437: Chapter 490,

(From now on, I will no longer write ensemble plots.)

——

At 2:00 PM, the "guardian of princess wonyoung" account updated with a new post.

The content was brief—just a single sentence—but it was like a stone cast into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand ripples.

[guardian of princess wonyoung]: Received top-secret news! Tonight at 8:00 PM, there is an event by the Han River!

No explanation, no preview, no images. Just that one sentence, without context or conclusion, completely baffling.

But the comment section still exploded.

[What event? Explain clearly!]

[Han River? Another drone show? The last one was actually pretty good.]

[guardian of princess wonyoung, what do you mean by only telling half the story?]

[Could it be another new trick from Jiang Zhiyu?]

[You guessed right above! I checked, and TG Entertainment applied to City Hall for a drone show permit tonight.]

[Really? TG Entertainment? Drones? What is Jiang Zhiyu up to now?]

[IVE debuts today, could it be...]

[You're overthinking it. IVE has nothing to do with TG Entertainment.]

[Nothing to do with them? Then who came up with that "universe female 1" last time?]

TG Entertainment PR Department.

Director Park Min-young sat in her office, looking at the line in the new post from "guardian of princess wonyoung" on her phone screen, her lips twitching slightly. She put down her phone, picked up the intercom on her desk, and dialed Jiang Zhiyu's number.

"CEO, did you see it? 'guardian of princess wonyoung' has posted."

On the other end of the line, Jiang Zhiyu's voice was calm: "Mhm, I saw it."

Park Min-young took a deep breath: "Then... do we need to adjust our arrangements for tonight?"

"No need. Just proceed according to the original plan." Jiang Zhiyu paused, "By the way, have people stir things up in the comments and steer the topic toward IVE."

"...Understood."

Park Min-young hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair, sighing as she looked at the ceiling. She sometimes really couldn't understand what was going on in this young CEO's head. Clearly, the two companies only had a normal cooperative relationship, yet he was putting in as much effort as if his own artist was debuting. However—she glanced at the comment count on her phone, which had already surpassed a hundred thousand—she had to admit, this tactic was indeed effective.

Jiang Zhiyu stood in the herb garden on the top floor of the TG building, looking at the gray sky in the distance. Winter in Seoul was always like this—gray, cold, and gloomy, making people feel listless. But his mood was much brighter than the weather.

IVE's debut. He had actually been waiting for this day for a long time.

It wasn't because of the collaboration with Starship, nor because of the terms in the promotional contracts, but because of—Jang Wonyoung. That girl who was always so angry she'd stomp her feet yet couldn't do anything about him. That dummy who clearly knew "guardian of princess wonyoung" might be him but never had definitive proof. That girl he had Photoshopped into "universe female 1," who would scream every time she saw it, but whose lips could never hide a smile.

She thought he was just playing with memes, just hyping things up, just using her popularity for publicity. In fact, she didn't know that from the first time he saw her in 'twelve star envoys', he knew this girl would definitely become a top idol. Not because she was pretty, not because she was talented, but because she had a competitive streak in her bones—a stubbornness of "I must do my best." That kind of thing couldn't be faked.

Jiang Zhiyu looked down at his phone. The comment section had been completely taken over by the internet water army, and the discussion volume for tags like "IVE," "Jang Wonyoung," and "universe female 1" was rising rapidly. His lips curled up slightly as he turned and walked back into the office.

At 6:00 PM, people began to gather at the plaza by the Han River.

Winter in Seoul was very cold, and the temperature had already dropped below zero as winter set in. But for Koreans, this temperature was nothing—they were a people who could run to the Han River to eat instant noodles in sub-zero nights. Fans wrapped in thick puffer jackets gathered in small groups, their white breath clearly visible in the twilight.

"Say, what exactly is the event tonight?"

"I don't know, but I heard TG Entertainment is organizing it."

"Jiang Zhiyu again? The drone show he did last time was pretty good."

"IVE debuts today, could it be related to them?"

"Jang Wonyoung? That 'universe female 1'?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's her."

Discussions rose and fell, merging into a low hum in the twilight.

Not far away, on the open ground of the plaza, hundreds of drones were neatly lined up, undergoing final adjustments. Technicians surrounded the control console, fingers tapping rapidly on keyboards, eyes fixed on the data jumping on the screens. The indicator lights on the drone bodies flickered in the twilight like countless stars fallen to earth.

Jiang Zhiyu stood in front of a temporary monitoring station at the edge of the plaza, hands in his coat pockets, his gaze sweeping over the busy staff.

"CEO, all drones have completed self-checks and are ready for takeoff at any time," a technician came over to report.

