“Uncle and I”
Chapter 50
May 5th.
It was Do-yeong’s first Children’s Day waking up in Sejin’s body.
This was a day the Biwon members had been looking forward to for weeks. But unlike the original plan, everyone was busy preparing to go out early in the morning.
Sejin wore khaki cargo pants and a white T-shirt with a teddy bear on it.
After packing a backpack to carry, Sejin went into the pantry to gather some snacks.
Seeing this, Jaewon smiled and asked,
“Sejin, why are you taking so many snacks? We’re just going to the shop first and then the restaurant.”
“Mm. I want to give some to the aunties at the shop.”
“Aunties? Why?”
“Last time, they did my hair for me… and they were so nice to me.”
“Oh, so you’re bringing them as gifts?”
“Yes! And I’ll give some to Joo-ah too.”
“Aww, our Sejin is really sweet.”
“Hehe!”
Jaewon ruffled Sejin’s hair in praise, and Sejin grinned widely, clearly happy.
After putting all the snacks in the bag, Sejin picked up Bok-dol’s treats from the pantry and headed into the living room.
“Ddol! We’re going out with the uncles. You have to guard the house, okay?”
“Woof!”
Bok-dol barked once as if he understood and then lay down on the floor to eat the treats with his front paws holding them.
While Jaewon watched the scene fondly, the other members came into the living room.
“Sejin, your outfit looks cute today.”
“Mm. The uncles look nice too!”
“Ha ha. Really?”
“Come on, uncles, say we look good too.”
“Got it. You all look handsome!”
“Hehe… Thanks.”
“Once you’ve packed everything, let’s go. Minsu is waiting.”
When Jaewon spoke, everyone started heading out, but Sejin called out urgently,
“Uncles!”
“Huh? What’s up?”
“Give me that!”
“What is it? Did you forget something?”
“Yes! Sunglasses!”
“What?”
Hajin looked puzzled at his niece’s request.
“Ha ha! Sejin wants to wear sunglasses? It’s morning right now.”
Hwan laughed and asked,
“Mm! Not now, I’ll wear them later. Right now, just… like this…”
Sejin pretended to stick the sunglasses into her T-shirt.
Everyone burst into laughter at the gesture.
“Anyway, our Sejin really is quite the fashionista!”
“Heh! Hajin, give them to her quickly. Or better yet, should we all wear sunglasses as a matching item?”
Sejin’s eyes lit up.
“Mm! Yes! Uncles should wear them too!”
Delighted by Sejin’s excitement, everyone went to the accessory room and picked out sunglasses they liked. Sejin chose one from what Hajin showed her and clipped it to her shirt.
Watching her smile, the members packed their things and left the house.
When they arrived at the underground parking lot, Minsu opened the car door for them.
“Hello, uncles. Hello, Sejin.”
“Hi, uncles!”
“Sejin, you’re so energetic even early in the morning. Aren’t you sleepy?”
“Mm. I’m fine.”
“That’s good. Did you all have breakfast?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“No, we didn’t. Sejin had a little soy milk earlier. Could you get us some simple food at the shop later? For Sejin, kimbap, please. Since she didn’t have breakfast, something heavy like spaghetti might upset her stomach.”
Minsu smiled and replied,
“Got it. Since you’ll be eating during the shoot anyway, I’ll just get something simple.”
“Thanks!”
“Oh, and the manager said he’ll come to the filming location later. Let’s go now.”
Soon, the car arrived at the shop.
As they reached the first floor via the elevator, the staff greeted them with smiles.
“Welcome! You’re earlier than expected.”
“Hello.”
While the members greeted the staff, Sejin clutched the bag and stepped forward.
“Auntie!”
“Oh my! Hello, Sejin! You look so pretty today.”
“Thank you! This is a gift.”
Sejin opened the bag and handed out the snacks she had brought.
“What’s this? Are you giving this to us, Sejin?”
“You don’t have to give it, Sejin. Just keep it for yourself.”
Shaking her head, Sejin replied,
“No. Thank you for doing my hair so nicely last time. That’s why I’m giving this as a gift.”
The staff smiled as they held the snacks.
“Oh, I’m so touched!”
“How can I eat something so nice?”
“Exactly.”
“Thank you so much. We’ll all enjoy it.”
“Yes, Sejin. We’ll eat well. Thanks for preparing it.”
“Hehe. Yes!”
Satisfied, Sejin closed the bag with a smile.
Jaewon added fondly,
“She even packed gifts for the shop aunties this early in the morning.”
Hearing this, the staff were once again moved.
A little later, Sejin and the members moved up to the third floor and took their seats.
“You’ll just do light makeup and hair today, right?”
“Yes. Just make it neat.”
“Do you have a shoot today?”
“Ha ha. Yes, but it’s confidential for now. An article will come out soon.”
“Then, since you already had a haircut and dye last time, we’ll just do a simple blow-dry today.”
“Yes.”
While they got ready, Minsu brought food for the members.
“Your drinks are iced Americano. I also brought kimbap, so enjoy.”
“Thanks!”
“We’ll eat well, Minsu.”
Sejin, who only had her hair dried without makeup, finished early and sat on the sofa in the room.
