Siblings Working in Business (246)
Although Eun-ho and Eun-ji fought that day, perhaps because it was their typical daily bickering…
The press conference ended successfully.
Many articles even praised their chemistry, saying they were looking forward to their dynamic on the show.
And a few days later…
On the day announced by PD Yoo…
Let’s Live Together a Bit premiered on tvH, a channel partially owned by DI Music.
Honestly, the first episode’s ratings weren’t as high as expected.
The fact that it aired on cable and the awkward time slot were contributing factors, but the main problem was a new variety show that premiered on a public broadcasting channel at a similar time.
And its concept was also very similar, creating a strong competing force.
However, it didn’t take long for things to turn around.
Thanks to their O-Tube activities, Eun-ho and Eun-ji had a solid teenage fanbase.
Although their spending power was lower compared to older fans, the teenage demographic was active on online communities, and their word-of-mouth influence was incredibly powerful.
[(Link to a video compilation of hilarious moments from the chaotic first episode of Let’s Live Together a Bit)]
Anyone seen this? Lol]
└ Lol I was on the toilet and burst out laughing
└ What is this? First time seeing this lol Hilarious
[(A picture of Eun-ji carrying Aeseul and Tae-hyun carrying Si-woo, facing each other)]
Left: E-UNG, the sexy, decadent idols
Right: Toxin’s charismatic rapper
It’s so ridiculous, but hilarious lol]
└ What? Lol Is that Eun-ji’s real personality?
└ I thought she was a bitch just by looking at her face, but she’s surprisingly easygoing lol
└ Our Eun-ji Unnie is nice, she’s a dork.
└ Dork lol So true lol She’s so charming
└ Wait, is that really Toxin’s maknae, running ahead of E-UNG’s dongsaeng?
└ Yep
└ ? Seriously? Insane… Is Toxin on a variety show now after switching agencies?
└ Their agency is sponsoring the show, so they’re probably regular members lol Awesome
└ What’s the title of that show? Let’s Live Together? Live together?
└ Not just Live Together, it’s Let’s Live Together a Bit.
└ Oh, thanks thanks
The most popular clips from Let’s Live Together a Bit were, unsurprisingly, the ones featuring the ‘siblings.’
Especially Eun-ji’s genuine expressions while looking at Eun-ho.
Many viewers found her expressions relatable, emphasizing the bond between siblings, and many of them weren’t even fans of E-UNG.
Thanks to that, Eun-ji’s rich array of expressions spread like memes across online communities.
And with the unfiltered portrayal of Toxin’s daily lives, including their unguarded and sometimes vulnerable moments, Let’s Live Together a Bit quickly became a hot topic, despite airing on cable.
However, the show wasn’t just about comedic moments.
The members often sat around the campfire at night, a moment of quiet reflection known as ‘bulmeong’ (fire gazing).
During those times, they shared heartfelt stories and personal experiences.
And in the process, Eun-ho and Eun-ji’s past was brought to light once again.
Then, in the third episode of Let’s Live Together a Bit…
Eun-ho and Eun-ji recreated one of their childhood games.
― Lee Eun-ho, sing! Sing!
― What are you talking about all of a sudden?
― Singing around a campfire is a must! Let’s play concert! Three, two, three, two, three!
― Hey, who counts like that?
― Fine, one two— three.
Thump thump-thump thump thump
Thump thump-thump thump thump
Eun-ji, ignoring Eun-ho and his attempts at synchronization, started tapping a steady beat on the wooden platform.
Then, she added “chiki, cha!” sounds, creating a rhythmic backing.
Perhaps finding their dynamic amusing, Seung-yeon added a simple beatbox rhythm.
Aeseul, after a moment of hesitation, tapped a glass with a metal chopstick, adding a clear, ringing sound.
Jikki and Si-woo clapped along to Eun-ji’s beat.
Tae-hyun hummed a low “doom, doom-doom,” like a bass line.
Ryu Seok-hyun, not musically inclined, hesitantly clapped along with Si-woo and Jikki.
Just then…
Eun-ji looked at Eun-ho, watching the layered rhythms building up.
And she raised her eyebrows.
‘Seriously, I’ve set the stage for you, if you don’t do something entertaining now, you’re not even human.’
‘This is for Oppa…’
‘So, are you going to chicken out? Are you? Wow, Lee Eun-ho, such a no-jam!’
Eun-ji, sending him a silent challenge, egged him on.
“Haa… that girl, seriously…”
“What? So you’re not singing?”
Eun-ho sighed deeply, then shook his head in exasperation.
“Who said I wasn’t?”
Although it could have been a cheesy moment, the improvised melody was surprisingly good, so he decided to sing.
It was definitely not because Eun-ji told him to.
Eun-ho, referencing their current situation, began to sing.
Pumpkin-like Lee Eun-ji
Blobfish, my sister
“Hahaha.”
The staff, who had been watching with bated breath, burst into laughter at his sweet melody and not-so-sweet lyrics, clearly aimed at teasing Eun-ji.
“Ah, be serious!”
“I am being serious.”
“Ah!!!”
Despite Eun-ji’s indignant yell and everyone’s laughter, the other members continued playing their makeshift instruments.
Eun-ho, resigned, tried to come up with lyrics to match the melody.
