273: Chapter 253 An Afternoon in the Practice Room: A Special Gift for Capricorn

In the aespa practice room, the accompaniment for 'Black Mamba' was still looping, but the attention of the four girls had been completely captured by the person who pushed open the door.

The moment the door opened, Karina was the first to react, immediately pausing the music. The practice room fell silent instantly, with only the faint hum of the air conditioner running.

'President Jiang.' Karina bowed slightly, her voice polite and restrained, her professional qualities as a leader fully on display.

NingNing's eyes lit up instantly, and she almost lunged toward him: 'Master! What are you doing here!'

Her Chinese blurted out, carrying obvious intimacy and surprise. Since Jiang Zhiyu left SM, although the two often spoke in the 'Secretly Eating Girl Group' group chat, the actual number of times they met was very few.

Giselle stood a bit further away, also bowing slightly and politely: 'Hello, President Jiang.'

Her Korean was much more fluent than when she first joined, but her tone still maintained a perfect sense of distance. Jiang Zhiyu smiled and nodded at her—gentle, but indeed not as close as he was with the other three. This subtle difference was something everyone present could vaguely feel, but no one pointed it out.

And Kim Minjeong—

She was completely frozen in place.

Those large eyes, usually clear and bright, were now staring straight at Jiang Zhiyu without blinking, as if trying to carve his entire being into her pupils. Her lips were slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't make a sound.

Since the last 'ae training camp' ended, she hadn't seen Jiang Zhiyu again. The conversations in the group chat were always behind a screen, but at this moment, the man was standing right in front of her—still wearing that dark gray suit, still emitting that familiar, mouth-watering scent of ripe fruit.

It felt unbelievably real.

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze swept over the four of them, finally landing on Kim Minjeong.

Looking at her 'staring' expression, he couldn't help but blink.

Only then did Kim Minjeong snap back to her senses.

'Ah... Op-Oppa...' she stammered, her originally fair little face beginning to flush at a visible rate, spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, until even her neck was stained with a layer of pink.

Watching her like this, the curve at the corner of Jiang Zhiyu's mouth deepened.

He said in a deliberately teasing tone: 'Minjeong-ah, what's wrong? Are you trying to replace the sun? Then in the future, if I want to see Minjeong, I'll have to look at the sun—'

He paused and turned to look at the other three members who were holding back their laughter, his eyes sparkling with mischief:

'Do you all think "Minjeong Sun" is better, or is the name "Sun Minjeong" more pleasant to the ear?'

The atmosphere in the practice room instantly became lively.

Karina was the first to play along, smiling with her eyes curved into crescents: 'I think... "Min-Sun-jeong"?'

She deliberately broke the name apart and reorganized it, creating an absurd sense of humor.

NingNing immediately followed up, using her signature, slightly coquettish tone: 'How about Sun~-Minjeong-un~?'

She even deliberately elongated the 'Sun' sound, making it even more comical.

Giselle was a bit stiff at first, but caught up in the atmosphere, she also spoke softly: 'Then... "Minjeong Golden Sun"?'

She spoke somewhat shyly, but her eyes sparkled with the joy of participating.

Kim Minjeong: 'Ya—!!!'

She finally couldn't take it anymore and stamped her feet in embarrassment, her entire face already as red as a ripe apple. Especially after Giselle said 'Minjeong Golden Sun', she felt like she was going to evaporate on the spot.

Jiang Zhiyu, however, seemed to have caught onto something precious. His eyes lit up, and he said in a deliberately exaggerated tone:

'The name Giselle-xi came up with is quite good! Very creative!' He turned to Kim Minjeong, smiling like a fox that had gotten its way. 'Then from now on, it's "Minjeong Golden Sun"! Certified by Jiang Zhiyu!'

'Ya! Oppa!!'

Kim Minjeong finally broke down completely, rushing forward in embarrassment and reaching out to cover Jiang Zhiyu's mouth.

But she clearly underestimated Jiang Zhiyu's height—or rather, overestimated her own. Even standing on her tiptoes, she couldn't reach, and could only wave her hands in vain like a flustered kitten.

Jiang Zhiyu dodged with a laugh, casually ruffling her soft hair.

