* * *

“Can’t sleep.”

A few members hung their heads and spoke.

“Kongja took care of us.”

“He’s not even two years old!”

“I kicked off my blanket. So embarrassing.”

But Kim Jin-hyung was different. He smiled slightly and said,

“I’m not embarrassed.”

Then he looked up at the sky.

“I’ve gone beyond embarrassment.”

Beyond embarrassment?

‘The kids are quite sensitive.’

Is it because they’re in puberty?

The screen changed again. The HALO kids and I were playing ball.

‘No need to watch what I already know.’

I checked the replies.

Title: This is different from your typical parent-child show?

(ㅋ=laughing)

└ A baby is teaching idolsㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ What’s going onㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ A famous quote came outㅋㅋ
└ Usually, if you make a mistake, you’re not forgiven?ㅋㅋㅋㅋKongja is okayㅋㅋㅋ HALO is genuinely touchedㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ That expression is realㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Glad Jin-hyung got forgivenㅋㅋㅋaww
└ How is this happening?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ This is getting weirdㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ HALO, happy to be forgiven by a not even two-year-oldㅋㅋㅋ
└ I don’t know this group, but they’re cuteㅋㅋㅋ But Kongja is even cuterㅋㅋㅋㅋ Is it just me?

‘The board is suddenly getting more posts?’

Even the number of replies increased significantly.

‘This means it’s gaining attention, which is good, right?’

I raised my head indifferently. The screen changed back to the interview scene.

-How did it feel to be forgiven by Kongja?

Kim Jin-hyung adjusted his seat and said,

“Actually, it didn’t just feel like forgiveness.”

Well, it’s not something grand.

It’s nothing, but these guys are overthinking it.

“When Kongja said it was okay, honestly. Wow. My eyes got teary.”

Did they, really?

‘The kids are definitely in their puberty.’

Or they’ve been through a lot.

Kim Jin-hyung confessed calmly,

“We hear a lot that we won’t have any more chances.”

The child clenched and unclenched his fists.

‘That’s polite. It was probably something more degrading.’

The public’s gaze is harsh.

I knew this better than anyone, having suffered all kinds of indignities as a supporting actor.

These young kids have a lot to handle.

‘Hang in there a bit.’

Soon, you’ll become very popular.

I sighed involuntarily.

‘You’ll rise, but the problem is me.’

I can’t do nothing. I’m free. Just eating and sleeping every day.

The screen kept changing. Soon, there was a scene of me hugging Kim Jin-hyung’s head with my short arms.

‘Wow, that’s me, but…….’

It was quite a cute scene.

‘Is it because of the significant height difference?’

I thought I was covering his face, but it felt more like I was just placing my arms on him.

I stretched out my arms.

‘Short.’

They seem longer than on TV, though.

I refreshed the phone board. The impact seemed strong, and everyone was excited.

Title: ㅋㅋㅋ Protected by Kongja
└ Dying from cutenessㅋㅋ Dying of cutenessㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ I’m already dead! Ah, it was a good deathㅋㅋ
└ 22222 (Me too!)
└ 33, adding one more here!
└ Crazyㅋㅋㅋ What’s thatㅋI’m going nuts, saying it feels good to be protectedㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Well, it must feel goodㅋㅋㅋ
└ The weakest Kim Jin-hyung, protected by Kongja (baby)ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ No! Sometimes, you need protectionㅋㅋㅋ
└ Do you really think so?ㅋㅋㅋ
└ But Kongja looks like a Kongjaㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Yeah, he’s protectingㅋㅋㅋ The kid is a Kongja from the startㅋㅋㅋ
└ Even now, as a babyㅋㅋ protecting his hyungㅋㅋ Imagine when he grows upㅋㅋ Kongja, protect me tooㅋㅋㅋ
└ How old are youㅋㅋㅋ Control yourselfㅋㅋㅋㅋ

I quietly put down my phone.

‘No swearing?’

There was some earlier, but it disappeared quickly.

‘Or maybe it got buried?’

Whatever the case, it was good. Just as I turned my head back to the TV screen, I heard footsteps.

