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

Chapter 67 How Can We Be Even?

"————So, that concludes Sana's special refrigerator interview."

Our second guests are Miyeon & Sana. Thank you everyone, goodbye~

Sana Minato smiled sweetly at the camera and waved. The assistant PD walked to the center of the frame and clapped the clapperboard, officially ending the recording.

Jiang Yongtai stood up from behind the camera and led the applause, and the staff also clapped along.

"Miyeon, Sana, thank you for your hard work."

"Yes, everyone, thank you for your hard work!"

Sana Minato bowed slightly to the staff around her, and Miyeon Cho followed suit.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the VJ and production assistants began dismantling the lighting fixtures and collecting the cables, making the recording area somewhat messy.

Zhao Meiyan took out her phone from her pocket, hesitated for a moment, and then took a step closer to Minatozaki Sana.

We could talk about anything during the recording, but when we opened our mouths in private, I became a little timid.

"Sana-senpai-nim, can I exchange numbers with you?"

"Of course!"

Sana Minatozaki took her phone, typed in her number, and smiled at her with her eyes crinkling when she looked up.

"But Miyeon, please don't call me 'senpai-nim' anymore. We're friends of the same age. Just call me Sana~"

"Ah, okay, Sanai————"

Zhao Meiyan smiled and changed her form of address.

Although the bear hug she gave at the beginning of the show fully demonstrated how terrifyingly enthusiastic she can be, it was still a little difficult for her to switch to plain language as soon as she regained her composure.

Sana Minato noticed her slight awkwardness but didn't mind and handed the phone back.

"Miyeon, let's go out for dinner sometime sometime. I think we can become great friends~"

"Yes, I think so too!"

When Zhao Meiyan heard her idol, whom she had always wanted to get closer to, extend an invitation, her voice instantly became incredibly sweet.

The agent who had been waiting nearby came over and gave a reminder.

"Miyeon, we should go now. We have to go to SBS at dawn to prepare for the final broadcast."

Zhao Meiyan turned around and replied, "Okay, Oppa. I'll go say hello to PDnim first, I'll be right there."

She turned back and took Minatozaki Sana's hand, her face full of reluctance.

"Sanai, I have to go back now. You must ask me out next time!"

"Of course, Miyeon~"

Sana Minatozaki smiled and casually said, "Aren't you going to say hello to PDnim? I'll go with you."

"Uh... okay~"

Zhao Meiyan paused for a moment, then immediately put on a smile again.

She had already mustered up the courage to ask Jiang Yongtai if he had time to have a meal together sometime.

She had already thought of an excuse: she would say it was to thank him for inviting her to the show.

But after Sana Minato said that, she had no choice but to take her new friend's hand and the two of them walked together toward Kang Young-tae, who was talking to Park Soo-bin.

"PDnim, writernim~"

Zhao Meiyan walked up behind him and called out sweetly.

Upon hearing the greeting, the two turned to look at them simultaneously, with Park Soo-bin speaking first with a smile.

"Miyeon, you played exceptionally well tonight."

"Yes, thank you, author~"

Zhao Meiyan bowed slightly and then secretly glanced at Jiang Yongtai out of the corner of her eye.

"Soobin unnie, what about me?"

Sana Minatozaki immediately came closer and pouted, pretending to be dissatisfied.

"Aigoo, our MCs certainly performed very well too. If this episode's viewership isn't as high as last one, then it's Yongtai's fault!"

"Noona." Jiang Yongtai looked at her helplessly.

"Unnie is right!"

Sana Minato immediately wrinkled her nose and turned her anger towards Kang Young-tae.

"PDnim, you'd better edit it well, don't let down the hard work that Miyeon and I put into recording the show."

Looking at her adorable "bullying" appearance, Jiang Yongtai twitched the corner of his mouth, ignored her words, and turned to Zhao Meiyan, his tone softening.

"Don't worry, Miyeon, I'll cut it properly."

"Ah, yes, PDnim, just do your best. I don't really care about the view count!"

Seeing that he was serious, Zhao Meiyan quickly waved her hand.

Not far away, Choi Min-young called out "Soobin unnie" in their direction. Park Soo-bin turned around, responded, and nodded to the three of them.

"You guys chat, I have something to do. Meiyan, let's work together again in the future."

"Yes, writer~" Zhao Meiyan nodded to her.

Park Soo-bin waved to the group and turned to walk towards Choi Min-young.

Suddenly, only the three of them remained, and the atmosphere began to become somewhat awkward.

