Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 68 "Soojung, how have you been lately?" (Seeking first subscription)
The mornings in Seoul always arrive slowly, especially on rainy days when the sky seems even more gloomy.

The ceiling light was still on. Krystal had gotten up very early today, or rather, she hadn't slept properly since last night and only managed to doze off for a while in the early hours of the morning.

But soon he struggled to wake up from a dreamless sleep, sat blankly on the edge of the bed, holding his forehead, his eyes unable to focus on any specific point.

At this moment, her heart was beating very fast, not from nervousness or fear, but from some kind of inexplicable excitement.

Because today, she will see again the girl who was forever lively and bright in her memory, but who ultimately lies asleep in the cemetery.

Thinking of this, Krystal gripped the bed sheet slightly tighter. In fact, ever since she learned about the timeline of 2013 from Lin Xiuyuan, she had been preparing for this meeting.

I practiced my expressions many times, how to calmly face the past, how to stand in front of Shirley, and how to control the sobs that were about to burst out.

Even so, she remained very clear that no matter how many times she rehearsed, she would not succeed.

When you finally meet those familiar eyes of hers, everything will crumble.

She was certain, absolutely certain.

Thinking of this, Krystal got up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains.

Outside the window, under a gray sky, the rain, which had been pouring down since dawn, grew heavier and heavier, like a huge, invisible net that tightly enveloped the entire city.

Is this kind of weather a coincidence?

His soft tone carried a hint of sadness.

Washing up and changing clothes, all movements were done with extreme restraint.

Today, Krystal didn't choose a bright color, but instead wore a dark gray trench coat, simple yet clean.

She pulled out a black umbrella from deep within the wardrobe. It was an item left over from when they were still in the group many years ago, which Krystal had kept until now, and it could be put to use again today.

After gently touching the umbrella for a second, Krystal put it in her bag, grabbed her car keys, and hurried out the door.

Shortly after, the car started, drove out of the apartment's underground parking lot, and plunged into the city submerged in rain.

There were no broadcasts or music along the way.

As Krystal drove, memories of her time with Sulli flashed through her mind.

The images of them sweating profusely while sitting on the floor laughing like idiots during rehearsals in the practice room, the funny experience of Sulli ordering food in broken English when filming abroad, and the last time they met, when Sulli said with a smile, "I'm fine."

And then, there was truly no more news.

"You'll be alright this time, Sherry."

Krystal murmured softly, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly until her knuckles turned white.

In the blink of an eye, the car arrived at the cemetery, but Lin Xiuyuan and the others had not yet arrived.

So Krystal didn't get out of the car immediately, but instead rested her forehead on the steering wheel, closed her eyes, and took deep breaths.

After a while, she composed herself before finally getting out of the car with her umbrella and stepping onto that familiar yet heavy land.

The cemetery was deathly silent, with only the dense sound of rain, as if it were hitting down from the sky, striking into every inch of soil and every crevice of memory.

She quickly found the tombstone and stopped a short distance away.

The stone tablet, gleaming from the rain, was like a cold mirror, reflecting all her suppressed and turbulent emotions at that moment.

Krystal didn't approach; she simply stood quietly in the rain, her hand holding the umbrella handle trembling slightly.

Time passed slowly until she saw that familiar car slowly come to a stop.

Lin Xiuyuan got out of the car, and then a figure that he hadn't seen in his memory for a long time came into view.

When Krystal saw Sulli from afar, she didn't approach her immediately, but silently watched everything unfold.

Seeing Shirley standing in the rain, slowly taking off her blindfold, and squatting in front of the tombstone, like a stranger who has just arrived in this world for the first time.

She remained completely silent, standing quietly behind the group, joining in this strange 'funeral'.

The world seemed to fall silent the moment her eyes met Shirley's.

All the rehearsals and mental preparations made beforehand turned to ashes at this moment.

In the end, it all came down to one sentence: "Long time no see, Sherry."

The rain was heavy and the sound was faint, but Shirley heard it.

So she smiled at the maknae in front of her, who seemed to have experienced a lot and matured a lot.

"Soojung, how have you been lately?"

……

……

The rain today was long and heavy, and even after Lin Xiuyuan and his group drove back to Seoul, the rain still didn't stop.

The group of people were completely soaked, with even their coats covered in water droplets. As soon as they entered the room, they felt a sense of weightlessness, as if they had fallen from a dream into reality.

