384: March 23, 2026, Liu Zhimin's Bubble

(From the current situation, there are still about ten days before I can reach the climax of Karina's chapter. There are too many words per chapter, but it's hard to make cuts because having too many words limits the word count.)

(The biggest problem I'm facing now is Kim Taeyeon's new song. I have a tiny bit of inspiration for the 'Departure' concept, but to actually make it happen, I think it'll have to be after the Chinese New Year holiday. Probably next month after the holiday. I don't know where I'm going yet; I originally planned to drive to Qingdao, but gas prices are too high, so I can only find somewhere closer. I went to Mount Huang last year, but I want to go again this year. It's about a three or four-hour drive from here?)

(As for the members of H2H, what should I do about my face blindness? I watched a variety show while at work yesterday and completely couldn't tell who was who. I couldn't even finish watching the show.)

(There's too much negativity at the grassroots level. Every now and then, some idiot calls for a consultation. I can't settle down to read at all. I've been very irritable lately; I really need to go out and clear my head.)

——

[March 23, 2026 06:50 - First Selfie]

Outside the window, the sky is still grey and the clouds are thick, hiding the sun. Karina gently reaches her hand out from under the covers and takes a photo of the window. There's a bit of mist on the glass, blurring the world outside.

Click.

She rubs her eyes and slowly edits the text:

“March 23, 2026, 6:50 AM. Monday. I'm awake. It's gloomy outside, looks like it's going to rain. Did you bring an umbrella? If not, I have an extra one in my bag. Even though I can't hand it to you personally, the thought is there. I hope you don't get caught in the rain today.”

Send.

[06:58 - First Reply Video]

Karina is still lying in bed, tucked warmly under the covers, her hair spread softly across the pillow. She smiles gently at the camera, her voice still carrying that morning rasp.

“I slept well last night and had a dream. I dreamed it was raining and you didn't have an umbrella, standing at the company entrance waiting for the rain to stop. I ran over and gave you an umbrella. You said thank you, and I said you're welcome. Then we walked together in the rain under the umbrella. The sound of the rain was loud, but we were close together, and even without saying a word, it felt nice. It's a bit of a pity to wake up and find it was a dream. But that's okay, next time it really rains, I'll really go and bring you an umbrella.”

She pulls the covers up a bit, her voice soft.

“Can I lie here for five more minutes? It's so gloomy outside, and it's so warm in the blankets. You too, if the weather is bad outside, sleep a little longer. You don't have to wake up so early every day.”

Video ends.

Send.

[07:15 - Second Selfie]

Karina gets out of bed and walks to the window. She takes a photo of the view outside—the sky is grey, the clouds are low, and the tops of the distant skyscrapers are half-hidden by mist. The air looks damp, as if it could rain at any moment.

Click.

Bubble Caption:

“I'm up. It's grey outside, and there's that scent of impending rain in the air. That damp, cool smell is very comfortable to breathe in. Is it like this in your city too? Or is it already raining? Either way, remember to bring an umbrella.”

Send.

[07:28 - Second Reply Video]

Karina finishes washing her face and records a video in front of the mirror. Water droplets still cling to her face, and her skin looks clear and bright. She gently wipes her face with a towel, her movements slow.

“It's Monday, a new week has begun. This week, I need to train hard, work seriously, eat well, and rest well. You too. Let's work hard together for the new week. No matter what you encounter, don't overwork yourself. If you're tired, just think of me, and I'll cheer you on.”

She nods at herself in the mirror, as if giving herself a pep talk.

“Even though it's cloudy today, my mood is still good. Because it's a new week, and I can share my daily life with you again. Happy Monday, my love.”

Video ends.

Send.

[07:45 - Third Selfie]

Karina is standing in the entryway getting ready to go out. She takes a full-body photo in the mirror—today she's wearing a light grey hoodie, dark blue jeans, with a khaki trench coat over it, and white canvas shoes on her feet. Her hair is tied in a low ponytail, a canvas bag is over her shoulder, and she's holding a transparent umbrella.

Click.

Bubble Caption:

“Heading out. I dressed a bit warmer today; the trench coat blocks the wind, and I brought an umbrella too. You should dress warm and bring an umbrella as well. Even though it's not raining yet, the forecast says there will be rain. It's better to have it and not need it than to get soaked. Catching a cold from the rain is no good.”

Send.

