457: Chapter 510 Avant-garde

At the end of March, the spring breeze in Seoul still carried a hint of chill, but the sunshine was already warm enough to make people want to take off their coats.

The departure hall of Incheon International Airport was bustling with people: travelers dragging suitcases, drivers holding pick-up signs, and couples embracing in farewell. The noisy chatter and broadcast announcements blended together, weaving a symphony of departures and beginnings.

Jiang Zhiyu stood in front of the security checkpoint, clutching his boarding pass and passport.

He wore a thin dark gray jacket over a black crew-neck T-shirt, paired with casual trousers and white sneakers. He didn't look like a CEO heading out on a business trip; he looked more like a senior student heading off on a graduation trip.

His luggage was modest: a black carry-on suitcase and a dark blue backpack. Inside the backpack were a laptop, some documents, a book about traditional Chinese medicinal herbs from Yunnan, and a bottle of pills he had rolled himself.

Kim Soo-yeon stood beside him, wearing an off-white trench coat, her hair loose, holding a tablet.

Her expression was that focused look of "I am verifying work."

"The schedule for TWICE has been adjusted. Arriving on April 6th, filming for three days, a week round trip. As for your side, the hotel and vehicles are all arranged. The partners in Yunnan will send someone to pick you up at the airport."

Her finger swiped across the tablet.

"I've arranged for someone to water and fertilize the herb garden regularly. Don't you worry."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded.

"I'll leave things at TG Entertainment to you. Send me a message if anything comes up; my signal should be fine here."

Kim Soo-yeon glanced at him.

"You handed the reins of the Variety Department to Tima?"

Jiang Zhiyu's mouth curved slightly.

"Yeah. Isn't that what she's always wanted? Give her a chance."

Kim Soo-yeon was silent for a moment.

"Aren't you afraid she'll ruin aespa?"

"Not afraid." Jiang Zhiyu's tone was firm.

"aespa is smarter than she thinks."

He paused.

"Besides, it doesn't matter if she ruins it; she's my sister anyway, and I can't escape that."

Kim Soo-yeon's mouth twitched, and she didn't respond.

The broadcast sounded, and boarding for Jiang Zhiyu's flight began.

He stuffed his boarding pass and passport into his pocket and pulled up the handle of his suitcase.

"I'm going."

"Yeah. Safe travels."

Jiang Zhiyu turned and walked toward the security checkpoint.

His pace was steady and unhurried, the wheels of his suitcase making a "rumbling" sound on the ground.

He didn't look back, because he knew that Kim Soo-yeon would handle everything he left behind, perhaps even better than he could himself.

He passed through security and walked into the departure lounge.

Kim Soo-yeon stood where she was, watching him.

Her expression was still that focused look of "I am verifying work," but there was a light in her eyes—not tears, but anticipation.

She looked down at the tablet; the screen displayed today's schedule—10:00 AM, aespa Kwangya concept variety show meeting, TG Entertainment conference room, host: Lee Tima.

She put away the tablet and turned to walk toward the parking lot.

Her high heels clicked crisply against the floor, the sound moving from near to far, soon drowned out by the noise of the airport.

The conference room at TG Entertainment was on the seventh floor; it wasn't the largest one, but it was the one with the most "atmosphere."

Usually, this conference room was used for reviewing footage, discussing conceptual designs, and doing work that required "immersion."

The curtains on the walls were drawn tight, the overhead lights were off, and only a few wall lamps emitted a faint light.

Karina pushed open the conference room door and stood at the entrance, stunned for a moment.

It was too dark inside, so dark that she could only see the blurry outlines of the tables and chairs.

She looked back at the hallway—the hallway lights were bright, casting her shadow long.

She stepped inside, with Kim Minjeong following behind her, Ningning following Kim Minjeong, and Uchinaga Eri following at the very back.

The door closed behind them.

Darkness surged in from all directions, wrapping around them.

"What's going on?" Kim Minjeong's voice drifted from behind Karina, carrying a hint of confusion like "Did I walk onto the wrong set?"