Zhao Meiyan's fingers curled and then relaxed at her side. She looked up at Jiang Yongtai and her lips moved.

"PDnim, I————"

"What's wrong, Meiyan?" Jiang Yongtai asked with a smile.

Zhao Meiyan glanced at Minatozaki Sana beside her, sighed silently in her heart, and swallowed back the words she had prepared.

"—It's nothing, thank you PDnim for the invitation, I'll head back now."

With other people present, inviting a man to dinner was still too difficult for her. She'd better find a chance to text him later.

Jiang Yongtai nodded at her.

"Yeah, you've worked hard. It's late, go back and get some rest. Fighting tomorrow at the finale, let's try to get another number one!"

"Thank you, PDnim! I will!"

Zhao Meiyan's eyes lit up again after being encouraged by his words.

She said goodbye to the two of them earnestly, then turned and walked quickly toward her agent who was waiting at the end of the corridor.

Sana Minato watched her figure disappear around the corner, then turned to look at Yong-tae Kang, her tone slightly amused.

"PDnim really cares about Miyeon, he even knows she's going to have her last show tomorrow, as expected of Miyeon~"

"I know you guys are going to Jeju Island to film a music video the day after tomorrow, doesn't that count as 'Once'?"

Jiang Yongtai glanced at her, not quite understanding what she was getting jealous about, and casually retorted.

Sana Minato frowned slightly. "Mina told you?"

"No, it's all in the news. You can find out by watching the news."

Jiang Yongtai remained expressionless, but inwardly wiped away a bead of sweat.

Right now, the fewer situations that would make Saka associate Nan-chan with herself, the better!

Sana Minato stared at him for two seconds, then turned her head away and gave a soft hum.

"wrong!"

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Yongtai, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly felt a surge of relief again.

Sana Minatozaki didn't answer, but just glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, the slight curve of her lips meaningless. She turned around and walked towards the lounge, leaving a comment as she passed by him.

"I'm going to change my clothes, don't you dare run away! When I come out, I still haven't explained things about Naibobo!"

Jiang Yongtai stood there, watching Minatozaki Sana's figure disappear into the doorway of the lounge, and sighed helplessly.

He shook his head, not glancing in her direction again, and turned back to the busy crowd. He helped Kim Sung-woo collect the scattered scripts into a file bag, and then confirmed with the VI team leader that all the materials needed for tomorrow's editing had been sent to the archives.

After most of the equipment on site had been dismantled, he took the recording log for the day from Park Soo-bin and signed it.

After changing her clothes, Minatozaki Sana came out, greeted her personal manager who had been running around all day and told him to go home first, and then returned to the recording studio alone. She looked around but did not see Jiang Yongtai.

She pouted, thinking, "That idiot didn't really run away, did he?"

But the Jiang Yongtai she knew wasn't that kind of person; the staff on site hadn't left yet, so he couldn't possibly leave on his own.

She saw Kim Sung-woo struggling to walk out carrying a prop box and reached out to stop him.

"Author Cheng Yu, where is producer Jiang Yongtai?"

"Brother Yongtai?"

Kim Sung-woo peeked half his face out from behind the box, scanned the surroundings, but couldn't find it either.

"They were just here a moment ago, maybe they went for a smoke?"

Sana Minatozaki breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Where does PDnim usually smoke?"

Kim Sung-woo gestured with his chin toward the end of the corridor.

"There's a smoking area in the fire escape over there. Yongtai should be there. What does Sanai need him for?"

Sana Minatozaki didn't answer, but gave him a sweet smile, thanked him, and quickly walked in that direction.

Kim Sung-woo stood there, holding the box, stunned. Before he could figure out why Minatozaki Sana was looking for Kang Young-tae after get off work, Park Soo-bin's roar came crashing down on him from not far away.

"Cheng Yu! What are you dawdling for? Don't you want to get off work yet?!"

"Understood, Nuna!"

Jin Chengyu snapped out of his reverie, banished his doubts, and jogged after the group finishing their work, clutching his box.

Just as Kim Sung-woo said, Kang Young-tae was indeed standing in the smoking area of ​​the fire escape.

He leaned against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers, his eyes vacant, unaware that the cigarette butt was burning his fingers.

He only now has time to calmly reflect on what Sana Minatozaki said during the recording.

What does "He struggles madly within my obsession, yet can never escape my longing" mean?

Everyone present assumed he had just said it casually, but only he knew that he was talking to himself.

