Chapter 67: I Became the Older Brother of a Top Star

"Okay, I think this is good enough, right?"

"......"

Even after I gave the okay sign, Yuna remained silent.

After a moment, as if considering something, she finally spoke to me.

"Brother, can we do it one more time?"

"Huh? Again?"

"I didn't really like how it sounded."

"Well... Okay, I understand."

Yuna was once again in the recording studio, singing her heart out.

But she didn't seem to want to come out anytime soon.

Seeing this, the PDs also chimed in.

"Yunseong, isn't Yuna going to strain her voice like this?"

"Yeah, I think we should tell her to take a break now."

"Come on, do you guys still not know Yuna? Her voice is as strong as steel, unlike what it sounds like."

"Hehe, that's because of you, brother. You really pushed her hard during the recording sessions."

After repeating the song again, Yuna finally came out.

"Good job, Yuna."

As soon as Yuna came out, I placed a warm pack on her neck and gave her the pre-prepared platycodon tea. At first, Yuna used to run away from the platycodon tea, but now she drinks it without any complaints.

"Phew, it's delicious. But why isn't the platycodon tea you gave me as good?"

"Well, I added honey to it."

"Ah, I see. It did taste a bit sweet."

The PDs watched me and clapped in admiration.

"Truly, you're so devoted."

"I doubt there's anyone else in this world who takes care of their sister as well as you do."

"Have you seen Yunseong's bag? It's like Doraemon's."

I gently massaged Yuna's shoulder and said,

"Because the exams are coming up soon. I have to help her as much as I can."

After the concert, the winter break began.

But Yuna had no time to rest.

Because she still had the practical exam for Jeonho High School to prepare for.

"Did you do well on the written test?"

Yuna laughed awkwardly.

"Hehe, to be honest, I'm not sure."

"What? You didn't even check your answers?"

"Well, I thought if I checked and did poorly, I wouldn't be able to prepare for the practical exam at all, so I didn't check."

Maybe it was a strategy of sorts.

Seeing Yuna's innocent smile, the PDs couldn't help but smile too.

"But you guys must be really busy. I heard you even did three more commercials recently."

"That's right. I heard that because of you, the school uniform company's reservation sales have skyrocketed?"

"Ha, you guys killed it with the music charts, and now you're killing it with commercials too?"

Lately, it seemed like only good things were happening.

Our album, including the songs we performed at the concert, all made it to the top 10 on the music charts. The companies that featured us in their commercials were also seeing record-breaking sales.

Especially Range, the company that dared to challenge the top school uniform brand, Elliot, recorded the highest reservation sales in history.

"What's that? They finally surpassed Elliot, right?"

And as they hoped, they managed to overtake Elliot's reservation sales.

"I have to admit, the school uniforms from Range look pretty good. They were so outdated when we were in school, but now they look really high-quality."

"School uniforms are all the same. Maybe it just looks good because Yuna and I are wearing them. If you and I wore them, they'd still look outdated, right?"

"......I can't argue with that."

Thanks to this, rumors spread that if a company used us as models, their sales would skyrocket, and we started receiving more commercial offers, at prices 2-3 times higher than usual.

Of course, we didn't go crazy with commercials.

Yuna only did as many as she wanted, after discussing with her father.

"Brother."

"Yes?"

"Can I do it well?"

While drinking the platycodon tea, Yuna's hands were trembling.

"Ugh, what if I make a mistake?"

"Don't worry. If you make a mistake, it's okay."

"No, I can't. I'll fail. I can't. I need to practice more..."

I grabbed Yuna's arm as she tried to go back into the recording studio.

"Relax and sit down."

"......"

Yuna sat down again, looking dejected.

"Even if you make a mistake, just pretend it was planned."

"Planned?"

"Yes. Just act like it wasn't a mistake. You can handle that level of improvisation."

Unlike Yuna, I wasn't particularly worried.

Yuna's voice, expression, and diction—there was nothing lacking.

So, no matter how many competitors there were, I had no doubt Yuna would pass.

'Of course, I'm a bit worried about the written test.'

But since it's already over, there's nothing I can do but leave it to fate.

# # #

"......"

The waiting room was filled with tension.

All the applicants were on edge due to the upcoming vocal practical exam for Jeonho High School.

Click.

Every time the door opened and someone entered, the applicants' eyes would follow.

They silently glared at each other, the tension palpable.

No one spoke a word, and the time seemed to drag on, making the atmosphere suffocating.

Then,

Click.

The door, which had been opening quietly, now opened with a cheerful sound.

The fresh air that flowed in with it felt refreshing.

Everyone's eyes turned to see who the new competitor was.

And there,

"Hmm?"

Was Yuna, tilting her head at the attention she was getting.

She soon smiled brightly and waved.

"Hello."

"......!?"

"Hello, nice to meet you."

Yuna entered the waiting room, finding a seat and greeting everyone.

Perhaps infected by her warm and bright demeanor, the students who had been glaring at each other started to relax.

"Hey, miss, I'm your fan!"

"Me too!"

And one by one, people started to speak up.

"Hey, miss? Aren't we the same age?"

