Chapter 103 Chapter 103
Kwon Ji-yong wasn't free until the next night. Bigbang was staying on the top floor of the hotel, which was completely reserved by the company for easy access and security. For the past two days, they'd been rehearsing repeatedly at the venue.
From stage design to positioning, lighting, sound, and visual systems, every detail was carefully reviewed. Every day, returning to the hotel was almost always past midnight. Today was the smoothest day so far. The final round of rehearsals ended early.
It was just after six o'clock. He changed into casual clothes and, as soon as he walked out of the venue, he pulled out his phone again and again to check messages.
The group was incredibly quiet at the moment. Even Kush hadn't spoken, a rare omission. He couldn't help but suspect that this "Lonely Dragon Rescue Operation" was a shell organization used to defraud him of his money. Quan Zhilong hesitated for a moment.
He resisted sending a message—he wanted to be more casual, and he couldn't be the first to speak. But when he got back to the hotel, there was still no movement in the group chat. He simply called the bodyguards and knocked on every door along the corridor looking for someone. But they were completely wiped out.
No one was there. He stood in the empty corridor, almost laughing with rage. In the end, he could only open the group chat. [Lonely Dragon Rescue Operation] JiYo: Kids, I'm back TT
JiYo: Where are they? JiYo: Where did they go? TT After a while, Kush sent a selfie.
In the photo, he and Kento are sitting in a Wagyu restaurant, with some sauce hanging from the corners of their mouths. K-Flow: Rice, I'm so hungry. TT Kento: Want to come? (with location) NeonL: I want to eat~
NeonL: I'm at Fushimi Inari Taisha ^^ Big-T: Preparing for the hot spring JiYo: ...isn't that in Kyoto? @NeonL NeonL: I was curious, so I took the express train to come and see it ^^
Quan Zhilong stared at the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine for a few seconds, and suddenly felt a bit like an elderly person left behind. JiYo: Then... let's meet in my room at nine o'clock. JiYo: Since you are here, come and see me, kids.
T K-Flow: Yes, sir! Kento: Yes, sir! NeonL: OK~
He stared at the last reply on the screen, his lips curled up slightly, then he locked the screen and turned to walk back to his room. * Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine is most famous for its thousands of torii gates that stretch for several kilometers.
Each vermilion torii gate is engraved with the name of the donor and the date of donation, like pages of a prayer book written in parallel.
Lia walked through the temple, watching the intermittent stream of worshippers ahead, feeling as if she had stepped into a time tunnel. The sounds of birdsong, the rustling of wind through branches, and the echoing of the nearby shrine bell filled her ears. She walked slowly, occasionally pausing to glance at the wooden sign or take photos with the tourists.
After coming to South Korea, she has hardly ever traveled in the true sense - not for work or to appear on camera, but simply walking somewhere as a tourist.
Now she was in a foreign country, walking on an ancient path covered with fallen leaves, amidst the tranquility of the forest, and surrounded by tourists in groups of three or four, yet not a scene of noise. Suddenly, she felt a strange sense of dislocation.
In a philosophy class last semester, the term "social existence" was mentioned repeatedly - meaning that human identity does not entirely come from self-cognition, but is confirmed, given, and called upon in relationships.
She is a daughter, a student, an employee, a creator... Although she is called "Lia", she is actually an existence that relies on the attention of others.
At this moment, these identities seemed to be temporarily removed. She suddenly became the only subject, but that subject was vague and unclear. "Who am I?"
This originally abstract philosophical proposition suddenly became very real to her. She felt a strange sensation, as if she were detached from all things, yet existed within them.
She was lost in thought when she suddenly heard a cautious question in her ear - "Excuse me...is this Lia?" An Asian boy in a baseball cap came forward with an unconcealable surprise on his face.
Lia was stunned for a moment: "Yes, hello?"
The other person immediately nodded excitedly. "I've seen your videos on YouTube! I came to Kyoto on this trip and came to see the Bigbang concert. I didn't expect to see you here!"
He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from his bag, wanting her to sign. Lia took the paper and paused for a few seconds, somewhat embarrassed. She hadn't practiced signing before.
She had sketched one during her trainee days, but that was so long ago that she had forgotten what it looked like. She had no choice but to write "Lia Kim" neatly.
The other party seemed to be stunned by this overly formal signature. It took him a few seconds to react, and then he thanked her repeatedly. Lia nodded politely, watched him leave, and then quietly let out a sigh.
She had just reached the top of the mountain when Quan Zhilong sent her the message. The time on her phone read 6:12 PM. With less than three hours until the "9 o'clock meeting" he'd promised, she'd have to leave immediately if she wanted to get back to the hotel in time.
She put away her phone, picked up her messenger bag, and hurried down the mountain path. The way back seemed shorter than the way there.
It was quickly getting dark. The wooden torii gates formed a winding red passage in the dim light. Every time she passed through one, it felt like she was passing through a secret barrier of time and space.
Some tourists walked against the current, using flashlights to illuminate their path. Groups of young people walked and laughed, their voices echoing through the forest. But the further down we went, the quieter the road became. Birdsong became sparse, and the wind blew through the leaves, stirring up fallen leaves and dust.
She remembered reading about this place when she was researching it, and someone said it was actually a cemetery. After sunset, the darkness of the forest was truly unsettling. Only after passing through the last torii gate did the lights at the foot of the mountain come into view again.
The thought that flashed through her mind when she was alone was like a glimmer of light. She could hardly remember what she had thought of, and she quickly put it behind her mind. However, it seemed to have quietly changed the way she looked at people and the world without her realizing it.
