Siblings Working in Business (186)
Driving
“Why should we wag our tails for those who hate us?”
Eun-ho saying such a thing…
CEO Park looked at him with surprise, then chuckled.
“You’re right. There’s no need for that.”
“…”
There’s no need.
It was a positive answer, but Eun-ho tilted his head.
He instinctively felt something was amiss.
“Um, CEO Park.”
It was usually Eun-ji who spoke up in situations like these.
This time too, Eun-ji asked boldly,
“What are you hiding? What is it?”
As if waiting for her question, a smile spread across CEO Park’s face.
A very suspicious smile, different from the one at the wedding.
“You two have your driver’s licenses, right?”
Eun-ho instantly stiffened.
“Only Lee Eun-ho does.”
Eun-ji answered, looking at Eun-ho strangely.
“Eun-ho, can you drive?”
“…”
Eun-ho quietly avoided CEO Park’s gaze.
“You have a driver’s license, don’t you?”
“…I do. I have one.”
Eun-ji and CEO Park tilted their heads, puzzled by his hesitant response.
“It’s been years since I’ve held a steering wheel…”
Eun-ho mumbled, and CEO Park frowned.
“What are you talking about? You got it last year, or was it the year before?”
How was he supposed to explain this?
Yes, he got his license two years ago.
He got it the year he turned 20.
But it had been almost 10 years since he last drove.
This meant that, both before and after the regression, he had a driver’s license but had never actually driven.
“Wh-why are you suddenly asking about driver’s licenses?”
Eun-ho quickly changed the subject.
“I’m thinking of creating a show with you two as regulars.”
“Huh?”
CEO Park rested his chin on his hand and smiled.
The reason for needing a driver’s license soon became clear.
Tinkle.
The bell above the company’s glass door chimed.
Someone had entered.
“Oh, you’re here.”
Eun-ho and Eun-ji couldn’t see who it was since they were facing away from the door.
When they turned their heads, unlike the welcoming CEO Park, they saw a stranger.
“Ah!”
Eun-ji slapped her thigh and exclaimed.
“Why?”
“No, but! Don’t tell me…”
“Don’t tell me what?”
Eun-ji covered her mouth and then fell into thought, a serious expression on her face.
“You know that show where they drive around, do talk shows, and missions…”
Eun-ji whispered, and Eun-ho pondered, then looked back at her.
“I don’t know.”
“Seriously? Then why did you pretend to think about it?”
“I wasn’t pretending. I don’t watch TV much, so I was trying to remember if I saw anything like that.”
“That’s the same thing! Anyway, there was a show like that, and I think he’s the director. I think so.”
“What are you talking about?”
He wasn’t teasing her.
Eun-ji usually had a good memory for faces, but only for people she saw often.
She often didn’t recognize people she hadn’t seen in a while.
So, in cases like this…
“That director often cast me as a regular.”
This meant they had worked together for a long time, enough to be memorable.
While CEO Park left his office to greet Director Jeon Cheong-yun, Eun-ho listened to Eun-ji’s stories about him.
Although he didn’t watch TV often, he had researched which programs aired on which channels, thinking it might be helpful.
Since opportunities were rare, he wanted to avoid making mistakes like saying the wrong broadcasting station name.
Anyway, as he listened to Eun-ji’s explanation, it turned out that most of the programs she worked on with Director Jeon were on tvH.
“PD-nim, are you with CK E&M?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. How did you know?”
“Everything you mentioned aired on tvH.”
“Ooh.”
Eun-ho, slightly embarrassed by Eun-ji’s impressed “That’s amazing~”, pushed her head away and said,
“CK E&M has a favorable impression of us, so that’s one less thing to worry about.”
“Worry about what?”
“Your mouth.”
“What’s wrong with my mouth?!”
“Everyone in the world knows except you.”
“Whatever.”
Eun-ji was about to retort when Eun-ho quickly covered her mouth.
CEO Park had returned and was leading Director Jeon Cheong-yun into his office.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lee Eun-ho.”
“H-hello. I’m Lee Eun-ji.”
Eun-ho bowed and pressed down on Eun-ji’s head.
Eun-ji, suppressing the urge to swat his hand away, bowed along with him.
“Haha, nice to meet you both. I’m Jeon Cheong-yun.”
“Let’s sit down and talk.”
At CEO Park’s suggestion, Director Jeon sat across from him.
Since those were originally Eun-ho and Eun-ji’s seats, they moved to the side of CEO Park’s desk.
They sat down and exchanged further greetings.
It was mostly just saying they enjoyed watching their O-Tube channel.
And, with Eun-ji’s help, mentioning specific programs of his that they had enjoyed.
It was just polite small talk.
“Alright, that’s enough greetings, let’s get down to business.”
At CEO Park’s prompt, Director Jeon began, as if he had been waiting for it,
“I’d like to create a program using your ‘Spicy Siblings’ characters.”
Although he could have treated the younger Eun-ho and Eun-ji more casually, Jeon Cheong-yun spoke to them respectfully.