Jiang Zhiyu nodded: "What about the emergency teams?"

"In position. Medical, fire, and security teams are all on standby at their designated locations."

"What about the surrounding security?"

"City Hall has sent police to cooperate, and all entrances and exits are guarded. If anyone tries to break in, we'll notice immediately."

Jiang Zhiyu gave a satisfied hum. He looked up at the sky; twilight had fully descended, and lights on both sides of the Han River began to glow, reflecting shimmering ripples on the water's surface.

It was almost time.

He pulled out his phone, opened the "guardian of princess wonyoung" account, and posted another message.

[guardian of princess wonyoung]: The countdown begins. At 7:59 PM, look up at the sky.

The comment section exploded again.

[It's coming, it's coming!]

[Look up at the sky? It's definitely a drone show!]

[guardian of princess wonyoung, why are you so serious today? I'm not used to it.]

[Upstairs, are you just used to being scolded?]

Jiang Zhiyu put away his phone and looked into the distance. The crowd by the Han River was growing denser, a dark mass stretching as far as the eye could see. Some held lightsticks, some had phones ready to record, and some even brought folding chairs and thermoses, looking like they were prepared to sit there all night.

He suddenly thought of Jang Wonyoung.

What was that girl doing now? Was she in the Practice Room nervously waiting for the debut stage broadcast? Or was she in the dorm holding Tami and scrolling through the trending searches, stomping her feet in anger at the tags that just couldn't break into the top ten? Or—was she waiting for his "event"?

Jiang Zhiyu let out a soft chuckle.

——

The wind by the Han River carried the chill of winter, making one's cheeks feel cold. But at this moment, Jang Wonyoung's heart was even more restless than the wind.

She was hidden in the crowd, wearing a hat and mask, flanked by An Yujin, Kim Gaeul, Rei, Liz, and Leeseo, who were also bundled up tightly. They were supposed to stay in the dorm, but the message from "guardian of princess wonyoung" was simply too tempting—plus, with An Yujin's "it won't hurt to go take a look," the group of six had slipped out.

Her phone suddenly vibrated.

The name that made her grit her teeth flashed on the screen.

Jang Wonyoung hesitated for a second before pressing the answer button.

"Wonyoung! Have you arrived?" On the other end, Jiang Zhiyu's voice carried an irrepressible excitement.

Jang Wonyoung instinctively shrank her neck and lowered her voice: "Arrived where?"

"By the Han River! I keep my word—you're definitely going to dominate the trending searches tonight!"

Jang Wonyoung's heart skipped a beat, but her words remained sharp: "I'm not there! I'm at the dorm. You want me to go, so I go? Depends on my mood!"

"Is that so?" Jiang Zhiyu's laughter came through the receiver, sounding meaningful. "Then look up."

Jang Wonyoung was stunned for a moment, and before she could react, the surrounding crowd suddenly erupted into deafening gasps.

She abruptly looked up.

The sky lit up.

Hundreds of drones soared into the air, forming a neat formation in the night sky, flashing with multicolored lights. They were like a swarm of magical fireflies, sketching incredible patterns in the darkness.

The first image slowly emerged.

It was a photo—no, a giant sky screen composed of drones as pixels. And the content of the photo made Jang Wonyoung's pupils dilate instantly.

It was her.

Not the polished version of her with stage makeup from now, but how she looked several years ago during the survival show. A youthful face, two small pigtails, laughing carelessly.

Jang Wonyoung's mouth fell open, but she couldn't make a sound.

The second image. The third. The fourth.

The images kept switching, from the Practice Room during the survival show to the embarrassing look of balancing a water bottle on her head on the set of 'twelve star envoys', to a "candid home photo" of her lying on the sofa in pajamas eating snacks—

"What is this?!!!" Jang Wonyoung finally screamed, her voice drowned out by the cheers of the crowd.

An Yujin was already laughing so hard she couldn't stand straight, pointing at the sky: "Wonyoung, your dark history! It's all being exposed!"

Kim Gaeul covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking violently. Rei remained expressionless, but her eyes were incredibly bright. Liz and Leeseo held onto each other, laughing and stomping their feet.

Jang Wonyoung's face was burning intensely. She watched the photos flash across the sky one by one, each making her want to find a hole to crawl into. Especially that "aquarius saintess" one—it was the classic look from 'twelve star envoys' where she had a 400,000 Korean Won mineral water bottle on her head, and with that mini water bottle on top, the embarrassment level was off the charts.

"Five minutes..." Jang Wonyoung gritted her teeth, her voice trembling, "A full five minutes!"

