Chapter 34: Big Brother of a Top Star

"Big Brother, thank you."

"Huh?"

"I was being stubborn, but you still did it for me."

Yuna had a dream.

It was to busk on the streets of Hongdae without any reservations.

'Originally, I planned to do it after I had written a few songs-'

Ever since we sang at the Hongdae karaoke, she had been saying she wanted to busk with me.

I kept saying we should wait a little longer, but I felt we might never get the chance, so today I decided to come out.

Of course, since we came out on a whim, we were almost completely unprepared.

We only got permission from the district office and prepared a few songs.

Moreover, the district office didn't assign us a specific spot, so we had to decide where to perform ourselves.

"Can we do well today?"

She had been the one to insist on coming, but now that we were here, she seemed nervous.

Yuna repeatedly took deep breaths and let them out.

"Don't worry. We didn't announce it anywhere, so not many people will gather."

If we had thoroughly prepared for today's performance and had more original songs, we would have announced it on NewTube.

That way, more people would have gathered, but now we were going in blind, without any announcements.

"Apparently, it's considered a good performance if you can gather 10 people for busking."

Of course, if people who recognize us start to gather, more will come, but expecting a large crowd like at the Hongdae karaoke would be greedy.

So, I decided to lower my expectations.

"Don't be nervous, just relax. Got it?"

"Okay!"

Yuna smiled brightly in response.

Sometimes I forget.

I assume that since I'm mentally an adult, Yuna is also an adult.

But this girl is only 15, a second-year middle school student.

She's still young, naive, and has a lot to learn.

'Will she even look at me when she becomes a high school student?'

She hasn't hit puberty yet, but who knows?

Once she starts high school, she might not even treat me like a person.

That's what happens with other siblings.

So, it's best to create as many sibling memories as possible now.

"Shall we set up here? It looks like those people are packing up."

"Okay, let's do it."

The two of us approached a band that was packing up after their performance.

"Excuse me..."

"Yes? Oh! You scared me."

The band's vocalist jumped back in surprise when he saw us.

"Sorry, did I scare you?"

"Of course, you did. With those faces, you startled me."

The man, dressed in a rocker style, looked us over and his eyes widened.

"Wait! Is that you?"

"Me?"

"NewTube! Are you the siblings?"

Despite his tough appearance, he seemed very emotional.

"Are you not using this spot anymore?"

"Performing here? I didn't see any announcement about a performance today. That's strange. I didn't see it? I'm a subscriber, so I would have seen it if you posted it."

"We didn't announce it. We just came out to practice."

"Oh... I see. But this spot isn't very good for performances."

He explained that there are prime spots and a system in place.

"The best spot is a bit further down, where the most people pass by. Do you know where 00 Galbi Jjim is?"

"Yes, I've been there before."

It's a famous galbi jjim restaurant in Hongdae.

"The spot in front of it is the best. The most people pass by there, and it's convenient for setting up equipment. The problem is that big guys often occupy it, leaving no room for people like us."

I've heard that before.

Hongdae may look like anyone can set up anywhere, but there are designated spots for busking and others that are not allowed.

The "big guys" he mentioned are NewTube channel hosts with many subscribers or popular bands.

They often reserve spots in advance, and sometimes they even prevent unknowns from approaching.

"I heard you have to pay a spot fee to use the prime spots. You need electricity and other things, so they charge for it. Sometimes it even goes to a bidding process."

This place isn't easy either.

Thanks to his detailed explanation, I realized how harsh the ecosystem here is.

"So, you really want to perform here? This spot isn't very good for you. As you can see, not many people pass by."

"It's fine. We just want to do a light performance."

"What about the equipment? Did you bring everything?"

"Ah, just a guitar and an amp..."

The man glanced at our equipment and shook his head.

"At least you brought something. The amp looks pretty good. But one amp is too few for someone as talented as you two."

He then approached the band members who were packing up and started talking to them. Soon,

"Wow!"

"Really? It's them?!"

They hurried over to us.

"I was wondering why you weren't packing up. You were just standing there."

"Wow, I've never seen a celebrity before. I'm a real fan."

"Can we take a photo with you?"

The band had five members, including the vocalist.

"So, you're performing here?"

"Uh, this spot isn't very good."

"But it's the only spot available at this time."

They all shook their heads, confirming that this spot wasn't good.

"But just because the spot isn't good, does that mean you should use subpar equipment?"

