Siblings Work in Business (143)
“Huh?”
“For the encore, you sang ‘Wise.’”
“Ah, yeah. We did.”
Eun-ji, who seemed like she was about to say something more, suddenly stopped, lost in thought.
Then, she said something unexpected.
“I’m going to make an upbeat song next time.”
“Suddenly?”
“Today was great, but… you know… that feeling…”
Eun-ji waved her hand vaguely, trying to express herself.
I watched her and then asked,
“You’re upset because ‘Wise’ is Senior Ye-chan’s song?”
“No, no. It’s not like I’m jealous of him or anything. It’s just… you know…”
Not jealousy? Then…
“You felt… disappointed?”
“Yeah! That’s it!”
Yes! I did it again!
Eun-ji, relieved to have found the right word, smiled, the frustration lifting from her chest.
“I was disappointed. Because it wasn’t my song.”
“You arranged ‘Wise,’ though.”
“It’s still not my baby.”
“Baby…?”
Baby.
I paused for a moment, but I understood.
My lyrics also felt precious to me, like my children.
“So, I want to make an upbeat song, something that fits the festival atmosphere. That’s what I’m saying.”
“Do whatever you want.”
“Okay! Great!”
“Just please make a proper guide track this time.”
Did she even hear me?
Eun-ji was too busy pumping her fist and yelling, “Fighting!”
“Meow.”
“Briquette!”
Back at home, Briquette greeted Eun-ji like a normal house cat. Its tail held high, it rubbed its head against Eun-ji’s leg.
“Meow.”
Briquette was being affectionate, begging for attention.
I watched them from a distance, and…
I didn’t like it.
“Lee Eun-ji, wash your hands first.”
“Ah.”
Eun-ji was about to pet Briquette when I said that.
I didn’t do it on purpose, but I shrugged as I looked at Briquette, who was giving me a sharp look.
I sat down in the living room and waited for Eun-ji.
“Nag, nag.”
A moment later, Eun-ji came out of the bathroom, grumbling.
But she still listened to me.
“You too, wash your hands!”
“I was going to, after you.”
Eun-ji walked past me, towards her room.
“Hey, Lee Eun-ji!”
“What!”
I called out to her from the bathroom, washing my hands.
“What are we having for dinner?”
“I don’t know, whatever.”
“Whatever… seriously ‘whatever’?”
As I dried my hands and came out, Eun-ji, who had changed into a stretched-out t-shirt and shorts, was standing in front of the bathroom.
“What are you planning now?”
“I might just mix yuja-cheong (citron tea marmalade) with rice.”
“Seriously?”
“You said whatever.”
“Even ‘whatever’ has to be edible, you idiot.”
“Yuja-cheong is edible, and so is rice.”
“Ugh, I’m not eating. You eat it!”
Eun-ji’s face contorted as I retorted shamelessly.
“Yay! I was going to order oven-baked chicken, sweet~”
I grinned, and Eun-ji’s face crumpled.
She looked like she was about to throw something.
“Ugh! Whatever! Eat it all by yourself!”
“Haha.”
I ran to my room and locked the door.
『What are you doing?』
“Ah, shit! You scared me!”
I looked down, startled by the sudden voice, and there was Briquette.
When did it even come into my room?
Just as my heart was calming down…
“What.”
Its intense yellow gaze was unsettling today, as if it had something up its sleeve.
『I learned something interesting watching that square thing today.』
That square thing?
“The TV?”
『Is that a TV?』
“Yeah.”
Lee Eun-ji subscribed to cable, worried that Briquette might be bored at home alone. It was connected to a spare monitor from the company, so the screen wasn’t very big.
That seemed to be what it was talking about.
“What.”
I was curious about what it had learned when…
“…”
Briquette sat down, crossed its front paws, and held them up to me.
“What is that?”
『It’s the middle finger!』
I was speechless.
What show did it even learn that from?
I was about to retaliate when Briquette, dodging me, ran around my room.
I hadn’t been truly angry at first, but now I was.
“You little…!”
Just as I stumbled over the mattress…
Briquette, seemingly knowing how to open doors, jumped and clung to the doorknob as I approached the door.
The door unlocked under its weight.
The door swung open, and Briquette fell to the floor.
‘Idiot.’
I smirked, watching it from the mattress, and Briquette, seeing its chance, dashed out of the room.
It would probably go to Eun-ji’s room.
‘Seriously…’
The whole situation was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh.
And at the same time, I also laughed because of this childish peace.
“I’m tired.”
I needed to eat something to replenish my energy, but…
‘I’m too lazy.’
