The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 395 Transition, Daily Life

On May 2nd, following JYP's swift countermeasures against Sana Minatozaki for being "cyberbullied," the media outlets suspected of smearing and misinterpreting her statements issued apologies.

However, rival fans of "Twice" are still manipulating public sentiment on various trending topics, but the scope of the situation has relatively decreased...

"..."

At nine o'clock in the morning, when the warm sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the master bedroom.

Nestled in Gong Cheng's arms, Mina woke up naturally, relying on her biological clock honed from years of traveling. With each breath, her porcelain-white body rubbed against Gong Cheng's hand resting on her waist, a touch of unconscious coquettishness in her movements.

With unfocused eyes after just waking up, he was dazed for a while before he came to his senses.

"..." Mina stared at the bluish stubble sprouting on Makoto's chin for two seconds. Makoto, you really are heartless.

After what happened last night, how come you slept so well?

She quietly climbed out of his arms, pulled at the straps of her nightgown that had slipped off her shoulders overnight, frowned and thought for a moment, then took out a lipstick from the drawer and mischievously scribbled a few strange symbols on Gong Cheng's face.

Only after finishing did I leave the apartment, satisfied, and go downstairs to my dorm to wash up.

"..."

"Sigh... I didn't mean to say anything, Mina, but can you please be a little more careful?"

Downstairs in the three-person room, Yu Dingyan had just come out of the bathroom after washing up when she saw Ming Jingnan, with her messy black hair, just returning to the dormitory. "Why are they all so unconcerned about being seen now?" she wondered. "Did that guy spend the night on the top floor last night?"

She asked curiously, took a bottle of yogurt from the refrigerator, and took a sip.

Seeing the members' current state, and considering that since I learned about TWICE, five out of the nine members are dating their good friend Haki Sung, with the earliest one actually dating back to 16!

Hagi-yeon often wondered, "Damn it, including Park Ji-hyo, there are six dating celebrities."

How exactly did we reach the top in these past few years?

Mina walked unhurriedly with her toes pointing outwards to the sofa and sat down: "Unnie, it's not that I don't care about the consequences, it's just that there are always people who are eager to make a move and covet my boyfriend, you know that."

She muttered a complaint under her breath.

Now that things have come to a head, and since Cheng-chan's apartment is on the top floor, it's very convenient for her to stay overnight. Unlike before, when Sana, Nayeon, Momo, and Chaeyoung would sneak up in the middle of the night and sneak back down at five or six in the morning.

Mina had never experienced anything like this, but she was fully aware of these extramarital affairs. That's why she felt even more determined to assert her dominance. In a way, she was reaping the benefits of others' actions.

"Hehe..." Yu Dingyan was completely speechless at her words.

Is it because someone is after your boyfriend?

It's not like you're blatantly stealing someone else's boyfriend... but as an outsider, it's not appropriate for her to get involved in this kind of thing.

Recently, while drinking with Park Jihyo late one night, Yoo Jeongyeon suddenly had a flash of inspiration and realized why her good friend Ha Ki-sung had been calling her "Yoo Jeong-jung" and "Park Ji-byung" when calling Jihyo...

What do A, B, C, D, passerby C, and passerby D mean?

The more Yu Dingyan thought about it, the more she felt that this was what that bastard meant.

When Park Jihyo saw Mina heading back to her bedroom to wash up, she quickly reminded her, "Mina, hurry up, the nanny van is almost here."

They have a book signing event this afternoon, so their schedule can't be delayed.

But after glancing at the miserable Yoo Jeongyeon, she felt a sense of shared misfortune...

Why doesn't Oppa shoot me?
Am I not as good-looking or fit as Mina?

This has recently made her feel rather "excluded"...

……

TWICE rushed to the beauty salon to prepare for their afternoon autograph session.

At noon, Gong Cheng was in the bathroom, shaving the stubble on his chin. Under his shorts, there were burning red marks on the inside of his thighs, from when the puppy cried out "Ya mai die" and "Dam me" in Kansai dialect last night.

There are faint teeth marks on his left shoulder, left by a tiger cub. Compared to Jay Park and Jackson Wang's tattoos... Gong Cheng isn't particularly interested in tattoos.

