Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Reborn as a Single Dad
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A luxury apartment where only Korea's ultra-wealthy elite resided.
Unbefitting its opulence, the floor of the room was littered with all sorts of trash.
Having grown accustomed to such filth, I shoved the garbage aside and headed to the kitchen.
*Clunk!*
The moment I flung open the fridge, I was greeted by fruits and side dishes covered in colorful mold.
Some bizarre plant was growing right there, and a nose-assaulting stench made me grimace involuntarily.
'I'll clean it up tomorrow.'
As always, I put off the cleaning for another day and pulled out some strong liquor to drink.
"Haa..."
I plopped down gently on a trash bag as if it were a cushion and chugged the half-empty bottle.
How long did I have to live like this?
I dropped the empty bottle on the floor and stared at the trophies scattered in the corner.
Those were remnants of my days as an actor, sweeping up awards left and right.
Lee Seo-jun - XX Rookie Award.
Lee Seo-jun - XX Best Actor Award.
Lee Seo-jun - XX Acting Grand Prize.
And so on.
Fortunately, I'd discovered my extraordinary talent at the tender age of ten.
That talent was my acting prowess and laser focus.
Embarrassing as it is to say, I also had an eye for scripts.
Okay, maybe that sounds arrogant. Truth is, hardly any scripts I read actually excited me.
But the ones I did find interesting? They all seemed destined for success. And whenever I picked only the ones I wanted, they always posted sky-high ratings.
Of course, it only worked because my acting backed it up.
Thanks to that, even with my average looks, I flaunted my skills and triumphed in every role.
Until I started a joint venture with a friend I occasionally kept in touch with.
"Fuck."
The trash who'd ruined me flashed in my mind, and curses spilled out.
'Investor in an illegal drug factory.'
Search my name online now, and that's the tag that pops up.
'If only I hadn't befriended scum...'
I'd been duped by my friend.
Had I known from the start, I never would've invested.
I'd forgotten all about the business amid my packed schedule, so when the news mentioned my name, I was floored.
Luckily, the verdict for me—the one who'd poured in massive funds—was not guilty.
The scum had hidden the illegal side from me, so it counted as fraud.
But the public wouldn't forgive me. Even if I'd been tricked, they demanded harsh punishment.
Even now, five years after the scandal broke.
The backlash hadn't died down.
My agency, Y&H Entertainment, told me to take time to heal and come back slowly. But even waltzing back with a thick skin, I'd never get a warm reception.
In other words...
At just thirty-five, my acting career was over. Done.
"Why is my life like this?"
I sighed deeply, downing bottle after bottle.
Two, three...
Like water.
As empty bottles piled up on the floor, my eyelids grew heavier.
'Screw it, time to sleep?'
I tried to stand, but the world spun wildly before flipping sideways.
*Thud.*
How long had I lain there?
As the alcohol hit me, painful old memories resurfaced.
"I tried so hard to forget and just live..."
I'd suffered neglectful abuse from my parents as a kid.
From age ten, I'd busted my ass earning money just to hear a "Good job." But to them, I was nothing but a cash machine.
After becoming a middle schooler, always handing over my earnings to my parents...
I got word they'd abandoned me for a trip and died.
I wasn't sad back then.
Not a single tear.
So why were tears flowing now?
My chest felt hollowed out, empty.
Why did only shit like this happen to me?
What the hell had I done wrong?
"Hic... Hic."
Borrowing the booze's courage, I finally let out all the tears I'd bottled up.
Until exhaustion pulled me into sleep.
Early morning. Tiny footsteps disturbed my deep sleep.
*Pat pat. Pat pat pat.*
They drew near, then receded, repeating the cycle—irritating enough to notice.
*Pat pat.*
Closer again.
Eyes closed, I perked up my ears.
"Daddy, the sun's up."
A faint child's voice.
Someone shook my body.
Sensing something off, I bolted upright. Rubbing my eyes at the retreating footsteps, I turned my head.
'...Am I dreaming?'
I froze.
A little girl with a bob haircut in shabby clothes crawled under the folding table.
"You—who are you?"
"...Daddy?"
No, *daddy*?
Was I still drunk?
I lay back on the futon, closing my eyes—then the bobbed girl rushed over and tugged my clothes.
"It's morning... You gotta get up."
"...Ugh, fine. I'm up."
Her face bloomed into a tiny smile. Pure innocence, the kind only kids have.
'But... where am I?'
Snapping to, I scanned the room and realized it wasn't my place.
Tacky wallpaper, plain furniture.
Toys, cute dishware.
Even with just a thin futon on the floor, the space felt cramped.
Was it my imagination that it felt familiar?
'First things first, gotta get home.'
*Crunch. Crunch.*
Passing the girl, a weird sound made me turn.
She was picking up scorched rice bits and popping them into her tiny mouth.
Catching my eye, she swallowed and grinned.
"Hee hee hee. Daddy, eat breakfast too."
Hold up.
She called *me* daddy, right?
"Daddy, not eating?"
Not a hallucination.
"...I'm not your daddy."
"You are Daddy."
"No, I'm not."
"You are..."
No reasoning with her.
Sick of arguing with a kid, I sighed deeply and turned away.
'Just head home.'
