111: Chapter 111 What happened to Unnie?

Song Tianhao turned and walked back to the window. On stage, the music had changed to the final chorus of "into the new world," and the combined voices of the eighteen members from the three girl groups pierced through the walls, faintly audible.

The cheers from the fans below were uniform and synchronized, surging like waves.

The concert was about to end.

Song Tianhao took out his phone; the screen lit up, displaying several unread messages.

The latest one from Jang Se-hoon read: "President, CJ Entertainment's stock price has already started to fall; it dropped 3.2 percent at the opening. Chairman Lee Jae-hyun's secretary called again just now, sounding very anxious, saying he wants to speak with you in person."

He replied with three words: "Make him wait."

Then he opened another message, a file sent by his lawyer. The attachment contained the preliminary materials for the lawsuit against CJ Entertainment, with a complete chain of evidence, from the laboratory report of that medicine bottle to the screenshots from the parking lot surveillance, as well as the testimony of the detained reporter, all organized into a file.

At the end, there was a note: "President Song, if this material is submitted, CJ Entertainment will have to suspend operations for at least three months, and their stock price will drop by at least twenty percent. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Song Tianhao typed: "Submit."

Send.

The phone vibrated; another message came in, this one from Taeyeon: "Oppa, we are coming off stage soon. Where is the celebration dinner? The kids are all hungry."

Song Tianhao replied: "The Japanese restaurant in Cheongdam-dong, I've booked the whole place. You guys go ahead, I'll be there shortly."

"Okay. Hurry up, Oppa."

He put his phone back in his pocket, took one last drag of his cigarette, and stubbed it out on the windowsill. On the distant stage, the music stopped, replaced by a deafening roar of encore chants.

The fans were shouting "Encore," shouting "Wonder Girls," shouting "Girls Generation," shouting "T-ara," their voices blending together, making the floor tremble slightly.

Song Tianhao turned and walked toward the side of the stage.

At the side of the stage, Ahn Sohee stood in the shadows, watching the stage.

"into the new world" had finished, but the fans' encore chants were rising wave after wave. On stage, eighteen people stood in a line holding hands, bowing to the audience.

The lights shone on them; everyone was covered in sweat, their makeup slightly smudged, but their eyes were incredibly bright, and they couldn't suppress the smiles on their faces.

Min Sunye stood in the very center, holding Taeyeon's hand on her left and Eunjung's hand on her right.

Her eyes were red, and there were tear stains on her face, but the corners of her mouth were turned up, and she smiled brilliantly. The spotlight shone on her, her white dress soaked with sweat, clinging to her body, outlining her slender waist and fragile shoulders.

Her body was trembling slightly, whether from excitement or exhaustion, it was hard to tell.

Ahn Sohee looked at her profile, remembering the expression on Min Sunye's face just now at the restroom entrance when she grabbed Song Tianhao's hand and said, "I want you." It was so serious, so persistent, like a moth to a flame.

She sighed softly.

Footsteps came from behind. Ahn Sohee turned around and saw Song Tianhao walking over. He stood beside her and also looked toward the stage, his expression calm, revealing no emotion.

"President," Ahn Sohee said in a low voice.

"Hmm," Song Tianhao responded, his gaze falling on Min Sunye.

On stage, the MC was speaking, thanking the fans, thanking the staff, and announcing that the concert had officially ended.

The cheers from the fans below gradually subsided, replaced by reluctant cries of "Don't go" and "One more song."

Min Sunye let go of Taeyeon and Eunjung's hands, walked forward two steps, and went to the very front of the stage. She took the microphone handed to her by the MC, took a deep breath, and began to speak.

Her voice was still a bit hoarse, but very steady.

"Thank you everyone, thank you to every single person who came here tonight," she said, her eyes sweeping across the audience, across that sea of lights. "This song, 'into the new world,' has a special meaning for us.

It is not just our song, it is everyone's song. It is your support that allows us to stand here, and it is your love that allows us to keep singing."

