Siblings Work in Business (71)
“No, the lyrics in your notebook without any English words.”
“Oh, those. Why?”
“Which track number are they for?”
“Track 8? I think?”
“It’s either 8 or not, what’s with the ‘I think?’”
“You’re the one churning out so many songs. I can’t keep track. Anyway, it was a very warm song.”
“Ah, I know which one you mean.”
Lee Eun-ho seemed to focus on his notebook again.
I also turned my gaze and was about to play track 8 on my phone when I suddenly remembered something and rummaged through my pockets.
‘Ah.’
I searched, but… it wasn’t there?
The black earphones the CEO gave us for work were missing.
‘Did I leave them in my room?’
Eun-ji stared at the black earphones in Eun-ho’s ears.
“Oppa.”
“No.”
“I didn’t even say anything yet.”
He seemed to be able to hear me clearly, despite the earphones.
“You’re not the type to call me ‘Oppa’ nicely. What do you want?”
“…”
Eun-ji was speechless.
Because it was true that she wanted something.
‘I hate calling him Oppa normally…’
But strangely, whenever she wanted something from him, the word slipped out easily.
“What is it this time?”
Lee Eun-ho asked irritably, turning to look at me.
“…My earphones—”
“No.”
He cut me off mid-sentence.
“Wait, just let me listen to one song, and I’ll give them back.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“No.”
“Aaaaaah!”
Just as I let out a frustrated whine…
Lee Eun-ho turned to me with a hardened expression.
He didn’t look particularly scary, but his gaze was more menacing than his usual frown.
Sensing the atmosphere…
“Would you like to use mine?”
“Ah, thank you.”
The manager quietly offered his white earphones as the car stopped at a red light.
I took the earphones and bowed my head in thanks.
Lee Eun-ho, no longer annoyed since the issue was resolved, seemed to focus on his notebook again.
♩♭♬♬♪
I waited until the atmosphere calmed down, keeping an eye on Lee Eun-ho.
After setting up the earphones, I played track 8, the one Lee Eun-ho mentioned.
I closed my eyes, captivated by the intro, which was a distorted birdsong, and the familiar melody that followed.
A vintage acoustic piano melody tickled my ears.
It was a mystical song, like the awakening of a forest in the morning.
But ironically, I composed this song at dawn.
Not in a forest, but while looking out the window at the moon hanging at the end of a dark alley.
I opened my eyes again.
I had to see the lyrics Lee Eun-ho wrote.
His notebook was filled with detailed markings, so anyone could sing the song.
I sang the lyrics out loud, unable to contain my curiosity.
You know
I always told you
Let’s believe that morning will come for us too
That’s why I’m here now
Wow.
Surprisingly sentimental lyrics, coming from that cold-hearted person.
It perfectly captured the mood I envisioned for the song, and it also fit the chosen theme of ‘time.’
Honestly, I really liked the lyrics.
Lee Eun-ho’s lyrics were open to various interpretations.
Sometimes, they felt like our story, sometimes a love song, and sometimes a comforting message.
They were dreamy.
But the melody I composed wasn’t as slow and mystical as the lyrics.
It was more rhythmical and playful, like jazz, with hints of hip-hop and singing rap.
And I loved those parts.
You stopped there before you left
I pray for the sun to rise on this shadow
So the sun can shine on your sky, now blue with sorrow—
I should add a violin here.
Or would an accordion be better?
Eun-ji paused to jot down her ideas.
The piano melody alone was emotionally charged, but she wanted to add a crying sound.
While Eun-ji was writing…
Eun-ho and Hyun-woo glanced at her, disappointed by the sudden pause.
Eun-ji, seemingly oblivious, continued singing after finishing her notes, skipping the part she had already passed without regret.
There’s not enough time to learn about regret
There’s more to see
Since I’ve learned so much during my time
Throughout the song, Lee Eun-ho’s technique, or rather skill… was evident.
He cleverly broke down the syllables and fit them into the rhythm, even in syncopation.
Thanks to that, even the repetitive parts felt like different melodies with his lyrics.
Let’s not be apart anymore
I won’t say it easily because I know the weight of these words
We’ll be together longer
There’s not enough time because I’ve learned about regret
There’s so much more to cherish
There’s so much to do together in this restarted time
The song had reached the second chorus.
Ah, on a proper stage, with my own microphone, listening to the cheers of my fans…
I want to sing.
I hated to admit it, but Lee Eun-ho was still my muse, albeit an annoying one.
I wanted to release more of our songs, not just “DUO.”
The lyrics felt like a thirst, in many ways.
What did they mean?
What was Lee Eun-ho thinking when he wrote them?
I was curious about what was going on in his head.
