187: Chapter 187 The Unexpected Situation Caused by the Girls

The kitchen lights were a warm yellow, reflecting off the stainless steel stove and countertop, and the air began to fill with the scents of various foods.

The fragrance of rice, the moisture released when vegetables were sliced, and the sizzling, savory aroma of oil in the pan were all mingled with the girls' chattering, occasionally accompanied by small gasps and laughter.

Outside the window, the wind and rain had not stopped, but inside the house, it was a completely different, lively scene.

Soyeon, Eunjung, and Jeon Boram were assigned to the "Staple Food Group," primarily responsible for cooking rice and preparing basic ingredients.

This group was quite reliable; Soyeon methodically washed the rice and estimated the water level, Eunjung washed the vegetables with nimble movements, while Jeon Boram faced a few potatoes and carrots, holding a peeler with an expression as serious as if she were performing delicate surgery.

On the other side, the "Cooking Group" was much livelier.

"Fire! The heat is too high, Hyuna!" Hyomin watched the rice cakes rolling in the frying pan rapidly change color under the excessive flame, their edges starting to char, and she was so anxious she nearly jumped.

"Eh? Should I turn it down?" Kim Hyuna scrambled to twist the gas knob, but she used too much force, and the flame "poofed" and shrank into an almost invisible little blue dot.

"Too small! It won't cook through like that!" Hyomin shouted again.

"Oh, oh!" Hyuna adjusted it again, and the flame finally stabilized at a moderate size. She wiped away non-existent sweat from her forehead and muttered, "The stove at my house isn't quite like this..."

On the other side, Jiyeon volunteered to handle the frozen sea bass. She mimicked the chefs on TV, trying to scale it with a knife, but the fish body was slippery, and one slice nearly cut her own finger, scaring her into letting out a "Wah!" and the fish fell back into the sink.

Qri, who had been cutting tomatoes, heard the sound and looked over, shaking her head helplessly: "Jiyeon-ah, why don't you go help the unnies wash the vegetables? Let the fish..."

Before she could finish, she saw Song Tianhao had walked over at some point, wearing a dark blue apron he had found from somewhere, tied loosely, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his well-defined forearms.

He first swept a glance at Hyuna's pan, casually picked up the kettle nearby, and added some water to the pan: "Add water, simmer slowly on medium-low heat, and let the rice cakes absorb the sauce." Then he walked over to Jiyeon and naturally took the knife from her hand.

"President..." Jiyeon said, a bit embarrassed.

"Watch." Song Tianhao didn't say much else; he held the fish body down with one hand and held the knife with the other, his wrist steadily tilted at an angle, scraping against the scales from the tail toward the head. His movements were not fast, but every stroke was clean and efficient, and the silvery-white scales fell in rustles, quickly piling up in a small heap by the sink.

His fingers were slender and strong, steadily controlling the fish and the knife. His focused demeanor didn't look like he was preparing ingredients, but rather like he was performing some kind of precision operation.

Jiyeon's eyes went wide as she watched. Beside her, Qri also stopped cutting tomatoes, her gaze fixed on his hands.

"You need to scrape against the scales, keep the knife slightly tilted, and use finesse, not brute force." Song Tianhao explained simply as he worked, and the fish body quickly became smooth.

Next came gutting, removing the organs, rinsing, and finally using kitchen paper to wipe the moisture inside and out until it was completely dry. "Hyomin, is the pan heated up?"

"Ah? Yes, it's ready!" Hyomin snapped back to reality and hurriedly straightened the preheated frying pan nearby.

"You don't need too much oil, just a thin layer. The fish must be thoroughly dried, otherwise, the oil will splatter." Song Tianhao handed the prepared fish to Hyomin, watching as she carefully slid the fish into the pan. The hot oil touched the trace amounts of residual water, still emitting a "sizzle," and a few drops of oil splattered up.

"Careful." Song Tianhao raised his hand almost simultaneously to block it, standing even closer himself.

