UAI 48🍒

“Uncle and I”

Chapter — 48

As they entered the room and took their seats, the designers assigned themselves to their clients.

Sejin sat next to Hajin, a cape draped around her neck.

The designer who had fought quietly but fiercely behind the scenes to be assigned to Sejin, finally winning the chance, smiled warmly at her and said,

“Sejin! I’ll make your hair look beautiful. If anything feels uncomfortable, just tell me right away.”

“Yes!”

Soon, an assistant brought drinks to Biwon and Sejin.

Sejin’s designer turned to Hajin and asked,

“Hajin, does Sejin have a particular style she wants?”

“Uh… I think just a neat cut will be fine,” Hajin replied.

Sejin quickly interrupted,

“Auntie! Do the dandy cut for me!”

At that, everyone in the room—both Biwon members and the designers—looked at Sejin with surprised eyes.

“Wait, Sejin? You know what a dandy cut is?”

Roi, sitting next to Sejin, asked in astonishment.

“Yup! Ara! I found it!” Sejin answered cheerfully.

“No way! Our Sejin already knows hairstyles?”

The designer admired her.

“Yup! And please perm my bangs too!”

Hearing that, everyone burst into laughter.

“Ahaha! Wow, even better than me!”

“Exactly, our Sejin is amazing!”

“Hajin, I think Sejin might be better at styling herself than you!”

Hajin laughed in agreement with the members.

“Hahaha. Right. But Sejin, when did you look up hairstyles?”

“Um… yesterday, on my phone,” Sejin said.

Hajin’s face fell into surprise. She couldn’t understand how Sejin, who didn’t even know Hangul yet, could have searched on a phone.

Sejin sighed and clarified,

“Come on! I said I did it on the phone!”

“So… how? You don’t know Hangul yet?”

Sejin froze for a moment.

‘Right. I’m still three years old. Of course I wouldn’t know Hangul. Hmm… I guess there’s no choice. I’ll just say I’m a genius.’

Deciding that, Sejin spoke confidently,

“I know Hangul!”

Everyone’s eyes turned to her in shock.

“Huh? Sejin knows Hangul?”

“Hajin, you never taught her, right?”

Hajin was the most surprised. She had never taught Sejin Hangul. She had planned to let her learn naturally when she grew a little older.

Her only concern after Sejin’s recent discharge from the hospital was her health, so learning wasn’t a priority. Even when reading storybooks to Sejin at bedtime, she had never pointed out words separately.

“Sejin, I’ve never taught you Hangul. How do you know it?”

“Uuuh… I just… figured it out. I watched you read storybooks at night and I watched TV, so I got it,” Sejin said casually.

Everyone around was impressed.

“Wow! Hajin, Sejin’s a genius!”

“Right? She’s really three years old, isn’t she?”

The designers, excited, turned to Hajin with questions.

“Yes, she’s three. Her birthday hasn’t come yet…” Hajin replied, still in disbelief.

“Wow!! Sejin really is a genius!”

“So, our Sejin might go to a science high school someday?”

“No wonder she’s extraordinary,” the Biwon members said, marveling among themselves.

Finally, Hajin took out his phone, searched for something, and showed it to Sejin.

“Sejin, read this.”

Sejin took the phone and began reading.

“The UN is an international organization established to promote global cooperation and maintain world peace. It is the largest intergovernmental organization in human history, bringing together the most countries in multilateral meetings.”

When Sejin finished, everyone clapped excitedly.

Clap clap clap!

“I got chills!”

“She really can read!!”

Hajin stared at his niece, astonished.

“See, Uncle! Right?” Sejin grinned mischievously.

“Yes. Our Sejin really can read Hangul! She’s a genius, isn’t she, guys?”

Hajin, already a doting uncle, felt proud seeing Sejin’s talent. Everyone laughed and nodded in agreement.

“Seriously, she’s amazing. How did she figure out Hangul by herself?”

“Should we report her to [Oh My! What a Thing] as a three-year-old genius?”

“Do we need to check if she qualifies for Mensa? How do you join?”

Seeing the members more excited than himself, Hajin laughed.

The designer found a photo of the style Sejin wanted and showed it to her.

“Sejin, is this the style you want?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Great. I’ll make it look beautiful. Let’s start with the haircut. Stay still, okay?”

“Yes!”

Time passed, and Sejin and the Biwon members’ hairstyles were done.

“Kyaa! I did it myself, but it’s perfect! Sejin, do you like it?” the designer asked.

