Managing the Korean entertainment industry: I have superpowers, but I won't say.

Chapter 51 The first day of the new year, I haven't warmed your hands enough.

January 1st, Wednesday, New Year's Day. 1 a.m. Su Yu was awakened by the crackling and popping sounds outside the window—not a war, but a deluge of New Year's fireworks.

The phone screen was blindingly bright. Cai Xiubin's messages came in like a machine gun: at midnight, "Oppa, Happy New Year"; at 12:03, she followed up with "Are you asleep?"; and at 12:10, she simply confirmed, "Definitely asleep. Pig."

Su Yu couldn't help but smirk slightly, and typed back: "Awake. You woke me up."

The reply came instantly: "Liar. It was clearly the fireworks that were making the noise."

"Did you set off the fireworks too?"

"I'm not a fireworks fairy. I'm at home, in bed."

Su Yu looked at the words and teased her mischievously, "Playing on your phone in bed? Aren't you afraid of getting nearsighted?"

I can't sleep. I miss you.

Su Yu stared at the screen, his heart skipping a beat. This girl's direct approach on the first day of the new year caught him completely off guard. "What were you thinking about?"

"I miss the warmth of your hands. You said every page you wrote was warmed by your hands. And what about your hands? What are they doing now?"

Su Yu looked down at his hands. He was holding his phone in his left hand, while his right hand was under the pillow, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the black rubber band that was digging into his hand.

"I'm replying to your message."

"What about the other one?"

"Playing with a rubber band. Yours."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the chat, then a voice message came through. Su Yu opened it; her voice was soft, with a hint of sleepiness and shyness, as if afraid of being overheard: "Oppa, you've kept that hair tie all this time?"

"Um."

Why?

"Because it's the one you use to tie your hair. When you tied your hair, the ponytail swayed a little. I remember that moment."

After a long time, she finally sent a message: "Oppa, you're so annoying. Saying things like this in the middle of the night, don't you know how to let people sleep?"

Su Yu smiled: "Then you go to sleep. Goodnight."

"I can't sleep. You have to pay me back."

"How will you compensate me?"

Tell me a story.

Su Yu leaned back on the pillow, thought for a moment, and began to type: "Once upon a time, there was a screenwriter who wrote a script and found a new actress. The new actress was clumsy; she couldn't climb over walls, her legs trembled when she tried to jump off a building, and she cut her hand while chopping vegetables. But she was very serious and brought the character to life."

"and then?"

"Then the screenwriter fell in love with her."

"And then what?"

"And then it's now. The screenwriter is telling the story, and she's listening."

The other person sent an eye-rolling emoji, followed immediately by another message: "This isn't a story, it's documentary literature."

"Documentary literature is also literature."

"Then keep writing. Keep writing until I fall asleep."

Su Yu wrote a long passage: "The new actress later became the female lead. She no longer needed to climb over walls, but she did it herself. She no longer needed to jump off buildings, but she did it herself. She no longer needed to chop vegetables, but she learned how. She no longer needed to wait for others to remember her, because she was already remembered by many people. But what the screenwriter fears most is not that she won't be remembered, but that after she is remembered, she will forget the way back."

Cai Xiubin didn't reply. Su Yu waited a few minutes, assuming she had fallen asleep. Then her phone vibrated.

"Oppa, I won't forget."

Su Yu looked at the words and her heart melted. She replied with two words: "Okay. Go to sleep."

Goodnight, Oppa. Happy New Year.

Happy New Year, Soobin.

At seven o'clock in the morning, Su Yu was woken up by his alarm clock. It was New Year's Day, the company was closed, and the convenience store was closed too, but he couldn't fall back asleep at all. He walked to the sink, splashed cold water on his face, and looked up at himself in the mirror. The face in the mirror had a sharp jawline, dark and heavy eyes, and a bit of stubble on his chin; he hadn't shaved last night.

My phone lit up. It was a message from Cai Xiubin: "Oppa, good morning. What are you doing on the first day of the new year?"

Su Yu replied, "I'm washing my face. What about you?"

"I roll around in bed. My mom says I'm a worm."

"You're not an insect. You're a bird. The kind that can fly."

"Then what are you?"

"I run on the ground. Remember to land when you get tired of flying."

She sent a smiley face, then followed up with: "Oppa, what are your plans for New Year's Day?"

"No. The company is on holiday."

"Let's go for a walk along the Han River. It's the first day of the new year, let's watch the sunrise."

Su Yu glanced out the window; it was already daylight, but the sun hadn't risen yet. "It's still not too late to go now."

"Then wait for me at the company. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"OK."