Perhaps because of the intense performance today, I felt sleepy.
As I slowly closed my eyes…
‘Ah—’
Just as a dog learns to howl after three years at a Confucian school…
My instincts told me that falling asleep now would be a disaster.
I jumped up and went to Eun-ji’s room.
“Hey, I’m ordering oven-baked chicken.”
“Okay.”
“We’re splitting it.”
“Okay, okay.”
I could hear a strange clicking sound from Eun-ji’s room. I wondered what she was doing.
Ignoring it for now, I ordered from the oven-baked chicken place we usually ordered from through the app.
And the moment I finished paying…
Ring ring
I felt a chill.
‘CEO’ was flashing on my phone screen.
“Hello, CEO.”
“Did you eat?”
“I just ordered oven-baked chicken.”
“Really? How much?”
“23,000 won.”
“Okay. Two, right?”
“Yes.”
The CEO, skipping the usual greetings and pleasantries, went straight to the point.
‘I was a little disappointed… as if. Our CEO is the best.’
“I love you, CEO!”
“Haha. I’m giving you this so you can eat well.”
“Thank you!”
“Okay. I heard you did well today. Get some rest, and I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow.”
“Yes!”
“Okay.”
The call ended quickly.
Then, another call came in.
“Hello, I’m here at NRY Entertainment, but the lights are off—”
“Ah, yes, I’ll be right down.”
It was the chicken delivery.
I put on my slippers and went out to the alley.
I had intentionally used the company address for deliveries.
We didn’t have a gate at our house.
Although there were security cameras, it wasn’t exactly secure.
So I always received deliveries like this.
“Thank you.”
“Enjoy your meal.”
After the delivery person left, I turned and walked towards the company building, swinging the plastic bag with two boxes of chicken and a bottle of cola.
♩♬♬♬♬
♩♬♬♪♬♬♪
As I climbed the stairs to the second floor, I heard the sound of a virtual instrument, Eun-ji seemed to be working on a beat.
“Hey, use your headphones at night.”
“Ah, okay. Is that the chicken?”
“Yeah. Eat and then work.”
Eun-ji, pushing her keyboard aside to make space, asked as she came out of her room,
“11,500 won, right?”
“It’s on me today.”
“Huh?”
Eun-ji stopped in her tracks, surprised.
[XX Bank Deposit from Park Chang-seok: 100,000 won]
The notification was still on my phone screen.
“Lee Eun-ho, are you sick or something?”
“No, what do you take me for?”
“A stingy miser.”
My sister knows me too well.
Before opening the chicken boxes, I smiled at Eun-ji and nonchalantly deleted the notification.
I felt a twinge of guilt, but I ignored it.
I took out the container of pickled radish and went to the sink.
‘I just made 70,000 won, I can be generous with the radish.’
Eun-ji stared at me in disbelief.
“Wow, Lee Eun-ho, you’ve changed…”
“If you’re grateful, you can buy it next time.”
“I’ll buy kimbap.”
“Whatever.”
“Seriously, what’s gotten into you?”
“Just sit down and eat.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Yeah.”
The chicken the CEO bought was delicious.
Briquette stared at us, as if asking, ‘What about me?’
I thought Eun-ji might share some with him, but perhaps warned by the CEO, she deliberately avoided its gaze.
I felt bad for it, drooling and staring at us, so I took out a dried pollack cube from the freezer and offered it.
Briquette spits it out.
“Seriously…”
Briquette glared at me, then spat out the fish cube.
“Fine, don’t eat it then.”
I was about to say something, but then decided against it and just picked up the cube.
Its claws dug into my pants, as if it still wanted it.
“What do you want? You said you didn’t want it.”
“Meow.”
“What.”
『Give it to me…』
I glanced at Lee Eun-ji.
I had finally managed to get Briquette to talk…
But since it whispered, Eun-ji didn’t notice.
Even if she had, she seemed too preoccupied with dissecting a chicken wing to notice anything else.
After we finished eating…
Eun-ji, worried that Briquette might eat the chicken bones while we were asleep, took out the trash without even suggesting rock-paper-scissors.
Meanwhile, I did some chores.
While I cleaned the living room, Eun-ji cleaned up the pile of clothes in her room.
‘This is annoying, but…’
I had to do it, or Briquette would complain all night about its dirty litter box or the smell in the house.
By the time we finished cleaning, it was almost midnight.
Eun-ji went straight back to her keyboard after cleaning her room.
Click, click-click, click.
I could hear the faint beat from her headphones and the clicking of the keys.
「“I’m going to make an upbeat song next time.”」
She must be tired, but… that kid was relentless.