Exposing someone's shortcomings is a very mean thing to do.
Bae Juhyun's feelings were something Liu Xin'an couldn't guess, but what he could guess was that the girl must not be feeling too good.
Being angry at oneself is always better than fearing oneself. Liu Xin'an took the initiative to say a few more words, but after not getting a response, he smiled and said goodbye, returning to his bedroom to continue editing his vlog.
It wasn't until the sound of the balcony door closing echoed that Bae Juhyun, who had been pouting and silent, lightly sighed.
She could tell that he was deliberately avoiding the previous topic...
Next time... better keep the jokes moderate.
Bae Juhyun, oh Bae Juhyun, you really got too carried away.
———
Editing videos is not easy, but fortunately, he had already completed the script in his mind. After writing the script and refining it, he began the post-recording.
At one thirty in the morning, Liu Xin'an finally finished editing his moving vlog.
He didn't plan to cut out the specific details of the move, only the footage from boarding the plane to landing, and the introduction of his new home.
As for the renovation and all that afterward, it didn't matter much.
Anyway, fans came for his looks, he thought narcissistically.
After setting it to publish on a timer, Liu Xin'an, who had been sitting for more than two hours, yawned tiredly. He wandered into the kitchen, took a beer from the fridge, and casually watched a random video.
It was necessary to occasionally check the output of fellow big creators on the same platform.
Moreover, he had good social connections; he knew many other big creators on the platform.
If he ever met them in person and they found out he had leeched off their content, it wouldn't be good.
After downing a can of beer, Liu Xin'an stretched lazily, ending his "busy" day.
...
Bae Juhyun didn't rest as well today as she had yesterday.
Maybe it was because she got too carried away last night. She didn't sleep until daylight but woke up at six in the morning.
The sound of raindrops hitting the window outside was noisy. Personally, she didn't like rainy days.
They made her mood gloomy.
But since she was already awake, she had no intention of staying in bed.
She had a meeting at the company at nine o'clock. Although she was still on break, she couldn't skip any meetings she had to attend.
At the very least... she didn't want to quit the industry yet.
Even though she felt down, she still had to earn money.
Since she got up early, after washing up, Bae Juhyun tied her hair and went to her kitchen.
These days she had really researched various recipes. Fortunately, her appetite wasn't big, and she was controlling herself. Otherwise, she would have gained quite a bit of weight during these days off.
After making her breakfast, Bae Juhyun carried the plate to the living room, sat cross-legged on the couch, and turned on the TV.
It was time for morning news, but she wasn't interested in the news. She turned on the TV mainly for some background noise while she ate.
After staring at the TV expressionlessly for a while, Bae Juhyun's eyes unintentionally fell on the game console on the TV cabinet.
She had only been playing on her Switch recently, and she had seen the same console at Liu Xin'an's house yesterday.
She put down her spoon and walked to the TV cabinet, taking the Switch out of its dock.
Since it had always been docked, it was fully charged.
But honestly... she played games just to kill time...
Now that she had no time to kill, she casually pressed a few buttons before tossing the console aside and continuing her breakfast.
At eight thirty in the morning, Bae Juhyun appeared in her group's practice room on time.
Except for Park Sooyoung, who was filming, the other three were already there.
Upon Bae Juhyun's entrance, they warmly welcomed her.
"Good morning, Juhyun unnie."
Kang Seulgi was the first to spot Bae Juhyun entering and waved her over with a smile, signaling her to come and sit.
The three girls were sitting side by side, engrossed in something on their phones, and Bae Juhyun curiously peered over.
"What are you watching?"
"Funny videos. Haha, this puppy is so cute."
Nobody hates animal funny videos. Mimicking her three younger sisters, Bae Juhyun sat cross-legged on the floor and covered her mouth, giggling softly.
Bae Juhyun's carefree laughter made the three younger girls keenly sense something different.
What could they say? Ever since the incident where Bae Juhyun "cursed" at the staff, they hadn't seen her laugh so genuinely in a long time.
They knew Bae Juhyun didn't want to talk about the unpleasant events, so they sensibly avoided those topics.
But even without mentioning it, Bae Juhyun had often forced herself to smile before. Having worked together for years, they could read each other's mental state at a glance.
But today was different. Bae Juhyun was truly happy, laughing from her heart.
"In a good mood today?"