Without giving it much thought, she hailed a taxi and rushed to JR Inari Station, where she took the express train back to Osaka. It was just after 8:30 when she got back to the hotel.
She took a quick shower, changed into a clean shirt and trousers, and dried her hair. Her phone read exactly nine o'clock, so she picked up her room card, walked out, and pressed the elevator button.
The elevator required a card to reach the top floor. She took the temporary pass that Quan Zhilong had left at the front desk. The elevator slowly ascended and finally stopped at the top floor. When the door opened, there were indeed two bodyguards standing in the corridor.
It is said that a few years ago, a sasaeng fan disguised himself as a cleaner and sneaked into the member's room. Since then, no matter which country the artist performs in, YG will arrange 24-hour security on the floor where the artist is located.
One of the bodyguards recognized her, nodded politely, and led her to the end of the corridor. "Please wait a moment, I'll make an announcement." He knocked on the door and rang the bell. A few seconds later, the door opened from the inside. Quan Zhilong personally opened the door.
He was wearing a white T-shirt, the fabric loose, yet it managed to highlight his clean shoulders and narrow waist. He still had the damp, warm air of a shower, a rare touch of homely relaxation, yet a striking presence that couldn't be ignored.
He was leaning against the doorframe, his expression faltering when he saw her, then he raised the corners of his lips. "Are you here?" He stepped aside to let her in. "The others haven't arrived yet."
The room was a penthouse suite, spacious and divided into a living area, a dining area, and a living room with access to a terrace. From the floor-to-ceiling windows, the nightscape of Osaka unfolded before my eyes, its neon lights dotting the skyline, creating a city silhouette against the backdrop of the sky.
Lia glanced at the time—9:05. Great, everyone's late. "What would you like to drink?" Quan Zhilong asked as he walked towards the bar. "Juice." "Don't you want to drink?"
"You can drink it too." Lia nodded, "I can drink quite well." Quan Zhilong chuckled, as if he didn't believe it, and took out a bottle of orange juice from the bottom shelf and poured it to her.
"It's really okay." Lia was a little helpless. Seeing his clear disbelief, she stopped arguing. She took the orange juice and handed him the small bag she had brought with her. "What is this?" He was a little surprised.
"I bought this amulet at the shrine to bless you with good health." She wasn't very superstitious, but for some reason, she still picked this out for him on the mountain.
Quan Zhilong looked down at the small amulet in his palm—it was made of off-white cloth, with fine gold calligraphy, and the knots wrapped around the talisman paper were neat and firm, with a faint scent of wood and herbs. He turned it over and over, his eyes almost glued to it.
"Did anyone else get some?" he suddenly asked. Lia nodded, not denying it. She bought some for everyone and left the rest in her room, not taking any with her.
Quan Zhilong paused, his lips curled up, as if he was unhappy, but also as if he was trying to hide his unhappiness. "Theirs is 'wealth', this one is 'health'," Lia added, as if compelled to do so.
Most people love money, but she thinks health is more important. If that can be considered a bit partial. He was stunned for a moment, and then a smile appeared in his eyes. "Oh, that's it."
He walked back to the living room, dug out a branded storage box from somewhere, and solemnly placed the amulet in it. "Is this gold?" Lia laughed.
"Of course," he said seriously. "It's about health. I need it lately..." He sat back down beside her, and through the thin air, his fragrance enveloped her again. He seemed to have changed his perfume.
It used to have a light citrus scent mixed with a hint of green tea soap, clean and distant.
The smell now is completely different - deep and hot, like a lit cigar at midnight, mixed with the illusion of damp leather and exposed skin, quietly spreading between the corners of clothes and pulses.
There was a vague attraction mixed in with that aura, like a bewitching siren in the night, making one subconsciously approach, only to be alarmed the next moment. Lia's heart skipped a beat.
She gently averted her eyes and took another sip of orange juice, unable to help but wonder why the others hadn't arrived yet. Quan Zhilong didn't seem to be in a hurry. He leaned back against the sofa slowly, and the aroma faded slightly as the distance between them increased.
"Help me listen to the lyrics?" he suddenly asked. "From the new album?" "Yeah." Lia nodded. He then picked up the lyrics book from the coffee table and flipped to a page.
Compared to its owner's gorgeousness, the notebook was surprisingly plain. Due to frequent use, the corners had curled up a little. He didn't hand it to her, but just lowered his eyes and stared at the page, reading out loud: "...Young &
Rich, this is me. La la, please see my good side and don’t scold me. La la, please accept me sincerely and love me more…” He paused. “…love me more.”
He repeated the last sentence. He read it casually, the ending tone rising slightly, like a test. His eyes remained focused on the book in front of him. He wasn't looking at her, but she felt like she had nowhere to hide.
The large suite fell silent for a moment, leaving only the night outside the window sliding silently past. The fragrance approached her again, like a silent whisper, lingering in her nostrils.
Lia couldn't help but be distracted, wondering what perfume he was wearing. It was clearly strong, but she hadn't really noticed it until now. "How is it?" Quan Zhilong broke the silence. How is it?
It was a perfectly natural question, yet somehow it made me wonder. Was he asking about the lyrics, or... Lia was speechless. Perhaps her recent workload had been so intense that something was wrong with her brain.
"Rap... I'm not very good at it." She stuttered for once. Quan Zhilong couldn't help but laugh. The delicate atmosphere was suddenly broken. Lia felt inexplicably thirsty and couldn't help but take a few more sips of orange juice. At this moment, the doorbell rang.
"I'll go open the door!" She stood up and ran away as if running for her life. The person behind her seemed to still be laughing. She felt a burning sensation on her back.
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