342: Chapter 321 Pig-Headed Phantom Thief

Discussions on the internet had already exploded.

#Pig Head Stolen at Opening Ceremony# shot up the trending searches like a rocket, followed by an "Explosive" tag.

[Hahaha, what kind of operation is TG Entertainment running? Is the Chinese Opening Ceremony this hardcore? Someone even had their eyes on the offerings?]

[Who on earth was it?! Are they that brave? Stealing a pig head in broad daylight?]

[Pig Head: I was terrified at that moment.]

[Did TG Entertainment call the police? Does this count as theft? Even if the item might not be worth much, the nature of the act is terrible (doge)]

[Am I the only one curious about how delicious that pig head actually is? It looks so shiny and oily in the pictures...]

[Upstairs, you've got the wrong focus!]

[Didn't aespa go to support the event today? Karina was even there! Did Karina see anyone suspicious? @aespa_official]

[I suspect an insider did it, like some greedy staff member...]

[Whoever it was, they're really bold and fast. I heard there was a moment of chaos and then they vanished.]

All sorts of speculations, memes, and hilarious comments flooded social media. TG Entertainment's official blog was also swamped by crowds of onlookers asking, "Was the pig head found?" "Should we post a Missing Pig Notice?" and some even photoshopped various funny pictures.

—

3:00 PM, aespa dorm.

Sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the living room, spreading a warm patch of light across the floor. The air conditioner hummed quietly, keeping the indoor temperature at a comfortable twenty-five degrees. A music program rerun played on the TV with the volume turned low, drifting through the room like faint background noise.

On the sofa, Karina lay sprawled out in the shape of a star.

No, she wasn't just lying there.

She was in a state of burnout, like a pile of ashes.

She stared at the ceiling with empty eyes, her entire body seemingly drained of strength. Her phone had been tossed to the other end of the sofa, its screen still lit up, staying on a trending search page—

[#the crab Sacrificial Pig Head#]

[#the crab Pig Head Phantom Thief#]

[#Who Exactly Stole the Pig Head from the Opening Ceremony#]

[#Will TG Entertainment Call the Police#]

Under every trending topic were hilarious comments from netizens.

[Who is it exactly hahaha! Stealing a pig head at an Opening Ceremony? Is this some new type of performance art?]

[I'm dying, such a big pig head, how did they steal it? Hide it in their clothes?]

[Am I the only one who wants to know where that pig head is now? Was it eaten? Is it good?]

[TG: We just started filming and lost a pig head. What does this foreshadow? Waiting online, quite urgent.]

[Pig Head: Who did I offend? I have to be stolen after being sacrificed?]

[Strongly demand TG call the police! We must catch the Pig Head Phantom Thief! I want to see the surveillance! I want to see who did it!]

[Do you think it could be an idol? After all, there were so many idols on site...]

[Upstairs, don't leave! That's an interesting line of thought! Let me think who's most likely...]

When Karina saw this comment, she almost bounced off the sofa.

But she had no strength left.

She just rolled her eyes, threw her phone aside, and continued staring blankly at the ceiling.

Jiang Zhiyu...

She ground her teeth as she thought of the name.

What did you say again?

"Promotion without scandals"?

"IU and Yoona Noona are ready-made loudspeakers"?

Well, great!

There really are no scandals!

But it's been replaced by a topic that's even more hilarious, more socially embarrassing, and makes her want to die on the spot!!!

"Pig Head Phantom Thief"?!

"Who exactly stole the pig head"?!

The whole internet is guessing!!!

Once they guess it's me...

Karina closed her eyes, not daring to think further.

Shibal.

She muttered in her heart.

Shibal shibal shibal shibal shibal.

Two hours ago, she was sitting in the van, thinking she had successfully escaped, thinking this was just a small-scale, unknown, and absurd incident.

Two hours later, the whole world knew.

Lee Tima!!!

Thinking of that little devil's final shout of "Someone's stealing the pig head!!" that rang through the sky, Karina wanted to rush to TG Entertainment, drag Lee Tima out, and then throw her and Jiang Zhiyu into that red plastic bag together!

Shibal! It's all Jiang Zhiyu's fault! If not for him, how would I have ended up like this!

In her heart, she whipped Jiang Zhiyu's corpse ten thousand times.

But now wasn't the time for regret. The priority was to deal with this "hot potato" in her hands.

She was alone in the dorm right now. NingNing and Uchinaga Eri had gone out together for snacks and supplies, and Kim Minjeong went to the company for extra dance practice, saying she'd be back later. But Karina knew they would be back soon.

What to do?

Should she... just eat the pig head now?

Karina sat up and stared at the plastic bag, seriously considering the possibility. She opened the bag, and the rich aroma of braised pork mixed with spices immediately wafted out. To be honest... it smelled very tempting. That bastard Jiang Zhiyu might be annoying, but his cooking skills seemed really good.

But...

How could one person finish it!!

That pig head was a full size larger than her own face. Even if she were a pig, she couldn't finish it in one meal.

