Chapter 106 Chapter 106
The next afternoon, Lia met Kush and Kento in the hotel lobby. Dark circles hung under her eyes, as if she'd been punched twice. She hadn't slept well. More precisely, she hadn't slept all night.
She tossed and turned in bed, and when she closed her eyes, the scene from not long ago kept reappearing in her mind: his quiet figure lying flat on his back, his breath so close to her,
Even the rhythm of the chest rising and falling...even the faint body temperature seemed to be transmitted through the air, making it impossible to ignore.
In the second half of the night, sleepiness finally overcame her thoughts. She drifted off to sleep, only to dream of his birthday a few years ago. She stood before him, holding a gift, and said happy birthday in a cheerful tone. He lowered his eyes, his expression cold.
I slowly asked her, "Who is in your heart?" It was like someone splashing a bucket of cold water on her face, and she was immediately awakened. This was a dangerous signal. That dream was like a thin and sharp needle,
A constant reminder to her—if she couldn't control herself and fell in love with him again, she would destroy her life with her own hands. He had a girlfriend. And she would mess everything up. ... On the way to the venue, they stopped by to pick up Xia Qing.
Kento huddled in the back seat, his neck drooping, his head nodding slowly, then slowly pulled back up by inertia, like a wobbly tumbler. Kush sat in the front seat, full of energy.
He looked up at Lia while playing with his phone. Seeing her listless look, he smiled with an ambiguous smile: "After last night, did you do something behind my back again?"
Lia had been half-leaning in the seat, looking in her bag for a water bottle. Hearing this, she jerked upright as if a nerve had been pricked. With a thud, her forehead slammed hard against the car window. Fortunately, the seatbelt stopped the impact, but a faint red mark quickly appeared on the left side of her forehead.
"Oh my god—" Kush was taken aback by her reaction. "I just asked if you continued drinking after last night. Is it necessary to do this?"
She raised her hand to cover her forehead, her tone filled with helplessness and a little guilt: "No, I went straight back to my room to sleep." Kush narrowed his eyes and deliberately lengthened his tone: "Really?" "Really." She looked back with a righteous face.
He stared at her doubtfully for a few seconds, then finally looked away. Lia breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the window.
Outside the window, the streets of Osaka kept passing by like a flowing scroll. As the car passed the Umeda Department Store, a huge outdoor screen suddenly caught her sight.
On the screen, Kiko Mizuhara wore a printed, stand-up collared shirt, her short hair blowing in the wind. Behind her was a Western-style golden dome, gleaming in the morning light. In the corner, a striking golden brand logo—Shiseido Tsubaki.
An endorsement deal. She's a popular Japanese model, so seeing her here isn't unusual. Lia rarely pays attention to Kwon Ji-yong's relationship. Even when Kush occasionally gossips, she either pretends not to hear or changes the subject with a smile.
At first, she deliberately avoided it, but over time, it seemed to have become a habit. But today, this fact was relentlessly thrust into her sight. In fact, she had already adapted to it.
She had seen photos of them dating at the amusement park - he was too famous, and even if she tried not to look, the media would always report his gossip. When he got into trouble, she went to visit him, and when she was leaving, she happened to run into Mizuhara Kiko.
Those images, which she hadn't paid attention to at the time, suddenly stung her at this moment. Was it jealousy? Or perhaps it was helplessness. He meant so much to her, more than just a senior.
He was her friend, her mentor, the one who taught her how to thrive on stage and in the industry. She had long ago suppressed her feelings of excitement and affection. It was only last night, under the influence of alcohol and selfishness, that she had blurred the lines.
But he clearly had done nothing wrong. She couldn't ruin it all. Lia looked away, a complicated expression on her face. * After receiving Xia Qing, the group entered the dome early through a special passage.
There was a lot of noise backstage, with staff pushing equipment in and out. The sound of wheels and the commands coming from the intercom were intertwined, and the air was filled with the aroma of cosmetics and the metallic smell of equipment.
Teddy and his girlfriend Han Yiseul had already arrived. Han Yiseul was wearing a simple black jumpsuit and her long curly hair was draped over her shoulders. Even if she was just standing there quietly, she could still attract people's attention.
Lia had seen her in the recording studio before and was adapting well. However, Xia Qing, seeing her in person up close for the first time, couldn't help but whisper in her ear, "She's so beautiful! Great actors are just different."
Lia couldn't help but nod in agreement. She'd been similarly shocked the first time she'd met Han Yiseul. While Teddy was nice... Han Yiseul, though, was a bit too much.
She felt a little guilty as she thought this, and couldn't help but glance at Teddy. Teddy didn't understand why, and the look made him feel uneasy. He couldn't help but touch his arm, which was exposed under his sleeve. Several people went to the front desk.
On the stage, the five members of Bigbang are doing their final rehearsal.
Lights streamed down from above, and Quan Zhilong, wearing a black knitted cap, looked focused. Unlike the relaxed, tipsy look of last night, he spoke briefly and calmly, completely in control of everything on the court.
The stage was his familiar territory, and he was the undisputed master of it. Lia stood at the side of the stage with the others, watching quietly for a while.
A few years ago, she had watched a rehearsal from this distance. Back then, he had shone brightly, but now, that radiance was calmer, sharper, and more difficult to approach. How much more would a man like him have grown in a few years?
She couldn't help but let her thoughts wander. Of course, rehearsals were more about checking the lighting, sound, and positioning than the actual performance itself. Before long, Kush couldn't wait any longer and suggested going to see the leis.
They ordered a huge wreath in advance for Kwon Ji-yong - according to Kush's idea, a handsome headshot was specially pasted in the middle with the words "King's Flower Crown", and it is now placed at the entrance of Channel 6.
Teddy had already taken Han Yise backstage to rest, so the rest of the people headed towards aisle six, ready to take a good look at Kush's masterpiece.
Both sides of Aisle No. 6 were already filled with garlands, most of which were from well-known local Japanese artists and designers, and the flower baskets were densely covered with congratulatory messages.
The "King's Crown" was placed so big in the front, half a head taller than the wreath next to it.
The entire corolla is mainly composed of deep red roses, with large white lilies dotted in the gaps. The outer edge is also wrapped with thin metal ribbons, which shimmer under the light.
In the center is a life-size portrait of Kwon Ji-ryong carefully selected by Kush, and below it is a cloth label with gold letters on a black background that reads "The King's Flower Crown" with the caption: A gift to the God of the Stage.
After paying, Lia listened to Kush's exaggerated description of the design ideas and didn't pay much attention to them. But now, seeing such a huge and majestic thing in person, she was still deeply shocked.
Is it too late for her to withdraw her share now? Lia held her forehead. But the remaining three were clearly satisfied with the wreath.
Especially Kush, he was seen holding Kento in one hand and Xia Qing in the other, and they all gathered in front of the wreath, posing in various exaggerated poses, and asking Lia to help take pictures.
Lia had no choice but to take the SLR camera that Kento brought with him and press the shutter button one by one.
The flash went on and off—single, double, triple… By the time she finished taking the photos, it had become almost a reflex, and she would look down to check the image on the screen after each shot. Until someone came closer from behind. “So cute—”
A familiar voice suddenly rang out beside her ear. Lia froze, and turning her head, she saw Quan Zhilong standing behind her. The corners of his lips curled up, and his eyes fell on the camera screen in her hand.
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