108: Chapter 108 was even better than I expected.

The next day, at breakfast, Min Sunye ate an entire bowl of porridge, which was a rare sight.

She did not sip it in small mouthfuls, but rather ate it spoonful by spoonful; although her movements were still a bit slow, she did indeed finish the entire bowl.

Ahn Sohee kept her head down the entire time, stirring the porridge in her bowl with a spoon, but she did not take a single bite.

Her gaze drifted toward Song Tianhao from time to time, but she quickly looked away, as if afraid of being discovered.

The dining table was quiet, with only the faint sound of spoons clinking against bowls.

Song Tianhao sat at the head of the table, eating his sandwich in a leisurely manner, yet his eyes swept over everyone at the table.

Park So-yeon sat to his left, occasionally refilling his coffee; Park Hyomin sat to his right, whispering something to Lee Qri; Kim Taeyeon sat opposite him, drinking juice quietly, though her eyes drifted toward him from time to time.

Jang Se-hoon sat at the other end of the table, flipping through today's schedule with a slight frown.

"CEO," he said, putting down the documents and looking at Song Tianhao, "The venue for next week's family concert has been coordinated; it's the Jamsil Olympic Stadium. But the schedule is too tight. Stage construction and rehearsals will take at least five days, and we only have seven days left."

"Then work overtime," Song Tianhao said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Run three shifts. Money is no object; I want the best results."

"Understood." Jang Se-hoon made a note on the document. "Also, regarding the Wonder Girls' comeback stage, the original choreographer for 'Nobody' was from JYP, and we can no longer reach them. We need to find a new choreographer, but the time..."

"No need to look," Song Tianhao said, putting down his coffee cup and looking at Min Sunye. "You will choreograph it yourselves."

Everyone at the table looked up at Min Sunye.

Min Sunye's hand tightened on her spoon, and it dropped into the bowl with a crisp clatter. She stared blankly at Song Tianhao, as if she had not understood what he was saying.

"C-CEO?"

"Choreograph 'Nobody' yourselves," Song Tianhao said. "No one knows this song better than you, and no one knows better than you what the current Wonder Girls should look like."

"The original choreography is a classic, but that was the Wonder Girls of the past. Now, you are the new Wonder Girls, and you need new choreography."

He paused and looked into Min Sunye's eyes.

"Can you do it?"

Min Sunye's lips moved, wanting to say "I can," but her throat felt as if it were blocked, and she could not make a sound.

She remembered those days in the USA, the dim practice rooms, the sound of the manager's whip striking the floor, and the producer's greasy hand resting on her shoulder, saying, "Sunye, this move needs to be sexier."

Her body began to tremble.

"Unnie?" Ahn Sohee held her hand and found that it was ice-cold and still trembling slightly.

"I..." Min Sunye's voice was as small as a mosquito's buzz. "CEO, I..."

"Two o'clock this afternoon, Practice Room 1," Song Tianhao interrupted, his tone calm but unquestionable. "I'll join you. Let's try it first, and we'll see from there."

After saying this, he stood up and picked up a napkin to wipe the corners of his mouth.

"I'm heading to the company. Hyomin, Soyeon, you have a shoot today, don't be late. Qri, Taeyeon, you go to the recording studio; the demo for the new song is ready, go listen to it. Sohee, you stay with Min Sunye. I'll wait for you in the practice room at two."

He turned and left the dining room, leaving a table full of silent people behind.

"Min Sunye Unnie," Ahn Sohee squeezed Min Sunye's hand, her voice full of worry. "Are you really okay? How about... I go tell the CEO that we should change the song..."

"No," Min Sunye interrupted her, taking a deep breath and forcing herself to stop trembling. "It will be 'Nobody'. The CEO is right; it's our song, and no one understands it better than we do."

She looked up, her eyes slightly red, but her gaze was firm.

"See you in the practice room at two."

At 1:50 PM, in Practice Room 1.

Min Sunye stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself in her practice clothes. She had not worn such form-fitting practice clothes for a long time. Back in the USA, they had always worn loose sportswear because they needed to cover the bruises on their bodies.

But now, wearing the black practice outfit issued by Sky Entertainment, standing in the bright practice room, she looked at herself in the mirror and felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

Ahn Sohee stood beside her and gently touched her hand. "Unnie, don't be nervous. CEO Oppa is here, it'll be fine."

"Mm." Min Sunye nodded, but her fingers were still curling unconsciously.

