401: Bubble, March 28, 2026

(Can't play Guang Xin in the Clash Lane anymore.)

——

[March 28, 2026 07:20 - First Selfie]

Sunlight is already streaming in through the window. There are no clouds, and the sky is a clean, pale blue. Karina rolls over, groggily reaches for her phone, and takes a photo facing the window. The sunlight in the photo is too bright; it's a bit overexposed.

*Click.*

She squints her eyes as she edits, typing very slowly:

"March 28, 2026, 7:20 AM. Saturday. I'm awake. Not naturally; the sunlight was just too piercing. Is it that bright where you are too? Whether it's bright or not has nothing to do with me. I'm just asking."

Sent.

[07:28 - First Video Reply]

Karina is still lying in bed, wrapped messily in her quilt, with only half her face and one hand showing. She glances at the camera and then closes her eyes again.

"I slept okay last night. It wasn't because of you that I slept well. It's because the weather is good. Whether you slept well or not has nothing to do with me. If you didn't, don't tell me. Even if you tell me, I won't do anything about it. Even if I did, it wouldn't help. So don't tell me."

She pulls the quilt up a bit and rolls over.

"I'll lie here a bit longer. It's Saturday, no need to get up early. You too. Don't get up early. No one will praise you even if you do. Even if they do, you might not be happy. Even if you're happy, it has nothing to do with me. So don't get up early. Just lie there. Don't move. Don't talk. Be quiet."

Video ends.

Sent.

[07:50 - Second Selfie]

Karina climbs out of bed, her hair messy and her nightgown wrinkled. She stands by the window and takes a photo of the outside. It's sunny today; the sky is very blue with no clouds, and the sunlight hits the building opposite, the glass reflecting the light. Someone is running downstairs, wearing shorts.

*Click.*

Bubble caption:

"I'm up. Cloudy today? No, it's sunny. 12 to 21 degrees. The weather forecast said cloudy, but it's clearly sunny. The weather forecast is unreliable. Just like you. You don't keep your word. Whatever. I'm not saying anything else. Even if I did, you wouldn't understand."

Sent.

[08:10 - Second Video Reply]

After washing her face, Karina records a video facing the mirror. Water droplets are still on her face; she's not wearing makeup, and her skin looks great. She looks at the camera and starts drying her face, moving slowly for a long time.

"What should I wear today? I haven't decided yet. It's not because of you that I haven't decided. It's because I have too many clothes and don't know which to choose. It has nothing to do with you. Don't flatter yourself. I look good in anything. Even if I don't, that's my business. It has nothing to do with you. Don't interfere. It's useless even if you do. I won't listen."

She hangs up the towel and looks in the mirror for a few seconds.

"No training today. Resting. It's not because of you that I'm resting. It's just time to rest. Are you resting? It's fine if you aren't. You're the one who'll be tired. It has nothing to do with me. I won't feel bad for you even if you're tired. I won't. Don't count on it."

Video ends.

Sent.

[08:40 - Third Selfie]

Karina stands in the entryway and takes a full-body photo in the mirror. Today she's wearing a black short-sleeved shirt with a thin white shirt over it, unbuttoned, light blue jeans, and white canvas shoes. Her hair is down, untied, and she's carrying a canvas bag that's empty.

*Click.*

Bubble caption:

"Going out. Wearing this. It's not for you to see. It's a record. Look if you want, or don't. Don't comment even if you do. I won't reply even if you comment. Even if I reply, I might not be serious. Even if I'm serious, you might not understand. So don't comment. Shut up. Be quiet."

Sent.

[08:55 - Third Video Reply]

Karina is walking down the street, the camera pointed at the ground. Sunlight hits the pavement, stretching her shadow long. She walks very slowly, dragging her feet with every step, as if she's in no hurry to get anywhere.

"Walking on the street. The sunlight is nice. It's not nice because of you; the weather is just nice on its own. Whether it's nice where you are has nothing to do with me. Whether you're hot or cold has nothing to do with me either. None of it has anything to do with me. Figure it out yourself. Take it off if you're hot; put it on if you're cold. Don't expect me to remind you. I won't. Even if I did, you might not listen. Even if you listened, you might not do it. Even if you did it, it might not be right. Even if it's right, it might not be good. So don't count on it."

She steps on her own shadow and gives a hmph.

"Where am I going today? I'm not telling you. Even if I did, you might not know the place. Even if you knew, you might not find it. Even if you found it, you might not be able to come. Even if you came, you might not see me. Even if you saw me, it might not be today. So stop asking. I won't say even if you ask. Even if I did, it would be a lie. You'd believe it even if it was a lie. Believing it would be for nothing. So don't believe. Don't ask. Be quiet."