Hyomin instinctively shrank back; the oil didn't splatter on her, but two drops landed on Song Tianhao.

"President, I'm sorry..." Hyomin blushed.

"It's fine. It's okay now; keep it on medium heat, don't rush to flip it, wait for one side to set." Song Tianhao's tone was calm, as if he had just been bitten by a mosquito.

He turned around to check on Hyuna's spicy stir-fried rice cakes, picked one up with chopsticks to taste the seasoning, and nodded: "The taste is fine, but the rice cakes have been cooked a bit too long; you can turn off the heat and let them simmer."

Next, he walked over to Qri, looking at the tomatoes under her hands that were chopped into uneven sizes and various shapes. His mouth seemed to twitch, but his tone remained gentle: "Qri-ah, that's not how you cut tomatoes. Are you making tomato soup or scrambled eggs?"

"Ah? I... I wanted to make a salad..." Qri was rarely this embarrassed; she had self-awareness regarding her cooking skills.

"If it's for a salad, peel it first, then cut it into chunks or slices, keeping the sizes uniform." Song Tianhao naturally took the knife, picked up another intact tomato, scored a cross on the top, then placed it in a bowl of hot water nearby to blanch for a dozen seconds. He pulled it out and gently peeled along the cross, and the entire tomato skin came right off.

Then, with quick, rhythmic knife work—thud, thud, thud—the tomato quickly turned into uniform half-moon chunks. "Like this. Want to try?"

Qri mimicked his movements; although she was still a bit slow, at least what she cut looked much more decent. She quietly let out a sigh of relief, looked up at Song Tianhao's focused profile, and then quickly lowered her head, her ears feeling a bit hot.

Jeon Boram encountered a problem; the potatoes had sprouted, even though the eyes were very small. She held the potato, frowning, not knowing if she should use it.

"Sprouted potatoes have increased toxins; don't use them."

Song Tianhao's voice sounded above her head. He casually picked up the potato and threw it into the trash can, then picked out two good ones from the ingredient basket and handed them to her: "Be careful when peeling; dig a bit deeper around the area where it sprouted. If the sprouting is obvious, just throw it away. Safety first."

"Nae, CEO Oppa." Jeon Boram nodded obediently, and the boredom she felt from being assigned "simple" work vanished. Did the CEO even know this?

With Song Tianhao, the "technical advisor," moving among them, the chaos in the kitchen was quickly contained. Although it was still lively, it had entered a state of orderly cooperation.

He didn't talk much, but every sentence was on point, and his demonstrations were concise and effective, quickly helping this group of kitchen novices find their rhythm.

Eunjung got the rice cooking, Soyeon prepared the sauce for the cold dish, Hyomin's fish was fried golden on both sides, Hyuna's spicy stir-fried rice cakes were fragrant, and Qri's vegetable salad was arranged in a glass bowl, looking quite decent.

"President, when should I add this curry block?" The stew pot Jiyeon was responsible for had already boiled, containing potatoes, carrots, and onions. She held the unopened curry block in her hand, eager to try.

"Wait until the vegetables are cooked soft, turn the heat to low, put the curry block in, and stir slowly until it melts." Song Tianhao was checking another soup pot and said without turning his head.

"Okay!" Jiyeon waited a few minutes, poked the potatoes with chopsticks, felt they were about ready, and excitedly picked up the curry block, preparing to tear open the packaging.

Perhaps her hands were wet and a bit slippery, or perhaps she was too anxious; the square curry block slipped from her hand and fell, along with the box, into the bubbling stew pot.

With a muffled "plop."

That wasn't the end of it; the splashing, boiling hot, thick broth, coincidentally, landed right on the back of Song Tianhao's right hand as he happened to be turning around and walking over.

"Hiss—!"

Song Tianhao gasped, sharply pulling his hand back.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

Everyone stopped their movements and looked over.

