UAI Chapter 03

 Episode 3

A few days after Sejin woke up, a thorough examination confirmed that there were no abnormalities, and he was moved to a private room.

Originally, he was going to be moved to a general ward, but since Hajin was so famous, word had somehow leaked about his nephew miraculously waking up. This attracted reporters, so they decided to move him to a VIP room with better security.

For an ordinary person, the cost of such a room would be overwhelming, but Hajin, having lived as a top-tier idol for years, decided to move his nephew to the VIP room without hesitation.

He also planned to stay at the hospital as much as possible with his nephew, and this arrangement would be more convenient for his acquaintances to visit.

“Hyung, did you arrange for a caregiver?”

“Yeah, I hired someone experienced. But why did you hire a caregiver when you said you’d be staying with Sejin anyway?”

“I’ll be with him as much as possible, but I might have to step away for urgent matters, and I don’t want to leave him alone. No matter the cost, I won’t leave our Sejin by himself. I’m the only family he has left now, and I want to raise him so that he never feels lonely. Besides, even if I take care of him, I can’t do as good a job as a professional, so it makes sense to get help from a caregiver.”

“Alright, got it. The caregiver should be arriving soon. By the way, is that all your luggage? Do you need me to bring more from the dorm?”

“No, it’s fine. I just brought the essentials for now. When the other members come later, they’ll bring the rest.”

“Oh! The guys are coming?”

“Yeah! They were so excited and said they’d come as soon as Sejin’s room was ready. Haha.”

Hearing that, Cheolhwan laughed.

Even though the group was already in their seventh year, their good personalities had kept them from having any major conflicts, aside from occasional minor squabbles.

Moreover, their care for one another was so strong that Hajin’s misfortune felt like their own, and they had done everything they could to support him.

It was clear how overjoyed the members must have been about Sejin waking up.

They had visited occasionally while Sejin was in the ICU, but due to the restrictions on visits, they couldn’t come often, no matter how much they wanted to.

Now that those restrictions were lifted, it was clear that not only Hajin but the members would also spend long hours at the hospital.

Since the room was spacious, there wouldn’t be any issues, but with the members coming and going frequently, the reporters, who were already desperate to get a scoop, would become even more relentless.

On top of that, there were many so-called 'reporters' these days whose behavior was disgraceful. Under the pretense of journalism, they might resort to any means to infiltrate the hospital.

Although Hajin hadn’t thought that far ahead, Cheolhwan, as his manager, had to prepare for any potential situation.

“Hajin, I’m going to step out to make a call. Stay here in the room.”

“Okay, got it.”

As Cheolhwan stepped out to call the agency to arrange for security personnel to be stationed at the room’s entrance, Hajin quietly gazed at Sejin’s sleeping face.

Sejin, who had been clinging to life in the ICU, dependent on countless medical devices, was now lying on the bed with a clean body, free from even the oxygen mask.

Looking at him, Hajin felt a sudden wave of emotion and tilted his head back, staring at the hospital room ceiling, trying to hold back tears.

After calming down somewhat, Hajin looked at Sejin and made a vow.

‘Sister, brother-in-law, thank you so, so much for not taking Sejin with you. If Sejin had left too, I really wouldn’t have been able to endure it. You must’ve known that and sent Sejin back to me, right? You both know how weak I am. You saved Sejin so that the two of us could hold hands and lean on each other to keep living, right? That’s what happened, isn’t it? Don’t worry. Just like you two looked after me, I’ll straighten myself out and protect our Sejin. Of course, your absence is immense, but I’ll do my best to make it feel smaller. So please, watch over us from the heavens. We’ll live happily and well, I promise.’

After making another promise to his sister and brother-in-law, Hajin held onto Sejin’s hand tightly and sat there for a long time.

Knock, knock.

“Oh! Yes, who is it? Come in.”

At Hajin’s response, the door opened, and a warm-looking woman in her 50s entered.