What about the rest? Keep it? That smell...

Throw it away?

The thought just popped up, but Karina hesitated again.

It's a bit of a waste to throw it away...

Not that she was frugal, but it was "specifically" prepared by that guy Jiang Zhiyu (even if his motives were impure), and looking at the quality, he had clearly put effort into it. Most importantly, if she was caught throwing it away by the cleaning lady or caught on surveillance... "aespa Leader Discards Mysterious Pig Head Late at Night"? The image was so vivid she didn't dare think about it.

And Ningning would definitely want to eat it...

But if Ningning knew I stole this pig head...

Karina imagined Ningning's reaction—shock, then wild laughter, then using it as blackmail forever, bringing it up every time they argued—

"Ji-min Unnie, how can you talk to me like that? You're the one who stole a pig head!"

Karina shuddered.

No.

Absolutely cannot let them know.

This pig head must be dealt with silently.

Jiang Zhiyu! (gritting teeth)

Karina cursed the culprit again. She frustratedly grabbed her hair and paced back and forth in the living room.

Finally, she made a difficult decision.

She carried the plastic bag and tiptoed back to her room like a thief. She looked around—the closet? No, the smell would get on the clothes. Under the bed? Too dirty, and what if there were bugs... Under the desk? That seemed okay, but there wasn't enough space.

Finally, her gaze landed on the large storage bin in the corner of the room used for miscellaneous items. She quickly opened the box, moved some old magazines and packaging boxes, and then carefully stuffed the red plastic bag inside. She closed the lid and covered it with a few idle thick coats.

After doing all this, she breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a sense of absurdity—she, Karina, was actually hiding a stolen braised pig head in her room?!

How did my life come to this...

She thought despairingly.

Just then, the sound of keys turning and familiar voices came from outside the door.

"Daebak! Someone actually stole the pig head from Zhiyu Oppa's Opening Ceremony?" It was NingNing's voice, filled with shock and excitement.

"A pig head..." Uchinaga Eri's voice sounded a bit disgusted. "I don't really like it, looks a bit scary."

"Unnie!" NingNing's voice became excited. "Pig head meat is delicious! Braised pig head meat is fragrant and soft, especially the ears and cheek meat, it's incredible!"

"Forget it," Eri's tone remained flat. "I'd rather eat chicken breast and salad."

"Unnie, you really have no ambition..."

The sound of the two changing shoes followed.

Karina's heart tightened. She quickly composed her expression and walked out of the room, bumping into the two who had just entered the entryway.

"Ji-min Unnie?" NingNing was stunned for a moment when she saw her. "You're in your room? Why didn't you turn on the light?"

Karina's brain worked at high speed.

"I... I just got back and was a bit tired, so I wanted to lie down for a bit." Her voice was quite steady. "Why are you guys back so early? Didn't you say you were going shopping?"

"We're done shopping." NingNing walked in and naturally sat on Karina's bed. "Unnie, did you see the trending searches? I'm dying! Someone stole the pig head from Oppa's Opening Ceremony!"

Karina's mouth twitched.

I saw it.

I am that "someone."

"Who do you think is so wicked?" NingNing gossiped. "Stealing a pig head of all things! It's for a sacrifice!"

Uchinaga Eri leaned against the doorframe and said lazily, "Maybe it was some starving passerby. Seeing such a big pig head on the table, they couldn't help themselves."

Karina: "..."

A starving passerby.

Very good, Eri, you're doing great.

"...Maybe it was... a prank?" Karina said cautiously.

"Definitely a prank!" NingNing nodded vigorously. "The comment section is guessing who did it. Some say it was a beauty in a white dress, and others say they saw the person sneaking around the altar..."

As she spoke, she suddenly turned to look at Karina:

"Unnie, aren't you wearing a white dress today?"

Karina's heart skipped a beat.

But the expression on her face remained perfectly calm. "Yes, I'm wearing a white floral dress. But I was in the press area for interviews at the time, how could I have time to steal a pig head?"

"True." NingNing nodded and continued scrolling through her phone. "Unnie, you're so elegant, how could you do such a thing."

Karina: "..."

Sorry, NingNing.

Your Unnie is just that "elegant."

"It's seriously hilarious!" NingNing laughed until her eyes curved into crescents. "The whole internet is talking about the 'Pig Head Phantom Thief' now. Someone even photoshopped Kaito Kid's face into a pig head!"

She spoke as she handed the phone to Karina.

An edited photo appeared on the screen—Kaito Kid's signature white suit and top hat, but the face had been replaced with a braised pig head, with a line of text below: "The Pig Head Phantom Thief, reporting for duty!"

Karina's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

"...It's quite funny," she said dryly.

Uchinaga Eri walked out of the kitchen with a glass of water and added calmly, "That pig head was indeed quite eye-catching. I took a look when I passed the altar, it was so shiny."

"Right, right!" NingNing immediately got excited. "I told you pig head meat is delicious! Unnie, you don't understand!"

