30: Chapter 30 Always eager for a good show

The smoke-filled yet silently concluded office standoff with Lee Soo-man had stirred ripples in Song Tianhao's heart, but eventually, it sank to the bottom of his busy daily life.

He did not mention this to anyone, including Jang Se-hoon. He simply locked the original copy of the "Supplementary Agreement" into a more secure safe and once again instructed the legal team to closely monitor every move of S.M. Entertainment, especially anything related to the f(x) project.

At the same time, he increased his focus on Krystal Jung's situation. Lawyer Kim's reports came in daily; progress was slow, but not without hope—it just required time and more delicate maneuvering.

Life in the Villa, while seemingly calm on the surface, was actually surging with undercurrents. These undercurrents, however, did not stem from external threats but from within—a collective symptom named "pre-comeback anxiety," which spread silently amidst the ticking countdown to their comeback stage on "Music Bank."

There was only one night left before they officially stepped onto the "Music Bank" stage.

After the final full rehearsal and blocking confirmation during the day, the girls returned to the Villa, and the atmosphere felt a bit strange. At dinner, Im Yoona and Sunny, usually the most active, were much quieter, mechanically putting food into their mouths.

As the leader, Taeyeon tried hard to find topics to liven up the mood, but her words felt dry, and even she found it forced. Jessica Jung ate leisurely, though her gaze was somewhat unfocused.

Choi Sooyoung's knee had basically recovered, but her palms were sweaty. Kwon Yuri and Tiffany Hwang exchanged worried glances from time to time. Kim Hyoyeon and Seohyun sat bolt upright, like two tense statues. The air was filled with a silent, suffocating tension, as if they were about to head onto a battlefield.

At 10:00 PM, according to Song Tianhao's "military rules," everyone should have returned to their rooms to prepare for rest. But tonight, the order seemed to have lost its effect.

At 11:00 PM, Taeyeon tossed and turned in bed. The familiar dull pain in her stomach began to act up again, and her mind kept replaying a vocal run from the day's rehearsal that she wasn't satisfied with. Irritated, she sat up, opened the bedroom door, and wanted to go to the kitchen to pour a glass of hot water.

The hallway was quiet, and no light shone from under the cracks of the other doors; it seemed everyone was asleep. She sighed in relief, yet felt a strange sense of loss, walking downstairs on tiptoes.

However, when she arrived at the living room on the first floor, she froze.

The living room lights weren't on; only a floor lamp in the corner emitted a dim, warm halo of light, barely illuminating the sofa and the huge, soft long-haired carpet in the middle. At this moment, on that carpet, eight other figures were squeezed together, sitting or lying in disarray.

They were all wearing various cotton pajamas printed with cartoon patterns, their hair casually let down or tied into messy buns, faces bare. Under the dim light, their young faces all wore the same expression of wakefulness and... undisguisable nervousness.

No one spoke. Im Yoona hugged her knees with her chin resting on them, staring blankly at the patterns on the carpet. Kwon Yuri and Sunny sat back-to-back, each scrolling through their phones, but the screens only moved every so often.

Tiffany Hwang leaned against the sofa leg, unconsciously twisting her hair ends. Kim Hyoyeon was stretching, her movements slow. Choi Sooyoung lay in the center of the carpet in a spread-eagled position, staring at the ceiling.

Seohyun sat the most upright, with a book on her lap... it looked like "An Actor Prepares"? Meanwhile, Jessica Jung sat in the single sofa, a small leather notebook spread on her lap, holding a pen but having not written a single word for a long time.

The nine of them, in this posture of gathering after nearly fleeing, squeezed silently and tacitly into a corner of the living room, as if only each other's body heat and breathing could slightly dispel the lingering fear and anticipation of the unknown tomorrow.

Taeyeon stood at the stairs, looking at this scene, and her nose suddenly felt sore. She walked over gently, found an empty spot beside Kwon Yuri, and sat down, imitating her posture with her back against the sofa.

Her arrival didn't cause any commotion; the other eight just moved slightly to make room for her or offered a silent look that said, "You can't sleep either, huh?"

Silence enveloped them once again. Only the brilliant, sleepless lights of Seoul in the distance outside the window cast blurred patches of light onto the carpet through the gap in the curtains.

