UAI Chapter 01

 Episode 1

[University Hospital Funeral Hall]

Deceased: Seo Hajin

Chief Mourner: Kim Cheolhwan

Like any other funeral hall, this place, too, was filled with people grieving the departed.  

What set it apart were the fans gathered outside the funeral hall and the reporters, prowling like predators, desperate to catch anyone coming or going for an interview.

“Mr. Ko Inhwan! Were you particularly close with Seo Hajin? Did he ever mention feeling troubled?!”

“Mr. CEO! Fans are criticizing the agency’s poor handling of the situation. What’s your take on this?”

“Hey!!! Bring our oppa back to life! Ahhh!!!”  

“Waaah! Oppaaa!!”

"Good evening. We are here outside the funeral hall of Seo Hajin, a member of the group B-One. Due to the sudden passing of Seo Hajin, the scene here is chaotic, with both fans and people connected to him present.  

It has been reported that Seo Hajin had been battling depression following a family tragedy a few months ago, which was well-known among those close to him. Amidst this situation, debates are arising regarding whether the agency appropriately handled the matter.  

The agency has only released a brief statement so far, without providing a detailed response, which has sparked outrage among fans.  

Earlier, police concluded there were no signs of an intruder in his home and determined the cause of death to be suicide based on various circumstances.  

Nothing about a suicide note has been revealed yet.  

We’ll update you with any new developments as they come in.  

This has been Kim Hojin reporting for *** News."

[Inside the Funeral Hall]

“Sob… This is just too much. Damn it.”  

“Hwan-ah, keep your voice down.”  

“Come on, hyung. Hajin, that poor guy, leaves us like this, and look at those reporters acting like vultures, trying to scavenge for scraps of information! How is this normal?!”

“I know how you feel, but let’s not cause a scene and disturb Hajin’s final journey. Just as you said, not only the reporters but also others are watching us, waiting for anything we might say. Let’s not make things worse. Save your thoughts for later when we’re back at the dorm. Sigh… I feel like exploding too, but I’m holding it in.”

Jaewon, the leader of B-One, comforted Hwan.  

Faced with Hajin’s sudden death, not only the younger members but also Jaewon himself felt utterly lost.  

However, as their leader, he wanted to ensure that Hajin’s last journey was as peaceful and free of gossip as possible.

He knew how much Hajin had struggled over the past months after losing his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew all of a sudden.  

The members had all tried their best to support him, but it seemed their efforts weren’t enough.  

In the end, their fragile younger brother had made an irreversible choice…

The guilt of feeling they could have done more weighed heavily on their hearts, but the reality was that Hajin would never return.  

That truth drove not only Jaewon but all the members to the brink of madness.

Since their teenage years, they had endured training as trainees, debuted as idols, and overcome countless hardships to reach their current status as a top idol group in their seventh year.  

They had spent a decade together.  

Now, a family member was gone, and outside, reporters and gossip-chasers swarmed like flies.

The members, in silent agreement with Jaewon’s words, kept their heads bowed and wept quietly.  

From fellow entertainers to staff from their agency and broadcasting companies, mourners continued to come and pay their respects.

The members stood beside their manager, who acted as the chief mourner, greeting people.

"Guys, I'll stay here, so you go and rest for a bit. You haven’t eaten or slept all day. If you collapse, it’ll cause a bigger issue.”

Cheolhwan, who is both the manager and the director of B-One, tried to comfort the members.

“No, hyung. We’ll just stay here.”  

"Yeah. Hajin… sob… he always felt lonely, so let’s stay with him till the end. Waaah…”

Roy started speaking but eventually broke down in tears.  

Roy's crying caused the other members to also shed tears.  

Cheolhwan sighed at the sight.

He felt that if he was this heartbroken, the members’ grief must be unimaginable.  

Still, if any of the members collapsed, it would only make things worse.  

Eventually, Cheolhwan lifted his head and looked around for someone.  

He called out to a person who was carrying food to the visitors.

“Doyoung.”  

“Yes, director?”  

The young man, called Doyoung, approached Cheolhwan. He was B-One’s road manager.  