"I'd rather not understand."

The two of them discussed back and forth, and the topic gradually shifted from "who stole the pig head" to "whether pig head meat is actually good."

Karina sat on the sofa listening to their conversation, with only one thought in her mind:

It's over.

Totally over.

That pig head is currently hidden in my closet.

And I, as the leader of aespa and a promising idol, am discussing whether "pig head meat is delicious" with my members.

The world must be crazy.

She slowly closed her eyes and thought to herself:

Just let me die.

End it all.

At least if I'm dead, I won't have to face this absurd world.

But reality wouldn't let her go just because she wanted to die.

NingNing tapped her phone and started reading trending comments, "'Who on earth would steal a pig head at an Opening Ceremony'—I want to know too! 'Just want to know if TG Entertainment called the police'—Yes, yes, yes! I want to know too!"

She looked up at Karina. "Unnie, who do you think did it?"

Karina: "..."

She maintained a calm smile, but her heart was screaming wildly:

It's me! I did it!

It's the leader sitting right in front of you who looks perfectly normal!

I stole the pig head in front of everyone!

And I was almost caught on the spot by that little devil Lee Tima!

Now the pig head is right under my bed!!!

"Unnie!" NingNing suddenly called out again. "What do you think the person who stole the pig head is doing right now?"

Karina opened her eyes and looked at her.

NingNing's eyes were bright, full of curiosity and gossip. "They must be hiding somewhere, trembling with fear while looking at the trending searches, right? Hahaha!"

Karina: "..."

No, she's not trembling.

She's discussing whether pig head meat is delicious with you guys.

"Maybe," she said dryly.

NingNing spoke, swallowing her saliva, "If I knew who stole it, I'd really want to ask them for a piece to taste."

Karina: "..."

No need to ask anyone else.

Just ask me.

I could give you a piece right now.

But I can't.

Because once you know the truth, my idol career will be over.

"Unnie," NingNing suddenly spoke again, "do you think Zhiyu Oppa will be angry? After all, it was a sacrificial item for his movie."

Karina sneered in her heart.

He's angry?

He's the instigator!

He's the one who made me steal it!

He's the one who personally stuffed the plastic bag into my hands!

He's the one who encouraged me with that "I believe in you" look!

Now that the whole internet is discussing the "Pig Head Phantom Thief," he's definitely hiding somewhere laughing secretly!

But on the surface, she just said calmly, "Probably not. It's just a pig head."

"If it were me, I'd just eat it!" NingNing pumped her fist. "Since it's stolen anyway, might as well eat it!"

Karina's mouth twitched.

NingNing, your Unnie is seriously considering that plan.

But the problem is—

She really can't finish it alone.

And if she brought it out now, how would she explain it?

"Unnie, I stole this pig head from the Opening Ceremony, do you guys want to eat it?"

The image was too vivid, she didn't dare imagine it.

Uchinaga Eri finished her water and stood up. "I'm going to shower, it's been a long day."

"Me too!" NingNing also jumped up. "Unnie, are you coming?"

"I... I'll go in a bit." Karina waved her hand. "You guys go first."

The two nodded, went to their respective rooms to get their clothes, and entered the bathroom one after the other.

The moment the bathroom door closed, the living room fell silent again.

Karina sat on the sofa, staring at the closed bathroom door for a long time.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Then, she slowly stood up, walked to her room door, opened it, walked inside, and closed the door again.

She opened the wardrobe and pulled out that red plastic bag from the very back.

The pig head sat quietly inside, its oily skin glowing with a tempting luster under the wardrobe light.

Karina stared at it for a long time.

"You..." she lowered her voice and said through gritted teeth, "Do you know that because of you, I ended up on the trending topics?"

The pig head remained silent.

"Do you know that because of you, I became the 'phantom thief' mocked by the entire internet?"

The pig head continued to remain silent.

"Do you know that because of you, I am now living like a criminal?"

The pig head remained silent as before.

Karina took a deep breath, stuffed the plastic bag back into the depths of the wardrobe, and closed the cabinet door.

She leaned against the wardrobe, looked up at the ceiling, and muttered to herself:

"Jiang Zhiyu..."

"I must kill you."

"I must."

— —

At dusk, the sunset's afterglow dyed the dormitory a warm orange.

Karina was slumped on the sofa, holding a cup of citrus tea that had already gone cold, her eyes drifting towards her room from time to time.

The suitcase in that corner was like a time bomb, constantly reminding her — the pig head was still inside.

"Unnie, let's go, let's go! It's rare that today's schedule ended early, let's go out and stroll around the market! I heard a very popular tteokbokki shop just opened there!" NingNing hugged Karina's arm, half coaxing and half dragging.

Karina was dizzy from her shaking, trying to break free: "Can't you go by yourself? I don't want to go out..."

"Yeah Ji-min, you should go out for some fresh air too. You've been acting a bit weird since you came back today." Eri also chimed in from the side. Although her interest in strolling the market was far less than NingNing's, she felt the leader needed to go out and relax.

