Chapter 163: Company Daycare (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163: Company Daycare (3)
Even after that, we spent our time racing all over the daycare with the children, who were as energetic as fully charged smartphones.
I felt a newfound respect for daycare teachers across the country. I have no idea how they perform such high-intensity labor every single day—and while maintaining such a gentle, kind demeanor, no less.
My patience fluctuates wildly just dealing with the five guys in Spark. I clearly have a long way to go before I can call myself a saint.
Still, I was glad the children had grown accustomed to our faces. We’d become close enough to joke around with one another.
A few of the bolder kids even got to experience a shoulder ride on Choi Je-ho. He had to hunch his knees quite a bit to keep their heads from hitting the ceiling, but they all successfully managed to mount their 187cm-tall human steed safely.
Watching Choi Je-ho act as a human mount while the rest of Spark surrounded him like bodyguards just in case, I turned to Jae-yun, who was sitting beside me.
“Jae-yun, don’t you want a shoulder ride too?”
Jae-yun shook his head. Instead, he stuck close to my side, diligently reading a picture book that didn't even have ten words per page. It was a story about a cat and a young child going on an adventure down an alleyway.
Is he just really shy?
Seeing him talk to his friends earlier, it didn't seem that way, but I figured he might not be thrilled about a bunch of adults suddenly barging in. I decided to stay quiet.
The sound of pages flipping softly drifted through the air, a stark contrast to the noisy chaos elsewhere.
Then, the sound of paper turning stopped.
“Teacher.”
Jae-yun called out to me. His fingertip pointed to a spot in the book.
There was an illustration of a small black cat that had followed the protagonist on their adventure to the end of the alley.
“It looks like you.”
Jae-yun gave a wide grin.
It was an incredibly pure smile.
At first, I had worried about when this ordeal would end.
But the time to say goodbye came much sooner than expected.
“Teacher, are you coming back tomorrow?”
A child holding a magic wand in one hand and a transforming car in the other asked.
“It’s time to say bye-bye to the teachers now,” the daycare teacher said.
At her words, the children’s eyebrows began to slant into sad arches. Some even had tears welling up.
“So the teachers aren't coming anymore?”
Taking that as a signal, someone started wailing. Choi Je-ho picked up one child who was streaming tears and snot.
“Why are you crying? You promised to follow along with the dance when you see me on TV next time.”
They made a secret pact like that? Choi Je-ho’s fan management is no joke. There’s a reason he’s the center.
As Je-ho patted the child’s back a few times, the kid sniffled and soon stopped crying.
Man, this is heartbreaking...
Adults might be used to brief encounters, but these kids had opened up and given us their affection in their own way. I felt a pang of sadness. I suppose I’d grown attached to them in that short time, too.
As I was trying to help the teary-eyed children get ready to go home one by one, I felt a tug on my pant leg.
Jae-yun was looking up at me.
“Jae-yun, it’s time for you to go home too. Did you have fun today?”
Jae-yun nodded. His quiet nature really reminded me of our Park Ju-woo.
“I’m glad you had fun.”
I smiled as brightly as I could while buttoning up Jae-yun’s coat. Then, Jae-yun handed me something.
It was a piece of origami paper, crumpled and folded.
“It’s a cat.”
Jae-yun whispered into my ear.
Then, he took his guardian’s hand, gave a small “Goodbye,” and left the daycare.
I looked back and forth between Jae-yun’s retreating back and the origami sitting flat on my palm.
My eyes kept drifting to the black cat, which I never would have recognized if he hadn't told me what it was.
Ever since I started this job, I feel like I’m always on the receiving end.
And so, I keep wondering. How can I possibly repay all this affection?
On the way back, we took some time to reminisce about the happy moments spent with the adorable children.
“How are their shoes so tiny? Did you see them all lined up in the cubbies?”
Lee Cheong-hyeon, your hairline is probably more perfectly lined up than those shoes.
“I seriously thought they were toys. They’re all so pretty. Meanwhile, we just walk around in slippers.”
“Wait, did you wear slippers out today?”
I whipped my head around, and Lee Cheong-hyeon, sitting in the back, pulled his feet back. Fortunately, he was wearing bright navy Converse.
“Why are you looking at me so scarily?!”
“I was worried you’d committed the atrocity of dragging your feet in slippers while on the job, forgetting your duty as an idol.”
“Hyung, you literally stood us all in front of the full-length mirror and checked us before we left the shop.”
“There’s always the possibility of an emergency.”
As I turned back forward, I caught Choi Je-ho’s eyes in the rearview mirror.
Right, I can’t leave him out.
“Choi Je-ho, you did a good job today.”
“What?”
“I said you did well. It was better than I expected.”
Choi Je-ho furrowed his brows. For some reason, that guy’s face never relaxes, even when he’s being complimented.
“Try being stuck between an older sister and a younger sister. You get used to it.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold at his blunt remark. Seriously, has my family history become such a taboo subject?