Video ends.

Sent.

[09:30 - Fourth Selfie]

Karina is sitting in a cafe, taking a photo of the street outside the window. The sunlight on the road is so bright it looks white, and someone is walking past with a dog—a large brown one.

*Click.*

Bubble caption:

"Cafe. Americano. It's not for you to see. It's a record. What are you drinking? It's fine if you're not drinking anything. Don't tell me even if you are. I don't want to hear it even if you tell me. I won't remember even if I hear it. I won't go buy it even if I remember. I won't drink it even if I buy it. I won't tell you even if I drink it. So don't tell me. Don't talk. Be quiet."

Sent.

[10:00 - Fourth Video Reply]

Karina is sitting by the window, holding a cup of Americano. She glances at the camera, takes a sip, and winces slightly at the bitterness, but she doesn't add sugar and takes another sip.

"Americano. It's bitter. It's not bitter because of you; it's bitter on its own. It has nothing to do with you. Don't think it's because of you. It's not. It really isn't. Don't overthink it. Overthinking is your problem. It has nothing to do with me. Don't tell me even if you think about it. I won't believe you even if you tell me. I won't ask you even if I don't believe you. I won't admit it even if I ask. I won't be happy even if I admit it. I won't tell you even if I'm happy. So don't overthink. Don't think. Be quiet."

She puts the cup down and circles her finger around the rim.

"The weather is good today. It's not good because of you; it's good on its own. Whether it's good where you are has nothing to do with me. But if the weather where you are is bad... that's not my fault either. It's the weather's fault. It has nothing to do with me. Don't blame me. It's useless even if you do. I can't exactly move the sun over there. Even if I did, you might not like it. Even if you liked it, you might not say so. Even if you said so, it might not be true. Even if it's true, it might not be sincere. So don't blame me. Don't talk. Be quiet."

Video ends.

Sent.

[11:15 - Fifth Selfie]

Karina is walking down the street and takes a photo of a tree by the roadside. The tree is covered in small clusters of white flowers; the sunlight makes the petals look almost translucent.

*Click.*

Bubble caption:

"There are flowers by the road. White ones. I didn't take a photo specifically for you. They just happened to be growing there. Are there flowers where you are? If there are, there are; if there aren't, whatever. Whether there are has nothing to do with me. Whether there aren't has nothing to do with me either. None of it has anything to do with me. Don't tell me. I don't want to know."

Sent.

[12:00 - Fifth Video Reply]

Karina is sitting on a park bench, holding a rice ball. She looks at the rice ball, then at the camera, expressionless.

"Lunch. Rice ball. Tuna. It's not for you to see. It's a record. Have you eaten? If not, whatever. Even if you have, it has nothing to do with me. Just know for yourself if it was good or not. You don't need to tell me. Mine is okay. Not especially good, not especially bad. Just okay. It has nothing to do with you. Don't overthink it. Overthinking is your problem. It has nothing to do with me."

She takes a bite and chews slowly, taking a long time to swallow. The seaweed on the rice ball has gone a bit soft, and she frowns.

"The seaweed on the rice ball is soft. It's not soft because of you. It's because it was left out too long. It has nothing to do with you. Don't think it's because of you. It's not. It really isn't. Don't overthink it. Overthinking is your problem. It has nothing to do with me. Don't tell me even if you think about it. I won't believe you even if you tell me. I won't ask you even if I don't believe you. I won't admit it even if I ask. I won't change even if I admit it. I won't tell you even if I change. So don't overthink. Don't think. Be quiet."

Video ends.

Sent.

[13:30 - Sixth Selfie]

Karina stands by the river and takes a photo of the water. The river is wide, the water a grayish-blue, shimmering in the sunlight like scattered gold. There's a bridge in the distance with cars on it, looking tiny and moving slowly.

*Click.*

Bubble caption:

"Han River. I didn't come here on purpose; I just happened to be passing by. Have you ever been here? If you have, whatever. If you haven't, whatever. Whether you come or not has nothing to do with me. Don't tell me; I don't want to know. Even if I knew, I wouldn't bring you. Even if I brought you, you might not come. Even if you came, you might not like it. Even if you liked it, you might not say so. Even if you said so, it might not be true. Even if it's true, it might not be sincere. So don't tell me. Don't talk. Be quiet."

Sent.

