460: Chapter 513 2022 SPRING SPECIAL - OPERATION SUNNY (2)

At the entrance of the TG Entertainment building, the April sunlight leaked through the gaps in the grey clouds, shattering into tiny, fragmented light spots on the glass curtain wall. Reporters had already set up their long lenses and cameras, all aimed at the main entrance. Some were looking down, checking the battery levels of their voice recorders; others were scrolling through real-time trending topics on their phones; and still others were whispering to their colleagues, guessing whether the protagonist of the day would actually show up.

"Sunny is here!" someone shouted, and all the camera lenses lifted in unison.

Sunny climbed out of the black sedan parked at the entrance. She was wearing a creamy white trench coat, a black turtleneck sweater underneath, dark blue jeans, and a pair of black ankle boots. Her hair was worn loose with slightly curled ends, her face was impeccably made up, and her lips were a striking coral pink. She had switched from "couch potato" mode to "idol mode." She was all smiles, the curve of her mouth just right, her eyes curved like crescent moons as she waved in the direction of the reporters.

The reporters swarmed forward, microphones extended from every direction, and the red lights of voice recorders shimmered in the sunlight. "Sunny-xi, are you here to make a guest appearance on aespa's new variety show?" "Is the special guest application notice online describing you?" "Do you have a private relationship with Director Lee Tima of TG Entertainment?" "The Red Velvet Laimu 'Yeri Pig,' did you come up with that name?"

While responding with "Ne, ne, ne," Sunny was calculating in her heart. The Lemm hadn't been obtained yet, but she already had so much buzz and traffic; the trending topics were likely already up, and there was plenty of discussion. Once she got the Lemm later, she would take a few verification photos and post them on Instagram, which would send her trending again. With trending topics, more people would pay attention to her; with attention, more variety show offers would come; and with more offers, she could lie even flatter. Lee Tima, you little girl! Well done! She gave Lee Tima several mental thumbs-ups.

She reached up to fix her hair, sweeping it back from her forehead, her locks gleaming with a chestnut luster in the sunlight. Her smile remained the same, mouth curved, eyes curved. She pushed the microphones aside and strode into the doors of TG Entertainment in her high heels.

As soon as Sunny walked into the lobby of TG Entertainment, a cool breeze mixed with the scent of coffee washed over her. The receptionist had already been notified and bowed to her with a smile, while a young man in a dark blue uniform stood nearby, holding a tablet.

"Sunny-xi, please come with me. Director Lee Tima is waiting for you in the Variety Planning Department."

Sunny nodded and followed him into the elevator. The Variety Planning Department was on the sixth floor. The moment the elevator doors opened, Sunny thought she had walked into the wrong place—the corridor walls were covered in hand-drawn graffiti: the starry sky of Kwangya, the dimensional entrance to Kwangya, and the serpentine totem of the Black Mamba, each stroke filled with imagination. A few half-opened setting books were scattered on the carpet, and an old-fashioned jukebox sat in the corner, its screen glowing as it played aespa's "Savage."

A line of Red Velvet Laimu, each with a coffee balanced on its head, came hopping over in a single file from the other end of the corridor. Their bodies were red, translucent, and glowed with a gentle luster under the lights. Golden threads were embedded on the surface of their bodies, shimmering as they hopped, their movements perfectly synchronized like a squad of soldiers being inspected. The lead Lemm had a tray on its head holding four cups of coffee; the steam from the coffee formed fine beads of water on the lids, and not a single drop had spilled.

One of the Lemm seemed to notice Sunny. Its large mechanical eyes turned from the front of the line, its pupils locking onto Sunny, and then it broke away from the queue and came hopping toward her. Sunny stood where she was, watching the red Lemm hop closer and closer, her heart beating faster and faster in her chest.

It stopped in front of her. It tilted its head up, its large mechanical eyes staring at her unblinkingly, reflecting her face in its pupils. She held her breath.

A line of text appeared on the surface of its body: "Detected: Sunny Lee Soon-kyu, limited-time access unlocked. Yeri Pig, 90-day limited countdown pending." The text scrolled around its body and then turned into a smiley face emoji. Sunny covered her mouth. Her fingers pressed against her lips, her knuckles turning slightly white. Her gaze darted frantically between the Lemm and the staff member, looking at one, then the other.

"This... this is... I..."

