Chapter 61: I Became the Older Brother of a Top Star

"Hehe."

At the sight of Yuna, Father couldn't help but burst into a hearty laugh.

"Yuna, are you that happy?"

"Yep. I'm definitely going to hug it and sleep with it tonight."

Yuna just kept staring at the trophy she had received at today's music show, which she had placed beside her.

Is she really that happy?

The corners of her mouth wouldn't come down.

"Thanks to you two, I've been boasting all day. When you topped the charts and when you won first place at today's music show, I kept calling everyone. Hahaha!"

Mother, who had scolded him for doing the same thing last time, didn't say much this time.

It seems that Mother, just like Father, had been calling everyone to boast about us.

This must be the joy of parents.

They are happier about their children's success than their own.

"But what are we going to do if we become so popular right from the first album? Yunsung, you must be feeling a lot of pressure. Everyone is already calling you a composing genius."

Honestly, it's impossible not to feel pressured.

It started out as a casual thing, but it really blew up.

I thought we would gain some popularity, but I never dreamed that our first album would be such a huge hit.

"It's okay. I think Yuna is under more pressure than me."

"No, I think it's more for you. I just have to sing, but you have to compose everything."

Father, looking at the two of us, gently patted our heads.

"Phew. You two are so cute. Even if you try to outdo each other, it's not enough. Haha."

To celebrate Yuna and my first place win, our family went out to eat.

Yuna kept fiddling with the small, transparent trophy.

Thinking about it, Yuna had received many such trophies in her previous life too.

She used to win acting awards and music show trophies as if they were a daily routine.

Back then, she would just throw them in a corner and never look at them.

But now, it's the complete opposite.

"I didn't win this alone; I got it with my brother. That's why I like it even more."

Hearing that, I was a bit touched.

Just like me, Mother and Father couldn't stop smiling.

Just being there, breathing, made me feel so happy.

It was a very fulfilling feeling, something I had never experienced in my previous life.

"By the way, I have something to tell you two."

"What is it?"

"Yuna, do you like that program?"

"Yep! That's right."

"Don't even mention it. Yuna watches that program over and over again. She even finds reruns to watch."

Father nodded and continued.

"Yunsung mentioned that you really like that program. They asked if you could appear on it, so I contacted the production team."

"Really? For real?"

"Yeah."

"What did they say? Did they say no?"

"No, they were actually very welcoming."

"Wow! Really?"

"Of course, it's not confirmed yet. You need to meet with them first. Do you want to meet them?"

Without hesitation, Yuna answered loudly.

"Of course! When? When is the meeting?"

"They said tomorrow is fine if possible."

"Then let's go right away!"

Yuna showed a very enthusiastic response.

I had asked Father to contact the production team just in case, but I didn't expect her to be this excited.

She might have liked watching it but been hesitant about appearing on it herself.

But from her reaction, it seems my worry was unnecessary.

It looks like the surprise gift hit the mark.

"Our Yuna really likes that program, huh? Haha."

"It's so romantic. Singing in beautiful places, or remote areas, without a proper stage."

"Romantic? Haha. You're already at the age to appreciate romance?"

"Hehe. I guess I like those emotional things."

Hearing that, I felt playful.

"You like emotional things, but you don't use SNS. And you don't use a pineapple phone."

"Ugh. SNS is emotionally draining. And everyone in our family uses blue phones, so I don't want to be the only one using something different."

While using SNS is a personal choice, I didn't really want to push it.

I had seen the downsides through my long career as a manager.

'Being a celebrity doesn't make you different from ordinary people.'

If you use SNS, you end up glued to your phone, and sometimes you post strange comments or photos to get attention.

Then, you get trolled with nasty comments and weird DMs, which can be very distressing.

It's a slow process of self-destruction.

Unless it's for announcements to fans, it's better to stay away from SNS.

"Alright. I'll set up the meeting right away."

"Yay~!"

Yuna slurped her pasta, her cheeks puffed up.

* * *

"Ah, please come in. I'm PD Jeon Jihwan."

"Hello! I'm Jung Yuna."

"I'm Jung Yunsung."

"We've heard about your achievements. You topped the charts and won first place at the music show. Congratulations."

PD Jeon Jihwan greeted us, Father, and me.

"Phew. The CEO is here too."

"It's fine to send an employee, but since it's about our children, I came myself. Is that okay?"

"Of course, it's fine. Since they are minors, a guardian must be present. It's actually better this way."

Behind PD Jeon Jihwan, assistant PDs and writers gathered.

"Wow, you two look just like the CEO. This is the first time the office has felt so bright. Haha."

"Well, my children do resemble me a bit. Hehe."

...PD Uncle.

His social skills are impressive, evident from his recent comments.

His sincere and smooth delivery, along with the aura he exuded, was perfect.

"We were surprised you contacted us first. Actually, the daily siblings were on our next casting list."

"Really?"

"Yes. Do you watch our program often?"

Yuna answered eagerly.

"It's the only program I watch regularly."

"Wow, really? That's an honor. Is there a particular episode you like...?"

"The Barcelona episode from two months ago. I thought it was the best. The stage was legendary, and I heard it had the highest views on NewTube."

"Right. You really like our program. You know a lot about it."

I didn't follow it as enthusiastically as Yuna, so I didn't understand what she and the writers were discussing.