"I don't know." Karina's voice was calm, but she had already felt her way through the darkness to her seat—the third chair on the left side of the conference table.

She pulled out the chair and sat down, tapping her fingers lightly on the armrest.

Kim Minjeong sat down next to her, with Ningning and Eri opposite them.

The conference table was long, enough to seat over a dozen people.

Now, those seats were filled with people—planners, screenwriters, executive directors, and camera directors from the TG Variety Department, each with a notebook spread out in front of them, their expressions serious.

They had just arrived as well and were experiencing this "holding a big meeting in the dark" situation for the first time.

Their gazes swept over the four members of aespa, then retracted, landing on the single beam of light at the head of the conference table.

Lee Tima sat in the main seat.

Her hands were crossed and pressed against the tip of her nose—no, not her own hands, but plastic, movable, toy hands.

Her hands were gripping the control rods underneath, with two plastic fingers pressed against her nose.

The pose was exactly like Gendo Ikari from Evangelion.

She was wearing a black turtleneck sweater, her hair loose, with a serious expression and a deep gaze.

A beam of light shone straight down from the ceiling onto her head, casting a shadow on the side of her face, enveloping her in an aura of "I am the ruler of this world."

Cameras were set up in the four corners of the conference room, on the walls, and on the ceiling.

The red lights were on, indicating they were recording.

Karina's gaze swept over those cameras and landed back on Lee Tima's face.

Inside, she was complaining—what kind of chuunibyou opening is this?

But the curve of her mouth wouldn't go down; it wasn't that she wanted to laugh, it was that she was holding back laughter.

Kim Minjeong's reaction was more direct; her mouth was already pursed into a line, and that line was trembling slightly.

Ningning lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Uchinaga Eri was expressionless, but her fingers were tapping lightly on the table in a fast rhythm—that was her little tic when holding back laughter.

The others weren't doing much better; Section Chief Kim from the Planning Department picked up his water cup and pretended to drink, the rim of the cup covering half his face.

Team Leader Park from the Screenwriting Department lowered her head and pretended to look at her notebook, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Lee Tima spoke.

The voice was squeezed out of her throat, deliberately kept very low and gruff, as if she were imitating some villainous character.

"aespa..." The two words were drawn out long.

"As SM's currently hot idol group, Kwangya—is the setting concept of your birth."

She began to introduce Kwangya—Kwangya, Black Mamba, nævis, P.O.S—all those grand yet chuunibyou worldviews that SM had spent a fortune building, the ones that fans knew better than the idols themselves, now poured out all at once from the mouth of a young girl in a black hoodie, holding plastic toy hands, using a deliberately lowered voice, accompanied by the stage effect of "I am the only light here."

The four of them—Karina and the others—had only one thought in their hearts: please, stop talking about this chuunibyou setting.

It was too embarrassing.

It wasn't the content that was embarrassing, it was the way it was being read out.

It was like having your diary read aloud in public, or having your childhood chuunibyou lines dug up and read at a family gathering.

They communicated silently with expressions and eye contact—Karina looked at Kim Minjeong, Kim Minjeong looked at Ningning, Ningning looked at Eri, and Eri looked at Karina.

Then the four of them simultaneously retracted their gazes, lowered their heads, and looked at the tabletop in front of them.

Lee Tima's voice continued.

Her gaze swept over the faces of the four aespa members, starting from Karina and looking at each one in turn.

Those eyes were exceptionally bright in the shadows, like two polished obsidians.

Her hands gripped those two plastic toy hands, the "fingers" of the fake hands moving lightly in the light, like some kind of silent ritual.

"Karina!" The voice raised by half a degree.

Another beam of light descended from above—not from the ceiling, but from a spotlight on the wall, shining straight down onto Karina's head, her hair gleaming with a chestnut luster in the light.

Karina shuddered, not from fear, but from being burned by the temperature of the light.

Her business expression—that smile that was always impeccable in front of the camera—almost crumbled.

