118: Chapter 118 Cry out if it hurts

Inside the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in Seoul, all eighteen thousand seats were packed.

The ocean of pink glow sticks rose and fell in the darkness, and the waves of cheers were almost enough to lift the roof off the gymnasium. In the center of the stage, the nine girls of Girls Generation stood under the spotlight, finishing the final encore song of the night.

Kim Taeyeon stood at the very front, sweat trickling down her cheeks, but her smile was blindingly bright. She raised her microphone high, singing the chorus of "Gee" along with all the fans in the arena, her voice filled with the excitement and satisfaction of completing the concert.

Behind her, the members were either hugging each other, waving to the audience, or making heart signs at the cameras.

Jessica Jung stood on the left side of the stage, wearing a silver mini-skirt performance outfit, her long hair tied up in a high ponytail. She wore her signature "Ice Princess" smile; she looked cold and aloof, but her eyes were full of laughter.

The concert was going very smoothly.

From the opening "Tell Me Your Wish," to the mid-show "Oh!", and then to "Run Devil Run" before the encore, the nine of them were in surprisingly good form throughout the two-and-a-half-hour performance.

Kim Taeyeon's high notes were as steady as a CD, Im Yoona's dance moves were perfectly powerful, Tiffany Hwang's English rap drew screams from the entire crowd, and Kwon Yuri's abs reveal drove the fans wild.

Even Seohyun, who was usually the quietest and most reserved, had let loose quite a bit tonight, even taking the initiative to tell a dad joke during the talk segment.

"Thank you all for coming to our concert!" Kim Taeyeon shouted into the microphone, her voice a bit raspy but full of energy. "Girls Generation Asia Tour, Seoul stop, a complete success!"

"Ahhh!"

The entire arena erupted in deafening cheers.

"Next up is the final special stage segment!" Kim Taeyeon caught her breath and turned to look at Jessica Jung. "Please welcome our Jessica, who will bring you her special solo stage, 'Cold Noodles'!"

The fans' screams grew even louder.

"Cold Noodles" was a solo stage Jessica Jung had performed on a variety show last year. Because of the contrast between her "Ice Princess" face and the cute dance, it went viral online and even had its own dedicated fan chant. The company saw the popularity and had the song rearranged to serve as a special solo stage for this tour.

The lights dimmed.

Staff quickly went on stage to set up the props: several movable kitchen counters topped with plastic food trays and fake noodles. Dry ice mist began to spray from both sides of the stage, creating the atmosphere of a "Cold Noodle Shop."

Jessica Jung stood in the center of the stage and took a deep breath.

She was actually a bit tired; after two and a half hours of continuous singing and dancing, her stamina was nearing its limit.

Jessica Jung's left high heel was chafing, and she had felt a burning pain in her heel while dancing earlier. But now was her special solo stage, a segment the fans had been looking forward to for a long time, and she couldn't mess it up.

The music intro began.

Light electronic sound effects accompanied by playful drum beats. The stage lights came back on, turning a soft, warm yellow. Jessica Jung put on her professional smile and began to dance to the rhythm.

"Cold Noodles~ Cold Noodles~ Cold Noodles~"

The lyrics were simple, and the melody was catchy. While performing her signature "Cold Noodle Dance," she moved between the kitchen counters, occasionally picking up a plastic tray to pretend to serve noodles or gesturing for the audience to "please eat."

Her movements were cute, and her expression was very earnest.

The fans' cheers were uniform and synchronized: "Jessica! Cold Noodles! Jessica! Cold Noodles!"

In the backstage control room, Song Tianhao stood in front of the monitors, arms crossed, watching Jessica Jung on stage.

He was dressed in a simple black shirt and trousers today, his hair tousled, making him look a bit more casual than usual. Standing beside him were Jang Se-hoon, several of Girls Generation's managers and assistants, and staff from the concert directing team.

"Jessica's condition is great," Jang Se-hoon said, eyes fixed on the monitor screen. "The response to her solo stage is even more enthusiastic than expected."

"Hmm." Song Tianhao replied, his gaze not leaving the screen.

He watched Jessica Jung dancing on stage, weaving between the kitchen counters, and winking at the camera. Her expression management was perfect, the curve of her smile controlled just right, but Song Tianhao noticed that her movements were a fraction slower than during the rehearsal, and her breathing was more rapid than usual.

She was tired.

Song Tianhao checked his watch. 10:20 PM; the concert had been going on for two hours and forty minutes. For a girl group, this intensity was indeed very high.

"President, should we give a reminder to let them pace themselves a bit?" Jang Se-hoon, having noticed it too, asked in a low voice.

"No need," Song Tianhao said. "They know their own limits."

