463: Chapter 516 2022 SPRING SPECIAL - OPERATION SUNNY (5)

The cafe was nestled in a quiet alley in Gangnam District, with grey exterior walls, dark wooden doors and windows, and a row of short holly bushes planted at the entrance.

Sunlight streamed in through the glass windows, spreading a patch of warm gold across the natural wood-colored tabletop.

There were only a few tables of customers in the shop. Yuri sat by the window with a latte in front of her, fine beads of condensation clinging to the side of the cup.

Her phone stood propped up beside her, displaying the Girls Generation group chat, where messages were refreshing rapidly.

Yuri picked up her coffee, took a sip, and set it back on the table.

Her gaze traveled through the glass window and landed on the corner of the alley.

A red arrow, a silver car body, and black tires traced an arc across the asphalt, executing a beautiful drift before the car pulled steadily into a parking spot in front of the cafe.

The car door opened, and Sunny climbed out from the driver's seat, holding that Red Velvet Laimu. Her movements were fluid, and the hem of her trench coat flared in the wind in a sharp arc.

This scene was captured clearly by the live stream, which had switched from Yoona's living room to the cafe's surveillance feed.

The speed of the comment section increased several times over in an instant.

Some said that drift was too cool, others said the way Sunny got out of the car holding the Lemm looked like she was on some secret mission, and others asked why the surveillance quality was so clear and what brand of cameras TG used.

Sunny pushed open the cafe's glass door, and the wind chime on the door gave a crisp "ding-a-ling."

Her gaze swept around the shop, from the bar to the booths, and from the booths to the window seat.

Yuri was sitting there, holding her coffee cup, looking down at her phone.

Her expression was one of leisure, relaxation, and the contentment of enjoying the afternoon sun.

Sunny hurried over with the Lemm in her arms, snatched the coffee cup from Yuri's hand, and took a big gulp.

The latte wasn't too hot anymore; it was lukewarm, the sweetness of the milk and the bitterness of the coffee blending on the tip of her tongue.

Yuri's hand remained in the "holding the cup" position, suspended in mid-air, her knuckles slightly curled.

She blinked, her eyes filled with surprise, bewilderment, and the confusion of "what are you doing?"

Sunny wiped the corner of her mouth and set the coffee cup back on the table.

The words "Yuri, help me" squeezed out of her throat, hurried and urgent.

Yuri's expression switched from "what are you doing" to "what's wrong with you," and her brows furrowed slightly.

"Sunny, what's wrong? By the way, is that the Yeri pig you're holding?" Her gaze fell on the Lemm, its red, semi-transparent body glowing with a warm luster in the sunlight, golden threads swirling across its surface.

Sunny looked down at the Lemm in her arms, the curve of her lips shifting from "nervous" to "smug."

"That's right! Let me tell you—" She spoke faster, her fingers gently tracing circles on the Lemm's back.

"The Yeri pig is a limited-time trial version with only ninety days of usage rights. But it's okay, when Jiang Zhiyu gets back, I'll tell him to gift me a pink one."

"Kim Taeyeon has Anne, so why shouldn't I? I'm Sunny from Girls Generation!"

She chattered on, covering everything from the Lemm's texture to its functions, from its codename to its color, even mentioning the details of the ninety-day countdown.

Yuri listened to her for nearly three minutes, her fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Finally, she couldn't help but interrupt. "Sunny, what did you mean by 'help me' just now? What does that mean?"

Her voice was calm, but her tone carried a hint of helplessness, like "you've finally gotten to the point."

Sunny gritted her teeth. "That little devil Yeri wants to steal my Yeri pig! And she brought Son Seung-wan and the others along—" She didn't finish her sentence.

Yuri blinked and raised her hand, waving it towards the door of the shop.

The movement was light, her fingers swaying twice in the air as if greeting someone.

Sunny's voice stuck in her throat. "Yuri, what are you doing?" Her brows furrowed.

"Oh, I'm greeting Yeri." Yuri's tone was casual, as if she were commenting on the nice weather.

"What did you just say?" In that instant, Sunny's brain felt as if someone had pressed the pause button, only to restart it violently.

