Chapter 328: The Wandering Son
"I didn't drink, Director Choi drank for me," Jiang Shu said, shaking his head. He had just been discharged from the hospital due to alcohol consumption not long ago, so there was no way he would drink again.
Sakura nodded upon hearing this. She had asked that question precisely because Jiang Shu had been hospitalized for drinking.
However, she couldn't be too direct. Although they had engaged in a deep exchange, she was still not quite the same as his official girlfriend.
"There's a K-pop random play dance tomorrow. Do you want to go watch?" Jiang Shu asked.
"What's a random play dance?" Lee Chaeryeong asked curiously after hearing what Jiang Shu said.
"K-pop enthusiasts gather together, K-pop songs are played randomly, and those who can dance come to the middle of the crowd after hearing the song, and everyone dances together." Jiang Shu's simple description of the scene made Lee Chaeryeong and Lee Chaeryeong's eyes light up.
As the main dancers of their respective groups, the sisters were both very interested in this kind of activity.
"What about you?" Jiang Shu asked, gently poking Sakura's cheek with his right hand, which was resting on her shoulder.
"I'm fine with anything," Sakura said, resting her chin on her hands.
"I should be free tomorrow. If I have time, I'll go with you," Jiang Shu said after some thought.
"Of course, if you feel uncomfortable, I can also not go."
"No," both of them quickly shook their heads. Even if they really felt uncomfortable, they couldn't admit it in front of Jiang Shu.
Sakura also didn't say anything. Would she feel uncomfortable? Of course, she would, but it wasn't too bad. Their President was quite easygoing at such entertainment events.
"Originally, I wanted you to stay at my house. The three villas combined would be enough for you, but my dad said that would seem too petty, so he still arranged a hotel for you," Jiang Shu said with a chuckle.
"That's really a shame, President's house, I'm really curious about it," Lee Chaeryeong said, blinking.
"Curious? Then I'll take you to see it? It's not far from here," Jiang Shu said with a smile.
"Can we?" Lee Chaeryeong asked, surprised.
"Of course." With that, Jiang Shu stood up from where he was.
Sakura and the other two also stood up when they saw this.
"Let's go." Jiang Shu lowered the arm that was resting on Sakura, put his right hand in his pocket, and led the way.
Sakura and the other two pulled up their masks and followed closely.
"We just finished eating, how about we walk?" Jiang Shu suggested.
The others readily agreed.
Jiang Shu and Sakura walked side by side in front, while Lee Chaeryeong and Lee Chaeryeong followed two steps behind them, ensuring they wouldn't block the sidewalk while still being able to hear Jiang Shu and Sakura's voices.
"This road is newly built. In the past two years, to develop the tourism industry, the county has put in a lot of effort, renovating everything from top to bottom, inside and out," Jiang Shu said, pointing to the road beneath their feet.
The few of them looked down at the sidewalk. It was indeed clear that it was a new road; there were no potholes, not much trash, and no cracks. This kind of road surface condition meant it was either newly renovated or newly built.
"Over there is where I used to skip classes to go online when I was a kid. This fruit store was originally an illegal internet cafe. An illegal internet cafe is one where you don't need an ID card and can just go online directly..."
Jiang Shu relied on the original body's memories to introduce his hometown memories along the way to the three of them.
Looking at the original body's memories from this third-person perspective truly felt like reminiscing about the past.
When one is young, one doesn't experience the weight of memories, but when one reaches a certain age, passing by a certain intersection, a certain shop, a certain object from one's youth...
Memories surge like a tide, wave after wave.
As he spoke, Jiang Shu fell silent.
Every blade of grass and every tree here was familiar to him, because they were all part of the original body's memory of his hometown. No matter how much it changed, this place was still "Jiang Shu's" home, where he grew up.
But it was also unfamiliar to him, because every blade of grass and every tree here was only "Jiang Shu's" home, not his.
His home was not here; he did not belong here.
He looked up at the bright moon in the sky, and even the moon watching over everything in the sky was not the moon he had bathed under for over twenty years.
The initial excitement had long faded, leaving only a longing for the past and a yearning for what once was.
After achieving success, people often feel a deep sense of melancholy about past regrets, wanting to make up for them, but there's no going back in time.
Here, he could fill the void of ITZY, and he could lead IZONE to truly reach the pinnacle as a top group, and he could also elevate K-pop to a higher level, leaving his own mark on the history of K-pop.
He could make up for the regrets of many people in another world, but he could not make up for his own past.
No matter how much he changed, he couldn't change the core point.
This was not his world.
Sakura, beside him, noticed Jiang Shu's unusual behavior. She turned her head to look at Jiang Shu's profile. On that confident and flamboyant face, there was now a deep melancholy.
What was he thinking about?
Sakura didn't know, but she understood that at this moment, she didn't need to do anything. In such times, men often needed quiet.
She silently slowed her pace, leaving space for Jiang Shu, and retreated to stand beside Lee Chaeryeong and Lee Chaeryeong.
Lee Chaeryeong and Lee Chaeryeong saw Sakura's actions and cast questioning glances at her; they had also noticed Jiang Shu's unusual state.
He had been talking about how he was as a child here, but then he suddenly stopped, and then a nearly tangible melancholy emanated from him. It was clear that he had thought of something and was in a bad mood.
Sakura shook her head at the two of them and made a zipping motion over her mouth. The two sisters understood and closed their mouths, quietly following behind Jiang Shu.
Seeing that the two sisters understood her meaning, Sakura then focused her gaze on Jiang Shu in front of her.
Looking at the man's silent back, her stunning big eyes, which had captivated countless people, fluttered twice, then looked at Jiang Shu's empty right side.
There should have been a figure there, and Sakura really wanted to take that place, but she understood that no matter how much she wanted to, that spot did not belong to her right now.
Sakura had ambition, but she also had a clear self-awareness. Compared to Jiang Shu's first love, she was just a somewhat special artist.
Her eyelids drooped slightly, and Sakura withdrew her gaze.
Silence was the theme of this evening.
He didn't say another word all the way to the neighborhood where Jiang Shu's house was located. It wasn't until they entered the neighborhood that Jiang Shu seemed to be re-activated, the melancholy and sadness on him suddenly dissipated, as if what had just happened was merely a performance, and a smile reappeared on his face.
Sakura and the other two knew it wasn't an illusion, but Jiang Shu seemed to have adjusted, so they had no reason to dwell on the matter anymore.
They happily followed Jiang Shu to tour their three townhouses.