The villa was well-heated and the floors were warm, so Lin Xiuyuan, who was afraid of catching a cold from the sudden change in temperature, called out to the women behind him as soon as he entered the door, "There are two rooms on the first floor and three rooms on the second floor. Each room has a bathroom. You should take a hot shower quickly so you don't catch a cold."

"Where are the clothes?"

Krystal, who had been holding Sherry's hand tightly since they started from the cemetery, asked...

Before Lin Xiuyuan could answer, Zheng Xiuyan spoke up, "When I came to stay here before, I bought a few sets of clothes, all of which I haven't worn yet. You guys go find the bathroom first, and I'll bring them to you in a bit."

Soon, after taking hot showers and changing into clean clothes, the group returned to the living room.

At this moment, soft cushions had been laid out on the living room carpet, arranged in a circle around the sofa, with hot tea and simple snacks placed in the center.

This was prepared by Lin Xiuyuan, who had taken a shower early in the morning.

However, after everyone took their seats, no one spoke first, and an unusual silence filled the air.

Still have nothing to say?

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan turned his gaze to Krystal and Sherry.

The two of them had been quiet and silent on their way back from the cemetery, and it seems they are still like that now.

Jessica Jung and Jiyeon Park, who were standing nearby, weren't without things to say, but they didn't want to disturb the two on the other side. Only Lin Xiuyuan dared to speak.

Upon hearing this, Krystal finally made a move, handing Sulli a cup of hot tea. "Drink some hot tea first, don't catch a cold. You still have to prepare for your comeback, it will be very tiring."

Sherry, who had taken the teacup, looked at her with a somewhat dazed expression.

Krystal continued, "Actually, I never expected to meet you, Sherry, in this way."

"What kind of method is that?" Shirley asked in return.

However, this rhetorical question also struck a chord with Krystal.

She gave a bitter smile. "I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet, so even though I've been there many times, I still haven't dared to go to you."

dare not.

These two words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present, let alone the protagonist, Shirley.

Although she didn't know the whole story, Krystal's reaction already revealed too much of something unusual. But one thing Sulli was certain of: "Although I don't know what happened, it definitely has nothing to do with you, Krystal. The way you are now is probably just a burden you've put on yourself again. I didn't expect that your personality hasn't changed at all after all these years."

Looking at Krystal in front of her, Sulli thought of the stubborn maknae of the group in 2013, who pushed himself to the limit in order to present the best stage performance for the fans.

Fainting from hunger while dieting, fainting from a high fever during a performance, dehydration during rehearsals and performances are all commonplace.

When Sulli said these words, even though Krystal was over 30, she still lowered her head.

She hadn't experienced that sweet feeling of being scolded for many years.

Just then, another hand put its arm around her. "Sigh, Sulli is right, Soojung, you're just too strong-willed. You've always been like this since you were little. Although you seem to be much better on the surface now, you're still the same at heart."

Krystal turned to look at Jessica Jung who was speaking, biting her lip without refuting.

On the other side, Shirley took a sip of hot tea, as if she was finally beginning to accept the reality of it all.

Accept that she died in 2025, and that she is here now, having come from 2013, to witness her own "funeral".

Thinking of this, she suddenly turned her gaze to Lin Xiuyuan, "By the way, oppa, you just promised to tell me the cause of death."

Then she realized that after she said those words, everyone around her looked at her, and each person's eyes held a complex emotion.

Seeing their gazes, Shirley instinctively guessed, "What happened? Did you die a horrible death? Not a complete corpse?"

"..."

Lin Xiuyuan gave a wry smile, "Are you really cursing yourself like this?"

"Otherwise, I find it hard to imagine that I will die in the future."

Since she was still alive, Shirley's emotions gradually returned to normal, and her tone became much more relaxed.

Now Lin Xiuyuan had something to say. He beckoned to Shirley, asking her to come over and sit down for a bit.

Shirley did as she was told.

Then, standing shoulder to shoulder with her, she pointed to Jessica Jung across from them and said, "Come on, let me test you. In your opinion, what will her future development be like?"

Upon hearing this, Jessica Jung rolled her eyes at the other person speechlessly, but did not stop them.

"Sooyeon unnie?"

