409: Chapter 463 Phantom Thief Zhimin (29)

The tail end of September brought a drizzling autumn rain that silently enveloped Seoul.

The rain wasn't heavy, but it was as dense as ox hair, weaving a fine, hazy grey net. The wind poured in from the direction of the Han River, carrying moisture and the unique chill of early autumn; it made one instinctively shrink their neck when it slipped into their collar. The ginkgo trees along the streets hadn't turned fully yellow yet, their leaves wilted by the rain and hanging listlessly from the branches. Seoul's greenery wasn't great to begin with, and in this kind of weather, it looked even more desolate—devoid of the poetic imagery of drifting leaves, leaving only wet roads and the hurried footsteps of pedestrians.

Jiang Zhiyu stood before the floor-to-ceiling window in the President of TG's office, holding a cup of herbal tea, watching the rain streaks carve long, thin tracks on the glass.

The tea had already cooled slightly, its clear herbal flavor spreading across his tongue with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste.

The rain carved water marks on the glass, while the distant Namsan Tower blurred into a mass of grey shadows. He held a cup of herbal tea, the steam curling upward and condensing into a small patch of mist on the cold glass.

His schedule for the past few days hadn't been too busy—or rather, he had returned to his primary duty as a "creator."

Park Jin-young's Christmas comeback project was already on the agenda. That ambitious man wanted to release an album full of personal character for Christmas, with a concept focused on "looking back at thirty years, looking forward to the next thirty." While Jiang Zhiyu and Lee Tima were brainstorming in the meeting room, they somehow veered off into the crackpot idea of an "Evil Santa Claus"—Park Jin-young wearing a red Christmas suit but with a black beard, holding a whip instead of a gift bag, and backed by several baring-clawed monsters instead of reindeer.

Lee Tima drew a sketch, Jiang Zhiyu added a few strokes, and finally, the two of them looked at the drawing and laughed until they couldn't stand up straight.

Naturally, this creative idea was rejected by Kim Soo-yeon.

“Are you two trying to get JYP to terminate their contract with us?” Kim Soo-yeon said expressionlessly.

Jiang Zhiyu tucked the drawing into a drawer, planning to save it as “material for future dark history.”

Aside from Park Jin-young's project, the three most important things at hand were: aespa's autumn single "warm coffee," the deep collaboration project with Kim Taeyeon, and the movie promotion for "the crab."

Jiang Zhiyu had almost finished writing the song "warm coffee."

It was completely different from aespa's previous style—no high-note bombardments, no strong rhythmic patterns, and none of that chuunibyou-esque declaration of "we come from KWANGYA." It was just a very soothing song, as warm as autumn afternoon sunlight.

The lyrics were about memories and waiting, a kind of indifference reflecting "spring goes and autumn comes, we have passed through it all." The melody wasn't complex and the arrangement wasn't flashy, but when Jiang Zhiyu tried playing it on the piano, Lee Tima listened from the side, fell silent for a long time, and then said: “Oppa, this song will make people want to cry.”

“Why?” Jiang Zhiyu asked.

“Because it's too warm,” Lee Tima said. “So warm that it makes one feel like the world isn't actually that bad.”

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her and said nothing.

As for the deep collaboration with Kim Taeyeon, it was still in the planning stage. On Jiang Zhiyu's Kakao, the profile of “Little Softie Kim · The Noona You Absolutely Must Not Provoke” would occasionally send a few messages—sometimes asking about work, sometimes sharing a song, and sometimes just sending an emoji.

Jiang Zhiyu would always reply.

Neither too enthusiastic nor too cold.

Just like he had said: “Hello, Noona, I am Jiang Zhiyu. I look forward to our upcoming collaboration.”

Starting over.

Starting from being strangers.

Meanwhile, the promotion for "the crab" had entered an intensive period. Posters, trailers, interviews, variety show appearances—Im Yoona was like a tireless spinning top, rotating between various schedules. Jiang Zhiyu would occasionally visit the set, occasionally send her a message late at night asking “Noona, you worked hard today,” and occasionally have someone send over some food.

Im Yoona would reply every time: “Thank you.”

Just two words.

But Jiang Zhiyu knew that within those two words, there was much left unsaid.

He withdrew his gaze, walked back to his desk, and picked up his phone.

In the "Encountering Happiness" group chat, several new messages were waiting for him.

This group name was one Karina had insisted on against all objections. Previously, Minjeong had suggested calling it "The Bread Avengers," NingNing suggested "SM Secret Base," and Uchinaga Eri suggested "Four Dazed Faces"—all of which were eventually vetoed by Karina. With a flushed face, she stubbornly refused to say why she wanted to change it to this name, stammering for a long while before finally throwing out “Anyway, it just has to be called this” and running away.

