83: Chapter 83 Wedding Candy

Kim Soo-yeon's gorgeous stage outfit and stunning beauty, captured in photos on the Han River Bridge, were like sparks thrown into boiling oil. Fueled by online public opinion, the fire was already raging.

When she appeared at JYP Entertainment late at night, "locking eyes" with ITZY from a distance, critiquing trainees, and even improvising a display of extraordinary talent in front of Park Jin-young—these news items were like a series of explosions. They were leaked to the internet in fragments and exaggerated ways by certain "insiders" at the company that night (mainly curious idols and staff who were told to keep quiet but inevitably let information slip through private channels).

The entire South Korean entertainment network completely exploded.

The initial "Mysterious Beauty on the Han River Bridge" post reached its peak popularity instantly, spawning countless discussion threads:

[Explosive] Confirmed! The Han River Bridge Fairy entered JYP! Pictures or it didn't happen! (A blurry silhouette at the JYP building entrance)

[Hot] Insider news! ITZY was "death-stared" by a mysterious beauty during practice, Shin Ryujin cursed in shock!

[Shocking] CEO Park Jin-young personally met her late at night! A suspected super rookie has appeared in the JYP practice room!

[Technical Analysis] Analyzing the dance and vocal skills of this mysterious girl based on the sporadic video clips leaked (someone secretly recorded a very short, blurry clip of Kim Soo-yeon's improvisation)—Conclusion: Monster-level!

[Exposed] Kim Suyeon? American citizen? No record of her! Background a mystery! Did JYP find an alien treasure?

Various clickbait titles, speculations, analyses, and even fabricated "insider tips" flooded the internet. Kim Soo-yeon's candid photos were repeatedly circulated, zoomed in on, and analyzed. The brand and designer of her gorgeous stage outfit were crazily guessed at (of course, to no avail). The calm, scrutinizing look she gave ITZY and the trainees was turned into memes, captioned with phrases like "You, not good enough here" and "JYP's New Quality Inspector."

"Damn! Is this level of beauty even real? Even CG wouldn't dare to render this!"

"Is beauty the point? The point is the talent! That few seconds of improvisation, the breath control and dance power—I'd believe it if you said she's an ACE-level idol in an active top girl group!"

"Did JYP really strike gold this time? Where did they dig her up from? A secret American training camp?"

"The key is she looks so young! A minor, right? With this talent and beauty, is it debut-as-a-legend?"

"Am I the only one wondering why she was wearing such an expensive stage outfit and lost on the Han River Bridge that night? Is this some new type of debut teaser? They really spent a fortune on this!"

"Aren't SM Entertainment and other companies regretting this to death? I heard several companies were fighting over her that night!"

"Park Jin-young personally stepped in... It seems JYP is determined to get her. This treatment..."

The buzz quickly spilled over from the Korean web, spreading to international K-pop fan communities. On Twitter, hashtags like #KimSuyeon, #JYPNewGem, and #HanRiverAngel climbed rapidly. Her photos and blurry video clips were reposted on various platforms.

The biggest eruption of influence occurred on China's Weibo.

A certain entertainment blogger with millions of followers, who regularly reposts K-pop news, compiled the high-definition photos of the "Han River Bridge Fairy" from Korean forums, the subsequent JYP-related leaks (including the blurry long-shot of Park Jin-young standing at the practice room door looking at Kim Soo-yeon), and the key conclusions from the technical analysis posts into a long, illustrated Weibo post.

The title was extremely provocative:

[Major K-pop Earthquake! A 'Heavenly Purple Star' suddenly appears at JYP late at night? God-tier looks + monster talent, suspected Korean-American, personally certified by Park Jin-young!]

As soon as this Weibo post was published, it instantly ignited the enthusiasm of Chinese K-pop fans and netizens.

"My god! Is this face a masterpiece by Nuwa?"

"This stage outfit is too beautiful! Whose high-end custom? Why can't I find it?"

"The video clip of her talent is blurry, but it feels so strong! Her dance frame is so big, and her voice is so stable!"