"Use our equipment. Please, we insist."

"We'll set everything up for you."

They had one request.

"In return, please sing a lot today."

"Wow, I'm going to hear 'Chicken Addiction' live?"

They just wanted to hear us sing.

Yuna, grateful for their kindness, clenched her fists and said,

"Thank you so much, guys. I'll really try my best today."

"..."

They stared at Yuna in amazement.

They looked completely mesmerized.

Should we move to a better spot?

"Sorry, I couldn't help but stare."

"I thought you were under a spell or something."

They quickly set up the equipment, inspired by Yuna's enthusiasm.

"Here, come and sit."

"Thank you so much."

"Are you going to record a video?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll record it for you. It's easy; I just need to set up the tripod and check the recording."

They also had recording equipment, as they recorded their performances.

Thanks to them, we had a good setup for our performance.

"These people are so nice. How can we repay them?"

Maybe we should order some chicken... I chuckled at Yuna's muttering.

"Those people said they want to hear us sing a lot."

The only way to repay their kindness was one.

"We just need to give a good performance today."

Even if we're the only audience today, we'll give our best.

# # #

Kim Sang-sik, who had been busking with his club band on various streets for two years, couldn't contain his excitement.

He never thought he would see the siblings he knew from NewTube in person.

He had seen comments saying videos don't capture everything, and it was true.

Their stunning visuals couldn't be fully captured by a camera.

Ding!

He pressed the record button, and Jung Yun-seong started with a light strum.

Jung Yuna, standing next to him, warmed up her voice.

"Aah~."

Her clear voice resonated.

Even just warming up, her voice was captivating.

'Wow, we get to enjoy this all to ourselves.'

If the spot had been a bit better, people would have gathered quickly.

'Should I post on a community site now?'

But he doubted how many people would see it even if he posted.

While he was thinking,

"Sending this day away~."

Jung Yuna's song flowed like water.

It was a song they had never performed in their videos.

'Is this 'Hope' by Kim Jae-yeol?'

It seemed to be a rearranged male song, with a perfect pitch and rhythm that fit the atmosphere.

Her soft voice, comforting a hard day, tickled his ears.

It felt like Yuna was comforting him, who was pursuing his dreams and hopes.

"Let's dance and sing together~."

But the mood soon changed.

With a fast strum, the genre shifted to an upbeat dance song.

'I knew he was good at guitar, but...'

Jung Yun-seong's rhythmic strumming made him exclaim in admiration.

It was as if he was playing the guitar just for fun.

Another surprising point was that Yuna's voice, which seemed unsuitable for a dance song, matched perfectly.

By the time the second and third songs ended,

"Wow-!"

"Encore!!"

"Wh-?!"

A loud cheer came from behind.

He had been so engrossed in their performance that he hadn't noticed.

'When did so many people gather?'

So many people gathered on this street, at this worst spot.

They had come without any announcement.

That meant,

'They were drawn by the voices.'

Realizing this, Kim Sang-sik felt ashamed.

He had always blamed the spot for the lack of audience at his performances. But seeing these two, he realized the spot didn't matter.

It was about the talent.

"Thank you so much for listening!"

When Yuna stood up and gave a cute bow, the cheers grew louder.

He had been to concerts and seen celebrities, but he had never felt such excitement.

Their star quality was unaffected by the location.

"I didn't expect so many people to come. How did you find us?"

"By the voice~!"

"Me too!!"

"Even from a distance, you looked so beautiful!"

Yuna smiled shyly and nodded.

"That's right. We only planned to sing a few songs."

"No way~!"

"Stay a bit longer!"

"Then... can we sing a bit more?"

"Yes-!!"

"Sing 'Chicken Addiction'!!"

She knew how to play with the crowd.

The crowd continued to grow.

People were drawn by the crowd and the excitement.

"Ah, 'Chicken Addiction.' Of course, we'll sing it. But first... we have an original song we've never shown before. Can we sing that first?"

"Wow!"

"Absolutely!!"

An unreleased original song!

The crowd's reaction mirrored Kim Sang-sik's.

Encouraged by the enthusiastic cheers, Yuna sat back down and took a deep breath.

The young girl already knew how to captivate the crowd.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

A lively, provocative, and lively guitar sound filled the air, reminiscent of 'Chicken Addiction.'

"Don't sleep in~. Get up early today~."

Yuna's rich voice filled the empty space, along with lyrics that suited the two of them.

Chapter 35