I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 119

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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 119
All the trainees sat huddled together, waiting for the results.
Everyone was quiet after pouring all their energy into their performances.
That’s when Kim Chan-ho approached and handed me a drink.
“Sung-guk, have this.”
What was this about?
I couldn’t recall ever having a real conversation with Kim Chan-ho beyond greetings.
“Thank you.”
Kim Chan-ho naturally sat down beside me.
“Sung-guk, you were really impressive today.”
“Even with my ribs showing?”
“That’s just a matter of building muscle.”
Kim Chan-ho was a second-year high school student.
For a trainee, that was relatively advanced in age.
If he didn’t make it into a debut group within a year or two, his twenties would be marked as a failed life.
“You’re already perfect, hyung.”
“Anyone can reach my level with enough practice. People often tell me my skills are good, but that’s where it ends. I lack that star quality, they say.”
The usually taciturn Kim Chan-ho was baring his soul.
[What? Is he opening up because he thinks he’s about to be eliminated?]
Kim Chan-ho gulped down some water, then asked carefully.
“Sung-guk, how do you come up with those spontaneous moves? Do ideas just pop into your head?”
Kim Chan-ho was genuinely seeking my advice.
From the evaluation, Kim Chan-ho demonstrated textbook-perfect vocal and dance performances. Of course, his excellent looks and skills commanded the stage, but it was obvious he’d be overshadowed if he were grouped with members like me who pulled off unexpected moves.
That seemed to be what was troubling him.
“Hyung… whether I’m studying or performing in today’s evaluation, I only think one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Today is the last day I’m alive. If today is the last day I’m alive, there’s nothing I can’t do, right? There’s no tomorrow, so what does it matter? Nobody’s going to curse me for it. And honestly, today might really be my last day at JP Entertainment.”
“Sung-guk, I have a feeling you’ll pass.”
Kim Chan-ho offered me encouragement.
Click.
The practice room door opened, and Park Jin-soo and Bang Mu-hyuk entered.
“Everyone worked really hard today. The instructors will give detailed feedback during lessons, and today’s first place is obviously Chan-ho.”
Applause erupted from various corners.
Kim Chan-ho bowed respectfully in acknowledgment.
“And there’s exactly one person being eliminated today.”
Everyone clenched their fists and stared at each other nervously.
Their faces all pleaded silently: anyone but me.
“Today’s eliminated trainee is… Jeon Sung-guk.”
The moment the announcement was made, everyone looked at me with shocked eyes.
“That can’t be right,” voices murmured from all around.
“Sung-guk, you’ve been through so much. Listen, all the other trainees will come for lessons tomorrow, but I need you to stop by the office.”
“Yes.”
The practice room door slid shut with a soft whisper.
Kim Chan-ho looked at me with disbelief in his eyes.
“Sung-guk, I can’t believe you didn’t make it.”
“Hyung, I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
I accepted the result with composure.
* * *
Fine, my foot.
I was sitting on the restroom toilet, barely holding back tears.
My eyes were so red I couldn’t leave.
Whether it was pubescent hormones or something else, I was becoming increasingly childish.
[Park Jin-soo, I’ll curse you. Bang Mu-hyuk, I was planning to work with you to lead Korea’s K-POP into the future, and you do this to me!]
My pride was utterly crushed.
This was my first taste of failure in life.
It was only a month, but I had given it everything I had.
Yet the result was devastating.
Just thinking about posting the results on Face Paper made my head spin.
I could already picture the encouragement followed by mockery—people saying they knew this would happen.
Ding.
It was a message from Bang Mu-hyuk.
– Sung-guk, why are you taking so long? Where are you?
– I’ll be there soon.
I blew my nose hard with a sniffle.
* * *
When I opened the office door and stepped inside, Park Jin-soo and Bang Mu-hyuk were cheerful, completely indifferent to my disappointment.
“Sung-guk, come here.”
[Park Jin-soo, you’re sitting there grinning after eliminating me.]
I greeted them and entered.
“Sung-guk, have you been crying?”
Bang Mu-hyuk studied me for a moment.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Sung-guk, your competitive spirit is remarkable. Well, that’s why you attended Harvard at that age. Do you know why I eliminated you?”