"Did JYP's ancestors smoke lucky incense? How can they find such a gem?"

"American? Doesn't speak Korean? Then how do they communicate? Telepathy?"

"Am I the only one who thinks this story sounds like the beginning of a novel? A mysterious beauty wandering the streets and being picked up by an entertainment giant... Is Jinjiang literature coming to reality?"

"@SM Entertainment, come see someone else's rookie [Dog Head]"

"@YG, stop slacking, come out and take a look!"

"I can already foresee the future landscape of girl groups changing..."

Retweets, comments, and likes skyrocketed exponentially. Related topics like #JYPHeavenlyPurpleStar, #HanRiverBridgeMysteriousBeauty, and #KimSuyeon quickly surged onto the Weibo trending list, ranking higher and higher, even breaking into the top ten at one point.

Various marketing accounts followed up, offering interpretations from different angles, digging for info (though they couldn't find anything), and making memes. Kim Soo-yeon's candid photos were widely circulated, and there were even massive threads demanding "original photos," "no watermarks," and "more information."

Just like that, Kim Soo-yeon—or rather, the girl from another world wearing the identity of "Kim Suyeon"—completed her "global debut" in a dramatic and high-profile way within the online worlds of Korea and China, all on her first night of exploring the Earth's entertainment industry, while still knowing nothing and not speaking the language.

No official teaser, no company promotion, and she herself was completely unaware.

Relying solely on a few candid photos, some unverifiable leaks, a blurry clip of her talent, and that gorgeous stage outfit with impeccable beauty, she successfully became the most mysterious, hottest, and most intriguing focal point in the K-pop scene for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, inside a secure meeting room at JYP, Kim Soo-yeon was facing Park Jin-young—who had a fanatical look on his face and was holding a draft trainee contract with surprisingly generous terms (including a promise of a fast-track debut)—along with Park Jihun, who was trembling with excitement beside him.

She didn't yet know what kind of storm her name and image had stirred up in the outside world.

She was just looking at the dense Korean contract. Although she couldn't understand the specific clauses, she could feel the other party's urgency and high regard. What she was calculating in her heart was how to accept this "shelter" and "opportunity" while maximizing the preservation of her independence and space to explore this world, and... how to learn Korean as quickly as possible and figure out what was going on with that "American passport."

Outside the window, the sky over Seoul began to turn a pale, fish-belly white.

A new day was about to begin, and for Kim Soo-yeon, an uncontrollable Earth idol career, full of spotlights and unknown challenges, seemed to have been pressed into fast-forward in this absurd and sensational way. And that stage outfit from the Tianxuan Continent on her body, in the dim morning light, seemed to herald that she would charge into this familiar yet strange entertainment galaxy, carrying the starlight and talent of another world.

—

In the early morning, the cafeteria of SM Entertainment was filled with the aroma of coffee, milk, and freshly baked bread. Jiang Zhiyu sat by the window with a simple breakfast in front of him, and opposite him were the three members of the pre-debut aespa trio—Karina, Kim Minjeong, and NingNing. They had just finished their morning practice and were discussing the details of the new choreography while eating.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to be listening, but his fingers were unconsciously sliding across his phone screen, handling some emails for TG Entertainment. Ever since the destined kim hyo-soon series became a huge success, TG Entertainment had established a firm footing in the industry, and he could be considered to have upgraded from a "basement entrepreneur" to a "boss with assets," but the strings in his mind never relaxed; he was always paying attention to industry trends.

The four of them had a private group chat called "Debut Sprint Chat Room" (nominally for discussing work, but actually for chatting about anything). NingNing took a bite of her sandwich, tapped her phone screen rapidly with her other hand, and suddenly let out a "Wow," her eyes widening.

"Image.jpg" "Image.jpg" She quickly threw two photos into the group and tagged everyone.

NingNing: [Wow! This girl is super pretty!! Her beauty is too insane! [Image] [Image] Look quickly! The search trends have exploded! It says something about a Han River Bridge fairy, and she was picked up by JYP?]

