Chapter 63: I Became the Older Brother of a Top Star

"Phew. I'm so full."

After finishing another delicious food exploration, Yuna patted her full stomach and blew out a breath.

Looking at the smoke rising from her stomach, Yuna said, "It's really cold now, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

"What if I can't even speak properly during the recording tomorrow because it's so cold?"

"Don't worry. It won't be that cold tomorrow. Just dress warmly, and you'll warm up quickly while singing."

Tomorrow is finally the day of the big recording.

After a lot of practice, it's the day to show the results.

"But, big brother."

"Hmm?"

"Doesn't it seem like the first snow of this year is quite late?"

Thinking about it, she's right.

When did the first snow come this year...?

'I wouldn't know that.'

There's probably no one in the world who knows when the first snow comes every year.

But it's certain that this year's first snow is a bit late.

"Hmm. It'll come eventually. It is winter, after all."

"From the weather forecast, it doesn't seem like it will come this week."

"Well, the weather bureau changes their mind all the time. No one knows when it will come."

While talking, Yuna and I took a light walk in the park to digest our full stomachs.

"Huh?"

Then, Yuna noticed something and ran to a small fountain in the center of the park.

"Big brother, look at this."

On the fountain, there was an inscription depicting two baby angels.

"According to this, if you throw a coin and make a wish, it will come true."

"......"

Suddenly, I felt a twinge.

Before I became Jung Yun-sung, didn't I play this kind of game with Jung Yuna?

'Back then, I didn't know it would actually work.'

If I had wished for a lottery win back then, would it have come true?

"Let's try it once."

"Huh? Really?"

"Why not? Since we're here, let's do it as a keepsake. Look, there are a lot of coins in here. That means many people have tried it."

There were many people gathered around the fountain, and while we were talking, some people were really throwing coins and making wishes. It seems to be a local attraction.

"Sure. But do you have any coins?"

"Yep! I kept a few for when we go to the arcade with you!"

"......"

She's really prepared.

Last time, she beat me up in a fighting game.

How many more times is she planning to beat me?

"Here, one each!"

Yuna placed a coin in my palm.

"You go first, big brother."

I nodded and, following the inscription, threw the coin into the fountain and clasped my hands, making a wish in my heart.

My wish was simple.

It wasn't something materialistic like becoming rich or having a hit album.

'Please make our whole family happy and healthy for a long time.'

I wished for the happiness and long, healthy lives of Yuna and our parents.

I wished to prevent the accident that would happen a few months later, so that our parents wouldn't die and would stay with us for a long time. I also wished for Yuna to always be healthy and smiling.

That was all.

I don't wish for anything more.

"What did you wish for?"

"Hmm. For our whole family to be healthy."

"Is that it?"

"Yep. I don't really have anything else to wish for."

"Wow, big brother, you must be really happy, huh?"

"Huh?"

"People who have fewer wishes are happier, it says here."

Is that so?

Compared to my previous life, I am indeed living a life that can't be any happier.

It feels like it's too good to be true.

"Then it's my turn. But what should I wish for...? I was going to wish for our family to stay healthy too."

Yuna groaned as she thought.

After a while, she snapped her fingers and threw the coin into the fountain.

"......"

Yuna prayed for quite a while.

I wonder what she wished for. It seems like she had a lot of wishes.

"What did you wish for?"

"Hmm~. I wished for a lot of things. I can't tell you all of them, or it won't come true."

"......"

What? You made me tell you everything.

"Instead, I'll tell you one."

"Huh?"

"I wished for the first snow to come tomorrow."

Yuna grinned and walked ahead.

The first snow.

I glanced at the fountain.

If I could make more wishes—

'Please make Yuna's wish come true.'

# # #

"Sister! Big brother!"

"Ah, come in, kids."

"Hi."

After practicing together for several days, we've become quite close to Sung Hye-jin and Hwang Joo-yong.

"Finally, it's the recording day today. Are you all set?"

"Yes, and fortunately, it's not too cold today."

"Right. The weather is really nice today."

Then, Yuna, who was looking at the sky, said,

"Hmm... It won't snow, right?"

"Snow? The weather forecast didn't mention that."

Yuna, who briefly looked disappointed, soon smiled and helped the crew set up the equipment.

We didn't need to prepare much.

It's a street busking performance, so we just needed a few chairs, instruments, and speakers. Of course, we had to set up cameras for the recording.

"Ah, but, PD, did you announce the recording today?"

"No. Our show doesn't announce the performance dates in advance. If we did, too many people would come, and it wouldn't be a real busking performance."

I didn't know that.

