455: Chapter 508 and its preceding text are being updated normally.

In March 2022, spring in Seoul arrived a bit earlier than in previous years. The cherry blossoms along the Han River had not yet bloomed, but the winter jasmine along the roadside had already sprouted tiny yellow dots, as if someone had used a paintbrush to dab a few bright pigments onto the gray urban background. The wind blew from the river, carrying moisture and a faint, elusive fragrance of flowers—neither cold nor warm, just enough to make one feel that winter had finally passed.

The TG Entertainment building shimmered with a cold luster in the morning light. Its off-white exterior walls and large glass curtain walls reflected the silhouettes of the office buildings opposite and the thin clouds in the sky. The flower beds at the entrance had been replanted with new greenery, their tender leaves trembling slightly in the sunlight. The receptionist in the lobby had changed into spring attire—a light pink cardigan and a white shirt—her smile brighter than it had been in winter.

Everything was running, everything was expanding. The earnings from "the crab" had been settled, and the large cash flow injected into every department of TG Entertainment like blood. The External Investment Planning Department had officially been established; the office was filled with newly hired analysts, their eyes fixed on the data on their screens, their fingers tapping rapidly on keyboards. The promotional contract with The Shilla Hotel had been signed, and the TG Entertainment planning team was coordinating with Lee Boo-jin's team—meeting after meeting, with plans being revised version after version. JYP was also pressing; after Park Jin-young's solo ended, TWICE's comeback plan needed to be put on the schedule. Jiang Zhiyu had promised them that he would take them to Yunnan in April to film their group variety show. The hosts in Yunnan had already confirmed the itinerary; hotels, vehicles, and the filming crew were all arranged.

Everything was going unbelievably smoothly. Thanks to the opportunity at the Samsung banquet, with Lee Jae-yong personally calling him "Future partner Jiang Zhiyu" and Lee Boo-jin personally acknowledging "God-sister Kim Soo-yeon," companies that had previously held a wait-and-see attitude toward TG Entertainment began to proactively extend olive branches, and competitors who had previously been wary of TG Entertainment began to temper their edge. Samsung's endorsement was like a golden key, opening those tightly closed doors.

The collaboration between TG Entertainment and SM Entertainment had also officially begun its coordination phase. It wasn't a "negotiation," but "coordination"; the contracts had been signed, the terms set, and what remained was only execution. As the first subject of deep collaboration between SM Entertainment and TG Entertainment, Kim Taeyeon's personal project was placed at the very forefront of all projects. Jiang Zhiyu took personal charge, from the planning proposal to the execution scheme, from musical style to visual presentation, deliberating over every detail repeatedly. He spent nearly a month watching all of her stages, variety shows, live streams, and interviews from her debut until now. Some he watched once, others he watched many times. He was searching for something in those images—not data, not traffic, but something indescribable, something only he could see and only he would care about.

Jiang Zhiyu and Kim Taeyeon hadn't seen each other for a long time again. The last time they met was a few months ago at the entrance of an izakaya, where she stood under a streetlamp, holding a cup of cold water in her hand. He had walked over and said, "For the collaboration project between TG Entertainment and SM Entertainment, Kim Taeyeon is the first choice." After that, they had met a few times, but always in professional settings. Company-to-company meetings, where she sat in the SM Entertainment seat and he sat in the TG Entertainment seat. Separated by a long table, by documents, by the logos of the two companies. They had looked at each other, nodded, smiled, and said "Hello" and "Goodbye," without saying much else. However, the messages on their phones hadn't really stopped. She would occasionally send a message, always very short— "Zhiyu-ah, are you asleep?" "Zhiyu-ah, the weather is so nice today." "Zhiyu-ah, have you eaten?" He replied every time, and he replied very earnestly. She would always reply to his reply, and then disappear. It wasn't intentional; it was just that she didn't know how to continue. She wanted to say a lot, but was afraid of saying too much; she wanted to ask a lot, but was afraid of asking too much. He was also quite helpless, but he could understand her awkwardness.

A conference room on the third floor of the TG Entertainment building had been requisitioned today. It wasn't the largest one, but the one with the most "human touch." There was a potted plant by the wall, a few industry magazines on the windowsill, and instead of those cold glass cups on the table, there were warm ceramic cups. The projector had been set up, and the screen displayed the words "Kim Taeyeon Personal Project Launch Ceremony." There weren't many seats, just over a dozen. From the TG Entertainment side, the heads of the Planning Department, Music Production Department, and Visual Design Department had come; from the SM Entertainment side, representatives from the Manager team, Promotion team, and Artist Management team had arrived.

