Chapter 70, the second day in Nagoya. This year's group...
The next day in Nagoya. The group's final tour show of the year was here; Kwon Ji-yong's performance ended at 4 PM. Ren Xiyao's 500m final started around 5:05 PM. Ever since he learned their schedules overlapped, Kwon Ji-yong couldn't sit still. It had been almost two months since they'd last seen each other. His longing had seeped into his bones. Plus, Ren Xiyao's condition had been fluctuating greatly lately; though she didn't say it, his worry hadn't stopped for a moment. He really wanted to check on her in person. But unfortunately, he'd been too busy recently. By the time he realized it, tickets were already hard to get.
While removing his makeup, Kwon Ji-yong's eyes never left his phone screen, which was showing the South Korean TV broadcast of the 500m semi-finals. His manager was beside him, wringing his hands anxiously: "Ji-yong, oh my god, there's really no way. This is an international event. If it were South Korea, we could try to find a way, but this is Japan. Security is much stricter than for concerts. Where are we going to get passes at the last minute?"
"What about the VIP tickets?"
"They're all sold out."
"Sponsor access?"
"You think this is a music competition?" The manager frantically scratched his head. "Short Track Speed Skating World Cup! A Class A event, the Japan Skating Federation is stricter than anything else!"
Kwon Ji-yong tugged at his collar in frustration, about to speak, when the door to the waiting room was suddenly pushed open.
"I heard someone needs help?"
Kiko leaned against the doorframe, twirling her sunglasses in her hand. Today she was wearing an oversized blazer, and a pair of exaggerated metal earrings dangled from her earlobes, smiling like a cunning fox.
The entire backstage area fell silent instantly. The other BigBang members all lowered their heads and pretended to be playing on their phones, while their manager's face turned ashen.
Kwon Ji-yong narrowed his eyes: "What are you doing here?"
"As your 'rumored girlfriend,' isn't it reasonable for her to visit the set?" Kiko walked in: "Especially when someone posted a picture of Nagoya's snow scene on Instagram yesterday, with the location perfectly matching the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup."
Kwon Ji-yong stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly laughed: "You can get tickets?"
“Something even better than tickets.” Kiko waved her phone: “ANA is the biggest sponsor of this site, and also the biggest sponsor of the Japan Ice Hockey Federation. And I just happen to be their spokesperson for next season.”
The atmosphere backstage became even more awkward because of this charade. Taiyang silently got up: "I'm going to the restroom."
Loudly following behind: "Me too!"
Kwon Ji-yong's gaze never left the ID card on her phone that read "ANA Special Coordinator": "Can you take me in?"
Kiko shrugged: "It depends on how you beg me."
"So what if they got a picture?" Kiko laughed: "'GD watching a short track speed skating competition,' what a positive news story."
Kwon Ji-yong suddenly stood up, grabbed his coat, and asked, "Conditions?"
"It's about mutual benefit in terms of resources, like invitations and the like."
Kwon Ji-yong raised an eyebrow: "That's it?"
"My contract with the media has expired. But I need a positive image from them, after all, I've been criticized a lot over the years, haven't I?"
"Don't look at me like that," Kiko said with a grin, poking his chest. "You know, investing in ice sports in Japan has always been a top choice for some sponsors. Figure skating might be out of reach, but short track is an opportunity that many small and medium-sized brands want, hoping to get a piece of the pie. With this inside information, as long as you handle it properly, you can always build some connections."
"make a deal."
Kiko snapped her fingers in satisfaction, pulled a baseball cap and an ANA uniform from her bag, and tossed them to him: "Put these on. From now on, you're ANA's new Korean translation assistant."
Kwon Ji-yong unfolded his clothes: "You were prepared all along?"
“Who knows?” Kiko winked at him. “Maybe I just want to see what kind of person can make G-Dragon abandon his principles.”
Thirty minutes later, G-Dragon, wearing an ANA staff member's baseball cap and name tag, followed Kiko through the employee entrance. He pulled his cap down low, his mask up to his nose, and pretended to hold a sign-in sheet in his hand.
"Are you sure this will work?" he asked in a low voice.
Kiko didn't even turn her head: "Don't worry, Japanese staff are easier to fool than you think."
Kiko nudged him: "Let's split up here, I'm going to the VIP section." She handed him a media area pass: "Come here to meet up afterward, don't wander off."
Just as Kwon Ji-yong was about to take it, Suwon suddenly stopped: "Remember, you promised me."
"Know."
“Also,” Kiko squinted, “don’t do anything too outrageous later.”
Kwon Ji-yong raised an eyebrow: "For example?"
"For example, rushing up to hug and kiss them."
"......"
Kiko handed him the pass and turned to leave.
The starting gun fired. The runners shot off like arrows. But soon the referee blew his whistle. All the runners were recalled to the starting line, most likely because someone had false-started. When the whistle and starting gun sounded again, the start was fiercely contested. Ren Xiyao, in lane three, was racing aggressively. But soon she collided with Van der Si, in lane two, at the turn while vying for position. Ren Xiyao, Van der Si, and Anna from Germany in lane four all fell off the track.
Kwon Ji-yong stared intently at the figures on the ice. The tension was palpable. There was no DJ, no lights, only the sharp sound of ice skates scraping against the ice and the suppressed gasps of the audience.
Fortunately, none of the athletes were seriously injured. After getting up, they all returned to the mats to wait for the equipment coach to repair their blades. Short track speed skating blades generally have a relatively long lifespan of about 3 to 6 months, but they will wear out during competitions. Especially in races like the 500m, where the start is extremely intense, it's not uncommon for two pairs of blades to be worn out in a single race. Athletes usually prepare several pairs of blades during training, rotating between their preferred pairs, as a precaution for unforeseen circumstances during competitions.
