I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 114

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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 114
“Sung-guk, rest now. Your mother and I will prepare dinner.”
“Okay, Mother.”
I opened the door.
It had been months since I’d been home, but there was nothing quite like the comfort of this place.
The moment I tried to throw myself onto the bed—
“Big brother!!!!!!”
“Oppa!!!!!!”
Min-guk and Ji-hee hurled themselves at me.
Ji-hee clutched dolls in both hands, while Min-guk wielded boxing gloves in his.
“Big brother, let’s box!”
“Oppa, play dolls with Ji-hee. You do it.”
[Ah, I really am home.]
Dark circles were already forming beneath my eyes.
I found myself with boxing gloves on one hand and a doll in the other, entertaining both of them simultaneously.
Min-guk kept throwing punches at my hand.
“One, two. One, two.”
“Oppa, let’s go drink tea.”
Ji-hee continued feeding invisible tea to the dolls.
[So this is why people say working is easier than watching kids….]
* * *
“Wow, kimchi stew. Wow, ssam.”
Before me lay the very dishes I’d been craving—steaming kimchi stew and tender pork belly wraps.
“I’m grateful for this meal!”
I devoured Mother’s kimchi stew and Father’s ssam with unbridled enthusiasm.
[Yes, this is the taste!]
“Sung-guk, eat slowly.”
Mother tried to stop me, but I wasn’t listening.
[Mother, don’t stop me. I’ve been wanting this so badly….]
Father watched me with concern as well.
“Sung-guk, eating too much spicy food all at once can upset your stomach. Eat slowly.”
“Yes.”
I gave a half-hearted response and shoved another wrap into my mouth.
In my previous life, my time abroad had been so abundant—almost excessively blessed—that I’d eaten kimchi and ssam whenever I pleased.
In this life, there was a Korean Restaurant near school, but it was expensive and I couldn’t afford to go often.
“Oppa, water.”
Ji-hee quickly handed me a glass of water.
“Thank you, Ji-hee.”
I gently stroked her hair.
“Sung-guk, what are you planning to do over winter break?”
Father deliberately started a conversation.
[I’m getting a bit full….]
I began eating my rice slowly.
“I’m going to JP to become a trainee, Dad.”
“That’s right, now you’re acting your age. You’ll listen to lots of that kind of music, and you’ll make plenty of friends your age there too. Right?”
[Only our family is happy about me becoming a trainee.]
Mother was pleased as well.
“Oh my, Sung-guk. That’s the company that created ‘Just’, isn’t it? I wonder how Beom-seon is doing.”
[Yeah. I’m getting along really well with Koo Ye-jung from Hyojin Group.]
Mother was still a fan of the disbanded group ‘Just’.
“They’re apparently creating a girl group now and an even younger boy group. I’m just planning to stay as a trainee for a while.”
“Hyung, hyung. Can’t you take me too? Can’t I audition?”
“You’re too young for that.”
“How old do I need to be?”
“Let’s think about it after you finish Elementary School.”
[Min-guk, if the contract gets messy for no reason, it’ll be a pain to pull you out, so just wait until hyung starts his own company.]
Mother also soothed Min-guk.
“That’s right, Min-guk. Let’s think about it after you graduate Elementary School.”
“Ugh, no, no. Hyung quit Elementary School to study and went to the United States.”
“Jeon Min-guk!”
Father’s stern voice rang out.
It was a tone I had never heard in my entire life.
[Dad, why are you being so scary?]
Min-guk sat at the table with a thoroughly sullen expression.
“Of course your hyung went to study, so that’s different. You’re a student who doesn’t study every day, and then you say you want to become a singer? When you look at singers these days, they all study well and go to good universities.”
“Ugh, you’re always nagging me.”
Min-guk seemed to be hitting puberty in earnest.
[Times like this, I should step up as the older brother.]
“Min-guk, when I’m a JP trainee, I’ll ask if I can bring my younger brother along.”
“Really, hyung?”
“Really. But the company might not like it, so I can’t promise. You’ll study hard until I ask, right?”
“Yeah! Hyung!”
Father shook his head.
