Chapter 197
Translator: penny
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Well Done
While I was busy making baby food, the front door opened with a click.
I knew who it was without even looking.
‘Minje hyung.’
The camera captured Minje hyung’s arrival perfectly. Maybe it was because he was so refined and slender, but the scene somehow felt brighter.
‘Come to think of it, isn’t he the softest-looking one in Zenith?’
My brow furrowed for a second. All the “cute” and “pretty” comments I’d endured lately, I wanted to dump them all on Minje hyung.
‘Whatever, it’s just a matter of time.’
Once he grows up, he won’t hear that stuff anymore. Yeah, that’s right.
“Ugh, I’m wiped.”
As soon as Minje hyung walked in, the three members rushed out to the entryway. Then they all pointed in the same direction.
“Minje, go wash your hands.”
“Or Dowon will scold you.”
“You can’t even say hi to Jiwoo until you do.”
Minje hyung tilted his head with a smile. That’s when Jaeyoon spoke up.
“That guy’s a stickler!”
“Hmm, Jaeyoon?”
Zenith’s genius who handled lyrics, composition, and producing all on his own spoke softly.
“Washing your hands is just common sense.”
“Whoa, Minje hyung’s coming for me!”
“With a kid around, you gotta do it even more. Jaeyoon, you got chewed out for not washing, didn’t you?”
Even on his first visit, he’d nailed it spot-on. Jaeyoon plugged his ears and bolted into the room.
‘Oof.’
Minje hyung washed his hands and came over to the kitchen to look at me. I smiled and said,
“Well done.”
“Huh, praise?”
“Want some coffee? Iced?”
Minje hyung blinked.
“How’d you know? I was craving an iced Americano!”
“Obvious.”
I glanced at Minje hyung.
“Car seat was a pain, huh?”
His eyes suddenly got misty.
“Yeah.”
“You’re not great at that stuff anyway.”
“No, I can do it. But the manual was only in German, Chinese, and Arabic.”
Oof.
“So you just went by the pictures.”
“Yeah. Never knew pictures and numbers could be so clutch.”
He looked exhausted just standing there. While listening to him, I whipped up a dozen iced Americanos.
“Good job.”
I handed him one first, and he downed it in one go.
“Thanks. Hajin’s usually the one good at setups...”
Ah, got it. Now that I thought about it, whenever we had to assemble something at the dorm, Leader hyung handled it all.
“I said I couldn’t, but I lost rock-paper-scissors.”
He kept mumbling, clearly beat. I put the iced Americanos in paper cups on a tray and passed them to the staff. They acted like they wouldn’t drink, but they slurped up every last ice cube.
Minje hyung clutched his cup and said,
“Dowon, hit me with another one.”
If the guest wants it. I shook my head and gave him one more. Minje hyung sighed in relief, then looked around.
“Where’s the baby?”
Right then, Seungjun came out with the kid, having done some real intense workout. His shirt was visibly soaked with sweat.
‘Was he actually capable of working out like that?’
Seungjun handed Jiwoo over to Minje hyung.
“Goo goo goo!”
Jiwoo waved her arms excitedly. Minje hyung held her awkwardly and patted her back.
“She’s not crying.”
“Yeah.”
“Guess you pass.”
Minje hyung adjusted his hold and asked,
“What do you mean?”
“Well...”
“Whoa, Jiwoo’s in Minje hyung’s arms?”
No time to stop him. Jaeyoon shoved his face right up to Jiwoo.
‘Oh no.’
Jiwoo scrunched up her face like she’d been waiting for it. She grabbed Minje hyung’s hair and burst into tears.
“Waaah!”
I immediately tackled Jaeyoon and handed him off to Hajin hyung.
“Don’t shove your face in when it scares the baby.”
“Why does Jiwoo only cry when she sees me!”
Minje hyung, grasping the situation, nodded.
“So that’s how it is.”
“Don’t accept it so easily!”
Hajin hyung soothed Jaeyoon.
“Jaeyoon, she’ll get used to you eventually.”
“How do you get used to this! Jiwoo, you’re too much! That’s no way to live! Don’t discriminate!”
He really seemed upset.