In the group, the phones of Karina and Kim Minjeong also vibrated. When the two picked them up and took a look, they also showed surprised expressions.

Karina: [Indeed... very beautiful. Her aura is also very special. JYP is really lucky this time.]

Kim Minjeong: [The stage outfit is so gorgeous... doesn't look like a normal trainee. Did she really join JYP?]

Jiang Zhiyu was picking up his coffee cup when he saw the group message. He sighed helplessly, looked up at NingNing who was sitting opposite him—right in front of his eyes—and teased: "NingNing, we are all right in front of you. You can just hand over your phone or send the pictures directly. Why bother tagging us in the group and typing? This distance isn't even the length of your arm."

Karina smiled and pursed her lips. Kim Minjeong also curiously leaned over to look at NingNing's phone.

NingNing stuck out her tongue: "Oh, just a habit! Zhiyu Oppa, look quickly, it's really super amazing!"

At first, Jiang Zhiyu just thought the girl was indeed a bit excessively beautiful, and the design style of that stage outfit... had a subtle, familiar sense of magnificence, but it was definitely not any style currently popular in the Korean entertainment industry. He thought it was the work of some newly returned overseas designer, or that JYP had launched some mysterious large-scale project.

However, when he clicked on the second photo, which was clearer and taken from a slightly side angle, allowing him to see the details of the stage outfit and the girl's expression more clearly, and habitually used two fingers to zoom in to observe carefully—

His gaze suddenly froze on a specific part of the screen.

In the zoomed-in image, near the girl's chest, on that gorgeous stage outfit, an extremely tiny embroidered emblem, almost hidden by sequins and crystals, caught his eyes.

It was a simplified, abstract "Z" letter, entwined with patterns of stars and wings.

Jiang Zhiyu's breathing stopped abruptly, and his blood seemed to rush to his head instantly, then quickly froze.

This pattern... he would never mistake it even if he died!

This was the team emblem of Zephyrus, the girl group from the Nanming Kingdom of the Tianxuan Continent, under TG Entertainment, a group he had personally participated in planning and poured countless efforts into! It was the unique, personalized mark that Kim Soo-yeon had personally participated in designing and insisted on having embroidered on her most important stage costume!

"Damn... Soo-yeon?!!!"

A short, horrified, and incredulous low roar burst from Jiang Zhiyu's throat uncontrollably. He stood up from his chair with a "whoosh," and the movement was so large that the coffee cup in front of him swayed, making a harsh clattering sound.

The people at nearby tables in the cafeteria were startled by this sudden movement and looked over one after another.

The aespa trio sitting opposite him was even more startled. NingNing almost choked on her sandwich, and Karina and Kim Minjeong also looked up in astonishment at Jiang Zhiyu, whose face had turned extremely ugly and even somewhat pale.

"Zhiyu Oppa? What's wrong?" Karina reacted first and asked cautiously. Kim Minjeong also looked at him with concern.

NingNing looked at her phone, then at Jiang Zhiyu, her brain turning fast. Combining the name Jiang Zhiyu had just shouted and his violent reaction after seeing the photo, a bold guess emerged: "Oppa... do you... know this girl? That... Kim Soo-yeon? Kim Suyeon?"

Jiang Zhiyu had no intention of answering their questions. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, and his ears were buzzing. Soo-yeon? Kim Soo-yeon? How could she appear here? On Earth? On the Han River Bridge in Seoul? And wearing the Zephyrus tenth-anniversary custom stage outfit?! And it looks like... she was "picked up" by JYP?!

What is going on?! Spacetime confusion? Or... did she also...?

Countless questions and shocks instantly overwhelmed him. But his strong self-control forced him to calm down quickly. Now is not the time to be shocked! Must confirm immediately! Must find her!

He grabbed his phone, not even having time to explain to the three confused girls in front of him. His fingers trembled as he found Lee Tima's number as fast as he could and dialed it.

