Chapter 194
Translator: penny
Chapter: 194
Chapter Title: Repetitive Learning is Essential, Huh?
‘What the hell are you talking about?'
I turned around stiffly. Seeing the sharp look in my eyes, Ki Jaeyoon hurriedly made excuses.
"Ah, it's just that my sister says stuff like that a lot too?"
So?
"Don't glare at me like that. It's scary!"
I crossed my arms. He rubbed his hands together.
"My bad."
"Do you even know what you did wrong?"
"I spoke carelessly."
"I told you to think before you speak, didn't I?"
"I'm sorry."
I shook my head and headed for the kitchen. Lee Seungjun, who had been watching, chimed in.
"Training a kid is tough."
My legs stopped on their own. What was this now?
"Seungjun-ah?"
What did you just say?
"It's not easy."
"Well, generally speaking, yeah..."
"Right? Why is Cha Dowon raising me? I'm older! I should be the one raising Cha Dowon!"
A chill ran down my spine for a moment. What had I just heard?
I turned around quietly.
"Jaeyoon-ah?"
"No, you're the maknae."
"So?"
"Normally, that would be the case..."
I crossed my arms and stepped closer to Ki Jaeyoon. He clasped his hands together again.
"My bad."
"Do you know what you did wrong?"
"I won't do it again!"
"Think before you speak, got it?"
"I'm sorry."
Lee Seungjun, watching it all, muttered to Jiwoo with a smile.
"Repetitive learning is essential, huh."
Wow.
"Seungjun-ah?"
"Hang in there, Dowon-ah."
"Hang in there with what!"
"You're working hard."
What the hell was this? I was about to say something more when the front door opened.
The bespectacled leader walked in smiling.
"Oh, everyone's in the living room?"
He looked a bit older but had a gentle vibe as he took off his outer clothes.
"The baby? Oh, playing nicely."
I quietly approached Hajin hyung.
"Dowon-ah?"
"Hyung..."
I grabbed Leader Hyung's shoulders.
"Where have you been?"
"Huh?"
"Zenith really needs you, hyung."
Hajin hyung asked Lee Seungjun.
"Is something up with Dowon?"
"Ah, he's tired from childcare."
Damn it.
"Lee Seungjun-ah."
"Ah, Jiwoo's laughing."
Look at that guy.
Lee Seungjun picked up Jiwoo and spun him around. The baby's laughter filled the living room.
'When did he get so good at slipping away?'
Lee Seungjun-ah. You could do variety shows now and nail it?
The camera captured my expression perfectly.
'If this scene ends like this, I'll be the only one looking weird.'
I glanced around. Luckily, I had Leader Hyung.
No need to wait and see. I hugged Hajin hyung.
"Huh? Dowon-ah? What's wrong?"
"I just missed you, hyung. We needed you so much."
"R-Really?"
He'd get shy like this. I knew he secretly loved being leader, Hajin hyung.
"With that in mind..."
"Yeah! Yeah!"
"Reign in Jaeyoon a bit, please."
"Huh?"
"I have to make baby food, so yeah. Oh, Hajin hyung!"
I smiled with all my heart.
"Go wash up. If you're gonna be with Jiwoo."
"Ah, yeah!"
Hajin hyung hurried to the bathroom. Ki Jaeyoon grumbled watching it.
"You're different with me than with Hajin hyung?"
"Of course. You think you're on the same level as Leader Hyung?"
"Huh?"
Ki Jaeyoon's pupils shook.
"You really think that?"
He stared at my face, then clasped his hands again.
"My bad."
"What did you do wrong?"
"I'll think before I speak from now on."
I shook my head and finally headed to the kitchen. Lee Seungjun's voice came from behind.
"Childcare is tough. Right, Jiwoo-ya?"
Crazy.
'Lee Seungjun's evolved.'
In a variety-show-friendly way.
'Did his brother-in-law teach him how to change diapers?'
I sighed for some reason. Couldn't tell if it was good or bad.
'Well, good is good. Jiwoo's laughing happily.'
As I thought that and turned,
Thud-
I whipped around and ran. In the living room, Lee Seungjun held Jiwoo with a furrowed brow.
"It's nothing. I tripped."
Jiwoo's toy was at his feet. I checked on Jiwoo first.
"A-boo-boo!"
The baby was oblivious.
"W-What happened!"
Hajin hyung rushed out. I handed Jiwoo to him first.
"I-I'm here too? I can hold Jiwoo too?"
If you hold him, Jiwoo cries.
Ki Jaeyoon shouted from the side, but I ignored him quietly.
"Hyung, watch Jiwoo for a bit."
"Yeah, sure!"
"Seungjun-ah. You okay?"
Lee Seungjun slowly checked his arms and legs. They looked fine, but when he moved his ankle, he winced.
