398: March 27, 2026, Liu Zhimin's Bubble

[March 27, 2026 06:45 - First Selfie]

The sky outside was already bright. Sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains, painting golden stripes on the floor. Karina reached a hand out from under the quilt and snapped a picture of the light. In the photo, the light was faint, and the shadow of her hand was cast on the floor, fingers slightly curled.

Click.

She squinted as she edited, typing very slowly:

"March 27, 2026, 6:45 AM. Friday. Woke up. The sunlight is shining in again. I didn't take this because it looks good, but because my hand just happened to be stretched out. Is there sun where you are? If there is, there is; if not, so be it. It has nothing to do with me."

Sent.

[06:52 - First Reply Video]

Karina was still lying in bed, wrapped tightly in the quilt, with only half her face and messy hair exposed. She glanced at the camera, then looked away, as if the camera were something she didn't want to see.

"I didn't sleep well last night. It wasn't because of you. It was too hot. The weather is getting hot, and I can't keep the quilt on. Is it hot where you are? If it's hot, it has nothing to do with me. If it's not, it also has nothing to do with me. You figure it out yourself. Whether you cover yourself with a quilt or not is your business. Don't ask me. I can't be bothered."

She kicked the quilt down, exposing her neck, then felt cold and quickly pulled it back up.

"Lying here for five more minutes. It's not oversleeping. I'm thinking about what to wear today. It has nothing to do with you. Don't worry about me. Just worry about yourself. If you wear too much and get hot, that's your business. If you wear too little and get cold, that's also your business. Don't expect me to remind you. I won't."

Video ended. Sent.

[07:10 - Second Selfie]

Karina climbed out of bed, her hair frizzy, her nightgown wrinkled, and one shoulder strap slipped down. She didn't bother to fix it, just walked to the window and took a photo of the outside. It was sunny today, the sky was very blue, and the sunlight shone on the building opposite, reflecting off the glass, a bit dazzling. Someone was walking their dog downstairs, still that little white dog.

Click.

She looked down and typed, tapping the screen a bit hard:

"Up now. Sunny today. 11 to 20 degrees. I'm telling you because... I just happened to see the weather forecast. It's not that I care about you. It's just by the way. Do you understand 'by the way'? It just means I happened to see it, so I happened to tell you. There's no other meaning. Whether you want to listen or not is up to you. If you don't, that's fine. If you do, don't thank me. I won't accept it even if you do."

Sent.

[07:25 - Second Reply Video]

Karina finished washing her face and recorded a video in front of the mirror. There were still water droplets on her face; she was bare-faced, her skin glowing white. She glanced at the camera, then lowered her eyes and started wiping her face with a towel, her movements slow and careful, as if there were something very important on her face.

"What to wear today? I've decided. It's not because of you that I chose it. Don't flatter yourself. I look good in everything. It has nothing to do with you. Whether you think it looks good is your business, and whether you think it looks bad is also your business. It has nothing to do with me. Don't tell me. I don't want to know."

She hung up the towel, turned to walk away, then walked back and glanced at the camera.

"Wearing white today. Not the kind of white you like. I just grabbed it randomly. It happened to be on the top of the closet. I just happened to reach out and grab it. There's no other meaning. Don't overthink it. If you overthink it, that's your business. It has nothing to do with me."

Video ended. Eight seconds total. Sent.

[07:45 - Third Selfie]

Karina stood in the entryway and took a full-body photo in the mirror. Today she was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, topped with a light blue thin denim jacket, beige wide-leg pants, and white canvas shoes. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she carried a canvas bag, which was bulging. Sunlight shone in from the doorway, casting a patch of light at her feet.

Click.

She deleted the text several times while editing, and finally just typed a few words:

"Heading out. Dressed like this. Not for you to see. It's a record. Whether you look or not is up to you."

Sent.

