In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 42

All kinds of thoughts swirled in Seon Woojoo’s head.

Seon Woojoo quickly sat the kid down on the building’s garden and checked his condition. He pull down his socks and touch his ankle area.

“Where exactly does it hurt?”

“I don’t know, Hyung. I think I twisted it.”

He looked pale, so it must have been a bad twist.

“Hyung, what do I do? If the manager finds out, he’ll scold me a lot. And the trainers too…”

“Is that what you’re worried about right now?”

Seon Woojoo sighed at the youngest, who was saying stupid things in this situation.

What should he do?

He called Seokhwan Hyung, but there was no answer. Minki Hyung was the same.

After leaving a bunch of missed calls, he rubbed his frustrated chest.

Seon Woojoo had to act on his own for now.

“Let’s go to the hospital first. We can get an X-ray there and get a prescription if there’s a problem.”

“Hyung. I can’t walk because it hurts.”

“I’ll support you, so don’t worry.”

The youngest nodded his head. Seon Woojoo bent his body awkwardly to wrap his arm around him.

“Ow.”

“Walk carefully.”

Did he break a bone or something?

His wet eyelashes and innocent face came into view.

He looked scared.

His ankle was sprained and it hurt, and he wondered if this would affect his debut schedule. Or if he would cause trouble for his Hyungs while practicing. He looked worried.

That was when Seon Woojoo remembered something he had overlooked until now.

That Wang Jiho was only seventeen.

That he was not an adult yet. And that he was his younger brother who he had to take care of the most, being five years younger than him.

“Just hang in there,” Seon Woojoo said as he approached the roadside to hail a taxi.

“I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”

***

They visited the emergency room of the university hospital.

It was a holiday, so all the other hospitals were closed.

The doctor who took care of Wang Jiho diagnosed him with a mild sprain.

He said he would be fine if he rested for a couple of days and not to worry.

They paid the hospital fee and came out of the hospital with Wang Jiho.

“Are you okay?”

“I feel a bit better after taking the anti-inflammatory medicine.”

He looked much brighter than before, and Seon Woojoo felt relieved.

“Don’t scare me like that. You gave me a huge fright.”

“I’m sorry.”

He would have made a joke like ‘Do you like me that much?’ at any other time, but he was obedient now. It was strange.

“Hyung, but…” Wang Jiho asked cautiously, looking around, “are you going to tell the others? The Hyungs or the trainer teachers.”

“I have to. Minki Hyung will pick us up tomorrow morning. What am I supposed to say? Can you go down the stairs?”

“Hold on.”

He got up and walked a few steps, then quickly sat down.

“I don’t think I can.”

“Don’t worry about it. No one will say anything for taking a day or two off because you’re injured.”

“I’m not afraid of getting scolded, but the nagging is scary. As soon as Bijoo Hyung sees me, he’ll nag me for a week. No, he’ll follow me like a babysitter every time I go down the stairs for a month.”

“Think positively. That’s how much we care about you.”

“I’m not a baby.”

Seon Woojoo stared at the chocolate milk in his hand.

Wang Jiho coughed and changed the subject.

“Then let’s at least compromise, Hyung. I didn’t fall because I was looking at my phone, but because I had an unavoidable situation and sprained my ankle. For example, I got injured while practicing dance.”

“Why are you so afraid of hearing bad things?”

“Just…”

Wang Jiho mumbled.

“I don’t like it when someone looks at me with disappointment.”

“No one will be disappointed by this, so don’t worry.”

Seon Woojoo was ready to take responsibility if anything went wrong.

But that seemed unlikely.

“If anyone says anything or does anything, I’ll stand up for you.”

Seon Woojoo blinked and saw the youngest one looking at him with a strange expression.

It was a hard-to-interpret look, as if he wanted to copy him.

He was about to open his lips when it happened.

“Wang Jiho!”

A hoarse scream erupted from his lungs.

Someone was standing there, drawing everyone’s attention.

Why was he here?

A sharp-faced young man in a striped shirt and black jeans approached with a frantic face.

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Who is this? Who did this to you?”

“Rihyuk, what are you doing here?”

He turned his head at Seon Woojoo’s question.

“What happened?”

He was overreacting so much.

His shirt was stained with sweat from running, and his face was as pale as a corpse, except for his flushed cheeks.

Seon Woojoo knew he was secretly taking care of Wang Jiho, but this was too much for a sprained ankle.

“He said he can’t walk anymore?”

“What?”

Seo Rihyuk and Seon Woojoo blinked at each other.

Then they realized something was wrong and looked at the same place.

The youngest one avoided their eyes.

“Wang Jiho.”

“…Yes?”

“Explain yourself.”

Seo Rihyuk and Seon Woojoo glared at Wang Jiho, who was sitting in a chair with his arms crossed.

“Well… I told Rihyuk that I was hurt and needed to go to the hospital… And I said I was in so much pain that I couldn’t walk again.”

“Don’t lie. Is that what you sent me?”

