetings. If his subordinates follow suit, their production team, which is already short-staffed, will be finished.

When Lee Hyun-woo, the new PD at the back of the table, saw that Kang Young-tae had assigned him his first task, he nodded seriously.

The meeting continued, and everyone reviewed the content and process of the first episode's filming from the beginning. They also briefly mentioned a few areas for improvement in the next episode before the meeting adjourned.

As soon as the new PD, Lee Hyun-woo, arrived, he stood up, bowed respectfully to everyone, and quickly left the meeting room with his laptop in his hand.

Having just reported for duty, I was immediately assigned to work, so of course I wanted to make a good impression on my seniors.

The others gradually packed up their things, stood up, nodded to the main PD and the main writer at the head of the conference table, and then left.

Park Soo-bin closed his notebook, turned to look at Kang Young-tae, and his gaze first fell on Kang's right hand with a band-aid on it.

"Yongtai, what happened to your hand? Did you get it at dinner with PD Luo and the others last night?"

She ran into someone from Luo Yingxi's group this morning and chatted with them for a bit, learning that Jiang Yongtai had also gone there last night.

Jiang Yongtai subconsciously pulled his hand back under the table, his voice a little weak: "Uh—no, I made it at home. I drank a bit too much last night."

Park Soo-bin rolled her eyes at him, too lazy to delve into it, and assumed that his momentary lapse in concentration was because he was still drunk.

"Drink less at next gathering. You knew you had a meeting today, yet you still drank this much!"

However, when the topic of dinner came up, she remembered something else, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards.

"By the way, we haven't had a meal together yet. The first episode has already been filmed. How about we get together tonight?"

The higher-ups were surprisingly generous with our program, allocating a considerable amount of production funds.

Jiang Yongtai also knew that work dinners were a tradition that could bring colleagues closer together.

While some gatherings do take up personal time, in South Korea, not attending is tantamount to telling everyone that you are a loner, so you have to go whether you want to or not.

"Okay, Soobin noona, but don't stay out too late, and don't do anything like two-wheeled or three-wheeled. Aren't we encouraging reasonable gatherings these days?"

"I need to go home and take care of the kids, okay? I don't have time to play with you guys for so long!"

Park Soo-bin rolled her eyes at him again. "Then I'll go tell them to find a barbecue restaurant at 7 p.m.

She walked to the door with her things in her arms, then suddenly stopped, turned around to look at him, and a playful smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh, right, PDnim, don't forget our MC. I'm leaving the task of informing Sana to you~"

As the MC of the show, Sana should at least attend the first gathering, right?

After saying that, she left, leaving Jiang Yongtai sitting alone at the conference table, somewhat dazed.

Should he notify Sana?

It seems that Park Soo-bin misunderstood Sana's overly intimate behavior towards him in the recording studio last time, otherwise he wouldn't have deliberately pushed the matter onto him.

Jiang Yongtai clicked his tongue, took out his phone, opened his contacts, found Minatozaki Sana's number, and dialed it.

It rang five or six times, but no one answered.

Are they practicing? It's almost noon, they could definitely be in the practice room.

I can reply to her after she finishes practicing and then tell her about the dinner party.

He put down the phone, but his finger didn't leave the screen. He paused, then picked it up again and opened Kakao.

I scrolled down the chat list a bit and found Mina.

He stared at the profile picture, his gaze slowly lowering.

He hasn't sent her a single message since he got up from the sofa this morning. It's not that he forgot; he's just feeling a bit like he's running away himself.

Should we say something to Nan-chan?

The image of Mina's tear-streaked face flashed through my mind, and my heart ached again.

I didn't tell her —

Actually, it was true that I missed her last night, it was true that my heart ached, it was true that I held onto her and wouldn't let her go, and that impulsive kiss at the end—

He closed his eyes, rubbed his temples, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

Should I admit that my feelings for Nan-chan have changed too? I'm hesitant, yet I can't deceive myself—

Jiang Yongtai dared not think any further, unwilling to ruin their previous relationship.

The truth is, I'm afraid of losing her; if I make things clear, we won't even be able to be friends anymore.

How about trying an emoji? Or should I just say sorry?

But what if I apologize and Nan-chan misunderstands again? Just like last night—

Jiang Yongtai opened his eyes, stared at the chat box, and sighed.

He realized it when he was distracted during the meeting: Mina probably likes him, which is why she said they are "just friends".

But why maintain distance? There's only one reason—

Sana.

His ex-girlfriend, her best friend.

Jiang Yongtai's thoughts drifted further and further away, but his fingers unconsciously pressed a string of random letters on the screen.

By the time he caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, his thumb had already pressed the send button.

He was startled and instinctively tried to retract the message immediately; now was not the time to send messages casually!

Then his eyes widened suddenly.

The message was not sent; a red exclamation mark lay quietly next to the bubble.

Nan-chan blocked him?!?

Jiang Yongtai stared at the exclamation mark for a long while before slowly lowering his hand.

He quickly tried sending a text message to the phone number, but it wouldn't go through.

After hesitating for a moment, I couldn't help but dial Mina's number directly, only to be told, "Dear user, the mobile number you dialed is temporarily unavailable."

Jiang Yongtai placed his phone face down on the table, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and silently cursed himself.

That's it, I've been completely blocked this time.

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