Siblings Working in Business (168)
“Have you decided where you’re going?”
“Yes!”
When all the members answered energetically, the PD smiled leisurely and said,
“Alright then, have fun.”
Perhaps the PD was acting differently than usual today, because Ryu Seok-hyun looked at him suspiciously and asked in a friendly tone,
“PD Ra, are you sure we’re just supposed to have fun?”
“Of course.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Everyone, don’t forget the cards you received.”
With the PD’s last, somewhat dubious words, the Red Team headed towards the Tulip Zone.
Eun-ji’s Blue Team and Eun-ho’s Yellow Team headed together towards Space Express.
Due to prior arrangements for filming, the available rides were predetermined by zone and time slot.
Naturally, they couldn’t just freely enjoy the park because of the filming.
However, Eun-ho and Eun-ji were still completely satisfied that Space Express was on the list.
Perhaps because the queue had disappeared after the last guests boarded for the Change Partner filming.
Except for the crowd watching the shoot, there were only employees in front of Space Express.
“Yayyy!”
Unable to hide her excitement at the imposing presence of the ride, Eun-ji shouted, spreading her arms wide.
Eun-ho, who had been following calmly, also sparkled his eyes and looked around, no less excited than Eun-ji, when they entered the ride area without having to wait in line.
“See, Eun-ho seems mature, but both of them are just like little kids, aren’t they?”
“Little kids? There’s not much difference between you and them.”
“Anyway!”
“Haha.”
“Just looking at their appearances, you wouldn’t think they had those kinds of personalities.”
“It makes you realize you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, huh.”
Choi Su-min and Seo Seo-un chatted briefly as they walked along the winding path to the boarding area.
Jeong Bae-chan, who found it hard to join in the women’s chatter, quietly passed them and headed to the front.
When they arrived at the boarding area…
The Space Express train, having just finished its test run, pulled into the station.
“Hold on a sec. I need to stretch!”
“Suddenly?”
“Why? You… I mean, you should stretch too, Oppa.”
“No, if you were going to stretch, you could’ve done it on the way here. Doing it now is a bit suspicious.”
“My, my muscles might get shocked.”
Muscles, all of a sudden?
Before entering Everland…
All the members received mission papers from a suspicious man pretending to be an elderly person in front of the bus.
Eun-ho, who placed first in the hidden mission, received a hint that there was a spy who received an additional mission.
“Hurry up and get on. No more excuses.”
“Ah, wai-, wait! I said I need to stretch!”
“Why? Is it for the mission?”
“No, it isn’t!”
“Really? Then I guess it wouldn’t be a problem if I told your team’s senior that you suddenly wanted to stretch, right?”
Eun-ho also received the mission to ‘spend all 20,000 won without being seen by his teammates.’
So wouldn’t Eun-ji have also received a conditional mission to ‘avoid the eyes of her teammates’?
“Argh, fine! I’ll get on! Just shut up, seriously.”
Eun-ji snapped irritably when Eun-ho asked slyly.
‘Just as I thought.’
Eun-ho’s suspicion turned into certainty at Eun-ji’s response.
He had been questioning the mission he received on the way to Space Express.
Usually, wouldn’t you hide a secret mission from the opposing team?
Then why did this mission have to be hidden from his own team?
‘They said there was a spy.’
That’s what the hint he received for winning first place in the hidden mission said.
And if he found the spy, he would receive an important hint for the final mission.
So there must be a way to identify the spy, but what was it?
His forehead throbbed slightly from thinking too hard.
He arrived at Space Express while he was deep in thought.
‘First, let’s have some fun.’
He put aside his worries for a moment and headed to the boarding area to enjoy the ride. That’s when it happened.
“Hold on a sec. I need to stretch!”
Lee Eun-ji shouted.
‘Ah.’
Perhaps we came running too early in our excitement?
Looking around, it seemed that Jeong Bae-chan, Choi Su-min, and Seo Seo-un hadn’t arrived yet.
‘Avoid the eyes of your teammates.’
This meant that it was okay if he was seen by other team members.
Of course, it would be risky if it was revealed, but Lee Eun-ji might not have thought that far ahead.
That’s when it clicked.
The piece he’d been missing seemed to fall into place.
The corners of his mouth curled up.
The key feature of the ‘Change Partner’ program…
The partners ‘change with every mission.’
And there are ‘no’ duplicate partners.
This meant that his current teammate was highly likely to become his opponent later.
‘The PD said it was free time…’
But this was also a chance to find the spy.
Just then, he heard a commotion and turned around to see that the seniors seemed to have all arrived.
“Hey, Lee Eun-ji.”
“What.”
“You’re going to sit in the front, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s ride together.”
I always like the front seat on rides.
The back is best for things like the Viking.
But on rollercoasters, I liked the view you only get from the front, right before the steep drop after reaching the top.
So, I was standing in the very front row as soon as we arrived.
Eun-ji glared at me suspiciously and replied to my suggestion.
“No.”
“Then ride alone in the second row.”
“…Fine, let’s ride together.”
She’s always like this, so stubborn.
I wanted to ride in the front with her because I had something to say.
A little later, Choi Su-min and Seo Seo-un arrived and sat in the second row, and Jeong Bae-chan, who had been waiting for them forlornly, sat in the third row.
As the seniors took their seats, the Space Express train started moving.
While the train clattered up the incline…
“You received a mission like ‘avoid your teammates and stretch before riding,’ right?”
“Creepy, how did you know?”
“How could I not know when you’re being so obvious about it?”
“OMG.”
Eun-ji seemed genuinely shocked that she had been caught.
I shared the thoughts I had organized with Eun-ji.
“Hey, I got first place in the hidden mission, remember?”