The staff member looked at her "I can't take it anymore" expression and allowed a polite curve to form at the corner of his mouth. "Sunny-xi, let's head to the conference room first. Director Tima is already waiting for you."

Sunny took a deep breath. She suppressed the urge to "pick up the Lemm and run," and lightly touched the top of "Yeri Pig's" head with her fingertip. It felt cool and smooth, like touching a piece of jelly warmed by the sun. She pulled her hand back, took one last lingering look, and followed the staff member forward.

The corridor was long, the carpet absorbing the sound of their footsteps. A soft, rhythmic "tap-tap" sound came from behind her. Sunny paused, turned her head, and saw "Yeri Pig" hopping along behind her, maintaining a comfortable distance, the coffee cup on its head perfectly steady, not a drop spilled. After their eyes met, its large mechanical eyes immediately curved into two crescent moons, like a child waiting for praise. Sunny's heart softened, and her fingers curled slightly at her sides.

The staff member watched this scene and cleared his throat gently. "Sunny-xi, 'Yeri Pig' might just want you to take the coffee off its head... because its programming is to lock onto a target and deliver coffee. It's following you because it has identified you as the delivery target."

Sunny was stunned for a moment, then let out a laugh. The laugh was dry and hollow, echoing in the corridor. She waved her hand, pretending not to hear the staff member. "It must be because it wants me to be its owner that it's doing this." She bent down and took the coffee cup off "Yeri Pig's" head; the paper cup felt warm in her hand. The aroma of coffee drifted from the gap in the lid, mixing with the faint smell of paint in the corridor.

The staff member twitched his mouth. It was clearly a system setting; Sunny was truly obsessed with the Lemm. His gaze shifted from Sunny's face to "Yeri Pig's" face; "Yeri Pig's" eyes were still curved. He withdrew his gaze and hurried to catch up with Sunny.

The conference room door was at the end of the corridor, made of dark wood, with a small Lemm charm hanging from the doorknob. "Yeri Pig" hopped in right behind Sunny's heels. The door closed, and the "thud" echoed in the corridor. The staff member looked at the closed door, then glanced down at the tablet in his hand. The screen displayed "Limited-time access activated," and the countdown had already begun to tick. He shook his head and turned to leave.

The conference room lights were dimmed, leaving only a single beam of light above Lee Tima. The beam shone straight down, illuminating her until she looked like a sculpture on display in a cabinet. She was holding a small transparent bowl containing pinkish-white strawberry ice cream, with a thin layer of frost on the surface. She scooped up a large spoonful and shoved it into her mouth; the cold rushed from the tip of her tongue straight to the top of her head, causing her brows to knit together and her whole face to twitch. She made "hiss—oh—oh—" sounds, like a kitten that had its tail stepped on, wanting to spit it out but reluctant, wanting to swallow but it was too cold, so she had to keep the ice cream rolling around in her mouth.

Sunny stood at the door, watching this scene. The smile that had been healed by "Yeri Pig" gradually vanished from the corners of her mouth. That smile seemed to be slowly wiped away by a palm, replaced by a mixture of confusion— "What are you doing?"—and concern— "Is this kid okay?" She twitched her mouth, and the "Tima-ya" squeezed out of her throat.

Upon hearing her voice, Lee Tima immediately swallowed the ice cream in her mouth. The coldness slid down her throat, burning all the way to her stomach. She shivered, making a "roar-roar" sound, like a kitten trying to imitate a tiger. Sunny took a deep breath and was just about to say "Eat slowly," when Lee Tima raised her hand, palm facing her, fingers together—a gesture meaning "Don't speak yet."

Sunny's words were stuck in her throat. She didn't understand what Lee Tima was up to, but she didn't make any other moves, just stood there watching Lee Tima take out that plastic prosthetic hand from the cabinet nearby. The hands gleamed with a cheap luster under the lights, the five fingers half-spread. Lee Tima put the prosthetic hand on her own hand—no, she slid her hand into the joystick on the back of the prosthetic hand. She gripped a rod in each hand, crossing the prosthetic hands under her nose. Her posture switched from "relaxed" to "serious," her back straight, chin slightly raised, her gaze passing through the gaps in the plastic hands and landing on Sunny's face.