"It's so quiet." After an unknown amount of time, Im Yoona suddenly said softly, her voice sounding particularly clear in the silence, with a bit of deliberately adjusted lightness, "Quiet to the point of... being a bit scary. How about... we play a game?"

"What game?" Kwon Yuri immediately chimed in, as if grabbing onto a lifeline.

"Let's play... 'If we win first place, then...' How about that? Everyone says one thing, something we must do if we really win first place on 'Music Bank' tomorrow."

Im Yoona sat up straight, a mischievous glint in her eyes, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere, "It must be something we usually wouldn't dare to do, or something we think is particularly exaggerated and interesting. How about it?"

This proposal immediately sparked interest from the others. Instead of letting their minds run wild, it was better to use this childish method to give the pressure an outlet.

"I'll go first!" Sunny responded first, crossing her legs, her eyes shining, "If we win first place, I will... I will go dye my hair pink! And keep it for a week!"

"Wow! Sunny Unnie, are you going that big?" Tiffany Hwang exclaimed, then became interested herself, "Then me... if we win first place, I will... perform a sexy dance in public that I never dared to do before! Right in the waiting room!"

"Tiffany!" Taeyeon couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the tension was diluted a little.

The atmosphere began to liven up. The girls took turns stating their "crazy" wishes, as if that "first place" was already in the bag and they were just discussing how to celebrate.

Kim Hyoyeon: "If I win first place, I'll challenge myself to eat ten servings of fried chicken! Eat it on a live stream!"

Choi Sooyoung: "I... I will go send a confession text to the senior I've had a crush on for three years! Whatever!"

Kwon Yuri: "Then me... I'll go get a motorcycle license! And then ride a motorcycle across the Han River Bridge for a joyride!"

Seohyun hesitated for a moment, then said quietly but firmly: "If we win first place, I will... publicly read a poem I wrote criticizing social injustice during the next radio show."

"Maknae!" The older sisters fell over laughing again. Seohyun's face turned slightly red, but her eyes were bright.

It was Jessica Jung's turn. She closed the notebook on her lap, thought for a moment, and said indifferently: "If we win first place, I will call Krystal and tell her... 'I'm sorry, and, thank you.'"

These words were spoken calmly, but they made everyone quiet for a moment, with more complex emotions in the looks directed at her.

Finally, it was Im Yoona. She rolled her eyes mischievously, cleared her throat, and said in an exaggerated tone that sounded almost like announcing the end of the world: "If we win first place, I will go skinny-dipping in the Han River!"

"Pfft—!!!" Kwon Yuri, who was drinking water, spat it out and started coughing violently. The others were stunned, and then burst into earth-shattering laughter. Even Taeyeon, who had been somewhat tense, and the usually cool-faced Jessica Jung couldn't help but laugh until they doubled over.

The stagnant air in the living room was thoroughly stirred up by this absurd and bold declaration, filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

"Im Yoona, are you crazy?!"

"Yah! You'll get arrested!"

"Record it! You must record it!"

Just amidst this laughter and commotion, a calm, slightly magnetic male voice suddenly came from the direction of the hallway leading from the living room to the dining room, picking up the conversation:

"Then you might need a good lawyer. However, if you really do it..."

Everyone's laughter stopped abruptly, as if the pause button had been pressed. Nine heads turned in unison toward the source of the voice.

Song Tianhao was standing there, no one knew when he had arrived, holding a large multi-layered insulated food container.

He wasn't wearing a suit today, just a dark gray cashmere cardigan over a simple white T-shirt, with casual pants, and his hair was a bit messy, making him look like he had just come from a relaxed state.

His gaze appeared much softer than usual in the dim light.

He walked into the living room, placed the heavy food container on the low table in the center of the carpet, and then, very naturally, sat cross-legged in a small space the girls automatically cleared for him. His posture was relaxed, completely lacking the President's airs he usually carried at the company or in meetings.

He looked at Im Yoona, who had instantly petrified and whose cheeks had turned bright red because of his sudden appearance, and finished his previous sentence in a calm tone:

"If you really do it, and don't get taken away by the police, I will, in my personal capacity, donate 10 million won to the Seoul Stray Animal Protection Association to commend your... courage."

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

The living room fell into a dead silence. Everyone stared with wide eyes, looking back and forth between Im Yoona, whose face was so red she wished she could sink into the floor, and Song Tianhao, who looked completely calm, as if he were merely saying, "The weather is nice today."