Karina, however, was like nailed to the sofa, her gaze drifting towards her closed bedroom door from time to time, her inner alarm bells ringing wildly.

No! Absolutely cannot go out!

That pig head is still in my room! What if they... No! Absolutely not!

"I, I'm a bit tired today, I don't want to go." Karina tried to break free from NingNing's "clutches", finding the most ordinary excuse, "And didn't we just buy things for the house?"

"Oh, how is that little bit of snacks enough!" NingNing was relentless, "Unnie you are just too much of a homebody! You need to go out and move more!"

Just then, another bedroom door opened.

Minjeong was wearing loose loungewear, her hair a bit messy, her face showing the fatigue after exercise, walking out slowly. She glanced at the three people in the living room and yawned.

"So tired... today's training is so tiring..."

She walked to the sofa and sat down, her whole body softly leaning against the cushion.

"Are you guys going out? I'm not going, I want to rest at home."

This sentence was like a heavenly sound, instantly lighting up Karina's desperate heart.

Great! Minjeong is home!

With Minjeong at home watching, surely NingNing and Eri wouldn't break into her room, right? And Minjeong has always been obedient; if she warns her, she definitely won't mess around.

"Then I won't go either, I'll stay at home and keep Minjeong company." Karina said immediately, trying to make an expression of being a considerate "leader who cares for tired members" on her face.

However, NingNing's "entanglement" was unusually firm.

"Eh~~~ Unnie~~~" NingNing dragged out her tone, almost hanging on Karina, "Let's go together! If Minjeong Unnie wants to rest, let her rest! The three of us can just go! Unnie, you always take care of us, relax today too!"

Her attitude always made Karina feel like something was wrong, as if... she absolutely had to leave this house?

Eri didn't know why, but she also felt it wasn't good to leave the tired Minjeong and the "homebody" Karina alone, so she joined the persuasion: "Ji-min, let's go together, we'll be back after a stroll, it won't take long."

Karina was caught in a pincer attack by the two, and seeing she was about to be unable to resist. She struggled internally, and finally, could only sigh as if accepting her fate.

"Okay... I'll go." She stood up, but her expression instantly became extremely serious, looking at Minjeong who was preparing to return to her room to rest with eyes like torches.

"Minjeong-ah," Karina's voice carried unprecedented gravity, "My room, absolutely, absolutely do not go in. Do you know?"

She specifically emphasized the word "absolutely".

Minjeong raised her little face, wearing her usual innocent and slightly sleepy obedient smile, and nodded vigorously: "Mm! I know Unnie! I won't go in!"

The smile was clean without any impurities, and her eyes were as clear as a newborn fawn.

Karina was slightly relieved, but added another sentence uneasily: "Absolutely — do not enter my room."

She stared into Minjeong's eyes, trying to convey the message "This is an order" with her gaze.

"Nae~~ Unnie go have fun~~" Minjeong waved her hand, smiling sweetly.

Karina looked at her innocent and harmless face, feeling slightly more at ease.

Should be... okay, right?

Minjeong has always been obedient.

And she's so tired, she'll definitely go straight back to her room to sleep.

It won't happen... it won't happen...

Only then did Karina, looking back every few steps, get dragged out the door by NingNing and Eri.

The moment the door closed, there was a slight "click" sound.

The moment the door closed, the living room fell into a brief silence.

Minjeong remained in that obedient posture, sitting on the sofa, a smile still lingering on her face from the farewell.

Three seconds.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Then —

The arc of her mouth began to change.

At first it was just slightly raised, then deeper and deeper, more and more evil, finally freezing into an evil smile that was completely different from the "obedient maknae" just now, carrying a thick sense of mischief.

Minjeong slowly stood up from the sofa and stretched her neck.

The tired expression of "training tired me to death" just now had disappeared without a trace. Replacing it was the cunning and excited light flashing in her eyes.

She walked to the entryway and confirmed the door was locked.

Then, she took out her phone, opened KakaoTalk, and clicked on a conversation box.

[Kim Minjeong: Oppa, they've left. Action starts?]

A few seconds later, a reply came.

[Jiang Zhiyu: Good luck. Remember to be natural when live streaming.]

[Jiang Zhiyu: Also, don't rush to expose it after finding it, let Karina expose herself first.]

[Jiang Zhiyu: I'll come watch the live stream later.]

Minjeong looked at these messages, the smile on her lips deepening.

She typed quickly:

[Kim Minjeong: Don't worry Oppa~ I am Detective Dongdong!]

[Kim Minjeong: Guaranteed to complete the mission!]

After sending, she put her phone in her pocket and turned to walk toward her room.

Five minutes later, when she appeared again, she had changed into clothes more suitable for live streaming — a cute pink hoodie, her hair tied back into twin tails, and she had even applied some light makeup.

She walked to the center of the living room, set up the phone stand, adjusted the angle, and then opened VLIVE.

aespa's official VLIVE channel suddenly started.

