* * *
I smiled bashfully and patted Yoo Ji-chan’s head.
“Kongja is kind!”
“Gasp!”
“Crazy!”
Yoo Ji-chan looked at me and slowly collapsed to the floor.
Kim Jin-hyung asked again.
“Yoo Ji-chan, how do you feel?”
“I understand what you meant earlier.”
“Yeah, you have to experience it to know.”
“The baby is an angel.”
Yoo Ji-chan hurriedly got up.
“Little Kongja, thank you for forgiving me.”
I smiled and said,
“All better now!”
“Oh, I’m going to die.”
Yoo Ji-chan handed me back to Kim Jin-hyung. Then he patted my back.
“You’re so cute! I wish I had a younger sibling like you!”
“You do have a younger sibling, Ji-chan.”
“That one isn’t as cute.”
Oh dear.
I looked at Yoo Ji-chan and said,
“You’re cute, hyung.”
Really, you guys are having so much fun.
At that moment, the members suddenly collapsed simultaneously.
‘What’s going on?’
Looking around, they were all muttering on the floor.
“Unbelievable. Kongja said Ji-chan is cute.”
“Kongja don’t even know Ji-chan’s foot odor.”
“Maybe Kongja is just kind?”
“Could his eyesight be bad? How does Ji-chan look cute?”
Kim Jin-hyung pointed with two fingers and said,
“Kongja, how many fingers?”
Hey. Future global idols.
‘I can’t possibly know numbers right now.’
I know, but I pretend not to.
For now.
Kim Jin-hyung muttered.
“As expected, he doesn’t know.”
“Right. That’s why he says Ji-chan is cute.”
Guys.
I tilted my head and said,
“Everyone is cute!”
“Huh?”
“What?”
I smiled as brightly as I could.
“Hyung, everyone is cute!”
“Gah!”
“Ugh!”
They all rolled on the floor.
“An angel. An angel.”
“Oh, seriously, does the baby not know what ‘cute’ means yet?”
“Kongja, ‘cute’ is talking about someone like you.”
“Anyway, Kongja is an angel.”
I trotted over to Yoo Ji-chan.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
“Huh? I’m fine. Since Kongja forgave me, everything is fine. Sorry, I kicked too high.”
He’s seriously apologizing for something so trivial.
“It’s okay. Since Kongja saved Jin-hyung.”
“Ugh.”
“This is driving me crazy.”
Other members rolled on the floor.
“Ah, seriously cute.”
“He saved Jin-hyung.”
“Jin-hyung, how do you feel?”
“Oh, why ask again? Of course, I feel great. I just want to forget everything and take a nap with Kongja.”
Another member mumbled on the floor.
“Ah. A nap. Now that you mention it, I’m sleepy.”
“No, we’re in the middle of filming!”
These guys must be really tired. Seems like they can’t even sleep.
‘Just hang in there. You’ll make it big soon.’
I smiled bashfully.
“Nap? Let’s! Now!”
“Huh?”
“Take a nap with Kongja!”
Kim Jin-hyung turned around.
“What’s a ‘nap’?”
“Oh, I know. It means to sleep.”
“Gasp. Is he asking to sleep with me? Because I look tired?”
Kim Jin-hyung hugged me tightly.
“You’re truly an angel. Kongja, hyung is fine.”
Kim Jin-hyung stood up and lifted me.
“Are we really on a parent-child program?”
“Right?”
“Then why does it feel like little Kongja is raising us?”
Huh, you’re more perceptive than I thought.
“You felt that too?”
“Yeah. It’s like we’re being healed.”
“Isn’t it?”
Kim Jin-hyung patted my shoulder and said,
“Well, whatever. Kongja, let’s play!”
Ah. I have to play with them again.
I smiled and nodded.
“Okay!”
“Yeah, Kongja. What do you want to play?”
The members all got up and walked away. I let out a small sigh.
Honestly, I was a bit tired.
‘Is it just my imagination?’
The idols seemed like little troublemakers.
* * *
It was already afternoon.
‘Will that be okay?’
I glanced towards the kitchen. Some members were stirring something enthusiastically.
‘Guys. I’ll eat it as long as it’s not burnt.’
They said they were making baby food, but I felt uneasy. As I couldn’t take my eyes off the kitchen, Kim Jin-hyung picked me up.
“Guys. Kongja is worried.”
“Gasp!”
“It’s okay, Kongja! We’re succeeding!”
“Yeah! We’re making delicious baby food!”
Will it really be edible?
Watching skeptically, Kim Jin-hyung carried me to the window.
