Siblings Work in Business (35)
“Tell that person to learn how to properly apologize, and show me the apology letter again when all the excuses about ‘alcohol’ and ‘not remembering’ are gone.”
“Okay, I’ll give it to you.”
“No. It was Lee Eun-ji, not me, who had that unpleasant experience.”
CEO Park’s eyes widened slightly, then he nodded in understanding.
“That’s right.”
“After the apology letter is properly written, I think it would be better to let Lee Eun-ji decide whether to forgive him or proceed with the charges.”
“Really?”
Eun-ho smiled as usual, as if he hadn’t been cold just a moment ago.
“She’s an adult now.”
“Right… I understand.”
Eun-ho bowed his head briefly and headed for the door.
“CEO.”
“Yes?”
Eun-ho stopped and looked back at CEO Park.
“Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t mention it. Just go. This is my job.”
“Still, thank you.”
“Go practice your choreography.”
“Haha, okay.”
Eun-ho smiled and left, but his expression hardened as he reached the front door.
‘I told him to let Lee Eun-ji decide, but…’
He frowned, knowing how she would handle it.
He could take care of everything for her like before, but the aftermath was the problem.
Eun-ji had called his actions ‘excessive’ after seeing the court’s decision.
It seemed like Eun-ji wanted the guy to receive a lighter punishment than the court’s judgment.
I couldn’t understand her back then, and neither could she.
And that was the beginning.
When our schedules overlapped, we used to eat together, using the excuse of saving money on food.
We usually talked about work or our schedules during those meals, but that stopped after that incident.
Lee Eun-ji didn’t show any signs of discomfort or hardship in front of me after that.
‘It’s just a thought, but…’
Wouldn’t Lee Eun-ji’s accident with the drunk driver have been avoided if we hadn’t drifted apart?
I knew it was just a what-if, but I couldn’t let it go.
So, this time, she would make her own decisions after experiencing it herself.
I opened the door to the first floor and hesitated.
“Are you done talking?”
“Yeah.”
Speak of the devil, Lee Eun-ji was waiting at the door.
“Let’s go practice the choreography.”
“Aren’t you curious about what we talked about?”
“Is it important?”
Hmm.
I thought for a moment and then shook my head.
“Then it’s fine. The manager is waiting. Hurry up.”
As we walked towards the alleyway…
Lee Eun-ji kept walking in front of me, blocking my way.
“Stop blocking the way.”
Then…
“Are you a starfish?”
“No, I’m a turd.”
Lee Eun-ji defiantly spread her arms and legs, blocking the way even more.
She even added a poor imitation of my voice.
Haha.
I laughed in disbelief.
She was so stubborn.
Lee Eun-ji continued blocking the way until we reached the end of the alley.
“Wha… What?”
When we finally reached the end of the alley…
Hyun-woo, witnessing the scene, asked awkwardly with his mouth agape.
“What’s going on?”
“She says she’s a starfish from today.”
Hyun-woo, unable to comprehend the situation, seemed to have countless question marks floating above his head.
“I was just kidding. Let’s go, Manager…”
“Ah, yes.”
Lee Eun-ji said nonchalantly.
Her ears were red, as if she knew she was being childish.
Hyun-woo, ushered towards the car, only got into the driver’s seat after confirming that Lee Eun-ji was in the back.
We headed to the practice room for choreography practice.
“Eun-ho, Eun-ji, you’re here!”
As we entered the basement of a building, a familiar face, our vocal trainer, Lee Ha-neul, greeted us.
“Cloud, the kids are here.”
“Oh, you’re here?”
Our choreographer for “DUO” was Cloud Lee, or Lee Gu-reum.
Lee Eun-ji and I changed into our indoor sneakers, stretched, and bowed our heads.
Lee Gu-reum, the choreographer…
Was the younger sister of vocal trainer Lee Ha-neul, and both sisters were known for their skills in the industry.
“Are we late?”
“You’re not late. Hurry up and stretch, and then put those on.”
“Yes!”
Lee Eun-ji and I answered in unison.
Normally, we would have bickered, but such squabbles were forbidden here.
I quietly put on the 5kg sandbags on my wrists and ankles.
There was a story behind these heavy sandbags.
“Hey, you damn rockfish! It’s almost my part! I should be standing here!”
“Almost. Didn’t you hear my part just ended?”
“It’s been 2 seconds! What do you mean ‘just ended’?!”
“2 seconds is ‘just ended’! Pumpkin!”
A few days after we first saw the choreography, we visited the practice room to meet Cloud Dance Team, who would be working with us.
During the transition from the hook to the bridge in “DUO”…
That’s where the problem started.
Lee Eun-ji and I argued loudly about ‘who should stand in the center.’
Our escalating voices finally got on Lee Gu-reum’s nerves.
“If you keep fighting, I’ll change the choreography to a dance team solo.”
“We apologize.”
“Wear these sandbags for the next two days. It’s your punishment.”
These 5kg sandbags were the result.
“If you fight again today, I’ll add 1kg to the weight.”
“We won’t fight! We absolutely won’t fight…”
Lee Eun-ji, who had recently started a strict diet for her debut, replied with a haggard face.