[08:00 - Third Reply Video]

Karina was walking on the road, with the camera pointed at the ground. Sunlight shone on the ground, and her shadow was stretched long, extending to the edge of the frame. She deliberately stepped on her own shadow as she walked, one step at a time, walking very slowly.

"Walking on the road. The sunlight is quite nice. It's not nice because of you. It's nice because the weather is nice. Whether it's good where you are has nothing to do with me. Whether you're hot has nothing to do with me. Whether you're cold has nothing to do with me. It all has nothing to do with me. You figure it out yourself. If you're hot, take off a layer. If you're cold, put on a layer. Don't expect me to look after you. I can't be bothered."

She stepped on her shadow and huffed.

"But if you catch a cold... that's because you didn't pay attention. Don't expect me to feel sorry for you. I won't feel sorry. Really, I won't. If you catch a cold, don't tell me. If you tell me, I won't reply. At most... at most, I'll say 'drink more hot water.' Just one sentence. Not a word more. Hot water should be drunk hot. Don't drink it cold. Cold makes it worse. Do you know that? If you don't, forget it. You figure it out yourself."

She paused, then added in a low voice.

"Take medicine. Don't tough it out. No one will know even if you do. And even if they know, they won't feel sorry for you. They won't."

After saying that, she seemed to regret it and quickened her pace forward.

Video ended. Sent.

[08:25 - Fourth Selfie]

Karina arrived at the practice room and took a photo in the mirror. She was sitting on the floor changing into dance shoes, bent over, her hair hanging down, exposing a section of her nape, white and very slender. Sunlight shone in from the window, casting a patch of warm light on her back.

Click.

Bubble caption:

"Arrived. Dancing practice. Very busy today. No time to think about you. Don't wait. You won't get anything even if you wait. Even if you do, I won't admit it. So don't wait. It's all in vain."

Sent.

[09:00 - Fourth Reply Video]

Karina started warming up, recording a video while stretching. She propped her phone up in front of the mirror; sunlight shone in from the window, casting a layer of light over her. Her movements were neither fast nor slow; when she pressed her legs, her face was almost touching her knees, but her expression remained indifferent, as if she wasn't thinking about anything.

"Warming up. The weather is hot today, so I wore one less layer. It's not because you said I'd get hot if I wore too much that I wore less. I just felt hot myself. It has nothing to do with you. I don't remember what you said. Really, I don't. Don't ask me what you said. I don't know anything. You just remember what you said yourself. No need to tell me. Even if you tell me, I won't listen. And even if I listen, I won't remember."

She switched directions to press her legs and was silent for several seconds.

"How much are you wearing today? Are you hot? I'm not concerned about you. Just asking casually. You don't have to answer. Even if you do, I might not remember. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Depends on my mood. My mood is okay today. It's not okay because of you. It's because the weather is okay. The training is okay. Everything is just okay. It has nothing to do with you."

Video ended. Sent.

[09:45 - Fifth Selfie]

During a break in practice, Karina sat on the floor drinking water. She raised her phone and took a photo of the sky outside the window—the sky was very blue, no clouds, the sunlight bleached the windowsill white, and there was a small pot of flowers on the windowsill, the pink one she bought before.

Click.

Bubble caption:

"The sky is very blue. No clouds. It's not blue because of you. It's blue on its own. Whether it's blue where you are has nothing to do with me. But if the sky where you are isn't blue... that's not my fault either. It's the weather's fault. It has nothing to do with me. Don't blame me. Blaming me is useless anyway."

Sent.

[10:15 - Fifth Reply Video]

Karina faced the camera, took a sip of water, and swallowed it slowly. She drank a bit too quickly and choked, coughing twice, her face turning slightly red.

"Today I'm practicing the concert opening dance. The lifting platform. I wasn't afraid yesterday, but today I'm a little afraid again. It's not because you're not here that I'm afraid. It's just that it's inherently a bit high. It has nothing to do with whether you're here or not. I'm afraid whether you're here or not. If you were here, I wouldn't be any less afraid. I wouldn't. Don't overthink it."