The door opened.

Song Tianhao walked in, followed by a woman in sportswear with a high ponytail. She looked to be in her thirties and had a very capable air about her.

"This is Dance Instructor Kim Minji, who just signed with Sky," Song Tianhao introduced. "She will assist you in re-choreographing 'Nobody'. But the creative control is in your hands; you can change it however you like."

Dance Instructor Kim Minji nodded at them with a serious expression. "The CEO has already told me the situation. We'll play the original music first, and you dance through it once so I can see where the problems are."

"Yes," Min Sunye and Ahn Sohee replied in unison.

The intro to 'Nobody' began to play in the practice room.

The familiar intro, the retro drum beats, the catchy melody—this was the song that swept through South Korea in 2008 and made Wonder Girls an overnight success. It was their glory, and also their shackle.

The moment the music started, Min Sunye's body went rigid.

Her complexion turned pale at a speed visible to the naked eye, her lips began to tremble, and her eyes stared straight at the mirror, but her pupils lacked any focus, leaving only a void. She stood there like a statue, motionless.

"Unnie?" Ahn Sohee nudged her.

Min Sunye did not react.

"Sunye?" Dance Instructor Kim Minji frowned.

Min Sunye still did not move.

Song Tianhao walked over to the sound system and turned off the music. The practice room fell silent instantly, leaving only the sound of Min Sunye's rapid breathing.

"Min Sunye." Song Tianhao walked up to her, his voice very calm. "Look at me."

Min Sunye turned her head mechanically to look at him. Her eyes were red, but there were no tears, only a sense of near-desperate bewilderment.

"C-CEO..." Her voice was shaking uncontrollably. "I... I can't do it..."

"We haven't even started, how do you know you can't?" Song Tianhao said. "Come on, follow the music, starting from the first move. Instructor Kim, please play the music, starting from the chorus."

"CEO, I think..."

"Play the music."

Dance Instructor Kim Minji opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately walked to the sound system and pressed play.

The chorus of 'Nobody' began to play.

Min Sunye's body moved slightly, a faint, instinctive reaction of her muscles. She raised her hand, wanting to perform the classic 'Nobody' gesture, but her hand stopped halfway.

Her body began to tremble violently, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Her lips turned from white to a bruised purple, and her breathing became so rapid she nearly suffocated. She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes filled with terror, as if she were looking at a monster.

"Unnie!" Ahn Sohee rushed over to support her. "Unnie, it's okay, it's okay..."

"Stop the music," Song Tianhao said.

Dance Instructor Kim Minji turned off the music.

Min Sunye's legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the floor, clutching her head with both hands and curling into a ball. Her shoulders were shaking as if she were crying, but there was no sound. The mirror reflected her appearance, like a wounded young beast curled up in a corner, shivering.

Ahn Sohee knelt beside her, holding her, her own eyes reddening.

"CEO..." She looked up at Song Tianhao, tears falling. "CEO, let it go, Unnie really..."

"Instructor Kim, Sohee, you two go out first," Song Tianhao interrupted her.

"CEO?" Dance Instructor Kim Minji was stunned.

"Please go out," Song Tianhao's voice was cold. "Wait by the door; I'll call you back in when I'm ready."

Dance Instructor Kim Minji looked at Min Sunye, then at Song Tianhao, and finally sighed, turned, and walked out of the practice room.

Ahn Sohee hesitated for a moment, then stood up and walked out, looking back every few steps.

The door closed.

Only Song Tianhao and Min Sunye remained in the practice room.

Song Tianhao walked over to Min Sunye, crouched down, and looked her in the eye. Min Sunye was still clutching her head, curled into a ball, her shoulders heaving. Song Tianhao did not speak or touch her; he just crouched there quietly, waiting.

It was unclear how much time had passed when Min Sunye's sobbing gradually subsided. She slowly raised her head, revealing a face streaked with tears. Her eyes were swollen, her nose was red, and her hair was stuck to her face; she looked disheveled and pitiful.

"CEO..." Her voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry, I... I..."

"No need to apologize," Song Tianhao said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Min Sunye looked at him, and tears fell again.

"CEO, am I useless? I can't even dance to my own song..."

"It's not that you can't dance," Song Tianhao said. "You're afraid. You're not afraid of the song; you're afraid of the memories the song brings, right?"

Min Sunye's body trembled.