"Oh......"

"You can just talk casually~. What's your name? I'm Yuna."

"Yoo Hye-Young......"

"It's okay, really. You can talk casually."

"Really?"

"Yep!"

The tense atmosphere finally eased, and the students started to pay more attention to Yuna.

Unable to resist, some students even moved their seats closer to Yuna.

"Wow, Yuna, I was surprised to hear you're applying here too."

"Yuna, why are you applying here?"

"Oh, my brother goes here. I thought it would be nice to attend the same school."

"Right, I heard you even conducted an orchestra with a song you composed yourself?"

"You're a genius. Yuna, you'll definitely pass here."

"No, I'm not sure. Plus, I did really poorly on the written test......"

Yuna sighed and covered her head.

Her cuteness made the students laugh.

"Um, excuse me......"

The staff member who came in to announce the start of the exam was taken aback by the unprecedented atmosphere in the waiting room. He even went outside to double-check the room name, thinking he might have entered the wrong room.

"Ahem, the exam is about to start. Applicants 1 to 10, please follow me."

"Ah!"

"I'm going now."

"Good luck, Eun-Young."

"Thanks, I'll do my best."

"Don't forget our tteokbokki plan after the exam~"

Yuna, who had become friends with the students and made a tteokbokki plan, spent the time chatting and forgetting about the exam's tension.

Then,

"Applicants 11 to 20, please come in."

It was Yuna's turn soon.

"Phew, I'm going now. See you, guys."

"Yep, good luck!"

"Just do what you usually do. You'll definitely pass!"

"Thanks, you guys too!"

Yuna followed the staff member, taking deep breaths.

This was the school her brother attended.

The interior and facilities were far superior to any school she had been to before.

How fun and happy it would be to attend this school.

Yuna briefly imagined the joy of it.

Since that day, this pleasant imagination had always felt like reality.

"11, Yuna Jeong."

Hearing her name called, Yuna snapped back to reality.

"Ah, yes!"

"Please come in."

"Yes!"

Yuna took a few deep breaths and entered the exam room where the judges were waiting.

"Hello! I'm Yuna Jeong!"

As always, she didn't forget to give a strong greeting.

* * *

"Ha...... Did I make a mistake by suggesting she go to Jeonho High School?"

Professor Lee Jang-won suddenly felt a wave of regret.

"Well, if you do well, I'll be happy. I'll be happy......"

He couldn't shake off this regret.

After all,

"Did you expect her to be this good from the first year?"

When Yuna conducted the orchestra with a song she composed herself at the concert, love calls from all over poured in.

Usually, these love calls are relayed through the school, but some even offered to support her financially and suggested she drop Jeonho High School and move to Europe immediately.

The problem was, it wasn't just one or two offers. Over thirty people had shown interest in Yuna, and more than thirty actual offers had been made.

"Oh, my head."

Professor Lee Jang-won held his aching head.

Those who had made offers to Yuna were all established figures in the music industry.

If they decided to support her, they would do so wholeheartedly.

Many of the offers were hard to refuse.

"Well, I thought she would at least stay quiet until her second year."

He had underestimated her.

No, he thought he had evaluated her highly, but he was wrong.

Yuna was a child who surpassed his expectations.

Who would have thought that as soon as she entered high school, she would become the center of attention?

"Well, if you want to go, I'll have to let you."

The school had informed him of these offers through a contact he knew.

If Yuna accepted any of these offers, he was prepared to let her go without hesitation.

If it was truly for her future.

"Professor, you're here early?"

Just then, Yuna and Yuna's brother, Yunseong, arrived at the lesson room.

Yuna looked a bit nervous.

"Ah, right. Yuna, how did the exam go?"

"Ugh, I'm not sure."

"Don't worry. Everyone knows how talented you are. I'm sure you'll get good results."

Professor Lee Jang-won smiled warmly and then called Yunseong over.

"Yunseong, sit here for a moment."

"Yes, what's the matter?"

"Well, I heard that you've received quite a few offers, right?"

"Oh, those?"

"Yes. I saw that some of the offers were in the millions. I was wondering how you felt about them......"

Had he already made up his mind?

Yunseong's expression looked very relaxed.

He said,

"I'm not really interested."

And without hesitation, he added,

"So I rejected them all."

"......What? You rejected them all?"

"Yes."

"Really? All those great opportunities? Why?"

"Well, obviously, I have no plans to go abroad, and I don't want to move from my current position. Broadcasting with Yuna is more important to me."

Is that it?

You're not going because of your activities here.

On one hand, it was a bit disappointing, but on the other, a sigh of relief escaped him.

And a tiny bit of disappointment crept in.

"Besides."

"Hmm?"

"I'm learning from you, Professor. Do you want to send me to someone else?"

"Of course not, I don't want to!"

"Neither do I."

"......"

Just a few short words, but Professor Lee Jang-won felt a deep sense of emotion.

His nose tingled, and his eyes felt moist.

"Yunseong."

"Yes?"

"Let me give you a hug."

"No."

"What a cold guy."

Indeed, from start to finish, he was never an easy one.