Chapter 55: I Became the Older Brother of a Top Star

The songs on the first album by me and Yuna broke into the rankings at an incredible speed, and the title track finally entered the top ten.

“Squeal!”

After confirming the rankings, Yuna jumped around in one spot, expressing her joy with her whole body.

The PDs who had gathered in the studio to anxiously check the music chart rankings clapped and congratulated us.

“Congratulations.”

“Wow. It’s only been a day, and we’re already in the top ten? Really, congratulations.”

“But the music video was really well done, and the song was great too.”

“No matter how good it is, they’re not even a top star. They’re just debutants, newbies! To be in the top ten right after debuting, wow. That’s really impressive.”

Even though we had gained some fame through NewTube, not everyone in the country knew us.

I had expected there to be some obstacles as newbies, but it turned out differently.

Despite being newbies, we made a huge impact with our first album.

“By the way, the song you guys sang at the coin karaoke last time is also in the top ten.”

“Oh, right. That song was really good. It was a completely unknown singer’s song, but how did you know about it, Yoonseong? The singer has completely skyrocketed thanks to you, opened a social media account, and is preparing a new album.”

Indeed, the singer, Hwang Juyong, had sent me a direct message.

He thanked me for singing his song and said he would never forget this favor.

To be honest, I didn’t expect the song to do so well.

Originally, Yuna was supposed to sing it and gain popularity later, but because of me, the future has completely changed.

‘So many things will change from now on, I guess.’

From the fact that Yuna’s first album is a duet, many things have already changed.

“But aren’t you calm about it, big brother? We’re in the top ten?!”

Yuna was shaking my shoulder, making a fuss.

I’m naturally happy too.

But Yuna is doing all the reactions, so I feel like I’m experiencing it vicariously. Just watching her makes me feel satisfied.

“Haha, Yuna. Don’t you know your big brother yet? Yoonseong can’t be satisfied with just the top ten.”

“Yeah, Yoonseong, this guy seems to only be thinking about getting first place.”

“Hehe. This guy. No one in our group has ever made a song reach number one. Is he trying to take that achievement first?”

I didn’t really have that intention.

It just didn’t feel real yet.

And number one on the music chart.

There are many composers in Korea, but very few have ever reached number one.

Reaching the top ten is possible, but the number one spot, known as the magic wall, is much harder to achieve.

“Now, Yoonseong and Yuna need to solidify their position.”

“Solidify?”

“Yes. Why do all singers appear on music shows? Even the most popular singers appear on various variety shows, but they always appear on music shows. It’s a great way to promote, more than you might think. Nowadays, with the development of NewTube, it’s even more effective.”

When a singer debuts, they appear on music shows to perform.

Of course, not everyone can appear.

For newbies, support from their agency is essential, and even veteran singers must appear on music shows.

Even though the ratings are low, the promotional effect is significant.

Even now, with edited videos being uploaded to NewTube, the promotional effect is even greater.

“No matter how popular a singer is, it’s rare for them to immediately top the charts with their new album. Many people don’t even know the singer has released a new album, so they appear on various shows to promote. This is called solidifying.”

“If you want to aim for number one, you need to promote as much as possible. You need to make sure people hear your song at least once.”

Music shows.

I’ve experienced something similar before.

I learned what a music show performance is like when we appeared on "Tell Your Story."

But the atmosphere of the music show we’re about to appear on will be very different.

The audience consists of fans of different singers, and there might be no one to cheer for us, who are just newbies.

“Music shows are the scariest when you’re a newbie. Before you have a solid fan base, there’s no one to cheer for you on stage.”

“Yeah, that’s why some people develop stage fright.”

I chuckled at the PDs’ words.

“So you’re trying to scare us first?”

“Huh? Haha. It sounds like I’m really scaring you.”

Well, it’s our first music show, so having high expectations is natural...

“We’re not worried!”

At that moment, Yuna sat next to me and put her arm around my shoulder.

“Huh?”

“We’re going to dominate the stage, big brother! Right, big brother?”

Yuna’s confidence made my face turn red.

But I didn’t say anything and just nodded.

A pink aura was fiercely emanating from Yuna’s body, and I felt like she would indeed turn the first music show stage upside down.

# # #

“Sigh...”

The car was filled with a deep sigh.

Unable to bear it, Yuna took out some calming pills and a vitamin drink from her bag.

“Here, Dad. Take it.”

“Huh? But I gave those to you guys earlier. Why are you giving them to me?”

“Well, it seems like you need them more than we do.”

Father blinked his eyes and took the medicine Yuna offered.

“Ugh.”

“Are you having trouble digesting again?”

“Huh? Ah, I was so nervous today that I forgot to take my digestive medicine. Haha. I don’t know why I’m more nervous than you guys.”

He was like this when we said we were going to appear on "Tell Your Story" before, and he’s like this again now.

In contrast, Yuna and I weren’t as nervous as Father.

“You can do it, right? No, you will do well. So don’t be scared. Got it? You can do it. Don’t be afraid. Got it?”

Father was trying to boost our confidence for our first music show debut, but it seemed like he needed it more than we did.

Seeing him trembling, Mother couldn’t take it anymore and hit his back.

“Phew. You’re the most scared, the most!”