The action was natural and intimate, carrying a sort of doting from an elder to a junior—but Kim Minjeong's heart skipped a beat at that moment.

'Alright, alright, that's enough.' Jiang Zhiyu stopped while he was ahead and turned to the other three. 'I came today to give you all a gift.'

Just as he finished speaking, there was a soft knock on the practice room door.

The assistant pushed the door open and entered, holding an exquisite purple gift box. The wrapping paper of the gift box was a matte deep purple, printed with fine constellation patterns, and in the center was an exquisite capricorn design. The ribbon was silver, tied into an elegant bow, with a chibi Lemm charm hanging from the top.

The gift box wasn't large, but it was wrapped with extreme care, and one could tell at a glance that it was quite valuable.

The gazes of the four members of aespa were all drawn toward it.

'This is...' Karina looked at Jiang Zhiyu in confusion.

Jiang Zhiyu took the gift box and signaled the assistant to sit cross-legged on the practice room floor with him. His movements were casual, showing none of the airs of a president, as if he had returned to the state when he was a producer at SM, discussing music with them.

'You've all seen IZ*ONE's new variety show, right?' Jiang Zhiyu placed the gift box on the floor in front of him and looked up at the four girls.

'I've seen it, I've seen it!' NingNing nodded vigorously. '"twelve star envoys"! It's super popular!'

Karina also nodded: 'We've all been following it and even discussed the settings in it.'

Giselle added softly: 'That blue General Kitty Cat... it's Yena-sunbaenim, right? It's very funny.'

Kim Minjeong stared at the gift box without speaking, but a curious light sparkled in her eyes.

Jiang Zhiyu smiled and lightly tapped the capricorn pattern on the gift box:

'In the latest episode we filmed that hasn't aired yet—the Choi Yena special—a very special partner makes an appearance.'

He deliberately paused to build suspense:

'That partner is a jelly-like creature that glows and has small gears inside its body, called "Lemm". It's very smart, can shapeshift, and can even carry out simple commands.'

The eyes of the four girls widened.

'Really?' NingNing exclaimed. 'Like a Pokémon?'

'Pretty much.' Jiang Zhiyu nodded. 'After filming ended, I thought the concept was very interesting, so I had the TG technical team redesign one based on the Lemm concept—'

His gaze swept over the four of them, finally landing on Kim Minjeong's face:

'...a more multifunctional and intelligent version.'

The practice room was quiet for a few seconds.

Karina was the first to react: 'So inside this gift box is...'

'Why don't you open it and see for yourselves?' Jiang Zhiyu smiled and made a 'please' gesture. 'It was prepared for you all in the first place.'

As he said this, he suddenly blinked at Kim Minjeong.

The wink was extremely brief, almost fleeting, but Kim Minjeong caught it.

Her face flushed red again in an instant.

Her heart thudded in her chest, and her brain began to wander uncontrollably:

This gift... is it for aespa, or...

Is it specifically for her?

He said 'prepared for you all', but is it actually mainly for her?

Because there's a capricorn pattern on the gift box—that's her zodiac sign.

Because Jiang Zhiyu had specifically blinked at her just now.

Because...

The more Kim Minjeong thought about it, the more likely it seemed. A surge of inexplicable joy rose from her heart, making her unable to resist letting out a few silly 'hehe' giggles.

Then she suddenly realized—

This is the practice room! Jiang Zhiyu is right in front of her! The other members are all here!

She immediately covered her mouth, but the smile in her eyes couldn't be hidden; she looked like a little bear that had just snuck some honey.

The other three obviously noticed her abnormality, but they didn't say anything, only exchanging meaningful looks with each other.

NingNing was the first to reach out: 'Then I'll open it!'

'Wait.' Karina held her hand down and turned to Jiang Zhiyu, asking politely, 'President Jiang, may we open it?'

'Of course.' Jiang Zhiyu nodded. 'It's for you all anyway.'

Having received confirmation, the four girls then gathered around the gift box.

NingNing carefully untied the silver ribbon, and Karina gently lifted the lid—

'Wow—'

Four exclamations of wonder rang out simultaneously.

Inside the gift box lay an exquisite transparent acrylic display case. Inside the case was a version of Lemm even more refined than the one in the IZ*ONE variety show.