Looking at the mirror covering the practice room wall, I didn’t look any better.
“I’ll be going, Cloud.”
“See you later, unnie.”
“Fighting, everyone!”
“Teacher…”
Just as we were about to start practicing, Lee Ha-neul waved goodbye, getting ready to leave.
I honestly wanted to cling to her leg and beg her not to go.
Lee Ha-neul, who even brought us water herself, was an angel compared to Lee Gu-reum.
“Let’s get started!”
A moment later…
Following the sound of the door closing, signaling Lee Ha-neul’s departure, Gu-reum’s energetic voice filled the practice room.
Why don’t you answer beyond the door
Track.
One track meant completing a song from intro to outro.
‘How long has it been?’
We were on our 49th track with the sandbags.
Water droplets formed on the mirrors covering the walls of the humid practice room.
“Huff… huff.”
“Eun-ho, one more time from the step part! Eun-ji, I told you to bring both feet together when you jump during the hook!”
“Yes! Huff.”
“I wished it were a… Knee, knee! Straighten your knees!”
“Ugh… Yes!”
“Line up, line up!”
“Yes!”
“Let’s check one more time and then take a break.”
We finished our 50th track.
Sweat poured down like rain, as if we had just run a full soccer game without a break.
My body collapsed on the floor like a squid out of water.
My heart felt like it was about to explode.
I looked to the side, and Lee Eun-ji was also sprawled out on the floor like discarded chewing gum.
Only Lee Eun-ji and I were out of breath.
Even though we had been diligently working out for stamina management, this was the difference.
It was an understandable difference.
We were wearing these sandbags as ‘punishment,’ but for Cloud, the teacher’s dance team, these sandbags were a part of their daily routine.
“Hyung, noona…”
“Yes? Eun-ho, why?”
“Do you have two hearts?”
Haha.
Laughter filled the practice room at my joke.
But I wasn’t joking…
“Okay, that’s enough rest, right? Let’s finish the remaining 50 tracks and go home.”
50 tracks.
Lee Eun-ji and I, lying on the floor, instinctively froze.
As if we had become one with the floor.
No, we wished we could become one with the floor.
“If you get up within 3 seconds, you can take off the sandbags.”
We flinched.
“If you’re late, I’ll add more weight. 3.”
What choice did we have?
We didn’t even hear the number 2.
I jumped up, and there was a ghost-like figure sluggishly standing beside me.
“Cloud, you’re free too! Take them off. Let’s rest!”
“Wow!!!”
Even the monster-like hyungs and noonas seemed just as tired, the practice room mirror shaking with their cheers.
Rip—
Rip—
The sound of Velcro being ripped filled the practice room.
Our bodies felt much lighter after being freed from the sandbags.
‘It’s definitely effective…’
We had repeated the choreography dozens of times with the sandbags.
Even the most uncoordinated person would be able to dance after this much practice.
I jumped up and down, my feet light as if I hadn’t been sprawled on the floor just moments ago.
Lee Eun-ji, also freed from the sandbags, had tied up her hair, her previously disheveled hair now neatly styled.
“Before we continue, I’m thinking of adding the jacket-putting-on move before the second verse.”
“The ‘I had a dream, a dream where you disappeared’ part?”
“Yes.”
Just as I was talking to the teacher…
‘Why is she looking at it like that?’
Although she looked better now, Eun-ji seemed too tired to speak, staring blankly at the mirror.
Curious, I followed her gaze, and a small flyer stuck to the small refrigerator filled with water bottles caught my eye.
‘Ah.’
That was it.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“Can we order tteokbokki after we finish the 50 tracks?”
“Aren’t you on a diet?”
I tried to persuade the teacher, signaling with my eyes to look at Lee Eun-ji.
“We can manage it if we practice two more times until this weekend…”
As if finally understanding my suggestion, the teacher smiled brightly and nodded.
“Okay, I’ll buy you some.”
At the teacher’s reply, Lee Eun-ji’s head snapped towards us.
“Tteokbokki? You’ll buy us some?”
“Yes, if you perfectly complete the 50 tracks with the new choreography.”
I thought I saw a glint in Lee Eun-ji’s eyes…
Was it just my imagination?
“Lee Eun-ho, what are you doing? Let’s finish the 50 tracks.”
“Yes, yes.”
Lee Eun-ji’s skin, which had been pale like a corpse, suddenly regained its color.
I finished my water and stood up.
“Like this…”
The teacher demonstrated the new choreography, spinning gracefully, and then, without looking back, tried to put her arms into the hoodie held by a dance team member.
Or rather, she tried to.
“Oh, this is difficult. Again, like this…”
She tried about three more times, but it was a failure.
I tried it, and so did Lee Eun-ji.
But the success rate of the move itself was extremely low.
With this success rate, there was a high probability of making a mistake on stage, even after practicing.
“I think we’ll make more mistakes on stage if we add this.”
“You’re right. Let’s remove the new choreography. Now, let’s finish the 50 tracks.”
The teacher finally threw the hoodie into a corner of the practice room and gave up.