Reboot the heyday

"Really not?"

"It really is, so incredibly real!"

Upon hearing that Jin Yu denied dating GD, Wang Taika's inexplicable displeasure quietly dissipated.

Wang Taika coughed lightly, his face still deliberately stern, looking at Jinyu with a scrutinizing gaze: "Since you're not dating, why are you so concerned about him? You even came to me specifically to ask for his help?"

Goldfish quickly explained, "Dad, it's not what you think. Jiyong oppa... he's actually a really good person, and he's nice to me too. Of course, that's not the reason. The most important thing is that he's really pitiful right now."

“Pitiful? What’s wrong?” Wang Taika raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.

Jin Yu sighed, a hint of pity on her face: "I've been getting a lot of calls from him in the military lately, all because he forced me to. Dad, you know, these things happen when celebrities go to serve in the military, right?"

Wang Taika nodded, confirming his knowledge. He knew about this before. It was an unspoken agreement among female celebrities in South Korea: no matter how late or what they were doing, they had to answer a call from the military, because it determined the life or death of another male celebrity.

This kind of thing has happened to many people around Wang Taika. Whether it's Chong'er, Zhi'en, or Noona, who hasn't received a call from the military? In fact, because of training during the day, the calls often come at night.

What to do? There's nothing we can do.

Wang Taika was indeed annoyed, and he could have simply hung up the phone. However, the consequence would have been that his girlfriend would have lost a friend, and that friend might even have been hurt, which would have only complicated matters further.

Faced with this systemic and large-scale situation, Wang Taika had no way to change it. Sometimes he could even hear male celebrities calling with tearful voices, almost pleading, because they really had no other choice. It was their last straw, so in the end, I could only ignore them.

Anyway, it's just a phone call, a few nice words, nothing else, that's all.

This is not an isolated incident.

No matter how tough you are in public, you still have to obey the rules once you're inside. And in a South Korean military camp where the rules between seniors and juniors are ridiculously strict, it's even more extreme.

Many forms of bullying are invisible, sometimes using methods that don't even seem like bullying. This kind of psychological torture is sometimes more painful than physical torture.

This is the majority of cases, though there are a few exceptions. These include those with a wide fan base, popular even among men, or those who have brought glory to their country and achieved significant honors, commanding respect. However, such individuals are extremely rare in South Korea.

The vast majority of male celebrities have a fan base consisting of young girls, and their style is relatively androgynous. They sing and dance in a timid and awkward manner, which makes them unpopular with boys in general. It would be even more unthinkable if they joined a place like the military, which values ​​tough guys, where they would definitely be subjected to all sorts of abuse.

So it goes without saying that a male celebrity like G-Dragon, with his immense fame and cool stage presence, will inevitably be a focus of attention after his military service. Generally speaking, guys don't appreciate someone who constantly tries to look cool.

Ironically, GD's real personality isn't as tough as it seems; he's actually quite childlike. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he has a naive and vulnerable side. After all, as a music producer, it's precisely because of these emotions that he can create great works.

But all of this turned into a fatal weakness after they entered service.

Jin Yu sighed, "After Jiyong oppa enlisted, because of his fame, he became a target in the army. Although he didn't say it, I found out some things from the sidelines. He was often surrounded and teased by some... well, maybe out of curiosity or maybe out of malice. The worst thing is that it seems like he was even surrounded when he was taking a shower."

Wang Taika's attention, however, was on something else: "How did you know you were being watched while showering?" "Well, sometimes when I get on G-Dragon's phone, his friends and the people around him will tease me. Some of them get so cocky that they start saying all sorts of nonsense. So, I heard some really shocking things." Goldfish grinned.

Upon hearing this, Wang Taika frowned slightly: "And then?"

"And then," Goldfish pursed her lips helplessly, "I've received several calls like that. Sometimes it's late at night, sometimes it's during breaks in recording a show. As soon as I answer, there's a bunch of men on the other end making a ruckus, and GD oppa's voice sounds especially embarrassed and helpless. Those people on the phone ask all sorts of strange questions, or just start jeering."

"How did you handle it?" Wang Taika looked at the goldfish. Although he knew the goldfish wouldn't suffer any loss, he was still subconsciously a little worried.

Goldfish blinked, revealing a sly yet helpless smile: "What can I do? I can't just hang up, can I? That would definitely make Jiyong oppa even more upset. So every time, I pretend to be happy and greet the person on the other end of the phone very warmly, chat with them, joke around, and sometimes even sing a line or two of the group's songs on the phone at their request. In short, I try my best to make the atmosphere harmonious, at least to make Jiyong oppa less embarrassed."

It sounds simple, but it's actually quite difficult. Maintaining a good atmosphere over the phone isn't something a female celebrity can do alone. Sometimes a phone call can last half an hour, and keeping that atmosphere going is exhausting.

In fact, Goldfish did an even better job. She can now even distinguish the voices of several leaders by listening to their voices over the phone.

These ringleaders were probably the main force behind bullying GD, so Goldfish made a point of remembering their voices and tone of voice, as well as some of the things they mentioned. That way, the next time she called, she could casually bring it up, making them feel flattered and honored that "such a female celebrity actually remembered what I said."

Actually, it wasn't just G-Dragon; quite a few male celebrities have called her like that, and Goldfish tries her best to maintain a good relationship with each of them. After all, this is a life-saving situation, not just casual pleasantries.

The goldfish knew what it felt like to be bullied, abused, and disciplined. She used to lack empathy, so she never considered these things. Seeing others suffer didn't truly move her. All her kindness was feigned; not a single bit was genuine.

But in recent years, after her unreliable father suddenly discovered her true identity, gained a completely new life, and started a family, she slowly and belatedly grew up. Or rather, she gradually awakened from being a mere tool, began to understand emotions, and finally began to grasp what empathy truly meant.

Even though I haven't walked the path you came from, I can still feel what you feel, feel what you feel, understand the unspoken words in your silence, and comprehend your joy and sorrow at this moment.

The once aloof and cold-hearted girl now understands what empathy is.

Jin Yu looked at Wang Taika, her eyes filled with trust and reliance—a sense of security she had never felt before. Now, when she encountered trouble, he was the first person she thought of.

"Father, this matter... after all, happened in the military camp." Goldfish actually felt that this was a bit too much. After all, no matter what Wang Taika did, he couldn't affect the army.

In fact, Wang Taika could only nod, so he said, "Well, there is a way."

"Really?" The goldfish looked surprised, then smiled happily: "Then I'm relieved."

Wang Taika asked, "There must be more than one male celebrity who called you for help, right? Why did you only ask me to help him?"

Jin Yu thought for a moment and said, "Maybe in my eyes, Jiyong oppa's personality is more like a child. Every time I hang up the phone, I feel really bad. Oppa is such a proud person, to be treated like this in that kind of environment, to be bullied for such trivial things, I feel so sorry for him."

"Father, I just meant to look after him a little, no special treatment needed, just make sure he's not deliberately made things difficult for him." (End of Chapter)