Applause erupted from below.

Min Sunye paused for a moment and continued: "Tonight is very special to me. I once thought I would never be able to stand on this stage again. I once thought I would be defeated by fear, crushed by pressure, and would..."

Her voice choked up, but she quickly continued: "Would fail everyone's expectations."

The audience fell silent.

"But," Min Sunye raised her head, her gaze looking toward the side of the stage. Although it was only dark there, her eyes were very bright, so bright that it looked like stars were twinkling, "Someone told me that I don't need to be perfect, I don't need to not be nervous, I don't need to not be afraid.

I just need to stand on stage, finish the dance I want to dance, and finish singing the song I want to sing. It's okay if I dance wrong, it's okay if my voice cracks, it's okay if I mess up. But I must stand on stage, I must dance, I must sing."

She smiled, tears sliding from her eyes, glistening under the spotlight.

"So, I am standing here. I finished dancing, and I finished singing. Although it wasn't perfect, although there are many regrets, but..." She bowed deeply, "I did it."

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, mixed with screams and cries.

"Min Sunye! Min Sunye!"

"Wonder Girls! Wonder Girls!"

"We love you!"

Min Sunye straightened up, wiped away her tears, and said into the microphone: "The last song is for that person, and also for myself. This song has been rearranged by me; it's a bit different from the original version. I hope you like it."

She turned and nodded to the band.

The music began.

It was the intro to "Nobody," but completely different from the original version. There were no light drum beats, no playful melodies, only a slow, sorrowful piano piece. Then came Min Sunye's voice, very light, very soft, like a whisper in one's ear.

"You know I still love you baby."

"And it will never change."

The fans below fell silent, everyone looking at her.

She stood in the center of the stage, a spotlight shining on her, white dress, loose hair, tear stains still on her face, but her expression was very calm, very gentle.

She closed her eyes and began to sing, her voice trembling slightly, but very sincere.

Every word, every note, seemed to be telling a story—a story about fear, about struggle, about rebirth, about love.

In the chorus, the music suddenly intensified, the drums joined in, the rhythm sped up, but it still carried a kind of restrained power. Min Sunye opened her eyes, looked toward a certain direction in the audience, and then did something no one expected.

She ripped off her in-ear monitor.

Not took off, but ripped off. That small black in-ear monitor was torn off by her, gripped in her hand, and then, she opened her mouth and sang with all her might, acapella.

"I want nobody nobody but you!"

The voice was raw, cracking, trembling, but it had a kind of almost savage vitality. She wasn't singing; she was shouting, roaring, venting. Tears rolled down her face, but she didn't wipe them, just kept singing, kept shouting, using every ounce of her strength.

Below, the fans were stunned at first, then some began to sing along. One person, two people, ten people, one hundred people, one thousand people, ten thousand people.

The chorus gradually rose, from sporadic to synchronized, from faint to loud. Finally, the entire Jamsil Stadium, fifty-five thousand people, sang together.

"I want nobody nobody but you!"

On stage, the other members joined in.

The other four from Wonder Girls, the six from T-ara, the nine from Girls Generation—everyone walked to the front of the stage, holding hands, singing together. No dancing, no choreography, just standing, singing, tears flowing.

At the side of the stage, Ahn Sohee covered her mouth, tears falling.

She looked at Min Sunye on stage, looked at that Unnie roaring under the spotlight, and suddenly remembered many years ago, when they had just debuted, Min Sunye was also like this, in the practice room, facing the mirror, singing over and over, dancing over and over, until her throat was hoarse, until blisters formed on her feet.

At that time, there was only light in Min Sunye's eyes.

Later, that light dimmed little by little, worn away by pressure, by fear, by failure and setbacks time after time. Until tonight, that light had returned.

Ahn Sohee turned to look at Song Tianhao.

He stood in the shadows, his profile appearing sharp in the dim light. His eyes were watching the stage, very focused, very deep, like a deep pool. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, a very satisfied smile.