On the contrary, the marks left on a man's skin by these girls are his badges of honor and his scars.

The louder they cried, the harder he cried.

But those were tears of happiness and joy...

After wiping the lipstick scribbles left by Mina on his cheeks with a "splash," Gong Cheng looked at himself in the mirror with a smug, self-satisfied expression, and couldn't help but mutter, "Jisoo, Hyuna, Mina-chan...you guys ate so well~"

……

"Let's move here in July."

Gong Cheng arrived at the Maze Entertainment building in Jiangdong. His tall figure stood in the lobby on the first floor, surveying the surroundings. Beside him were Jin Daewoo, Cha Qianhao, and Bae Suzy, dressed in a pure and innocent outfit.

A black hoodie and simple white straight-leg pants, but with her wispy bangs and her pursed rabbit teeth.

I don't know if she's trying to look young or what, but she does have a very innocent look; after all, she's known as the "Nation's First Love."
Bae Suzy clicked her tongue and stood next to Gong Cheng with her arms crossed, her height only reaching slightly above his shoulders: "You really are a hands-off manager, doing it very well."

She complained about the months-long renovation of the entire company.

This younger man has hardly ever been here, and seems completely unconcerned about the building's renovation progress. He's practically vanished into thin air in the last two months, except for a dinner with his artists and a chat in the "Maze Family" group.

Somi and Suhee, including themselves, no matter how many times they tagged him, he would only reply depending on his mood. He was incredibly lazy and had no awareness of the importance of running the company properly.

"I trust Nuna to handle things perfectly."

Gong Cheng smiled nonchalantly. The group took the elevator to the floor where the composition room was located. The company's renovation was officially completed two days ago, and all that was left was to wait for it to be ventilated for a while before they could move in.

Yesterday, a series of equipment he had previously purchased in the United States, covering various aspects of composition and recording, were moved in.

"..."

They walked down the stairs, chatting idly.

After seeing the offices and practice rooms, Kim Dae-woo felt that it was a waste that such a large company had so few artists: "Looking around, our acting department only has Suzy and Sohee, and the singing department only has you and Somi."

"There's nothing we can do about it. When you buy the whole building, there will inevitably be some vacant floors and spaces," Gong Cheng said with a smile. "As for renting out the extra floors, there's no need for that. Let it be as it is, it'll be peaceful."

Bae Suzy brought up the topic again, as usual: "Aren't we going to capture all the top beauties in South Korea?"

"Let's sign them all when their contracts expire~" she teased Gong Cheng, "Yoona, Joo-hyun~"

The words left the mouth.

Kim Daewoo and Cha Gunho's expressions became subtle. As for Lim Yoona, her rumored relationship with Gong Cheng had been going on for many years, and they didn't know the specifics. But as for Bae Joo-hyun, the two of them knew everything.

Weren't they in a relationship before?
In addition, Gong Cheng's feat with TWICE has completely convinced Kim Daewoo and Cha Kunho. Signing the top visuals into the company and catching them all means "fierce battle".
"Yoona?"

Gong Cheng curled his lip upon hearing this, "Why would I sign her in? To get the popularity award, of course..."

Although Da Jun belongs to his mistress, things are things, and this woman really doesn't have much talent, like in film and television... "Paraquat"?

"Hehe~" Bae Suzy clicked her tongue when she heard his words, and said sarcastically, "You don't like people, but you still give them resources?"

"Weren't her movie script from last year and the film crew she's currently working on both resources provided by you?" This matter has caused quite a stir in the film and television industry. If this woman had some resources in the industry before last year's "Exit," they weren't many, and the quality was generally mediocre.

The big-name directors and screenwriters in Chungmuro ​​(the film industry) didn't bother with her, a popular actress who had transitioned from idol to actress. But now, she has intricate connections with academics like Gong Cheng...

"It's just a favor." Gong Cheng took a sip of orange juice and glanced at Bae Suzy. "A TV series or movie involves capital, TV stations, production teams, theaters, actors, and many other parties working together. If you don't have the ability, I can't push it forward even if I wanted to."

