bdsm-fiction Chapter 27 Kim Min-jung's Tour Guide Tactics
Chapter 27 Kim Min-jung's Tour Guide Tactics
"Alright, let's go. If we don't leave soon, the practice department staff will kick us out." Jiang Yan, holding Kim Min-jung's backpack in one hand and a bag in the other, turned and walked towards the door.
Kim Minjung immediately grabbed Yoo Jimin and followed, chattering away as she began to ask what they were having for lunch. But when she saw the staff member outside the door, her little mouth snapped shut, and she instinctively straightened her back. She only breathed a sigh of relief and stuck out her tongue after the staff member had walked away.
I walked out of the SM building.
Jiang Yan took them to a Korean restaurant hidden in an alley behind the SM building. There was no conspicuous signboard, and the words "Today's Set Meal" were written in chalk at the entrance.
Stepping inside reveals a hidden world: warm yellow lighting, wooden tables and chairs, and walls covered with photos of the boss and artists, from H.O.T. to Girls' Generation to EXO—virtually half of SM Entertainment's unofficial history.
"This restaurant has been open since SM Entertainment was still in Apgujeong. The owner is a veteran manager who retired from the company, and their army stew is the best in the area." Kang Yeon led the two to a seat by the window and handed them the menu. "Order whatever you like, it's on me."
Kim Minjung took the menu and huddled together with Yoo Jimin, whispering and choosing for a long time.
Liu Zhimin was a little reserved at first, but she gradually opened up as Kim Minjun kept pointing to the names of the dishes and asking for her opinion.
In the end, the two decided to order a budae jjigae (army stew) and a tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes). Kang Yeon also added two servings of kimchi pancakes and a bowl of soybean paste soup.
After ordering, Jiang Yan went to the freezer and took three cans of drinks, placing them on the table.
"Where is Liu Zhimin from?" Jiang Yan asked casually while drinking his beverage.
"I'm from Suwon, Gyeonggi Province." Yoo Jimin held the drink in both hands, her fingers unconsciously twirling the cup. "I just passed the weekend audition last week and got my access pass this week. Today is my first time practicing at the company."
"Suwon isn't far, much closer than Yangsan." Kang Yeon glanced at Kim Minjung. "This little guy comes from Yangsan, and it takes him almost three hours every time he takes the KTX."
"Minjung just told me," Yoo Jimin continued, turning her head to smile at Kim Minjung. "She told me that the sea in Busan is especially beautiful, and it makes me want to go. She also said she would take me to Gwangalli to see the night view."
Hearing this, Jiang Yan suppressed a laugh and said, "Then you'd better be mentally prepared. This girl only has one routine when she's a tour guide: first, go to Haeundae to walk on the sand for half an hour, then go to Jagalchi to eat seafood for an afternoon, and finally go to Gwangalli to see the bridge for ten minutes. She's in charge of eating the whole time, and you're in charge of carrying the stuff."
"Hey! Oppa!! What are you talking about? You're making me lose face." Kim Minjung slapped his arm, her face flushed.
Liu Zhimin was amused by the two of them and covered her mouth to laugh. Her previous restraint disappeared completely in the laughter.
When the army stew was served, the pot was still bubbling away, with rice cakes, tofu, sausages, and ramen noodles tumbling in the bright red broth. The aroma of the hot sauce, carried by the steam, filled the entire table.
Jiang Yan reached out and picked up the bowl in front of Kim Minjung, first filling it with cheese and sausage, then picked up Yoo Jimin's bowl.
Liu Zhimin quickly reached out to take it, saying, "Kang Yeon oppa, I can do it myself!"
"It's alright." Jiang Yan had already placed the full bowl steadily in front of her, considerately avoiding her hand on the rim. "I told you not to be polite. In the future, you two should look out for each other at the company. Min Zheng is a carefree girl, so please keep an eye on her."
Looking at the steaming army stew in front of her, Liu Zhimin felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
She gently bit her lip and whispered, "Thank you, Kang Yeon oppa. I will."
