17: Chapter 17 The Girl's First Kiss

The legendary open-air performance at Seoul Plaza was like a massive rock thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples far wider and longer-lasting than Song Tianhao had anticipated. Public opinion online, guided by the Sky Entertainment public relations team and President Song's "bossy three questions," underwent a shocking reversal.

Countless videos taken by audience members on their phones, showing T-ara remaining calm and finishing their singing and dancing despite the sound system failure, went viral across all major portals and social networks. #T-ara strength#, #Acapella is also amazing#, #Seoul Plaza performance#, #President Song aggressively protecting his own# and other keywords quickly topped the trending searches.

Those candid photos and malicious leaks seemed so pale and ridiculous in front of the stage forged by the girls with their sweat and strength.

Many onlookers who were originally on the sidelines or even swayed by the negative narrative, after watching those direct-cam videos, switched sides, becoming "music fans" or "stage fans," and many even started spontaneously organizing timelines to refute those malicious rumors.

More importantly, President Song's public naming of Kim Kwang-soo and his declaration that he had sent a lawyer's letter confirmed the speculation that the "former MBK Entertainment President was maliciously slandering due to business competition," and the spearhead of public opinion quickly turned.

Immediately after, several influential financial media and social news sections, almost at the same time the performance ended, published in-depth reports on "former MBK Entertainment President Kim Kwang-soo suspected of illegal asset transfer, burdened with debt, and suspected of hiring people to stalk and slander business rivals out of revenge."

Although these reports were worded rigorously, the cited data and clues were quite detailed, effectively nailing Kim Kwang-soo to the pillar of shame as a "despicable loser."

That black sedan that fled the plaza in a panic, and the information about the stalker who was later dug up as being a relative of Kim Kwang-soo, became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

For a time, Kim Kwang-soo and his MBK Entertainment became a laughingstock, universally condemned. And Sky Entertainment and T-ara, thanks to this desperate counterattack, won unprecedented attention and... a certain kind of goodwill tinged with sympathy and admiration.

President Song's image as a "short-protective president" took root in people's hearts, and T-ara's label as a "girl group that blooms in adversity" was initially established.

The Music Bank comeback stage a few days later became the critical battlefield to test all these results.

When the six members of T-ara, wearing meticulously designed outfits incorporating cat ears and leather elements, appeared under the brilliant stage lights to the catchy intro of "Bo Peep Bo Peep," the cheers from the audience almost blew the roof off the studio.

That was a sound completely different from the one at the plaza a few days ago—a sound full of anticipation and love.

The girls' performance was impeccable. Having been tempered by the basement, injuries, rumors, and the trial of the open-air stage, their stage presence, vocal stability, and mutual chemistry had reached a brand new height.

Park So-yeon's high notes were smooth and unrestrained, Ham Eunjung's dance was full of power and beauty, Park Hyomin's eyes perfectly interpreted the charm of a "hunter," Jeon Boram's unique timbre became a highlight, and Park Ji-yeon, whose foot injury had basically healed, was full of vitality.

And Lee Qri, sitting on a specially made high stool and showing herself in an elegant black dress, held the focus of all the cameras with her breathtaking beauty and steady performance.

When the list of candidates for first place was announced, and T-ara was tied with another popular boy group, the atmosphere in the studio reached a climax.

Finally, when the MC read out: "The winner is—T-ara! Congratulations!"

The six girls were stunned for a moment, as if they couldn't believe their ears. It wasn't until the deafening encore music started, and the crazy cheers and crying from the fans below reached them, that they woke up as if from a dream.

Park So-yeon was the first to cover her mouth, tears streaming down; Ham Eunjung's eyes were red but she tried hard to look up; Park Hyomin's tears welled up in her eyes.

Jeon Boram was already crying and squatting down; Park Ji-yeon hugged Lee Qri beside her, crying and jumping; and Lee Qri, sitting in her chair, was already tearful, but she showed a beautiful and complex smile to the camera.

