diymy Chapter 35 I recognize this person
Chapter 35 I recognize this person
As the song ended and the last heavy beat fell, the nine people seemed to have been simultaneously de-wound, collapsing onto the spot.
Hirai Momo fell backward and lay on the ground. Minatozaki Sana sat in front of the mirror, wiping the sweat from her neck with a towel, but her eyes were secretly staring at the man still wearing a mask at the door through the mirror.
Mina walked to the corner to get her water bottle, unscrewed the cap, took a small sip, and glanced around, her eyes also fixed on the same direction.
Lee Ki-beom clapped his hands with a smile, "Kids, come here for a moment. This is the PD who produced Sana's show, PD Kang Young-tae."
Upon hearing this, the nine people who had just collapsed got up again and lined up in front of the mirror.
Park Jihyo shouted "One in a million!" and all nine members bowed in unison, their voices echoing throughout the practice room.
"Aninghaseyo, Twice eemida!"
Jiang Yongtai took off his mask and bowed slightly.
"Hello, nice to meet you, I am Jiang Yongtai."
When he looked up, the people opposite him were clearly taken aback.
Hirai Momo tilted her head and looked at him, her mouth moving faster than her brain: "He's very handsome."
The practice room fell silent for a moment, then Yoo Jeongyeon lowered her head and her shoulders began to tremble, while Lim Nayeon covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes narrowing into slits.
Sun Caiying poked half her head out from the back row, her gaze lingered on Jiang Yongtai's face for a moment, then withdrew.
Jiang Yongtai was also stunned for a moment, then laughed.
"Yes, thank you, Momo xi."
Hirai Momo then realized that she had blurted out her true feelings, and awkwardly responded, taking half a step back and stepping on Kim Da-hyun's foot behind her.
Kim Da-hyun exclaimed "Ah!" and held her shoulder, quietly expressing her dissatisfaction.
"Unnie, you stepped on me!"
Sana Minatozaki stood in the line and glared at Jiang Yongtai.
This guy just openly admitted it like that? How shameless!
Mina had a smile on her face, but her eyes were slightly narrowed, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Lee Ki-beom clapped his hands again, drawing attention back to the present.
"Alright, alright, Jeongyeon, come out here for a second. PD Kang Young-tae is here today to do a pre-interview with you about the refrigerator."
Sana Minatozaki suddenly turned her head to look at Jeongyeon Yoo, her eyes wide open.
"Hey, Jeongyeon, why didn't you tell me! I spent ages discussing with you yesterday who my first guest would be!"
The members all knew that Sana Minatozaki had recently taken on the role of MC for an online variety show, so they all gathered around to watch the show.
Yoo Jeongyeon reluctantly stepped out of the line, first responding to Lee Kibum, then looking at Minatozaki Sana.
"Sana, I was just trying to surprise you. I've been holding it in for two days, and Kibum oppa just blurted it out like that."
She gave Lee Ki-beom a resentful look.
Lee Ki-beom raised his hand with a smile, "PD Kang Young-tae said that Sana could know in advance, it has nothing to do with me."
Yu Dingyan turned her gaze to Jiang Yongtai, her tone calm but polite.
"Yes, PD-nim, thank you."
Jiang Yongtai smiled and explained:
"Jungyeon-ssi, Sana will also have a script later on. If you want to keep it from her forever, it might not be so easy."
For once, Sana Minatozaki thought Kang Young-tae had said something pleasing, so she raised her chin slightly and gave Yoo Jeong-yeon a smug snort.
"Yeah, Jeongyeon, I'll talk to you about the show sometime later~"
Yu Dingyan shook his head dismissively. "Forget it, don't look for me!"
She turned to Lee Ki-bum, "Ki-bum oppa, PD-nim, where are we going for the interview?"
Lee Ki-beom gestured for everyone to be quiet.
"Kids, those who need to practice, practice. Those who need to prepare for the afternoon recording, go prepare. Jeongyeon, Kang PD, come with me, let's go to the meeting room."
"Inside--"
The members responded and began to disperse in twos and threes.
Hirai Momo lay back down on the floor, while Kim Da-hyun squatted down next to her and poked her face, getting revenge for stepping on her foot earlier.