The other three pressed her for the reason, but she absolutely wouldn't say.

But Jiang Zhiyu knew.

Because of that sentence he had said in the bakery—

“Encountering you, I knew I would be happy.”

She remembered it.

He gave a soft laugh, his gaze falling back on the messages in the group chat.

The latest one was from Minjeong.

[Minjeong: Oppa! We've all arrived!]

The attached image was a freshly taken photo—

In the open kitchen of the high-end apartment TG had invested in, warm yellow light enveloped the entire space. Karina was wearing a light blue apron, looking down at the tablet in her hand with her brow slightly furrowed, as if studying some complex recipe. Her hair was casually tied in a low ponytail, with a few stray strands hanging by her ears, making the lines of her profile look exceptionally soft.

NingNing stood beside her, wearing a pink apron, holding a bright red strawberry in her hand and about to pop it into her mouth. Her eyes were curved into crescents, and the corner of her mouth carried a hint of triumph from “successfully stealing a snack,” like a cat that had stolen a small dried fish.

Uchinaga Eri leaned against the bar counter, holding a cup of steaming coffee while flipping through a cookbook. She wore a dark green apron, and her whole being looked quiet and peaceful, like a painting.

And Minjeong—

Minjeong occupied the very front of the photo, her whole face pressed right up to the camera, grinning with eyes sparkling like brilliant diamonds. She was wearing a bright yellow apron that had a small flour smudge on it, though it was unclear how it got there. Her smile was so infectious that just looking at the photo, one could imagine her holding the phone and trying her best to fit everyone into the frame when she took it.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at the photo, the corners of his mouth curving up.

These four girls.

He put down his phone, stood up, and grabbed his suit jacket hanging on the rack.

The rain was still falling.

But he suddenly felt that today's rain didn't seem so cold.

The black sedan traveled through the curtain of rain.

Jiang Zhiyu held the steering wheel, his gaze calmly watching the road ahead. The windshield wipers moved rhythmically, making a "clack-clack" sound. Outside the window, Seoul's street scenery became blurred and soft in the rain, with neon reflections stretching into long ribbons of light on the wet road surface.

He thought back to the message Karina had sent on Bubble this afternoon.

“👁️🥣🖐️✌️🫧＝？”

After this message was sent, the fans went completely crazy.

[What does this mean???]

[Eyes + bowl + five fingers and two fingers + Bubble???]

[Is it a decryption game???]

[Eyes are for seeing, bowl is for rice, five fingers and two fingers are 7, Bubble is Bubble—see rice 7 Bubble???]

[No, no! Eyes are "see" or "today"? Bowl is "evening"? Five plus two is seven? Bubble is still Bubble?]

[Tonight at seven on Bubble???]

[Holy crap!!! Tonight at seven on Bubble!!!]

[Is Ji-min going to do a live stream???]

[It's not a live stream, it's Bubble! She said come check Bubble tonight at seven!]

[Ahhhh I'm ready!!!]

Jiang Zhiyu looked at those guesses and nodded with satisfaction.

This kind of decryption game was best at stimulating fan engagement. Fans who figured it out would feel a sense of accomplishment, while those who couldn't would have their curiosity piqued. Regardless, the buzz would continue to ferment.

Sure enough, the term "Tonight at Seven Bubble" quickly climbed the trending searches.

Although it was only around the fortieth spot, for a Bubble message without any official endorsement, it was already quite remarkable.

And Karina, according to plan, sent the answer on Bubble around six in the evening—

“Tonight at seven, come check my Bubble~”

The attached image was a selfie of her with her head tilted, winking, and a mischievous smile on her lips.

The fans were in a complete frenzy.

[It really was that!]

[Ji-min, you've learned to be bad! You actually learned how to do decryption games!]

[Tonight at seven! I'm ready!]

[What's the content, what's the content? So excited!]

Jiang Zhiyu looked at those comments, the smile on his lips deepening.

He didn't know what the result of tonight's experiment would be.

But he knew Karina would do very well.

Because she never let him down.

Jiang Zhiyu's thoughts drifted back to a few days ago.

That "special live mode" was an idea that had suddenly popped into his head in the bakery.

At that time, Karina was rambling to him about wanting to eat Double-skin milk, Flower Cakes, and Pavlova, and while he was taking notes, he thought—if she just made these, ate them, and digested them herself, it would be a waste.

But what if they could be filmed and posted on Bubble?

The subscription platform between idols and fans essentially sells a sense of "intimacy." Fans pay for subscriptions not to see those polished official photos or press releases that have gone through layers of review—they want to see the idol's true self.

