Siblings Work in Business (130)
The Cat
After the unexpectedly long live broadcast, which went quite differently than planned…
Lee Eun-ji and I were dragged to dinner by the CEO.
“Even though the camera was on, thankfully, I had prepared some photos of my cats beforehand. If you fight like that on broadcasts—”
Knowing we were in the wrong, we quietly listened to the CEO’s lecture.
We usually didn’t make mistakes like that on camera…
‘Tsk.’
I couldn’t even make excuses; it was too embarrassing.
Was it because I was still the same person, despite the regression?
Or…
Had I become complacent in this peaceful life, my carefully constructed walls crumbling?
I knew what I should do, but it was difficult to maintain it.
“Because of this, I’m hesitant to recommend you for variety shows. You two fight at least once a day—”
“CEO… I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to be sick.”
Hyun-woo hyung quietly interrupted after the 40-minute lecture.
He was our savior.
Perhaps because he wasn’t usually the type to speak up…
“Oh dear, it’s been almost two hours already. That was a long talk. Let’s eat. Be careful in front of the camera from now on, alright?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
The CEO stopped his lecture at hyung’s words.
‘H-He stopped him?’
‘The manager stopped the CEO’s lecture?’
Eun-ji and I exchanged surprised glances, looking at Hyun-woo.
The CEO was always at the top of the pyramid, and now, Hyun-woo had suddenly ascended to his level.
The CEO kept his promise.
After that last comment, we were able to have a proper meal.
Until then, it felt like the food was going in through my ears, not my mouth, but I could finally taste it.
On our way home…
“Were you actually sulking?”
“Sulking… I was angry.”
“At E%?”
“Not at E%, but at you…!”
“Me? What did I do?”
“Ugh, forget it.”
I started to say, “You…,” but I couldn’t continue and just sighed.
I thought of several things to say, like ‘It’s your fault for having the tissue on your face,’ but they all sounded petty and childish, not even worth mentioning.
So annoying.
Smack!
“Ow! Why did you hit me?!”
I hit Eun-ji on the back, partly out of frustration, and ran.
“That crazy…”
At first, it was just a playful chase.
But then I looked back.
‘How dare he hit me?’
A raging bull was charging towards me.
I ran for my life.
I could see the glint in Eun-ji’s eyes.
‘Lee Eun-ho, you’re dead if I catch you.’
I knew I would lose a limb or two if she caught me.
Bang!
“Huff… huff… huff…”
I ran from the company all the way to our second-floor dorm, my lungs burning.
“Open the door, you crazy bitch!!!”
“You’re disturbing the peace!”
“Open the door!”
“I-I’ll open it if you promise not to hit me.”
“…”
I would have opened the door if she even pretended to promise, but she didn’t answer.
“I’m not opening it, damn it.”
“You asshole, you hit me first!”
“You teased me first!”
“I didn’t tease you! What did I even say?!”
“You…!”
Wait.
She didn’t actually say anything, did she?
I did slap her with the tissue, but that was just my usual way of communicating.
It was a misunderstanding.
And the tissue…
…was gone…
Bang!
‘Oh my.’
The aluminum door dented from Eun-ji’s kick.
Just as I was checking the dent… I heard Eun-ji’s chilling voice from the other side.
“Open the door before I count to three. Before I seriously break it down.”
From past experience, I knew she wasn’t bluffing.
I quickly calculated the fastest route to my room after opening the door.
“One.”
Eun-ji started counting.
I quickly took off my shoes.
“Two.”
I unlocked the door and…
“Three!” Opens the door at lightning speed
The moment the door opened…
I fell flat on my face.
Eun-ji had charged at me like a bull in a bullfight.
“You think this is the first time I’ve fallen for your tricks?”
Thankfully, I managed to brace myself with my hands before my face hit the floor.
My palms were stinging, but that was all.
But I knew it was just the beginning.
‘She also remembers… before the regression…’
I had momentarily forgotten that Eun-ji also remembered most, if not all, of the 7 years we spent together before the regression.
7 years.
Things weren’t much different before the regression.
Except for the time we didn’t see each other because of our different work schedules, we fought constantly, just like now.
Which meant she knew all my tricks.
Crack!
Just when I thought it was over…
The sound of ripping leather echoed through the living room.
“Ow!…”
A sharp pain shot through my back.
“Now we’re even.”
