462: Chapter 515 2022 SPRING SPECIAL - OPERATION SUNNY (4)

Im Yoona's living room was filled with hidden cameras. These weren't the kind of bulky professional equipment placed in plain sight; they were miniature cameras rushed over by the TG variety show department—about the size of a fingernail, black, with matte-textured edges that wouldn't reflect light.

One was stuck to the second shelf of the bookshelf, wedged between two hardcover books; one was embedded behind a potted plant on the TV stand, its lens peeking out from a gap in the monstera leaves; and one was suctioned to the side of the refrigerator, angled perfectly to capture the transition area between the kitchen and the living room. Directly opposite the living room sofa was a main console, responsible for receiving the signals from the four cameras and uploading them to the livestream in real-time.

Im Yoona stood in the center of the living room, holding the glass of water she had already finished more than half of. She walked around the bookshelf and crouched down to watch the four-panel display synchronizing on the console screen. The bookshelf angle showed the full view of the sofa, the TV stand angle captured the entryway, and the refrigerator angle could catch the movement in the kitchen. She mentally rehearsed Sunny's possible path—entering the door and changing shoes first, then putting her bag on the sofa, and most likely sitting on the side of the sofa near the window. The camera on the bookshelf would capture her face, the one on the TV stand would capture her profile, and the one on the refrigerator would serve as a backup.

She took a deep breath and stood up from her crouch, her legs a little numb. She stomped her feet twice, the tingling sensation spreading from the soles of her feet to her calves, and she gritted her teeth. She picked up her phone and glanced at the message Sunny had sent—'About ten minutes away.' Her finger paused on the screen, she typed a few words, 'Mm, waiting for you,' then deleted them and locked the screen.

Im Yoona closed her eyes and mentally rehearsed the upcoming actions from start to finish. First, wait for Sunny to enter; she should be holding that Red Velvet Laimu. Given Sunny's personality, the first thing she would do upon entering would be to show it off—first holding up the Lemm and saying, 'Yoona, look, isn't it cute?' then placing it on the sofa, and then collapsing into the sofa to start complaining. 'That girl Yeri must be on her way,' 'That jerk Jiang Zhiyu actually didn't make it for me earlier,' 'That little devil Lee Tima even made me sign some contract'—she could even imagine the tone and expression Sunny would use when saying these things.

She had to guide Sunny to the next destination within a limited amount of time. The cafe where Yuri was located was in Gangnam District, and it would take some time to drive there from her house. The Red Velvet van was rushing over; if Sunny left too late, the two parties would collide right at Im Yoona's doorstep. That wouldn't do; if that happened, Sunny would realize something was wrong.

Im Yoona's brain was like a high-speed computer, inputting all variables and running complex algorithms. She couldn't let Sunny suspect anything, couldn't let her know about the livestream, and couldn't give her time to dwell on the details that didn't add up. She needed a sufficiently reasonable excuse for Sunny to voluntarily head to the cafe where Yuri was after leaving her house. That left only one option—Im Yoona slowly exhaled, her eyes becoming much more determined.

'I have to time it perfectly. Just as Sunny leaves my house and gets in the car to go find Unnie Yuri, I'll let the two parties meet and trigger a conflict. Then, I'll block Yeri to give Unnie Sunny a chance to escape. That way, she won't have any time to think.'

She had even rehearsed the scene in her mind. Yeri would rush out of the car, shouting, 'Unnie Sunny, give my Lemm back!' Sunny would run toward the car clutching the Lemm. She would stand in front of Yeri and say, 'Yeri, calm down.' Sunny would get into the driver's seat, start the engine, and leave. Perfect.

Her phone vibrated. A message from Sunny—"Yoona, I'm outside, open the door quickly!"

Im Yoona looked up and checked the console screen one last time. All four panels were working normally, with red lights blinking. She nodded at the camera, and that 'signal received' gesture was transmitted to the livestream in real-time. The comment section was flooded with messages again. She took a deep breath and walked toward the door.

The online buzz continued to climb. The van carrying the four members of Red Velvet sped through the streets of Seoul, the streetlights outside the window receding one by one, drawing long trails of light on the car glass. Yeri sat in the rear window seat, holding a tablet, its screen displaying the real-time livestream of Im Yoona's living room. The four-panel display presented quietly on the screen—the sofa, the coffee table, the bookshelf, the potted plant—all empty.