That's true. Take Dahyun, for example. She honed her acting skills for two years and started aiming for awards. Even if she wasn't qualified based on seniority, as long as her acting was decent and without any flaws, she could still get away with it.

But if you acted so badly, and they actually managed to get it approved, how would the award organizers save face? The audience isn't blind; nobody would ruin their own reputation.

As for Lin Dajun, Hajicheng decided to give it another shot; if all else fails, a nomination for Best Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards would be fine...

The group went to the conference room and sat down to rest for a while.

"By the way, what have you been doing in Japan lately?" Bae Suzy asked curiously, casually crossing her legs. As she spoke, she even kicked Gong Cheng's trouser leg with her toe: "Jie Eun and the others are thinking of getting together soon."

Kim Daewoo glanced at Bae Suzy's rather "seductive" gesture.

The more I look at them, the more I feel like they're having an affair...

Originally, as Gong Cheng's "advisor," he wouldn't have made wild guesses in this direction, since "the heart of a ruler is hard to fathom" since ancient times.

But he's just too good at it.

"Going to Japan to heal my wounds, huh? Noona~" Miyako said innocently, "Heartbreak~ My plane ticket is after I finish work tonight~"

Bae Suzy rolled her eyes. She knew her younger, reserved nature and didn't believe this nonsense at all. Instead, she teased another friend, "Then you should definitely talk to Ji-eun-na. She's really good at healing heartbreak~"

"I wouldn't dare." Gong Cheng shook his head, a faint smile on his face, and teased, "I can accept my relationship being exposed, but I can't accept my bedroom photos being leaked... Deep down, I'm a very conservative Eastern man."

Cha Gan-ho and Kim Dae-woo listened to the conversation between the two and smiled helplessly.

Celebrities, in private, are actually quite open about all sorts of topics, it just depends on how close they are to the person they're talking to...

After laughing heartily with Bae Suzy for a while, Gong Cheng turned to Kim Daewoo and Cha Kunho and said, "Daewoo hyung, Kunho hyung, take a few more days off. We're going to France on the 19th."

He sighed, a hint of resistance in his voice, "I'm going to be busy again..."

The film *Parasite* will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France on the 21st and will be eligible for awards. It will then be released in France on the 30th of this month.

Upon returning from France, regardless of the outcome of his treatment in Tokyo, Makoto Miyamoto will begin filming his comeback music video. In short, the treatment will be a long process.

"Director Bong Joon-ho seems to have big ambitions for 'Parasite'?" Bae Suzy asked curiously, leaning closer. The younger man in front of her and Director Bong Joon-ho were both students of the professor she had audited classes with.

Its status in the domestic market is at the very top of the pyramid.

She was curious: what award was this renowned director aiming for? "The Palme d'Or?"

Kim Dae-woo and Cha Kun-ho also looked at Gong Cheng with great interest. Bong Joon-ho... In his home country, almost the entire population is his fan. The two of them were no exception. Although they had met Gong Cheng a few times, how could they know what he was thinking?

Gong Cheng glanced at the group's gazes and said, "Oscar."

"Moragu?"

"Oh my..."

"Surprised?" Gong Cheng heard the shocked expressions of the others. "Senior brother only has this goal; it's still hard to say whether he can achieve it. Is it really that big of a deal?"

After a brief moment of surprise, Bae Suzy's eyes flashed, and she instantly remembered something more important. She looked at Gong Cheng and asked, "What would happen if we really won the award?"

"The whole country is cheering, the whole nation is in a frenzy, right?" Gong Cheng considered the national conditions of the country beneath his feet. The cultural and entertainment industry has always been a project that the country has been vigorously developing. You can see this from K-pop. Perhaps the profits are not high, but politicians value the influence and international image that they bring. In short, all kinds of hidden benefits...

Bae Suzy nodded in agreement.

Her gaze toward Gong Cheng had become intensely passionate. A nine-time Grammy winner, the highest mountain in the Asian music scene, a director aspiring to an Oscar, the pinnacle of Chungmuro's local music scene—by all accounts, the company's future seemed incredibly bright.

