Siblings Work in Business (98)
Even as he grumbled, Eun-ho quickly packed the clothes and items Eun-ji had gathered.
The trunk was overflowing.
There was no more space.
“Hey, it’s full. The zipper won’t close if we put anything else in.”
Then, as if on cue, Eun-ji and Seul-gi looked at Eun-ho with bewildered expressions.
“What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean?”
“Seul-gi-ssi too… Seriously, it won’t close. Look. Can’t you see it’s about to burst?”
Seul-gi and Eun-ji looked at the packed trunk.
“It’s not bursting.”
“It’s fine.”
Eun-ho, flustered by their serious expressions, chuckled.
That’s possible?
How…?
Eun-ho, taking a step back, stared at them, trying to figure out what they were thinking.
“Unnie, are you ready?”
“Should I close it?”
“Okay.”
It seemed they were finally done packing. A mountain of clothes, clearly exceeding the trunk’s capacity, was piled on top.
‘How are they going to close that?’
Just as Eun-ho was chuckling in disbelief…
Eun-ji and Seul-gi suddenly stood up and rolled up their sleeves.
Eun-ho stared at them, dumbfounded.
“What…”
The trunk was wide open, like an overstuffed American hotdog.
Eun-ji took a deep breath, like a hero going to war, and then pressed down on the open trunk.
“Unnie! Now!”
“Okay!”
It was a very… energetic scene.
Seul-gi quickly zipped up the trunk as the gap narrowed slightly.
Seriously? They think they can close it like that?
Ignoring Eun-ho’s doubts, the zipper, albeit slowly, started moving.
And then…
Ziiiip—
The zipper closed.
The two collapsed on the floor, sighing in relief.
‘That’s… possible?’
Eun-ho was in disbelief. The closed trunk was bulging. The contents must have been vacuum-packed.
There was nothing he could say; they had closed it, against all odds.
“Holy…”
Eun-ho lifted the trunk out of curiosity and almost dropped it. It was much heavier than his identical trunk, as if filled with bricks.
“If you were going to pack this much, why not use separate bags and carry them?”
He asked Eun-ji, confused.
“It’s heavy and tiring.”
Her answer was even more perplexing. Eun-ho, at a loss for words, just shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. Seul-gi, however, seemed to agree with Eun-ji, nodding enthusiastically.
“Well, yes… That’s… true…”
Eun-ho gave up on understanding.
“Let’s go downstairs. Hyung must be waiting.”
“Yay—!”
Eun-ji, who had been lying on the floor exhausted, suddenly jumped up, cheering.
“Road trip!”
Eun-ji grabbed a hat and ran downstairs. The trunk thudded heavily against the steps as she dragged it down.
Eun-ho, having packed his bag earlier and already loaded it in the car, came down empty-handed.
“Give it to me. I’ll put it in the back.”
“Wow! Thank you!”
Hyun-woo offered to take the trunk from Eun-ji as she struggled to drag it, smiling at her.
‘Hyung, it’s not as light as you think.’
I wanted to warn him, but it was too late.
‘…?’
Hyun-woo seemed to realize something was wrong the moment he lifted the trunk.
Although he was still smiling, his eyes seemed to be asking questions.
“That’s Doraemon’s pocket.”
Eun-ho added, but Hyun-woo still looked bewildered by the weight.
After a brief commotion, Seul-gi sat in the passenger seat next to Hyun-woo, and Eun-ji and Eun-ho sat in the back, as usual.
The navigation showed a route of over 270km, despite choosing the fastest option.
It would take more than 3 hours.
Hyun-woo, anticipating a tiring drive, looked at the three iced Americanos and sighed.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
Eun-ji replied cheerfully, fastening her seatbelt.
No matter how loud I scream, no one will listen
I’ll set my body on fire and let the flames rise
If you want, I’ll show you, I’m all in now
About an hour into the drive…
Eun-ji’s eclectic playlist and occasional humming, along with Eun-ho’s harmonies, made the long drive enjoyable, at least for their ears. For Seul-gi and Hyun-woo, already fans, it was like having front-row seats to a private concert.
But even that got old.
Three hours was a long time.
Eun-ho and Eun-ji eventually fell asleep.
And the estimated travel time, initially a little over three hours, had increased to four, and then five, due to traffic and what seemed like an accident on the highway.
It was a long enough drive that they needed a rest stop break.
Hyun-woo, having finished all three coffees, also desperately needed a bathroom break.
“I’ll be right back.”
As soon as they arrived at the rest stop, Hyun-woo rushed to the restroom.
“Eun-ji-nim, Eun-ho-nim.”
