Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 608 Train to Busan (Sense of Participation) 6k
The holiday has begun, and the members have all left one after another, making the dormitory seem somewhat empty and quiet.

Kim Dong-won woke up from her sleep, slowly dragged herself out of the bedroom, and habitually called out to the room, "Jimin unnie."

Normally, if Liu Zhimin is in the dormitory, even in her own room, she will respond when she hears a sound.

But today, only silence answered her.

Kim Dong-won frowned slightly. She walked straight to Yoo Jimin's room and gently knocked on the door: "Unnie? Are you resting?"

There was still no movement inside.

A hint of doubt rose in Jin Dongtian's heart.

Didn't Jimin unnie say she was "going out to play"? And yesterday she specifically asked unnie about her plans, and unnie vaguely said, "Going to the beach with an unnie I know," or "Maybe we'll just go to the beach for a bit?"

Did Unnie already set off so early?
We were packing our luggage together in the dorm last night.

Jin Dong tried to turn the doorknob and found that the door was not locked.

She pushed open the door—the room was tidy but not really clean, but a feeling of emptiness washed over her, as many items on the dressing table had disappeared.

My usual water cup and skincare products are gone.

"Heh..." Jin Dongtian leaned against the door and let out a soft hum that was hard to understand, his lips unconsciously pursing up.

She recalled her conversation with Yoo Jimin at the end of yesterday's practice, and felt that Yoo Jimin's answer was evasive and her eyes were wandering.

Kim Dong-won knows Yoo Ji-min too well; she must not be telling the truth.

She definitely wasn't telling the truth!
Jin Dongtian seemed to have thought of something, and at this moment he felt very confident.

"Unnie, oh unnie..." Kim Dong-won murmured to himself, his gaze falling on the empty headboard.

Yesterday, Liu Zhimin specifically asked her about her holiday plans, and she replied, "Maybe I'll go home?"

I never expected that she would slip away so completely and so quickly without a word. Her act of keeping it from me and being wary of me was all too obvious.

Jin Dong stood in Liu Zhimin's empty room for a while. The feeling of being guarded against and deliberately concealed was like fine sand rubbing against the walls of her heart, bringing a slight sting and a strange sense of excitement.

A mix of resentment, voyeurism, and intense interest instantly gripped her.

Is Unnie planning a secret date? Wanting to get away from everyone, especially herself, and enjoy some alone time together?
Jin Dongtian's lips slowly, very slowly curved into a meaningful arc.

Her eyes darted around, and she immediately called Quan Xuanhe.

"Oppa, we're on vacation! I'm back in Busan now!" Kim Dong-won's voice was deliberately lighthearted, with a slight upward inflection at the end.

Are you coming to Busan?

Kim Dong-won was able to guess that Yoo Jimin was on a date with Kwon Hyun-hyuk, but she didn't know that the two were in Busan.

Busan?

Quan Xuanhe looked out at the sea.

He is currently in Busan.

Quan Xuanhe felt that Jin Dongtian didn't have any bad intentions; all he had were clever little tricks that he found quite interesting, and they even unintentionally helped him.

Although there are some clever tricks, they don't do him any harm.

If he weren't with Liu Zhimin, he might have agreed, but the problem is he is with Liu Zhimin. How could he possibly agree? Liu Zhimin insisted on jumping up and covering his mouth with her big eyes.

"It's probably nothing."

"Oh! By the way, my family is preparing lots of delicious food while I'm on vacation, including some specialties from Liangshan. Did you like them last time, oppa?"

"He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's money is bound to him," which left Quan Xuanhe speechless.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk was just about to politely refuse Kim Dong-il again when he was only halfway through his sentence:
"...It's probably nothing..."

Just then, a highly excited and easily recognizable female voice could be clearly heard in the background on the other end of the phone:
"Oppa, look! This is a perfect view of Guang'an Lane!"

A brief silence fell on both ends of the phone call, as if even the air itself had frozen.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk: "..."