'Manager Oppa, drive faster!' Her voice exploded from the back seat; she leaned forward, one hand bracing against the back of the front seat. The Manager's hands tightened on the steering wheel. 'I can't go any faster, there's a speed limit.' He glanced at the rearview mirror, where Yeri's face was twisted into a scowl.

Wendy sat next to Yeri, also holding a tablet. She was looking at the comment section, her fingers swiping across the screen, the rapidly scrolling characters reflected on her face. 'The number of viewers has already broken one million.' Her voice was calm, but her tone held a hint of surprise.

Seulgi sat in the passenger seat, not holding a tablet. She watched the streetscape receding rapidly outside the window, streetlights passing by one after another. 'Has Sunbaenim Sunny arrived at Unnie Yoona's house yet?' Her voice floated from the front.

Yeri looked down at her tablet. 'Not yet, there's no one on screen.'

Joy sat in the last row, sinking into her seat, also holding a tablet. 'The comments are all saying "Go Red Velvet," "Get the Lemm back," "Go Yeri."' She read out the 'Go Yeri' comment, her tone tinged with a smile. 'There are even people saying "Yeri's expression is so funny."'

Yeri's mouth twitched. 'That's called being serious!' Her voice was sharp and hurried, and a burst of laughter erupted in the car.

Online, the real-time comment section was scrolling at an astonishing speed. 'The way Im Yoona nodded just now, she looked like a secret agent on a covert mission.' 'Sunny doesn't know she's being livestreamed, right? Will she be startled when she walks in and sees the hidden cameras?' 'Red Velvet's van, drive faster! I want to see the face-off!' 'I give this variety show concept full marks; produced by SM and TG, the quality is just different.' 'The viewer count went up again, it's already broken one million.' 'I took a screenshot of that part where Yeri urged the driver to go faster; I'll use it as a meme later.'

The van turned into a narrower street. Yeri's body tilted with the car, and her tablet nearly slid out of her hands, but she managed to catch it in a flurry of movement. On the livestream, the light in Im Yoona's entryway turned on. Footsteps approached from afar, and a figure walked into the frame from off-screen. She was wearing light gray loungewear, her hair let down casually, and cotton slippers on her feet. She stopped at the door, took a deep breath, and reached out to grasp the doorknob.

The comment section in the livestream exploded at that moment. 'Im Yoona is going to open the door!' 'Sunny is about to come in!' 'It's happening, it's happening, it's happening!' The doorknob turned; the sound was faint, picked up by the camera and transmitted from the livestream.

Yeri held her breath, gripping her tablet tightly. Outside the window, the night in Seoul receded rapidly. The light from the streetlamps shattered into tiny, fragmented spots of light on the car window glass.

—

The light in Im Yoona's entryway was on, the warm yellow glow spilling down from the ceiling and casting a small oval halo on the floor. As soon as Sunny entered, she held that Red Velvet Laimu up in front of Im Yoona, cradling its body with both hands as if displaying a rare treasure. Its red, translucent body glowed with a soft, warm luster under the light, golden threads slowly swirling on its surface, and the tiny crown on its head was slightly crooked, probably from the bumps on the way over.

'Yoona! Look! My Red Velvet Laimu! Yeri Pig!' Her voice was crisp and bright, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.

Im Yoona looked at her 'I've won the jackpot' expression, and the corners of her mouth curved up. *Yours?* She repeated that sentence silently in her heart, while her face displayed that standard expression of surprise she had practiced countless times in front of the camera. 'Omo—it's truly so cute.' She reached out a finger and poked the Red Velvet Laimu's body gently; it felt cool and smooth to the touch.

Sunny sat down on the sofa with the Red Velvet Laimu, sinking into the cushions, holding the Red Velvet Laimu up to her eyes, looking at it from left to right. 'Right, right, right! It's really super cute!' Im Yoona wasn't in a rush; she sat opposite Sunny and crossed her legs. Her gaze shifted from Sunny's face toward the bookshelf—where one camera was hidden—then from the bookshelf to the TV stand—where another was hidden—and from the TV stand to the refrigerator—where yet another was. Her gaze quickly switched between those locations, and then she pulled it back.

Sunny couldn't put the Red Velvet Laimu down, her fingers gently tracing circles on its back. The 'Yeri Pig's' eyes curved into two crescent moons, and a '^ ^' emoticon appeared on the surface of its body.