He had just managed a wry smile when the fire door behind him was suddenly pushed open. Turning around, he saw Sana Minatozaki standing in the doorway, panting.

She had changed out of the clothes she wore during the recording, and casually put on a large sweatshirt, and tied her hair back into a ponytail.

Seeing him leaning against the wall in a daze, I blurted out a sentence.

"Baka! Didn't I tell you to wait for me where I am?"

"I thought you went back with your agent, you shouldn't have come."

Jiang Yongtai stubbed out the cigarette butt that had burned his finger on the trash can.

Sana Minato walked straight into the stairwell, closed the door behind her, took two steps forward and stopped in front of him, looking up at him.

"What do you think?"

She chuckled and paused.

"All day today, apart from saying 'thank you for your hard work' when I handed you the script, you didn't say a single word to me."

Didn't I want you to understand me again? You won't even look at me, what does that mean?

Jiang Yongtai opened his mouth, unsure of which sentence to begin, looked into her eyes, and put his hands back into his coat pockets.

"I'm not avoiding you, I just haven't figured out how to face you yet. Isn't it good for us to be friends?"

"To be friends?"

Sana Minatozaki smirked and poked his chest with her index finger.

"Okay, then give me back what's inside!"

"—What is that?"

"You've kept my heart safe for two years, and you still haven't returned it to me!"

What, you took my things, and now you want to call it even?

She poked harder and harder with each thrust.

Jiang Yongtai was forced to retreat step by step by her poking, his back pressed against the wall.

The overhead light divided her face into light and shadow, and he saw that her eyes were starting to redden again, but no tears had fallen yet.

"—Didn't you say on the show that being out of contact is better than having to change trains?"

His voice trailed off, as if in a final struggle, "Didn't you say you weren't hurt?"

"It's a lie, you know it's a lie!"

Sana Minatozaki's fingers stopped on his chest, she turned her face away, and her voice suddenly fell.

"Jiang Yongtai, I'm tired—don't push me away, at least not now!"

I finally realized that we didn't need to pretend anymore —

'

Jiang Yongtai remained silent for a long time before finally raising his hand, hovering above her head, but he couldn't bring it down.

He clenched his teeth, his brows furrowed, knowing that he no longer had the right to be as unrestrained as before.

Sana Minatozaki sniffed, but the hand above her head never came.

She pouted, tiptoed slightly, and offered her head to his palm, the top of her hair gently brushing against his hand, like a Shiba Inu that, despite not being reciprocated, still insisted on snuggling into his arms.

"Do I have to cry before I'll be okay, PDnim? —"

She looked up, her eyes already brimming with tears.

Jiang Yongtai met those eyes that looked so aggrieved they seemed about to break, and his heart clenched painfully. His hand, which had been frozen in mid-air, finally softened and landed on the top of her head, gently rubbing it, but her eyes were still struggling.

"Or... have you already fallen for someone else?"

Sana Minatozaki didn't give him a chance to speak, her voice filled with the urgency of someone who had been pushed to the brink.

"Is that Zhao Meiyan? She really does look a lot like me—are you using her as a substitute for me?!"

Jiang Yongtai was stunned. He opened his mouth, but after she said those words, he panicked.

Her eyelashes were trembling, and the fingers that were gripping his collar loosened.

Sana Minatozaki actually knew that Miyeon Cho had nothing to do with him, but in her emotional state, seeing a girl who looked so much like herself next to him, she couldn't help but blurt it out.

She just needed an answer, an answer that would allow her to stand before him again tomorrow.

"no----"

Jiang Yongtai spoke, his voice trembling and hoarse.

Sana Minatozaki's fingers gripped his collar again, as if a drowning person had found a piece of driftwood.

But Jiang Yongtai didn't continue, revealing that it wasn't Zhao Meiyan, but rather—

He swallowed the rest of his sentence, then looked down at her, his hand sliding from the top of her head to the back of her head, pressing her against his chest.

Sana Minatozaki pressed her ear against his chest and could hear his heart pounding beneath his ribs.

It's been so long, so long that I can only hear that voice again occasionally in my dreams.

"—PDnim, do you still love me?"

Saka

Jiang Yongtai had just uttered her name when he suppressed that simple word.

"Never mind, it spoke for you~"

Sana Minatozaki waited for a long time but nothing came, so she lifted her face off his chest and smiled softly.

"I can accept that you don't tell me now, but—don't keep me waiting too long."