Yeri? Her neck felt as if it were being pulled by something, slowly turning towards the glass window.

Yeri was standing at the entrance of the cafe, both hands pressed against the glass door, her face against the cold glass surface.

Her nose was flattened, and her lips were pressed into a thin line.

Those eyes were staring at her with a deadpan gaze.

It wasn't anger, but the calmness of "I've seen through everything," the certainty of a hunter staring at its prey.

Joy stood next to Yeri, her head turned in another direction, her lips moving silently as she shouted something, probably calling Wendy and Seulgi.

Wendy poked her head out from the corner of the alley, with Seulgi following behind her.

Sunny sprang up from her seat. "Shit—!!!"

That "shit" exploded in the quiet cafe, and several customers looked up in her direction.

Her chair was knocked backward by her sudden movement, and she didn't bother to steady it; it wobbled twice before falling to the floor.

She turned to run, clutching the Lemm, and Yuri's voice drifted from behind her— "Sunny, where are you going?"

"This place isn't safe either!" Sunny's voice was hurried and urgent.

Yuri stood up from her seat. "So you're hiding from Yeri and the others?"

Sunny nodded frantically. Yuri walked around from behind her seat and reached out to grab Sunny's wrist. "I know the back door of this place, follow me!"

The glass door was pushed open, and the wind chimes let out a rapid series of "ding-a-lings."

Yeri's voice exploded from behind— "Sunny Unnie!!!"

That "Unnie" was loud and clear, carrying the certainty of "you can't escape."

Sunny didn't look back. Yuri pulled her hand, leading her through the two rows of tables, knocking chairs askew.

They turned from beside the bar into a narrow corridor, at the end of which was a dark wooden door.

Yuri pushed the door open, and sunlight flooded in from outside, revealing a narrow alley.

The two of them rushed out through the back door.

The four of them, led by Yeri, finally pushed open the cafe's glass door. Yeri stood at the entrance, her gaze passing through the scattered chairs, the bar, and the narrow corridor, landing on the wooden door at the back that was still swinging.

"Chase." Her voice was calm.

In the live stream, the surveillance feed was divided into several small grids. The panoramic view of the cafe's front entrance, the interior surveillance, the view of the back alley, and the view of the street corner were all playing in real-time.

The comment section had completely boiled over. "I'm dying of laughter at Yuri's waving gesture, while Sunny stupidly asked 'what are you doing'."

"The scene where all the customers in the cafe looked up at Sunny when she said 'shit' was so hilarious."

"I took a screenshot the moment Yeri's face was pressed against the glass door; I'll use it as a meme later."

"The part where Joy turned her head to shout at Wendy and Seulgi, her lip movements were so exaggerated, like she was afraid Sunny wouldn't be able to read her lips."

"The part where Yuri pulled Sunny to escape through the back door was so smooth, like they had rehearsed it many times."

"The viewers in the live stream are all spamming 'pay for damages to public property' for the moments the chairs were knocked over."

"The shot of the back alley was so cinematic, with sunlight pouring in, the two of them rushing out, and the hem of their clothes fluttering in the wind."

On the split screen, the four of them chased out of the cafe's front entrance. Wendy and Seulgi ran over from the corner of the alley to join them, and Joy pointed forward, towards the district where the gym was located. Yeri nodded, and the four of them quickened their pace.

The number of viewers in the top right corner of the live stream had exceeded five million. The comment section was still scrolling rapidly, like an endless tide.

Sunny ran through the alley, clutching the Lemm, the hem of her trench coat fluttering behind her. Yuri followed behind her, her pace much lighter than Sunny's.

"Turn left ahead! Then turn right! Keep going straight and we'll be there!" Sunny didn't reply; her breathing was rapid, and her palms were sweaty.

The Lemm in her arms had curved eyes, the emoticon still present, and golden threads swirling across its surface. It didn't know its owner was being hunted, nor did it know it only had a ninety-day usage period.

The end of the alley was a wide street. The gym was on the other side of the street, its second-floor floor-to-ceiling windows reflecting blinding light in the sun.