"Do you two definitely want to appear on our program?"

"Yes! Ah, but... is it okay with you, brother?"

"If you want to, I'm fine with it."

"Haha. You two take such good care of each other. Now that we understand, can we see you two perform live?"

"Perform live?"

"Yes. We've heard your recordings and videos, but seeing you live is different. We want to see how you perform and set up the stage to decide the style for the broadcast."

In short, he wanted to hold a simple audition.

"Can we perform here?"

"No, not here. We have a separate practice room. If you're confirmed, you'll practice there. It has all the music equipment, so let's go there."

Then Yuna suddenly stood up and said,

"Do we have to perform in the practice room?"

"Um?"

"It's busking, right? To show you more clearly, shouldn't we do busking?"

What is she up to now?

Yuna's aura, which had been calm, suddenly rose.

"Brother, let's go outside the broadcasting station and perform."

"Huh?"

"As a practice for the broadcast, let's go busking outside for the first time in a while."

I understood what Yuna was saying.

She wanted to give a proper performance since we were having an audition.

I don't know how she comes up with such bold ideas sometimes.

Usually, I would have to hold her back in such situations.

"Sure."

I was also swept away by the moment.

It was a sudden situation, but it seemed fun.

"Is it possible, PD?"

"Um, so you want to go outside the broadcasting station and perform...?"

"If it causes any trouble for the station, we won't do it."

"No, no, it's fine. We'd actually like it. Can we record you two performing?"

"Of course."

The PD and writers' eyes sparkled.

They looked like they had found the perfect footage.

"Phew. These kids are unstoppable."

Father, who had been watching quietly, burst into laughter.

After making a few calls, PD Jeon Jihwan returned to the office and said,

"It's approved. Let's go now. Ah! What kind of instrument...?"

"Just give us any acoustic guitar."

I took the guitar and went downstairs with Yuna.

The PD and writers hurriedly grabbed the recording equipment and followed us.

It was unexpected, but performing in such a spontaneous way seemed quite fun.

# # #

"What's going on here?"

"Right? These siblings are unpredictable. Hehe."

Hearing PD Jeon Jihwan and the writers, CEO Jung approached and said,

"I'm sorry for the trouble caused by my children."

"Phew, trouble? We needed something like this. Viewers love such spontaneous moments."

PD and the writers' expressions showed their excitement.

They looked like they had hit the jackpot.

"But these siblings are really impressive. Busking is tough even for veteran singers, but they're so bold."

"Well, they started as buskers and became singers. They know how to motivate themselves. I don't really give them specific advice."

"Haha. You must be very proud of them."

"Yes, I'm so proud of them, I could go crazy."

CEO Jung and PD Jung watched the two start their impromptu performance with warm eyes.

"Hello, everyone!"

Yuna's busking didn't attract much attention at first.

No one gathered around.

People just passed by, thinking someone was filming something.

PD Jeon Jihwan was a bit worried.

He had gone through the trouble of setting up the busking and bringing cameras, but he didn't want it to be a waste.

But his worry was short-lived.

As Jung Yuna's clear voice echoed, PD Jeon Jihwan's tense shoulders relaxed, and his rapid breathing steadied.

Her voice, which stimulated the ears, and the steady high notes, along with Jung Yunsung's harmonies and guitar playing, were impressive.

He felt silly for worrying about the footage.

'Right, what's the point of the footage?'

The pressure to capture good footage for the broadcast was gone.

He just enjoyed watching the two perform live.

The writers behind him seemed to feel the same way.

Their worried faces quickly turned relaxed.

The camera director also found a comfortable angle.

But as he listened to the song, PD Jeon Jihwan tilted his head.

"What song is this? It's really good. Does anyone know it?"

The writers shook their heads.

"I've never heard it before."

"Such a good song, I should know it. It's strange."

Considering they knew all the songs from the past to the present, it was odd.

"Wait, is this an original song?"

"No way. Who would perform an original song here?"

"But if it's such a good song, how could no one know it?"

Is it really an original song?

The PD and writers were in a panic.

"Can they just release an unreleased song like this?"

"Didn't you say this is being recorded? What if it can't be broadcast?"

"Of course, I told them."

They had confirmed it multiple times.

But if they were performing an original song, it meant they were fine with it being broadcast.

Usually, original songs are kept secret for the next album, but these two seemed okay with it.

Should they stop the recording now?

As various thoughts raced through his mind,

"It's fine."

PD Jeon Jihwan snapped back to reality at Jung Young-hoon's words.

"Excuse me?"

"I heard from our company's PDs that Yunsung has already composed nearly 100 original songs."

"Nearly 100?"

Did he churn them out like a machine?

How could he create so many songs on his own?

"Yes. There might be a lot that need polishing, and not all will be released, but they probably think it's fine to release some here. So, there's no need to worry."

He had heard the term "composing genius" so often that he thought it was an exaggeration, but he didn't expect it to be this extreme.

PD Jeon Jihwan watched the siblings' performance, which was more beautiful and impressive than ever.

He was so captivated by their voices that he couldn't think of anything else.

Was it the same for the others?

"What's going on? Is this a broadcast?"

"Even if I hear this voice, it's definitely the daily siblings."

"Wait, it's really them?"

The crowd, which he thought wouldn't gather because the street was empty, started to gather, drawn by the two's singing.