Siblings Work in Business (119)
Lee Eun-ji gained further attention after the concert, thanks to her vocal skills and captivating stage presence.
She had risen even higher.
‘And I’m stuck with this woman…’
I felt a sense of futility.
But I couldn’t break the contract.
It was my own doing.
As Eun-ji’s popularity grew, the CEO was preparing to move to a new building.
If I cut ties with Aeseul now, what would she do?
Honestly, I was scared.
Aeseul had already demonstrated her ability to manipulate the media.
I hadn’t imagined it was so easy to bury or spread rumors.
What could I do, a mere errand boy?
‘Haha.’
Nothing.
I had made a mistake from the start.
The only solution was the same as always: self-sacrifice.
It was the best I could do.
“Hey.”
“Done thinking?”
“Yeah, damn it.”
Aeseul stubbed out her cigarette in the wine glass.
She swirled the stained glass, a smirk playing on her lips, as if challenging me to speak.
“We’ll go with the dating rumors, but bury them.”
“Bury them?”
Aeseul seemed surprised by my suggestion.
“This could be your chance to become famous.”
“I don’t need it.”
I didn’t want to achieve my dreams with Aeseul’s help, even if it meant giving up on music altogether.
It was my last shred of pride as a musician.
“Well, suit yourself.”
Aeseul pouted and put down her glass.
The room was filled with cigarette smoke, making my vision blurry.
My lungs itched, and I desperately wanted to cough, but I didn’t have the energy.
“But Oppa.”
“What.”
“If I admit to the dating rumors, you’ll become known too, won’t you?”
Eun-ho’s gaze at Aeseul was cold, devoid of any emotion.
“Tell the reporters not to dig too deep. You’re capable of that, aren’t you?”
“…Well, okay. I can do that. Then…”
Aeseul rested her chin on her hand, a smirk playing on her lips.
“We’re officially dating now, right?”
“…Bullshit.”
“Take care of me?”
Take care of you? My ass.
Knock, knock.
Just as our conversation ended, someone knocked on the door, seemingly with their food.
I wanted to leave right away, but…
“…Damn it.”
I couldn’t help but curse inwardly at the sight of the steak on the cart.
The staff member who brought the cart looked at the smoke-filled room and the stained wine glass with a bewildered expression.
Aeseul ignored him and lit another cigarette.
“Hey.”
Aeseul, holding the lighter, looked up at me.
“No smoking indoors, ‘hey.’”
“I told you not to call me— wait, why are you getting up?”
Aeseul frowned, but…
I stood up and approached her.
If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it, as they say.
Since things had turned out this way, I might as well take control.
I took the cigarette from her mouth and crushed it.
“We can use nicknames since we’re dating, right?”
The staff member, who was supposed to be serving the steak, froze, and Aeseul stared at me, dumbfounded.
“My cigarette-smelling Eoiseul is disgusting, so no smoking indoors.”
I forced a smile.
Aeseul blinked, then sighed in exasperation.
I went back to my seat.
After the staff member left…
We ate in silence.
As we left the restaurant, I regretted coming.
‘Did I eat steak or cigarette smoke…?’
I felt disgusted, despite having eaten a steak.
“I’m leaving.”
“Wait…!”
Eun-ho, not having made eye contact with her, didn’t notice…
Aeseul’s face was flushed, as if she was freezing, despite the warm weather.
But Eun-ho, without a hint of regret, had already disappeared.
“Yes, we’re dating.”
When I admitted it…
The CEO, seemingly not believing me, asked more detailed questions.
Since when, how we met…
I vaguely said we made it official today, and that we met because of the rumors and things just happened.
“You… never mind.”
The CEO seemed to have a lot to say, but he held back.
I could tell what he was thinking.
I had practiced in front of the mirror before telling him.
To see if I could hide my lie.
The result was… disastrous. My disgust for Aeseul was obvious.
I couldn’t hide it, no matter how hard I tried.
So, I decided to just be brazen about it.
“Just… don’t make any stupid relationship decisions.”
The CEO gave me that warning and told me to leave.
As I stood in front of the stairs to my room on the second floor…
My footsteps felt heavy.
“What are you doing there?”
“Going upstairs.”
“Standing there with one foot on the stairs for minutes?”
Lee Eun-ji’s teasing brought me back to reality, and I chuckled.
“Where are you going?”
“Ah, well…”
I asked casually, but her hesitation made me curious. She usually didn’t hesitate to talk.
“Where are you going?”
“Well…”
“Well, what?”
“I have a… fixed appearance on a variety show…”
“Ah… good for you.”
I quickly walked past Eun-ji, not wanting her to see my expression, and roughly opened the aluminum door.
Then, feeling a bit guilty, I closed it gently, but it still made a loud noise.
I heard Eun-ji going down the stairs.
‘Lee Eun-ho, you’re pathetic.’