‘Who is it?’

No need to check. A familiar voice was heard.

“Boss, I told you it’s not allowed.”

Mom was on the phone, making eye contact with me.

“Mommy!”

“Kongja! Mommy’s here! I’ll hang up. I’m seeing my Kongja for the first time in three days, you know? You understand if you interrupt, right?”

Mom hung up the call and ran towards me.

“Kongja! My angel! Mommy’s here!”

“Mommy! I like it!”

“Mommy likes seeing you too!”

I reached out my hand, but Mom shook her head.

“You need to wash up first. Hmm, what were you doing, Kongja?”

Ah, this.

‘Watching TV and using a phone.’

In the past, the scariest things were tigers, smallpox, and wars, but for modern kids, the phone screen is the scariest…… Ah, up to here.

‘Can’t tell the truth.’

It’s better to move on quickly in times like this.

I pointed to the screen with a big smile.

“Kongja is on!”

“Oh, really? It’s a commercial break now.”

Sweat trickled down my back.

‘Why a commercial now?’

Speed is what’s needed at times like this.

I tilted my head and said,

“Huh? Kongja disappeared!”

I sneaked a glance. Mom smiled and said,

“It’ll be back soon. You were watching yourself on TV, huh?”

“Yeah!”

“Well, Mommy was watching in the car too.”

Aha. She watched it in the van.

“Thanks to……”

At that moment, a phone ringtone was heard.

“It’s crazy. Really.”

Mom checked the number and swiped left.

‘Oh, she blocked it.’

Mom suddenly ground her teeth.

“Are they out of their minds?”

Uh, Mom?

“How did they get my number? Do I need to change it again? Asking to help with an election for my precious son?”

Mom fanned her face with her hand.

“With all this attention, I’m getting all sorts of calls. Seriously.”

Aha.

‘No wonder there were no reactions. It wasn’t that.’

It seemed more like Mom had blocked the my path to success in the middle.

‘Well, if it didn’t sit right with Mom, it really must not have been right.’

Oh, Mom.

Suddenly, my eyes felt hot again.

I quietly looked up at the sky.

I couldn’t cry here again.

Just then, a familiar voice was heard.

“Oh my, miss, you’re here?”

“Yeah. I’m back!”

“Hurry up and wash up. Oh, where’s my phone?”

Auntie An picked up the phone from the sofa.

“Oh, my mind’s a mess. Here it is.”

Oh no! I wanted to read more comments!

Auntie An cruelly slipped the phone into her apron.

“Did you leave it here?”

“I guess so.”

“Hmm, really?”

Mom smiled gently.

“Is that so? Kongja, Mom wishes you’d stop watching TV.”

Oh, Mother! You can’t be serious!

“Kongja is on there!”

“Still, it’s not good.”

Auntie An tilted her head and said.

“Miss, you always thoroughly watch the dramas you appear in.”

“I have to. It’s for monitoring. I’ll let Kongja watch if it’s a project he’s in too.”

Ah, that’s logical.

‘I have nothing to say.’

Mom turned off the TV with the remote control.

“That’s a variety show. You shouldn’t be watching things like that yet.”

“I didn’t get to see it. How was it?”

Mom stared at me in response to Auntie An’s question.

“Why? Was it weird?”

“Auntie An, our Kongja.”

“Yes.”

“Could he really be an angel without wings?”

Auntie An tilted her head.

“Pardon?”

“I mean, how should I put it? Honestly, I’ve gotten a bit used to it. But now, I can’t even open Cocoa Talk. My messages are exploding.”

Mom smiled at me.

“They say Kongja took care of the idols.”

“What? Took care of them? Isn’t that just the editing?”

“The show ‘Baby and I’ had no script. The whole concept was HALO coming to our house to take care of Kongja. Even if there was a script, Kongja isn’t an actor yet, right?”

Auntie An looked at me.

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“It was probably just the way the situation unfolded. And now, I think I understand.”

Mom gently stroked my cheek.

“What I need to do for my angel.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s a secret.”

Mom winked at me.

‘No way!’

Did she figure something out?

* * *