Reboot the heyday

"um, yes."

Yuri didn't know how to give a proper answer, so she just gave this perfunctory reply.

Wang Taika nodded slightly, though he seemed somewhat indifferent. His gaze inadvertently swept over Yuan Ying, who had been sitting quietly to the side with her head down.

The girl's overly tense posture and downcast eyes seemed somewhat different from the image of the "thoughtful" younger sister that Jin Yu occasionally mentioned in his memory. But he didn't think much of it, assuming that the child was just shy or tired from filming.

Yuan Ying was completely oblivious to all of this, lost in her own thoughts. Everything that had just happened flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern. Wang Taika's power to casually decide the course of someone's career, and the sense of security protected by that power, had taken deep root in her young heart like a seed.

The tendrils of envy and jealousy seemed to tighten their grip even more until she finally sensed a gaze upon her. She quietly raised her head to look at the gaze Wang Taika had cast upon her, and for a moment, she didn't know how to react.

However, Wang Taika only noticed Yuan Ying because of the goldfish, without giving it any further thought, and looked away to continue talking to Yuri.

Yuan Ying pursed her lips, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She knew that her future path would likely require more effort than she had imagined, and that she would need to seize more opportunities.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Wang Taika asked.

"Um, yeah. What have you been busy with lately?" Yuri was actually waiting for Wang Taika to ask a question before answering. But since Wang Taika suddenly said this, she could only ask this random question.

Wang Taika found it somewhat amusing to watch Yuri's ever-changing expressions, from stunned to conflicted, and even a hint of suspicious blush.

"Hey, Yuri, I think I called you by your nickname before, what was it again?" Wang Taika couldn't remember, and in fact, he hadn't called you that nickname many times. It was only because of what happened today that he remembered.

There's a saying that there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names. So what was my impression of Yuri back then? I can't quite remember.

In fact, the nickname did exist, but Wang Taika rarely mentioned it to Yuri. However, Yuri was a thoughtful person, or rather, she did have a somewhat calculating side. So after Wang Taika rose to prominence and caught Yuri's attention, she herself paid attention to everything that happened between the two of them.

Of course, you could say Yuri is scheming, and that's not entirely wrong. She's never been the innocent, naive type. In fact, because of her plummeting popularity after her debut, she always seemed to harbor a lot of resentment during her time with Girls' Generation.

Upon hearing Wang Taika's words, Yuri naturally gave her answer: "Kwon So-dae."

Wang Taika didn't have high hopes; he just asked casually, but to his surprise, Yuri actually gave a detailed answer.

Unless it's through memory... that's outdated. To put it another way, memories are only buried deep, not forgotten. Many things are just waiting for a trigger to bring them back.

The nickname "Kwon Siu-Dai" was like a trigger point. When Yuri mentioned it, it was as if a switch had been flipped, and Wang Tai-Ka was suddenly reminded of many memories.

It's not that these memories have been forgotten, but rather that the details of them have become blurred. Now, they are clear again, and the feelings of the past seem to resonate with them in this moment.

"Oh!" Wang Taika suddenly remembered.

That chaotic scene was ruined by Yuri's various misbehaviors; she intended to help but ended up making things worse.

Yuri, unaware of the situation, thought she had done a great favor and gave Wang Taika a particularly proud look, as if to say: How about that? With me, Yuri, on the job, I'm worth two people!
This guy had such an innocent and proud look on his face, and he was even kind of adorably silly. Wang Taika was so angry that he laughed.

Wang Taika thought to himself, "There should only be two idiots in this world. One is Sun Wukong calling Zhu Bajie 'You idiot!' and the other is Yuri right now. Okay, from now on your code name is 'Kwon the Idiot.'" (Part 2, Chapter 68)
However, in reality, Wang Taika only called Yuri "Kwon So-dae" once.

Wang Taika agreed to meet with Yuri, but stood her up three times in a row, finally making Yuri so angry that she snapped. She deliberately asked Wang Taika if he still recognized her, implying that he had completely forgotten her.

To ease the awkwardness, Wang Taika said, "Kwon Siu-dai!" (Volume 2, Chapter 307)
The only time he actually called out to someone was that one time. It's just that they didn't have many opportunities to meet, so Wang Taika remembered.

What surprised Wang Taika was that Yuri still remembered a joke he made so long ago.

This isn't something I call "Ji-eun-chan" or "Chung-er" every day. I've known Yuri for so long, and I've thought about it a lot, but it seems like it's only been that one time I've actually called her that!
So when Wang Taika realized this, he looked at Yuri and said, "You actually remember?"

“Yeah.” Yuri looked at Wang Taika as if it were the most natural thing in the world, without realizing what it meant to come over.

Wang Taika said, "That happened a long time ago, I think I only said that once. What, are you still holding a grudge?"

"W-What's wrong? No, nothing!" Yuri was genuinely stunned this time, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She snapped back to reality, her cheeks flushed red, and she hurriedly waved her hands in denial, so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

The "holding a grudge" thing was probably a joke, but what Yuri was really worried about was whether Wang Taika would think she was deliberately trying to curry favor. Remembering someone's joke for so long did make her seem a bit subservient.

Seeing her flustered state, Wang Taika finally couldn't help but chuckle. He rarely saw Yuri show such a genuine and slightly silly side, which was much more lively and interesting than her usual distant respect and idol-like smile.

"Alright, don't be nervous." Wang Taika's tone softened, and he pointed to the seat next to him: "Sit down and talk, aren't you tired of standing?"

Yuri sat down as instructed, but she was still a little awkward, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

This gesture might seem a bit affected on someone else. But Yuri seems to think it's normal; after all, she's Kwon Yuri, and she is indeed a bit silly.

Don't fans usually just call him "idiot"? Wang Taika's portrayal of Kwon Xiaodai is actually saving face for Yuri.

Wang Taika sat down in the chair next to her, relaxed, and looked at the sea in the distance, which was dyed red by the sunset. His voice also calmed down: "I know you are not happy in SM, and I know that you have been under a lot of pressure because of some of your previous choices, including siding with me."

Yuri was slightly taken aback, not expecting Wang Taika to suddenly bring this up. But then again, that guy's topics always jumped around.

“Sometimes I can be quite a jerk, and I don’t hesitate to use people.” Wang Taika chuckled self-deprecatingly. “It would be a lie to say I had no ulterior motives when I helped you back then. But things always change after doing things together for a long time and getting to know each other for a while.”

Quan Xiaodai nodded thoughtfully, but her mind was actually blank. She had no idea what Wang Taika was trying to express by suddenly becoming so formal.

Wang Taika turned to look at Yuri, his eyes no longer sharp as usual, but rather sincere: "I'm not some saint, but I know what it means to be one of our own. You're reliable, grateful, and you've never done anything underhanded. That's enough for me. So, don't always put yourself in a position of 'being grateful.' Relax. If you have any difficulties in the future, just tell me, and I won't refuse to help if I can."

These words weren't exactly warm and sentimental; in fact, they were quite blunt and realistic. But it was precisely this undisguised honesty that struck a chord with Yuri's most vulnerable spot. She had always felt that Wang Taika might just be using her, so she was constantly filled with anxiety.

I never imagined that one day Wang Taika would so clearly define the concept of "one of us" and include her in that category.

Yuri remembered Wang Taika's casual remark to this day; that's enough. (End of Chapter)