KFPCA 05

Chapter 05

Because the situation had already been clarified and the authorities had stepped in to prove Kwon Jiyong’s innocence, the online sentiment was much calmer by the time this episode aired. The comments were filled mostly with heartbreak for Kwon Jiyong and expressions of gratitude toward Jin Shengxi from his fans.

Right around this time, Kwon Jiyong updated his personal Instagram with two back-to-back posts.

The first was a set of photos. 【xxxibgdrgn: Thank you, my dearest friend gosh!】

The first picture was taken in front of the statue of Yale’s tenth president, Woolsey. Kwon Jiyong, dressed in all black with a baseball cap, face bare, had a slight smile as he hugged a girl in a black hoodie, light-colored jeans, and a messy bun.

The second photo showed Kwon Jiyong standing alone in front of the statue, touching its toes while laughing at the camera. There was a line of text in the upper right corner: “Shining said if I rub it, it brings good luck. She made me rub it a bunch of times, switching between my left and right hands hhhhh.”

The third, fourth, and fifth photos were of Yale’s campus scenery: the famous dining hall, the campus full of Gothic architecture, and Yale’s most classic library.

The sixth photo was taken inside an apartment; Kwon Jiyong was lying in bed while Jin Shengxi was sitting at her desk, her back to him, studying. The photo had another line of text: “My kind friend gave up the master bedroom for me and moved into the study, but the sound of you typing on your keyboard is the best lullaby, so I came over.”

The seventh photo was a selfie of Kwon Jiyong lying on a rocking chair on the balcony, bright sunlight spilling over him. “Jin Shining went to class. She said today’s lecture wasn’t suitable for me to tag along, so I’ve been abandoned [crying].”

The eighth photo showed Jin Shengxi’s back in an open kitchen, working in front of a rice cooker. “Jin Shining says she can make two dishes using only a rice cooker without turning on the stove.”

The ninth photo was a table full of food: white rice, wax gourd, cordyceps flower with chicken drumsticks, and steamed egg custard. “As expected of Jin Shining!”

The second post was a short video clip. 【xxxibgdrgn: I’ll eat well.】

In the video, Kwon Jiyong’s face looked slightly guilty, but the background noise was the familiar voice fans had just heard on Healing Camp.

Unlike the gentleness heard on the show, the voice in the video carried a sense of speechless frustration and warning.

“Yah, Kwon Jiyong, you’re not eating again! Didn’t I tell you I reserved food for you in the pot? Why aren’t you eating it? Do you dislike my cooking? Answer me!”

Kwon Jiyong, who had been quietly acting like a guilty quail, finally spoke, his tone unable to hide his sheepishness. “Aniyo, why would I dislike it~ I forgot, I just forgot.”

“How can you forget to eat? Are you not hungry? Is there something wrong with your stomach? I’m going to schedule an appointment with a doctor now; you’re going to see them tomorrow.”

Perhaps the other person was actually preparing to book the doctor, because Kwon Jiyong sat up abruptly. The camera flipped chaotically before aiming at the ceiling, followed by Kwon Jiyong’s pleas for mercy. “Aniyo, aniyo, I was wrong, I was wrong, I’ll eat well.”

As soon as the posts went live, fans who had been keeping an eye on Kwon Jiyong saw them immediately.

[So Oppa went to Yale last year?] [Ah… so that’s why he went to find a friend.] [Yale? Jin Shining?] [Can you add text to photos now? Oppa’s rambling is so cute.] [So he went out to clear his head!] [Aigoo, there were too many messy things going on in Korea, it’s good that he went out to look around.] [Touching the toes brings good luck? Oppa, please, rub them a few more times.] [Jin Shining is neomu kiyo (so cute) for making GD rub them with both hands, alternating left and right hahahaha.] [Yale is so beautiful; as expected of the most beautiful university in America.] [Is Oppa tagging along to Shining’s classes? kkkk] [Omo, Oppa, study hard and write some good songs when you come back!] [Woo woo woo~ Jin Shining is truly a great friend, leaving the master bedroom for GD while she lives in the study.] [“The sound of you typing is the best lullaby,” I’m about to cry.] [Oppa must have really needed a friend’s company during that time; he only feels at peace when a friend is by his side.] [Jin Shining is really hard-working; even when someone with an American schedule like GD is ready to rest, she’s still studying.] [Hahahaha, the previous photo was so heartwarming, but this one is so funny—did GD get abandoned?] [Today’s lecture wasn’t ‘suitable for accompanying’? So does Oppa tag along every day while in the US?] [Why wasn’t it suitable? Was it too hard and it put him to sleep? Hahahaha] [‘Abandoned’, GD is crying.] [Kiyo~] [Cooking—the essential skill for every international student.] [Can you really make two dishes without turning on the stove?] [As expected, a top student is ahead in every field.] [What kind of dish is this? It doesn’t look like Korean food. Chinese food?] [It looks like Chinese food, I recognize the Chinese steamed egg custard.] [Aigoo, although he wasn’t happy in Korea, Oppa seems to have been very happy while staying in the US.] [Compared to Korea, GD must feel much freer in the US, without so many cameras following him and with his friend by his side.] [Exactly, living with a friend is really happy; even if you don’t do anything, it’s still happy.] [I realized once again that for GD, Jin Shining is a very precious friend.] [True, under those circumstances, GD probably didn’t want to see anyone, but he went to the US to find Shining. It shows that for him, Shining is someone he trusts, and he feels at peace when she is around.] [He looks visibly happy in the US photos. It’s not that forced laughter for show, but a genuine smile from the heart.] [Looking at this set of photos, you can really see that GD is just a 24-year-old guy.] [A simple, soft, sensitive guy who wanted to hide himself away, only to be healed little by little by his dear friend.] [Especially that photo where he was ‘abandoned,’ lying in the rocking chair on the balcony with the sunlight on him—I really saw what happiness looks like.] [GD-ya, do what you want to do. Be happy and joyful forever.]