The President... not only heard their childish game, but... joined in? And even "sponsored" Im Yoona's "skinny-dipping" in such a serious manner?

The contrast was so massive that everyone forgot how to react.

Song Tianhao, however, acted as if nothing had happened and opened the food container. The container had several tiers, inside of which were nine small, identical white ceramic stew pots, still steaming hot. A handwritten label was pasted on the lid of each pot, with their names written on them.

“The kitchen auntie was asleep, so I just whipped up a little something,”

Song Tianhao explained casually as he distributed the stew pots to the respective girls according to their names. “Kim Taeyeon gets pumpkin millet porridge, it's good for the stomach. Im Yoona gets seafood porridge, you mentioned wanting it last time. Jessica Jung gets lily bulb and lotus seed porridge, to clear the mind. Kwon Yuri gets beef porridge, to replenish energy. Sunny gets...”

He accurately named everyone's taste preferences, and even remembered a passing remark Im Yoona had made during a meal once about "wanting to have seafood porridge."

Nine portions of porridge, nine different ingredients and flavors, delivered warm into everyone's hands at this tense moment on the eve of their comeback.

Holding the still-hot stew pots, the girls felt the warmth radiating into their palms. They looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar handwriting on the labels, and then at Song Tianhao, who sat cross-legged among them with a calm expression.

The tightly wound string in their hearts seemed to be gently caressed by this seemingly simple yet incredibly thoughtful bowl of porridge, relaxing them and replacing the tension with a warm, swelling sensation.

“Drink it while it's hot.” Song Tianhao picked up the last pot of porridge himself and stirred it with a spoon. “After you're done, continue your game. Whose turn is it?”

The atmosphere became lively again, but with an added touch of indescribable intimacy and warmth. Everyone took small sips of their porridge, the warm liquid sliding into their stomachs and soothing their tense minds.

The game continued. But with the President's participation, it felt a bit different. Next up was Kim Taeyeon.

Everyone's eyes focused on her. Holding her warm pumpkin porridge and feeling the comfort in her stomach, Kim Taeyeon looked at the sisters sitting around her, and then at Song Tianhao, who sat opposite her with his head down, sipping his porridge.

Perhaps the porridge was too warm, perhaps the atmosphere was too good, or perhaps the accumulated pressure of the past few days needed a more ridiculous outlet. In a sudden rush of blood to her head, she blurted out almost without thinking:

“If I win first place, I'll... confess to the President in public!”

“Pfft—!!!”

This time, more than one person spat out their food. Kwon Yuri choked again, Sunny's spoon dropped into her porridge, and Tiffany Hwang covered her mouth.

Choi Sooyoung laughed so hard she rolled around on the carpet, Im Yoona's eyes went wide and round, the book in Seohyun's hand dropped to the floor with a thud, and even Jessica Jung raised her eyebrows in surprise.

As for Kim Taeyeon herself, she froze completely the instant the words left her mouth.

Her cheeks flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye, then turned pale, then blue-green, until finally, nothing was left but a helpless panic and a desperate urge to sink into the floor and disappear.

What... what did she just say?! Confess to the President in public?! Was she insane?! What kind of stupid, shameful, and absolutely impossible crazy talk was this?!

The living room fell into a silence even deadlier than when Song Tianhao had first appeared.

Only the TV was still on, its volume turned down very low, broadcasting some entertainment news. The screen flashed with what seemed to be a debut teaser for a new boy group from S.M. Entertainment, the narrator saying in a passionate tone, "True idols require reverence and distance..."

A young Female Assistant, recently hired to handle some administrative work, was also on duty at the Villa tonight. She happened to come out from the direction of the kitchen to grab something just then, and hearing the commotion, she stopped in the shadows of the hallway.

Seeing this, the Female Assistant couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, “Exactly. Idols and their president still need to maintain a sense of propriety...”

Her voice was very quiet, but in the living room where a pin drop could be heard, it was still faintly audible.

Song Tianhao didn't even look in her direction. He put down his porridge pot, picked up the remote control on the coffee table, and changed the channel.

The TV screen switched to 'Animal World', which happened to be broadcasting a heartwarming scene of penguin parents taking turns incubating eggs and huddling together in the freezing snow.

