mijobooks Chapter 1342 If
Chapter 1342 If
Chapter 1342 If
After the GUCCI dinner, even though Twice was exhausted, they couldn't go back to their dorm to rest. Instead, the group took two vans to KBS TV station to record a program.
Meanwhile, Sana Minatozaki sat in the back of the van, gazing out the window, lost in thought, but the soft, gentle voice of Tzuyu explaining herself echoed clearly in her ears from the front:
"...It was during the last meal that Lee Byung-hun happened to be there too. We greeted each other and got to know each other, but we haven't seen each other since, so we're not very close."
Of course, the other Twice members saw the last time they bumped into Lee Byung-hun. They didn't ask at the time, but after getting in the car, the curious members naturally wouldn't let it go. Tzuyu didn't hide anything and gave a simple explanation.
Upon hearing her words, Yu Jung-yeon and the others immediately showed expressions of 'I knew it,' while Minatozaki Sana's lips also turned down slightly.
...Is that even a question? Who wouldn't have thought of that?
Isn't it always like this?
"You're not even that close, yet he came all the way over to greet you? Look at the way he's smiling..." Son Chae-young smacked her lips and questioned.
"..." Zhou Ziyu pretended not to understand and winked at her.
She knew perfectly well why the other person was being so enthusiastic, and the other members probably knew too... but there was no need to say it out loud.
"I remember someone saying that Senior Li's personality... well, it's really bad. They said he's arrogant, and his private life is... well, you guys all saw that scandal from a couple of years ago, right?"
There was no reply, but Son Chaeyoung understood perfectly. She wrinkled her nose at Tzuyu as well, but didn't press for details. Instead, she started gossiping: "Tzuyu, what's this senior like in private? Is he the same as the rumors say?"
Lee Byung-hun's scandals and gossip have spread far beyond the entertainment industry, reaching the entire Korean Peninsula. He has been involved in numerous sex scandals and gambling scandals for a long time, and the incident a couple of years ago when he was blackmailed by a female idol and model after being secretly filmed in compromising situations spread throughout the peninsula. It's safe to say that almost everyone knows about it.
What people in the industry hear is even more fantastical.
The moment this question about satisfying voyeuristic desires was raised, Yu Dingyan and the others nearby immediately became interested.
Unfortunately, Chou Tzu-yu really didn't know this senior artist well. After racking her brains for a few seconds, she said, "Maybe, but I feel like it's okay, I don't have any bad feelings about him... Oh right, he seems to really like drinking..."
"Sigh, what's so special about that? Which male celebrity from the peninsula doesn't like to drink?"
Those who were looking for gossip immediately complained in disappointment upon hearing such a trivial matter.
Faced with the disappointment of the other girls, Chou Tzu-yu could only give an awkward smile.
"But last time it was that GUCCI director Kim, and this time it's a senior like Lee Byung-hun. Tzuyu's network is really getting deeper and deeper."
After chatting for a while about Lee Byung-hun's rumors, Yoo Jeong-yeon thought about some familiar things that had happened recently, and suddenly couldn't help but sigh. She then looked at Chou Tzu-yu and began to flatter her in a slightly mischievous way:
"Who will it be next time? Were you going to meet the SBS representative or the CJ director? Tzuyu, what are you doing? Maknae, are you going to become a company director?"
"Director Zhou!"
With Yoo Jeongyeon's encouragement, Son Chaeyoung and the others immediately chimed in, "Director Joo, you have to take care of me from now on, Director Joo!"
"Director Zhou, let me give you a back massage." Son Chaeyoung even went so far as to touch him, grinning with her tiger teeth and looking like a sycophant.
To be honest, the members have all seen what Tzuyu has been up to lately. Not only is the company taking care of her, but she has also inadvertently met all sorts of people and seniors that they would normally have no chance to meet.
It feels like she got everything without doing anything... It's really hard not to be envious of this kind of disparity.
They actually knew the reason.
But who can blame her for knowing Chi Jingyuan? Chi Jingyuan was willing to introduce her to him, that's Chou Tzu-yu's ability... or perhaps it's Chou Tzu-yu's destiny.
