wavenovel Is Chapter 1438 Enough?
Is Chapter 1438 Enough?
Is Chapter 1438 Enough?
"Playing games?"
Mina was visibly taken aback when she saw the message: "Now?"
Although Chi Jingyuan had made a promise with her to hang out together before, quite some time had passed, and she thought he had already forgotten.
Unexpectedly, at the end of 2017, on the first day of 2018, I suddenly called her name.
"Um, are you free now?"
Chi Jingyuan knew it was a bit abrupt: "If playing games isn't convenient, chatting is fine too."
The reason he suddenly contacted Mina was because, slightly tipsy, he had been talking to EXO members about their views on relationships and going public with dating, and he unconsciously thought of her.
Thinking of our chance encounter at the restaurant at noon, of our chat and laughter, a series of related memories and images followed, appearing one after another in my mind.
Recently, with a slight change in my mindset, thoughts that had been lurking deep in my mind suddenly surfaced and became uncontrollable.
"There's nothing inconvenient about it, Gen-chan, wait for me to get ready."
Although it was a bit late and the invitation was somewhat sudden, Mina seemed determined never to tell him anything different, and immediately agreed.
"Okay, tell me when you're ready."
When Chi Jingyuan saw the message, he assumed she wanted to download a game and that Xiao Nan would have to wait a while. After replying, he turned on his computer and started browsing comments online while waiting for her.
Today, EXO and Ji Kyung-won, as K-pop groups returning to the Kohaku Uta Gassen after many years, naturally generated a lot of buzz, attracting the attention of a large number of fans and viewers in both the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
SM Entertainment and Avex Japan have also made various preparations, bribing marketing accounts and media outlets, just waiting to start hyping up the show and buying trending topics after the performance.
After browsing several forums, I found that hashtags related to #EXORedWhiteHall became the focus of discussion. I saw some comments, and aside from the negative ones caused by subjective prejudice, the overall evaluation of them was quite good.
Ji Kyung-won's "Uchiage Hanabi" received a lot of praise, and EXO greatly increased their popularity thanks to the national appeal of the Red and White Song Battle.
EXO's performance at this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen can be considered an effective one.
Chi Jingyuan scrolled through a few comments and was about to continue reading when his phone suddenly vibrated; a message from Ming Jingnan had arrived.
"Yuan-chan, I'm all better now."
Chi Jingyuan was somewhat surprised. He had thought that it would take Ming Jingnan quite a while to prepare and download the game, but he didn't expect it to be ready in less than five minutes.
"Just use Kakao Voice?"
"Good~"
"I'll pull you up."
"Voice message." Chi Jingyuan also stopped browsing the news and quickly sent a voice message to Ming Jingnan.
"Moshi Moshi"
"Yes, I can hear you."
A soft sound rang in my ears; it was that extremely familiar voice, gentle yet with a delicate, velvety feel.
Are you playing Overwatch?
"Okay, I'll add you as a friend once you're online."
"Okay, I'm already logged in."
It had actually been quite a long time since they had spoken alone in such a private setting, but the awkwardness that should have been there quietly dissipated in Minami's natural and unfazed tone.
Chi Jingyuan felt a sense of relief. He copied the ID and added Ming Jingnan as a friend, while also taking the initiative to start a conversation.
"Is it called 'Rainbow Candy'? You still like it so much even though you have a terrible experience of eating rainbow candy until your tongue bleeds. It really is you... I've already added you as a friend."
"Hehe... Ah, I received it. Yes, um, let me see. Is it called 'Miss Roadhog Shibi'?"
"Yes, okay, it's been added."
"Hmm, hmm... why is Yuan-chan called that?"
"Isn't that awesome? It sounds really powerful!"
"..."
Mina was somewhat bewildered by Chi Jingyuan's words, not understanding what was so 'powerful' about the name, and unable to comprehend Chi Jingyuan's thought process.
But he still chuckled along.
Chi Jingyuan chuckled and pulled Mina closer to the group: "Are you the only one in the room?"
"Yeah, they're all chatting and watching TV in the living room. It's New Year's Eve, so they can't sleep."
Why didn't you go?