“Jiwoo doesn’t even know what discrimination is.”
I took Jiwoo’s hand while she was in Minje hyung’s arms and said,
“It’s just instinct. Don’t say stuff to our Jiwoo. Right, Jiwoo?”
Her hand was so tiny. Jiwoo giggled.
“Hey, already defending her?”
I quietly ignored him.
“But isn’t Jiwoo sleeping yet?”
“Yeah?”
“She ate and burped, but still awake.”
“She’s too excited...”
I held Jiwoo and said,
“Jiwoo, if we’re going out later, you gotta nap, okay?”
“Gaa goo!”
She was way too energetic. I looked at Minje hyung and said,
“Should we try a lullaby?”
He tilted his head.
“One of my recorded tracks?”
“I was thinking plain old Mozart lullaby.”
“Hmm...”
Minje hyung grinned.
“If it’s my song, you should sing it, Dowon.”
Casually plugging his track. Fine, I’d play along.
“Oh, that humming one?”
“Yeah, it’s getting weirdly good reactions. People say it actually makes them sleepy.”
Huh.
‘As long as it gets listens, purpose doesn’t matter...’
I looked at Jiwoo and said,
“Kinda obvious, huh.”
“Yeah.”
“Music needs listeners.”
Minje hyung chuckled.
“Isn’t it the same for idols?”
“True, we need an audience.”
Hajin hyung said seriously,
“We can’t forget that.”
“Yeah. Reminds me of our first performance, back when no one watched.”
“Oh, the rainy one.”
Thinking of that music show where we only worried about the gear made me laugh.
“We were soaked to the bone.”
“It sucked.”
I turned to Seungjun and said,
“Seungjun, you had it rough too, right?”
Seungjun beamed.
“Yeah. My clothes were clinging. Won’t say how.”
Oof.
‘We were wearing that stuff back then. But this guy’s got variety skills?’
He timed it perfectly for the cameras, and it landed hard. Now the staff were doubled over on the floor, stifling laughs.
‘Did this dude seriously level up?’
Brother-in-law, impressive.
Seungjun came over and said,
“Sing that song.”
“Minje hyung’s track?”
“Yeah.”
“You think it’ll work?”
I adjusted Jiwoo in my arms and hummed it. But Jiwoo had no intention of sleeping. She seemed to like my voice, though. When I lifted her a bit, she patted my face with her hand.
That’s when Minje hyung stepped up.
He rapped softly with a smile.
*In the sound of rain, your voice echoes. Holding onto that “don’t go,” I endure another day.*
Our voices layered together, and amazingly, Jiwoo’s eyes slowly closed.
‘Whoa.’
This stuff works.
I kept humming and gently carried her to the crib. Of course, the rapping music box came along.
The baby fell into a deep sleep. The staff and I quietly slipped out of the room.
“She’s really asleep?”
“Yeah, looked solid.”
I patted Minje hyung and said,
“Hyung, you’re effective.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll use you often from now on.”
“Hmm, so I’m a jukebox?”
Close enough.
Hajin hyung chimed in.
“If Minje’s the jukebox, what am I?”
I answered very honestly.
“Cleaning duty.”
Seungjun pointed at himself.
“Me?”
“Ride?”
The staff instantly cracked up, shaking.
“Then what about you, Dowon?”
“Chef?”
Jaeyoon scampered over.
“What about me?”
“Jiwoo’s little bro?”
Puhahaha!
Everyone exploded. The staff pounded the floor laughing, and the three Zenith guys were in the same boat.
Jaeyoon asked,
“N-not Jiwoo hyung?”
“Yeah, by age, you’re the hyung.”
“Hey, Cha Dowon, I’m older than you.”
Oh, right. But does that matter to you?
I smiled like I’d just realized.
“Oh yeah? Slipped my mind.”
Puhaha!
Hajin hyung wiped tears and said,
“Dowon, stop making us laugh.”
“Didn’t mean to.”
“R-really?”
I surveyed the wrecked living room.
“Laugh all you want, but be careful. What if you wake Jiwoo?”
She just got to sleep.
Jaeyoon whispered softly after hearing me.
“Uh, Mom...”
What the heck?
