58: Chapter 58 Ham Sausage

Im Yoona walked step by step toward Jiang Zhiyu, who was packing up. Her face wore a smile so sweet it could drip honey, but her voice was squeezed out from between her teeth:

"Jiang. Zhi. Yu. xi."

"Regarding the Privilege Exchange for the 'Golden Card'... I have a small suggestion."

Jiang Zhiyu stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "Please speak, Yoona Senior."

"I think," Im Yoona's smile was brilliant, but her eyes were like ice blades, "the first 'Privilege Exchange' should be used to command you—to wear all the 'Abstract Meme Headgear' and dance to all of Girls Generation's title tracks at the entrance of the SM Entertainment cafeteria."

"What do you think of this proposal?"

Jiang Zhiyu: "..."

He fell silent for two seconds, and then, a smile that could be described as "gentle" appeared on his face:

"Yoona Senior's proposal... is very creative."

"However, the exchange right is in the hands of the Bright Yellow Team."

He looked over at Bae Joo-hyun, who was excitedly studying the cards nearby.

"Perhaps, you could try to... discuss it with Irene Senior?"

After speaking, he bowed slightly, picked up his things, and quickly left this place of trouble.

Leaving Im Yoona standing there, she watched his retreating back and then looked toward Bae Joo-hyun. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly; a new "revenge (and cooperation) plan" seemed to be taking shape.

And at this moment, the storm on the internet had only just begun.

The first episode of the 'SM Entertainment Weekend Special' completely exploded on the trending searches with its various outrageous segments, disastrous cooking scenes, devilish judging, and the dramatic result decided by a 0.5-point difference.

#SM weekend special Battle Chef Min#

#Jiang Zhiyu Variety Devil#

#Cilantro on Im Yoona's Hair#

#Bae Joo-hyun Chaos Art Noodles#

#Bright Yellow Team Narrow Victory#

#Royal Blue Team Street Fan Punishment Preview#

Everyone was discussing, making memes, and looking forward to the "public execution" the day after tomorrow, as well as—

What would the next "Weekend War" look like?

Jiang Zhiyu sat in the car on the way back, watching the night scenery fly past the window. His phone screen showed constantly refreshing trending search terms and exploding show data.

The corners of his mouth slowly curled into a satisfied arc.

The first round of the game had a good effect.

So, next...

He should think about how to deal with the "hunts" that might come from multiple parties.

And of course—the planning for the second episode.

Clearly, the story of the weekend special was far from over.

The Aftermath After the Live Broadcast

The moment the red light for the end of the live broadcast went out, the extremely tense atmosphere in the studio seemed like a punctured balloon, deflating with a "poof."

Staff members began busily packing up equipment and moving props. The noisy sounds of voices and metal clashing replaced the tense sound effects of the competition. The bright stage lights dimmed several notches, leaving only the cold white light for illumination, clearly showing the mess on the cooking stations and everyone's exhausted faces.

"It's over... it's finally over..." Joy was the first to slump onto the floor by the cooking station, no longer caring about her image, burying her face in her knees. "I feel like I've fought a war, and a losing one at that."

Wendy took off the crooked "black-rimmed glasses" (a prop), rubbed the bridge of her nose, and let out a long sigh. She didn't speak, but her face was written all over with "physically and mentally exhausted."

Im Yoona was still standing, her hands propped on the cold edge of the cooking station, her fingertips turning slightly white. She lowered her head, her bangs falling to cover her eyes. A few seconds later, she slowly raised her head. The sweet smile for the camera was gone, as was the frustration after defeat; only a sense of calm remained—a dead, silent calm before the storm.

Her gaze swept over the two bowls of failed products on her team's station that had barely been touched and had gone cold, then over the empty bowl of highly-praised beef noodles being carefully taken away by the staff on the Bright Yellow Team's side. Finally, her gaze locked onto Jiang Zhiyu in the center of the venue, who was surrounded by the PD and several staff members, seemingly discussing follow-up matters, like a precision-guided missile.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to sense something and turned his head, happening to meet Im Yoona's gaze.

