Although Qi Ke was the maknae of Sweet Day, when they were in the group, she was the one who was better at taking care of people.
When it got cold, she reminded her older sisters to wear more clothes. When the airport was crowded, she would go through the crowd to hold her older sisters’ hands. If an older sister’s skirt was too short, she would take off her jacket to cover her. She could always be the first to notice her older sisters’ emotional changes. Except for making her older sisters worry a little during interviews, Qi Ke was simply the cutest little maknae in the group.
Of course, the “older sisters” mentioned above should be plural, and one person, Captain Song Yushi, should be excluded.
The other three groups of CP fans were going crazy, each ship had its sweet moments, and their Super Topics took turns topping the charts, baffling those who didn’t know: They are all Qi Ke’s CPs? A Sea King, she must be a Sea King, right?
And at this moment, the Sea King was putting on a duvet cover.
Song Yushi wanted to help, but Qi Ke gave her a disdainful look: “You’re so clumsy. Just sitting there quietly is the best way you can help me.”
Song Yushi glanced at the ever-present cameras… and endured it.
“Hey, do you remember the first time we met?” Qi Ke put the pillowcase on, tossed it onto the headboard, and suddenly started a new topic. “It seems pretty similar to now.”
It was similar, Song Yushi thought, but the roles were reversed.
Song Yushi came from a trainee background, practicing for a year and a half before earning the qualification to debut in a group. But Qi Ke was parachuted in after their group had already been formed.
It was normal for the members to feel unhappy about it.
The day Qi Ke arrived, the members were in a mood and didn’t want to go back to the dorm after practice. As the Captain, Song Yushi didn’t have the right to be willful, so after ordering takeout for the members, she returned to the dorm alone.
Their group formation had attracted a lot of attention, so the company rented them a duplex apartment with four bedrooms and two living rooms in a high-end residential complex next door. Qi Ke, for her part, was considerate enough to move all her luggage into the study and was trying to figure out how to put a sheet on the sofa bed.
The study door was open. Song Yushi knocked. “Hello.”
Qi Ke was startled and reflexively said hello back. When she saw who it was, her eyes lit up, and she blurted out, “Hi, you’re so beautiful!”
Song Yushi: “…”
Qi Ke was no good at anything but was number one at acting cute and currying favor. Feeling embarrassed under Song Yushi’s gaze, she blinked, her dimples showing in a faint smile. “Oops, I accidentally told the truth.”
This was the first time Song Yushi met Qi Ke.
The eighteen-year-old Qi Ke, who appeared obedient and well-behaved on the surface, but was actually unrestrained and flamboyant.
“Then the Captain asked me to move in with her and even helped me put on my duvet cover. Captain Song is as kind as she is beautiful.”
At the dining table, Qi Ke was vividly telling the other guests about her first meeting with Song Yushi.
“So why can’t Teacher Song put on a duvet cover now?” The one who spoke was a guest from a boy band, named Chen Sheng. He looked at Song Yushi with a curious expression, completely unaware that he was touching on a sore subject.
Song Yushi silently poked at the rice in her bowl.
Oh, Qi Ke had also blabbed about how she had stared deeply at the duvet cover, trying to win it over with her will.
Chen Sheng’s teammate had more tact. He nudged Chen Sheng’s waist, but Chen Sheng, not only oblivious, reflexively slapped his teammate’s hand away. “Don’t get handsy.”
Teammate: “…”
Song Yushi: “…”
Qi Ke: “…”
The real couple: “…”
They looked at Song Yushi and Qi Ke, a thousand words seemingly in their eyes, which finally condensed into one heartbroken thought: Look at the professional CP, and then look at you two!
Song Yushi was silent for a moment, then retorted, “Otherwise, why would I have taught her?”
Qi Ke looked as if she had a sudden epiphany. “Ah—” She dramatically tapped her bowl. “So you taught me so seriously for this reason!”
“We’re being filmed, aren’t we?” Qi Ke lamented. “During our time in the group, I diligently changed our captain’s bedsheets and duvet covers for three years! I’m the definition of a tragic beauty, aren’t I?”
Song Yushi smiled, her dimples showing, and raised her glass to clink with Qi Ke’s. “A toast to you. I’ll drink up, you can do as you please.”
Qi Ke: “Hey—”
Qi Ke tried to stop her, but Song Yushi tilted her head back and downed the glass of wine in one go.
Song Yushi was a lightweight. Two glasses and she’d be dizzy, and the alcohol showed on her face more than others. She had only had one glass, but her face was already red, like rouge dropped into water, gently dispersed into a beautiful blush.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Qi Ke put an arm around Song Yushi and helped her upstairs.
She turned off her mic and muttered as they walked, “It’s not that I’m nagging you, but don’t you know your own alcohol tolerance? When you’re drunk, you even dare to kiss people, and then you have an allergic reaction when you wake up. That time scared me so much, I thought you were allergic to me.”
Song Yushi: “…”
Qi Ke laid her on the bed, thought for a moment, then covered a few of the close-up cameras. She reached out to feel Song Yushi’s forehead, but as soon as her hand touched it, her wrist was grabbed by Song Yushi.
Song Yushi opened her eyes.
Seeing it was Qi Ke, the wary clarity in her eyes gradually relaxed. She turned on her side. “What are you doing?”
Qi Ke said irritably, “Checking if you have a fever.” She couldn’t resist praising herself, “Captain, see how much I care about you.”
Song Yushi lazily closed her eyes.