Jiyeon looked at the back of Song Tianhao's hand, which had instantly turned bright red and even quickly blistered, and her face turned deathly pale in a flash, her eyes wide, filled with terror and panic.

"Pre... President! I, I'm sorry! I... I didn't mean to!" Her voice carried a crying tone, and she stood there helplessly, wanting to approach but not daring to.

"Oh my god!" Soyeon was the first to react, immediately putting down what she was holding and rushing over. Eunjung also stepped forward quickly. Others gathered around, their faces full of worry.

Song Tianhao frowned, but his expression remained calm. He ignored the stinging pain on the back of his hand and first glanced at the pot, where the intact curry block was slowly sinking to the bottom, and the color of the surrounding broth had already started to darken.

"Turn off the heat first." He said to Qri, who was closest to the stove.

Qri hurriedly turned off the heat.

"President, hurry and rinse it with cold water!" Soyeon said anxiously, wanting to pull him but not daring to touch his injured hand.

Song Tianhao followed instructions and walked to the sink, turned on the faucet, and slowly rinsed the burned area with cold water.

The icy water flow temporarily relieved the burning pain. Only then did he have time to look at the girls gathered behind him, all with nervous faces. Jiyeon's eyes were even red, biting her lip, on the verge of tears.

"It's fine, it's a minor injury." His tone remained steady, even attempting to lighten the mood, "It looks scary, but it's actually not serious. Rinse it with cold water for a while, and apply some ointment, and it will be fine."

Then he looked at Jiyeon, that girl was about to cry, "Jiyeon, don't just stand there like a fool. Go get the first-aid kit; I remember the assistant brought a green emergency first-aid kit, it should be under the cabinet in the living room."

His gaze swept over everyone, "Everyone else, continue with what you were doing. The curry block can be fished out and used; don't waste a whole pot of food. Soyeon, help me get a clean cloth."

His calmness was like magic, quickly dispelling the panicked atmosphere filling the kitchen. Jiyeon seemed to be snapped out of her daze, nodded vigorously, turned, and ran out, nearly tripping over the threshold.

Soyeon hurriedly found clean kitchen paper towels and carefully dried the excess water on Song Tianhao's hand. Eunjung had already used a slotted spoon to fish out the troublesome curry block and placed it on a plate; the packaging was already deformed from the heat.

"President, are you really okay? Is it serious?" Hyomin leaned in, looking at the red swelling, her brows knitted tightly.

"I'm really fine. I've suffered much worse injuries than this while filming action scenes." Song Tianhao said casually, gesturing to the frying pan with his uninjured left hand, "Your fish, if you don't attend to it, it's going to burn."

"Ah!" Hyomin just remembered her fish and hurriedly ran back.

At this moment, Jiyeon ran back, panting, carrying the green first-aid kit, her hair a bit messy. She opened the box, and the contents were very complete.

Song Tianhao took a look and directed: "The burn ointment is in that small compartment. The cotton swabs are next to it."

Soyeon took the ointment and gently applied it to the burn. The cooling sensation brought by the ointment made Song Tianhao let out a soft sigh. Jiyeon watched eagerly from the side, her fingers tightly clutching the corner of her clothes.

"Alright, that's it for now." After applying the medicine, Song Tianhao tried moving his fingers; it was fine, it didn't affect movement.

He looked at the stew pot and said to Eunjung: "Eunjung, turn the heat back to low, open the curry block, put it in, and stir slowly until mixed. Jiyeon, you help Eunjung. Everyone else, continue; dinner isn't ready yet."

His tone was normal, as if the earlier interlude was just accidentally cutting a finger while chopping vegetables. The girls looked at each other and slowly returned to their positions.

But the atmosphere was a bit more silent than before; everyone was a bit distracted, their gazes always drifting involuntarily toward Song Tianhao's bandaged hand.

Song Tianhao seemed not to notice; he walked to the countertop, picked up the knife with his left hand somewhat clumsily, and began to process the remaining side dishes, also saying to Jeon Boram: "Boram, is the onion chopped? Give me half."