"My ankle, I think?"
"I'll get ice first. Go to the hospital."
"I'm fine."
"Go after filming ends at least."
I stood up.
"Sorry."
"No need to apologize for that."
I fiddled with the smartphone in my pocket.
The cameras were all on Lee Seungjun and Hajin hyung. Pretending to get ice, I tapped the screen.
[cheat mode 0/3]
[Lee Seungjun ankle recovery]
[Changed.]
[Side effect: Drowsiness for 5 hours starting in 5 seconds.]
[cheat mode 1/3]
Recovery still came with side effects.
I got ice from the fridge.
'Once it's better, I can say it's from the cold compress.'
Lee Seungjun's voice came from the living room.
"Huh? It actually feels better now."
I shook my head. As I put the ice in a bag, my body felt strangely heavy.
'This much is fine, though.'
I went back to the living room. A few cameras turned to me. I just smiled a little.
***
"Jiwoo-ya, ah!"
Jiwoo ate his baby food really well. He didn't seem uncomfortable in the high chair at all, kicking his limbs and laughing happily.
Hajin hyung tilted his head watching the baby.
"I heard he's fussy with strangers?"
"Ah, he warms up."
"He eats well, laughs a lot? Even plays nicely."
Then he shoved Ki Jaeyoon's face right up to Jiwoo.
"Jiwoo-ya, rawr peekaboo!"
Waaahhh-
The baby forgot to eat and wailed like a dinosaur. I quietly pushed Ki Jaeyoon's face away.
"Stay away for a while. Until Jiwoo gets used to you."
"I wanna play with Jiwoo too!"
"Go help Seungjun outside. There's a mountain of Jiwoo's clothes to fold."
Ki Jaeyoon retreated from the kitchen hesitantly. Hajin hyung nodded once the monkey was gone.
"Ah, I get it now."
"Yeah, something like that."
Hajin hyung wiped Jiwoo's chin and said.
"Our Jiwoo knows people."
Oh boy.
'Ki Jaeyoon's evaluation is spot on.'
Well, it was, but saying it like this makes it seem like we don't get along, Leader Hyung.
I slowly listed Ki Jaeyoon's merits.
"Jaeyoon's bright at least..."
Huh?
Suddenly, I had nothing to say.
Leader Hyung asked.
"Bright?"
"Yeah, bright."
Bright is good enough. Whatever.
"That's it?"
Oh no, now it really looks like we don't get along.
"He dances well, laughs a lot, eats well too."
"I'll buy the first two, but what's with the last one?"
"Better than not eating, right?"
"Yeah, he should eat a bit less..."
True, that too.
Just then, Lee Seungjun approached smoothly.
"All done?"
"I made Jaeyoon do it since he kept goofing off."
A peek at the living room showed Ki Jaeyoon tidying toys.
"Ah, he does it well if you tell him."
"Needs a little threatening, though."
Oh.
"Better than not doing it."
"True."
Then Jiwoo kicked his arms and laughed. Hajin hyung laughed along and said.
"Did our Jiwoo eat well? Our Jiwoo has good taste."
He likes good-looking people?
"He knows instinctively. That we're the hyungs who'll make him comfy."
I-Is that so.
"Babies know everything."
Hajin hyung picked up Jiwoo as he said that. I hurriedly said.
"You need to burp him."
"Huh, how do you do that?"
"Rub his back."
"How'd you know that?"
Lee Seungjun rubbed Jiwoo's back and said.
"Videos."
"Ah, you've been watching them non-stop these past few days..."
"Dowon told me to prep in advance."
As I cleared the baby food containers, I said.
"Better safe than sorry. Just the basics, though."
Yoo Hajin looked at Jiwoo and said again.
"See? Jiwoo has good taste."
As if knowing the praise, Jiwoo laughed.
-Kyahahahaha!
Maybe because he laughed so hard. Drool got on Hajin hyung's clothes.
"Ah, didn't bring spare clothes."
Lee Seungjun quickly said.
"I don't have any either."
"What do we do?"
"Wash and dry them. But no clothes to wear meanwhile."
"Can't just go naked. One side exposed is no-go, they say."
Hajin hyung blinked.
"Huh?"
Lee Seungjun stroked the baby's back and said.
"Wanna cover just one side?"
Pfft-
The writers burst out laughing at once.
Wow.
'Lee Seungjun's evolution is scary.'
But is this okay for us?
Right on cue, Jiwoo burped.
*Buuuurp-*
What a loud one. Our Jiwoo burps well too.
"Jiwoo-ya, let's play a bit then sleep. Hyung, give me Jiwoo."
"Huh? Sure."
"I brought clothes. Wash those and change into the ones in my bag."
"Y-Yeah."
