Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Pediatric Cancer Ward
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“We’re going to the pediatric cancer ward.”
Oh, right.
I recalled the schedule the manager had told me about.
‘Handing out dolls at the pediatric cancer ward…….’
This wasn’t a Zenith group schedule. It was just me and this guy.
‘Lately, it feels like there are more schedules like this.’
Instead of group ones, they were bundling members together more often.
‘As long as it’s not Ki Jaeyoon, I don’t care.’
If it were that monkey bastard, even I’d have to keep an eye out constantly.
“You were wondering, ‘Why just the two of us?’ right?”
Did this guy read minds or something?
I nodded. Lee Seungjun gave a faint smile as he spoke.
“It’s because you’re popular now. There are a lot of places requesting you, but the whole group is tough, so they’re splitting you up.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I’m glad I get to do schedules with you. What about you?”
It was so bland. I straightened my shoulders and said,
“As long as it’s not Ki Jaeyoon…… He’s exhausting.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Lee Seungjun leaned back against the cushion and laughed.
‘Why is this bear laughing?’
I couldn’t figure it out. I quietly munched on my protein bar. The hunger from the cheat still hadn’t gone away.
***
“Today, let’s make a wish come true~ Our guests are Zenith members, Dowon and Seungjun.”
It was an old-school intro, but classic. I pulled out our familiar group greeting.
“Hello.”
“Reach the!”
“Pinnacle!”
“With you!”
“We are Zenith.”
It wasn’t anything special, but the MCs clapped. Maybe because it was a show with a good cause. The atmosphere felt warm and fuzzy.
“Oh, Cha Dowon-ssi. I loved your movie.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“You’ve become such a trendsetter idol these days. So handsome.”
I scratched my cheek, pretending to be shy.
“Thank you for having us.”
Why were they being so humble?
‘This is the kind of thing I need to be most careful about.’
If I came off as arrogant by mistake, my image would plummet.
“No, thank you for inviting us.”
“You speak so nicely too. I’ve wanted to meet you, Seungjun-ssi.”
“Thank you.”
“You look great. I wish all the idols on our show were this handsome.”
“Oh, sister.”
The MCs laughed at each other. I laughed along and said,
“Today’s ‘Make a Wish’ star is a very young friend.”
“We invited Cha Dowon-ssi because this little one wanted to meet him.”
Of course I knew, but I put on a surprised face.
“Dowon-ssi, only you can fulfill this young friend’s wish today.”
“Ah, I’ll do my best.”
“How do you feel?”
I lowered my head slightly.
“Meeting me isn’t anything special…… It breaks my heart.”
When I looked up again, the MCs’ expressions had softened. These were pros who’d been eating broadcast rice for over ten years. They’d already sized me up.
“Wow, Dowon-ssi, your heart is handsome too.”
“No, no.”
“Then, shall we head out?”
I nodded. Pretending to walk forward marked the end of the opening.
“Cut!”
As soon as the director called, I dragged Lee Seungjun back to greet the MCs again.
“We are Zenith. Please take care of us today.”
“We’re the ones who should say that. We were a bit worried since you’re trending now, but seeing you puts us at ease.”
“We had a tough time once when some idols we invited caused trouble.”
“If it’s not rude, could you tell us which group it was?”
“It was Hush, right?”
Oh no. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an unknown name.
‘I wonder how the seniors are doing these days?’
I’d like to see them sometime. They’d love it if I smiled brightly.
“I see. We’re still rookies, so we’re not used to variety shows. Please take care of us.”
“Whew, you did great.”
“You know we’re going to the pediatric ward today, right?”
Lee Seungjun and I nodded.
“There are a lot of sick kids. I don’t think it’ll be an issue for you two from Zenith, but please watch your words and actions.”
“Of course.”
“Isn’t it cute that the kid’s wish is just to see Dowon-ssi?”
I gave a bitter smile. The MC tapped my shoulder.
“We’re heading in!”
“Just in case, please disinfect your hands thoroughly. Don’t forget to spray your clothes too.”
“Wear masks please.”
It was only natural for the sick kids. I followed every procedure the writers instructed without complaint.
“Dowon-ssi, be especially careful with hand disinfection.”
“Ah, yes.”
“The kids will probably cling to you a lot. It might be a hassle, but…… You understand, right?”
I nodded with a smile.
“Phew, that’s a relief. If anything bad gets said here, it’d be trouble for us too.”
“Of course.”
“You’re a trendsetter, but your personality is great too. We’ll leave it to you.”
Lee Seungjun and I put on masks and entered the hospital. Maybe because of the cameras, everyone passing by stared.
‘Come to think of it, it’s a hospital.’
Someone came to mind. I let out a small sigh. This wasn’t the hospital where Mom had been, but I couldn’t block every passing thought.
“Shooting starts!”
I clenched my fist.
‘Not the time to get lost in thought.’
I quickly pulled myself together. Cameras were already set up in the rooms. I acted according to the script.
Even though they were sick kids, treating them as normally as possible was best. Too much pity could hurt too.
I entered carefully, and saw a kid in a five-bed room. I approached cautiously. The MCs stepped aside.
“Hyeri?”
Calling her name softly, the kid bolted upright in bed. Seeing her thin cheeks move, I smiled a little.
“It’s Dowon oppa. You wanted to see me, right?”
“Oppa! Mom, it’s oppa!”
Her mother covered her eyes, watching her happy child. I stepped closer.
“Oppa! Ah! I’m so happy!”
Seeing how much she liked it tugged at my heart.
