episode_0009

*

I washed my body, changed my clothes, and went outside.

I stood side by side with my sister and walked with the gentle wind blowing.

“Sister. Come to think of it, our MT this month?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Is your sister going too?”

“Uh. I went last year too.”

I walked slowly, following my sister’s steps, and looked at her thoughts.

I glanced at my older sister, but she seemed not to have noticed yet and just walked away.

I naturally opened my mouth and brought up the topic. It was my first time going to MT, so there were a lot of things I was looking forward to, but there were also a lot of things I was worried about.

In one community, there was a post saying that there was a guy who went to MT to seduce women, and in another community, there was a post saying that he enjoyed the trip.

When I cautiously spoke to my sister, she blinked and turned her gaze towards me.

“What do you do a lot there? Are you all drinking?”

“… I guess so? It’s easy to think of it as just going to make friends.”

“Hmm.”

I was curious about what she was doing there and asked my sister, and she nodded slightly and confirmed what I said.

I thought they were all people going out to drink, so I made a sound like a groan.

Then my sister glanced at me and continued speaking.

“Well, they said they were inviting an amateur recreational instructor to spice things up. I guess I’ll do a talent show too.”

“Do you do it too?”

“Would you like it?”

“No.”

“What… Why did you ask?”

I thought they only drank alcohol and wondered what the group was doing, but my sister must have guessed that and told me in advance.

As my sister walked out, she was telling me various things about what happened last year and whether she had seen the composition plan for this MT.

When I heard the word talent show, I got lost in thought for a moment.

There are many cases where girls dance in groups during talent shows, and when I asked my sister if she wanted to do it, she asked the opposite question.

When I firmly denied it, my sister turned to me and sneered.

“When I saw girls, it seemed like they were practicing dancing, so I wanted to join my sister’s school year.”

“That’s something that first graders often do, and we are now in the grade to observe.”

“Sister is still in second grade?”

“Shh.”

I recalled gathering a group of girls together.

My sister chuckled and waved her hand. He said in an adult way that he was no longer doing it, but my sister and I were only one year older than him.

When I rebutted my older sister’s grade, she put her finger to her mouth and covered her mouth as if she didn’t want to hear it.

I think my sister just didn’t do it because it was annoying.

“Indeed.”

My sister looked at my face, grinned, and opened her mouth as if to say something.

I just stared at my sister, not knowing what she wanted to say.

“Oh, that’s right, Hansol. What are you not doing? A talent show or something.”

“… hmm. There’s nothing I really want to do, and I received an offer, but I just turned it down.”

“If you do it secretly, it will remain in your memory for a long time? It’s good if happy memories last long.”

“I see… .”

My sister looked like a light bulb had appeared above her head, and then she asked me a question.

After thinking about it for a while, I remembered that I had been offered something, but then I also remembered that I had turned it down because it was annoying.

I didn’t want to do group choreography, magic, or anything like that because I had no talent for it.

My sister looked at me and smiled as if she wanted to say something.

I thought I knew what my sister meant, but I didn’t want to pair up and do something with the people I had just seen.

At least when I was in high school, I went there around the second semester or when I got close enough, but I couldn’t say it was all that good because I went to MT in mid-March.

“Then, will you sing a duet with me?”

“What are you talking about?”

If it’s okay with my sister, I guess I can do that much. With that in mind, I suggested it to my sister first.

My sister looked at me with her eyes wide open, as if she had been attacked unexpectedly.

My older sister burst out laughing as I stared at her and tapped my arm.

And then he stood there until everyone laughed.

“No, if you don’t want to do it, say no… Why are you laughing so long… .”

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t know you would suggest it first.”

My sister, who made a gesture to wipe away her tears, waved her hand and apologized to me for my complaint.

“Good. I was free anyway, so at least one thing.”

My sister turned her back again and walked away.

The older sister who took the lead walked a few steps, then stopped and stood there, accepting my offer without turning her head.

“Then should we just go to karaoke like this? It’s more fun to head somewhere than to wander aimlessly, right?”

“Suddenly going to karaoke?”

“Now, let’s go~”

My sister walked back to me again.

Then he grabbed my sleeve and led me in the opposite direction.

Since we had already passed the karaoke room, it seemed like we should go back. I was momentarily taken aback by my sister’s sudden words, but I thought something like this would be good, so I calmed down and followed her quietly.

“Weren’t we supposed to do a duet song anyway?”

“That’s right… .”

“It’s next weekend, so I need to practice quickly.”

My sister arrived at the karaoke room and spoke to me, who had a shocked expression on her face.

I nodded, and my sister nodded along with my reaction and led me in.

The moment I opened the door and entered, I immediately heard pounding sounds and other people’s singing.

I took out my wallet, changed the bills into 1,000 won bills, found an empty room, and went in.

“It’s been a while since I came here.”

“Your sister doesn’t go to karaoke often?”

“The kids tease me, but I don’t go much?”

“Why isn’t my sister going?”

“When I told you to come in early on Friday, you refused.”

My sister sat down on the chair, leaned back against the backrest as if she was comfortable, and picked up the remote control.

I brought a microphone and sat next to my sister.

It’s been a while. Don’t you go to karaoke with your classmates?

When I asked my sister about a question that suddenly occurred to me, she put her hand on my cheek, then pinched it and opened her mouth as if reprimanding me.

Come to think of it, my sister and I called each other every weekend, so we never made an appointment on Friday.

“That’s it. Because it doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Is that okay?”

“… It’s not that though.”

