Chapter 16

From 0 to Superstar Episode 16

To calmly have a conversation, Seo Jun first headed toward his father's embrace.

Braunblack, who had just calmed down, collapsed on the floor with an exhausted expression. He was so tense that he felt like he had lost his mind.

“It hasn’t even been 10 minutes yet. If you’re this tired, how are you going to manage for 48 hours?”

Seo Eun-chan laughed. Braunblack’s face turned pale.

It’s only been 10 minutes? 48 hours is 2,880 minutes...

Seo Jin’s hand trembled as he calculated in his mind.

“It’s okay. Once you get through the first bit, you’ll get used to it quickly.”

The four of them found a little comfort in Seo Eun-hye’s words.

Seo Eun-hye took out a stack of A4 papers and placed them on the table. Braunblack, Seo Eun-chan, and Kim Hwa-ryeon’s gazes turned to the stack of papers.

Seo Jun knew that these papers were the book his parents had worked on very hard last night.

It was a custom-made parenting book for Braunblack to take care of Seo Jun, detailing even the tiniest of Seo Jun’s preferences to ensure he had a comfortable and safe 48 hours without his parents.

“What’s this?”

“Things you’ll need to take care of Seo Jun. For starters.”

Seo Eun-hye opened the book in response to Seo Eun-chan’s question. The first page.

“I’ve divided Seo Jun’s day into 24 hours, including meal times, nap times, play times, and bedtime.”

Braunblack listened to the explanation while looking at the first page. The A4 paper was filled with the baby’s daily schedule.

Wow, he eats every three hours. He takes two naps a day.

“Especially meal times, Seo Jun is very precise about them, so you need to feed him on time before he starts crying. Not even a minute late.”

“Before he starts crying...”

Braunblack swallowed hard.

“And in the back, there are instructions on how to mix formula, baby food recipes, and how to warm up cold baby food. The amount of snacks Seo Jun can eat...”

It was written down in such detail that it was almost scary. Seo Eun-chan looked at his sister with a disapproving eye.

She wasn’t this thorough before she got married. Is this the power of a mother?

The pages flipped.

“Seo Jun’s favorite toys and dolls...”

Seo Eun-hye paused for a moment before continuing.

“...aren’t necessary, right?”

She couldn’t bring herself to show Kim Hee-sung’s monster doll. How could she show a doll with two heads and fierce teeth?

She had already hidden all of Seo Jun’s dolls in the backseat of the car, except for the teddy bear.

“Yes, we’ve also brought toys and dolls!”

Hwang Ye-jun raised his hand and said. Most of the items in the luggage bag were toys and dolls for Seo Jun. Seo Eun-hye smiled brightly.

“That’s great. I hope this time...”

‘Seo Jun will start liking normal dolls...’

Seo Eun-hye’s voice grew softer, and the last words were almost inaudible.

Lee Min-joon, sitting next to her, nodded in agreement, while Seo Jun, who had his dolls taken away, pouted.

For the next two days, he would have to give up Uncle Hee-sang’s monster doll.

‘Thank goodness the doppleganger teddy bear is still here!’

Unlike other normal dolls, Uncle Hee-sang’s monster doll gave Seo Jun a sense of satisfaction that filled his soul. He felt like he couldn’t do without it.

“This is the bathing schedule.”

“Bathing? We have to do it too?”

In response to Choi Si-yoon’s flustered question, Seo Eun-hye and Seo Eun-chan nodded.

“Of course.”

“Of course.”

Seo Eun-hye continued her explanation, and Braunblack’s face grew even paler.

He was prepared, but there were so many things to pay attention to and so many tasks to do.

It finally hit him. For 48 hours, everything about this little baby would be in their hands.

They had never even taken care of a pet, yet they had to take care of a baby who couldn’t speak. Just thinking about it made him want to faint.

“That’s it. How about it? Can you do it?”

“...We’ll try our best.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say he would do well, out of conscience.

“Alright then. It’s Seo Jun’s mealtime. Who wants to feed him?”

At Lee Min-joon’s words, Braunblack turned to stone again. Seo Jun, who had an alarm clock in his stomach, was ready to cry if even a second passed.

“You need to feed him before he starts crying. You haven’t mixed the formula yet, right?”

“I will! I will! I’ll mix the formula!”

“Me too! I have a thermometer!”

Hwang Ye-jun jumped up and ran to the kitchen. Choi Si-yoon also took out a thermometer from the luggage bag and followed. Seo Eun-hye and Kim Hwa-ryeon followed with their cameras.

Lee Min-joon’s eyes turned to Kevin and Seo Jin. The two men, like mice in front of a snake, couldn’t move.

“Then, which one of you two?”

“I’ll let the leader do it.”

“I already held him earlier.”

“Then, how about Mr. Kevin?”

At Lee Min-joon’s words, Kevin trembled in surprise.

“Here, Mr. Kevin.”

“Oh...”

Lee Min-joon handed Seo Jun to Kevin. Kevin’s hands trembled, but fortunately, he was sitting, so Seo Jun safely landed on his lap.

“Lay him down slightly to the side like this...”

“Huh...”

“...!”

“If he’s uncomfortable, put a cushion under him.”

Seo Jun, feeling uncomfortable in the awkward position, started to fuss.

The capable father, Lee Min-joon, quickly placed a cushion from the sofa under Seo Jun’s back.

Seo Jun’s expression relaxed. Seo Jun’s posture was comfortable, but Kevin’s posture was, in a word, strange.

His arms moved like those of a puppet controlled by strings.