Jiang Zhiyu sat at the head of the conference table. He was wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt, a silver-gray tie, and simple round silver cufflinks. His hair was styled, with a few stray strands hanging over his forehead. A notebook lay open in front of him, and the first page had a few words written on it— "Departure." Kim Soo-yeon sat next to him, and Kim Taeyeon sat opposite Kim Soo-yeon.

Kim Taeyeon sat on the other side of the conference table, near the window. Sunlight shone in through the window, spreading a warm golden hue over her. She was wearing an off-white knitted cardigan over a light gray base layer, her hair worn down with the ends slightly curled. She wore no heavy makeup; her lips were a soft bean-paste color, and her eyelashes were curled. She kept her head down, spinning a pen between her fingers. The pen spun around her fingers once, then again, and then again. Her gaze fell on some unknown corner of the table, not looking at anything in particular, just letting her mind go blank; she had started doing this from the moment she sat down. Jiang Zhiyu watched her profile, watching the pen spinning between her fingers. He smiled slightly, a shallow smile.

"Since everyone is here, let's begin the meeting." His voice was neither high nor low.

The atmosphere in the conference room changed in that instant. It shifted from "waiting" to "starting." The people from the Planning Department straightened their posture, those from the Music Production Department put down their phones, and the people from the Visual Design Department opened their notebooks. The Manager from the SM Entertainment side also straightened his back, the people from the Promotion team retracted their gaze from outside the window, and the representative from the Artist Management team adjusted his tie. Kim Taeyeon also lifted her head; her fingers stopped spinning the pen, the pen clamped between her fingers, as she looked at Jiang Zhiyu.

Jiang Zhiyu stood up from his seat and walked over to the large television. Holding a remote control, he pressed a button, and the words "Kim Taeyeon Personal Project" appeared on the screen in a deep blue font, steady and restrained. "First of all, thank you very much to SM Entertainment for allowing Ms. Kim Taeyeon to be the first subject of deep collaboration with TG Entertainment." His voice came through the small microphone in the conference room, clear and steady. "As the President of TG, I am very grateful to SM Entertainment. It is also an honor to be able to cooperate with Kim Taeyeon-xi again."

Applause broke out in the conference room. It wasn't loud, but it was sincere. Kim Taeyeon also clapped along, with moderate force and in rhythm. Her gaze fell on that line of text on the big screen.

"In this collaboration, I have gained a further understanding of Kim Taeyeon-xi." Jiang Zhiyu pressed the remote, and the screen switched to the next page. It was a chart, not of data, but of keywords. Densely packed phrases were arranged together like a blossoming flower. "Especially in the 'taeyeons search' personal variety show, I observed some very interesting details."

Kim Taeyeon's eyebrows moved slightly. That variety show had been filmed a long time ago; she had driven alone on a trip to places she wanted to go but hadn't been to yet. The show's ratings weren't high, but the reputation was very good. She herself liked that show very much, because it was one of the few moments where she didn't have to play "Kim Taeyeon."

"Then, I magnified it for investigation and research." Jiang Zhiyu's finger tapped the screen, and those keywords began to change color, from gray to blue, from blue to gold. "I have named the details I observed as the theme of this collaboration—" He paused.

Two words appeared on the screen— "Departure."

"Departure. It is selecting a goal, ready to set off. It is purposeful, an absolute, unquestionable affirmation." His voice was neither high nor low. Kim Taeyeon watched Jiang Zhiyu standing in front of the big screen. He was wearing a suit and tie, his cufflinks occasionally catching the light. When he said "Departure," the corners of his mouth curved up. It wasn't a business smile; it was that serious, certain smile she had seen many times, the kind that seemed to say, "I have already seen through you."

He was talking about her personal project, but it seemed he wasn't just talking about the project. He said "Departure," but he was talking about her. Her hesitation of "I want to do something, but I don't know what to do," her anxiety of "I feel like I'm trapped," her unease of "How much further can I go." He said "selecting a goal, ready to set off"—not "starting over," not "starting from zero," but "departure." She was already on the road; she just needed to determine a direction. Her eyelashes trembled.

Jiang Zhiyu was still talking about musical style, visual presentation, and promotional strategy. His speaking speed was neither fast nor slow, and he explained every point in great detail. The musical style was "warm and healing"; no high-pitched technical displays, no complex arrangements, just something that makes people want to take a deep breath when they listen to it. The visual presentation was "a sense of daily life"; no flashy stages, no exquisite makeup, just like a casually filmed vlog. The promotional strategy was "a long-lasting stream"; don't release all the materials at once, but like a serial, release them one episode at a time. Every time there would be a surprise, every time there would be anticipation.