So although I was a little envious, it wasn't really a good idea to say anything... Now that I had the chance to tease her, a lot of people started to cheer me on as if they were venting their frustrations.
Meanwhile, the future Director Zhou was also blushing from being teased by a group of older women, and kept refusing to explain... but it was no use at all, and all the oil was wiped away.
The commotion ahead had nothing to do with Sana Minatozaki behind her.
She turned her gaze away from the night view outside the window and unconsciously looked at Chou Tzu-yu in the front row, her cheeks puffed out, making her seem somewhat out of place.
This so-called GUCCI dinner tonight really dealt her a huge blow. She went there in high spirits, but now she feels like she's suffocating.
The matter with Chi Jingyuan was a matter of self-esteem, which had already made her very upset. With the help of Hirai Momo, she finally managed to mentally prepare herself and comfort herself. However, her humble yet strong spirit was crushed to pieces in less than a minute.
The things she worked so hard to achieve, others accomplished with a mere wave of their hand, and these were members of her own group, girls she considered no less capable than them… This made her suddenly feel that her efforts and determination sometimes seemed truly laughable.
...And these are things that you simply can't tell anyone else.
Looking at Tzuyu smiling broadly ahead, Sana Minatozaki was also at a loss for words as to how she felt.
There was joy for her, pampering, envy, jealousy, and even some dark thoughts that she herself didn't want to admit.
She's so happy!
“...Unnie, Sana unnie.”
Just as Sana Minatozaki was staring blankly ahead, her pupils unfocused, Tzuyu suddenly turned around and called her name.
Sana Minatozaki was startled. When she came to her senses, she saw the big-eyed maknae smiling at her and making a soft request: "Unnie, help me get my bag."
Upon hearing this, Minatozaki Sana suppressed her emotions, turned her head and noticed a bag placed on the edge of the back seat... It was the GUCCI padded bag that Chou Tzu-yu had been carrying around every day recently, and they all knew its origin.
...When Chou Tzu-yu arrived, she was sitting in the back of the van. She left her bag here when she went to the dinner party.
Upon seeing the bag, Sana Minato reached out and grabbed it, pretending to hand it to Tzuyu.
Just as Chou Tzu-yu reached out to take it, Minatozaki Sana suddenly pulled her hand back, snatching it away as if she had successfully pulled off a prank, grinning like a little fox: "I took it! You can't have it~"
Her signature bright smile and sweet, high-pitched voice reappear, making you feel that her mood is as lively and playful as her smile.
"Onie~"
Chou Tzu-yu was already used to her unnie's lively personality, and called out in a coquettish tone.
"I won't give it to you! I ...!"
But Sana Minatozaki kept dodging Tzuyu's hand while holding her bag, shaking her head and looking like a little kid trying to snatch candy.
"Haha~"
After playing for a couple of minutes and dodging Chou Tzu-yu's hand, she couldn't help but laugh out loud again, the sound like a wind chime ringing out was very infectious.
"Tzuyu, give me a kiss and I'll give it to you~" She looked at Tzuyu and pouted as she made her request.
Tzuyu was already used to Sana Minatozaki's affectionate way of interacting, and with a chuckle, she pouted and gave her a kiss from afar. Sana Minatozaki, upon seeing this, looked like she had received a treasure, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and she reached out to hand over her bag.
Just as Chou Tzu-yu was about to receive the food, she seemed to remember something, and her hand suddenly stopped.
"Ziyu..."
Looking at the cute short face in front of her, Sana Minatozaki unconsciously called out.
"What happened, Ernie?"
Chou Tzu-yu looked at the unnie in front of her, who suddenly seemed lost in thought, with a strange feeling... Subconsciously, she felt that her temperament, or rather her emotions, had suddenly changed.
"No, it's nothing..."
The next second, Sana Minatozaki came to her senses, a smile returned to her face, and she handed the bag to Tzuyu.
Then she winked her left eye, giving a sweet wink:
"Mwah~"
…………
After finally finishing their last TV show appearances, Twice returned to their dorm around 3 a.m. When Hirai Momo, who had just finished showering, returned to her room, she saw Minatozaki Sana sitting cross-legged on the bed, staring blankly at her phone, seemingly looking at something.
