336: Chapter 316 As expected, the bubble content I set was too idealistic.

IU's "silence" hung over the following training days in a subtle way.

Since that exchange of glances at the shooting range that day, she had not appeared at the training base again. Manager Han Te sent a message, using "schedule conflicts" as a reason to tactfully state that IU would suspend her "experience training," though her status as an investor and her support for the project remained unchanged.

With one less pink figure at the training ground, the atmosphere actually relaxed a lot.

Park Hae-soo and Kim Seo-woo continued to report daily, both having adjusted their mindsets perfectly—since the lead had been decided, they treated this training as a rare opportunity for improvement. Park Hae-soo even joked, "With these old bones of mine, I could take on three of my younger selves now."

President Jiang Zhiyu's teaching remained professional and efficient. Without IU's deliberate interference and ambiguous testing, he could focus more on guiding everyone's movement details, especially Im Yoona's.

Two weeks of physical training steadily drew to a close amidst Im Yoona's daily persistence, her training clothes soaked in sweat.

When the training ended on the last day, President Jiang Zhiyu stood in the center of the training ground, looking at the three people before him.

Park Hae-soo's muscle lines were more defined, his gaze sharp, and his movements carried a hint of combat ruthlessness. Kim Seo-woo had overcome her initial "performance feel," with more genuine alertness and decisiveness in her eyes. And Im Yoona...

She stood there, wearing black training clothes soaked in sweat, her ponytail loose, her face still flushed from intense exercise. But those eyes, once clear and gentle doe eyes, now held a cold, resilient light.

Like a blade yet to be unsheathed, there was a faint glint of sharpness.

"Training officially ends today," President Jiang Zhiyu spoke, his voice echoing clearly in the empty training ground. "Thank you all for your hard work and persistence during this time."

He paused, his gaze falling on Im Yoona, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"At ten o'clock tomorrow morning, TG Entertainment will officially release the lead casting announcement for 'the crab'."

Park Hae-soo and Kim Seo-woo looked at each other and both laughed. They stepped forward, patting Im Yoona on the shoulders from both sides.

"Congratulations, Yoona-xi," Park Hae-soo said brightly. "Act well; we're waiting to see you dominate the screen in theaters."

"Good luck, Yoona-xi," Kim Seo-woo said warmly. "We've seen your hard work over these past two months; you deserve this role."

Im Yoona's eyes grew slightly warm, and she nodded vigorously. "Thank you, seniors... I will work hard."

After seeing off Park Hae-soo and Kim Seo-woo, only President Jiang Zhiyu and Im Yoona remained in the training ground.

The setting sun slanted in from the high skylight, casting long shadows on the sand. The air was still filled with the scent of sweat and dust.

"Noona," President Jiang Zhiyu walked up to her and handed her a bottle of water. "Hard work."

Im Yoona took the water, her fingertips inadvertently touching his. A tiny jolt of electricity made her fingers curl slightly.

"You worked hard too, President... Jiang," she said softly.

President Jiang Zhiyu smiled. "After tomorrow, you'll have to change it to 'Director Jiang'."

Im Yoona was stunned for a moment, then she also smiled. "Yes, Director Jiang."

The brief silence between them was broken by the sound of staff members packing up equipment nearby.

"Go back and get some rest," President Jiang Zhiyu said. "Official filming comes next, and it will be even harder."

"Mm," Im Yoona nodded and turned toward the locker room.

After a few steps, she suddenly stopped and looked back.

President Jiang Zhiyu was still standing where he was, backlit, his shadow stretching long in the sunset. He was looking down at a tablet in his hand, his profile focused, his eyelashes casting faint shadows on his eyelids.

Im Yoona watched him for a few seconds, her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing and turned to leave.

At ten o'clock the next morning, TG Entertainment's official SNS account updated on time.