“I’ve known CEO Park since college…”
Perhaps worried about how Eun-ho and Eun-ji would react, he went on to explain his relationship with CEO Park in detail.
Eun-ji struggled to keep her eyes open during the 30-minute explanation.
Eun-ho, on the other hand, mentally recorded Director Jeon’s information as if he was inputting data.
A director from tvH, who knew CEO Park from college as his senior…
There had been no prior contact between them until CEO Park and PD Kim’s wedding, where Jeon Cheong-yun, who knew both of them, attended.
Afterwards, during the reception and after-party, which Eun-ho had no memory of, they discussed a program, leading to this meeting.
“When I was thinking about what kind of program to do, CEO Park…”
After Change Partner, Director Jeon had become interested in Eun-ho and Eun-ji, who were a hot topic but had no other activities.
When he attended CEO Park’s wedding…
He jokingly suggested creating a program, whether a reality show or a talk show, based on their characters. He thought they would refuse, but CEO Park immediately agreed.
That was the gist of the story.
「“What kind of person is he?”」
「“He’s nice. Kind, and also…”」
「“Also?”」
「“Even when I made mistakes, he’d be flustered but brush it off for the sake of the show? Anyway, he was a good person.”」
Even after asking Eun-ji, who had worked with him on several programs before the regression, he seemed like a decent person with no red flags, so Eun-ho also agreed.
Besides, even though she tried to restrain herself, Eun-ji was still quite rough around the edges back then.
‘Since there were no incidents despite working with Eun-ji on multiple programs…’
It wouldn’t be a bad choice to work with him if they were going to do a broadcast.
‘And it’s CK E&M.’
After producing the OST “Last Day” for He is 1+1=1, CK E&M seemed to have a favorable impression of them.
Unlike other broadcasting stations that quickly cut ties with them after TaKa Entertainment’s announcement, CK E&M was the only one that consistently sent them offers.
Although they had refused due to other plans at the time…
“Ah.”
After hearing the whole story, there was one thing he was curious about.
“How did the driver’s license thing come up?”
Director Jeon answered Eun-ho’s question.
“When you have a schedule, it doesn’t matter, but there will be times when we film your real daily lives without managers and stylists.”
“Yes.”
“In those cases, you can’t take taxis, so we were planning to provide a vehicle.”
“So it’s a sponsorship.”
“That’s right.”
Director Jeon made an ‘OK’ sign with his hand.
So he had secured a sponsorship before the program even started, and the condition seemed to be that the cast had to drive themselves.
He had only gotten his driver’s license two years ago.
But the problem was that, including the time before the regression, his license had been gathering dust for almost 10 years.
‘I don’t even remember how to park…’
There was no way he could say this himself.
Just then…
“How about filming me getting my license?”
CEO Park and the director’s eyes immediately turned to Eun-ji.
“Every time I see my manager Oppa driving, I’ve wanted to learn too. I just haven’t had the time…”
CEO Park and Director Jeon’s eyes lit up.
“That’s a great idea.”
“That’s perfect!”
They both agreed, as if it was an excellent idea.
“Eun-ho…”
Do you want to practice driving again too?
…CEO Park looked at him expectantly.
But he couldn’t answer.
The reason he didn’t drive before was that Do-jin drove for him.
But now, he simply wasn’t confident enough to drive.
‘…’
Right after Eun-ji’s accident…
He had replayed the video, driven by the morbid curiosity to see exactly how it happened.
How the collision occurred.
Why Eun-ji ended up like that…
CEO Park had installed dashcams, both inside and outside Eun-ji’s car.
Despite his reluctance, he watched the video and then threw up.
He didn’t know.
His body still tensed up whenever he got into a car.
‘I only ride because Eun-ji is next to me…’
That’s why he found Eun-ji impressive and enviable.
She, the one who was in the accident, was the one who wanted to learn to drive.
‘She’s something else.’
Since it was their first meeting, they only had a brief discussion.
After Director Jeon left, and while CEO Park was out of his office for a meeting with the staff…
Eun-ji was deep in thought, her face flushed.
Eun-ho, watching her quietly, asked,
“Aren’t you scared of cars?”
“Why would I be?”
How could he explain this?
Just then, as Eun-ho was struggling…
“Ah, because I died in one?”
“…Yeah.”
Eun-ho’s expression hardened visibly at the word “died,” but Eun-ji waved her hand dismissively and continued,
“I died without knowing anything back then. Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself guarantees victory in every battle.”
“Why are you suddenly quoting that?”
“I was just sent to the afterlife without knowing anything.”
“…”
“So I thought, if I learn, maybe I can save myself.”
“…”
“Haha.”
Eun-ho stared at Eun-ji with wide eyes, then burst into laughter.
This was Lee Eun-ji, alright.
“Wow, seriously, your mental strength is way stronger than mine.”
“You’re just realizing that now?”
When Eun-ji replied, Eun-ho’s laughter ceased abruptly. Eun-ji, used to his mood swings, calmly changed the subject.
“So what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Should I get a manual license or an automatic one?”