Dinner was finally completed in an atmosphere that was slightly quiet but striving to create liveliness.

Spicy stir-fried rice cakes, pan-fried sea bass, vegetable curry, seasoned spinach, tomato salad, and a large pot of piping hot soybean paste soup—although the presentation wasn't exquisite, and the seasoning of some dishes might not have been perfectly even, it was laid out full on the table, the aromas mixing together, actually quite appetizing.

"Dinner is served!" Ham Eunjung, acting as the leader, gestured for everyone to take their seats.

Everyone gathered around the dining table, the sound of wind and rain outside seemingly becoming a unique background music.

Song Tianhao sat at the head of the table; the white gauze on the back of his right hand was quite conspicuous.

"You've all worked hard." Song Tianhao raised the water glass on his left side, his gaze sweeping over every face present; Park Ji-yeon kept her head lowered, not daring to look at him.

"This is our first meal while stranded on the island, and it is also a meal we made ourselves. Regardless of how it tastes, it is incredibly meaningful. Come, a toast to all of us, and also to... hmm, this pot of uniquely flavored curry." There was a hint of a smile in his tone.

Everyone followed suit and raised their glasses, and the atmosphere livened up slightly.

"President, your hand..." Lee Qri asked softly.

"It's fine, it doesn't affect eating." Song Tianhao picked up a spoon with his left hand, scooped a spoonful of curry mixed with rice, tasted it, and nodded. "Hmm, it tastes good. Although Jiyeon added some 'accidental seasoning,' the result is good."

Park Ji-yeon's body stiffened, and she lowered her head even further.

Ham Eunjung laughed, "The President is right. This curry really has a strong flavor; maybe it's because... hmm, the 'essence' of the packaging bag was also boiled inside?"

This remark drew a burst of low laughter from everyone, and even Park So-yeon couldn't help but curve the corners of her mouth.

"Yah, Unnie!" Park Ji-yeon finally looked up and gave Ham Eunjung a coquettish glare. Her eyes were still a bit red, but some color had returned to her face.

Song Tianhao also laughed, "So, I say, Jiyeon has made a contribution. Come, everyone, try it; don't let our hard work go to waste, especially Jiyeon's 'special contribution'."

Once this was said, everyone laughed, and the last bit of awkwardness and cautious atmosphere dissipated.

The girls began to eat, commenting on each other's cooking skills. Although they complained that "the rice cakes are a bit hard," "the fish is a bit salty," and "there's too much salad dressing," they ate with great relish. After all, it was something they had made themselves, and it brought a unique sense of accomplishment.

Kim Hyuna secretly glanced at Song Tianhao eating naturally with his left hand, then looked at his bandaged right hand. She leaned over to Ham Eunjung's ear and whispered, "The President is really too cool... even when injured, he handles it so calmly, and he even turns around to comfort us."

Ham Eunjung picked up a piece of rice cake, chuckled at the words, and also lowered her voice, "Yeah, it seems like nothing can stump him. However," she paused and looked at Park Ji-yeon, who was eating silently with her head down, "Jiyeon must be terrified."

At the dining table, Song Tianhao did not specifically mention his hand injury again, just eating as usual, occasionally commenting on the dishes, and asking what activities everyone wanted to do tomorrow, steering the topic in a relaxed direction. Although Park Ji-yeon still didn't dare to speak much, she would respond in a low voice when others mentioned her, slowly eating the rice in her bowl.

After the meal, the rain seemed to have eased a bit, but the wind was still howling. The girls scrambled to clean up the dishes, and Song Tianhao did not stop them this time, walking to the open veranda connected to the living room to get some air. A storm lantern hung under the wooden eaves, swaying gently with the wind, casting a warm yellow halo in the damp night.