The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up, and Lee Tima's sleepy, groggy, and annoyed mumble came from the receiver: "Hello~ who is it... so early in the morning... Zhiyu Oppa? What's the matter... I'm still sleeping..."

In the background, another lazy female voice seemed to ask vaguely, "Who is it...", sounding like IU's voice.

Jiang Zhiyu couldn't care about that right now. He yelled at the phone, his voice distorted by urgency and shock:

"Damn! Stop sleeping! Get up! Immediately! Right now! Go to JYP! Go to the JYP company!"

Lee Tima on the other end was obviously startled by this unprecedented sternness, and her sleepiness vanished more than halfway: "Ah? JYP? Why go to JYP? What happened, Oppa? Calm down..."

Jiang Zhiyu took a deep breath, trying to make his words clearer, but his speaking speed was still shockingly fast:

"Soo-yeon is here! Kim Soo-yeon! Our Kim Soo-yeon! She's at JYP! I just saw her photo! On the Han River Bridge, wearing that tenth-anniversary 'Starry Vow' outfit! She was taken away by people from JYP! Go! Find a way to find her! Confirm if it's her! Hurry!!"

"What?! Soo-yeon Unnie?! At JYP?!" Lee Tima's voice shot up, full of the same shock and disbelief as Jiang Zhiyu's. A rustling sound of panic came from the background, and it was clear she had fully woken up and started to take action. "I... I'll get up immediately! IU Unnie, lend me a coat! Car keys! Damn, I'm going to JYP right now!"

The call was hung up in a hurry.

Jiang Zhiyu held his phone, his chest heaving violently, his eyes sharp as knives. He forced himself to sit down, but his fingers were still trembling slightly from excitement. He clicked on the photo again, staring fixedly at the familiar team emblem, and at Kim Soo-yeon's face in the photo—which carried shock and alienation, yet was incomparably familiar.

The aespa trio looked at each other, completely unable to understand what "Kim Soo-yeon," "Our," "Tenth Anniversary," and "Starry Vow" meant in Jiang Zhiyu's mouth, but they could understand words like "JYP," "photo," and "hurry to find her." They could feel that this mysterious girl with stunning beauty who had suddenly appeared seemed to be of extraordinary significance to Jiang Zhiyu, and might even... come from the same "place" they didn't know about?

"Oppa..." NingNing asked cautiously, "Is that girl... someone very important to you? A friend from... China?" She could only think of this possibility.

Jiang Zhiyu looked up at them, his eyes incomparably complex, with turbulent waves they couldn't understand. He didn't answer directly, but said in a deep voice: "For now, don't tell anyone about this. Ji-min, Minjeong, NingNing, please."

His tone was uncharacteristically solemn, even carrying a hint of pleading.

Although the three were full of doubts, they still nodded immediately. They had never seen Jiang Zhiyu so distraught and serious.

Jiang Zhiyu stood up, left behind the sentence "I have some urgent matters to attend to, you guys eat slowly," and then hurried out of the cafeteria, not even bothering to clear his tray.

He needed to immediately utilize every relationship and channel he could to figure out exactly what happened at JYP, and ensure... Kim Soo-yeon's safety.

Since crossing over, he had always thought that he (perhaps along with Lee Tima and Kim Jeong-gi) was the only anomaly in this world. He never imagined that, on the Tianxuan Continent after they left, time continued to flow, and that the companion he cherished, the leader of the top girl group he had poured his heart and soul into, had actually descended here in such an incredible way, crossing through time and space.

The early morning sunlight of Earth shone through the glass windows into the SM cafeteria. But Jiang Zhiyu's heart felt as if a giant boulder had been thrown into it, no longer able to be calm.

"Kim Soo-yeon... wait for me."

——

Inside that highly confidential meeting room at JYP, the atmosphere was just like the morning light outside the window—bright yet carrying a hint of subtle tension. On the table lay a draft contract with terms so generous they would make any rookie trainee's heart race.

