Siblings Work in Business (72)
“…Goodness. You should say something when you wake up.”
“I just woke up because of the song.”
“The song? Oh.”
As Aeseul replied belatedly, the manager glanced at her and sighed.
“Is it a famous song?”
“It’s called ‘Last Day,’ by, I think, E-UNG. It’s the OST for the drama ‘He is 1+1=1.’”
“Is it famous?”
“I told you to stop playing games and listen to the charts. Even if the CEO is your uncle, if he finds out you’re like this—”
“Okay, okay. Just tell me more about this.”
“Geez. Well… the song is famous.”
“Just the song? What about the singers, E-UNG or whatever?”
“It’s complicated. They seemed to have a brief moment in the spotlight, but there was that ‘Daily Life of Idols’ variety show recently, and a lot of groups made comebacks, so they were quickly buried.”
“Have you heard their new song, unnie?”
“I only listen to songs on the charts. Since it’s not charting, it’s probably not my style.”
Aeseul, now fully awake and curious about E-UNG’s new song, took out her phone.
[이응]—–이(E) 응(UNG)
She typed “이응” (the Korean letter) into the search bar, and the first result was the definition of ‘ㅇ,’ the eighth letter of the Korean alphabet.
Far below that, E-UNG’s profile and the music video for “DUO” appeared.
There were also some unfamiliar vlog-style videos, seemingly of their daily lives.
Aeseul, her interest piqued, played the music video for “DUO.”
The sound of crashing waves.
The music video Aeseul played started with a shot of hesitant feet.
The camera slowly zoomed in, and the feet started stepping rhythmically.
A woman dancing and smiling happily on a wooden plank walkway.
Aeseul couldn’t see Eun-ji’s face yet because of her long, flowing black hair.
Same day, Same time
Same day, other…
The melody was different from the song she had just heard on the radio.
‘His voice is… sensual…’
Aeseul’s face flushed slightly at the man’s whispering voice.
Then, the screen was filled with a giant moon.
Cherry blossom petals, swirling upwards, turned red as they fell, like roses.
Eun-ji, dancing happily amidst the falling petals, had a strange allure, a mix of the bizarre and the beautiful.
Just as Aeseul was completely captivated by the music video…
Static—
She almost screamed, her heart skipping a beat.
Static suddenly appeared on the screen, like a broken TV.
Realizing it was part of the video, Aeseul, slightly embarrassed, focused on the screen again.
She was still tense, though, as if expecting something to jump out.
Eun-ji, who had been dancing brightly, stood at the edge of the plank walkway, a happy expression on her face.
‘What is she going to do?’
Just as Aeseul wondered, Eun-ji covered her eyes, a smile on her lips, and whispered,
Ah, this is…
…reality setting in
Eun-ji fell into the water, and the screen turned black.
At the same time, the whispering voice seemed to deepen.
The room I found is empty
Thump.
Aeseul, fooled by the black screen, tilted her head, wondering, ‘Did my phone turn off?’
A moment later, ripples appeared on the black screen, synchronized with a heavy bass drum and wobble bass.
Thankfully, it seemed like the screen hadn’t turned off.
I had a dream, a dream where you disappeared
Somehow, it’s strange, the space is quiet
Eun-ji on the screen was wandering in the darkness, her face tear-streaked, clutching her head in anguish.
Ah, this is… reality setting in
As Eun-ji covered her eyes and turned around, cherry blossom petals fluttered across the night sky on the screen.
Unlike before, when the petals turned red, they turned black this time.
And now, there was a man sleeping under the cherry blossom tree.
Aeseul’s eyes widened, recognizing Eun-ho’s face.
「“Aeseul-ssi… right?”」
Huh?
This person…
Aeseul’s face flushed crimson.
Eun-ho, lying under the cherry blossom tree, slowly opened his eyes and looked to the side, whispering,
Suddenly, the space beside me is empty
Even shoes come in pairs
One can’t go out alone
Can’t walk on the sharp path alone
Following the lyrics, two shoes appeared on the screen.
Then, one shoe disappeared with a static noise.
The remaining shoe was stained with black water and then torn to shreds by scissors, lying discarded on the ground.
If this is reality, I wish it were a dream
The shoe was in Eun-ho’s hand.
As Eun-ho looked up, a white door appeared in front of him.
I thought it was a dream
I wished it were a dream
Why don’t you answer beyond the door
Eun-ho carefully placed the shoe down.
Bang, bang.
His gentle handling of the shoe contrasted sharply with his aggressive pounding on the door.
The door Eun-ho was knocking on flipped, revealing a black door on the other side.
Eun-ji was leaning against the door, her face buried in her knees.
I had a dream, a dream where you disappeared
So I opened my eyes, but why am I still dreaming?