She could almost imagine how many memes would be born tomorrow.

Finally, her photos ended. The image in the sky switched to another person.

An Yujin.

Jang Wonyoung breathed a sigh of relief, but soon grew tense again—because her phone was still pressed to her ear, and on the other end of the line, Jiang Zhiyu seemed to be leisurely waiting for her reaction.

“How is it? Does it look good?” His voice carried a hint of a smile.

Jang Wonyoung took a deep breath, trying hard to make her voice sound calm: “I... I didn't see anything. I told you, I'm at the dorm.”

“The dorm?” Jiang Zhiyu chuckled softly. “Then what’s with the sound of the wind on your end? Is a window open in the dorm?”

Jang Wonyoung opened her mouth but found herself speechless.

The images in the sky continued to switch. Kim Gaeul, Rei, Liz, Leeseo—each member's photos were presented in turn, from their green trainee days to their current pre-debut appearance. Although they didn't have the impact of Jang Wonyoung's 'dark history' level photos, it was enough to leave them both surprised and delighted.

An Yujin nudged Jang Wonyoung's arm and whispered, “Has he been preparing this for a long time?”

Jang Wonyoung didn't answer. Her gaze fell on the sky, on those photos, as an indescribable emotion welled up in her heart.

The last photo slowly faded away.

The night sky fell silent for a moment.

Then, several large speakers along the Han River began to play music simultaneously.

It was the intro to their debut song—one Jang Wonyoung knew all too well. They had practiced it countless times; every beat was etched into her bones.

“A-mu-do mot mag-a, We're too strong, eleven—”

The drones in the sky rearranged themselves once more, this time forming the lyrics, the trajectories of their dance steps, and every iconic move from their MV. The massive celestial screen seemed to turn the entire night sky into a stage, and they were the protagonists being looked up to by everyone.

“Make 'em feel the rhythm, make 'em feel the vibe—”

The crowd erupted. Some sang along, some held up their phones to record, and some were so moved they had tears in their eyes.

Jang Wonyoung stood rooted to the spot, motionless.

An Yujin took her hand. Kim Gaeul gently patted her shoulder. Rei wore a rare smile. Liz and Leeseo leaned in from either side.

Jang Wonyoung's eyes suddenly turned red.

This wasn't her first debut. Four years ago, she had stood on stage as a member of IZ*ONE, experiencing the flowers and applause, as well as the loss that came with their disbandment. But this time, it was different.

This time, she wasn't 'IZ*ONE's Jang Wonyoung,' but 'IVE's Jang Wonyoung.' It was a fresh start, carrying the dreams of six girls, standing at a new starting line.

And that person, that man who made her grit her teeth with a mix of love and hate, was telling the world in this way—

She deserved to be seen.

Jiang Zhiyu's voice came through the phone: “Hello? Wonyoung? You still there?”

Like a wooden puppet, Jang Wonyoung slowly lifted the phone to her ear, but she couldn't make a sound.

“Please continue to walk the flower path in the future, Jang Wonyoung-xi.” His tone was uncharacteristically serious. “Happy debut.”

Jang Wonyoung opened her mouth, but her throat felt as if something were blocking it.

Jiang Zhiyu reverted to his usual annoying tone: “By the way, don't be in a hurry to leave in a bit.”

A flurry of noise came from the other end of the line, as if staff members were reporting to him. He didn't hang up, and Jang Wonyoung could clearly hear the conversation over there.

“CEO, the drone test is complete. The technical team found a few issues that need to be corrected.”

“Alright, bring them all down. Organize tonight's test data; we'll discuss it in tomorrow's meeting.”

“Understood. And the fireworks—”

“Start them at nine. Starship is paying for it anyway, so no need to be stingy.”

“The launch time for the Shakudama?”

“Put it in the middle. By the way, are Shakudama really that expensive? One firework costs as much as a car... And that ‘IVE Debut’ text firework, are we sure there are no issues with it?”

“It's been tested three times, safety is guaranteed.”

“Fine, go ahead.”

Having arranged things on his end, Jiang Zhiyu spoke into the phone again: “Wonyoung-ah, take a look at who's number one on the trending searches now? I always keep my word.”

Jang Wonyoung tremblingly opened her phone.

On the trending list, those hashtags from earlier in the day—the 'Crab' trailer, Park Jin-young's solo, IU's new drama, Karina as Snow White—they had all vanished.

The top ten were all about IVE.

