Siblings Work in Business (134)
Briquette
“You’re late.”
I was late.
It was partly because of Briquette, but…
Let’s just say…
It was all Briquette’s fault.
That damn black cat.
I was taking it out on Briquette, but I knew it was my fault.
I had been too preoccupied with the TaKa Entertainment issue lately.
I forgot about the time I wasted with Briquette and walked too leisurely.
And…
“Put on the 10kg weights.”
I was late.
“If you keep acting like that, we’ll be here all night doing 100 tracks.”
“Yes…”
Eun-ji was dejected.
I also wanted to whine and lie down on the floor.
But it was Lee Gu-reum’s class.
She wouldn’t go easy on us; she’d just make us work twice as hard.
‘Are they… really sisters?’
Lee Ha-neul (vocal trainer) and Lee Gu-reum were sisters, despite their contrasting personalities: Ha-neul bright and affectionate, Gu-reum strict and demanding.
But their teaching styles were also very different.
Ha-neul’s method was to make you repeat difficult exercises, pushing you to the point of frustration and breakdown.
And when you reached your limit, thinking, “I can’t do this,” she would give you something slightly easier.
And thanks to the previous difficult exercises, you would be able to do the easier ones much better.
That was her way of building confidence and achieving good results.
Gu-reum’s method, on the other hand, could be summarized in one sentence:
‘Drill it until it’s perfect.’
Both methods gave you a sense of accomplishment, but Gu-reum’s was more intense.
It had to be.
Ha-neul pushed you within human limits, but Gu-reum treated you like a machine.
It felt like surpassing human limitations.
“Huff… huff…”
“One, two! Eun-ho, higher! Straighten your elbows!”
100 repetitions of the choreography with 10kg weights on my ankles.
My muscles screamed in protest.
“Huff… huff…”
“Eun-ji! Don’t slack off, it shows!”
“Huff… huff… yes.”
One, two.
We moved our feet to the rhythm, changing positions.
We have so much more to do together
There’s not enough time because I’ve learned regret
Despite the sweet violin and piano melody playing…
…the practice room was filled with the sounds of our heavy breathing and squeaking shoes.
“I thought you said you memorized the choreography, why are there so many mistakes?”
“We’re sorry!”
“Do you want to do 20 more runs?”
“No!”
“No!”
“Let’s do it properly!”
“Yes!”
“Don’t miss a beat! One, two! Eun-ji, your start is too fast!”
“Okay!”
Thankfully, it was just Eun-ji and me in this class.
It would have taken even longer with the Cloud members.
My clothes were drenched in sweat, to the point where I couldn’t feel it anymore.
Because of that, we changed clothes every 30 runs or so, to avoid catching a cold.
“Change your clothes and let’s continue.”
“Okay.”
I threw my sweat-drenched hoodie in a corner and put on a spare black t-shirt.
“Hydrate! You’ll collapse!”
“Yes!”
Although I couldn’t change my sweaty underwear, changing my outerwear felt refreshing.
Of course, I would be drenched again soon…
‘Save me,’ I thought repeatedly.
But I wouldn’t be the one to say it first.
Eun-ji also seemed to be thinking the same, gritting her teeth and enduring.
We both refrained from asking to remove the heavy ankle weights.
Our stubbornness stemmed from our competitive spirit.
‘I won’t lose to Lee Eun-ji.’
‘I won’t lose to that person.’
Siblings hated losing.
Especially to each other.
Lee Gu-reum smiled, impressed by their perseverance, even in their exhausted state.
When it came to music, Eun-ho and Eun-ji acknowledged each other’s strengths.
But in terms of dance, they were on par.
‘They’re good.’
Eun-ji had a natural talent for rhythm.
Eun-ho, on the other hand, achieved his skill through sheer effort.
And Eun-ji, not complacent, worked hard to keep up with Eun-ho.
So, this was the result of their hard work.
It wasn’t easy to dance so gracefully with 10kg weights on each ankle.
It was hard to believe they were carrying a total of 40kg extra weight, judging by their movements.
And that’s why, afraid of losing even slightly…
…they didn’t give an inch.
‘But these kids are upset about the canceled stage…?’
Lee Gu-reum had heard from CEO Park about the cancellation of the “Hot Afternoon” promotions.
「“It’s not a big deal. I expected this.”」
Although the CEO said that, Lee Gu-reum thought Eun-ho and Eun-ji would be devastated.
‘They must have thought everything was going smoothly, and then suddenly, their future plans were canceled.’
But…
Eun-ho and Eun-ji, unlike her expectations, weren’t fazed.
Just as CEO Park said, they had expected this, and they believed that if this song didn’t work, they could always try with the next one, or the one after that.
Lee Gu-reum, unaware of their resilience, prepared her own way of comforting and encouraging them.
