UAI Chapter 19

 Episode 19

After B-One’s live broadcast ended, numerous articles flooded in.

[B-One’s first full-group live broadcast in eight months! And a surprise appearance by Seo Hajin’s nephew!!]

[Who is the person that suddenly appeared on B-One’s live broadcast?!]

[Seo Hajin, who had been in seclusion since a family accident! Is he returning to the entertainment industry with his nephew through a live broadcast?]

[Seo Hajin’s nephew’s face revealed!! Fans shocked by the incredible beauty!!]

[Why did the B-One members break down in tears during their long-awaited live broadcast?]

[Seo Hajin’s nephew is now living with the B-One members after being discharged from the hospital!]

[Fans are pouring out their interest in B-One’s Seo Hajin and his nephew….]

[Like uncle, like nephew! From looks to talent!! Will Seo Hajin’s nephew debut in the entertainment industry?]

Not only reporters but also various people started reaching out to Ain Entertainment.

People still remembered Seo Hajin, who had tragically lost his family in an accident about seven months ago.

The fact that B-One and Seo Hajin, who had been in hiding for so long, held a live broadcast alone was enough to attract attention.

But then, a charming and incredibly good-looking nephew appeared alongside them, drawing the focus of fans, reporters, industry insiders, and even the general public.

As a result, the office phones at Ain Entertainment were ringing off the hook.

“Hello, yes… Reporter, we can’t confirm that.”

“No, B-One’s comeback hasn’t been decided yet.”

“Reporter, you’re aware that’s unverified information, right? You can’t just write an article as you please!”

“Oh, Producer? No, we have no idea about Hajin’s nephew debuting in the industry. He’s still young, and his health is our priority right now.”

“What? A childcare reality show?”

“Oh! Director, hello. Huh? A child actor?”

Inquiries flooded in about B-One’s comeback, TV shows, and commercial appearances—especially about Sejin.

“Alright, enough! This is never-ending. It’s lunchtime, so unplug the phones and put your mobiles on silent. We need to eat to survive! If we keep answering these calls, we won’t even get a lunch break!”

Kang Seokjin, the CEO of Ain Entertainment, finally stepped in after watching his employees struggle with constant calls since early morning.

Even his own phone was ringing non-stop.

Following his orders, the employees disconnected the office phones and placed their silenced mobiles face-down on their desks.

Seeing his staff slump into their chairs in exhaustion, Kang let out a chuckle.

“This is ridiculous… A three-year-old is causing a bigger sensation than B-One itself. Haha.”

His employees couldn’t help but laugh along.

“Boss, I watched the live broadcast yesterday too, and honestly, Sejin is unbelievably cute.”

“Right? I was shocked when I saw him!”

“My friends were talking about Sejin too.”

“He’s not just adorable, but also well-spoken and full of charm. He’d be perfect as a child actor.”

“That’s exactly why all these casting offers are pouring in.”

“Wow! Since B-One has been on break, things have been pretty quiet… but how did one live broadcast lead to this flood of phone calls?”

As the employees chattered among themselves, CEO Kang, who had been nodding along, snapped back to reality and spoke up.

“Alright, enough chatting! Go grab some lunch. This is going to last for days, so you all need to conserve your energy. Eat something good and take your full lunch break. Because once you come back, it’ll be straight back to phone call hell.”

“Yes, sir!!”

“CEO! Treat us to something delicious!”

“Haha! Alright, alright~~!”

With a chuckle, Kang pulled out his wallet and handed over a card.

“Here. This isn’t the company card, it’s my personal one… so spend wisely and don’t go overboard.”

“Wow~~!!”

“C!E!O! C!E!O! The almighty, radiant Kang! Seok! Jin!”

The employees cheered, and the head of the PR team stepped forward to accept the card on their behalf.

“CEO, won’t you come with us?”

“Oh, no. I have some errands to run… So enjoy your meal.”

“Alright then, we’ll head out for lunch!”