Lim Nayeon took Son Chaeyoung's hand and walked in front of the mirror, muttering, "Let's do that move again."
Mina and Tzuyu walked to a corner and sat down, their faces showing no unusual expression, simply drinking water quietly.
Jiang Yongtai glanced at her and pursed his lips.
Nan-chan looks a little uncomfortable...
"PDnim, let's go." Lee Kibum turned around and called out to him.
Kang Young-tae looked away, nodded, and then followed Lee Ki-beom and Yoo Jeong-yeon out of the practice room.
Chou Tzu-yu took a sip of water, looked at Mina beside her who had no expression on her face, and rested her head on Mina's shoulder.
"Unnie~"
"Hmm, what's wrong, Tzuyu?"
Mina snapped out of her daze and smiled at her.
"Did you notice that Jiang just now...?"
She frowned, the name stuck in her throat.
"Jiang Yongtai".
"Yeah! I feel like I've seen PD Kang Young-tae somewhere before, was it at Music Bank?"
Mina paused for a moment, "...He used to be an assistant PD at SoundBank. We met a few times backstage."
Chou Tzu-yu laughed, realizing she hadn't mistaken him for someone else.
"I told you I didn't remember wrong!"
Sana Minatozaki ran over with a smile on her face, plopped down on the ground, lay back, rested her head on Tzuyu's lap, and looked up at them.
"Tzuyu, Mina, what are you talking about?"
Mina's eyes darted around, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips as she looked down at Sana Minatozaki.
"Tzuyu and I were talking about PD Kang Young-tae. Tzuyu remembered seeing PD Kang Young-tae on Music Bank before."
Sana Minato's smile visibly froze on her face.
"Is that so? We've done so many shows, it's normal to have seen it before..."
Chou Tzu-yu ignored her, frowning as she searched through her memories.
Mina smiled and nodded.
"That's perfectly normal."
Sana Minatozaki thought Mina was covering for her and gave her a grateful look.
Mina's smile deepened when she saw that look in his eyes.
Suddenly, Chou Tzu-yu let out a soft "Ah".
"I remember now, I've seen it more than a few times!"
Two years ago, when we were promoting on Music Bank, PD Kang would always come to the dressing room and bring us snacks.
I thought he was Once; it seemed like other waiting rooms didn't offer that kind of treatment.
Her brows furrowed slightly again, and her voice was filled with confusion.
"But why did PD Kang say 'nice to meet you' just now?"
Mina chuckled, her eyes turning playful.
"Maybe they've stopped being fans and switched to another fandom."
Sana Minatozaki tilted her head and rolled her eyes at her, without saying a word.
Chou Tzu-yu looked down at her: "Unnie, don't you remember me?"
I remember that back then, PD Kang brought a lot of snacks that were the kind you liked to eat.
Sana Minatozaki forced a smile, her voice slightly unsteady.
"Really? It's been so long, I've forgotten."
Upon hearing this, Mina couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
Chou Tzu-yu turned to her again.
"And Mina unnie, there are also many of those things that unnie likes to eat."
Mina smiled and nodded. "Yes, I thanked him back then."
Two years ago, Jiang Yongtai sent snacks to Sana's entire team in order to take care of her.
And to keep her quiet, there would be some of her favorite foods inside.
She was just an afterthought.
"Ugh, this is so annoying!"
Hearing them still talking about it, some images uncontrollably flashed through Sana Minatozaki's mind, and she started to playfully rub against Tzuyu's lap.
The group was already covered in sweat from practicing, and now she made them feel uncomfortable all over.
Tzuyu helplessly reached out and pressed her down, "Unnie! What's wrong with you now..."
"I...I'm wondering why he climbed the wall!"
Sana Minatozaki was pinned down and couldn't break free. She wasn't as strong as the maknae, so she could only mutter a few words.
Chou Tzu-yu's eyes lit up. "Then unnie can ask PD Kang, right? Don't you work with him a lot these days?"
Mina reached out and patted Sana Minato's head, her fingertips circling her orange curly hair, her tone teasing.
"Yes, Sana, you go ask him on our behalf if he's still Once."
Sana Minatozaki sprang off Tzuyu's lap and glared at Mina.
"Mina, you're the worst! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
After saying that, she stood up and walked towards Hirai Momo without looking back.