“Well, I was going to send that, but I stopped in the middle because it hurt so much in the taxi.”

He was whining about the pain, but he was texting someone in the taxi. It turned out to be Seo Rihyuk.

And he omitted the word ‘like’ from ‘can’t walk again’.

Seon Woojoo clicked his tongue as Wang Jiho glanced at Seo Rihyuk. Seo Rihyuk was getting angrier by the second.

“Hey. So you sprained your ankle, and it’ll heal in a week…”

“It’s two days, not a week.”

The youngest one gave Seon Woojoo a resentful look for interrupting.

“So what about your leg? Is it fine?”

“It hurts a little.”

“Fine. As long as it’s fine. Fine.”

Seo Rihyuk muttered to calm himself down.

Seon Woojoo thought it was over, but then Seo Rihyuk narrowed his eyes at something.

“Wait a minute, Wang Jiho. Isn’t that my shirt?”

“No, it’s not. Maybe…”

“It is my shirt. I told you not to borrow it because it’s new.”

Seo Rihyuk turned his head 90 degrees toward Seon Woojoo with a confirmed suspicion.

“Did you know?”

“Uh, I didn’t know. Geez, that was your shirt. Why did you do that, Jiho?”

Seon Woojoo knew, but he didn’t care.

He didn’t expect to see him here.

If it was any other time, he would have scolded him for not knowing, since he had such a good memory. But luckily, Seo Rihyuk’s anger was directed at the youngest one.

It would have been fine if he stayed quiet, but Wang Jiho wouldn’t be Wang Jiho if he did.

“Hyung, I’m a patient, so you can’t hit meeeeee!”

“You crazy bastard!”

The youngest one got slapped on the back like a son caught by his mom at a PC cafe. He threw Seon Woojoo a cry for help.

“Hyung, you said you’d take my place, ahh!”

Of course.

“Oh, the boss called.”

Seon Woojoo ignored him cheerfully.

***

-What’s going on?

“Nothing much. I went out with Jiho for a bit and he sprained his ankle.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Scary.

Seon Woojoo quickly explained the situation according to the 5W1H principle.

-How is he, serious?

“It’s not serious. The doctor said he just needs to take some anti-inflammatory pills and rest for two days.”

-That’s good. How did he fall?

Cold sweat ran down the back of his head.

“His sneaker got stuck in the gap between the sidewalk blocks. Well, anyway, there’s a reason.”

-Hospital?

“I’m at the university hospital. Here in Sinchon.”

-Well… I’m glad nothing serious happened. Is Jiho okay?

Seon Woojoo saw Wang Jiho sitting on a bench far away, getting hit on the back. (“I was looking at a robot vacuum cleaner and had to leave in the middle! Ro! Bot! Vacuum cleaner!”, “I’m a patient here!”)

Seon Woojoo looked around worriedly, but luckily no one was paying attention.

“Jiho seems to be fine. Anyway, I’m sorry for bothering you on your day off, Hyung. The situation was so chaotic earlier, I didn’t know who to rely on.”

-Yeah. Who did you contact?

Seon Woojoo heard a cheerful voice from the other side of the phone.

-Let’s talk again when you get to the dorm. Even if you want to have more fun, try to go back to the dorm early. Don’t get hurt again on a day like this. Your body is your asset in your profession. You know that, right? (“Who is that?”)

“I got it… Huh? Hyung, I think I heard a woman’s voice just now. Who is that?”

-I’m on a date, you idiot.

Seon Woojoo thought he should hang up quickly, but he was curious.

“Is she a real person?”

-You’re too much, really.

He heard laughter.

-Later, I’ll send a message to your PT teacher. Ask him to make you work out harder so you don’t get distracted.

“Uh, I…”

-Then let’s talk again later.

Seon Woojoo felt like he had teased him for nothing.

He sent a message to Minki Hyung, telling him not to worry, and approached the bench where the kids were.

It was a lull now.

“How are you, Rihyuk? Did you calm down?”

“Calm down? I should hit him more. I had to leave the expo in the middle because of him. I was looking at a robot vacuum cleaner with new technology.”

“I can buy you that robot vacuum cleaner if you want.”

“It’s not for sale yet. Didn’t you hear me say new technology? It was the first demonstration at the expo.”

Seon Woojoo didn’t quite understand his point of anger, but whatever.

“I’m a patient here. I have to go to the back surgery now. What was that, Woojoo Hyung? Back surgery?”

“Orthopedic surgery.”

“Yeah, right. I think I have to go to the orthopedic surgery.”

“You sound like an orthopedic surgery. Mister, can you teach me that takedown technique? I can use it now.”

Seon Woojoo told the kids about the conversation he had with Seokhwan Hyung.

Wang Jiho looked relieved that he wasn’t scolded, and Seo Rihyuk complained that such a careless kid should be punished.

But they both had a common reaction to one thing.

“Seokhwan Hyung is on a date with his girlfriend right now.”

“Girlfriend? Is she a real person?”