[TG Entertainment's first film production 'the crab' (the crab) lead announcement: Im Yoona will play the lead character 'Withe'. Thank you to all the excellent actors who participated in the audition, and thank you for your expectations and support. Filming will officially begin next month, please look forward to it.]

The accompanying photo was a candid shot of Im Yoona during training—she was wearing black training clothes, her hands wrapped in bandages, her profile to the camera, her gaze cold and focused, and the stray hairs on her forehead were wet with sweat and stuck to her skin.

There was no retouching, no filters; one could even see a small smudge on her chin.

But it was precisely this "imperfection" that gave the photo a sense of real power.

Ten minutes after the announcement was posted, related keywords shot to the top of the trending searches.

[#Im Yoona the crab lead#]

[#Im Yoona Action Scenes#]

[#TG Entertainment Movie#]

The comment section exploded instantly.

[Oh my god! Yoona is really going to act in an action movie?!]

[This training photo is so cool! It's completely different from her previous gentle goddess vibe!]

[Looking forward to it! Go Yoona!]

Of course, there were also anti-fans and voices of doubt.

[Im Yoona? Can she do it? Don't ruin the script.]

[Another idol turned actor, can't they find a professional to play this?]

[It looks like a gimmick, just wait for it to flop.]

But these voices were quickly drowned out.

Because during these two months of training, Im Yoona had updated her training routine almost every day on her personal SNS—sweat-soaked training clothes, hands covered in bandages, bruised knees, a profile of her practicing punches in the mirror, her disheveled state as she slumped by the training ground drinking water...

There was no playing the victim, no complaining, just a calm recording.

These small accumulations allowed everyone to see her effort and determination.

So when the lead announcement was released, the voices of support were almost overwhelming.

[Haters shut up, look at Yoona's training records for the past two months, can't you see how hard she worked?]

[Exactly, this training intensity looks exhausting even to watch, she persisted through it, why shouldn't she be able to act?]

[Looking forward to Yoona's version of Withe! She will definitely surprise us!]

The direction of public opinion was much better than expected.

Colleagues from TG Entertainment's PR department cheered in the internal group, and as President Jiang Zhiyu looked at his phone screen, a faint curve appeared on his lips as well.

Meanwhile, the Girls Generation group chat was in a total frenzy.

[Yuri: Daebak! Our Yoona's casting is officially announced!!!]

[Hyoyeon: Congratulations Yoona! Hard work training!]

[Sooyoung: Yoona-ya, your Unnies are proud of you!]

[Tiffany: Yoona fighting! Unnie will always support you!]

[Sunny: Such a big happy event must be celebrated! Dinner date, dinner date! Who's free tonight?]

[Seohyun: I have time.]

[Yuri: I can too!]

[Hyoyeon: +1]

[Sooyoung: I'm going too!]

Soon, the proposal for a dinner gathering tonight was passed unanimously.

Then, Sunny "sneakily" sent a message:

[Sunny: That... should we invite President Jiang Zhiyu along? After all, he's the one who chose Yoona, so he's half a hero here?]

After this message was sent, the group went silent for five seconds.

Then—

[Yuri: Hey! Lee Soon-kyu, are you crazy?!]

[Hyoyeon: Why invite a man to our sisters' dinner?!]

[Sooyoung: Exactly! It's our Yoona's celebration feast, it would be so awkward for him to come!]

[Tiffany: Soon-kyu-ah, you couldn't be... still plotting something with Lemm, could you?]

Sunny, whose intentions were exposed, sent a "playing dumb" emoji.

[Sunny: No way~ I just thought we should thank him~]

[Yuri: We can invite him specifically next time to thank him, this time is our Girls Generation internal gathering!]

[Hyoyeon: Exactly! At worst, we'll gather again next time and call him then~]

[Sooyoung: Soon-kyu, give up on that idea, tonight is only for us sisters!]

Sunny looked at the unanimous "resistance" from her sisters on the screen and curled her lip, but she didn't persist.

