Siblings Working in Business (207)
Staying Out
“Who was that old man’s voice just now?”
When did she even get here? Eun-ji was standing at the doorway, panting.
Eun-ho was frozen stiff.
Briquette was so stunned that his black fur seemed to turn white.
“So Briquette was really…”
“…”
“Fucking…”
Eun-ji seemed just as panicked as Briquette.
『…M-meow.』
Briquette tried to feign innocence, but Eun-ji, radiating a chilling aura, spoke, as if she already knew,
“Something felt off. Lee Eun-ho isn’t the type to lie, and even though he’s a weirdo, he’s not that kind of person…”
『Meow—』
“Briquette, as I’ve told you every night, I truly love you, but I really, really hate lies.”
“…”
Eun-ho, glancing back and forth between Briquette and Eun-ji, gulped.
He had something to ask Briquette about the second nightmare.
‘But this doesn’t seem like the right time…’
Eun-ho subtly released Briquette’s cheeks and stood up, as if to escape.
“I-, ou-, ou-, outside, I need some fresh air.”
“Oppa.”
“Y-yes?”
His heart pounded; Eun-ji calling him “Oppa” in this atmosphere was unsettling.
“Take your time. We have a lot to talk about.”
“O-okay…”
Eun-ji was still glaring at Briquette.
‘She’s my sister, but…’
She was terrifying like this.
Seriously terrifying. He was so unnerved that his heart pounded at the sound of the aluminum door slamming shut behind him as he left the rooftop room.
He stood outside for a moment, wondering what they were talking about, but the house was eerily quiet.
‘…’
He left because he felt awkward, but…
‘This is bad.’
He had nowhere to go.
‘Is there anyone I can call?’
As he fiddled with his phone…
He saw a group chat.
[Eun-ho ― Hyungs]
The Toxin group chat.
As Eun-ho called out to the Toxin members, the three same-age members appeared first.
[Oh (Oh Hyun) ― (A tilting head ‘Ho-nyang’ emoticon) ?]
[Seo (Seo Seung-yeon) ― Yeah?]
[Joo (Joo Song-min) ― (A crudely drawn white character emoticon headbanging under a disco ball)]
― So you finally want to play Formica with us~~~]
Their single-letter nicknames lined up.
He realized they were using the first letter of their last names.
[Eun-ho ― I’m not playing games.]
[Joo ― Don’t lie~~~]
― You must play at least one mobile game~~~]
[Me ― I’m serious ㅠ]
― I don’t play games…]
Joo Song-min had recently been enthusiastically recommending ‘Formica,’ a 5v5 FPS game featuring soldiers with various abilities, to Eun-ho.
Seeing Joo Song-min’s passionate promotion, Eun-ho couldn’t help but think, ‘What are the sponsors doing?’
‘He could sell his soul for a sponsorship…’
Just as he was thinking that…
Joo Song-min asked,
[Joo ― Eun-ho, what’s the fun in life if you don’t play games?]
What’s the fun?
[Eun-ho ― Hmm]
― Wri…ting lyrics?]
[Seo ― Why are you asking a workaholic that?]
― Now I feel guilty for having fun lol]
[Joo ― Right]
― Shouldn’t have asked]
― Then why did you call us?]
― Making us excited for nothing.]
[Eun-ho ― Lol]
The atmosphere at home was still tense, but the group chat made him smile.
[Eun-ho ― I]
― got kicked out of the house]
Was he too blunt?
Just then, as he was thinking that…
Contrary to his expectations, most of the replies were along the lines of, ‘We knew it.’
[Joo ― Wow, after fighting non-stop every day, finally.]
[Seo ― Lol I knew this would happen someday.]
[Oh ― Lol?]
― I thought Eun-ho would win]
― That’s unexpected.]
[Joo ― He pretends he doesn’t care, but he listens to everything Eun-ji says.]
Eun-ho, reading their conversation, frowned and retorted,
[Eun-ho ― That’s not true.]
[Joo ― (A crudely drawn white character emoticon with a twisted smirk)]
― That’s not true~]
[Eun-ho ― Hyung-nim, act your age hehe]
[Joo ― Hey, look at this kid?]
― Just because I teased him a little]
― He’s attacking me with my age!!!]
[Seo ― Song-min, don’t fight lol]
― You can’t]
― win against Eun-ho with words anyway.]
[Joo ― Hey!!!!!]
― I was going easy on him.]
[Seo ― Oh, really? Lol]
[Oh ― Lol]
― Going easy on him lol]
[Joo ― Hey, don’t laugh when a member is being attacked! Help me out!!!]
[Seo ― Why should I help?]
― Joo Song-min being attacked]
― is because he’s stupid.]
[Joo ― Stupid?]
― Ah, I’m pissed now]
― Seo Seung-yeon, I’m going to]
― tell your ex you’re calling her.]
[Seo ― You crazy bastard.]
[Joo ― ^^7]
[Seo ― Answer your phone.]
[Joo ― ㅗㅗㅗ (Fuck you)]
The conversation in the group chat naturally shifted from ‘Eun-ho vs. Joo Song-min’ to ‘Joo Song-min vs. Seo Seung-yeon.’
Oh Hyun, caught in the crossfire, squeezed in and asked Eun-ho,
[Oh ― Did you lose a territory fight with Eun-ji?]
[Eun-ho ― We’re not territorial animals, what territory fight? Lol]
Amidst the escalating bickering, Joo Song-min naturally replied to Eun-ho’s message.
[Joo ― Ah]
― it wasn’t?]
[Eun-ho ― Hyung-nim…]
[Choi Tae-hyun ― I just went out for dinner, and they’re fighting again?]
Just then…
The eldest hyung, who had been quiet, appeared.