“Yeah. I asked him that too.”

“What did he say?”

“What did he say? He said he would contact the PT teacher and make us work out harder.”

The two siblings had a deep look of resentment on their faces.

Seon Woojoo ignored them and pointed to the cafe on the first floor of the hospital.

“Let’s go there and have something to drink.”

“Yeah. I’m so angry because of him. I need to drink something.”

“…I’ll buy you one.”

As he approached Wang Jiho, who was sitting on the bench, to comfort him, he shook his head.

“I want to be comforted by Rihyuk Hyung.”

“Why?”

“Woojoo Hyung is too big. It’s more comfortable to be comforted by a smaller person.”

Seo Rihyuk’s face turned red.

****

After Seon Woojoo brought him the most expensive slice of cake in the cafe, Seo Rihyuk’s mood improved a bit.

“So, did anything happen while you were dating that old man? Did anyone recognize him?”

“No. Nothing at all. I even prepared a paper for him to sign.”

Seon Woojoo chimed in from beside the youngest, who was pouting.

“He cosplayed as a celebrity and even brought sunglasses.”

“Sunglasses? He’s not an attention seeker.”

“Hyung, you brought them too in the morning.”

“…I brought them to protect my eyes.”

They chatted for a while.

Seo Rihyuk seemed to relax gradually, and when Wang Jiho gave him a gift of clothes he bought himself, he completely cheered up.

He smiled as he took the bag.

“Huh? Isn’t that Junghyun Hyung and Bijoo Hyung?”

Seon Woojoo blinked at the youngest’s words.

What was he talking about?

“Are they re-airing Music Cafe? I don’t see a TV.”

“No. Look, there are Junghyun Hyung and Bijoo Hyung.”

“What are you talking about?”

…Seon Woojoo turned his head and gasped.

It was really Kim Bijoo and Kim Junghyun.

They were talking about something and then Kim Bijoo disappeared somewhere.

And Kim Junghyun walked away.

“Did you invite them too?”

“No. Are you crazy? I would never invite Bijoo Hyung. He would only nag me.”

Come to think of it, Kim Junghyun didn’t seem to notice them. Seon Woojoo was about to tell them to pretend they didn’t know them and let it go.

Wang Jiho got up and waved his hand with a bright smile.

“Junghyun Hyung!”

Kim Junghyun, who was walking like a relaxed lion, stopped abruptly. Then he turned his head toward them.

For three seconds.

Then he looked shocked.

****

“The American football coach said that. Whether it’s a sports team or office workers, it’s hard if they don’t trust each other. And Ralph Waldo Emerson said that distrust is very costly.”

“…”

“You said you were going to play basketball with Bijoo Hyung. Are you playing basketball at the hospital these days?”

Kim Junghyun was speechless at Seo Rihyuk’s logical words. Then he looked at Seon Woojoo. He had an expression that asked for help.

Why did they always make this expression when they looked at him?

“Junghyun might have a good reason for that.”

“Then, what is it?”

Seo Rihyuk looked at Seon Woojoo and Wang Jiho with a cold gaze.

Kim Junghyun’s throat tightened.

Seon Woojoo suddenly remembered the first time he met the members.

Kim Junghyun’s impression was that of a charismatic eldest brother.

He looked like a handsome athlete.

But when he got to know him, he realized he was the kindest person ever.

Usually, these types of people bragged about their muscles or strength, but he had never seen Kim Junghyun use his strength on the kids, even as a joke.

Of course, if he did, they would all be dead by now.

“Junghyun Hyung, we’ve known each other for over three years since we were trainees. I think that’s enough time to form a trust relationship with each other.”

“Rihyuk, there’s a situation here.”

“Then, what is it?” Seo Rihyuk said, looking around them.

“Lately, there have been more than one or two weird things, but we just let them go. I don’t know where Bijoo Hyung’s mind is. He’s spacing out every day. The other day, he even burned his breakfast. Don’t we need to know what’s going on when the situation is so strange?”

Kim Junghyun pondered for a moment and then looked at Seon Woojoo.

“What do you think, Hyung?”

“Well, it’s tricky. I sympathize more with your position that it’s hard to talk about someone else’s personal life, but the problem is that we’ve already seen you guys. It’s a bit awkward to pretend it never happened and move on.”

It would be funny to say, “That’s Bijoo’s personal life, let’s move on.” here.

It was funny how they acted like nothing had happened at the lodge. Kim Junghyun sighed and looked down at the table without saying a word.

“Ah, Bijoo would hate this…”

Seo Rihyuk and Seon Woojoo leaned in to listen.

Wang Jiho smiled brightly among the brothers and sipped his frappuccino.

“I came to see Bijoo’s younger sibling. They’re in the hospital.”

“Sibling?”

Seon Woojoo saw an inner conflict on Kim Junghyun’s face.

After a while, he opened his heavy mouth.

“They have cancer.”

Wang Jiho spat out the frappuccino he was drinking.