Ahn Sohee suddenly understood why Min Sunye was so persistent, so unhesitating.

Some people just have this kind of magic. He stands there, without doing anything, and can make people throw themselves at him like a moth to a flame.

The music ended.

The last note fell, and there was silence on stage and off.

Then, applause broke out. From a few sporadic claps, to a dense downpour, finally merging into a deafening wave of sound. The fans stood up, waving their light sticks, shouting everyone's names, the sound almost lifting the roof off.

On stage, eighteen people held hands and bowed deeply. Once, twice, three times.

Min Sunye straightened up, her face full of tears, but her smile was brilliant. She looked toward the side of the stage, toward where Song Tianhao was standing. Although she couldn't see him, she knew he was there.

She said something softly toward that direction.

Only lip movements, no sound.

But Song Tianhao understood.

She said: "Thank you."

Song Tianhao nodded, then turned and left the side of the stage.

Ahn Sohee quickly followed.

The backstage was already in chaos. Staff were dismantling equipment, managers were arranging for the artists to leave, makeup artists were preparing to remove makeup, security were maintaining order. Everywhere there were people, everywhere there were voices, noisy, chaotic, but full of vitality.

Song Tianhao pushed through the crowd, walked to the door of the Wonder Girls' waiting room, and pushed the door open to enter.

There was no one inside, only cosmetics scattered on the vanity, clothes draped over chairs, and the lingering scent of perfume and sweat in the air. He walked to the sofa, sat down, and lit a cigarette.

The door opened, and Min Sunye walked in.

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

She had already changed back into her casual clothes—a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Her wet hair fell over her shoulders, and her makeup was gone, revealing her clean, bare face. Her eyes were still slightly red and swollen, but they were bright—so bright they looked as if she had just cried, yet washed clean by the tears.

When she saw Song Tianhao, she froze for a moment, then quickly walked over and stood before him.

"President," she spoke, her voice very soft.

Song Tianhao looked up at her without saying a word.

Min Sunye bit her lip, then leaned forward, reached out, and hugged him.

It was a very sudden hug. Her body was cool, carrying the dampness of a fresh shower and the scent of body wash. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her face buried in his shoulder, her breathing light and trembling slightly.

Song Tianhao's hand paused for a moment before he raised it and gently patted her back.

"I did it," Min Sunye whispered in his ear, her voice choking up. "I really did it."

"Mm," Song Tianhao said. "You did great."

Min Sunye hugged him tighter, her tears falling again and soaking the shoulder of his shirt. She didn't cry out loud, but her shoulders trembled slightly and her breathing quickened.

Song Tianhao didn't move, letting her hold him as he patted her back rhythmically, as if soothing a child.

After a long while, Min Sunye's breathing gradually stabilized. She released her hold, stood up straight, wiped away her tears, looked at him, and smiled.

"President," she said, "my reward..."

Before she could finish her sentence, her body swayed, her eyes closed, and she collapsed.

Quick as lightning, Song Tianhao reached out and caught her. She collapsed into his arms, her face pale, her breathing faint, and her forehead covered in cold sweat.

"Min Sunye?" Song Tianhao frowned, patting her face. "Min Sunye?"

There was no response.

The door was pushed open, and Ahn Sohee rushed in. Seeing this scene, her face instantly turned pale.

"Unnie!" She rushed over, kneeling beside the sofa and grabbing Min Sunye's hand. "Unnie, what's wrong? President, she..."

"Call the doctor," Song Tianhao's voice was cold. "Now."

"Yes!" Ahn Sohee turned and ran out.

Song Tianhao laid Min Sunye flat on the sofa and unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt to help her breathe easier.

Song Tianhao felt her forehead. It wasn't hot, but it was covered in cold sweat. Her pulse was fast and weak, as if it could stop at any moment.

Dr. Kim rushed in shortly after, carrying a medical kit. He knelt down, checked Min Sunye's pupils, felt her pulse, and measured her blood pressure, his movements swift and professional.