"I was here at the beginning, but then I got a little tired and wanted to lie in bed. Before I came back, we were talking about which recent dramas were good, and someone mentioned the drama that Won-chan is currently filming. Nayeon unnie is paying special attention to it lol"
The suppressed chuckles had a muffled, restrained quality, echoing in his ears and making Chi Jingyuan almost imagine the scene on the other side of the electric current.
"I'm so sorry to have disturbed Nan-chan's rest time."
After clicking "match," Chi Jingyuan checked Mingan's match history and found that she had actually played a few times and her record was not bad.
He casually asked, "Were you downloading a game just now? It's finished downloading so quickly!"
"No, I just tidied up the bed and put the computer on it."
Just as Chi Jingyuan was admiring Mina's achievements, he heard her soft voice in his ear: "Ever since you told me last time, Yuan-chan, that we would play together sometime, I have downloaded all the games on my laptop and have been carrying them with me all this time."
"..."
Chi Jingyuan, who had been nonchalant, suddenly paused upon hearing this.
"It's been thawed for a while now..."
Chi Jingyuan felt his breath catch inexplicably, and his voice had a sticky, pulling quality: "Did you bring them with you when you went to Japan and for overseas events?"
"Yeah, it's just a laptop, it's not that big."
Mina replied casually, not taking it seriously, but the next second her tone lifted: "Ah, I got in line, I'm going in!"
But the more this happened, the more congested Chi Jingyuan felt, a sense of unease rising within him, as if he couldn't breathe.
He did make the appointment at the time, but so much time has passed that he hasn't taken it too seriously.
but……
"Um……"
He, who had just been chatting and laughing, now only gave a soft reply.
"Okay, I'm in... After you told me about this game last time, I watched some videos. I have a friend who also likes to play this, and I've played with her a few times, but I'm not very good at it."
"..."
“It’s starting now, Gen-chan, I’m following behind you… Ah, you know we got stuck in traffic on our way from NHK to the airport? Our manager was so worried, and the Peninsula branch kept calling to urge us.”
"..."
"Luckily, the Japanese government chartered a private jet for us, otherwise we wouldn't have made it in time. When we arrived at MBC, we had to rush in and we were all crammed together while changing clothes."
"..."
"Ah, almost, what a pity... But I feel like the transition was too abrupt, and I wasn't quite in the right state of mind. I almost made a mistake during the performance. I don't know if you saw it."
"..."
"Being at the TV station was really tiring. I would fall asleep while waiting in the wings, but once I got back to the dorm, I wasn't sleepy at all. I just saw you guys on the Kouhaku stage, haha~"
"..."
The gentle yet cheerful voice of Mina kept coming through the headphones. She was playing a game and talking non-stop, as if she had endless things to say to Chi Jingyuan.
However, faced with her enthusiasm, Chi Jingyuan, who had initially taken the initiative to invite her to play the game, seemed somewhat silent.
"Yuan-chan, why aren't you saying anything?"
The silence on one side seemed a bit abrupt, and Mina noticed it as she spoke.
"call……"
Hearing the voice beside him, Chi Jingyuan snapped out of his reverie: "I'm here."
"Actually, I also..."
Chi Jingyuan organized his thoughts, wanting to lighten the atmosphere and chat about something interesting, just like before.
But recalling his original intention and purpose in inviting Mina, his thoughts became somewhat confused and hesitant.
"Yuan-chan~"
Mina seemed to sense something, paused slightly, and said softly, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
The voice was soft, without any urging, and the speaker tried not to put any pressure on the listener.
"..."
Chi Jingyuan was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised that Mina had noticed.
But considering the other party's intelligence and understanding of him, it was only natural.
"Ah."
Since Mina had brought it up herself, Ji Kyung-won no longer hesitated and nodded softly after a brief silence.
...He suddenly approached Mina, but playing games was just a pretext, a starting point.
Actually, it was because the emotions he had been hiding in his heart had been accumulating for a long time and had gradually intensified. Under the influence of alcohol and certain feelings, they burst forth, making him want to say some things to her.
Or perhaps, they want to express some apology.
Although Chi Jingyuan didn't say it on the surface, he actually always felt that he felt guilty towards Mina.