“Hello? I’m Jo Youngsook, the caregiver assigned to Sejin.”

“Oh! Hello. I’m Sejin’s uncle, Seo Hajin. Please come in and have a seat.”

Hajin greeted the caregiver with a bright smile as he welcomed her.

The caregiver approached the bed and checked on Sejin.

“Oh my! He’s such a beautiful child. I heard he’s three years old, but he seems a bit small. My goodness! He’s truly such a pretty child. I’ve been a caregiver for many children, but this is the first time I’ve seen one so beautiful. Hoho.”

“Yes, isn’t he? He’s my nephew, but I think he’s really beautiful too. He’s always been small, but I think the accident and being bedridden for so long stunted his growth even more.”

As Hajin smiled broadly while responding to the compliment about his nephew, he became momentarily speechless, noticing how much Sejin’s long recovery had affected his development.

Sensing Hajin’s sadness, the caregiver quickly comforted him.

“Children grow so quickly, all at once. Don’t worry too much! Even if he’s this small now, with good food and plenty of play, he’ll grow bigger than you before you know it.”

“Yes, I really hope that’s the case.”

“Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take good care of Sejin, so you should also eat properly. You’re far too skinny.”

“Oh, yes. I’ll try to stay by his side as much as possible, but please take good care of Sejin in the meantime.”

Hajin bowed his head deeply to the caregiver, expressing his gratitude.

Just as he was introducing himself to the caregiver, Cheolhwan entered the hospital room.

“Oh, hyung! The caregiver arrived. Come and say hello.”

“Hello. I’m Kim Cheolhwan, Hajin’s manager. Ah, could we step into the lounge to talk for a moment? Sejin might wake up.”

“Yes, of course.”

The three of them moved to the lounge attached to the VIP room.

“Let me introduce myself once again. I’m Hajin’s manager. If you can’t reach Hajin or if there’s an emergency, please feel free to contact me. Here’s my business card.”

As Cheolhwan introduced himself and handed over his business card, the caregiver, who accepted it, tilted her head curiously.

“A manager? As in a manager for celebrities?”

“Yes, that’s right. Haha.”

“Oh my! So Sejin’s uncle is a celebrity? No wonder he’s tall and handsome... But I don’t really know much since I only watch dramas. Is he a singer?”

Suppressing his laughter, Cheolhwan responded.

“Yes, you probably wouldn’t be too familiar with him. He’s an idol singer who sings and dances. As we spend time together, you’ll probably see other members of his group coming and going. His group is quite famous, so there may be people trying to cover stories about them. To prevent that, the agency will soon assign a security guard to be stationed at the door. The guard will handle things, so you won’t have to worry much. However, if you’re ever outside and encounter anyone suspicious, please let us know. Also, please don’t share any information about the patient, the group, or anything related to us with anyone. We’d really appreciate your cooperation.”

Cheolhwan bowed his head as he made the request.

“Oh my, so he’s that famous. But don’t worry. Caregivers for VIP rooms like this receive thorough training for situations like these. Since this area often hosts celebrities, businesspeople, and other prominent figures, we’ve seen our fair share of reporters. Saying the wrong thing could cost us our jobs, so we’re very mindful of that. And we’d never want anything to harm such a young child like this. Absolutely not!”

Hearing the caregiver’s reassurance, both Cheolhwan and Hajin smiled.

Not only did she seem to have a warm demeanor, but she also appeared to be a thoughtful and responsible person, which made them feel they could entrust Sejin’s care to her with peace of mind.

As he listened to the caregiver, Hajin spoke cautiously.

“Thank you. Also, about Sejin... because of the accident, his memory isn’t intact. Since he just woke up and the accident was so severe, the doctors said it’s likely due to trauma. Ever since he woke up, he hasn’t mentioned his mom or dad even once. It feels like he’s instinctively avoiding the subject. And he doesn’t seem to remember much from before. So, please don’t bring up his mom or dad. We’re worried it could trigger a significant emotional shock. We’re being very careful about it right now, so we’d appreciate it if you could keep that in mind too.”