[07:52 - Third Reply Video]

Karina is walking down the street, the camera pointed at the grey sky. A light breeze is blowing, leaves are rustling, and the air feels damp and cool.

“Walking on the road, the sky is so gloomy. So many cherry blossoms have fallen; yesterday the trees were full of pink, but today they've covered the ground. The petals have caught the moisture and are stuck to the pavement, all wet. It's a bit of a pity, but there's another kind of beauty to it. Look, the petals on the grey ground look like a delicate painting.”

She turns the camera back to herself and smiles.

“That's how spring is—flowers bloom and fall, changing every day. So we have to cherish every day there are flowers, and cherish every day I can talk to you. What about you? Are the cherry blossoms still blooming where you are? Or have they already fallen?”

Video ends.

Send.

[08:20 - Fourth Selfie]

Karina arrives at the practice room and takes a photo in front of the mirror. She's in the middle of taking off her trench coat, revealing her light grey hoodie. Her hair is a bit messy from the walk, and her face is flushed, likely from the wind.

Click.

Bubble Caption:

“Arrived at the practice room. The wind on the way was a bit chilly; good thing I wore the trench coat. Have you reached the office? If you're there, work hard; if not, take your time. No rush. No need to hurry on a rainy day, safety is most important.”

Send.

[09:00 - Fourth Reply Video]

Karina begins her warm-up, recording a video while stretching. She props her phone up in front of the mirror, her movements slow and fluid.

“Starting the warm-up. It's cold today, so I need to warm up a bit longer. You too, don't rush into moving when the weather is cold; warm up first, otherwise it's easy to get injured. It hurts my heart if you get hurt.”

She does a wide split, slowly bringing her face to her leg, then looks up and smiles at the camera.

“Look, I've pressed all the way down. Actually, it's because thinking of you makes it not hurt. You give me strength, you know? Every time I'm tired, thinking of you gives me energy again. Thank you, my little sun. Even though there's no sun today, I have you.”

Video ends.

Send.

[09:45 - Fifth Selfie]

During a break in practice, Karina sits on the floor drinking water. She holds up her phone and takes a photo of the sky outside—the clouds seem even thicker, the sky is darker than in the morning, and the streetlights are all on.

Click.

Bubble Caption:

“The sky is even darker now. It's really going to rain. Is it raining where you are? If not yet, it should be soon. Did you bring an umbrella? If not, I have an extra one here. Even though I won't use it, I brought an extra one thinking you might need it.”

Send.

[10:15 - Fifth Reply Video]

Karina faces the camera and starts sharing today's training.

“Today I'm practicing the last part of the new dance, the one for next week's concert. There's a section where I have to coordinate with the members, and the blocking is really complicated. I've practiced it several times today, but it's still a bit unfamiliar. But that's okay, it'll get better with more practice. Just like getting to know you—it was a bit awkward at first, but we slowly became familiar, and now I know what you're thinking without even trying. Right? You're thinking of me, I know it.”

She purses her lips, smiling a bit shyly.

“I'll practice hard. Because I want to show you my best side on stage. Will you be in the audience watching me? Will you clap for me? Regardless, I'll work hard. Because it's you, I want to do better.”

Video ends.

Send.

[11:00 - Sixth Selfie]

It has started raining outside. Karina walks to the window and takes a photo of the rainy scene—the rain is fine and dense, hitting the glass, blurring the outside world into a watercolor painting.

Click.

Bubble Caption:

“It's raining. A fine, dense rain, hitting the window; the sound is very pleasant. Is it raining where you are too? If not yet, it should be soon. If it's already started, remember to take cover. Don't get wet.”

Send.

[11:30 - Sixth Reply Video]

Lunchtime. Karina opens her lunch box; today it's soybean paste soup with rice. She takes a slow sip of the soup while facing the camera.

“Drinking hot soup on a rainy day really is happiness. The soybean paste soup is hot and warming; after drinking it, my whole body feels warm. What did you have for lunch? If you haven't eaten yet, go get something hot, okay? Soup, noodles, anything is fine, as long as it's hot. Rainy days are damp; drinking something hot is good for your body.”

She picks up a piece of tofu and blows on it.

“This piece is for you. Even though you can't eat it, the thought is there. Can you feel it? I'm thinking of you. I think of you when I eat, when I drink soup, and even more when it rains.”

Video ends.

Send.

[12:30 - Seventh Selfie]

After eating, Karina stands by the window watching the rain. She holds up her phone and takes a close-up of the raindrops on the glass—the droplets slide down one by one, twisting the world outside into blurry shapes.