Eun-ji carefully took off her sponsored white high heels and walked to her room.
‘Are her hands made of steel?’
I wanted revenge…
But the pain resonated through my body, as if she had hit my internal organs.
I woke up when it was already dark outside.
I wiped my mouth and sat up, my back aching.
The exhaustion from the all-nighters must have caught up with me; I had fallen asleep on the floor.
The lights were off in both the living room and Eun-ji’s room.
I could see Eun-ji sprawled out on her bed through the gap in her open door.
Snore…
She was snoring.
And the only fan in the house, which was in my room, was now in front of her door, blowing directly at her.
‘That bitch.’
Now I was certain.
She had left me there on the floor.
I grumbled inwardly, but I wasn’t really upset.
Sleeping on the living room floor was surprisingly comfortable; I hadn’t had such a deep, dreamless sleep in a while. No nightmares.
“Hmm.”
It was already late, judging by the darkness outside.
The quiet house should have felt eerie, but strangely…
Perhaps because of the “Hot Afternoon” music video…
…I remembered those sleepless nights, tormented by the image of the pale Eun-ji.
The days when I couldn’t get sleeping pills and drank alcohol instead.
Back then, I felt like I was going crazy because of Eun-ji, but now, her snores were strangely calming.
It was the comforting feeling of being home.
‘Strange.’
Was this the power of family?
It was just an ordinary day, but I felt at peace.
I turned my head and looked out the window. The night sky was unusually bright.
‘Is this… because of the dawn?’
I suddenly wanted some fresh air.
I was about to put on my slippers, but then I saw my sneakers, which I wore to the company, and just put those on and opened the door.
The aluminum door rattled loudly, despite my efforts to open it quietly.
“—meow… rama-neun-meommeo… coo…”
“What is she even saying?”
I could hear Eun-ji’s mumbling over the whirring of the fan.
She was just a grown-up kid, and I chuckled.
A cool breeze greeted me as I stepped outside.
And a strange mix of emotions.
I felt strangely exhilarated by the quietness.
‘Ah.’
Now I understood why the night sky was so bright.
It was a clear night, without a single cloud.
The moon and countless stars, or perhaps satellites, were shining brightly.
The choker felt constricting, so I loosened it slightly with my finger.
I stood there, looking up at the sky.
“Meow.”
Then, I heard a familiar yet unfamiliar meow.
I turned around and saw a black cat with wary yellow eyes, its fur bristling, staring at me.
“Ah, it’s you.”
I recognized it.
The cat that had startled me before, appearing with the pale Eun-ji. I wasn’t sure if it was just a coincidence, or if they were somehow connected.
I squatted down, looked at the cat, and slowly blinked.
It was a way of communicating I learned when I was young, living with Eun-ji in that abandoned house, watching the stray cats.
I relaxed my tense body, stared at the cat, and blinked slowly.
It was a gesture that meant, ‘I’m not dangerous, and I don’t intend to harm you.’
The black cat relaxed its bristled fur and slowly approached me.
I stroked its head, and it purred, rubbing against my legs.
“By the way…”
I muttered softly, and the cat’s bright yellow eyes looked at me.
Under the cover of night, I thought about the regression…
…the doubts I had at first, wondering if it was all a dream.
And as I pondered, my thoughts led me to this cat.
The pale Eun-ji. Or rather, Eun-ji’s soul?
Yes, that’s it.
I wondered if there was a reason why Eun-ji’s soul was with this cat.
“Why were you with Eun-ji?”
I asked, scratching the cat’s neck.
“Meow.”
The cat meowed, as if answering.
Feeling a sense of connection, I asked another question.
“Did you bring me to this time…?”
I suddenly felt a wave of self-consciousness and couldn’t continue.
But it was something I had wanted to ask, so it felt a little… relieving.
I had been afraid to say it out loud, worried that I might return to the original timeline.
“Or… was it just… my wish?”
If anyone saw me now, they would think I was crazy.
Even Eun-ji would say, “Are you having a chuunibyou (eighth-grader syndrome) moment?”
Then, the cat spoke.
『Well, well! Finally curious, are we?』
…?
Did it just… talk?
My mind was filled with question marks.
『Ha! I’ve been waiting!』
The cat, speaking in a gruff, almost old-man-like voice, jumped onto the railing.
It meowed, “Meow!”, struck a ‘doodoomchit’(MV) pose, then…
…jumped down.
“What…!”