They hugged each other, cried, and incoherently thanked the company, thanked the President, thanked the fans, and thanked each other...

That immature dream of "We will be famous" written on pink tape in the basement, after experiencing the cold wind, sweat, tears, pain, and slander, finally, at this moment, shone into the slightly blinding but incomparably real spotlight.

The video and photos of their first-place win flooded the internet again. T-ara, a name that was deeply mired in "sponsorship" scandals and precarious just a week ago, now formally entered the vision of the South Korean entertainment industry with the posture of "monster rookies," completing the transformation from self-doubting, hesitant trainees to confident, shining artists.

Sky Entertainment, thanks to this beautiful counterattack and T-ara's stunning debut, jumped from an unknown new company to a new force in the industry that could not be ignored.

President Song's "Midas touch" eye for talent and his "ruthless and protective" methods began to be talked about by more people.

That night, at the Cheongdam-dong Villa. There was no luxurious hotel celebration banquet; President Song had people set up the spacious living room of the Villa, prepared sumptuous takeout and drinks, and held a small but warm celebration party.

Only the core team of Sky Entertainment and the six girls of T-ara were present.

The atmosphere gradually changed from the lingering excitement at the beginning to something relaxed and sentimental. The girls changed into comfortable loungewear, removed their stage makeup, and their faces still carried unspent flushes and excitement.

They huddled on the sofa, replaying today's Music Bank stage on the TV, seeing their own bedraggled looks while crying after winning, laughing and crying, teasing each other.

"Unnie, you cried so ugly!"

"You're talking about me! You looked like a mushroom when you squatted down!"

"Qri Unnie looks good even when she cries, it's not fair!"

"Boram Unnie's voice was shaking, but it sounded so good!"

"Where's the President? Is the President watching?"

President Song sat on the single sofa nearby, holding a glass of ice water, watching them make a fuss. He didn't say much, just a hint of relaxed amusement at the corner of his mouth.

The tension and scheming of the past few days eased slightly at this moment. He could feel an invisible but solid bond flowing quietly in the room after they had all experienced this together.

It wasn't just a relationship between a president and artists, an employer and employees, but more like comrades who had fought side-by-side in blood, and even... family.

I don't know who started it, but the girls began to take turns proposing a toast to President Song.

Ham Eunjung was the first to stand up, raising her glass. She didn't seem good at saying sentimental things; she held it in for a long time, her face turning red, before she solemnly said: "President... thank you. Without you, I might still be struggling with myself, thinking that boxing was a dead-end."

She tilted her head and drank it all in one gulp, her eyes bright.

Next was Park So-yeon. She held her cup, looking at President Song. A thousand words rushed to her lips, but in the end, it only turned into a deep bow and a choked-up: "President, thank you... for letting me be Park So-yeon again." She was drinking juice, but there were tears in the corners of her eyes.

Jeon Boram sipped her drink and whispered: "CEO Oppa... thank you for saying my voice is unique." She used the term "Oppa," her voice as quiet as a mosquito, but her face turned red.

Park Ji-yeon jumped up, holding her Coke: "CEO Oppa is the best! From now on, I won't steal painkillers anymore! I want to stand healthily on the peak that CEO Oppa conquers!" Childish words, but full of strength.

Lee Qri sat in her wheelchair, elegantly raising her glass, smiling: "President, thank you for telling me that sitting down can also be a weapon." Her smile was gentle, but her eyes were firm.

Finally, it was Park Hyomin. She seemed unusually quiet tonight, having had a little red wine, her cheeks flushed. She walked to President Song, didn't speak immediately, but just looked at him with those drunken, yet more direct and profound eyes than usual.

For a long time, she said softly, her voice slightly hoarse from the red wine: "President... Oppa."

She called "Oppa" again, this time clearer. Then she smiled, that smile no longer the formulaic sweetness or deliberately imitated sexiness of the past, but a smile from the heart, carrying relief and some indescribable emotion.

