* * *
“I don’t want to… Ah!”
Thud.
Dojae’s phone fell as he collided with a running child.
Thanks to this, the running child stopped in his tracks.
The child looked to be in the lower grades of elementary school.
Kyuseong and Louis looked at the child with surprised eyes at the sudden event.
“Oh no, I’m sorry. You… kid. What have you done… huh? Good grief.”
“Uh…”
A man chasing the child sighed and scolded him.
He appeared to be the child’s father.
However, the child just stared blankly at Dojae without any sign of apology.
His eyes grew wider as he noticed Louis and Kyuseong standing next to Dojae.
While the child stood there with his mouth agape, Dojae calmly picked up his phone.
“Is it broken? I’m really sorry. Jung Hayul! Why are you just standing there? Apologize quickly!”
Even as his father’s voice turned stern, Hayul remained dazed.
Checking his phone, Dojae sent a message to Jung Giljoo, notifying him that Kyuseong had returned instead of making a call.
Seeing that the message was sent successfully, it seemed the phone wasn’t broken.
“Jung Hayul!”
When the child didn’t apologize, his father’s voice grew louder.
Dojae didn’t really care whether he received an apology or not, but he believed that manners should be learned from a young age.
He waited patiently to give Hayul a chance to apologize.
“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry.”
Soon, Hayul bowed his head and apologized.
Dojae responded with a quiet smile.
“It’s okay.”
Perhaps gaining courage from Dojae’s smile, Hayul shouted.
“MOST! You’re from MOST, right?!”
“…What? MOST?”
Hayul’s father looked at the three of them in bewilderment.
Then, as if realizing who they were, his eyes widened.
Dojae, Louis, and Kyuseong were momentarily flustered.
Come to think of it, this was the first time they had gone out in public since their debut due to their busy schedules.
They knew they had become popular enough to win two rookie awards from the internet.
They had seen their fan club memberships increase daily and their posts proliferate on social media and communities.
But they had never imagined they would be recognized like this.
Especially by such a young student and a middle-aged man…
“You know us?! Do you really know who we are?!”
It felt different from meeting fans at a concert or near the company.
Louis, excited, asked Hayul and his father consecutively.
Despite wearing hats to avoid being noticed, it seemed pointless now.
However, since they were leaving the hospital soon and there weren’t many people around, it wasn’t a big issue.
Dojae was also intrigued.
A child around ten years old recognizing them.
“This is amazing. It’s real.”
Hayul looked stunned as he confirmed through Louis that the three were indeed MOST.
“How did you… I know! My son is a huge fan.”
“Fan? You’re our fan?”
“Kang Dojae! Louis! Kim Kyuseong! I know all of you! I’ve memorized all your songs!”
Hayul quickly recovered from his shock and pointed at each of them while shouting.
It could have been seen as rude, but the three of them smiled as they watched Hayul boast of his knowledge.
“Hayul is really a big fan. So much so that even I know. He’s completely hooked on ‘I Am Different.’ He watches the stage videos all day at home and sings along…”
“Even if I’m different from others, I’m special!”
Hayul sang confidently.
It was sudden, but quite adorable.
“Oh! You like ‘I Am Different.’”
Louis exclaimed in admiration, and Hayul shrugged his shoulders.
“…But, are you guys sick?”
The proud Hayul soon asked worriedly.
“No! We just came for a health check-up!”
Louis quickly answered.
Then he suddenly thought of the opposite question and closed his mouth.
“I’m here because I’m sick. I thought I was better, but… it wasn’t.”
“Ah…”
Hayul’s face, which had been glowing as he looked at the members, quickly darkened.
No one could easily speak in this situation.
Hayul’s father hastily tried to lighten the mood.
“That’s why you need to get hospitalized quickly for treatment.”
“I don’t want to… It hurts too much.”
“Oh dear. He underwent cancer treatment, but it was so tough…”
It seemed Hayul was trying to escape hospitalization.
The mention of cancer only made the mood darker instead of improving it.
Moreover, it was a recurrence. The young boy had gone through a lot.
Dojae glanced at a signpost indicating directions.
The pediatric ward was in the building connected to the check-up center.
“No. I really don’t want to!”
“Will stubbornness help? You need to get treated to get better! You said you wanted to be a singer like these guys!”
“I will!”
“Then you need to get healthy first!”
Hayul’s father, filled with frustration, shouted emotionally.
Hayul, looking around at the members, made eye contact with Dojae and spoke.
“Can I get your autographs?”
It was another abrupt change of topic.
It seemed he wanted to escape his father’s nagging and didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
“Why not? Of course, you can!”
Louis was the first to step up and offer to sign.
But they didn’t have a pen or paper.
“…What are you doing?”
Jung Giljoo, who had returned, asked from behind.
After a brief explanation about meeting a young fan, Jung Giljoo nodded understandingly.
“The others are done too. Let’s go.”
“My autograph…”
Hayul looked distressed and on the verge of tears.
“There’s nothing to sign on… How about a photo?”
Kyuseong, looking around, asked Dojae, Louis, and Jung Giljoo for permission in a small voice.
Dojae and Louis immediately nodded.
Hayul’s eyes widened at the unexpected mention of a photo.
Jung Giljoo stood off to the side, as if he had no choice.
It seemed like as long as there wasn’t a crowd, everything would be fine.
“Thank you so much!”
Hayul’s father expressed his gratitude in an emotional tone and quickly took out his phone.