I knew the entrance was messy, but I was too tired to walk further and just slumped down.
Jealous of my own sister, seriously…
“You idiot, you idiot.”
I gritted my teeth, pulling my hair.
What was I even doing?
I wished Aeseul had no power over me and I could just break the contract.
Two days later…
The CEO told me,
“The articles are all gone.”
Her ability was impressive.
Should I be happy that the problem was resolved?
I didn’t know anymore.
Dating or whatever…
I didn’t think anything would change.
I assumed I would just continue running errands for her.
And I did.
Aeseul always tried to talk to me after I gave her what she asked for.
But I avoided her.
So, for about a month, nothing changed.
But then, on the day of our third single’s first broadcast…
As I entered the waiting room…
“What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?”
That unwelcome face was already there.
“I brought lunch.”
Aeseul said, holding up a black bag.
“I asked, what are you doing here?”
Aeseul, ignoring me, opened the black bag.
It was a lunchbox.
She proceeded to set the neatly packed lunch on the table.
And what she said next was even more ridiculous.
“I quit smoking a month ago.”
“So?”
“You’re supposed to praise me.”
Did I mishear?
As if to confirm, Aeseul said again,
“You can call me ‘Eoiseul,’ just praise me.”
“…Are you seriously crazy? I hate you. Get out of here.”
This was strange.
So strange.
I was so surprised that I had goosebumps.
“I didn’t expect you to praise me anyway. I brought you lunch, so eat before you go on stage.”
Aeseul opened the lunchbox, revealing a layer of bulgogi (marinated beef).
I was hungry, so I couldn’t resist the bulgogi.
Just as I sat down obediently, Aeseul suddenly came closer.
“Stay away.”
Aeseul sat down on a different chair.
I waited until she was far away before looking at the lunchbox.
It was… surprisingly neat and well-organized, like a restaurant meal packed in a lunchbox.
“Did you make this?”
“Are you crazy?”
“That’s what I thought.”
I was relieved.
“Why? Do you like it better when I make it?”
“Are you insane?”
If she had made it, I wouldn’t have touched it.
“I bought it from a restaurant you might like.”
“You’re insane. Why would you think of me?”
“I can.”
“Why?”
“…Because… we’re dating.”
Aeseul tucked her hair behind her ear, avoided my gaze, and blushed, like a character from a Japanese anime.
I had asked because I genuinely didn’t understand, but I should have just kept quiet.
I was so shocked that I froze, like I had seen Medusa.
My appetite vanished, thanks to her.
‘Wow.’
It wasn’t easy to lose my appetite, especially for meat.
I tried to eat it anyway, but I couldn’t bring myself to touch it after seeing her act like that.
“Eun-ho, food—”
“Hyung!”
Just then…
Do-jin hyung entered the waiting room, holding two kimbap rolls.
I was so happy to see him that I greeted him much more enthusiastically than usual.
“Oh, who is…?”
Do-jin, seeing Aeseul behind me, paused.
“Ah, she’s…”
“Hello.”
Just as I was about to introduce her, Aeseul stepped forward, bowed deeply to Do-jin, and said,
“I’m Aeseul, Eun-ho oppa’s girlfriend.”
Hearing those words from her mouth made my head spin.
Do-jin’s eyes widened, and then he clapped and exclaimed,
“Ah, I knew I recognized you! It’s Aeseul-ssi!”
“Oh my, you know me?”
“Of course! Wow, you’re even more beautiful in person.”
She’s not even close to our pumpkin head.
“Haha, thank you. I’ve also heard a lot about you from Oppa.”
Seriously, what a load of crap. What has she heard from me besides insults?
Aeseul seemed to have assumed Do-jin was my manager just because he brought kimbap.
She was right, which made me even more annoyed.
“Haha, yes, I’ve also seen you on TV a lot, Aeseul-ssi.”
“Oh my.”
Oh my, my ass.
While I was frozen, Aeseul continued her fake, TV-personality act with Do-jin.
I couldn’t believe this was the same woman who smoked and used a wine glass as an ashtray.
“Aeseul-ssi is Eun-ho’s girlfriend… so that’s why he was so secretive!”
Do-jin, smirking, patted my back.
“Oppa is very protective of me, he doesn’t want other people to see me.”
Me? Protective? When?
“Well, Aeseul-ssi must have a lot of enemies. It must have been tough for Eun-ho, haha.”
Not at all.
She’s the type to personally attack her ‘enemies’ with a cigarette in her mouth.
Then…
“Why do you look so down?”
Hyung finally noticed my expression.
Why was I down? Because their conversation was ridiculous.
I didn’t have anything to say, so I just took the kimbap from hyung’s hand.
“Hey, why are you taking that when Aeseul-ssi brought you lunch—”
“You two eat. This is enough for me.”
I said, forcing a smile, and left the waiting room, heading for the bathroom.