Number 1: #IVE Successful Debut#

Number 2: #Jang Wonyoung universe female 1 Debut#

Number 3: #IVE ELEVEN#

Number 4: #Han River Drone Show#

Number 5: #Jang Wonyoung aquarius saintess#

Number 6: #IVE Sky Screen#

Number 7: #An Yujin Happy Debut#

Number 8: #Kim Gaeul Stunning Beauty#

Number 9: #REI Stage Presence#

Number 10: #LIZ Leeseo Duo#

Jang Wonyoung stared at the 'universe female 1 Debut' tag, her lip twitching slightly.

“Are you crazy?” Her voice was tearful yet laced with laughter.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't answer, merely letting out a soft chuckle.

Exactly nine o'clock.

The first firework exploded in the night sky.

It was a golden chrysanthemum, blooming in the darkness, its petals scattering like shooting stars. Immediately after, a second, then a third—countless fireworks vied to rush into the sky, painting the entire Han River in a kaleidoscope of colors.

The crowd erupted in deafening cheers. Some held up lightsticks, some waved glow sticks, and some held up their phones, wanting to record this unforgettable moment.

Jang Wonyoung tilted her head back, watching the fireworks burst above her. Red, green, blue, purple, one after another, as if they would never stop.

An Yujin leaned on her shoulder and whispered: “It's so beautiful.”

Kim Gaeul wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, stubbornly saying, “The wind is too strong, I got sand in my eyes.”

Rei looked up at the sky and managed a rare full sentence: “This is the best debut gift.”

Liz and Leeseo were already huddled together, crying in a heap.

Jang Wonyoung didn't speak. She just kept her head tilted back, watching the fireworks.

In the middle, a massive firework soared into the sky—the Shakudama. It was brighter and higher than all the others; the moment it exploded in the night sky, the entire Han River was illuminated as if daylight had arrived early.

The crowd's cheers reached a peak.

Then, four large characters appeared in the sky—'IVE DEBUT'.

The characters formed by fireworks burned in the night sky for a few seconds before slowly dissipating.

Jang Wonyoung finally couldn't hold it back; tears slid down her cheeks.

On the phone, Jiang Zhiyu's voice rang out again: “Did you see it? You've debuted, Wonyoung.”

She wiped away a tear, trying hard to make her voice sound normal: “I saw it.”

“Things will be even better from now on.”

Jang Wonyoung nodded, then remembered he couldn't see her, so she gave a soft “Mm.”

The fireworks continued to bloom. The thirty-minute firework extravaganza was so beautiful that one couldn't bear to blink for a single second.

Jang Wonyoung suddenly realized she couldn't remember the last time she had watched fireworks. Maybe it was when she was a child, maybe it was some New Year's Eve, or maybe she never had—because her life had always been about practice, stages, cameras, and countless sleepless nights.

But now, at this very moment, someone had set off these fireworks for her.

Not for the sake of a show, not for a commercial partnership, but simply to tell her—

You are worth it.

Jiang Zhiyu's voice came through the phone: “Wonyoung-ah, head back early after you finish watching. Don't catch a cold.”

“Mm.”

“And also—”

“What?”

“Don't say 'I'm not here' anymore. When you said you weren't there, I was quite sad.”

Jang Wonyoung was stunned for a moment, and before she could react, the call had already disconnected.

Holding her phone, she stood there amidst the roar of fireworks and the cheers of the crowd.

An Yujin leaned in and asked curiously, “What did he say?”

Jang Wonyoung shook her head and tucked the phone into her pocket.

“Nothing.”

She looked up toward the sky. Another firework exploded, illuminating her face.

An Yujin looked at her expression and smiled: “You cried.”

“I didn't,” Jang Wonyoung said stubbornly.

“You did. You clearly did.”

“I didn't!”

An Yujin didn't expose her further. She just gently took Jang Wonyoung's hand.

Jang Wonyoung didn't pull away.

The fireworks continued. The thirty-minute show was more than halfway through.

Gazing at those fleeting bursts of light, she suddenly spoke: “Yujin-ah.”

“Mm?”

“We'll... we'll make it to the very end, right?”

An Yujin smiled and tightened her grip on her hand.

“Of course.”

Jang Wonyoung smiled as well.

The last firework bloomed in the air and then slowly dissipated, and the night sky returned to silence.

The crowd began to slowly disperse, some still discussing the images from earlier, others already posting frantically on social media.

On the trending list, #Han River Firework Show# rocketed to number one. Meanwhile, #IVE Successful Debut# and #Jang Wonyoung universe female 1 Debut# held steady in the top three.

Jang Wonyoung looked up at the sky one last time.

There was nothing left there.

But she knew it wasn't the end. It was just a beginning.

Tomorrow, they would stand on a real stage.