“Are you bragging?”
“Wow, I was trying to help you out, and you’re making me regret it.”
“Ah, sorry, sorry. What is it?”
Still complaining, huh. Tsk.
I had to endure it once if I wanted a partner who ‘doesn’t change every mission.’
“…I got a hint when I received the mission.”
“So?”
The Space Express, which had been rattling upwards, slowed down as it reached my favorite spot.
Just before the near-vertical drop…
Eun-ho shared the hint he received with Eun-ji.
“There’s a spy among the members. We have to find them.”
Eun-ho’s voice was drowned out by the strong wind and screams echoing from the train.
“Hahahaha!”
After getting off Space Express, there was a souvenir shop connected to the exit.
Right in the center of the souvenir shop, above the checkout counter, was a photo taken just before the Space Express train dropped.
In the picture, Seo Seo-un, Jo Sa-rang, and Jeong Bae-chan were enjoying the moment of the drop with their arms raised in the air.
On the other hand, Eun-ho and Eun-ji…
“Pfft! Why does Eun-ho’s face look like that? Hahahaha.”
Seo Seo-un, who saw the picture later, burst into laughter along with Jo Sa-rang and Jeong Bae-chan.
Eun-ji also had a serious, frozen expression, as if she was deep in thought, not unlike Eun-ho.
Meanwhile, Eun-ho, who was sitting next to her, had a blurry face in the photo.
“It seems like he lowered his head or something when the camera took the picture… haha.”
Somehow, the way he looked, as if his soul was leaving his body, made it even funnier.
“It’s hilarious every time I see it. Eun-ho, can I buy this photo?”
“Ah, yes. That’s fine.”
“Where’s my manager? Yong-su!”
“Yes!”
“Bring me my wallet!”
“Yes!”
Jeong Bae-chan seemed to like the photo so much that he even bought it for his personal collection.
Eun-ho and Eun-ji, the subjects of the photo, were busy looking around the souvenir shop.
Eun-ji, in particular, showed interest in a yellow finger toy that looked like it was about to shout ‘Rock and Roll!’
“Do you want it?”
“Ah, no! It’s okay. It just looks funny.”
Eun-ji hurriedly waved her hands and said when Jeong Bae-chan asked.
“Go and pick out something you want with Eun-ho. I’ll buy you one since you let me keep that funny picture of you two.”
“Oh! If you insist…”
Eun-ji was the type who wouldn’t refuse if someone offered to buy her something. A bird in the hand, and all that.
“Where did that Oppa go?”
Eun-ji searched for Eun-ho around the souvenir shop to tell him the news.
Everland has a mascot, a Gear character doll with a somewhat pathetic face.
The Gear dolls have various wronged expressions and can be linked together with other Gear dolls.
“Oppa!”
Eun-ji found Eun-ho where the Gear dolls were lined up and displayed cutely.
Eun-ho was fiddling with a Gear doll.
“Lee Eun-ho!”
“Huh? Wha-?”
Startled by Eun-ji’s loud voice, Eun-ho dropped the Gear doll from his hand.
“Jeong Bae-chan said he’ll buy us a souvenir.”
“Oh? Ah, it’s okay.”
“CEO Park said we should accept kindness when it’s offered!”
“Huh?”
Eun-ho tilted his head, then burst out laughing as if he understood what Eun-ji meant, nodding his head.
“Alright. Then I’ll take this one.”
Eun-ho took a small, palm-sized Gear doll and approached Jeong Bae-chan, who was waiting at the checkout counter.
Eun-ji picked up the Rock and Roll yellow finger she had her eye on and went to the counter.
‘Their tastes are so obvious.’
Jeong Bae-chan chuckled inwardly.
“Eun-ho, why don’t you get a bigger one?”
“No, it’s okay! This is more than enough. Thank you.”
“Buy me this one, please!”
Just then…
Despite Eun-ho’s refusal, Eun-ji brought a Gear doll about three times bigger than the one Eun-ho had picked and shouted.
“Haha, alright. I should at least buy you that much. I need to be able to brag about buying E-UNG something!”
“Ah, then I’ll put this one back.”
It seemed he didn’t want to miss the opportunity now that he was offered a bigger one.
His expression also brightened considerably.
“It’s fine. Don’t put it back. Take them both!”
After paying, Jeong Bae-chan handed Eun-ho the two Gear dolls and Eun-ji her Rock and Roll finger toy.
“I can brag about this on the show, right?”
“Of course. Thank you very much, Sunbaenim.”
Eun-ho’s slightly flushed and embarrassed expression showed the strange mix of emotions he felt, grateful but awkward about showing it.
“Both Eun-ho and Eun-ji… their height, build, and expressions make them seem like they could take on the world, but why are they so cute? Hahahaha.”
Jo Sa-rang said with a laugh to Jeong Bae-chan when he returned after paying.
“Look at them. Haha.”
Just then, Seo Seo-un pointed somewhere and called out to Jeong Bae-chan and Jo Sa-rang.
Eun-ji was where Seo Seo-un was pointing.
Eun-ji was posing in front of the camera with the Rock and Roll finger Jeong Bae-chan bought her, making playful expressions.
“It’s the first time in the years we’ve worked together that I’ve seen that director grin like that.”
“Unnie, Unnie, look over there.”
“Hahahaha.”
While Seo Seo-un laughed in disbelief, Jo Sa-rang nudged her shoulder and pointed in the opposite direction.
On the other side, Eun-ho was holding two Gear dolls in his arms.
Jeong Bae-chan, who had given them the souvenirs, burst into laughter at the sight of the satisfied Eun-ho and Eun-ji, then looked at them with an incredibly proud expression.