#90

Satisfied with checking my temperature, Jung Hosu slowly lifted his hand from my forehead. His fingers brushed lightly across my skin as they pulled away, leaving behind a faint, ticklish feeling that made my eyebrows twitch slightly. Just then, Jung Hosu spoke up, a hint of nervousness in his tone.

“Did you get a chance to hear my singing?”

His face looked a little stiff as he asked. I looked at him, clearly waiting tensely for my response, and nodded casually.

“Yes. You sang really well.”

At my honest praise, the tension in Jung Hosu’s face gradually melted away.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. You sang really well.”

When I offered another round of praise to his cautious follow-up, the tips of his ears began to flush red. He must have been very shy about receiving compliments.

But only his ears were turning red—his face was still pale. I looked at him curiously, fascinated by the contrast of his bright red ears and his otherwise fair face. Noticing my gaze, Jung Hosu quietly lifted both hands and covered his ears. Realizing he knew why I was staring, I quickly apologized.

“Oh, sorry about that.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just…… a little embarrassing, that’s all. Ever since I was little, my ears turn red for some reason……”

He trailed off, eyes shifting downward as if the ear thing might be a bit of a complex.

“It’s a little weird, right?”

“No. It’s not weird.”

At my firm answer, Jung Hosu blinked, eyes wide in surprise. Meeting his gaze, I spoke again, with conviction.

“Not weird at all. It’s actually kind of cute.”

I said it hoping he wouldn’t feel too self-conscious about his ears turning red when he’s embarrassed. At that, Jung Hosu’s eyes grew as wide as lanterns. Already big, they looked even larger now, giving his normally calm face a completely different vibe.

He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, then closed it again. He repeated that a few times before finally, after a long hesitation, a very soft voice escaped his lips.

“Yes…… Thank you for saying that……”

His voice was so quiet that I wouldn’t have heard it unless I was really paying attention. And it seemed like he knew that too—Jung Hosu glanced at me to check whether I had actually caught what he said. I gave him a soft smile to show I’d heard him. At that, he hesitated, then slowly lowered the hands that had been covering his ears.

Now visible again, his ears were even redder than before. He must have been really flustered by me calling him cute.

A guy who’s usually so composed getting this shy—honestly, it was really cute. I found myself thinking that without even realizing it, watching Jung Hosu intently. That was when I felt a heavy pressure on my shoulder. Lee Daon had tightened the arm he had wrapped around me. Our bodies, already close, leaned even more into each other. Jung Hosu shifted his gaze, now looking at Lee Daon.

That same tense air from before began creeping in again. Was I imagining it, or were sparks flying between the two? No, I had to be imagining things. I mentally ducked out of the tension and quickly turned my attention elsewhere. Sure, go ahead and fight—I’ve got my own stuff to do.

I redirected my focus to Lee Gaon, who was just about to start singing. With his fingers clasped together in a prayer-like position and a small nod, Lee Gaon signaled that he was ready. Team Leader Lee Heonseung adjusted the equipment and played the backing track.

As I became absorbed in Lee Gaon’s performance, the sharp tension between Jung Hosu and Lee Daon gradually faded. I could feel the grip around my shoulder from Lee Daon’s arm slowly easing up, and I focused fully on the music.

And I couldn’t help but be completely amazed by his talent.

How could a human voice sound so pure and clear? I had been impressed by Jung Hosu’s singing too—he was really good—but Lee Gaon…… there was something else. Something indescribable in his voice, something beyond words.

“He’s good, right?”

I had been staring in a daze, watching Lee Gaon hit the high notes with such clarity, when Lee Daon pulled away slightly and asked.

“Yes. He’s really good……”

“Right? He’s seriously great. There’s a reason he’s the main vocalist, you know?”

I answered half absent-mindedly, almost in a trance, and in response, I heard a voice full of pride. Curious, I slowly turned my head to the side, and there was Lee Daon—his eyes fixed on Lee Gaon with a quiet pride that couldn’t be hidden.

Usually, Lee Daon would grumble at his older brother like that, but now he suddenly changes his attitude? I tilted my head in confusion as Lee Daon, who had been looking at Lee Gaon, turned his gaze to me. He then pursed his lips as he caught my puzzled expression.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“……Nothing, it’s nothing.”