"Turn off that snobbish look..." Gong Cheng glanced at Pei Xiuzhi with disdain, his gaze practically wishing he could strip her naked and take advantage of her.

Boys really need to take good care of themselves when they're out and about.

Bae Suzy smiled frankly, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "Won't you be lonely going to Tokyo alone? Do you need me to keep you company?"

"You really are naked..."

Gong Cheng chuckled and stood up, glancing at the time before heading to TWICE's fan signing event: "I'm off now."

……

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Gong Cheng drove to Gu Lao District, parked his car, and went into a small clubhouse.

He arrived a little late; the book signing had already begun.

After scanning his face with security, Gong Cheng pulled up his mask and walked into the backstage area through the passage. The dressing room was empty except for a few TWICE staff members. The managers were all maintaining order in the front. The process of a fan signing event was quite complicated.

Interacting with fans, signing autographs, chatting...

“Tarot…”

The staff looked at Gong Cheng in surprise, clearly not expecting him to be there.

"..." Gong Cheng responded politely a few times and prepared to head to the front of the signing event.

Let's see what's going on. In the past two days, some fans have turned against Sana Minatozaki due to the incident involving her. Sana is also worried that this incident will cause fans to dislike her.

Master Gong wants to see if there are any "naughty" ONCEs today.

Let my brother-in-law see what's going on!

……

At the entrance between the front and backstage areas, staff members hurriedly pushed prop carts past...

Gong Cheng stood casually on one side of the passage, his tall figure leaning slightly against the cool wall. A black mask covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of deep eyes. He stood quietly at the edge of the crowd, with the backs of TWICE's managers in front of him, but his height was enough to see the members on the makeshift stage from behind the crowd.

From this angle, the fans at the scene wouldn't pay much attention; instead, their eyes would be drawn to TWICE.

The warm, bright lights on the makeshift stage shone perfectly on nine familiar figures. They wore matching brown-red school uniforms, with shirt collars tied with matching bow ties, and the hems tucked into pleated skirts, revealing slender legs clad in white stockings. Their youthful energy was sweet and gentle.

"I just heard some fans say they want to see the aegyo (cute/cute) moves from 'Cheer Up'?" Lim Nayeon blinked while holding the microphone. As soon as she finished speaking, a cheer erupted from the audience.

"Ahhh~"

Each of the nine members held a microphone and engaged in Q&A sessions or fan chats with their fans.

The eight people unanimously surrounded Sana Minatozaki in the middle. Sana-chan had changed to slightly curly blonde hair for her latest comeback... The lights on the autograph session stage fell on her awkward face. Even though she was standing at the autograph session and didn't hear any bad comments, her gaze couldn't help but wander, and she didn't dare to look closely at the words on the support sign.

I'm afraid of seeing some unpleasant words.

The sounds of "Sana-chan" and "Saranghae" rose and fell...

Despite the enthusiastic shouts of fans all around her, Sana Minatozaki's gaze seemed unfocused, glancing at the smiling faces of her fans before quickly looking away.

This morning, on her way to the company, she heard shouts and curses from people holding banners.

"..."

Gong Cheng stood in the passageway for a long time, but didn't hear any of the Onces say anything bad.

On the contrary, it seems that many OneCs are quite encouraging of Sana Minatozaki.

As Once's brother-in-law, he was very satisfied.

Sana seemed to be avoiding the camera and was very unnatural. Haki Makoto was afraid of seeing this little dog at Eiko Eiryu's mental hospital.

After thinking for a moment, Gong Cheng straightened up from leaning against the wall, took off his black mask, took out his phone from his pocket, and snapped a few photos of the members to record the moment.
……

On stage, Mina deliberately placed the microphone behind her and whispered to Sana Minatozaki, "It's okay, Sana-chan, we're here."

She didn't even know what was her reason for comforting him, since this friend had been having an affair with Cheng-chan just last night.

But we've been friends for years, ever since our trainee days. We can't let a man cause us to fall apart, can we? There's bound to be some competition, but our friendship, though seemingly fragile, isn't that easy to break, is it?
Hirai Momo also jogged over, raised her hand and gently patted Minatozaki Sana's back, while waving to the fans below the stage with a smile.