Their eyes met.

In Im Yoona's eyes, there was no anger, no complaint, not even blame. It was an extremely pure, cold, and almost tangible—murderous intent.

It was as if she was saying: Jiang Zhiyu, you. are. dead.

A slight, biological instinct-like chill instantly rose at the back of Jiang Zhiyu's neck. It was a keen perception of danger honed under the "law of the jungle" inside TG Entertainment. He clearly read the message in Im Yoona's eyes.

Without almost any hesitation, the serious expression on Jiang Zhiyu's face from discussing with the PD switched instantly. He quickly and naturally took a small step back, hiding half his body behind the tall camera director. At the same time, he raised his hand and pointed to a non-existent earpiece on his ear (he wasn't wearing one at all), mouthed "Urgent matter, contact you later" to the PD, and then—

Turned around and bolted!

His movements were smooth and natural, as if he had suddenly remembered some critical work. He didn't even forget to nod to the passing staff members to maintain basic politeness. But his pace was so fast it almost stirred up a wind, moving with a clear goal toward the emergency exit at the side-rear of the studio.

That retreating back, no matter how you looked at it, exuded a sense of haste that said, "This place is not for long stays, the wind is tight, let's bolt."

"Pfft..." Yeri, who had been paying attention to the movement here, was the first to fail to hold back and laughed out loud, but immediately covered her mouth.

Bae Joo-hyun also noticed this lightning-fast exchange of glances and Jiang Zhiyu's textbook "escape." On her cool face, the corners of her mouth curved up almost imperceptibly by a tiny, nearly invisible margin. It seemed someone wanted to "settle accounts" with Jiang Zhiyu even more than she did.

As for Im Yoona, watching Jiang Zhiyu's back quickly disappear behind the emergency exit door, her beautiful eyebrows slowly arched. The murderous intent in her eyes, far from fading, became deeper and more dangerous because of the other party's "sensible" escape. She hummed softly, her voice so low only she could hear: "Run? You can run, but you can't hide."

"Unnie?" Joy looked up from the floor, staring at Im Yoona in confusion.

Im Yoona instantly restrained all outward emotions, her face once again wearing a gentle (but slightly tired) smile as she turned around: "It's nothing. Let's go, say goodbye to the Bright Yellow Team kids and the senior judges, and then... we need to go back and 'prepare' well for Monday's events." She bit the word "prepare" exceptionally clearly.

On the other side, the judging panel area also became lively.

Kim Heechul was pulling Chef Choi, pointing at the plate of "Chaos Art Noodles" left behind and complaining loudly: "Chef-nim, if this thing appeared at the cafeteria window, would anyone buy it? I bet ten thousand won it would be complained about within three seconds!"

Chef Choi smiled honestly and shook his head: "Heechul-xi, our cafeteria wouldn't dare supply this kind of 'art.' But today's beef noodles were indeed well-made. That Bae Joo-hyun-xi has a lot of potential."

Lee Hyukjae and Cho Kyuhyun leaned in next to Kim Taeyeon, whispering something with grins, probably discussing the scoring just now. Taeyeon had a faint smile on her face and nodded occasionally, but her gaze also unconsciously drifted toward the exit where Jiang Zhiyu had disappeared.

Bae Joo-hyun walked over with Seulgi and Yeri, politely thanking the judges.

"Irene, well done!" Kim Heechul patted Bae Joo-hyun's shoulder (with no small amount of force), "I've certified that bowl of beef noodles! It's much better than what some people made!" He glanced pointedly at the Royal Blue Team not far away.

"Thank you, Heechul Senior." Bae Joo-hyun bowed slightly.

Kim Taeyeon also said gently, "It's not easy to stay steady in that situation. Congratulations on your victory."

"Thank you, Taeyeon Senior." Bae Joo-hyun bowed again.

Yeri excitedly showed off the Golden Card in her hand: "Unnies, look! Isn't it super cool!"