Title: [A sudden whim! Chatting with MY~]

In the frame, Minjeong was without makeup, wearing a simple bun, wearing comfortable loungewear, sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet, with the familiar dormitory layout in the background.

"Good evening everyone~ Suddenly wanted to start a live stream to talk to everyone." Minjeong smiled sweetly at the camera, and the number of people in the live broadcast room began to rise rapidly.

[Dongdong! Good evening!]

[No makeup is also beautiful!]

[Didn't you have a premiere ceremony today? Are you tired?]

Minjeong looked at the comments while chatting naturally, answering some questions about today's ceremony and new song practice. But as she chatted, she suddenly pouted slightly, showing a little aggrieved expression:

"Aigoo, just now Karina Unnie, Ningning Unnie, and Eri Unnie went out to stroll the market."

"Before Karina Unnie left, she told me very, very seriously..." She imitated Karina's serious tone and expression, "'Minjeong-ah, absolutely, absolutely do not enter my room!'"

She sighed exaggeratedly, blinking her big eyes: "Aigoo, does our Karina Unnie have a secret? Not even letting me into her room, sad~"

[Hahaha what happened to Karina Unnie?]

[Did she hide a boyfriend?]

[Dongdong be good, don't cry (dog head)]

Minjeong looked at the comments, the aggrieved expression on her face suddenly vanished, clenched her little fist, and shouted in slightly broken but clear Chinese, full of energy:

"But! Brave Dongdong, not afraid of difficulties!"

[??? Chinese?]

[Hahahaha Dongdong is so cute!]

[Is brave Dongdong going on an adventure?]

"Aniyo aniyo~" Minjeong waved her hands quickly, but the eagerness in her eyes couldn't be hidden, "It's just... um, I always feel like there's something wrong in Karina Unnie's room."

She said, suddenly adjusting the phone camera, seemingly placing the phone temporarily in a fixed position, the screen changing to face a corner of the living room.

"I'll sneak in and take a look~ Be right back~"

She left the phone on the stand, the camera facing the empty living room, and then tiptoed towards Karina's room.

Minjeong's voice came from outside the frame, followed by light footsteps, and then... the footsteps seemed to move away in a certain direction.

In the live broadcast room, the barrage was completely crazy.

[Ahhhhhhhh Dongdong you're really going!]

[Detective Dongdong, dispatch!]

[Karina Unnie will go crazy when she sees this hahahahaha]

[What kind of plot is this! Too good!]

[Dongdong hurry up! I want to see what's inside!]

The fans in the live room only saw the static living room screen, listening to the faint, rustling movements.

Actually —

Minjeong, who had slipped out of the frame, was like a nimble kitten, silently touching the door of Karina's bedroom. She pressed her ear to the door and listened, confirming there was no movement inside (of course there wouldn't be), and then, carefully, bit by bit, turned the doorknob.

The door opened a crack.

The room was tidy, the bed was made neatly, and the things on the desk were arranged in order. It didn't look like anything special.

She didn't go in immediately, but stuck her head in a little bit, her nostrils twitching gently, like a real puppy, carefully sniffing the smell in the air.

A few seconds later, her eyes suddenly lit up.

That unique and rich braised smell mixed with soy sauce, spices, sugar color, and meat aroma... although very faint, covered up by the aromatherapy and fabric smell in the room, it definitely couldn't escape the precise capture of her "food radar"!

Sure enough!

Minjeong hooked her mouth into a victorious smile, gently closed the door, returned to the living room quickly, and reappeared in front of the camera.

She picked up the phone, the expression on her face had changed from the cute energy just now to the seriousness and sharpness of detective conan, her eyes slightly narrowed, facing the camera, saying in a tone of discovering a major secret:

"Everyone MY! I discovered it!"

"Karina Unnie absolutely! Has hidden something delicious in her room!"

She emphasized: "And it is — meat! Braised meat! I smelled it! It definitely can't be hidden from my nose!"

The live room was instantly flooded with question marks and exclamation marks.

[??? Braised meat?]

[Karina Unnie hiding braised meat? Why?]

[Wait! Today's hot search!!]

[#Premiere Ceremony Pig Head Stolen# That braised pig head?!]

[Holy crap! No way?!]

[Could it be Karina Unnie...?]

[Dongdong you found the point!]

The comments were immediately flooded with keywords like "Braised Pig Head", "Pig Head Thief", "Premiere Ceremony", "TG", "Jiang Zhiyu", etc. The whole live room was ignited by this sudden shocking association, full of joy (and excitement for the drama).

Minjeong looked at the rapidly scrolling comments, a trace of "plan success" pride on her face, but soon changed back to an innocent expression of "don't guess randomly", waving her hands quickly to explain:

"Ah, everyone don't misunderstand! It might not necessarily be a pig head!"

She blinked her innocent big eyes: "Maybe it's just some braised snacks Karina Unnie bought herself, or... um, braised beef? Anyway, it's just braised meat! It might not be related to today's incident!"