'Unnie, what did you mean on the phone when you said someone was hunting you down? What does that mean?' Im Yoona picked up her water glass and took a sip. Of course, she knew what it meant; she had known from the moment she received the notification from SM. But she had to ask.

Sunny's expression switched from 'enjoyment' to 'accusation.' 'Yah! It's that girl Yeri!' She pulled her phone out of her pocket, swiped a few times, and handed it to Im Yoona. 'Look, this is the message she sent me— "Unnie, give my Red Velvet Laimu back," "I'm on my way to you now," "You can't run away."' Im Yoona took the phone; it was a long string of threatening messages from Yeri, each with more exclamation marks than the last. Im Yoona tilted her head, asking a question she already knew the answer to. 'So, Unnie, you've come... to take refuge at my place?'

Sunny nodded, her frequency of nodding as fast as a chick pecking at rice. 'I can't stay at home, and I definitely can't go to the company. After thinking it over, your place is the safest, Yoona.'

Im Yoona was internally complaining frantically—my place isn't safe at all. There are cameras everywhere; on the bookshelf, on the TV stand, and on the refrigerator door too. If Sunny knew that there were four live-streaming cameras hidden in this room, she would probably throw the Red Velvet Laimu out on the spot. Her expression didn't change at all, and the corners of her mouth curved into a touched arc.

'Unnie, I'm so touched.' Her voice held a hint of choking up, and she even squeezed a little tear into the corner of her eye. Sunny waved her hand dismissively, her attention returning to the Red Velvet Laimu in her arms.

'Speaking of which, Unnie, did you know? Unnie Yuri has been really liking a certain cafe lately; it's said she found her "life coffee" there.' Im Yoona's voice was casual, as if chatting about the weather today.

'Life coffee? Boring.' Sunny didn't even look up. 'I have a "life Red Velvet Laimu" right here! Isn't that right, my Yeri Pig?'

Im Yoona sighed in her heart. *Unnie's maternal instincts are overflowing, aren't they?* Her fingers tapped gently on her knees twice.

Her phone vibrated. She looked down at it—a message in the group chat told her that Red Velvet would arrive in ten minutes. Im Yoona's mouth twitched slightly. She had to guide Sunny to the parking lot within ten minutes and tell her to go to the cafe where Yuri was. She couldn't be too rushed, or she might make her suspicious; she couldn't be too slow, or else Red Velvet would storm right to her doorstep.

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

Im Yoona's smile grew even more radiant. Her brain was working at high speed. Lately, she had been thinking about Jiang Zhiyu a lot—not intentionally, but his name would just bubble up from the depths of her memory. Ever since they returned from the beach, his voice would ring in her ears when she slept: "Noona, Noona, Noona," deep and gentle, like the lowest string of a cello. And then there was that scene by the sea—the setting sun spreading a golden path across the water, the sea breeze blowing in, carrying a salty scent and a hint of chill. He sat next to her, not too close but not too far, his voice very soft. That image had appeared in her dreams many times, always from the same angle, with the same light, and the same conversation. Once, she had even seen the scene from a third-person perspective—seeing herself sitting on the bench, seeing Jiang Zhiyu sitting next to her, and seeing the setting sun coat them both in a layer of golden light.

In her dream, she asked herself—when did this happen? It was during the movie filming, the bench under the setting sun, the scene where she asked, "When are you coming to the company?" After waking up, she lay in bed for a long time, staring at the ceiling and thinking deeply. That damn bastard. He had run off to China without saying a word, not even a goodbye. Im Yoona felt that Jiang Zhiyu deserved a lot of credit for her becoming so mischievous and sly. She used to have her little schemes, but she had never designed such a "wicked" plan to mess with someone's head. Ever since she met him, she found herself getting better and better at "acting"—in front of the camera, in front of fans, and in front of her Unnies. It wasn't pretending; it was amplifying—magnifying a certain part of her personality while hiding another, showing people exactly what she wanted them to see. Jiang Zhiyu had taught her this technique: "Noona, you don't need to become someone else. You just need to let the fans see your most genuine side."

Her most genuine side. What was her genuine side? It was quietly cleaning up the mess when her Unnies got drunk, hiding in the car to cry after being scolded by a director on set before touching up her makeup, and thinking of someone's voice in the dead of night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Just you wait, Jiang Zhiyu. When you get back from China—I will—I will— Her train of thought got stuck there. What would she do to him? Treat him to dinner? Give him a piece of her mind? Or— Anyway, just you wait.