It also had a pale purple translucent jelly-like body, but the internal structure was more complex—there were more tiny gears, arranged in an exquisite constellation pattern. There were extremely fine LED light strips on the surface of its body, currently pulsing with a soft purple light at a slow frequency.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

The most special part is that on its "head," there is a tiny silver capricorn horn, and on its back, a pair of transparent, slightly fluttering little wings.

"So pretty..." Giselle murmured.

"Is this... an upgraded version of Lemm?" Karina looked at Jiang Zhiyu.

Jiang Zhiyu nodded: "I call it 'Constellation Lemm'. Each constellation version has different appearances and functions. This one is the special capricorn edition."

He signaled to his assistant to open the display box.

The assistant carefully took out the purple Lemm and placed it on the floor.

The moment Lemm left the display box, the light inside its body started flickering faster, and its body began to slowly squirm, emitting a faint "pop-pop" sound.

"It's in standby mode right now," Jiang Zhiyu explained. "You can control it using voice commands, or connect via a mobile app. Its functions include basic household assistance, simple companion interaction, and also—"

He paused and looked at Kim Minjeong:

"The special capricorn edition has a special feature: stress monitoring and relief. It monitors the sound frequency and light changes in the surrounding environment to determine if the user is in a high-stress state. If they are, it will automatically play soothing music or change its light color."

Kim Minjeong's eyes widened even further.

This feature... it's practically tailor-made for idols.

"How do you start it?" NingNing asked impatiently.

Jiang Zhiyu took a palm-sized remote control out of his pocket and pressed the button.

Lemm's body flashed brightly, and then a soft female voice prompt came from inside:

[Constellation Lemm · capricorn version, starting up... System initializing... Connection successful. Please set owner information.]

"Come on, Minjeong." Jiang Zhiyu handed the remote to her, "You're a capricorn, you set it up."

Kim Minjeong took the remote, her fingers trembling slightly.

She followed the prompts on the screen, entered her name, recorded a voice sample, and also set a simple wake-up word.

Once finished, Lemm's body flashed again, then turned towards Kim Minjeong, emitting a series of happy "pop-pop-pop" sounds.

[Owner information confirmed. Hello, Owner Kim Minjeong. I am your capricorn partner, Lemm. How can I help you?]

The voice was soft and clear, with a hint of a cute electronic texture.

Kim Minjeong was stunned for two seconds, then couldn't help but laugh.

She squatted down, carefully extended her finger, and gently touched Lemm's soft, bouncy body.

Lemm trembled in response, and the purple light inside its body flickered even more gently.

"It's so cute..." Kim Minjeong's voice was full of surprise.

"Not just cute," Jiang Zhiyu added. "It also has a learning function. The longer you spend with it, the better it will understand your habits and preferences. For example—"

He looked at Kim Minjeong: "If you often practice after 10 PM, it will remind you to rest. If your voice is lower than usual, it will determine that you are feeling down, and then play your favorite songs."

Kim Minjeong looked up at Jiang Zhiyu.

In that moment, she suddenly understood.

This gift was indeed for aespa—but the special capricorn edition was definitely designed specifically for her.

Jiang Zhiyu remembered her habit of practicing until very late.

He remembered that she would unconsciously lower her voice when she was feeling down.

He remembered she was a capricorn.

He remembered... many details about her.

A warm current surged from the bottom of her heart, and Kim Minjeong felt her eyes getting a little hot.

She quickly lowered her head, pretending to examine Lemm, and said softly: "Thank you, President Jiang..."

"Just call me Oppa," Jiang Zhiyu said with a smile, patting her shoulder. "You called me that when you were at SM, no need to change it now."

"Oppa." Kim Minjeong followed suit readily, her voice soft.

NingNing leaned in, her eyes sparkling: "Master! What about us? Do we get constellation versions too?"

Jiang Zhiyu raised an eyebrow: "You want one?"

"Yes!" the three of them said in unison.

"That depends on your performance," Jiang Zhiyu said, deliberately keeping them in suspense. "Once Red Velvet's new variety show gets going, if the results are good... maybe TG will launch the 'Constellation Lemm' product series, and then I'll give you each one."