At eight o'clock in the morning, by the Han River. When Su Yu arrived, Cai Xiubin was already standing by the railing. She was wearing a white down jacket, a red scarf, her hair was loose, and her face was flushed from the wind. When she saw Su Yu, she waved vigorously.

"Did you run here?" Su Yu walked over.

"I was afraid you'd have to wait."

"I said I'd wait for you. Why are you running away?"

She laughed, grabbed his arm, and pressed herself against him: "Oppa, it's the first day of the new year, you have to be nice to me."

"When have I ever been unkind to you?"

"You're always being sarcastic towards me."

"That's a way of expressing love."

She rolled her eyes: "Nonsense."

The two walked along the riverbank. The wind blew across the water, carrying the fishy smell and a chill. Cai Xiubin hunched her shoulders and pulled her scarf up higher.

"Cold?" Su Yu asked.

"It's not cold."

"Then why are you shrinking back?"

My neck is itchy.

Su Yu reached out and rewrap her scarf. When his fingers touched her chin, she flinched but didn't flinch.

"Alright." Su Yu withdrew his hand.

She lowered her head, her ears turning red: "Oppa."

"Um."

"Your hands are so cold."

"I just washed my face with cold water."

She reached out and grasped his hand. Their hands intertwined, fingers clasped. Her hand was warmer than his, her palms glowing.

"I'll cover it for you," she said.

Su Yu didn't speak. The two of them walked hand in hand along the riverbank. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, its light shining golden on the water.

At noon, at the company. Su Yu laid out a bamboo mat, seaweed, and rice on the table. Cai Xiubin sat beside him, resting her chin on her hand and watching him.

"You're making seaweed rice rolls again."

"On the first day of the new year, you should eat well."

"Is seaweed rice roll considered good?"

"It's my decision."

She smiled, reached for a piece, and popped it into her mouth: "Delicious."

"Where's a good place to eat?"

Everything you cook is delicious.

Su Yu looked at her: "Is this the only sentence you know?"

"That's enough." She chewed, her cheeks puffed out. "Oppa."

"Um."

You held my hand today.

"Um."

"I'll hold your hand every day from now on."

Su Yu rolled up the last piece of seaweed rice, cut it, and placed it on a plate: "Okay. I'll hold your hand every day. Until you get tired of it."

"I won't find it annoying."

"Then we'll stay together until we're old."

Her face instantly turned bright red: "Oppa, you're getting more and more..."

"What's getting more and more interesting?"

"She's starting to look more and more like my dad."

Su Yu smiled: "Then call me Dad?"

She grabbed a piece of seaweed rice roll and shoved it into his mouth: "Su Yu, shut up!"

In the afternoon, Shirley sent me a message.

Happy New Year, Oppa!

Su Yu replied: 【Happy New Year.】

Where are you? At your company?

【Um. 】

【one person?】

Su Yu glanced at Cai Xiubin, who was sitting next to her eating seaweed rice rolls with her cheeks still bulging.

【no. 】

Shirley was silent for a moment. Half a minute later, she replied: 【With Cai Xiubin?】

【Um. 】

Are you two together?

Su Yu stared at the line of text, his finger pausing for a moment.

【Um. 】

The "typing..." message flashed for a long time. Finally, it only sent three words: "OK."

Su Yu didn't reply. Cai Xiubin leaned closer to look at his phone screen.

"She found out?" Cai Xiubin asked.

"Um."

"Is she angry?"

No. She said "I understand".

"That means they're angry."

Su Yu put her phone on the table: "She won't be angry."

How did you know?

"Because she's not that kind of person." Su Yu leaned back in her chair. "She just needs time."

Cai Xiubin lowered her head and drew circles on the table with her finger: "Oppa."

"Um."

"Did you ever like her before?"

Su Yu was silent for a few seconds: "I did like someone. But not that kind of liking."

"Which one is it?"

"It's the kind of feeling... that makes me feel at ease when I see her. But it doesn't mean I want to hold her hand."

Cai Xiubin looked up: "So, whose hand do you want to hold now?"

Su Yu reached out and took her hand: "Yours."

That evening, Su Yu returned to the semi-basement apartment. Pushing open the door, he saw water still dripping from the ceiling. Drip, drip. He lay down on the bed and took out his phone. There was an unread message from Shirley. The time was 3 PM.

Oppa, I wish you happiness.

Su Yu looked at the line of text and typed a few words: "You too."

She didn't reply. Su Yu placed her phone beside her pillow and closed her eyes. The wind from outside seeped in through the cracks in the glass, causing the curtains to sway gently.