Her mouth twitched, but she steadied herself, suppressing that urge to "hit someone" back into her chest.

"Rocket Puncher—" Lee Tima read out her "weapon."

The tone was exactly the same as when reading a textbook, without any emotional color.

But the four words "Rocket Puncher" seemed exceptionally explosive in this serious yet absurd atmosphere.

Karina's mouth twitched again.

"Karina, how do you think you can embody your Rocket Puncher persona in the variety show while also highlighting your individual personality traits?"

The conference room fell silent.

Everyone's eyes landed on Karina's face.

Those gazes included people watching a show, people finding it funny, and people worrying—Section Chief Kim from the Planning Department was watching the show, Team Leader Park from the Screenwriting Department was finding it funny, and Executive Director PD Kim was worried—worried about whether she could "catch" this "ball" thrown by Lee Tima.

Kim Minjeong sat next to her, her expression a complex mix of "I'm worried but I also find it funny."

Karina tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Her gaze landed on Lee Tima's face, then shifted away, and she made eye contact with Kim Minjeong.

Kim Minjeong's eyes said, "Unnie, fighting," while her own eyes said, "Just you wait."

She took a deep breath, let it circulate in her chest, and then slowly exhaled.

"That all depends on PD Tima's design."

Her voice was calm, the tone that polite "I am complimenting you" style.

"As for me, I would prefer—content that isn't so awkward."

Her gaze landed on Lee Tima's face.

Lee Tima's eyebrows arched.

"Not so awkward?" When those four words came out of her mouth, they carried a hint of "What are you talking about?" playfulness.

Karina's calf was kicked by Kim Minjeong; it didn't hurt much, but she immediately realized—her answer just now was too "official," so official it was like playing tai chi.

This wasn't the effect the variety show meeting wanted; variety shows wanted explosive moments, topics, material that could be edited into clips.

"It's just— " She slowed her speaking pace.

"To embody the power of the 'Rocket Puncher,' and also my own charm."

When she said "my own charm," her voice was noticeably lower.

She didn't know what "my own charm" was either, but the phrase sounded high-class, so it shouldn't be wrong.

Lee Tima raised her hand to gesture.

The plastic toy hand waved in front of her, the gesture carrying a "please continue" meaning.

"Karina, please describe in detail the charm you believe you possess."

Karina's cheeks began to burn, the heat spreading from her apple cheeks, across the bridge of her nose, to the apple cheek on the other side.

This was in front of the camera, in front of so many people, asking her to praise herself.

All those things she secretly said in front of the mirror, wrote on Bubble using her Zhimins Little Strawberry account, or posted on her private Instagram—those "Ji-min is so pretty today," "Ji-min's stage presence is amazing," "Ji-min's voice is angelic"—she was supposed to say them in public?

Ningning's voice drifted over from the side, not loud, but exceptionally clear in the quiet conference room.

"Unnie, hurry up and say it! Show us the 'hehehe' look you have when you praise yourself using 'Zhimins Little Strawberry'!"

The voice was light and crisp, the tone one of "I'm helping you, fighting!" sincerity.

The air in the conference room froze. Karina's face had turned into a tomato. The red was so deep it looked like it was about to drip blood. She was roaring inside, the sound so loud she felt her own eardrums vibrating. How could she say something like that out loud! Ningning!!! Her gaze swept across Ningning's face; the killing intent in that gaze was so intense that Ningning shrank her neck. Ningning quickly lowered her head, pretending to look at her notebook, though there was nothing on it.

Lee Tima's lips curved into an arc. It wasn't her usual "innocent" smile, but one of anticipation, as if to say, "Let's see what you can come up with." Her plastic toy hands were still held in a "please continue" gesture.