“I don’t know who he takes after to not study like this. Even Ji-hee, who’s still in Kindergarten, reads books all the time….”
“Honey, stop scolding Min-guk. It seems like you’re only scolding Min-guk these days.”
“That’s right!”
Min-guk responded enthusiastically.
I observed Min-guk carefully.
He took after me—he was taller than his peers, and his face was decent too.
[Our family genes really haven’t gone anywhere. I just need to raise his mental maturity.]
“Sung-guk, come eat.”
“Okay, Mother.”
I wrapped the boiled pork in spicy kimchi and shoved it into my mouth.
Crunch. Crunch. I chewed and swallowed a few times, but then—a wave of unbearable pain crashed over me.
[Why is this happening?]
I clutched my stomach and bolted straight into the Restroom.
* * *
From outside the Restroom, I could hear Mother and Father’s worried voices.
“I knew it—you were eating way too much spicy food all at once. Sung-guk, are you okay?”
[Ah, I’m… fine.]
“So-young, I’ll go to the pharmacy and get some medicine.”
“Yes, hurry back.”
Meanwhile, Min-guk and Ji-hee were pounding on the Restroom door and making a fuss.
“Hyung, are you okay? Can I help?”
“Oppa. Oppa. Does it hurt?”
[You two. Sometimes the best help is pretending you don’t notice.]
Gurgle.
* * *
Mother gently rubbed my stomach.
“Sung-guk, are you feeling better now?”
“Yeah… Mother.”
I had expelled every last bit of food from my body.
Then I collapsed dramatically in front of the Restroom.
Father, who had returned with medicine, carried me to bed, and Min-guk and Ji-hee insisted on helping, lifting my arms and legs with their small hands.
[I really am making a terrible impression on my first day back in Korea… ugh.]
I clenched my teeth.
“Sung-guk, do you eat properly at School?”
“Yeah, I eat well.”
“Your father mentioned last time that you lived on thirty dollars a month? Didn’t that damage your health?”
“I just ate something too spicy all of a sudden today. Don’t worry, Mother.”
“Really, whose stubbornness did you inherit to be this strong-willed?”
[Whose else? I must’ve gotten it from you and Father.]
As Mother’s warm hand rubbed my stomach, childhood memories suddenly flooded back.
Whenever Mother rubbed my stomach like this, I would chatter away about this and that, but then I’d drift off to sleep…
Those were really good times…
* * *
“Sung-guk, Sung-guk. Didn’t you say you’re going to JP Entertainment for practice starting today?”
“Mother, what time?”
“Eight o’clock. But are you sure you’re okay?”
I sat up abruptly.
After sleeping deeply for the first time in a while, my body felt light as a feather.
“Mom, I’m completely fine.”
“Why don’t you rest for a day? Should I call your manager? I’m a director at SKJ Entertainment anyway.”
[I’ll pass on the helicopter parenting, Mom.]
I quickly headed toward the restroom.
“Mom, I think I’m okay. I’ll go out and tell you if I feel worse. I’ll be back early today.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Just as I reached for the restroom door, Min-guk appeared in front of me and glanced meaningfully around before pressing a bag of chocolate into my hands.
“Hyung, eat this when practice gets tough.”
“Min-guk, isn’t this a bribe?”
“Hyung, what’s a bribe?”
[This kid hasn’t studied at all.]
I grabbed Min-guk’s shoulder.
“You’re giving me this so I’ll take you to JP right away, aren’t you?”
“Oops, you caught me, Hyung. But this is my favorite chocolate.”
[This kid won’t starve anywhere.]
I accepted the chocolate.
“Since I need to adjust to the company too, I can’t promise anything quickly. Keep studying while you wait.”
“Okay, Hyung!”
Min-guk flashed an innocent smile.
* * *
Knock. Knock.
As I opened the studio door and stepped inside, Bang Mu-hyuk greeted me with a welcoming expression.
“Sung-guk! Welcome.”
“How have you been?”
“I’ve been great. I’ve been completely absorbed watching ‘Face Paper.’ You even appeared on American broadcasts—that’s impressive.”
“I was just lucky.”