Sunny rushed across the road and pushed open the glass door of the gym. What she didn't know was that the members of NCT127 were already waiting for her on the treadmills.

The viewers in the live stream were spamming the comment section crazily— "Next stop! Gym! NCT127 is ready!" "Sunny thinks she's running for her life, but actually, she's clearing levels." "This variety show can be renamed 'Sunny's Bizarre Adventure'." "Red Velvet has such good stamina, they haven't fallen behind after chasing for so long." "Viewership has broken six million. With this level of popularity, it's destined for the trending list tomorrow."

The glass door closed behind her. The cool air of the gym hit her face; the treadmill belts were turning, some people were doing bench presses, and others were doing squats.

Her gaze swept over the gym equipment and landed on the few treadmills in the corner. A person on one of the treadmills was wearing headphones, looking straight at her.

She recognized that face. An NCT127 member; she couldn't name him, but she knew he was from NCT.

The person smiled at her and raised his hand to point in a certain direction. She looked in the direction of his finger and saw a door with "Staff Only" written on it.

Sunny gritted her teeth and ran towards that door, holding the Lemm. Behind her, the gym's glass door was pushed open once again.

The night wind blew in from outside. Yeri stood at the entrance, her gaze passing through the treadmills, bench press racks, and squat racks, landing on Sunny's back. The "Staff Only" door was slowly closing.

"Sunny Unnie!!!" That "Unnie" echoed in the gym.

Sunny didn't look back.

On the split screen in the live stream, the four of them rushed into the gym. The person on the treadmill took off their headphones and stepped off the belt.

The person raised their hand and pointed towards the staff passage. Yeri nodded at him and walked quickly towards that door.

The comment section of the live stream exploded once again. A new plan, new participants, a new chase, new suspense; everyone was waiting, waiting to see where Sunny's next stop would be, waiting to see if Red Velvet could catch up to her, waiting to see when this chase that began in Seoul's Gangnam District would come to an end.

——

The gym lights were cold white, pouring down from the long fluorescent tubes on the ceiling, illuminating the lines of every muscle in sharp detail.

Floor-to-ceiling mirrors spread along the entire wall, reflecting the young bodies currently battling with iron weights.

The metallic sound of barbell plates clashing, the hum of treadmill belts, and the muffled thuds of sneakers on the floor blended together, weaving a symphony belonging to the gym.

The seven members of NCT127 were distributed in different areas. Johnny was wrestling with a barbell on the bench press rack; every lift tightened his arm muscles to the extreme, blue veins bulging on the back of his hands, and sweat slid down his forehead, dripping onto the black weight bench.

Doyoung was in the adjacent area doing pull-ups; when his body pulled up, his latissimus dorsi muscles spread like two wings, and his movements were slow and controlled when lowering.

Jaehyun was adjusting the incline and speed on a treadmill, his long legs striding at a steady, unhurried pace, his breathing even.

Taeyong was doing dumbbell curls, every inch of muscle appearing full and powerful under the lights, his gaze fixed on his own reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror, his expression one of the composure of "I know you're watching."

Jungwoo was carrying a barbell on the squat rack, knees bent with his thighs parallel to the ground, his core tightening as he rose, the entire movement flowing like water.

Mark was in the corner doing cable pulldowns, the lines of his triceps clearly visible as his arms extended, his bangs dampened by sweat and stuck to his skin.

Yuta was doing a plank on a yoga mat, his body taut in a straight line.

Their faces all carried a faint flush, not from exercise, but because of those omnipresent camera lenses.

The one in the corner, the one on the ceiling, the one next to the weight rack—every single one was aimed at them.

And the background music, whoever chose it, every time someone finished a set of heavy training, a burst of "Woooo—" exclamations would erupt from the speakers, mixed with "hehehe" giggles.

When Yuta was doing his plank, the music happened to hit the "hehehe" part, and his core almost gave out.

"Who in the world came up with this plan?" Mark walked down from the cable pulldown machine, wiped the sweat from his face with a towel, and glanced over at the cameras that were broadcasting live, his expression a subtle mix of "I'm a professional, but I really want to laugh."

