Chapter 65 Chapter 65
"Oh my!" Kush quickly kicked the chair and walked forward, "I was just saying that your exam would be over, when would you show up!" Lia was a little unconvinced and moved closer to take a closer look at him.
"Really? Then why didn't you send a message in advance?" she joked with a smile. Kush immediately looked aggrieved and pointed at the two people behind him. "Go ask them. They said they didn't want to disturb your studies, so they wouldn't even let me send a message in the group chat!"
Lia suddenly realized. No wonder no one in the [Slave Maker] group had spoken during that time; it turned out they were all silenced. "How did you do on the exam?" Teddy asked with a smile. "Not bad," Lia nodded.
She walked into the room. Kush and Teddy each occupied a swivel chair. A half-human-sized doll sat on the remaining chair. Quan Zhilong lazily leaned on the sofa. She walked over, hesitated for a moment, and sat down on the sofa as well.
The person next to her visibly froze. "Oppa, long time no see." Lia tilted her head, greeting him individually. "Long time no see." A subtle discomfort was palpable between breaths, yet simultaneously concealed with tacit understanding.
Treat each other with respect. The phrase suddenly popped into her mind. It felt illogical yet strangely fitting. Kush leaned over with malicious intent, waving his phone. "I heard our Lia is planning to apply to Seoul National University?"
Lia glanced at him warily, thinking something was amiss. Kush quickly opened the group chat and tossed in an interview link. K-Flow: Let's enjoy it together~ (Attached: Link) As expected,
It was that damn interview again. Lia's face fell, and she expressionlessly slapped Kush's hand away. Just as she was about to speak, Kwon Ji-yong lazily sat up straight, took Kush's phone, and clicked on the link.
The video was still loading, and he casually put his phone on speaker. Soon, Lia's voice came out clearly from the speaker: "Seoul University." - It was resounding. The three-minute interview seemed to play for a century.
But the phone was in his hand, and she didn't dare to snatch it. Lia regretted it now. Regretted it deeply. When the interview finally ended, her face flushed crimson. Kush added fuel to the fire, shaking his head and saying, "Same person, different fate."
If he were to play this on his phone, he'd be violently punished in less than half a minute. Teddy listened to this, his expressionless gaze scanning the two people on the sofa. One sat upright, the other half-smiling. Only Kush was oblivious.
"I want to make an announcement." Lia simply skipped Kush's question, pulled out a document from her bag, and announced the good news. "I've officially signed." Teddy was stunned at first, but then a relieved smile appeared on his face.
"That's a great move," he praised. Quan Zhilong, still fiddling with the video in his hand, looked over. "So fast?" Kush's eyes widened. "I thought we'd have to wait at least another year or two."
Although everyone could see the apprentice's strength, the speed at which he was promoted to a regular employee still surprised him.
"I want to thank Teddy Oppa and Zhilong Oppa." Lia said, "Without you, I wouldn't have stayed and had the opportunity to participate in so many productions." Teddy walked over with a smile and patted her shoulder.
The person next to him muttered a low "You're welcome." "???" Kush immediately protested, "What about me? Why am I missing again???" Lia made a face at him. It was his fault for exposing her shortcomings just now.
"Are you free tonight? I'll treat everyone to dinner," Lia suggested. Although the settlement wasn't much, she still wanted to formally express her gratitude.
"Boss Teddy, please treat me." Although Kush was still immersed in the sadness of being ignored, he still considered her and said, "Don't spend money since you just got a permanent job." He still had a conscience in this matter.
Of course, he was determined not to break the bank. Teddy nodded, feeling quite happy: "I'll treat you. It's been a while since we've been together, so it's a good idea for us to have a meal together."
"No, no," Lia waved her hands repeatedly and took out the statement from her pocket. "The company paid me, and I must treat you to this meal!" Kush was quick-eyed and quick-handed. He snatched the paper and was about to unfold it to read it.
"Let me see where this windfall came from—" Before he could finish his sentence, the paper in his hand was snatched away by Quan Zhilong, who had walked up to him at some point. "Give him some privacy." Teddy tapped his head gently.
Quan Zhilong didn't even open the paper, handing it back to Lia. Lia blushed. She'd taken it out so eager to secure the treat, she hadn't thought to show it to everyone.