The way they look while cooking, their clumsy moments, their happiness when succeeding, and their frustration when failing.

But if this kind of content isn't handled well, it can easily lead to dating rumors. Who filmed it? At whose house was it filmed? Why was someone else present? Every question could become material for marketing accounts to make a big deal out of.

He drafted this plan into a proposal titled "Bubble Platform Persona Operations Proposal."

The core of the plan was simple: leverage the idol-fan subscription platform, Bubble, to design a brand-new interaction model.

It wouldn't be a live stream, a video, or simple text greetings.

Instead, it would be—storytelling through photos.

Every photo would be a slice of emotion.

And when fans saw these photos, it would create an illusion of "I am participating in her life."

This illusion is what creates stickiness.

It's loyalty.

It's the willingness to pay.

Of course, most importantly—there was no risk of scandals.

The photos would only feature her alone, food, or text. During the shoot, everyone else would hide or only parts of them would be captured without showing their faces. This ensured a sense of authenticity while avoiding speculations like "Is she on a date with someone?"

Test Subject One: Karina.

Code Name: Tsundere Ji-min.

He didn't report this to SM.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but rather that it wasn't necessary. Supervision of an artist's Bubble wasn't actually that strict; as long as it didn't involve any red-line content, they could send whatever they wanted. And this "Bubble Live" was just a small experiment born from a sudden whim.

Since that was the case, he might as well treat it as an unexpected surprise for the fans subscribed to Bubble.

A fusion of double surprises—perhaps it would create a special spark?

Assuming the response was good, it might truly open up a new way to pamper fans and promote the group.

In the proposal, Jiang Zhiyu designed a complete persona strategy for Karina—on Bubble, she wasn't the radiant Karina on stage, but an ordinary girl who could cook, could fail, could act cute, and could be a tsundere.

She would pout in frustration because the meringue wouldn't stiffen.

She would remake the Double-skin milk because the surface wasn't wrinkled beautifully enough.

She would dejectedly say "I failed" because the Flower Cakes came out too dark.

But after a success, she would also tilt her chin up proudly and say, "As expected, there's nothing I can't do."

This sense of contrast would make fans feel: So Ji-min is like this in private; she's so cute, so real, I really want to protect her.

Of course, this "reality" was a designed reality.

But a well-designed reality is more attractive than the actual truth.

Jiang Zhiyu was very confident in this plan.

Provided that—Karina could resist the urge to praise herself.

He remembered the last time in the practice room, the scene where she used the "Little Strawberry" account to praise herself.

"Hehehe..."

That silly laughter was still echoing in his mind.

He let out a sigh.

He hoped she could control herself today.

The car stopped at a traffic light.

Jiang Zhiyu watched the numbers jumping on the signal light, his fingers lightly tapping the steering wheel.

He wondered what those four girls were doing right now.

Minjeong must still be sneaking snacks. Last time at the bakery, she ate three bagels, two muffins, and one Danish pastry all by herself, and finally even tried to snatch Karina's strawberry cake.

NingNing should be studying recipes. She was the best cook among the four, although the kitchen looked like a bomb had gone off every time she finished.

Uchinaga Eri was probably making coffee. She had an obsession with coffee; from the choice of beans to the hand-pouring technique, every step was so meticulous it made one's scalp tingle.

And as for Karina—

She should be nervous.

After all, it was the first time trying this mode of live streaming. Although it was just posting photos on Bubble, and although she didn't have to face a camera, and although it didn't matter if she failed—

She would definitely be nervous.

Jiang Zhiyu recalled the message she sent this afternoon.

＝？

That was something he had taught her.

"If you send it like this, fans will guess, discuss, and look forward to it," he had said. "When seven o'clock comes, you say 'Come see my Bubble at seven tonight,' and they'll have a sense of achievement like 'I guessed right.'"

Karina had nodded at the time, very seriously taking notes on her tablet.

"What if they guess wrong?" she asked.

"They won't guess wrong," Jiang Zhiyu said. "Because you designed this riddle, and only you know the answer. No matter what they guess, you just say 'wrong' and then give your answer—fans will think 'Ji-min is so smart, how come we didn't think of that.'"

Karina blinked: "Isn't this just a gimmick?"

Jiang Zhiyu smiled: "A gimmick used well is sincerity."

Karina looked at him, silent for a few seconds, then lowered her head and whispered, "Oppa... is really amazing."

Jiang Zhiyu didn't hear clearly: "What?"

Karina shook her head, her ears turning red.

"Nothing."

The light turned green.

Jiang Zhiyu stepped on the gas, and the car continued forward.