The electric curtains began to close. The sound was very soft; the grey-blue curtains slowly closed from both sides toward the center, blocking out the sunlight bit by bit until only a thin line of light remained, leaking through the gap and drawing a long, thin golden line on the floor. The conference room plunged into darkness, leaving only the beam of light above Lee Tima. The beam shone straight down from the ceiling, illuminating her face, the prosthetic hands, and the conference table covered with a dark tablecloth in front of her.

Sunny's mouth twitched—the twitch started at the left corner and spread to the right. She opened her mouth, the words "What are you doing?" about to burst out of her throat.

"Sunny Unnie—" Lee Tima's voice drifted over from the source of the beam, low, slow, and carrying a solemnity that said, "I have something very important to say." The plastic prosthetic hands slowly closed under her control, ten fingers interlaced, knuckles locked. "Do you like 'Yeri Pig'?"

Sunny's mouth closed. The word "like" circled in her mind, and circled again. She thought of "Yeri Pig's" eyes curved like crescent moons, the way it hopped along behind her, and the steadiness of the coffee cup on its head, not a single drop spilled as it hopped. Her fingers curled involuntarily.

"I do." When those words came out of her mouth, the sound was lighter than she had expected. She cleared her throat; the dry cough was exceptionally loud in the quiet conference room. "I mean—it's okay. Just generally like it." Her voice raised half a tone, and she lifted her chin slightly.

Lee Tima's mouth curved into a smile, hidden behind the prosthetic hands, mostly obscured by the plastic shadow, but Sunny still caught it. "That's good. Because 'Yeri Pig' is only a limited-time trial version, and it has to be returned after 90 days."

Sunny's expression froze. The phrase "returned" exploded in her mind like a nuclear bomb. In that instant, her brain switched from "like" to "have," from "have" to "lose," and from "lose" to "I can't lose it."

"Return? Return what?" Her voice was hurried and sharp, her high heels tapping on the floor.

Lee Tima smiled, and the smile appeared exceptionally innocent in the beam of light. "Unnie, it's just a limited-time trial. Our TG Lemm are not for sale; only those designated by President Jiang can own one. If you want one, Unnie, you'll have to wait for Oppa to come back and ask him personally."

Sunny gritted her teeth. Jiang Zhiyu was currently in Yunnan, and there was no telling when he would be back. A 90-day trial period, and it had to be returned when it expired. Her fingers curled at her sides.

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

"What if—what if I ask Jiang Zhiyu myself? Will he give me one?" Her voice lowered, carrying a hint of "I'm asking you seriously" probing.

Lee Tima tilted her head. "Unnie, what do you think?"

Sunny fell silent. She thought of Kim Taeyeon's Anne, Kim Minjeong's Lami, and Jang Wonyoung's Tami. Every single person who owned a Lemm had been given one voluntarily by Jiang Zhiyu. Not a single one of them had "asked" for it. Her mouth opened and closed, closed and opened.

—

The April sunlight refracted off the glass curtain wall, spreading a warm golden hue across the entrance of the TG building. When Sunny walked out of the revolving doors holding the Red Velvet Laimu "Yeri Pig," the fans and entertainment reporters waiting at the door seemed to have their start buttons pressed. Flashes popped in rapid succession, and the sound of camera shutters was as dense as raindrops. She instinctively hugged "Yeri Pig" closer to her chest. The red Lemm squirmed slightly in her arms, its tentacles lightly resting on her arm, its large mechanical eyes half-open and half-closed like a dozing kitten. The sunlight fell upon it, golden threads flowing across its red body, reflecting delicate glints of light.

"Sunny-ssi, is that the Red Velvet Laimu from TG Entertainment in your arms?" "Is this the 'Yeri Pig' mentioned in the announcement? Did you name it, or did TG?" "Will you return it after the 90-day limited trial, or is there a chance you can keep it permanently?" "Are you here at TG today to sign an appearance contract? What role will you play in aespa's new variety show?"

Lee Tima's voice was still echoing in Sunny's mind. That little rascal—she repeated Lee Tima's name in her heart, followed by a long ellipsis. First, she used those fake plastic hands to strike Commander Ikari's pose, saying the exact same pitch she used during the meeting with aespa—something about the Kwangya setting, the boundary between Kwangya and the real world, and the erosion of the Black Mamba. She said a whole bunch of things, some of which she couldn't remember clearly, and even pulled out a piece of paper from her drawer to read. She had just sat there, listening to those plausible settings, like "Sunny Unnie, you are the guide of aespa's Kwangya, the Prophetess of the Beginner Village." She wanted to refute it at the time, her mouth opening and closing. Lee Tima's eyes had been so sincere—so sincere that refuting her felt like a sin.