A form of support Eun-ho and Eun-ji would have vehemently rejected if they knew…
By the 80th run, they were beyond their limits.
Their minds were blank, only instinct driving them.
Normally, Lee Gu-reum would have given them a break at this point.
Normally.
But not today.
‘A relaxed body leads to a wandering mind! Therefore, move! Until all distractions are gone!’
This was…
…the Lee Gu-reum method of encouragement.
“100th run! Weight removal! Commence!”
“Commence!”
“C-Commence!”
It was over.
Eun-ho and Eun-ji, gasping for air, removed the 40kg weights from their ankles.
“Wow.”
Just moments ago, their bodies had felt too heavy to even lift an arm, and now, they felt incredibly light, almost frustratingly so.
“Are you okay?”
Lee Gu-reum asked.
Eun-ho and Eun-ji didn’t answer.
If they said they were okay, she would make them do more, and if they said they were tired, she would still make them do more.
There was no point in answering.
“One last run before we finish!”
“Yes!”
“Okay.”
As expected, one more run.
But there was a difference today.
“Are we filming this?”
“Yes. The CEO asked for it.”
Lee Gu-reum was sharp during practice.
And it was the same for Eun-ho and Eun-ji.
Their already sharp features became even more intense when they were exhausted, their expressions raw and unfiltered.
Since most of the videos the CEO asked for were uploaded to YouTube…
Although their fans might like it, it would probably draw more criticism.
So, she only turned on the camera after they had perfected the choreography, removed the ankle weights, and could manage their expressions.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t fight.”
“Okay.”
“Yes.”
Lee Gu-reum turned on the camera and left the practice room.
Eun-ji sat down in front of the mirror.
“I should have brought a nicer spare outfit if I knew we were filming.”
Eun-ji fidgeted with her shirt, tucking it in, then pulling it out, then tying it.
Eun-ho watched her blankly from the back of the room.
He wasn’t thinking anything in particular; his gaze just happened to land on Eun-ji’s reflection.
Eun-ji, feeling his gaze, looked at him through the mirror.
“What are you looking at?”
“Your face.”
He was telling the truth, but perhaps because of his tone…
Eun-ji felt annoyed.
Then, Eun-ho added,
“It’s not changing.”
“What do you mean?”
“You still look like a pumpkin. Don’t cry while looking in the mirror. You’re doing well, even if you’re ugly.”
“What the hell are you talking about, you crazy bastard? And don’t even look in my direction! People will think we’re close or something.”
Eun-ho, despite his exhaustion, couldn’t resist teasing her and gave her the finger.
Eun-ji returned the gesture, smiling.
Then, the hair tie snapping, Eun-ji turned her head first.
As if not wanting Eun-ho to win, she quickly thought of something.
“Oh, and Lee Eun-ho, you look like a shrimp.”
“A shrimp?”
Eun-ho, surprised that she didn’t use the usual ‘rockfish,’ tilted his head, his eyes unusually soft.
‘Shrimp… that’s kind of cute, isn’t it?’
He was caught off guard.
He seemed to be too tired to tell if it was a compliment or an insult.
“Shrimp are the cockroaches of the sea.”
Eun-ji grinned.
“That’s a bit harsh.”
Eun-ho was about to retort when…
“What, are Eun-ho and Eun-ji fighting again?”
They immediately stopped bickering at Lee Gu-reum’s return.
Their conversation was recorded, of course, footage that would soon be deleted by CEO Park.
“So, shall we continue?”
“Yes!”
“Okay.”
As the intro to “Hae-ga (The Sun)” started playing, Eun-ho and Eun-ji got into character.
Lee Gu-reum stood behind the camera, watching their every move, looking for the slightest mistake.
But their choreography and expressions…
…were flawless, even lighter and smoother without the 40kg weights.
The last run was a success.
After the 101st run, we were completely exhausted.
We collapsed on the practice room floor and closed our eyes.
I felt like I could fall asleep instantly, even if I only counted to five.
Then…
“One more run if you don’t want to go home?”
“We’ll be going then!”
“Just one more~”
“We’re leaving.”
Eun-ho and Eun-ji jumped up like startled rabbits at Lee Gu-reum’s casual suggestion.
We ran out of the practice room.
Had it been 9 or 10 hours?
Although we arrived in the morning, the sky was already darkening.
‘I didn’t realize while I was focused on practicing…’
My body felt heavy.
Eun-ji also seemed to be struggling, stopping every few steps and leaning against the wall.
As the dorm came into view, I wished it would walk towards us.
It was a ridiculous thought, but I had already experienced regression, so…
‘I wish I could fly or something…’
Anything to avoid using my legs would have been welcome.
But I had no superpowers, and I eventually reached the stairs.