UAI Chapter 13

 Episode 13

After parting ways with Hajin and Sejin, Chairman Choi returned to his hospital room.  

“You’re back, Chairman. Did you enjoy your walk?”  

His secretary, who had been waiting in the room, asked.  

“Oh! Yes, I had a good walk.”  

“You seem to be in a great mood. Did something nice happen? Your expression looks bright.”  

“Hahaha! I met a very adorable little friend during my walk.”  

“A little friend?”  

“Yes. It’s a child who’s staying here in the VIP ward.”  

The secretary seemed to recall something.  

“Ah! That must be the child involved in the commotion that happened recently.”  

“Hm?”  

“Don’t you remember the incident a while ago when a reporter broke into the VIP ward? It caused quite a stir, and the hospital director and department heads came to apologize.”  

“Ah, yes. That did happen. So, the reporter broke into that child’s room?”  

“Yes, that’s what I heard. The child’s family includes a very famous idol, so many reporters and obsessive fans seem to follow them. The reporter who broke in was one of those malicious types.”  

Hearing this, Chairman Choi’s expression hardened.  

“Tsk tsk. What’s the world coming to? How could anyone stoop so low as to harass such a small child? What kind of garbage behavior is that?”  

“I looked into it, and the reporter works for a small gossip-focused tabloid.”  

“Ugh! People like that don’t deserve to be called reporters. Tsk.”  

Chairman Choi hadn’t paid much attention to the incident before, but after meeting the child, it left a bad taste in his mouth.  

As he reflected on the matter, he remembered the promise he had made with the child and spoke to his secretary.  

“Oh, right! Secretary Choi.”  

“Yes, Chairman?”  

“We’re expecting visitors tomorrow at this time. Go to our hotel bakery and bring back a cake and some snacks that children might like.”  

“Visitors?”  

“Yes. That young entertainer and his nephew, the ones I mentioned earlier, are coming to visit my room tomorrow.”  

“What?”  

The secretary looked surprised by the announcement.  

Who exactly was Chairman Choi? Although he now managed a hotel and resort business, his roots were in private lending.  

From the time of his father, the Choi family had been a prominent name in private financing, well-known in the Myeongdong area.  

When he took over the business as a young man, Chairman Choi, with his sharp business acumen, recalled most of the money they had loaned out just before the IMF crisis. He converted it into dollars.  

When the IMF crisis hit and the exchange rate soared, he sold the dollars at a high price, earning an enormous profit.  

With the wealth he accumulated, Chairman Choi seized the opportunity to purchase hotels and resorts that went into auction due to bankruptcies during the IMF crisis. Using those assets, he established the present-day Jinsung Group.  

Currently, Jinsung Group is a leader in the hospitality industry, owning hotels and resorts in major cities across the country.  

Though its business scale might be smaller compared to other conglomerates, its influence was undeniable.  

Although Chairman Choi no longer managed a private lending business directly, he still controlled the market through his trusted right-hand man. His connections to gangs often linked with the private lending industry also remained intact.  

On the surface, Chairman Choi had a kind and approachable demeanor, but he was someone people dared not cross lightly.  

When he inherited the private lending business from his father at a young age, many underestimated him as just a rookie.  

However, it didn’t take long for Chairman Choi to make those same people kneel at his feet.  

Behind his kind smile lay a man who could be as ruthless as needed.  

Because of this, many feared him, and only a select few maintained close relationships with him.  

In the private lending market, he was a formidable presence, while among conglomerates, he was often ridiculed for his 'lowly' background and ostracized.  

But ironically, those same conglomerates couldn’t openly disregard him.  

The key to successful business is having smooth cash flow, and when companies faced financial roadblocks, the first person they turned to for help was Chairman Choi.  

As a result, many acted friendly on the surface while secretly looking down on him—a behavior Chairman Choi was more aware of than anyone else.  

In any case, Chairman Choi had little interest in other people. His only criteria for distinguishing friend from foe was whether they were beneficial to his business.  

He trusted money but never trusted people.  

Given his nature, it was surprising to his secretary that Chairman Choi had invited an idol and a little child to visit him.  

“You want me to prepare desserts from the hotel bakery?”  

“Yes. Our hotel bakery is famous, isn’t it? Get plenty of things kids would like from there.”  

“Oh… okay, I understand.”  

“And prepare some drinks too. I have no idea what kids like these days. Haha.”  

“Yes, I’ll arrange everything through the secretary’s office and make sure it’s ready on time.”  

“Good.”  

Satisfied with the preparations for his guests, Chairman Choi settled onto the sofa and began reading the newspaper.  

The secretary, concealing his surprise, left the room to relay the instructions to the secretary’s office.  

Time passed, and the next day arrived.  

Hajin and Sejin were preparing to visit Chairman Choi’s room.  

“Sejin, come here. Let’s change your clothes before we go.”  

While he planned to let him wear hospital pants, Hajin decided to dress him in casual clothes for the top.  

He held up a yellow hoodie and a sky-blue collared shirt, showing them to Sejin.  

“Sejin, which one do you like better?”  

“Hm…. This one!”  

Sejin chose the yellow hoodie.  

He liked it because of the cute bear face printed on the front.  

Hajin quickly helped him change out of the hospital gown and into the hoodie.  

The caregiver lady tidied up Sejin’s hair, which had become messy during the outfit change.  

“Oh my, Sejin looks so adorable in this outfit. Shall we add this little hairpin?”  

“Yes!”  

“Oh my goodness! Now you look even more charming!”  

“Hehe~”  

Watching this, Hajin spoke to the caregiver lady.  

“Auntie, while we’re out, please go ahead and have your meal. We might take a while, so feel free to enjoy your meal without rushing. There’s no need to come back early.”  