"In the USA, every time you performed this song, the manager would stare from the side, and one mistake meant a lash of the whip. That producer would get handsy during rehearsals, saying, 'Sunye, this move needs to be sexier, twist harder'."

"You smiled on stage and cried off stage, dancing over and over again until you wanted to vomit, until you were covered in injuries, but you still had to dance. Because if you didn't, you couldn't return to South Korea; if you didn't, you'd let down your fans; if you didn't, Wonder Girls would be finished."

Song Tianhao's voice was calm, as if he were talking about someone else. But with every sentence, Min Sunye's body shook, as if she were being pricked by needles.

"So now, the moment you hear the intro to this song, your body automatically enters a defensive state. You are afraid—afraid of those memories, afraid of that pain, afraid of the things you feel you can never shake off."

Min Sunye's lips were trembling, and large tears were falling.

"CEO... how did you know..."

"Because I've seen it," Song Tianhao said. "I've seen too many people like you, trapped by a song, a stage, or a memory, trapped for many years, trapped until they thought they could never walk out."

He reached out and gently wiped the tears from Min Sunye's face.

"But Min Sunye, listen to me: you are not them. You walked out. You returned from the USA, you signed with Sky, and you are my artist now. The memories of the past cannot trap you, unless you are willing to be trapped by them."

Min Sunye was crying too hard to speak; she just shook her head, shaking it desperately.

"CEO, I can't, I really can't... When I hear that intro, I think of those things, I think of those people's faces, I think of those hands... I want to vomit, I want to run, I want to die..."

"Then don't listen to that intro," Song Tianhao said.

Min Sunye froze, looking up at him with teary eyes.

"CEO?"

"'Nobody' is your song, but it doesn't have to be just that one version." Song Tianhao stood up and walked over to the piano in the practice room and sat down. "You are afraid of the original arrangement, you are afraid of those memories."

"So, let's wash away the memories and create a new version—a version that belongs only to the current Wonder Girls, a version that belongs only to Min Sunye."

He opened the piano lid and placed his fingers on the keys.

"Tell me, which part of this song do you like the most?"

Min Sunye stared at him blankly for a long while before whispering, "The chorus... the melody of the chorus... it's very beautiful..."

"Good." Song Tianhao's fingers descended onto the keys.

It was not the retro drum beats and synthesizer effects of the original version, but the gentle sound of a piano. The melody was still the melody of 'Nobody,' but the tempo was slower, the arrangement simpler; it was like a ballad, and also like a lullaby.

Min Sunye's eyes widened.

Song Tianhao played with great focus, his fingers dancing across the black and white keys, smooth and gentle.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling upon him and gilding him with a layer of pale gold light. His profile was rugged, but at this moment, amidst the sound of the piano, there was an indescribable softness to it.

After playing the chorus, Song Tianhao paused and looked at Min Sunye.

"How was that?"

Min Sunye opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Tears fell again, but this time, it was not out of pain or fear, but a sense of being moved that left her almost dazed.

"President... is... is this 'Nobody'?"

"Yes, and no," Song Tianhao said. "This is another possibility for 'Nobody.' Without those drum beats that frightened you, without those synthesizers that made you want to run away—only the piano, only the melody, only the emotions you want to express."

He stood up, walked over to Min Sunye, and reached out his hand to her.

"Stand up."

Min Sunye looked at his outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, then took it and pulled herself up.

"Now, close your eyes," Song Tianhao said.

Min Sunye closed her eyes.

"Imagine you aren't Wonder Girls' Min Sunye right now, not that Min Sunye who suffered in the USA, but just a girl who loves to sing and dance. When you hear this melody, move however you want. No set choreography, no standard poses, no one watching you, scolding you, or hitting you. Just you, and this music."

Song Tianhao walked back to the piano and began playing the rearranged melody again.

Gentle, soothing, like flowing water, like a soft breeze.

Min Sunye's eyes were still closed, but her body began to sway gently. It was very slight, like a willow branch stirred by the wind.

Then, she raised her hands, very slowly and softly, tracing an arc in the air.

Her feet also began to move, not with the precise, powerful steps of the original choreography, but with a free-flowing, almost improvisational dance step.

Her movements were unpracticed, even a bit clumsy, but they were real. It was as if she was exploring, testing, searching for a long-lost sense of freedom.

Song Tianhao watched her, his fingers dancing across the keys, the melody shifting with her movements, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes strong, sometimes weak.

He wasn't looking at any sheet music; it was entirely improvised, but every note was perfectly placed, as if accompanying her, yet also guiding her.