On the third start, everyone watching held their breath. Two failed starts would have taken a toll on the athlete's stamina. Fortunately, this time the start was successful. Ren Xiyao took second place, closely following the Canadian athlete. By the third turn, she had picked up speed and sensed an opportunity. Canada's Ander wasn't very efficient with her push-off on the turn, making it a good chance. So Ren Xiyao tightened her lap, planning to use the moment Ander slowed down at the exit of the turn to overtake her from the outside.
"Beautiful!" The Japanese technician in the equipment room couldn't help but applaud.
Kwon Ji-yong's fingers unconsciously dug into his palms. He could barely breathe. His gaze was fixed on the figure on the ice rink.
On the final lap, Ren Xiyao held her line and crossed the finish line first with a one-body-length advantage.
The crowd cheered.
When the referee finished reviewing the results, the big screen displayed: 42.813 seconds, first place.
Kwon Ji-yong watched as Ren Xiyao skated to the sidelines, surrounded by her teammates. She took off her goggles, her eyes shining brightly, and the smile on her lips was the most radiant he had seen in the past two months.
The somewhat simple awards ceremony ended, and Ren Xiyao returned backstage from the contestants' seats. She ran into Xu Qinghe, who was waiting backstage. Xu Qinghe straightened her medal and sash: "Back on track?"
"Almost there." Ren Xiyao touched the gold medal: "But my knees aren't shaking anymore."
Do you know why?
Ren Xiyao shook her head.
Xu Qinghe suddenly shoved her. Ren Xiyao staggered two steps to regain her balance, her right knee firmly planted on the ground.
“‘The newly grown bones will be stronger than before.’” Xu Qinghe turned and walked towards the locker room: “Muscles have memory, and bones will remember how to win.”
Ren Xiyao looked down at her knee; the scar was covered by a knee brace, but it was burning hot.
On the other side, Kwon Ji-yong lowered the brim of his hat and moved along the wall toward the locker room.
Ren Xiyao stood in the corridor, looking down at the flower crown in her hand: the crown made of white daisies by the Japanese side was exactly the same as the bouquet she had received the day before yesterday.
"Ren Xiyao".
An unfamiliar Japanese accent.
She turned around and saw a "staff member" wearing a mask and a baseball cap standing under the corridor lights. The person looked up, and the eyes under the brim of the cap curved into a familiar arc.
Ren Xiyao's eyes widened: "You..."
Kwon Ji-yong held up a finger to his face and made a "shh" gesture.
"Congratulations on winning the championship," he said softly in slightly accented Chinese, his voice tinged with laughter. "I'm your fan, can I give you a hug?"
Ren Xiyao looked around to make sure no one was there, then took two steps forward and bumped into his arms. The medal pressed against their chests, and Quan Zhilong tightened his arms around her, whispering in her ear, "I saw it, that curve was beautiful."
Ren Xiyao buried her face in his shoulder, smelling the faint scent of his cologne mixed with the smell of disinfectant from backstage: "How did you get in?"
"It's a secret." He released her, pointing to the medal in her hand: "Won't you give me a kiss?"
Ren Xiyao rolled her eyes at him, but still lowered her head and kissed the gold medal.
Kwon Ji-yong suddenly pulled down his mask, leaned closer, and quickly touched her forehead: "Glory is your treasure, and you are mine."
"...Are you crazy?" Ren Xiyao's ears turned red instantly, and she looked around in a panic.
He took the flower crown from her hand and carefully placed it on her head: "It suits you very well."
Ren Xiyao touched the daisy: "Junhe said this flower represents hope. He said that if I accept the daisy, I will definitely win the championship in this competition."
“It really works.” Kwon Ji-yong smiled and took out his phone from his pocket to show her the wallpaper, which was a photo taken by a fan of her with her arms outstretched after crossing the finish line: “New wallpaper.”
"Don't take any risks tomorrow. There's a good chance we'll have time after the competition."
"good."
Footsteps approached from afar. Kwon Ji-yong took a step back, reverting to his "staff member" persona, and bowed respectfully, saying in Japanese, "Congratulations, we look forward to the next competition."
Ren Xiyao forced a smile and nodded, "Thank you."
Kwon Ji-yong turned and left, but after taking a few steps, he turned back and pointed at his phone. Ren Xiyao gave him an OK sign.
That evening, at the hotel where the YG team was staying, Kwon Ji-yong had just finished showering when his phone vibrated; Kiko had sent him a photo.
The photo captures a fleeting moment. In the dimly lit corridor, he held Ren Xiyao tightly. As she lowered her head to kiss the gold medal, he kissed her forehead, and both of them couldn't hide their smiles.
"Not bad, right?" Kiko's message followed closely behind.
Kwon Ji-yong frowned: "Delete it."
"Don't worry, no one else saw it, and I won't let anyone else see it."
"condition?"
"I'll tell you after I've thought it through. Don't worry, I'll keep this photo safe."
Kwon Ji-yong frowned; this feeling of being controlled by others was really unpleasant. Kiko quickly replied with a smug emoji and sent another message: "Honestly, she looks even better on camera."
Kwon Ji-yong looked at Ren Xiyao's bright eyes in the photo, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, but he quickly returned to normal: "You better keep your word."
"Don't worry, we've been working together for years. It won't come to a standstill. Naturally, nothing will leak out of my possession."
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A note from the author:
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