As I stepped toward the front door to slip on shoes—
The girl swallowed her mouthful, jumped up. Anxiety flickered on her face, throwing me off.
"Daddy! Where you going?"
"I'm not your da—... Haa. Never mind."
I wanted to correct her, but her stubbornness seemed ironclad, so I gave up.
"...Going home. Bye."
"Home's right here."
"Your home is. Not mine..."
*Gurgle!*
I clutched my stomach.
Sudden gut pain.
Where's the bathroom...? That door?
Some inexplicable certainty hit me.
"...Gotta pee—mind if I use the toilet?"
"Yu-na's not a little kid... Yu-na's Yu-na. Daddy always treats Yu-na like..."
No time to soothe her teary face. It was coming *now*.
*Gurgle!*
Clutching my belly, I bolted without looking back and yanked open the door by the kitchen.
Thank god—it was the bathroom.
"Whew, close call."
After handling business cleanly, I approached the sink feeling relieved.
"What the—?!"
The grimy mirror reflected someone who wasn't me.
Sharp eyes that commanded attention, matched by thick brows.
Flawless skin, no blemishes.
Classic idol face.
'I'm not *that* handsome...'
A chill ran down my spine.
Forgetting to even wash my hands, I stormed out and tore the cramped room apart like a mouse hunt.
It didn't take long to face reality. Embarrassing, but while ransacking the tiny space, I bashed my shin on a shelf corner—the pain proved it wasn't a dream.
It hurt *that* bad.
Grown man that I was, tears welled up.
But that wasn't the point.
I flipped open the child's health handbook I'd dug out from a drawer.
Daughter: Lee Yu-na. Age five.
Birthday: December 31.
Deceased wife's name: Kang Min-ju.
My name: Lee Jun-seo... 25 years old.
'Birthday April 1st... Same as mine.'
Was today my birthday?
The phone rolling on the floor confirmed it: April 1st.
Anyway, not the point. I'd gotten ten years younger.
The creepiest part?
This was the exact house I'd lived in with my parents in my past life.
'Coincidence?'
I shook my head.
Bigger issue at hand.
A suicide note from atop the drawer.
Lee Jun-seo had planned to abandon his own daughter and end it all. Piles of sleeping pills on the futon were proof.
"Haa, what the hell was this guy..."
From the note, I learned he'd neglected his barely five-year-old daughter.
Never spoken a word about his work, ignored her calls—regretted it all, he wrote.
Look at her now. Watching my every move, too scared to speak.
'How much neglect does it take to...'
Just like me as a kid.
Felt too personal.
What fault could a five-year-old have?
If blame there was, it lay with this body.
Lee Jun-seo, who couldn't overcome losing his wife.
I crumpled the note and tossed it in the corner, letting out a quiet sigh.
"Haa."
She flinched. Peeking at me again, silently crying.
Ah, damn. My heart's softening.
Stepping past her for a moment, I pulled a bankbook from the wardrobe corner.
Head throbbed.
The pitiful balance.
Barely enough for a week. With the kid? Might not even last.
"...Daddy."
"......"
I met her moist eyes straight on. No clue how this happened, but no way back? Guess I had to raise her.
Honestly, living in this body didn't sound bad.
My past life—as Lee Seo-jun—was hell on earth.
Cold stares from everyone, malicious comments pouring like storms.
Unbearable.
That's why I'd drowned in booze.
'Yeah... call this a fresh start?'
I looked at her carefully and spoke.
"Yeah? What is it?"
"...Hee hee hee. Nothing."
Her smile returned in a flash.
No—not *her* smile. Yu-na's.
Couldn't treat her like my own overnight, but I'd try.
Weakness doesn't suit me. I'm the guy who charges ahead first, challenges everything.
Only now did I glance back at my past self and chuckle bitterly.
*What a joke.* That guy holed up like a shut-in?
"Pfft."
Remembering my wretched state cracked me up.
"Daddy's weird..."
My sudden seriousness-then-laughter spooked her; she backed away slowly.
Short on cash, I headed out to scout short-term gigs.
Worried about leaving Yu-na alone, I brought her along...
She seemed thrilled to come with me.
Her smile hadn't faded since.
"Daddy, where we going?"
The "daddy" felt awkward, so I looked away as I answered.
"Yu... Uh, to the PC bang."
"PC bang?"
Tried calling her name.
Couldn't get it out.
Feeling bashful, I kept answering her questions.
"To find a job."
"Ohh. Okay."
These days, you could snag gigs from home with just a phone.
But I had two reasons to go out.
One: Walk the streets freely, no face mask.
Two: My current phone.
An ancient model from years back sat in my pocket.
No way to job-hunt part-time with this relic.
'Who uses a phone like this nowadays?'
Too embarrassing to whip out in public.
*Step. Step.*
Strolling changed streets unlike my memories, I spotted a PC bang.
Just cross the signal...
Speeding toward it, breaking news from the neighboring shop caught my ear—familiar name included.
*-Breaking news just in: Actor Lee Seo-jun was found dead at his home this morning. Authorities are investigating the exact cause of dea—*
'As expected.'
Knew it, but...
Hearing my own obituary like this? Bittersweet.
"Daddy?"
"...Yeah. Let's go."
I shook off my halted legs and moved forward.