Eun-ho’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of his name.
Seul-gi nudged Eun-ji, trying to wake her up.
Seul-gi, checking the rearview mirror to make sure Eun-ho was awake, turned around to check on Eun-ji, then paused.
“Wow, it’s always surprising.”
Eun-ji, as usual, was asleep with her eyes rolled back.
Seul-gi nodded in agreement with Eun-ho’s earlier mutter.
“Eu-Eun-ji-nim.”
“Ugh… hngh…”
Eun-ji was definitely not speaking Korean.
Despite Seul-gi’s efforts, Eun-ji didn’t wake up.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to use the restroom, and I thought I’d grab some snacks…,” Seul-gi replied to Eun-ho’s question.
“I’ll watch Eun-ji. Can you get me a sausage?”
“Sure.”
Seul-gi smiled and nodded.
After Seul-gi left, Eun-ho habitually opened the E-FAN app.
—Nickname: Mink is Cute
[I was feeling down on my way to school today, and then ‘Last Day’ came on the radio on the bus!
Ji-ji-nim and Rangi-nim are truly gifts in my life ㅠㅠㅠ
I miss you so much ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
You’ll be back soon with a new song, right? ㅠㅠ What are you doing today?]
Perhaps it was because some time had passed since the launch of the E-FAN app…
Despite the lack of merchandise, many fans had accumulated EG Points, and Eun-ho was enjoying replying to the E% messages.
[We’re on our way to Gyeongsangbuk-do for a shoot.
I’m happy to hear our song comforted you, Mink-nim ㅎㅎ
I’m looking forward to seeing you again soon with a new song, along with Senior Toxin.
Don’t be sad, Mink-nim, and have a good day.
Let’s meet again with smiles next time. Okay?]
After replying to the fan, Eun-ho saw Seul-gi approaching the car.
She was carrying a roasted sweet potato, a sausage for Eun-ho, and two hot bars.
Hyun-woo was with her, holding a cup of coffee.
They got in the car.
“Eun-ji-nim is still asleep?”
“Seems like it.”
Eun-ho flinched as he was taking the sausage from Seul-gi.
Eun-ji, seemingly awakened by the smell, though still drowsy, was staring at the sausage in his hand.
“Do you want some?”
“…”
Seul-gi smiled, finding her adorable.
Eun-ji nodded slightly, her eyes still half-closed, as if she wanted the hot bar despite being sleepy.
“Is it good?”
“…Yeah.”
“Can I film you?”
“Whatever.”
Eun-ho took out his phone and started filming after getting her permission.
Eun-ji, eyes still closed, munched on the hot bar.
Eun-ho, forgetting about his own sausage, watched her.
“I should send this to the CEO.”
“…Okay.”
It was meant to be a teasing remark, but Eun-ji just nodded, still half asleep.
Unlike his usual Genesis, CEO Park was driving a black Mercedes sedan. He parked at the same rest stop as Eun-ho and the others, a little later, and got out, exhaling.
CEO Park didn’t usually like to show off his wealth.
But he had a reason for driving such a flashy car today.
‘To show them that the kids are doing well, that they’ve grown up.’
So they could be reassured just by seeing him.
But even the most comfortable car became tiring after a long drive.
“Team Leader!”
“Call me CEO. I haven’t been a Team Leader for a while now.”
“Then hyung!”
Next to him were Joo Song-min, his hood pulled up, and Oh Hyun, his face covered with a mask and a cap.
“…Whatever.”
At CEO Park’s grumbling, the two chuckled and changed the subject.
“Seung-yeon wants to know if you want anything to eat.”
“He can just call me.”
“He said you’re not answering your phone.”
“Ah, my phone. Right.”
CEO Park was wearing a dark beige semi-formal suit. It went well with his light gray shirt, but he had taken off his jacket and put it in the back seat since it was uncomfortable to drive in.
‘I put it in the inner pocket…’
He opened the back door and checked the jacket hanging on the hook. His phone was in the inner pocket, as expected.
He checked the phone; three missed calls from Seo Seung-yeon.
And a short video from Eun-ho.
‘Did something happen?’
CEO Park checked the video with a worried expression.
Then, he burst out laughing.
“What is it?”
Oh Hyun and Song-min, curious about his sudden laughter, craned their necks to see his phone.
“Hey! Don’t look.”
“Isn’t that Eun-ji? What kind of video is it?”
“You don’t need to know. It’s about my kids.”
“Wow, that’s harsh! You called us your kids before!”
“I said ‘like my kids,’ not ‘my kids.’ And you guys are all grown up. These two are the ones I actually raised, so don’t compare, you brat.”