372: Chapter 436 Phantom Thief Zhimin (1)

As the movie filming neared its end, the late summer wind already carried the chill of early autumn.

The final scene of 'the crab' was filmed at the container terminal of Ulsan Port. Im Yoona, wearing the black trench coat she had worn all summer, stood in the twilight light, gazing at the fishing boats returning to port in the distance. The moment the director shouted "Cut," the entire crew fell silent—not because of a problem, but because everyone was immersed in that image and forgot to react.

Jiang Zhiyu stared at the monitor for a long time, then stood up and said one thing:

"That's a wrap."

Applause and cheers erupted instantly. Staff members hugged each other, and some even had red eyes. Im Yoona emerged from that state, blinked, and then gave a deep bow to everyone.

"Thank you, everyone! You've worked hard during this time!"

She looked up, her gaze passing through the crowd and landing on the back of the person talking to the photographer. Jiang Zhiyu didn't turn around, but he seemed to sense something, tilting his head slightly with a faint curl of his lips.

Im Yoona withdrew her gaze and smiled softly.

It was over.

But some things were just beginning.

In early August, the strategic cooperation agreement between TG and JYP was officially signed.

Once the news broke, the entire Korean entertainment circle was shaken. One was a rising content production company, and the other was one of the veteran Big Three; such a collaboration was eye-catching enough in itself. What was even more surprising was that the first participant JYP sent for the "All-Around Idol Launch Package" was JYP himself—Park Jin-young.

On the blackboard of TG's music production department, Park Jin-young's personal information and the musical style he wanted to present were written all over. His age, debut year, representative works, musical preferences, and even the sales curves and digital chart performance of all his albums over the years had been organized into charts by data analysts.

The "All-Around Idol Launch Package" was a new service TG introduced this year—from concept planning to music production, from MV filming to variety show planning, from image positioning to promotion, TG handled everything. Simply put, it allowed the idol to focus solely on "being themselves," while TG took care of everything else.

And Park Jin-young, as the first person to try it, naturally enjoyed the highest level of treatment.

The creative tasks had been clearly assigned: Jiang Zhiyu was in charge of the title track, Lee Tima would handle the B-sides, and Kim Soo-yeon would assist as a "special assistant"—a title Jiang Zhiyu had forced upon her, with the reason being, "Those arrangement concepts you brought from Tianxuan Continent can give that old stubborn JYP a bit of a shock."

The three of them gathered for several meetings to discuss what style Park Jin-young's new album should be.

"What he wants is something... how should I put it," Lee Tima scratched her head, looking at the information on the blackboard, "something that retains his original characteristics but also has a sense of freshness."

"What are JYP's characteristics?" Kim Soo-yeon asked.

"The gorilla dance?" Lee Tima answered tentatively.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her expressionlessly.

"...Just kidding." Lee Tima shrank her neck. "His music is actually very recognizable. That unique sense of rhythm and melodic line isn't something ordinary people can imitate. What we need to do is give him something new while preserving those elements."

"Something new?" Kim Soo-yeon raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Zhiyu was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke:

"His biggest problem over the years isn't talent; it's his image."

Lee Tima and Kim Soo-yeon looked at him simultaneously.

"His music has always been on point, but the public's impression of him is still stuck on 'that CEO who dances in a funny way.' What we need to do is break this stereotype and let everyone rediscover him—not as the CEO of JYP, but as 'Singer Park Jin-young.'"

He paused and wrote a few words on the blackboard:

[Truth · Precipitation · Return]

"We'll use these three keywords."

Lee Tima looked at those words and nodded thoughtfully.

Kim Soo-yeon also nodded, then asked, "So when will you start writing the song?"

Jiang Zhiyu was silent for a second.

"No time for now."

He checked his watch and stood up: "I need to go to SM."

Lee Tima was stunned for a moment: "SM? Who are you looking for?"

Jiang Zhiyu didn't answer; he just picked up his coat and walked toward the door.

Reaching the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Lee Tima:

"To find someone... who hates me to the bone."

Lee Tima: "???"

The door closed.

She turned to Kim Soo-yeon with a look of confusion: "What did Oppa just say? Hates him to the bone? Who did he offend?"

