The Siblings Do Business Together (20)
*The Last Day we first whispered love
The Last Day we whispered drunk in your blanket*
It’s definitely that person.
Lee Eun-ho.
That voice that had become familiar to my ears after listening to Co-sign dozens and hundreds of times because I couldn’t forget that gaze.
The drama seemed to end with that scene, as it unfolded the preview for the next episode.
*We’re already trapped on each other’s islands
It’s hard to even breathe
You know
Last Day*
My interest in the drama had long since disappeared.
Instead, Ju-yeon focused only on the OST flowing through the gaps in the preview’s lines and the search bar on her phone.
‘Since the VOD is out, the music should definitely be released too.’
This time, there was hope that she could find him.
And not long after, she found it.
“E-UNG ― Last Day (He is 1+1=1 OST)”
E-ung?
At first, she tilted her head because of the slightly unusual name.
‘Is it a co-ed duo…?’
It’s not like she suddenly dislikes it because it’s a co-ed duo, but…
She couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
As she was sighing like that.
Ju-yeon suddenly caught the title of an article she had passed by.
“‘E-UNG’, the sibling co-ed group following the ‘Sibling Musicians'”
Ju-yeon’s fingers naturally followed the article.
“Scene of ‘E-UNG”s performance at Suwon Station Rodeo Street”
The article had a main photo of Eun-ho and Eun-ji singing passionately above a brief description.
As Ju-yeon was reading down the article.
She shyly raised the corners of her lips with sparkling eyes at one sentence.
“…Recently, their agency ‘NRY Entertainment’ has been revealing the special performance location of E-UNG every Saturday at 6 PM every Friday through various SNS.”
* * *
Dissonance
“I think it would be nice if I could do some recordings too.”
Was it from there that the story began?
After the ‘He is 1+1=1’ OST recording, on the way back to the company building.
The representative threw out a meaningful question while driving.
“Do you prefer working intensely and then resting, or stacking up steadily?”
Eun-ji and I answered carelessly without any thought, not even imagining what would happen afterwards.
“Intensely!”
“Intensely, of course.”
And this was the result of that.
Just as we said out loud.
We really went into recording ‘intensely’.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday…
Every day, really every day!
*My head hurts, don’t shake it (you)*
I feel like my head is vibrating along with Eun-ji’s lyrics inside the recording booth.
“Eun-ji ssi, ‘My head hurts, don’t shake it’, tak tak tak tak, tak tak tak tak. Let’s go again.”
“Yes.”
*My head hurts, don’t shake it (you)
Slip through the cracks of my hand, leave (you)*
“Eun-ji ssi, in the part just now, it’s not ‘slip (bbajyeo)’, but ‘slip through (bbajeona-gan)’. And match the beat like ‘My head hurts, don’t shake it’, tak tak tak tak, tak tak tak tak. Please.”
“Yes…”
To conclude, even the song Eun-ji was working on was temporarily suspended because of this recording.
It was because composer Pae-op joined in for this debut song.
He was a director who boasted nano-unit directing, not just meticulous.
Thanks to that, every time my eyes met with audio engineer Mr. Yoo Jong-woo, he sighed deeply without being noticed.
Indeed, after being trapped in the studio for a full 20 hours.
It was a natural reaction as a human being.
*My head hurts*
“That’s right. That’s it.”
*Don’t shake it*
“Continue like that.”
*Through the cracks*
“Good.”
*Slip through, leave*
“Yes. Next.”
*It’s too throbbing*
“It’s too throb-bing. No, it’s too throb, throb.”
“It’s too throb, throb. Like this?”
“That’s right. Go on like that.”
I don’t want to reach out to problems that I don’t necessarily have to touch, even when Eun-ji is composing.
It’s partly because I trust the creator that much, and partly because I respect their method.
But today, I was tempted to break that taboo.
It was because of that talkback button that stopped the track in nano-units and pressed it.
Eun-ji’s face was already filled with dissatisfaction.
‘I wish they would let us sing just one track, really just one track as we feel.’
It’s not that I didn’t try talking about it.
“Umm, composer, can we try running through just one track as we feel?”
“You rookies sure are greedy.”
He did add “haha, just joking, just joking” afterwards, but…
Unless you were stupid, you could sufficiently understand what kind of gaze composer Pae-op had towards us with that one remark.
So I didn’t say anything more.
Our voices wouldn’t be heard anyway.
*It’s too throbbing*
“Good.”
*Or too slippery*
“That’s right.”
*Come closer and tell me*
“That’s it!”
*I can’t hear it there*
“That’s right.”
*Whisper*
“Connect ‘whisper’ closely.”
*Whisper*
“That’s right.”
Pae-op’s song wasn’t a particularly difficult one.
Of course, it wasn’t that Eun-ji couldn’t sing it either.
‘It would have been much better if it were a problem of having to run through a whole track like the OST recording…’
Composer Pae-op seemed to work by cutting and pasting vocal sources in nano-units.
I don’t know how it was for other seniors who worked with composer Pae-op.
However.
At least for Eun-ji and me who need to immerse ourselves, composer Pae-op’s method was no different from the worst.