[14:00 - Sixth Video Reply]

Karina is sitting on a park bench by the river. The wind blows, brushing her hair across her face. She reaches up and tucks her hair behind her ear, her movements very slow.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"By the river. The wind is a bit strong. It's not strong because of you. It's strong on its own. Is the wind strong where you are? If it is, it has nothing to do with me. If it isn't, it has nothing to do with me. It all has nothing to do with me. Suit yourself. If the wind is strong, wear an extra layer. Don't catch a cold. If you catch a cold, I won't care. I really won't. Even if I cared, it would be useless. If it's useless, don't blame me. Blaming me is useless too. So don't catch a cold. Don't get sick. Don't let me know. Even if I know, I won't feel heartache. I won't. Don't you count on it." She gathered her shirt, which had been ruffled by the wind, and buttoned it up.

"I walked a lot today. It's not because of you. It's because I had nothing to do. What do you do when you have nothing to do? Doing nothing is fine too. Even if you do something, it has nothing to do with me. Don't tell me. I don't want to know. Even if I knew, I wouldn't keep you company. Even if I did, you might not be happy. Even if you were happy, you might not say it. Even if you said it, it might not be true. Even if it were true, it might not be sincere. So don't tell me. Don't speak. Quiet." Video ends. Send. [15:30 - Seventh Selfie]

Karina stood at the entrance of a bookstore and took a photo of the display window. There were a few books in the window with warm-toned covers, and one was about spring. Click.

Bubble Caption: "Bookstore. I didn't come here on purpose. I just happened to pass by. Do you read? Not reading is fine. Even if you read, it has nothing to do with me. Just knowing what books you read is enough. No need to tell me. Even if you told me, I wouldn't read them. Even if I read them, I might not like them. Even if I liked them, I might not buy them. Even if I bought them, I might not read them. Even if I read them, I might not remember them. Even if I remembered them, I wouldn't tell you. So don't tell me. Don't speak. Quiet." Send.

[16:00 - Seventh Reply Video] Karina sat by the bookstore window, holding a book in her hand. She glanced at the camera, flipped a page, then flipped it back, as if she wasn't actually reading.

"Bookstore. There are chairs. Sitting. I didn't sit here on purpose. It just happened to be free. Do you read? If you don't, then forget it. Even if you read, it has nothing to do with me. What books did I read? I won't tell you. Even if I told you, you might not read them. Even if you read them, you might not understand them. Even if you understood them, you might not like them. Even if you liked them, you might not say it. Even if you said it, it might not be true. Even if it were true, it might not be sincere. So don't ask. Don't speak. Quiet."

She closed the book, glanced at the cover, and put it down.

"The book is about spring. I didn't read it because of you. I just happened to pick it up. Don't overthink it. Overthinking is your business. It has nothing to do with me. Even if you think about it, don't tell me. Even if you told me, I wouldn't believe it. Even if I didn't believe it, I wouldn't ask you. Even if I asked, I wouldn't admit it. Even if I admitted it, I wouldn't be happy. Even if I were happy, I wouldn't tell you. So don't overthink. Don't think. Quiet." Video ends. Send.

[17:30 - Eighth Selfie] Karina was walking home and took a photo of the sunset. The sun was about to set, the horizon was orange-red, and the clouds were dyed pink and purple, layer upon layer—it was very beautiful. Click.

Bubble Caption: "Sunset. I didn't watch it on purpose. I was just on the road. Do you have a sunset where you are? If you do, you do; if you don't, then forget it. If you have it, it has nothing to do with me. If you don't, it has nothing to do with me. It all has nothing to do with me. Don't tell me. I don't want to know. Even if I knew, I wouldn't be happy. I won't. Not happy at all. Don't think I'd be happy. I won't. Really won't." Send.

[18:00 - Eighth Reply Video] Karina stood at her front door, glanced at the camera, said nothing, and lowered her head to rummage through her bag for her keys. After a long time, she finally found them, and the keychain jingled.

"Home. I'm not telling you. I'm talking to myself. Don't think I'm talking to you. I'm not. Really not. Don't overthink. Overthinking is your business. It has nothing to do with me. Even if you think about it, don't tell me. Even if you told me, I wouldn't believe it. Even if I didn't believe it, I wouldn't ask you. Even if I asked, I wouldn't admit it. Even if I admitted it, I wouldn't be happy. Even if I were happy, I wouldn't tell you. So don't overthink. Don't think. Quiet."

She opened the door, walked in, and closed it. The video was still recording; the screen showed the shoe cabinet in the entryway, with an umbrella on top—the transparent one. Video ends. Send.

[19:00 - Ninth Selfie] Karina changed into loungewear and curled up on the sofa. The sky outside the window had darkened, and the flowers on the windowsill were just blurry shadows in the twilight. She took a photo of the windowsill; the photo was very dark, and the flowers were barely visible. Click.