As Qi Ke’s hand reached out to touch her again, she spoke slowly, “I heard everything you just said about me.”
Qi Ke: “…”
Damn.
The wine had a low alcohol content, so Song Yushi only felt dizzy for a while and showed no symptoms of a fever or allergic reaction. She was used to working around the clock, and the alcohol relaxed her nerves, allowing her to sleep soundly for once.
Qi Ke, however, was having a hard time.
Song Yushi was sleeping in the bedroom, while she was agonizing in the living room.
“How does that saying go? Better safe than sorry.” Qi Ke muttered to herself. She grabbed a down jacket, opened the door quietly, “Song Yushi, where else would you find such a good ex like me?”
Downstairs, she ran into Chen Sheng. He called out, “Teacher Qi, where are you going?”
Teacher Qi’s steps faltered, and she told a small lie.
“Just taking a walk to aid digestion.”
Chen Sheng said, “Oh,” then quickly grabbed his jacket. “Wait for me, I was just about to take out the trash.”
Qi Ke: “…?”
Is that on the way?
With Chen Sheng following her, Qi Ke couldn’t very well go look for a pharmacy, so the two of them wandered aimlessly in circles around the residential complex. Qi Ke was distracted, while Chen Sheng was unusually excited.
As they talked, Chen Sheng shyly admitted that he was actually a fan of Sweet Day.
Qi Ke finally showed some interest. “A fan? Whose?”
Chen Sheng became even more embarrassed. “Teacher Song’s.”
Qi Ke: “Oh.”
That’s normal. Although fans fought every day, each thinking their own idol was the best in the world, the data spoke for itself. The most popular member of Sweet Day was indeed Song Yushi.
A born idol, an all-rounder captain, who wouldn’t like her?
Didn’t she also like her to death?
Chen Sheng got more and more animated as he talked about his idol: “Our Yushi is really amazing, always flawless on stage, won the Hundred Flowers Best Actress award right after transitioning to acting, she was an all-rounder mentor on a talent show, has a top luxury brand endorsement, and she also collaborated with an international director…”
Qi Ke was feeling quite pleased hearing this, but Chen Sheng’s gushing suddenly stopped.
Qi Ke glanced sideways. Why did he stop?
Chen Sheng carefully tried to mend the situation. “Teacher Qi, actually, I like you a lot too. You… you’re not angry, are you?”
Qi Ke: “…”
How could she tell Chen Sheng that not only was she not angry, but she was actually feeling proud…?
Chen Sheng added in a low voice, “Teacher Qi, I’m an idol now too. I know that in-group business CPs are arranged by the company, so I won’t blame you.”
Qi Ke: “?”
A sudden chill went down her spine. How is this guy an akgae?
Song Yushi was awakened by a phone call.
She was too sleepy to open her eyes, fumbling on the nightstand for a while before grabbing her phone. Sister Fei’s voice came from the other end: “Yushi?”
Song Yushi hummed in response.
Sister Fei seemed to let out a sigh of relief. “I heard from the director that you were drinking? Why on earth were you drinking? Have you forgotten you ended up in the hospital from drinking before…”
“Sister Fei,” Song Yushi interrupted her.
She rubbed her temples, which were aching, and sat up. “I’m fine. I just had a small glass and took a nap.”
Sister Fei knew she didn’t want to talk about it and tactfully changed the subject. “The new director is having a party. The invitation has already been sent to the studio, and you can’t miss it. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow afternoon, so be prepared.”
Song Yushi frowned. “What party?”
Sister Fei was vague. “A high-society party. It’s not easy to get an invitation. I’ve already accepted on your behalf.”
Since it was already accepted, Song Yushi didn’t say much more, just murmured, “Don’t make decisions for me without asking next time,” and hung up.
She was quiet for a moment.
There was no sound from the living room.
Qi Ke isn’t here?
The blackout curtains worked well, making the bedroom as dim as dusk at five or six, with the red lights on the scattered cameras blinking.
The only place in the entire villa without cameras was the bathroom.
Song Yushi slowly took a shower, washing away her fatigue and drowsiness, and the effects of the alcohol completely wore off. She pushed open the bathroom door and habitually reached for her clothes on the shelf.
But her hand found nothing.
Song Yushi froze. Staring at the empty shelf, she belatedly realized that she had, probably, maybe, possibly, forgotten to bring a change of clothes!
Song Yushi: “…”
Her dirty clothes were tumbling in the washing machine. The naked Song Yushi stood in the steamy bathroom, looking around in a daze, feeling helpless.
But just then, a sound came from the living room.
Song Yushi’s brow twitched slightly.
Qi Ke is back?
As if she knew she was inside, Qi Ke’s footsteps approached, and before Song Yushi could call out, she turned the handle and opened the door from the outside.
Qi Ke: “!!!!”
Song Yushi: “…”
Qi Ke: “……..”
Song Yushi: “…………..”
The air… it froze.
Qi Ke had a cigarette dangling from her lips, which, in her extreme shock, twitched twice and fell to the floor with a clatter.
Song Yushi, holding to the principle that as long as she remained calm enough, she wouldn’t be the one who was embarrassed, spoke unhurriedly: “Perfect timing. Help me get my clothes.”
Qi Ke: “…”
Fucking hell, I’m so embarrassed!
Maknae: A Korean term referring to the youngest person in a group, such as a K-pop band or a family.
Akgae: A Korean term derived from “akseong gaeinpaen” (malicious individual fan), referring to a fan who likes only one member of a music group while hating the other members.