Kim Soo-yeon thought for a moment, then slowly said:

"Do you remember that news from before? About the 'pig head thief'?"

Lee Tima blinked, then it dawned on her:

"Ah—!!!"

—

SM Entertainment, aespa practice room.

The hallway was very quiet, with only faint music leaking through the door crack.

Jiang Zhiyu stood at the door of the aespa practice room, his raised hand hovering over the door handle, pausing for three seconds.

In those three seconds, he quickly reviewed his crimes.

First, designing for Karina to steal a pig's head at the movie Opening Ceremony, being secretly filmed the whole time, with the video still sitting in TG's material library to this day.

Second, allowing the "leak" and spread of that video. Although it was a marketing strategy he and Kim Soo-yeon had tacitly agreed upon, he was indeed the one who nodded at the execution level.

Third, afterward, not only did he fail to soothe the victim immediately, but he also continued to be busy with the filming of 'the crab' and (G)I-DLE's variety show, leaving the matter entirely to public opinion to ferment.

The result was—Karina, the leader of aespa, now the undisputed top idol of the fifth-generation girl groups, with a massive gap in die-hard fans, ship fans, and even anti-fans, had gained a breakout-level nickname she still couldn't shake off, one that got her teased every time she went on a variety show:

The pig head thief.

Jiang Zhiyu closed his eyes.

Hating him to the bone.

This term wasn't an exaggeration.

At least for the person inside, it should be the case.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Karina's voice came from inside, carrying a slight breathlessness after exercise, but still cool.

—

The early autumn wind blew in from the window with a hint of chill, lightly brushing past the floor-to-ceiling mirror of the aespa practice room.

Jiang Zhiyu stood at the door, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the room—a few empty water bottles were scattered on the floor, the speakers in the corner still glowed with a standby red light, and the air was filled with the unique warm scent of post-exercise. The four girls each occupied their own positions, like a vivid painting.

NingNing sat on the floor, holding a bottle of water, tilting her head back to gulp it down, her Adam's apple moving up and down with the swallowing motion. Uchinaga Eri occupied the spot by the air conditioner vent, her whole person almost pressed against it, eyes closed with a look of enjoyment, like a cat seeking the cool.

Kim Minjeong was curled up on the sofa in the corner, her back to the door, her small figure huddled into a ball, her shoulders occasionally twitching slightly—that movement was all too familiar to Jiang Zhiyu. Whenever she was secretly eating, she was always like this, thinking others couldn't see.

Then his gaze fell on Karina.

She stood in the center of the practice room, having just finished an intense dance, her chest still heaving slightly. Sweat slid from her temples, following the curve of her cheeks down to her jaw, finally dripping onto the floor. Her small face, as fair as a quail egg, was flushed with a thin pink, like flower petals stained with morning dew. She wore a black midriff-baring sports top with a loose mesh shirt over it, and dark gray yoga pants that outlined her slender yet powerful lines.

Her eyes were on him.

There was too much in that gaze—annoyance, grievance, and a hint of stubbornness.

Jiang Zhiyu sighed silently in his heart.

He knew he was here today to "face his death."

Outside the door, he had knocked with a near-suicidal determination. And now, standing here, facing those eyes, he was even more certain—this hurdle today would not be easy to clear.

"Oppa!!!"

A bright figure bounced up from the sofa, like a puppy seeing its owner return home, and dashed toward Jiang Zhiyu.

Kim Minjeong.

She was wearing a loose white T-shirt and denim shorts, revealing a pair of fair, slender legs. Because she had just finished exercising, her cheeks were also rosy, and her eyes sparkled as if they held stars. She ran in front of Jiang Zhiyu, looked up, and gazed at him with those expressive eyes, the curve of her lips impossible to suppress.

"Oppa! You haven't come to see us in so long!"

Her voice carried a hint of grievance, but it was mostly coquettish. There was also a trace of joy she couldn't hide.

Jiang Zhiyu subconsciously raised his hand and ruffled her hair. Her hair was very soft, with a faint scent of shampoo, and it felt good to the touch.

The movement was as practiced as if he had done it a thousand times—in fact, he had. Ever since she was a trainee, he had ruffled her head like this.

"Sorry, Minjeong," his voice softened unconsciously, carrying a tenderness he hadn't even noticed, "I've been busy lately."

