377: Chapter 441 Phantom Thief Zhimin (6)

When the taxi stopped at the dormitory, Karina pushed open the car door and stepped out with a light gait.

The night wind blew, carrying the chill of early autumn, but she only felt warm all over, as if she had just finished a cup of hot honey water.

The corners of her mouth—she couldn't keep them down.

She couldn't keep them down at all.

She tried hard to purse her lips, but it was no use. She tried to think of some serious matters, like tomorrow's schedule or that damn pig head short film next week—it was still no use.

Her mouth just stayed curled up, as if fixed by something.

“Karina, wake up,” she told herself in her heart. “Wasn't it just a little chat? What's there to be so happy about?”

But that voice was too small.

So small that it couldn't suppress the sweet, bubbling fizz rising in her heart at all.

She took a deep breath and pushed open the dormitory door.

The lights in the living room were bright, and three people turned their heads in unison.

Six eyes, like searchlights, landed precisely on her face.

“Yo~~~”

Kim Minjeong was the first to make a sound, that “yo” drawn out long, carrying a clear teasing tone.

Karina's footsteps paused for a moment, then she changed her shoes as if nothing was wrong, pretending not to hear.

“Ji-min Unnie~~~” Kim Minjeong hopped over, leaning in front of her, tilting her head to stare at her face. “Tonight, you...”

Karina dodged to the left, and she followed. Karina dodged to the right, and she followed.

“What?” Karina glared at her.

Kim Minjeong stared at her for three seconds, then turned back to announce to the other two:

“Ji-min Unnie is as sweet as if she's eaten honey!”

“Ya!” Karina's face instantly turned red. “What nonsense are you talking!”

NingNing stood up from the sofa, paced over, and stroked her chin in a sophisticated manner, sizing Karina up from head to toe.

Karina felt uneasy under her gaze. “NingNing, what are you doing?”

“Hmm—” NingNing nodded, saying in an expert tone, “Based on my years of observation experience, Ji-min Unnie's current state isn't from eating honey.”

Kim Minjeong tilted her head. “Then what is it?”

“It's—” NingNing paused and said solemnly, “Like someone who won a ten billion won lottery but is trying to keep it a secret, yet anyone can tell something good happened just by looking at them.”

Uchinaga Eri leaned on the sofa and nodded silently in agreement.

Kim Minjeong also nodded vigorously. “Right, right, right! That's it!”

Karina: “...”

She took a deep breath, trying to maintain her dignity as the leader:

“I'm not talking to you guys anymore.”

After saying that, she turned to walk towards her room.

But she didn't make it.

A hand reached out from the left, precisely grabbing her wrist—Kim Minjeong.

Another hand reached out from the right, also precisely grabbing her other wrist—Uchinaga Eri.

Karina was held by the two of them, unable to move.

She turned to look at Kim Minjeong; that small face was now filled with seriousness.

Not the kind of seriousness from acting cute or pouting usually, but—

The seriousness of “you're not leaving until you explain clearly today,” her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her eyes wide and round, her lips pouting, her whole being radiating an “๑`^´๑” aura.

Kim Minjeong slightly raised her chin, her expression as if she were about to announce a major decision:

“The internal aespa tribunal—”

She paused and raised her voice:

“Is now in session!”

Karina: “...”

“Defendant Karina!” Kim Minjeong continued, “Tell us everything about your—'date'—with Oppa!”

She deliberately dragged out the last few words, every syllable carrying a meaningful tone.

Karina's face instantly turned red.

“Ya! Kim Minjeong!” She struggled hard, but the two of them held her too tightly to break free. “What date! What nonsense are you talking!! We just—just—had a chat!”

“A chat?” Kim Minjeong raised an eyebrow. “What kind of chat makes it so you can't keep the corners of your mouth down?”

“It's just—it's just—” Karina was at a loss for words.

Uchinaga Eri spoke up at the right time, her tone as calm as if she were broadcasting a weather report:

“Ji-min, you'd better confess honestly.”

“Otherwise—”

She gestured towards Ningning.

Ningning had stood up at some point, a feather appearing in her hand from nowhere. The feather swayed gently at her fingertips, a standard “villainous smirk” on her face as she walked towards Karina step by step.

Karina's pupils constricted slightly.

She was most afraid of being tickled.

The whole team knew it.

“Ning, NingNing...” Her voice was shaking. “Calm down...”

NingNing continued to smirk. “Unnie, if you confess honestly, you won't have to suffer like this.”

Kim Minjeong and Uchinaga Eri held her tightly on each side, making her completely unable to move.

Karina looked at the approaching feather, and countless terrifying memories of being dominated by tickling flashed through her mind.

She closed her eyes in resignation.

“Fine! I'll tell! I'll tell, alright!”

Kim Minjeong and Uchinaga Eri exchanged a look, both showing a victorious smile.

NingNing put away the feather and sat down next to Kim Minjeong, her face saying, “Please begin your performance.”

Karina was pressed onto the sofa, with one person sitting on each side and one in front, a full-on joint trial setup.

She took a deep breath and began to confess:

“He apologized to me.”

Kim Minjeong blinked. “Apologized? About the pig head thing?”

“How did he do it?” NingNing asked.

Karina thought for a moment and picked some parts she could share:

“He said he exploited my trust and brought our friendship into a realm of interest... He also said he hopes I can start trying new things from now on, expanding my horizons and potential...”