Son Seungwan paused the video and couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
Bae Juhyun was taken aback, then pursed her lips and pointed to herself.
"Me? Am I?"
"Yes, I noticed it yesterday. Juhyun unnie, you seem really happy. Did something good happen?"
Though Kang Seulgi hadn't spent much time with Bae Juhyun yesterday, she had detected a hint of something unusual.
How to say... it was just an instinct.
She felt it, though she couldn't explain why.
"Uh... no."
Something good?
Not really. Liu Xin'an had even called her short yesterday.
What could she do about it? Height wasn't something she could change overnight!
"Juhyun unnie, are you in love?"
Kang Seulgi thought for a while and could only come up with this possibility.
The only thing that could lift Bae Juhyun's spirits during such a dark period... might be the thrill of love!
It had been six years since their debut, and Bae Juhyun was almost thirty now. Although the previous incident forced her to take a break, honestly... using this time to sneak in a relationship wouldn't be a bad idea.
Well... as long as she didn't end up with a jerk.
Otherwise, her career might be ruined.
It could even drag them all down.
Of course, Bae Juhyun firmly denied this possibility.
Dating?
Was she crazy?
To date at this time would be like announcing her retirement from the industry at light speed.
"Don't make wild guesses. Where would I meet a guy..."
Even as Bae Juhyun said this, she felt a bit guilty.
If she had to be honest, she had recently met a... pretty nice guy.
But he was two years younger. No! Sibling relationships wouldn't work!
She wasn't the type to take care of people.
Even as she dismissed the idea out loud, Bae Juhyun didn't realize she was already considering the possibility of a relationship with Liu Xin'an.
They had only known each other for... less than three days.
"Are you interested in dating, Juhyun unnie?"
If Bae Juhyun had this intention, they could introduce someone!
"Not considering it. Stop imagining things, we have a meeting soon."
"Tsk, what a pity."
Son Seungwan clicked her tongue in disappointment, drawing a roll of the eyes from Bae Juhyun.
These people just wanted to stir things up! As if she didn't know!
Actually, everyone knew the purpose of this meeting. For now, their comeback was impossible. Bae Juhyun, who was deeply mired in controversy, couldn't appear on TV anytime soon. But outside of TV...
"You all will perform at the family concert, just to test the waters with the fans."
Their manager, Kim, looked at Bae Juhyun sitting to the side and spoke calmly.
This news took Bae Juhyun and the three girls by surprise, and then they all smiled with joy.
"Really, manager?"
"Yes, so practice well these days. Seungwan, your injury..."
"Absolutely fine!"
Son Seungwan quickly raised her hand and stood up, loudly declaring her recovery.
Kang Seulgi and Kim Yerin hugged Bae Juhyun, who was sitting between them, excitedly.
As for Bae Juhyun herself...
She nodded vigorously, eyes slightly red.
"We will work hard!"
"Alright, remember to tell Sooyoung to come back and practice when she has time."
"Got it!"
———
Liu Xin'an, who had slept late, woke up at noon.
The first thing he did was open the food delivery app and look for the restaurant Bae Juhyun had recommended to him yesterday.
One good thing about Liu Xin'an was that he followed up on friends' recommendations.
Whether it was movies, TV shows, or anime.
If a friend recommended it, he would find time to watch it.
This trait made him very popular.
Bae Juhyun's recommendation was no exception; he planned to try it today and then share his thoughts with her.
After all, their conversation had ended a bit awkwardly yesterday. He needed to confirm his new friend's attitude toward him.
After ordering the food, Liu Xin'an finally got out of bed and started to wash off his sleepiness.
By the time he finished washing up, the food hadn't arrived yet.
Not knowing what else to do, Liu Xin'an picked up his phone and started reading comments on his new video.
Hmm... he was very pleased with the viewers' quirky comments this time.
The top comment was a highly repetitive joke.
Honestly, as a creator, he didn't really like to see such unoriginal comments.
Compared to rainbow praise, he preferred unique remarks or comments focusing more on the video itself.
Of course... this was a common flaw among creators, known as... taking blessings for granted.
After liking a few interesting comments, Liu Xin'an leaned back on the couch, touched his belly, and glanced out at the gloomy sky.
It was raining...
... it was raining? He hadn't brought in the lounge chair he left on the balcony!
Suddenly realizing this, Liu Xin'an jumped up reflexively and hurried to his bedroom.