Chapter 2
Chapter 2
A Stormy Reunion
“Father, he’s a patient.”
“Patient? What patient! He’s sitting there with his eyes wide open!”
As the old man shouted in anger, a middle-aged man tried to soothe him while glancing at Yu Yeon-seo. His face was etched with worry for him.
“Father. The doctor told you to watch your blood pressure. Please, calm down and let’s talk.”
“Why should I calm down!”
Seeing his son wrapped in bandages, his father, Vice Chairman Yu Geon-min, felt a surge of emotion and looked distressed. His son, who had been diagnosed with a chance of becoming a vegetable, had woken up safely, yet he found his own situation pathetic, having to first read the mood of his own father, Chairman Yu.
“Oh, please stop. It’s our Yeon-seo, your grandson. Yes? He almost died. He just woke up, how can you get angry the moment you see him?”
“That’s... Ahem.”
Judging by the way he spoke, this must be this body’s father. That would make the old man his paternal grandfather. Kang Jin-hu, now Yu Yeon-seo, observed them in silence.
A young man who had been standing quietly beside the old man approached Yu Yeon-seo and sat down next to him.
“You’re conscious. That’s a relief.”
This one must be a brother, then. Judging by his casual tone, is he the older one?
Yu Yeon-seo’s guess was correct. He was Yu Yeon-seo’s older brother, Yu Eun-ho, the youngest managing director of Juseong Group and the third-generation heir who would succeed the Vice Chairman.
“...You.”
When Yu Yeon-seo simply stared at him blankly without a word, Yu Eun-ho’s expression quickly darkened, worried that something was wrong.
Flustered, Yu Yeon-seo bit his lower lip. Wouldn’t a close relative notice a change in him? A time traveler must not let others notice his transformation.
<Hello, Master. I am Beta-9. It appears you are in a difficult situation. Would you like to activate [Auto-Action Mode], based on the body’s big data?>
<However, this may overload the body. It will be accompanied by pain.>
The priority was to get out of this situation. Yu Yeon-seo gave a slight nod.
<[Auto-Action Mode] has been approved.>
<Setting it to deactivate automatically if the body’s limits are exceeded.>
“...I’ve been behaving myself just fine.”
“What? What did you say?”
Yu Yeon-seo immediately shot back at the old man. The old man, who had softened slightly at Yu Geon-min’s desperate pleading, flushed red again.
“Yeon-seo. Why are you acting like this again...”
It seemed this wasn’t the first time he’d talked back, as his father, Vice Chairman Yu Geon-min, sighed deeply, looking defeated.
‘He must have a lot of pent-up feelings toward the old man.’
Weren’t people of this era supposed to be fundamentally respectful to their elders? This body’s owner must have quite the personality. Yu Yeon-seo was inwardly flustered, but the mouth others called the ‘Mouth of Disaster’ didn’t stop.
“You said you wouldn’t care what I did as long as I quit that ‘damned entertainer’ gig!”
“You—you dare talk back to your grandfather like that!”
Chairman Yu bellowed. Yu Yeon-seo didn’t back down. He shot up and shouted, staggering from the sudden movement. His brother, Yu Eun-ho, quickly grabbed his shoulder to support him.
“You should have been satisfied after pressuring my agency and forcing me to leave the group!”
Yu Yeon-seo’s eyes reddened, and a single tear dropped.
“I even got into Hankuk University, just like you wanted. But you still weren’t satisfied and had my head shaved before forcing me into the military! What are you going to nitpick about this time!”
“Yeon-seo. Calm down.”
Yu Geon-min held back Chairman Yu, who looked ready to lunge at any moment, while Yu Eun-ho wearily pressed the bridge of his nose. Whenever Chairman Yu couldn’t control his cantankerous temper and yelled, Yu Yeon-seo would stand his ground and fight back. Yu Geon-min and Yu Eun-ho were the ones caught in the middle.
“Right! I told you to quit that damned entertainer gig, go to college, study, and work for the company. And now what? An actor?”
“So I quit the damned entertainer gig, that should have been enough! I’ve been acting for years, and you never cared before, so why are you suddenly here now?”
