HPDBC Chapter 1414 The Rain Stops
Chapter 1414 The Rain Stops
Chapter 1414 The Rain Stops
As the heat in the bathroom gradually dissipated, Sana Minatozaki emerged wrapped in a soft bath towel, her hair still dripping wet. The rising steam made the blush on her cheeks even more pronounced.
I had just stepped into the living room and hadn't even dried my hair when I heard a ringtone coming from my room. I quickly walked back to my bedside, picked up my phone, and the screen was already lit up, displaying several missed calls, all labeled "Company".
Sana Minatozaki understood. Yes, it was about time the company contacted her... They probably had called her many times before, but her phone was broken and she couldn't answer.
The agent briefly learned the general situation, offered a few words of reassurance, and then said that someone from the company would come over to find out what was going on before hurriedly hanging up the phone.
A short while later, people from the company came to the dormitory to inquire about the evening's events.
Sana Minato didn't hide anything and calmly recounted the events of the evening.
However, some parts were omitted, such as how Hwang Ha-na bullied her, how Ji Kyung-won helped her after he arrived, and their subsequent story related to speed and emotion.
The former was simply something she didn't want to relive, while the latter was her secret, and there was no need to tell the company.
Sana Minatozaki frankly told the company why Hwang Ha-na was causing trouble, but omitted some details.
Although Sana Minatozaki didn't say anything specific, the CEO of JYP and the others immediately noticed the handprint on her face. Considering the information her assistant had sent back earlier, they had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
...JYP had already learned most of what happened through that assistant. The female assistant lay on the ground after being kicked, but she was faking death, not actually dead.
As a veteran entertainment agency, JYP has extensive experience in handling the various troubles of its artists. After all, the honest and polite image they project on camera is mostly an act, and many artists are actually quite difficult to deal with in private.
In front of the camera, celebrities are all honest, polite, and glamorous, but in private, many of them are unruly, difficult to manage, and play wildly, always causing trouble, which ultimately requires the company to step in and resolve.
For example, the entire 2PM group in the past, and half of the current GOT7 members, are not exactly honest people. They all play dirty tricks and often get into trouble, requiring the company to step in.
JYP actually has a very mature handling process; for minor troubles, they appease the parties involved and keep it private.
If you can't afford to offend them, then just apologize.
Fortunately, Twice, the company's cash cow, has remained scandal-free, and most of its members are relatively well-behaved and easy to manage, which puts JYP at ease.
Unexpectedly, something went wrong.
They were quite troubled after learning that it was Huang Hana, a well-known and difficult rich playboy in the industry. But before they could figure out how to resolve the situation or apologize, Ji Jingyuan suddenly stepped in to help.
Well... it's better to avoid trouble, so I'll accept your kindness.
Anyway... Chi Jingyuan's family is still a major shareholder of the company.
"Sana, thank you for your hard work. Don't worry about it, the company will handle it."
After listening to her story, the JYP representative comforted Sana Minatozaki and told her that the original filming schedule had been postponed to three days later, and advised her to rest well today before leaving.
Sana Minatozaki obediently said goodbye to the representatives, appearing very gentle and sensible, and got up to see them to the door.
But after they left, the smile on her face faded, and she couldn't help but bite her lip.
Although she didn't say it outright, she could certainly guess how things would have ended tonight if Chi Jingyuan hadn't suddenly helped her.
...Not only did she have to endure the bullying for nothing, but she was also forced to apologize to Hwang Ha-na in the end.
After all, this kind of thing had happened before, and she had never really received any favoritism or special treatment from the company.
Even now, she is unwilling and dares not imagine what kind of suffocation and despair she would feel if all she could do was apologize.
Fortunately... Sana Minatozaki turned around and went back to her room, where she immediately saw the new blush gold phone on the bedside table, its body gleaming gently under the light.
She walked over and gently picked it up, her fingertips tracing the smooth outer shell. A slight smile unconsciously appeared on her lips, and she felt a sudden sense of relief and warmth in her heart.
The other members hadn't returned yet, and the dorm was quiet. Sana Minatozaki, unable to sleep, sat at her desk fiddling with her new phone.
When you get a new phone, you have to reset a lot of things.
Sana Minatozaki isn't a big fan of electronic products, but the more she uses this new phone, the more comfortable she finds it. The smooth operation, the perfect weight, and the blush gold color that she likes more and more every time she looks at it—everything about it makes her happy.
Of course, the most special thing was the person who gave it to him.
When setting her screensaver, she had intended to choose a pretty selfie to put up, but then she suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to take a picture of that memorable moment on the Sejong Expressway that evening.
"..."
Sana Minatozaki was immediately annoyed.
But then I thought about it again, and she was covered in dirt, her hair was messy, and she looked very disheveled, so she wouldn't look good in the photos.
She couldn't help but secretly ponder...
So, next time?
Just then, a commotion came from outside, followed by familiar voices. Even through several doors, Minatozaki Sana could hear Lim Nayeon shouting.