Busan, Gwangalli?!
On the other end of the phone, Jin Dongtian gripped his phone, his heart leaping in his throat.

That voice just now... clear and cheerful, it was definitely Yoo Jimin unnie's voice! And she mentioned "Gwanganri"!
Guanganli Bridge!
Busan!

All the clues instantly connected in Jin Dongtian's mind.

Yesterday, Unnie's vague mention of "the beach" has vanished early today, and Kwon Hyeon-hyuk's previous possible rejection... they really are on a date in Busan! And right there at the famous Haeundae Beach.

A barely suppressed sense of excitement, a feeling of "catching them red-handed" and "just as I expected," welled up in Jin Dongtian's heart.

Her grip on the phone tightened slightly, and the corners of her mouth almost uncontrollably turned up.

Just as Quan Xuanhe's brain was racing, trying to figure out how to smooth things over, Jin Dongtian's slightly mocking yet seemingly enlightened voice rang out, completely blocking his way out of the pretense.

“Oh my! Guanganli?” She deliberately drew out her words, full of the naivety of an “accidental discovery,” but the end of her voice carried a hint of certainty.

"Oppa, you and Jimin unnie are in Gwangalli, Busan right now? What a coincidence! I'm in Busan too! Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Quan Xuanhe suddenly felt a sense of unspoken pressure and helplessness.

Jin Dongtian not only recognized Liu Zhimin's voice, but also accurately identified the key place name "Guang'anli".

Her feigned surprise and "What a coincidence!" practically screamed "I've figured it out!"

It's impossible to refuse again; doing so would seem too deliberate and could easily cause further trouble.

He knew Jin Dongtian's personality well; if he didn't satisfy this little trick, he'd probably get teased later, especially in this "caught red-handed" situation.

There was a moment or two of silence on the other end of the phone. Jin Dongtian didn't urge him, but just waited quietly. This invisible pressure only made things worse.

In the end, Quan Xuanhe could only let out a very faint sigh, one that he himself was unaware of, a helpless sigh after being exposed.

Liu Zhimin, you really know how to choose your moments. Now even if I want to spend some time alone with you, I can't.

"...Ahem, um, yes. I just got off the highway not long ago." He gave up on concealing the location, but did not mention Liu Zhimin.

"You're in Busan too...?"

"Yes!"

Golden winter instantly burst into an incomparably joyful sound, as if the "discovery" just now was really just an unexpected coincidence.

"Yeah, I'm going home for vacation. Busan is my turf!"

She gave Quan Xuanhe no chance to catch his breath or make excuses, immediately pressing her advantage with a warm tone that carried an uncompromisingly coquettish undertone.

"I'm on my way back to Busan. Oppa really liked that Yangsan specialty last time, didn't he? I'll ask my mom to prepare some more!"

"Oppa, can you come over to my house for dinner tonight?"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk felt a headache coming on. Kim Dong-dong's enthusiastic invitation to be a "Busan tour guide" was a barrage of tempting food, local specialties, and "mom's good intentions," all seamlessly connected.

She's incredibly eloquent.

"Then shall I go with Zhimin?"

There was no other way. He hadn't forgotten to bring Liu Zhimin along. If he abandoned her again, she would be furious.

"Send me your location, and we'll head over there."

"Okay! It's settled then! Oppa and Jimin unnie, wait a moment, I'll send you my location right away, you have to come~ It's super delicious."

Jin Dongtian responded very enthusiastically, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement and a hint of smug satisfaction at his successful plan. He hung up the phone decisively.

"Beep...beep...beep..."

Jin Dongtian hung up the phone with satisfaction, swiped her finger across the screen, and sent her home address to Quan Xuanhe without hesitation.

Seeing the message on the screen indicating successful delivery, Jin Dongtian could no longer suppress the smug smile on his face; his mouth was practically stretched to his ears.

Those eyes, which always seemed innocent and pure, now gleamed with a cunning and excited light.

