Siblings Working in Business (245)
Perhaps because they had successfully completed the filming, thanks to the E%, or maybe because they had finally shared a long-held secret…
Eun-ho and Eun-ji felt lighter than usual that day.
And perhaps because that lightness was evident in the broadcast…
They finished filming Let’s Live Together a Bit that afternoon in a cheerful mood.
“CEO Park.”
“Hmm? Oh, Seul-gi, you’re back?”
“Yes, thanks to you. Do you have a minute?”
“What is it?”
“I heard about Eun-ji and Eun-ho’s hairstyles.”
Seul-gi, back at the NRY Entertainment office after the Let’s Live Together a Bit filming, went to Chang-seok’s office.
Chang-seok stood up and gestured towards the table.
“Come in and have a seat.”
Seul-gi bowed and sat down.
“…Eun-ho told me about it.”
After sitting down, Seul-gi relayed what Eun-ho had told her in the car.
Chang-seok’s eyes widened as he asked,
“Eun-ho did?”
“Yes?”
“Eun-ho told you?”
“Yes.”
Chang-seok, as if there was a problem with Eun-ho telling her, asked repeatedly.
Seul-gi, confused, nodded again.
Chang-seok was speechless.
He remembered the day he first took the siblings to a hair salon.
Back then, both Eun-ji and Eun-ho were very resistant to changing their hairstyles.
「“No short hair!”」
「“I don’t want to change my image too much.”」
Chang-seok asked them why, and Eun-ji replied,
「“If we change too much, Mister won’t recognize us.”」
The only detailed story Chang-seok heard was from the nun who had taken care of them, when he first became their guardian.
He had heard snippets of the ‘bread guy’ story from Eun-ji at the barbecue restaurant, but whenever Eun-ji started elaborating, Eun-ho would interrupt and stop her.
Chang-seok always felt a twinge of regret when that happened.
A shadow of… something akin to envy, towards the ‘bread guy.’
“CEO Park?”
“…”
And yet, that Eun-ho…
…had told Seul-gi and Hyun-woo, in more detail than he had ever told Eun-ji, the story of their past…
It was a shock to Chang-seok.
‘He even told them that he passed away…’
The bread guy, whom the siblings adored, had passed away.
Chang-seok had tried his best to hide that fact from them, at the nun’s request.
“I had no idea they knew…”
Eun-ho and Eun-ji already knew?
“So they were doing it… knowing that…”
If he had health problems, the two who lived with him would have known… he had assumed they didn’t know.
‘Those kids, to me…’
It was a pang of hurt, a feeling he hadn’t felt in years.
When he had talked to Eun-ho and Eun-ji about the bread guy, they only talked about how he helped them, the impact he had on their lives.
He was hearing the details, the story about the sticky notes on the wall and the promise, for the first time from Seul-gi.
He had expected them to tell Seul-gi about the bread guy, now that his existence was known.
But he hadn’t expected them to share so much, especially Eun-ho.
“It seems the kids trust and rely on Seul-gi and Hyun-woo a lot.”
“Do they?”
Chang-seok said to Seul-gi, trying to hide his bittersweet feelings.
Seul-gi, not understanding the underlying meaning, just tilted her head and replied.
‘Still…’
This was proof that Seul-gi and Hyun-woo had become important people to Eun-ho and Eun-ji, just as much as Chang-seok.
Eun-ho and Eun-ji were children who had been isolated for a long time, their world consisting only of each other.
And yet, they were now expanding their world, without him knowing.
Although Chang-seok felt a twinge of sadness, he was also happy for their growth.
“Keep that in mind when you style them.”
Seul-gi’s eyes widened at Chang-seok’s words.
Chang-seok was the CEO of NRY Entertainment.
From a purely business perspective, Eun-ho and Eun-ji were ‘products’ he had to constantly reinvent and present to the world.
But if their hairstyles were fixed, their image would be limited, so it was natural for him to be concerned, as their CEO.
However, Chang-seok, with a bittersweet smile, continued,
“Since they don’t like it, I won’t force them to change, so Seul-gi, always prioritize their preferences.”
“Yes!”
Seul-gi, as their fan and colleague, couldn’t hide her delight at Chang-seok’s request.
Seul-gi left the office, her heart light.
Chang-seok returned to his desk and leaned back in his plush chair.
“They did it knowing…”
After hearing the news from the nun, Chang-seok had personally looked into his background.
He learned his name and how he died.
The end of someone without family was lonely.
The body was simply ‘disposed of,’ no grave, no trace left in the world, not even a proper funeral.
He left this world alone and forgotten.
It was a bittersweet ending, considering he had saved two lives.
He was saddened when he first heard the story.
He wondered why he had died so lonely.
But after hearing Seul-gi’s story, he understood a little.
“Because the end is unknown, they continue to live…”
He chose to remain alive in their memories, in exchange for a lonely death, instead of hiding it from the siblings.