Then, in a daze, she signed the appearance contract. In duplicate, in black and white, she signed the name "Lee Soon-kyu" in the Party B column. Her handwriting was a bit messy because her hands were shaking. She should have been happy—she had a job, and she finally got the Lemm she had been dreaming of. Even if it wasn't pink, even if its code name was "Yeri Pig," even if she only had a 90-day limited trial, even if— She looked down at the "Yeri Pig" in her arms. Its eyes were curved into crescents, and its tentacles gently rubbed against her arm.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She knew who it was. From the moment she walked out of the TG doors holding "Yeri Pig," her phone had been vibrating constantly. She didn't need to look to know it was Yeri. Yeri had already sent messages saying she was going to bring all of Red Velvet to snatch back the "Yeri Pig" that belonged to her. The first message said, "Sunny Unnie, give me back my Lemm," the second said, "That was made for us by Jiang Zhiyu, not for you," the third said, "I don't care, I'm coming to the TG entrance right now to wait for you," and the fourth was a string of angry emojis. Sunny didn't reply—not to a single one.

Holding "Yeri Pig," she answered the reporters' questions while looking around. Her gaze swept through the crowd, searching for a figure that might be approaching. No, Yeri hadn't come. At least, not yet. She gave a few perfunctory answers to questions about aespa's new group variety show—"Yes, I will appear," "Role? I can't reveal that for now," "Please look forward to it"—and then quickly walked toward the car parked by the roadside, holding the Lemm.

A coffee shop by the river sat so quiet it seemed forgotten in a corner. A few handwritten menus were taped to the glass window, the handwriting slightly faded. The lighting inside was a warm yellow, casting a soft, gentle glow on the dark wooden tables. The coffee machine hummed behind the counter, and the clerk wiped cups, occasionally looking up at the customers at the corner table. The four members of Red Velvet sat by the window, with several cups of cold coffee in front of them. Yeri's phone was propped up on the table, displaying a news photo of Sunny walking out of the TG Building holding "Yeri Pig." Her mouth was turned down at the corners, and her finger tapped the tabletop rhythmically.

"Jiang Zhiyu, he made it a long time ago," her voice squeezed out from the depths of her throat. "But—he actually didn't give it to us. That's our Lemm, Red Velvet Laimu, Red Velvet. You can tell it was made for us just by hearing the name." Her finger tapped the tabletop even harder. "What right does he have to give it to Sunny?"

Wendy picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. The coffee had already gone cold, its bitterness spreading across her tongue. "Actually, we can't completely blame him. After all, Zhiyu didn't—cough." Her voice caught. The words "Joohyun Unnie" rolled around on the tip of her tongue before she swallowed them back down. Everyone knew she was referring to the kiss between Jiang Zhiyu and Bae Joo-hyun. Although Bae Joo-hyun afterwards insisted it was just ordinary skin contact, like a mosquito bite or accidentally brushing hands with a stranger, who would believe that? That kind of atmosphere, that kind of lighting, that kind of room where the two of them were alone and the air was practically bubbling with pink Bubbles—was that ordinary skin contact? That was lips touching lips; it was a first kiss. And Bae Joo-hyun's state of mind seemed to have moved to a much more positive level since then. She smiled more, looked healthier, and even her tone of voice was lighter. She seemed to have aged backward by several years.

Joy propped up her chin, her fingers gently twirling the straw. "But for President Jiang to do something like that, I think it's actually quite normal. After all, the environment at the time—" She paused. "And the things Joohyun Unnie said."

The same live broadcast scene they had watched on Lee Tima's phone simultaneously flashed through everyone's minds—that secretly filmed, somewhat shaky, but clearly voiced broadcast: "It's just the two of us left." "Let's make it a secret, how about that?" "Didn't you say I look a lot like your ex-girlfriend? How about you treat me as her?" Every sentence was like a stone cast into the calm lake of their hearts, sending ripple after ripple across the surface. Yeri shuddered, a chill creeping up from the base of her spine. "If someone with Joohyun Unnie's face said that to me, I'd definitely do something even more extreme. I'd kidnap them straight home, lock them in a room, and not let them out until they agreed to be my girlfriend."