The screen, as if showing Eun-ji’s perspective, was filled with a desolate, gray road.
Ah, this is… reality setting in
Her eyelids fluttered closed, and when they opened again, there was a close-up of Eun-ji’s face.
Her white shirt had turned black, and she cried out,
If it’s a dream, let me wake up
If it’s not, let me dream
The scene changed, showing Eun-ho and Eun-ji together.
They were smiling brightly, as if reminiscing about the past.
Static—
That was, until the static appeared.
Whenever there was static, their bright smiles were replaced by serious expressions, and they were now wearing black outfits, the opposite of their white ones, dancing in sync.
Even if death separates us, we’ll always be together
Eun-ji smiled playfully, held Eun-ho’s hand, and jumped.
Her oversized blouse billowed like a wide skirt.
It was a beautiful scene, like a painting.
‘But…’
Aeseul, watching the screen, couldn’t fully appreciate the beauty.
Unsettling black shadows were moving along with them, appearing whenever there was static, their colors inverted compared to the siblings.
As Eun-ho reached out towards them, the black shadows gathered, growing larger.
Until they were large enough to engulf Eun-ho.
The countless hands reaching out from the shadows were chilling.
But why aren’t you saying anything today
Under the night sky.
Eun-ho’s demeanor was cold, contrasting with his previous bright smile.
As he raised his arm, the black shadows mimicked his movements.
Eun-ji’s face, as she slowly emerged from the shadows, was dark.
Her previously bright smile made her expressionless face even more unsettling.
Ah, this is… reality setting in
As Eun-ji covered her eyes, the camera zoomed in on her covered face.
A moment later…
The room I found is empty
Her bright brown eyes were visible through the gaps between her fingers.
Static—
And for a fleeting moment…
Her brown eyes turned bright yellow, like a cat’s.
As the camera zoomed out, Eun-ho was now standing in Eun-ji’s place.
The scene changed, and Eun-ho was floating in a black lake, reaching out.
I thought it was a dream
I wished it were a dream
His outstretched hand was slowly submerged and disappeared in the rising black water.
Eun-ji, watching Eun-ho sink, stood resolutely in front of a black door.
Why don’t you answer beyond the door
As she stepped through the door, a strong wind enveloped her.
Her black shirt turned white, as if the color was blown away by the wind.
A cold, windy attic room
Here, I look at the moon alone
Eun-ji, looking at the giant moon from the beginning of the video, slowly closed her eyes, tears welling up.
Hoping for you to come
Hoping for you to dream
When she opened her eyes again, the background had changed to the desolate gray space from before.
And now, Eun-ho, dressed in black, was sitting in front of the black door.
Unlike Eun-ji, he was smiling peacefully.
Right there
Eun-ho whispered, closing his eyes.
Then…
His eyes snapped open in surprise.
But the video didn’t show what he was looking at.
Instead, in the next scene…
Right here
Eun-ji finished the song, turning the doorknob of the black door.
She looked back wistfully, then smiled brightly and stepped through the door.
The black door slowly closed to the sound of a snare drum.
The video faded to black with the clicking sound of the door closing completely.
It was over.
Aeseul stared at her phone, muttering,
“…Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
The manager, turning to Aeseul with a curious look, was taken aback.
Aeseul was staring at her with teary eyes, seemingly feeling wronged.
“Wh-What’s wrong?”
“Unnie!”
“Yes?”
“Did you know?”
“Know what? About E-UNG?”
Aeseul nodded vigorously, and the manager, although still confused, also nodded.
She did know about ‘E-UNG.’
But Aeseul’s question was different.
“Those siblings! The ones who helped me at the shop! Why didn’t you tell me it was them?!”
“Uh…?”
The manager, genuinely flustered, let out a strange sound.
“You said they weren’t famous…”
“Not famous, well, they’re, a little… less famous…”
“Why aren’t they famous?!”
What was wrong with her?
She was always a bit eccentric, but today was worse.
The manager, giving up on trying to understand, just shook her head.
‘Siblings who helped her at the shop… when was that?’
The manager, speeding up again, tried to remember.
‘Ah, was it that day?’
That morning, when she went to get Aeseul’s salad…
She had rushed to the front of Cellas because of the commotion.
She was more worried about Aeseul causing trouble than being in trouble herself.
And when she arrived, Aeseul was being held up in the air by two tall, intimidating-looking twins.
More accurately, Aeseul’s feet were still touching the steps, but it was clear she would have fallen if they let go.
“Aeseul!”
She had rushed towards Aeseul…
And thankfully, the two weren’t trying to hurt her; Aeseul was thanking them.
She had been so flustered back then that she left without even greeting them.
But she remembered the two because of their strong, almost twin-like, features.
OHHHHH THAT WAS SO GOOD I was imagining it all in my head that was so awesome