Siblings Work in Business (75)
“Eun-ji was scared of the demolished first floor.”
“Is that so?”
The CEO looked at Eun-ji and asked.
Eun-ji, seemingly embarrassed to admit she was scared, hesitated, then nodded slightly.
“So I played a prank. We weren’t fighting.”
“Really?”
The CEO, still suspicious, looked at Eun-ji and asked again.
Eun-ji pouted and nodded repeatedly.
‘Oh, did it work?’
The CEO’s angry expression softened at Eun-ji’s response.
“Do you get prickly mouths if you don’t fight for even a day? You two—”
It seemed like the change in expression wasn’t a free pass.
His expression had softened, but he was still angry.
In the alley, under the flickering broken streetlight, in front of the demolished office…
‘If there was a long-form lecturing competition, the CEO would win first place.’
A long, uninterrupted lecture, lasting over 30 minutes, followed, making me dizzy.
Had Lee Eun-ji’s biggest fear changed from ghosts to the CEO’s lectures after today?
She had screamed and yelled at me earlier, refusing to enter…
But now, she was staring longingly at the demolished first floor, as if desperate to escape inside.
The CEO’s lecture bomb was effective.
I hadn’t fallen asleep this quickly since I started writing lyrics. It was a miracle cure for insomnia, but I didn’t want to experience it again anytime soon.
I woke up refreshed, stretched, and got ready.
Bang, bang.
Hyun-woo seemed to have arrived early for the shoot before our schedule today.
I opened the door, wiping my wet hair with a towel.
“Huh…?”
I had expected only hyung, but there were two people at the door.
It seemed like one of the seven new staff members the CEO hired a few days ago, but the person looked familiar.
“Um—”
Just as I was about to speak…
Thump!
A loud crash echoed through the house, and hyung seemed to realize it was Lee Eun-ji waking up.
Meanwhile, the guest, seemingly unfamiliar with such loud noises, looked towards Eun-ji’s room with a startled expression.
‘This is going to be a shock for her…’
And as expected…
Crash. Shatter!
The sound of something large falling, followed by the crashing and shattering of something else.
‘What’s even left in her room to break after all that noise every day?’
I was genuinely curious.
Click.
The commotion stopped, and Lee Eun-ji’s doorknob turned.
Eun-ho looked at the guest worriedly.
‘Will she… be okay?’
The door opened, revealing my sister, Lee Eun-ji, in a stretched-out t-shirt, worn-out shorts, and her usual tangled black hair, looking like a ghost.
It was an embarrassing sight for a first-time visitor, but I was used to her morning look.
Hyung also seemed unfazed.
‘But the guest…’
I glanced downwards, and as expected…
The guest’s eyes were wide with shock.
“My sister, um…”
I wanted to make an excuse, but I couldn’t find the words.
Hyung seemed to feel the same.
I looked at him for help, but he just shrugged with an awkward smile.
“Ha, shit. It broke again.”
I facepalmed.
‘Oh dear.’
I sighed.
Why couldn’t she stop cursing in her sleep, no matter how many times I told her?
Lee Eun-ji, seemingly having stepped on something again, shuffled towards the bathroom, brushing off the broken plastic pieces stuck to her feet.
The three of us stared at her retreating figure.
Like meerkats, our heads moved in the same direction at the same speed.
Click.
We kept staring until Eun-ji entered the bathroom and locked the door.
After the bathroom door closed…
Eun-ho turned to the two people at the door and asked,
“Would you like to come in? It’ll probably take a while.”
It was a suggestion born from experience.
‘It’ll take at least 20 minutes.’
Hyun-woo, as if used to this, followed Eun-ho inside.
The guest, however, looked at Eun-ho with a worried expression.
Her eyes seemed to be asking, ‘Is it okay for me to be here?’
“Eun-ji needs some… time to get ready.”
I didn’t know how else to explain it.
If she were a stranger, I could have just said, “She’s good at her job,” as an excuse…
Thankfully, hyung and the guest followed me inside, taking off their shoes.
Eun-ho, watching the guest looking around curiously, cautiously asked,
“But Seul-gi, didn’t you work at CK Music Life Magazine?”
“Wow, you know my name?”
Seul-gi looked at Eun-ho, genuinely surprised.
“I’m good with faces.”
As Eun-ho smiled casually, Seul-gi, seeming a bit concerned, asked cautiously,
“How did you know I worked at CK?”
“Ah, that’s because, the day we had our busking showcase in Hongdae—”
“Ah, I saw the video thanks to Joo-yeon. I was so bummed that I couldn’t be there.”
“Haha, thank you. I actually met Joo-yeon before the performance that day.”
“Oh, you met Joo?”
“Yes.”
Eun-ho chuckled, finding the nickname ‘Joo’ cute, and continued.
Joo-yeon had mentioned something about CK.