[Choi Tae-hyun ― Eun-ho]
[Eun-ho ― Yes]
[Choi Tae-hyun ― Where are you right now?]
Eun-ho was walking around the neighborhood after leaving the rooftop room.
He looked around and realized he had passed the NRY Entertainment building and was on a main street.
[Eun-ho ― I’m near the company, by that]
― old]
― uh, XX Chicken place.]
[Choi Tae-hyun ― Okay]
Then Choi Tae-hyun went silent.
[Eun-ho ― ?????]
[Oh ― Hyung probably went to pick you up.]
[Eun-ho ― Suddenly?]
[Oh ― Lol That’s just how he is.]
― Back when hyung]
― was the first to move out among us]
― he always took us in when we fought and left home.]
[Eun-ho ― Took you in…?]
[Joo ― He took us in lol]
― But come to think of it]
― Eun-ho, you can’t drink, right?]
― Are you okay?]
[Eun-ho ― Why are you suddenly asking about alcohol?]
[Joo ― Lol]
[Oh ― Lol]
[Seo ― Lol]
― You’ll see when you get there.]
[Joo ― You’ll be dead if you don’t know lol]
[Eun-ho ― ???]
Eun-ho tilted his head, looking at the laughing emoticons from his same-age hyungs.
A little less than 20 minutes later…
A beat-up ‘Gak Grand X’ appeared on the quiet street, as old as the faded sign of the chicken place.
The Gak Grand X, despite its appearance, roared with the sound of a modern sports car engine and stopped in front of the chicken place.
The window rolled down, revealing a luxurious interior, a blend of classic and modern.
The owner of the car was, as expected…
Choi Tae-hyun.
“Get in.”
“…?”
Eun-ho, after a moment of hesitation, got into the bizarre car.
“Did you eat?”
“No, not yet…”
He was relieved that Briquette had finally been exposed to Eun-ji, but because of that, he hadn’t had dinner yet.
‘Ah, come to think of it, Lee Eun-ji…’
Just as Tae-hyun was about to start the car…
Eun-ho called Eun-ji.
That drives me crazy
Na na na na Red Light
Na na na na Red……
“Hello, what?”
The familiar ringtone played, followed by Eun-ji’s voice.
“Are you guys done talking?”
“Sort of…?”
Just then, as Eun-ji gave a vague answer…
『Save me! Why did you leave?!』
“Shut up, you pervert.”
This was confusing.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, there’s something.”
Eun-ji gave a short, evasive answer to Eun-ho’s question.
It seemed like something else had happened after he left, and she was hiding it.
“Did you call because you had nowhere to go?”
“No. Well, I did, but…”
“You can come home now.”
“I have something to tell you about that. I’m on my way to Tae-hyun Sunbae’s house.”
“Suddenly? Is he next to you right now?”
“Yeah. Ah, hold on, Sunbae, can I sleep over at your place for just to—”
Before Eun-ho could finish, Tae-hyun answered, stopping at a red light,
“That’s why I came to pick you up.”
“Ah, uh, um. Did you hear that?”
There was a brief silence on the other end.
“Lee Eun-ji…?”
Just then, as Eun-ho leaned closer to his phone and cautiously called out to Eun-ji…
“Hey!!!”
A ringing sound echoed in his ears at Eun-ji’s sudden shout.
He wasn’t sure if his eardrums had ruptured, but his ears were ringing.
“Get out of my room!!!”
『Th-this is my territory now!』
“How dare you claim my room as your territory!!!”
『You said so yourself!』
“That was when I thought you were a normal cat!!!”
This was chaos.
“Anyway, I’m staying out tonight. Work things out with Briquette…”
“Yeah, okay. I need to have a serious talk with that damn cat, so I’m hanging up.”
Although he wasn’t sure if she heard him, he said what he had to say, and surprisingly, Eun-ji replied curtly and hung up.
Eun-ho tilted his head, looking at his phone, puzzled.
“What was that about?”
“What?”
“Ah, well…”
Eun-ho, snapping out of his thoughts, replied to Tae-hyun’s question,
“Eun-ji never lets me stay out unless it’s for work.”
“Eun-ji? That’s unexpected.”
“She really hates being alone…”
Ah.
He suddenly realized something mid-sentence.
‘Is it because of Briquette?’
After Eun-ho left, a long time passed before they heard his footsteps heading towards the front door.
Then they heard the heavy gate closing, confirming his departure.
“You.”
『Yes?』
Eun-ji finally spoke.
Briquette, seemingly aware of his wrongdoing, lay flat on his stomach at Eun-ji’s feet, looking up at her timidly.
He couldn’t meet her eyes directly.
Not just because of the angle, but because he couldn’t bring himself to.
Eun-ji had always been like an angel to him, so this was the first time he had seen her so terrifying.
“Could you have told me from the beginning, or…”
『Um, wh-when was the beginning…』
“The beginning? When Lee Eun-ho brought you home and said he was going to get a cat.”
Briquette flinched at Eun-ji’s rapid-fire words and politely folded his front paws.
Just as he was about to answer…
“No, wait. That’s not it.”
『Yes?』
“According to Lee Eun-ho, you’re somehow connected to our regression.”
『…』
Briquette’s eyes darted back and forth.
“Tell me everything. Everything you’re hiding.”
『I-, I’m not good at talking…』
“Don’t play dumb with me.”
A chilling glint flashed in Eun-ji’s eyes as Briquette tried to make excuses.
There was nowhere left to run.
『I-, I’m a god.』
Briquette spoke cautiously.
The problem was, his first words weren’t the best choice, as Eun-ji’s expression hardened.
“You’re full of shit.”
At Eun-ji’s cold words, Briquette’s yellow eyes flickered, and then, as if suddenly overcome with emotion…
Tear.
A single tear rolled down his cheek.