"Really?!" NingNing jumped up in excitement.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Jiang Zhiyu stood up with a smile, brushing non-existent dust off his suit. "Alright, the gift has been delivered, and it's time for me to go. You guys keep practicing."

"Oppa, you're leaving already?" Kim Minjeong asked subconsciously, her tone carrying a hint of reluctance.

"Yeah, I have other things to do." Jiang Zhiyu looked at her with gentle eyes. "Take good care of Lemm, and take care of yourself too. Don't practice too late."

"Nei..." Kim Minjeong nodded, holding the purple Lemm in her arms as if she were holding some precious treasure.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at the other three: "Ji-min, take care of everyone. NingNing, don't sneak too many snacks. Giselle, your Korean has improved a lot, keep it up."

He gave instructions one by one, like a considerate senior.

Finally, he waved at the four of them and turned to walk towards the door.

When his hand gripped the doorknob, he looked back again:

"Oh, right, Minjeong Kim-Sun."

Kim Minjeong's face turned red again in a flash: "Oppa!!"

"Just kidding." Jiang Zhiyu smiled mischievously. "See you next time."

The door closed gently.

The practice room was quiet for a few seconds.

Then, NingNing was the first to pounce on Kim Minjeong: "Minjeong! Let me see Lemm!"

Karina also leaned in: "This design is really exquisite..."

Giselle stood a little further away, watching the three of them excitedly discussing Lemm, and a smile also appeared on her lips.

And Kim Minjeong, holding that light purple, glowing little creature, felt a part of her heart turn incredibly soft.

She thought of the smile Jiang Zhiyu had when he left.

She thought of the capricorn feature he had specially designed for her.

She thought of all the little things about her that he remembered.

"...Minjeong?" Karina's voice pulled her back to reality. "What are you smiling about?"

Kim Minjeong snapped back to reality and realized she had been smiling foolishly without knowing it.

She quickly covered her mouth, but the smile in her eyes couldn't be hidden: "N-nothing... just think... Lemm is really cute."

Karina and NingNing looked at each other, both understanding what was in each other's eyes.

—Was it really just thinking Lemm was cute?

But neither of them said anything.

Some things don't need to be said out loud.

The sunlight outside the window shone through the practice room window, casting warm light spots on the floor. The early summer breeze gently blew the curtains, bringing the faint hustle and bustle of the distant streets.

And in a practice room in the SM Building, four girls were gathered around a glowing purple little creature, their laughter crisp as bells.

"Wow! Minjeong Unnie! President Jiang is especially good to you!" NingNing jumped up first, pointing at the purple Lemm. "Special capricorn edition! Purple! This is practically tailor-made for you!"

Karina also laughed: "Minjeong, President Jiang was looking at you the whole time just now."

Although Giselle didn't speak, there was also a smile in her eyes.

Kim Minjeong blushed, but couldn't help but pick up the Lemm and press it against her face. Lemm's cool, soft touch, and that faint scent similar to lavender, all made her heart race.

"He... he's just like that," she said softly, her tone filled with unhidden happiness. "He's very good to everyone."

"But he's 'especially good' to you." NingNing deliberately dragged out her voice, "Min-Sun-jeong~"

"Yah! NingNing!"

"Sun-Min-jeong~"

"Karina!"

The practice room was suddenly filled with laughter and chaos.

Kim Minjeong looked down at the Lemm in her arms, her fingers gently stroking its soft "wings".

Lemm flashed with purple light in response, emitting a series of happy "pop-pop" sounds.

She couldn't help but laugh, and said softly: "In the future... please take care of me."

And at this moment, Jiang Zhiyu, having walked out of the practice room, had already restrained the smile on his face.

He walked quickly towards the elevator, while asking his assistant in a low voice: "Time?"

"4:17, President Jiang." The assistant replied, "According to the usual schedule, she should finish her personal practice around 4:25 and head to the parking lot."

"Very good." Jiang Zhiyu pressed the elevator button. "Let's go for a 'chance encounter'."

The elevator went down, his expression calm, but deep in his eyes, there was a trace of imperceptible sharpness.

Coming to SM today, the real main event, is just beginning now.