Whatever. Me too.
'It'll work out somehow.'
This perfect setup felt weird, but anyway.
Sure enough, the staff were rolling on the floor laughing, hands over mouths.
'Do variety childcare show staff always laugh this much?'
Editing was starting to worry me.
-Kyah!
Oblivious to it all, Jiwoo laughed cutely.
'Well, as long as I handle Jiwoo's food, clothes, shelter, and hygiene, we're halfway there.'
I took Jiwoo to the mat in the living room. Ki Jaeyoon, done vacuuming, approached.
"I-I'm done!"
Uh, should praise him?
"Good job!"
"Hahaha! If I do it, I do it."
Ki Jaeyoon strutted proudly. Such a pitiful guy.
Why does he seek praise from me of all people?
'Ah, whatever, really.'
Zenith's image, where it came from and where it's going.
I quietly held Jiwoo's hand. The baby gripped mine tight, stood up, and waddled his legs.
'Jiwoo should sleep...'
Why was the kid so energetic?
'I'm the sleepy one.'
Side effect?
I sighed. Childcare variety was really tough.
***
I heard rustling breaths. Blinking, a huge lens was in front of me.
'What? A dream?'
I rubbed my eyes and looked around. The big camera slowly backed away.
'Camera. House. Staff.'
Finally, I got the situation.
'Childcare variety...'
I quietly bowed my head. The source of the breaths was Jiwoo.
'Fell asleep on the mat.'
And the camera filmed me sleeping.
'Wow.'
Side effect's no joke.
No, I was fine even after pulling all-nighters for days, but one hit from childcare variety and I'm out!
'Why didn't they wake me?'
Looking around, Ki Jaeyoon had kicked off his blanket on the mat and was sprawled. I quietly folded mine and pulled up his sheet.
'Jiwoo's sleeping well.'
The baby was in the center of the mat. I pressed it. Not too soft.
'He won't suffocate even if he rolls.'
Voices from the kitchen. I stretched as I headed there.
Lee Seungjun and Hajin hyung were boiling ramen.
"Oh, you're up."
"You were sleeping with Jiwoo."
"Sorry. Should've woken me."
Hajin hyung added an egg and said.
"You looked tired."
Lee Seungjun nodded at the camera.
Aha.
'Told them not to wake me.'
I nodded to show I got it.
"Didn't sleep long. 30 minutes?"
"That's pretty long."
"Could've slept more. Why'd you wake so early?"
I opened the fridge. Jiwoo's mom had prepped tons of side dishes.
'She said it's okay to eat.'
I checked the freezer and veggie drawer.
'Can make Jiwoo's food and sides before leaving.'
"Ah, guess I was sleepy. Not like me usually."
"You did all the work."
"No. Seungjun did the hard stuff. Like diaper changes."
Lee Seungjun smiled faintly. I told him.
"Seungjun-ah. Sleep next to Jiwoo if you're tired."
"I'm good."
Hajin hyung set bowls on the table.
"Hungry. Let's eat."
"Ah... by any chance..."
I glanced at Ki Jaeyoon sleeping in the living room.
"Did you put Jaeyoon to sleep for that?"
"Nah, not that."
I portioned ramen into bowls.
"Told him to watch sleeping Jiwoo."
"In case you toss and turn, it'd be trouble."
Aha.
"I sleep like a log, though. Seungjun-ah, you didn't know?"
"That's why I left it to Jaeyoon."
Oh, poor Ki Jaeyoon suddenly.
"Eat quick before he wakes."
"Does Jaeyoon like ramen?"
"Doubt he hates any food."
True. Though burgers are his top fave.
"Reward him with diet ramen later."
"That exists?"
"Flavor with veggie broth, swap noodles for konjac. Taste takes a hit, though."
"How do you know that?"
I smiled awkwardly. Couldn't say I learned for Yumiho.
"I, uh, have a sister."
Sorry, sis. Borrowing your name again today. Busy-studying Cha Sora won't mind.
"I see. Eat before it cools."
The ramen vanished fast. As I prepped to wash dishes, I said.
"Hajin hyung, we need dinner too, right?"
"Probably."
"Anything you wanna eat?"
Hajin hyung's eyes suddenly sparkled.
"Seungjun too. Fridge is stocked."
"Gonna cook?"
"Wanna make food before leaving. Oh, if Jaeyoon wakes, have him clean."
Tying on an apron, I said.
"When Jiwoo's mom comes back, clean house would be nice."
Hajin hyung blinked, then smiled faintly.
"Man, learning from the maknae again."
"Honor."
Well, no script for this.
'No lines in the script to begin with.'
Just situations dumped on us. Asked why, they said it's real.
'That's why filming's so chaotic?'
I turned and asked.
"But Minje hyung isn't coming today?"