She put the water bottle down and spent a long time twisting the cap; it seemed a bit tight, and she couldn't open it. She frowned, twisted it hard, and finally opened it.

"But if you were in the audience... that wouldn't mean anything either. I dance well whether you're in the audience or not. If you were there, I wouldn't dance any better. I wouldn't. Don't overthink it. Just watch normally. Don't watch too seriously. Just watch casually. No need to stare at me. Even if you stare, I won't feel it. Really, I won't feel it. Even if I felt it, I wouldn't be nervous. I wouldn't. I'm not nervous at all. Really, I'm not."

Video ended. Sent.

[11:00 - Sixth Selfie]

Karina stood by the window and took a photo outside. Someone was walking their dog downstairs, still that little white dog, running very fast, with the owner chasing behind, holding a plastic bag in their hand, probably for picking up dog poop.

Click.

Bubble caption:

"There's a dog downstairs. White. Running very fast. I didn't take this specifically for you to see. It ran into the frame on its own. Have you ever raised a dog? It's fine if you haven't. If you have, it has nothing to do with me. But if you do raise one... then you should take good care of it. Keep the leash on when walking it. Don't let it get lost. If it gets lost, I won't care. You find it yourself. Don't tell me if you find it. Don't tell me if you can't find it either. I don't want to know."

Sent.

[11:30 - Sixth Reply Video]

Lunchtime. Karina opened her lunch box; today it was kimbap and a small box of loquats. She picked up a piece of kimbap, shook it at the camera, and put it back down.

"Lunch. Kimbap. Not for you to see. It's a record. Have you eaten? If you haven't, that's fine. If you're hungry, you're on your own. I won't look after you. Really, I won't. If you're hungry, I won't feel sorry for you. I won't. Don't expect me to feel sorry."

She took a bite, chewed slowly, and chewed for a long time before swallowing. There was a bit too much rice in the kimbap, and she struggled a bit to swallow it.

"The loquats were bought yesterday. There are a few left. I didn't specifically save them to eat today. I just didn't finish them yesterday. Did you buy loquats? If you didn't, so be it. If you did, it has nothing to do with me. Whether they're sweet or not is for you to know. No need to tell me. Mine are very sweet. I didn't buy them this sweet on purpose. They're sweet on their own. It has nothing to do with you."

She ate another loquat, the juice running down her fingers, and she licked it.

"Hmm. Sweet. It's not sweet because of you. It's sweet on its own. Don't overthink it. If you overthink, that's your business. It has nothing to do with me."

Video ended. Sent.

[12:15 - Seventh Selfie]

After lunch, Karina stood by the window. The sunlight shone on her, warm and cozy. She raised her phone and took a photo of her shadow—the shadow cast on the floor, the outline very clear, her hair blown up a little by the wind.

Click.

Bubble caption:

"Sunbathing. The shadow is very clear. I'm not sunbathing because of you. The sun is just shining in on its own. Whether you sunbathe or not has nothing to do with me. If you do, don't tell me. If you don't, don't tell me either. I don't want to know. Even if I know, I won't care. I won't."

Sent.

[12:45 - Seventh Reply Video]

Before the afternoon training started, Karina sat on the mat, stretching slowly. Sunlight shone in from the window, casting a layer of warm light over her, her hair glowing slightly yellow in the light.

"It's the afternoon. Continuing training. My state today... is okay. Not particularly good. Not particularly bad either. Just okay. Are you busy with work? If you're not, that's fine. If you are, that's fine too. It has nothing to do with me. Whether you're tired has nothing to do with me either. But if you're tired... then you should take a break. Don't tough it out. No one will know if you tough it out. And even if they know, they won't feel sorry for you. They won't."

She slowly straightened up, looked at the camera, and then looked away.

"Alright. I'm going to train. Don't wait for me. You won't be able to wait for me anyway. I might send a message after training. Maybe not. Depends on my mood. Don't rush me. If you rush me, I won't send anything. If you rush me, I'll turn off my phone. If I turn it off, you won't even be able to find me. Don't try. It's useless if you do."