“That’s because you got into an accident...!”
“But is the accident my fault? Why did you tell me to behave myself the moment you saw me? Is it so hard to ask if I’m okay?!”
Inwardly, Yu Yeon-seo was experiencing the emotions the body’s owner must have felt. A wide range of them: resentment and anger toward the grandfather who blocked his path, the desire to be acknowledged nonetheless, and even a fleeting sense of joy that his grandfather had come to see him.
‘He talks like this, but it seems he’s quite fond of his grandfather.’
But did he really have to get so angry? The old man seemed to be acting this way out of concern for his grandson; it would be better to speak kindly. Yu Yeon-seo found it regrettable. When he was Kang Jin-hu, he had lived without knowing the warmth of family.
“That, that wretched boy.”
“Grandfather, let’s go home for today. Yeon-seo just regained consciousness, so he must be overwhelmed.”
As Chairman Yu’s face turned beet red and he was at a loss for words, Yu Eun-ho supported his grandfather. He gazed at Yu Yeon-seo with a reproachful expression.
“Yu Yeon-seo, you should stop talking back to Grandfather. He may speak like this, but he’s the one who’s been looking out for you.”
“Eun-ho. Stop.”
Chairman Yu called out to Yu Eun-ho urgently. He seemed flustered, as if a truth he didn’t want revealed had been exposed. Yu Yeon-seo wore a surprised expression. The chaotic emotions were palpable.
“Then all of that...”
Seeing Yu Yeon-seo’s crumbling expression, Chairman Yu cleared his throat.
“Ahem, seeing that you’re awake is enough.”
“Grandfather.”
Yu Yeon-seo called out, but Chairman Yu turned without a second thought and headed out of the hospital room.
Seizing the opportunity, Yu Geon-min gently brushed Yu Yeon-seo’s messy bangs back. It was an affectionate touch, one that the current Yu Yeon-seo was not accustomed to.
“Son, I’ll come back later. I’m so glad you’re awake.”
“Vice Chairman! Follow me!”
“Yes, yes. I’m coming, Father.”
The last one remaining, Yu Eun-ho, helped the standing Yu Yeon-seo sit down on the bed.
“I’ll take care of everything, so you just focus on getting better.”
“...”
“Make sure you apologize to Grandfather later.”
“...Yeah.”
As Yu Yeon-seo reluctantly answered, Yu Eun-ho gave his shoulder a small pat.
Once the three of them left, the hospital room quickly fell silent.
<Deactivating [Auto-Action Mode].>
Lying back comfortably on the bed, Yu Yeon-seo frowned. A high-pitched ringing echoed in his ears, and his head spun. It was a side effect of the Auto-Action Mode.
‘How long has it been since I’ve felt this kind of pain?’
It was a sensation unimaginable during his time as Kang Jin-hu. He had been configured to not feel pain even before he was born.
“Yu Yeon-seo, you...”
As Yu Yeon-seo was lost in thought, someone emerged, grunting, from under his bed.
Yu Yeon-seo gasped in surprise. To not even notice a presence this close... Realizing he was truly in another body, he sat up.
“You, what the hell!”
“What about you? Why are you coming out from there?”
A guy who suddenly appears from under the bed, shouting and pointing fingers. Judging by his face, he looked younger than Yu Eun-ho. Was he this body’s age?
“You’re the one who told me to hide here so I wouldn’t get caught when the old geezer came! Why are you suddenly pretending you don’t know me!”
The man yelled.
That’s strange, I haven’t been awake in Yu Yeon-seo’s body for very long... Yu Yeon-seo frowned.
<Interference from the host body occurred during implantation. Retrying.>
He recalled the words of the dimensional travel administrator, Alpha-13, from when he was being transferred into this body. That interference... could it be? Did the original owner of the body wake up for a moment? Is that why his family, and this man, came after being contacted that he was awake?
<Yes, that is correct. The host body’s soul experienced temporary confusion during implantation.>
<In the original history, it was confirmed that Yu Yeon-seo died instantly at the scene of the traffic accident on March 20, 2018, at 19:04.>
<The current time is 14:59 on April 07, 2018.>
Reading his thoughts, Beta-9 replied in a monotonous voice.
