Chapter 198
Translator: penny
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Jiu's Vaccination
Crying came from the room. I hurried into the room. Jiu was bawling in the crib.
"Jiu, you're awake?"
I picked him up right away and soothed him, and even with tears and snot streaming down his face, he reached out to touch my face.
"How's the diaper?"
I checked quietly and handed Jiu over to Seungjun.
"It's a big one and a small one."
"I see."
Seungjun held the baby and headed right out.
'Come to think of it, today was vaccination day, right?'
I glanced around quietly.
'I need to pack baby stuff to take out, huh?'
There was a floral-patterned bag in Jiu's room. It looked like the one Jiu's mom used.
I grabbed the bag and paused for a moment. A writer nearby asked.
"Dowon, what's up?"
"Oh, what should I pack?"
I started by packing Jiu's clothes.
"Jiu drools a lot, so I need something to wipe it up with..."
Come to think of it, he hasn't eaten yet. Should I pack formula and baby food too?
"With just eating, sleeping, and pooping, the luggage piles up."
I eyed the floral bag quietly.
"This won't all fit in here."
Suddenly, the writer in front of me covered her mouth and laughed.
"Do you happen to know? Anything else I should pack?"
The writer shook her head. I asked the cameraman right away.
"Do you know?"
The cameraman shook his head. Do they really not know?
"Oh, I should search it up."
At that, the writer burst out laughing and nearly fell over.
'What the heck is so funny?'
Fortunately, there was plenty on search. I read through it carefully.
***
"You did a good job installing it, at least."
I said as I seated the baby in the car seat. Minje hyung let out a long sigh from the side.
"That was tough."
Minje hyung shook his head, as if recalling it. Then he went straight to the driver's seat.
'Oh, right, this is a five-seater?'
The camera director was already in the passenger seat.
'Who's coming?'
The answer came quick. Only Jaeyoon came trotting along.
'Why Jaeyoon?'
An ominous feeling I couldn't shake hit me.
"Hajin hyung isn't coming?"
"Oh, those two went to the mart."
Wow.
I swallowed hard. I needed to steel myself.
"The baby, Jaeyoon, Minje hyung..."
Thinking about it, this combo was a first.
"Dowon?"
"No. Um, we were all supposed to go together at first, but it changed because of timing, right?"
"Yeah."
I can do this.
"Dowon, you worried?"
"No. It's just Jaeyoon."
Jaeyoon climbed into the car.
"Whoa, Minje hyung! Nice ride!"
I slung my arm around Jaeyoon's shoulders.
"Jaeyoon."
"Yeah?"
"Behave. We're going to the hospital."
Jaeyoon leaned back and said.
"Hey, you think I'd just pick up random crap to eat and trip while running around?"
Hmm, possible?
But I smiled brightly.
"Right? No way you would."
"Huh?"
"You're older than me, after all. No way."
Jaeyoon blinked, but I ignored it.
"Let's head out. We're gonna be late. Minje hyung."
"Uh, yeah."
Minje hyung started driving smoothly.
"Aboo boo!"
Even amid it all, excited, Jiu flailed his arms and legs. I let out a long breath.
The car crossed through Seoul. It was a nearby pediatric clinic, so we arrived soon.
I quietly grabbed Jiu's mom's floral bag and got out. Then Jaeyoon spoke up right away.
"Dowon, what's that?"
"Jiu's stuff."
I lifted Jiu and handed him to Minje hyung. As I closed the car door, Jaeyoon muttered.
"Total image breaker..."
"And?"
"Nah, but somehow it suits you, being so shameless."
I whispered to Jaeyoon.
"That's a compliment, right, Jaeyoon hyung?"
"Huh?"
"Today, only Minje hyung will look flashy."
"I, I'm sorry."
Oops.
I laughed and slung the bag over his shoulder.
"It's okay to mess up."
"Ahh!"
"What's important is reflecting right away. It suits you well, Jaeyoon."
Jaeyoon hugged the bag tight, embarrassed. I walked with Minje hyung, shaking my head.
"You two are close, huh?"
Where do you see that?
"If you were really mad, you wouldn't even acknowledge him."
I glanced at Jaeyoon.
"Yeah, he's kinda cute."
Monkey-level cute, though.
Suddenly, Minje hyung stopped walking.
"Minje hyung?"
"Uh, um. Could he be cute?"
"He really looks like Jiu's little brother."
Minje hyung looked down at Jiu.
"Jiu's a baby, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Hmm, yeah. I guess. Could the second one be even cuter?"
"Huh?"
What is he thinking?
"Jiu's the first. Yeah, they say you get more lenient with the second."
"Hyung, whatever it is, that's not it."
"Oh..."
Soon Jaeyoon came trotting up.
"What are you two talking about?"
I smiled brightly and said.
"That Jaeyoon's cute?"
Jaeyoon panicked, his eyes shaking.
"Me?"
"Yeah. Totally like Jiu's little brother."
"But Jiu's a baby."
Yeah. That's right.
Then Jaeyoon looked in the elevator mirror and said.
"Do I have that newborn charm?"
I was speechless for a moment.
'Is that supposed to be charm?'
I shook my head. Then I turned quietly and said.
"Please edit this out, writer."
Our image is doomed.
The writer didn't speak. She just covered her mouth with her fist.
***
The pediatric clinic was ridiculously colorful. I went in and looked around. Since we'd reserved, there was only one other person in the waiting room.
'Must be coordinated.'
I sat in the seat next to where the camera could catch well. The baby the mom was holding looked pretty sturdy.
"Hello."
"Hello. Oh my, so cute."
