Chapter 193
Translator: penny
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: Why, I'm Not Embarrassed
“Dirty! Cha Dowon! Stay away!”
I wrinkled my nose and neatly folded the baby’s diaper. Then I tossed it into the trash and closed the lid tight.
“For now, Jaeyoon.”
I gave him a bright smile.
“Good to see you.”
I was wiping my hands with antibacterial wipes when Ki Jaeyoon spoke up.
“Where’s the baby?”
“Seungjun’s giving her a bath.”
“I see. Ah, I’m hungry.”
What a raw, unfiltered guy. I let out a sigh. This isn’t our PR program. The broadcast station guys edit it however they want.
‘Well, Ki Jaeyoon’s never been one to care about his image anyway.’
That was when Lee Seungjun came in carrying the baby. He laid her down on the changing table.
“Our Jiwoo’s all clean now.”
“Oh, so this is Jiwoo?”
Ki Jaeyoon reached out right away. I blocked his arm without hesitation.
“Jaeyoon.”
“What!”
“Go wash your hands.”
“Huh?”
I smiled brightly as I said it.
“You have to wash your hands before touching a baby, right?”
“Huh?”
“How dare you try to touch Jiwoo with those dirty hands.”
“Oh, right. That scared me. Hey, Cha Dowon. Why are you suddenly acting like my big sis? You did this when I tried to hold your niece, too.”
Damn.
I smacked the back of his head a couple times.
“You didn’t even wash your hands before holding your own niece!”
“Ow, stop hitting me! Now you sound just like my mom!”
Wow. I felt sudden pity for Ki Jaeyoon’s mom, whom I’d never even met.
That was when it happened. A weird laugh rang out.
-Kyahahaha!
Jaeyoon and I whipped around. Jiwoo was looking at us, flailing her little arms and laughing.
“Why, why is she laughing?”
“Beats me?”
Huh, could it be?
I lightly smacked the back of Ki Jaeyoon’s head.
-Kyahahaha!
Damn.
“She seems to like it every time you get hit?”
“Huh?”
“No helping it.”
“Hey, what do you mean no helping it!”
Even amid the chaos, Lee Seungjun deftly put on the diaper. That was when it happened.
“Huh?”
“Whoa!”
A little fountain shot up, soaking Lee Seungjun’s shirt.
The moment I realized what it was, I grabbed a rag. Luckily, the changing table had waterproof pads and disposable towels for just such occasions.
“She peed!”
Damn. Don’t yell it out like that!
I quickly wiped the floor with a disposable towel. Lee Seungjun first changed her into a fresh diaper.
“Hey, you okay?”
Lee Seungjun’s black shirt was soaked through. The bear-like guy’s eyes trembled slightly.
“I can just wash it and dry it.”
“Dowon.”
“Yeah?”
“Got any spare clothes?”
I blinked. I had a few shirts for the next schedule.
“Yeah.”
“Lend me one.”
“Sure, but…”
I looked him up and down. That was when Ki Jaeyoon chimed in.
“Dowon’s won’t fit you, though?”
Yeah, true.
As Ki Jaeyoon approached Jiwoo, he said.
“Just go shirtless! You’ve got a great body, Seungjun.”
I shook my head immediately.
“Going fully topless violates broadcast regulations.”
“Huh? There’s a rule for that?”
“Well, full chest exposure might be an issue?”
“Oh, then wear an apron. That should cover it.”
Crazy. Does this guy even think before he speaks?
That was when it happened.
Pfft-
Everyone burst out laughing at once. I clutched my forehead, and Lee Seungjun blinked.
Ki Jaeyoon snapped his fingers as he said.
“Oh yeah, I heard about that. One side exposed is fine. It’s both that’s the problem.”
Pfft-cough!
The cameraman snorted loudly. Hearing the clear sound picked up by the mic, I quietly worried about Zenith’s image.
“One’s okay, so let’s tape it! I’ve got a band-aid!”
-Puhahaha!
Crazy.
The house filled with laughter in an instant. I let out a small sigh.
“Seungjun.”
“Yeah?”
