Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 71 Acting Star

Outside the company's practice room, Yoona took a deep breath before pushing the door open and going inside.

Sure enough, what is supposed to come will always come.

Almost the instant she entered the room, several pairs of eyes immediately focused on her.

Taeyeon, who was doing leg stretches, glanced at her with a complicated look, then quickly lowered her head, pretending to concentrate on continuing to stretch her legs. She looked up again, then quickly lowered her head again.

On the other side, Sunny, who was sitting on the cushion playing on her phone, was even more direct—she was a little angry that Yoona had only told Taeyeon about returning to Seoul but not her. She put down her phone and her gaze swept over Yoona without any attempt to hide it.

Not far away, Tiffany was laughing and sharing something funny with Kwon Yuri, Seohyun was quietly reading in a corner, and Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were huddled together, discussing something in hushed tones.

Yoona: "..."

Yoona felt her scalp tingle under his gaze, cursing Jiang Che a hundred times over in her mind, but she also knew that the more she hid, the more suspicious it would become.

So she steeled herself and decided to take the initiative.

She naturally walked to the space between the two of them, put down her bag, then looked around, deliberately touched her face, and gave a confused look:

"Unnies, why are you all looking at me like that? Is there something on my face? Or is my makeup weird today?"

Before Taeyeon and Sunny could respond, Hyoyeon suddenly exclaimed excitedly from the side:
"Hey, everyone's here now, let's get down to business! I got word that BigBang's Seungri is planning a new bar and asked if we'd like to invest? Anyone interested?"

"Really? If I invest, can I browse the forum every day?!"

"Where is the location?"

"I'm not going to participate. Investing in alcohol-related products doesn't align with my health management principles."

"I need to ask my family's opinion first."

Hyoyeon continued to encourage:

"Oh, it's BigBang after all! Where's Sunny? Yoona? Taeyeon? Want some too?"

Sunny's mind was still preoccupied with Taeyeon's question, and she waved her hand absentmindedly.
"I'll forget it."

Yoona was also thinking about Taeyeon and Sunny's situation, and quickly shook her head as well:

"I won't either."

At this moment, Taeyeon, who had been silent all along, remembered Kang Cheol's words and suddenly spoke in a low voice:
"That bar project... it's best not to invest."

Tiffany and Kwon Yuri turned their heads at the same time:

"Huh? Why?"

Taeyeon pursed her lips, her fingers unconsciously swiping across her phone screen—at the top of the contacts list was the nickname "Yoona No. 2." She opened her mouth, but for a moment didn't know how to explain.

All I could say was vaguely, "...It's probably just my gut feeling. Anyway, I suggest you don't vote."

Hyoyeon stood by, not knowing whether to laugh or cry:
"Wow? Taeyeon, your intuition came on so suddenly!" She then turned to Tiffany and Kwon Yuri and asked in a low voice:

"What about you?"

The two women were clearly conflicted, and Hyoyeon leaned closer to them and whispered something.

Yoona took the opportunity to look at Taeyeon and Sunny again, and mustered up her courage to ask:
"So... why were you unnies staring at me like that?"

Sunny was taken aback when asked the question again, and felt that Yoona seemed unusually bold today?
“Ani…” Sunny waved her hand, temporarily suppressing her doubts, deciding to observe further, and jokingly said with a smile:
"I just think Yoona looks especially beautiful today."

Taeyeon looked intently into Yoona's eyes, and after a few seconds, a shy smile curved her lips as she gently shook her head.
"Ani, it's nothing. I also think you look especially beautiful today." Sunny: "???"

Seeing Taeyeon's reaction, Sunny couldn't help but let out a surprised "Huh?" Taeyeon's attitude...why did she suddenly calm down?

Yesterday in Macau, she seemed to be experiencing the first stirrings of love. Could it be that her own words yesterday have awakened her, and she has decided to bury this inappropriate feeling deep in her heart?
So that's why things are so calm today? Hmm, very likely! Our Taeyeon is still very rational after all!

Sunny felt she had found a reasonable explanation and nodded with satisfaction.

Yoona silently observed the two unnies' performance, inwardly speechless. "Fine, keep acting! I'll see how long you can keep this up!" she thought, but outwardly she wore a sweet smile.

"Um... thank you for the compliment, unnies."

The morning's rehearsal went smoothly. Taeyeon seemed to be deliberately keeping her distance and stopped staring at Yoona. Seeing this, Sunny felt that Taeyeon had really taken her words to heart and breathed a sigh of relief.

During lunch break, the other members gradually went out to eat or rest, leaving only the three of them in the practice room. Not long after, Sunny received a phone call.
Holding the phone, she hesitated for a moment, recalling Taeyeon's behavior that morning, and decided that answering the call shouldn't be a problem, so she got up and went out.

Taeyeon watched Sunny leave, then secretly glanced at Yoona who was scrolling through her phone next to her, her fingers unconsciously clenching and unclenching.

Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she quickly moved to the cushion next to Yoona and sat down.

Yoona's body stiffened for a moment, but she quickly relaxed again—this was originally a script she had envisioned herself. Rather than running away, she might as well see what they were up to. Otherwise, she wouldn't have stayed behind on purpose.

Taeyeon leaned closer to her and whispered, "Yoona..."

"Ok?"

Taeyeon pursed her lips, as if she had made up her mind:

"Um... I know your secret now."

Yoona's acting skills instantly came online, and a look of confusion and bewilderment appeared on her face:
"...Mo? Unnie, what secret?"

While in Macau, "I met another version of you."

"……another?"

"Yes!" Taeyeon nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling.

“Another you! We talked a lot and had a lot of fun! She… is like my second sister, so special.”

She paused, looked up, her eyes filled with a sincere plea, even a little pitiful:
"So...can I ask...how can I get in touch with her again? I have something I want to tell her."

Yoona's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. 'Little sister? Taeyeon unnie, are you sure you mean a proper little sister?'

And this damn Jiang Che, how did he even manage that? Is he really a succubus? He's even got Taeyeon unnie so obsessed with him that she's thinking of creating a private group chat!

But with a lifelong acting skill, she said with concern:

"Unnie...have you been too tired lately? How could there be another me? I am who I am." She was so convincing that she almost believed it herself.

Taeyeon looked deeply into Yoona's eyes, her tone resolute:

"Ani, you are not her, you are different."

Yoona felt like she was starting to get a brain, and she wanted to ask Taeyeon unnie what was different about her and Kang Cheol.

Seeing that Yoona stubbornly denied it, Taeyeon decided to play her trump card. She took out her phone, unlocked it skillfully, opened her contacts, and showed Yoona a nickname.

The contact's name was clearly visible—[Yoona No. 2].

(End of this chapter)