But Kim Soo-yeon's gaze only lingered on that document briefly before turning to Park Jin-young, who was sitting opposite her with a smile that remained bright but eyes that were incomparably eager.

Language remained the biggest obstacle. But after half a night of buffering (as well as walking around and observing inside the JYP company), combined with gestures, simple vocabulary, and the help of an assistant translator Park Jin-young specifically called in who knew some basic English, Kim Soo-yeon had roughly understood the other party's intention—to invite her to join JYP, become a trainee, and promise to push for her debut at the fastest speed and highest standard.

If it were any other girl harboring a star dream, she would probably be unable to contain her excitement right now.

But Kim Soo-yeon was not.

She was the leader of Zephyrus, the top girl group of the Nanming Kingdom on the Tianxuan Continent, an all-around ACE honed through countless cruel competitions, stage battles, and Jiang Zhiyu's "high standards and strict requirements," and was the music director of half of TG Entertainment. Her vision, her strength, and her understanding of the "idol industry" had long since surpassed the scope of a "trainee" or even a regular "debut artist."

What she needed was not a simple "shelter" or "debut opportunity." What she needed was a platform that would allow her to quickly adapt to this world, verify her own value, and obtain sufficient resources and autonomy. At the same time, she also needed time to figure out why she had come here, as well as the truth behind that "US passport."

Park Jin-young's proposal was an opportunity, but also a test.

Thus, with the stumbling assistance of the assistant translator, Kim Soo-yeon proposed her "requirements": She could sign, but not as a regular trainee, but as JYP's "tentative secret weapon" or "special project member." She required the top vocal, dance, and language (Korean, English reinforcement) teachers for targeted special training, but for training content and progress, she needed to have considerable advisory power and room for adjustment. She needed to understand JYP's production system, artist training model, and even participate in observing some behind-the-scenes work. At the same time, the company must resolve her legal identity issue (based on that US passport) and provide living guarantees commensurate with her "potential."

Some of these requests sounded reasonable to Park Jin-young (such as top-tier faculty and identity resolution), while others revealed this girl's extraordinary self-confidence and assertiveness (such as training advisory power and behind-the-scenes observation). But who was Park Jin-young? He was Park Jin-young, who had discovered countless eccentrics and was himself a top creator and producer! He not only didn't think Kim Soo-yeon was "arrogant," but was instead even more excited—only a true powerhouse would dare to propose such clear and dominant conditions in an unknown environment!

"No problem! Absolutely no problem!" Park Jin-young almost patted his chest to guarantee, his eyes flashing with the fanaticism of someone discovering a rare treasure of the age, "Suyeon-ah, your talent and potential are worth us investing all resources! You are our JYP's future 'secret weapon'! No, it's 'ace'!"

A preliminary consensus was reached, and the atmosphere eased. Park Jin-young couldn't wait to further "inspect the goods," or rather, wanted to witness with his own eyes what kind of brilliance this "unpolished jade" could bloom into. He proposed taking Kim Soo-yeon to visit JYP's top vocal practice room and dance studio, and "casually" show off a little.

Kim Soo-yeon did not refuse. She also needed to evaluate JYP's "hard power," and... in this new world, exactly what position her "strength" was in.

They first arrived at the top vocal practice room that JYP was proud of, with excellent soundproofing and professional equipment. Coincidentally, a senior vocal teacher known for strict techniques was instructing a solo female singer (a company senior). Park Jin-young signaled them to wait a moment and watch from behind the observation window.

That senior singer had considerable strength and was challenging a highly difficult ballad, with full emotions and skilled technique. Kim Soo-yeon watched and listened quietly. Her ears precisely captured every turn, every breath handling, and every node of emotional outburst.

When the song ended, the senior singer gasped slightly and looked at the teacher. The teacher nodded in affirmation but also pointed out a few places that could be improved.

Park Jin-young looked at Kim Soo-yeon, with an encouraging and testing tone: "Suyeon-ah, what do you think? Any interest... in giving it a try? No need to sing the same one, just sing whatever you like."