Video ends.

Sent.

[14:30 - 8th Selfie]

Training ends. Karina sits on the floor, fine beads of sweat on her forehead. She holds up her phone and takes a picture in the mirror—her hair is a bit damp, her face is flushed, but her eyes are bright, and her lips are slightly pursed.

Click.

Bubble copy:

"Finished training. Tired. I'm not tired because of you. Training is just naturally tiring. I want to buy something on the way home. It's not for you. It's for myself. Don't ask what I'm buying. I won't tell you even if you ask. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Even if you understood, it has nothing to do with me. So don't ask."

Sent.

[15:15 - 8th Reply Video]

Karina walks on the way home, the camera pointed at a small shop by the roadside. A fruit shop has strawberries and loquats displayed at the entrance, along with a small basket of blueberries. She stops to look, picks up a box of blueberries, examines it, and puts it back down.

"Passing by a fruit shop. They have blueberries. I'm not showing you this for you. I just happened to pass by. Do you want to eat blueberries? If you don't, then forget it. If you want to, buy them yourself. Don't expect me to bring you any. I won't bring you any. Really, I won't. Even if I did, you might not eat them. Even if you ate them, you might not say they're good. Even if you said they were good, I wouldn't necessarily believe you. So don't expect it."

She walks a few more steps, stops, and looks back at the fruit shop.

"But if you want to eat blueberries... then go buy them yourself. Don't buy ones that are too sour. Sour ones don't taste good. When you buy them, take a look; the ones with a layer of white frost on them are the best. Fresh ones. Do you know how to pick them? If not, then forget it. Handle it yourself. If you pick the wrong ones, don't blame me. Blaming me is useless. I'm not by your side anyway. Even if I were, I couldn't help you. So don't blame me."

Video ends.

Sent.

[15:50 - 9th Selfie]

Karina arrives home and places her canvas bag in the entryway. She takes a picture of the bag—it's bulging, as if it contains something, with a small blue box peeking out.

Click.

Bubble copy:

"Home now. There's something in the bag. It's not for you. It's for myself. Don't guess. You won't be able to guess it anyway. If you do guess it, don't tell me. I don't want to know. Even if I knew, I wouldn't admit it. Even if I admitted it, I wouldn't give it to you. So stop guessing."

Sent.

[16:15 - 9th Reply Video]

Karina is curled up on the sofa, holding a box of blueberries in her hand. She looks at the blueberries, then at the camera, expressionless, but the corners of her mouth twitch slightly, as if she is holding back a laugh.

"Bought blueberries. I'm not showing you this on purpose. I just happened to buy them. Did you buy any? If not, forget it. If you did, it has nothing to do with me. Whether they're sweet or not, just knowing it yourself is enough. No need to tell me. Mine are very sweet. I didn't buy them this sweet on purpose. They're just sweet by nature. Don't overthink it. Overthinking is your own business. It has nothing to do with me."

She puts a blueberry in her mouth, chews it, and frowns.

"A bit sour. It's not because of you that they're sour. They're sour by nature. It has nothing to do with you. Don't think it's because of you. It's not. Really, it's not. Don't overthink it."

She eats another one, her expression better this time.

"Hmm. This one is sweeter. It's not because of you that it's sweet. It's sweet on its own. Don't be happy. Even if you are happy, it has nothing to do with me. Just be happy by yourself. Don't tell me. I don't want to know."

Video ends.

Sent.

[16:50 - 10th Selfie]

Karina has changed into loungewear and is curled up on the sofa. The sunlight outside the window has turned golden, shining on the flowers on the windowsill. She takes a picture of the flowers—small white daisies, pink eustomas, and that pot of small pink flowers, all crowded together, with water droplets on the petals, likely watered in the morning.

Click.