The comments section on the first post was very warm, filled with messages praising their friendship and hoping for Kwon Jiyong’s happiness, but the tone changed for the second post.

The entire comments section was a sea of “hahahaha.”

[Hahahaha] [Hahahahahaha] [Hahahahahahahaha] [Haha, he got scolded~] [He got scolded, but he didn’t dare to talk back, hahahaha.] [Full-name warning, hahahaha.] [It’s like seeing them back in middle school.] [The cool, swag GD-xi on stage has been completely suppressed!] [Aigoo, aigoo, he definitely didn’t dare to talk back after doing something wrong…] [Exactly, exactly. She made food for you and you didn’t eat it.] [‘Forgot?’ Shining-xi is speechless; how can you forget to eat?] [Haha, a very serious question: is something wrong with your stomach? Let me take you to the doctor.] [Jin Shining’s tone is so serious, I can’t tell if she’s being sarcastic or not, hahahaha.] [Why wouldn’t it be concern? Can’t eat = stomach problems = needs a doctor.] [It’s pure concern—American healthcare is so expensive!] [I’m dying of laughter at GD, sitting up to apologize immediately.] [One-second apology, hahahahaha.]

Besides the “hahahas,” some fans were touched by Kwon Jiyong’s response. After all, his caption sounded both like a promise to his friend and like he was acting spoiled toward his fans. Many fans who watched the show felt heartbroken because he looked like he had lost so much weight.

This guy has always been good at this, hasn’t he?

[Is our Oppa acting spoiled toward his fans?] [kkkk neomu kiyo~] [Oppa must have seen the fans’ worries, right?] [Oppa is always as thoughtful as ever, specifically telling his fans that he’ll eat well.] [Our GD is just too good! How can I hold myself back from loving you?] [GD, keep promoting like this forever! I will love you forever!]

Among all the fan comments, two comments from the same person caught everyone’s attention. The reason was simple: Kwon Jiyong had liked and replied to both.

[Blair: You’re welcome, my family. What else are friends for, huh] xxxibgdrgn liked and replied: Na!

Compared to the comments on the first post, the ones on the second were much simpler and more direct.

[Blair: [Eyes] I will always be watching you!] xxxibgdrgn liked and replied: Na! [Folded hands]

Seeing this interaction, the fans erupted into laughter again.

[Hahahaha, kiyo~] [I’ve said the word ‘kiyo’ so many times tonight.] [Hahahahaha, GD, where’s your swagger?] [He’s completely a well-behaved kid!] [No wonder Shining said GD is a completely kind-hearted kid; he’s just too obedient.]

Some people followed the comments to find Jin Shengxi’s Instagram, and from there, they found her YouTube account.

However, all of this had been discussed between them before Kwon Jiyong made these two Instagram posts.

Actually, regarding whether her appearance or personal social media accounts would be exposed, or if she would be followed by passersby, Jin Shengxi never really cared much.

One reason is that everyone has a different level of acceptance toward outside attention, and Jin Shengxi belonged to the type that handles it well. Since she grew up in school under the gaze of her classmates because of her looks and grades, she was indifferent to such attention. She could go about her business naturally, completely unaffected.

The attention from classmates and the attention from fans are the same, yet different; but if it could help Kwon Jiyong, then it didn’t matter at all.