He wasn't apologizing because of the breakup... In his view, breaking up between men and women is a very normal thing.
What truly made him feel uncomfortable, as if he had done something wrong, was... the reason for the breakup, the process of the breakup, and his attitude at the time of the breakup.
He deliberately used almost insulting words to bring despair and heartbreak to a girl who had eyes only for him.
He certainly knew how much his words and decisiveness during the breakup had hurt Mina.
Because he was someone who had experienced it firsthand.
Actually, he felt guilty all along, which is why he took the initiative to distance himself from her... But this guilt did not dissipate over time; instead, it would always surface from time to time and accumulate in his heart.
But he forced himself not to think about it, out of sight, out of mind.
And recently, I encountered the Kim Jong-hyun incident...
The passing of a good friend always brings some insights and changes between life and death. Chi Jingyuan had always known right and wrong, but he was unwilling to think about it because of his position, his personality, and his pride.
However, once he was willing to think deeply, some emotions became more prominent, especially after he took the initiative to apologize to Sana Minatozaki. After experiencing that change in feeling and the other person's release, he realized that 'making the people around him better' really wasn't difficult.
He doesn't need to make any major changes. Sometimes, all he needs to do is suppress his pride a little and truly observe and feel other people's emotions.
In fact, Chi Jingyuan always remembered that, besides Minatozaki Sana, there was someone who needed his apology even more.
"Yes, there are some things I want to tell you."
Chi Jingyuan mentally organized his thoughts, trying to clarify his emotions and feelings: "Some things happened between us in the past. As someone who could influence me, Xiao Nan, you've always done a great job, but because of me, so..."
"so……"
Chi Jingyuan suddenly fell silent.
Even if one's mindset has changed, even if one knows that one's actions are inappropriate, and even if one is subjectively willing to do so, but...
When it comes to saying something, it's really hard to actually say it.
"call……"
After a brief pause, Chi Jingyuan took a deep breath.
Although it was difficult, having made up his mind, Chi Jingyuan hardened his resolve. He tried to calm himself, his eyes hardening, and spoke again, "So I think..."
Okay~
However, just as he was about to speak, Mina interrupted him.
She seemed to have figured something out, but she interrupted him in a gentle and understanding tone, saying, "I know."
Her voice was still soft and gentle, but with a hint of lingering emotion: "I know what you want to say, Yuan-chan. I can sense it."
"From... from the moment you changed your attitude and took the initiative to greet me, from the moment you would help me hide things from my parents, from...
As she spoke, a sniffling sound came through the earphone, and her voice trembled slightly.
"Actually, some things don't have to be said. I know... even if some things are said, they are not what we really mean."
"And, like I told you last time, I really, really... don't blame you anymore."
Mina seemed to rub her eyes and nose, suppressing the sobs in her voice, trying to replace them with a smile: "Although it was really hard at first, but... I don't blame you anymore."
"..."
Mina's words made Chi Jingyuan's carefully prepared remarks seem superfluous. He listened to the trembling tone in her voice, but his mind was perfectly clear.
How could he not feel the relief and complex emotions that Mina was experiencing at that moment?
His apology was clearly very important to her...
The reason she said that, the reason she interrupted him, and the reason she said "you don't have to say it out loud" was simply because, as always, she was thinking of him out of habit, not wanting him to be embarrassed, not wanting him to give up his pride, and not wanting him to feel awkward or uncomfortable because of an apology.
"Yuan-chan, I think you've changed a bit. Hmm... some things have changed, and some things haven't."
After a brief silence and a few sniffling sounds, Mina spoke again, her voice noticeably calmer this time.
"Is it a good change or a bad change?"
"Although you... I can't explain it clearly."
"how about you?"
"Hehehe, of course I've changed too."
Suddenly, a burst of giggling laughter reached her ears. Mina seemed quite happy, instantly lightening the somewhat tense atmosphere.
"Yuan-chan..." her voice softened, "Do you treat others like this?"
"what?"
"Exactly, even if they've broken up and are no longer dating, they'll still help... put on an act in front of their parents because they've figured something out."
"……No."
"Um... thank you."