"Lee Tima. The director of the TG Variety Department."

Doyoung jumped down from the pull-up bar and shook his arms. "She's President Jiang Zhiyu's sister."

Jaehyun walked off the treadmill, wiping the sweat from his neck with a towel, his gaze landing on the red indicator light of the camera lens in the corner. "That 'Black Mamba Invading Kwangya' plan? The aespa one?"

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

Johnny sat up from the bench press, his back muscles still pumped and well-defined. "No, this is '2022 SPRING SPECIAL - OPERATION SUNNY'. Senior Sunny is being chased by Red Velvet, and we're just an intermediate stage." Taeyong put down his dumbbells and looked at his arms in the mirror. "'Muscle Extravaganza'—that's the title." Jungwoo walked over from the squat rack. "Didn't you guys read the proposal sent in the group chat? Our mission is 'pure muscle fan-service segment'."

The expressions of several members became a bit subtle. A "pure muscle fan-service segment" sounded exactly like something that would be turned into GIFs and circulated on Twitter hundreds of times. But they were NCT 127, idols; being filmed by cameras was their daily routine. It was just that they usually filmed their faces, but this time they were filming muscles.

On the split-screen of the live stream room, workout footage of NCT 127 was being broadcast in real-time from various angles. Close-ups of chest muscles during push-ups, slow-motion shots of lats during pull-ups, freeze-frames of thigh muscle definition during squats—every shot seemed meticulously calculated, as if controlled behind the scenes by a master who deeply understood fan psychology. The comment section had completely gone crazy. "Shibal, whoever is holding the camera for these muscle shots, come out and accept an award!" "I've watched Doyoung's lats ten times." "The angle of Jaehyun running is insane." "Taeyong's biceps are brighter than my future." "What is that 'hehehe' sound effect when Yuta does planks? It's so funny!" "Is NCT 127's physique even real?" "TG has completely mastered the ratings code for this project."

Doyoung walked to the side, took a sip of water, screwed the cap back on, and fixed his gaze on the TV screen on the wall. The screen was live-streaming other perspectives of this chase—Red Velvet's van driving down the street, and Sunny running while holding Lemm. He watched for a moment, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and opened the group chat "2022 SPRING SPECIAL - OPERATION SUNNY". There weren't many messages in the group. The group creator, Chief Kim, periodically updated Sunny's location, and the participating artists occasionally sent "in position" or "received". After thinking for a moment, he typed out a line: "There are too many camera angles in the gym, can we reduce them a bit?" Taeyong's reply followed right after. "Same question." Jaehyun followed with "+1". Johnny replied more directly: "I think it's pretty good, no need to adjust." Taeyong sent a "🙄". Jungwoo sent a "🙄". Mark sent a "🙄". Yuta sent a "🙄". Doyoung sighed and put his phone back in his pocket.

The glass door of the gym was pushed open. Sunny rushed in holding Lemm, the stray hairs on her forehead wet with sweat and clinging to her skin, her cheeks flushed red from exertion. She stood at the door panting, her eyes quickly scanning the fitness equipment—the bench press, the pull-up bar, the treadmill, the squat rack. She was looking for someone, someone she knew who could help her.

Johnny sat up from the bench press and wiped the sweat from his face with a towel. "Senior Sunny." His voice wasn't loud, carrying the politeness a junior should have when facing a senior, along with a slight breathlessness from working out. The others also stopped what they were doing; Doyoung jumped down from the pull-up bar, Jaehyun stepped off the treadmill, Taeyong put down his dumbbells, Jungwoo walked over from the squat rack, Mark poked his head out from a corner, and Yuta rolled over and sat up from his yoga mat.

Sunny's lips twitched. Of course she knew they were there, because Yuri had just told her, but now was not the time to think about "why is everyone here". Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw Yuri's name flashing on the screen, then answered it.

"Sunny-ah! Yeri and the others are heading your way!" Yuri's voice was urgent and rushed, her tense tone sounding like she was broadcasting some breaking news. Sunny cursed under her breath. It wasn't loud, but the NCT members who were stretching still heard it. Doyoung's eyebrows twitched, Taeyong's lips twitched slightly, and Johnny looked down, pretending to tie his shoelaces.

