Chapter 18: Minjun, You’re Not a Ship Fan Too, Are You?
Yu Dingyan shook her head helplessly. She and Lin Nalian were good friends, and to some extent, their ways of thinking tended to align.
Her second sister suspected that Mingyan might be targeting her own group members. After all, this guy had quite a record, and all the members of Twice were beauties.
Not counting herself and Nalian, there were still seven others.
Lin Nalian asked, “Am I just being excluded like this?”
“Momo-chan, can I ask you for a favor?” Mingyan bumped fists with Hirai Momo, as if they had reached some unspoken agreement.
“What kind of favor?” Momo asked with a knowing smile.
Mingyan didn’t really think this girl was foolish; it was just difficult to find a better word that captured the overall aura Hirai Momo gave off.
Stereotypes don’t form without reason.
Mingyan pointed to the other side. “Could you help me coach Minhyuk’s dance? Something that works fairly quickly, ideally.”
Kim Minhyuk was the main reason he had come today; the lighthearted banter with a beauty was just a bonus.
“Oppa, dancing isn’t something you can master overnight.”
While Hirai Momo might be playful in other matters, her expression grew serious when it came to dancing.
Passion begets respect.
“Momo-chan, that’s not what I meant,” Mingyan hurriedly clarified. “I just want Minhyuk to understand what dance truly is. Maybe you could also share your own story with her.”
He hoped Kim Minhyuk could grasp the true meaning of being an idol before formally embarking on the trainee path.
The dazzling spotlight was only the surface. Beneath it lay countless days and nights of tears and sweat, exhaustion that demanded a smile on stage no matter what, and the silent endurance and persistence of swallowing one’s pride and pain.
This path was not an easy one.
“I see~ I’ll go have a look,” Momo said, unsure if she fully understood what Mingyan meant, but without hesitation, she took the autograph and went off.
“Momo’s silliness is kind of adorable, don’t you think?” Yu Dingyan’s cold voice sent a chill slowly creeping down Mingyan’s spine.
As he spoke, he rubbed his neck and shoulders. “Of course.”
“Are you really single now?”
---
“Dingyan, just because I patted your butt doesn’t mean anything’s going to happen between us, okay?”
Mingyan’s words made Yu Dingyan’s hands itch again. This guy was so infuriating, she really couldn’t understand how Nalian had been friends with him all these years.
“Who said anything’s going to happen?” Yu Dingyan lowered her voice, afraid the other members might overhear.
“Then why are you so concerned about whether I’m single?”
“Every time you break up, you... never mind, you wouldn’t understand even if I said.”
“Dingyan, there once was someone who liked to leave things half-said, and then she died.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to die.”
Sometimes Yu Dingyan found it hard to reconcile the off-screen Mingyan with the actor she saw on TV, though she thought it was a pity his face wasn’t more widely seen on the big screen.
“Hey, I ran into Seungyeon a few days ago. You two haven’t seen each other in a while, right?” Mingyan was talking about Kong Seungyeon, Yu Dingyan’s older sister and also an actress.
“We’ve been busy with our schedules.”
“She asked me to say hello to you when I saw you.”
Yu Dingyan looked at Mingyan suspiciously. “You and my sister...?”
“I’m single now,” Mingyan coughed lightly. “Also, I have something sincere to say. Want to hear it?”
“Say it if you want.”
“If I had to choose, I’d definitely pursue you. Seungyeon’s not really my type.”
Whether or not he said it, Yu Dingyan knew her backside was indeed quite soft. She was tall and striking, a style Mingyan hadn’t really chased before.
Second sister didn’t waste words and delivered a sharp elbow to him. After getting to know Mingyan well, things were always mixed with truth and lies, reality and pretense, making it impossible to tell what was genuine.
If you start getting curious, you’ve already fallen into the trap.
Yu Dingyan felt responsible for protecting the members, preventing Twice from being infected by the virus brought in by Lin Nalian—especially Hirai Momo.
She had known this girl since high school and had developed some immunity.
Coaching Kim Minhyuk wasn’t easy. Lin Nalian chose to give the young girl a rough overview of what trainee auditions included and helped her build confidence.
Hirai Momo and Kim Minhyuk seemed to be forming a friendship, chatting happily despite their age difference.
They truly were a big and a small one.
“Nalian, how’s Minhyuk doing?”
Mingyan handed Lin Nalian the drink he was holding. It was special, bought with a friend’s tastes in mind, well-known to him.
---
“Minhyuk actually has some ideas. Don’t underestimate your niece,” Lin Nalian said without hesitation, taking a sip. “You didn’t sneak a sip just now, did you?”
“I did.”
Lin Nalian took another sip, smacking her lips. “I think Minhyuk is a bit like Jisoo.”
“Really? I don’t really see it.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t really want us to coach Minhyuk’s singing and dancing, did you?”
Lin Nalian and Mingyan had been friends for over ten years. Even if she hadn’t understood his meaning at first, she now had a pretty good idea.
“My main goal is to let Minhyuk experience the atmosphere of an artist’s life. At fifteen... it’s still too immature to decide your future,” Mingyan said, arms crossed, gazing at the small figure of Kim Minhyuk.
“That’s not very convincing coming from you.”
“I was just rebellious and lucky.”
Lin Nalian smiled and didn’t press further.
In the end, she organized Twice to perform a group dance for Kim Minhyuk and Mingyan, showcasing a new, unreleased song titled “TT,” still in the energetic girl-group style.
It had to be said, nine beautiful girls dancing right before you was truly a spectacle—an endless display of fair, toned legs.
“Hey, don’t go leaking our new song, okay?” Lin Nalian reminded them after the dance.
“Don’t worry. I think your new song will definitely be a hit, at least... top ten.”
“Thanks for the kind words, oppa. Take care,” she said.
Yu Dingyan closed the door and smiled as she patted Kim Minhyuk’s small head before escorting the two out of the practice room.
“Uncle, how do we get out?” Kim Minhyuk still remembered the complicated route they took coming in.
“The back door.”
Mingyan looked heavy-hearted all the way to the car, making Kim Minhyuk very curious.
“Did I perform badly?”
“Minhyuk, you said you were my fan before...”
“Yes.”
“You’re not a CP fan, are you?”