Looking at it from another angle, we share a common bond, and we've been through the toughest period of our trainee days together. After the scandal of our beloved mentor cheating on us at the beginning of the year, which exploded and escalated internally, we've fought, argued, and quarreled. Our buffs are stacked up, so we should be even more unbreakable!
Haji Cheng: My super glue has made Misamo's love even stronger than ever!
"I'm fine~"

Sana Minato forced a smile and responded to her two friends' concern.

Seeing her awkward smile, Mina couldn't help but try to goad her, saying, "Makoto-chan's back, isn't he? Go check the fan section, you might see him..."

She's really exhausted, Sine!

Why should I comfort you, you immoral woman? Don't push your luck any further, Sana-chan. Get well soon.

……

"Sana-chan~"

Standing in the waiting area, Gong Cheng fiddled with the photos he had just taken, then looked up and shouted at the stage.

"..."

The sound of members' names being called echoed throughout the venue, but it didn't attract much attention from the fans.

However, when Sana Minatozaki, Momo Hirai, and Mina Mani on stage heard the familiar voice, they were all taken aback. The two were talking quietly about someone.

Sana Minatozaki looked in the direction of the voice, and her pale neck and bluish veins made her look even more slender.

Her gaze, which had been darting away, fell on Gong Cheng, who was smiling in the waiting area... Many ONCEs followed her gaze and looked over curiously... A tall figure, wearing a light brown jacket and olive-colored casual pants that fell perfectly at the waistline, made his already tall figure look even more slender.

The once lively venue was now filled with people covering their mouths, staring incredulously at Gong Cheng's features beneath his tousled hair, his faintly smiling face—familiar yet strangely unfamiliar. This guy...it's been so long since we've seen him...

Even the scandals have decreased.

"TTTTTarot?!"

"Oppa, what are you doing here?"

"Brother-in-law!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream made Gong Cheng curiously turn his head to look. He looked at ONCE, who was shouting "brother-in-law," with an approving gaze—he really knew how to judge people!
On stage, the nine members of TWICE displayed a variety of expressions, staring at Gong Cheng's face, which they hadn't seen in a long time.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Gong Cheng picked up his phone, pointed it at the stage, and while adjusting the angle, smiled at Minatozaki Sana on stage: "Sana-chan, look at the camera~ Smile~"

The volume was quite loud, and many of the ONCE members present looked on with surprise and suspicion. Had they talked about it?
Standing between Hirai Momo and Mani Mina, Minatozaki Sana's bright eyes no longer darted away. She tried to suppress the smile on her lips, but as you know, you can't control it. However, to avoid news of a "relationship," she still waved somewhat reservedly to Miyako in the distance and looked at his camera.

At this stage, if another relationship were to be revealed, it would truly be adding insult to injury...

"Click~"

Gong Cheng, with a lazy expression, glanced down at the photo. Not bad. Hearing the ONCEs' surprised and doubtful voices, he called out the names of Mina and Son Chae-young, and took a picture of each of them to dispel their doubts.

Don't worry, ONCEs, your brother-in-law isn't a bad person!

I understand your idols' rules. Your brother-in-law won't be picking you up from get off work all the time or showing off your relationship. When you get married, he'll be the only one taking photos in a suit, trying his best not to break your hearts.
"Nayeon~"

"Smile and look at me..."

After taking photos of the women, Gong Cheng couldn't resist flirting with his ex-girlfriends, especially when he saw the big star's unnatural face and her hand clutching the hem of her skirt, he shouted out.

Kim Da-hyun stood on the stage, looking down at the handsome man with a bright smile in his eyes.

I feel really uneasy...

Our handsome guy, even though he was so sad himself, still came to comfort Sana with a smile on his face...

What a devoted and handsome guy!
Before she could even process what was happening, a voice called out, "Dahyun-ah~".

Little Strange Tofu, as if summoned, turned around with a "snap," faced Gong Cheng in a funny manner, and gave a military salute.

"Click~"

"Tzuyu~"

Master Gong called out to the members one by one, as if he were the King of Hell himself, so as not to arouse suspicion among fans about his relationship with the members.