"Hey, Kim Yerim, getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't you?" Im Yoona walked over with Wendy and Joy, her face wearing an impeccable senior's smile as she reached out to ruffle Yeri's hair (with a force that carried a bit of "punishment"), "Monday... look forward to it."

Yeri immediately shrank behind Bae Joo-hyun and stuck out her tongue, but her eyes were full of anticipation for the drama.

The senior judges gave a few more words of encouragement (or teasing) and then left first. They had busy schedules; being able to find time to be judges was already rare.

Soon, only the core staff of the program crew and the six members of the two teams remained in the studio.

The Main PD walked up to everyone, his face flushed with uncontrollable excitement: "Everyone! Hard work! The live data just came out—peak simultaneous online viewers exceeded three million! The topic hit number one on all platform trending searches! The response is explosive! 'the kings card,' 'Meme Headgear,' 'Jiang Zhiyu Possession,' and 'Chaos Art Noodles' are all going viral! Our 'SM Entertainment Weekend Special'—is definitely going to be a huge hit!"

The PD's voice trembled with excitement.

However, meeting this good news were six faces with subtle, even somewhat... resistant expressions.

Im Yoona, Wendy, Joy (Royal Blue Team): "..." (Inner thoughts: A huge hit? We'd rather it flop into the ground!)

Bae Joo-hyun, Kang Seulgi, Kim Yerim (Bright Yellow Team): "..." (Although they won, the process was too tragic; they couldn't feel happy at all, and thinking that they might have to participate again in the future...)

Seulgi muttered softly in her simple way: "Do we have to participate again... I feel so tired..."

Joy also had a bitter face: "PD-nim, next time can it be... a bit more gentle? For example, without the 'Possession' segment?"

Although Yeri won, thinking about the punishment she might have faced if she lost made her feel the same: "Exactly, exactly!"

Bae Joo-hyun didn't speak, but her cool gaze clearly expressed an assessment of "this program's danger level is too high."

Im Yoona smiled slightly, her tone gentle but with an indisputable power: "PD-nim, we are of course happy for the company and the program crew that the show is a hit. However..." She changed the subject, "As performers, I believe we have the right to have more... 'suggestive power' regarding the 'safety standards' and 'psychological endurance assessment' of subsequent programs. After all, only healthy and happy artists can continue to bring wonderful programs, right?"

She said this beautifully and flawlessly, but the underlying meaning was clear: Jiang Zhiyu's way of playing things should be reined in!

The PD naturally understood. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a forced smile: "Yes, yes, Yoona-xi is right. Today's segments... were indeed designed by Producer Jiang Zhiyu to pursue 'extreme effects.' We will fully listen to everyone's opinions and focus more on balance in subsequent planning..."

In his heart, however, he was wailing: Jiang Zhiyu, oh Jiang Zhiyu, you sure ran fast, leaving me here to face this group of 'resentful' ladies!

After a few more pleasantries, the PD also quickly found an excuse to slip away, leaving his assistant to handle the follow-up.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

The Managers and assistants of both teams only then filed in, handing water to their respective artists, draping jackets over them, and gathering their personal belongings.

"Unnie, shall we go?" Seulgi's assistant whispered.

Bae Joo-hyun nodded, took one last look at this chaotic "battlefield," let her gaze linger on that emergency exit door for a moment, then turned and left calmly, accompanied by her assistant.

Yeri and Seulgi followed her out, with Yeri still excitedly showing off the kings card to their Manager.

On the Royal Blue Team's side.

Im Yoona took the thermos handed to her by her assistant and took a sip of warm water, moistening her throat, which had become dry and scratchy from the long livestream and tension. The smile on her face vanished completely once only her own people remained.

"Unnie, are you okay?" Joy asked cautiously.

"I'm fine." Im Yoona shook her head, her tone calm. "Go back and get some good rest. On Monday... remember to 'give it your all.'"

Wendy pushed up her glasses, which she had put back on, her eyes calm behind the lenses. "Yoona Unnie, about Producer Jiang Zhiyu..."

Im Yoona raised a hand to interrupt her, the corners of her lips curling into a cold yet beautiful arc. "Wendy-ah, some things don't need to be said out loud. For 'variety show effects,' someone always has to pay the price, don't they?"

