I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 101
Click.
Bang Mu-hyuk emerged from his office door.
“Ye-jin, you haven’t left yet?”
“No. I felt like I didn’t do well enough today.”
Bang Mu-hyuk approached her.
“Ye-jin, have you been crying?”
“….”
Ye-jin nodded instead of answering.
“Ye-jin, I think you have a lot of potential, but you’re still lacking a bit in confidence. I’m telling you this because I’m genuinely concerned about you. You passed this month.”
“Really?”
Ye-jin blinked her large eyes as she spoke.
“But if this continues next month, I can’t guarantee anything either. It’s thanks to Sung-guk appealing that you have charm as one of the group members. Thank Sung-guk.”
[There’s no need to mention that….]
Bang Mu-hyuk grinned at me for no reason.
[Does he really think I’m interested in Ye-jin? That’s not my type, Bang Mu-hyuk.]
Ye-jin looked at me with an embarrassed expression.
“Thank you.”
“Ye-jin, you’re two years older than Sung-guk. Speak comfortably. You’re like a younger sister.”
“Yes, I’ll do that next time we meet. Producer.”
Bang Mu-hyuk quickly patted my shoulder.
“Ye-jin, you can go now. Sung-guk, come with me to the studio for a moment.”
“Yes….”
I answered weakly.
Adults really were creatures who imagined and thought things according to their own whims.
[Right, I’m an adult too….]
Ye-jin, who was turning to leave, quickly turned back and held out her phone to me.
“Your number….”
“I don’t have a phone in Korea since I’m going to the United States. I’m sorry.”
I put up an iron wall.
[Until I become a tycoon, romance has no place in my dictionary.]
Bang Mu-hyuk tapped my shoulder again.
“Sung-guk, you have email, don’t you?”
Ye-jin’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
I reluctantly wrote down my email address.
“I might not be able to reply to emails because I’m busy.”
“During the next break, I’ll be a trainee, so we can see each other at the company, right?”
“Probably.”
“Then, see you then. Producer, take care.”
Ye-jin bowed at a ninety-degree angle and quickly descended the stairs.
Bang Mu-hyuk patted my shoulder several times.
“Sung-guk, our company has a strict no-dating policy among trainees. Remember that.”
“I don’t have any intention of dating yet anyway.”
I maintained my iron wall of resistance to the end.
* * *
Bang Mu-hyuk pulled out an MP3 player from his studio.
[It’s been forever since I’ve seen an MP3.]
I gazed down at it with curious eyes.
“Sung-guk, this is a gift for you.”
“A gift?”
“Yes. When you come in during summer break to train as a trainee, it’ll be good to listen to a lot of music. I’ve loaded about a thousand songs—starting with my personal favorites and organized by genre. Listen to them while you study.”
“Thank you so much.”
“The more you listen to music, the better you’ll understand which genres you prefer, and naturally you’ll discover which styles suit your voice best.”
[Bang Mu-hyuk, I have no intention of becoming a singer. I’m going to be a tycoon. Still, I should accept the gift first.]
I smiled warmly as I looked at the MP3.
I liked it even more because the apple shape was so distinct.
“Director, I prepared a small gift for you too.”
I handed over a gift I’d brought from home.
It was a Marvel character figurine I’d purchased in the United States.
“Sung-guk, this is Iron Man.”
“I was thinking about what gift to buy, and I got this. I hope you’ll succeed like Iron Man.”
Bang Mu-hyuk looked at me with a moved expression.
People are naturally touched by small gestures.
A restaurant employee’s warm gaze when taking your order at eye level.
The thoughtful consideration of someone ahead holding the door open for you.
A flight attendant’s gentle hand tucking a blanket over you when you’re restless on the plane.
“Sung-guk, I’m really grateful. I’ll keep this on my studio table and look at it every time I work.”
Bang Mu-hyuk quickly placed the Iron Man figurine on the studio table.
[And so our relationship grows even stronger.]
I allowed myself a subtle smile of satisfaction.
* * *
I returned to the United States with my family for Harvard’s entrance ceremony.
And my entire family showed up in full force for my Harvard entrance ceremony.
