As the weeks passed, the mansion began to feel different—quieter, less cluttered with the sound of idle chatter. The halls no longer echoed with the careless laughter of Saejoon or the playful arguments between him and his siblings. Instead, the air felt thick with the weight of responsibility, of loss, and of the constant, relentless pursuit of something far greater than what had once driven him.
And through it all, Saejoon changed.
Each night, his body trembled with exhaustion, the hours spent forcing himself to move, to stand, to walk—again and again—were slowly taking their toll. But there was another transformation, one that went unnoticed by most, save for the few closest to him.
Saejoon's figure, once heavy, round, and soft from years of indulgence, began to shrink. The once bulging cheeks and soft stomach gradually faded, replaced by the sharp lines of a face more angular and defined. His arms, which had once struggled to lift anything heavier than a game controller, now carried an unexpected strength, their muscles defined beneath the skin. His once rounded legs—now lean and powerful from the grueling exercise of trying to regain his mobility—held him with an effortless grace.
His weight loss wasn't merely the result of his intense physical training. It was the stress, the constant pressure he put on himself to not just recover but to be the person Hana needed. The sleepless nights spent forcing his body to its limits, the unyielding hours spent bent over textbooks or at the Shin Group headquarters—everything had molded him into someone unrecognizable from the careless, boisterous teenager he had once been.
The most noticeable change, however, was how his eyes no longer reflected the boy who had once sought comfort in food, video games, and fleeting pleasures. Instead, they held a quiet intensity, a sense of focus and discipline that came from learning how to live with pain and pushing past it. His smile, though rare, had an ethereal quality, and his presence carried a weight of calm maturity that seemed far beyond his years.
But even in the midst of all these changes, one thing had remained constant: Hana.
Hana, his little sister, who still carried with her the innocence of childhood and the unspoken understanding of everything that had happened to their family. She had always been perceptive, always had a way of noticing things that others missed.
One afternoon, as they sat together in the grand study of the Shin Mansion, Hana looked at her brother, her eyes focused on him with a child's curiosity. She had been drawing for hours, and Saejoon had been working, his attention split between a business report and the paperwork scattered across his desk.
There was a long silence between them, the only sound the quiet scratch of Hana's pencil on the paper. After a while, she put down her drawing and turned her gaze toward him.
"Saejoon," she said, her voice light and innocent, but with a hint of concern. "Why are you so… smaller now?"
Saejoon paused, his pen hovering in midair as her question caught him off guard. He looked at her, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he processed the innocence in her question. To her, it must have seemed like a simple observation—a casual comment from a ten-year-old who hadn't fully understood the extent of what had happened.
He leaned back in his chair, letting the silence stretch for a moment before answering, his voice calm and soothing.
"I'm healthier now, Hana," he said, a light chuckle escaping his lips. "I've been working hard, you know. It's not just about losing weight—it's about getting stronger. Getting better."
Hana frowned slightly, still unsure of what he meant, but not pressing him any further. She had learned not to ask too many questions, not since the accident, but there was always a part of her that wondered why her brother had become so different. Why he seemed so far away from the carefree boy who had once been her best friend, always there to play or tease her.
But for now, she simply nodded, her eyes returning to her drawing.
Saejoon watched her for a moment before turning his gaze back to the papers on his desk, his smile fading as he thought about everything he had endured in silence. He wasn't the same person anymore—not just in appearance, but in spirit. The carefree, lazy teenager who had lived for instant gratification was gone, replaced by a man burdened with the weight of a company, a family legacy, and the unspoken responsibility of being the pillar for his sister.
Yet, as he watched Hana draw, the quiet hum of the mansion settling around them, a strange sense of peace washed over him. She didn't need to know everything. She didn't need to understand it all.
For now, she just needed to see that her brother was still there. And for her, he would keep going.
No matter how much he had to change.
As the days passed, Saejoon's body continued to reflect the strain he put himself through. But his health, his strength—these were the things that mattered now. Not just the physical transformation, but the mental one. His focus, his dedication to his work, to Hana, was the new heartbeat of his existence.
And when Hana looked up at him, still full of innocent questions, he would always be there with that soft, reassuring smile—because in the end, everything he had become, every change, every sacrifice, was for her. For the future they would share.
4o miniYou said:next chapter hana's parent's meeting at school and hana sad since she doesnt have parents anymore and saejoon telling hana he's her guardian--like a parent so he'll be there. and hana telling him nonstop and him promising to attend and him coming to the parents meeting and saejoon walking naturally without a crane or wheelchair to everyone's shock carrying hana. His old teacher's when he was in elementary school and them shcoked at how much he's changed2/2ChatGPT said:ChatGPTChapter Eleven: A New Role
It was a cold morning when Hana came home from school, her small hands clutching the letter in front of her chest. The envelope was neatly sealed, marked with the name of her school and the bold letters: Parents' Meeting Invitation.