[Because I’m too talented?]
I pressed my lips together.
Then I shook my head. I decided to play dumb for now.
“Sung-guk, have you ever experienced failure in your life?”
[Park Jin-soo, I come from nothing. I’ve tasted life’s bitterness since I was young.]
I widened my eyes and stared at Park Jin-soo.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Honestly, I loved this performance so much. Watching you complete this stage in just a month when you didn’t even have the fundamentals before—I was genuinely impressed. And when I saw you come up with the idea to beat Kim Chan-ho, who chose the same song, I thought to myself: this kid’s got what it takes.”
[Then why did you reject me, Park Jin-soo?]
Park Jin-soo stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“But here’s the thing… Bang Mu-hyuk feels the same way. You shine too brightly on your own.”
“I’m sorry?”
“JP creates groups, right? You said something like that to me before. You said talented friends are important, but members who blend in with the group are equally important. But you stand out too much. Just by being yourself.”
[What’s wrong with that?]
I couldn’t understand their reasoning at all.
“Sung-guk.”
Bang Mu-hyuk called me in a warm voice.
“Yes, Producer.”
“More than anything, do you really want to be an idol? Or were you just trying hard at something?”
Bang Mu-hyuk was serious.
There wasn’t a trace of a smile on his face.
[To be honest…]
Of course, I’d never dreamed of becoming an idol.
I’d worked as a child model in my early years, selling my face and earning money, so I understood this world all too well.
When people are popular, crowds swarm like bees, biting and sucking, but the moment popularity fades, they shift their attention to the next target.
Even while popular, I received both love and attacks from strangers simultaneously.
Soon, an era would come where everything is promoted online, and celebrities promote themselves through their own SNS accounts.
People get photographed walking down the street with camera phones, and minor mistakes during school life get exaggerated and exposed by someone.
I had no intention of living that kind of life.
I nodded.
“I think you’re right, Producer. Rather than becoming an idol, I think I just wanted to try hard at something. I wanted to know my limits.”
Bang Mu-hyuk patted my shoulder.
“Park Jin-soo really values your potential highly. Even though you stand out too much alone, he believes you could be a vital member just for that. I’m also very tempted by your possibilities. But Sung-guk… what’s most important is your life. You should do what you really want to do.”
“Ah, I can’t take it anymore. Sung-guk, just become an idol with me. You can perform on stage after just six months of training. What’s wrong with taking a break from Harvard? What’s wrong with postponing your startup? Come on, experience the public’s love while you’re this young and handsome.”
Park Jin-soo stood up, frustrated, and paced back and forth.
“Mu-hyuk, if a kid like Sung-guk doesn’t become an idol, who will?”
“Sung-guk has his own life too.”
Park Jin-soo and Bang Mu-hyuk both looked at me simultaneously.
“Um… both of you, can I record what you just said and post it on Face Paper?”
“What?”
Park Jin-soo and Bang Mu-hyuk stared at me with bewildered expressions.
In that moment, I realized something.
What mattered more to me was Face Paper.
“Puhahaha.”
Park Jin-soo burst out laughing so hard he nearly fell backward.
“Mu-hyuk, this guy is just a businessman. He has an incredible knack for understanding what people want. Sung-guk, if we conclude with you being eliminated, it’ll feel anticlimactic, right? That’s why you want to upload this behind-the-scenes content?”
Park Jin-soo and I shared similar sensibilities.
“If elimination is the ending, it does feel a bit flat. These behind-the-scenes conversations happened, and I return to Harvard. I thought this kind of ending would work better.”
“Sung-guk, this guy is absolutely incorrigible.”
Bang Mu-hyuk clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Park Jin-soo gestured quickly.
“Sung-guk, start filming. And I’ve thought of an amazing ending too. Let’s film that as well and upload it.”
“Yes!”
I pulled out the digital camera I’d prepared in advance and began recording the evaluation scene.
Park Jin-soo and Bang Mu-hyuk gave a brief re-evaluation of me, and as Park Jin-soo looked at the camera, he delivered this final message.
“Sung-guk, JP’s doors are always wide open for you. If you change your mind while studying, come back anytime. I’ll always welcome you, Sung-guk. JP! PEACE!”