"Thank you for telling me I'm a leopard." She drank the red wine in her glass in one gulp, the flush on her face deepening, but her eyes were shockingly bright. "And thank you... for bringing us out of that place."

She was referring to that cold, dilapidated basement, and also to their once gray and hopeless past.

"Oppa" seemed like a switch. From Jeon Boram starting it, to Park Hyomin confirming it again, the girls' way of addressing President Song naturally changed under the catalysis of alcohol and emotions.

There was less of the restraint and distance of subordinates toward a superior, and more closeness and reliance.

The celebration party neared its end in warmth and tipsiness. Most of the girls were drunk, swaying.

Park So-yeon, as the leader, was still relatively sober, arranging for her younger sisters to rest.

Park Hyomin looked the drunkest, walking unsteadily, muttering "I'm not drunk..."

"Oppa..." Park Hyomin looked at President Song with blurry eyes, leaning over softly, "My head is so dizzy... Can you... take me back to my room?"

Park Ji-yeon, Jeon Boram, and the others nearby exchanged glances, their faces showing mischievous and knowing smiles. They silently mouthed "Go for it" to President Song, then pushed Park So-yeon, Ham Eunjung, and the others upstairs, leaving President Song and the clearly drunk Park Hyomin in the living room.

President Song looked at the girl leaning on his shoulder, her breath carrying the scent of red wine, and then at the mischievous look of those girls as they left. He felt a bit helpless, but also felt something unusual. He held Park Hyomin's arm: "Can you walk?"

"Mm... Oppa, help me..." Park Hyomin replied vaguely, leaning almost half her body weight on him.

President Song half-carried and half-supported her to the third floor, arriving at her bedroom door. Opening the door, the room was filled with a faint scent that belonged to her. He carefully helped her sit on the edge of the bed and wanted to turn around to pour her some water.

But his hand was held by a cool, soft hand.

President Song paused and looked back.

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

Park Hyomin sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at him. Only a dim bedside lamp was lit in the room, casting ambiguous shadows across her face.

The drunkenness in her eyes seemed to have faded slightly, replaced by a clearer and warmer emotion. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips looked wet and rosy from the wine.

"Oppa..." she called softly, tightening her fingers. Her grip wasn't strong, yet it carried an obstinacy that wouldn't let him leave.

"Hyomin, rest first. I'll go get you a glass of water..." Before Song Tianhao could finish his sentence,

"Oppa," Park Hyomin interrupted him, her voice trembling slightly but exceptionally clear, carrying the courage to risk everything and a hint of vulnerability. "I... like you."

The room instantly fell so silent that they could hear each other's heartbeats and breathing. The moonlight outside filtered through the sheer curtains, casting hazy patches of light on the floor.

Song Tianhao looked at her. The girl before him was no longer the trainee with dodging eyes in the dilapidated basement when he first met her, nor was she the clumsy and anxious young girl who later mimicked "sexy" in front of the mirror, let alone the dazzling "Leopard" on stage.

At this moment, she was just an ordinary girl who, fueled by alcohol, gathered all her courage to pour her heart out to the person she admired. In her eyes, there was expectation, fear, a desperate determination, and a deeply hidden dread of being rejected.

The subtle, drawing-in quality brought by the Sea King Card seemed to ferment silently at this moment.

But what was more important was the bit-by-bit accumulation of spending day and night together for nearly two months: her efforts to change, her trusting and dependent gaze, her radiance blooming on stage, and her unreserved sincerity at this moment...

Song Tianhao was no saint; he appreciated beauty and could be attracted. Looking at Park Hyomin's exceptionally alluring face due to nervousness and alcohol, and feeling the cool touch and slight trembling of her fingers, the string of reason in his heart quietly loosened in the quiet of the night, catalyzed by alcohol and emotion.

He turned his hand to hold her cool hand back, his warm and dry palm wrapping around hers. Looking at her eyes, which instantly widened, filled with surprise and disbelief, he spoke in a low voice, his words sounding exceptionally deep and clear in the quiet room:

"Hyomin, I like you too."