She said no more and, surrounded by her assistants, walked out. The sound of her high heels striking the floor in the now-empty corridor was clear and rhythmic, like the prelude to some kind of war drum.

Meanwhile, at the SM Entertainment building, in a remote stairwell connecting to a logistics passage.

Jiang Zhiyu leaned his back against the cold wall and caught his breath slightly. He had been walking briskly, taking several turns to confirm there were no "pursuers" before hiding in here.

He took out his phone, and the screen lit up with countless unread messages and push notifications, mostly reports on the explosive data from the livestream just now and congratulations from various parties.

But he only glanced at them briefly before opening an encrypted messaging app.

The pinned chat box had a silhouette of a purple rabbit as its profile picture.

The latest message, from ten minutes ago:

[Tima]: "Brother!!! I watched the livestream!!! Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter!!!"

[Tima]: "Bae Joo-hyun Unnie's 'Chaos Art Noodles' is simply legendary! And that 'Possession' of yours! It was so devious! I love it!"

[Tima]: "Jiang Zhiyu! How dare you make Yoona Unnie and the others embarrass themselves in public and get punished?! You're done for! I'll punish you in the name of the moon! Jieun Unnie and I are coming back to Seoul next week! Just you wait! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻"

Jiang Zhiyu looked at this obviously gloating message, a vein on his forehead throbbing.

His fingers typed a reply rapidly:

[Jiang Zhiyu]: "I'm alive. Temporarily safe."

[Jiang Zhiyu]: "Stay put in Suwon, don't come back and cause trouble."

[Jiang Zhiyu]: "Also, on Monday at the SM Entertainment entrance, there's a 'good show' to watch. Remember to watch from afar."

After sending it, he turned off the screen and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

The stairwell was dim and silent, with only the exit sign emitting a faint green light.

He leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and replayed the segments of the livestream in his mind: Im Yoona's final look, the undercurrents beneath Bae Joo-hyun's calm surface, and that plate of "Chaos Art Noodles" he had personally "catalyzed"...

The corners of his mouth curled upward uncontrollably.

Dangerous? Of course it was dangerous.

But... it was interesting.

Unprecedentedly interesting.

The first episode of "SM Entertainment Weekend Special" kicked off with an absurd, chaotic cooking showdown filled with surprises and "hatred."

And the storm it brought was only just beginning.

Jiang Zhiyu straightened his collar, pushed open the stairwell door, and walked back into the bright corridor.

His pace was steady, and his expression had returned to his usual calm and aloofness.

As if the person who had been forced to flee in panic by "killing intent" just a moment ago wasn't him at all.

The game was still continuing.

And the roles of hunter and prey, director and actor, destroyer and rebel...

Were never fixed.

The night in Seoul, neon lights flickering.

The lights of the SM Entertainment building gradually went out one by one.

But the flames in some people's hearts had just been ignited.

What kind of "good show" would next Monday's "public execution" be?

Black Monday — The "Public Execution" at the SM Entertainment Entrance and the Nationwide Carnival

Time: Monday, 17:00.

Location: SM Entertainment main entrance, beneath the giant LED screen.

It was peak commute and school release time, and the streets of Apgujeong-dong in Gangnam District, Seoul, which were already crowded, were now packed tight. The plaza in front of the SM Entertainment building, the sidewalk across the street, and even the windows of nearby buildings were packed with excited crowds. Media reporters with long lenses and short cameras, influencers livestreaming with their phones, fans screaming their idols' names, and passersby just there to watch the spectacle turned this place into a massive open-air theater.

The air was filled with a restless yet comical, festival-like atmosphere.

All of this was because today was the day the losing team of the first episode of "SM Entertainment Weekend Special" — the Royal Blue Team (Im Yoona, Wendy, Joy) — was fulfilling their punishment.

And what was even more eye-catching than the punishment itself was that almost half of the active idols at SM Entertainment just "happened" to be "passing by" the company entrance at this time, or had "just happened" to finish "handling business" at nearby cafes or studios, and then "naturally" stayed behind to "care for their juniors/teammates."