I crossed my arms and said,
“Fine, let’s say so. Then you gotta listen to Mom, right? Little bro Jiwoo?”
“W-what if I don’t?”
What else?
“No meat for you.”
“That’s cruel!”
“Then behave. Hurry and finish cleaning, little bro Jiwoo?”
Jaeyoon nodded and scurried off. I shook my head and said,
“Finish quick. I’ll make something.”
Seungjun muttered,
“Carrot and stick version two...”
“Seungjun?”
“Gonna take out the trash.”
Good boy.
Minje hyung said seriously,
“Dowon, help me out.”
“With what?”
“When training Jaeyoon’s vocals, crack the whip sometimes from the side.”
Huh.
“That bad?”
“Kinda?”
“For Zenith, no choice.”
I smiled brightly.
“I’ll pack lunch. But if you overuse me, it’ll lose effect.”
“I’ll use sparingly.”
Not bad.
“Sure.”
“Thanks.”
Minje hyung gripped my shoulder tight.
“Really, thanks. I’ll buy you something tasty!”
He seemed desperate.
“Still that serious?”
“This track, we might pull off... but...”
Minje hyung trailed off.
“You always work the hardest, Minje hyung.”
“You too.”
Huh?
“You’re the busiest in the group, Cha Dowon.”
I grinned wide.
“Busy’s good.”
“You shouldn’t be that busy.”
“You’ll burn out again.”
“You never stop running.”
No, I’m fine.
“I’ve never collapsed.”
“Too late if you do.”
“Seungjun, check on him sometimes. Make sure he’s not overdoing it.”
Bear nodded.
“Yeah. Already on it.”
You were?
“Monitoring his lives. If he overworks, straight to the exec director.”
“I’m fine.”
Cheat if I have to.
“Don’t believe you when you say you’re fine.”
Oof.
‘Getting scarier by the day.’
I shook my head and headed to the kitchen. The monkey needed a treat once cleaning was done.
‘But isn’t childcare variety supposed to be hectic?’
Maybe with so many hands, or I’m getting used to it. Felt like I was just cooking nonstop.
‘Whatever, good is good.’
Might as well make extra for the staff. I opened the pancake mix and shook my head.
***
“This is good.”
“Could sell it!”
Made a bunch, but they vanished in seconds. I eyed Hajin hyung’s broad back as he did dishes.
‘I wanna bulk up like that.’
Start working out more today?
Then a familiar voice from beside me.
“I wanna get like that too.”
Thought my inner monologue leaked. Nope—Minje hyung was staring at Hajin hyung’s back with misty eyes.
“You think that too, Minje hyung?”
“Yeah. Bulking hard, but no dice. Not just muscle, weight won’t budge.”
Huh.
Minje hyung mumbled with a deflated face.
“At this rate, I’ll be the one in shorts.”
He’s really scared? I glanced back. Still that refined face.
“Honestly, that’s a pre-bulking issue.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“Well, Minje hyung. I’m handsome, but not refined.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah, I get that now, but it’s ‘cause I’m young. Graduating soon?”
Minje hyung’s eyes shook.
‘Huh, why so flustered?’
He grabbed my shoulder.
“You really think that?”
“Yeah?”
Jaeyoon barged in.
“You two showing off right now?”
Jeez, startled me.
“Minje hyung and Dowon too! Too much!”
What?
“Bulking, refined, young—all ‘cause you’re handsome!”
Jaeyoon wailed,
“I hate all you handsome bastards!”
Hajin hyung took off his gloves and said,
“Our Jaeyoon’s been lonely.”
“You too, Hajin hyung! You’re handsome!”
“But I’m not fresh-faced.”
Jaeyoon looked at Leader hyung.
“Yeah, you look a bit old.”
Oof.
“I see.”
Hajin hyung’s a little mad, Jaeyoon.
“But looking older and handsome beats average.”
Jaeyoon’s jaw dropped.
“Hajin hyung, even you!”
Brutus, you’re too tame.
“‘Cause I’m handsome.”
No good.
I quickly faced the camera.
“Please edit this.”
I clasped my hands.
“Pretty please.”
Fans’ll freak at how childish this is. That’s when it happened.