Poor Tofu ultimately failed to get his revenge.
Hirai Momo had her arm around Kim Da-hyun's shoulder from behind, a victor's satisfaction on her face.
Kim Da-hyun was held tightly in her arms, a fake smile on her lips, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, her soul clearly out of her body.
Seeing Sana Minatozaki walking towards her aggressively, a glimmer of genuine hope finally surfaced in her eyes, thinking that this older sister had come to rescue her.
Instead of rescuing her, Sana Minatozaki plopped down next to her and joined Momo Hirai's camp.
She vented all the anger she had suffered at Mina's place on the innocent tofu, reaching out to tickle Kim Da-hyun.
Kim Da-hyun's smile faded, and her eyes completely lost their light...
……
In the conference room, Jiang Yongtai closed his notebook and smiled at Yu Dingyan.
"Thank you, Jeongyeon-xi."
Yoo Jeongyeon responded shyly, "Yes, PD-nim, was what I said... interesting enough?"
Since it was Sana Minatozaki's first episode, she wanted to do her best and give Sana a good start.
Jiang Yongtai saw through her thoughts and nodded seriously.
"What Jeongyeon said was very interesting, and I believe Onces, as well as other viewers, will really enjoy it."
"That's good." Yu Dingyan breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing.
Lee Ki-beom, who had been standing beside him, glanced down at his watch, then looked up at Kang Young-tae.
"It's lunchtime, PD-nim, would you like to try our company's organic cafeteria?"
Kang Young-tae smiled and asked, "Is it convenient? I'm not a JYP employee."
"It's convenient, PD-nim."
Yoo Jeongyeon answered before Lee Kibum could, her tone tinged with pride.
"Our cafeteria is free for employees, but PD Park Jin-young is also very welcoming to guests."
Lee Ki-beom nodded. "Jeongyeon is right. Let's go then. The children should have already gone."
Kang Young-tae stood up with a smile, "Then I'll have to compare it with tvN's cafeteria."
Lee Ki-beom laughed out loud and turned around to signal them to follow.
The three of them left the meeting room and entered the elevator. As soon as the door closed, Yu Dingyan suddenly let out a soft "ah" and turned to look at Jiang Yongtai.
"PD-nim, I forgot to ask earlier, do the things we bring to the fridge have to be things we already have in the dorm?"
She was a little worried because the dorm fridge was mostly filled with leftover pizzas, a few boxes of yogurt, and kimchi that came with takeout orders. It didn't look like it could be used for cooking.
What's more, the head chef is Sana Minatozaki.
Jiang Yongtai chuckled: "Of course, that's one of the highlights of our show."
Unlike the professional chefs who prepare dishes on shows like "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator," it's quite interesting to have Sana Xi create things with simple ingredients and her whimsical ideas, isn't it?
Yoo Jeong-yeon fell silent, her expression already a silent farewell to the culinary disaster she was about to devour.
Jiang Yongtai glanced at her expression and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He had also experienced Sana Minato's cooking skills firsthand, so he understood that Jeongyeon Yoo's concerns were not unfounded.
The elevator arrived, the doors opened, and three people stepped out.
The entrance to the cafeteria is at the end of the corridor, and the air is already filled with the aroma of food.
Lee Ki-beom took out his phone and glanced at it, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Jeongyeon, I'm leaving PD-nim in your care. I have something urgent to take care of."
After saying that, he bowed quickly to the two of them and walked away in the opposite direction.
Jiang Yongtai watched his figure disappear around the corner of the corridor and casually asked a question.
"Is Kibum always this busy?"
Yu Dingyan led him into the cafeteria, picked up two plates, and handed one to him.
"Yes, Kibum oppa is our general manager. We have to go through him for everything. He's much busier than us when he's busy."
She gestured with her chin toward the cafeteria, "We're here. PD-nim, grab your tray first, then go over there and choose your food."
JYP's cafeteria was larger than Kang Young-tae had imagined. Long, light-colored wooden tables were neatly arranged, and the side with the window had floor-to-ceiling glass, allowing the midday sun to stream in.
The food pick-up area was steaming, with several plates filled with kimchi stir-fried with meat, spicy stewed chicken, and soybean paste soup, and a bibimbap station next to it.