[Sunny: Fine, fine, then it's just us sisters celebrating~]

[Sunny: What about Yoona? @Im Yoona You're free tonight, right?]

Im Yoona, who had been silently lurking, only typed a reply after seeing her name tagged:

[Im Yoona: Mm, I'm free.]

[Im Yoona: Thanks, Unnies~]

After sending this, she exited the group chat, looked at her phone screen, and sighed softly.

She didn't know if it was a sigh of relief, or... a tiny bit of disappointment.

She shook her head, casting those messy emotions aside, and got up to pick out clothes to wear for the dinner tonight.

Regardless, tonight was celebration time for her and her sisters.

As for President Jiang Zhiyu...

Maybe next time.

—

After the lead announcement for 'the crab', TG Entertainment entered an efficient and busy preparation period.

President Jiang Zhiyu's office almost became a combat command center. The walls were covered with storyboard sketches, scene concept art, and actor costume photos, while the desk was piled with thick budget reports, equipment lists, and filming schedules. People flowed in and out of his office incessantly—the production Manager reporting on site rental progress, the art director bringing set designs for discussion, the action choreography team submitting new fight designs, and even the crew member in charge of catering coming to confirm meal standards during filming.

As the absolute lead, Im Yoona's schedule was also packed. Besides cooperating with final costume and styling tests, she had to maintain a certain intensity of physical and combat training to stay in shape. At the same time, President Jiang Zhiyu began arranging script readings for her and the actor playing the policeman 'Jung Jae-yoon', and she had preliminary contact with several veteran actors playing the gang leader and corrupt police officers.

In the office, President Jiang Zhiyu had just seen off the action choreography team and was rubbing his aching brow when Assistant Xiao Zheng knocked and entered.

"President, there's a reply from Cube Entertainment."

President Jiang Zhiyu looked up: "About the (G)I-DLE variety show?"

"Yes. Cube is very interested in the cooperation proposal TG put forward, especially the 'tailor-made concept variety show for the group' item. They hope to arrange a preliminary meeting soon to discuss the specific direction."

President Jiang Zhiyu nodded, picked up his tablet, and pulled up the (G)I-DLE analysis report previously submitted by the variety department.

"How have their recent activities been?"

Xiao Zheng had clearly done his homework: "The members' individual activities are very active. Jeon Soyeon is continuously creating music, Minnie and Yuqi have fixed radio programs, and Song Yuqi's activities in China are also frequent. However..."

He paused and pulled up another piece of information: "The one causing quite a lot of discussion recently is Ye Shuhua."

"Ye Shuhua?" President Jiang Zhiyu remembered the name—the Taiwanese member, the group's maknae and visual.

"Yes. She frequently does individual live broadcasts on VLIVE, and her style is... quite special." Xiao Zheng's expression was a bit subtle. "It's not your typical idol live broadcast; it's more like chatting with a friend. Sometimes she'll suddenly start doing some very abstract behaviors or tell some nonsensical deadpan jokes. Fans find her authentic and cute, while passersby might find it a bit funny or even baffling. But it's undeniable that she generates a lot of buzz."

President Jiang Zhiyu scrolled through the screenshots and comments from the live broadcast clips Xiao Zheng had collected with interest.

In one of them, Ye Shuhua was facing the camera, explaining with a serious face "how to perfectly dip a potato chip in ketchup," the steps as detailed as if she were conducting a scientific experiment. The comment section was full of "hahahahaha" and "Shuhua-ya, what on earth are you doing?"

In another, she suddenly started mimicking the sound and movement of a spinning washing machine in the middle of the broadcast, lasting for a full minute.

There was also a fan-compiled "Shuhua Famous Quotes List," including but not limited to: "The weather is nice today, so I decided to be a mushroom." "If love is instant noodles, then I am the bowl that forgot the seasoning packet." "Everyone should be like a cucumber and stay refreshing!"