The more she explained in such a "protesting too much" way, the more the laughter and associations in the comments couldn't stop.

[Hahaha Hahaha Dongdong stop talking!]

[Explanation is cover-up! Cover-up is the truth!]

[It's over, it's over, Karina Unnie is going to be exposed!]

[The Pig Head Phantom Thief is actually the aespa leader?! Who could have thought of this plot!]

["It might not necessarily be a pig head" — Dongdong do you believe yourself when you say this?]

[Hahaha Dongdong stop explaining! It's getting darker the more you draw!]

[Detective Dongdong is online!]

[So is the braised meat actually a pig head? Waiting online, urgent!]

[I already have the image: Karina Unnie hugging the pig head and running.jpg]

Meanwhile, at the entrance of a traditional market in Seoul.

Karina, who had just been dragged into the bustling market by NingNing and Eri, had her phone suddenly vibrate frantically. It was an urgent message from the Manager, attached with a live stream link and a sentence: [Ji-min-ah, Minjeong is live streaming, you... better take a look.]

Karina's heart sank, having an extremely ominous premonition.

She clicked on the link with trembling hands, and the loading screen turned —

In the live stream, Minjeong was sitting on the living room sofa, saying to the camera:

"Karina Unnie's room absolutely has something delicious hidden!"

"It's the smell of braised meat! That kind of fragrant braised meat!"

Barrage scrolling frantically:

[The pig head from the premiere ceremony!!!]

[Karina Unnie is the Pig Head Phantom Thief!!!]

[Hahaha Hahaha laughed to death!!!]

Just in time to see Minjeong looking at the camera, using that innocent face, saying "It might not necessarily be a pig head", and that joyful, clearly-directed carnival in the comment section.

Karina's eyes went dark, almost fainting on the spot.

She seemed to be able to see Minjeong's little devil-like smile, could see the "Pig Head Thief" "Karina Unnie" jokes in the comment section, could see the outrageous headlines that might appear on the news tomorrow...

Detective Dongdong's serious analysis... the possibility of whether braised pork is a pig's head...

Kim Minjeong...

Karina's knuckles turned white as she gripped her phone, her teeth clenching and grinding.

"You'd have been better off not explaining at all!!!"

"With that explanation of yours, the whole world knows what that is now!!!"

"You're basically roasting me over an open fire!!!"

She stared fixedly at the innocent, harmless little face smiling on the screen, only one thought in her mind:

"This little rascal absolutely knows everything!"

"She and Jiang Zhiyu definitely colluded!"

"That Chinese phrase of hers, 'Brave Dongdong fears no difficulty,' was definitely premeditated!"

Karina's hand gripping the phone was trembling, her teeth grinding audibly.

Beside her, NingNing was excitedly picking out small accessories: "Unnie, look, is this hair clip pretty? Unnie?"

Karina did not respond.

Her gaze pierced through the crowd at the night market, pierced through the night of Seoul, and shot straight toward the person currently sitting in the dormitory living room, smiling at the camera like an angel—

Kim Minjeong!!!

Jiang Zhiyu!!!

"You two rascals!!!"

"I'm going to kill you both!!!"

She took a deep breath, then another deep breath.

Then, she slowly closed her eyes and silently swore to herself:

After she got back, she would definitely let those two jerks know what it means to experience—

The anger of a leader.

—

(Yesterday, Karina came to Bubble and sent three messages. Very good, the desire to ask for a refund decreased by a tiny bit. Why? Because...)

[ March 3, 2026 06:20 - First Selfie ]

The sky outside hadn't fully brightened yet; in the grey morning light, the outline of the building opposite could be seen. Karina reached an arm out from under the covers and snapped a photo of the window. There was water vapor condensed on the glass from last night, blurring the world outside.

Click.

She squinted as she edited, adding a speech Bubble to the photo:

"March 3, 2026, 6:20 AM. Tuesday. Woke up. First thought: Did I dream of you last night? Thought about it for three seconds. I did. I dreamt you came to pick me up for training. You were wearing a black coat, standing at the door of the practice room waiting for me. When I came out, you handed me a cup of hot coffee. Then I woke up. I didn't get to drink the coffee. You owe me a cup. Remember to pay it back."

Sent.

[ 06:28 - First Video Reply ]

Karina was still lying in bed, her hair messy and spread across the pillow, her voice hoarse and clingy.

"That dream last night was so real. You look especially handsome in a black coat. You were smiling when I came out. You look so good when you smile. Smile more in the future. Only smile at me. Don't smile at others. It's not good if others see it. If others see it, they'll like you too. I'm not happy if they like you. If I'm not happy, I get angry. If I get angry, I'll make you coax me. If you coax me, you have to think about me more. So, to keep from having to coax me, just smile at me. Simple, right?"

She yawned, pulled the quilt up, revealing only half her face.