「“Mister, I wonder if he’s doing okay.”」
「“He must be doing well.”」
「“I miss Mister. He must be married with kids now, living a happy life, right?”」
Eun-ho and Eun-ji constantly imagined his future, as if it were a running joke between them.
As long as they imagined his future, he continued to live in their hearts.
But the siblings knew.
Not now, but…
…someday, they would have to let him go.
So, slowly…
Very slowly…
Eun-ho and Eun-ji were sharing his story with the world, so more people would remember him.
Although it might seem slow to others, they were preparing for their farewell with the bread guy, at their own pace.
Let’s Live Together a Bit
“I’m reporter So Yeong-ji, and I’ll be hosting the press conference for Let’s Live Together a Bit. Nice to meet you all.”
A few days after the first filming of Let’s Live Together a Bit ended and the editing was complete…
A press conference was held before the show aired.
The reporter stood up and bowed, and the PD and the cast followed suit.
“Ahem, hello. I’m Famous PD from ‘Let’s Live Together a Bit.’”
“PD-nim, can you tell us about ‘Let’s Live Together a Bit’?”
“Certainly.”
PD Yoo took the microphone and replied after the reporter’s introduction.
“‘Let’s Live Together a Bit’ is a collaboration between NRY Entertainment and DI Music. It’s a healing, real-variety show featuring a star-studded cast, including ‘Toxin,’ rarely seen on variety shows, and a popular MC, living together in a rural house in Gyeongbuk.”
“As Famous PD-nim mentioned, the lineup is amazing!”
The reporter introduced the eight members, using flowery language like ‘global star’ and ‘genius.’
“How was the first filming?”
Seo Seung-yeon was the first to take the microphone.
“It was awkward at first. Especially since we didn’t know who the other members were until the day of filming.”
“You didn’t even know it would be the Toxin members and the E-UNG siblings?”
Eun-ho took the microphone after the reporter’s question.
“No, we had no idea. So we were very surprised when our hyungs suddenly appeared.”
Just then, Eun-ji snatched the microphone from Eun-ho and added,
“Lee Eun-, I mean, Oppa was so surprised that he ran and hugged Tae-hyun Oppa.”
“Hey, when did I…”
As Eun-ho looked at Eun-ji reproachfully, camera shutters clicked and flashes went off, capturing their interaction.
Seo Seung-yeon took the microphone and continued,
“We realized we would be filming together as more members arrived, but even after everyone was there, we didn’t know about the last member, Jikki, until we arrived at the location.”
Seo Seung-yeon smiled and looked at Jikki, who was sitting at the end.
Jikki smiled back.
“Perhaps because of the show’s premise, we talked a lot during our first meeting and quickly became close.”
“Oh, I see. My next question is for Tae-hyun. You’re known for not liking variety shows. What were the reactions of the Toxin members and your acquaintances to your appearance on this show?”
Tae-hyun slowly took the microphone and spoke,
“I don’t think my acquaintances will know until the show airs.”
“You kept it a secret?”
“Yes. The only one who knew was Ye-chan, but…”
A wave of camera shutters clicked at the mention of Ji Ye-chan, the leader of Toxin.
“What did Ye-chan say?”
“He told me to stop being so quiet…”
“Haha.”
The hall filled with laughter at Tae-hyun’s unexpectedly blunt and honest answer.
More questions followed.
One of the most discussed topics was ‘How did you feel after spending your first day together?’
Famous PD, mentioning how the filming schedule was extended by a day during filming, spoke,
“Originally, it was supposed to be a relaxed, slow-paced countryside life, but we added many ideas during filming, making it much richer.”
“What do you mean by ‘richer’?”
Famous PD took the microphone again after the reporter’s question.
He explained the key features of Let’s Live Together a Bit, including the point system.
But he kept it brief, saying, “Please tune in on Thursday, November 12th, at 10:00 PM, for more details.”
After the Q&A session, the reporter asked each member about their resolutions for the show.
“I’ll participate diligently and have fun.”
“As his younger brother, I’ll do my best to support the not-so-entertaining Tae-hyun hyung and make sure it’s a fun show for everyone.”
After the simple and straightforward greetings from Tae-hyun and Seung-yeon, it was Eun-ho’s turn.
“We’ll show you a new, more relaxed, and entertaining side of us through ‘Let’s Live Together a Bit’.”
As Eun-ho handed the microphone to Eun-ji, she smirked, as if mocking his words, and opened her mouth. Just then…
“Ah.”
Eun-ho, as if in retaliation for Eun-ji snatching the microphone from him earlier, pulled the microphone back and added,
“And Eun-ji’s ‘bleeps’ that the fans are so worried about have also decreased, so please watch comfortably.”
“Ah, hey! Lee Eun-, I mean—”
Eun-ji snatched the microphone back from Eun-ho and said,
“Oppa, you don’t know anything. The fans are more worried about you being ‘no-jam’ than about my ‘bleeps’.”