It's not that I don't love you anymore

Chapter 64 It's not that I don't love you anymore (10000)

Sana Minatozaki got into the car, looking down at the text message she had just replied to, her lips pouting.

Did I agree too quickly? How come I replied "I'm free" as soon as he sent me a message?

He said he'd meet up, and then he did, making it seem like she'd been waiting for him to ask her out—but she hadn't!

However, he just asked about work-related interviews —

Yes, I only agreed because of work! I was just fulfilling my duties as an MC!

The text message interface suddenly switched to an incoming call screen, the phone rang, and the words "Dabaga" appeared on the screen.

Her hand trembled, and her phone almost slipped into the gap in the seat.

Baka! Why are you attacking me all of a sudden?!

She frowned, stared at the screen, took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, and then answered the call, speaking coldly.

"Why are you calling all of a sudden?"

Jiang Yongtai paused for a moment, taken aback by her attitude.

"I'll tell you where we're meeting. Aren't you free now?"

Sana Minato pursed her lips and remained silent for two seconds.

No, I can't be that decisive, or it'll make me seem too easy to ask out!

She completely forgot that just half a minute ago she had convinced herself that this was for work.

"I mean I'm free, but not now."

"Okay, I understand. When are you free?"

Jiang Yongtai answered quickly, without the slightest impatience.

"Tell me first, is this for work, or did you contact me yourself? And what's the story behind this interview?"

Sana Minatozaki tapped the steering wheel absently with her fingers. This question would determine whether she was free tonight or another evening.

"It's part of my job—but not related to 'Refrigerator Interview,' it's my own business."

Sana Minatozaki frowned slightly.

She wasn't satisfied with this answer. What did she mean by "considered work"? Couldn't she have clarified whether it was work or personal?!

She held her phone without answering, and Jiang Yongtai on the other end of the line, thinking she was hesitating, spoke again.

"Saka? If you're not free today, let's do it another day. Tomorrow night after the recording is finished is fine too."

It was a bit abrupt of me to contact you so suddenly, but I wasn't actually in a rush.

Sana Minatozaki's eyebrows stood up.

Didn't you text me to make plans? I replied and you called me. Now you're saying it's not urgent? Tomorrow is fine too?

Jiang Yongtai, are you kidding me?!

She just ran out right in front of Chou Tzu-yu. If she cancels now, how will she explain it to Tzu-yu when she gets back?

He said he got stood up by that "big idiot"? How embarrassing!

"No need, see you tonight! I don't have time after recording tomorrow night."

Actually, I'll be perfectly free after recording tomorrow night, but how can I tell him that now?

She looked down at the loose T-shirt and sweatpants she was wearing, feeling sticky from the sweat she had accumulated during practice, and bit her lower lip.

"One hour—no, two hours, where shall we meet?"

"The coffee shop where we had our first date."

Jiang Yongtai's tone was light and casual, as if he had just randomly chosen a place, but to Minatozaki Sana's ears it was like a bombshell.

bomb.

Her breathing became slightly heavier, and she tightened her grip on her phone.

The place of our first date? What does he mean by this? Does he want to start over with me, or did he just give me a random address?

What are you saying, Jiang Yongtai? Do you even know what you're saying?!

"----knew."

She pretended to be calm and replied in a low voice, but the other person chuckled softly.

"Looks like you still remember where you are."

Sana Minatozaki froze, as if she had already lost a round just by memorizing that address, and then raised her voice and shouted into the microphone.

"I've already forgotten! Send me the address, I'm hanging up, I'm busy!"

She hung up the phone, tossed it onto the passenger seat, gripped the steering wheel tightly, and her heart was still pounding.

She closed her eyes, pressed her forehead against the back of her hand, exhaled a breath she had been holding for a long time, and then raised her head again.

I glanced at my flushed cheeks in the rearview mirror and started the car.

Jiang Yongtai didn't take the call to heart. He put his phone on the table and stood up to tidy up the meeting materials scattered on it.

It was good that Minatozaki Sana agreed to meet; as for being hung up on—he was already used to it.