That senior singer and the vocal teacher also curiously looked at this girl who had been brought in personally by the CEO, had a stunning appearance, and was dressed strangely.

Kim Soo-yeon tilted her head slightly, as if recalling something. She walked to the console, looked at the equipment, and then looked at the music stand—it just happened to have the sheet music for the song just now. She picked up the sheet music and scanned it quickly. Complex chord progressions, violently undulating melodic lines, extremely high requirements for breath and emotional control.

She didn't speak, just put the sheet music back where it was, and then walked to the recording microphone.

She didn't choose that song, but instead closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes and signaled to the vocal teacher that they could play a simple, melody-less piano chord accompaniment (this is a common method for vocal practice).

The music started, a soothing and slightly melancholic harmonic progression.

Kim Soo-yeon started singing.

She was not singing lyrics in any known language, but improvisational, sigh-like humming and melodic fragments. The voice was ethereal and penetrating, instantly grabbing everyone's ears. Her vocal range was shockingly wide, transitioning from low, breathy vocals to clear, high head voice, smooth as silk. Her breath control was as steady as a rock; even in long notes and complex ornamentation, there was not a hint of tremor or exhaustion. Even more terrifying was the emotional layering in her voice—it was clearly just improvisational humming, yet it seemed to allow people to feel stories and imagery; that kind of empathy ability could be called gifted.

The short, one-minute-plus improvisational performance ended.

Inside the vocal practice room, there was silence.

That senior singer opened her mouth wide, her face full of "Who am I? Where am I?". The vocal teacher pushed up his glasses, his expression one of extreme shock and seriousness; he looked at Park Jin-young, and slowly, using mouth movements, silently said one sentence: "Monster..."

The smile on Park Jin-young's face was already so bright it was almost stiff, which was a sign of extreme excitement.

Next, they arrived at the largest dance practice room. Coincidentally, ITZY was conducting morning warm-ups and basic training here. Seeing the CEO bring that "mysterious quality inspector" they caught a glimpse of last night again, the five girls immediately became nervous, practicing even harder, but also more cautiously.

Park Jin-young smiled and said to Kim Soo-yeon: "ITZY, our performance-type girl group, has very strong dance skills. Suyeon-ah, what do you think of their dance?"

Kim Soo-yeon's gaze swept over ITZY, who were practicing complex choreography segments, and the conclusion from last night surfaced again: full of power, high uniformity, distinct style, but the balance of singing and dancing and individual details...

She didn't evaluate directly, but turned to Park Jin-young, using simple vocabulary combined with gestures: "They good. But... me... try same?" ("They are good. But... I... try the same?")

She wanted to try dancing this high-intensity choreography segment that ITZY was practicing.

Once this was said, not only did the ITZY members stop their movements, faces full of astonishment, even Park Jin-young was stunned for a moment. This choreography was known for its explosive power and complex formations, and ITZY had practiced for a long time to reach their current proficiency. This girl who just arrived at the company and didn't speak the language wanted to try after watching it once?

"You... sure?" (You... sure?) Park Jin-young asked.

Kim Soo-yeon nodded and walked straight to the mirror. She signaled for the music to replay the segment ITZY had just been practicing.

The music started.

Kim Soo-yeon's eyes changed instantly. From the previous calm and aloofness, they became incomparably focused and sharp. Her body seemed to have connected to a power source instantly.

Learn it after watching once? No, it was the genius instinct of "learning at a glance," added with hard-honed muscle memory and stage understanding!

Her movements precisely replicated every step, every gesture, and every angle of ITZY; her force control was even more effortless than the original version, with an added sense of ease. Even more terrifying was that in such high-intensity, fast-paced dancing, her core was unbelievably steady, her breath was not disordered in the slightest, and she could even synchronously hum the melody line of the song, with perfect pitch and rhythm!

She was not just "copying," but more like "interpreting" and "optimizing." Some movement transitions that were slightly stiff in ITZY's performance due to the pursuit of uniformity and power were smooth and natural when she did them; some fixed poses that required extremely strong control were done even more cleanly and neatly, full of tension.

