Jaein didn't know how much time had passed since that moment. He only knew one thing for certain.

He was no longer in control of his body.

He cried when he was hungry. He cried when it was too hot. He cried when the light was too bright or someone held him wrong. His tear-duct system, apparently, was directly wired to his body’s thermostat.

It was hell in another form.

But eventually, he stopped thinking too hard about it.

Because at the very least, this wasn’t that hell.

He had been reborn.

He was sure of it the moment someone mentioned diapers and he was stripped naked. A humiliating confirmation.

Ah... fuck.

Time passed. And the shadowy figures slowly took on color and form.

At first, they were only outlines. Then facial details. Then their voices started coming from actual mouths instead of echoing in his mind.

And slowly, it dawned on him:

He was no longer Jaein, the foster kid who barely survived a double suicide next door.

He was Jae... someone else now.

But who exactly?

He didn’t know.

Yet.

By the time his first birthday arrived, Jaein had already grown used to his new life, or more accurately, to the absence of any responsibilities.

That morning, he was minding his own business, lazily poking at a set of wooden puzzles shaped like farm animals. The puzzle was boring and too easy, made of unnecessarily expensive wood that probably cost more than an entire month's rent from his past life. Still, he found it relaxing.

Then, without warning, the nannies arrived.

He was stripped out of his comfortable baby onesie and dressed in a miniature three-piece suit, complete with vest and a stiff collar. One nanny giggled as she adjusted his tiny bowtie, calling him handsome. Jaein blinked at her slowly. He assumed they were going to visit his grandfather again, the man who occasionally patted his head while mumbling about mergers and market shares to other adults.

This time, however, something felt different.

One of the nannies picked him up and he was carried into a grand banquet hall filled with balloons, decorated tables, a stage, and several photographers already setting up.

Jaein didn’t know how to react. His eyes scanned the room, then the huge banner over the stage.

Celebrating the First Birthday of Seo Jaein

What the hell.

He stared up at a screen where a giant slideshow showed off his baby photos in slow dramatic transitions. He had never even posed for half of them. One showed him half-naked, crying with his foot in his mouth.

And everyone clapped.

Jaein wanted to crawl back into his crib and disappear.

That name was his. The same name as before, but in this life, it carried weight. It no longer belonged to a child passed from one foster home to another. It belonged to the sole heir of a wealthy family. The heir of Seosung Group.

He had known for a while now that this wasn’t the same world he died in. Things were too off. Brands were familiar but not quite right. People used similar expressions, but the words were slightly different. Some laws and news events were familiar, but not identical.

Still, it didn’t matter.

It wasn’t some dystopia. There were no zombies or tyrants. No mysterious magic or systems hanging in the air. Just a regular, corporate-run modern world. And he had landed in the right position.

He didn’t know how it happened. He didn’t know why. Maybe God felt bad for him, dying so stupidly before.

Either way, it worked out.

He was rich now. Like real rich. And that was all he ever wanted.

He sat still as they placed him in front of a giant birthday cake. The cameras clicked. Some guests clapped. He didn't smile.

He didn’t need to.

He just stared straight ahead and thought about his future.

No need to work. No obligations.

All he had to do was grow up and stay quiet until he got access to the family money.

He didn’t care about love. He didn’t care about family. He didn’t care about making a difference. He just wanted a life where he could do nothing all day and burn cash like tissue paper.

He only had one concern left.

Please don’t let there be any cousins or siblings.

He didn’t want some nonsense where uncles or half-siblings showed up fighting for a share. He just wanted to be the only one. The clear, undisputed successor. Quiet and rich.

That will be enough.

Slap.
Slap.
Slap.

“You good-for-nothing son!”

Slap.

“How stupid can you be?!”

“Darling! Please stop! It wasn’t our boy's fault!”

“Of course it’s his fault. He lazes around all day and can’t even tell a real contract from a fake one!”

“My baby boy, hu hu hu, how can you hurt him like this!”

