Chapter 23: I Became the Older Brother of a Top Star

"Wow, that was really amazing."

"I haven't felt goosebumps from someone's singing in a long time."

"Yunseong, you sing really well too. Why did you hide your talent all this time? Haha."

After finishing the song and coming out, the PDs' reactions were much better than before.

"The duet was definitely better."

"Right. The stage felt richer with the duet."

"Yuna, what should we do? It seems like you'll have to sing with Yunseong from now on, right?"

Yuna then smiled brightly.

"I'm fine with that. I get nervous and feel lonely when I sing alone."

I was also surprised by how good the duet was today.

Following the aura emanating from Yuna, I immersed myself in the music, and a warm feeling spread through my body. By the end of the song, a sweet aftertaste remained.

It felt like healing.

Yes, it was like being comforted by someone, exactly that feeling.

Usually, the listener should feel healed, but the singer feeling a warm heart was unexpected.

It must be thanks to Yuna.

"By the way, Yunseong, did you just improvise the arrangement on the spot?"

To PD Kim's question, I nodded.

"Ah, yes. I just tried it out based on what came to mind. Was the song a bit strange?"

"Strange? What are you talking about? We even thought you had prepared it beforehand."

"Goodness, you mean that was really an impromptu arrangement?!"

"Wow, are you a genius? How did you do that on the spot? Even professionals can't do that easily."

As the auras of these people and Yuna merged, I impulsively improvised the arrangement.

Fortunately, it didn't sound rough or awkward.

"Today's arrangement was the best. If this is released as a video... "

"Video? Oh, wait a moment. Did we record the video?"

"Look at me. I was so captivated that I didn't even check if the video was being recorded."

One PD hurriedly checked and sighed in relief.

"Phew. Luckily, the video is well-recorded."

"Ah, that's a shame. I actually hoped it wasn't recorded. Then we could see Yuna and Yunseong sing again, right?"

The PDs turned on the video that had just been recorded on the computer screen.

...Maybe it's because of the mask.

When I used to see my old body in photos or videos, I would immediately feel extreme disgust, but here, I found myself involuntarily letting out a short exclamation of admiration.

It's possible to like one's own face.

Especially Yuna, who was showing a perfect appearance without a doubt.

With her sweet voice added, the video looked visually stunning even without any special effects.

"Yunseong, are you going to upload this video?"

"Ah, yes."

"How do you plan to upload it?"

"Both the version where Yuna sang alone and the duet version we did together."

"Ooh, that sounds good. Watching you two sing the duet, it felt like... like a reply to a letter from a separated lover."

If you felt that way, it means the arrangement worked as intended.

However, while making this arrangement, I also realized something deeply.

'I want to sing not someone else's song, but my own. No, our own song.'

Until now, we had only practiced songs that Yuna and other singers had sung.

But through this arrangement, I began to yearn for something new.

I wanted to sing a song that only Yuna and I could sing.

To achieve that,

'I need to create a song from start to finish myself.'

I'm not dismissing the skills of the PDs here, but this is about creating a song for my younger sister.

Moreover, to support Yuna as she wishes, I need to create a duet song.

Duet songs are naturally more difficult and complex to create than solo songs.

The pitch needs to be well-matched for the male and female voices to blend well, and any imbalance can affect the entire song.

'I can't let this continue.'

Therefore, I need to improve my skills even more.

Honestly, I think I could create a decent duet song right now, but I want to make the best one possible.

For Yuna and me.

###

"Phew, that's tough."

After returning home from the agency, I went out for a run.

Yuna, who had been running with me, eventually gave up.

"Brother, let's take a short break. It's too tiring."

Hmm, we've only run for 30 minutes.

But I didn't want to force Yuna if she was tired.

"Should we? If you're too tired, we can go home."

"No, I don't want to ruin your workout because of me."

"Well, I can drop you off and then continue my workout."

"Ugh, what stamina."

Yuna shook her head and sat down on a nearby bench.

I handed her the sports drink I brought from home.

"Drink this."

"Okay, thanks."

After gulping down the drink, Yuna seemed to perk up a bit.

"I feel better now. Aren't you tired, Brother?"

"I am, but exercising makes me feel good. Plus, the satisfaction of pushing myself to the limit and achieving it is even greater."

"......"

Yuna looked at me with a cold, deadpan expression.

"When did our brother become like this?"

This has been my habit for a long time.

In my previous life, I loved exercising so much that I never skipped it, no matter how busy or tired I was.

Moreover, Jung Yunseong's body was extremely weak.

He looked good, but his body was so thin that it seemed like it would break if you touched it.

Therefore,

"I need to build up my stamina from now on. That way, I can perform on stage with you as you wish."

"Ooh, such deep meaning. I'm a bit touched?"

"Yuna, you have great basic stamina, but I don't. I need to work hard to build it up."

"Ugh, Brother, you have great stamina. You look like a super soldier."

That's because Yuna doesn't know.

