Siblings Work in Business (110)
“Since I’m already here, let’s film, and then we can talk.”
The CEO’s every word was a threat.
It implied he wouldn’t cancel the project, but he would persistently pursue it until he got his way.
“W-Wait, wait a minute!”
He had apparently spent 8 hours at his house before.
The CEO of TaKa’s voice trembled, as if remembering that nightmare.
It seemed like Lee Eun-ji and I weren’t the only ones who suffered.
“No, never mind.”
“Come on, it’s good to talk face-to-face—”
“Chang-seok? Chang-seok! Wait!”
“It’s fine. Don’t refuse. I’ll come over. You said it yourself, hyung, a proper conversation requires looking each other in the eye, right?”
“No! That was over 10 years ago! Fine! Do it! Two songs! But only the ones from the pension trip…!”
“Of course, I have some conscience. Haha. I’ll only use the footage from the ‘pension trip.’ Think of it as helping your younger brother, and help me out. Okay?”
It seemed like this wasn’t the first time for the CEO of TaKa either.
The problem was that he couldn’t refuse, even though he knew what was coming.
He fell for the CEO’s trap.
And this was something I heard much later from Choi Tae-hyun, but the day the CEO visited the CEO of TaKa…
Perhaps because of the eight-hour talk, even though he didn’t do anything but talk…
The CEO of TaKa was apparently sick in bed the next day from ‘listening to too much.’
“You… you call yourself a decent person? Ha…”
The CEO of TaKa sighed deeply, as if remembering that dreadful day.
It was a sigh filled with camaraderie.
“You miss me, hyung. I should visit you in person—”
The CEO, changing his tactic, said in a seemingly concerned voice.
“It’s okay. Really. I’m sorry.”
The CEO of TaKa seemed annoyed, but afraid the CEO might change his mind, he replied in a shaky voice, forcing a laugh,
“I misspoke.”
“Mispoke? I should bring you a gift when I visit next time, out of gratitude—”
“Don’t come!!!”
The CEO of TaKa finally yelled, as if he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Why are you yelling?”
“Don’t come! Never come again! You bastard!”
“Haha, you’re so playful. Okay, okay. Let’s consider this a cute display of affection between us, like family.”
“Family? Fami—ly? We’re more like… business partners!”
“Hyung, you’re sulking again. Haha. Then I’ll have fun with ‘our kids,’ okay?”
“Do whatever you want! That… that old fox… ugh!”
The CEO of TaKa, exasperated, hung up without even waiting for a reply.
Years of experience managing a stubborn group and our wild siblings seemed to have paid off.
I was surprised that his forceful ‘persuasion’ worked.
I had witnessed the whole thing in real-time.
The ‘right to appear in Toxin’s music video,’ which we received as a bribe to prevent further visits, was put to good use.
Thanks to PD Cheol-soo’s meticulous planning, we were able to film two music videos in one day.
The CEO, with a triumphant smile, turned to me.
“So, you finished the lyrics for the last song on the album?”
“Yes.”
“Let me see.”
Surprise Bait
Originally, Ji Ye-chan was supposed to participate in “Hot Afternoon.”
But he didn’t.
He wasn’t in the music video either.
The reason for this change stemmed from a conversation between Eun-ji and Ji Ye-chan during Eun-ji’s frequent visits to his studio for the arrangement of “Wise.”
“Eun-ji.”
“Yes?”
Ji Ye-chan, watching Eun-ji work, suddenly made a suggestion.
“How about extending the deadline for my wishes?”
“Why?”
Ji Ye-chan smiled and replied,
“Instead of my boring songs, I want to participate in one of your songs, Eun-ji.”
Eun-ji, already familiar with his smooth-talking ways, was about to nod casually when…
“Ah! Of course, Senior!”
Her eyes widened, as if she had a sudden realization, and she clapped.
“I’ll send you a song right now!”
Ji Ye-chan, intrigued, sat down on the sofa.
Eun-ji sent him the song, and Ji Ye-chan focused on the music playing through his headphones.
An addictive rhythm with bass and bass drum.
And a playful keyboard melody.
It sounded a bit chaotic, but the underlying rhythm was surprisingly simple, based on a C major chord.
Perhaps that’s why…
The combination of excess and simplicity created a strangely perfect harmony.
‘Is this Eun-ji’s signature style?’
Somehow, even her upbeat songs had a subtle melancholic undertone and a strangely sensual vibe.
‘And when did she improve this much?’