Something was shimmering slightly in Kim Taeyeon's eyes. She couldn't say what it was, only that she felt something clogging her chest; it wasn't uncomfortable, but it was swelling, full. As if something was about to overflow from inside. She could only watch his profile silently, which appeared exceptionally soft in the sunlight, listening to him talk about her, write about her, and depict her.

The meeting continued. Sunlight shone in through the window, drawing bands of light across the floor of the conference room. The longest band of light extended from Kim Taeyeon's feet, across the conference table, passing by those notebooks, water cups, and mobile phones, all the way to Jiang Zhiyu's feet. His leather shoes shimmered with a low-key luster in the band of light, and so did her canvas shoes. Between the two pairs of shoes was the distance of a conference table.

The first half of the meeting ended a bit earlier than expected. Jiang Zhiyu glanced at his watch—10:47 AM. He had originally planned to speak until 11:00, but the data was clearer than he had anticipated, the plans were more mature than he had expected, and the discussions were more efficient than he had envisioned. With a dozen minutes left, he decided to let everyone take a break. "Take a fifteen-minute break." His voice wasn't loud, but the tense atmosphere in the conference room relaxed in that instant. People from the Planning Department stood up from their seats to stretch, those from the Music Production Department gathered together to look at their phones, and the people from the Visual Design Department carried their water cups to the pantry to get water.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't move. He sat at the head of the conference table, with the notebook spread out before him; the open page had the words "Departure" written on it, with a dense list of to-do items below. There were documents that needed approval, plans that needed review, emails that needed replies, and phone calls that needed to be made. Kim Soo-yeon didn't move either; she sat next to him, her own notebook spread out, her fingers swiping on her screen, her brow slightly furrowed. Both of their tabletops were very messy, with documents, data, and plans piled together.

Kim Taeyeon stood up from her seat, her chair pushed slightly, emitting a low scraping sound. She glanced at Jiang Zhiyu—he was looking down at a document, his brow slightly furrowed, his fingers writing something in his notebook, his profile looking very earnest. She retracted her gaze and walked out of the conference room. The corridor lighting changed from cold white to warm yellow, the carpet from gray to deep blue, and there was a faint scent of coffee in the air, drifting over from the pantry at the end of the corridor. She didn't go to the pantry; she went to the elevator lobby and pressed the down button.

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

The Variety Planning Department was on the sixth floor, featuring a style completely different from the Administration Department upstairs. The Administration Department was decorated in shades of gray and white, with neat workstations and orderly files, with every detail emphasizing order. The Variety Planning Department was different; the moment the door opened, Kim Taeyeon thought she had walked into the wrong place. On the walls were hand-drawn graffiti—not the random, messy kind, but carefully designed, imaginative scenes: the starry sky of Kwangya, the interdimensional portal of Kwangya, and the serpentine totem of Black Mamba. The partitions between workstations had been removed and replaced by rows of bookshelves filled with manga, setting collections, and storyboards. In the corner sat an old-fashioned jukebox with its screen lit up, playing aespa's "Next Level." A few half-read design magazines were scattered on the coffee table, and the sofa was bright orange, looking exceptionally striking amid the sea of gray and white furniture.

Kim Taeyeon stood at the doorway and blinked.

A line of Red Velvet Lemms came hopping down from the other end of the corridor. Their bodies were red and translucent, like polished rubies. Golden threads were embedded on their surfaces, shimmering subtly under the lights. They carried trays on their heads with coffee cups on top, moving in neat steps like trained little animals. As they passed in front of her, the leading Lemm looked up at her, its eyes curving into crescent moons, and then hopped along. Kim Taeyeon watched the retreating backs of the line of Lemms, a slight smile touching the corners of her lips.

"Unnie—" The voice came from deep within the office, sweet and crisp, like a candy being bitten open. Lee Tima rushed out from the pile of graffiti, manga, and design drafts, opening her arms like a little bird spreading its wings. She wore a painted outfit—a white hoodie covered in paint handprints of red, blue, yellow, and green, each handprint unique. Her hair was tied in twin tails, the tips dyed blue and shimmering slightly under the lights. There was a smudge of paint on her face, likely rubbed on while she was drawing.