These simple words set off a monstrous wave in Park Hyomin's heart. All her nervousness, fear, and uncertainty were drowned by wild joy at this moment.

Her tears welled up without warning, yet her mouth parted into a smile. She laughed and cried at the same time, like a child.

She stood up abruptly from the edge of the bed, stumbling slightly because of her haste. Song Tianhao instinctively supported her waist. Taking advantage of the momentum, she stood on her tiptoes, closed her eyes, and kissed his lips with a mix of determination and awkwardness.

It was a kiss mixed with the aroma of red wine and a young girl's first heart-fluttering moment. Clumsy, yet peerlessly sincere.

Song Tianhao froze for a moment, then tightened his arms, pulling her deeper into his embrace. He lowered his head, taking the initiative to deepen the kiss. Their lips and teeth intertwined, their breaths blending. Under the dim light, the two figures clung tightly to each other, as if trying to melt into one another.

In the quiet room, only their increasingly rapid breathing and the slight rustle of fabric remained. The moonlight shifted quietly, witnessing this eruption of emotion and the complete change in their relationship.

As the night deepened, the bedside lamp was turned off at some point. Only the moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting gentle and serene shadows on the messy sheets and the two sleeping in each other's arms. Nothing more was said that night; only their heartbeats and body heat spoke of an intimacy and promise untold to outsiders.

The next morning, his biological clock woke Song Tianhao up right on time. The slight headache from the hangover was replaced by the warm, soft, and fragrant touch in his arms. He looked down and saw Park Hyomin curled up in his embrace, sleeping soundly.

Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows under her eyelids, her cheeks still bore a lingering flush, and her lips were slightly swollen. Her peaceful sleeping face made her look like a completely different person from the girl who had boldly confessed her love the night before.

A complex wave of emotion welled up in Song Tianhao's heart. There was a faint sense of achievement and satisfaction from getting what he wanted as a man, but more than that, it was a heavy sense of responsibility.

These girls had entrusted their futures, trust, and even their most precious emotions to him. He had to become stronger to protect them and guard this starry sky he had just begun to build.

As if sensing his gaze, Park Hyomin's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Once the confusion of waking up cleared, Park Hyomin met Song Tianhao's staring gaze. As the memories of her boldness last night rushed back, her cheeks instantly turned beet red. Like a startled rabbit, she suddenly pulled up the quilt to cover half of her face, leaving only a pair of watery eyes shyly dodging his gaze.

Looking at her like this, Song Tianhao found her quite cute and a bit amusing. He reached out, gently pulling the quilt down a bit from her face, his voice carrying the low rasp of someone who had just woken up: "Are you awake?"

Park Hyomin nodded, then shook her head, and finally let out a soft "mm." Her eyes wandered, simply not daring to look at him.

"Time to get up." Song Tianhao sat up and stretched his somewhat stiff shoulders. "Soyeon and the others should be up by now, waiting for us to have breakfast."

Hearing the other members mentioned, Park Hyomin's body stiffened slightly. Her face turned even redder, and a trace of nervousness and uneine flashed in her eyes.

What would Oppa tell the unnies? Would they think she was...

Song Tianhao seemed to see through her thoughts. He rubbed her hair, his tone calm yet comforting: "Don't think too much. Wash up and head downstairs."

The two of them went downstairs one after the other and arrived at the dining room. Sure enough, the other five girls were already sitting around the dining table with a simple breakfast set before them, but none of them had touched it. Their eyes were all fixed on the stairs.

Seeing Song Tianhao and Park Hyomin, whose cheeks were flushed and eyes were dodging, appear together, the dining table instantly fell silent for a second.

Then, Park Ji-yeon was the first to burst out laughing with a snicker, winking playfully. "Hyomin Unnie, did you sleep well last night? Is your head still dizzy?"

