Peninsula: From Water Injection to Stardom

After leaving JYP, Kang Yeon went straight back to his apartment.

I quickly turned on my computer, went online, and registered a NicoNico account with the username YAN.

He plans to use this account as a VOCALOID (virtual singer) to create and submit music on the platform's music channel.

He wasn't sure if it would work out, but it was at least a path, and it didn't require too much effort.

After registering an account, the next step is to choose the first Japanese song to release.

Without much hesitation, Jiang Yan decided to submit "Overdose," a JPOP hit that would later surpass 3 million streams within three months of its release, as his first Japanese single.

However, although I have decided on the tracks to be released, I cannot start production immediately. I have just spent some time writing down a simple motif.

The remaining full accompaniment will need to be produced at a later time, but he still needs to focus on preparing for his comeback this month.

Regarding the comeback date, Jiang Yan held a meeting with Yuehua Entertainment and CUBE Entertainment the next day to officially finalize it.

The first stage of their comeback is scheduled for October 8th, while the promotional period for the comeback is set for early September.

Less than a month is enough time to prepare for the regression.

However, something happened two days after the meeting.

After Yuehua Entertainment's official Weibo account announced that Li Wenhan would participate in the recording of the Idol Star Athletics Championships, Felix was very dissatisfied upon learning the news.

They believe that Yuehua Entertainment is indirectly suppressing Jiang Yan, not providing her with resources and even hindering her progress.

So that same day, they attacked Yuehua Entertainment's official Weibo account, and even Du Hua's Weibo account was affected.

After learning about this, Jiang Yan could only add a Vlive live stream that evening after the practice session at the Cube practice room to explain that he did not want to go and gave the reason that he needed to focus on preparing for his comeback.

Only then did Felix stop their charge and begin inquiring about the comeback album.

But Jiang Yan naturally wouldn't say much, only telling them to keep their expectations up and wait for the official announcement.

After the live stream ended that night, Jiang Yan left Cube's practice room and returned to his apartment.

However, not long after arriving at the apartment, he received a message from Mina Kakao.

[Mai Mina: Hiko-san, are you free tomorrow?]

Upon seeing the message, Jiang Yan immediately opened the chat box and typed a reply.

[Jiang Yan: I'm free tomorrow, what's up?]

After sending the message, he put his phone on the dining table and went to the refrigerator in the kitchen to get a fruit platter he had bought earlier.

After fiddling around for a bit and transferring the fruit from the platter to a plate, he carried the plate back to the dining table, intending to eat the fruit while browsing social media on his phone.

However, when he picked up his phone, he found that Mina had already replied to the message.

That's a very rare situation.

The reason he put down his phone right after sending the message was that he was already used to the other person's delayed replying habit.

Why did it happen so quickly this time?

However, Jiang Yan didn't think much of it and immediately clicked to check.

[Mina: Can you come with me to the Lego store at COEX mall tomorrow?]

After reading the content, Jiang Yan's first reaction was that the other party had actually taken the initiative to ask him to go shopping.

His intuition told him that something seemed... off.

Jiang Yan made guesses while starting to reply.

[Jiang Yan: No problem, when?]

[Minami: Is 10:30 AM okay? There will be fewer people then.]

[Jiang Yan: Let's meet at the mall entrance before 10:30.]

They set a time to meet tomorrow in just a few words, but that's not the point.

What Jiang Yan was concerned about was that Mina's chat reply speed this time was unbelievably fast.

His conjecture became even more convincing, but he was not in a hurry to draw conclusions.

After discussing their meeting, Mina and the other person talked about the upcoming release of Pokémon spin-off games for the 3DS next month.

After that, we chatted for another half hour.

……

The following day, in a four-person room in TWICE's dorm.

At this moment, only Mina was still lying in bed; her other three roommates, Nayeon, Jihyo, and Sana, had already left the room.

She checked the time; it was just past nine o'clock.

Mina got up, opened her suitcase, and spent about ten minutes choosing an outfit to put on.

Then, after washing up, she left her room and passed by the living room, where she saw Sana Minatozaki and Jeongyeon Yoo sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"Mitan, you're out." Sana Minatozaki greeted Mina casually upon seeing her.

"Where is everyone else?" Mina looked around the living room, then glanced towards the kitchen, where she spotted Kim Da-hyun standing there, seemingly chopping something.

"Unnie went to the convenience store with Jihyo and Momo to buy things. Chaeyoung also went out, and Tzuyu stayed in her room and didn't come out," Yoo Jeongyeon replied.

"Then you guys keep watching, I'm going downstairs." After saying that, Mina turned around and walked towards the stairs leading to the basement.

The basement floor of TWICE's dormitory is a shared dressing room where all members usually do their makeup before going out.

As Mina walked downstairs, Sana Minato and Jeongyeon Yoo didn't sense anything amiss. They both turned their attention back to the TV show and continued discussing the plot.

After waiting downstairs for more than twenty minutes, Mina finally came upstairs with her makeup done.

Then she went back to her room and slung her small bag, which she usually used when going out, over her shoulder.

After leaving the room, Mina passed through the living room again. Seeing her looking like she was about to leave, Sana Minatozaki couldn't help but ask curiously, "Mitan, where are you going?"

As if knowing someone would ask, Mina said calmly, "I'm going out to get my nails done, I won't be back until noon."

Upon hearing this, Yoo Jeongyeon couldn't help but laugh and say, "Aigoo, Mina, you've gone to get your nails done again?"

Everyone in TWICE knows that Mina loves to do all sorts of manicures.

Sana Minatozaki naturally had no doubts and nodded with a smile, "Then go ahead. If anyone asks, I'll tell them you went to get your nails done."

"Okay, I'm leaving now."

Mina changed her shoes at a leisurely pace, then opened the dormitory door and walked out.

Half an hour later, in front of the COEX Mall.

Upon arriving at the meeting point, Mina glanced around and immediately spotted a familiar figure.

Even though the figure had covered its face with a mask and was wearing a baseball cap, she still easily recognized it as Jiang Yan.

She strode up to him, and he had already turned his gaze to her.

"When did you arrive, Yan-san?" Minami asked softly after stopping in front of Jiang Yan.

"I've only been here five or six minutes," Jiang Yan said with a nonchalant smile.

"Then...shall we set off now?"

"Let's go, but I just looked it up and there's a video game store here. Should we check it out later?"

"Okay, sure."

"..."