Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: This Life is Space Star 45
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Huh…?
What the hell was happening to me right now?
Before I could even think, the scenery in front of me shifted.
I wanted to look around, but I couldn’t move my body as I pleased.
The emergency room came into view.
The smell of medicine, the chilly winter air, and the chaotic noises unique to an ER filled the air.
It felt just like a VR experience.
I could perceive everything, but my body was stuck in a chair, unable to move.
What was going on?
Before I could ponder it further, a familiar face appeared before my eyes.
An elderly man lying on a hospital bed.
It was Grandpa Choi Ik-hyeon, whom I had saved on the day of last year’s college entrance exam.
What?
Was this real?
If I could have moved my hand, I would’ve pinched my cheek.
It was that vivid.
Everything around me felt real. It was reality itself.
Was I going back in time like in the movies? Just as that absurd thought crossed my mind—
*Cough!*
My gaze turned to the old man as he coughed and hunched over. My focus locked onto his rib area.
The spot I had pushed him to save him.
Back then, seeing that had filled me with guilt.
What had I said at the time?
“It must hurt a lot because of me.”
Even though I wasn’t moving, my mouth opened and spoke on its own. It was an incredibly strange sensation.
At my words, the lady beside him waved her hand dismissively.
“Oh, don’t say that.”
Her husband, standing next to her, nodded.
Huh? Wait.
That’s the guy I saw in the hospital hallway just now.
“If it weren’t for Seon Wooju, my father wouldn’t even be lying in this bed. Really.”
“I appreciate you thinking that way.”
With that, he handed me his business card.
It featured the hospital logo and these words:
[Pediatric and Adolescent Cancer Center Professor Choi Yong-jae]
‘Huh?’
While I felt bewildered, my past self chatted amiably with him.
“If your grandmother isn’t feeling well or if there’s anything you need from the hospital, give me a call. I’ll help however I can.”
Right as I saw that, the scenery around me began to change again.
Back to reality.
The hallway leading to Bi-ju’s brother’s hospital room.
I tested moving my hand, and it obeyed my will.
It had felt like a minute of reliving a memory, but real time hadn’t passed much.
“Hyung?”
Bi-ju, who had been walking ahead, turned to look at me. I handed him the bag of apples as he gave me a puzzled look.
“Bi-ju, you said Min-jun needs re-surgery but you couldn’t find a good professor, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe…”
I swallowed hard.
“There might be a way.”
“Huh?”
“Take this. Head back to the room first?”
“Hyung, I don’t know the way…”
“Go left!”
I shoved the apple bag into the dazed Bi-ju’s hands and headed toward Professor Choi, who was a ways off.
Bi-ju was going right.
“Bi-ju, left!”
“Oh, got it!”
Only after confirming he went left did I approach the professor.
“Hello!”
I greeted him with a bright smile, and he looked at me with a puzzled expression.
Three seconds passed.
A big grin spread across the middle-aged man’s tired face.
“Seon Wooju?”
“Yes, long time no see, Professor.”
My mind was still a mess.
I had no idea why this sudden life-flashing-before-my-eyes moment had happened.
But that wasn’t important right now.
“Do you have some time by any chance? It might be sudden, but I’d like to treat you to a cup of coffee.”
For now, I’d grasp at any straw.
* * *
The hospital room was quiet.
The parents had stepped out to eat, and Min-jun, who had been feverish all night, was lost in sleep.
His one and only little brother in the world.
Every New Year’s, Kim Bi-ju made a wish.
Please make my brother better. I don’t care about becoming an idol—just let him be happy.
But that wish had backfired.
He’d clinched first place on music shows before even debuting, living a dreamlike happy time.
Meanwhile, his brother’s health worsened day by day.
Lately, fevers had him hospitalized multiple times a month.
He hadn’t heard the exact details, but the shadows on his parents’ faces suggested things were bad.
At least today was better.
The fever had gone down a lot, and with the members there, they’d had a fun time.
It would’ve been nice if his sister had been there too.
He wanted to show Mom smiling more.