Wendy looked at her "I'm serious" expression. "That's a crime." Yeri said, "I know, but I wouldn't be able to control myself."

Joy pulled the straw out of her cup and poked it back in. "Unnie isn't actually a fool. Someone like her must have fantasies about romance. It's just that everyone she's met has been weird. The people who pursue her are either after her face or her fame. Her standards were already high, and now they're even higher. Jiang Zhiyu is completely the top-tier version—young, handsome, capable, talented, well-connected, and toward her—" She didn't finish, but everyone understood. It's only normal for her to take the initiative, right?

Seulgi had remained silent. Her hands held her coffee cup, her gaze fixed on the liquid inside. "But—I always feel like something is off. Joohyun Unnie is supposed to be the career-oriented type; she isn't the kind of person who would let emotions cloud her judgment. The way she looks at Zhiyu is like—it's like—" She didn't finish. The word rolled around on the tip of her tongue several times before she swallowed it down. She didn't dare say the word, but everyone knew what it was.

The conversation fell into silence. Yeri looked down at the photo of Sunny holding the Lemm on her phone screen, her finger pausing on the table. She suddenly stood up, her abrupt movement knocking her chair backward, but she didn't bother to catch it. With her hands propped on the table, she leaned forward slightly, her expression switching from "gloomy" to "gnashing her teeth," and then from "gnashing her teeth" to "resolute." "I'm going to find Sunny Unnie and take back 'Yeri Pig'! Who's coming with me?"

Wendy looked up at her. Joy also looked up at her. Seulgi looked up at her too. The three of them exchanged glances, and Wendy sighed as she stood up from her seat, "Let's go." Joy stood up as well, her chair making a low scraping sound as she gave it a gentle push. Seulgi said nothing but stood up too, grabbing her coat draped over the back of the chair.

Looking at them, the curve of Yeri's mouth finally changed from "turned down" to "curved up." The four of them walked out of the coffee shop. The river breeze blew past, carrying moisture and a hint of chill, making their hair flutter slightly. Yeri walked at the very front with brisk steps, Wendy followed behind her, and Joy and Seulgi walked side-by-side at the back. The stone slabs of the sidewalk were slightly warm from the sun, and Yeri's canvas shoes made a soft tapping sound as she stepped on them. Wendy's voice drifted from behind her, "Yeri, do you know where Sunny is right now?"

Yeri paused in her tracks. "I don't know," she said quite frankly.

"Then where are we going to find her?"

"To SM. She wouldn't hide the Lemm at home just to keep us from seeing it." She started walking again.

Wendy looked at her back and said nothing more. Seulgi's voice drifted from the very back, not loud but very clear: "Yeri, are you sure you're going to take back the Lemm, and not just going on a suicide mission?" Yeri paused in her tracks again. "...Unnie, can you not throw cold water on me?" Seulgi didn't answer, but simply quickened her pace to catch up. Joy walked beside Seulgi, looking down at her phone. The screen displayed the latest post on Sunny's Instagram account—a close-up photo of "Yeri Pig" with only a single line of caption: "90-day limited trial." Followed by an emoji. Joy turned her phone screen toward Yeri. "Unnie, look at this emoji. Sunny Unnie is provoking you."

Yeri stared at the smiling emoji and grit her teeth. "Ninety days, right? I'll cross off every single day on the calendar. When the ninetieth day comes, I'll go wait at the TG entrance. The moment she returns the Lemm to TG, I'll take it right then and there." She waved her hand in the air. Wendy couldn't help but laugh at her "I've already got a plan" look. Her laugh was very soft. "Are you sure Sunny will return it? Do you think she's the type to spit out meat that's already in her mouth?"

Yeri fell silent. Sunny certainly wouldn't return it. This was someone who insisted on maintaining her presence even when slacking off, someone who would stage a sit-in protest under the TG building just for a Lemm, someone who had already started planning how to make it permanent the moment she received the limited trial version. She took a deep breath and quickened her pace. "Then we'll find a way to make her return it."

The figures of the four girls faded into the distance along the riverside sidewalk. The wind chime at the coffee shop entrance, still hanging from the doorknob, swayed gently in the breeze, making a delicate "tinkle" sound. The clerk poked their head out from behind the counter, looked at the four empty coffee cups, and shook their head.