I wanted to know and turn it into a song.
This desire to delve deeper stemmed from the vivid, almost real dream I had in the car this morning.
In the dream, I followed Lee Eun-ho.
Time passed quickly, too fast for my eyes to follow.
But the memories flowed into my head.
This was before I woke up, before I heard the black cat’s scream.
Lee Eun-ho in the dream was different from the current Lee Eun-ho.
He always seemed dark and tired, but he also worked tirelessly.
To the point where I was worried.
Too much.
And whenever he was about to go on stage, or when he was drunk, he always read a black notebook.
The cover was faded compared to the current one, but judging by the ‘protruding’ symbol on the cover, it was my diary.
「You told me to live, but why did you die, Lee Eun-ji?」
When he seemed particularly exhausted, Lee Eun-ho often muttered to himself, looking in my direction.
「Damn it.」
And then, as if finding it ridiculous that he was talking to me, he would curse and hide his face.
He seemed to be crying.
‘What’s written in there that he reads it every day?’
One day, unable to contain my curiosity, I read his diary while he was asleep.
The page Lee Eun-ho was reading was one I hadn’t written yet in this timeline.
「I was shocked when I opened the door after work.
Oppa had collapsed in front of the door, shoes still on.
At first, I thought he was drunk, so I kicked him and told him to go sleep in his room…
Um…
I feel bad now.
He didn’t move, so I quickly called his manager.
There’s this manager, Do-jin, he wears glasses and seems a bit strict.
Anyway, he was on the first floor and came up as soon as I hung up.
The manager carried Lee Eun-ho on his back and went straight to the hospital…
Later, our manager told me that Lee Eun-ho was in worse shape than I thought.
He had a 39-degree fever, and he hadn’t been sleeping properly because of work, so his entire system was messed up, and he had all sorts of stress-induced illnesses.
He could have taken it easy…
I feel a bit guilty, wondering if it was my fault, even though I shouldn’t.」
The diary entry ended there.
But the next day’s entry continued, as Lee Eun-ho was still in the hospital.
「Um…
Lee Eun-ho must be really sick.
It’s been a day…
And he’s still in the hospital.
He must be… really sick…」
I usually wrote in my diary when something was bothering me, and on the day Lee Eun-ho was sick…
My worries seemed to have amplified, especially with the late-night sentimentality.
‘I’ wrote in my diary twice that day.
「What if one of us, Lee Eun-ho or me, dies?
We’ve always been together…
That jerk, Lee Eun-ho.
He promised he wouldn’t leave me after that incident, but he’s not even coming home because he’s sick.
Come back quickly, you jerk. You have to keep your promises.
Come back quickly, Oppa. Even if I die, you have to live, you bastard.」
Reading the page, a mix of worry and curses, I thought, ‘I should hide my diary better from now on.’
It wasn’t something I wrote, but it was something I wrote, and it was something I would probably write if Lee Eun-ho was sick and didn’t come home for a few days…
Although it wasn’t written by the current me, I was still embarrassed.
In the dream, where time passed quickly, Lee Eun-ho was always reading that page whenever he was alone.
As if it was his lifeline.
Why was he so fixated on that page?
In the early evening, as the sky darkened…
Aeseul was dozing off in the car, her head leaning against the window.
“Aeseul.”
“Huh? Uh… wh-what?”
Aeseul quickly wiped her mouth, trying to hide her drowsiness.
“You’re supposed to be keeping me company.”
“R-Right. Yeah… Um… talk…”
Unable to fight off her sleepiness, Aeseul slumped back against the window, her posture returning to its previous state.
She seemed completely asleep, her head bouncing against the window, seemingly unfazed by the impact.
Aeseul’s manager sighed deeply and, as a last resort, turned on the radio.
—Next up, we have E-UNG’s “Last Day,” requested by Jeon [bleep], who’s struggling to forget his girlfriend.
As the radio DJ’s voice faded, the piano intro of “Last Day” began.
A moment later, a click—
Following the acoustic guitar’s fret noise, Eun-ji’s voice started the song.
“The Lasht Day we shouted, claiming each other… at your approaching shteps, I’m breathless—”
The manager, already familiar with the song, hummed along to “Last Day” instead of trying to engage with the sleeping Aeseul, as he drove home from work.
Aeseul’s eyes fluttered open as Eun-ji’s part ended.
Remember that day
The Last Day we first whispered our love
As Eun-ji’s part ended and Eun-ho’s began, Aeseul’s eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead.
We’re already trapped on each other’s islands
It’s hard to even breathe
Aeseul turned her head to check the radio channel Eun-ho’s voice was coming from.
The manager, glancing at her, was startled to see her looking at the radio’s LED display.