Aside from the few members of Girls Generation who needed to film or had overseas schedules, Kim Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, and Seohyun were all present. They had even put on matching black sunglasses and baseball caps (though they had no camouflage effect) and were huddled by the window of a practice room on the second floor with an excellent view, each holding a cup of coffee, with excited smiles meant for watching a show on their faces.

Red Velvet's winning trio — Bae Joo-hyun, Kang Seulgi, and Kim Yerim — as the "subjects of praise" and "winners," had been "invited" by the production team to a small, makeshift viewing platform (with a canopy and seats) at the scene, located directly opposite the punishment execution point. Bae Joo-hyun sat calmly and coolly as always, Seulgi lowered her head and played with her fingers somewhat embarrassedly, while Yeri looked around excitedly, flashing a V-sign at the camera.

The four members of aespa (Kim Minjeong, NingNing, Karina, Uchinaga Eri) also "just happened" to finish practice and were "allowed" by their Manager to stay at the entrance for a while to "soak in the atmosphere." The four of them stood on the outskirts of the crowd, their expressions complex, harboring both sympathy for their seniors and an irrepressible, immense curiosity.

Several members of NCT (Lee Taeyong, Jung Jaehyun, Mark Lee, etc.) had somehow gotten hold of binoculars, squatting by a flower bed across the street, pointing over here and occasionally bursting into undisguised laughter.

Even those three "instigator" judges from Super Junior — Kim Heechul, Lee Hyukjae, and Cho Kyuhyun — had parked a flashy sports car (convertible) on the side of the road. Kim Heechul was even holding a megaphone he had gotten from somewhere, shouting at the crowd: "Make way! Make way! The VIP audience is here!"

The scene was like an absurd carnival, and the main characters had yet to make their entrance.

The number of online viewers in the livestream room (the SM official channel was simultaneously hosting a special "public execution" livestream) had already surpassed the peak of the program's livestream within ten minutes of going live. The comments were scrolling wildly:

[It's here, it's here! A historic moment!]

[This turnout... half the Korean entertainment industry is here, right?]

[Bae-jie is sitting there like a queen ascending to the throne...]

[Those three lunatics from SJ really came! And they're driving a convertible!]

[I've already started laughing!]

[Yoona Unnie, Wendy Unnie, Joy Unnie, fighting (?)]

The Girls Generation internal group chat (encrypted channel) was also incredibly lively at this moment:

[Sunny]: "@Everyone are you all here? I've secured the best viewing spot! Second floor, east side practice room, right facing downstairs! The view is excellent!"

[Tiffany]: "Here, here! Hyoyeon and I are together! We see your window! Where's Yoona? Hasn't she come out yet?"

[Seohyun]: "Yoona Unnie, Wendy Unnie, and Joy Unnie just entered the preparation room. Their expressions... are very calm, calm to the point of being a bit scary."

[Kim Taeyeon]: "Where is Jiang Zhiyu?"

[Sunny]: "Don't know! That kid has been missing since he finished recording the show on Friday! He's not answering calls or replying to messages! He must be afraid of being silenced by Yoona!"

[Hyoyeon]: "Serves him right! Who told him to come up with such a perverted punishment! Though... it really is fun to watch (whispering)."

[Tiffany]: "Can't entirely blame Jiang Zhiyu, right? The game rules were agreed upon beforehand, and Yoona and the others lost..."

[Sunny]: "Yah! Tiffany Hwang! Whose side are you on?! Of course it's Jiang Zhiyu's fault! Who told him to design the game so hard! And pulling that 'Possession' stunt to mess things up!"

[Kim Taeyeon]: "...He was indeed a bit excessive."

[Yuri] (Remote): "Ahhh, I really want to see it live! I'm filming and can't get away! Someone start a video stream for me!"

[Sooyoung] (Remote): "+1! I want to see Yoona praise Yeri!"

[Yoona]: (Suddenly popping up) "...Unnies, I saw all of that."

