UAI Chapter 16

Episode 16

The hospital room of Chairman Choi, where Sejin and Hajin had just left, was now occupied by only Chairman Choi and Seongjun.

While Chairman Choi was reading the newspaper and Seongjun was sipping his coffee in silence, the door to the hospital room opened, and Secretary Park entered.

“Did you deliver the snacks properly?”

“Yes. I delivered them. Seo Hajin asked me to convey his gratitude to you for the meal.”

“Oh… He could’ve just thanked me before leaving earlier. Anyway, good work. You should take a rest now, Secretary Park. I should also go lie down for a bit.”

As Chairman Choi got up, Seongjun, who had been quiet until then, casually asked a question.

“Father, why did Director Hwang come here?”

“Director Hwang? Why are you curious about that?”

“I should at least know what’s going on in the company. After all, who else would succeed you besides me?”

At Seongjun’s words, Chairman Choi scoffed.

“Ha! You’re already jumping to conclusions when I haven’t even decided anything yet. Who said I’d pass it on to you?”

“Oh, come on, why are you being like this again? Who else would you give it to? I’m your only child. Or are you planning to have another kid now?”

Every time he talked to his son, Chairman Choi felt his blood pressure rise. He and his late wife were both calm and composed individuals, so he often wondered where someone like Seongjun had come from.

“Hey! When will you finally grow up? That’s exactly why I don’t feel like passing it down to you!”

“Ah, geez! Anyway, back to the topic. Why did Director Hwang come? I heard it was about the new resort site. Is there a problem?”

Chairman Choi, who had been standing, let out a sigh and sat back down on the sofa.

“You know about the new resort project in Yangpyeong, right?”

“Yes. I heard it’s planned to include a golf course as well.”

“Flies have started swarming around.”

“Flies?”

“Yeah. We’ve been working to buy that land for a while now, but the owner had been stubborn about not selling. Then suddenly, they had a change of heart and decided to sell, so we were preparing to acquire it.”

“And then?”

“But somehow, word got out, and some so-called investment company approached the landowner, offering to buy it at a much higher price.”

At this, Seongjun scratched his chin and asked,

“So, is the landowner planning to sell it to that investment company?”

“Well, who wouldn’t want more money?”

“Aren’t we going to offer a higher price?”

Chairman Choi shook his head.

“That’s not an option. Those lunatics didn’t just offer a slightly higher price—they offered three times more than us.”

“Three times?!”

Seongjun exclaimed in shock.

“Yeah. While the location is excellent, investing that much money comes with far too many risks.”

“So… what’s the plan now?”

“I’ve decided to drop it and look for alternatives.”

“So, did Director Hwang leave with instructions to look for other land?”

“Yes.”

“It’s unfortunate to lose the land you worked so hard for, isn’t it?”

“Well, what can I do? It’s not like I can force things through like in the past.”

Chairman Choi clicked his tongue regretfully.

Watching his father’s disappointed expression, Seongjun suddenly recalled Sejin’s words.

‘Hmm. If what Sejin said is true, Director Hwang might be plotting something. Or perhaps he’s just starting to plan something now… I should investigate further.’

Resolving to look into it, Seongjun buttoned up his suit and stood up.

“I’ll take my leave now. Get some rest, Father. Call me if you miss me.”

“Who would miss you? Just get lost!”

Chairman Choi barked irritably and headed to his bedroom.

Smiling at the familiar sight, Seongjun walked towards the door, intending to head to the office. However, a thought suddenly crossed his mind, and he stopped to ask Secretary Park a question.

“Secretary Park, while chatting with Sejin earlier, I heard someone broke into his hospital room and was caught by the police. Is that true?”

“Oh, yes. On the first day we moved to the VIP ward, an unscrupulous journalist targeting Seo Hajin broke into Sejin’s room, claiming to be gathering news. The journalist tried to harm the child.”

“Really? What happened?”

“Thankfully, the journalist was caught immediately and handed over to the police.”

“Huh… That could’ve been serious. From what I saw today, there doesn’t seem to be any major issue.”

“Yes, it was dealt with swiftly, so it didn’t escalate. According to the news reports that day, Sejin fainted during the incident, but as far as I know, there haven’t been any lingering health issues.”

“Alright. I understand. I’ll be heading out now. Please take care of my father.”

“Yes, of course, Director.”

After saying goodbye to Secretary Park, Seongjun exited the hospital room.

The moment the door shut behind him, the smile on Seongjun’s face disappeared, leaving only a cold, emotionless expression.

Although Seongjun always wore a carefree smile on the surface, deep inside, he was a carbon copy of Chairman Choi.

He had clear boundaries. To those within his boundaries, he was kind, but he showed no mercy to those outside. His usual light-hearted demeanor and casual words were all part of a calculated act.

At first, people would be cautious around him, but eventually, his friendly and easy-going attitude would make them drop their guard and reveal their true selves.

Seongjun walked across the hospital floor and took the elevator to the underground parking lot. Once inside his car, he didn’t start it right away but instead made a call to his secretary.

“Hey, it’s me. How many of the idle team members are available right now? Really? Then have them start following Director Hwang. I want everything: who he meets, where he goes, and what he does. Don’t leave out a single detail. And just in case, monitor his family and relatives as well… Right, do it discreetly so my Father doesn’t find out, and keep me updated daily until I tell you otherwise.”