He leaned against a pillar, watching the pitch-black sea shrouded in wind and rain, and lifted his right hand to look at it. The gauze was wrapped a bit ugly, but Park So-yeon's movements had been very gentle. The pain had subsided a lot, though there was still an occasional burning sensation.

A faint sound of footsteps came from behind him.

Song Tianhao did not look back.

Park Ji-yeon shuffled over to his side, her head lowered, her fingers twisted together. She had changed into clean loungewear and had re-combed her hair, but her eyes were still a bit swollen.

She handed over a tube of ointment; the packaging was a common white tube, but the edges were worn, looking like it had been used many times.

"President..." her voice was small, with a heavy nasal tone, "This was prepared for me by my mom. She said it helps burns heal quickly and prevents scarring. I've always kept it with me. Please apply some more."

Song Tianhao turned his head and looked at her. The light under the veranda was not very bright, reflecting her face full of guilt and unease, like a puppy that had done something wrong and was afraid of being scolded by its owner. He took the old tube of ointment, which still carried the warmth of her palm; the tube was very light, as if it had been used quite a bit.

"Thank you, Jiyeon." His tone was gentle, and he even reached out to rub her soft hair, "I'm really fine, don't take it to heart. It was just an accident, just be more careful next time. Go play with everyone; aren't you supposed to be watching a movie?"

His touch and words finally caused Park Ji-yeon's tense nerves to relax, and her eyes turned red again, but this time it was out of relief.

She nodded vigorously, her voice choked with emotion, "Yes! Thank you, President! I... I'll go help clean up!"

After saying this, as if afraid she would cry again, she turned and ran back to the brightly lit living room.

Song Tianhao watched her slightly flustered back, smiled, and looked down at the ointment in his hand. The writing on the packaging was somewhat blurred; it seemed to be something she had really carried with her for a long time.

He unscrewed the cap, squeezed a little onto his fingertip; the clear ointment had a faint herbal scent. He carefully untied the gauze Park So-yeon had wrapped earlier and applied the new ointment to the wound. A more distinct cooling sensation spread, which was indeed very comfortable.

When Song Tianhao was re-wrapping the gauze, because one hand was injured, his movements were inevitably a bit clumsy.

A slender hand reached over from the side and naturally took the roll of gauze from his hand.

It was Park So-yeon. She had come out at some point, holding clean gauze and medical tape in her hand.

"President, it's time to change the dressing." Her voice was calm as she sat down on the low stool beside him, "I'll help you."

Song Tianhao did not refuse and extended his hand. Park So-yeon's movements were very light and professional. She first carefully wiped away the previously applied ointment that had been smeared, then used a clean cotton swab to dip into the new ointment tube in his hand and applied it evenly to the wound.

Her fingers were slightly cool, touching the edge of the burned skin, causing a slight tremor.

"Did Jiyeon give this to you?" she asked softly, her gaze falling on the old tube of ointment.

"Yes, she said it was from her mother, and she's always carried it." Song Tianhao watched her lowered eyelashes, which cast small, fan-shaped shadows under her eyes.

"Jiyeon is very thoughtful, but sometimes she's a bit reckless." Park So-yeon said as she began to wrap the new gauze. Her movements were much more skilled than Park Ji-yeon's; the wrapping was of moderate tightness, and she finally fixed it with tape and tied a small, neat knot. "But she was genuinely worried about you; she barely ate any dinner."

"I know." Song Tianhao looked at his hand, which was wrapped neatly and beautifully, "That's why I said it was fine and told her not to mind it."

Park So-yeon finished with the last bit of tape but did not let go immediately. Instead, she gently supported his wrist and looked up at him. The light under the veranda reflected in her clear eyes, carrying a certain earnest emotion.

"President," she said softly, her voice almost drowned out by the wind, yet clearly reaching his ears, "Actually, you don't have to carry everything yourself and handle everything so perfectly.

Occasionally, you can rely on us, or allow us to make some mistakes, without you always having to clean up the aftermath. We also want to be able to help you, even if it's just a little bit."