"As expected!" Jin Dongtian narrowed his eyes, a hint of smugness in his expression.

She still managed to discover Liu Zhimin and Xuanhe oppa's whereabouts; she's just too clever and wise.

The feeling of "catching" someone and successfully inserting them into the plan was exhilarating; she felt there was nothing more satisfying than this.

Unnie wants to secretly enjoy some alone time with her? No way!
Jin Dongtian even felt a sense of pleasure from his successful prank, tinged with a little bit of "revenge".

Kim Dong-dong almost burst out laughing at the thought that Yoo Ji-min might be in her suite in Haeundae right now, looking furious and frustrated.

She could almost picture the expression on Unnie's delicate face—her eyes would be wide open, and her lips would probably be pouting as she complained incessantly.
However, despite his triumph, Jin Dongtian didn't forget his main task.

She immediately turned away from the empty doorway of Liu Zhimin's room, and strode towards her own bedroom.
Jin Dongtian's voice was clear and a little urgent, "Mom, we have guests coming tonight, very important guests! Prepare lots of good food, especially... Liangshan specialties! Yes, the kind that Xuanhe oppa really liked last time!"

As she spoke rapidly to her mother on the other end of the phone, she flung open the wardrobe door and began hurriedly packing her clothes.

She deftly pulled out a few of her most frequently worn and comfortable clothes from inside. She tossed the clothes out of the closet and spread them out on the bed without even having time to fold them.

"I'll be home soon," Jin Dongtian confirmed on the phone. "Make sure you're all ready, Mom, don't mess it up!"

After hanging up the phone with his mother, Jin Dongtian locked his suitcase with a "click".

She straightened up, glanced around the somewhat messy bedroom, and took a deep breath.

Alright, let's go!
Jin Dong pulled up the handle of his suitcase and left the dormitory without looking back, not even remembering to close the door to Liu Zhimin's bedroom.

"Where to go?"

Ning Yizhuo looked at Jin Dongtian, who was about to leave in a swift and decisive manner, and asked with a puzzled expression. "Go home."

Jin Dongtian casually tossed out a sentence, then excitedly left the dormitory.

Watching her leave the dormitory, Ning Yizhuo couldn't help but sigh, feeling quite envious.

She also wants to go home, but the domestic control measures are strict now, and a round trip would involve almost a month of quarantine, which is too costly in terms of time.

Let's just stay here.

And what about Liu Zhimin, the one who started it all?

Liu Zhimin was excitedly leaning against the window, tracing the graceful curve of the Guang'an Bridge in the distance with her finger. Sunlight shone on her face, reflecting her anticipation for their holiday together.

She had even started planning where to take Xuanhe oppa for a stroll later.

Before the smile on her face could fade, she turned around in confusion and heard Quan Xuanhe seemingly talking on the phone with someone.

She only saw him standing a few steps away, holding his phone, pinching his brow helplessly with his fingers. A very subtle, but noticeable, hint of helplessness flashed across his handsome face.

The dial tone of the phone being disconnected sounded particularly jarring in the suite, leaving only the gentle background sound of waves lapping against the beach.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk held his phone, his face showing a mixture of helplessness.

Liu Zhimin turned away from the sea view in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at Quan Xuanhe with a blank expression.

She was so caught up in the joy of arriving in Busan and the wonder of the sea view that she didn't pay attention to the details of the conversation, even though she heard Kwon Seonhyuk on the phone. He was speaking in a low voice and had his back to her.

It wasn't until she saw his expression that Liu Zhimin realized something was wrong.

"What's wrong, oppa?" Yoo Jimin tilted her head, her clear eyes filled with confusion, looking as innocent as a fawn.

"Whose call was that? Why do you look like that?"

Seeing that Yoo Ji-min was completely unaware of what was going on, Kwon Hyun-hyuk felt even more helpless; he felt like he was swallowing a bitter pill.

He took a deep breath, as if he were about to announce some terrible news.

"It's... Minjung's call."

