Siblings Work in Business (5)
After the call ended, CEO Park Chang-seok tapped his fingers on his desk, lost in thought.
Lee Ha-neul, a vocal trainer who had been nurturing countless children with him for 12 years.
She was stingy with praise and didn’t easily use the word ‘growth.’
「“Eun-ho’s fundamentals have suddenly improved drastically, almost to a complete level. Did you know?”」
Even Eun-ji was scolded by Director Lee for her severely lacking fundamentals.
For him, who had been particularly focused on Eun-ji’s activities, it was shocking news.
“Eun-ho is at a complete level…”
CEO Park Chang-seok.
Before establishing this company, he had managed numerous skilled idol groups and solo singers at TaKa Entertainment.
For him, who had been in this industry for over 10 years, Lee Eun-ho was just a toddler who had started walking a bit early.
Just average, the kind of level achievable with decent training for most trainees.
That was exactly CEO Park’s evaluation of Eun-ho, nothing more, nothing less.
Frankly, for Park Chang-seok, who had to run a ‘business’ with content, Eun-ho was someone whose growth limit was visible.
Perhaps that’s why he hadn’t had any particular expectations for Eun-ho.
‘Honestly…’
If it weren’t for Eun-ji, who was born with a charming mid-low range optimized for R&B and overflowing with talent, would his evaluation have been different?
‘Because they’re family…’
Lee Eun-ho and Lee Eun-ji appeared to have a bad relationship on the surface.
However, from CEO Park’s personal observation, they actually created the best synergy for each other.
Eun-ji was greatly stimulated by Eun-ho’s hard work, and Eun-ho, in turn, honed his average skills into something unique to avoid being overshadowed by Eun-ji.
‘What if I put them together as a group and turn them into idols?’
His initial proposal for a mixed duo stemmed from this experimental thought.
Managing mixed groups was usually troublesome, requiring attention to dating issues, image, and various other aspects.
Moreover, it was difficult to focus on a single-gender fandom.
However, upon seeing the Sibling Musicians sweeping the charts recently, CEO Park dreamed of a new possibility for Lee Eun-ho and Lee Eun-ji.
「“CEO! Something’s strange about Lee Eun-ho lately.”」
A few days ago.
Eun-ji had said something like that in passing.
He dismissed it as their usual sibling bickering.
But thinking about it now, Eun-ho was a bit different than usual that evening after he proposed the sibling debut.
「“What if it’s not a love song? You can write the song.”」
If it were the usual Eun-ho, he would have gotten upset and yelled along with Eun-ji when she said it was disgusting.
‘But Eun-ho persuaded Eun-ji.’
He would have to wait and see how the music turned out, but he wasn’t too worried because it was Eun-ji’s song, and she had good instincts.
Eun-ji had an ear for the public.
She was someone who knew how to express it in her own way, and since she was working with a professional composer, he wasn’t concerned.
CEO Park turned his gaze to his tablet on the desk.
Despite the blurry quality, the tablet showed a video of Eun-ho frozen with his mouth open.
Director Lee’s judgment was always right.
Since she said Eun-ho had changed, it was time for him to work as a producer.
Work
One day, about a month later…
“I’ve been thinking about your team name.”
“Team name?”
“Yes. I thought about something like Tiger Brother or Tiger Sister. What do you think?”
I glanced sideways at Lee Eun-ji, and a horrified face, mirroring my own, was looking back at me.
I couldn’t think of anything, but I didn’t want something like Tiger Brother or Tiger Sister.
Something simpler…
“I…”
Unlike me, who had no particular thoughts, Lee Eun-ji seemed to have a name in mind, hesitantly opening her mouth.
“How about something like ‘Lee-eung’?”
Perhaps because it was the name we would be promoting under…
Lee Eun-ji looked at me, not the CEO, as she asked.
“Lee-eung? Why?”
“Lee Eun-, ho. Lee Eun-, ji.”
Lee Eun-ji pointed at me and then herself with her index finger, as if asking what more explanation was needed.
“Then there’s also ‘Lee Eun’.”
“Lee-eung is cuter than Lee Eun.”
“What’s the point of a cute name if you’re not cute?”
“Shut up.”
Lee-eung.
Lee Eun.
“How about Two Silver?”
As if we hadn’t heard the CEO’s suggestion, we were each lost in thought.
In conclusion, ‘Lee-eung’ was better than ‘Tiger Brother,’ ‘Tiger Sister,’ or ‘Two Silver.’ It had more character.
“Eun-ho, do you like Lee-eung better too?”
“Yes, it’s good. Lee-eung.”
It was awkward at first, but as I rolled it around in my mouth, it seemed to fit our image well, and it was definitely better than Tiger something, so I nodded again.
“Then, Tiger Lee―”
“Ew, no.”
“I don’t like that.”
Why was he so fixated on tigers?
The CEO had started jokingly, but seeing Eun-ji’s ‘ew’ reaction, he looked dejected as if his feelings were hurt.
“So the team name is ‘Lee-eung,’ and before your debut, you’ll be doing a featuring job.”
“Featuring?”
