Peninsula: Who taught him to make that connection?!

Chapter 25 You're a Good Person

Kim Tae-yeon's pupils suddenly contracted.

It was as if there was a time key in front of me, which unexpectedly unlocked the time ten years ago.

Those memories that had faded in her dreams now surged into the depths of her soul like a burst dam.

"Don't try to be one of the nine thousand people."

"If it were me, I would applaud you."

—In the waiting room of the 2004 audition, the boy sat next to her with a smile. The sun was shining brightly, and even the smile in his eyes had a comforting warmth. It was the first ray of light she caught when she was isolated and helpless in Seoul.

"Don't try to jump over it directly. First, let your waist and body adapt to the rhythm of your shoulders."

"Looks like the floor has lost a lovely opponent tonight."

In the small practice room, she fell down again and again in a sorry state. The boy, who called himself a "genius teacher", helped her break down the dance and gradually soothed her anxiety and grievances, pulling the clumsy girl who was hovering on the edge of elimination back to the stage.

"Kim Tae-yeon, well done."

The person who truly deserves all the applause today is yourself. Remember to thank yourself.

—Colorful fireworks rained down overhead, and the sparklers on the strawberry cake hissed and sparkled. A gentle boy smiled, raised his hand, his palm heavy with an irresistible weight, and softly ruffled her hair. In the dim light, he whispered, "Taeyeon, close your eyes."

With that youthful, chaotic heartbeat, countless fragments intertwined and reassembled in my mind.

That selection card, number 214, was warmed by the boy's smile;

That yellowed sticky note with an ugly smiling face drawn on it, pasted in the corner of the mirror;

That photo, capturing the joy and happiness of the two of them, was forever frozen in time by a digital camera;

And that premium recording studio pass, still warm from the heat of his palm.

None of this is a mere dream!

It wasn't a hallucination caused by excessive stress!

It's a real life story that actually happened!

"That's right, his name is Jiang Tang!"

The figure in the dream, whose features were blurred by the mist, finally had its most crucial piece pieced together, like a jigsaw puzzle that had been scattered on the ground.

Everything suddenly became clear!

The sixteen-year-old boy had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and was handsome and dashing.

He stood under the spotlight in the end-of-month review section, dancing wildly like a blazing fire amidst the astonished gazes of everyone.

Sliding steps, turning around, raising eyes—every movement touched her heart.

He was flamboyant, confident, and incredibly radiant.

He entered her world gently, and then left an indelible mark on her heart in a dazzling way.

"Jiang Tang...it's Jiang Tang..."

Kim Tae-yeon's body trembled violently, and tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision instantly.

"I'm such a hopeless idiot... How could I forget you..."

A tremendous mix of sorrow and the overwhelming joy of regaining what she had lost collided violently in her chest, almost drowning her heart.

These days, she always feels like there's an empty space in her heart, like she's always searching for something.

It turns out that she had lost the boy who had once lit up the sky with stars in her life.

"Taeyeon noona?"

Byun Baekhyun's voice, tinged with excitement, rang out in front of him.

He walked briskly from the end of the corridor.

He had been looking forward to these few minutes alone with great joy, but when he got closer, he found Kim Tae-yeon standing there blankly, as if she had lost her soul.

"Noona, what's wrong with you?!"

Byun Baekhyun's heart tightened, and he hurriedly ran to Kim Tae-yeon.

He reached out, instinctively wanting to touch her shoulder, wanting to pull this seemingly frail girl into his arms.

However, Kim Tae-yeon reacted as if she had been electrocuted, and took a step back abruptly.

Byun Baekhyun's expression froze instantly.

Kim Tae-yeon raised her head, her eyes now frighteningly red, staring intently at Byun Baek-hyun through her blurry, tear-filled eyes.

Baekhyun felt uneasy under her gaze, and his hand, which had been hovering in mid-air, froze awkwardly. "Noona...did someone bully you? Or are you feeling unwell? Don't scare me..."

Kim Tae-yeon remained silent, only looking at him with a complicated expression.

Looking at his fair and clean face, at his slightly drooping eyes, and at the nonchalant air about him when he smiled...

At that moment, an indescribable sense of sorrow and absurdity suddenly welled up in Kim Tae-yeon's heart.