"What are you looking at?" She didn't try to hide anything, and walked over to ask as she dried her still slightly damp hair with a towel.
Hearing the noise beside her, Minatozaki Sana seemed to suddenly snap out of her reverie. As Hirai Momo approached, she slightly tilted her hand, her thumb quickly swiping twice on the screen, but her face remained expressionless, instead displaying a somewhat mysterious smile: "Checking my text messages~"
"A text message? Who sent it to you?"
Upon hearing this, Hirai Momo's eyes immediately lit up, and she became even more interested. Before she even got there, she started asking questions: "Is someone pursuing you again? What does he look like? Is he handsome enough?"
Minatozaki Sana wouldn't make this expression in a normal text message, but Hirai Momo, with her wisdom and understanding, immediately noticed the difference.
"Extremely handsome~"
Sana Minatozaki deliberately drew out her words in a mysterious tone, her voice swirling like a nightingale's, while simultaneously displaying a satisfied expression on her face: "Extremely, extremely handsome!"
At the same time, she shrank back and pulled her hands back, as if she wanted to maintain an air of mystery and not let Hirai Momo see her.
"Extremely handsome?"
Hirai Momo became even more interested upon hearing this, and immediately sat down next to Minatozaki Sana, asking, "Are there any handsome men with fireworks?"
Even after all that has happened, even though her feelings towards Ji Kyung-won are complicated because of Mina's concern, and she used to verbally criticize and complain about him... when it comes to comparing looks, Ji Kyung-won is still the benchmark and ceiling of handsome men in her heart.
Moreover, as the ex-boyfriend of her close friend Mina, when she needs to discuss interesting members of the opposite sex, she will naturally bring up Ji Kyung-won to compare and contrast.
'Not as handsome as the Fireworks Man,' 'About as handsome as the Fireworks Man,' 'A lot less handsome than the Fireworks Man,' 'Forget it, let's not talk about it...'
...Unfortunately, despite comparing them so many times from the past to the present, we still haven't found a match that can be considered equally matched.
Not just her, Sana Minatozaki is the same way.
And sometimes, when you compare them, a man who was originally quite good suddenly loses interest for some reason.
"Just as handsome as him~"
Sana Minato pursed her lips and nodded vigorously, her face full of seriousness and certainty, but her tone was quite exaggerated: "No, he's even more handsome than him."
"cut."
But when she said that, Hirai Momo became suspicious, her eyes filled with disbelief. She sat down next to Minatozaki Sana and leaned her head over, saying, "Let me see."
She had only asked casually when she saw Sana Minato looking at her phone... She didn't believe that a man even more handsome than Chi Jingyuan would suddenly appear.
"No way~" But Minatozaki Sana smiled slyly and hid behind her, not letting Hirai Momo see.
"Let me see it quickly!"
"Such a handsome man, Momo-chan would definitely get some bad ideas if she saw him! Just to be on the safe side, I'd better not look~"
"Will not!"
"Giggle~"
The two playfully wrestled for a while, with Sana Minatozaki barefoot and flailing her arms to block for a bit. After a burst of laughter, she finally moved the phone to Momo Hirai.
When Hirai Momo finally saw the phone screen, she immediately opened her eyes wide and looked over, only to freeze in shock... On Minatozaki Sana's phone screen was a picture of a girl lying on the sofa, sleeping in an unseemly position with her mouth open and snoring, looking both silly and dazed.
...It was none other than an unflattering photo of Hirai Momo herself, taken by Minatozaki Sana a few days ago while she was asleep.
Hirai Momo paused with her mouth agape, seemingly wondering, "How come I saw an ugly picture of myself when I was looking at a handsome guy who's even better than Fireworks Boy?" Two seconds later, as Minatozaki Sana's energetic laughter reached her ears, she realized that she had been tricked.
"hateful!"
The next second, Hirai Momo's expression changed, and she glared at Minatozaki Sana with great displeasure, blurting out in Kyoto-accented Japanese: "Liar! Idiot!"
"That's exactly right, I'm not lying, I'm not lying~"
But Sana Minatozaki denied it with a playful laugh, while looking sincerely into Momo Hirai's eyes, her sweet voice rising and falling like bursting jam:
"In my heart, Momo-chan will always be the coolest kid! No boy can compare to her~"
Ok?