Once the employees left for lunch, CEO Kang turned off the lights and left the office.

He headed to the underground parking lot, got into his car, and drove to the hospital where Sejin was admitted.

Kang had visited a few times when Sejin was in the ICU, but he hadn’t gone since the child was moved to a regular ward.

With Sejin set to be discharged next week, Kang thought this was a good chance to visit him, as well as discuss yesterday’s broadcast.

Carrying some snacks he thought the child would like, Kang arrived at the hospital room just as Sejin and Hajin finished their lunch.

“Oh? CEO? What brings you here?”

“Hey, Hajin. We’ve only talked on the phone—I haven’t seen you in person in a while.”

“Yeah, last time we spoke, you didn’t mention coming by.”

“I just figured I’d drop by. Since Sejin is getting discharged next week, I wanted to see him before then. Plus, there have been a lot of inquiries about yesterday’s broadcast, so I came to talk about that too. But… aren’t you going to introduce me to Sejin?”

“Oh! I totally forgot. Sejin, come here. This is the CEO of the company where Uncle works. Say hello.”

“Hello! I’m Lee Sejin!”

‘Oh! CEO Kang Seokjin. It’s been a while. It’s really nice to see him again.’

This was the first time meeting CEO Kang in this lifetime.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Kang Seokjin, the CEO of your uncle’s company. I’m really happy to see you looking so healthy.”

Kang smiled warmly and greeted Sejin, but the little boy tilted his head and asked innocently,

“Ceo? But what’s that?”

“Hm? Hahaha! Hmm… how should I explain it? I guess you could say I’m the highest-ranking person at the place where your uncle works?”

"Oh! I get it now! So, should I call you 'CEO' too?"

“Huh? Hahaha. No, no. Sejin, you’re not an employee at our company, so you don’t have to call me that. Just call me ‘Mr.’ like usual.”

“Okay! Mister! Nice to meet you too.”

Sejin waved his hand cheerfully.

Watching him closely, CEO Kang turned to Hajin and commented,

“Hajin, Sejin looks even more beautiful in person than he did on the broadcast. Have you ever considered letting him become a celebrity? It’d be a shame not to….”

“Haha… I don’t really want to push him into it, but Sejin did say the other day that he wants to try acting.”

At Hajin’s response, CEO Kang’s face lit up.

“Really? Then you absolutely should! He’s got the looks and the talent! He’d create a buzz with whatever he appears in.”

Seeing Kang’s excitement, Hajin couldn’t help but laugh as well.

“Oh! I almost forgot! I brought some snacks that Sejin might like. Here, take them.”

Hajin accepted the shopping bag from Kang and checked inside.

It was filled with cookies and roll cakes—exactly the kind of treats Sejin loved.

“Thank you, CEO. You really didn’t have to bring anything….”

“It’s fine. It’s just a small treat. Sejin, do you want to eat some snacks now?”

“Yes!!”

Feeling awkward after Hajin’s gratitude, CEO Kang quickly changed the subject by asking Sejin.

Hajin smiled at the sight and set the cookies and roll cake on the table.

He placed a piece of roll cake on Sejin’s plate and handed him a fork. Sejin happily began eating.

“Sejin, is it good?”

“Yeah! It’s yummy!! Thanks, Mister!”

“Haha, that’s good. Eat as much as you want.”

As CEO Kang watched Sejin enjoying his food, he turned to Hajin to discuss work.

“After yesterday’s broadcast, our company has been flooded with calls. Even today, we had to unplug the phones so the staff could eat lunch in peace. There’s an overwhelming amount of interest in Sejin. To be honest, we’re getting more inquiries about him than about your group’s comeback. Haha.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. About 40% of the calls are about your group’s comeback and whether you guys are renewing your contracts. But the other 60%? All about Sejin. Drama producers are asking if he’d be available as a child actor. We’ve even received advertising offers. And since fans were asking for Sejin to appear in more content, some variety show producers are proposing a family reality show featuring you and Sejin.”