Less than a minute after finishing the segment, Kim Soo-yeon gasped slightly, sweat on her forehead, but her eyes were still clear. She looked at the mirror, as if confirming her own completion.

Inside the dance studio, there was dead silence.

All of ITZY, from Shin Ryujin to Hwang Yeji, were all petrified on the spot, their expressions as if they had seen a ghost. The dance they had practiced hard for a long time and were proud of was recreated almost perfectly by a girl who had seen it for the first time and was wearing a gorgeous long dress (although she had simply fixed the cumbersome skirt earlier), and even in some details... it seemed even better?

That feeling was not frustration, but a shock of having one's cognition completely overturned.

Park Jin-young didn't know how many times he had gasped in cold air. He originally thought Kim Soo-yeon was just good at singing and dancing, but now it seemed... this was simply a "monster" and "human cheat" in the singing and dancing field! This kind of learning ability, body control, stage presence... she was simply an "era diva" born for the stage!

He was so excited his hands were shaking, and his gaze towards Kim Soo-yeon had changed from "discovering a treasure" to "awe of a miracle."

However, Kim Soo-yeon's next words made this excitement cool down instantly, turning into a deeper eagerness and... a hint of a wry smile.

Kim Soo-yeon turned around, looked calmly at Park Jin-young, then glanced at ITZY, who had not yet recovered from the shock, and said in her still-raw but striving-to-be-clear tone:

"They dance strong. Good." ("They dance with power. Not bad.")

"But..." She paused, pointed to her throat, and then pointed in ITZY's direction, "Sing and dance... together... harder." ("But... singing and dancing... together... is harder.")

"JYP..." Her gaze slowly swept across the large practice room, her tone flat, yet carrying a kind of undeniable certainty, "No one... can fight?" ("JYP... is there no one who can put up a fight?")

This sentence, conveyed stumbleingly through the assistant translator, had a meaning that couldn't be clearer—within the range she had seen so far, JYP's existing artists (at least ITZY present and that solo senior from before), in terms of "comprehensive singing and dancing strength," seemed to have no opponents who could fully rival her.

This was extremely arrogant, but combined with the crushing strength she had just displayed, it made people unable to refute it, and even gave rise to a feeling that "she was just stating facts."

The girls of ITZY had complex expressions, some defiant, some ashamed, but more of a sense of powerlessness when facing an absolute gap in strength.

For the first time, a crack appeared in the bright smile on Park Jin-young's face; it wasn't anger, but a mix of excitement, shock, and the embarrassment and competitiveness of being "checkmated."

He looked at the girl before him who was breathtakingly beautiful, whose strength was unimaginably strong, and whose eyes were calm yet seemed to be able to see through everything; he seemed to see the brightest star in JYP's future, and also saw a "super difficulty" that might completely spin out of control and would require his utmost effort to "tame."

He took a deep breath, suppressed all complex emotions, and revealed that signature, challenging smile again, his voice carrying unprecedented solemnity and anticipation:

"That... I..." He thought for a moment, switched to more direct English, and stared intensely at Kim Soo-yeon:

"Try?" (Try?)

He didn't mean for Kim Soo-yeon to try anything else, but was asking: Are you willing to accept JYP's full cultivation, to challenge this stage that seems to have no opponents, to become the diva who defines an "era"? Are you willing... to try to create a myth together with JYP?

Kim Soo-yeon met his gaze, not answering immediately.

Outside the window, the sunlight had completely bathed Seoul. This morning, for JYP, for Park Jin-young, for the Korean entertainment industry that had quietly caught a glimpse of a corner, and even for Kim Soo-yeon who had just arrived in this world, it was destined to be a beginning that would be redefined.

And Jiang Zhiyu and Lee Tima were rushing to the center of this storm with hearts full of surging waves and urgency. The gears of fate, illuminated by the starlight of another world, began to emit a more intense and unpredictable roar.