His choice of that coffee shop wasn't entirely random.

Since I want to talk to her about "saying goodbye," it seems more appropriate to go back to where it all began.

Thinking of this, he suddenly stopped what he was doing, picked up a pen and scribbled a few words on the sticky note next to the proposal.

This idea could be incorporated into the subsequent filming plan: conducting in-depth interviews at the location of the first date, allowing the guests to confront the starting point of their relationship, which might unexpectedly be effective.

When I returned to the office, it was empty.

Jiang Yongtai pulled out the "Transfer Romance" proposal from his drawer, pasted the front label on the cover, and left the office for the elevator.

He had two hours left before his appointment with Minatozaki Sana, so he planned to go home first to take a shower and change his clothes.

As I drove the car out of the underground parking garage, the setting sun had just painted the entire road into the style of LA's Sunset Boulevard.

The car radio was playing an old song with a familiar melody. He hummed along for a couple of lines, then suddenly stopped.

It seems like that was the same when I first went on a date with Sana Minatozaki.

I nervously called her to ask if she was free that evening, as I wanted to meet her.

She also asked him whether it was for business or personal matters, but she asked it playfully, with her voice rising at the end.

She had already thought of her answer, but she deliberately wanted to see how he would respond.

His palms were sweaty after he made that call. He changed his clothes several times when he got home but wasn't satisfied with any of them. In the end, he just wore his usual shirt.

Looking back now, I realize how naive I was back then.

Jiang Yongtai chuckled and shook his head, turned the car into the apartment's underground parking garage, turned off the engine, picked up the business plan from the passenger seat, and walked towards the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, the mirror reflected the lingering smile on his lips and the fleeting memory in his eyes—

The shop door was pushed open, and the wind chimes on the door tinkled softly.

Sana Minatozaki stood at the door wearing a mask, her eyes unconsciously softening.

This shop really hasn't changed at all!

The shop is hidden deep in an alley, so small that it only has a few tables, each with a small, warm yellow table lamp.

In the corner, a record player was slowly turning, playing a Japanese jazz tune.

The walls were covered with yellowed LP covers, stacked from floor to ceiling, all collected by the owner over most of his life.

The gray-haired owner behind the bar was wiping the coffee machine with his head down, as if the comings and goings of customers had nothing to do with him.

This LP coffee shop was the place that Kang Young-tae chose for their first date.

He told her that the owner simply wanted to share his record collection with customers, which is why he opened the store.

There's no advertising or signage; only long-time residents of this community know that this place is hidden in the alley.

The coffee here is delicious, the pastries are also very good, and it's extremely secluded.

For her, this last point was more important than anything else.

At that time, she asked him curiously, "PDnim, how did you know about this place?" He just touched his nose, smiled, and didn't answer.

Later, the two chose this place for many dates, no longer just for its seclusion, but because they had genuinely fallen in love with the place.

"Saka, here."

In the corner booth, Jiang Yongtai stood up, smiled, and waved to her.

The owner behind the bar seemed to only then notice a customer had come in, and looked up at her.

Sana Minatozaki nodded to the boss, took a deep breath, grabbed the shoulder strap of her bag, walked to the corner, and stood in front of him.

Jiang Yongtai's gaze moved down from her long, dark gray coat to her bare legs beneath her short skirt.

"Aren't you cold dressed like that? A coat on top and a short skirt on the bottom, it looks like two different seasons."

"You fashion terrorist, just shut up!"

Sana Minato rolled her eyes at him, sat down opposite him, put her bag down beside her, and felt extremely annoyed.

I should have just thrown something together. This idiot doesn't know anything. I spent so much time rummaging through my closet trying to put something together!

"Just finding an opening line, since I suddenly called you out."

Jiang Yongtai was scolded and awkwardly touched his nose.

The owner came out from behind the bar and placed the menu in his hand in front of her.

"Miss, what would you like to drink?"

"Olive, President-nim, I remember your olive is really delicious~"

Sana Minatozaki tilted her head back, her eyes curving into crescents.