"..."

Within two minutes, Gong Cheng casually took a picture of Yoo Jeongyeon and Park Jihyo.

He then looked down and deleted it.

There's no need to save solo photos of your best friend. As for the other guy who's in a relationship, well...

Mr. Gong never keeps photos of girls he's dated on his phone... He's a germaphobe!
However, Gong Cheng was still very tolerant of senior artists like Yoona who were older...

"..."

Makoto Miyamoto didn't disturb TWICE's fan signing event. When he saw Sana Minatozaki slowly recover and start showering fans with food, he smiled and left without a word.
Backstage, he instructed TWICE's manager, "Before the fan signing event ends, let's have a segment where Sana can express herself to the fans."

"I'll talk to Zhenying about this..."

Sana Minatozaki is good at saying things that move fans... Makoto Miyamoto also thinks that this kind-hearted mother must have a lot to say to the ONCEs after this incident.
Despite the combined efforts of clarification and media apologies, rival fans are still causing trouble after the online bullying. Therefore, it's still necessary to first solidify the core support base of ONCEs... As for the rest...

Gong Cheng felt that, in front of Akana, there were no other fans.

Once the news of his return next month is released, everything in the fandom will have to give way to his comeback.

Moreover, during his psychotherapy session in Tokyo a few days ago, Makoto Hagiwara astutely noticed that paparazzi had taken photos of him entering and leaving the hospital for treatment.

Gong Cheng was used to this. He didn't care if the paparazzi could report it... Not only could it be used to generate buzz for his next comeback, but the "psychological treatment" incident could also torment another wave of fans and purify their fanbase.

……

In the evening, Gong Cheng boarded a flight to Japan.

……

"May 5th, the day of the follow-up examination."

"Dr. Eiko said my condition is fluctuating... Momo-chan sent me a message, she says she wants to meet me..."

"I didn't know this generation didn't mean the end of our cooling-off period. But I didn't keep my promise because..."

Gong Cheng sat in the composing room, writing in his diary. When he got to this part, he pondered for a while before writing with a sad expression: "Because I am seriously ill, I don't want to hold Momo-chan back. I don't want my bad mood to affect her..."

Yes! That's how it should be written!

Haki Makoto praised himself with satisfaction: "Even if Momo-chan doesn't know the whole story and calls me cold-hearted, I'll accept it! Momo-chan, I hope you'll be happy from now on..."

……

"On May 7th, the weather became hot."

"I dreamt of a big star last night, and I missed her so much. I quickly typed some words of longing into the chat box, then deleted them. I can't be too selfish. I like many girls, and now I'm suffering from this illness. That's all..."

Bored, Gong Chengxian sketched Lin Nayan's face in the margin of this page of his diary, and then wrote pitifully below, "Will I get better?"

……

"On May 9th, it rained lightly in Hyogo."

"Mina-chan, I miss you so much. I'm sorry to have worried you. I had a good check-up today! Actually, on the night of the 1st, I was a bit reluctant about the idea of ​​a threesome, but if you want, I can indulge myself with you..."

"Your knees aren't good, you need to rest, Mina-chan..."

Gong Cheng muttered to himself as he wrote in his diary in his bedroom. These were things he needed to use to save his life in the future; he had to take them seriously! In the diary, he wrote down many girls' names, and his sincere feelings for them.
He bookmarked every important point on every page of his diary.

So that one day in the future, if the women happen to see this diary, they can quickly turn to the page where he expressed his love.

But why does it sound like a deathbed message?
That would be even better!

Gong Cheng closed his diary, casually placed it aside, then turned the chair he was sitting on and glanced at the misty drizzle outside the window.

I wonder how that strong-willed guy from YG is doing lately?

As expected... YG is an agency that produces many lawbreakers.

……

During his time recuperating in Hyogo, Makoto Miyamoto did not stop his treatment, nor did he stop preparing for the album.

He discovered that once a person has emotional problems, those emotions become the nourishment for inspiration. Or perhaps it's this particular period that's making things too difficult and lonely for him, which is why some of his songs are so intensely sad.

