UAI Chapter 48

Episode 48

When they entered the room and sat down in their assigned seats, the hairdressers were assigned to each of them.

Sejin sat beside Hajin, and a cape was draped around his neck as well.

To be in charge of Sejin, the hairdressers had apparently been competing fiercely behind the scenes. In the end, the one who won the chance smiled warmly at Sejin and spoke.

"Sejin! Auntie will make your hair look really pretty. If you feel uncomfortable at all, tell me right away, okay?"

"Okay!"

Soon, an assistant came in and brought drinks to B-One and Sejin.

Sejin's hairdresser then asked Hajin.

"Hajin-ssi, is there any style Sejin wants?"

"Uh… I think it's fine if you just cut it neatly." 

Hajin replied. But Sejin quickly spoke up from the side.

"Auntie! I wanna get a dandy cut!"

At his words, the B-One members and the hairdressers in the room all stared at him in surprise.

"Huh?! Sejin? Do you even know what a dandy cut is?"

Roy, who was sitting next to Sejin, asked in disbelief.

"Yeah! I know! I looked it up!"

"My goodness! Our Sejin already knows about hairstyles?"

The hairdresser said with admiration.

"Yeah! And please perm my bangs too!"

The moment he said that, everyone burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Wow, he's better than me."

"Seriously, that's our Sejin!"

"Hajin, Sejin's going to be better at grooming than you at this rate."

Hajin laughed and agreed with them.

"Haha, you're right. But Sejin, when did you even look that up?"

"Um… yesterday, on Uncle's phone."

"Really? How did you do that?"

Hajin looked shocked after hearing this.

Sejin still couldn't read Korean yet, so Hajin didn't understand how he could have searched on a phone.

At that, Sejin let out a deep sigh and answered.

"Geez! I told you! I searched on Uncle's phone!"

"No, I mean… how did you do it? You can't even read Korean yet."

At Hajin's question, Sejin froze for a moment.

'Oh right. I'm still three years old, aren't I? Then it makes sense that I shouldn't know how to read yet. What should I do? Hm… I guess I've got no choice. I'll just go with being a genius.'

Making up his mind, Sejin opened his mouth.

"I can read Korean!"

Everyone stared at Sejin in shock.

"Huh? Sejin can read Korean?"

"Hajin, you never taught him Korean, did you?"

Out of everyone, Hajin was the most flustered by the question.

He had never taught Sejin how to read.

He planned to let him learn naturally when he got a little older.

Besides, since it hadn't been long since his nephew had been discharged from the hospital, all he cared about was Sejin being healthy. Even if the boy couldn't study well, he didn't really mind.

Because of that, even when he read storybooks to Sejin before bed, he never taught him words separately.

"Sejin… Uncle has never taught you Korean even once. So how do you know?"

"Umm… I just… figured it out. I watched when Uncle read storybooks at night, and I watched TV too, so I learned."

When Sejin said it like it was no big deal, the people around him gasped in amazement.

"Wow! Hajin-ssi! Sejin must be a genius!"

"Seriously. He's really only three years old, right?"

The hairdressers started bombarding Hajin with questions.

"Y-Yes, he's three. His birthday hasn't passed yet…."

Hajin answered with a dazed expression.

"Hey!! Sejin really might be a genius!"

"Yeah! At this rate, won't he end up going to some science high school later?"

"I knew it. There was something special about this kid."

The B-One members chatted among themselves in admiration.

Finally snapping out of it, Hajin pulled out his phone, searched for something, and showed it to Sejin.

"Sejin, here. Try reading this."

Taking the phone, Sejin began reading out loud.

"The United Nations was established for the purpose of promoting international cooperation and maintaining global peace. It is the largest international organization in human history and a multinational assembly where the greatest number of countries gather."

As soon as Sejin finished reading, everyone burst into applause.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

"I just got chills!"

"He really can read!!"

Even Hajin stared at his nephew in shock.

"See, Uncle! I tole you!"