‘Eun-ji and I usually run through the first track as we feel, then polish it or re-record the lacking parts.’
I just wanted to sing any song properly just once.
But for a full 20 hours, Pae-op doesn’t even give us a chance to demonstrate our real skills.
This has been continuing annoyingly every day for a week now.
We can’t refuse, saying we don’t like this working method.
Because this song by composer Pae-op, not the ‘DUO’ created by Eun-ji, was chosen as E-ung’s first title song.
“Good work.”
The recording finally ended around 9 PM.
The recording that had started early in the morning was finally over.
“Seriously, damn button—”
“Good work. We’ll head in now.”
I bowed my head and hurriedly covered Eun-ji’s mouth, who was being true to her instincts, and smiled.
Fortunately, it seemed they didn’t hear it because she cursed as if muttering.
Pae-op answered the greeting with a relaxed smile.
“It took a long time because you two are inexperienced.”
‘Inexperienced’…
“Yes… I think we learned a lot from you, teacher.”
“Haha, don’t mention it.”
Although I deliberately answered like this, it was hard to get rid of the unpleasant feeling due to Pae-op’s brazen response.
“Go in well. See you again next week.”
Leaving behind Pae-op’s unpleasant farewell, Eun-ji and I were able to escape the studio building after about 20 hours.
A sense of liberation rushed in as we faced the cool night breeze.
‘I have to repeat this next week too…’
Before I could enjoy the sense of liberation, my chest that had opened up became stuffy again as I recalled the set future.
“I have no energy.”
“Indeed.”
Was it because we did a nano-unit recording that didn’t fit us like clothes?
I don’t feel the good feeling of being excited after singing, which I usually do after recording.
Rather, I want to go home right away in a gloomy mood and get under the covers, but…
‘Oh right, the representative said he had a separate schedule today.’
So today was a day we had to take the subway back home.
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
My body shivered involuntarily at the chilly night air blowing through the alley.
I tried to block the cold by pulling up the zipper of the hastily worn flight jumper all the way to my neck, but it didn’t help much.
As I let out a deep sigh, my breath escaped through the gaps in the zipper.
As I was about to indulge in emotion while facing the night breeze for a moment.
About 10 minutes after leaving the studio building.
“The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get!!!”
“Ah, you startled me. Why are you XXing all of a sudden?”
Eun-ji seemed to endure it well today, but in the end, she exploded.
“XXXX!!!”
Usually, I would have stopped her, saying she’s being loud.
Honestly, maybe because we’re on the same team this time.
I knew Eun-ji’s heart better than anyone else.
But unlike me who accepts it as ‘it can’t be helped’.
With that temper, Eun-ji has been holding it in for nearly a week, caught between the reason saying ‘endure it because it’s work!’ and the exploding instinct.
Indeed, it was a miracle that was hard to see, just that she hadn’t smashed Pae-op’s talkback with that personality.
“No. I have to do it.”
That’s when it happened.
“Do what?”
“That.”
Eun-ji, who had suddenly been looking around, quickly walked to a recycling center in a corner of the alley.
“Ah, that. It’s been a really long time.”
“What!”
“No, go ahead. I’ll wait over there.”
I looked around to see if there was a place to sit nearby and took a seat on the steps in front of a building entrance.
This was Eun-ji’s unique way of venting anger that was created in childhood.
Eun-ji muttered and rolled up her sleeves in front of the recycling center.
“It’s dirty though. Well, it has to be dirty to feel good.”
* * *
We come from the streets.
Among the people who approached us or became close to us, it was rare to find good people.
Eun-ji was frequently approached by bad guys because she had a decent face.
‘Especially since Eun-ji was even kidnapped before.’
Maybe that’s why.
Eun-ji had a sensitive and fiery side like a hedgehog with thorns.
The problem was that even after starting a safe life, Eun-ji couldn’t easily control her fiery emotions.
At first, it was to protect herself, but as time passed, it seemed to have become a habit and personality.
‘She saw a lot of blood…’
Days when someone got beaten up or Eun-ji got beaten up due to frequent fights.
‘I don’t know if I can call this fortunate, but…’
Eun-ji was good at picking and hitting only those who couldn’t legally fight back, so fortunately, there were no major problems so far.
The bakery owner who took care of us didn’t like Eun-ji’s personality.
“Eun-ho could get hurt too, not just you.”
It was a warning and concern that people around her could get hurt.
So the owner suggested one healthy way for Eun-ji to vent her anger.
“A friend of mine is trying to start a business recycling these things.”
“So?”
“You said you’re angry.”
“I’m angry, but what does this crap have to do with it?”
“Stomp on this.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Before asking if I’m kidding, stomp on it first and then talk.”
“XX, making me do all sorts of weird things.”
Eun-ji always grumbled but listened well to the owner.
Because the owner was the only adult who didn’t look at Eun-ji with the ‘pitiful’ or ‘poor thing’ gaze that she hated.
“How is it, feeling a bit refreshed?”
“…Well, a bit. It’s not bad.”
“Wherever you do it, only use the transparent ones, and don’t throw away the garbage that comes out anywhere just because you’re upset, but collect it well and throw it away.”