“You look like a marionette, Kevin.”

“Hmm. Maybe I should lower my right arm a bit?”

Seo Jin and Lee Min-joon tried moving Kevin’s arms in different ways, but they couldn’t make him look comfortable. Moving one arm made the other move automatically.

“Hmm... What should we do?”

“I’m fine.”

Kevin’s uncomfortable posture made Lee Min-joon and Seo Jin think, but Kevin was actually fine with the current state.

The heavy weight of the baby on his lap made him more anxious. He wanted to shake his legs but couldn’t move for fear of dropping the baby. He nervously bit his lip.

‘I feel like a mouse... a flying mouse...’

Unlike the flustered and anxious living room, the kitchen was lively.

“Seo Jun likes this formula the most.”

“I know. Elephant formula! I’ve seen the ads!”

As Seo Eun-hye taught them how to mix the formula and where the bottles were, Hwang Ye-jun and Choi Si-yoon moved around.

They spilled some formula powder and water on the floor, but they quickly made warm formula.

Seo Eun-hye checked the temperature of the formula. Seeing her nod, Choi Si-yoon subtly checked the temperature with the thermometer.

‘40 degrees!’

“You can mix it like this later too.”

“Yes, leave it to me!”

Holding the bottle, they returned to the living room. Seo Eun-chan was lying on the floor, trying to stifle his laughter, while Lee Min-joon and Seo Jin were looking at Kevin, who was holding Seo Jun, with thoughtful expressions.

“This is the best we can do.”

“Agreed.”

At Lee Min-joon’s words, Seo Jin shook his head. They tried many positions, but this was the best.

“What is this?”

Hwang Ye-jun, who was shaking the bottle to mix the formula, said with a bewildered expression.

Kevin, who didn’t know what to do with his arms, had stretched them out like the armrests of a chair.

Seo Jun, leaning back on Kevin’s stomach like a comfortable chair, was holding onto Kevin’s outstretched arms. With his chubby legs stretched out, he was in the most comfortable position.

“A human chair. A human chair.”

At Choi Si-yoon’s words, the others burst into laughter.

Seo Jun liked the soft cushion and the comfortable chair that was Kevin. He was so happy that he grabbed Kevin’s arms and wiggled his bottom.

At 8 months old, Seo Jun was at the age where he could grab onto something and stand up.

“Go ahead, feed him quickly.”

Seo Eun-hye, checking the time, opened her mouth to feed Seo Jun before he started crying.

Lee Min-joon laid Seo Jun down on the cushion again. He moved Kevin’s arms around to make a more natural position.

“Here’s the bottle.”

Hwang Ye-jun, who had been shaking the bottle, handed it to Kevin.

With slightly trembling hands, Kevin slowly put the nipple into Seo Jun’s mouth.

“Aah!”

Suck, suck!

The attention of Braunblack and the others turned to Seo Jun. Seo Eun-chan and Kim Hwa-ryeon slowly moved the camera, capturing the faces of the four people.

The anxious and flustered expressions of the four people gradually relaxed.

The baby, feeling good, closed his eyes and held onto the bottle. Braunblack slowly sat in front of Kevin, who was holding Seo Jun.

The baby was sucking on the nipple, eating his meal. It was a very unfamiliar feeling, and they felt almost moved.

Braunblack was entranced, unable to take his eyes off Seo Jun.

The awkward posture and tense atmosphere gradually became natural and comfortable.

Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon, who had been watching the men and the baby, quietly got up. They decided to leave the house when the baby and Braunblack were relaxed, as suggested by Seo Eun-chan.

Seo Eun-hye waved to Seo Eun-chan.

Seeing the two people getting up, Seo Eun-chan mouthed the words.

‘Leaving now?’

‘Yes. We’ve taught you everything, and there’s nothing more to do.’

‘Brother-in-law, take care of Seo Jun!’

Kim Hwa-ryeon, who was filming Braunblack, also noticed the couple leaving and bowed. Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon quietly said goodbye and headed toward the front door.

The door, slightly open thanks to Seo Eun-chan’s trick, closed silently.

“Phew. They’ll be fine, right?”

“They’ll be fine. There’s a doctor and a brother-in-law.”

“I trust them, but... still...”

48 hours.

They had never been apart for this long. They couldn’t move from the door.

Lee Min-joon, guessing his wife’s thoughts, wrapped his arms around Seo Eun-hye, who was looking at the closed door.

“When can we two have a break? Should we go on a trip this time?”

“Not too far.”

“I know. Where should we go?”

Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon smiled at each other, looking forward to their long-awaited date.

* * *

“Wow. He finished it all.”

“He really eats well.”

Braunblack, who had been staring blankly at Seo Jun eating, snapped out of it when the bottle was empty.

Hwang Ye-jun turned around with a bright smile.

“What’s next...? Eh? Eh?!”

The two people who were supposed to be there were nowhere to be seen.

Hwang Ye-jun’s surprised voice made the three people looking at Seo Jun turn around.

“Eh... gone...”

The calm and peaceful atmosphere vanished in an instant. Braunblack’s eyes darted around, filled with anxiety and panic.

Seo Jin’s eyes quickly turned to Seo Eun-chan, who was holding the camera. He was so shocked that he couldn’t speak, only opening and closing his mouth.

The three people, who were at a loss, also turned their gazes to Seo Eun-chan.

Seo Eun-chan, with a playful smile, mouthed the words.

‘Braunblack and Jun’s 48 hours! It starts now!’

“Whaaat?!”

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