Chapter 28 He Is Just My Younger Brother

"Winter, keep it down."

Karina rubbed her nose, frowning as she tried to put a stop to her bandmate's gossiping. There were other artists in the waiting room besides them, and she didn't want to make a spectacle of themselves.

"Oh..." The puppy-like girl looked a bit dejected, but quickly recovered her usual high spirits.

Keep it down? No, that wasn't it at all. It was just that Karina was hiding something, so she didn't want the questions to continue. Once the seniors had left, she was definitely going to pester Karina until she got the full story.

"She’s just an acquaintance."

Considering the status of the aespa members in the industry, the man took a cautious glance at Karina, who stood beside him with a cold expression. After much hesitation, he offered a vague, harmless answer. She was an acquaintance, yes—an acquaintance who was also... the beautiful woman he liked.

"Then..." Winter wanted to press further, but the stage manager’s voice echoed from outside the door.

"Shou-xia, Yuna, please get on stage for another rehearsal."

The start of the Gayo Daejeon was drawing near, and the audience members were gradually filling their assigned seats. If there was one thing the SBS staff were most worried about, it was the collaboration between this young man and woman. The setlist had been changed because of Kim Woo-seok’s scheduling conflict, and Lin Shou-xia was a rookie who hadn’t even debuted two months ago. The rehearsal had gone well enough, but no one knew how they would perform once they were actually on stage.

Karina was uneasy as well. She knew Lin Shou-xia. He loved music, was passionate about it, and possessed talent worthy of respect. But at the same time, he was a person who got nervous very easily. Especially when collaborating with others, he became insecure; he would accommodate his partner and gradually lose his own style.

What would Yuna do? Was Shou-xia... really a good match for her?

The girl licked her lips, weaving through the noisy, crowded backstage area until she reached the side of the stage. The large screen set up there perfectly concealed her figure, allowing her to focus on the performance of the two on stage.

"Shou-xia-ssi." On stage, Shin Yuna struck her opening pose and winked at the visibly nervous rookie.

"Sunbae."

"I think I’m a little younger than you?"

"Can Shou-xia-ssi call others 'noona,' but not call me 'younger sister'?"

The ITZY maknae showed her mischievous side, grabbing the man’s collar and tugging him toward her before he could react. A bright, sunny smile spread across her lovely face.

"Hey," she said, "relax. I’m not going to eat you."

She added, "Don't be nervous when we officially start. Just look at me. You don't have to be afraid of anything—just follow my lead, and I’ll take care of you."

"I understand."

The man nodded, his face slightly flushed. His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Karina at the side of the stage, her beautiful eyes fixed intently upon him.

*Don't be nervous.*
*You don't need to be nervous.*
*I’m here with you, just like that phone call that night.*
*I will stay by your side, because... you are the only singer who sings songs for me alone.*

He remembered that night when a light snow had begun to fall. He recalled the coat draped over Karina’s shoulders and the beautiful face that had suddenly loomed large before his own. She had held fresh, white snow in one hand while pressing a hand warmer against him with the other.

"Ask me out."

Lin Shou-xia gently clutched his chest, hearing Karina’s voice once again.

"Sing for me. Sing only for me."

The man shook his head, casting aside the voices lingering in his mind. He calmed his heart and focused, and then... his gaze was completely captured by Karina at the side.

Her long, pale purple hair, the pure white hem of her skirt revealing her slender, shapely legs, paired with a faint blush and those gentle eyes. The dim lighting cast upon her small, palm-sized face added an ethereal, mysterious quality to her.

The air was quiet. From afar, he could occasionally hear the cheers of the audience in the stands. The man took a deep breath, and as the accompaniment slowly began to swell, he lifted his head.

In front of him was Shin Yuna’s smiling face; to his side was the concerned gaze of the noona named Karina.

*"The empty, gray streets are void of everything,*
*I push open the glass window with a heavy heart,*
*I reach out my hands, and raindrops fall into my palms,*
*Filled with longing,*
*Flowing through my heart,*
*On nights when I miss you for no reason,*
*Tears well up,*
*And you surface in my heart..."*

A performance filled with raw emotion, excellent vocals, and... a partner with whom he had perfect chemistry.

Karina hid in a corner of the stage, watching the man and woman, and bit her lip. A sense of irritation—an indescribable, restless irritation—washed over her.

It was just like that day in the LOEN practice room, watching him make mistake after mistake, listening to him talk about his schedule with Shin Yuna that afternoon.

They truly did have an innate, natural chemistry... He was singing her favorite song, unleashing his charm on stage with Shin Yuna. This wasn't a song sung for her alone.

"Unnie, why are you here?"

"I came to watch their rehearsal."

"What’s so interesting about a rehearsal?" Winter glanced at the stage a few times, instantly switching to a gossipy expression. "Oh~ and Unnie said you were just ordinary colleagues?"

"He’s just a younger brother..." The music on stage gradually faded, and Lin Shou-xia, whose attention had once again drifted away from the music, noticed the voices at the side of the stage.

"You did great, Shou-xia oppa."

"Hm?"

"I said you did a great job, oppa."

Just as she had before the performance began, the mischievous Shin Yuna stuck out her tongue and happily leaned in, paying attention to her distracted partner. He looked absent-minded, even though he had been fully focused just a moment ago.

"Thank you." The man offered a polite smile, but his attention remained fixed on the side of the stage not far away.

He stepped off the stage, slowing his pace, his mind settling, and then:

"He’s my friend’s younger brother. Of course, I’ve always just treated him like a little brother."

Lin Shou-xia’s steps faltered, and he froze on the spot as if turned to stone.

*"Ask me out. If you ask me, I’ll say yes."*
*"Are you close with Kim Ryu-won?"*
*"Then let’s just say my concern was wasted."*
*"Just a friend’s younger brother..."*

The man bit his lip and took a deep breath, his eyes beginning to redden. Karina only saw him as a younger brother.

Was it because of Im Yeong-ro? Or was everything he thought he knew just his own wishful thinking?

"You did great. I’ll treat you to a meal later, brother." Bang Chan patted the man on the shoulder, his eyes full of admiration.

"Is there going to be alcohol?"

"It feels like something is missing if we don't drink on a day like this."