Karina pursed her lips. Amidst her chaotic thoughts, a voice suddenly rang out— "I believe in Ji-min, you are truly great." The voice floated up from the depths of her memory, like a pearl buried in sand, washed up by the tide. It was what Jiang Zhiyu had said to her in the hallway after filming the "Phantom Thief Zhimin and Withe Pighead Battle" that day— "It's really fortunate that you are the aespa leader." Her breathing steadied. Jiang Zhiyu had told her many times things like "I believe in you" and "You're the best." Each time, she felt embarrassed, and each time, she felt he was just coaxing her. But at this moment, those words were like ropes, pulling her out of her chaotic thoughts. She lifted her gaze from the floor, looking at the air in front of her. Kim Minjeong was looking at her, Ningning was looking at her, Uchinaga Eri was looking at her, Lee Tima was looking at her, and everyone in the Variety Department was looking at her. In those gazes, there was anticipation, curiosity, encouragement, and amusement.

She opened her eyes and looked at the three people opposite her. Kim Minjeong was watching her, her eyes bright with the kind of glow that said, "I believe in you, Unnie." Ningning was watching her, the same arc still hanging on her lips, but there was seriousness in her eyes. Uchinaga Eri was also watching her, her expression calm, but her fingers had stopped tapping the table. Strengths? Charms? She recalled her performances on stage, the spotlights pouring down from above, sweat sliding down her temples, as she spun, jumped, and smiled within that light. She remembered the fans below the stage, the lights of the lightsticks merging into a sea in the darkness, the shouts of "Karina" surging in from all directions, lifting her up, carrying her to great heights. She remembered how she hated crying in front of others and didn't like letting people see her vulnerable side. But then she remembered those moments when her eyes welled up—not because of sadness, but because of being moved, because she felt loved, because that love surged up from below the stage, to the point where she couldn't stand, to the point where she wanted to say "thank you" but couldn't get the words out.

She spoke up. Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was as clear as if carved in stone.

"My charm... is—that I am aespa's Karina, the leader, the Unnie of the members, the Karina that fans look forward to and love. The Karina who will never admit defeat, who must do her best no matter what she does—Karina."

The conference room went quiet. It wasn't the kind of silence where "no one is speaking," but a deeper kind, as if time had been pressed on a pause button. Kim Minjeong covered her mouth, the tears in her eyes finally falling, and she wiped them away gently with her fingers. Ningning's lips went from pursed to slightly parted; the arc wasn't large, but it carried a sense of "I am proud of you." Uchinaga Eri finally set down her coffee cup, the bottom of the cup making a soft "clack" against the saucer. Several people from the Variety Department exchanged glances, the look in their eyes saying, "As expected of aespa's leader."

Lee Tima was also stunned. Her plastic toy hands were still held in a "please continue" gesture, but her hands forgot to move. Her gaze landed on Karina's face, that face still flushed with a serious expression, as if she were giving an inaugural speech. She silently recited the words Karina had just spoken. "Never admit defeat," "Must do her best no matter what"—she wondered if this was why Jiang Zhiyu liked her so much.

She spoke. "Karinaxi, so your charm is—" She paused, her lips curving into a strange arc. "Karina-brand Kimchi?"

Karina had still been immersed in the aftertaste of her "cool speech." Her eyes were still moist, the tip of her nose was still red, and the proud arc on her lips hadn't faded yet. When those six words, "Karina-brand Kimchi," came out of Lee Tima's mouth, her expression looked as if someone had pressed the pause button, shifting from "touched" to "confused," from "confused" to "absurd," and from "absurd" to "breakdown."

"Tima, what do you mean by that?" Her voice was sharp and urgent.

Lee Tima smiled, the expression looking exceptionally innocent on her face, which was bathed in a beam of light. "The Karina-brand Kimchi that everyone loves and can't live without at every meal." Her tone was sincere.

The atmosphere in the conference room changed in that instant. Everyone—including the staff who had been holding back their laughter—simultaneously looked up at the ceiling, not voluntarily, but as if drawn by something, as if their chins had been lifted by an invisible hand. The conference room went quiet for a moment. Everyone's gaze shifted to the ceiling. There was a thought Bubble—not a real cloud, but a comic-style cloud projected by the projector, with blurred edges and a pale blue light shining from the center. Inside that light, a person wearing a spicy cabbage mascot costume was dancing. The cabbage leaves were emerald green, the base was white, and worn on that person, it looked like a cabbage spirit wriggling around. She was dancing to "Next Level," her movements standard, her timing precise. When she sang the line "I'm on the next level," she extended her arm to make an "upward" gesture. The cabbage leaves shook with her movement, shaking off a few crumbs.