She reached out and untied the strap of his mask from his slightly trembling ears, seeing his face clearly for the first time today.

His lips were tightly pursed; the wound had scabbed over, but was still somewhat swollen.

She moved her hand over, touched it lightly with her fingertips, but cursed fiercely as she spoke.

"Baka! Why isn't it ready yet?"

"————It's only been 24 hours, you're being a bit too hard on me."

Jiang Yongtai's own eyes inexplicably felt hot, but the corners of his tightly pursed lips curled up slightly because of her words.

His innocent tone made Sana Minato's eyes flicker, as if she were seeing again the same Kang Young-tae who would always come to her crying and complaining afterward because she had taken her anger out on him.

"Then it won't hurt anymore, right?"

Her voice softened, as if she were coaxing a child.

Before Jiang Yongtai could react, she stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gently kissed the wound on the corner of his mouth.

When she returned, her lips had a faint taste of ointment on them. She licked it and found it bitter.

"Does it still hurt?"

Jiang Yongtai stared blankly at her, and suddenly the face of Mina flashed through his mind.

Only now did he truly understand what the "sense of immorality" that Nan-chan had told him about was like.

What should I do? I feel like such a jerk now.

He opened his mouth, but before he could utter a sound, she pressed her finger to his lips.

"Don't say anything, I'll overthink whatever you say~ Take me home."

"----good."

Jiang Yongtai closed his eyes and nodded resignedly.

By the time he finished up the rest of his work and then took Sana Minatozaki, who was hiding in his car, back to her dormitory, it was already past 2 a.m.

She remained silent with a cold expression throughout, and he didn't dare to speak first either.

When they arrived at their destination, Sana Minatozaki opened the car door and said "thank you" in a casual tone, as politely as if she had just hitched a ride.

Jiang Yongtai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was almost at his breaking point after the intense emotional tug-of-war these past two days. In this situation, she was actually easier to get along with.

But it seemed like Sana Minato was just waiting for him to make this mistake. Before the car door was even closed, she suddenly stopped, turned to the side, and slowly curved the corners of her mouth into a smile as she looked down at him in the driver's seat.

"PDnim, these few days are just for you to rest, but don't get carried away! When I get back from Jeju Island, you'll know how to behave~"

After saying that, he tossed his hair back, slammed the car door shut, and walked straight towards the apartment building.

Jiang Yongtai gripped the steering wheel, stunned for two seconds, and a bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

He subconsciously picked up his phone and glanced at it; there hadn't been any news from Mina all day.

Looking at that blank space, the first thought that came to mind was, "Thank goodness."

He then shook his head violently, banishing the thought from his mind.

No, how could he have such thoughts?! I can't let Nan-chan down!

He quickly started the car and drove away as if fleeing, heading towards his apartment.

Back at his doorstep, Jiang Yongtai was so exhausted that all he wanted to do was collapse onto the bed and get a good night's sleep.

Otherwise, given his current mental state, he simply wouldn't be able to sustain the editing work for the next few days.

He opened the door and saw the room light was on; his brows furrowed immediately.

Huiyuan is here again?!

He subconsciously glanced down at the ground; there were no shoes kicked around.

It wasn't Huiyuan, could it be a thief?!

He tiptoed into the living room, and his tense nerves relaxed completely when he saw the figure curled up on the sofa.

It's Nan-chan! Wait, what's Nan-chan doing here? Didn't she say she was going back to her dorm today?

He paused for a moment when he saw a neatly stacked pile of clothes on the sofa next to him, and then noticed that the entire living room had become clean.

It seems a fairy godmother has come to my house; after tidying up, she fell asleep on the sofa, still clutching his proposal in her arms.

Jiang Yongtai smiled gently, sat down cross-legged in front of her, and quietly looked at her profile.

Mina's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her lips were pouting, making it seem as if she wasn't having a pleasant dream.

He reached out and gently brushed a few stray hairs from her face; her eyelashes fluttered as his fingers brushed against her cheek.

Nan-chan should have been back a while ago. I didn't message him today, probably because I wanted to surprise him.

Not only did she come, but she also cleaned up the entire messy house spotlessly.

And what was he doing? He was recording a TV show, and then he was cornered in the fire escape by Sana Minatozaki, who told him that she still loved him.

He let her kiss the wound on his lip, took her back to her dormitory, and then secretly rejoiced in the car that she hadn't sent a message to check up on him today. The smile on Jiang Yongtai's lips gradually faded, and looking at Ming Jingnan's sleeping face, layers of guilt welled up in his eyes.

