Siblings Work in Business (124)
The results were truly impressive.
“Wise” proved it.
As soon as it was released, it surpassed “Last Day” and entered the top 10 on the music charts.
It was a huge difference from “DUO.”
Moreover, “Wise” was steadily climbing the charts, about to reach #5.
Instead of wallowing in jealousy, Eun-ho focused on Ye-chan’s words from their pension trip:
「“Use our fame if you have to, just make sure your names are known.”」
On the last evening of their pension trip…
Eun-ho, escaping the noise outside, was sitting at the tea table by the window in his usual spot, a lyric notebook open in front of him, lost in thought.
Ye-chan had a nightly routine of applying a different face mask every day.
That day was no different; he lay on his bed with a face mask on, like a pharaoh in a tomb.
It was an ordinary evening.
Until Ye-chan asked a sudden question.
“Eun-ho, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?”
“Craziest thing?”
Eun-ho, pulled out of his thoughts by Ye-chan’s unexpected question, asked back.
As Ye-chan nodded casually, Eun-ho pondered again, this time about a different topic.
“What about you, Senior? Ah, is this too personal?”
“You’re asking what crazy things I’ve done?”
“Yes.”
Just as Eun-ho was about to add that he didn’t have to answer if he didn’t want to…
Ye-chan started talking.
“You know about our pre-TaKa days, right?”
“Ah, yes. I’ve heard about it.”
“This is about that time— and… the other members don’t know about this, so keep it a secret.”
“Of course.”
“Okay. Well, before we were Toxin, our name was ‘Sedative.’”
“Sedative?”
Eun-ho couldn’t hide his surprise; he had never heard that name before.
“I’m sorry.”
“Haha, it’s okay. Even though we promoted with that name, no one remembers it, only Toxin. It just means their company was incompetent.”
Ye-chan chuckled.
“The craziest thing I did was back then. We released our first album as Sedative.”
“Ah…”
“I was going to take it with me and die.”
Eun-ho was shocked by his words, despite his calm demeanor.
Although Ye-chan spoke casually, his voice was unusually low and heavy, as if he couldn’t hide the emotions from that time.
‘Death.’
The word made Eun-ho freeze.
“Don’t look so serious. I only thought about it, I didn’t actually do it.”
Eun-ho’s tense face relaxed at his words.
“Why…”
It might seem strange to ask “why,” but he was curious.
“…Back then, I desperately… truly desperately… wanted our names to be known, even if it meant my death.”
Ye-chan said, his usual playfulness gone.
His answer showed how much he cared about his members.
“It might not mean much to us now, but the Team Leader is my lifesaver.”
Eun-ho quietly looked down at his notebook.
Except for the lack of a white ‘protruding’ symbol at the bottom…
It was the same type of notebook as Eun-ji’s diary.
Having lived his life clinging to the words “live,” he couldn’t comprehend the leader’s willingness to die for his team.
He could do it, but he couldn’t bring himself to.
“So, now that I’ve told you my story, let’s hear from our young hoobae.”
“Well, I…”
I didn’t have any grand stories like Senior Ye-chan.
Despite having various experiences, they were all just… ordinary, at least to me.
‘If I had to choose one…’
“I confessed a secret I thought no one would believe to my sister. That’s about it.”
He was hesitant to mention ‘regression,’ and it also felt embarrassing.
And he didn’t want to seem crazy while sharing such a serious story.
‘Well…’
The senior, lying on the bed with a face mask, looked serious, in a different sense…
But anyway, that was it.
Thankfully, Ye-chan didn’t ask what the ‘secret’ was.
Beep, beep, beep.
Just then…
Ye-chan’s phone alarm went off.
Judging by his actions as he got up and removed his face mask, it seemed to be his skincare alarm.
The sound of him patting his face filled the room.
Eun-ho couldn’t help but admire his diligence, which explained his youthful skin, despite his age.
Although he didn’t show it, Eun-ho had learned about the discomfort of wearing a face mask after trying it at Ye-chan’s suggestion on their first day.