While Choi Je-ho and I—the accidental mood-killers—shifted our eyes awkwardly, Lee Cheong-hyeon jumped in with perfect timing.
“Hyung, I’m a second child too.”
A guy with a kind face and a kind heart. If the world ends tomorrow, I’ll put you on top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. So that at least your face remains visible to the satellites.
“Je-ho Hyung, do you get along with your sister?” Kang Gi-yeon asked. He seemingly found it hard to imagine.
“It’s just normal.”
“Oh, come on. For someone ‘normal,’ you were way too used to handling kids. You were like a seasoned drill sergeant!”
Lee Cheong-hyeon kept piling on the exaggeration. Kang Gi-yeon didn't stop him and silently nodded in agreement.
“It’s just because Choi Mi-ho throws such a fit when things don’t go her way. I hate listening to it, so I just give in...”
“Is your sibling like that too? Jeong Seong-jun is also...”
And then Jeong Seong-bin suddenly joined in. As if he had a long-standing grudge, he began exposing stories about Jeong Seong-jun. It was enough to make me realize, So this is what K-siblings are like.
“But Seong-jun Hyung and Mi-ho are nice. The people in my house... ugh.”
“Wait, have you met Choi Mi-ho?”
“Yeah. Remember when Hyung didn't speak for three weeks, so Manager Chan-yeong called her to act as a translator?”
That happened? This guy really was a lost cause.
“Why didn't you speak?”
“Why else? He and Kang Gyeon had another falling out.”
“Why bring up old stories?”
“Exactly. It’s something I barely even remember.”
Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon grumbled simultaneously. In moments like this, they’re surprisingly in sync.
“But I understand how Je-ho Hyung and Seong-bin Hyung feel. I have a younger brother, Gi-yeon, who doesn't listen and throws fits too.”
“Since when am I your younger brother?”
“Did you forget our birthdays are almost 11 months apart? I’m actually closer in age to Ju-woo Hyung than I am to you.”
Lee Cheong-hyeon cackled.
“Aww, our little Gi-yeon! Come on, call me Hyung! Go on!”
“The day we have an informal speech time, I’m coming for you first.”
Terrifying threats began to fly. Jeong Seong-bin struggled to play peacemaker, telling them to get along.
Meanwhile, I locked eyes with Park Ju-woo in the passenger seat. He had been watching the chaos in the back with interest, and when our eyes met, he gave me a bright, innocent smile.
Even after pouring our souls out at the daycare, we still had to practice.
Jeong Seong-bin, saying, “Everyone took a nap at the daycare, so you still have stamina left, right?” reminded me of a drill sergeant I saw in the army.
It was only unfair for me and Lee Cheong-hyeon, who didn't get a nap. Thanks to that, I worked until the sky turned yellow. I need to get my muscle mass back up quickly. Maybe I should sign up for more PT sessions.
After the workout, most of the members were exhausted. The phrase “It’s been a long day” didn't stop until we got back to the dorm.
Without anyone having to say a word, whoever was ready first headed to the bathroom. As they came out from their showers, they dried their hair, finished their skincare, and collapsed onto their beds.
By the time I was the last one out, the dorm was as quiet as a grave. I couldn't even hear the sound of someone adjusting their blankets.
I guess they’d be tired.
There were plenty of events coming up. Spark’s schedule was packed for the next three months.
Since I didn't know when they’d get to sleep soundly again, I turned off the kitchen and living room lights for the guys who’d forgotten, switched on Choi Je-ho’s mood lamp, and went into my room.
As I lay in bed, I heard deep breathing from above and beside me. It was a peacefulness that felt like it would pull me into sleep at any moment.
But I couldn't sleep just yet. My day wasn't over.
I called up the System I had been saving for a while.
+
[SYSTEM] ‘Quest’ completed.
▷ Reward: Memory Data (1)
+
The screen was blindingly bright. If the surroundings are this dark, shouldn't it automatically adjust the brightness to dark mode? It’s going to ruin my eyesight. What an outdated system.
More importantly, a memory...
I tried to guess what kind of memory the System would give me. I knew the System wasn't explicitly malicious toward me, but its creed of “as long as you’re alive, nothing else matters” hadn't changed.
Since it’s a reward, it should logically be related to the KPI, right?
The current KPI was winning 1st place on a music show. Unless my predictions were off, this KPI should be resolved in the near future. So, I was hoping for some more macro-level information.
It would be great if it were information directly related to my sister, but I didn't expect things to go that smoothly. I don't even know how many KPIs are left.
There was also the possibility that the System was trying to screw me over. That’s why I chose to open the data now, when everyone else was asleep.
Or maybe it’s about what medicine Lee Cheong-hyeon will take, or if Choi Je-ho’s father caused trouble in the past, or the condition of Jeong Seong-bin’s throat...
There were so many things I needed to know at every step. Next time, I should ask them to sell Memory Data in a bundle.
But how do I use this?
I asked internally while looking at the vividly glowing ‘Memory Data (1)’.
In an instant, the world before my eyes went pitch black. My physical sensations blurred as if I were floating.