“Then don’t.”
Jade sat on the couch, staring at the TV again.
In fact, he had already picked up on Chloe’s behavior to a certain extent.
No, it might be more accurate to say he was already convinced.
The only reason he had any doubt at all was that he thought he knew his own flesh and blood well.
Unlike himself, who had spent his school years buried in studies and ended up in engineering, leading a decidedly boring life, his sister had been popular at school since childhood and had even been voted prom queen.
She was definitely someone far removed from the K-pop subculture.
“I’d be the closer match, if anything.”
But after becoming an adult and experiencing college life, one lesson he had finally learned while mingling with people instead of just studying was that people’s personalities and facets were never simple.
“Don’t you think the pronunciation of that girl Do-hee is really nice?”
So when a K-pop band appeared on Colin’s show, Jade was already sure of it, instinctively.
“Well, she must have studied abroad in the U.S. Just look at her choice of words—it’s clear she learned them there.”
Jade mumbled this and unconsciously took another sip from his empty beer can.
“Oh, I’ve finished it. Should I get another can?”
While he was pondering this, Chloe was once again explaining her knowledge.
“No, that girl probably only lived in Korea. She started as a trainee at 11 and debuted at 14, you know.”
Of course, she was talking about that group.
“Really?”
“Yeah, she probably learned English only in Korea. She’s smart too—apparently studies really well—”
Chloe hesitated mid-sentence and glanced back, gauging Jade’s reaction.
Maybe she felt awkward and wanted to pretend otherwise.
“…But, you know, fans in the comments said that even if she tries hard, she probably won’t study as well as you at Stanford. Right? It’s hilarious.”
Jade understood. Most people tend to forget their appearances and get excited when their favorite topic comes up.
“Well, I don’t know…”
Moreover, Chloe was a bit tipsy from drinking. The walls of reason weren’t that solid.
“She might do better than me. There are tons of people like that.”
So, Jade decided to let it slide, maintaining face as blood relatives often do, as if he hadn’t noticed.
“How about another drink?”
“Oh, sure! Good boy!”
Only when it came to this did he get called a “good boy.” Jade replied with a hint of annoyance as he got up to fetch a stronger highball this time.
[Do-hee, I actually really love your accent and pronunciation right now.]
Just then, host Colin was echoing what Chloe had claimed earlier.
Do-hee, the girl, was smiling brightly at Colin’s compliment about her pronunciation.
“See? I’m not the only one feeling this!”
Jade momentarily focused on Do-hee’s way of speaking.
[Me?]
It definitely seemed to have a pleasant tone.
As an LA person, he didn’t find her New York-style English too direct and gang-like, nor was it a super cutesy valley girl tone.
If he had to describe it, it felt southern.
Yet, it wasn’t the slow, drawn-out pronunciation typical of deep South accents; she was speaking calmly.
It was certainly hard to pinpoint exactly what kind of accent it was, as she just spoke English seamlessly.
“It’s really hard to pinpoint where that pronunciation comes from, just like you said.
[Do-hee: To be honest, English isn’t my first language, so I have a habit of mimicking the accents of the people around me.]
But what really catches Jade’s attention is the way Do-hee speaks.
[Do-hee: I think I’m influenced by Colin’s smooth and natural tone right now; maybe that’s why my pronunciation is getting better?]
She receives compliments naturally while making the other person feel good with her gentle way of speaking.
[Everyone, look at this girl, Do-hee! Isn’t she just sweet? So kind, really!]
Colin, despite the possibility that expression might be an act, seemed to be completely enchanted, gazing at the girl with hint of love in his eyes.
“How can she speak so beautifully…”
The sister, making the exact same expression as Colin, at least seemed genuine. It appeared she had fallen the hardest for Do-hee among the girls over there.
For that reason, Chloe’s reaction was easy to guess.
[It must be Do-hee! You must be the rapper!]
“Hey, I’m not just a rapper.”
She immediately mumbled as if she knew it well.
It seemed she was drinking strong highballs this time, rising spirits making her oblivious to the reactions around her.
[Your accent is smooth, and the flow is soft, yet you have this unique word rhythm! I can absolutely tell, Do-hee?]
“Oh, rhythm! Right, so that’s why it sounds good!”
Well, Jade was already adapting to it, so he decided to keep watching the talk show.
[…, Chiyo?]
On the screen, a girl named Chiyo abruptly stood up, crossing her arms and glaring at Colin.
It seemed she was the main rapper over there.
‘Surely, she has good pronunciation too. Chiyo, she must be Japanese. Aren’t Japanese people usually not great at English pronunciation?’
“That performance on stage that day was really good.”
Meanwhile, Jade just found out that his sister was such a big fan to go to that stage.
And after that, the information they got from the talk show was quite diverse.
[You all composed and produced this album yourselves? All of it!?]
First off, it was clear that the songwriting team for the Billboard album belonged entirely to those members.
“Jade, that’s awesome, right?”
“Yeah, that’s impressive.”
[Do-hee was 18 years old!? Of course, she looks young, but I had no idea because she’s tall!]
The main producer is that girl, who in Korean is called ‘maknae,’ meaning the youngest.
“Do-hee, so that girl has been a highly regarded classical piano performer in Korea since she was little.”
“I see.”
Moreover, it was a bit of explanation, but hearing that Do-hee was also famous as a classical piano performer.
“Oh, someone posted a link to a video in the comments, so I watched it and found out about her piano performance?”
“I see.”
If that was true, he could somewhat understand why his sister suddenly became infatuated with that girl.
“You’d definitely like it too, right? You really like classical music.”