It was still raining.

But the water marks on the car window, reflected by the streetlights, looked like starlight scattered all over the ground.

The luxury apartment TG invested in was located in a new building in Gangnam District.

Jiang Zhiyu had originally bought this place as a "temporary residence for artists" for TG—sometimes artists from out of town needed short-term accommodation and staying in a hotel was inconvenient, so this became an option. Later, aespa would occasionally come here to cook, rest, and relax, and it gradually became their "second dorm."

It was still raining.

Jiang Zhiyu parked the car in the apartment's underground parking lot and turned off the engine.

He didn't get out immediately but sat in the driver's seat, looking at his phone screen.

In the group chat, Minjeong sent another message.

"Oppa, are you here yet? Are you here yet? Are you here yet?"

The attached picture was a funny face she made—rolling her eyes, sticking out her tongue, and pushing her nose up, looking just like a little pig.

Jiang Zhiyu couldn't help but laugh.

He typed a reply:

"In the parking lot, coming up now."

Minjeong replied instantly: "Yay!!!"

Followed by a long string of exclamation marks and emojis.

Karina also sent one, just four words: "Drive slowly."

Jiang Zhiyu looked at those four words, and something in his heart stirred gently.

He replied: "Already parked."

Karina: "Oh."

Just one word.

But only she knew how much anticipation was in that "Oh."

Jiang Zhiyu put away his phone and pushed open the car door.

The underground parking lot was very quiet, with only the sound of his footsteps echoing in the empty space. The elevator doors opened, he stepped inside, and pressed the floor button.

The elevator stopped on the 18th floor.

Jiang Zhiyu stepped out of the elevator, stood at the door, and pressed the doorbell.

A flurry of hurried footsteps came from inside, and then—

The door was swung open.

"Oppa!!!"

Minjeong stood at the door, smiling like a flower in full bloom. She was wearing a light pink apron with a cartoon cat printed on it, the apron strings tied into a crooked bow behind her back. There was a bit of flour on her face, and her hair was a bit messy, but her eyes were incredibly bright.

"Come in, come in!" She grabbed Jiang Zhiyu's sleeve and pulled him inside. "We've been preparing for so long!"

Jiang Zhiyu was dragged inside by her, changing his shoes as he walked.

"What have you prepared?"

"Food, of course!" Minjeong said as if it were obvious. "You said you wanted to take photos of us making things; we can't just take photos of thin air, can we?"

Jiang Zhiyu was dragged into the kitchen, and the scene before him made him pause slightly.

The kitchen island was covered with various ingredients and kitchenware.

Karina was standing by the island, still holding a tablet. Hearing the noise, she looked up toward the door.

Their eyes met.

Her face turned slightly red, but she quickly looked away, pretending to look at a recipe on the tablet.

"Oppa is here." Her voice was very calm, but her finger swiped the tablet several times without knowing where she had swiped to.

NingNing poked her head out from behind the refrigerator, holding a box of strawberries.

"Oppa! Look at these strawberries!" She held up the box, her eyes sparkling. "They're huge! I just snuck one, and it was super sweet!"

Uchinaga Eri leaned against the bar counter, holding a coffee cup, and nodded slightly to Jiang Zhiyu.

"Oppa."

Her posture was still elegant, but the cookbook had already been flipped to the middle, and there was a bit of flour on the pages.

Jiang Zhiyu stood at the kitchen door, looking at these four girls.

They were all wearing aprons—Karina's was navy blue, NingNing's was bright yellow, Uchinaga Eri's was dark green, and Minjeong's was pink.

They all had smiles on their faces, and their eyes were all bright.

Their hands were all stained with flour.

Jiang Zhiyu suddenly felt that this scene made him feel warmer than any song he had ever written or any variety show he had ever planned.

He smiled, took off his suit jacket, and draped it over the back of a dining chair.

"How's the research going?"

Karina whispered: "...Not very smoothly."

Jiang Zhiyu raised an eyebrow: "What's not going smoothly?"

Karina looked up at him, a hint of grievance in her eyes.

"Should the butter be softened first or added directly?"

Jiang Zhiyu was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

"Soften it first," he said. "I'll teach you."

He took off his suit jacket, casually draped it over the back of the chair, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and went to the sink to wash his hands.

Behind him, the four girls gathered around, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

The rain outside was still falling, pitter-pattering.

But inside the house, it was as warm as spring.

Jiang Zhiyu finished washing his hands, turned around, and looked at them.

"Alright," he said, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, "let's begin."

Minjeong cheered, NingNing clapped her hands, Uchinaga Eri smiled and shook her head, and Karina lowered her head, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her face no matter what.