Im Yoona pulled herself out of those messy thoughts and brought her attention back to Sunny.

"Unnie, are you really that sure my place is safe?"

"Of course—" Sunny's voice suddenly grew quiet. She thought about it and leaned in closer. "Or, should I go find Taeyeon?"

Im Yoona shook her head. "Unnie, go to a coffee shop instead. Yuri Unnie said that the coffee shop she often goes to might bring good luck. After she went there last time, she signed an endorsement deal the very next day." Her tone carried a sincerity that said, "I'm seriously recommending this."

Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Change of luck? Makes sense. I'll go in a bit then." She looked down at Lemm in her arms. "Yeri Pig, we're going to a coffee shop. Maybe we'll run into something good."

Im Yoona picked up her water glass and took a sip. The rim of the glass hid the "just as planned" smirk at the corner of her lips. Her gaze moved from above the rim toward the bookshelf, where the small red light of the camera was flashing.

In the livestream room, a split-screen was broadcasting in real-time. On the left was the interior of Red Velvet's van. Wendy was adjusting her posture, Seulgi was looking out the window, Joy was looking down at her phone, and Yeri was holding a cushion, her eyes glued to the livestream on the tablet in her hand. On the right was Im Yoona's living room, where Sunny sat on the sofa holding Lemm.

The number of viewers had already surpassed two million. The comment section was moving so fast that it was almost impossible to read a single complete sentence.

"Yoona's smile is definitely a 'just as planned' expression, I screenshotted it." "Sunny still doesn't know she's being livestreamed, right? Completely in the dark." "I give a perfect score for this product placement of Yuri's life-changing coffee. It was so natural, just like a real conversation." "Im Yoona could totally act in a spy movie now, what incredible psychological resilience." "When Sunny said she was going to Taeyeon's house, Yoona's poker face was amazing, she didn't panic at all." "A lucky coffee shop? Sunny, are you sure it's to change your luck and not to get shipped off? Haha."

On the left of the split-screen, Yeri suddenly leaned forward, her face almost pressed against the tablet. "Yoona Unnie is guiding Sunny to the coffee shop." Wendy leaned over to take a look. "Is Yuri Unnie ready on her end?" Seulgi poked her head over from the front passenger seat. "The surveillance cameras at the coffee shop have been set up. Manager Oppa just confirmed it." Joy turned the tablet in her hand to show Yeri. "The comments are all saying 'Go Red Velvet!' and 'Take back Lemm!'"

Yeri looked down at her phone—there were still a few minutes left until they reached their destination. Her fingers tapped gently on her knee. Outside the car window, streetlights receded one by one.

On the right of the split-screen, Im Yoona stood up from the sofa. "Unnie, let me walk you down." Sunny stood up from the sofa holding Lemm and slipped on her cream-colored trench coat. The two walked toward the door, the entryway light casting a warm yellow glow over them.

The door closed. The living room fell silent, but the camera on the bookshelf was still lit with its small red light, recording an empty room.

In the underground parking lot, cool white lights shone on the gray concrete floor. Sunny opened the car door, sat in the driver's seat, placed Lemm in the passenger seat, and buckled her seatbelt. Im Yoona stood outside the car window and leaned down.

"Unnie, I sent you the address of the coffee shop Yuri Unnie is at. It's in Gangnam District, the GPS should be able to find it."

Sunny nodded and started the engine, the window rolling down slowly. "Yoona, thank you for today," her voice drifted out from the gap in the window. "Unnie, why are you being so polite with me?" Im Yoona smiled and stood up straight.

Sunny stepped on the gas, and the car slowly backed out of the parking space and drove toward the exit. The window was still open, and the night wind rushed in, making her hair a bit messy. The light in the parking lot's exit ramp changed from bright to dim, then from dim to bright again, the headlights illuminating the ramp ahead. At the end of the ramp was the street, where the light from the streetlamps gathered and dispersed in front of the car.

The moment Sunny's car emerged from the ramp, another car was driving over from the other end of the street. It was a black van with no logo on the body, but Sunny recognized the license plate. It was an SM van; she had seen it too many times. The two vehicles passed each other. Sunny's window was open, and the van's window was open too. Wendy's face appeared in the rear window of the van, with Yeri's face right next to hers. Their eyes met.

Wendy's eyes lit up at that moment, her mouth slightly open, though she didn't have time to make a sound yet. Yeri's smile began to spread from the corners of her mouth like a blooming flower, her teeth showing, her eyes crinkling, and her hand reaching out of the car window.