As President Jiang Zhiyu watched, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

"She has a lot of personal character," he commented. "This kind of unconventional variety sense, if used in a program, might produce unexpected results."

"Yes, the Variety Department shares that view." Xiao Zheng nodded. "They believe (G)I-DLE's members have distinct personalities—Jeon Soyeon's leadership and creative talent, Minnie's exotic charm and artistic sense, Song Yuqi's liveliness and linguistic advantages, Miyeon's elegance and beauty, plus a '4D' maknae like Ye Shuhua... their potential is immense."

Jiang Zhiyu thought for a moment and made a decision. "Reply to Cube Entertainment; we can arrange a meeting next week. Also, have the Variety Department prepare some preliminary planning directions. It's best to combine (G)I-DLE's 'self-producing creative girl group' label with... Ye Shuhua's unique variety sense."

"Understood, President."

After Xiao Zheng left, Jiang Zhiyu was about to continue looking at the storyboards when his phone vibrated.

It was a message from SM's PR Director, phrased with unprecedented politeness:

[President Jiang, are you free lately? Regarding the follow-up cooperation for Red Velvet's 'the collapsed daily life' and the concept for aespa's new variety show, I hope to discuss them with you in person.]

Jiang Zhiyu raised an eyebrow.

The reaction after 'the collapsed daily life' aired far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Originally just a test shoot, the footage was cleverly edited by TG Entertainment's PR department into nine-grid 'collapsed meme' images and short video clips. After exploding in popularity on SNS, SM and TG Entertainment struck while the iron was hot, quickly producing and launching the full first episode.

The result was—it became a massive hit.

Scenes of the Red Velvet members without any idol baggage—'lying flat like a salted fish,' 'the great kitchen cockroach war,' and 'hardcore delivery ad promotion'—made fans scream 'real' and 'cute,' while giving the general public a whole new perspective on these usually glamorous female idols.

"So idols are also too lazy to move in private!" "Yeri's delivery ad killed me, that look of despair from being forced to work!" "The aggrieved and helpless expression on Bae Joo-hyun's face when the system kept crazily praising her 'perfect posture'—I watched it ten times!"

The show's keywords stayed on the trending searches for two days, breaking viewership records and even causing a surge in downloads for the sponsor's delivery app.

More importantly, the show didn't damage Red Velvet's image; instead, it earned them new labels like 'authentic,' 'fun,' and 'gap moe,' increasing their commercial value and public favorability.

This caused the SM executives, who were originally skeptical of TG Entertainment's 'image-breaking' variety format, to have a complete change of heart.

Now, they not only wanted to continue producing subsequent episodes of 'the collapsed daily life' but also proactively proposed that TG Entertainment create a tailor-made new variety show for aespa.

Jiang Zhiyu replied to SM and set a meeting time.

He leaned back in his chair, his mind already beginning to brainstorm.

The core concept of aespa is 'Kwangya' and a 'worldview' where virtual and reality intermingle. If they were to do a variety show, it couldn't be a simple reality show; it had to fit their unique group concept.

Perhaps... he could design a 'virtual-reality hybrid' adventure challenge show?

Have the aespa members and their virtual avatars, 'ae,' complete tasks together under specific rules? Or introduce some AR technology to create the visual effects of 'Kwangya' in real-world settings?

Jiang Zhiyu's fingers tapped lightly on the desk, his gaze gradually becoming focused.

Movies, girl group variety shows, idol group shows... multiple fronts were advancing simultaneously.

Busy, yet orderly.

This game of chess was unfolding step by step according to his layout.

And at this moment, sitting in his sun-drenched office, looking at the dense planning maps on the wall, a calm and confident curve formed on the corner of his mouth.

Everything was just beginning.

—

Tsundere Ji-min Bubble~ (Morning of Feb 28, 2026)

[February 28, 2026, 06:30 - First Selfie]

Rain was pitter-pattering outside the window. Karina reached out from under the covers and took a photo of the window. Rainwater was streaming down the glass, and the sky was still a gloomy gray.