Seeing Lin Xiuyuan point at Jessica Jung, Sulli hesitated for a moment before saying, "Right now, unnie and the others have just become the top girl group on the peninsula. Although it's impossible to stay at the top forever, what if they become solo artists in ten or twenty years and then start their own fashion brand?"

This answer wasn't entirely unfounded. It's well known that Jessica Jung likes fashion design, and Sulli was simply making a bold guess based on her impressions.

After listening, Lin Xiuyuan did not immediately give his opinion, but instead moved his finger to Park Jiyeon and said, "Then guess Jiyeon again."

Sherry muttered to herself, "Jiyeon is a bit harder to guess."

"Why?" Park Jiyeon asked, somewhat curiously.

"Because your group is in a rather awkward situation right now, I can't say whether the future will be good or bad."

Shirley frowned, but still gave a guess, "If I had to say, I think they will have a chance to turn things around, but they will disband after a period of time and everyone will go on to do their own individual activities."

Lin Xiuyuan listened with a half-smile, then suddenly changed his tone, "So who do you think will be the first to get married here?"

"marry?"

Upon hearing this, Sulli's first reaction was naturally to look at the eldest of her group... Jessica Jung.

Jessica Jung's face darkened, and she picked up a cushion and threw it at Lin Xiuyuan, saying, "Hey, can't you ask questions properly? What nonsense are you spouting?"

Lin Xiuyuan laughed as he dodged one, but he couldn't dodge the other one thrown by Park Jiyeon.

"Ah, oppa~ I'm not married. That old woman is out of her mind. This has nothing to do with me." Park Jiyeon protested earnestly.

Shirley, however, stared wide-eyed as if she had heard some earth-shattering gossip, looking as if she had missed something.

But Lin Xiuyuan wasn't finished with his "question and answer game." He pointed to Krystal and said, "Sherry, guess what kind of life this person is living now."

The moment the question was asked, the atmosphere in the living room quieted down a bit.

Sherry didn't answer immediately like before. Instead, she frowned and slowly looked up at Krystal.

"Xiu-jung..."

Sulli's voice softened, as if she were talking to herself, "I think our group will probably disband eventually, and then Krystal will go on to become an actress and shine on that path, since she has always done so well."

Lin Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow slightly, asking with some surprise, "That's strange, how could you guess they were disbanding? Aren't you guys at the height of your popularity right now?"

When asked the question, Shirley paused for a moment, thinking about what had happened today and this parallel universe in 2025, and then let out a soft sigh.

"Because if history doesn't change, given my current mindset, I'm already considering leaving the group."

As she said this, she kept watching Krystal's reaction. She noticed that Krystal didn't seem too surprised; rather, she seemed to have known all along.

Seeing this, Shirley felt a mix of disappointment and relief. "Looks like I guessed right."

Krystal didn't answer, but then, as if remembering something, she clenched her little fist.

Seeing that the group's mood was starting to turn somber, Lin Xiuyuan stopped "guessing" and stood up, patting his knees. "Whether my guesses are accurate or not, you'll know for sure once you go and check it out yourself. Come on, I'll take you online to look it up."

Upon hearing this, Shirley immediately stood up, her expression a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

Lin Xiuyuan glanced at her, then turned to the three people beside him, "Do you want to come along?"

"I'm not going, you guys go ahead." Jessica Jung shook her head.

“Oppa, I’ll go with you.” Park Jiyeon stood up.

Krystal then added, "You can check it on your phone too."

"Computers are convenient to use."

After saying this, Lin Xiuyuan turned around and led Shirley and Park Jiyeon upstairs to the computer room.

In the living room, only Jessica Jung and Krystal remained, sitting on the sofa.

Jessica Jung spoke first, "How are you feeling?"

Krystal smiled slightly, but her tone was heavy. "I'm much better, but I'm also more worried."

"worry about what?"

Jessica Jung, who didn't understand Krystal's statement, was somewhat puzzled.

"I'm worried that I still won't be able to protect her this time. If Shirley repeats the same mistake, I feel like I'll never be able to get over it in my life."

Krystal answered softly, her tone even carrying a hint of a smile.

However, the words he spoke were so heavy.

After hearing this, Jessica Jung remained silent for a long time, and didn't say anything more, but just sighed deeply.

She knew very well that such pressure could not be soothed by a few words of "comfort".

After all, you've been given a second chance. If you still can't seize it, then the regret you'll feel then, combined with the previous mistake, will be far more than just 1+1=2.

(End of this chapter)