Siblings Work in Business (62)
Lee Eun-ho was unusually calm on stage.
Despite it being his first time in front of so many cameras.
‘Is it because of his experience with Senior Ji Ye-chan at the showcase?’
But that didn’t seem like the reason; Lee Eun-ho’s performance was on a different level from his practice sessions.
He wasn’t just skilled, but he also exuded a sense of ease, like a seasoned performer who had been on the same stage countless times.
‘I saw the ‘professional’ image I longed for in Lee Eun-ho.’
It didn’t make sense for Lee Eun-ho to have that, after the same training period as me.
Was I too consumed by my suspicions?
Lee Eun-ho’s nightmare of me dying in a car accident…
‘So, he came back from the future…’
I took a deep breath and tried to dispel my thoughts.
No matter how many times I thought about it, I felt like I was going crazy.
But once an idea took root, it was hard to shake off.
‘I shouldn’t be a hindrance to our team.’
At least one thing was certain after watching the monitoring.
‘Damn it.’
I didn’t need to talk to Lee Eun-ho about this right now.
I thought I was doing well during rehearsal, but the monitoring changed my mind.
No matter how hard I tried, the camera didn’t lie.
It clearly showed that my mind was elsewhere.
I turned my gaze from the monitor to the mirror.
My reflection showed me with stage makeup, looking more glamorous than usual.
So I wouldn’t be overshadowed by Lee Eun-ho during the live performance…
‘I have to be professional.’
My eyes in the mirror sparkled.
The priority now wasn’t my suspicions, but the upcoming live broadcast.
“Joo, are you watching?”
“OMG, I almost forgot!”
“It seems like the fan cafe president is less invested than I am.”
Joo-yeon sighed and closed the notebook she had been scribbling in.
The notebook was filled with her interpretations of the lyrics and scenes from “DUO.”
She had been so engrossed in her analysis that she almost missed the broadcast.
—This week’s Music Bank lineup! Shall we introduce them?
Thankfully, she wasn’t too late. The MCs’ brief introductions started just as she turned on the channel.
Joo-yeon smiled brightly, immersed in the screen, as she heard the names she was waiting for among the list of prominent artists.
—The picture-perfect siblings, ‘DUO’!
—I thought it was a dream, I wished it were a dream… E-UNG’s ‘DUO,’ coming up next!
The MC introduced E-UNG, awkwardly singing along to the hook of “DUO.”
‘He should have drawn out the ‘E’ more!’
She had initially found the name awkward, but she had grown fond of it, perhaps because she heard and sang it so often, and because she knew Eun-ho and Eun-ji chose it themselves.
She wasn’t interested in the introductions of the other artists.
After the lineup introduction, a performance by an unfamiliar singer ended.
The familiar sound of waves made Joo-yeon lift her head, which had been drooping.
Her heart pounded along with the bass rhythm that followed.
Same day, same time
Same other…
Emerging through the intense purple laser lights, Lee Eun-ho whispered with a faint smile.
“Oh my god, oh my god! His voice is so sexy…!”
Joo-yeon muttered, clutching her whale-shaped pillow.
Meanwhile, Seul-gi, watching the same scene at the same time, had a sullen expression.
Static—
Then, Seul-gi’s indifferent eyes widened at the static sound.
“Wow.”
Seul-gi let out a short exclamation and moved closer to the TV, as if drawn in.
Click, clack.
Eun-ji’s shoes were heeled boots.
As the static faded, the sound of Eun-ji’s footsteps amplified the tension.
Eun-ji stood next to Eun-ho, who was standing amidst the laser lights.
Ah, this is…
As Eun-ji started singing, the purple stage lights turned red in an instant.
…reality setting in
Thump.
The screen turned black.
Then, when the screen reappeared, Eun-ho and Eun-ji were standing on a stage filled with white and black doors, staring intensely at the camera.
As the music softened, contrasting with the playful intro, Eun-ji began singing, dancing to the rhythm.
Even if death separates us, we’ll always be together
Hand in hand, we’ve faced it
As Eun-ji smiled playfully, Seul-gi, who had been immersed in the screen, also smiled.
Her innocent face matched the cool dance moves.
‘Is this it?’
As they performed the flashy choreography…
Seul-gi’s eyes lit up with anticipation, as if she was waiting for a specific scene she remembered from the showcase video or the music video.
Ah, this is… reality setting in
As the melody changed, a close-up of Eun-ji’s chilling expression appeared.
Meanwhile, Eun-ho and Eun-ji switched places.
And as the camera zoomed out, the previously intact doors on the stage were all broken and scattered on the floor.
Eun-ho and Eun-ji’s white shirts had also turned black.