Kim Minjeong couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter. The laugh was short, that sound like a knife cutting through the frozen air in the conference room. Then, laughter erupted in the room—Section Chief Kim from the Planning Department laughed until he collapsed on the table, Team Leader Park from the Scriptwriting Group laughed while clutching her stomach, and Executive Director Kim PD laughed until he slapped his thigh. Ningning laughed until she leaned on Uchinaga Eri's shoulder, and Uchinaga Eri finally broke, the arc on her lips changing from "slight" to a "grin." Kim Minjeong laughed until she was slumped over the table, her shoulders shaking.

Karina sat there, her face turning from "tomato red" to "liver purple." Her lips twitched several times, and her hands were clenched into fists on her knees, her knuckles white. Inside her heart, a little person was kneeling on the ground, hands supporting the floor, forehead pressed against the floor, wailing—My cool speech!!! Her face was illuminated intermittently by the white light of the projector.

Lee Tima smiled, not the deliberately suppressed "villain smile" she had used earlier, but one that came from the heart, one that found it "fun." Her fingers moved, and the "fingers" of the two plastic fake hands moved along with them. She snapped her fingers. "Snap," the sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear amidst the laughter.

The beam of light above Karina's head went out, and another beam of light shot out from a spotlight on the wall, landing straight on Kim Minjeong's head. Kim Minjeong's smile froze on her face, starting from the corners of her lips, as if someone had pressed the pause button. Her eyes still maintained the arc of laughter from just a moment ago, and her mouth was still grinning.

"Weapon User WINTER..." Lee Tima's voice came from that shadow, calm, but carrying a certainty that "you can't escape." "Do you have any thoughts of your own regarding the Kwangya variety show project?"

Kim Minjeong's eyes widened. So, no one can escape, is that it? The white light of the beam was reflected in her pupils; the light was too bright, dazzling her. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but closed it again. What could she say? Say, "I also want the same treatment as the Karina-brand Kimchi"? Say, "I don't want Kimchi, I want something else"?

The beam of light shot down from the ceiling like an invisible shackle, pinning Kim Minjeong to her chair. Her mouth opened and closed, closed and opened, like a fish thrown onto the shore. Air moved in and out of her throat, without making any meaningful sound. "Weapon User"—she had memorized this setting countless times, in the SMCU plot shorts, in various interviews, at fan meetings, she could say it fluently. But at this moment, when asked to say "what she wanted to embody with this setting," her brain felt as if someone had pressed the clear button.

Lee Tima looked at her through the gaps between the two plastic fake hands. Her lips curled slightly, the arc not large. "Weapon User, well—" Her voice dragged out. "That's a Weapon Master."

Kim Minjeong's eyes lit up. The change in brightness was so fast, it was like someone had pressed a switch in her pupils. Her head bobbed up and down, the frequency as fast as a chick pecking at rice. "Yes, yes, yes! Weapon Master!" Her voice was crisp and bright.

Ningning, sitting next to her, watched Kim Minjeong's "Tima is right" expression, and her heart skipped a beat. Unnie had just foolishly been led into a ditch by Lee Tima. Her gaze moved back and forth between Kim Minjeong and Lee Tima like a scanning radar, the arc on her lips changing from a "smile" to "I'm watching a show." Just wait and see, something is definitely going to happen next; not "maybe," but "definitely." She knew Lee Tima too well, and she knew Kim Minjeong too well. One is a master at digging pits, the other is a contestant who jumps into pits with her eyes closed. With this combination, it would be strange if nothing went wrong.