My legs have been trembling, and my heart has been pounding like it's about to burst, but I haven't shown it.

Still, the challenge spirit seems to be more alive than the discomfort, which isn't bad.

I will definitely strengthen this weak body.

"Are we going to upload the video today?"

"Yeah, we'll do a simple mixing job and upload it without any editing."

If I had decided to do proper mixing, it could have been as good as a professionally released track.

But it seemed better to upload it raw.

Like the performance at Hongdae, this would show our voices as they are.

Moreover, there didn't seem to be a need for video editing.

According to the PDs, our faces don't need any retouching, and editing would make them look strange.

"I'm looking forward to it. How many views will it get?"

Yuna, who had been tapping her foot in anticipation, then seemed to let go of her excitement.

"Well, it doesn't matter if not many people watch it. We became a topic for a while because of the Hongdae busking, but people usually forget quickly."

That's how the internet works.

When something becomes a topic, it burns brightly for a short time, but as soon as something new comes along, the old thing is forgotten. This cycle repeats infinitely in the internet world.

"I'm just satisfied that we have this video. And we'll keep making videos from now on."

"Right. Dad even made us a studio. It would be a disaster if we only made one video. And if we do it, we want it to be good."

Of course, I don't want to keep singing other people's songs like parrots.

My goal is to sing a song that only we can sing.

"We can sing together sometimes, and Yuna, you can also sing solo. Let's keep making videos. Consistency is key for the algorithm to work and for the channel to grow."

At that, Yuna suddenly raised her voice.

"What? You want me to sing solo?"

"Huh? We'll do duets, but you should also sing solo sometimes..."

"No."

Hearing Yuna's firm and decisive voice, I realized this was no ordinary matter.

"Why? Is there a real reason you can't sing solo?"

"Um..."

Yuna hesitated to speak.

"It's okay, Yuna. Tell me."

"Ugh, I was embarrassed to say it."

Finally, Yuna, trembling slightly, said,

"Whenever I stand alone on stage, I get so nervous that my mind goes blank."

"......?"

"Even if it's not a stage, standing alone in front of a camera is incredibly nerve-wracking. How do I put it? When people suddenly focus on me, I get so anxious that I can't breathe. Just thinking about it makes me break out in a cold sweat."

Anyone can get nervous when standing on stage or being the center of attention.

But Yuna's level of nervousness seemed excessively high compared to the average person.

"But when Brother is there with me, I feel at ease. It gives me some support."

Hearing Yuna's words, a thought flashed through my mind.

'Yuna didn't develop anxiety after losing her parents... maybe it was always there...'

Could it have been triggered and worsened by her parents' death?

"......"

I never noticed because she always smiled brightly.

She never showed any signs of it in her daily life.

'I didn't even realize...'

I had thought Yuna was just as nervous as anyone else in situations that made people nervous.

'I missed this.'

Still, I'm glad I found out before it was too late.

"Brother, I'll keep that promise."

"What? So you won't keep other promises?"

"Well, that depends on what the promise is, right?"

"Wow."

I helped Yuna up, who was acting exasperated.

"Come on, get up. Let's run again. We've rested too long."

"Ah!"

I slowed down a bit to match her pace and continued running.

"Phew, I shouldn't have come out."

Despite her words, Yuna was running hard to keep up, and I couldn't help but smile.

The image of her taking a handful of pills in the van flashed in my mind, making my heart heavy.

But,

'This won't happen again.'

I will share the burden that Yuna has been carrying.

###

Singer Rilyn had stopped all her activities and was resting at home.

The reason was simple.

She no longer felt the same passion.

She no longer had a purpose or affection for singing.

Despite the management's repeated attempts to persuade and comfort her, she had decided to take a break and returned home.

It had been a week since then.

"Dear, take a look at this."

Perhaps feeling sorry for her daughter, who had been lying in bed like a corpse, her mother approached and showed her a video.

Rilyn replied in a flat tone.

"What is it?"

"Isn't that the brother and sister who sang at Hongdae? I saw it on NewTube's recommendations and watched it. They sing really well."

Ah, that brother and sister.

She hadn't watched the video, only heard about it.

"Why them?"

"Well, that brother and sister sang your song. Remember the title track from your old album, 'Moon'? I just found out while searching for your songs."

Rilyn glanced at the screen.

It was a recent video with only a few thousand views.

"Watch it once."

"Ugh, I don't want to."

"Come on, just once. Okay? They really sing well. You should watch it, okay?"

Her mother patted her daughter's head and left the phone on the bed.

"......"

Rilyn looked at the phone on her stomach, too lazy to move a finger.

Why is she being so lazy?

She tried to put the phone away but,

"Sigh."

It was hard to coldly reject her mother's simple request to watch a video.

"......They look pretty."

Did they rent a professional recording studio?

A handsome boy was sitting with a guitar, and a pretty girl with similar features was sitting in front of a microphone.

"How good can it be?"

Muttering to herself, Rilyn pressed the play button.

Chapter 24