“Take the members to that room over there and let them rest. Bring them some food too.”  

“Ah, yes. I’ll do that.”  

Doyoung approached the members.  

“Hyungs, please go and rest. I’ll stay here with the manager.”

Doyoung helped them to their feet, but the members shrugged off his hands.  

“No, Doyoung. We’ll just stay.”  

“Hyungs, if Hajin hyung saw you like this, he’d feel sad. Please get some rest, eat something, and gather your strength. You’ll need it to get through the remaining days. If you collapse, Hajin hyung’s heart won’t be at ease, and he won’t be able to go to a better place.”

At Doyoung's words, the members sighed and finally stood up.  

They headed to the room next to the funeral hall.  

Doyoung, seeing this, packed some light snacks and drinks and followed them.  

“Please have some of this. I thought you might not be able to stomach a proper meal, so I brought fruit and drinks. Eat something, anything, to keep going.”

“Thank you, Doyoung.”  

“It’s my job, so don’t mention it.”

“You were close to Hajin too. Hajin also cared for you a lot. You must be struggling like us, so sit down and rest for a bit.”  

Jaewon pierced a straw into a soy milk pack and handed it to Doyoung.  

Jaewon remembered that not only the members but Doyoung too hadn’t eaten anything.

Doyoung quietly accepted it and forced himself to take a sip.  

He knew the members would eat only if he ate.  

Just as Doyoung had hoped, the members gradually picked up the food and began to eat.  

But as they took their first bites, they began to cry again.

The act of eating itself felt like a betrayal, a burden of guilt weighing on them.  

After crying for what seemed like an eternity, exhaustion finally overcame them, and they fell asleep.  

Doyoung covered the sleeping members with blankets, turned off the lights, and quietly left the room.  

He approached Cheolhwan, the director.  

“How are they?”

“They cried themselves to sleep. They couldn’t eat anything.”

“Sigh… I see. Still, it’s a relief they managed to sleep. Are you okay?”

“Yes. I have to endure.”

Cheolhwan gave Doyoung a sympathetic look in response to his words.

Doyoung, who had been a road manager for just under a year, was an orphan.  

Perhaps because of this, he was quick-witted and learned his work fast.  

He had joined through an acquaintance’s recommendation, and his diligent attitude had quickly earned him the team’s approval.  

Although the members of B-One were known for their good personalities, making it easier to care for them compared to other groups, the high turnover rate in this industry made finding good people difficult.  

However, Doyoung’s competence and dedication made him a rare find, and the agency hoped he would stay on long-term.  

Moreover, upon learning about his difficult circumstances, the B-One members had taken care of him like a younger brother.  

In particular, Hajin, who had lost his parents at a young age and been raised by his older sister, treated Doyoung like his own little brother.  

Doyoung, in turn, liked all the members, but he was especially close to Hajin.

About ten months ago, however, tragedy struck.  

Hajin’s sister’s family was involved in a car accident caused by a truck driving the wrong way.  

The accident took the lives of Hajin’s sister, her husband, and their three-year-old child.  

The mental shock Hajin suffered from this tragedy was indescribable.

He would faint, regain consciousness, and then faint again.

After barely managing to hold a funeral for his sister’s family, Hajin locked himself up at home and refused to come out.  

Despite the efforts of the members and the agency staff to care for him, his severe depression showed little improvement.  

Doyoung, who regarded Hajin as an older brother, stayed by his side, determined to help however he could.  

Thanks to Doyoung’s and others’ dedication, Hajin seemed to improve to some extent.  

Everyone felt relieved, but Doyoung couldn’t shake his unease and stayed close to Hajin.

“Doyoung, I’m feeling much better now. So you don’t have to stay with me all the time.”  

“Hyung, my job is to take care of you. So please don’t worry about it.”

“I know you’re my manager, but sticking by me 24/7 leaves you no time for yourself. I’m fine now, so go home and rest. You’ve been having a hard time because of me.”

After persistent persuasion from Hajin, Doyoung got permission from Cheolhwan and left the dorm.  