So, he was even more impressed by Ye-chan’s diligence.
Having something on his face for 40 minutes was incredibly uncomfortable.
He had refused Ye-chan’s offer for more masks every day since then.
“Phew…”
Ye-chan continued after finishing his skincare routine.
It was a continuation of the ‘Co-Sign’ featuring story.
“Honestly, when we first worked together, I mostly helped you out because I thought the Team Leader was creating a new crew.”
Ye-chan said, throwing the used face mask in the trash.
“But now I understand. Eun-ji and you… you’re not just a crew to the Team Leader…”
Ye-chan paused, seemingly searching for the right word, sitting on the bed with his arms crossed.
Then, as if he had found it, he snapped his fingers.
“Right. His children.”
“Children?”
“Yeah. Not in a business sense, like ‘family,’ but… real family.”
I didn’t deny it, not even out of politeness.
Just as Ye-chan, who was closest to CEO Park, had guessed, the CEO was like a father, a family member, to us.
Ye-chan, seemingly having anticipated Eun-ho’s silence, smiled and continued,
“Anyway, I don’t think your sister would like this, but I think you understand what I mean.”
Ye-chan emphasized the words “what I mean” by bending his index fingers.
“Use our fame if you have to, just make sure your names are known.”
Eun-ho’s eyes widened at Ye-chan’s words, spoken with a calm expression.
He was genuinely surprised.
There was no trace of Ye-chan’s usual playfulness.
He meant it.
Eun-ho was about to ask what he meant, but it was just out of politeness.
「“If Eun-ho succeeds, it will be a great help to someone I owe a lifelong debt to.”」
He already knew the answer.
He had heard those words from Ye-chan when he asked him to perform at his showcase.
That was why…
If it were before, he would have refused such a good opportunity, insisting on making it on his own merit.
‘But now…’
Things were different.
He had learned too much to be that naive.
Luck was essential for success in this industry.
Before the regression, Eun-ji’s luck, talent, well-prepared album, and fast work pace…
Everything aligned perfectly, so she didn’t need much time to rise to the top.
The path to success was paved for her.
But I was different.
It took me an incredibly long time to even reach the starting line.
And when I finally got my ‘lucky break,’ amidst the fierce competition of countless rookies…
I was pushed back by the overwhelming promotional power of large agencies, even when I was so close to the top.
As a result, I never reached the summit.
My title was ‘hidden gem,’ a song with low rankings but high quality.
And Eun-ji, who shouldn’t be here, was with me at the bottom.
Whether before or after her death…
Every year, every season, every anniversary, Eun-ji’s songs climbed back up the charts, easily securing a spot in the top 10, like a hall of fame.
So, I couldn’t miss this opportunity.
The influence of the name ‘Toxin’ was immense.
It was a name that could overshadow even the most popular artists from large agencies.
‘This is a good thing.’
Although it felt a bit bitter, as Ye-chan said, any extra exposure was a gain.
I had discarded my pride to face reality.
I could always retrieve it after achieving success.
So, I was okay with this.
But Eun-ji seemed a bit dissatisfied.
Perhaps because she remembered her life before the regression…
I couldn’t blame her.
‘She’s someone who can succeed on her own.’
If it were the past me, I would have been consumed by jealousy.
Ugh, I didn’t even want to imagine it.
But my mindset was different now.
The famous saying, whose implied meaning everyone knew…
‘First, become famous.’
Today’s radio appearance was the first step towards that goal.
‘They’ll understand after all the hints we’ve dropped.’
They would take the bait.
And then, we would reel them in with our second song, “Hot Afternoon,” a collaboration with Toxin, and “RED.”
And when they surfaced, we would use the two characters from the last page of the proposal I gave to the CEO this morning…
…and “Footsteps,” to solidify our image, the still-ambiguous image of ‘E-UNG,’ of Lee Eun-ji and me.
‘It’s bound to work.’
I would make it work.