Kim Taeyeon caught her. The movement was natural, like catching a child rushing toward her. Her arms wrapped around Lee Tima's waist, while Lee Tima's arms wrapped around her neck, hanging onto her like a little koala that had found its owner. Kim Taeyeon smiled and reached out to ruffle Lee Tima's hair. Lee Tima squinted her eyes as she was ruffled, letting out a "hehe" sound.

"Unnie, is the meeting over?" Lee Tima looked up from her arms, blinking her eyes.

"No, it's just half-time break," Kim Taeyeon blinked back.

Lee Tima's eyes lit up. "Unnie, come sit in my Director's—" She paused, raising her voice by several octaves, "—office!" That word "Director" echoed through the spacious office.

Kim Taeyeon nodded with a smile. "Alright, Director-nim." The director's office was at the very back of the Variety Planning Department. The door was made of dark wood, with a hand-drawn nameplate pasted on it that read "Lee Tima." The handwriting was hers, round and carrying a childish cuteness. Pushing open the door, the layout inside was simpler than she had imagined. There was a wide desk with a few setting collections, a monitor, and a pen holder. On the wall were photos of her with Jiang Zhiyu, her with Kim Soo-yeon, and her with aespa. On the windowsill sat a succulent plant next to a purple Lemm ornament. Something on the desk caught her attention. It was a nameplate with a dark wooden base and gold lettering. It read—"Deputy Director Lee Tima."

The word "Deputy" was covered by a small flower. The small flower was pasted on, pink and plastic, with edges that were slightly curled up. Kim Taeyeon's gaze lingered on the small flower for a moment, and a very faint curve appeared at the corner of her lips. She didn't say anything or tease her; she just noted the position of the small flower in her heart.

Lee Tima sat behind the desk, propping her hands on it and resting her chin on the backs of her hands. "Unnie, my suggestions are part of your project this time!" Her eyes blinked, like a puppy waiting to be praised.

Kim Taeyeon looked at her. She indeed hadn't listened very carefully during the first half of the meeting. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she just couldn't focus. From the moment the word "Departure" appeared on the screen, her thoughts had drifted away, far to a place she couldn't even define herself. Jiang Zhiyu had said a lot about post-promotion, shooting schedules, and visual presentation. He explained everything in detail, making every point clear. But regarding the music itself, he had barely mentioned it. It wasn't that he forgot; he was saving it for the second half. He never put the most important things at the very beginning; he was used to placing the core in the middle, waiting for everyone to get into the zone before rolling it out bit by bit. He would definitely leave the performance-related matters for the upcoming meeting. She didn't need to guess; she knew.

Since Lee Tima wanted to show off, she was willing to give her a chance to express herself. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her hands over her knees. "Director Tima-nim, please speak." Lee Tima was delighted, the curve of her lips shifting from a "smile" to "triumph." She cleared her throat, her dry cough carrying a solemnity that suggested, "I am about to begin my speech."

"Regarding 'Departure'—" Her voice slowed down, her speaking pace half of what it usually was, as if every word was being weighed before being released. "The core issue is—the definition of the goal." She looked into Kim Taeyeon's eyes. "What is it that Unnie has been wanting lately?"

Kim Taeyeon almost reflexively wanted to say that name. The two syllables rolled on the tip of her tongue, her mouth opening slightly to make a silent "Jiang—" before she realized what she was doing. She swallowed the words back down, replacing them with "the new project proposal." Lee Tima smiled. It wasn't her usual "innocent" smile, but rather a "I know what you're thinking, but I won't expose you" kind of smile. "Unnie, this kind of milestone goal is just fuel for moving forward in life." Her speaking pace slowed down. "What I want to ask is—a much grander goal. What is it that you look forward to and want to obtain the most?"

Kim Taeyeon fell silent. She knew; she had known for a very long time. But she couldn't say it. Saying it would make it too obvious, so obvious that even she would feel embarrassed. Lee Tima didn't press further. Leaning back in her chair with her hands clasped behind her head, her gaze drifted to the ceiling, the curve still lingering on her lips.

"I think what Unnie wants most—is existence." Her voice was very soft. Kim Taeyeon's eyelashes fluttered. Those words fell into her ears like a seed falling into the soil, taking deep root. "Existence, finding the meaning of existence, is a question that everyone pursues throughout their brief lives. This is not a philosophical question, but an attitude toward how we face life." Lee Tima sat up straight in her chair, placing her hands on the desk with fingers interlaced. "This is where my disagreement with Oppa lies." Her tone carried a conviction of "I am right." "Oppa says 'Departure' is about starting anew while carrying everything from the past. I believe—it is about having the desperate courage to throw everything away and set off again after suddenly waking up from a dazed life, having had one's ambition and willingness to try eroded by a comfort zone. It's like a rebirth, getting to know this world all over again."