She finally understood why, among so many outstanding men, she had developed a slight liking for Byun Baekhyun.

She finally understood why she always felt a strange sense of warmth and excitement whenever she saw Byun Baekhyun smile.

It's not because Byun Baekhyun is anything special.

It wasn't because she had actually fallen in love.

It's because... he looks like...

From certain angles, the youthful spirit he inadvertently revealed bore a striking resemblance to Jiang Tang.

She was constantly searching through Byun Baekhyun's eyes for the shadow buried by time in her subconscious.

How ridiculous.

How tragic.

No wonder her body instinctively resisted when Byun Baekhyun tried to take her hand in the underground parking garage that day.

Because at that moment, her heart made the choice before her reason.

Byun Baekhyun is not Jiang Tang.

From beginning to end, she only ever saw Byun Baekhyun as a substitute for Kang Tang.

"Taeyeon noona... what's wrong with you?"

As Byun Baekhyun watched Kim Tae-yeon's constantly shifting gaze, he felt a profound sense of unease, and a powerful feeling of panic gripped his heart.

He had a premonition that something was relentlessly slipping through his fingers.

Kim Tae-yeon took a deep breath and wiped away all her tears.

Her eyes gradually became clear and firm, with a hint of apology, yet also carrying an insurmountable sense of distance.

"I'm sorry, Baekhyun."

Kim Tae-yeon spoke slowly, each word sounding like it was mixed with razor blades.

"We're not a good match."

These five words struck Byun Baekhyun like a bolt from the blue, leaving him completely stunned.

He stood there, stunned, his mind blank.

A few seconds later, Byun Baekhyun seemed to realize what was happening, his face turned deathly pale, and even his voice sounded pleading.

"Noona...you...you're joking, right?"

Byun Baekhyun stepped forward, trying to grab Kim Tae-yeon's wrist. "Have I been bothering you these past few days? Or was I too abrupt in the car the other day?"

"Noona, did I do something wrong? Tell me, I can change! I can change anything!"

Kim Tae-yeon shook her head, gently avoiding Byun Baek-hyun's hand.

"Baekhyun, you did nothing wrong."

Byun Baekhyun took a step forward urgently, trying to grab Kim Tae-yeon's wrist again.

Kim Tae-yeon stepped back again, widening the distance between them.

Her eyes were calm yet cruel.

"But some things are wrong from the start."

These words shattered the last glimmer of hope in Byun Baekhyun's heart.

He stood there, dejected, looking at Kim Tae-yeon's resolute face, feeling like a prisoner sentenced to death, his chance to appeal ruthlessly taken away.

Why is fate so cruel to me? I felt like I was just one step away!

Byun Baekhyun was heartbroken.

Kim Tae-yeon bowed slightly, as a senior's last act of courtesy to a junior.

"Baekhyun, you're a good person, really."

She turned around and walked past him without hesitation.

Without a trace of lingering attachment, without a trace of hesitation.

"Nuna..."

Byun Baekhyun's hand fell limply to his side. His pride in his charm, and his self-perceived natural ambiguity, became a complete joke at this moment.

At that moment, Kim Tae-yeon had no time to care about the heartbroken boy behind her.

She lifted the hem of her beige trench coat, put on her high heels, and started running down the tvN corridor.

At first she walked briskly, then she jogged, and finally, she disregarded her idol demeanor and whether any staff members would see her, and started running wildly down the corridor.

There was only one thought in her mind.

lounge!

Jiang Tang is in the lounge!

"Bang, bang, bang..."

With her heart pounding in her ears, Kim Tae-yeon felt as if she had returned to that night when she was fifteen. She stood on tiptoe, closed her eyes, and waited for Kang Tang's kiss.

"Jiang Tang..."

Finally, Kim Tae-yeon saw the closed door to the lounge at the end of the corridor.

Without any hesitation or even knocking, she stretched out her hands and pushed the door open forcefully!

"Bang--!"

The door slammed against the wall with a dull thud.

Inside the lounge, Jiang Tang was leisurely holding a glass of water, just bringing it to his lips.

Hearing the muffled sound, he subconsciously looked up and his gaze met that of the woman standing at the door with red eyes.

"puff!"

Jiang Tang almost spat out the large mouthful of water he had just drunk.