The boss pushed up his reading glasses, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

"Oh, you're a regular customer. Okay."

"Ah, President-nim, is there any Black Forest cake left today?"

"some."

"Then please add another Black Forest cake, thank you~"

Sana Minatozaki smiled and handed the menu back to him.

The boss took it, nodded, and turned to walk towards the bar.

Jiang Yongtai's expression shifted slightly after she placed her order.

She always ordered au lait and Black Forest cake whenever she came here—

He didn't say anything, he just picked up his Americano and took a sip.

The LP in the record player had just reached its end, so the boss went back to the bar and pulled out a record from the wall to replace it.

After a brief silence, Utada Hikaru's "First Love" drifted out from the speakers, the piano prelude like droplets of water falling into the dim light between the booths.

Sana Minato felt a sudden emptiness in her heart, frowned, and looked over the table with suspicion, landing directly on Kang Young-tae's face.

"Did you tell the boss to put it there?"

Was this idiot deliberately trying to get her to get back together with him?!

Is Tzuyu really that accurate? She said it last night and it came true today?

Jiang Yongtai was also taken aback, equally caught off guard by his boss's sudden song selection.

The two of them sat facing each other in this place filled with memories, just like before, with this song playing in the background—it was just too ambiguous!

He quickly waved his hand, his voice filled with genuine helplessness.

"No, why would I ask the boss to play this? You don't like it? Then please ask the boss to change it."

"—Never mind, sit down."

Sana Minato stopped him, her lips inexplicably twitching downwards, though it was hidden by her mask. Across from her stood Jiang Yongtai.

I didn't see anything.

She leaned back in her chair and hugged her chest.

"Speak, what did you call me here for today?"

"Saka, I've come to you today to ask you something. Take a look at this first."

Seeing that she wanted to get straight to the point, Jiang Yongtai took out a proposal from his bag and pushed it in front of her.

Sana Minato lowered her eyes, her brows furrowing slightly as she looked at the words printed on the cover—"Transfer Romance".

"What is this?"

"My idea for a show is a dating reality show."

I was originally supposed to be the main producer, but something unexpected happened, and I need to rediscover the original intention behind this project and the core of the show.

Sana Minatozaki stopped in her tracks as she was about to turn to the first page, her fingertips hovering over the paper.

What? So he didn't come looking for me to get back together with—

A faint sense of disappointment swept through her heart.

Although I told Tzuyu "whatever" last night, if Chiang Yung-tai really takes the first step and proactively talks to her about reconciliation...

If it's a good match, then it's not something she can't consider.

Of course, I'm only considering it; it's impossible for me to agree to his request right away!

Wait, what am I thinking?! It's all this lousy place's fault, and this song too! They've made me think all sorts of weird things!

She cleared those chaotic thoughts from her mind and raised her head again.

"Then why did you contact me? I don't understand your program production."

"—You take a look first. The fact that I wrote this project has something to do with you."

Jiang Yongtai picked up his coffee cup and took another sip, then looked away from her face and towards the LP wall next to him.

Sana Minato narrowed her eyes as she looked at his guilty expression.

"—What does this have to do with me? You're being so secretive, something's not right with you!"

Seeing that he only pointed to the proposal and didn't intend to say anything more, Sana Minatozaki could only purse her lips and unfold the document again.

She flipped the cover, and the first page was an overview of the project concept: a couple who have broken up, concealing their ex's identity, move in together, develop feelings for a new person of the opposite sex, and start a new relationship.

Her fingers paused on the page, she looked up, and her eyes turned cold.

"This is what you mean by 'it's related to me'? What do you mean, Jiang Yongtai!"

This thing looks like it was written using their past as material!

So tonight he doesn't want to get back together, he wants to find someone else, and is using this to test her?!

"No, don't misunderstand, listen to me!"

As soon as Jiang Yongtai heard Minatozaki Sana's tone, he knew something was wrong. He thought she was angry because he had used their past without her permission.

He pushed the coffee cup aside, leaned forward slightly, and looked directly into her eyes.

"I don't intend to make our story into a TV program with this project."

