Managing the Korean entertainment industry: I have superpowers, but I won't say.

When the flight landed at Incheon Airport, Su Yu felt like a rag doll repeatedly tormented by jet lag.

I slept for less than three hours on the plane, and my temples were throbbing. It felt like a construction crew was demolishing a wall in my head. Outside the window, it was just getting light, and the runway was wet. It had rained in Seoul last night, and now it was looking at him with a cold, "You're finally back" gaze.

He turned off airplane mode, and his phone instantly turned into a vibrating motor, almost flying out of his hand.

Kim Dong-wook asked what time he would arrive, and Kim Eun-sook tossed him a document to confirm. Choi Min-soo said his car was waiting for him in the parking lot. Su Yu scrolled through the messages expressionlessly until she saw Cai Xiubin's message.

There was only one message, sent at 4:13 AM: "Can't sleep. Message me when you arrive."

Su Yu stared at the line of text, and the construction crew in his mind suddenly stopped working. He replied with two words: "Arrived."

Just as she stepped off the covered bridge, her phone vibrated again. Cai Xiubin replied with a single word: "Mm."

Su Yu's lips curled slightly. Every time she said "hmm," her voice was as light as a feather, swirling in her throat and then disappearing. He could almost picture her curled up under the covers, tapping the screen with her thumb.

The number of people going through customs was ridiculously high. Ahead of him was a Southeast Asian tour group; the tour guide was counting heads with a small flag, sweating profusely. Su Yu stood in the queue, looking at the scrolling flight information on the electronic screen, when someone next to him was on the phone, speaking at a volume like a concert—"I've arrived! Where did you park your car?!"

He remembered how he had called Cai Xiubin to let her know he was safe when he went to Los Angeles. At that time, she was still in Busan. When he said "I've arrived," she replied, "Are you tired?"

Now she replies with "Mm".

Two words are missing, but the meaning is the same—"I know you're back, I've been waiting for you."

After collecting his luggage, Su Yu pulled his suitcase out. Several rows of people were waiting to pick up passengers at the exit; some held up signs, others stood on tiptoe to peer inside. He scanned the area but didn't see Cai Xiubin.

Choi Min-soo saw him first, squeezed through the crowd, and took the box from his hands. "Representative Su, over here."

"Where's Soobin?"

"She's outside. She said it's too crowded inside and she doesn't want to come in and squeeze in."

Su Yu followed Choi Min-soo outside. The glass door opened, and a blast of cold wind, like a knife, pierced his neck. Seoul's temperature was more than ten degrees lower than Los Angeles'. His coat was still in his suitcase, and he was only wearing a thin sweater. The wind made his bones ache.

Cai Xiubin stood at the parking lot entrance, wearing a white down jacket and a cream-colored scarf, her hair loose. She held two cups of coffee in her hands, her neck hunched, her feet tapping the ground incessantly, like a little penguin shivering from the cold.

When she saw him come out, she didn't run over; she just stood there and watched him approach.

Su Yu walked up to her. The two stared at each other for two seconds.

"You've lost weight," Cai Xiubin said.

"The same to you."

Cai Xiubin handed him the coffee. "Here you go. Hot Americano, no sugar."

Su Yu took it, her fingers touching hers. Her fingers were cold; they had been standing in the wind for too long and were frozen.

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long after."

Choi Min-soo tactfully put the suitcase in the trunk and got into the driver's seat. "Representative Su, get in the car, it's cold outside."

Su Yu didn't move. He looked at Cai Xiubin and reached out to tuck her wind-blown hair behind her ear. Cai Xiubin didn't flinch, looking up at him. She had dark circles under her eyes and her lips were a little dry, but her eyes were bright, like two freshly washed grapes.

"I miss you," she said.

Su Yu lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

"Let's go home."

In the car, Cai Xiubin sat in the passenger seat, and Su Yu sat in the back. Cui Minxiu was driving. He glanced at Su Yu in the rearview mirror and asked, "Going straight home?" Su Yu replied, "Yes." Cui Minxiu glanced at Cai Xiubin again, smiled, and said nothing.

Cai Xiubin turned to the side and reached her hand into the back seat; Su Yu took her hand. Neither of them spoke; the car's heater made them feel lazy. The street scene outside the window changed from the airport expressway to city roads, and then to the streets of Gangnam District.

Cai Xiubin looked out the window and suddenly said, "The kimchi soup is in the fridge. We also bought Korean beef. We'll have barbecue tonight."

"it is good."

"You should get some sleep first. Adjust to the time difference."

"it is good."

Cai Xiubin turned to look at him. "Why are you only saying 'good'?"

Su Yu thought for a moment. "Otherwise, what should I say?"

Cai Xiubin smiled, withdrew her hand, turned around, and sat up straight. The car continued driving, and she leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. That smile still lingered on her lips.