Just as he finished speaking, the situation on stage suddenly changed.

Jessica Jung completed a turn and prepared to move to her next spot. The dry ice mist on stage was very thick; to create atmosphere, the directing team had specially increased the output, and now the entire front half of the stage was shrouded in white fog.

Jessica Jung took two steps forward.

Then, her right foot suddenly stepped into thin air.

There was a gap of about two centimeters where the stage floor panels connected. It was usually visible to the naked eye, but at that moment, it was completely obscured by the dry ice mist. Jessica Jung was wearing ten-centimeter high heels, and her right heel got stuck precisely into that gap.

"Ah!"

A short, sharp cry of pain echoed through the entire gymnasium via her headset.

Jessica Jung lost her balance completely, her body toppling forward to the right. She subconsciously tried to brace herself with her hand, but her right hand was still holding the microphone, and her left hand grabbed wildly at the air, catching nothing.

"Bang!"

A dull thud.

She fell sideways onto the stage floor, her right ankle twisted at an unnatural angle.

The entire arena went silent instantly.

The music continued, the upbeat melody of "Cold Noodles" echoing through the gymnasium, but the dancer on stage had already collapsed.

The dry ice mist slowly dissipated, revealing Jessica Jung curled up on the ground. She was lying on her side, her right hand still gripping the microphone tightly, her left hand clutching her right ankle, her face pale as paper under the stage lights.

"Jessica!"

The first to react was Kim Taeyeon. She practically rushed over, kneeling beside Jessica Jung, wanting to touch her but afraid to: "Jessica! Are you okay? Where are you hurt?"

The other members crowded around as well.

Im Yoona crouched down, her hand gently resting on Jessica Jung's shoulder: "Unnie? Unnie, speak to me, where does it hurt?"

Tiffany Hwang picked up the other headset that Jessica Jung had dropped, her expression also changing.

The audience began to stir.

"What's happening?"

"Did Jessica fall?"

"She seems to be hurt!"

"Oh my god, she looks so pale..."

In the backstage control room, the atmosphere froze instantly.

"Stage director! Cut the music! Cut the music!" Song Tianhao grabbed his walkie-talkie, his voice cold enough to freeze.

The music stopped abruptly.

The spotlight was still on the center of the stage, shining on the huddled Girls Generation members and on Jessica Jung, who was curled up on the floor. She bit her lower lip, her forehead covered in cold sweat, but she stubbornly refused to let out another cry of pain.

"Medical team! Get the medical team on stage!" the concert director shouted into the walkie-talkie.

Song Tianhao's eyes were fixed on the monitor screen.

On stage, Jessica Jung tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved, a sharp pain shot from her right ankle, causing her to freeze completely.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then said to Kim Taeyeon, "Taeyeon, help me up, I can still..."

"Still what?!" Kim Taeyeon roared with red eyes. "Don't move! Wait for the medical team!"

"But the encore isn't over yet..." Jessica Jung's voice was trembling, but her tone was insistent. "The fans are still waiting..."

Song Tianhao looked at that pale face on the screen, at those eyes that were enduring pain yet still clear, and suddenly turned and rushed out of the control room.

"President!" Jang Se-hoon hurried to follow.

Song Tianhao ignored him and strode through the dim backstage corridor. Staff members automatically cleared a path when they saw him. His pace was fast, his black dress shoes making rapid sounds on the floor, his expression chillingly stern.

From the control room to the side of the stage was a distance of about fifty meters, and he ran it in just over ten seconds.

At the side of the stage, several staff members were standing around helplessly. The medical team came running with first-aid kits, but were blocked by the stage director.

"Wait a moment, wait for the directing team's arrangements..." The stage director was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing glasses and holding a walkie-talkie, his forehead covered in sweat. "If you go up now, the scene will be even more chaotic, the fans will panic..."

"She's lying on the ground, and you're telling me to wait?" Song Tianhao's voice came from behind.

The stage director turned around, saw Song Tianhao, and froze: "President Song, why are you..."

"Move aside," Song Tianhao said, his tone devoid of any warmth.

The stage director subconsciously stepped aside.

Song Tianhao strode onto the stage.

The spotlight hit him, his black shirt gleaming with a cold, hard luster under the intense light. A stir rippled through the audience as someone recognized him.

"It's President Song from Sky Entertainment!"

"Why did he come up?"

"Is he here to handle the accident?"

Song Tianhao ignored those voices, walked straight to Jessica Jung, and crouched down.

"President..." Jessica Jung saw him, her eyes widening slightly as if she wanted to say something.

"Don't speak." Song Tianhao interrupted her, his gaze falling on her right ankle, which she was clutching tightly.