Click.

Bubble Caption:

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Raindrops. One by one, don't they look like the little Bubble-s popping up in my heart when I miss you? One miss, two misses, three misses... I can't count them anymore. Then I'll just keep missing you." Sent.

[13:15 - Seventh Video Reply] Before afternoon training began, Karina stretched in front of the camera. She sat on the mat, legs straight, and slowly bent forward, her fingers gently touching her toes.

"It's afternoon, time to continue training. The rain is still falling, I can hear it. Is it raining hard where you are? If it is, don't go out. Stay indoors, have a cup of hot tea, and listen to the rain. It's nice to relax like this once in a while."

She slowly straightened up and smiled at the camera. "Do you know, on rainy days, I always feel the world is especially quiet. Quiet enough to hear my own heartbeat. When my heart beats, I'm thinking of you. Can you hear it?" Video ends. Sent.

[14:45 - Eighth Selfie] Training finished. Karina sat on the floor, fine beads of sweat on her forehead. She raised her phone and took a photo in the mirror—her hair was slightly damp, her face flushed, but her eyes were bright. Click.

Bubble caption: "Training is over. I practiced the new dance quite a bit today, and the footwork is smooth now too. The teacher praised my quick progress. Actually, it's because someone is cheering me on. Thank you. I'll be careful on the way home; the roads are slippery on rainy days, so I'll walk slowly." Sent.

[15:20 - Eighth Video Reply] Karina stood at the practice room entrance, holding a transparent umbrella, recording a video of the rainy scenery. The rain was lighter than at noon, fine and dense, making a rustling sound as it hit the umbrella.

"On the way home. The rain has let up a little, but it's still falling. The umbrella is transparent, and if I look up, I can see the raindrops landing on the surface, one by one, and then sliding down. It's fun. Look." She tilted the umbrella slightly to let the camera capture the raindrops on the surface.

"Did you like splashing in puddles when you were a kid? I loved it. I'd wear rain boots and specifically look for puddles to step in—splash, splash—it was so much fun. Now that I'm grown up, I'm a bit embarrassed to do it. But no one is around today, so I want to step in one. Just one." She gently stepped into a small puddle by the roadside, water splashed up, and she laughed. "Happy. Thank you for keeping me company while I splash in puddles." Video ends. Sent.

[16:00 - Ninth Selfie] Karina arrived home and changed her shoes in the entryway. She took a photo of her pant cuffs, which had been dampened by the rain—a small ring of wetness, and the tips of her canvas shoes were also a bit wet. Click.

Bubble caption: "I'm home. My pant cuffs are a little wet, and my shoes are a bit wet too. But it's okay, I'll just change them. Did you get caught in the rain? If you did, hurry and change into dry clothes and drink a cup of hot water. Don't catch a cold. If you get sick, I'll be worried." Sent.

[16:30 - Ninth Video Reply] Karina finished her shower, changed into loungewear, and curled up on the sofa. The rain was still falling outside, pitter-pattering. She hugged a throw pillow, curling herself into a small ball.

"I'm back home, had a hot shower, changed into dry clothes, and now I'm curled up on the sofa listening to the rain. It's so comfortable. A rainy afternoon, curled up in a warm home, doing nothing but listening to the rain. Time like this is very luxurious. So, I cherish it even more." She rested her face on the pillow, her voice soft.

"Are you home yet? If not, be careful on the road. If you are, change into dry clothes and drink something hot. Then sit down and listen to the rain. I'm listening, you're listening too—we're listening to the same rain. When I think of it that way, I feel like you're very close to me." Video ends. Sent.

[17:15 - Tenth Selfie] Karina walked to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took a photo of the ingredients inside—eggs, green onions, kimchi, tofu, pork belly, zucchini, bean sprouts, and the bibimbap sauce left over from yesterday. Click.

Bubble caption: "Getting ready to make dinner. On a rainy day, I want to make something warm. Kimchi tofu stew, paired with hot rice. How about you? What are you having for dinner? No matter what you eat, make sure it's hot. Rainy days are meant for drinking hot soup." Sent.

[17:50 - Tenth Video Reply] Karina put on her apron and stood in the kitchen. The water in the pot had just boiled, and she put the tofu in, piece by piece.