"I'll get up after lying here for another five minutes. Lie with me. Call me when five minutes are up. If you don't call... then I'll lie here for another five minutes. Anyway, it's Tuesday today, you have to go to work, we're lazing in bed together. Although we're not together, lying in bed at the same time counts as being together. Right? Nod if it's right. Nod even if it's not. If I say it's right, it's right. You have to listen to me. Because I am your dream lover. My dreams are full of you. Your dreams are full of me. Perfect."

Video ends.

Sent.

[ 06:45 - Second Selfie ]

Karina finally crawled out of bed and walked to the window to pull back the curtains. The sky was already bright; it was cloudy today, with thick cloud layers, and sunlight occasionally leaked through the gaps, casting moving spots of light on the ground.

Click.

Caption in the Bubble:

"Up now. It's cloudy today, 7 to 14 degrees. So many clouds. The sun is hiding behind the clouds. Doesn't it look like me? Hiding behind the screen, watching you. Did you see me? If you did, wave. If you didn't, look carefully. I'm behind the clouds, in your phone, in your heart. I'm everywhere. You can't hide from me. And I can't hide from you. Because you are in my heart. Always in my heart. Forever in my heart. Infinitely in my heart."

Sent.

[ 07:00 - Second Video Reply ]

Karina finished washing her face and recorded a video in front of the mirror. Water droplets still hung on her face, her bare skin glowing; she was wearing a creamy white hoodie today, looking soft and fluffy.

"Today is Tuesday. The second day of the week. There are 18 days left until the concert. I'll be able to see you in 18 days. 18 days is very fast. It'll pass in the blink of an eye. But think of me when you blink too. Because I think of you even in the time it takes to blink. I think of you every second. Every minute. Every hour. Every day. Every week. Every month. Every year. Always. Infinitely."

She finished applying skincare and patted her face.

"Alright, getting ready to go out. Today's training schedule: practice the fourth part of the new dance in the morning, singing practice in the afternoon, stage positioning at night. A full day. But no matter how full it is, I will find time to think of you. I'll find it every minute and every second. Even if I can't find it, I have to. Just wait to receive my messages. I'll send a lot, lot, lot today. So many you won't be able to read them all. Even if you can't, you still have to. Because you are my person. My person has to read my messages. I don't accept any rebuttals. Rebuttal invalid. Invalid, invalid, invalid."

Video ends.

Sent.

[ 07:25 - Third Selfie ]

Karina changed her clothes and stood in the entryway, ready to go out. Today she was wearing a creamy white hoodie with dark blue jeans, topped with a short khaki trench coat, her hair tied in a low ponytail, and wearing a white mask.

Click.

Caption in the Bubble:

"Heading out. This is what I'm wearing today. Creamy white hoodie, dark blue jeans, khaki trench coat. Guess why I'm wearing creamy white? Because it's cloudy today, and I want to wear the same color as the clouds. That way, when you see the clouds outside, it's like seeing me. Seeing me makes you think of me. Thinking of me makes you happy. Happiness means a good mood all day. Perfect. Am I smart? If I'm smart, praise me. If not, a hug will do. But you can't hug me right now. So, owe it to me. Make it up when we meet. With interest."

Sent.

[ 07:40 - Third Video Reply ]

Karina walked along the road, the camera pointed at the ground. There was no sun today, but the light was still bright enough; her shadow was faintly imprinted on the ground.

"Walking on the road. It's cloudy today, no sun. But it doesn't matter, I have a sun in my heart. You are my sun. You shine in my heart. So even when you're not here, I can shine. Reflecting your light. The more you love me, the brighter I shine. If you love me always, I will always shine. Forever shine. Infinitely shine. Shining so bright that everyone can see me. Shining so bright that you can spot me in a crowd at a glance. If you see me, wave. If you wave, I'll come over. Once I'm over, I'll hug you. Once I hug you, I won't let go. Until forever."

She played by stepping on her own shadow.

"Look, I stepped on my own shadow. But that's okay, because I'm walking forward. Walking forward means I can get closer to you. 18 days left. 18 days is very fast. It'll pass in the blink of an eye. Then we can meet. When we meet, I want to be the first to see you. When I see you, I'll run over. When I run over, I'll hug you. When I hug you, I won't let go. Until the concert starts. Are you ready? Even if you're not, you have to be. Because I'm already ready. Ready to see you. Ready to hug you. Ready to like you. Always like you. Forever like you. Infinitely like you."

Video ends.

Sent.

[ 08:15 - Fourth Selfie ]

Karina arrived at the practice room and held up her phone to take a picture in the mirror. She was taking off her trench coat, revealing the creamy white hoodie underneath; her hair was a bit messy from walking, and her face was flushed.

Click.

Caption in the Bubble:

"Arrived at the practice room. It's cloudy today, but there are lights in the practice room. The light is bright. Doesn't it look like you? You are the light in my heart. When you shine, I shine. When you are in my heart, I have light. With light, I can dance. With dancing, I can be better. Being better will make you proud. Being proud makes me think of you. Thinking of you makes me happy. Happiness means a good mood all day. Perfect cycle."

Sent.