Lee Tima looked at Kim Minjeong, who was so easily fooled by her that she could only nod, and almost laughed out loud. She used the plastic fake hands to cover the arc of her mouth, which was about to stretch to her ears. "Weapon User is a very powerful person." The tone was like coaxing a child.

"Tima, you're right! Weapon User is super powerful!" Kim Minjeong's voice raised a few degrees. "Just like me!"

The conference room went quiet for a moment. The staff exchanged glances, the meaning of that look being—"This kid is going to be broken." Karina couldn't help but kick Kim Minjeong's calf under the table. The kick wasn't heavy, but Kim Minjeong's body still trembled. She didn't look at Karina; her gaze was still glued to Lee Tima's face.

Lee Tima tilted her head, appearing harmless. "Dealing with enemies is also as simple as chopping melons and vegetables, right?"

Kim Minjeong's chin lifted even higher. "Of course!" She clenched her fist and gestured in the air. "One per slash—no, one per punch!"

Ningning covered her face. Her palm was over her eyes, her fingers slightly curled. She had already guessed what Kim Minjeong would be arranged to do. Chopping melons and vegetables, this was basically a clear hint. In the variety show, there would be kitchen knives and cutting boards, there would be pumpkins, radishes, and cabbages; Kim Minjeong would wear an apron, stand in front of the kitchen counter, and "chop melons and vegetables" at a pile of vegetables. The camera would film her face, and her expression would be that "I am very serious" kind of solemnity. Then, after the program aired, fans would take screenshots and make memes, with the title "Winter's Weapon Master Training." Kim Minjeong would chase her and hit her, saying, "Why didn't you warn me?" She had already rehearsed this scene in her mind.

"Winter, what kind of charm do you hope to show in the variety show?" Lee Tima's voice came from behind the fake hands.

Minjeong extended her left hand and began counting on her fingers. She pressed her thumb down— "Beauty." She pressed her index finger down— "Intelligence." She pressed her middle finger down— "Cuteness." She pressed her ring finger down— "Wit." She paused for a moment, her pinky still raised, hesitating for a second before pressing it down too— "And, the coolness of my Weapon Master persona!"

She looked up after finishing, her gaze sweeping across the conference room. The staff members had expressions twisted into that specific look of "trying not to laugh"; some covered their mouths with the backs of their hands, some lowered their heads, and some pretended to write in their notebooks, though their pens weren't moving at all. Minjeong's face slowly turned red, the flush spreading from the base of her neck, creeping over her chin, her cheeks, and her earlobes, until her entire face looked like a ripe strawberry. She lowered her head, her bangs shielding her eyes.

Lee Tima smiled. The smile lingered on her face for only a brief moment. "Winter's statement is very specific." She paused. "A bit more realistic than a certain kimchi."

Karina had been cued again. She bit her lip, not making a sound. Kimchi, it was kimchi again. She chewed on the word in her mind before swallowing it down.

"As a Weapon Master, we will naturally design some variety show games that require the use of weapons." Lee Tima's fingers moved gently on the control lever of the plastic prosthetic hand, and the prosthetic hand made an "OK" gesture. "As for the personal charm Winter mentioned, we will also be looking forward to it." She put down the prosthetic hand, picked up her water cup from the table to take a sip, and set it down with unhurried movements. "Right, next up is—"

The beam of light disappeared. It didn't dim slowly; it simply went out. The lighting in the conference room shifted from "a single spotlight" back to "several fluorescent lights," and the feeling of returning from the stage to reality made everyone blink. Ningning and Uchinaga Eri both sat up straighter; Ningning's spine was like a taut string, and Uchinaga Eri's fingers were gently rubbing against her knees, the rhythm a little slower than usual.

The beam of light lit up again. This time, it landed on Uchinaga Eri's head.

Ningning almost laughed out loud. The corners of her mouth curled up for a split second before she quickly suppressed them. She was relieved, indeed, but that sense of "thank goodness it wasn't me" lasted less than a second. Then she realized—being next after the previous person finishes is the most agonizing feeling. Once Uchinaga Eri finished, it would be her turn, and her fingers tightened on her knees.