I just want to know, for those who, like us, didn't manage to say goodbye properly, what kind of opportunity would they need if they met again to truly let go of that relationship, or—picked it up again?

He paused, his voice lowered, and his gaze never left her face.

"When I was writing this, you were the only person I could think of—"

Sana Minatozaki was stunned. Utada Hikaru was singing "you will always be inside my heart" on the record player, and the lyrics matched Jiang Yongtai's words perfectly.

He just said he was thinking about himself, right? I didn't mishear him, did I?

Feeling a little short of breath, she pulled her mask down, revealing a section of her nose, and lowered her eyes to stare at the few lines of text on the first page of the proposal, without turning the page again.

The owner came over and placed the coffee and Black Forest cake in front of her. She whispered a thank you.

The older man sensed the subtle tension between the two, remained silent, and turned back to the bar.

"—Why are you showing me this? What do you want me to help you with?"

She finally spoke, but it took her a long time to finish her sentence.

Seeing that she was willing to talk, Jiang Yongtai finally felt relieved.

"I want you to put yourself in my shoes and give me some advice. It seems like we never really said goodbye properly."

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, forcing a bitter smile.

Sana Minatozaki looked up into his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.

Is he regretting it, or is he just feeling guilty?

Her gaze fell on the cup of au lait; the milk foam on the surface of the coffee hadn't yet dissipated.

"PDnim, don't you think it's a bit late to say all this now?"

"—Yes, you're right, it's a bit late, I'm sorry."

Sana Minatozaki suddenly tilted her head back, exhaled softly towards the ceiling, and her eyes suddenly filled with some annoying things.

Does he realize how easily an apology can bring someone to tears?!

Saka

"Don't call me that!" She lowered her head and glared at him.

Jiang Yongtai met her watery eyes, paused for a moment, and quickly reached out to move the tissue box on the corner of the table in front of her, took out two tissues and handed them to her.

"—I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't have contacted you."

He's starting to regret it. Although they seem to have returned to being "friends," bringing up the breakup so suddenly is still too much of a stretch.

Sana Minato snatched the tissue from his hand and pressed hard on the corner of her eye.

Upon hearing his words, she bit her lower lip and threw the crumpled tissue at him.

"Shut up! This project is important to you, right? You want my help? Fine, I'll help!"

She pointed to the sticky note he had pasted on the cover of the proposal.

"But you have to do it this way!"

Jiang Yongtai followed her finger and frowned.

"Follow this? What does that mean?"

"Baka! The hardest part of your show must be finding the guests, right?"

Sana Minatozaki only flipped through the first page before she already saw the biggest challenge of the show.

Jiang Yongtai nodded. "Yes, inviting guests will be very difficult."

My initial idea is to screen people on social media platforms and then reach out to them through introductions from colleagues and acquaintances.

"Isn't there a ready-made pair right now?"

Sana Minatozaki sniffed, pointed to herself with her index finger, and then pointed to him.

Jiang Yongtai stared at her wide-eyed. "Are you crazy? How could you possibly be on this show with me?!"

When Sana Minatozaki realized he had misunderstood, her face turned bright red.

"Baka! That's not what I meant! You're the one who's crazy!"

Jiang Yongtai felt a little better after hearing her retort.

He was terrified. Not only would her idol career be over if the two of them actually appeared on the show, but even worse was the fact that Mina was still in Hyogo Prefecture.

We can't exactly drag Nanjiang into this group, can we?

"So what do you mean?"

Sana Minatozaki picked up her coffee, took a sip to calm herself down, and rolled her eyes at him.

"I don't know how to explain my thoughts to you now, but all I can do is walk with you through the steps you've envisioned."

She tapped the note again.

"Let's pretend we're already on this show, and we're acting out a scene of us meeting again, only without cameras."

Jiang Yongtai was somewhat flustered. "Are you serious?!"

Are you and she acting out a "reunion" scene here?

Sana Minatozaki nodded seriously.

She genuinely didn't know how to say what Jiang Yongtai wanted to hear from her.