“Alright. Don’t worry about me. Go and have fun!”  

“Okay. We’ll be back later.”  

“Bye-bye, Grandma!”  

Carrying a gift of health supplements, Hajin left the room with Sejin.  

Since the destination was on the same floor and nearby, they arrived quickly.  

Knock knock knock

After knocking on the door and waiting briefly, a middle-aged man wearing glasses opened the door.  

“Welcome. You must be Mr. Seo Hajin, correct? The Chairman is waiting inside. Please, come in.”  

“Oh, yes. Hello. Excuse us.”  

Hajin and Sejin greeted him politely as they stepped into the room.  

‘Wow! I thought he seemed like no ordinary grandfather, but he’s the Chairman?’  

Hajin and Sejin were surprised to hear the man referred to as 'Chairman.'

However, while Hajin was taken aback by how influential this man turned out to be, Sejin was thinking about how much closer he needed to get to him.  

As the two entered, Chairman Choi greeted them warmly.  

“Haha. Welcome!”  

“Hello. Thank you for inviting us. I brought a small gift. It’s nothing much, but I didn’t want to come empty-handed.”  

Hajin politely handed over the prepared gift.  

“Oh, there was no need for that, but thank you anyway.”  

“It really isn’t much, so please don’t feel burdened.”  

Feeling a bit shy, Hajin said this as the secretary came over to take the gift.  

In the meantime, Sejin greeted Chairman Choi.  

“Grandpa! Hello!”  

“Oh, you’re just as lively today. Haha.”  

“Hehe~”  

“Come, have a seat here.”  

“Yes.”  

As Hajin and Sejin sat on the sofa, the secretary began placing the prepared desserts on the table.  

There were various slices of cake, colorful macarons, dacquoise, crème brûlée, financiers, and more—an overwhelming amount for just three people.  

Seeing this, they stared in amazement. The secretary then asked,  

“What would you like to drink? We have coffee, black tea, green tea, pu’er tea, orange juice, and apple juice.”  

“Oh, Secretary Park. I’ll have coffee.”  

“Understood. Mr. Seo Hajin, what would you like?”  

“Oh, coffee for me as well, please.”  

“What about our little friend here?”  

“Hmm… Apple juice, but I also want orange juice!”  

Sejin’s words made Chairman Choi burst into laughter.  

“Hahaha! Then why not have both? Secretary Park, prepare all the juices we have.”  

“Yes, Chairman.”  

Hearing this, Hajin frantically waved his hands in protest.  

“Oh! No, no, just apple juice is fine. I’ve been limiting him sugar intake, so I don’t want him to have too much.”  

“No, as long as it’s not every day, it’s fine to indulge once in a while. Let him have whatever he wants today. Please consider it my treat.”  

“Oh… Alright. Thank you.”  

Hajin relented at Chairman Choi’s words.  

Meanwhile, Sejin, the most excited of them all, gave Chairman Choi a thumbs-up.  

“Hehe. Grandpa, you’re the best!”  

“Haha. This little rascal is thrilled. Everything here is yours, so take your time and enjoy.”  

“Thank you!”  

Sejin picked up a pink macaron filled with cream and took a bite.  

The chewy shell broke apart to reveal a strawberry yogurt-flavored filling.  

Inside, there was also homemade strawberry jam, which enhanced the strawberry flavor even more.  

After quickly finishing the first macaron, Sejin reached for a yellow one.  

This one was lemon-flavored. The tart and sweet filling combined with a subtle nuttiness to balance what could have been an overly sour macaron.  

After eating two macarons, Sejin moved on to a slice of strawberry cake.  

He took a big bite with his fork, savoring the fresh strawberries, soft sponge layers, and lightly sweetened whipped cream.  

As he chewed, the homemade strawberry jam between the layers added a perfect harmony to the flavors.  

The adults watched Sejin devour the desserts with contented smiles.  

“It makes me happy to see him enjoying the food I prepared. Haha.”  

“Don’t you think you prepared too much? It seems like there will be a lot left over,” 

Hajin said worriedly, looking at the array of desserts.  

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s enough that the little one is enjoying herself. Besides, if there’s anything left, you can take it with you. It’s all prepared as a gift anyway. Secretary Park will bring the leftovers to your room later. Keep them in the fridge and give them to him as snacks.”  

“Ah, thank you. Sejin will absolutely love that. Haha.”  

“By the way, Secretary Park mentioned you’re a famous idol. How old are you? You look quite young.”  

“Oh! I’m 24 years old. I debuted when I was 18, so it’s been seven years now.”  

“Wow, you debuted at such a young age?”  

“Yes. Most idols debut at a young age, and I happen to be the youngest member of my group.”  

“You’ve achieved so much at such a young age. It must have been tough.”  

“Well, for the first two years, we didn’t gain much attention, but luckily, we started getting popular after that. Even so, we weren’t one of the groups that struggled a lot. The industry is very competitive, with many groups debuting every year. We were fortunate to find success.”  

Hearing this, Chairman Choi shook his head.  

“No, luck alone wouldn’t have been enough to achieve that. You must have worked hard for people to recognize you.”  

“Thank you for saying that. And please feel free to speak casually with me.”  

“Oh, would that be alright?”  

“Yes, I’d prefer it that way.”  

“Haha. Alright, let’s do that then.”  

“Thank you.”  

As Sejin continued devouring the desserts, Hajin and Chairman Choi were engrossed in their conversation when, suddenly, the door to the hospital room opened, and someone walked in. 

🌼; I don’t know if there are more than two secretaries for Chairman Choi. Earlier, it mentioned Secretary Choi, but later it referred to 박 비서. So, I’ll follow what the raw text says.

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