“Here’s my shirt. It’ll be a bit small, but…”
“Yeah, but, you know…”
Lee Seungjun looked around.
“This is a family home.”
“Yeah.”
“Can’t we borrow the dad’s clothes?”
Huh?
I asked the writer.
“Is that okay?”
The writer wiped away tears as she said.
“Pfft. Well. Cough. The dad. Pfft. Is kinda. Heh. Big-built!”
You’re making weird noises yourself, writer.
“Smaller than you, Dowon! Kekeke!”
Finishing that, the writer collapsed, sobbing with laughter. I shook my head and told Lee Seungjun.
“Just wear mine.”
“O-okay.”
“Even if it’s tight. We can wash yours and hang it to dry.”
The bear nodded dazedly. Before I knew it, I said.
“Y-you good?”
“It’s fine, but… Felt like I was wearing those tight harness pants Stylist Noona gave me earlier.”
What’s that mean? Probably not great, right?
“Uh, hang in there.”
“Ugh, yeah.”
-Puhahaha
‘Staff, please stop laughing.’
Lee Seungjun’s embarrassed.
That was when it happened. Ki Jaeyoon picked up Jiwoo, whose diaper he’d just changed, and said.
“Jiwoo, rururur peekaboo! I’m Ki Jaeyoon. Ki Jae-yoon!”
-Waaah!
Crazy.
“I told you to wash your hands first!”
I smacked Ki Jaeyoon’s back once and snatched Jiwoo away.
“Ow! That hurts!”
“If she catches a cold, you’re the germ.”
“Sorry! Mom!”
Damn, what’s this now.
I held the baby and furrowed my brow.
“What’d you say?”
“Oh, for a second, I thought you were my mom. It felt so familiar.”
Damn.
I had no idea where to even start.
-Puhaha puhahaha
-Waaah
Laughter and crying mixed together. It was bizarre.
‘My mind’s gone blank.’
What is this chaos? No wonder parenting shows are so tense.
For now, I rocked Jiwoo and soothed her.
“Jaeyoon.”
“Yeah?”
“Go wash up.”
“I wiped my hands with antibacterial wipes, though.”
“Go wash up.”
When I stared quietly, Ki Jaeyoon bolted to the bathroom.
“Seungjun, go change. Clothes are in my bag.”
“O-okay…”
Lee Seungjun wandered off to another room in a daze.
I looked at the baby. Jiwoo was shedding big teardrops and patting my face.
I patted her bottom as I said.
“Did our Jiwoo get scared? I sent the scary guy to the bathroom for now.”
Jiwoo kept patting my face, looking all aggrieved.
“Yeah, yeah. Germs are bad.”
I smiled at her.
“Next time Jaeyoon hyung comes without washing, I’ll scold him, okay?”
Maybe because it’s a baby.
‘Feels like I’m talking shorter?’
Is that normal?
Jiwoo’s crying finally calmed. Just as I started to relax, Ki Jaeyoon burst back in.
“I washed up!”
“Okay.”
“Lemme hold her. I wanna hug Jiwoo too.”
Is that okay?
“Jiwoo, you okay with Jaeyoon hyung?”
I turned her to face him. The baby flailed her arms and legs wildly.
Huh.
“Jiwoo?”
“Look look!”
Did she… talk?
‘Sounds like babble, but…’
The problem was her eyes. Jiwoo scowled hard at Ki Jaeyoon.
‘Why’s that?’
The camera zoomed in on Jiwoo’s expression.
“Why’s her face like that?”
“No idea.”
“D-does she hate me?”
Uh, maybe.
‘Babies have preferences too?’
Fascinating. Did she know he tried to touch her unwashed?
“W-what do I do if she hates me?”
Ki Jaeyoon looked pretty serious.
“No way.”
“Dowon, convince her.”
“The baby?”
How?
I blinked blankly, and the cameraman bit his lip.
‘What’s so funny?’
Is Ki Jaeyoon’s cringe that entertaining?
“Aboo!”
Whether it was Ki Jaeyoon’s face itself, Jiwoo turned away and patted my face again. I let her while trying different expressions.