[Sunny]: "..."

[Tiffany]: "..."

[Everyone]: "...Yoona-ah, fighting! We support you in spirit! (Quickly retracts previous message and changes tone)"

Just in this atmosphere of great anticipation (or "great gloating"), the time struck 17:00 sharp.

The giant LED screen at the SM Entertainment main entrance, which usually played MVs and announcements, suddenly went dark.

Immediately after, the screen lit up, but what appeared was not the live broadcast of the punishment, but a carefully edited trailer set to impassioned symphonic music and variety show text effects — "SM Entertainment Weekend Special: Duel, Chef min! Official Edited Trailer"!

In the trailer, various "famous scenes" from the show flashed by rapidly:

A close-up shot of Jiang Zhiyu imitating Sunny acting cute.

A slow-motion replay of the six of them collectively spitting water during the saltwater challenge.

Close-ups of those vegetables with anti-human colors in the "Love and Vegetables" level.

The mesmerizing scene of Joy wearing the "Subway Old Man Looking at Phone" mask while dancing to "Red Flavor" during the Sauce God judging segment.

And... the highlight reel of various disaster scenes during the "Jiang Zhiyu Possession" period (Seulgi throwing garnish, Wendy frantically stirring jajangmyeon, Joy scattering green onions like a flower goddess, Im Yoona overturning black noodles...).

Every frame was accompanied by exaggerated sound effects and chuunibyou subtitles like "Variety Show Bomb," "Epic Disaster," and "The Referee's Conspiracy."

Finally, the screen froze on a montage of close-ups of the Royal Blue Team's trio (Im Yoona, Wendy, Joy) the moment they learned of the punishment content — their stiff, shocked, and despairing faces.

The trailer ended, and large characters appeared on the screen:

"The full 'Hell's Kitchen' recording, stay tuned for the official channel release this Friday night on 'SM Entertainment Weekend Special'!"

Live audience & comments: [???] [Showing a trailer at a time like this?] [That's psychological warfare!] [This is definitely Jiang Zhiyu's doing!] [The trailer is actually edited quite well...]

That wasn't all!

After the trailer finished playing, the screen switched again.

This time, a short, looping video appeared.

The content of the video was—

The "shameful clips" of Im Yoona, Wendy, and Joy, each wearing "Abstract Meme Headgear" and being forced to dance after failing the "sauce packet duel"!

And it wasn't just a simple playback; it had been edited in a chaotic, meme-worthy style!

For Im Yoona's part, that "nuclear-level kind" smile she had after being "possessed" and having black bean noodles dumped on her was infinitely slowed down, repeated, and set to a "ding" sound effect.

Wendy's stiff movements while wearing the "I'm just quietly watching you act cool" headgear and dancing the "Girls Generation" crab dance were sped up, reversed, looped, and set to addictive electronic music.

Joy's hilarious dance moves while wearing the "subway old man looking at phone" headgear and dancing "Red Flavor" were edited into rhythmic loops, accompanied by "question mark" and "laughing-crying" emoji effects.

The three clips were stitched together and played on a loop in a nine-grid format on the massive LED screen!

The background music was that cheap, festive, supermarket-clearance-sale-style promotional track!

"？？？？？"

Both the live audience and the internet fell into a brief, stunned silence.

Then, a roar of laughter and screaming erupted, almost blowing the roof off!

[Hahahaha hahahaha!!!!!!]

[Jiang Zhiyu, are you a devil?!]

[A public execution before the public execution?!]

[This is so embarrassing!!]

[The screen is so big! Looping playback! All of Seoul has seen it!]

[Yoona: Killing intent × 10000]

[Wendy: I want to escape this planet]

[Joy: Is my entertainment career over?]

The members of Girls Generation by the second-floor window were all dumbfounded.

Sunny spat out a mouthful of coffee: "Cough, cough, cough... Jiang Zhiyu, this kid... is ruthless! I like it!"

Tiffany covered her mouth, laughing until she was shaking: "OMG... this is just too..."

Kim Taeyeon covered her forehead, but the corners of her mouth rose uncontrollably: "He really isn't afraid of death..."