“Hey, just go. And stop shouting.”
He had no idea what this man’s relationship was to this body, but he didn’t have the clarity of mind to deal with him. His vision swam. Activating Auto-Action Mode again in this state would put a significant strain on the body.
Yu Yeon-seo waved his hand dismissively. In that moment, blood trickled from his nose.
“You—you’re bleeding.”
The man hesitated in alarm, then grabbed a wad of tissues from the bedside table and handed them to Yu Yeon-seo. Yu Yeon-seo took them and pressed them firmly against his nose. It was quite a lot of blood for a simple nosebleed. The man fidgeted nervously.
“Are you okay?”
“Sorry, but could you just leave? This is the second time I’m saying it.”
He was about to lose his mind, and the constant talking next to him was as annoying as a mosquito buzzing nearby.
The man’s eyes widened in surprise. The self-centered Yu Yeon-seo apologized...! He must be really sick!
“Alright...”
The man had been about to argue, but Yu Yeon-seo’s condition seemed serious. He turned to leave.
“Wait, let me ask one thing before I go.”
The man, who had started toward the door, let out a heavy sigh. After a long moment of debating whether to say it, he finally spoke.
“You leaving our team... was it because of your grandfather?”
“...”
“Because Chairman Yu... hated you being an idol?”
The man had unintentionally overheard the conversation between Yu Yeon-seo and Chairman Yu Chang-ho earlier. The ‘group’ he was forced to leave was the very idol group he belonged to.
Yu Yeon-seo couldn’t say anything. He would have to know something about this body to respond. But the man took his silence as a confirmation and wore a complicated expression.
“I see... I’m going. Take care of yourself.”
The man trudged away. The hospital room door closed softly.
“What was with him...”
Dealing with his family right after waking up was overwhelming enough, but now he had to handle some strange guy who could be a friend or a foe. It felt like a storm had just passed.
“What should I do now...”
He was no longer Kang Jin-hu, but Yu Yeon-seo. In the peaceful year of 2018...
Who was Yu Yeon-seo? What kind of life did he live?
‘I need information about this body.’
The first step to adapting to this world: I have to play the part of ‘Yu Yeon-seo’.
‘But before that, I need to get some sleep.’
Barely holding onto consciousness, Yu Yeon-seo collapsed onto the bed.
After leaving Yu Yeon-seo’s hospital room, the three generations of the Juseong Group family, surrounded by bodyguards, headed for the parking lot. People nearby whispered amongst themselves.
“...The doctor called it a miracle.”
Yu Eun-ho said quietly, breaking the silence.
“Yeon-seo must have been happy to see you too, Grandfather.”
“Eun-ho, don’t coddle your younger brother so much. You’ll spoil him.”
“I do it because he’s my brother. As his older brother, I know his heart better than you do, Grandfather.”
The words were full of affection, but his tone was impassive. Chairman Yu Chang-ho stopped for a moment and looked at Yu Eun-ho.
“I’ll bring him to see you when he recovers. So please, don’t be so angry with him, Grandfather.”
“...Alright.”
While the Yu family’s prestige certainly helped, he hadn’t become the youngest managing director for nothing. He demonstrated outstanding work performance, a keen sense for reading trends, and the demeanor of a cold-headed businessman, but when it came to family matters, he was thoughtful. A sense of pride in his eldest grandson put Yu Chang-ho’s mind at ease.
“That’s right, Father. Let’s let our Yeon-seo do what he wants.”
His eldest grandson was fine, but his son, Yu Geon-min, fell far short of his standards. He was good at his job, but he was far too sentimental.
“A man who can’t even protect his own family has a lot to say.”
Chairman Yu clicked his tongue, ‘Tsk,‘ and got into the car.
The ‘family’ Chairman Yu mentioned wasn’t Yu Yeon-seo. Left behind, Yu Geon-min looked hurt and distressed. Yu Eun-ho patted his father’s back and led him to his own car.