"When cooking soup, I especially love listening to the sound in the pot. Glug, glug—it's very healing. Is it like this when you cook too? Or do you prefer to cook in silence? In the future, when we cook together, I want to hear what the sounds are like on your side." She covered the pot and turned to face the camera.

"The soup still needs to cook for a while. I'll stand here and wait for you for a bit. Are you tired today? I'm a little tired, but it's okay. Because thinking about coming home, drinking hot soup, and talking to you makes me not feel tired anymore. You are the motivation for my hard work, did you know that?" Video ends. Sent.

[18:30 - Eleventh Selfie] Dinner is ready. Karina set out the soup, rice, and kimchi, and took a photo. The soup was red and steaming, the tofu white and soft; it looked very warm. Click.

Bubble caption: "Dinner is ready. Kimchi tofu stew, piping hot. I'm showing you before I start eating. Seeing it is as good as tasting it, so you're warmed up too. Don't thank me. Thank me next time when you actually get to drink it." Sent.

[19:00 - Eleventh Video Reply] Karina finished her meal and sat by the window watching the rain. The rain was still falling outside, but it had slowed down a lot, turning into a drizzle. The streetlights illuminated the fine threads of rain, looking like silver wires.

"Finished. So full. I drank bowl after bowl of soup, and my body feels warm. Drinking hot soup on a rainy day really is one of the happiest things. There's another happy thing, which is talking to you. When you're here, no matter if it's sunny or rainy, it's always a good day." She watched the rain outside the window and said slowly.

"Will the rain stop today? I don't know. But regardless of whether it stops or not, tomorrow is a new day. In the new day, I will continue to miss you. Every single day, I miss you." Video ends. Sent.

[19:45 - Twelfth Selfie] Karina finished washing the dishes and stood by the window, taking a photo of the night scene outside. The rain was still falling, and the halos of the streetlights cast long, gentle shadows on the wet ground. Click.

Bubble caption: "The rain is still falling. The ground is all wet, and the streetlights' halos are so gentle. Is it the same where you are? Or has the rain stopped? Regardless, I hope there is warm light where you are." Sent.

[20:15 - Twelfth Video Reply] Karina finished showering, changed into her pajamas, and curled up on the sofa. Today's pajamas were that creamy white cotton set, and her hair was blown dry, draped softly.

"March 23rd is almost over. It's been raining almost all day, from morning until now. But today was very warm. Because I had hot soup, because training went smoothly, because the rain sounded nice, and because you were always there. Thank you for keeping me company through this rainy Monday. With you on a rainy day, I don't feel cold." She smiled gently and hugged the pillow tighter.

"Has the rain stopped where you are? If not, I hope you get home quickly, drink some hot soup, and change into dry clothes. Then get some good rest. Tomorrow is a new day. Good night, my love. Get some good sleep on a rainy day and have sweet dreams." Video ends. Sent.

[20:45 - Thirteenth Selfie] Karina lay in bed, covered warmly by the quilt, only her gentle face showing. The bedside lamp was on, the warm yellow light shining on her face, while the sound of rain outside continued to ring softly. Click.

Bubble caption: "In bed, ready to sleep. Today's weather: Rain, 7 to 13 degrees. Tomorrow's weather: Cloudy turning to overcast, 6 to 14 degrees. The rain should stop. But whether it stops or not, take an umbrella when you go out. Better safe than sorry. Good night, my love. The sound of rain keeps me company as I fall asleep, and you are in my heart keeping me company too. Sweet dreams." Sent.

[21:00 - Last Video Reply] Karina was almost asleep, her voice soft and light, as gentle as the sound of the rain. "Today... it rained... I didn't bring you an umbrella... I'm sorry... Next time for sure... I'll really come to bring you one... No matter how far... I will go..."

She opened her eyes slightly and smiled at the camera, her smile very light and soft. "The sound of the rain... is it nice... I'm listening... you're listening too... we're listening to the same rain... so... that counts as being together... right... Good night... my love... see you in my dreams... I'll be holding an umbrella... waiting for you in my dreams..." Her voice grew lighter and lighter, until finally only the sound of even breathing and the rain outside remained, gently, slowly, accompanying her to sleep. Video ends. Sent.

[21:05 - Last Text Reply] Before turning off the lights, Karina sent a message: "March 23, 2026. A rainy day, and also a day of missing you. Tomorrow's weather is cloudy turning to overcast, 6 to 14 degrees, remember to take an umbrella. Good night, my love. Remember to tell me when the rain stops." Sent.