The ankle was already swollen, visibly red and inflamed. The high heel was still on her foot, but the heel was clearly crooked.

Song Tianhao reached out and gently touched her ankle.

Jessica Jung gasped, her body trembling violently.

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

"Is it a fracture or a sprain?" Song Tianhao asked, looking up at the medical team.

A man who looked like a doctor quickly hurried over, squatted down to examine her for a few seconds, and said in a low voice, "Our preliminary assessment is a severe sprain, possibly with a torn ligament, but we'll need an X-ray to be sure. She needs to go to the hospital immediately."

Song Tianhao nodded, then looked at Jessica Jung.

Jessica Jung looked back at him, her lips bitten pale, but her eyes were stubborn. "President, I can still..."

"Still what?" Song Tianhao looked at her. "Hop on one foot to finish the encore?"

Jessica Jung stopped speaking, her eyes only starting to well with tears.

Without another word, Song Tianhao slipped one hand behind her back and the other under her knees, lifting her up in a bridal carry with a slight effort.

"Ah..." Jessica Jung gasped, reflexively wrapping her arms around his neck.

The entire venue erupted in an uproar.

The fans' gasps, chatter, and the clicking of cameras blended together.

But Song Tianhao ignored it completely. Carrying Jessica Jung, he turned and headed straight for the wings of the stage, shouting to Taeyeon as he walked, "Taeyeon, call an ambulance, now!"

"Already called!" Taeyeon said quickly. "It should be arriving outside the venue any minute!"

"Good." Song Tianhao kept moving. "Lead the group and finish the encore. Tell the fans that Jessica is fine but needs to go to the hospital for a checkup. Tell them not to worry and to leave in an orderly manner."

"But..." Taeyeon looked at Jessica Jung in his arms, hesitating to speak.

"No buts." Song Tianhao had already reached the edge of the stage, and the backstage staff quickly pulled the curtain aside. "You are the leader. The stage is yours now. Keep things under control and don't let the fans panic."

With that, he carried Jessica Jung and disappeared into the wings.

On stage, Taeyeon stood in place, watching the direction where Song Tianhao had disappeared. She took a deep breath, turned around, and picked up the microphone.

"To all Sones!" Her voice echoed through the entire stadium via the microphone, slightly trembling but firm. "I'm so sorry for making everyone worry! Jessica accidentally sprained her ankle on stage just now. The President has taken her for a checkup, and it shouldn't be anything serious! Please don't worry!"

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the audience.

"Girls Generation's concert won't be cut short because of a little accident like this!" She raised her voice. "Now, let's continue! Music director, please replay the accompaniment for 'Cold Noodles'. We will pick up from where we left off!"

The music started playing again.

On stage, the remaining eight members quickly adjusted their formations to fill in Jessica Jung's spot. Kim Taeyeon took the center position, with Im Yoona and Tiffany Hwang on her left and right, while the other members quickly fell into place.

The fans' fanchants rose again, and though there was still some worry, it was filled with support and encouragement.

Backstage, Song Tianhao carried Jessica Jung, walking quickly down the corridor.

Jessica Jung lay in his arms, her arms wrapped around his neck and her face pressed against his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat, smell the faint masculine scent on him, and feel how steady his arms were as he held her—his steps were fast but not at all frantic.

Her ankle was still throbbing with waves of dull pain, but strangely, her mind was exceptionally calm.

"President..." she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Don't cancel the rest of the tour..." Her voice was very soft but persistent. "I can do it. I just need to rest for a few days. Don't let me affect the whole team..."

Song Tianhao looked down at her.

Jessica Jung also looked up at him, the lights passing overhead casting flickering shadows across her face. Her eyelashes were long and her eyes were large, currently misted over with tears from the pain, but her expression was so stubborn that it made one's heart ache for her.

"Shut up," Song Tianhao said, leaving no room for argument. "Listen to me for now."

Jessica Jung stopped talking, only burying her face a little deeper into his chest.

At the end of the corridor, Jang Se-hoon was already waiting there, with several staff members by his side.

"President, the ambulance is here, it's at the back door," Jang Se-hoon said quickly. "I've contacted the chief of orthopedics at Samsung Seoul Hospital; he's already waiting in the emergency room. Also, I've notified the legal team, and they will prepare the documents for the stage accident liability assessment."

"Good." Song Tianhao nodded, not slowing his pace. "You stay and handle things here. I will accompany Jessica to the hospital. Also, have the assistant pack her things and send them to the hospital, and..."

He paused and looked back toward the stage.

"Check the gaps where the stage sections connect. It's understandable that the dry ice fog was thick, but a two-centimeter gap shouldn't have been left unaddressed."