Click.

She squinted while editing, adding a speech Bubble to the photo:

"February 28, 2026, 6:30 AM. It's raining. My first thought: Did you bring an umbrella? If not, I'll come pick you up. If you did... I'll still come pick you up. Because I want to see you. Rainy days are the best for meeting. Right?"

Sent.

[06:42 - First Reply Video]

Karina was still lying in bed, listening to the rain outside, her voice soft.

"It's raining... I love rainy days the most. Because I can curl up at home, do nothing, and just listen to the rain. But not today; I have training today. You have to work too, right? Then let's work hard together. You work hard over there, and I'll work hard over here. Even though we're not together, working hard at the same time counts as being together."

She rolled over and wrapped the blanket tighter.

"I'll lie down for five more minutes then get up. Stay in bed with me. Call me when the five minutes are up. If you don't... then I'll lie here for another five. Anyway, it's a rainy day, so it's okay to be late, right? It's not? Then I'll get up now. Because if you say so, I'll listen. Aren't I well-behaved? If I am, praise me. If not, a hug is fine."

Video ends.

Sent.

[06:55 - Second Selfie]

Karina finally crawled out of bed and walked to the window. She held up her phone and took a picture of the rain outside—the world outside was a blur as rain hit the glass.

Click.

Bubble text:

"I'm up. Look out the window. The rain is so heavy. Where are you? Are you watching the rain too? Or are you still sleeping? If you're still sleeping, get up right now, this instant. It's not that I'm forcing you to get up, it's that the rain is too loud and you can't sleep. So get up and keep me company. If I'm up, you have to be up too. It's only fair."

Sent.

[07:15 - Second Reply Video]

Karina finished washing her face and recorded a video in front of the mirror. Water droplets still clung to her face, and her hair was clipped back, revealing her smooth forehead.

"It's raining today, so the air is damp. You know, this kind of weather is perfect for eating something warm. Like soup with rice, or ramen, or the food you cook. What are you eating today? Let me see. Take a photo and send it to me. If you don't... I'll just imagine it myself. Imagine you made a huge table of delicious food, and then I ate it all. You decide."

She finished applying her skincare and patted her face.

"Okay, getting ready to head out. Today's training is very intense; we're practicing a new dance. Cheer for me. Do it now. Once you do, I'll have strength. If you don't... I won't have any strength. If I don't have strength, I won't dance well. If I don't dance well, I'll blame you. So hurry up and cheer."

Video ends.

Sent.

[07:40 - Third Selfie]

Karina had changed her clothes and stood at the entrance ready to leave. Today she was wearing a black tracksuit with white sneakers, her hair in a bun, and holding a transparent umbrella.

Click.

Bubble text:

"Heading out. Transparent umbrella. This way I can see the sky when I use it. Although the sky doesn't look good today, I can see the rain. The rain is the same rain where you are. So it's like we're caught in the rain together. Right?"

Sent.

[07:55 - Third Reply Video]

Karina walked down the street holding her umbrella, the camera pointed at the ground. The rain-slicked streets reflected the lights of streetlamps and shops.

"Walking on the road. The rain is so heavy. My shoes are a bit wet. But it's okay, because thinking of you makes me not cold anymore. You're my human hand warmer. Even though you're not by my side, my heart is warm. When my heart is warm, my whole body is warm. So you don't have to come; just stay in my heart. But come by occasionally too, in person. I miss you."

She stepped into a small puddle, splashing water.

"Look, I stepped in a puddle. Don't I seem like a child? It's only right; I'm just a child in front of you. I need to be pampered, coaxed, and spoiled. If I'm not, I'll cry. And if I cry, you won't know what to do. So just pamper me. It's simpler."

Video ends.

Sent.

[08:30 - Fourth Selfie]

Karina arrived at the practice room and took a photo in front of the mirror. She was changing into her dance shoes, leaning over, her bun dangling. The sound of rain could be heard in the background; even though the windows were closed, it was still faint.