I can't just repeat what I told Tzuyu last night, that would be too easy on him!

Jiang Yongtai raised his hand to support his chin, his brows furrowed, and began to think seriously.

Sana Minatozaki's suggestion seemed absurd at first glance, but upon closer examination, it didn't seem entirely unreasonable.

If you could put yourself in the guests' shoes and go through the process, you might have a better grasp of the emotional tone and pacing of the show.

And as she said, if you take away their idol and PD identities from their current situation, they are actually not much different from the guests that "Love by Transfer" is looking for.

Seeing that he was still thinking, Sana Minatozaki didn't urge him. She picked up a spoon, scooped up a mouthful of Black Forest cake, and put it in her mouth.

The slightly bitter aftertaste of the chocolate slowly melted on her tongue, and she happily squinted her eyes, swaying gently twice.

It's still so delicious, and the coffee is still so good!

only--

She raised her eyes and glanced at the person opposite her.

The only difference is the status.

Jiang Yongtai lowered his hand, sighed, and said, "—Alright, I agree. Now, tell me how to act it out."

"You really agreed?"

A glint flashed in Sana Minato's eyes. She put down her spoon and sat up straight.

"Okay, let's divide it up now—"

You haven't broken up, but you haven't agreed to it yet.

She paused suddenly. Saying those words to his face had never been difficult before, but after her confrontation with Jiang Huiyuan, and after seeing those nearly worn-down words on the wall last night—

Those three words suddenly got stuck on the tip of my tongue, and I couldn't push them out no matter what I did.

"Just consider it a breakup, and then what?"

Seeing that she suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence, Jiang Yongtai took over the conversation in confusion, waiting for her to continue.

Sana Minatozaki felt a little strange hearing him say it for her, but she took a deep breath and continued the conversation.

"Then, we'll meet again in this place where we share memories, and say what we want to say to each other~"

Jiang Yongtai nodded seriously and stared at her intently.

"Speak, what do you want to tell me?"

Sana Minatozaki had already prepared herself, but when she saw Yong-tae Kang's overly serious expression, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Hahaha—you're acting so weird~"

Jiang Yongtai stared at her for a moment, pursed his lips, and his face was full of speechlessness.

"—Didn't you say that? What's so funny?"

"Yeah, that's really funny, PDnim, what's this~"

Sana Minatozaki hadn't completely suppressed her smile yet; her shoulders were still trembling.

Seeing her laughing like that, Jiang Yongtai couldn't help but shake his head and helplessly reached out, gently wiping the tiny bit of cake crumb on the corner of her mouth with his fingertips.

Stop laughing, Saka.

The moment his hand left her lips, both of them froze.

Sana Minatozaki blinked, her eyelashes fluttering as she stared at him in a daze.

Jiang Yongtai's fingertips still retained the slightly damp touch of her lips. He quickly withdrew his hand, rubbed his trouser leg vigorously under the table, and his voice was strained.

"I'm sorry, I was just—"

"No, it's nothing, you don't need to worry about it."

She hurriedly picked up her coffee, took a sip, and turned her flushed face away.

What did I just do?!

Jiang Yongtai noticed that her earlobe, which was visible on her side profile, was red. He coughed heavily and abruptly steered the conversation back on track.

"—Shall we continue?"

"Oh, oh, okay————"

Sana Minatosaki put down her cup, pulled her hands back under the table, and curled them into two fists, placing them on her knees.

She cautiously raised her eyes to look at him again, mentally cursing him for his action just now.

You were so natural just now! Don't make my heart race so fast! Baka!

Jiang Yongtai calmed his breathing and tried to steer the conversation toward serious matters.

"No, if you keep smiling at me, this play can't be performed."

Sana Minatozaki knew this wasn't the time to think about such things. She slowly loosened her fingers, placed one hand on the table to support her chin, and pouted as she began to think seriously.

The wind chimes at the shop entrance suddenly rang. She turned around and saw that the owner, who had gone out at some point, was pushing the door open and coming in from the outside, carrying a small paper bag.