He hadn’t noticed her arranging skills during the “DUO” project.
Back then, it felt like…
…a rookie experimenting with what she had learned.
So, objectively speaking, “DUO” was a bit… unrefined.
She had the talent and the skills, but she lacked experience.
But this song was different.
Ji Ye-chan looked at Eun-ji with a suspicious gaze.
The dynamics were perfect.
It sounded like… a seasoned composer, someone with their own established style, trying something new.
‘Yes, that’s the feeling.’
It was just Eun-ho’s memories from before the regression influencing Eun-ji’s music, but…
From Ji Ye-chan’s perspective, it was as if a rookie composer had made a dramatic improvement after just one album.
‘Amazing!’
Just as he finished listening to the song and opened his eyes…
‘Oh my.’
He didn’t say anything, but he was startled by Eun-ji’s intense gaze.
Although her expression remained calm, Eun-ji, who had been observing him closely, noticed his slight flinch.
Eun-ji chuckled and said,
“I’d like you to rap in the bridge, Senior!”
“Rap in the bridge?”
“Yes. Lee Eun-ho’s voice and mine are both good, but I need a voice that can add a strong, deep color, like the night sky.”
“So you want me to rap, not sing?”
“Yes.”
“…That was a quick decision.”
He had expected her to think about it before giving him the song.
That’s what he would have done.
But Eun-ji was simple, calculating, and decisive.
“Why me?”
He realized his question sounded strange after asking it.
Ji Ye-chan added,
“When it comes to rap, Song-min is better. I’m not that good at it.”
“Ah.”
Eun-ji nodded, as if she understood.
“Senior Song-min is… well, hot. So I thought of ‘Hot Afternoon,’ and, um…”
At Eun-ji’s explanation, Ji Ye-chan’s playful facade crumbled, his face full of question marks.
“And your voice… it reminds me of the sunset before nightfall.”
“Sunset?”
“Yes. This song is for the ‘sunset’ part of the album. So, since your voice is like a sunset…”
Her explanation became even more confusing.
Eun-ji tried to explain further with gestures, but it didn’t seem to be working.
“Ugh, I wish Oppa was here…”
Eun-ji sighed, frustrated, and called for Eun-ho.
It seemed like Eun-ho understood her language.
“Ah! Senior, can I use the keyboard for a second?”
“Sure.”
Why the keyboard all of a sudden?
Ji Ye-chan, curious, followed Eun-ji to the keyboard.
Eun-ji set the virtual instrument to Rhodes piano and started playing.
A jazzy, yet unique rhythm and melody filled the air.
And just like music was a universal language…
Ji Ye-chan finally understood what she meant.
“It suits you.”
“Right?!”
Eun-ji played the bridge melody, the ‘sunset before nightfall’ part, within Ji Ye-chan’s vocal range.
“Sorry, I’m not as eloquent as my brother. When I think of something, it usually comes out as a song, haha. It’s hard to explain.”
Ji Ye-chan was speechless.
‘That melody was already fully formed in her head?’
A mind that always had music playing!
The word ‘talent’ couldn’t capture this precious ability.
He envied her, having always wished he could hear music in his head.
Ji Ye-chan nodded, impressed.
“I see. Do you need more time to think about it?”
“No! Usually, if I like it, it works out.”
“You’re very confident.”
“That’s my biggest strength. I trust my ears.”
Eun-ji pointed at her ear, and Ye-chan chuckled at her innocent confidence.
He nodded again.
“I’ll do it. The rap.”
And so, Ji Ye-chan agreed to participate in the ‘sunset’ song on their upcoming album about time.
The live broadcast was nearing its end, with the “Wise” live performance coming up next.
While the stage was being set up, Eun-ho shared a behind-the-scenes story about “Wise” with the E%.
“Actually, Eun-ji and I prepared ‘Wise’ with a very different mindset than our previous song, ‘DUO.’”
Although he said that, it wasn’t just their mindset that was different.
Those days of working on “DUO” felt like a distant memory, a time of leisure, compared to the hectic schedule they had now, completely immersed in recording.
But perhaps because they were working while imagining the day they would finally reveal these songs…
It was exhausting, but also more enjoyable than ever.
He was both curious and nervous about how the E% would react.
And because of the busy schedule, they didn’t have enough time to create complex choreography like they did for “DUO.”
So, they came up with a simple, almost honest, solution.
「“How about we just do the key choreography points for this song, and then improvise and focus on the live vocals?”」