And after reading the article in the February issue of Music Life, I thought it might have been Seul-gi. As Eun-ho explained, Seul-gi, after a moment of surprise, smiled.
“Wow, you’re very observant.”
“Can I take that as a compliment?”
“Of course.”
The sound of running water from the shower filled the brief silence.
Eun-ho, after a moment of silence, asked, trying to break the awkward atmosphere,
“So, Seul-gi, how did you end up here?”
“Hehe, because I like E-UNG.”
“Nah.”
Eun-ho smiled meaningfully at Seul-gi.
“You’re here because you like Eun-ji.”
“Wow, you’re right.”
“I was hoping you’d deny it, haha.”
As Eun-ho chuckled wryly, Seul-gi also laughed, admitting it was partly true.
“You were very obvious in your article.”
“Oh my, was I?”
“Yes. Your affection for Eun-ji was… overwhelming.”
“My affection is a bit overwhelming.”
“But CK is a big company, a shame to leave.”
Seul-gi smiled awkwardly and continued.
“CK Music Life was shut down.”
“Ah.”
“The department was disbanded, and there are less than five of us left, including me—”
Big companies discard what isn’t profitable.
Having discussed this topic with the CEO before, I listened quietly.
“People call it a big company, but honestly, I wasn’t that attached. I quit to do what I love.”
Seul-gi, looking a bit embarrassed, stood up carefully.
“This seems a bit late, but…”
She bowed her head politely.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Joo Seul-gi, and I’ll be in charge of your wardrobe and makeup from today onwards.”
“So you’re a stylist, not an editor?”
As Eun-ho tilted his head in confusion, Seul-gi smiled and answered,
“Yes. This is actually my specialty. I look forward to working with you.”
Eun-ho was looking at Seul-gi with a slightly surprised expression.
Just then…
The bathroom door burst open.
“Ah, I feel so much better! Huh?”
Eun-ji, seemingly having just noticed the stranger, stared at Seul-gi, speechless, as if she recognized her but couldn’t quite place her.
“Twenties Live Bar.”
“Oh! Oh! Right! Oh! Wow!”
“Seul-gi.”
“Ah! Right! The leather unnie who came with that Eun-ho fan with long hair! She gave me the earrings! Right!”
I understood she was surprised, but…
‘Her voice is so loud…’
It was like a train whistle.
We shared the same blood, but did she get all the good vocal genes?
By the way, that hint was for Seul-gi, not Eun-ji.
‘And who’s the “leather unnie”?’
Eun-ho thought back to that day and remembered Seul-gi, whose fashion sense was similar to Eun-ji’s, and said, “Ah.”
She seemed to be wearing something leather that day…
I was good with faces, but not so much with fashion.
Lee Eun-ji would probably remember better.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Joo Seul-gi, and I’ll be working with Eun-ji.”
“Wow! Please take care of me!”
Eun-ji…?
I looked at Seul-gi, a bit confused.
Not just the honorifics, but her tone had completely changed, becoming much softer, specifically with Lee Eun-ji.
“Um, Seul-gi… unnie?”
Eun-ji asked Seul-gi, tilting her head, as if unsure how to address her.
“Just call me unnie.”
“Okay! Unnie! Nice to meet you!”
As Eun-ji smiled, welcoming Seul-gi, I was certain.
Just like in the article, Seul-gi’s bias was definitely Lee Eun-ji.
Her demeanor, and the affection in her eyes, were completely different from when she was talking to me.
After a moment of commotion, Seul-gi excused herself and stepped out.
When she returned, she had a serious expression, carrying a huge equipment bag.
“We don’t have much time, so let’s start with Eun-ho’s makeup. Ji-ji…”
“Ji-ji?”
Ji-ji?
As Eun-ji asked, I also tilted my head at the unfamiliar nickname.
“Ah, no. Um, Eun-ji, which outfit do you prefer?”
Seul-gi, flustered by her slip-up, stuttered and offered Eun-ji two outfits.
“Oh! This one!”
The outfit Eun-ji chose seemed to have less fabric than the other one.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Meanwhile, Seul-gi had equipped herself with a cushion puff on her middle finger and various brushes on the other fingers.
“Alright, Eun-ho!”
“Yes?”
“Let’s begin.”
While Eun-ji was changing in her room, I let Seul-gi work her magic on my face.
It was difficult to keep my eyes open with all the activity around my face.
Click, rustle.
It seemed like Eun-ji had finished changing; I heard the sound of her door opening.
“Unnie, how do I look?”
“Wow, it looks great on you!”
“Right? I knew it was my style the moment I saw it! I love it.”
Since my eyes were closed, I was curious about what she was wearing.
But my curiosity was short-lived.
When I opened my eyes, I instantly regretted it.
A moment later, Eun-ho yelled angrily,
“How much do you hate me?! Even if it’s just business, I hate skin-on-skin contact during choreography!”