"Busy, busy, busy, you say that every time." Kim Minjeong pouted, but her eyes were still curved, clearly not truly angry. She suddenly leaned in a bit closer and sniffed lightly, as if confirming something.

Then she froze.

That familiar, full fruity sweetness was gone. In its place was a brand new scent—clear, clean, like a pine forest on a late autumn morning, or like medicinal herbs stained with dew after rain. It wasn't strong, but it was exceptionally distinct, threads of it drifting into her nose, making one feel refreshed.

She blinked, wanting to ask something, but the words died in her throat.

On the other side, NingNing stood up from the floor and patted the dust off her pants. She wore a simple sports top with a plaid shirt over it, her long hair tied in a high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead. She didn't rush over like Kim Minjeong but stood in place, giving Jiang Zhiyu a slight bow with a faint smile on her lips.

"Master."

That title carried an intimacy and respect that only they understood.

Since her trainee days, Jiang Zhiyu had been guiding her. Teaching her vocals, stage presence, and how to show her best self in front of the camera. She called him "Master," and he called her "NingNing." That was a tacit understanding unique to them.

He nodded: "How have you been lately?"

NingNing smiled: "Not bad, just a bit tired. It's the comeback period, after all."

Under the air conditioner vent, Uchinaga Eri was occupying the coolest spot. She wore a loose hoodie with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing her slender forearms. Hearing the commotion, she left the corner she was reluctant to part with, took two steps toward Jiang Zhiyu, and bowed slightly.

"Oppa."

Brief and restrained, yet carrying sincere politeness.

Jiang Zhiyu nodded to her, his gaze finally landing back on the person still standing in the center of the practice room.

Karina.

She didn't move.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

From the moment Jiang Zhiyu walked in, she had been standing there, holding her previous posture.

Sweat was still streaming down, but she didn't bother to wipe it away.

Her hands hung at her sides, slightly clenched into fists, her knuckles turning pale from the effort.

She just watched him like that.

Watching him ruffle Kim Minjeong's hair, watching him gently say sorry, watching him greet Ningning and Eri.

She didn't say a word.

But that gaze said a lot.

Jiang Zhiyu gave a light, dry cough and subconsciously touched his nose—this was a small habit of his when nervous, one that few people knew about.

"Long time no see," he said, his voice a few decibels lower and slower than when he was speaking to Kim Minjeong just moments ago, "Ji-min."

Those two words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Karina's eyelashes fluttered gently.

She pressed her lips together, her lips turning slightly pale from the force.

She wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat, unable to come out.

Annoyance, grievance, and a trace of something she didn't even want to admit—longing.

She hadn't seen him since the Opening Ceremony that day.

That damn "pig head thief" incident.

That viral nickname that almost caused her social death, shattered her idol image, and drove her to the brink of a breakdown as the whole internet made memes out of it.

She still remembered that night, hiding alone in her room, staring at her name on the trending topics, seeing comments like "Karina the pig head thief," "Ji-min steals a pig head," and "aespa leader reduced to a comedian," tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

What had she done?

She hadn't done anything.

She had just followed his "request," gone to steal a pig head like a fool, and was then caught red-handed by that wretched Lee Tima, hinted at during Kim Minjeong's livestream, gossiped about by the entire internet, and branded by the tabloids—

"Karina, the pig head thief, confirmed."

And what she felt most aggrieved about was—

The culprit was standing right in front of her, acting like nothing had happened, ruffling someone else's hair, and saying "Long time no see."

She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calmer.

"President Jiang."

Those three words were stiff, distant, and carried a clear sense of estrangement.

—

The air in the practice room seemed to freeze for a second.

Kim Minjeong's gaze darted back and forth between the two, the smile on her face becoming somewhat subtle.

NingNing lowered her head, pretending to adjust her clothes.

Uchinaga Eri silently took a step back, retreating to the side of the air conditioner vent, but her ears were clearly perked up high.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at Karina, a flicker of complex emotion flashing through his clear, cold eyes.

Of course he knew she was angry.

Anyone would be angry.

Being set up to steal a pig head, getting caught in the act, being memed by the whole internet, and called "pig head thief" for months—anyone would go crazy.

But she hadn't gone crazy.