* * *
– Jeon Sung-guk’s 30-Day Project to Go from JP Trainee to Debut Member – Final Day. The results are finally in! (There’s a bonus video too) Watch until the end!
As expected, the scene of me taking off my hoodie exploded in popularity.
Of course, my body was skinny without a trace of muscle, but the comments from female students poured in so heavily that the server eventually crashed.
“There’s no helping it.”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
By now, I could tell who it was just from the sound of knocking.
“Jeon Min-guk, come in.”
“Hyung, why aren’t you watching the results?”
[This kid’s persistence is remarkable.]
“My throat is incredibly dry right now.”
“So?”
[Oh, now he’s getting cheeky.]
I turned away indifferently.
“I made plans for tomorrow, so I guess I’ll have to go to JP alone….”
“Ah, hyung! How can you say that now? I’ll get water right away!”
Patter patter patter.
I heard Min-guk running off.
Ding.
A message arrived.
It was Mark.
– Sung-guk, I was so shocked when I thought you quit everything to become an idol. But what if you crash the server? I have to work as soon as I get back to America!
– Mark, see you soon.
I smiled and stretched languidly.
“Hyung, here’s your water.”
Min-guk had already brought water on a tray.
“Good, little brother.”
I gulped down the water eagerly.
Ding. Ding.
Another message arrived.
Who was it?
It was Ye-jin.
– Sung-guk, it’s Ye-jin. You did really well on stage today. But you really got eliminated? When are you going to the United States? Let’s grab a meal before you go.
I didn’t reply.
My brief adolescent phase had ended.
[I’m naturally an extremely cold person, after all.]
* * *
After showing Min-guk around JP Entertainment and returning home, he was busy bragging to Mother and Father about the CD he’d received from Bang Mu-hyuk and the photos he’d taken with the trainees.
Mother let out a long sigh watching him.
“Sung-guk, Min-guk isn’t studying anyway… if he becomes a trainee and puts his studies on the back burner, what will we do?”
“That brat Min-guk should at least follow half of what his older brother does.”
Living as the eldest son in South Korea was truly difficult.
I took Jeon Min-guk into the bedroom.
Min-guk looked up at me with an excited face.
“Hyung, I want to audition as a trainee at JP next month too. Hyung, do you think I can make it? I even taught you how to dance.”
[Hmm, getting entangled in a vague contract would be problematic…]
Min-guk danced around the room, bursting with excitement.
Min-guk definitely had more talent for dancing and singing than studying.
Bang Mu-hyuk, who briefly observed Min-guk, even advised him to audition if he was interested.
“Jeon Min-guk.”
“Yeah, hyung.”
“Let’s make a contract.”
“Huh? What kind of contract with you?”
“Min-guk, imagine this: what if I come back to Korea in about two years and build an idol group? Then, would you be at JP? Or would you be at the company I’m running?”
He looked conflicted.
These days, even kids knew that debuting through a talent agency like JP or SG meant becoming a star the moment you debuted.
I sold it a bit harder.
“Even your hyung, who goes to Harvard, got eliminated from JP’s trainee program. Do you think you’ll make it?”
“W-well, that’s because hyung can’t dance.”
“There are plenty of people who dance like you do. And later, I danced well too. Min-guk, would you rather be the tail of a dragon at a big agency like JP? Or would you rather be the head of a snake at the new talent agency I create?”
Min-guk, who had been thinking for a moment, looked at me with determination.
“Of course I’d rather be the head at your company.”
“That’s right. Then let’s sign a contract with me today. When I start the talent agency, you’ll be my first trainee.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
I quickly handed Min-guk the contract I’d prepared on the computer.
Suddenly, Min-guk’s face crumpled.
“Hyung, but why are there so many things to do before signing the contract?”
“Look at all the singers debuting these days—they’re all good at English.”
“But why do I have to study arithmetic?”
“Our talent agency considers grades when forming debut groups. Min-guk, come on—sign here.”
Min-guk signed the contract with a hesitant expression.
Finally, my first trainee recruit.
I gazed at the contract and smiled faintly.
[Jeon Min-guk, you have no idea how significant signing that contract is, do you? You’ve just entered into a slave agreement with me.]

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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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