“Sejin, this is a chocolate frappe. It’s cold, so don’t drink too much at once, okay?”
“Mm. Thanks, uncles.”
“Here, eat the kimbap slowly and chew well.”
Sejin patted the seat beside her.
“Uncles, sit here too. Let’s eat together.”
Smiling, Minsu sat next to Sejin and unwrapped her kimbap. He fed her with chopsticks as he ate breakfast alongside her.
After finishing the kimbap, Sejin held the chocolate frappe in both hands, fidgeting out of boredom just as Biwon’s leader finished getting ready.
“All done, everyone!”
“Thank you. Great job!”
“Sejin, you waited patiently, right? Let’s go now.”
The group left the shop and headed toward Joo-ah’s store.
A while later, they arrived and got out of the car.
Broadcast vehicles were parked in the lot, and the staff were busy unloading equipment.
“Oh? You’re early.”
“Wow! Hello!”
“The director is inside the store. You can go in.”
After greeting the production staff with a bow, they entered the store.
Since it wasn’t opening time yet, the store was quiet.
The manager at the counter noticed them and smiled warmly.
“Welcome! You’re early today.”
“Yes. Hello. We’re sorry to trouble you; it must be a busy day for you…”
“Oh, not at all. If you’re on TV, it’ll help people know our store better, so it’s good.”
“That’s very kind. Is Joo-ah in the kitchen?”
“Yes, she’s busy preparing to open.”
“Then we’ll greet her later. Is the filming room the same as last time?”
“Yes, I’ll guide you.”
“No, we can find it ourselves. Don’t worry.”
“Oh? Are you sure?”
“Yes, we’ll go in.”
They walked to the same room where they had eaten last time.
The door was wide open, and the production crew was busy setting up cameras and equipment.
“Hello!”
Biwon greeted the staff, and PD Park, inspecting the set, approached.
“Oh? Why are you here so early?”
“We thought we should greet the staff first.”
“Ha ha. I heard you’re very diligent. That seems true. Once you’re done, I’ll help you put on your microphones.”
Biwon greeted the crew as they moved around the room.
An assistant director helped Sejin and the members put on their microphones.
“Sejin, this might feel heavy. Are you okay?”
“Mm. I’m fine.”
“Okay. If anything feels uncomfortable, tell me immediately.”
“Yes.”
Once Sejin’s microphone was on, PD Park explained the shoot.
“We’ll first film you entering the room. Just greet and walk in. After that, eat comfortably, and we’ll ask questions for you to answer naturally.”
“Understood.”
“Ah, Hajin, may I speak to you for a moment?”
PD Park called Hajin into an empty room next door.
“The reason I called you separately is to discuss things we don’t want broadcasted. You don’t want Sejin’s parents’ story on air, right?”
Hajin’s face darkened as he nodded.
“Yes. I’d prefer that not come up. It would hurt Sejin deeply.”
PD Park nodded.
“I know it’s hard to believe me, but we won’t dig into the child’s pain for ratings. I just wanted to confirm, so don’t worry too much.”
“Thank you.”
“Anything else we should be careful about?”
“Well, Sejin’s memory isn’t complete.”
“Oh… Right, because the accident was serious.”
PD Park nodded, understanding.
“That’s why we ask you not to mention her mom or dad, or stories about her older sister and brother-in-law. Please keep that in mind during filming.”
“Yes. I’ll make sure the crew is careful. All we want is to capture Biwon and Sejin enjoying their time in a new place, relaxing, not anything else.”
“Thank you.”
Reassured, Hajin returned to the others.
“Oh, you’re back?”
“Of course. But what did you talk about?”
Cheol-hwan, who had come separately from the company to watch the filming, asked.
“Just a quick chat about the shoot. I’ll explain later.”
Cheol-hwan nodded, understanding from Hajin’s awkward expression.
While waiting for the setup to finish, Joo-ah entered the room.
“Oh? Sister!”
“You said you were busy. Are you free now?”
“Yes. I finished preparation but had to come check on you briefly before opening time.”
“Thanks for letting us film here.”
Jaewon represented the group in thanking her.
“It’s okay. Some broadcasts inquired before, and I kept saying no. But my staff insisted, so this lined up perfectly with you. I think it’s best to do it while you’re filming.”
“Thanks, sister.”
Jumin wrapped his arm around Joo-ah’s shoulder.
“It’s okay. Honestly, I just wanted to see Sejin!”
Blushing slightly, Joo-ah greeted Sejin quickly.
“Sejin! Hello! Did you get your hair done? You look so stylish!”
“Hehe. Yes! You look pretty too!”
Sejin smiled at Joo-ah, then suddenly remembered the bag on the chair and grabbed it.
“Auntie, this is tasty. It’s a gift.”
She handed the snack bundle she had brought to Joo-ah.
Touched, Joo-ah hugged Sejin.
“You brought this for me? Oh my! So sweet. Thank you so much. I’ll treasure it.”
“Yes.”
“Later, I’ll make something delicious for you. Eat a lot, okay? I have to go now, but I’ll see you again after filming.”
With the snacks in hand, Joo-ah left the room.