‘Thanks, everyone.’
Murmuring his gratitude inwardly, he looked around at the members.
Kim Jung-hyun reading Min-jun’s kids’ science book in the caregiver’s chair, Seo Ri-hyuk frowning at his phone, Wang Ji-ho resting his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
And Seon Wooju, who wasn’t there right now.
Thinking of that face made Kim Bi-ju cover his own with his hand.
‘Ugh, embarrassing.’
Even somewhere atmospheric would’ve been mortifying, but spilling his heart out while picking groceries at the mart?
‘I don’t usually say stuff like that…’
He’d blabbed every trivial detail.
But he couldn’t help it.
Those deep eyes had stared at him, waiting patiently as if ready to hear anything he said.
Still, it had felt a bit relieving.
It was the first time he’d shared that with anyone.
‘But why bring up the surgery?’
He still didn’t get what happened earlier.
Seon Wooju’s eyes had sparkled like he’d found a golden opportunity.
Then he’d approached a man in a white coat.
‘An acquaintance professor?’
That’s what Kim Bi-ju was thinking when—
“Hey, hyung.”
He turned to see Wang Ji-ho sidling up shyly. Not his usual cheeky expression, but a face full of caution.
Kim Bi-ju smiled at him.
“How’s your ankle?”
“It’s fine, hyung. I put on the patches you got me.”
Wang Ji-ho lifted his ankle, showing patches stuck all over, corners already peeling from sloppy application.
“Give it here.”
Kim Bi-ju reapplied them properly on the maknae’s ankle. Then he looked at the fidgeting Wang Ji-ho, who clearly had something to say.
“I have something to tell you, hyung.”
“What is it?”
“Well… I’m sorry for being immature all this time. Like whining about the salty breakfast this morning. And messing up the dorm usually. Uh, and…”
So that’s what it was.
Since meeting at the hospital, his face had been pale, so I thought his leg hurt bad.
But he’d just been gauging my reaction.
“You must’ve been stressed every day over your brother, and me and Ri-hyuk hyung kept causing trouble at the dorm.”
“Don’t drag me into it. I’ve been good to Bi-ju hyung.”
Seo Ri-hyuk chimed in from his phone.
The maknae glared at him briefly before shrinking back nervously.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s okay.”
Kim Bi-ju ruffled Wang Ji-ho’s hair with a smile.
He thought to himself,
It’d be nice if he could stroke Min-jun’s hair like this someday.
“I always thought it was cute when you did that. You’re still at that age.”
“I’ll do better from now on.”
“Me too.”
Seo Ri-hyuk inserted himself, and Wang Ji-ho scowled.
“Why are you sneaking into my apology? Do yours separately.”
“No thanks?”
“Guys.”
Kim Jung-hyun spoke up from his book.
“Min-jun just fell asleep.”
The two younger ones shut up immediately. Kim Bi-ju smiled inwardly watching them.
It was fine if they didn’t change.
They were one of the few joys in his life.
Every time they raved about his cooking, or wore the uniforms he ironed neatly and headed out, it warmed his heart.
While Wang Ji-ho and Seo Ri-hyuk eyed each other competitively, Kim Jung-hyun approached.
“Where’s Wooju hyung?”
“No idea. Said he met an acquaintance doctor and had something to say.”
Unlike the dongsaengs, Kim Jung-hyun was a comfortable friend.
Same age, no need to babysit—he handled himself well.
That ease was probably why Bi-ju had opened up to him early on.
If so…
‘Then what is Wooju hyung to me?’
Hard to define in one word.
Seon Wooju was the elusive type among those he knew.
Sometimes incredibly warm, sometimes cold.
Lazing on the sofa all day on days off like the world’s laziest person, then pulling all-nighters in the practice room on weekdays.
Locking himself away like a hermit for music production sometimes.
Impossible to pin down.
One thing was certain: thanks to him, they’d achieved the impossible.
From rock bottom, they’d topped the year-end eval, music show wins, digital chart #1s.
If he had to define Seon Wooju, maybe someone he wanted to lean on.