“Wow, you’re still watching this trash drama? Seo Jaein.”

“Huh?”

Jaein didn’t even turn his head. His eyes stayed fixed on the screen.

Kyo Minyu, who had long since grown tired of acting like Jaein’s babysitter, walked over, grabbed the remote, and turned off the TV without asking.

“Hey!” Jaein sat up halfway on the couch, twisting around with a glare. “It was just getting good!”

“You idiot. I’ll tell Auntie you skipped classes three days in a row if you don’t get up right now.”

“What’s your problem? It’s just three days. You act like I murdered someone.”

“Do you even plan on graduating? Do you remember the group project we have today? Check the chat. Everyone’s been losing their mind because you never respond. Since they know we’re friends, they keep pestering me instead. Now they’re turning hostile. If you keep dragging me into your mess, I’ll cut ties.”

“Blah blah blah.”

“I’m serious. I will actually kill you.”

“Relax. I’ll treat them to some beef. That’ll shut them up.”

“You think everyone’s like you? That a meal will fix everything? This is what happens when you grow up spoiled.”

Minyu wasn’t wrong.

Seo Jaein had lived like a prince since birth, pampered and protected. In this second life, he had never faced hardship. Everything came easily. And because of that, he took everything for granted.

In his mind, money could fix anything.

Seosung Group was the number one tech giant in the country. As the only heir, Jaein thought of himself as powerful. Above reproach. Untouchable.

That’s how the world works. People listen to money.
And I have the most.

The restaurant was expensive, the kind that didn’t list prices on the menu. The beef was already grilled and plated. Juices shimmered across its marbled surface. It was the best cut available in the country.

But no one touched their chopsticks. No one spoke.

The silence in the private dining room was heavy. They were supposed to be here for a group meeting, but it felt more like an interrogation. Everyone stared at Jaein. Except Minyu, who sat stiffly with a clenched jaw.

Jaein coughed and forced a smile.

“Um… sorry for being M-I-A the past few weeks. I’ve just been a bit busy, you know…”

“Excuse me?” said a girl across the table. “Who asked you for an excuse?”

“I—”

“Everyone’s busy. That guy works two part-time jobs and attends a club but never missed a single session. What, do you think you’re special?”

“No, I just… Look, I get that I messed up. That’s why I’m treating you guys. This beef is top-grade. Eat as much as you want.”

“Hah.”

The girl scoffed without hiding her disgust. Her expression hadn’t changed since they arrived. Cold and dismissive. She clearly didn’t care how expensive the meal was.

The others didn’t look any friendlier. No one moved. No one reached for the food.

Even Minyu looked like he regretted showing up.

Fuck this girl.

Just wait until the beef melts in your mouth. I dare you to talk back after that.

“Well, this is to be expected, Jaein. You really can’t just go MIA like that. Ha ha… Anyway, how about we eat first, and then later we can revise the group workload. We’ll give Jaein more to make up for the meetings he missed.”

“What?!” Jaein snapped, clearly unhappy with Minyu’s attempt to redirect the group’s anger.

“Come on, let’s eat before the beef gets cold! You too, Jaein.”

Without giving him a chance to argue, Minyu shoved a piece of meat into Jaein’s mouth, effectively silencing him. Then he quickly began placing meat onto the others’ plates one by one.

“Let’s just eat first, guys.”

Thanks to Minyu’s interruption, the tense mood eased slightly, though no one touched their chopsticks right away. It wasn’t until Yun Mirae, the group leader, picked up hers that the rest followed suit.

“Alright. Let’s eat first.”

Yun Mirae said coldly.

“Then we’ll move to another place and redistribute the workload.”

Yun Mirae, the same girl who had scolded Jaein earlier, still looked at him with visible contempt. Even so, she decided Minyu’s suggestion was tolerable enough to consider.

Everyone finally began eating. Jaein, though still bitter about the atmosphere, reluctantly continued his meal. There’s no way I’ll accept an unfair share of the work, he thought, chewing slowly.