My sister pressed the button on the remote control with a feeling of desperation.

I wondered if that would be okay, but soon my sister, who had been snickering at my question, turned around and denied what I said.

Even though it was difficult, did you listen to me?

If that were the case, I thought I would be a bit impressed.

“ character. What do you want to sing a duet?”

“First, call me what you want to call me.”

“Then I want to sing this.”

My sister read the list of songs one by one, trying to find one worth singing.

I’ve only just put in the money, and since I have a lot of time and opportunities to make money, I passed the opportunity to my sister.

Then, as if there was already a song in her heart that she wanted to sing, she immediately searched the title and pressed start.

Suddenly, there was a thud and vibration in the quiet space, and then the accompaniment began.

My sister got up from her chair, grabbed the microphone, and stood under the flashing lights, looking at the screen.

My sister looked cute as she wiggled her butt to the accompaniment.

“Yay! ah! Is this a strange machine? Why is the score so salty?”

My sister held the microphone and looked at the machine with her arms wide open.

The more you sing well, the higher the expectation that you will get a good score.

However, the machine cruelly gave her 82 points, contrary to her wishes. My older sister complained, tapping the screen in bewilderment at the voice saying she was disappointed.

“Let’s sleep. Sister, come out. Now it’s my turn.”

“Your score will be lower than me anyway.”

“No? I sing better than my sister, right? I think it will be at least 82 points.”

As if to comfort my older sister who was blocking the screen, I tapped on the microphone.

My sister had a confident expression on her face, as if she had gotten a low score anyway, so I would too.

How can someone have such high self-confidence?

I shrugged my shoulders as if to provoke my sister and started the next song. Then my sister lightly thrust her fist and stabbed him in the side.

“Ex.”

“If you don’t get over 82 points, they will call you a person who can sing worse than me.”

“I have never received a score in the 70s in my life. Hold on to your worries.”

My sister glared at me with her eyes wide open and puffed out her cheeks.

I confidently held the microphone and looked at the lyrics that appeared on the screen.

I looked at the small numbers written above the lyrics and opened my mouth at the right time.

“Wow. Crazy.”

“… … .”

“How did you get 76 points?”

“No, this is a really strange machine?”

“He’s worse at singing than me. Pick a duet song.”

After the song ended, my sister looked at the scoreboard and stared at the screen with her mouth wide open.

Unable to say anything, I moistened my chapped lips with my tongue.

My older sister burst out laughing, which she had been holding back, hugging her stomach and bursting into laughter.

To be honest, I thought I would just get over 82 points, but I didn’t know I would get a lower score.

I was embarrassed and tried tapping the screen, but the score didn’t change.

My sister smiled as she handed me the remote control, probably because she hadn’t reserved a song.

For a while, I felt like I shouldn’t brag about my songs.

“ character. How about this?”

“It’s okay. Now, pick up the mic.”

When I showed her the song I searched for, my sister nodded and got up from the chair.

Then, with the microphone turned on, I tested “Ah, ” and stared at the screen.

The title popped up on the screen along with the accompaniment.

The song started, and I stared at my sister’s image reflected in the light on the screen.

When my part came first and then my sister’s part, I felt something strange when I saw my sister.

And, when it came to the chorus part, my sister glanced at the screen and shifted her gaze towards me.

“――.”

We sang the song while making eye contact with each other and coordinating our body movements.

I felt like my heart was becoming suffocated. Somehow, I felt my heart being overwhelmed.

For some reason, I felt excited and my heart was beating loudly and quickly.

Just making eye contact for a long time made me feel hot, but since I was singing along, my heart couldn’t stop pounding.

“There’s still a long way to go. Special training starts tomorrow.”

“Isn’t this store just giving out points?”

After the song ended, my sister and I took deep breaths.

There wasn’t a high note in the song or a long breath, but I think the reason we were out of breath was because we were looking at each other intently.

My sister looked at the screen with a wry smile. There was 88 points written on the screen.

It’s better. While thinking this, I smiled at the fact that there were still signs of progress.

“I’ve only sung three songs so far, should I sing more?”

“Then let’s call something else.”

I carefully picked up the money I had left on the karaoke table and unfolded the bills.

I didn’t plan on calling that much, but I didn’t plan on calling too little and leaving, so I put one card in the machine.

I must have remembered that my sister had just called me, so I nodded and picked up the microphone I had put down.

So, I sang the songs I wanted to sing and sang various duet songs.

“Uh- ah-. I think my neck is swollen.”

“Your voice has become really thin.”

“Your sister also has a really high tone?”

We had already spent 5,000 won and left the karaoke room after singing for over an hour.

I sang so much that it was difficult to speak.

I continued to make certain sounds as if testing my voice, but there was no sign of it returning to normal.

My sister laughed when she heard my voice, but it wasn’t the time for her to laugh either.

I pointed out that my sister’s voice was much higher than usual. Then my sister cleared her throat and cleared her throat.

“Hansol can’t sing. Stay still.”

“Sister. You know I’m the only one who got 100 points today, right?”

“I say that because I am a person who sings well on average without any ups and downs. You have a lot of ups and downs.”

“If you say it like that, I have nothing to say… .”

My sister cleared her voice and tapped my arm with her elbow.

I’m the only one who got 100 points today, so why is my sister telling me I can’t sing? Are you still worried about getting 76 points on the first attempt?

I smiled and placed my hand on my sister’s head, as if I was bragging to her.

Then my sister retorted by pinching my side.

My sister and I walked down the street with the spring breeze, chatting about various things.