Like that guy could solve all his problems.
Someone he wanted to confide in.
That’s probably why he’d spilled about his brother’s re-surgery earlier.
‘Ridiculous.’
Seon Wooju wasn’t Superman to fix his brother’s medical issues.
Unless he had some huge connection.
Even Dad’s old university professor network struggled to book the surgery.
That’s when—
“Bi-ju!”
The door burst open with a shout, startling everyone. It was his mom.
“Mom?”
Her flushed face rushed to him, hugging tight.
What’s going on?
Bewildered, he wiped the tears from her eyes and asked.
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
“Min-jun, Min-jun…”
She couldn’t continue, like an apple stuck in her throat. Kim Bi-ju waited calmly.
“They scheduled Min-jun’s surgery!”
“Huh?”
“They can do the surgery!”
What? He and the members stood dumbfounded.
Then three men appeared from the doorway.
Seon Wooju with a soft smile, Dad with red-rimmed eyes like Mom, and the doctor from earlier.
Mom wiped her tears and smiled.
“Bi-ju, this is Professor Choi Yong-jae.”
“Oh.”
He’d heard the name before.
An authority in pediatric cancer surgery. Even trying to book him meant a three-month wait.
As he thought that—
“Professor Choi said he’ll perform Min-jun’s surgery himself.”
“Huh?”
Even if the world ended tomorrow, he couldn’t have been more shocked. Kim Bi-ju’s eyes widened as he looked at Dad.
Dad nodded.
The calm-looking professor stood in the middle.
Kim Bi-ju awkwardly greeted him, then looked at Seon Wooju.
Seeing the nod and smile, an indescribable lump formed in his throat.
* * *
It reminded me of the characters from Toy Story.
Those green aliens.
The cute ones in the claw machine going “ooh” at everything.
The people before me now were just like that.
Every time Professor Choi Yong-jae spoke, they went “oh,” then “ah,” then “uh…”
“We’ll schedule the surgery like that. Just to be safe, don’t mention today’s events anywhere. It could cause issues.”
“Yes! Yes! Of course!”
Mom nodded repeatedly. Dad removed his glasses, wiped tears with his sleeve, and said.
“I don’t know how to thank you… Taking time off your schedule for us…”
“If you want to thank someone, thank Seon Wooju here, not me.”
The professor pointed at me.
“How could I refuse the benefactor who risked his life to save my father? I have to help with all I’ve got.”
Everyone looked at me uncomfortably.
The professor added,
“Of course, I can’t guarantee it’ll go perfectly. But I can promise this: I’ll do my absolute best.”
Like any doctor, he didn’t give false hope to the patient.
But that sincerity alone conveyed everything.
Bi-ju’s parents and our members bowed repeatedly.
Once the professor left, the dongsaengs swarmed me.
“Hyung, what’s going on?”
“You know that professor?”
“This is real, right?”
I explained slowly.
He was the son of the grandpa I saved on exam day, and I’d run into him today and asked carefully.
Instead of just helping, he’d offered to perform the surgery himself.
Bi-ju’s parents had met us on the way up.
As the short story ended, Bi-ju couldn’t speak.
“Hyung…”
But I couldn’t either.
Bi-ju’s dad strode over and hugged me.
“Thank you. Really.”
His voice, identical to his son’s, rang in my ear.
Before I could recover, Mom and Bi-ju joined in. I didn’t know why I was in the middle of this sobbing family.
But it didn’t feel bad. Quite the opposite.
“Mom, what’s going on?”
Min-jun, groggy from sleep even during the professor’s visit, woke to the noise. His confused face looked at us.
Bi-ju quickly explained.
And that day.
On the way back to the dorm, I held a trophy model from a board game in my hand.
Min-jun had given it to me.
Much smaller than the music show #1 trophies, but far more precious to me.
* * *
Not long after.
In the practice room, we sat in a circle around the phone, listening to the news.
Min-jun’s surgery results.
The teary mom relayed the professor’s words.
It went perfectly.
So buy his backpack and school supplies before next spring.