She just stood there, looking at him with those teary eyes, pressing her lips together in silence.

That look of annoyance mingled with grievance, and the stubbornness hidden within that grievance, made a certain corner of his heart stir slightly.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

But before the words could come out, Karina suddenly turned and walked towards her backpack in the corner.

"Wait a second," her voice came from behind her, still stiff, "I need to wipe off my sweat first."

With her back to him, she rummaged through her bag for a towel, her movements hurried, even a bit flustered.

She pressed the towel to her face and wiped it vigorously, as if to soothe some emotion.

Jiang Zhiyu stood where he was, watching her slightly trembling shoulders, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he let out a soft sigh.

Kim Minjeong leaned in and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Oppa, Ji-min Unnie hasn't been... in a good mood lately."

Jiang Zhiyu looked down at her.

Kim Minjeong blinked, her expression clearly saying: You know what I mean.

Of course he understood.

He was here today to discuss the promotional short film project that "almost caused her social death and shattered her idol image."

Phantom Thief Zhimin vs. Withe.

pig head thief Pursuit.

This title alone was enough to make Karina experience another social death.

He suddenly felt like laughing—a bitter laugh.

This girl, when she finds out what we're going to film later, will she come at me with a knife?

Outside the window, the early autumn breeze blew gently, carrying a hint of chill.

The atmosphere in the practice room was as subtle as a taut string.

And Karina, with her back to him, was wiping her already dry face with a towel over and over again, as if trying to buy some time to prepare herself to face him.

The early autumn sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the practice room, spreading a warm glow across the floor.

Tiny dust motes floated slowly in the beams of light, like fragments of time.

Karina, with her back to Jiang Zhiyu, was wiping her face with a towel.

Her face had actually been dry for a long time, but she needed these few seconds to detach herself from those complex, indescribable emotions.

She heard his sigh.

And she heard Kim Minjeong's words, "Ji-min Unnie hasn't been in a good mood lately."

She bit her lip.

Not in a good mood?

That was an understatement.

From the very first second the "pig head thief" search term hit the trending list, she hadn't been in a good mood.

[pig head thief.]

[Phantom Thief Zhimin.]

Since that damn Opening Ceremony, these two nicknames had stuck to her like a plaster, impossible to shake off.

That night, hiding alone in her room, staring at the dense comments on her phone screen, her tears wouldn't stop falling.

She had only debuted two years ago, the age when she cared most about her image.

She was the leader of aespa, the leader of SM Entertainment's new generation girl group, and "Queen Karina" in the hearts of countless fans.

She should be noble and cold, full of aura, and like on stage, able to command the audience with just a look.

Instead of—

"Hahahaha, Karina stole a pig head! What kind of goofy idol is this!"

"The aespa leader reduced to this? I'm dying of laughter!"

"Even Kaitou Kid would call her a pro!"

"pig head thief confirmed, guys!"

"Hahahaha, pig head thief!"

"Ji-min, how many pig heads did you steal today?"

"Phantom Thief Zhimin, attack! The target is—a pig head!"

Those comments, those memes, and the endless parody videos made her doubt for a moment if she had chosen the wrong path.

Of course, she knew what that "pig head thief" incident had brought her.

Traffic.

An overwhelming amount of traffic.

As an idol, the scariest thing isn't being labeled—to put it bluntly, other idols would kill for these kinds of "meme labels."

A comedic route, a variety show persona, viral memes—how many idols would give anything for that.

Having a label means people are talking about you, discussion means popularity, and popularity means—

People are paying attention to you.

And that attention is the very reason for an idol's existence.

If no one is paying attention, you're irrelevant.

Irrelevance is failure.

A failed idol is nothing.

She had understood this logic since her trainee days.

She knew better than anyone how brutal the competition at SM Entertainment was.

How many trainees joined every year, and how many were eliminated—she knew those numbers by heart.

Being able to stand in a debut spot was already like thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

And after debuting, what awaited wasn't flowers and applause, but even more brutal fighting—fighting against contemporary girl groups, fighting against seniors, and fighting against everyone else in the industry for attention.

The winners survive.

The losers won't even have their names remembered.

And that "prank" of Jiang Zhiyu's had turned her, overnight, from a rookie girl group leader into the "pig head thief" known to the entire internet.