Kim Taeyeon looked at her. Those eyes, which usually curved into crescent moons, were now wide and bright, reflecting the ceiling lights in her pupils. The curve of her lips remained, but the "innocence" had vanished, replaced by a seriousness that said, "I know what I'm talking about." After finishing, Lee Tima looked at Kim Taeyeon, waiting for her response. Kim Taeyeon didn't respond, only staring at her. The corners of Lee Tima's mouth curved back from "serious" to "triumphant." She giggled inwardly—*Unnie was bluffed by me, hehe~*

A knock on the door suddenly sounded. "Knock, knock, knock," three unhurried taps. Lee Tima jumped down from her chair and ran to open the door. Standing at the door was the line of Red Velvet Lemms, the leading one carrying a tray on its head with two cups of coffee. The lids were sealed tightly, and the steam had condensed into fine water droplets on them. Lee Tima took the coffee from the tray, handing one cup to Kim Taeyeon and holding the other herself. Kim Taeyeon took the coffee, the warmth of the cup's wall transferring to her palm through the paper cup.

"Speaking of which, these Lemms..." Her gaze fell upon the red figures at the door.

Lee Tima took a sip of her coffee. "Oh, they were originally meant for Red Velvet," she said casually. Kim Taeyeon's eyebrows twitched slightly. Lee Tima's voice continued, speaking very quickly, as if trying to cover something up. "But because that night, Oppa and Joohyun Unnie's fir... ah, pah—" Lee Tima choked on her own saliva and coughed several times. What had happened at the barbecue restaurant that night was known to no one except those present and Kim Soo-yeon. She quickly picked up her coffee, took a big gulp, and pretended she hadn't said anything just now.

"Basically, after some things happened with Red Velvet Unnies, it was put on hold." She wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. "Then I figured, since they were just sitting around, we might as well use them first—" She paused. "Oppa agreed to it too." Her gaze drifted out the window.

Kim Taeyeon held her coffee and didn't press further. She lowered her head and looked at the surface of the coffee in her cup. Her reflection wavered on the water, blurry and indistinct. That word "fir..." flashed through her mind—first what? First meeting? First collaboration? First—she didn't let herself think further. The rim of the cup touched her lips, and the coffee tasted a bit bitter.

Lee Tima stole a glance at her. Kim Taeyeon's expression hadn't changed at all, as if she had heard nothing and guessed nothing. She breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, then silently jotted down "almost let the cat out of the bag" in her little notebook, drawing a "Danger" symbol next to it. She took another sip of coffee; it was a bit hot, making her squint her eyes.

Kim Taeyeon walked to the window holding her coffee cup. The sky outside was gray, with thick layers of clouds. The distant Han River looked exceptionally quiet under the gray-white sky, with a few birds flying over the water, so small they looked like moving black dots. She watched those birds, with Lee Tima's words from earlier still echoing in her mind—"Like a rebirth, getting to know this world all over again." She didn't know if that was the true meaning of "Departure," but she knew that from this moment on, some things had indeed changed.

Footsteps echoed from the corridor, unhurried. The door wasn't closed, and the footsteps drew closer and closer. Lee Tima poked her head out the door and then pulled it back. "Unnie, Oppa is here to rush you." Kim Taeyeon turned around. Jiang Zhiyu stood at the door, leaning against the doorframe, holding his notebook, the open page covered with dense handwriting. His gaze lingered on Kim Taeyeon's face for a moment, then fell on Lee Tima's. "The meeting is about to start."

Lee Tima waved at him. "Go ahead, Oppa, I have another meeting in a bit." Jiang Zhiyu nodded and turned to leave. Kim Taeyeon placed her coffee cup on Lee Tima's desk and followed him out.

In the corridor, the two of them walked one after the other. Jiang Zhiyu walked ahead, his pace unhurried. Kim Taeyeon followed behind him, looking at his back. His suit jacket shimmered with a dark gray luster under the corridor lights, and his shoulder lines were straight. She suddenly remembered that a long time ago, he used to walk in front of her just like this, leading her to the recording studio, the meeting room, and places she had never been to before. Back then, she didn't know who he was; she just thought the way this young man walked looked very nice. Now she knew who he was, and she still thought the way he walked looked very nice.