[ 09:00 - Fourth Video Reply ]

Karina started warming up, recording a video while stretching. She propped her phone up in front of the mirror; there was no sun today, but the lights in the practice room were very bright, making her whole person look radiant.

"Warm-up starting. It's cloudy today, but I'm not cloudy. My mood is very good. Because I dreamt of you last night. Because I can talk to you today. Because there are 18 days left until I can see you. Because you are mine. Because you like me. Because you think of me. Because you are always here. Although you're not really here, it feels like you are. You are in my phone, in my photos, in my heart. You are everywhere. Are you everywhere? If you are, that's right. You are my air. I can't live without you. So you must always be here. Forever here. Infinitely here."

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

"Today we're practicing the fourth part of the new dance. There's a segment where I have to jump, turn, and then land. I tried it yesterday and fell once. But today I won't fall. Because you are watching. If you are watching, I can't fall. If I fall, you'll feel heartache. If you feel heartache, you'll feel bad. If you feel bad, you'll look for me. If you look for me, I'll feel even worse. So, to keep you from feeling bad, I can't fall. I have to dance the best. Let you see how amazing your girlfriend is. So amazing, so amazing, so amazing."

Video ends.

Sent.

[ 10:00 - 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 sky outside—the clouds were thick, greyish-white, and occasionally the outline of the sun could be seen behind them.

Click.

Caption in the Bubble:

"Still so many clouds. The sun is behind the clouds. Doesn't it look like me? Behind the screen. Did you see me? If you did, reply to me. If you didn't, wait. I am always here. Always waiting for you to look at me. Waiting for you to reply to me. Waiting for you to like me. Waiting for you to always like me. Forever like me. Infinitely like me. I also always like you. Forever like you. Infinitely like you."

Sent.

[ 10:30 - Fifth Video Reply ]

Karina faced the camera and began sharing training details.

"Let me tell you, this part we're practicing today is really hard. Have to jump, turn, then land. Landing has to be stable. If it's not stable, I'll fall. If I fall, it will hurt. If it hurts, I'll cry. If I cry, you'll feel heartache. If you feel heartache, you'll feel bad. So to keep you from feeling bad, I definitely won't fall. I'll definitely dance the best. Best, best, best. Let you see how amazing your girlfriend is. Amazing, right? If it's amazing, praise me. If you praise me, I'll have more strength. With strength, I can dance even better. By dancing better, you can see an even more amazing me. So praising me is praising yourself. Because your person is amazing, so you are amazing too. Right?"

She stood up, gesturing the jumping movement.

"Like this, jump—turn—land. Cool, right? It's right that it's cool. You'll be able to see the full version at the concert. Scream for me then. Scream as loud as you can. Let everyone look at you. Look at you screaming for me. Then they'll know I'm your person. You're my person. Perfect. Perfect, perfect, perfect."

Video ends.

Sent.

[ 11:45 - Sixth Selfie ]

Lunchtime, the Manager brought over a boxed lunch. Today it's Korean bibimbap, with various colored vegetables spread over the rice, a fried egg in the middle, and chili sauce on the side. Karina opened the lid and took a picture.

Click.

Caption in the Bubble:

"Lunch is here. Bibimbap. Looks good, right? Colorful. Doesn't it look like my mood? Because of you, my mood is colorful. Red is happiness, yellow is warmth, green is peace of mind, orange is anticipation, white is missing you. Mixing it all together is liking you. Super like. Universe-invincible like. Infinitely like."

Sent.

[ 12:15 - Sixth Video Reply ]

Karina recorded a video while eating. She mixed the rice, picked up a mouthful with her chopsticks—it had spinach, bean sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, and egg yolk.

"Delicious. Bibimbap is really delicious. What are you eating for lunch over there? Take a picture and show me. If you don't... I'll imagine you're eating bibimbap too. We're eating together; although we're not together, eating bibimbap at the same time counts as being together. Right? Nod if it's right. Nod even if it's not. If I say it's right, it's right. You have to listen to me. Because I am your bibimbap partner. A partner specifically to eat with you. Although you're not by my side now, you will be in the future. I'll eat with you every day in the future. Eat breakfast with you, eat lunch with you, eat dinner with you. Eat late-night snacks with you. Eat every meal with you. Eat until forever."

She chewed the rice, her cheeks puffed out.

"Hmm, oh right, what time do I have to practice until tonight? About 8:30, I guess. Then go home, shower, and then talk to you. The thing I look forward to most every day is talking to you at night. Although we can talk during the day, night is different. The night is quiet, the lights are dim, it feels closer. Like you're really by my side. When you're by my side, what will I do? I'll lean on you, I'll hug you, I'll tell you about what happened today. Just like this. It's just that now I can't lean or hug. Make it up when we meet. With interest. How to calculate interest? Add one second per day. After 18 days, it'll be 18 seconds. An 18-second hug. Is that enough? If not, I'll add more. I'm very generous. Generous, generous, generous."

Video ends.

Sent.