Sejin grinned mischievously at him, and Hajin, still excited, nodded.

"You're right. Sejin really can read Korean. Our Sejin really is a genius, isn't he? Right, guys?"

Already a doting uncle, Hajin couldn't hide how proud he felt now that his nephew had shown such an amazing side.

Everyone laughed and played along.

"Yeah, he really might be a genius. How does a kid teach himself to read without anyone showing him?"

"Shouldn't we report him to 'Oh My God, Something Like This Exists'? A three-year-old genius boy?"

"Should we look into Mensa? How do you even enroll in that?"

Seeing the others even more worked up than himself made Hajin laugh out loud.

The hairdressers, who had been watching from the side, smiled and began working on the members' hair.

Sejin's hairdresser searched for a photo of the style Sejin wanted and showed it to him.

"Sejin, is this the style you want?"

"Yes. That's it."

"Alright, Auntie will make you look really good. First, we'll trim your hair. You have to stay still and not move, okay?"

"Okay!"

After some time passed, the hairstyling for both B-One and Sejin was finished.

"Omg! I did it myself, but it's honestly perfect. Sejin, do you like it?"

When the hairdresser asked, Sejin looked at his reflection from one side to the other in the mirror, then suddenly grinned and gave a thumbs-up.

"Auntie. It's the best!"

"Ohohoho!"

The members, whose own hair was finished, gathered around Sejin and admired him.

"Wow! Sejin's hairstyle suits him so well."

"Yeah. He was cute before when it was longer, but now he looks way more refined."

"Face completes the fashion, for real!"

Hearing so much praise from the adults made Sejin swing his legs excitedly as he sat in the chair.

Finding him adorable, Hajin lifted his nephew down from the chair.

"Thank you so much. Sejin's hair looks amazing."

"Oh my goodness, not at all! It's because Sejin is cute that it came out this well. We just blow-dried it naturally today, but it'll look even better if you use some wax to style it and sweep it back."

"Yes, I understand."

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

Normally, the company would settle the bill altogether, but Hajin didn't want Sejin's cut to be paid for by the agency, so he had used his own card.

"Hyung, here's the receipt and your card."

"Yeah, thanks."

After putting the card back into his wallet, Jaewon asked.

"Huh? Hajin, you paid for it?"

"Yeah. Sejin's included, so I just paid for everything."

"Hey, then we'll pay for ours separately."

"It's fine. You guys always buy Sejin clothes and gifts. I've felt bad about that… Let me do this much at least. It makes me feel better too."

At that, the members nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for today. We'll come again next time."

"Yes, we'll have a shoot soon, so see you then."

The director and staff smiled and saw them off.

"Alright. Get home safely, and see you next time. Bye, Sejin!"

"Sejin, you have to come again next time!"

"Yes! I'll come again, aunties!"

Sejin bowed politely again, then rode the elevator with the members down to the underground parking lot.

As Minsu started the car, he asked.

"Hyungs, are we heading straight home? Or do you want to stop somewhere first?"

The members, who had initially planned to go straight home, hesitated.

They hadn't gone out with Sejin in a while, so it felt like a waste to just go back.

Then Sejin spoke up.

"Uncle, I'm hungry."

"Ah, that makes sense. You didn't eat lunch, and all you had was that sandwich from the salon."

"Come to think of it, I'm hungry too."

After Sejin said he was hungry, the others finally realized they were hungry too.

"Then should we go grab something to eat somewhere?"

"Is there anywhere nearby that's good to take a kid?"

"Uncle, I wanna eat jjajangmyeon."

"Huh? You want jjajangmyeon?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Then let's go eat jjajangmyeon."

With the menu decided thanks to Sejin, the members talked about where to go.

"Isn't the food at Yeonhwagak good? Should we go there?"

"It is good, but isn't it kind of far from here?"

"I guess so… And since Sejin says he's hungry, we should go somewhere close."

Then one of them suggested.

"What about Cheongsong Hotel? Their Chinese food is good there too."