Bubble copy:

"The flowers are still blooming. It's not because of you that they're blooming. They're blooming on their own. Do you have flowers on your end? If not, forget it. If you do, it has nothing to do with me. But if you buy flowers... then remember to water them. Don't let them die. If they die, I won't care. You're responsible for yourself. If you can't take responsibility, don't come looking for me. Looking for me is useless. I don't know how to keep flowers alive. I really don't."

Sent.

[17:30 - 10th Reply Video]

Karina stands in the kitchen, tying on an apron. The apron is light blue, printed with little kittens; the kittens' eyes are yellow and round. She glances at the camera and ties the apron strings a bit tighter.

"Making dinner. Kimchi fried rice. It's not for you. It's for myself. Have you eaten? If not, cook for yourself. Don't expect me to cook for you. I won't cook for you. Really, I won't. Even if I did, you might not eat it. Even if you ate it, you might not say it's good. Even if you said it was, I wouldn't believe you. So don't expect it."

She opens the fridge, takes out the kimchi and rice, her movements forceful, as if she is angry at the fridge. The kimchi jar lid is a bit tight; it takes her a long time to unscrew it.

"But if you're cooking ramen... then you should add an egg. Don't just cook the noodles. It's not nutritious. The egg should be beaten before you put it in, don't put it in whole. Putting it in whole doesn't taste good. Beat the egg mixture, pour it in slowly, and stir with chopsticks; that way the egg drop soup looks better. Do you know how to cook? If not, forget it. Handle it yourself. If you burn it, don't come looking for me. Looking for me is useless. I'm not by your side. Even if I were, I couldn't help you. So don't look for me."

Video ends.

Sent.

[18:15 - 11th Selfie]

Dinner is ready. Karina scoops the fried rice into a bowl, adds a fried egg, and sprinkles some sesame seeds and chopped green onions on top. She takes a picture; the fried rice is golden, the kimchi is red, and the egg is fried just right, with a runny yolk slightly oozing out.

Click.

Bubble copy:

"Alright. Kimchi fried rice. Looks okay. Not for you to see. It's a record. Have you eaten? If not, go cook quickly. Don't go hungry. If you're hungry, I don't care. Really, I don't. Even if I cared, I couldn't do anything about it. Even if I couldn't do anything, don't blame me. Blaming me is useless. So don't go hungry. Cook for yourself. If it's good, fine. If it's not good, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

Sent.

[18:45 - 11th Reply Video]

Karina finishes her meal and sits by the window. The sky outside isn't completely dark yet; it's a pale blue-gray, and the lights of Namsan Tower in the distance have turned on, hanging in the sky like a star. The flowers on the windowsill sway gently in the evening breeze.

"Finished eating. It's okay. Not particularly delicious. Not particularly bad either. Just okay. Have you eaten? If you have, fine. If you haven't, also fine. Has nothing to do with me. Whether you're hungry or not is your own business. I can't manage it. And I don't want to. Even if I managed it, I wouldn't do a good job. If I didn't do a good job, don't blame me. Blaming me is useless. So don't blame me."

She pulls her knees up, rests her chin on them, and is silent for a long while. The wind from outside blows in, and her hair flutters.

"Today... was okay. It's not because of you that it was okay. The weather was okay. Training was okay. The blueberries were okay. Everything was okay. It has nothing to do with you. Don't overthink it. Overthinking is your own business. It has nothing to do with me. If you think about it, don't tell me. If you told me, I wouldn't believe you. If I didn't believe you, I wouldn't ask. If I asked, I wouldn't admit it. So don't tell me."

Video ends.

Sent.

[19:30 - 12th Selfie]

Karina finishes her shower, changes into pajamas, and curls up on the sofa. Today's pajamas are that milky-white cotton set, her hair is blow-dried and drapes softly. She glances at the camera, then looks away, as if looking at the flowers on the windowsill.

Click.