"It's me who should thank you."
"Pfft, it feels like we're acting in a TV drama. If it were Nayeon unnie, she'd definitely be pouting and saying it's not good, yelling that she'd change the channel."
"Kick her out and forbid her from watching TV dramas, and she'll behave."
"Hahaha... Gen-chan, you..."
Wiping away the tears from the corner of her eyes, Mina smiled for a while, then casually asked, pretending not to care, "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Although her tone was relaxed, her voice was actually trembling slightly.
Chi Jingyuan's apology came as a surprise to her, but it also eased the long-standing wounds in her heart and allowed her to release some of her pent-up emotions.
But for her, the apology was both important and unimportant.
Because what she really wanted wasn't an apology.
Instead... it's the same as before.
"..."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan instantly understood what Mina was thinking and the subtle expectation in her tone.
But... he sighed softly to himself, and did not give her the response she wanted.
Apologizing for the hurtful things he did was to help him and Mina reconcile with their past selves and with that relationship.
However, this does not mean that you should get back together with your partner at this time.
After all, Mina just said that.
Both of them have changed.
"..."
However, saying some things bluntly can burden both parties and break the hard-won ease and relief.
Chi Jingyuan quickly organized his thoughts, trying to find a gentle and tactful way to respond to her expectations.
From that brief silence, Mina seemed to sense something.
"If Gen-chan doesn't have anything else to say... *slurp*"
Before Chi Jingyuan could figure out how to refuse, her voice already reached his ears:
She complained with dissatisfaction:
"Then let's play the game seriously, we've already lost three games in a row!"
The sound, tinged with sobs and nasal congestion, reached my ears. Even though the tone was deliberately urging and expressing dissatisfaction, the underlying tone remained gentle.
Has she really changed?
…………
Outside the window, tiny snowflakes began to fall silently. The first snow of 2018 in Tokyo had arrived quietly.
Moonlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft, silvery glow on the apartment floor. This light mingled with the falling snowflakes outside, creating a gentle and healing scene.
Inside the apartment, warm yellow light gently enveloped the entire space, dispelling the chill of the late night.
The computer screen was lit, the game graphics were vividly flashing, the keyboard was constantly being tapped, the game sound effects were constantly ringing out, Chi Jingyuan was playing enthusiastically, and the occasional complaints could be heard. There was also the gentle and cheerful voice of Ming Jingnan in the headphones. Together with the snow and night outside the window, scene after scene came together to form a warm picture.
"Yuan-chan, where are you? Didn't you say you'd charge with me?"
"Uh... I was ambushed while I was reloading."
"..."
There was a moment of silence in the headphones, no teasing, no complaints, only soft breathing.
But silence speaks louder than words.
Chi Jingyuan was a little embarrassed. Although he liked playing Overwatch, he hadn't had much time to play it recently due to his schedule. He also had only average talent in shooting games, and his skill level was just average.
Of course, he would never admit it.
"Hmm... This game was very popular when it first came out last year. Our group would play it together whenever we had free time. I was the best one among the XO members."
"Is that so? It seems there aren't many people in XO who are good at games."
"Um, actually I'm pretty good too... I wasn't in a good state just now."
"Mmm~"
"Why do I feel like you don't really believe me?" The tone of voice in the earpiece made Chi Jingyuan frown.
How did Mina, who was so well-behaved and kind, become like this?
"How could that be? I believe whatever you say, Gen-chan! Go for it, Gen-chan!"
"I'm going to show my true strength this game. I'm going to play my signature champion. I'll pick Pharah, and Xiao Nan, you play Mercy. We have good synergy; we call this the 'Double Pharah Combo'."
Chi Jingyuan selected his best role and instructed Jingnan on tactics.
"Well……"
"You'll stay with me the whole time. Wherever I go, you go. If I fly into the sky, you'll hold my hand."
"Um……"
"You can increase my attack power..."
Just as Chi Jingyuan was rambling on about assigning tasks and explaining his so-called tactics, Mina, who hadn't responded much and seemed lost in thought, suddenly spoke up:
"Two people... is that enough?"
"What do you mean it's not enough? Our group is just... um..."
"Hahaha……"