I held Jiu's tiny hand and said.
"Hello. This is Jiu."
"Oh dear. He looks cute like his big brother."
Oops.
'Well, not a drop of blood relation, but...'
I grinned wide at Jiu.
"Jiu, they say we look alike!"
Jiu laughed happily, gurgling. Good words should go both ways.
"Is she a girl?"
"Oh, how did you know? This is Hyeri."
"Hyeri, hi?"
I smiled slightly. Yeah, that's the way.
'Stuff I learned from part-time work comes in handy.'
The manager had said.
'When you can't tell a baby's gender, always go with girl.'
Super useful skill.
"Our Hyeri takes after her dad so much, people always mistake her for a boy at first."
"Where? She's just pretty."
"Oh my, hohoho."
The mom laughed happily. In that warm atmosphere, Jaeyoon popped up shyly.
"Dowon. They got free candy here."
Don't eat it. Aren't you on a diet? Plus, that's for kids who cry after shots.
He rolled the candy over as he approached me. As I was about to say something, Jaeyoon said what he shouldn't.
"Hello. Wow, sturdy little boy."
Damn.
The mom said, flustered.
"Our Hyeri's a girl."
The mood froze instantly. I shook my head.
"S-sorry."
"Our Jaeyoon has no eye for that stuff."
"No, it's because he looks so much like his dad..."
I linked arms with Jaeyoon and moved a bit away from Hyeri.
"Jaeyoon."
"Uh, yeah?"
"Words you say, you can't take back."
"S-sorry."
The monkey rolled the candy diligently with his tongue, glancing nervously.
Then, as if resolved, he whispered.
"Should I kneel?"
What, that far?
'This guy always wants to kneel whenever he screws up?'
As I pondered an effective punishment for Jaeyoon, Minje hyung approached slowly after finishing check-in.
"What are you two whispering about?"
Jaeyoon rolled his candy and whispered.
"About words."
"Huh?"
I smiled and answered.
"Jaeyoon says he'll kneel."
Minje hyung blinked.
"Oh, Jaeyoon caused trouble again? What'd you do this time?"
Pfft-
The writer covered her mouth with her fist again.
'Zenith's image is toast.'
What now. Can I salvage this? I shook my head quietly.
Then, fortunately, the nurse called out.
"Jiu, come on in."
An angel in white, as expected. I took Jiu and went right in.
"This is Jiu."
"I see."
The doctor vigorously lifted the baby's clothes. I held Jiu's clothes and looked worriedly at the doctor's face.
'Jiu's gonna cry...'
The moment the stethoscope touched, he wailed.
"Waaah!"
Ugh.
The doctor pushed up his glasses and said.
"Babies hate white clothes on sight."
Well, true. Of course they'd hate the doctor.
'The problem is Minje hyung's wearing white right now.'
He wasn't crying before. It's not the clothes.
I quietly hid the truth.
"Yeah. He's shy around strangers. Our Jiu's shy."
"Aw, crying a lot. Just one shot in the arm."
The doctor stood. Minje hyung and I hurriedly fixed Jiu's clothes.
"Where's Jaeyoon?"
"Outside."
Yeah, one look at his face and it'd set him off again.
I patted Jiu and went to the injection room.
'This is colorful too.'
Jiu was crying his head off. There was a mobile, so I shook it once, but tears still fell steadily.
"Jiu. It'll sting a little."
It'll be over quick.
To block Jiu's view of the shot, I turned him to face me. The baby sobbed pitifully, then seemed to calm a bit.
But the needle plunged mercilessly. Jiu's face scrunched up instantly.
"Wueeeeng!"
His wail, like a steam whistle, echoed off the hospital ceiling. I pressed cotton on the baby's arm and kept soothing.
"Jiu, that hurt, huh."
I patted his butt, but he wouldn't calm.
'What do I do.'
No sign of improvement. I looked at white-clad Minje hyung and said.
"Hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Sing something."
Minje hyung tilted his head.
"You think if I sing, Jiu'll stop crying?"
"Still, try. You're a jukebox."
Minje hyung nodded, cleared his throat. Then he sang a ballad in his tickly tenor.
"Even if it's hard, even if I collapse from exhaustion~ I'll always be here~"
Huh.
Jiu hiccuped, flailing his arms. He seemed to be calming.
'It actually worked?'
I looked Minje hyung up and down.
'Jukebox effect is real.'
He kept singing.
"Believe in me~"
As he sang on, Jiu's tears finally stopped. I hurried out of the injection room.
Jaeyoon approached right away.
"Jiu cried! I heard it."
Damn.
I quickly turned Jiu to face me.
"Jaeyoon. Minje hyung's song barely calmed him."
"Huh?"
"If you come close now, will Jiu laugh or cry? Cooperate a bit."
Jaeyoon froze in place.
"Oh, got it."
"Sorry."
"Sniff."
I wiped the baby's tears with a soft handkerchief. Maybe because Jaeyoon wasn't in sight, Jiu smiled again and reached for my hand.
Then Jaeyoon said.
"You know, Jiu won't remember, right?"
"What?"
"Us."
Of course not.
"We don't remember when we were babies, so Jiu won't either, right?"
"Kinda sad."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
'That monkey bastard.'
Always subtly cute, that guy.
'Probably why his fans like that side of Jaeyoon.'
Couldn't understand at first, but now I kinda get it.
"We should make family tees after all."
Huh?
Before me, Minje hyung asked.
"What's a family tee?"
"Tees that say first, second, third. Jaeyoon came up with it."
Minje hyung blinked, baffled.
'Yeah, Minje hyung. Stop it. Please.'