"Aish—aren't those guys directionally challenged?" Sunny's voice squeezed out from the depths of her throat.

Yuri's voice came through the receiver. "Or you could go to Sooyoung's place, Hyoyeon is there too. I'll send you the address. Ah! I see Yeri and the others going upstairs!" Hearing the words "Yeri is right at the stairwell," Sunny jumped up like a cat with its fur standing on end, her fingers quickly hanging up the phone. Her gaze swept across the faces of her young juniors, who were looking at her with expressions that said, "Senior, do you need help?"

She took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse back into her chest. "Help me block Yeri." She tried her best to maintain her senior's authority. Johnny stood up from the bench press and exchanged looks with the other members. "For your future comebacks, I'll have President Jiang take charge." Sunny spoke very quickly, with the certainty of "I mean what I say."

Doyoung's eyebrows twitched again. This time, Taeyong's lips didn't twitch, but curled up slightly. Jaehyun's expression remained calm and unreadable, but his hand clenched slightly at his side. The young men nodded and responded in unison, "Ne."

"By the way, how are you guys getting back?" Sunny's gaze swept over their gym bags and water bottles.

Johnny pointed to the door. "The Manager is waiting downstairs." The others nodded as well. Just as Jungwoo was about to say, "Senior, do you want to come with us?" Sunny's expression changed. It wasn't an inquiring expression, but one that said, "I've already made up my mind." She apologized to her young juniors hundreds of times in her heart, and then spoke.

"Then you guys take my car back. Lend me your car."

The gym fell silent for a moment. Doyoung opened his mouth slightly, then closed it again. Looking at Sunny's "I've already decided" face, Taeyong swallowed back the words, "But our car is a van, can you even drive it, Senior?" Johnny said, "Okay." Jungwoo said, "Drive slowly, Senior." Jaehyun said, "Stay safe." Mark and Yuta didn't speak, only nodding.

Holding Lemm, Sunny walked quickly toward the door. The moment the glass door closed, the sound of the treadmill belt turning came from behind her. She looked back—the young men had already returned to their respective equipment. Doyoung was doing pull-ups, Taeyong was lifting dumbbells, and Jaehyun was on the treadmill. Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. The sunlight shone through the glass windows onto their youthful muscles, golden light rippling over their bodies.

The gym's glass door was pushed open once again. Yeri walked at the front, followed by Wendy, with Seulgi and Joy at the very back. Wendy let out a breath, Seulgi's gaze swept over the fitness equipment, and Joy was tidying up her wind-blown hair. Yeri's eyes landed on the working-out NCT members, then she looked away.

"Where is Sunny Unnie?" Her voice was calm.

Johnny sat up from the bench press and wiped the sweat from his face with a towel. "She just left." He paused. "She said she wanted to borrow our car."

Wendy raised her eyebrows. Yeri's lips twitched. Without saying "thank you" or "goodbye," she turned and walked quickly toward the door. Wendy, Seulgi, and Joy followed behind.

The glass door closed. The gym fell silent for a moment, with only the humming of the treadmill belt and the metallic clinking of barbell plates. Doyoung jumped down from the pull-up bar and shook his arms. "So our mission is complete?" Taeyong put down his dumbbells, picked up his phone, and swiped—a message from Chief Kim popped up in the group chat: "NCT 127 mission complete. Continue working out for the split-stream broadcast." Jaehyun stepped off the treadmill, wiping the sweat from his neck with a towel. "Continue working out?" "Split-stream broadcast." Jungwoo repeated the phrase, his expression serious, like he was trying to comprehend a complex concept.

Doyoung sighed. "So we have to keep lifting weights here for the live stream audience to watch?" Johnny stood up from the bench press. "Well, we'd go to the gym after work anyway." "But we have to maintain our idol image here." Jungwoo's voice grew quieter, and the others fell silent at the same time.