Those days, watching her name on the trending topics, seeing the meme-filled comments, watching the tabloids exploit this joke in every possible way—she cried.

But she also laughed.

Because those data points, that volume of discussion, those retweets and likes were things she and aespa had never seen since their debut.

She knew what that meant.

So what if she was the pig head thief? So what if she was Phantom Thief Zhimin?

That was traffic.

The kind of traffic other idols couldn't get even if they wanted it, had just fallen from the sky and landed on her head.

If—

If she hadn't debuted at SM Entertainment, but was an unknown idol from some small agency;

If she and Jiang Zhiyu were just ordinary collaborators, or if they didn't know each other at all;

Then she would definitely have run up to him, kowtowed, and thanked him for bringing her this overwhelming traffic.

Really, she absolutely would.

But she wasn't.

She and Jiang Zhiyu had known each other for over four years.

He had appeared in her life back when she was still a trainee.

Back then, he had just passed the audition at SM Entertainment and parachuted into the company as a genius producer.

Everyone said he was a monster, a once-in-a-century genius, a secret weapon that would make SM Entertainment invincible for the next decade.

She watched him from afar, saw him being personally taken around the company by Lee Soo-man, saw him chatting and laughing with top producers, and saw him writing hit after hit that shocked the entire industry.

Back then she thought: This person is so far away.

Later she found out that he was actually only one year older than her.

No—wait, calculating by birth year, he was one year younger than her?

She calculated for a long time, and finally confirmed: Jiang Zhiyu, born in 2001. She, born in 2000.

A younger brother.

This realization left her stunned for a long time.

A younger brother, yet he was already standing at a height she might never reach.

One year younger.

This realization made her feel awkward for a long time.

Even though he looked so mature, even though his words carried so much weight, even though she subconsciously stood up straight every time she saw him—it turned out he was actually younger than her?

But awkwardness aside, she was still used to calling him "Oppa."

Used to that quiet gaze of his when he watched them train from the corner of the practice room.

Used to the milk tea and cake he occasionally brought.

Used to him saying in that calm tone, "This part was good today."

Used to—

Used to him as a person.

Over four years.

From trainee to pre-debut, from pre-debut to debut, from debut to the massive success now.

He had always been there.

Not the kind of presence that appears every day, but the kind where you know he is there, and when you need him, he will definitely appear.

Everyone knew that the collaboration between aespa and TG would only deepen.

They would film his variety shows, sing the songs he wrote, and stand on the stages he planned.

She would be the leader dealing with him, sitting face-to-face in countless meetings, dinners, and filming sets, discussing work, chatting and laughing, just like any normal business partner.

But where was she supposed to put those feelings she shouldn't have in her heart?

She was only twenty-two this year.

Twenty-two, a young and beautiful idol, the leader of SM Entertainment's lead girl group.

And him, young and wealthy, gifted, with looks that could make him the face of a boy group, and he was a president too.

And over four years of history.

Even, he was one year younger than her.

A one-year-younger brother.

This realization sometimes made her want to laugh—she actually had those kinds of feelings for a younger brother?

But more often, it made her heart feel soft and sour, like something was stuck there, unable to be swallowed or spat out.

"Regarding what happened at the Opening Ceremony, I must apologize."

His voice came from behind, interrupting her thoughts.

Karina's movements paused, the towel stopping at the side of her face.

"I'm sorry, Ji-min."

Those two words felt like they carried some weight, sinking heavily into her heart.

She didn't move.

Minjeong, NingNing, and Eri, standing behind her, didn't move either.

Countless images flashed through her mind—

That night, hiding alone in her room, watching her name on the trending search list, she couldn't stop her tears from flowing.

The next day, she went to work with red, swollen eyes, and the Manager's look was so complex that it made her want to run away.

The third day, the fourth day, the fifth day... She told herself over and over, this is work, this is a profession, this is the price one must pay to become an idol.

But she would still suffer from insomnia in the dead of night, stare blankly at the ceiling, and wonder—

"Why would he treat me like this?"

"Doesn't he know how much this hurts me?"

"He... does he not care about me at all?"

The practice room was so quiet that the humming of the air conditioner could be heard.

Karina stood there, countless thoughts surging in her mind.

She thought about a lot of things.