‘What’s so great about seeing me?’
I’d be in entertainment for a long time. If she got healthy, seeing me for real wouldn’t be that hard.
“I-is it really Dowon oppa?”
“Yeah. Hyeri.”
“If it’s really Dowon oppa, sing for me.”
Huh.
I blinked in bewilderment. Here?
‘I could sing something, but our songs need Kang Minjae for the chorus.’
Then her mother wiped her tears and said,
“She means a trot song.”
I just blinked. Not a Zenith song?
“Hyeri loves rural life shows a lot. She especially liked the scenes where Dowon-ssi fixes things.”
Ah. I hadn’t thought of that. I figured it’d be from a music show.
‘Now that I think about it, I haven’t done many kid-friendly broadcasts.’
Why did only harsh, tough memories come to mind? I awkwardly smiled, recalling all my injuries.
“Hmm, what song should I sing?”
“‘Love Goes Around and Around.’”
Our Hyeri liked something with flair.
I pulled my mask down a bit and smiled wide.
If our princess requests it, of course I have to. Especially since she picked the song.
“Love goes around~ around~”
The kid burst into giggles. Looking at her thin cheeks, I pretended to hold a mic and looked around. Lee Seungjun just blinked, and the MCs clapped.
“Around and around is love~ Fate comes around~ around~”
I made eye contact with Hyeri. Her giggles were too cute.
‘Is our Hyeri in a lot of pain?’
Why did such a little kid get such a terrible illness? Times like this, God seemed cruel.
Everyone in the room clapped. I finished the a cappella song on beat, and Hyeri clapped with her thin arms. Seeing the IV line sway between her hands, I knelt to meet her eyes.
“Oppa! Thank you for coming to see me!”
“No. Thank you for wanting to see me, Hyeri.”
Hyeri’s mom held back tears again. I made eye contact with her too and smiled a little. I was a bit happy, but in the sadder atmosphere, the MCs continued.
I held the kid’s hand tight. It was still so small, it hurt my heart more.
***
After handing out dolls to the cancer ward kids, most of the filming wrapped.
“Good work. Zenith, you did great today.”
“Good work. No, thank you for inviting us.”
“Next time, the whole Zenith team should come.”
“If you invite us.”
“You really did well today. To the kid, and the parents too.”
I shook my head.
“I feel like I could’ve done better, but I didn’t know what to say.”
The MC nodded at my words.
“Yeah, you’re right, Dowon-ssi. It’s not easy. You’re thoughtful beyond your age. I like you even more now?”
“It’s an honor.”
“Seungjun-ssi did great too. The kids were climbing all over you, but you got them down without hurting them.”
Lee Seungjun grinned. To the kids, he was a giant, and even with IV hands, they kept trying to climb his clothes.
“Ah, it was fun.”
“I heard it was tiring playing with your body like that.”
“They’re kids.”
Lee Seungjun kept hugging those kids and gently lifting them up. By the end, three or four were hanging off the bear’s waist.
“Maybe because you’re all handsome, but the kids really took to you.”
Was that it?
‘Ayoung suddenly comes to mind.’
She was unrivaled in this area.
I wonder how that princess is doing. She was so scary. I miss her, but I’m also scared to see her.
“We’ve gone on too long. Anyway, see you again, Zenith members.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
We bowed our heads. After greeting everyone from staff to director, things finally quieted down.
“Manager Brother said he’ll be a bit late.”
“We don’t have this often. Traffic must be bad.”
“He said sorry.”
I shrugged and nodded.
“Want to grab a meal?”
“It’s a hospital. Is there a place to eat?”
“It’s a pretty big hospital, so there should be…….”
I checked the bear’s complexion. Having been with him constantly, I knew this wasn’t his usual face.
“You okay?”
“More like…… I was.”
Lee Seungjun sighed.
“Wanna walk a bit? It’s not great talking here…….”
I nodded. He slowly headed outside. Following slowly, we were soon out.
“It’s chilly.”
“Still winter, I guess. Well, spring will come soon. Flowers will bloom around then, right?”
Lee Seungjun was acting weird today.
‘I think it sometimes, but this guy talks like poetry.’
Is that why he’s good at rap? Anyway, his sensitivity was different. I shook my head.
We walked a bit like that. It was a walking path, full of patients and guardians.
“A lot of kids came up to us today.”
“Yeah, they looked busy.”
“I didn’t know what to say, so I asked their ages. They all stuck out fingers and told me eagerly.”
“Must’ve been cute.”
“Yeah, and it made me think. My sister’s kid must be even younger than them.”
Yeah, probably.
“It surprised me how much I missed her.”
What?
I narrowed my eyes. Lee Seungjun finally opened up.
“I thought I’d never want to see her my whole life.”
Oh.
“I didn’t want to see her much. She’s the kid who killed my sister. Well, not the kid’s fault. I know. But if it weren’t for that kid, my sister might still be alive.”
I said nothing. I just let the bear talk.
“Honestly, I even hated her. She’s my sister’s kid, but also my brother-in-law’s.”
Lee Seungjun looked at the sky.
“But suddenly wanting to see her for real is funny, right?”
“It happens.”
“Say whatever. I hated her even though she’s innocent.”
I shook my head.
“You bought formula for your niece, brought clothes and toys too.”
Is that what someone who hates does?
“That was just duty.”
“If everyone did their duty like you, Korean prisons would be empty.”
I patted the bear’s shoulder.
“It happens. Don’t blame yourself.”
“Could it really?”
“If it were my sister, I’d probably think the same.”