"Minjung?" Liu Zhimin was taken aback, and her brows furrowed involuntarily with a hint of defensiveness.

"Why is she calling? Isn't she on vacation?"

"She said she went back to Busan, and then... asked if I wanted to come visit her in Busan. She said her family had prepared some local specialties from Liangshan and asked if I liked them..."

Quan Xuanhe observed Liu Zhimin's reaction as he spoke.

At first, Liu Zhimin was simply puzzled, but when she heard "Liangshan specialty," she instinctively rolled her eyes slightly.

"Tch, what Liangshan specialty? It's all just an excuse."

She thought that Kwon Hyun-hyuk had simply been too embarrassed to refuse Kim Dong-il's enthusiasm on the phone.

Women understand women best.

But Quan Xuanhe's next words instantly shattered all her confusion.

"...Then...I originally wanted to politely decline her, but halfway through my sentence...it was when I said 'maybe it's nothing...'"

Quan Xuanhe looked at her, his tone helpless.

"Just then, you shouted something from the side, a bit loudly, and Dongtian heard it and knew we were in Busan."

"How could I refuse? So I agreed."

The excitement on Liu Zhimin's face seemed to be suddenly blown away by the cold sea breeze of Busan in March.

She froze on the spot, her beautiful eyes widening instantly. First, she was incredulous, then a strong sense of annoyance and embarrassment surged up her cheeks, turning her ear tips red.

"What?!" She almost forced a short gasp from her throat, her voice sharp with disbelief.

She turned around abruptly and walked quickly back to Quan Xuanhe.

"Just because... just because I shouted 'Guang'anli'?!"

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated and embarrassed she felt. She subconsciously clenched her left fist and punched the outside of her thigh.

“Minjung is simply…” Liu Zhimin was so angry that she didn’t know what to say, her voice filled with obvious regret and annoyance.

She bit her lower lip, looking at Quan Xuanhe with a complicated expression. She felt both resentment that Quan Xuanhe had agreed so easily, and also helplessness and embarrassment at her own quick tongue.

Frustrated, she spun around in a small circle, her right index finger unconsciously starting to twirl around a strand of hair falling by her temple, muttering to herself.

"Ugh... I should have known... I should have kept quiet... Why did you have to be so loud!"

The awkwardness of being "caught" by Jin Dongtian and the embarrassment of accidentally "betraying" her were intertwined, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

When her gaze met Quan Xuanhe's helpless eyes again, Liu Zhimin felt even more embarrassed. She had created this trouble herself, so she couldn't blame anyone else, and she couldn't even vent her anger on Quan Xuanhe.

She slumped her shoulders in dejection, her tone finally carrying a hint of resignation and coquettish complaint, but still tinged with deep helplessness.

"Oppa, what are we going to do? Our trip for two has turned into this..."

She looked out the window at the bright sea view, and now, the brilliant sunlight seemed a bit dazzling.

She was so angry that she wanted to push Quan Xuanhe again, but when she reached out, she only tugged at the cuff of his coat as if to vent her anger, pouted, and muttered under her breath.

"It's all Minjun's fault... and... it's also my fault..." His voice trailed off, his annoyance at his own quick tongue clearly written on his face.

Seeing Liu Zhimin acting like a cat with its fur standing on end but nowhere to vent, tugging at his sleeve in frustration, blaming Jin Dongtian and blaming herself.
The helplessness in Quan Huanhe's heart was diluted, leaving only amusement and a little bit of pity.

He gently grasped Liu Zhimin's fingers, which were still tugging at his sleeve, stopping those restless little hands from causing further trouble.

Liu Zhimin immediately raised her head, her beautiful eyes filled with grievance and accusation, as if saying, "You actually agreed to her!" Coupled with the slightly reddened corners of her eyes, she was incredibly hurtful.

"Alright, Jimin." Kwon Hyun-hyuk's voice carried a soothing smile. He instinctively reached out to ruffle her hair with his other hand, but then remembered that she had put on makeup today, so he gently patted her vest instead.

