Hearing Jihoon's words, Jieun felt a warmth spread through her chest—like slipping into a perfectly heated hot spring on a cold winter morning.
Comforting, familiar, safe. In this vast and unpredictable world, there was only one person she could truly rely on.
Her parents were too far, emotionally and physically, wrapped up in their own lives.
But Jihoon? He was her anchor. Her lighthouse.
She looked up at him with wide, sparkling eyes. "Oppa… can I ask you something?"
Jihoon glanced down at her, the corners of his lips lifting. "Hmm? What is it?"
Jieun leaned in, her tone soft and playful. "When I debut… can we not tell anyone that we're living together? That we're family?"
Jihoon raised an eyebrow, half-amused. "Why? You embarrassed by Oppa now?"
"Oppa!" Jieun pouted, giving his arm a light smack. "It's not that! I just… I don't want people saying I only got to debut because of you. They'll say bad things about you, too."
Jihoon gave her a small sigh and a flick to the forehead. "Ya, what kind of nonsense is that?"
"Do you think if you don't say anything, people won't figure it out?"
"You've been going in and out of this building for months."
"Even if our security's decent, all it takes is one nosy reporter with a zoom lens, and the whole world will know."
"I don't care!" Jieun huffed, crossing her arms.
"If they find out, then they find out! Until then, I'm saying nothing, and you're saying nothing!" She stuck her chin up defiantly, like a tiny ostrich trying to bury its head in invisible sand.
Jihoon couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright. You do you, Ms. Secretive."
"But since you're going to debut, don't forget your manners. Introduce yourself to your sunbae properly."
Jieun sprang up like a wind-up toy. She faced Jihoon, bowed deeply, and with a grin said, "Annyeonghaseyo! I'm IU, Lee Jieun!"
"IU?" Jihoon blinked. "That your stage name? Where'd that come from?"
Jieun plopped back beside him, snuggling close and wrapping both arms around his.
"I made it up myself! 'I' for me, 'U' for… you, Oppa."
"Because no matter what happens, you and I will always be together."
Jihoon stared at her in disbelief. "Didn't you just say you didn't want people to associate you with me?"
"Now you're literally naming yourself after us?"
"I don't care!" she sang, sticking out her tongue. "I'm keeping it! And if anyone asks, I'll say there's no special meaning behind it!"
He gave her a light bonk on the head. "Baboya… just say the 'U' stands for 'you' as in your fans, and it means 'I love you.' That's how it works—idol basics 101!"
Her eyes widened. "Ohhhh! Why didn't I think of that? Oppa, you really are a genius!"
"Of course I am," Jihoon said smugly. Then his tone shifted, more curious now. "So, which show are you debuting on?"
In Korea, debuting wasn't as simple as just uploading a song.
Broadcast time slots were fiercely competitive, with three major stations—SBS, MBC, and Mnet—each having their own flagship music programs: Inkigayo, Music Core, and M! Countdown.
Smaller agencies often struggled to secure a prime-time debut stage.
But Jihoon knew better. Loen Entertainment, though not a top-tier idol powerhouse at the time, had powerful backing.
With SK Group behind them, they could grease enough wheels to make things happen.
Sure enough, Jieun's face lit up. "The company arranged for me to debut on M! Countdown! Cool, right?"
"Aigoo…" Jihoon smiled, gently brushing her hair away from her face. "Our little Jieun… debuting already? Time really flies."
Jieun snuggled into his chest like a kitten curling up in its favorite spot. Her voice softened, turning into something close to a whisper.
"Oppa… when I become a superstar, I'm going to make lots of money. I'll buy a big house. Grandma, mom and dad, me, you, and Jonghoon—our whole family will live together. Forever, okay?"
She said it like a child describing a dream she'd rehearsed in her mind countless times.
Simple. Pure. But packed with longing.
Jihoon looked down at her—this girl who still had the innocence of a teenager, yet was already shouldering so much responsibility.
She wanted to succeed not just for herself, but for everyone she loved.
For the family they rarely spoke about but always carried in their hearts.
He felt a lump rising in his throat, but masked it with a smile. "Okay," he said, ruffling her hair again.
"But only if you wash Oppa's socks forever."
"Deal!" she replied with a grin, eyes still closed. "I'll wash your socks every day! Even the smelly ones!"
Jihoon chuckled. "Aigoo… that's true love."
Then his tone shifted again, this time to a more professional one. "By the way, what kind of song are you debuting with?"
"It's a ballad," Jieun answered softly. "Kind of lyrical. A little sad but really pretty. Do you want to hear it?"
"Of course."
Still nestled in his arms, her eyes closed in comfort, she began to hum the melody.
Then slowly, she sang. Her voice was low and steady, like she was lulling a secret into the room rather than performing for applause.
It was delicate yet haunting—like the first breath of spring through a frost-covered window.
Jihoon listened carefully.
At first, his expression was neutral, taking in her tone and delivery.
But slowly… his brow began to furrow.
There was something in the song. A trace of a story he wasn't sure Jieun fully understood.
The next day, Jihoon found himself walking into the Loen Entertainment building, with none other than Lee Jieun slumped on his back like a sack of potatoes.
"Oppaaaaa, carry me just a little longer," she whined, half-laughing, half-pouting, as her arms wrapped lazily around his shoulders.
"You're not five," Jihoon grumbled—but didn't slow down. He carried her anyway. To him, Jieun wasn't just a sister. She was the closest thing he had to family.
And maybe, in this chaotic world, he spoiled her a little too much. But he didn't care.
They arrived at the office of Han Sungsoo, Loen's director.
Jihoon knocked once, then walked in.
"Jihoon-ssi! You're here!" Sungsoo stood up with a warm smile. "Is this about Jieun's debut?"
Jihoon narrowed his eyes, not even bothering to sit down. "Hyung, how can you say that so casually? Why didn't anyone tell me about her debut ahead of time?"
He crossed his arms, his tone tightening. "And the debut song—it should've been written by me. You finalized everything behind my back? Didn't we agree that I would personally oversee Jieun's career?"
Sungsoo raised both hands defensively. "Hey, don't blame me. Jieun came to me first and asked me not to tell you. She said she didn't want to bother you while you were busy with your film."
Jihoon turned toward Jieun, who now stood beside him silently, her head bowed, avoiding his gaze like a guilty child.
He let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead. "Fine. It's done. But at least let me listen to the track."
"Normally, we can't show pre-debut material to anyone," Sungsoo said with a shrug, then added with a grin, "But since it's you, Jihoon—sure. Come with me."
Sungsoo led them down the hall to the company's music production wing. Inside, the head of the audio department was already waiting, having been briefed by Sungsoo on their way over.
"This is Jihoon-ssi," Sungsoo explained. "He'd like to listen to Jieun's track."
The producer nodded and motioned toward a pair of studio headphones. Jihoon sat down quietly and slipped them on.
As "Lost Child" began to play, the room fell silent.
Jihoon leaned forward slightly, elbows on knees, his eyes fixed on nothing. His brow tensed again as the song unfolded.
He listened with the focus of a director dissecting every beat, every lyric, every breath.
He didn't just listen once.
He asked them to play it again.
And then again.
And then once more.
The producer exchanged a glance with Sungsoo, clearly puzzled.
Though he didn't know who Jihoon was, something about Jihoon's expression—intensely focused yet unreadable—made everyone in the room uneasy.
Sungsoo motioned for the others to keep quiet.
[Author's Note: Heartfelt thanks to Wandererlithe, JiangXiu, Daoist098135 and Daoistadj for bestowing the power stone!]