Unlike the unbuttoned white shirts, they were now wearing neat black shirts.
Even Seul-gi, who wasn’t particularly interested in Eun-ho, couldn’t help but be captivated.
Eun-ho’s hand, which had been covering his forehead, moved down to cover his eyes, and then he spread his fingers, revealing calm, red eyes.
They were probably lenses, but the color suited him perfectly.
‘Joo-yeon must be going crazy.’
As Seul-gi predicted, a scream echoed through Joo-yeon’s house.
Even Seul-gi’s indifferent gaze didn’t last long.
Because she saw Eun-ji, who appeared behind Eun-ho.
‘Ah…’
It was an unfamiliar feeling for Seul-gi, who had never been interested in celebrities.
She remembered Joo-yeon’s words when she first learned the word ‘bias.’
「“Bias is… well…”」
「“Someone whose every move you want to capture and get to know… well…”」
「“It’s a kind of love, I guess? I want Oppa to keep singing and performing on stage.”」
Joo-yeon, who would follow Toxin anywhere and would buy any Toxin-related merchandise, even working part-time to afford it…
Seul-gi had never understood her feelings, but now, for the first time, she understood, just a little.
And that understanding turned into regret.
「“Try applying for audience tickets! You never know!”」
Joo-yeon applied but didn’t get selected.
And Seul-gi hadn’t even applied, thinking, ‘Do I really need to see them in person?’
‘I want to see them live…’
She regretted not applying.
Eun-ji on screen was completely different from when she was wearing the oversized white shirt.
The same red eyes as Eun-ho.
A neat black shirt tucked into similar black slacks.
Her slightly rolled-up sleeves made her pale skin stand out even more under the cold stage lights.
I thought it was a dream, I wished it were a dream
Why don’t you answer beyond the door
The lyrics resonated with her.
「“Hello, unnies! What’s up?”」
The moment she first met them in front of Twenties Live Bar felt like a dream.
Even back then, when she didn’t know they were celebrities, she had sensed that their aura was different from ‘ordinary people’ like her.
「“How do these earrings look?”」
Was she the same person who had shown off the earrings she gifted with such joy on stage?
Back then, at least, they performed on a smaller stage, close enough to give gifts, but now, Eun-ji was singing beyond the TV screen, unreachable.
But the song reaching her ears was on a different level.
‘It’s a shame.’
At first, she found Eun-ji’s bright personality, contrasting with her sharp features, cute.
Then, she found her endearing when she showed off the earrings she gifted at the Twenties Live Bar performance.
But what truly made her a fan was Eun-ji’s singing.
「“The Last Day we shouted, claiming each other”」
She was a singer who sang with emotion, immersing herself in every line of the lyrics.
Her heartfelt singing moved her.
The song, although good even through the TV, couldn’t compare to the experience of hearing it live.
Thump, thump
The close-up on the screen showed Eun-ho and Eun-ji, back in their white shirts, their bodies moving to the beat of the drums.
It was a song she had heard dozens of times since its release, but hearing it while watching their performance felt new.
She resolved to see their next broadcast live.
A cold, windy attic room
Here, I look at the moon alone
Hoping for you to come, hoping for you to dream
Beautiful.
It described Eun-ji, but also Eun-ho.
It described their graceful movements, and the performance they created with the dancers.
Right there
Right here
Eun-ho and Eun-ji on the screen were breathing heavily from the intense choreography.
Eun-ji, leaning on Eun-ho’s shoulder, her weight supported by his arm, maintained her relaxed smile.
The focused expression she had throughout the song lingered even after it ended.
‘That’s why…’
She suddenly remembered Joo-yeon, who used to collect photos that all looked the same to Seul-gi, back in their school days.
「“They all look the same.”」
「“No, they’re not! There are subtle differences in the angles. This one is taken from slightly below, looking up, and this one captures Oppa’s profile.”」
Joo-yeon explained repeatedly, but they still looked the same to Seul-gi.
Back then, she couldn’t understand why Joo-yeon would spend money on multiple copies of the same photo, but after all this time, she finally understood.
It was because she liked them all.
A single photo wasn’t enough.
Seul-gi felt the same way now.
She desperately wanted to keep every moment the camera captured Eun-ji.
‘Why didn’t I apply for audience tickets?’
And of course, regret followed.
‘I thought it was all good.’
The performance and the live broadcast ended successfully.
But something seemed off about Lee Eun-ji after the performance.
“Hey.”
“Don’t talk to me for a second.”
“Huh…?”
It wasn’t just a ‘second.’
Lee Eun-ji remained silent even while we were lining up to greet the PD, and even after we returned home.