Bubble copy:

"Finished showering. Not for you to see. It's a record. Have you showered? If not, forget it. If you have, it has nothing to do with me. But if you haven't... then go take a shower. It's fine if you don't, too. Whether you smell or not has nothing to do with me. Really, it doesn't. If you smell, that's your own business. Don't blame me. Blaming me is useless. I can't smell it anyway. Even if I could, I wouldn't say anything. Even if I said something, you might not believe me. So don't shower. No, it's fine whether you shower or not. Whatever. Handle it yourself."

Sent.

[20:00 - 12th Reply Video]

Karina is curled up on the sofa, hugging a cushion, burying half her face into it, with only her eyes visible. The cushion is a bit deformed from her hugging it; she pats it with her hand and hugs it back.

"Today, March 27th, is almost over. Did I think of you today? I did. I didn't think of you on purpose. It just happened on its own. Don't get cocky. How many times? I don't remember. Maybe once. Maybe twice. At most three times. It's impossible for it to be more. Don't expect me to think about you all the time. I won't. I'm very busy. I don't have time to think about you all the time. Training is tiring. Eating is busy. Walking requires watching the road. No time to think about you. Really, no time."

She buries her face deeper into the cushion, her voice muffled, as if talking to the cushion.

"Did you... think of me today? It's fine if you didn't. If you did, don't say it. Even if you said it, I wouldn't believe you. Really, I wouldn't. Don't tell me. I don't want to know. Even if I knew, I wouldn't be happy. I wouldn't. Not happy at all. Don't say it. Don't. Even if you said it, I wouldn't listen. Not listening, not listening, not listening."

Video ends.

Sent.

[20:45 - 13th Selfie]

Karina lies in bed, covered tightly by the blanket, with only her face exposed. The bedside lamp is on, casting a warm yellow light on her face, with her eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyes. The flowers on the windowsill bloom quietly under the light.

Click.

Bubble copy:

"In bed. Today's weather: Sunny, 11 to 20 degrees. Tomorrow's weather: Cloudy, 12 to 21 degrees. It's warmer. I'm not reminding you to wear clothes. I'm just mentioning it in passing. Wear what you want. If you wear too much and get hot, that's your business. If you wear too little and get cold, that's also your business. Has nothing to do with me. Don't expect me to look after you. I won't. Even if I did, you might not listen. Even if you listened, you might not do as told. Even if you did as told, it might not be right. Even if it was right, it might not be good. So don't expect it."

Sent.

[21:00 - Last Reply Video]

Karina is almost asleep, her eyes half-open and half-closed, her voice soft, but she still tries hard to maintain that indifferent tone.

"Tomorrow... is Saturday... the week is over... are you busy with work... it's fine if you're not... it's fine if you are... has nothing to do with me... but if you are busy... then remember to rest... don't overwork yourself... if you're tired, I won't care... really, I won't... even if I cared, I couldn't manage it well... if I couldn't manage it well, don't blame me... blaming me is useless... so don't overwork yourself... rest... just rest..."

She turns over, buries her face in the pillow, her voice getting quieter and quieter.

"Good night... I'm not saying it on purpose... I'm just sleepy... sleep if you want, don't if you don't... if you sleep, don't dream of me... if you do, it has nothing to do with me... it's you dreaming it yourself... has nothing to do with me... nothing to do with me... if you do dream of me, don't tell me... if you told me, I wouldn't believe you... if I didn't believe you, I wouldn't admit it... even if I admitted it, I wouldn't be happy... so don't tell me... don't say it... don't say it..."

The voice gets quieter and quieter, and finally, only the sound of steady breathing remains.

Video ends.

Sent.

[21:05 - Last Text Reply]

Before turning off the lights, Karina sends a message:

"March 27, 2026. Thought of you today. Three times. Just three times. Not four. Remember that clearly. Tomorrow's weather is cloudy, 12 to 21 degrees. Wear whatever you want. Good night. Don't say I didn't tell you. Even if I did, you wouldn't listen. Even if you listened, you might not believe it. So don't say it. Good night."

Sent.