Peninsula's Life Begins in 2016

Chapter 80 We'll meet again someday

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Kim Tae-yeon's gaze swept back and forth between them before finally landing on Im Yoon-ah's face.

"So, you're the one who has something to say to me."

Yoona did not deny it. She gently put down the glass in her hand. Her doe eyes no longer held the playfulness she usually showed in front of the camera, nor the relaxed manner of bickering in the kitchen. Only a seriousness that had been accumulating for a long time remained.

"Unnie, our contract expires next year."

This sentence is like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating a silent ripple.

Kim Tae-yeon's expression didn't change much, but Kang Yeon clearly saw that her fingers gripping the water glass tightened suddenly.

"Alaso, the company has already contacted our respective agents. Contract renewals will have to be discussed sooner or later."

Yoona shook her head, her tone firm: "Ani, it's not a matter of sooner or later, it's that we need to start preparing now."

She leaned forward slightly, her back straight, her posture mirroring her calm and methodical demeanor during her negotiations with Jiang Yan that night, only with a softer look in her eyes.

"Unnie, have you ever thought that if things continue like this, someone will definitely leave when it comes time to renew their contract next year?"

Kim Tae-yeon's eyelashes trembled slightly.

"Sooyoung unnie has already been contacted by an acting agency, and the offer is much better than what the company is offering."

"Seohyun is also hesitant. She has said many times that she doesn't want to be the maknae of Girls' Generation for the rest of her life. She wants to be a real actress."

"Hyoyeon unnie wants to open her own dance studio. She's already chosen the location in Seongsu-dong, and all that's left is to sign the contract."

"Sunny's knee injury keeps recurring, and she herself is not sure if her physical condition can withstand the next round of group activities."

"And then there's Yuri unnie... she's stuck in the most awkward position right now."

This statement is too blunt, so blunt that it borders on cruel.

Even Jiang Yan, who was sitting in the corner, couldn't help but twitch his eyelids, and Lin Xiaolu also sighed softly.

Everyone knew Kwon Yuri's situation, but no one dared to say it out loud.

She has tried acting before, but she has always lacked a truly iconic role that she can solidify her reputation in.

In terms of singing, Girls' Generation's vocal line is too strong, so her parts have never been many.

In terms of variety shows, she has a knack for entertainment, but she hasn't found her own stable position yet.

She's good at everything, but it seems she hasn't yet gotten an opportunity that belongs only to her, Kwon Yuri.

As Yoona went through each person's story, Taeyeon's expression darkened.

She wasn't unaware of these things.

Teammates would occasionally glean bits and pieces of information from each other during private conversations, and their managers would also try to gauge each other's intentions.

But she had never dared to piece these scattered fragments together into a disturbing picture as she did today.

Kim Tae-yeon put down her water glass, trying to remain calm: "Yoona, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"I wanted to say..."

Yoona took a deep breath, raised her eyes and looked directly at Taeyeon, the light in her doe eyes was firm to the point of being stubborn.

"Unnie, I want Girls' Generation to continue, not the kind where the members have disbanded and there's only a name left, but the real Girls' Generation, where all eight members are together."

After hearing these words, Kim Tae-yeon remained silent for a long, long time. The light in her eyes dimmed little by little, and her expression became visibly tired, but she still maintained a gentle expression on her face.

"Yoona, I want to protect this group more than anyone else. Girls' Generation is not a job for me, not a stepping stone. It is a home that I have risked my life for over ten years of my youth, but..."

She didn't say what followed the "but," but everyone in the room understood.

Everyone has their own path to walk, and everyone has their own dreams to pursue. Binding eight people together in the name of Girls' Generation is not protection, but kidnapping.

Yoona understood, of course. She smiled slightly and suddenly reached out and gently covered Taeyeon's cold hand.

"Unnie, I know what you're worried about. You're not afraid they won't want to stay, you're afraid they'll sacrifice too much if they stay, and you're afraid they'll regret it later."

"But unnie, if everyone leaves, Girls' Generation will really be dead in name only."

Kim Tae-yeon kept a straight face and bit her lower lip tightly without saying a word.

She knows all of this, but what good does knowing it do?

The core problem has never been solved.

Seeing this, Lim Yoona knew what she was thinking, so she continued, "Before I came here, I thought of a lot of things to say, a lot of reasons, the profit sharing for the tenth anniversary, the conditions for contract renewal that can be negotiated, the resource allocation plan for each person, the negotiation strategy with the company..."

She said, giving a self-deprecating laugh, "But I don't want to talk about these things now, because you know the core issue better than anyone else, Unnie."

"Yes, this is a closed loop for each group, and there's no way to solve it."

"No, it can be resolved. I can give up most of my personal resources."

Kim Tae-yeon's pupils suddenly contracted.

She knew better than anyone what this meant: Yoona was the most commercially valuable member of Girls' Generation, and her resources were something countless people would fight tooth and nail to obtain.

Before she could speak to stop her, Lim Yoona suddenly leaned forward, hugged her tightly, and buried her face in her shoulder.

"Unnie, please don't try to persuade me. I don't want to be so tired anymore. I want to spend more time with Dad, more time to travel, and more time to do what I love."

Kim Tae-yeon held her in a daze, her shoulders trembling slightly.

At this moment, the person lying in her arms is not the national visual who shines brightly on stage, nor the composed and elegant Lim Yoona in front of the camera.

She was just a little girl who was afraid of losing her home and becoming all alone.

"Pabu..."

Kim Tae-yeon's voice suddenly went hoarse, and tears finally streamed down her face. "Do you know what you're saying? How are you going to manage if you keep acting like this?"

Yoona looked up, her eyes filled with tears, but her smile was brighter than anyone else's. She reached out and gently wiped away the tears on Taeyeon's face.

"Unnie, you don't have to worry about me. To be honest, I might be doing better than I am now, and you guys will be doing better too. Right now, I don't want anything. I just want Girls' Generation to still be here, and I just want us to still be whole."

Her voice trembled slightly at the last sentence, but she quickly suppressed it.

"To me, this is more important than anything else."

Kim Tae-yeon looked at her, her tears flowing even more fiercely. She choked back sobs and uttered the words she had kept hidden in her heart for many years: "Pab... she's gone. Girls' Generation is no longer complete."

"Unnie, if she doesn't come back for the tenth anniversary, then wait for the twentieth anniversary. If she doesn't come back for the twentieth anniversary, then wait for the thirtieth anniversary. One day, Jessica unnie will come back."

"The nine of us will one day reunite in this world."