She hadn't said a word as she passed through the front door, walking straight past Saejoon, who was sitting at his desk in the study, surrounded by papers and reports. He looked up briefly, noticing the somber expression on her face, but didn't push her. He could tell that something was bothering her.
After a moment, she shuffled over to him, her gaze cast downward, her fingers nervously playing with the corners of the envelope. Saejoon set his pen down, his eyes softening as he watched her.
"What's wrong, Hana?" he asked gently, his voice calm and reassuring.
Hana hesitated, her small frame tense as she handed him the letter. Saejoon took it, his brows furrowing as he read the contents. The letter was an invitation to a parents' meeting at her school. It was the kind of thing that many parents attended to discuss their children's academic progress and well-being, a meeting that would have once been attended by their mother and father, perhaps even their older sister Yeseul.
Hana's voice trembled slightly as she spoke, her words almost too soft to hear. "I don't have parents anymore… Who's going to come with me?"
Saejoon looked at his sister, his heart aching at the rawness of her words. For a moment, there was silence between them. She had never quite verbalized her sadness so clearly before, but in that moment, it hit him all at once—Hana was still just a child. She had lost her parents, her home, and the only family she had left was him.
He put the letter down and stood up, his body moving with a fluidity and quiet strength that surprised even him now. His legs, once stiff and unreliable, were no longer reliant on crutches or a wheelchair. Though his steps were measured, they were steady—no longer slow or painful, but strong enough to carry him with ease. His body, leaner now from his training, no longer reflected the frailty it once had.
He walked over to Hana, crouching down so that they were eye to eye.
"I'll go with you," Saejoon said softly, his voice firm yet tender. "I'll be there for you, Hana. I'm your guardian now, like a parent. You don't have to do this alone."
Hana looked up at him, her eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and hope. The vulnerability she had shown earlier was now replaced with a quiet relief, the knowledge that her brother—her only family left—would be there. She smiled, her small face lighting up in a way that made Saejoon's heart ache with love and a sense of responsibility he hadn't quite felt before.
"You promise?" she asked, her voice full of earnestness, almost pleading.
Saejoon nodded, his lips curling into a soft smile. "I promise, Hana. I'll be there."
The night before the parents' meeting, Hana was restless. She couldn't quite sleep, her mind wandering to the day ahead. For the first time since the accident, she felt the full weight of the absence of their parents, of how much she missed them. But Saejoon had kept his word. He had stayed with her all evening, helping her with homework, comforting her whenever she seemed too quiet or sad.
The next day, as the sun began to rise, Saejoon and Hana made their way to the school. He had insisted on driving her himself, something he never did before, preferring to have the bodyguards do the work. But today was different. Today was for Hana.
When they arrived at the school, Saejoon was prepared for the looks, the whispers, the stares. He didn't care about any of that. As soon as the car doors opened, Hana stepped out first, followed by Saejoon.
The transformation was immediate. Those who had known Saejoon before—the former class clowns, the teachers who had watched him grow up—saw a different version of him now. There was no longer the heavy-set teenager with a mischievous grin, no longer the boy who had been more interested in video games than schoolwork. This was a Saejoon who stood tall, walked without hesitation, and carried an air of quiet maturity.
Hana's hand gripped his tightly as they made their way into the school building. At first, no one knew quite how to react. The teachers who had once scolded Saejoon for his lack of focus were now taken aback by how he had transformed, not just in body, but in spirit. They exchanged glances, whispering among themselves, unsure if they were seeing the same student they had known years ago.
As Saejoon entered the hallway, the murmurs grew louder. Whispers spread like wildfire as students stopped in their tracks to watch him pass by. Some recognized him immediately, while others weren't sure whether this quiet, poised young man was really the same Saejoon Shin who had once caused such chaos in the school halls.
But Saejoon didn't flinch. He didn't seek attention. He simply walked ahead, leading Hana by the hand.
When they reached the classroom, the door opened to reveal the teachers standing around a large table, ready for the parents' meeting. They stopped dead in their tracks as they saw Saejoon enter the room, walking with a slow but steady confidence. Their eyes widened in shock.
One teacher, Mr. Kang, who had taught Saejoon in elementary school, was the first to speak. His mouth hung open, disbelief clear on his face. "Saejoon... is that really you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Saejoon smiled softly, giving a small nod. "It's me, Mr. Kang. Just… different."
He then reached down and gently lifted Hana into his arms, his grip firm and protective. The teachers, still shocked at the sight of the once-reckless boy now carrying his sister with such grace, could only watch in silence.
As Saejoon settled into a seat at the table, Hana curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. She had never been so relieved to have her brother by her side. She had always known he would be there for her, but now—seeing him in a new light—she could finally start to believe it fully.
And as the meeting began, Saejoon sat with a quiet dignity, listening to the teachers discuss Hana's academic progress, their words barely registering in his mind. His focus was entirely on her, and as he looked down at her sleeping peacefully in his arms, he promised himself that he would never again let her face the world alone.
No matter how much he had to change. No matter what he had to sacrifice.
For Hana, he would always be there.