Jeon Boram also covered her mouth and giggled, whispering to Lee Qri next to her, "Unnie, look at Hyomin Unnie's face, it's redder than a tomato."

Ham Eunjung picked up her milk and took a sip, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly, her eyes filled with an "as expected" look of understanding.

As the leader, Park So-yeon cleared her throat, glared at the mischievous Park Ji-yeon, and then nodded to Song Tianhao and Park Hyomin, her tone natural. "Oppa, Hyomin, come and have breakfast. It's getting cold."

The term she used was "Oppa," but when her gaze swept between the two, it carried a hint of gentle blessing and understanding.

Lee Qri, on the other hand, gave Park Hyomin a gentle and encouraging smile.

There was none of the expected awkwardness, questioning, or rejection—only good-natured teasing and the blessing and acceptance that only those closest to them could offer.

Park Hyomin's hanging heart finally settled. Although her face was still red, the shyness in her eyes was gradually replaced by warmth and peace of mind.

She stole a glance at Song Tianhao, only to find him sitting down beside her with a normal expression, starting to eat breakfast as if everything last night was only natural.

Breakfast proceeded in a subtle yet warm atmosphere. The girls began to discuss today's schedule and practice arrangements in low voices, occasionally mixing in some teasing of Park Hyomin and Song Tianhao. However, they kept it perfectly within bounds—expressing their attitude without making things awkward for the two.

A new, even more intimate atmosphere quietly took root and sprouted within T-ara, as well as between them and Song Tianhao.

However, beneath the calm surface, undercurrents never ceased.

On the very afternoon T-ara celebrated winning first place on their debut, in the Representative Director's office of the S.M. Entertainment building,

Lee Soo-man sat behind his spacious desk, holding a tablet playing T-ara's full performance on Music Bank, as well as the acapella snippet from their previous Seoul Plaza performance. His gaze was sharp, and his expression betrayed neither joy nor anger.

On the sofa opposite him sat Girls Generation's leader, Kim Taeyeon. She was also looking at the screen, her gaze focused, her fingers unconsciously tapping gently on the armrest of the sofa.

"What do you think?" Lee Soo-man put down the tablet and looked at Kim Taeyeon.

Kim Taeyeon withdrew her gaze, pondered for a moment, and then spoke. "The song is very catchy, the choreography is innovative, and the stage completion is extremely high. The members' skills are balanced, and there are prominent highlights. Most importantly..."

She paused, a complex look flashing in her eyes. "There's a drive in them—a relentless spirit and cohesiveness that bounced back after being pushed into a corner, wanting to prove everything. That's very rare."

Lee Soo-man nodded, his gaze far-reaching. "The song was written by Song Tianhao, the choreography was done by someone he found, the crisis public relations was led by him single-handedly, and even that final audio glitch... I suspect it was all part of his design.

This young man is not simple. Vision, methods, and boldness—he lacks none of them. Most importantly, he knows how to motivate and unite a team."

"What do you mean, President?" Kim Taeyeon asked.

"Sky Entertainment will be a future competitor." Lee Soo-man tapped his fingers on the desk. "And a very threatening one at that. Song Tianhao is a man of no small ambition.

Choosing to debut T-ara this way was less of a helpless move and more of a risky but brilliant chess move. Now, everyone remembers T-ara, and they also remember him, Song Tianhao."

He looked at Kim Taeyeon. "Taeyeon, our Girls Generation's new album 'Gee' is about to start official promotions. If I'm not mistaken, the popularity of T-ara's 'Bo Peep Bo Peep' will continue for some time. When the time comes, you will likely face each other head-on on music shows."

Kim Taeyeon's gaze instantly became sharp and full of fighting spirit, a sharpness belonging to the leader of Girls Generation. "President, we won't lose."

"I know." Lee Soo-man smiled, but that smile carried a businessman's shrewdness and a hint of testing. "However, know yourself and know your enemy. If there's an opportunity, get in touch with this President Song. Let's see what kind of person he really is. Perhaps we can cooperate with them once."