“Ouch. Of course, I’m worried.”

“If you’re that worried, you’re scaring them. Stop being silly and get out of the car.”

“Ah, okay.”

Father was dragged out by Mother, who had grabbed the back of his neck.

“You guys, do well.”

Mother, with her cool personality, gave a cool encouragement.

But Yuna and I know.

Mother is just as nervous as Father.

She looked very tired, as if she hadn’t slept until the early morning.

“Mom and Dad are worried we might make a mistake since it’s our first time.”

Performing in front of a full audience for the first time.

Even though we’ve gained experience through busking, this is on a different level.

Because it’s a live broadcast.

Even a small mistake can turn you into a public spectacle.

Wait. Thinking about it now, I’m getting nervous.

“Are you the siblings?”

At that moment, a woman who looked like a staff member approached us.

“Yes.”

“The show is about to start, so please come to the waiting room.”

We followed the staff member to the waiting room.

Before entering, we prepared mentally.

The waiting room atmosphere I often saw during my manager days was extreme.

Sometimes it was lively when people were familiar with each other, but most of the time it was icy cold.

The harsh supervision of managers and the competition among singers made it a tiring place.

When we opened the door and entered,

“Ah, so yesterday I told that guy...”

“No, I clearly said I wouldn’t do it there... Huh?”

The singers who were going to perform today were gathered.

The noisy waiting room suddenly became quiet when we entered.

“...”

The eyes that scrutinized us were all fixed on us.

It’s been a while since I experienced this atmosphere.

It’s a place where everyone is on guard against each other.

If you don’t know each other, you just look at each other with cold eyes.

But in that heavy silence,

“Hello!”

Yuna greeted them with a very energetic and bright voice.

“It’s our first time on a music show, so please be kind if we make any mistakes. Thank you!”

“...”

They looked at Yuna, who bowed, in silence,

“Haha!”

“Haha.”

Soon, they started to laugh one by one.

Then, a member of the girl group RainCity, who had the highest debut seniority, approached Yuna.

“Your name is Jung Yuna, right?”

“Yes!”

“Ugh, you’re so cute. It’s your first time today? You must have a lot of things you don’t know. If you have any questions, ask me. I’ll tell you everything.”

Other people also started to gather around us.

“Wow, he’s really handsome. Hey, he’s better than you guys. It would be better if he went up there to dance and sing instead of you.”

“No, why is he causing trouble.”

“But he really is handsome. Man.”

“Not to mention, he’s 100% natural. Our faces are from Apgujeong.”

“No, you never know. He might have done something at a hidden place.”

They looked at us in amazement.

“It’s like looking at celebrities.”

“Yeah, it’s the first time seeing them in person after only seeing them on NewTube.”

“I thought their visuals were amazing from the videos, but this is too much. They might get a lot of hate when they perform next.”

These people seem to be quite close to each other.

The waiting room for music shows is always full of people.

Since each team can’t have their own waiting room, everyone is crammed into one place.

Of course, popular singers or idols usually have their own waiting rooms.

While agencies manage girl group members to avoid conflicts with other groups, they can’t control the waiting room, making it a meeting place for everyone.

So, managers often monitor the waiting room to prevent any trouble.

“What number are you performing today?”

“Um... I heard we’re second.”

“What!? Second? Oh no, we’re in trouble today.”

“Ugh, why are we right before you?”

I thought the boy group members would like Yuna the most, but it seemed the girl group members liked her even more.

“Why are you so cute, Yuna? Can we take a picture together?”

“Sure, senior.”

“Oh, don’t call me senior. Call me sister.”

Of course, boy group members also approached Yuna.

“Can we take a picture with you too...”

“Hey, do you know he’s a middle schooler? What are you trying to do?”

“No, I just want to take a picture as a fan!”

I didn’t need to intervene.

These strong walls were protecting her on their own.

“Yoonseong, where did you get your nose done?”

“...I didn’t get it done.”

“Your double eyelids too? Right?”

“No, I didn’t get those done either.”

“Wow, that’s unbelievable. Really natural? This?”

“Your jawline is perfect.”

They burst into exclamations of disbelief at my 100% natural face.

“Unbelievable. How can someone have such genes?”

“I’m so jealous.”

Contrary to my expectation of waiting in a very cold atmosphere until our turn, I was overwhelmed by their enthusiastic reactions.

“We’re actually your fans.”

“Really?”

“Yes, we’ve been betting on when you would debut since you appeared on NewTube. We didn’t expect to be on the same music show.”

“Ugh, I don’t know if I should be happy or not.”

“The competition is too strong.”

Their chatter didn’t last long.

“The show is about to start. First up, please come out.”

“A, yes!”

One of the boy group members going first winked at Yuna and me.

“Watch closely. See how well our seniors perform.”

“Ugh, he’s being cocky again. Just go already.”

The opening performance by the boy group appeared on the TV in the waiting room.

The passionate stage drew continuous cheers from the audience.

Next was... our turn.

“Are you nervous?”

“A little, but it’s going to be fun. Right, big brother?”

I nodded and smiled at Yuna’s words.

“Yeah.”

On the surface, I was calm,

‘Maybe I should have taken a calming pill.’

But I was shaking like crazy, and my hands were drenched in cold sweat.