He muttered a thank you, thought for a moment, and then answered Kush's question verbally.
"It's mainly the share of Oppa's album." She pointed to Quan Zhilong standing beside her, "and the salary that Teddy Oppa gave me before. It's enough to treat everyone to a very expensive meal."
"I have something to do tonight..." Kwon Ji-yong suddenly spoke. Lia looked up at him. "Hey, hey, hey, what could be more important than our dinner?" Kush put his arm around his shoulders and shook him vigorously.
Teddy also looked at him with interest. G-Dragon paused and didn't respond. Kush seemed to have thought of something and exclaimed, "Holy shit, that news is true!"
Without waiting for anyone to react, he quickly retrieved his phone and opened a web search. "This!" He confirmed the name, "Kiko!" A news headline appeared on the screen:
G-dragon is secretly in love with Japanese model Kiko Mizumoto
"Didn't the company deny it before? I thought it was fake." Teddy took the phone and took a look at it. His eyes inadvertently passed by Kush in front of him and looked at the other two.
G-Dragon didn't deny it. He simply pried Kush's hand away and fixed his gaze on Lia. "I won't go tonight," he said. A moment of silence fell. "Okay," Lia smiled and nodded. "Next time."
The meal ended with the three of them going to a high-end Korean beef restaurant in Gangnam. Afterward, Lia asked the restaurant to prepare a Korean beef gift box for five people, choosing the same premium rib-eye they had just eaten, and had it shipped separately to Kwon Ji-yong's dormitory.
After that, everything went smoothly. December was already the height of winter in Seoul, with pedestrians bundled up like balls on the streets and elementary and middle schools gradually starting their winter vacations.
The day Lia received her admission letter to the Department of Philosophy at Seoul National University was an ordinary afternoon. She was in a shared recording studio, revising a demo that Jeong Rae-chae had requested.
Since I spend most of my time at the company, I reserved the company address from the beginning. The security guard at the door placed the registered letter at the entrance of the recording studio and knocked twice on the glass door.
The envelope was made of beige kraft paper with a red "SNU" logo printed on the seal. It seemed to still carry the chill of winter outside, and the paper felt cold and solid.
She opened the envelope, revealing a stamped acceptance letter and a thin sheet of "New Student Registration Instructions." Even though she had already checked the admissions results on the official website, her heart still pounded as her fingers touched the paper.
It was like being back in a high school classroom. The air was filled with the smell of printed ink. Light streamed through the windows, and dust particles danced gently in the sunlight. It felt like just yesterday. A few minutes later, she sent a message to Xia Qing.
She quickly replied with a selfie, showing her holding her Yonsei University acceptance letter, her face red from the cold but sporting an exaggerated smile. "We'll still be super close from now on!" she couldn't contain her excitement.
Lia looked at the photo and couldn't help laughing. ... When Christmas came, she went back to the United States.
The lemon tree in the corner of the yard still had a few fruits hanging from its branches, their color darker than in summer, dangling quietly from its branches like small light bulbs. The leaves were still a deep green, swaying slightly in the cold wind.
She reached out and picked one, then gently scraped it with her fingernails. The crisp aroma from the lemon peel immediately rushed out, mixed with the chill, stimulating her nasal cavity and making it feel cold.
The house was decorated with a simple Christmas tree, just like every year. My mother made gingerbread, her favorite from childhood, while my father sat at the dining table, drinking wine and chatting about old times. She didn't mention Seoul in particular.
I simply allocated half of the remaining bonus and transferred it to my mother. This trip back wasn't planned to be long; I just wanted to take advantage of the fact that university hadn't officially started yet to visit and take care of some personal matters.
She took a make-up test for her driver's license in California—the regulations in the United States are more relaxed than in South Korea—and then she only needed to apply for an international driver's license. She didn't attend any parties on New Year's Eve.
During the countdown, she stood alone in the kitchen, finishing the milk in her glass. When midnight struck, she returned to her room, sent a few messages, and then stood by the window for a while.
The streetlights cast soft circles of light on the wet cement road. At that moment, she suddenly felt as if she had everything.
All those things that had been disconnected and unresolved in the past—identity, future, choices—finally, became clear little by little.
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