Kim Minjung, her cheeks bulging, mumbled, "Jimin unnie, my oppa's fried egg toast is also delicious. I'll bring it to the office for you next time in the morning."
Jiang Yan glanced at her helplessly, about to complain that all she did was eat, when his gaze inadvertently swept over the top of Liu Zhimin's head, and his fingertips paused slightly.
He subconsciously relaxed his senses by a little.
Liu Zhimin's body didn't have many complicated colors; the most eye-catching thing was a bright, tender yellow mist on her chest, just like Jin Minzheng's.
But at the edge of that pale yellow mass, there was a very faint orange halo, like the color of the outer flame of a fire, giving it a calm yet undeniable resilience.
The orange light wasn't intense, but it was solid, like charcoal burning underground. You couldn't see the temperature on the surface, but if you got close, you could almost feel the persistent warmth.
Jiang Yan withdrew his gaze and nodded silently in his heart.
He is a reliable person.
This meal took almost an hour to finish.
Kim Minjung and Yoo Jimin went from politely sharing food to fighting over the same rice cake and drinking from the same bowl of soup, their chatter never stopping.
After finishing their meal, Jiang Yan got up to pay the bill. Kim Minjung suddenly grabbed Yoo Jimin's hand, turned around, and called out to him, "Oppa!"
"Um?"
"Jimin unnie and I are going back to the main practice room to practice!"
Jiang Yan glanced at his watch; it was already 12:40.
He was about to say, "I'll take you up," when Kim Minjung immediately interrupted, "You go ahead and do your thing, the two of us are enough. We'll keep each other accountable and practice hard!"
Before she finished speaking, she grabbed Liu Zhimin and ran towards the door.
Liu Zhimin was still clutching the tissue she hadn't used to wipe her mouth when she was pulled so hard she stumbled. As she ran, she turned back and waved to Jiang Yan, her face showing a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
Jiang Yan looked at the energetic little figure and couldn't help but smile.
Just a few hours ago, she was huddled in the corner of the practice room, too shy to even greet her seniors. Now, she's already dragging along friends she'd only known for less than a morning, rushing headlong into the company.
He's still the same carefree Kotaro.
He took the change from the shopkeeper and quickly followed, saying, "Wait for me, I'll see you to the door."
It only takes three minutes to walk back to the SM building from the alley.
The midday sun shone directly down from above. Kim Minjung and Yoo Jimin walked ahead, their heads close together, whispering something, with occasional bursts of clear laughter.
Jiang Yan followed behind, carrying Kim Minjung's backpack and the light pink gift bag, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the bag's handle.
I'll wait until I get home tonight to receive Tiffany's gift; now isn't the right time.
After seeing them to the revolving glass door, Jiang Yanchong and the other woman waved goodbye, saying, "Message me after you finish practicing tonight, and I'll come pick you up."
"Okay, okay!" Kim Minjung waved without turning his head, grabbed Yoo Jimin, and ran inside. After running a few steps, he suddenly turned back and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Oppa, I'll be practicing very late today, so don't rush me. Also, Jimin unnie and I are going to the cafeteria for dinner, so you don't need to wait for me!"
Jiang Yan nodded, watching the two girls disappear behind the revolving door before entering the building.
The elevator goes directly to the fifth floor.
The work in the afternoon was simple, yet important.
Kenzie had already had the unused small recording studio on the fifth floor cleaned up. A temporary white nameplate was pasted on the frosted glass door, with the words "Jiang Yan" written on it in black marker.
Pushing open the door, the space is not large, only a dozen square meters, but it has all the necessary equipment.
A 2015 27-inch iMac, a pair of Yamaha HS8 monitor speakers, an M-Audio MIDI keyboard, and several pieces of dark gray sound-absorbing cotton nailed to the wall.
Although it wasn't as luxurious as Studio One, it was enough for him.
Jiang Yan placed the gift bag on the cabinet in the corner, put on his monitoring headphones, and sat down in front of the mixing console.