“Oh dear... I’ve heard bits and pieces. The poor child lost both his parents... What a tragedy for someone so young. Don’t worry, I’ll take extra care of him. You don’t have to worry so much, Sejin’s uncle.”

“Thank you very much.”

As the three of them continued their conversation, Sejin—or rather, Doyoung—came to his senses.

Ever since he had entered the child’s body, he found himself easily exhausted and frequently falling asleep.

On top of that, he wasn’t sure if his soul was still adjusting to the child’s body or if it was because the body was underdeveloped, but he couldn’t speak properly.

Producing even a single sound was difficult, but through secret practice over time, he realized that his pronunciation was often slurred and that speaking in short sentences was much easier than attempting long ones.

It was only natural.

Even though the soul was Doyoung’s, the body was that of a 3-year-old child.

“Ugh…”

From inside the slightly open bedroom door, a faint groan came from Sejin.

“Oh? Sejin? Are you awake?”

Hajin was the first to react to the sound.

“Samchun (Uncle)...”

“Yes, yes! Uncle is right here. Are you hurting anywhere? Or do you need something?”

Hearing Sejin call for him, Hajin made a big fuss.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this side of Hajin hyung. I don’t know why I’ve come to the past or how I ended up in this body, but it must be because I’m meant to save him. That’s probably why I’ve been placed in the body of Hajin hyung’s nephew at this moment. Calling him 'Uncle' feels strange, but I’ll get used to it. From now on, I’ll do my best to save Hajin hyung—no, Uncle. I won’t let him die! Honestly, I’m thankful. I was an orphan anyway, and now I have a family. To Hajin hyung’s sister, brother-in-law, and the real Sejin—I make this promise to you. If you sent me in your place out of concern for your remaining family, I’ll make sure to live up to it. Please watch over me! I’ll make Uncle happy and live as Sejin to the fullest. Thank you.’

Doyoung—or rather, Sejin—had finally made sense of his previously chaotic circumstances.

He decided to live as Lee Sejin, Hajin’s nephew.

And so, he resolved never to let Hajin’s life end as tragically as it had before.

To accomplish that, he would treat everyone from now on as Lee Sejin.

“Mm. I want water.”

“Oh! Water? Just wait a moment.”

Hajin quickly grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and poured some into a cup.

Seeing this, the caregiver took out a children’s cup with a straw from a cabinet.

“Sejin’s uncle, use this instead. If you give him water in a regular cup, he might spill it. It’s better for kids to drink through a straw like this. Also, avoid giving him water that’s too cold—it could upset his stomach. Mix in some hot water to make it lukewarm.”

“Oh! Thank you. I’ve never taken care of a child before, so I didn’t know. Please let me know if I’m doing anything wrong in the future, too. Haha.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. If you mess up, I’ll make sure to give you a good scolding! Hohoho.”

Hajin carefully helped Sejin sit up and placed the straw cup to his lips.

“Here, our Sejin. Drink this water slowly. Don’t rush, okay?”

“Mm.”

After drinking water for a while, Sejin pulled away, and Hajin used a tissue to wipe his mouth.

“Ah, whose nephew is this adorable, huh? Isn’t that right, hyung?”

Hearing Hajin’s playful affection, Cheolhwan smirked.

“Oh, Sejin! Do you see this lady sitting beside us? She’s the one who’ll be taking care of you from now on. If you need anything, make sure to tell Uncle or her, okay?”

“Mm. Hello. I’m Lee Sejin.”

Sejin placed both hands on his belly as he sat upright and gave the caregiver a polite greeting.

‘If I want to make Uncle happy and achieve my dream of becoming an actor, I need to start building a good image from now!’

Even if his thoughts were a bit self-serving.

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