Sejin looked at herself in the mirror, smiled, and gave a thumbs-up.

“Auntie, awesome!”

“Oh ho ho ho!”

The designers and members admired Sejin’s hair.

“Wow! Sejin, it suits you so well.”

“Yes, even before it was cute, but now it looks so elegant.”

“Perfect transformation!”

Sejin wiggled her feet happily in her chair at all the compliments. Hajin, finding her adorable, lifted her down.

“Designer, Sejin’s hair looks amazing. Thank you.”

“Oh, no! Sejin’s just so pretty, that’s why it came out so well. We just dried it naturally today, but it would look nice with some wax too.”

“Got it. Thank you.”

After saying thanks, the group went back down to the first floor, where Minsu was at the counter paying.

Normally, the company would settle the bill, but Hajin didn’t want to make Sejin pay, so he used his own card.

“Here’s the receipt and card, bro,” Minsu said.

“Thanks,” Hajin replied, putting the card in his wallet.

Jaewon asked, “Wait, Hajin, you paid?”

“Yes. I included Sejin’s too. I just wanted to handle it myself. I always felt bad that you guys bought Sejin’s clothes and gifts… I want to do this too, so I feel okay.”

The members nodded in agreement.

“Thanks, then! We’ll come again next time.”

“Yes. We have a shoot soon, see you then.”

The director and staff smiled and waved them off.

“Take care. See you next time, and Sejin too!”

“Sejin, you have to come again.”

“Yes, we’ll come again, aunties!”

Sejin did her little bow, and they took the elevator to the underground parking.

Minsu started the car and asked,

“Guys, go straight home or stop somewhere?”

The members hesitated. They didn’t want the outing with Sejin to end so quickly.

Sejin spoke up,

“Uncle, I’m hungry.”

“Ah, true. You only ate the sandwich from the salon,” Hajin replied.

“Yeah, I’m hungry too,” the members agreed.

“Shall we grab some food then?”

“Is there a place nearby suitable for kids?”

“Uncle, I want jjajangmyeon.”

“Jjajangmyeon? Okay, let’s go get some.”

They decided on the menu. Then they discussed which restaurant to go to.

“Yeonhwagak is good. Should we go there?”

“It’s good, but a bit far from here.”

“Hmm. Sejin’s hungry, let’s go somewhere close.”

“How about Cheongsong Hotel? They have good Chinese food too.”

“Right! Let’s go there.”

“But will they have a table?”

Minsu checked on his phone.

“I’ll make a reservation.”

“Really?”

“Yes, just a moment.”

Minsu called the hotel and secured a reservation.

“Luckily, a room is available now. We can go straight there.”

“Great! Thanks, Minsu. Let’s eat well too.”

“Ha ha, yes!”

They drove to Cheongsong Hotel, near the salon. Valet parking took their car, and they entered the hotel.

Biwon attracted some attention, but people just took photos from afar.

They took the elevator to the Chinese restaurant floor. The manager greeted them.

“Welcome. This is Restaurant Yeon.”

“Hello, we reserved under Park Minsu,” Hajin said.

“Yes, your room is ready. Please follow me.”

The group followed the manager inside.

As expected, their presence caused a brief stir in the restaurant.

They sat around a round table. The manager placed the menus in front of them.

“Here’s the menu. Press the bell when ready to order. Enjoy your time.”

After the manager left, they chose their dishes.

Soon, an employee brought warm white tea, and then the ordered dishes started coming out—assorted dim sum, yu shan seol, ganpunggi, tangsuyuk, yuringi, plus their individual orders of jjajangmyeon, jjamppong, and fried rice.

“Wow! Looks delicious.”

“If we had planned ahead, we could have had a course meal and Peking duck…” Hwan said, licking his lips.

“Right, Sejin would’ve liked Peking duck. But today’s fine, we can come again,” Hajin said.

“Yeah, this is enough for today.”

“Sejin, don’t just eat the jjajangmyeon you wanted. Try the other dishes too, okay?”

“Yup!”

Hajin mixed Sejin’s noodles evenly and cut them into pieces, placing them in front of her.

Sejin grabbed a fork and started eating jjajangmyeon enthusiastically.

‘Wow! First time having this. Definitely better than a regular Chinese place. So good!!’

Minsu and the members laughed at the sauce-streaked face of Sejin as they started eating.

Hajin served Sejin some fried rice and other dishes.

Everyone was hungry from the late lunch and ate quietly.