She blinked, turned back to look at Jiang Yongtai, and the corners of her mouth turned up again.

"I figured it out. The reason I was laughing just now was because you were already sitting in front of me before I was even emotional enough."

We need that initial part—the time spent waiting alone, knowing we were coming to see the other person—to allow the emotions to build up!

"you mean?"

"You go out first, wait five minutes, let's each take a moment to think it over, then you can come back in!"

"----good."

Jiang Yongtai nodded, agreeing with her point, and stood up, preparing to leave.

Sana Minatozaki urged him from behind, "Hurry up, hurry up, I'm about to start~"

He pushed open the shop door and walked into the alley, the wind chimes ringing behind him.

Sana Minatozaki turned to the bar and called out to the owner, who was putting down a paper bag, "President-nim, can we request a song?"

The boss looked up and asked, "Sure, what would you like to hear?"

"We might not have LPs, would a media player work, President?"

"No problem, I have everything here." The boss smiled.

"Then I'd like to request Jung Joon-il's 'First Snow.' Could you please play it on repeat for us? We're acting. Thank you, CEO."

~"

Sana Minatozaki clasped her hands together in thanks to him.

The boss smiled and nodded, walked to a speaker that could connect to a mobile phone via Bluetooth, pressed a few buttons, took out his phone, and found the song that Minatozaki Sana wanted to listen to.

Jung Joon-il's voice flowed slowly from the speaker.

Sana Minatozaki looked away, not caring whether the boss would recognize her or not, and took off her mask completely, folded it neatly, and placed it on the table.

Jiang Yongtai stopped at the shop entrance. The alley was quiet. The streetlights cast the shadow of the half-withered potted plant in the corner on the ground, and the branches swayed in the wind.

He closed his eyes as instructed by Sana Minatozaki and began to prepare his emotions.

The first thing that surfaced was the image of their first date here, her eyes narrowed as she sat in this booth, taking a bite of Black Forest cake, then excitedly scooping a spoonful and feeding it to him so he could try it too—

Then came the two years after the breakup. Alone in that apartment filled with traces of her, facing the door he dared not lock, he pretended she had simply gone on an overseas trip.

Finally, there was the time recently at KBS, when she stood in front of him and awkwardly said "PDnim" in polite language, but her eyes were trembling the whole time.

He pressed these images frame by frame into his chest, and when he opened his eyes again, it was as if he had sat alone somewhere for a long time, finally waiting for that person who had disappeared from his life for so long—

He reached out and grasped the doorknob. The wind chimes rang again, and the song "First Snow" playing in the shop made him pause for a moment before walking straight toward the figure sitting in the booth.

Sana Minatozaki had her back to him, one hand supporting her chin, her gaze fixed on the table but unfocused, lost in thought.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around. When their eyes met, neither of them smiled; they simply nodded slightly to each other.

Jiang Yongtai walked up to her and stood in front of her. "Long time no see, Saka."

They've been seeing each other a lot lately, but this "long time no see" isn't referring to the present moment; it refers to the two years since their breakup.

Sana Minatozaki's eyelashes trembled slightly; she understood.

"Long time no see, PDnim, you've lost weight."

"You too, you don't look like you've been eating properly, your face is all thinner."

After Jiang Yongtai finished speaking, the two laughed at each other.

Sana Minatozaki gestured for him to sit down, tilted her head to look at him, and then suddenly smiled.

"I thought I'd be nervous when I saw you, but I wasn't. How about you?"

"—Me? I'm a little." Jiang Yongtai nodded honestly.

Sana Minatozaki picked up her now-cold café au lait, took a sip, and asked mischievously, "Does the fact that my face is thinner mean I'm prettier?"

"Hmm, you look more mature."

If Jiang Yongtai had said this under normal circumstances, Minatozaki Sana would have stared at him wide-eyed and asked if he had taken the wrong medicine.

But now she said nothing, only lowered her eyes and gently traced the crease on the cover of the proposal with her finger.

"Since we met, I've gone from twenty-one to twenty-four, of course I've matured~ Isn't PDnim almost thirty too?"