Lee Daon narrowed his eyes and watched me as I tried to feign ignorance. To avoid his gaze that seemed to pressure me into being honest, I subtly turned my head. I then heard a soft sigh escape from him.

“I know how to say when someone does well, you know. Of course, with all the things I’ve done, you probably wouldn’t believe it easily, though.”

I was surprised at how objectively Lee Daon was evaluating himself, and after a brief moment of hesitation, I slowly spoke up, dragging out my words.

“If you tell him directly, he’d be really happy to hear that.”

“Hmm? To who? You want me to tell Lee Gaon that he sings well? Directly?”

“Yes.”

“No way.”

Lee Daon made a face, using every muscle in his face to show a clear expression of ‘no way’ and rejected my suggestion. I found it strange that Lee Daon was rejecting it.

“Why? I think Gaon-ssi would really appreciate it if you told him that.”

“That’s why I don’t want to. If I tell him he sings well, he’d be really happy.”

“Do you dislike seeing Gaon-ssi happy?”

“I don’t mind him being happy, but if I make him happy…… I just instinctively resist it. Also, to be honest, it’s kind of embarrassing to give him such compliments out in the open.”

Okay, I can understand the part about it being embarrassing to compliment someone openly, but what does it mean that he instinctively resists making Lee Gaon happy? I looked at Lee Daon with a confused expression, completely not understanding his words. Lee Daon then responded with a nonchalant expression.

“Isn’t that how it is with people who are ‘family register mates’? You just don’t like them for no reason, you want to annoy them, beat them, you don’t want to do anything nice for them, but then if someone hits them outside, you’re like, ‘Who hit my register mate?!’ And you end up searching the whole neighborhood for them? That’s basically how I feel. I’m pretty sure most people with siblings feel the same way.”

“……That’s a pretty strange feeling.”

I couldn’t really understand Lee Daon’s feelings, as I had hardly fought with my younger sister growing up. But since Lee Daon felt that way, I guess it’s just how it is. There are siblings like me and my younger sister, and then there are brothers like Lee Daon and Lee Gaon.

While I was processing that difference, Lee Gaon came out of the soundproof booth after getting an OK sign from Team Leader Lee Heonseung. Seeing that, Manager Ahn Siwon spoke to Lee Daon.

“Daon, it’s your turn. Go in.”

“Okay.”

Lee Daon responded obediently to Ahn Siwon’s words and got up from his seat. He tapped Lee Gaon lightly on the shoulder as Lee Gaon was having a conversation with Team Leader Lee Heonseung, and then headed into the soundproof booth.

Lee Gaon was startled by the sudden sensation on his shoulder and turned around. When he saw Lee Daon’s back as he entered the booth, he chuckled. It seemed like he was used to Lee Daon’s actions by now.

“Do you think that’s Daon-ssi’s way of giving a compliment for doing well?”

“Maybe. He could just say it with words, but anyway, he’s not very straightforward.”

A light response came after my whispered question. I briefly glanced at Ahn Siwon, who was shaking his head with a smile, and then shifted my gaze to Lee Gaon, who was returning to the sofa.

“Uh……”

When Lee Gaon arrived in front of the sofa, he found that the three-seat sofa was already fully occupied. Even without considering Nam Yisol and Yoo Euiseo, who were sitting there, Lee Gaon’s spot was now taken by Jung Hosu, leaving no place for Lee Gaon to sit.

“Should I move?”

Jung Hosu, who seemed thirsty and was putting his water bottle down, asked, but Lee Gaon quickly shook his head.

“No, it’s fine. You sit. I’ll sit where Daon was.”

With that, Lee Gaon quietly sat down on the armrest of the sofa where Lee Daon had been sitting. I moved the chair that was tightly against the sofa to give Lee Gaon a little more space to settle comfortably.

As Lee Gaon found his seat, Lee Daon’s song began. I quietly listened to Lee Daon’s voice, which seemed similar to Lee Gaon’s but had a rougher feel to it. As I was enjoying the song, I heard a knock on the door at the entrance of the recording room.

Startled by the unexpected visitor, Manager Ahn Siwon walked over to the door, opened it, and checked the face of the person who had knocked.