This ugly brat wants me to sing
I don’t even have any lyrics
I don’t know what she wants
I don’t know what song to sing
This ugly brat wants me to sing
A sweet melody and not-so-sweet lyrics.
It was the kind of song that could be added to the ‘good songs if you don’t understand Korean’ playlist.
Just then, Jikki, as if a good idea came to mind, subtly added another beat to the clapping rhythm she had been sharing with Si-woo and Seok-hyun.
Her syncopated clapping created a sound reminiscent of an American folk song played on an acoustic guitar.
Eun-ho, smiling at Jikki’s beat, added a new melody and continued singing.
The song is unnecessarily good
How did this even happen?
There were no impressive high notes or profound lyrics.
It was just Eun-ho improvising a song to a playful tune.
Nothing special.
But that was what made it good.
The raw, unfinished quality perfectly matched the flickering campfire in the yard.
How did we all gather here?
One by one by one
Like this, we gathered together
We’re living together
Eun-ho repeated this part.
One by one by one
Like this, we gathered together
We’re living together
As if ingrained in their minds…
The moment Eun-ho repeated the verse…
All eight members, as if they already knew the song, sang along.
And then, the catchy lyrics spreading like wildfire, even the staff joined in, creating a chorus.
Thanks to them, it felt like a spontaneous concert in the middle of the night, and everyone enjoyed the moment.
The third episode ended with advertisements, subtly woven into the heartwarming scene.
After the song ended, as if planned by the PD…
Eun-ho’s part from their new song <Curse> started playing.
You are you, I am I
We are too different
The world feels like a joke
Reality is said to be hell
Then tell them
That this hell is perfect for me
While <Curse> played…
…the screen showed the eight members of ‘Let’s Live Together a Bit,’ laughing and chatting after the song.
My reality feels like a curse
(So curse me, curse me)
Bad dreams, unwanted dreams
(Yeah)
Although the visuals didn’t perfectly match the lyrics, perhaps because of the melancholic atmosphere characteristic of E-UNG’s music…
…and the deep emotion in their voices…
…the song resonated deeply with the viewers.
For you, who suffered alone
I
Will share your burden and stand with you
Next time
And the time after that
So that we can live under the same sky
So that we can live
If that’s all it takes
Yeah
Only that
I wish for
And so, the third episode of Let’s Live Together a Bit came to an end.
The third episode of Let’s Live Together a Bit was playing on the TV in a corner of Joo-yeon’s shop.
Joo-yeon had even subscribed to the IPTV service to watch Eun-ho sing in the ending scene.
She could have just played the clips from O-Tube…
But as a fan, she wanted to promote her favorite singers to her customers, however subtly.
Thanks to her social media posts and word-of-mouth, the number of customers visiting her dessert shop had increased to about six a day.
It wasn’t much, but it was a significant improvement.
Tinkle.
“Welcome.”
“Wow, this shop is so cute! Hello!”
A high school student in uniform entered the shop.
“I’ll take one vanilla, one strawberry and blueberry, and… ah! One chocolate and one brownie too, please.”
Joo-yeon, following the cute student’s order, carefully picked up the cream-filled macarons with tongs.
As she was placing the colorful macarons in a bag with the shop’s logo and sealing it…
“Oh! Is that Gati Jjom Salja? Is it on right now?”
“Gati Jjom Salja?”
Joo-yeon, looking at the TV screen the student was pointing at, finally understood.
“Ah, that… it’s the third episode. By the way, do young people call it that these days?”
“Yes! We call it ‘Gati Jjom Salja,’ or ‘Gajjomsal,’ since it’s hard to pronounce.”
Joo-yeon sighed, not blaming the student, but feeling a twinge of bittersweetness at the subtle generation gap.
“Aha…”
Joo-yeon forced a smile.
“It’s a fun show, right!”
“Yes, it is. I often play it in the shop.”
The friendly student, beaming, continued,
“I started watching last week since it was so popular, and the E-UNG siblings are seriously so cute!”
Joo-yeon, finding the student even cuter, asked,
“Oh, are you an E-UNG fan?”
“Heehee, not a club member or anything, just a casual fan.”
“Aha.”
“But I’m interested in them. Unnie, are you an E-UNG fan?”
“Ah…”
The student looked at Joo-yeon with sparkling eyes.
Joo-yeon, slightly flustered by her bright gaze, nodded and replied,
“Yes, I’m an E%, a member of their fan club.”
“Wow! OMG, wait, are those albums and autographs behind you… are they really from E-UNG?”
Behind her?
Joo-yeon turned around.
Behind the counter were autographs from Eun-ho and Eun-ji, along with various EG merchandise Seul-gi had given her.
“Ah, yes. Those are their autographs from when they visited, and some merchandise…”
“Whoa—”
She really did gasp like that.
When Joo-yeon shyly showed off their autographs, the student’s eyes widened, and she let out a surprised exclamation.
“Seriously?! E-UNG actually came here? To this shop?”
“Yes. I even have pictures.”
“Whoa…”
Joo-yeon took down one of the Polaroid pictures from the wall and placed it on the counter so the student could see it clearly.
The student carefully picked up the photo, her eyes sparkling, and covered her mouth with her hand, as if she was holding a precious treasure.
“Wow, this is amazing! There’s a holy ground near my house…!”