“Wow—” Kim Minjeong exclaimed. “When Oppa says things like that, isn't he especially handsome?”

Karina's mouth curled up again.

But she tried to keep a straight face, acting calm:

“It was... okay.”

Uchinaga Eri silently added a jab:

“Just okay? Then why are the corners of your mouth still curled up?”

Karina glared at her, but the look had no lethality; instead, it carried a bit of guilt.

“What else?” NingNing pressed.

“And...” Karina paused. “He said in the future, he'll tell me everything first, and I'll decide whether to participate. He won't let me feel excluded anymore.”

Kim Minjeong's eyes lit up. “Wow... for Oppa to say something like that...”

Karina continued: “He also said—”

She paused, her voice involuntarily softening a bit:

“He has the ability to let me do what I want to do. Even if I fail, he can help me start all over again.”

The living room was quiet for a second.

Then Kim Minjeong let out an exaggerated sigh:

“Wow—!!! Oppa is really so gentle—”

NingNing also nodded, her tone carrying a hint of seriousness:

“Master's words... carry a lot of weight.”

Uchinaga Eri spoke up rarely:

“It's not just some casual polite talk.”

Karina nodded, the corners of her mouth turning up again:

“That's why I—”

Before she could finish, Kim Minjeong interrupted:

“Wait!”

Karina looked at her.

Kim Minjeong narrowed her eyes like a puppy that had found a flaw:

“Unnie, are you still hiding something?”

Karina's heart skipped a beat.

“No, no I'm not...”

Kim Minjeong continued to stare at her. “Then why is your face so red?”

Karina subconsciously touched her face—it was hot.

“I... I'm not...”

“Also,” Kim Minjeong continued, “when you were saying those things just now, your eyes were shining.”

Karina: “...”

NingNing added a jab at the right time:

“And it's the kind of light—that someone in love can't hide.”

Uchinaga Eri nodded:

“Agreed.”

Karina's face turned even redder.

“What love! What nonsense! We just—just—”

“Just what?”

“Just—”

Karina was at a loss for words.

Kim Minjeong couldn't help but laugh seeing her so flustered and anxious.

But after laughing, she suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, Unnie, you guys talked for so long; besides the apology, did you say anything else?”

Karina was stunned for a moment, then spoke slowly:

“We also said...”

She paused, her expression becoming a bit subtle:

“Next week, I need to set aside a day to film a short drama of about ten minutes with Yoona sunbaenim.”

Kim Minjeong blinked. “Short drama? What short drama?”

Karina was silent for a second.

Then she took a deep breath and said word by word:

“the pig head struggle between withe and phantom thief zhimin.”

The living room was quiet for three seconds.

Then—

“Pfft—”

Kim Minjeong was the first who couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

Immediately after, NingNing also laughed, her shoulders shaking.

Uchinaga Eri covered her mouth, but the laughter in her eyes couldn't be hidden.

“Pig head struggle...” Kim Minjeong repeated while laughing. “Phantom Thief Zhimin... Hahahaha—”

“Ya! Kim Minjeong!” Karina grabbed a throw pillow in embarrassment and threw it at her.

Kim Minjeong nimbly dodged it, laughing even louder.

NingNing tried hard to hold back her laughter, but her expression clearly showed she was struggling:

“So—so Unnie, you were out for so long—just to be informed by Oppa—that you have to continue being the ‘Pig Head Phantom Thief’?”

Karina bit her lip and didn't speak.

But that expression already said everything.

Uchinaga Eri rarely showed a clear smile:

“Ji-min, your ‘pig head’ career has only just begun.”

Karina glared at her.

Kim Minjeong scrambled up from the sofa, laughing until tears came out:

“Unnie—you and the ‘pig head’ label—are you—are you inseparable now—hahahaha—”

“Kim Minjeong!”

Karina grabbed another throw pillow and threw it.

This time Kim Minjeong didn't dodge and was hit squarely. But she didn't care at all, hugging the pillow and continuing to laugh.

“Unnie, you must save a cameo role for me then! I want to play the pig head stolen by Phantom Thief Zhimin!”

Karina glared at her:

“That's enough!”

But Kim Minjeong wasn't done at all; she continued to use her imagination:

“Or I can play the pig head itself! The name will be—Pig Head Princess! Then Phantom Thief Zhimin comes to steal me, and in the end, she's moved by me and we protect the Pig Head Kingdom together!”

NingNing laughed so hard she slapped the sofa:

“Unnie, with your imagination, it's a pity you're not a screenwriter!”

Uchinaga Eri remained expressionless, but the corners of her mouth twitched slightly:

“‘Pig Head Princess and Phantom Thief Zhimin,’ this IP could be developed.”

Karina finally couldn't take it anymore, grabbed a pillow from the sofa, and threw it at Uchinaga Eri:

“Uchinaga Eri!”

Uchinaga Eri nimbly dodged, a hint of a smile finally appearing on her lips.

Kim Minjeong was still laughing, leaning her whole body against Karina:

“Unnie—Unnie, from now on you're—you're Phantom Thief Zhimin—our aespa's—Pig Head Phantom Thief—hahahaha—”

Karina was both embarrassed and angry from her laughter, but she couldn't do anything about her.

She could only grit her teeth and silently make a note of this debt in her heart.

Jiang Zhiyu, you just wait.

This debt will be settled with you sooner or later.