"Oh, right! That place is good."

"But I don't know if there'll be seats available."

At that, Minsu took out his phone.

"I'll check and make a reservation."

"Oh? You will?"

"Yes. Give me a moment."

Not long after, Minsu finished making the call.

"Good news. The time right now is a bit awkward, so there's a private room available. We can go right away."

"Ah, that's a relief. Good job, Minsu. Let's go eat something delicious too."

"Haha, yes!"

Minsu drove them to Cheongsong Hotel.

When they arrived at the hotel, which wasn't far from the salon, they handed the car over for valet parking and entered through the main doors.

People recognized B-One and started whispering among themselves, but fortunately, they only took photos from a distance and didn't rush up to them.

They rode the elevator to the floor where the Chinese restaurant was located and went inside.

A manager greeted them.

"Welcome. This is Yeon Restaurant."

"Hello. I made a reservation earlier under the name Park Minsu."

"Yes, sir. Your private room is ready. Please follow me."

Guided by the manager, the group walked inside.

As expected, the restaurant briefly stirred at B-One's arrival.

Once inside their private room, the members sat down at the round table, and the manager placed menus in front of them.

"Here are your menus. Please press the bell when you're ready to order. Enjoy your time."

After the manager left, they chose their dishes.

When they had finished ordering and were waiting, another staff member brought in warm white tea.

While they were drinking it, the dishes they had ordered began to arrive one by one.

There were assorted dim sum, Yoo San Seul, spicy fried chicken, sweet and sour pork, Yurin Chicken, and individual dishes like jjajangmyeon, jjamppong, and fried rice.

"Wow… that looks delicious."

"If we'd known we were coming here, we should've made a reservation and ordered a full course. We could've had Peking duck too…."

Hwan clicked his tongue in regret.

"Yeah. Sejin probably would've loved Peking duck too. Well, today isn't the only day. Let's come again next time."

"Right. Let's be satisfied with this for now."

"Okay."

"Sejin, don't just eat the jjajangmyeon you wanted. Try the other dishes too, okay?"

"Okaaay!"

Hajin mixed the jjajangmyeon thoroughly, cut the noodles into shorter pieces, and set the plate in front of Sejin.

Holding a fork in one hand, Sejin immediately began attacking the noodles like a little warrior.

'Whew! First time eating this in this life. It really is on another level compared to regular Chinese places. This is seriously delicious!!'

Minsu and the others smiled as they watched Sejin eat with sauce smeared around his mouth, then they started eating as well.

Hajin portioned out the dishes and placed them in front of Sejin.

"Here. Try this too, Sejin."

"Thanks. Uncle, you eat too."

"Okay."

Hajin started eating the fried rice he had ordered.

He had ordered it just in case Sejin wanted rice too.

He continued feeding Sejin small bites of fried rice and other dishes while eating his own meal.

Everyone must have been starving from missing lunch, because they focused on eating without much conversation.

Eventually, all the generously ordered food was gone, and they leaned back in their chairs, rubbing their bellies.

"Wow… I ate so much."

"Same here. I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"It's been a while since I had Chinese food. It really hits the spot."

"I ate really well thanks to you guys."

"Good. I'm glad you enjoyed it, Minsu. Sejin, did you eat well too?"

"Yeah. It was suuuuper yummy!"

"Haha, glad to hear it. Then what do you want for dessert?"

"If you're here, it has to be mango bingsu! Sejin, their mango shaved ice is really good. Let's get that."

At Hwan's suggestion, Sejin nodded eagerly.

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Hi~ If you enjoy the translation and would like to support me or access advanced chapters of this novel, feel free to visit my ko-fi by clicking here~. Advanced chapters available:
𝟱𝟬-𝟱𝟯 [New, Dec 23]
𝟱𝟰-𝟱𝟳 [New, Dec 23]
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🍓; Mensa (멘사): An international high-IQ society for individuals scoring in the top 2% on approved intelligence tests.