At CEO Kang’s words, Hajin was surprised, and Sejin, who had been happily eating, perked up in shock.

‘Wow. My looks really are top-tier!! In my past life, I always wanted to act but never had the confidence because I looked too plain. But in this life, opportunities are just falling into my lap. It’s true—looks are the most important thing in showbiz! If you’re good-looking, people will at least take an interest in you. I have to maintain my beauty! No ugly transformations for me!!’

While Sejin was making this strange internal vow, Hajin had mixed feelings about the sudden surge of attention on his nephew.

“Uh… this is really flattering, and I’m grateful. But I’m also a little worried. If Sejin gets too much attention all at once, people might start talking negatively about him.”

CEO Kang nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. The hype is definitely a bit excessive right now. Let’s wait until Sejin is discharged and settles into his daily life. Our official stance at the company is that Sejin’s health is the top priority, and nothing has been decided yet. There will always be opportunities, so let’s hold off until things calm down a bit.”

“Thank you, CEO. I appreciate it.”

“And don’t worry about negative comments. We’re actively monitoring everything, and fans are even sending us screenshots of any harmful remarks. We’re pursuing legal action against anyone spreading malicious rumors, so there’s no need to stress.”

“Understood. I’ve gotten used to it, so I can handle it, but Sejin is still too young. Please make sure to announce that we won’t tolerate any slander against him—no settlements or forgiveness.”

“Of course. We’ll issue another official statement. By the way, have you discussed the contract renewal with your group? I’d love for you all to stay with the company, but I understand you have your own decisions to make. Talk it over with your members and let me know what you decide. And don’t feel pressured by what I’m saying.”

“Haha! I know, CEO. Because of my situation, I haven’t had the chance to talk with the members yet, but I’ll discuss it with them and let you know once we reach a decision.”

“Sounds good. If you need anything or have any questions, just reach out. I should get going now.”

“You’re leaving already?”

“Yeah, I have to go back and answer more calls. Hahaha.”

Hajin laughed at CEO Kang’s words.

He always thought his company’s CEO was a truly great person.

To Hajin, who had lost his parents at an early age, CEO Kang was like a father figure in some ways.

From his trainee days, Kang had given him allowance for meals and listened to his concerns.

Even as B-One’s success led the company to grow and take on more artists, Kang remained the same—steadfast and caring. Because of this, many employees and artists admired and followed him.

“Please let the staff know that I really appreciate all their hard work because of us. I’ll thank them in person when I visit the company later.”

“Got it. Just focus on your health and taking care of Sejin. Alright, I’m off now. Sejin, Uncle is leaving. See you next time, okay?”

“Drive safely.”

“Okay! See you next time, Uncle!”

With that, CEO Kang bid farewell to Hajin and Sejin before stepping out of the hospital room.

Watching him leave, Sejin turned to Hajin and asked,

“Uncle, does that mean I’ll be on TV later?”

“Hm? Sejin, were you listening to my conversation with the CEO?”

“Yeah, I heard it.”

“Well… then you know that after yesterday’s broadcast, a lot of people are really, really interested in you. If you start acting right away, there will be many people who love and support you, but there could also be some who say bad things for no reason. So let’s wait a little before appearing on TV. Okay?”

“Okay, I understand!”

“That’s my smart and kind Sejin.”

Hajin had worried that Sejin might throw a tantrum, but the child understood and accepted it. Feeling relieved, Hajin gently patted his nephew’s head.

“Uncle, this is delicious. Say ahh~”

Understanding Hajin’s concerns, Sejin didn’t say anything more. Instead, he picked up a piece of roll cake with his fork and fed it to his uncle.

‘Don’t worry, Uncle. I’ll be a good nephew and listen to you. Well… not all the time, but… that’s only because everything I do will be for our future. I hope you’ll understand.’

With that thought in mind…

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