I thought it was strange that there was no mention of today's performance in the channel community.

"Big brother didn't know that?"

"You knew?"

"Of course! I thought you knew too."

Yuna brought a chair and sat next to me.

"This is real busking."

Then, she held the microphone and waited for the director's signal.

Finally, the director gave the signal to start recording.

"Hello, everyone~~~!"

With a voice that could rival a veteran MC, she made the entire Hongdae street come alive.

Sung Hye-jin and Hwang Joo-yong, who were standing next to her, were also surprised and flinched.

"We're finally here in Hongdae!"

No matter how many times I see it, Yuna's energetic presence always amazes the two of them, and they soon smiled and responded.

Thanks to her loud and lively voice,

"What's going on over there?"

"What is it? A recording?"

"Wait, is that Jung Yuna?"

"Wow! It must be the recording day today!"

People passing by started to gather, murmuring.

I wonder if they chose this spot on purpose, or if they just thought it was a good place.

The location where we were wasn't a very busy area, but more people were gathering than expected.

Yuna, excited, shouted to the crowd.

"Do you want to hear a song by our country's best singer, senior Sung Hye-jin~!?"

They all shouted in unison.

"Yes~!"

The PD, who was filming us, gave a thumbs up for Yuna's excellent and smooth impromptu hosting.

Sung Hye-jin, who was initially shy, covered her face but then picked up the microphone, encouraged by the crowd's response.

"Although my skills are limited, I'll sing one song. It's my debut song that made me the singer I am today."

Sung Hye-jin made eye contact with me, holding the guitar, and the musician waiting to play the keyboard.

The music started, and Sung Hye-jin's voice, filled with emotion, echoed through the microphone.

Her particularly charming low voice quickly captured the audience's attention.

As expected of a singer who once enjoyed immense popularity, she continued the song with a sweet and poignant voice.

Although her low voice was charming, she could also hit high notes smoothly, expressing intense emotions.

She ended the song with a touching voice that stirred the audience's emotions.

"Wow-"

Yuna, who had been listening with her eyes closed, soon clapped and exclaimed in admiration.

The crowd, moved, also clapped.

"Wasn't that incredibly touching?"

"Yes~!"

"What should I do? I have to sing the next song, but I'm worried I might ruin the atmosphere."

In response to Yuna's complaint, Sung Hye-jin smiled and said,

"Everyone, she's just being dramatic. Yuna really sings well. You all know that, right?"

"Uh, but after hearing senior's song, my confidence dropped."

People laughed, finding Yuna's cute act adorable.

"You'll do great. Just sing naturally."

Encouraged by Hye-jin's words, Yuna nodded and addressed the crowd, which had grown so large that the back was no longer visible.

"The song I'll sing today... is an original song by our one-day siblings. We were going to sing a song from an existing album, but we wanted to share a song we worked hard on with you. It's a song that hasn't been released anywhere yet!"

The crowd's reaction was immediate.

"An original song?"

"So, this is the first time it's being performed here?"

"Wow, is the next album coming out already?"

Yuna responded to the murmuring crowd.

"It's definitely not a song from the next album. We just created songs we wanted to share with you for this show."

"Wow-"

"Even though it's not from the album, you're performing an original song?"

"Amazing. Does that mean you've written a lot of songs?"

As Yuna said, we planned to perform at least two original songs for this show.

I don't know how many will make it to the broadcast, but I didn't want to just play songs from existing albums, so Yuna and I prepared these together.

"Then, let's start with the first song, !"

Yuna tapped her foot on the ground to keep the rhythm, a habit she had.

Now, without even exchanging glances, she knew when to start the song just by hearing the rhythm.

As I started playing the guitar, Yuna began to sing.

Her heartfelt voice flowed out, and at the same time, a pink aura rose high.

I saw it.

The crowd, which was previously immersed in Sung Hye-jin's aura, was now completely enveloped in Yuna's pink aura.

The aura was spreading throughout the entire Hongdae street.

Perhaps because of this,

Everyone was captivated by Yuna's clear voice, lost in it.

I was no exception.

If I weren't playing the guitar, I would have been just like them, entranced by Yuna.

Her aura was that powerful, drawing in many people.

It didn't seem to be just my imagination that her aura had grown much larger than before.

Yuna was growing, day by day.

As Yuna's song came to an end,

"Wow-!"

A thunderous applause and cheers erupted.

Did the sky grant her heartfelt wish, as in her song?

"Huh?"

"What is it?"

People lifted their heads to look at the sky, feeling the cold ice crystals on their cheeks.

It was the first snow.