Hirai Momo, who was initially a little annoyed, immediately felt her anger dissipate upon hearing this and was instantly appeased.
"Then delete this photo!" She forced a smile that had been reflexively appearing on her face, trying to use her remaining authority to take the initiative and make her demand.
"do not want!"
But Sana Minatozaki pouted and immediately refused: "These photos are so cute, I want to look at them often in the future~"
"Hmm~"
Hirai Momo smacked her lips twice.
Even though it feels like I'm comforting or teasing her, it still doesn't evoke any ill will in you—that's Sana-chan for you!
Oh well, she has so many photos on her phone that she can't delete them all anyway, so one or two chapters won't matter.
After a while, the atmosphere calmed down. Hirai Momo sat on the bed and looked at the heavy dark circles under Minatozaki Sana's eyes on her completely bare face. She asked with concern, "Are you... alright today?"
She was just a little slow to react, but knowing each other so well, she could obviously tell that Sana Minatozaki's mood was clearly off tonight.
"It's nothing, I feel much better after taking a shower."
Sana Minatozaki nodded gently, as if everything had improved. At the same time, she brought her smooth feet in front of her, her delicate toes unconsciously intertwining.
...Although she really wanted to confide in her friends, there were some things she just couldn't say.
Upon hearing this, Hirai Momo glanced at her, her eyes narrowing slightly, but she didn't ask any further questions. She then brought up another matter: "So what are you going to do about the new song? Are you just going to say nothing?"
Of course she knew that Sana Minato was unhappy about having too few parts in the next comeback, and she had also heard her talk about talking to her manager today.
"..."
Upon hearing her mention this, the smile on Minatozaki Sana's face faded. She looked down at her crossed toes, remained silent for a few seconds, and then softly said, "Maybe I can talk to my manager about it again in a few days?"
"He scolded you today, didn't he? Once he starts practicing in a few days, it'll be even less likely he'll change his ways," Hirai Momo asked immediately, getting straight to the point.
After a moment of silence, Sana Minatozaki pouted and lowered her voice, saying, "...That's the only way."
……
After a brief private conversation, Hirai Momo got up and left.
After she left, Sana Minato picked up her phone again, glanced at the photo of Momo Hirai still on it, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
Her fingertip swiped twice across the screen, and the interface switched back to the page she had actually been gazing at before her friend arrived—
That was her text message chat interface with Chi Jingyuan. At the top of the screen, her name was written in Japanese as 'Jingyuan-kun', followed by a cute dog smiley face emoji.
Looking inside, the last time she chatted with Chi Jingyuan was several days ago, during the time Twice and the others were playing games together, when they sent out text messages:
"Oppa, what kind of collaboration is yours with GUCCI?"
The text message disappeared without a trace, leaving only a blank space below it, with no further response.
This was the last time she called him "Oppa".
Looking further back, the last time I really interacted with Chi Jingyuan was in April of this year, around the time he broke up with Mina, which was more than half a year ago.
Gently scrolling up, Sana Minato saw the previous chat history. Seeing the two of them talking familiarly, with Ji Jingyuan's tone relaxed and casual, and her affectionately calling him "Oppa" in various messages, it really made her feel like she was in another world.
But if she had seen it before, she probably would have only felt nostalgia, regret, and a slight sense of loss.
But after the various events that occurred at the banquet tonight, under the continuous and intense stimulation, her negative emotions continued to brew, and her feelings for Chi Jingyuan had quietly changed.
Although she really envied Chou Tzu-yu, just thinking about the look in his eyes tonight, and his attitude of cutting off contact without leaving any room for negotiation, made her feel an overwhelming wave of negative emotions.
It was resentment, indignation, and an unshakeable melancholy.
In the quiet and desolate night, Sana Minatozaki stared at the name on her phone, silently biting her lip as a strong impulse rose from the depths of her heart.
If she had the chance to see him alone, she really wanted to confront this man who had left an indelible mark on her heart, a mark she could never let go of:
How did it become like this?
Why did they suddenly become like strangers?
as well as……
Why do you see her that way?