Seohyun looked like she couldn't bear to watch: "Is this... a bit too much?"

Hyoyeon was already laughing so hard she was slapping the table: "It's not too much, not too much! Perfect variety show effect!"

In the SJ convertible by the side of the road, Kim Heechul was slapping the steering wheel, laughing until tears streamed down: "Ya! This kid! He's a talent! This trailer and the looping video! Amazing!"

Lee Hyukjae was also laughing so hard he was rocking back and forth: "Yoona and the others must want to die right now, right?"

Cho Kyuhyun wiped away the tears of laughter: "Jiang Zhiyu... I respect him as a man. Although he might not survive the night."

On the viewing platform, Bae Joo-hyun watched the extremely shameful footage of her teammates (Joy) and opponents looping on the screen. A faint, almost helpless smile flickered across her cold, aloof face, but she quickly composed herself.

She could even feel Yeri next to her trying desperately to hold back laughter, her shoulders shaking.

Meanwhile, inside the temporary "preparation room" (which was actually just a mobile changing trailer with a curtain) next to the main entrance.

Im Yoona, Wendy, and Joy had already seen everything playing on the LED screen outside via a small monitor.

Joy collapsed onto the floor, covering her face with both hands: "I'm not going out there... just let me die here..."

Wendy adjusted her glasses, her eyes behind the lenses dead and hollow, as if she had seen through the vanity of the world: "Jiang Zhiyu... I've noted you. Don't even think about me singing another song of yours in the future."

Im Yoona stood there quietly.

She was wearing a simple beige trench coat today, her long hair flowing softly, and she wore light makeup, looking as elegant and beautiful as ever—a completely different person from the "crazy woman" dancing in a headgear on the screen.

She watched her own "smile" on the screen, slowed down and repeated, then looked at the roaring crowd and flashing lights outside, the three "lucky ones" on the viewing platform opposite, and the group of "good sisters" by the second-floor window who were just there to watch the chaos.

A smile slowly, slowly bloomed on her face—one that was sweeter, brighter, and more impeccable than the slowed-down smile on the screen—

The Ultimate Goddess Smile.

Only, there wasn't a shred of warmth in the depths of that smile.

She picked up the handheld megaphone prepared by the production team, which could transmit sound across half a city block, checked the battery, and then, to Joy who was collapsed on the floor and Wendy who was staring blankly into space, said in a voice so gentle it could drip water:

"Children, it's time for us to go on stage."

"Remember—"

"Smile the sweetest."

"Shout the loudest."

"Act the most engaged."

"After all..."

She paused, a flash of cold light in her eyes.

"This is all 'variety show effect' after all."

With that, she was the first to lift the curtain and walk out.

Wendy and Joy exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and followed, biting the bullet.

When the three protagonists truly appeared in everyone's sight, the noise level at the scene reached its peak! Cheers, screams, laughter, and whistles blended together, and the camera flashes created a sea of light that was almost like daylight.

Im Yoona walked in front, wearing an impeccable, sweet smile, as if she weren't here to accept a punishment, but to walk the red carpet. She even waved elegantly at a few familiar media cameras.

Wendy tried hard to maintain her composure, but her slightly red earlobes betrayed her embarrassment.

Joy, having given up on dignity, made a crying grimace toward the SJ convertible, which caused Kim Heechul to burst into laughter again.

The three of them walked to the designated spot—right underneath that giant LED screen that was looping their "dark history."

The program PD (substituting for the missing Jiang Zhiyu) held the microphone, holding back laughter as he announced: "The punishment segment for the first episode of 'SM Entertainment Weekend Special' begins now! Will the three members of the Royal Blue Team please fulfill their promises in order!"

According to the prior assignment:

First up, Wendy, object of praise: Kang Seulgi.