Though he wasn’t too picky with his music, Jade generally did quite enjoy classical music.”
Basically, I liked it quite a lot.
Jade replied, tilting his drink again.
“Yeah, send me the link next time. I’m curious.”
Since his sister was already too drunken to even greet anyone, checking the facts was something he had to do himself.
After that, Jade watched the TV screen intently, observing the broadcast filled with various information about debonaires.
Surprisingly, he found it engaging as he focused on it.
[Seo-yoon: In Korea, or rather, in the East? It’s called ‘Hee-ro-ae-rak,’ which encompasses all the emotions one can feel in human life.]
[Hee-ro-ae-rak!]
[Seo-yoon: ‘Hee’ means joy, and ‘No’ is…]
Actually, instead of the members’ introductions, it was this exotic Eastern culture and the serious explanations within the album that piqued Jade’s interest.
“Friday the 13th, Valentine’s, Ash Wednesday…”
“Isn’t that amazing? I looked it up, and I was so surprised! All those days are packed into one week, and we didn’t even think about it while going to church.”
Moreover, the way this unique creativity linked to Western culture was indeed impressive, to the point where Jade felt genuine curiosity about the tracks.
“The songs were nice too, right? Should I send you the link now?”
Let’s not mention his sister, who was almost passed out.
“Someone must have posted a link in the comments; I guess they heard it.”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
Anyway, they decided to listen to the songs after the talk show ended, and Jade continued to watch the screen.
[Wow, wow!]
Colin still appeared completely captivated, glancing at the members while busily gesturing.
[So, just a moment! Are you all Christians? I heard there are a lot of Buddhists in the East!]
Chloe, who had been enjoying the show in her drunken state, made an incredulous face and shouted at that moment.
“What the heck, who is that?”
Chloe alternated glances between Colin and the screen, probably reacting sensitively to the question about the members’ faith.
Asking about someone else’s religion can be quite rude, even in private, but this was during an official talk show.
[Oh, I realize I asked a really awkward question. Please forgive me!]
Colin seemed to realize his mistake after saying it, flinching and retracting the question.
Still, Jade could somewhat understand Colin’s feelings.
He thought the concept of the album might have sparked curiosity and a sense of kinship in Colin, who was Christian.
Just like it did for him.
[No.]
And that girl picked up the mic and smiled subtly.
[I actually wanted to talk about this topic, so I’m grateful you asked!]
She was supposedly the main producer, but Do-hee had been quietly nodding behind the members throughout the album introduction.
[Do-hee: There’s definitely some statistics. Among the younger generation, the rate of atheists is increasing.]
Although it was Colin’s somewhat surprising question, Do-hee started to respond without showing any signs.
[Do-hee: As you can see, we are the modern generation.]
Seeing Do-hee point at the members’ outfits and make gestures drew laughter from both Colin and the audience.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere seemed to stabilize quite a bit.
[Do-hee: Still, I really love religion, you know? I’m very interested in theology.]
“I’m really interested in theology as well.”
“Oh, is that so? Well, that must be why you made this album!”
“Right. The basic doctrines of those religions have always made me feel at ease.”
Jade now clearly understood what role that girl played in the team based on her attitude.
“Actually, I’ve been thinking that these days, the ideal self-image people have seems to picture a being who receives love from everyone but doesn’t give it back.”
For the youngest member, she spoke with an oddly mature manner.
“I used to think it was just a tendency to want to take the lead, but now I feel it’s more about a fear of getting hurt by others.”
The girl glanced away slightly while speaking.
“It’s like how people have become more calculating. In an increasingly grim reality, everyone is just trying harder and harder to ensure their future stability.”
It felt cautious in many ways.
“When I think that there is at least one person who wishes for my success… it makes me feel at ease. I don’t feel the urge to deny it angrily.”
“Exactly! That’s what the Lord is like! Haha.”
Still, she spoke her thoughts calmly.
“They say that even those who slander and defame oneself have a heart to save, just like God’s will. And there’s always one such deity in every religion. For example, in Buddhism, there’s the compassionate deity ‘Kṣitigarbha,’ who vows to save even sinners trapped in hell.”
“Oh~ is that so?”
“Pretty eloquent, right?”
“Well…”
It was a relief that my sister was staring intently at the screen while saying that. She seemed genuinely impressed and wore a somewhat peculiar expression.
The girl, who had been speaking calmly, slightly lowered her head.
“In fact, it’s my first time saying this today, but track 4, ‘Nevertheless,’ the most religious-themed song in this album, is my favorite.”
“Oh! I must give it a listen!”
Now that I mentioned it…
“Don’t be afraid to love, and don’t stop—that’s the doctrine of religion, right? The spirit of philanthropy. Yes, as I mentioned before, this song came out to coincide with Ash Wednesday! It’s a bit embarrassing to say this…”
“That’s such a beautiful sentiment. You don’t have to be embarrassed!”
She seemed a little flustered, as if she had said something quite grand.
“Well, a song is just a song; whatever you feel is correct! It’s fine if you think differently than me!”
Even so, Jade found himself staring intently at the girl, who was speaking calmly but blushing and unsure of where to look, much like Chloe did.
It seemed like Chloe and he had the same bloodline.
Even if their preferences and personalities were different, one could tell they had similar ideals about humanity.
The serene moment broke when a nearby member mentioned a goal nobody had ever heard of.
“Or maybe, the UN Secretary-General?”
Anyway, until the ending stage that followed, it was the day when engineering student Jade had stumbled upon K-pop after following his sister to an LA music festival and ended up falling for Debonaire in many ways.
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