* * *
Meanwhile, Yeongdeok sat down at the far end of the room, but Seonwoo quickly followed him and sat beside him.
When their arms touched, Yeongdeok frowned at the unpleasant sensation that seeped through his coat.
“Why are you sitting next to me? Go sit somewhere else.”
“The others will be here soon. It’d be weird to sit between the younger ones. Just cooperate, would you?”
Yeongdeok voiced his dissatisfaction, but Seonwoo only grinned and didn’t move.
Soon, Choa finished selecting her song.
As Choa’s song started, the karaoke lights dimmed completely, and a mirror ball lit up.
Colored lights spun around the room like traffic signals, irritating Yeongdeok’s eyes.
He thought to himself how they really pulled out all the stops here.
Suddenly, Seonwoo covered his ears.
Just as Yeongdeok began to wonder why, a deafening high-pitched voice rang out, even worse than nails on a chalkboard.
“Hey, you trash!!!”
Yeongdeok blinked, startled by the intensity.
“I knew all along! That you had another girl besides me!”
Choa was belting out the lyrics, as if venting all her stress into the microphone.
How could a 15-year-old be singing such lyrics?
And her voice hit unbelievably high notes, bouncing between the second and third octave.
As Yeongdeok’s eardrums were being ruthlessly attacked, Soseki cautiously handed the karaoke remote to him.
“Yeongdeok chicken, are you going to sing a song too?”
“I…”
Before Yeongdeok could respond, Seonwoo, sitting between them, answered for him.
“He doesn’t know any songs. He’s too refined for this, only listens to classical music.”
“What did you just say?”
“Did I say something wrong?”
“Just drop dead, both of you!”
Before their argument could escalate, Choa’s sharp singing cut through, stopping them in their tracks.
Seonwoo swallowed nervously as he watched his sister, who seemed unusually intense tonight.
“Who’s saying there aren’t any songs they know?”
It hadn’t been long since Yeongdeok returned to a previous round.
Determined to annoy PetitRolang, Yeongdeok had left the TV playing nothing but animations all day.
Even just the opening songs of those animations were easily more than ten.
Yeongdeok stared intently at the remote control Soseki handed him, as if trying to figure out how to use it.
Unable to stand it any longer, Seonwoo spoke up.
“Why don’t you just search directly for the song? Search, then reserve.”
“Do you think I can’t handle this? You’re so meddlesome.”
“Well, it’s frustrating to watch you struggle from here.”
As the two continued to bicker, back and forth about who was better or worse, hitting the karaoke remote in slow motion, Soseki, watching them, thought both of them were really exasperating.
It would be easier to just search for the karaoke number on your phone and reserve the song, but Soseki held his frustration inside.
Yeongdeok finally managed to reserve the theme song from ‘Pororo’ on the karaoke screen.
Just as Seonwoo shot him a look as if asking if he was serious, the rest of the group barged into the karaoke room.
“Hello!”
“Hey, hey! Sorry we’re late!”
“Hi….”
The trio—Gwakdupal, DaerimdongFist, and Earth destroyer—greeted one after another after meeting up at the subway station.
Rose, who had been passionately singing her heart out, spoke into the microphone.
“Welcome! Reserve your songs, everyone.”
“The remote’s right here.”
Seonwoo snatched the remote from Yeongdeok’s hand and handed it to Gwakdupal, but she instead asked Seonwoo if he’d already reserved a song.
“I’m good. I don’t feel like singing.”
“Really? You should sing at least one since you’re here.”
“Watching is more fun than singing. So go ahead and reserve a song.”
“Such a show-off.”
As Seonwoo smiled sweetly at the girls, Yeongdeok clicked his tongue in disapproval.
Even though the subject wasn’t clear, Seonwoo immediately understood it was directed at him and smiled brightly at Yeongdeok.
“I wish Cha Yeongdeok would at least pretend to be kind.”
“Why should I? What a tiring way to live.”
“Well, at least you get to live a relaxed life, Cha Yeongdeok.”
“…I’ll just reserve a song.”
As the two seemed about to clash over something trivial again, Gwakdupal quickly grabbed the karaoke remote.
Meanwhile, Choa’s song ended, and it was finally Soseki’s turn to sing.
The title in Japanese appeared on the karaoke screen, and Soseki gripped the microphone tightly before his strong voice burst forth.
“With the power of love, I will protect you!”
“You’re really good! Awesome, Soseki!”
DaerimdongFist dramatically waved a tambourine, adding to the commotion, while Earth destroyer quietly pressed the applause button on the karaoke remote.
As more people gathered, the room seemed more chaotic than before, causing Yeongdeok to irritably brush his short bangs aside. Seonwoo scoffed at him.
“Why did you even come if you don’t fit in here? If it’s too much, why don’t you just go home and rest?”
“Why don’t you just leave?”
“If you’re going to stay, stop frowning and smile a little. There are kids here.”
Seonwoo pinched both corners of Yeongdeok’s mouth, pulling them up into a forced smile.
His trembling lips betrayed his discomfort.