Jang Se-hoon's expression stiffened. "Do you mean..."

"Investigate first," Song Tianhao said. "Let me know when you have results."

"Understood."

As they spoke, they arrived at the back door. The red and blue lights of the ambulance flashed outside. The back exit had already been cleared of fans and reporters. Two paramedics rushed forward with a gurney, and Song Tianhao carefully placed Jessica Jung onto it.

"Sprained ankle, possible fracture. She needs immediate treatment," he told the doctor.

The doctor nodded, quickly examined Jessica Jung's ankle, and told the nurse, "Prepare a splint to immobilize it. We'll take an X-ray in the ambulance."

Jessica Jung was pushed into the ambulance, and Song Tianhao followed her in. Before the doors closed, he glanced outside and saw Tiffany Hwang running over in a hurry, holding the high heel that Jessica Jung had lost on stage.

"President! Wait!" Tiffany Hwang gasped, out of breath. "I-I'll go with you!"

"You stay," Song Tianhao said. "Taeyeon needs help."

"But..." Tiffany Hwang's eyes welled with tears. "Jessica..."

"Tiffany," Jessica Jung said from inside the ambulance, her voice weak but clear. "Stay and help Taeyeon. I'm fine."

Tiffany Hwang bit her lip and handed over the high heel. "Then... what about this..."

Song Tianhao took the high heel and glanced at it.

It was a silver stiletto with a very thin heel, matching tonight's stage outfit. Some black debris from the stage floor clung to the heel, but otherwise it looked normal. However, as Song Tianhao ran his fingers over the joint between the heel and the sole, his brow furrowed.

The joint was slightly loose.

It wasn't the kind of looseness caused by natural wear and tear, but rather looked as if someone had done it intentionally.

He looked up at Tiffany Hwang. "Who prepared these shoes?"

"The stylist..." Tiffany Hwang said, and then, realizing something, her face paled. "President, do you mean..."

"It's nothing." Song Tianhao handed the shoe back to Tiffany Hwang. "Keep it safe for now, and don't let anyone touch it. Wait for my call."

Tiffany Hwang nodded heavily, clutching the high heel tightly to her chest.

The ambulance doors slammed shut, the siren wailed, and the vehicle drove out of the stadium's back exit, merging into the nighttime traffic of Seoul.

The interior of the ambulance was quiet, save for the rhythmic beeping of the monitors. Jessica Jung lay on the gurney, her right foot already immobilized by the doctor with a splint, while a nurse was taking her blood pressure. She turned her head to look at Song Tianhao sitting beside her.

Song Tianhao was also looking at her.

"Cry out if it hurts," he said.

Jessica Jung shook her head. "It doesn't hurt."

"Liar."

"...It hurts a little."

Song Tianhao didn't say anything, but reached out and took her hand. Her hand was very cold, her palm sweaty, and her fingers trembled slightly.

Jessica Jung froze.

She stared at her hand being held, at Song Tianhao's well-defined fingers, and at their clasped hands. His hand was large and warm, but his grip was very gentle, as if he were afraid of hurting her.

"President..." she said softly.

"Hmm?"

"The concert tickets sold really well..." she said suddenly, her voice so soft she seemed to be talking to herself. "The tickets for all eight cities on our Asian tour sold out, and they even added an extra show in Singapore..."

Song Tianhao looked at her.

"So we can't cancel our concert..." Jessica Jung continued, staring at the ceiling of the ambulance with unfocused eyes. "The fans have waited for so long, saving up to buy tickets and coming from so far away. We can't let them down..."

Her voice began to choke up.

"I am Girls Generation's Jessica. I can't... I can't let the entire team's hard work go to waste just because of me..."

A single tear slid from the corner of her eye, disappearing into her hairline.

Song Tianhao squeezed her hand.

"It won't be canceled," he said, his voice low but clear. "I promise."

Jessica Jung turned her head, looking at him with red-rimmed eyes.

"Really?"

"Really," Song Tianhao said. "But you must cooperate with the treatment. Perform if you can, and don't if you can't. No pushing yourself too hard."

Jessica Jung stared at him for a long time, then nodded gently.

"Okay," she said.

The ambulance sped through the night, its red and blue lights flashing, piercing through the neon of Seoul.

Inside the vehicle, the rhythmic ticking of the monitors felt like a form of comfort. Jessica Jung closed her eyes, feeling the warmth coming from his hand, the throbbing pain in her ankle, and the chaos and anxiety of this night.

Yet in her heart, she felt more secure than ever before.

Because someone was holding her hand.

Because someone said their concert wouldn't be canceled.

Because someone said, "I promise."

She slowly closed her eyes, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly, looking as if she were smiling, yet also as if she were crying.