"Hypoglycemia, compounded by emotional excitement and physical exhaustion," Dr. Kim said as he opened his medical kit and took out a glucose injection and a syringe. "She needs immediate sugar replenishment via intravenous injection."

He skillfully sanitized the area and injected the glucose into Min Sunye's vein. As the clear liquid flowed through the tube into her body, her face visibly regained some color, and her breathing gradually stabilized.

"How is she?" Song Tianhao asked.

"It's nothing too serious, but she needs rest," Dr. Kim said, packing away the syringe. "She definitely didn't eat much today. Singing and dancing for over two hours, combined with extreme emotional fluctuations, was too much for her body to handle."

Song Tianhao nodded and looked at Ahn Sohee. "You stay here and look after her. I'll have the driver take you to the hospital."

"Yes," Ahn Sohee nodded, her eyes still red.

Dr. Kim gave a few more instructions, left some nutritional supplements, and departed with his medical kit.

Only Song Tianhao, Ahn Sohee, and the sleeping Min Sunye were left in the waiting room.

Kneeling beside the sofa and holding Min Sunye's hand, Ahn Sohee whispered, "Unnie pushed herself too hard. She hasn't eaten anything since this afternoon, and she even threw up once before going on stage. I tried to persuade her to eat something, but she said she couldn't swallow it..."

Song Tianhao didn't speak, only staring at Min Sunye's pale face. Her eyelashes were long, casting a small shadow under her eyelids. Her lips were very dry and chapped, and her brow was slightly furrowed, as if her sleep was troubled even in her dreams.

He reached out and gently brushed his thumb across the space between her eyebrows, trying to smooth out the furrow.

But it was of no use.

"President," Ahn Sohee suddenly spoke, her voice very soft. "Will you give her that reward?"

Song Tianhao's hand froze.

"What reward?"

"The reward Unnie wants," Ahn Sohee looked up at him. "She said she wants you."

Song Tianhao withdrew his hand, stood up straight, and looked at Ahn Sohee. Her eyes were bright, filled with an emotion he couldn't quite decipher—something like worry, something like jealousy, and perhaps something else.

"This is not a question you should be asking," he said.

"I know," Ahn Sohee lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking the back of Min Sunye's hand. "I'm just... afraid Unnie will get hurt. She is too naive, too quick to trust others, and too willing to give her heart. If..."

"There are no ifs," Song Tianhao interrupted her. "I will handle it."

Ahn Sohee stopped speaking, merely keeping her head down, gazing at Min Sunye's sleeping face.

A knock sounded at the door, and Jang Se-hoon's voice rang out, "President, the car is ready."

"Come in," Song Tianhao said.

Jang Se-hoon pushed the door open and entered. He froze for a moment upon seeing Min Sunye on the sofa, but quickly regained his composure. "President, CJ called again. Chairman Lee Jae-hyun wants to speak with you personally, saying there is something important to discuss."

"Tell him to wait," Song Tianhao said. "How is Min Sunye?"

"A car has been arranged to take her straight to the hospital. A doctor will accompany them to handle any issues on the way," Jang Se-hoon said. "The other members have already headed to the after-party. I have a manager accompanying them, so there won't be any problems."

"Good," Song Tianhao nodded and looked at Ahn Sohee. "You accompany her back and take good care of her. Give her tomorrow off so she can get some proper rest."

"Yes," Ahn Sohee stood up and bent down to support Min Sunye.

Song Tianhao reached out, helping her lift Min Sunye. Still fast asleep, Min Sunye's head rested against his shoulder, her breathing steady as her warm breath brushed against his neck.

Her body was very light and soft, like a feather.

Song Tianhao lifted her up in a bridal carry and walked out. Ahn Sohee quickly followed, carrying Min Sunye's coat and bag.

There were still a few staff members scattered along the corridor. Seeing them, they all stopped and made way, their eyes filled with curiosity and speculation, but no one dared to ask questions.