But he couldn't bring himself to wake her, couldn't bring himself to honestly confess the mistake that all men make—

He didn't dare tell her that just a few days after confessing his feelings to her, he was entangled with Sana Minatozaki again.

He didn't dare tell her that he actually couldn't refuse Sana Minatozaki at all.

His breathing gradually became heavier, and he clenched his teeth tightly.

Perhaps disturbed by his heavy breathing, Mina's eyelashes fluttered, she frowned slightly, and opened her eyes.

Through her hazy vision, she saw a person squatting in front of her and almost cried out in surprise, but then she recognized the person wearing a mask as Yongtai-san, whom she had been longing for day and night.

A smile immediately bloomed on her face, her voice soft and sweet from just waking up, with a hint of embarrassment.

"Yongtai-san~ Why didn't you call me when you came back? You startled me!"

Seeing the fleeting joy in her eyes, Jiang Yongtai felt a surge of guilt tighten in his heart. He suppressed his turbulent emotions and forced a smile into his eyes.

My "Miss Snail" is sleeping so soundly, I can't bear to wake you~

"What do you mean, 'Miss Snail'? I'm not!"

Mina wrinkled her nose, still turning to look at him sideways.

"I just thought that Yongtai-san hadn't cleaned the house properly, so I did it on a whim. Yongtai-san should pay me back~"

"Okay, how much is the southern-style sauce?"

"I don't want money, I want this!"

Mina's smile deepened as she reached out and lifted his chin, pulling him closer to her.

Her lips were slightly parted, a tiny bit of her tongue peeking out, and her ears were already flushed with a thin layer of red, clearly indicating that she was going to receive her reward in the form of a "kissing friend".

She hooked her fingers around the strap of his mask, took it off, and immediately frowned.

Her gaze fell on the scabbed wound at the corner of his mouth, and the shyness and smile in her eyes froze at the same time.

"—Yongtai-san, what's going on here?"

Jiang Yongtai paused for a moment, then instinctively blurted out a lie he hadn't even drafted.

"I accidentally bumped into something while setting up the set with my colleagues yesterday. Doesn't it look like someone chewed on it?"

He had a relaxed smile on his face, and he leaned closer to let her take a closer look.

Even though he was so nervous that his fingers were numb, his instincts told him that in times like these, he should be the one to throw out the truth that seemed most like a lie first.

Sometimes, when you deliberately tell women the truth, they might think you're just being sarcastic.

Mina fell for the trick, pinching his ear with her fingers and pretending to be fierce.

"Oh, really? Then tell me, Yongtai-san, which woman bit you?"

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Just kidding!"

Even though Minami hadn't used much force at all, Kang Young-tae grimaced and cried out in pain.

Mina, both amused and annoyed, released her grip, pouted, and gently stroked the wound with her fingertips, her voice becoming completely gentle.

"Does it still hurt? Here~"

"A kiss from Nan-chan will make the pain go away."

Jiang Yongtai raised an eyebrow and deliberately grinned mischievously, trying to use this irreverent manner to completely cover up the tension of those few seconds.

Mina propped herself up, lowered her head, and actually pressed her lips against his.

The soft, warm touch on his lips startled Jiang Yongtai for a moment.

He then reached out and held the back of her head, deepening the kiss.

Mina pushed him away, panting, and licked her already reddened lips with the tip of her tongue. She tasted the bitterness of the ointment, frowned, and swallowed it.

But behind that bitterness was a faint sweetness, the lingering taste of Sana Minatozaki's lipstick, which she swallowed whole without recognizing it.

"I was just trying to relieve Yongtai's pain, not making you swell me up like you did!"

She patted his face lightly, embarrassed and annoyed. Jiang Yongtai smiled but didn't reply.

He reached out, one hand around her knees and the other supporting her waist, scooping her off the sofa and pulling her into his lap.

Before she could utter a sound of surprise, he lowered his head and silenced her completely.

This time he was extremely gentle, as if he wanted to gradually dissolve all the heavy guilt in his heart through this kiss.

Mina slowly succumbed, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly, responding to his advances as if he wanted to mark every inch of her, actively drawing him deeper, making this territory entirely his—

Feeling her complete surrender at this moment, Jiang Yongtai looked at her tightly closed eyelashes that were still trembling slightly, and closed his eyes as well, apologizing in his heart once again.

I'm sorry, Nan-chan—you might hate me in the future, but I will never let you go!

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