“Let the others make the baby food, and Kongja, let’s play!”
Ah, I have to play again.
Kim Jin-hyung adjusted his hold on me and said,
“Kongja, what’s your dream?”
Excuse me.
‘Does it make sense to ask a one- or two-year-old baby about their dream?’
I looked at Kim Jin-hyung from HALO. He seemed quite serious, even though he was talking to a baby.
“Kongja likes big things!”
“Huh? You like big things?”
“Yeah, I want to be on the big screen!”
Will he understand?
‘With my limited vocabulary, this is the best I can do.’
But the reaction was surprising. Kim Jin-hyung understood immediately.
“You want to be on the big screen? Is your dream to be an actor, Kongja?”
Wow. I was touched for a moment.
‘He understood this.’
I nodded.
“Yes!”
“Wow. You dream of becoming an actor at such a young age! Who do you take after?”
Why are you asking that?
“Mom!”
“Ah, it’s your mom, senior Ma Soo-jung.”
Thanks for understanding, Jin-hyun.
Kim Jin-hyung adjusted his hold on me and spoke.
“Hey kiddo, do you have a dream too?”
Of course, I do.
‘But it seems like I need to ask.’
It seemed like he wanted me to.
“What about you?”
“Well, my dream is to hold concerts in various countries around the world.”
Ah, that.
‘You will do that.’
No, you’ll more than do it.
‘Didn’t you gain popularity in North America and go on a world tour?’
Kim Jin-hyung, who doesn’t know his future, murmured.
“So I’m learning English, but people kind of laugh at me. They ask if I can really do it.”
Oh boy.
‘There are always people like that no matter where you go.’
Kim Jin-hyung sighed and looked out the window.
“Do you think I can do it?”
“Of course!”
Absolutely. I’ve seen that future!
“Really?”
“Yeah! And those people are mean!”
“Mean?”
“Yeah? What’s mean?”
Kim Jin-hyung asked, tilting his head.
“People who say that are mean!”
Right. I softened it, but they deserve to be smacked.
‘Kids are working hard, but they’re being put down.’
Not helping at all.
It reminded me of my past.
Honestly, how many people said I couldn’t show my face on screen with my looks?
‘But I did it.’
It was tough, but time passed anyway.
‘If time passes regardless, it’s better to give it your all and face challenges.’
I stared intently at Kim Jin-hyung.
“You’re doing great!”
So ignore those words, kids.
At that moment, Kim Jin-hyung suddenly bent over, lowering his eye level to mine.
“Hyung?”
“Puhahaha! Ahahaha! This is crazy!”
Why are you laughing when I was seriously comforting you!
Kim Jin-hyung put me on the floor and rolled over once.
His laughter was so loud that another member approached.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“The kid comforted me!”
“Huh?”
Kim Jin-hyung laughed so much that he wiped away tears.
“But I felt comforted! A lot!”
Then subtitles appeared before my eyes.
[The HALO member Kim Jin-hyung is happy to receive your comfort]
[Love and Peace Coin increased by 200]
Well, he did feel comforted.
‘The coin increased honestly.’
Another member asked cautiously.
“Uh, really? You feel better?”
“Yeah, I feel great!”
“Well, if you’re happy, that’s good.”
Kim Jin-hyung hugged me tightly.
“Thanks, kid! For comforting me!”
“Sure!”
“But kid, how old are you?”
Let’s see. Maybe around two years old?
I tilted my head and said.
“I don’t know!”
“Huh? Why don’t you know? You should know.”
“I don’t know!”
Just as Kim Jin-hyung was about to ask again, another member quickly caught on and covered his mouth.
“Hey, hey!”
“Why?”
“Just stop!”
Finally understanding my situation, Kim Jin-hyung blinked.
“Oh….”
“Oh, sorry. Sorry, kid.”
Realizing it now?
I smiled brightly.
“It’s okay!”
But Kim Jin-hyung couldn’t meet my eyes.
‘This part will be edited out, right?’
Everyone knows I’m adopted, but this isn’t the kind of scene that should appear in a cheerful parent-child show.
‘But it seems he feels sorry.’
I patted my head again.
“It’s okay!”
Kim Jin-hyung bowed his head and whispered.
“Sorry.”
It’s fine.
At that moment, members who had finished preparing baby food approached one by one.
“Kid, let’s eat!”
The atmosphere was bad, but the timing was good. I smiled and walked to the kitchen.
The HALO members followed me.
‘They’re really kind.’
I smiled every ten steps as I stumbled.
* * *
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