Ending the call, Seongjun tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, started the car, and drove out of the parking lot.

Meanwhile, that evening, Sejin spent time as usual with the members of B-One who had come to visit.

After a good nap and a late dinner, followed by some lively fun with his uncles, Sejin felt completely satisfied.

‘Ah, this is the life of a kid! Eat well, play well, and get praised for it. Perfect!’

Lying sprawled on the sofa with just his legs dangling, Sejin’s relaxed posture made the B-One members chuckle.

“Hajin, when is Sejin getting discharged?”

“Oh, after his final check-up next Monday, he should be ready to leave.”

At Jaewon’s question, Hajin answered.

“Really? So, will it be Monday afternoon or Tuesday?”

“If he gets an early check-up and the results come out, he should be able to leave in the afternoon.”

“Nice! Finally, our Sejin is getting discharged! We need to throw a discharge party.”

“Yeah, sounds great! We’ll have to prepare lots of delicious food.”

Roy exclaimed in excitement, and Hwan eagerly agreed.

“Sejin’s room is already ready. Just in case, we’ve been airing it out recently, so it’ll be perfect by next week.”

“Oh? You’ve already finished setting it up?”

“Yep. It’s beautifully decorated, so you’ll love it when you see it.”

Joomin grinned confidently as he spoke.

Listening to the cheerful chatter of the group, Cheolhwan turned to Hajin and said,

“Hajin, once Sejin gets discharged and feels better, it might be a good idea to post something on the fan café. Fans have been really worried about you. Up until now, I didn’t say anything since you’ve had a lot on your plate, but you haven’t communicated with your fans in a while. Some of the other members have been posting occasionally, but we should thank the fans who’ve been waiting all this time.”

“Oh… right. Thanks, hyung. I’ve been so overwhelmed that I hadn’t even thought about it. I really feel bad for the fans.”

“Well, they understand your situation. Now that Sejin is getting discharged, this is a good chance to let them know you’re doing better. The fans will be happy.”

After some contemplation, Hajin spoke.

“Hyung, do I look okay? Then instead of writing a letter to the fan café, I’d like to thank them directly through a live broadcast on U-App.”

“Now? Are you sure about that?”

“Yes. I want to thank the fans who’ve waited this whole time. Would that be okay? Or do you think the company will disapprove?”

“Why would the company have a problem with that? If anything, the journalists will go wild writing articles about it once the U-App broadcast is live. The only question is whether you’re ready.”

“It’s nothing bad; I’m just thanking the fans. And I can’t stay hidden forever. Once Sejin is discharged, someone’s bound to snap a picture.”

At Hajin’s words, Cheolhwan nodded.

“That’s true. Every time you go out, people will focus on you. But if you broadcast today, it might bring up past incidents involving you and Sejin, which could cause some noise. Are you okay with that? You’re an adult, but Sejin’s still a kid, and I’m worried about him.”

The other members, who had been listening, chimed in.

“Then Hajin shouldn’t do it alone. Let’s all do the broadcast together. That might help disperse some of the attention.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while since any of us went live on U-App.”

“The fans will love it.”

“And our fans are kind. If we ask them to tone down their interest in Sejin, they’ll likely help.”

“Exactly. They’re so worried about you and Sejin that they’ve been telling each other not to share any photos. There’s even an official notice about it on the fan café.”

“Living with us means Sejin will eventually be noticed by the media. Instead of dealing with speculative articles later, we might as well address it upfront.”

“No matter how careful we are, photos might get taken during the discharge. If Sejin’s first public appearance is then, it’ll cause a bigger stir. But if we mention him during the broadcast today, it might make things quieter later.”

“Right. There’ll be some noise as the news spreads now, but reporters will lose interest quickly. It might actually be better for Sejin if the news comes out before his discharge.”

“Agreed. And honestly, I don’t think Sejin would be scared of public attention. If anything, he’d probably enjoy it!”

“That’s true. The way he naturally strikes a pose whenever there’s a camera proves he’s got talent.”

After hearing his brothers, Hajin thought for a moment and then called out to Sejin.

“Sejin.”

“Yes?”

“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say. You know how I told you that I sing and perform on TV? Your uncles here do the same thing.”

“Yes! I know! Group B-One!”

“Haha, that’s right. Since your uncles are celebrities who appear on TV, we have a lot of people who like us.”

“Yes, so?”

“In a few days, you’ll be discharged. After that, when you live with us and go out, strangers might start paying attention to you. They might talk to you or take pictures. Wouldn’t that scare you?”

Sejin pretended to think about it for a moment before responding.

“Nope! I’d love it! One day, I’ll be on TV too, just like my uncles!”

“Huh? Sejin, you want to be on TV too?”

Hajin asked with a surprised expression.

“Yes! I want to be on TV and act like this!”

Sejin enthusiastically demonstrated.

“Oh! Our Sejin wants to act?”

“No wonder he’s been watching dramas so intently. Though it’s a bit of a problem that he’s obsessed with those melodramas. Haha.”

“Well, with how adorable Sejin is, he could probably become a top child actor right away.”

“Cheolhwan hyung! Let’s sign Sejin with our agency. Hahaha.”

The members got even more excited at Sejin’s unexpected dream.

Though Hajin was initially caught off guard by his nephew’s aspirations, he realized there had been signs.