“Mom, Dad. Over here!”
Min-guk waved his hand.
Mother and Father, along with Min-guk and Ji-hee, all wearing Harvard t-shirts purchased from the gift shop.
[Sigh… this is my family.]
Of course, I was also wearing a t-shirt with the Harvard logo because of my enthusiastic father.
“Sung-guk, your dad bought a new camera this time, you know. Sung-guk, this one has over three million pixels. I’m leaving it with you, so make sure to take lots of photos with friends while you’re at school and send them to me by email often.”
“Okay, Dad.”
They were a bit unsophisticated and overly enthusiastic family, but somehow I had already become absorbed into their warmth.
Perhaps this was what a normal family truly looked like.
“Sung-guk, stand in the middle.”
“Father, let me take the photo for you.”
“Thank you, teacher. After we take the family photo, I’ll take one with Sung-guk too.”
“Sounds good.”
Grace received the camera from Father.
Behind us, Koo Soo-young and his wife watched our family with contented expressions. Koo Ye-jung and Koo Ye-ri were present as well.
“Alright, one, two, three. Here we go. One, two, three!”
Click.
* * *
A quiet restaurant near Harvard University.
An evening dinner had begun with Koo Soo-young and his wife, their two daughters, Grace, and Father.
Mother was absent, having stayed behind to watch over Min-guk and Ji-hee, who had exhausted themselves running around the Harvard campus all day—a fact that made the occasion feel slightly incomplete.
Koo Soo-young gazed at me with a proud expression.
“Sung-guk, I’m truly grateful that you’ve grown so wonderfully beyond our expectations. You can’t imagine how proud we are that the Junho Foundation’s first scholarship recipient has developed into such a remarkable young man.”
“I’ll work even harder going forward.”
“No, no, Sung-guk. I’m not telling you to work harder. What I mean is, from now on, pursue whatever studies and work you truly wish to do. That’s what I’m saying.”
“I understand.”
Koo Ye-jung and Koo Ye-ri hadn’t taken their eyes off me since earlier.
This popularity of mine didn’t fade with age—it only seemed to intensify.
“Father, isn’t Sung-guk a wonderful example of how well someone can grow? Even standing among Harvard students earlier, he stood out immediately.”
“You felt that too? I did as well.”
“Our daughters can be so immature, Father.”
“Not at all. They’re simply complimenting Sung-guk.”
Father gazed at me with a pleased expression.
“By the way, Sung-guk. I heard you’re becoming a trainee at JP Entertainment?”
Koo Ye-jung asked suddenly.
[Is she still dating Beom-seon? News travels fast.]
“During the break, I need to pursue various activities. I thought trying out as a trainee would be a good experience.”
“At this rate, I wonder if we’ll see our Sung-guk on TV as a singer first.”
Koo Soo-young laughed heartily.
[Don’t worry. My goal is the cover of Time Magazine or Forbes.]
Koo Ye-ri’s face was already more excited than mine.
“Father, isn’t Sung-guk really going to become famous? A singer, an actor too….”
“Sung-guk, you’ll be able to do anything in the future. Sung-guk, you must never forget that we will support whatever choice you make.”
Koo Soo-young gazed at me with kind eyes.
That was sincere.
I nodded firmly.
“I will show you that I won’t fail, no matter what choice I make.”
* * *
I should have headed to the dormitory, but since my family was leaving tomorrow, we decided to stay at a lodging near the school for the night.
Father cracked open the door to the room where Mother was sleeping, then closed it quietly and lowered his voice.
“Sung-guk, your mother, Min-guk, and Ji-hee are all asleep. Should we sleep together?”
[That’s kind of gross….]
“Your father hasn’t slept with you in so long. How about it?”
[I guess I have to put up with it.]
I nodded in agreement.
Then I rose up on my tiptoes and headed to the next room.
Father looked at my sleeping arrangements and then gazed at me intently.
“Sung-guk, when did you grow so tall?”
[I was always just smaller in body than Father, but my mental age was far beyond his.]
“Father, if you want to go back to Korea tomorrow, you should sleep soon.”
“You’re right. But I’m going to miss you. Once we part like this, I won’t see you until summer break.”