She looked up and winked at him playfully.

Jiang Yongtai paused for a moment, then shook his head somewhat awkwardly.

"Oh, I'm only twenty-seven, not thirty!"

"But aside from losing a little weight, PDnim doesn't seem to have changed much. He's still the same assistant PD who gets shy whenever he sees me~"

Sana Minatozaki covered her mouth and laughed, teasing him as she always did.

Are you shy now?

"Stop messing around, Saka." Jiang Yongtai rubbed his nose helplessly.

Sana Minato laughed even harder when she saw his actions.

"Okay, I won't tease you anymore. By the way, I actually wanted to tell you this when I went to Tokyo Dome last year, but you blocked me then, so there was no way—"

"Actually, you could have told me—I released you a long time ago, I only blocked you for a while right after the breakup."

Jiang Yongtai felt somewhat embarrassed by his behavior and lowered his head.

Sana Minatozaki paused for a moment, looked at him in surprise, and then smiled and shook her head, as if she thought his behavior was childish.

Why?

"have no idea."

Jiang Yongtai sighed, said self-deprecatingly, leaned back in his chair, and looked up at the ceiling.

"Maybe you're afraid you might need to contact me suddenly, or come to collect your things—"

He looked at her again, a faint smile in his eyes.

"By the way, I haven't thrown away any of your things."

Sana Minatozaki's brows furrowed instantly. She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

My fingers unconsciously touched the proposal on the corner of the table. I picked it up, pointed to the words on the cover, and awkwardly changed the subject.

"—What do you mean by 'not being able to say goodbye properly'?"

Jiang Yongtai subconsciously clenched his teeth, understanding what she was asking: "Are we also among those who didn't say goodbye properly? Or rather, did we really say goodbye at all?"

He looked into her slightly trembling eyes, and the words that had been building up for two years were stuck in his throat. Tonight, on this occasion, were just the right time.

"I made the decision on my own two years ago without explaining anything to you. I'm sorry."

But now—it seems I can tell you.

He paused, then sighed.

"I told you, I couldn't understand you anymore, before I decided to break up—"

He spoke very softly, as if he were disassembling something that had been stored away for a long time, afraid that it would break if he used the slightest force.

"You're very busy and can only spare a little time to meet, and you still have to keep running your schedule, but I have no complaints about any of that."

But I suddenly realized that when we can meet, I understand you less and less; I can only guess.

But I know that the reason we started this relationship was because you felt you had found someone who could completely understand you, and I am no longer that person.

Women's eyesight.

"Saka, it's not that I don't love you anymore, I'm just afraid you'll find out the truth, so I chose to run away before you found out—I'm sorry."

The proposal slipped from Sana Minatozaki's hands and landed on the table with a thud.

Without saying a word, she grabbed her bag, stood up with her head down, and turned to leave.

Jiang Yongtai paused for a moment, but his body stood up before his mind, and he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Saka, what's wrong?"

"open--

Her voice was very low, and she didn't turn around, but the wrist he was holding was trembling slightly.

Jiang Yongtai didn't let go. "What's wrong with you? Aren't we acting?"

Sana Minatozaki trembled even more violently, and struggled again, her wrist slipping half an inch from his fingers before he tightened his grip on her.

Her back was frozen in place, her orange curly hair hanging down, obscuring most of her profile.

"You're saying you're acting?!"

"—No, it's true."

Jiang Yongtai couldn't fool himself. He might have been acting at first, but every word he uttered later was the genuine emotion he hadn't expressed in the past two years.

Sana Minato bit her lower lip and turned around abruptly, tears streaming down her chin. Her voice rose from the bottom of her throat, filled with the grievances and anger that had been suppressed for two years.

"I wish I didn't know! I wish you never told me—you know what I've been thinking these past two years—I've been wondering what I did wrong to make you hate me so much!"

Her voice faltered for a moment, and she raised her hand to wipe away her tears, only to find that she was still holding her bag in her hand and her other wrist was being held by him, leaving her unable to free either hand.