Click.

Bubble text:

"At the practice room. It's still raining. Have you arrived? If you have, check in. If not, hurry up. I'm practicing and you're working; we're each working hard. But our hearts are together. Right? If so, nod. If not, nod anyway. If I say it's right, it's right."

Sent.

[09:00 - Fourth Reply Video]

Karina began to warm up, recording a video while stretching. She propped her phone in front of the mirror, doing various movements.

"Warm-up starting. What I'm practicing today is a new dance for next month's concert. Are you coming to see it? You are, right? I knew you would come. I've already saved a ticket for you. Front row, center. That way you can see me clearly. See how amazing, how beautiful, and how cute I am."

She did a full split, her face almost touching her leg.

"When you watch, you're not allowed to praise anyone else. You're only allowed to praise me. If you praise others, I'll get angry. If I get angry, I'll ignore you. If I ignore you, you'll feel bad. If you feel bad, you'll come to coax me. Once I'm coaxed, we'll make up. So it all circles back to me anyway. Just praise me directly. It saves trouble."

Video ends.

Sent.

[09:45 - Fifth Selfie]

During a break in practice, Karina sat on the floor drinking water. She held up her phone and took a picture of the rain outside—it seemed to have let up a bit, and the sky was a little brighter.

Click.

Bubble text:

"The rain has let up. What about where you are? Has it let up too? Or is it heavier? Regardless of the size, remember to bring an umbrella. If you didn't... I'll go bring you one. But I don't know where you are. So you'd better bring one yourself. Next time I go to see you, you bring an umbrella to pick me up. It's a deal."

Sent.

[10:15 - Fifth Reply Video]

Karina faced the camera and started sharing practice details.

"I'm telling you, the new dance is really hard. There's a move where you turn like this, then jump like this, then land like this. I fell three times this morning. But I didn't cry. Because thinking of you made me not want to cry. If I cry, you'll worry. If you worry, you'll feel bad. If you feel bad, I'll feel even worse. So I won't cry. Am I sensible? If I am, praise me. If not, praise me anyway. I just want to hear nice things."

She stood up and gestured the move toward the mirror.

"Look, just like this. Isn't it cool? Of course it is. You'll see the full version at the concert. When the time comes, scream for me. Scream the loudest. Let everyone else look at you. Look at you screaming for me. Then they'll know I'm yours. You're mine. We belong to each other. Perfect."

Video ends.

Sent.

[11:30 - Sixth Selfie]

At lunchtime, the Manager brought over lunch boxes. Since it was raining, the delivery was Samgyetang—piping hot, perfect for a rainy day. Karina opened the lid and took a photo.

Click.

Bubble text:

"Lunch is here. Samgyetang. It's the best thing to eat on a rainy day. Did you have some? If not, go have some now. If you did, show me a photo. If you don't... I'll just imagine that you're having some too. We'll eat together; even though we're not together, eating soup at the same time counts as being together. Right?"

Sent.

[12:00 - Sixth Reply Video]

Karina recorded a video while drinking the soup. She scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and drank it slowly, her expression satisfied.

"Delicious. It's so warm. My body feels warm after drinking it. You should eat something warm too. You're not allowed to have anything cold. Cold things hurt the stomach. If your stomach hurts, I'll be worried. If I'm worried, I'll feel bad. If I feel bad, I'll look for you. If I look for you, you'll have to coax me. So to keep me from looking for you, you have to eat well. Drink warm things, eat warm things, dress warmly, and take care of yourself. Because you're mine. My things can't be broken."

She picked up a piece of chicken.

"This piece is for you. Open wide—ah—okay, you ate it. So you've had Samgyetang too. No need to thank me. Just treat me to the real thing next time. When? When it rains. Next time it rains, we'll go have some together. Pinky swear."

Video ends.

Sent.