Chapter Thirty-One: I Also Know a Little About Music.

"Wow, Oppa, you're so handsome!"

"Ming-yan Oppa!"

"Oppa, please make sure you eat well!"

As soon as Ming-yan stepped off the nanny van, he was immediately surrounded by a group of fans who had gotten word of his arrival in advance.

He sometimes truly admired the resourcefulness of these fans; they could manage to get their hands on an artist's schedule or even seat assignments for private flights. Most of them, however, still managed to maintain basic boundaries.

Of course, there were plenty of extreme "sasaeng" fans as well.

Ming-yan was there today to film promotional material. It wasn't officially a public schedule, but the fans had found out anyway.

He pressed his palms together to express his gratitude to them. "I didn't expect you all to come. I'll have you all over for coffee in a bit; just have my manager handle the bill."

Zheng Yuan-long, standing nearby, nodded.

"Reverse fan service"—when an artist treats their fans—is quite important; it helps build a positive image and establishes a good reputation.

Never underestimate the importance of a public persona; at critical moments, it often plays a significant role.

Moreover, Ming-yan was genuinely grateful to his fans. Even if an actor is defined by their work, receiving support and encouragement from strangers is still a beautiful thing.

Only by carrying a heart of gratitude can one ultimately go further.

"Oppa, can you share a TMI for today?" a fan with a round face shouted.

"I've been learning to cook lately, but it's really hard," Ming-yan laughed. "I hope you all eat well, too. Your health is the most important thing, you know?"

"Yes, we know!"

Ming-yan waved at the fans as he walked toward the set.

Zheng Yuan-long first took the fans to buy coffee for everyone before rushing over. Usually, such social interaction is handled by the manager, but Ming-yan was quite proactive and could handle many things himself.

"Director-nim, I'll be in your care today," Ming-yan said, giving a slight bow.

Beyond the advertiser's representatives, there were also the director and the crew in charge of the filming—everyone was someone whose relationship he needed to manage well.

Of course, artists have the right to claim certain privileges, and some even act like divas, but secrets don't stay hidden forever. In an age where the internet is increasingly developed, one might end up exposed online at any moment.

Once a public figure's image has a flaw, the impact is immense.

A good reputation is more precious than gold.

The commercial director smiled. "Ming-yan-xi, you're too polite. I'm sure our collaboration today will be very pleasant."

Zheng Yuan-long went off to coordinate the pre-discussed steps with the other staff members to avoid any unpleasant situations; this was part of a manager's basic duties.

"Alright, everyone to your positions. Let's get started."

***

"Why isn't that guy picking up his phone?"

Kim Ji-soo put her phone down.

Her schedule wasn't busy, and when she found herself with some free time, she wanted to call Ming-yan for a chat, but the call kept going unanswered.

Sigh, that’s how it is being an artist; you never know when the other person is busy.

"Ji-soo Unnie, what are you doing?" A knock suddenly sounded at her door.

If there is one thing YG does well, it is how they pamper their "children." The groups under their label are given top-tier treatment from the moment they debut, with everyone living in a spacious single room in a luxury apartment.

Some boy groups with more members might rent two floors and live separately, but they always ensure everyone has their own room.

(Twice: We really should let you experience the feeling of fighting over a bathroom.)

How can children grow without enduring some hardship?

Spoiling a child is like killing them!

Kim Ji-soo lazily rolled over, dangling her feet as a response. "Chaeyoung-ah, what is it?"

"I have some new inspiration, and I want to play it for you."

"Come in, the door's unlocked."

The door to Kim Ji-soo's room opened. First, a guitar appeared, followed by its owner.

"Ji-soo Unnie, move over a bit." Park Chae-young, whose blonde hair suited her perfectly, was already used to seeing the eldest member of her group sprawled across the bed.

She now deeply understood the meaning of "beautiful and willful."

Kim Ji-soo wiggled her body. "Oh~ why didn't you go play this for Lisa?"

Although Blackpink only had four members, there were still varying degrees of closeness within the group. As the foreigners of the group, Park Chae-young and Lisa were naturally a bit closer, especially during their trainee days.

"Lisa went out to buy some things, and Jennie Unnie went home," Park Chae-young said honestly. "Only the two of us are still in the dorm."

That’s how it is when a group's schedule is light. Compared to the members of Twice, who were busy until they were dizzy, they still had time to go home or go shopping; their days were incredibly comfortable.

The gap between people is sometimes greater than the gap between humans and animals.

"Why do I feel like you're implying that my musical taste is bad?"

Kim Ji-soo happened to be bored, so she was happy to play along with her younger sister.

She had learned one thing from Ming-yan: teasing pretty young girls is fun—very fun.

"Ji-soo Unnie, I didn't say that!" Park Chae-young waved her hands repeatedly.

Kim Ji-soo muttered, "Hmph, anyway, I sing better than someone I know."

"Who is 'someone'?"

"It's... it doesn't matter who it is, at least my singing isn't the absolute worst."

Kim Ji-soo remembered when they were younger, the school organized a singing competition. Ming-yan had confidently dragged her—who didn't like to be in the spotlight at the time—to participate, only for them to become the objects of ridicule.

Im Na-yeon had won first prize, Kim Ji-soo received an excellence award, and that guy got absolutely nothing.

However, ever since then, Kim Ji-soo had become much more confident. How much worse could she be than Ming-yan?

Everyone at school thought so, too.

"Ji-soo Unnie, is it that male..." Park Chae-young started, then made a sharp turn mid-sentence, "...male friend of yours?"

The closeness of the contact between Kim Ji-soo and Ming-yan was something one didn't even need to look for to notice.

Whenever her eldest Unnie was holding her phone, if she wasn't playing games, she was most likely on a video call or a phone call.

"It's him. He sings terribly," Kim Ji-soo said with a look of disdain.

If they weren't close friends, it would be hard to make such a rich variety of expressions.

Park Chae-young's eyes kept darting around. If this Unnie could give such a harsh evaluation, he must truly have some sort of "illness" when it came to singing.

"Alright, hurry up and play."

"Oh~"

Park Chae-young held her guitar and began to build up the mood. But just as she was about to start, Kim Ji-soo's phone suddenly rang.

Sigh, this Unnie really wasn't meant for the atmosphere of music.

"Hello, where the hell were you just now?" The moment Kim Ji-soo spoke, Park Chae-young curiously pricked up her ears.

Ming-yan was equally blunt. "I was filming a commercial. Do you even know what filming a commercial is like?"

"We'll be filming commercials sooner or later, and we'll definitely be better than you."

"Then I'll just quit and wait for you to support me."

"In your dreams."

Park Chae-young stared silently at the ceiling. She really should have been under the bed right about now.