She knew the members were back, so she went out to greet them... She had timed it perfectly and had already applied a face mask to cover the handprint on her cheek.
Every time this girl finishes her schedule and returns to her dorm, she lets out a couple of liberated shouts to grab attention... and then the competition for the best shower time begins.
It was already 2 a.m. The Twice members, looking travel-worn and exhausted, changed their shoes at the door and entered the dormitory. When they saw Sana Minatozaki coming out, wearing pajamas and a face mask, Momo Hirai asked in surprise, "Sana? Why are you back so early? Did the filming go well today?"
"MOMO~"
Sana Minatozaki leaned in close and hugged Momo Hirai, touching her soft waistline. She smiled and explained, her tone so natural that nothing seemed amiss: "Something came up with the filming crew, so it was postponed. I came back early."
"That's it..."
The members entered the room one after another. Sana Minatozaki brought over warm water that had been prepared beforehand, casually inquired about their filming progress, and chatted with them casually.
During the conversation, her gaze lingered briefly on Tzuyu's face before slowly settling on Mina, her eyes revealing a subtle complexity and something unusual.
Everyone took turns showering, complaining about how tired they were today and groaning about getting up early tomorrow. Everything seemed normal. No one knew about what happened to Minatozaki Sana that night, and no one noticed anything was wrong.
However, after failing to secure her spot in the shower, Lim Nayeon went to the refrigerator to find something to eat. When she returned with a bowl of fruit, she immediately noticed the new phone in Minatozaki Sana's hand. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she quickly came over: "Omo, Sana, you got a new phone?"
"iPhone X? What color is this? Where did you buy this color? I've never seen it before." Lim Nayeon stared intently at the phone in Minatozaki Sana's hand, forgetting to eat the mango in her hand, her two front teeth bared, looking as if she wanted to snatch it away.
Lim Na-yeon is quite fond of fashion and electronic products. As the latest mobile phone, the iPhone X, was only released two months ago, and she bought a new one as soon as it came out.
She just remembered that there were only gray and silver colors, so what was this beautiful red?
"Yeah, what color is this?"
Hirai Momo also came over, looking curious: "Doesn't the iPhone X only come in two colors? I bought a new one a few days ago because my phone broke down. I didn't think either of them looked very good, so I specifically asked the clerk if they had any other colors."
Park Jihyo, Kim Dahyun, and others behind her were also drawn over and gathered around the table, curiously observing her.
"This color?"
Seeing how curious the other members were, Sana Minatozaki smiled and handed her phone to Nayeon Lim: "This color seems to be called blush gold."
"qingjia?"
Lim Na-yeon exclaimed in surprise, blinking her big eyes incessantly.
She loves blush the most!
I took it with wide eyes. The touch was cool and smooth, just like a regular iPhone X. There was nothing special about it, but the color was really beautiful, with a faint pinkish hue under the light.
And... it's also quite special.
Everyone else is just plain gray, but you are such a beautiful red, so eye-catching.
Hirai Momo also craned her neck to stare intently, asking, "Where did you buy it? I remember you were using that old phone this afternoon."
"Yeah, this color seems to be custom-made," Sana Minatozaki explained with a smile, making no mention of her relationship with Jingyuan Chi: "A friend of mine bought it for me."
She was happy to see how envious the other members were.
Because she also thought the color was very pretty.
"Your friend? Who is it? Do I know them?" Hirai Momo asked casually, without any suspicion, but Minatozaki Sana easily fooled her with a few words.
"So beautiful."
"This color is really beautiful."
"Blush! Gold blush!"
Lin Nayeon and the others no longer felt tired, and they surrounded Minatozaki Sana's phone in amazement.
"I want too!"
Hirai Momo immediately spoke up, making no attempt to hide her covetousness, and looked at Minatozaki Sana without any politeness: "Can your friend still get some?"
"SanaSana." Lim Nayeon snuggled closer, pouting, "Could you ask your friend to order one for me too?"
While the group was chattering and making a ruckus, Chou Tzu-yu, who was about to take a shower not far away, turned her head, her big eyes clearly showing some confusion.
Because... I remember a few days ago, Chi Jingyuan asked her if she wanted a special color version of the iPhone X.
She had just gotten a new phone and wasn't planning on getting another one, but she was still curious and asked what color it was.
Ji Kyung-won's answer was blush gold.
However… she glanced over there a couple of times, then turned and walked towards the bathroom.
It's just a phone color scheme; it's not like only Chi Jingyuan can customize it, so she didn't think much of it.
She just thought...it was a bit of a coincidence.
and many more.
Just as she took two steps, Zhou Ziyu suddenly remembered the last thing Chi Jingyuan had casually said when they talked on the phone that morning.
"What, you came to see me?"
"...I'm thinking of contacting one of your members, but I'm still hesitating."
"Hmph, whatever~"
His words echoed in her ears again. Chou Tzu-yu paused slightly, then slowly turned her head to look at Minatozaki Sana.
This time, however, doubt replaced the calm in his dark pupils.