Uchinaga Eri's cheeks were slightly flushed in the beam of light. The red wasn't deep, just a faint pink that spread from her apple cheeks, across the bridge of her nose, and reached the other apple cheek. Her expression remained that calm "I am listening" look, but her fingers stopped rubbing her knees.

"The Xenoglossist, Giselle—" Lee Tima's voice came from behind the prosthetic hand. "In the upcoming variety show, as the Xenoglossist, what do you think your role is?"

The conference room fell silent. Everyone's gaze landed on Uchinaga Eri. The gaze wasn't heavy, but there were so many people, so many that it felt like a thin blanket. Uchinaga Eri's gaze landed on some unknown corner of the table, her lips slightly pursed. The sky outside the window was gray and gloomy, with thick cloud cover. It was the last day of March, and the beam of light was still shining.

Uchinaga Eri's voice came from the center of the beam, neither too high nor too low, carrying a solemnity that said "I am thinking seriously." "Hmm... Xenoglossist, is it connecting languages? Collecting information?" She tilted her head. "If I had to express my own charm... I think it should be something like language decoding?" Her tone grew slightly heavier on "decoding," as if she were testing whether this answer would be accepted.

Lee Tima's plastic prosthetic hand slowly closed and then slowly opened under her control. The movement was very slow, so slow it seemed like some kind of ritual. Her voice came from behind the prosthetic hand, carrying a certainty that said "Let me summarize that for you." "So—Giselle, you are actually a simultaneous interpreter."

The conference room went quiet for a moment. Everyone's gaze landed on Uchinaga Eri's face, from her eyebrows to her eyes, from her eyes to the corners of her mouth. The staff members nodded silently in their hearts—it actually seemed... quite fitting. A Xenoglossist, capable of understanding all languages and freely switching between different languages. In the variety show, she would probably act as a translator between guests of different languages, or be responsible for interpreting some kind of "otherworldly text" in a certain segment.

Uchinaga Eri's mouth opened and closed, closed and opened. She wanted to refute it, but couldn't find a reason to do so. She had indeed said "language decoding," and she had indeed said "collecting information." She lowered her head, her gaze landing on the bottle of mineral water on the table, effectively defaulting to acceptance.

"Where does the expression of your personal charm lie?" Lee Tima's voice rang out again, this time a little softer than before, as if asking a question to which she already knew the answer.

Uchinaga Eri fell silent. She remained silent for a long time. The beam of light shone above her head, the white light making her look somewhat unreal. Her eyelashes drooped slightly, casting a small fan-shaped shadow on her eyelids. Her lips moved several times, each time closing just as she was about to make a sound. "It seems... I really don't have any."

Everyone covered their faces. The movement was synchronized—palms sliding down from above the forehead, covering their eyes, knuckles pressing against the bridge of their noses. The staff members exchanged glances. Ningning sat obediently in her chair, her spine straight, her hands placed properly on her knees. Her expression was that innocent "I am being very well-behaved" look. But her legs were shaking frantically, the frequency as fast as a sewing machine, and from below the knee, every muscle was trembling with a visible amplitude.

Lee Tima snapped her fingers. The snap sounded like a miniature bomb detonating in the quiet conference room. The light shifted away from the top of Uchinaga Eri's head, the beam moving off her and landing squarely on Ningning's head. The white light enveloped her, and her hair shimmered with a chestnut luster in the light.

Lee Tima's voice came from the source of the beam. Her speaking pace was very slow, each word seemingly weighed on her tongue before being released. "Ningning—" She paused. "Hacker."

Everyone burst into laughter. The laughter surged from every corner of the conference room like a dam breaking. The staff members laughed until they were slumped over the tables; some were slapping their thighs, some were rubbing their stomachs. Minjeong laughed until she doubled over, her forehead almost touching the table. Karina covered her face, but the laughter leaked out between her fingers. Uchinaga Eri's mouth curved into a distinct arc, shifting from "calm" to "I can't help it either." Even Ningning herself laughed, her smile carrying a hint of "I knew it would be like this" resignation.