Then, he raised his eyes and looked calmly at Kim Taeyeon, who was already petrified and on the verge of tears. His face remained expressionless, and he spoke clearly in his usual steady, unemotional tone:

“Then I accept.”

“...”

“Now, the game is over. Finish your porridge and go upstairs to sleep.”

Having said that, he stopped looking at anyone, picked up his unfinished white porridge, and continued to sip it, as if he had just agreed to something as ordinary as "going for a walk if the weather is nice tomorrow."

The living room fell into a bizarre silence once more.

Everyone seemed to have been hit with a freezing spell. They looked at the President, then at Kim Taeyeon, who had clearly left her body and was mechanically lifting porridge to her mouth, nearly stuffing it up her nose. Their brains were completely unable to process this massive amount of information.

The President said... "I accept"? Accept what? Accept Taeyeon-onni's bet of "confessing in public if we win first place"?

Or... directly accepting the "confession" itself? What... what did this even mean?!

The Female Assistant standing in the shadows changed color slightly and quickly walked away in embarrassment.

Who knew how much time had passed—perhaps only dozens of seconds, but it felt as long as a century. Song Tianhao finished his pot of porridge, put the stew pot back into the container, and stood up.

“Tomorrow, no matter what your final ranking is, when you come back at night, we'll have Korean BBQ. My treat, you choose the place.” Leaving behind these words, he picked up the food container, turned, and walked steadily out of the living room and up the stairs. His figure quickly disappeared around the corner of the second floor.

Only after his footsteps had completely faded did the air in the living room begin to flow again.

Kwon Yuri was the first to ask cautiously in a whispered voice, “Taeyeon-onni, the President... he was just joking, right?”

Kim Taeyeon snapped back to her senses, her entire face instantly turning bright red, hot enough to fry an egg. She buried her face deeply, deeply into a large square throw pillow beside her, letting out a sound close to a wail: “I... I don't know, don't ask me...”

How embarrassing! How could she say such a thing! What would the President think of her? Frivolous? Immature? Or...

It's over, she couldn't show her face to anyone anymore!

Yet, in this moment of ultimate awkwardness and social death, Im Yoona suddenly stood up with a swoosh, her eyes shining incredibly bright, burning with a fire that mixed excitement, fighting spirit, and a love for drama.

“I'm going to practice dancing!” she announced.

Jessica Jung frowned, reaching out to grab her wrist. “It's two in the morning, Yoona. You need to rest.”

“Then I'll practice until dawn!” Im Yoona grabbed Jessica Jung's hand in return, her gaze sweeping over the other members on the carpet who had various expressions, her voice trembling slightly with excitement. “Because...”

She paused, looking at Kim Taeyeon, who was still playing ostrich with her face buried in the pillow, and then toward the stairs. A brilliant, dazzling smile of absolute, do-or-die determination curved her lips:

“I want to see it!”

She took a deep breath and shouted out the rest with all her might, as if declaring war on some invisible opponent:

“I want to see Taeyeon-onni confess to the President on the stage of Music Bank tomorrow when we win first place!!!”

“...”

The living room fell silent again for a brief moment.

Then, someone let out a snicker first, as if flipping a switch.

Immediately after, Sunny burst into wild laughter, slapping her thigh; Tiffany Hwang laughed so hard she leaned onto Kwon Yuri; Choi Sooyoung started rolling around laughing again; and Kim Hyoyeon laughed while slapping the carpet.

Even Seohyun pursed her lips, her shoulders shaking as she tried to hold back her laughter, and Jessica Jung's lips curved upward almost imperceptibly, a helpless yet indulgent smile flashing in her eyes.

And Kim Taeyeon, with her face still buried in the pillow, listened to her sisters' completely unrefined laughter. Feeling the brightness and strength in that laughter that dispelled all the gloom, her shame and despair—which had made her want to disappear just moments ago—gradually transformed into a courage mixed with embarrassment, warmth, and the support of a massive expectation.

Muffled beneath the pillow, she couldn't help but laugh softly too. As she laughed, the corners of her eyes grew a little moist.

The laughter of the nine girls echoed in the Villa's living room at two in the morning, interwoven with tension, filled with anticipation, and brimming with a bright, burning courage to risk it all and walk forward hand-in-hand no matter what.

Outside the window, the sleepless lights of Seoul remained as brilliant as ever.