In a recording studio in Tokyo, Makoto Miyamoto wore headphones and listened to synthesizer sounds.

The low-frequency vibrations slowly seep in from the edge of hearing, carrying a slightly hazy, grainy quality...

The intro to the arrangement is like an earthquake, just like the song title – "EARFQUAKE".

Gong Cheng's uniquely textured voice, with its R&B style, softly murmured into the microphone, "For real, for real this time~"

“*****, I cannot fall short~”

The drumbeats, like the gentle vibrations of a heartbeat, lingered in my ears. With a complex expression, Gong Cheng sang the lyrics, "Because you caused an earthquake in me, an earthquake within my heart~"

Your love has me completely captivated~

"It also broke my heart."

The bass drum's heavy beat contrasts sharply with the snare drum's light taps, like a heartbeat shifting from a hidden throbbing to a direct roar, concretizing the anxiety of fearing loss.

……

At night, Gong Cheng walked out of the recording studio and listened to the audio of some songs from his new album on his phone.

After a quick dinner at a restaurant near Shibuya, we returned to the hotel...

Because tomorrow is another tedious follow-up appointment, and I'm staying at the hotel to record songs at the Tokyo recording studio today, I'll be resting for the night.

After taking a shower, Gong Cheng changed into his pajamas, sat at his desk, and started planning the album for his comeback. Once the plan was finalized, the various departments below would have to get started.

As for the team, it's still the same group he worked with at JYP: MV shooting, promotion, and marketing.

It wasn't that Gong Cheng intended to poach talent; in fact, these old acquaintances all expressed that working with those incompetent people in JYP's departments was simply degenerate.

In addition, Maze Entertainment does not have many artists, and the number of positions available for recruitment in each department is also limited.

Gong Cheng never skimped on the salaries and benefits of his employees, so it was obvious that they would switch jobs. After all, they were the same team he had worked with before, and they were capable and competent, so they deserved higher pay.

I glanced at the project proposal in my notebook.

"Judgement" is one of the Major Arcana in the Tarot deck, also known as "Fame".

As its name suggests, the card represents the concept of Judgment Day in the Bible.

"..."

Gong Cheng stared at the oil painting pattern on the cards, and curled his lip...

It's actually a bit embarrassing to think about an album that so openly exposes and dissects inner emotions.
……

The following day, Miyako Mako quietly arrived at Eiko Eiryu's hospital to continue receiving treatment.

"..."

As he left, he glanced at the figure sitting in the carriage not far away. He couldn't see it clearly, but it looked like a paparazzi.

As an artist, I am very perceptive about these kinds of people and things.

……

May 15th.

During this period of treatment, Gong Cheng gradually realized that everything would never be the same again, neither the people nor the things.

In his composition room, he wrote "As It Was".

Compared to the other songs on the album "Judgement," which have a strong sense of sadness, this song has a surprisingly bright and easy-to-remember melody.

However, Haji Cheng often experienced loneliness and depression.

The first clear, cold piano note fell, like raindrops tapping on an old windowpane, carrying a touch of detached melancholy...

"It's affecting me~"

Gravity is pulling me down—I can't break free!

"..."

Gong Cheng looked at the song "As It Was" and felt that it could be the title track of the album "Judgement".

However, I wrote the lyrics and music for the beginning of the intro.

He was thinking of finding a little girl to sing the opening lines, to make the song brighter.

So this song will be recorded when we get back to Seoul...

……

"On May 16th, I had a video call with Mina-chan..."

“I told her I was coming back next month, and the little penguin was overjoyed, but her face quickly turned sour… I remembered what I had said to scare her that night: How could I possibly abandon you?”

"I'm definitely not the kind of person who starts something and then abandons it!"

……

On May 17, after receiving another treatment in Tokyo, Gong Cheng went directly to the airport and flew back to Seoul.

The day after tomorrow, the 19th.

He is going to France with the cast and crew of "Parasite" for the film's premiere on the 21st.

Little Strange Tofu has been sounding very worried lately when chatting with Gong Cheng, seemingly concerned about the kissing scene, leaving Gong Cheng at a loss.