Min Sunye's movements gradually opened up. Her arms rose as if to embrace something; her body spun as if to break free from something; her toes pointed as if she were about to fly.

Her expression shifted from initial tension to confusion, then to relaxation, and finally, a faint smile appeared.

Although Min Sunye's eyes were closed, she was smiling.

Ahn Sohee stood at the doorway, watching through the crack in the door, covering her mouth as tears streamed down her face.

Dance Instructor Kim Minji stood beside her, her expression shifting from initial skepticism to surprise, then to shock, and finally, settling into a silence bordering on awe.

The melody ended.

Min Sunye's movements stopped as well. She opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was messy, there were tear tracks on her face, and her practice clothes were wrinkled, but her eyes were bright—stunningly bright.

"President..." She turned to look at Song Tianhao, her voice still trembling, but no longer with fear. "I... I just..."

"You danced very well," Song Tianhao said. "Even better than I imagined."

Min Sunye's tears fell again, but this time, she was crying with a smile.

"President, can I dance it again?"

"Of course," Song Tianhao said. "But this time, I'm adding something."

He walked back to the piano but didn't sit down; instead, he opened his phone and played a recording.

It was Min Sunye's voice, very soft, trembling, and laced with sobs.

"I can't, I really can't... I want to throw up, I want to run, I want to die..."

These were the words she had said when she broke down earlier.

Min Sunye froze.

Song Tianhao imported the recording into his computer, processed it briefly, and mixed it into the piano melody's prelude. Her sobbing, her fear, her despair, and the gentle piano music intertwined to create a strange, almost heart-wrenching beauty.

"President, this is..."

"This is your fear," Song Tianhao said, pressing play. "Now, I want you to listen to it and dance it out."

The music began. The prelude featured Min Sunye's sobbing and the piano. Then, it transitioned into the main verse; the piano grew stronger, the tempo accelerated, but it remained gentle.

Min Sunye stood there, listening to her own crying, her body beginning to tremble again. But this time, she didn't shrink back; she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, she began to dance.

From the very first movement, there was an almost tragic power to it. Her movements were no longer gentle, no longer tentative; they were an explosion, a release, a confrontation.

She was confronting that crying, confronting those memories, confronting the version of herself that had once been so fragile.

Her movements grew faster and more powerful. Sweat dripped from her forehead, hitting the practice room floor and splashing into tiny droplets.

Her expression was focused, intense, almost ferocious—as if she were fighting for her life, as if she were in battle.

During the chorus, the piano reached a crescendo. Her sobbing in the background gradually faded, as if swallowed by the melody and covered by its power.

Her dance reached its climax, too—a spin, a leap, a freeze.

Those were the classic moves from the original choreography, but she performed them with a completely different feeling.

It wasn't cute, it wasn't sexy; it was the power of being reborn from the ashes.

The music ended.

Min Sunye knelt on the floor, gasping for air. Sweat soaked her practice clothes, her hair was plastered to her face, and she looked as if she had been pulled out of water. But she lifted her head, looked at herself in the mirror, and smiled.

She smiled until tears came out.

"President..." She gasped, but her voice was bright. "I... I finished it..."

"You finished it," Song Tianhao said, walking over to her and extending his hand. "And you danced it well."

Min Sunye took his hand and stood up. Her legs were still shaking, but she stood firmly.

"President, that version... can you teach me? I want to learn it, I want to dance it, I want to perform this version of 'Nobody' on stage."

"Of course," Song Tianhao said. "But before that, you have to learn how to stand without shaking."

Min Sunye smiled and nodded vigorously.

The door was pushed open, and Ahn Sohee rushed in, hugging Min Sunye and crying her eyes out.

"Unnie! Unnie, you did it! You really did it!"

Dance Instructor Kim Minji also walked in, looking at Min Sunye with a complex expression.

"President, this version... did you improvise this just now?"

"Yes," Song Tianhao said. "Is there a problem?"

"No, it's just..." Dance Instructor Kim Minji took a deep breath. "It's incredible. I've been choreographing for so many years, and I've never seen an arrangement like this. Using fear as a prelude, using dance to confront that fear, and finally covering the fear with the melody—this isn't just a simple rearrangement; it's a form of therapy."

Song Tianhao didn't speak; he just watched Min Sunye.

Min Sunye was holding Ahn Sohee, still crying, but she was smiling. Her smile was radiant and bright, as if she had finally walked out of a long, dark night and seen the first ray of sunlight.