“Jiwoo, hyung’ll do a serious face. Nah. Should I act instead?”
I recited a line from Yi Yul.
“No matter what, I won’t get better. Because this is the deep sea.”
With proper voice control, she flailed her legs again.
“She likes it?”
“Likes acting? Okay, Jiwoo. Hyung’ll do a bright face now.”
I recited Yi Jeong’s line from *The Battle of Gwiju Pass*.
“Dad. Oh dear. Please stop. We can raise chickens and eat them.”
“Bububu!”
The baby kept slapping my face with her palms.
“Jiwoo really seems to like it.”
“Weird. Jiwoo, sad one this time?”
I reprised my role from *Flower’s Choice*.
“Princess. On the path you walked, I now stand.”
It was a pretty heartfelt scene. I put real emotion into my voice.
“How can you ask me to forget?”
“Abuboo!”
Excited, Jiwoo kept touching my face. Her crying was ancient history.
“Found the way to stop Jiwoo’s tears.”
“What is it?”
“Voice acting and my face.”
She was sensitive to vibes.
“Really? Lemme try!”
Ki Jaeyoon shoved his face in.
“Sad face. Your Highness! Have mercy!”
-Waaah!
Damn.
“Jaeyoon, get lost!”
“Why doesn’t it work for me!”
“Your voice sucks.”
Truth is, his face sucks, but I couldn’t say that.
Some things you just know without words. Ki Jaeyoon touched his face and said.
“Is it ‘cause I got my nose done? Does she only like natural faces?”
Crazy!
I turned to the camera in a hurry.
“P-please edit this out.”
Zenith’s image is heading to Andromeda.
“Why, I’m not embarrassed!”
Yeah. But I am, for you. Leader Hyung would faint if he saw this.
‘Miss you, Hajin Hyung.’
Hajin Hyung, come back soon.
I pleaded earnestly with the camera.
“Please edit it out.”
The cameraman laughed again.
“Please.”
“I’m not embarrassed! I only fixed my nose!”
Damn. Someone shut him up. I was covering Ki Jaeyoon’s mouth when the door opened. Soon, Lee Seungjun emerged in my clothes.
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, several cameras scanned him up and down.
‘That guy…’
My plain shirt looked like that.
Definitely tighter, making his muscles pop.
“Dowon, this shirt might stretch out…”
“It’s fine.”
“Of course it is. Cha Dowon, you still wear stuff like this?”
“What, throw it out? It’s fine.”
Lee Seungjun stretched his arms and said.
“Arm length fits, at least.”
“Yeah. It’s oversized to begin with. Not too tight?”
“It’s okay.”
Looking at Jiwoo, Lee Seungjun muttered.
“Stage outfits are tighter anyway.”
Ah.
‘Come to think of it, he’s worn all those ridiculous things because of his build.’
Felt kinda bad for him unexpectedly.
The baby reached for Lee Seungjun as he approached. I happily handed her over.
“Kyaa! Kya!”
She likes him.
“Tch. What. Why only hate me?”
“Yeah, why’s she only shy with you?”
Honestly, I had a pretty good idea.
‘Jiwoo, you just like good-looking people, huh.’
I stared at Ki Jaeyoon.
‘So he’s the only risky one in Zenith?’
Oops.
‘Too bad.’
Jiwoo nestled comfortably in Lee Seungjun’s arms. She even patted his shoulder happily.
‘Not shy after all.’
Good-looking people are the exception.
‘Well, she’s a baby. Makes sense.’
I told Lee Seungjun.
“Watch Jiwoo for a bit. Gonna make some baby food.”
“Oh, the stuff from yesterday?”
“I brought less broth, but it should be fine for Jiwoo, right?”
Looking at Jiwoo, I said.
“Jiwoo, hyung’s gonna make something yummy. Play nice?”
“Abuboo!”
The baby giggled. It was so cute, I smiled too.
“Whoa…”
Ki Jaeyoon exclaimed from behind.
“You two look just like my sis and brother-in-law.”
Crazy.