She thought about the grievances of being a meme all over the internet for the past few months.

She thought about crying alone in her room that night.

She thought about the mix of anger and helplessness she felt every time she saw the nickname "pig head thief."

She thought about how he hadn't come to see her once in all these months.

And she also thought—

He is Zhiyu.

The person who watched her grow up since their trainee days.

The person who spent over four years slowly seeping into her life.

The person who, despite being a year younger than her, always made her feel like she could rely on him.

Those grievances, that anger, that unspoken resentment—they wrapped around her like vines, tightening with every passing moment.

And now, he was standing right behind her, saying "I'm sorry."

What should she do?

As the leader of an SM Entertainment idol group, she should act mature and magnanimous. Smile and say "It's okay," then shake hands and make peace with him, continuing to maintain that decent working relationship. That would be the textbook answer, the "correct reaction" everyone expects.

But—

What about as Karina?

As the girl who had been secretly watching him since their trainee days.

As the unlucky person who was tricked by him into stealing a pig head, became a meme across the entire internet, and had been called "pig head thief" for months.

As the person who—had feelings for him that she shouldn't have.

What should she do?

Minjeong stood next to Zhiyu, her eyes darting between the two of them, her expression shifting from worry to anticipation, and then to a kind of subtle excitement. NingNing kept her head down, but her peripheral vision remained glued to Karina's back. Eri leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, looking nonchalant, but in reality, she was holding her breath.

Then, Karina moved.

She slowly turned around.

— —

(Because I came across the edit, today's subject of confession is you)

(Tian Xiwei!)

(Although you look a bit weird when you smile, you're still beautiful to the point of cosmic explosion. A standard cool-faced cute look, and your figure is quite nice (passive approval from a body stan), I like you super much! I hope you take on more dramas, but be sure to look at the scripts carefully when choosing.)

[March 15, 2026 07:15 - First Selfie]

The sunlight from outside had already shone in, casting a bright square on the floor. Karina stretched a hand out from under the covers and took a picture of that patch of light. The photo was a bit overexposed, all white and hazy.

Click.

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

"7:15. Sunday. Overslept. Not because of you, it was just too comfortable."

Sent.

[07:20 - First Reply Video]

Karina was still lingering in bed, the blanket covering up to her nose, revealing only her sleepy eyes and a few strands of messy hair. She held the phone next to her face, the frame shaking heavily.

"Mmm... slept so soundly... didn't dream... not even one... you didn't appear either... quite good... peaceful..."

She yawned, tears coming out, and rubbed them away with the back of her hand.

"Lie down for ten more minutes... just ten minutes... don't bother me..."

Video ends.

Sent.

[07:45 - Second Selfie]

Karina finally crawled out of bed, her hair frizzy like a little lion's. She was wearing that light pink nightgown, standing by the window and taking a photo of the outside. It was sunny today, the sunlight was great, and the sky was a light blue.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Up. Sunny today. 9 to 17 degrees. Telling you because... no reason. Just telling you. Take it or leave it."

Sent.

[08:00 - Second Reply Video]

Karina finished washing her face and recorded a video in front of the mirror. Water droplets still hung on her face, no makeup, her skin like a peeled egg. She glanced at the camera, then looked away, wiping her face with a towel.

Video ends. Four seconds total.

Sent.

[08:30 - Third Selfie]

Karina sat at the dining table with a glass of milk and a slice of toast in front of her. She raised her phone to take a photo; the toast was spread with strawberry jam, red and bright.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Breakfast. Toast with strawberry jam. Not showing you on purpose. Did you eat? If you did, fine. If not, also fine."

Sent.

[10:00 - Fourth Selfie]

Karina was curled up on the sofa reading, having switched to a new novel. Sunlight shone in from the window, landing on her curled-up knees. She raised her phone to take a picture of the page, the words dense and packed.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Reading. A novel. Don't ask what it is. Even if you ask, I won't tell you."

Sent.

[11:45 - Fifth Selfie]

Karina stood in the kitchen, preparing to make lunch. She opened the fridge and took a photo of the ingredients inside—eggs, green onions, kimchi, tofu, pork belly.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Lunch. Making it myself. Not making it for you, making it for myself. You just watch."

Sent.