Hayul, excited, stood between the three of them.
“But you must receive your treatment well.”
Dojae said to Hayul in a kind but firm tone.
Hayul looked at each of them in turn and quickly nodded.
“Yes!”
“Alright, I’m going to take the picture now. One, two, three!”
Click, click. The shutter sound went off several times from the phone camera.
Hayul, excited, checked the photo taken on his father’s phone.
“Wow, awesome, awesome…!”
“Hayul, did you listen to the brothers well? Now, let’s go for your treatment.”
“Huh? Oh… Ah… But.”
When it was actually time to go, Hayul hesitated and mumbled.
Hayul’s father’s eyebrows shot up.
“You. Aren’t you going to keep the promise you made to the brothers? How can you be like them if you don’t?”
“No… I’ll go.”
“What’s the matter, Hayul? Did the picture come out weird? Should I take it again?”
Louis quickly asked.
Hayul looked at Kyuseong and said pointedly,
“Kyuseong hyung! Can you hold my hand just once?”
“…Hand?”
Kyuseong asked, a bit taken aback.
Then, thinking that shaking hands after taking a picture wasn’t too difficult, he nodded.
“So I can sing like you! Please share your singing talent with me!”
Hayul knew that holding hands wouldn’t actually give him singing talent.
So, in his own way, he was asking Kyuseong to share his energy.
Kyuseong immediately grabbed Hayul’s small hand tightly.
“You want to… sing like me?”
“Yeah. You sing so well, hyung.”
“Thank you.”
Kyuseong muttered softly.
Then he said to Hayul,
“I’m sure you can do it.”
Hayul nodded firmly with a determined expression.
Louis quickly put his hand on top.
“Me too! Get healthy!”
Dojae smiled slightly and placed his hand on top as well.
“Let’s meet again as singers.”
“…Yes!!!”
Feeling the warmth, Hayul responded loudly with a big smile.
Seeing his son smile brightly for the first time in a while, Hayul’s father felt his nose tingle and scrunched his nose.
Jung Giljoo, who was also feeling somehow touched, was brought back to reality by his ringing phone.
“Let’s go. The manager must be waiting.”
The three of them exchanged glances with Hayul while Jung Giljoo was on the phone.
Hayul waved his hand excitedly.
*
“Yes, Manager. We’re coming now. We’ll be there soon. What? Don’t come there? We’re already right in front….”
The three people walking behind Jung Giljoo suddenly stopped.
“…Here.”
Jung Giljoo also belatedly stopped walking and looked ahead.
“Wow….”
“MOST? It’s MOST!”
“Who’s MOST?!”
“That guy is really handsome.”
“Wow… his hair color is so vibrant. It’s blue?”
“Idol. They’re idols.”
“Idols? They look ordinary. Why is there such a fuss?”
“Oh my gosh! Meeting them here!”
“Woocheol oppa! Oppa!”
“Please take a picture with us!”
“Let’s get autographs!”
“Huh. Why is MOST here? Did they have a schedule?”
“Awesome. Take a picture and upload it on Mygram quickly.”
“Huh. Seeing MOST here is a real treat.”
Unlike the quiet examination center, the area in front of the elevator was crowded.
As people who recognized MOST formed a circle, more curious onlookers gathered behind them.
“Sigh….”
Manager Kim Seokchul sighed softly as he lowered his phone.
The problem was that every time the elevator arrived, it was full of people, so he had to send it down a few times.
Additionally, Woocheol and Heungmin had drawn attention with their actions, underestimating their popularity.
The biggest problem was the initial group who recognized MOST and screamed as they approached.
Since the location was a hospital, causing a big commotion was not allowed. So, Manager Kim Seokchul kept a close eye on those who got too close while waiting for the elevator.
As their manager, he was used to such situations, but it was a bit tiring to watch the members now fully realizing and enjoying their popularity.
“Let’s go to the other side.”
Jung Giljoo suggested when he saw Manager Kim Seokchul and the members surrounded by a large circle of people.
Dojae and the others nodded.
“Aren’t there other members?”
“Right. I like Kang Dojae the most… Ah! It’s Kang Dojae!”
“Huh! Louis!”
“What? Kyuseong is here too! This is like winning the lottery!”
They had already been spotted.
There were some overly enthusiastic people among the crowd.
They seemed ready to grab the newly appeared members by the sleeves.
Dojae and Louis quickly stepped back.
Kyuseong, who was relatively slower, was almost caught, but Jung Giljoo intervened.
“You can’t do this.”
At Jung Giljoo’s words, a few people reluctantly stepped back.
Ding!
Fortunately, the elevator arrived soon after.
Manager Kim Seokchul and the members quickly got on the elevator.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
Jung Giljoo also squeezed into the elevator through the crowd.
*
The members, barely managing to get into the car, let out a sigh of relief.
They were surprised and exhausted from realizing their popularity in an unexpected place, but they couldn’t hide their amazement.
“Wow… everyone really recognizes us.”
At Woocheol’s words, all the members nodded.
Even Dojae, who was never unrecognized in the Korean Empire, found it intriguing.
‘It’s been a while since I felt like this in Korea.’
Talking about being recognized and discussing the check-up on the way back to the dorm.
Kyuseong, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.
“We’re on vacation again until the 15th, right?”
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*
Thanks you
Is Kyuseong okay?😟
❤️❤️
Mother?