Peninsula: Starting with the nation's first love, the white moonlight

August 2010, Seoul

Li Luran pushed his suitcase out of Incheon International Airport, squeezed through the crowd, and got into a taxi.

He took off his hat, tidied his hair, and then said to the driver in English, "Driver, to Myeongdong."

Li Luran doesn't speak Korean, but English is the second language on the peninsula, so the driver quickly understood, nodded enthusiastically, and started the car.

"Buzzing..."

Just as the taxi started moving, Li Luran's phone rang.

He took out his phone and saw a text message pop up on the screen. The sender was his childhood friend, Zhang Kai:

"Lu Ran, brother, I'm so sorry!"

I had already packed my bags and was ready to go to the airport when my dad suddenly returned to China, and then tragedy struck!

He pointed his finger at my nose and berated me for an hour while holding my final exam report card!

Then they suspended my card and grounded me!

I'll have to stand you up on this trip to Korea, bro. Be careful and have fun while you're there alone. When you get back, I'll sell everything I own to treat you to a lavish meal as an apology! [crying emoji]

Li Luran's lips twitched, and he sighed helplessly.

This trip to the peninsula was something Zhang Kai had to pester him to do.

They called it the last hurrah before senior year, but Li Luran knew in his heart that this guy just wanted to come to the Peninsula to see his favorite girl groups.

Now, things have turned out badly. The initiator died before even leaving the fountain, leaving him, someone who knows nothing about K-pop, bewildered and alone in this unfamiliar country.

He simply replied "Get lost!" and then put his phone away.

He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

Anyway, since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it and treat it as a solo trip.

Li Luran looked out the window at the scenery: the shimmering sea and the towering buildings everywhere receding into the distance.

The driver glanced at the young man in the rearview mirror and spoke to him in slightly accented English:

"Young man, are you traveling alone?"

"Yes!" Li Luran turned his gaze from the window and nodded politely. "This is my first time at the Peninsula Hotel. Does the master have any advice?"

The driver chuckled heartily and enthusiastically introduced to Li Luran, "If it's your first time visiting the Peninsula, you can go to Myeongdong in the evening to experience its nightlife, or Hongdae is also very nice."

"Or, young man, do you have any favorite artists from Peninsula? Many young people like you come to Peninsula to follow celebrities. If you have any favorite artists, you can also visit those well-known agencies."

Li Luran simply smiled faintly and did not reply.

He had no interest in following celebrities, but the driver was very hospitable and introduced Li Luran to a lot of peninsula culture along the way, which made the journey less boring.

Half an hour later, the taxi stopped at a hotel in Myeongdong. After checking in, Li Luran wandered around the Myeongdong area.

It must be said that this modern city is very prosperous, and Li Luran, who was new to the city, spent an entire afternoon exploring it.

That evening, Li Luran found a decent barbecue restaurant and enjoyed authentic Korean barbecue.

Back at the hotel, he took a shower and went to bed early.

The next day, the morning sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the window. Li Luran stretched; according to the planned itinerary, today was Yeouido.

Yeouido is the political and cultural center of Seoul, but it's worth mentioning that two of South Korea's three major television networks, KBS and MBC, are located in Yeouido.

Yesterday, Li Luran learned from the enthusiastic driver that KBS television station allows tourists to visit.

Since he was already at the peninsula, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to visit it.

At 10:30 a.m., Li Luran arrived in front of the KBS building. Across the flow of people, he looked at the tall building with mixed feelings.

Li Luran was once a well-known child star, but something happened when he was thirteen years old, which caused him to have a great fear of the camera.

This was devastating for an actor, and ultimately, he had no choice but to retire from the entertainment industry and return to being an ordinary person.

Li Luran stood there, took a deep breath, and thought that after retiring from the entertainment industry, he would never be able to come to the TV station again.

Unexpectedly, this trip to the peninsula gave him the opportunity to visit the peninsula's television station.

"Let's consider it a return to familiar territory in another sense."

Perhaps it was the resentment in my heart, or perhaps it was the existence of that lingering obsession.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, crossed the zebra crossing, and entered the KBS building.

Most of the TV station staff had already started working, while Li Luran stood quietly at the edge of the hall, hands in his pockets, observing.

The staff and artists were all in a hurry. A manager was seen leading several girls in gorgeous clothes, bowing and greeting the seniors who passed by.

Li Luran watched this scene calmly. He knew that the Korean Peninsula was a country that placed great importance on seniority and etiquette, and that the entertainment industry in China was similar.

He watched for a while, then grew somewhat disinterested. Just as he was about to turn and leave, the elevator stopped on the first floor with a "ding," and people poured out.

Li Luran paused for a moment, and for some reason, walked towards the elevator as if possessed.

Perhaps he wanted to go to a high floor to see the view of Seoul, or perhaps he simply wanted to find a quiet place to stay for a while, Li Luran told himself.

He walked up to the elevator and was about to step inside when he noticed a girl huddled in the corner.

The girl was tall and wore a black baseball cap and a large black face mask that completely covered her face, leaving only her eyes visible.

Li Luran frowned slightly. He stopped and originally intended to step back and wait for the next elevator.

But just as he turned around, he noticed the girl's gaze out of the corner of his eye.

Her eyes were a little red, with some blood vessels visible in them. She held her hands to her chest, and her whole body was trembling slightly.

This scene looks so familiar!

Li Luran seemed to see his past self, who was just as helpless when facing the camera after that incident when he was thirteen years old.

"Beep...beep..."

The announcement outside the elevator started urging us on.

Li Luran stood outside the elevator and sighed softly.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, he decisively took a step forward and stepped into the elevator.

"Which floor do you need to go to?" Li Luran stood next to the elevator panel, first pressed 15, then turned to look at the girl in the corner.

Li Luran spoke in English. The girl was clearly taken aback when she heard the unfamiliar language. She kept her head down and timidly said, "16th floor, thank you."

Li Luran casually pressed 16, and the elevator began to slowly ascend.

The girl remained huddled in the corner, clutching a roll of printing paper in her hand, her breathing somewhat rapid.

"Are you nervous?" Li Luran couldn't help but ask.

"I..." The girl subconsciously squeezed the paper in her hand. "I am a little nervous, but please don't worry, I'm fine."

Li Luran nodded in confusion and looked away. But since the other party said everything was fine, there was no need for him to meddle.

Actually, Li Luran wasn't a particularly good social person. Perhaps it was because he saw a trace of his past self in this girl that he felt a pang of pity and wanted to help her.

The elevator kept going up, to the 10th floor, then the 12th floor, and the display screen jumped to the 13th floor in an instant!

A loud bang suddenly came from above! Immediately afterwards, the entire elevator shook violently!

This sudden turn of events startled Li Luran, who quickly leaned against the wall to steady himself.

However, the girl in the corner was clearly not as calm as Li Luran.

"ah!!!"

The girl screamed, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

The elevator shook twice more, and the overhead lights flickered twice before going out completely, plunging the elevator into complete darkness.