[12:30 - Sixth Selfie]

Lunch was ready, kimchi tofu stew with rice. Karina arranged the soup and rice and took a photo. The soup was steaming, red, and looked very appetizing.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Done. Kimchi tofu stew. Looks alright, right? You can't have any. Stop thinking about it."

Sent.

[14:15 - Seventh Selfie]

Karina lay on the sofa sunbathing, her whole body soft and curled up. The sunlight made her face slightly flushed, her eyes squinting, like a lazy cat. She raised her phone and took a picture of herself lying in the sunlight.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Sunbathing. Almost asleep. Not waiting for you, waiting for the sun. The sun is more reliable than you."

Sent.

[16:00 - Eighth Selfie]

Karina changed clothes and went out. Standing in the entryway, she took a full-body photo in the mirror—white T-shirt, light blue jeans, canvas shoes, hair down, wearing a white mask.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Going out. For a walk. Alone. Don't follow me. You couldn't anyway."

Sent.

[17:30 - Ninth Selfie]

Karina sat on a park bench and took a photo of the sunset. Today's sunset glow was a soft pink, gentle and romantic.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Park. Sunset. Pink. Did you see it? If not, fine. I'll look for you."

Sent.

[18:15 - Tenth Selfie]

Karina was walking home and passed a coffee shop. She took a photo of the coffee shop's storefront, warm yellow light shining through the glass window.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Coffee shop. Want an Americano. But don't want to wait in line. Forget it. When are you going to pay me back for that cup you owe me?"

Sent.

[19:00 - Eleventh Selfie]

Karina arrived home, and the first thing she did was pounce onto the sofa. She lay on the sofa, face buried in a cushion, and raised her phone to take a picture of her own back while lying down.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Back. Tired. Walking is more tiring than training. Lying down for a bit. Don't make noise."

Sent.

[19:45 - Twelfth Selfie]

Dinner time. Karina ordered takeout, fried chicken. She opened the box and took a photo of the golden, crispy fried chicken pieces.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Dinner. Fried chicken. Original flavor. You love spicy? I ordered spicy too. Not showing you."

Sent.

[20:30 - Thirteenth Selfie]

Karina finished the fried chicken and lay on the sofa, spacing out. She raised her phone and took a photo of the ceiling. White ceiling, nothing there.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Finished. Spacing out. Missed you. Just once. Thought of it while spacing out just now. Don't overthink it."

Sent.

[21:00 - Third Reply Video]

Karina was curled up on the sofa, hugging a cushion, her whole body shrunk into a tiny ball. She looked at the camera, didn't speak, just watched quietly. After a few seconds, she let out a soft hum.

"Today... while walking... saw a couple... holding hands... thought if you were here it would be nice... just for a second... not thinking about it all the time..."

She buried her face in the cushion.

"You... what did you do today? You don't have to say... I was just asking... really, just asking..."

Video ends.

Sent.

[21:45 - Fourteenth Selfie]

Karina finished her shower, changed into pajamas, and curled up on the sofa. Today's pajamas were a light gray cotton set, she was curled up in a ball, only revealing half her face, her eyes shining bright.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"Shower done. Missed you today. Three times. Once while walking, once while eating, once now. Log complete."

Sent.

[22:15 - Fifteenth Selfie]

Karina got into bed, the blanket wrapped tightly, only her eyes showing. The bedside lamp was on, warm yellow light shining on her face, her eyelashes casting faint shadows under her eyes.

Click.

Speech bubble text:

"In bed. Today is March 15th. Missed you three times. Maybe more tomorrow, maybe less. Depends on my mood. Good night."

Sent.

[22:25 - Final Reply Video]

Karina was almost asleep, eyes half-open and half-closed, eyelashes fluttering gently. She held the phone in her hand, the frame shaking, only her blurry profile visible.

"Tomorrow... Monday... have to train... you have to go to work too, right... let's both work hard... no need to think of me... but if you do, that's fine too... whatever you want..."

She turned over, burying her face into the pillow.

"Good night... didn't say it on purpose... it's just that time..."

Her voice got quieter and quieter, until only the sound of even breathing remained.

Video ends.

Sent.

[22:30 - Final Text Reply]

Before turning off the lights, Karina sent a message:

"March 15, 2026. Missed you three times. Good night."

Sent.