Siblings Work in Business (64)
Connection
After I finished talking about the future, an awkward silence fell over the room.
Bzz, bzz.
Just then, my phone vibrated.
The timing was perfect.
“Hello.”
Unable to bear the silence, I put my earphones back on and answered the phone without hesitation.
Lee Eun-ji also seemed to welcome the interruption, as if she also needed a break from the awkward atmosphere.
But she didn’t seem to have anything to say, as she showed no signs of leaving my room, even after I started the call.
“Eun-ho, it’s me.”
I checked the caller ID, and it was the CEO.
“Are you busy?”
“No, not really.”
“Well, the things you suggested have been working out well.”
“What things?”
“Uploading daily vlogs to O-Tube, the impromptu Q&A sessions…”
Hearing the examples he gave, I realized he needed my ideas.
“What is it this time?”
I asked directly, and the CEO paused for a moment, then chuckled and said,
“What were you thinking during the Music Bank performance?”
“The performance…”
Honestly, I was so nervous from the moment I stepped on stage that the only clear memory I had was the bright lights hurting my eyes. Other than that, I just remember trying my best.
“There were so many ‘Dart’ fans in the audience, the place was filled with blue light sticks. It made me wish we had more E.G. fans there too.”
“E.G., it has a nice ring to it.”
“It’s been stuck in my head since I heard you rap. Anyway, so I looked into it—”
The CEO’s explanation was simple.
Since the NRY Entertainment website was managed solely by the CEO, updates and news were slow.
The website wasn’t even mobile-friendly yet, so it was impossible to check announcements without a laptop.
Because of that, the E-UNG fanclub had no place to grow.
And since there were only small fan cafes, communication between fans seemed to be lacking.
“So, you’re asking for suggestions on how to improve communication with our fans?”
“Yes, precisely.”
“Hmm…”
Communication channels…
Lee Eun-ji was browsing through an app that introduced indie bands while I was on the phone.
“An app…?”
“An app?”
The CEO asked again, seemingly intrigued by the word I muttered unconsciously.
“Yes, an app. Wouldn’t an app be good?”
“How?”
“One moment.”
It was a casual remark, but it seemed like a good idea.
But I needed some precedents to be sure.
Without hanging up, I searched for ‘fan cafe app.’
I came across an article mentioning that a famous idol’s fanclub had been operating through an app for the past six months.
“Our album is coming out soon, right?”
“It is.”
“And… if we become really successful, you’ll be releasing merchandise too.”
“Haha, that’s right.”
It was a dream, but not an unrealistic one.
Before the regression, Lee Eun-ji held a concert and released merchandise within a year of her debut.
And back then, Lee Eun-ji complained about one thing, saying it was hard on the fans.
“Wouldn’t it be more convenient for fans to enter music shows if we included serial numbers on the albums and merchandise that they could verify through an app?”
“For entrance?”
“Yes. Many fans bring their albums and other things to prove they’re fans, right?”
As I gave a specific example, the CEO seemed to understand and said, “Ah.”
“They wouldn’t have to wait for hours under the scorching sun, they could check in advance if they can enter or not, and they could verify their fan status instantly with just their smartphones…”
The CEO’s reaction was quite positive, as if my suggestions were unexpected.
A space for fans and the company to communicate directly and receive updates about us.
We could even upload short videos, too short for O-Tube, as a service.
I explained various ideas to the CEO, citing articles as examples.
As I talked, my initial simple idea grew more ambitious, the desired features doubling.
“What do you think?”
Of course, this was probably too much.
I asked cautiously, expecting rejection, and the CEO sighed deeply.
“It sounds good, but I need to check if it’s feasible.”
“Huh?”
“Haha.”
This was the answer I hadn’t expected.
I was so surprised that my voice cracked.
Lee Eun-ji seemed to enjoy my voice crack, chuckling.
“I’m glad I asked you. Don’t stay up all night working, you have two schedules tomorrow, so go to bed early.”
“Okay.”
“I have a lot to look into, so I’ll hang up now.”
“Yes, goodbye!”
“Okay.”
Click.
After the long call with the CEO, an awkward silence returned to my room, where Lee Eun-ji was still sitting.
But this time, the silence didn’t last long, thanks to Lee Eun-ji’s curiosity.
“Lee Eun-ho, about the app you mentioned to the CEO…”
“Yeah? Oh, that.”
“That, well…”
Lee Eun-ji started speaking quietly, avoiding my gaze, as if embarrassed.
“Is that… some kind of future technology…?”