That "Hacker" was the lyric from Ningning's character introduction in 'ænergy'. They had sung that song countless times, on stage, in the Practice Room, and on variety shows. Every time they reached that lyric, fans would scream. Hacker—that word, when connected with her image, always had an indescribable, charming contrast. She looked cute and obedient, with round eyes and a round face, and when she smiled, she looked like a child who hadn't grown up yet. Who would have thought she was the "hacker" who invaded the Black Mamba system in Kwangya, stole intelligence, and sabotaged the enemy's plans?

Lee Tima clearly didn't intend to let her off easily. "Ningning-xi—" Her voice came from behind the prosthetic hand, still in that low, slow tone. "Please state the abilities and charms you wish to showcase."

Ningning closed her eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered gently as she took a deep breath. Since she was already socially dead anyway, she might as well say something beneficial to herself. Images began to float through her mind—barbecue, fatty beef sizzling on the grill, pork belly fried to a golden brown, beef ribs cut into small pieces. The corners of her mouth curved up, but she quickly suppressed them. Barbecue Master? No, it wouldn't taste good once it got cold. Variety show filming takes a long time, and by the time it was the eating segment, the meat would have long since gone cold. The corners of her mouth curved up again, this time a bit more than before. Fruit—no need to heat, no need to keep warm, it could be eaten at any time. She thought of watermelon being sliced open, the red flesh, the black seeds; she thought of strawberries, bright red, with water droplets rolling on the surface; she thought of them filming the variety show while she ate fruit on the side. The image made her unable to stop laughing; her eyes curved into two crescent moons, her mouth stretched into the widest arc, and she radiated an air of smugness that said, "I think this idea of mine is brilliant."

"I want to showcase my hacker charm!" Her voice was crisp and bright. "And—I am the latest concept, Fruit Master. Hmm, I am Watermelon Master, Strawberry Master works too—" She paused. "Fruit Hacker."

The conference room went quiet again. Fruit Hacker—when the word came out of her mouth, it carried a seriousness that said "I think this concept is very reasonable." Minjeong turned her head to look at Ningning's "I am very serious" face; Karina also turned her head to look at her, and Uchinaga Eri turned to look at her too. The staff members' pens stopped on their notebooks, suspended in mid-air, maintaining a "ready to write" posture, but not a single word had been written down.

"As for the rest—" Ningning thought for a moment. "I don't know either."

Everyone covered their faces, the movement synchronized, palms sliding down from above the forehead, covering their eyes, knuckles pressing against the bridge of their noses. The action carried a sense of helplessness that said, "Do I even know this person?" The lights in the conference room were still on, and the beam of light remained quietly above Ningning's head. The sky outside the window had gone completely dark, and the light from the streetlamps leaked through the gaps in the blinds, interweaving with the white light in the conference room. Lee Tima's mouth curved into a wide arc behind the plastic prosthetic hand. She looked at Ningning's "I've finished speaking" face and said slowly, word by word: "Fruit Hacker."

Ningning nodded. "Mm, Fruit Hacker."

Lee Tima took a deep breath. She inhaled so deeply that her shoulders rose slightly. Then she exhaled slowly. "Good." Her voice returned to its normal volume, not the low, gravelly "Commander Gendo" voice, but her own. "Fruit Hacker—a very novel concept. We will design relevant segments for you in the variety show. Stay tuned."

Ningning's smile stiffened for a moment. The stiffness was slight, but images floated through her mind—being blindfolded, with various fruits placed in front of her, needing to guess the types of fruit within a set time. Or being tied to a chair, with a bunch of grapes hanging above her head that she had to bite. She shook her head, shaking those images out of her mind.

The laughter in the conference room gradually subsided. The beam of light was still on, but Lee Tima didn't ask any more questions. The meeting continued, and outside the window, the Han River flowed in the night, unhurried and steady.