…………
Chi Kyung-won arrived at a quiet bar. The warm yellow light mixed with the faint aroma of alcohol wafted over him, and he could see Choi Sulli waving at him from a distance.
The bar's interior is simply yet cozy, with retro wood-grain wallpaper on the walls, several lush green plants in the corners, and soft sofa booths spread out along the walls.
There were very few customers, but the atmosphere was nice.
"Come on~"
I went to the innermost booth and sat down opposite Choi Sulli, looking at my friend whom I hadn't seen for a while.
Even though they hadn't seen each other for several days, Choi Sulli didn't dress up much. Instead, she wore a very simple outfit: a thick, off-white knitted cardigan over a light camel-colored short down jacket, with the zipper zipped up tightly.
However, her face was still very beautiful.
Her makeup was so light it was almost invisible; she only applied a thin layer of lipstick to brighten her complexion. Her originally fair cheeks now looked somewhat pale, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, clearly indicating that she hadn't had enough rest.
She looked dejected, only showing a genuine smile when she saw Chi Jingyuan.
"When did you come?"
Chi Jingyuan draped his coat over the back of the chair, glanced at the wine bottles on the table, and casually asked...
"We arrived a long time ago."
"You drank all of this by yourself?"
His gaze fell on the corner of the table, where there were three empty liquor bottles and a half-empty bottle of red wine.
"Who told you not to come sooner?"
Choi Sulli pouted slightly, her tone carrying a childish complaint.
"Here it comes! Where's my wine?"
"Here, let me pour it for you!"
Chi Jingyuan took the glass and downed it in one gulp, seemingly having long awaited something that could relieve his emotions.
Speaking of Choi Sulli, although we haven't met many times recently, we've never lost touch.
After f(x)'s final concert, the group ceased activities and nearly disbanded. Sulli began pursuing her dream of becoming an actress, but unfortunately, she lacked acting skills and her company didn't offer much support, making her journey on this path difficult. She has been relatively quiet for the past two years.
She rarely contacts other artists from SM Entertainment anymore, and even within the once-close 94 Line, she stands out as exceptionally unique, always remaining on the fringes of the industry.
In Ji Kyung-won's view, Choi Sulli's personality actually has some problems.
While being somewhat naive in their thinking, they are also very self-centered... To put it nicely, they are self-centered; to put it more seriously, they are very willful. They always do whatever comes to mind without considering the consequences or the feelings of others.
This is why she wasn't very popular with anyone in the group except Victoria, and she didn't have many friends in SM Entertainment. Otherwise, she wouldn't have envied Ji Kyung-won and wanted to join the group.
Now she has her own circle of friends... but in Chi Jingyuan's opinion, her friends are not very outstanding.
However, for Choi Sulli, Ji Kyung-won was the most special among all her friends. She was willing to tell him everything and listened to him very much. It was as if she could only let down her guard in front of him.
However, Ji Jingyuan did not lecture her excessively because of his special place in her heart.
Everyone has their own personality and their own choices. By the time you're an adult, your personality is already set. You have to decide for yourself what you should and shouldn't do.
Being able to live a happy life is good enough.
Although Choi Sulli hasn't been acting much lately, she's using her good looks and figure to move towards the fashion industry. With Ji Kyung-won's occasional support, she's living a pretty comfortable life.
The two drank and discussed Kim Jong-hyun's situation. Both of them were very upset, as Kim Jong-hyun was one of the few people in SM Entertainment who had a good relationship with Choi Sulli.
After all, Kim Jong-hyun had good relationships with everyone.
Sulli was clearly very sad; she started crying as she drank, her eyes red and swollen.
"Did you go to Jonghyun's memorial service?" Ji Kyungwon didn't offer any words of comfort, but simply handed him a tissue and asked.
"No, I'm a little hesitant to go."
Choi Sulli sniffed and took a tissue to wipe the tears from her face.
"Go, go say goodbye, so you won't regret it later."
"Um……"
She sniffled and nodded, wiping away her tears.
"Jingyuan, I feel really uncomfortable."
Wiping away her tears, Choi Sulli poured out her feelings about the past two days: "I really want to get drunk and have a good sleep. Like a downpour, once the rain stops and the sky clears, everything will be alright."
"When will the sun come out?" She looked out the window, her face scrunched up, looking very vulnerable.
"..."
After hearing her words, Chi Jingyuan fell into a brief silence. He picked up the wine bottle, poured himself a full glass, and held it up to examine it closely.
"I don't think my friend's departure was a sudden downpour."
"It won't rain for two days, then the rain will stop and the sun will shine again, all your troubles will be gone, and you'll forget everything."
Choi Sulli looked up at him, her eyes red.
"I think……"
Chi Jingyuan looked at the wine in his glass, his voice low and gentle, as if he were comforting someone, or perhaps summarizing his sincere feelings:
"The departure of a friend is more like the change of climate; it will always linger around you and affect you. It won't say much, but you can feel it."
"It was less of a rainstorm."
"...or rather, the dampness that surrounds you throughout your long life."