“It’s not luck; it seems like you create your own opportunities. Anyway, let’s talk more over dinner later. Since you’ll be a trainee at JP starting today, I’ll give you the schedule.”
Bang Mu-hyuk stood up and left the studio.
“For now, we’ll do a simple test today—checking your current level in vocals, dance, and other abilities.”
I nodded slightly.
“And we have first-year trainees here. You’ll introduce yourself to them, and that’ll wrap up today’s schedule. Our first-year trainees range from your age to adults.”
“Understood.”
“So we’ll start with the vocal test. Our vocal instructor at JP is the most talented. None of the trainees she’s approved have failed to debut.”
I loosened my throat slightly as I headed toward the vocal practice area.
Small soundproofed rooms lined the entire floor.
Bang Mu-hyuk knocked on the third door and opened it.
Han So-ri, with short hair and a charismatic presence, greeted me.
“So you’re the famous Sung-guk. I’ve heard a lot about you. Wow, you’re even more handsome in person. Your face alone could debut right now.”
“So-ri, let’s start with the vocal test first. This kid has never done vocals or dance before.”
“Really? Your face is something multiple talent agencies would covet… Come here.”
With Bang Mu-hyuk watching, I entered the room known as the vocal training studio.
Han So-ri sat down at the keyboard and played through a scale.
“Just sing as comfortably as you would during a music class. There’s no need to be nervous.”
“Yes….”
[This is nothing.]
I shrugged my shoulders.
During my high school years in the United States, I hadn’t particularly enjoyed music class, but I’d never received poor marks on practical evaluations.
Honestly, the arts and physical education were domains of innate talent.
I’d once advocated that it was unfair to evaluate practical skills based solely on that talent, so all the arts and PE teachers began weighing student effort very heavily in their practical assessments. Of course, when it came to effort, I was second to none.
Han So-ri played each note of the keyboard scale one by one.
“Listen carefully. This is do. This is re… You hear it?”
“Yes.”
“First, let’s go from the low do up to the high do.”
“Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do.”
I sang with full confidence.
Han So-ri tilted her head.
“Do you have any songs you’ve practiced?”
“I’ve been practicing ‘It’s a Lie’ by Just.”
“Alright. Then let’s try just the beginning of that song.”
“Yes!”
I answered confidently again and began to sing.
[This is a piece of cake. I’ve been listening to this song since I was two years old. Teacher Han So-ri, I personally picked this song for Just.]
“Stop.”
[I couldn’t even get through one measure properly, and she’s telling me to stop?]
Han So-ri tilted her head and looked at Bang Mu-hyuk.
“PD, I can speak frankly, right? He’s not getting any special treatment or anything, is he?”
“Well… go easy on him. Sung-guk will only be practicing during the break, and then he’s going back to the United States.”
“Go easy? There are so many kids trying to become JP trainees—we can’t treat this experience lightly.”
“Teacher, please speak freely.”
I politely clasped my hands together and spoke.
“Alright, Sung-guk. This will help shape your future path too. Honestly, I was so impressed by your appearance. It’s the kind of face that could debut right away. But the moment I heard you sing… I realized that you really can’t judge a person by their looks alone.”
[Teacher Han So-ri, you’re really twisting your words! What? Do you know who I am?]
I suppressed my anger.
“Honestly, don’t you feel sorry toward the other kids for trying out as a trainee with this level of skill?”
“Teacher Han So-ri, go easy on him.”
Bang Mu-hyuk stopped her instead.
“Did you practice before coming here?”
“Yes, I listened a lot and practiced a lot.”
“Then why on earth are you like this….”
[What is this? What’s wrong with the way I look? What’s wrong with me!]
Han So-ri let out a deep sigh.
“Director Bang, to be honest with you… he’s just tone-deaf.”
It was the first insult I’d ever heard in my life.
I was experiencing the greatest disappointment since my IQ of 121.
My face flushed and paled uncontrollably.
Seeing me like that, Han So-ri broke into a smile.
“Sung-guk, I was too harsh with my words, wasn’t I?”
[Ugh… I’m completely devastated!]

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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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