"Sunny—" That voice was crisp and bright, exploding in the night sky.

Sunny's pupils dilated at that instant. Her foot moved off the gas and stepped on the brake. The tires let out a sharp "screech—" on the asphalt. Her body jolted forward, the seatbelt tightening against her shoulder. She suddenly snapped out of it, moved her foot from the brake to the gas, and slammed down hard. The engine roared, and the car shot out from beside the van, its taillights drawing two red streaks in the night.

Yeri's hand was still stretched out of the window, frozen in that "waving" gesture. The night wind made her fingers feel a bit cold. Her smile froze, and the curve of her lips turned from an upturn into a frown.

"Chase her," she said calmly.

The driver stepped on the gas, and the black van made a sharp turn. The tires left a black rubber mark on the road. Yeri's body was thrown toward the car door by inertia, but she stabilized herself by placing her hand on the edge of the window. Wendy's tablet slipped from her hand, falling onto the floor face down. Seulgi turned around from the front passenger seat, her expression still calm. "Which direction did she run?" Joy picked up the tablet and swiped the screen. "Toward Gangnam District. She's probably going to find Yuri Unnie."

With a dark face, Yeri looked at the empty street in the rearview mirror. "Drive faster." The van accelerated, its headlights illuminating the road ahead.

In the livestream room, the split-screen was playing in sync. On the left was the shot of Yeri in Red Velvet's van saying "Chase her" with a dark face, and on the right was the shot of Sunny's car driving out from the ramp.

The comment section had completely exploded. "That eye contact! That eye contact! Wendy and Yeri's expressions! Sunny's shock! This scene can go down in variety show history!" "Sunny just stepped on the gas and bolted while Yeri's hand was still waving in the air. I need to make a GIF of this scene." "When Yeri said 'Chase her' with that dark face, I was genuinely captivated by how cool she looked." "When Wendy's tablet dropped on the floor, the screen shook so much it made me dizzy." "Seulgi's tone when she asked 'Which direction did she run?' was so calm, as if she were just executing some daily routine." "The moment Sunny saw Yeri, her pupils shook. I could feel her panic right through the screen." "Those few seconds when the two cars passed each other were practically movie-level cinematography." "Who made this variety show concept? Come out and receive your award." "The viewer count has broken three million and is still rising."

On the right side of the split-screen, Im Yoona was still standing at the parking lot exit. The night wind blew her hair into a bit of a mess, and she reached up to tidy it. Her gaze fell on the empty street, the red glow of the taillights already vanished into the night. She looked down at her phone—the messages in the group chat were refreshing rapidly: "Sunny is heading toward Gangnam District," "Is Yuri Unnie's side at the coffee shop ready?" "Red Velvet is in pursuit."

Im Yoona put her phone away and turned to walk back to the elevator. A very slight curve appeared at the corner of her lips. It wasn't a "just as planned" smirk, but something more complex, hard to put into words.

The elevator doors opened. She walked in, and the doors closed. The numbers jumped from -1 to 1, and then from 1 to 6. Her reflection was cast on the elevator doors, her silhouette distorted by the texture of the stainless steel. She reached up to touch her face; it felt a bit hot.

That damn Jiang Zhiyu. When you get back from China— She took a deep breath, holding it in her chest. The elevator doors opened, and the hallway lights were a warm yellow, shining on the gray carpet. She walked back to her front door, inserted the key into the lock, and turned it. The door opened, and the light in the entryway was still on.

She walked into the living room and sat where Sunny had just been sitting. Sunny's warmth and the faint scent from Lemm's body still lingered on the sofa cushions. She leaned back against the sofa and closed her eyes. In her ears was Jiang Zhiyu's voice—"Noona, Noona, Noona." It wasn't a hallucination; it was a memory.

She opened her eyes, her gaze falling on the camera on the bookshelf. The small red light was still flashing. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and opened the livestream. On the split-screen, Red Velvet's van was still speeding through the night, Yeri's face reflecting as a blurry silhouette on the car window.

She turned off her phone and placed it face down on the coffee table. The living room fell silent, with only the low hum of the air conditioner's outdoor unit. The camera on the bookshelf was still on, its small red light flashing. She was waiting—waiting for Sunny to be "caught," waiting for Yeri to get her Lemm back, waiting for this farce to come to an end.