Her tone was calm, but the meaning behind her words was heavy. It wasn't a complaint, nor was it acting spoiled; it was a statement, an expression carrying subtle heartache and a longing to be needed.

Song Tianhao looked at her for a few seconds. The light from the storm lantern flickered on her face; her expression was very earnest, even a bit stubborn.

He nodded, his voice also lowering, carrying a rare softness, "I know. That's why I let you cook for yourselves today. In the future, there will be many things that require you to share the burden and stand on your own two feet.

Because you are not just T-ara, not just idols, but also outstanding people who can independently handle your own affairs."

He paused, and amidst Park So-yeon's gaze, which had brightened slightly at his first half-sentence, he continued, "However, with me, at Sky Entertainment, you can occasionally rely on others, occasionally make mistakes, and occasionally not have to be so strong. Because I am the President."

Park So-yeon's heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something, trembling violently. Her fingers, which were supporting his wrist, tightened imperceptibly for a moment, then quickly relaxed. She understood what Song Tianhao meant.

Outside, they needed to be strong, perfect, and flawless; but in front of him, within this territory he had demarcated, they could briefly take off their armor and be ordinary people who would get scared, make mistakes, and need protection.

This preferential treatment, this "privilege" that belonged exclusively to them, made her heart burn and her nose ache more than any direct comfort or promise.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her throat choked up.

Just then, Park Hyomin's anxious shout came from the living room: "Unnie! Oppa! Come in and take a look! The DVD player, the DVD player seems broken! The disc is stuck inside and won't come out!"

Their eye contact was interrupted by this shout.

Park So-yeon quickly composed her expression, let go of his hand, and stood up, "Let's go in and see."

Song Tianhao also straightened up and flexed his bandaged hand, "Let's go."

In the living room, the girls were gathered around the old portable DVD player. Park Ji-yeon and Lee Qri were squatting in front of the machine, trying to get the stuck disc out, but obviously without success. The machine was making a faint, abnormal buzzing sound of reading the disc.

"It was fine just a moment ago. Jiyeon wanted to play 'Roman Holiday,' and it just got stuck." Lee Qri explained, feeling a bit helpless.

Song Tianhao walked over and squatted down to take a look. It was that very common problem where the disc tray latch loosens, causing the disc not to eject. For this kind of old machine, it was normal for some issues to arise.

"Do you have a small screwdriver? Or a paperclip will do." He asked the assistant nearby.

The assistant quickly brought over a small toolbox.

Song Tianhao opened the box, selected a suitable screwdriver, and then signaled for the girls to give him some space. He sat cross-legged directly on the carpet and, with the light from the living room's main lamp and the floor lamp nearby, began to dismantle the DVD player's outer shell.

His movements were unhurried. He first used the screwdriver to remove the screws at the bottom, then carefully pried open the latches with his fingernails. The metal shell was removed, revealing the complex circuit board and optical drive structure inside. He frowned slightly, observing the stuck part.

The girls gathered around, some squatting, some sitting, watching with bated breath. Kim Hyuna simply sat behind and to the side of Song Tianhao, hugging her knees, and curiously stretched her neck. Park Ji-yeon leaned against Ham Eunjung, eyes unblinking. Park So-yeon stood a little further back, her gaze falling on Song Tianhao's focused profile.

He lowered his head slightly, his nose bridge straight, his lips slightly pursed due to concentration, and his fingers holding the small screwdriver were steady and agile, moving among those tiny parts and cables.

The warm yellow light plated him with a fuzzy halo, and even the circle of white gauze on the back of his hand did not look out of place at this moment; instead, it became a unique footnote in this picture.

Outside the window, the wind and rain seemed to have intensified again, wailing and beating against the windows. But inside the room, there was only the slight sound of the screwdriver occasionally touching metal, and his steady breathing.

Time, as if in this isolated space, flowed slowly and peacefully.