Bubble Caption: "Home. Lying down. I'm not telling you. I'm recording. Are you home? If you are, then forget it. If you aren't, then forget it. Whether you are or not has nothing to do with me. Don't tell me. I don't want to know. Even if I knew, I wouldn't wait for you. Even if I waited, you might not come. Even if you came, you might not knock. Even if you knocked, I might not open the door. Even if I opened it, I might not let you in. Even if you came in, I might not have you stay. Even if you stayed, you might not sit. Even if you sat down, you might not speak. Even if you spoke, it might not be true. Even if it were true, it might not be sincere. So don't come. Don't speak. Quiet." Send.

[19:45 - Ninth Reply Video] Karina was curled up on the sofa, hugging a cushion, burying half her face in it, leaving only her eyes visible. She looked at the camera, said nothing, just looked like that. After a long time, she hummed softly.

"I walked a lot today. I'm tired. I'm not tired because of you. Walking is tiring by nature. Are you tired? If you are, it has nothing to do with me. If you aren't, it has nothing to do with me. It all has nothing to do with me. Suit yourself. If you're tired, rest. Don't push yourself. If you push yourself, no one will know. Even if they knew, they wouldn't feel heartache. They won't. Don't you count on it. Counting on it is useless. If it's useless, don't blame me. Blaming me is useless too. So don't push yourself. Rest. Quiet. Don't speak. Don't move. Don't think. Sleep."

She hugged the cushion even tighter. "I thought of you today. I didn't think of you on purpose. It just thought of you on its own. Don't get cocky. How many times did I think of you? I don't remember. Maybe once. Maybe twice. Three times at most. It's impossible for it to be more. Don't expect me to keep thinking of you. I won't. I'm very busy. I don't have time to keep thinking of you. When walking, look at the road. When drinking water, look at the cup. When eating, look at the food. I have no time to think of you. Really no time. Don't wait. You won't get anything even if you wait. Even if you waited, I wouldn't admit it. Even if I admitted it, I wouldn't be happy. Even if I were happy, I wouldn't tell you. So don't wait. Don't think. Quiet. Sleep." Video ends. Send.

[20:30 - Tenth Selfie] Karina finished showering, changed into pajamas, and lay in bed. The quilt was pulled up tight, revealing only her face. The bedside lamp was on, and the warm yellow light shone on her face. She glanced at the camera and pulled the quilt up a bit more. Click.

Bubble Caption: "In bed. Today's weather: Sunny, 12 to 21 degrees. Tomorrow's weather: Cloudy turning overcast, 11 to 20 degrees. It might rain. I'm not reminding you to bring an umbrella. I'm just mentioning it in passing. Whether you bring it or not is up to you. Even if you bring it, you might not use it. Even if you use it, you might still get wet. Even if you get wet, you might not catch a cold. Even if you catch a cold, you might not tell me. Even if you told me, I wouldn't care. Even if I cared, it would be useless. If it's useless, don't blame me. Blaming me is useless too. So don't blame me. Don't tell me. Don't speak. Quiet. Sleep." Send.

[20:45 - Final Reply Video] Karina was almost asleep, her eyes half-open and half-closed, her voice soft, as if she were talking in her sleep.

"Today... March 28th... Saturday... It's over... I thought of you today... Three times... Just three times... Not four times... Make sure you remember clearly... If you can't remember clearly, then forget it... Forget it, I won't care either... Even if I cared, it would be useless... If it's useless, don't blame me... Blaming me is useless too... So don't blame me... Don't remember... Don't think... Don't speak... Quiet... Sleep..."

She turned over and buried her face in the pillow. "Good night... I didn't say it on purpose... I'm just sleepy... Whether you sleep or not is up to you... If you sleep, don't dream of me... If you do, it's none of my business... It's you dreaming it yourself... It has nothing to do with me... Nothing to do with me... Even if you dream of me, don't tell me... Even if you told me, I wouldn't believe it... Even if I didn't believe it, I wouldn't admit it... Even if I admitted it, I wouldn't be happy... Even if I were happy, I wouldn't tell you... So don't tell me... Don't speak... Don't speak... Quiet... Sleep..." Her voice grew softer and softer, until finally only the sound of even breathing remained. Video ends. Send.

[20:50 - Final Text Reply] Before turning off the lights, Karina sent a message: "March 28, 2026. I thought of you three times today. Tomorrow's weather is cloudy turning overcast, 11 to 20 degrees, it might rain. Suit yourself about bringing an umbrella. Good night. Don't say I didn't tell you. Even if I told you, you wouldn't listen. Even if you listened, you might not believe it. Even if you believed it, you might not bring it. Even if you brought it, you might not use it. Even if you used it, you might still get wet. So don't say anything. Quiet. Sleep." Send.