“I’ll come home right when break starts.”
“Sung-guk, don’t push yourself too hard with your studies at school. Understood?”
“Yes, Father.”
Father patted my bottom the way he used to when I was a child.
[Father, I’m not a baby anymore.]
Suddenly, I noticed gray hairs on Father’s head.
Father was now in his mid-thirties.
[When did Father age like this.]
Of course, he was still young, but the memory of that day in my early twenties when Father, young as he was then, carried me home remained vivid in my mind.
My heart ached.
Truly, in this life, I struggled to control my emotions.
Why were there so many moments that made me feel this way.
I quickly turned my head and entered the bathroom.
“Father, I’ll wash up first.”
“Should Father scrub your back, Sung-guk?”
“No!”
Bang.
I shut the door.
[No matter what, not my back.]
I quickly splashed cold water on my reddened eyes.
Father’s cheerful voice came from outside.
“So Sung-guk’s going through puberty now….”
* * *
Standing in front of the dormitory, Min-guk clung to my right leg while Ji-hee clung to my left, both wailing.
“Hyung! Hyung! Let’s go home together!”
“Oppa! Let’s go with Ji-hee!”
“Waaaaahhh!”
“Waaaaahhh!”
Min-guk and Ji-hee refused to let go of me, and the entire Harvard student body passed by, stealing glances at the spectacle.
[Ugh, how embarrassing. Am I really going through puberty?]
I truly couldn’t lift my head.
Just then, Mark approached with a smile.
“Sung-guk!”
Mark and I ended up in different rooms this time, but we were staying in the same dormitory building.
“Oh, Mark is here.”
Mother quickly acknowledged Mark’s presence.
Mark then greeted Mother and Father in the Korean manner.
“Mark, it’s good to see you.”
Father confidently greeted Mark in Korean.
It was remarkable how Mark didn’t seem flustered by this situation.
“Sung-guk, are you stuck because of your younger siblings?”
“Yeah.”
Mark looked down at Min-guk and Ji-hee.
“Wow, these kids are absolutely adorable. Sung-guk, Min-guk looks just like you when you were little.”
“What are you talking about? He’s nowhere near as impressive as I was.”
“Sung-guk, sometimes you seem like a narcissist.”
“Mark, if you’re not going to help, then leave.”
“Got it. See you in class later. Oh, Jessie said she’s throwing a party at her dormitory this week. You’re coming, right?”
“I don’t know.”
I shook my head.
“This won’t do. So-young, let’s each take one.”
“Understood.”
Father and Mother exchanged a glance, then immediately picked up Ji-hee and Min-guk, separating them from me.
[Finally, I can breathe….]
At last, I was freed from their grip.
Held in Mother and Father’s arms, Min-guk and Ji-hee thrashed about.
“Mom, I want to stay with my brother. I don’t want to go back to Korea.”
“Me too, Mom. I want to live with my older brother.”
Ji-hee whined persistently.
Perhaps it was time for me to step in.
I quickly whispered something into Min-guk and Ji-hee’s ears.
Both Min-guk and Ji-hee immediately stopped crying.
Min-guk slung his bag over his shoulder and took Father’s hand.
“Dad, let’s go.”
Ji-hee also put on her bag and took Mother’s hand.
“Mom, I want to go home too.”
Father looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Sung-guk, what on earth did you say to them?”
“It’s a secret.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Sung-guk, make sure you eat properly.”
“I’ve seen American kids doing strange drugs, but you absolutely cannot do that.”
“Sung-guk, don’t hang around with bad kids. You understand, right?”
“Sung-guk, study moderately. Go out and play with your friends too….”
Mother and Father rattled off a barrage of nagging before heading to the airport.
As the car pulled away and I opened the dormitory door, I felt an inexplicable emptiness.
A sensation of being left alone in the world once more.
But that’s how life is—walking it alone from the start….
Oh right, what did I tell Min-guk and Ji-hee?
I told them that if they stayed with their older brother, they’d have to sleep four hours and study twenty hours out of every twenty-four, and they were so terrified they backed away immediately.
[I’ll become a tycoon, so you two can live comfortably.]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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