Carrying Min Sunye, Song Tianhao walked all the way to the underground parking lot. A black van was already waiting there. The driver pulled open the door, and Song Tianhao placed Min Sunye on the back seat, letting her lie flat with her head resting on Ahn Sohee's lap.

"Be careful on the road," he said to Ahn Sohee.

"Aren't you coming to the after-party, President?" Ahn Sohee asked.

"I have to take care of some things first," Song Tianhao said, closing the car door.

The car started, driving out of the parking lot and disappearing into the night.

Song Tianhao stood in place, watching the direction where the taillights had vanished, and lit a cigarette.

Jang Se-hoon walked over and said in a low voice, "President, about Chairman Lee Jae-hyun..."

"Tell him," Song Tianhao interrupted, his voice freezing cold, "I will be waiting for him at the company tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. Tell him to come alone."

"Yes," Jang Se-hoon nodded, then asked, "And about the medicine bottle..."

"Is all the evidence ready?"

"It is ready. The lab report, surveillance footage, reporter testimonies, and the identity of that 'doctor'. Although the person fled, the license plate was traced to a vehicle under CJ Entertainment."

"Very well," Song Tianhao stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it into the trash can. "Tomorrow, I will make Lee Jae-hyun realize the price of touching my people."

With that, he turned and walked toward another car. Jang Se-hoon quickly followed and opened the door for him.

The car drove out of Jamsil Arena, merging into Seoul's nighttime traffic. The neon lights outside the window flickered, and the streetlights merged into a flowing ribbon of light. Song Tianhao leaned against the back of his seat and closed his eyes.

His phone vibrated. He pulled it out to check; it was a message from Kim Taeyeon: "Oppa, why aren't you here yet? We've all arrived, and we're just waiting for you."

Song Tianhao typed back: "I have some things to handle. Go ahead and eat first, don't wait for me."

"What is it? Is it really important?"

"Yes, very important."

"Alright then... Oppa, come quickly, we've saved a seat for you."

"Okay."

Song Tianhao put away his phone and looked out the window. The car drove past Cheongdam-dong, past Apgujeong, and over the Han River Bridge.

The lights from both banks reflected on the river's surface like a flowing Milky Way.

He suddenly remembered how Min Sunye had ripped off her in-ear monitor on stage, singing her heart out a cappella. He remembered her pale face when she collapsed in his arms. He remembered her trembling shoulders as she hugged him tightly.

And Ahn Sohee's words, "She wants you."

His phone vibrated again, this time with a message from Park Hyomin: "Oppa, I heard Sunye fainted? Is she okay?"

Song Tianhao replied: "She's fine, just hypoglycemia. She'll be okay after some rest."

"That's a relief... Oppa, aren't you coming to the after-party?"

"I'll be there a bit later."

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

Putting down his phone, Song Tianhao rubbed the space between his eyebrows. Countless images, voices, and people flashed through his mind—Min Sunye's tears, Ahn Sohee's gaze, Kim Taeyeon's message, Park Hyomin's waiting, and Lee Jae-hyun whom he was to meet tomorrow.

Everything was chaotic, yet crystal clear.

The car stopped in front of the company building. Song Tianhao pushed open the door, got out, and walked into the lobby. The office building was very quiet late at night, with only the security guards on duty. Seeing him, they quickly stood up and bowed.

"President."

"Mm," Song Tianhao nodded, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button for the top floor.

The elevator ascended, the floor numbers changing. He leaned against the elevator wall and closed his eyes.

The elevator doors opened, and he stepped out and walked into his office. Without turning on the lights, he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed at the night view outside.

The entirety of Seoul lay beneath his feet, a brilliant display of lights and bustling traffic, like a city that would never sleep.

He stood there for a long time before turning and walking to his desk. He turned on his computer and opened a folder containing all the materials he would need for tomorrow.

Indictments, evidence, financial statements, and an acquisition plan—a plan to acquire three subsidiaries under CJ Entertainment.

He went through them document by document, checking every detail, every figure, and every clause.