Yuta had changed into his running shoes at some point and was stretching on a yoga mat. Mark had also returned to the lat pulldown machine, readjusting the weight. Doyoung sighed and grabbed the pull-up bar again. Taeyong picked up his dumbbells. Jaehyun reset the speed and incline on the treadmill. Johnny lay back on the bench press, the barbell lifted once more, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the black weight bench. Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Downstairs, the van was parked quietly by the roadside. The Manager leaned against the car door, holding a taiyaki. He took a bite, red bean filling oozing from the corner of his mouth. He looked down at his phone—the notifications in the group chat alerted him that Sunny was rushing this way. He stuffed the last bite of taiyaki into his mouth, patted the crumbs off his hands, stood up straight, and leaned his back against the door, maintaining a relaxed posture, pretending to wait for someone.

Sunny rushed out of the gym's glass door holding Lemm, her gaze sweeping across the street and landing on the van and the Manager who was eating the taiyaki. Without hesitating, she pulled open the car door and slipped inside.

The wind blew the taiyaki wrapper from the Manager's fingers, and it slipped away. He turned his head, looking at Sunny who had already sat in the back seat. Her hair was a bit messy, the stray hairs on her forehead wet with sweat and clinging to her skin, her cheeks flushed red from exertion. In her arms, she held that Red Velvet Laimu, with emoticons still appearing on its body surface. His expression switched to a "confused yet polite" mode, tilting his head slightly.

"Sunny-ssi, what is this?" His voice wasn't loud.

Sunny panted heavily, her lips curling into a stiff smile. "Ah, that, just a coincidence." Her voice squeezed out from the depths of her throat.

The Manager was silent for a moment. "Sunny-ssi, I'm waiting for the NCT kids—"

"I know!" Sunny's voice was urgent and rushed, her fingers clenching on her knees.

In the distance, Yeri's voice came from the gym's stairwell. That shout of "Unnie—" was crisp and bright, like a flicked marble, echoing in the air over the street.

Sunny's body stiffened. "Quick! Drive!" Her voice was urgent and sharp.

The Manager looked at her with some difficulty. "Sunny-ssi—"

"Shibal, if you don't go, I'll have someone banish you to the India branch." Sunny's voice was calm, her eyes staring straight at Yeri's approaching figure in the rearview mirror.

The Manager's lips twitched. He started the engine, the headlights lit up, and the wheels began to turn. As he turned the steering wheel, he grumbled, "I'm with SM, not HYBE." HYBE was rumored to have plans to open a branch in India; this rumor had been circulating within the entertainment industry for a long time. Whether it was true or not, it was enough to serve as a useful threat. The car pulled out of the parking spot and merged into the traffic on the main road.

Sunny leaned back against the seat and let out a long breath. In her arms, Lemm's eyes were curved, and those emoticons were still there. The sunlight shone through the car window, coating its body with a layer of golden light. She looked down at it, her lips curling into a very, very slight arc. The gym behind her grew further and further away. Yeri's voice also faded into the distance. Ahead was the next destination.

On the split-screen of the live stream room, the workout footage of NCT 127 was still going. Doyoung was going up and down on the pull-up bar, Johnny was pressing on the bench press, and Jaehyun was running on the treadmill. Slow-motion replays showed the entire process of Sunny rushing into the gym, hijacking the car, and escaping. The comments were scrolling so fast that it was almost impossible to read any complete sentence. "I took a screenshot of that shot of Sunny hijacking the car, I'll use it as a meme from now on." "The Manager eating taiyaki looked so innocent, like he was being kidnapped." "'Shibal, if you don't go, I'll banish you to the India branch'—I laughed so hard at this line from Sunny." "The Manager's expression when he said 'I'm with SM, not HYBE'—you could feel his helplessness right through the screen." "Does HYBE have a branch in India? Where did this meme come from?" "NCT 127 is still working out, do they not know their car was hijacked?"

On the split-screen, another black van was driving down the street. Yeri sat in the back seat, looking at the streetscape retreating rapidly outside the window, holding a throw pillow in her arms, wondering what she was thinking. Wendy was swiping her phone beside her, Seulgi leaned against the seat with her eyes closed, and Joy was listening to music with her headphones on.

Next stop, the karaoke room. What Sunny didn't know was that a new "trap" was waiting for her there.