Upon landing at Incheon International Airport in the evening, Gong Cheng drove his Land Rover into the underground parking garage and dragged Kim Da-hyun out of the film crew.

The two drove to a barbecue restaurant.

Kim Da-hyun's eyelids drooped, and she looked like a jinx as she listlessly flipped the grilled meat for the handsome man opposite her.

"Chew, chew, chew~" After swallowing a perfectly cooked piece of roasted meat, Gong Cheng took a sip of warm water and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Didn't you start researching the competition after the film's release?"

Kim Da-hyun looked at the sizzling, oily grilled meat in front of her, but she really didn't have much of an appetite. She handed the pieces of meat to Da-da-shuai's plate one by one: "Eat more, Oppa. You've lost weight these past few days while you were getting treatment."

After expressing her concern for Gong Cheng, she sighed deeply and said, "I did do some research, but I found that I can't outmaneuver them..."

Little Strange Tofu originally planned that if her sisters-in-law angered her, she would expose the fact that the big man was sick in order to divert attention and betray Sister-in-law Minami.

But I'm also worried that it might not be safe.

What if they are heartless and indifferent to the Great Marshal?
On the contrary, while they were dating Da Da Shuai, she filmed a kissing scene with Gong Cheng and didn't tell the members. Wouldn't she be doomed?
"..." Gong Cheng almost spat out the water in his mouth, unable to contain himself: "Is it really necessary?"

"It's just an actor filming a kissing scene..."

Upon hearing this, Kim Da-hyun rolled her eyes and said, "Oppa is a kissing expert, but this is my first kiss."

"I also had my first on-screen kiss," Gong Cheng shrugged, smiling as he placed a few slices of grilled meat on Doufu's plate. "Since things have come to this, let's eat first~"

"How can I possibly eat this?" Kim Dahyun poked at the grilled meat with her chopsticks. "Well, if Mina, Sana, Nayeon, and Momo knew about this, it would be fine, but..."

At this point, she frowned and glared at Gong Cheng: "But oppa~"

"You're a real piece of trash!"

"Hey!" Gong Cheng glanced at her disapprovingly upon hearing this, pushed his half-empty water glass towards her, and asked, "How can you talk to your brother like that?"

"Talk about something!"

Kim Da-hyun took a deep breath, her fair face contorted in pain. She lifted the teapot, poured Gong Cheng a cup of water, and then pushed it towards him, saying, "Oppa, please consider me! My situation!"

"It's one thing for me to share a dorm with Chaeyoung, but don't forget Tzuyu! She's really gone a bit overboard lately. What do you think of my small frame?" She puffed out her chest, her face full of anxiety. "How can I possibly compete with her?"

In the past, when maknae Tzuyu secretly stabbed her sisters-in-law in the back, she knew it all too well.

Very cunning.

Although they are both part of the "youngest line," Kim Da-hyun knows very well—no, time has proven—that she is the easiest to bully in the group.

"Aren't you Director Jin? Who would dare to bully you?" Gong Cheng said casually.

Little Strange Tofu leaned closer and retorted, "So what? Would oppa use his status as a shareholder to get his wives to sleep with him?!"

"Ouch!" Gong Cheng almost choked, quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth, and looked at Kim Da-hyun with annoyance: "Aigoo! Da-hyun... you've really grown up..."

"You even talk about sleeping together so casually? Who taught you that..."

Hagi looked at Tofu in disbelief. Dahyun has always been a very quiet girl in private!
Kim Da-hyun curled her lip and gave him a disdainful look: "Isn't this just something I learned from you, Mo oppa? With your style, what good do you think I could learn?"

"What's wrong with my conduct?" Gong Cheng retorted.

"Hehe..." Kim Dahyun raised her eyelids, glanced at Dahyun's awkwardly smiling expression, and couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth, smiling and pouting: "I have grown up well according to oppa's requirements!"

Gong Cheng patted his forehead: "But I remember our Dahyun is a girl who gets shy when kissing!"

The little tofu shrugged, spread its little hands, then placed them on either side of its cheeks, fingertips pointing upwards, palms waving towards the sky: "I've grown into a cactus~~~"

(End of this chapter)