"Dance Instructor Kim Minji," Song Tianhao said. "From today on, you are responsible for helping them re-choreograph 'Nobody.' Use Min Sunye's improvised movements from just now as a foundation, combine them with the classic elements of the original, and create a brand new version. What I want is a stage performance that will make everyone scream, make everyone moved, and make everyone remember."

"Understood," Dance Instructor Kim Minji nodded, looking at Min Sunye with a bit more respect. "Min Sunye, would you be willing to work with me?"

Min Sunye let go of Ahn Sohee, wiped away her tears, and bowed deeply to Dance Instructor Kim Minji.

"I'm counting on you, Teacher."

"Good," Dance Instructor Kim Minji smiled. "Then let's start now. First, let's write down the moves you just danced, and then..."

"Dance Instructor Kim Minji," Song Tianhao interrupted. "That's enough for today. Min Sunye needs to rest; her body hasn't fully recovered yet. Start again tomorrow. For the rest of today, you can discuss, but do not practice."

"Yes," Dance Instructor Kim Minji nodded.

Song Tianhao looked at Min Sunye: "Go take a shower, change your clothes, and go home to rest. I'll send a nutritionist over tonight. Eat on time and sleep on time, understand?"

"Understood," Min Sunye nodded, her eyes still sparkling.

Song Tianhao turned to leave, but Min Sunye called out to him.

"President."

Song Tianhao turned back.

"Thank you," Min Sunye said, her voice soft but firm. "Really, thank you."

Song Tianhao smiled, didn't say anything, just waved his hand and walked out of the practice room.

Outside the door, Jang Se-hoon was waiting for him.

"President, there's news from the USA," Jang Se-hoon said in a low voice. "That producer and manager have agreed to apologize publicly and permanently withdraw from the entertainment industry. But the condition is that we do not sue, do not demand compensation, and do not expose them."

"Conditions?" Song Tianhao sneered. "What right do they have to negotiate conditions? Tell Attorney Lee: continue the lawsuit, double the compensation, and proceed with the exposure as planned. I don't want their apology; I want their ruin."

"But President, they have already..."

"No 'buts'," Song Tianhao said. "Do as I say."

"Yes," Jang Se-hoon nodded, then remembered something. "Oh, right, President. Chairman Lee Jae-hyun of CJ Group called earlier, saying he wants to meet with you to discuss a collaboration."

"Chairman Lee Jae-hyun?" Song Tianhao raised an eyebrow. "What kind of collaboration does he want to discuss?"

"He didn't say, but judging by his tone, it seems to be about Wonder Girls."

Song Tianhao's footsteps faltered.

"Tell him I don't have time."

"President, won't refusing him so directly..."

"Won't what?" Song Tianhao looked at Jang Se-hoon. "Do you think I need to care about CJ Group's feelings?"

Jang Se-hoon quickly lowered his head. "I wouldn't dare."

"Then tell him exactly that," Song Tianhao said, and strode away.

Jang Se-hoon stood where he was, watching his retreating back, sighed, took out his phone, and began to dial.

Inside the practice room, Min Sunye was still standing in front of the mirror, looking at herself. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were very bright—bright as if a fire were burning.

"Unnie," Ahn Sohee walked over and took her hand. "You danced so well just now."

"Really?" Min Sunye smiled. "I think so too, it was pretty good."

"That version..." Ahn Sohee whispered. "How did CEO Oppa come up with that? Using your sobbing as the prelude, that's just..."

"Too harsh?" Min Sunye finished her sentence, her smile deepening. "No, it's not harsh; it's gentle. He was telling me that fear isn't scary; what's scary is being trapped by fear. He wanted me to listen to my own fear, then dance it out, step on it, and move past it."

She turned her head and looked at the piano. The keys were shining in the sunlight, and on a few of them, sweat from her dance was still visible.

No, not sweat. It was tear tracks.

Min Sunye walked to the piano, reached out, and gently touched those keys. The keys were cold, but her fingertips were hot.

"Sohee," she said softly. "I want to dance it again."

"Now?"

"Yes, now." Min Sunye turned to look at her, her eyes stunningly bright. "Just the version Song Tianhao arranged. I want to remember this feeling, this... feeling of being alive."

Ahn Sohee looked into her eyes for a long time, then nodded vigorously.

"Okay, I'll join you."

Outside the window, the sunset was like fire, dyeing half the sky red.