Wendy picked up another megaphone and looked at Kang Seulgi, who was waving at her foolishly and shyly on the viewing platform opposite. She adjusted her glasses, took a deep breath with her clear, professional voice, and then—

Using all her strength, in a tone that was as articulate as a news broadcast but screamed until her voice cracked, she shouted into the megaphone:

"Kang Seulgi Sunbaenim!" (Used honorifics)

"You are the perfect combination of strength and softness! You are a dancing machine forged by diligence and talent! Hidden beneath your honest exterior is 100% focus and passion for the stage! Every jump you take lands precisely on my heart! Every smile you give is as warm and healing as honey butter chips! Your existence proves that effort will never betray sweat! You are our role model! You are the pride of SM!"

"Kang—Seul—gi—!!!"

"You are—electricity! You are—light! You are—the only myth!!!"

"You—are—the most perfect chef in my heart! Bear power—number one in the world!!!"

"Your—honest and hardworking figure! Lights up my—dark culinary path!!!"

"Seulgi-ah—Saranghaeyo——————!!!"

After shouting, she forcefully made a huge, trembling heart shape toward Seulgi.

"Pfft——!!"

The whole venue burst into laughter! Even Kim Taeyeon on the second floor couldn't help but laugh out loud. The contrast was just too huge! The usually rational and calm Wendy used a news-anchor tone to shout such chuunibyou lines!

Seulgi on the viewing platform opposite had gone from initial embarrassment to complete confusion and shyness. She waved her hands foolishly, her face flushed red, completely unsure how to react, and could only bow repeatedly to Wendy.

Second up, Joy, object of praise: Bae Joo-hyun.

Joy went all out. She grabbed the megaphone, tossed her hair, and her expression instantly switched to the most exaggerated, teary-eyed "fanatic fan mode." She even knelt on one knee (drama queen mode activated) and screamed toward Bae Joo-hyun with a tearful, cloyingly sweet voice:

"Irene Unnie——————!!!"

"Bae Joo-hyun! The goddess-level visual of the fourth-generation girl groups! The woman who unified the aesthetic standards of the fandom! Just standing there is a painting! Walking is a runway show! When you smile, the world lights up! When you don't smile, you're an ice queen! You look good no matter what!!"

"Unnie, is your skin a peeled egg?! Are your eyes stars stolen from the galaxy?! Were your nose and mouth carved by an artist according to the golden ratio?! Why can someone be perfect to this degree?! This isn't scientific!!!"

"As a leader, you are calm, strong, and reliable, leading Red Velvet so well! As an older sister, you are gentle yet strict (?) with the members, a role model for us to learn from! As an artist, you are always professional, always pursuing perfection! You are the lighthouse on my, Park Sooyoung's, life path! A guiding light!!"

"I... I..." Joy seemed to run out of words. After holding it in for a long time, she shouted the last sentence with a tearful voice: "Unnie! Saranghae! Please keep being this beautiful! Keep being our leader! Keep... don't give up on treatment (slip of the tongue)... ah, no! Keep walking the flower path!! Aaaaah!!!"

She shouted until her voice was raw, even adding an improvised "believer's kowtow" action.

Bae Joo-hyun opposite: "..."

She tried hard to maintain a blank expression, but the slight twitching of her mouth and her reddening earlobes betrayed her. She silently turned her face to the other side, seemingly unable to bear watching.

The laughter at the venue was enough to blow the sky off! Even the usually calm Bae Joo-hyun couldn't hold it together; she raised her hand to cover her forehead, her shoulders shaking slightly as she clearly tried hard to hold back laughter. Yeri was already laughing until she fell onto her chair.

Comments: [Joy is working too hard!] [Bae-jie: Don't come over here!] [What kind of cult site is this!]

Finally, the main event—Im Yoona, object of praise: Kim Yerim (Yeri).

The whole venue instantly quieted down, and everyone held their breath in anticipation. They wanted to see how this visual, known for her elegance and intelligence, would interpret a "crazy fan."

Im Yoona picked up the megaphone without haste.

She didn't shout immediately. Instead, she first revealed an extremely gentle, extremely doting, "motherly smile" toward Yeri that seemed capable of melting ice and snow.

Then, with that clear and sweet voice of hers that had been kissed by angels, she slowly began.