The innermost glass cabinet was filled with several salad and fruit cutting boxes, next to which stood a small blackboard with the words "Today's Special" written in chalk: Herb Chicken Breast with Roasted Pumpkin Salad.
Jiang Yongtai glanced at the blackboard, compared it to his own simple menu, and couldn't help but shake his head.
Jiang Yongtai followed Yu Dingyan with a tray, picking up a few dishes that looked somewhat familiar, and also took a serving of herb-stuffed chicken breast.
"I see Nayeon and the others, let's go sit over there."
Yoo Jeong-yeon, holding her plate, turned around and smiled at him.
Kang Youngtae looked in the direction she pointed, and there were Twice members sitting at two tables over there.
Lim Nayeon was talking to Park Jihyo next to her, while Son Chaeyoung was engrossed in eating a bowl of bibimbap.
Hirai Momo stared at the plate of fried chicken nuggets in front of her with an even more serious expression than when Kang Young-tae saw her dancing in the practice room earlier.
However, neither Minatozaki Sana nor Mina were seen at either table.
Other JYP employees sat on the other side, intentionally or unintentionally maintaining a polite distance from the artists' area.
He nodded. "Okay, I'm a guest. I'll follow Dingyan's arrangements."
Yu Dingyan smiled but didn't say anything, and led him over.
When Lim Nayeon saw them coming, she raised her hand and waved to them, pointing to the empty seat next to her.
Yoo Jeongyeon glanced over and saw that Lim Nayeon's table was already crowded with three people. It would be fine if she added herself, but it would be too crowded if she brought Kang Youngtae along.
She waved to Lim Na-yeon and found an empty table not far from them to sit down.
Jiang Yongtai sat down opposite her.
Yu Dingyan picked up her chopsticks, then remembered something and put them down, gesturing somewhat embarrassedly.
"PD, please go first."
Jiang Yongtai smiled and raised his hand.
"Jeongyeon-ssi, please don't be shy, just eat first. You look very hungry."
Yoo Jeong-yeon gave an awkward laugh. She was indeed hungry, but she hadn't expected him to notice.
"...Then I'll eat first, PD-nim, please enjoy your meal."
After saying that, he picked up a mouthful of rice and put it in his mouth.
Jiang Yongtai also picked up his chopsticks, took a look at the chicken breast, and found that it looked ordinary, similar to a low-fat meal from a convenience store.
He took a bite, chewed it twice, and raised an eyebrow slightly.
Surprisingly, it was quite good. The chicken breast wasn't dry, and the herb flavor didn't overpower the natural freshness of the meat. The roasted pumpkin that came with it was also delicious.
He couldn't help but nod.
"Not bad, right?"
Seeing the expression on his face, Yu Dingyan laughed, "The auntie in our cafeteria is a very good cook."
"Now I understand why PD Park Jin-young promotes organic food everywhere—it really is delicious." He nodded with a smile, picking up another piece of chicken breast with his chopsticks.
Yu Dingyan smiled and then focused on finishing the food on her plate.
At the entrance of the cafeteria, Minatozaki Sana and Mina arrived late.
She grabbed Mina's wrist and walked so fast she almost ran.
"Mina, hurry up! We have fried chicken nuggets today, or they'll be gone!"
Mina was helplessly dragged behind her. If she hadn't just been cornered in the practice room by Sana Minatozaki and given a "severe" lesson, she wouldn't have been late at all.
"Sana, didn't your manager just tell you to watch your weight since you're making a comeback soon?"
"It's okay to eat it once in a while!"
Without turning her head, Minatozaki Sana released Mina's wrist, pulled two plates from the sterilizer, stuffed one into Mina's hand, and carried the other herself, quickly joining the food pick-up line.
Minami took the tray and casually glanced around the dining area.
Then her gaze stopped. By the window, Yu Dingyan was eating with her head down, and sitting opposite her was someone whose back she recognized.
Is Yongtai Sang here too?
She glanced at Yu Dingyan across from him again and understood a few things.
They probably came here for lunch after the interview.
Her eyes darted around, and a smile curved her lips.
"Sana, go sit over there, there's an empty seat next to Jeongyeon."
Sana Minatozaki was standing on tiptoe, peering to see how many fried chicken nuggets were left, when she answered without turning her head.
"OK!"