“Muh huh, isn’t it great?”
Yeongdeok swatted Seonwoo’s hand away.
Unfazed, Seonwoo extended his fingers again, this time pressing down on the wrinkles between Yeongdeok’s eyebrows, making them even deeper.
“Relax your face a little. How are the kids supposed to approach you when you look like that?”
Once again, Yeongdeok pushed Seonwoo’s hand away, scrubbing the area his fingers had touched with his sleeve, thinking Seonwoo was utterly obnoxious.
“If it weren’t for PetitRolang… I wouldn’t be letting you act so full of yourself.”
“What are you talking about? PetitRolang? Are you referring to that famous web novelist?”
“You know PetitRolang?”
Surprised that Seonwoo knew the name, Yeongdeok blinked.
“Isn’t there talk of their novel being adapted into a movie? They’re supposed to be a genius writer who excels in everything from romance to fantasy to martial arts, right?”
So this guy knows PetitRolang too.
Yeongdeok marveled at how, in this world, PetitRolang was a superstar on par with any celebrity, despite writing absolute garbage.
The absurdity of it made him chuckle.
“Are you two acquainted or something? Why did that name come out of your mouth out of the blue?”
“None of your business.”
As the two bickered childishly, Soseki handed the microphone to Yeongdeok after finishing his song.
“Next song is yours, Yeongdeok Chicken, right?”
Soseki looked at Yeongdeok with expectant eyes.
The others also turned their attention to him, curious.
Choa, in particular, sparkled with excitement.
“I’m curious to see you sing, Yeongdeok Chicken!”
“You’re not going to sing in that same stiff way, are you?”
DaerimdongFist chuckled as he joked.
As the title of the song Yeongdeok had reserved appeared on the screen, a cute and bouncy melody filled the room.
Yeongdeok squinted at the karaoke screen.
When the timing for him to start singing came, the lyrics appeared, but he just stared at the screen as if locked in a staring contest with it.
The group exchanged glances.
“Yeongdeok Chicken?”
“Now that I think about it, I don’t know why I have to sing this. Can’t I just listen to the instrumental?”
The karaoke backing track alone was already loud enough to make his head throb, and it was far too cheerful.
As Yeongdeok moved to put down the microphone, Seonwoo quickly grabbed his wrist.
“Come on, the song’s already started, at least sing a little.”
“Yeah, Yeongdeok Chicken, you should sing one song if you’re at karaoke.”
Gwakdupal chimed in without a hint of tact.
“Just one verse. Even one line is fine.”
Choa pleaded, her eyebrows drooping pitifully in an expression she rarely wore.
Though he found it annoying, Yeongdeok figured it wasn’t worth being stubborn over, so he brought the microphone to his lips.
He recalled some vocal techniques he’d learned as a child and slowly opened his mouth.
His throat moved, and a quiet voice finally escaped.
Singing the “Call for Pororo” line of the ‘Pororo’ theme song with complete indifference, Yeongdeok left the group momentarily dumbfounded.
Even DaerimdongFist, who had been enthusiastically shaking the tambourine, froze.
It wasn’t that Yeongdeok couldn’t sing.
It’s just that his voice lacked any energy, which didn’t match the lively children’s theme song at all. The upbeat rhythm took on an oddly solemn tone.
“Pfft…”
Seonwoo barely held back laughter, pressing his lips together.
As soon as Yeongdeok finished the song, Seonwoo burst out laughing.
“Ahahaha! That song really doesn’t suit you at all, Charuru.”
“Don’t call me Charuru.”
“But it’s cute!”
Even Choa joined in teasing Yeongdeok.
These siblings—what was wrong with both of them?
* * *
I already miss Jihoon
fr
🥰
Hilarious
jihoon bickerings just feels more right than whenever seonwoon and yeongdeok argue
Because Seowoon is just irritating. But with Jihoon it’s banter.
Yeongdeok convinced that the siblings have more than a few screws loose😂
Pororo the little penguin?
Charuru🤖
Thank you for the chapter !
Yeah I hope we see more of Jihoon soon
Thanks for the chapter 😸
Seowoon definitely had a thing for Yeongdeok. Theres no better way to explain da bitterness he exudes 24/7 around Yeongdeok
Thanks for the chapter🙆♀️💙
Thanks for the chapter! Keep up the good work
Yeongdeok is so cute lol
Seowoon is starting to get attracted to yeongdeok 😏
i’m gna be honest i don’t care for seowoon like he’s just irritating it doesn’t feel like a couple banter like jihoon
thanks
Thanks for the chapter
Gracias por el capítulo ☺️
Gracias por el capítulo ☺️ Ese par de hermanos no lo molesten, aún que tiene un tono robótico tiene encanto ❤️
Thanks for the chapter
The Mc is just so funny unintentionally
Thanks
Absolutely hilarious!!!
Am i the only one who awaits for woojin reapperence , i think all of their relationship are interesting in their own ways . Plus seonwoo & yeong probab knows eachother way longer & i love long rivalry term