The other members were scheduled to come home soon, and Doyoung planned to stay until they arrived.  

But Hajin assured him he was okay, so Doyoung reluctantly left.

That turned out to be a mistake.  

Before the members arrived and after Doyoung left, in a span of just 30 minutes, Hajin took his own life.  

When the members returned to the dorm and discovered him, they quickly called an ambulance, but it was already too late.

Upon hearing the news, Doyoung rushed to the hospital in a panic, only to be met by Hajin’s lifeless body.

“No… no, this isn’t true, is it? Hyung!!! Why are you lying here like this? You told me to rest, didn’t you? So why are you lying here now?! What am I supposed to do? Huh? Hyung, I was wrong… sob… I shouldn’t have left. I should have stayed by your side. Aaaah! Waaah! Hyung, please open your eyes. Hyung!!”

Doyoung collapsed on the spot, wailing uncontrollably.  

The agency staff, who had arrived earlier, tried to console and lift him up.  

“Doyoung, it’s not your fault. Sob… We all underestimated this. That’s what happened. So don’t blame yourself.”

Afterward, the agency staff helped the members, who had also collapsed in grief, to prepare Hajin’s funeral.  

Although Doyoung seemed more stable than before, his heart was far from okay.  

Hajin had been like a real older brother to him, taking him to his filming locations, teaching him many things, and looking out for him.  

And now, that person had disappeared in an instant.  

The sense of loss was something Doyoung had never experienced before.  

But for Hajin’s final journey, Doyoung mustered all his strength to maintain his composure and bid him a proper farewell.  

A few days later, at the columbarium where Hajin’s sister’s family rested, they said their final goodbyes to Hajin, and everyone went their separate ways.  

However, Doyoung couldn’t bring himself to leave.  

He stood, staring endlessly at Hajin’s bright, smiling photo and the family photo beside it.  

Despite the immense pain they must have endured in their final moments, the smiling faces in the pictures radiated happiness.

‘Hyung, rest peacefully next to your sister’s family. Your family is all together now, so you won’t feel lonely anymore. So please, don’t be sad and live well in that place. But… I think I’ll miss you terribly. When things get too hard for me, I’ll visit you from time to time. Until then, take care.’

After staying for a long while, Doyoung gave his final farewell and turned to leave.  

It was painful, but now he had to focus on living his own life.

That was the duty of those left behind.  

It was also Hajin’s final wish.  

During the funeral, they returned to the dorm briefly to organize Hajin’s belongings and found a letter on his desk.

[I'm sorry, everyone.  

I don’t know what to say, but I’m truly sorry.  

I know how much everyone has struggled and endured because of me.  

I’m really grateful for all of you.  

To my fellow members, Cheolhwan hyung, Doyoung, the agency staff, and our fans,  

Thank you so much. I’m so sorry. I tried to hold on, but each day became too much to bear.  

In the end, I’ve made this cowardly choice. Don’t forgive me for this.  

Please, all of you, forget me quickly and live happily.  

I know this is hard to understand, coming from someone who is leaving like this, but I sincerely hope that everyone finds happiness.  

I just want to rest peacefully next to my family now.  

Breathing every day has been too painful, and all I could think about was wanting to rest.  

So, this is me taking that rest.  

Please don’t feel guilty or sorry for me.  

Just live happily.  

I’m so sorry for the way I’ll be remembered. Goodbye.]

Doyoung sat down and sobbed uncontrollably after reading the letter.  

Later, everyone who read the letter struggled with grief, but they decided to honor Hajin’s final wish by choosing to live happily.  

They believed that only by doing so could Hajin rest peacefully in the heavens.  

Doyoung also resolved to pick himself up and move forward.  

After saying his final farewell to Hajin, Doyoung left the columbarium and walked toward the main road.  

Suddenly, his vision went white, and he started to stagger.  

‘Uh… why do I feel so dizzy? Is it because I haven’t been sleeping?’  

As that thought crossed his mind, Doyoung stumbled and eventually collapsed.  

The last thing he remembered was the sight of passersby screaming and running toward him.  

Then, everything went black.

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