"It's Minjung, he's not an outsider, we're just having a meal together, why does it have to be like this?"

Ultimately, the rift between the two stems from Quan Xuanhe, but their relationship is still quite good.

"Don't overthink it. Minjung is just... too enthusiastic, and, strictly speaking..."

He paused, looked into Liu Zhimin's eyes, and emphasized, "It was indeed your shout that was too loud and too timely."

His tone was clearly teasing, which successfully made Liu Zhimin puff out her cheeks and widen her eyes. She wanted to refute but couldn't find the words, so she could only glare at him even more.

“However, this may not be a bad thing.” Quan Xuanhe changed the subject and pulled her to sit down on the luxurious sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside the window, the Guang'an Bridge gleamed in the sunlight, and the waves gently lapped against the shore—a perfect backdrop for a date.

Liu Zhimin was forced to sit down by him, but she still sullenly crossed her arms, turned her head away from him, and muttered under her breath, "How is it not a bad thing?"

She was genuinely afraid that Jin Dongtian would cause some trouble, because last time the company had ripped her off so badly that she couldn't hold her head up high.

What if something goes wrong again this time?

“Look,” Quan Xuanhe turned to the side so that Liu Zhimin could see the beautiful scenery outside the window without turning her head, and began to coax her, “It’s not good to refuse her repeatedly when she’s so kind, it would seem like we’re deliberately avoiding her, that would be even stranger and cause trouble later, right?”

Liu Zhimin frowned almost imperceptibly, as if the "follow-up troubles" had hit a nerve.

The shadow of the company's last warning is still lingering.

"Besides," Kwon Seonhyuk continued, "we'll just agree to have dinner tonight. We still have a whole day tomorrow to do as we please. Minjeong's house isn't a hotel; it can't follow us around forever."

"After dinner, we can continue our itinerary. We'll enjoy the sea air, the seafood feast, and the night view of Haeundae Beach—we won't miss a thing."

His words seemed to have a magical power, gradually relaxing Liu Zhimin's tense shoulders and causing her to quietly loosen her grip on his arms.

She turned her head, her clear eyes looking again at the boundless sea outside the window, the anger and resentment in her eyes somewhat diluted by the "future" described by Quan Xuanhe.

Especially when she heard keywords like "seafood feast" and "Haeundae night view," the girl's anticipation instinctively overcame her slight awkwardness.

“Besides,” Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked at the softened lines of her profile, which had a slightly seductive quality, and leaned closer, his voice laced with amusement, “let’s go eat. Be nice to Min-jung; she can’t exactly pull another surprise attack, can she?”

"Otherwise, that would be heartless and ungrateful!"

"Wouldn't the rest of the holiday be safer?"

Jin Dongtian's persistence may stem from a sense of exclusion and non-participation. If her desire to participate could be satisfied, even temporarily, it might bring her peace and quiet later on.

This angle was something Liu Zhimin had never thought of before, and it suddenly opened her mind.

She paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up again, this time with a look of sudden realization.

Yes! Instead of constantly being nagged, guessed, and interrupted by Jin Dongtian, it's better to take the initiative to give her an "explanation" and let her "participate" a bit. That will save us a lot of trouble later!

“Oppa…” Liu Zhimin’s anger finally subsided completely, leaving only a trace of embarrassment and relief after her temper was seen through.

She turned her head a little embarrassed, meeting Quan Xuanhe's knowing and indulgent gaze, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"What you said...makes sense." She admitted softly, finally revealing a smile that was both relieved and sweet.

"Alright, then let's go to Minjung's house for a meal. But after that, absolutely no one can bother us!"

She extended her little finger with an unwavering determination.

Quan Xuanhe looked into her eyes, a pleased smile curving his lips. He extended his little finger and gently hooked it with hers.

"Okay, I promise."

As for the claim that Kim Dong-won would feel involved, what exactly does that involvement entail?
That's where things get interesting.

(End of this chapter)