“Yes.”
“Who’s the singer?”
Lee Eun-ji asked in an excited voice.
I was just as surprised.
“Well, listen to the song first.”
The CEO played a dark video on the tablet on the table.
The intro started with the playful bounce of a snare.
‘Oh? This…!’
As the repetitive bass drum joined in, I heard a familiar beat.
‘If that instrument appears here, then it’s definitely the song I know.’
Just as my anticipation waned due to the generic beat…
As the song entered the verse, the sudden, bright sound of a woodwind instrument breathed life into the bland beat.
It was the song I expected.
‘Sign.’
The saxophone, freely soaring over the ordinary beat, created a captivating jazz piece on its own.
But it didn’t stop there. A strange voice whispered decadent lyrics within the luxurious melody, the kind you might hear in a lounge.
As the guide track ended, CEO Park spoke.
“The singer you’ll be working with is Ji Ye-chan.”
“J-Ji Ye-chan?”
Lee Eun-ji beamed and leaned closer to the CEO.
‘Ji Ye-chan.’
The idol group that established TaKa Entertainment, which swept the popular music scene from the early 2000s to the early 2010s.
‘Toxin.’
Ji Ye-chan was the leader and main vocalist of the group Toxin.
‘Sign,’ a track from Ji Ye-chan’s solo album, had immediately reached the top ten of the streaming charts upon its release.
“Eun-ho, you’ll be doing the featuring.”
“Here? Me?”
“Are you not confident?”
As the CEO leaned forward and asked, I instinctively replied.
“No!”
Honestly, I was truly flustered.
If it were before I regressed, songs like this would have definitely gone to Lee Eun-ji.
‘Featuring on senior Ji Ye-chan’s solo song…’
My only interaction with senior Ji Ye-chan was a brief greeting in his waiting room when I visited him as a courtesy, introduced by the CEO.
“You’ll be participating in Verse 1-A, Verse 2-A, and the bridge.”
I marked the parts the CEO mentioned on the lyrics sheet with stars.
“The recording is scheduled for tomorrow, and we’ll go together.”
“Huh?”
“Just make sure you’re in good condition.”
Of course, being in good condition was a given…
But the recording is tomorrow?
“Can you do it?”
“Yes…”
I opened and closed my mouth, but I had nothing to say.
Considering I spent a whole year stuck in the recording studio, it wasn’t that big of a deal.
‘I can do it.’
I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
Meanwhile, CEO Park’s gaze shifted to Eun-ji.
“Eun-ji…”
Lee Eun-ji’s eyes sparkled at the CEO’s call.
It was obvious that she was interested in the featuring, but the CEO’s next words dashed her hopes.
“How’s the work coming along?”
“What, oh, the song?”
“Yes, the file I sent you via email.”
“Yes, I have it.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Looking slightly disappointed, Lee Eun-ji fiddled with her phone.
As she placed her phone on the table, seemingly having found the song, the music began with a heavy 808 bass that felt like a pounding.
“Huh…”
I exhaled unconsciously.
The hint I initially gave was about the feeling of a cat taking rhythmical steps.
That’s exactly what Lee Eun-ji’s song was like before I regressed.
But the song Lee Eun-ji presented this time was on a different level.
First of all, the cat was gone.
It was a feast of heavy beats, more like the footsteps of a tiger, a mountain god, than a cat.
Whether it was Tiger Brother or Tiger Sister, it still sounded cheesy, but I understood why the CEO was so fixated on tigers.
Since the lyrics weren’t complete yet, Lee Eun-ji’s improvised alien language melody filled in the gaps.
Before I knew it, I was humming along to Lee Eun-ji’s song.
‘Huh?’
My head couldn’t recall it yet, but my mouth remembered the rhythm.
It was completely different from the song Lee Eun-ji made before the regression, but it was definitely a song I knew.
‘Could it be?’
I looked at Lee Eun-ji, and she grinned as if showing off.
I remembered where I’d heard this familiar rhythm.
Our childhood concerts.
The song from back then, when we’d make up random lyrics and bang on things to find a good rhythm.
How could she still remember this?
「If we had done it together, you would have been here having fun too, which is a shame.」
Remembering that line from Lee Eun-ji’s diary I received at the funeral, I quickly looked up as my eyes welled up.
It was because of the song.
The sudden realization that I was experiencing the time I had longed to return to, the emotions from back then surged like waves.
“It’s good.”
Lee Eun-ji looked at me as if asking why, but it was a difficult feeling to explain, so I just looked away and answered.
“It’s late, so let’s wrap up the meeting. Eun-ho needs to leave around lunchtime tomorrow, so get some sleep.”
“Yes.”
The late-night meeting finally ended as it approached 10 pm.
As I walked out of the first-floor lobby (living room) and out the front door…
I turned my head at the tap on my shoulder, and Lee Eun-ji was looking at me with playful eyes.
“What.”
“Lee Eun-ho, was the song I made so good that it made you cry?”
I knew it.
“Hey, stop pushing!”
I shoved away her pumpkin head irritably and went up the stairs to the second floor first.
Wuuuu my children