She had no choice but to give up struggling. She stood in front of the booth where she used to sit next to him, chatting and laughing, looking at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Why didn't you tell me? If you had told me—I wouldn't have had to smile at you every time the schedule ended—I was tired of acting too, PDnim!"

After listening to Jiang Yongtai's monologue, Minatozaki Sana realized that she was also an accomplice in his departure.

If I had been willing to tell him directly, "I'm so tired today," instead of pretending everything was fine in front of him, wouldn't everything have been different?

Jiang Yongtai felt as if something was tightly gripping his throat. Looking at her face, he saw her tears falling one by one, each one hitting his heart.

"—I don't expect you to always understand me!"

Her lips were trembling, and her voice was broken.

"I only dare not be unhappy in front of you."

The boss had already turned up the volume the moment Sana Minatozaki stood up.

He put down the rag in his hand, glanced at the arguing "young couple," opened the door, and quietly walked out.

The wind chimes swayed gently, and only Jung Joon-il's singing remained in the shop, reaching another climax.

"The memories of you that feel like a single day to me, the wonderful time we spent together that makes my heart flutter, I leave this greeting on your lips—"

Sana Minatozaki cried until her features were contorted, tears streaming down her face as she stared at the man standing there, dumbfounded.

His lips trembled slightly as if because of his own words—those lips that once belonged only to her!

She dropped her bag, took a step forward, grabbed his hair, pulled his head down, and bit down hard on his mouth.

It wasn't a kiss, it was venting, it was releasing all the unspoken "whys" and "I'm tired too."

Jiang Yongtai's head throbbed with pain from being pulled, and he tasted the metallic tang of blood on his lips, but he didn't flinch, not even raising his hand to push her away.

After finishing her bite, Sana Minatozaki seemed to have all her strength drained away. She clutched the front of his shirt, her fingers still trembling, her forehead pressed against his collarbone, her breathing rapid and disordered, and tears still streaming down her face, wetting a small patch of his collar.

Jiang Yongtai felt something warm dripping down his lips; it could be blood, or it could be what she had just left behind. He raised his hand and slowly placed it on her back, patting it gently twice before pulling her into his arms.

Sana Minatozaki, however, raised her foot and stomped hard on his shoe.

He gasped in pain, and as soon as he loosened his grip a little, she broke free from his embrace.

She wiped the saliva and bloodstains left on her lips and glared at him fiercely.

"Jiang Yongtai! You broke up with me unilaterally two years ago; I didn't even agree to it!"

Jiang Yongtai's heart skipped a beat. "—What did you say?"

"I said, I haven't agreed yet! Did you hear me clearly this time?!"

The worst possibility was slowly unfolding before his eyes —

Sana Minato saw the panic on his face and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

Don't think that I'm saying this because I want to get back together with you!

"You said you couldn't understand me? Then try to understand me again! I know you learn very quickly!"

She paused, perhaps annoyed by the loud music behind her, and yelled at the air next to her, "It's so noisy!"

But the owner had already left, and there was no one in the store who could turn off the music for her.

She breathed heavily, her chest heaving, before turning back to glare at him.

"I'll consider this matter again after you understand who I am now. That's all!"

After saying that, she turned to leave, but after a couple of steps she abruptly turned back, staring at his lower lip where blood was still seeping from it, and commanded, "I don't want to see your wound during tomorrow's recording! Figure it out yourself!"

This time, she didn't turn back after she finished speaking, and the wind chimes at the door rang the loudest this time.

Jiang Yongtai raised his hand stiffly, his fingertips touching his lower lip before he pulled it back as if he'd been electrocuted.

He looked down at the red stain on his fingertip, and only one thought occupied his mind.

It's bitten like this, it'll be better tomorrow — Saka, can you tell me to go to the hospital now for a stitch?

Suddenly, Mina's smiling face unexpectedly entered my mind.

Jiang Yongtai's vision went black, his legs wobbled, and he had to reach out to grab the edge of the table to avoid falling back into his chair.

This is really bad! Nan-chan, it seems your best friend has misunderstood—

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