It wasn’t an embarrassing question, but Lee Eun-ji asked timidly, her face flushed, as if she was shy about saying the word “future.”
“Your head’s going to explode.”
“It’s not! Just answer me!”
“Would you even believe me if I told you?”
“W-Well, it’s hard to completely believe, but… Lee Eun-ho, you don’t usually lie.”
It was an unexpected answer.
That kid.
Did she trust me because we were family?
“That’s because I don’t have the brains to lie.”
Of course, it was Lee Eun-ji.
“Anyway. I believe you.”
“Sure you do.”
“Anyway!”
Lee Eun-ji showed no signs of leaving my room, even after the call ended.
“If you know the future, do you know the lottery numbers?! Or where someone buried their money?! Anything like that?”
It was a very transparent question.
But I couldn’t fulfill her expectations, not even 1%.
“I don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“I only focused on music.”
Lee Eun-ji’s face fell in disappointment.
“Useless.”
“That’s harsh.”
As I retorted calmly, Lee Eun-ji seemed to be thinking hard about something, then turned to me again.
“Anything else?”
“What?”
“Anything that makes a lot of money, you know.”
Something that makes a lot of money…
The only thing that came to mind was from the early 2020s.
“Bitcoin…?”
“Bit… what’s that?”
“I don’t know much about it either. Back then, people told me to just ignore it unless I was serious about it.”
“So you ignored it?”
“Yeah.”
Lee Eun-ji stared at me with a disappointed look.
“Anything else?”
“Shouldn’t you give up by now?”
“Ah, you never know.”
“Hmm…”
There was only one thing left that I knew.
“Buy an apartment in Seoul?”
“We don’t have money for that! Something else!”
“Stocks…”
“No stocks! Why is everything about putting in money and making money?”
That’s how life is.
…I was about to say that, but I held back, knowing Lee Eun-ji would probably grab me by the collar.
“You know the future, and you’re not helpful at all.”
“That’s harsh. You would have only focused on composing anyway, even if you made money.”
“That’s… probably true, but still, it’s always good to have more money. And to help the CEO.”
Haha.
I chuckled.
“You don’t have to worry about that, the CEO will make a lot of money.”
Perhaps he was already making a lot of money.
He was a man of mystery.
“Why? Does our agency become huge in the future?”
“Big enough to build a new building in Gangnam.”
“Gangnam!”
Lee Eun-ji’s eyes sparkled.
“Did we become super successful and build that building?”
“We… not exactly. You built the pillars, at least.”
“OMG, was I popular?”
“Yeah, but I’m not telling you more.”
“Why?!”
Despite my refusal, Lee Eun-ji was already grinning from ear to ear.
‘I shouldn’t have said anything.’
The next morning…
As the day broke, Lee Eun-ji, as usual, stumbled into the living room looking like a ghost.
‘At least she’s awake.’
Hyun-woo didn’t seem to have high expectations for Eun-ji, seemingly relieved that she was at least ready to move.
In the car on our way to the shop…
“Lee Eun-ho.”
“What.”
“Yesterday…”
“Yeah, I don’t have it.”
Lee Eun-ji’s face contorted in annoyance.
“Asshole.”
“Okay.”
I accepted her insult quietly, without retorting, unlike usual, and Lee Eun-ji’s expression soured even more, as if she was dissatisfied with my reaction.
“You said I was famous yesterday.”
“Did I? I don’t remember.”
“You did!”
The car wasn’t as spacious as our home.
And Lee Eun-ji was sitting right next to me, even though there was a seat between us.
It was close enough that her yelling could make my eardrums burst.
I turned to Lee Eun-ji irritably, clutching my ears.
“You did!”
“…Why are you yelling?”
“You did! You did! You did!”
“Okay, I did.”
I felt like I would lose my hearing if I pretended any longer.
I surrendered, raising both hands.
“It would have been easier if you just answered me from the beginning.”
“Did you consider that I didn’t want to answer you?”
“You have such a terrible personality.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“Ah, Lee Eun-ho, you never back down! It’s so annoying!”
“Well, thank you for thinking of me.”
Unable to win the argument, Eun-ji threw a small rabbit doll she was holding at me.
I caught it before it hit my face.
“What do you want to say?”
Now that the playful banter was over…
I asked, ready to listen to what she wanted to say.
“I was going to ask if I was the one composing back then too.”
“…Yeah, you were active with your own compositions from the beginning of your debut.”
“Wow, really?”
Eun-ji’s eyes sparkled, forgetting her previous complaints.
Yk I’m happy they talked