When they arrived home, Choi Min-soo carried his suitcase to the door and left. Su Yu opened the door, and Cai Xiubin went in first to change his shoes, arranging his slippers. He changed his shoes, dragged his suitcase inside, and stood in the entryway without moving.

Cai Xiubin turned to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

He came in, laid the suitcase down, and unzipped it. The coat was on top; he took it out and hung it on the hanger. Cai Xiubin came over and helped him take the clothes out of the suitcase one by one, sorting them neatly. Dirty clothes were thrown into the washing machine, and clean clothes were hung back in the closet.

"What did you eat in America?" she asked, holding a stack of shirts.

"Hamburger. Sandwich. Steak."

"Didn't you eat anything else?"

"I ate Chinese food twice. It wasn't good."

Cai Xiubin shook her head. "You should have brought instant noodles."

Su Yu looked at her. "You want me to bring instant noodles to America?"

"What's wrong? Is it not okay?"

Su Yu didn't reply. Cai Xiubin hung up the shirt, closed the wardrobe door, and turned around. "Go take a shower. Come out and have some soup when you're done."

Su Yu took a shower, changed into her pajamas, and came out to find Cai Xiubin already sitting at the dining table. On the table were two bowls of kimchi soup, a dish of kimchi, and a bowl of rice. The soup was steaming, and the tangy, spicy aroma of the kimchi soup filled the entire kitchen.

He sat down and took a sip of soup. Cai Xiubin looked at him. "Is it good?"

"It tastes good."

"How does it compare to an American sandwich?"

Su Yu glanced at her. "There's no comparison."

Cai Xiubin smiled and took a sip himself. The two sat facing each other eating, saying little. The clinking of bowls and chopsticks, the slurping of soup, and the occasional sound of cars outside the window blended together, and Su Yu thought it sounded better than any music.

After dinner, Su Yu went to wash the dishes. Cai Xiubin leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching him stand at the sink in an apron. He washed the dishes, wiped the stove, wrung out the rag, and hung it on the faucet. He had never done these things in America; hotels had room service. But now that he was back, he wanted to do them. Because this was home.

"Su Yu".

"Um."

"Shirley came to the company yesterday. She asked when you're coming back."

Su Yu turned off the water and dried her hands. "What did you say?"

"I said today. She said oh." Cai Xiubin walked over and hugged him from behind. "She also said that the new song will be released next week, and you must listen to it."

Su Yu didn't speak.

Cai Xiubin pressed her face against his back and muttered, "Su Yu, everyone at the company has been missing you these past few days while you were in America. Jin Dongxu said no one can make decisions without you. Jin Enshu said no one can sign anything without you. Cui Minxiu said the air feels still without you."

"And what about you?" Su Yu asked.

Tsai Hsiu-pin hugged him tighter. "I look at the calendar every day. I've marked six crosses. Today is the seventh."

Su Yu turned to face her. She looked up into his eyes. The kitchen light shone on her face, illuminating her eyelashes clearly. He lowered his head and kissed her briefly. It was a light kiss, just lips touching lips, lingering for a few seconds.

Cai Xiubin closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling. She didn't move or speak, just stood there, letting his lips touch hers. The Han River flowed quietly outside the window, sunlight filtering through the curtains and falling on the floor as a golden line. This line stretched from the kitchen to the living room, like a very thin rope, binding the two of them together.

That evening, Su Yu nestled on the sofa, scrolling through his phone. Cai Xiubin was in the kitchen preparing barbecue; the Korean beef was already cut, the vegetables washed, and the sauce mixed. He checked his messages; Shirley had sent one, just one sentence: "I heard you're back." Su Yu replied with a simple "Mm." Shirley added, "I sent you the demo of my new song to your email. Listen to it." Su Yu didn't reply.

Park Jiyeon also sent a message. "Representative Su, I heard you're back. How did the talks in the US go?" Su Yu typed, "Got it." Park Jiyeon said, "That's good." After a few seconds, she sent another message: "Soobin has been missing you these past few days. Spend more time with her." Su Yu looked at that message and replied with an "Okay."

Cai Xiubin brought out a bowl of meat and saw him looking at his phone. "Whose message is this?"

"Sulli and Park Jiyeon."

"What did you say?"

"Sulli said her new song was released. Park Jiyeon said she wants me to spend more time with you."

Cai Xiubin put down her plate and sat down next to him. "So what do you think?"

Su Yu placed his phone face down on the coffee table and looked at her.

"I think she's right."

Cai Xiubin smiled. The grilled meat sizzled on the hot plate, oil splattering onto the table. Su Yu picked up the tongs and flipped the meat. Cai Xiubin leaned on his shoulder, watching the Korean beef on the hot plate slowly change color, its aroma filling the entire living room. She didn't speak, and neither did Su Yu.