I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 122

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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 122
A Samjeon Kindergarten Special Class Reunion?
Samjeon Kindergarten had given me much, yet it was also the place where I first felt the sting of my position in the world at such a tender age.
The Samjeon Kindergarten Special Class was attended by Jeon Mi-jin, a daughter of the Samjeon Group, along with the children and grandchildren of influential figures in politics and business.
There, I was merely a recipient of social consideration.
I quickly read through the text and threw myself onto the bed.
Ding.
My phone rang again.
This time it was Mark.
– Sung-guk, when are you coming to America? I’m so lonely in the dorm.
[Always whining….]
With Jessie and Dennis already dating, and now that the first semester of freshman year had ended, Harvard was practically a place where everyone was in a relationship.
– Just wait a bit, Mark. Why don’t you try dating someone in the meantime?
– Sung-guk, your popularity has plummeted because of those ribs too.
– You know that’s not the kind of popularity that can plummet that easily. Mark, it’s already midnight in Korea. I’m going to sleep. See you in America.
– You’re cruel.
– zzz.
* * *
“Sung-guk, you’ve been getting calls this whole time.”
Mother shook me awake.
“Calls?”
“Yes. Go check them.”
I checked my phone on the nightstand.
There were three calls from an unknown number, and several messages signed by Jeon Mi-jin.
– Sung-guk, it’s Jeon Mi-jin from Samjeon Kindergarten. Do you remember?
– Sung-guk, did you see the message about the Special Class kindergarten reunion?
– Sung-guk, why aren’t you responding?
– Is this Jeon Sung-guk’s phone number?
– Sung-guk, Secretary Yang checked and confirmed it’s the right number. Why won’t you answer? Call me back as soon as you see this.
[Her personality hasn’t changed….]
Jeon Mi-jin’s relentless nature—harassing people until she got the result she wanted—remained unchanged.
Of course, I had no intention of responding to her messages.
The year I entered Harvard, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung called me in and arranged a meeting with Jeon Tae-guk.
At that meeting, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung made it clear that even talented people like me would inevitably become mere components of a massive corporation like Samjeon.
After that, I severed my emotional ties with Samjeon.
My phone rang loudly again.
“Sung-guk, answer the phone.”
“Yeah, okay.”
I answered the call with a drowsy voice.
“Hello?”
– Is this Sung-guk?
It wasn’t Jeon Mi-jin.
I quickly checked the caller ID.
The caller was Secretary Yang. His number was still saved in my phone.
“Yes, Secretary Yang.”
– You remember my voice.
“Yes, how have you been?”
– Very well. I hear news about you from time to time. You’ve grown into quite an impressive young man.
“I still have more growing to do.”
– That’s true. Haha.
Secretary Yang chuckled softly before getting to the point.
– Sung-guk, do you remember Mi-jin? You attended the special class together at Samjeon Kindergarten.
“Yes, vaguely.”
Honestly, I couldn’t be blamed for not remembering much from when I was five or six, but I had already decided to attend the Samjeon Kindergarten alumni reunion.
Seeing how desperately Jeon Mi-jin was searching for me, I wanted to show them with my own eyes how much I had grown—the boy they had once pitied.
– Mi-jin sent out invitations for the Samjeon Kindergarten alumni reunion this time, but only you haven’t responded. How about you come this Sunday if you’re free? It would be nice to see your old classmates again after all this time.
“Yes, I’ll be there.”
– That’s a relief. Then I’ll have a car sent to your home at the right time.
“Understood.”
I hung up the phone. And a satisfied smile spread across my face.
Back at Samjeon Kindergarten, I had been nearly invisible.
A smart kid from an unremarkable family couldn’t be their friend.
Though they couldn’t ignore me because Jeon Mi-jin was infatuated with me and looked after me, they all quietly ostracized me. And I was certainly old enough to notice.
I stretched languidly and stood up.
Now was the time for payback!
* * *
Secretary Yang arrived at my home at precisely the appointed time, as always.
“Sung-guk, how have you been?”
“Yes, hello.”
“You really look like a young man now. You’ve grown so well. You were handsome even as a child, but you’re even more handsome now.”
Just then, a neatly dressed young man quickly greeted me from behind.
“Hello.”
[Oh! Secretary Yang! Secretary Yang, it’s me!]
It was the elder Secretary Yang’s son, the young secretary who had served me faithfully for so long.
But I couldn’t feel happy about it.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from my father. I’m Yang Chul-soo.”
“Please speak comfortably. You’re older than me anyway.”
“Is that okay…?”
Chul-soo hesitated slightly.
[I’ll allow it. Secretary Yang, speak comfortably.]
The elder Secretary Yang gazed at his son with a gentle expression.
“Chul-soo, treat him comfortably. Sung-guk, you’ve seen him before, right?”
“At Tae-guk’s birthday party.”
“That’s right. I remember now.”
Chul-soo opened the back door for me.
[It’s been so long since Secretary Yang’s escort service.]
The nostalgia caught me off guard, and my nose tingled slightly.
I had countless memories with the younger Secretary Yang.
There wasn’t much of an age gap between us, and as a chaebol heir surrounded by those who weren’t genuine friends, Secretary Yang was my only true companion.
I quickly climbed into the back seat.
The elder Secretary Yang sat beside me, and Chul-soo took the passenger seat.
“I need to go to the hotel to assist the young master anyway, so I’ll ride along.”
“I told you to speak comfortably.”
“Ah, yes… I will. Then, Sung-guk.”
Chul-soo smiled shyly.
He was as kind-hearted and upright as his father, Secretary Yang.
“Does Chul-soo attend university in the United States too?”
“Yes. I go to the same university as Tae-guk.”
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
In Korea, Chul-soo hadn’t attended Seoul National University like me, but he was brilliant enough to get into a prestigious university. Throughout his time studying abroad, he attended the same school as me.
Though his purpose was to assist me, he studied exceptionally well.
But in this life, he was attending the same university to assist that fool Jeon Tae-guk!
I felt genuinely sorry for him.
On top of that, it seemed he was cleaning up after Jeon Tae-guk during breaks too.
How Jeon Tae-guk spent his holidays was predictable.
“Chul-soo, did the young master sleep at the hotel again last night?”
“He said it was a hassle to go home after having drinks with friends, so I guided him to his room and left.”
“Good work. Today, suggest he come home.”
“Do you think the day will ever come when the young master listens to me the way the chairman listens to Father?”
[That day will never come. People don’t change!]
Secretary Yang glanced at my expression.
“Chul-soo, let’s talk outside.”
“Yes, Father.”
I pretended to hear nothing of their conversation.
Secretary Yang smoothly changed the subject.
“The young lady was so delighted to hear that Sung-guk was coming.”
“To be honest, I only vaguely remember my kindergarten classmates. I don’t recall the details.”
“That makes sense. You were both so young then. Mi-jin took good care of Sung-guk in many ways during kindergarten.”
[Secretary Yang, don’t distort my memories. It’s true she looked after me, but not in ‘many ways.’ She just did whatever she felt like.]
I pressed my lips together.
Chul-soo glanced back slightly and gave me a sidelong look.
“Sung-guk, do people tell you that you’re handsome often?”
“I hear it from time to time.”
[They called me a face genius at JP Entertainment.]
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Come on, I think it’s more than just sometimes.”
“Ahem. Chul-soo.”
“Yes, Father. I’ll keep my eyes forward.”
Chul-soo straightened his posture and looked ahead.
Secretary Yang had been strict with Chul-soo since childhood, determined to have him inherit his role of serving the Samjeon family for generations to come.
I’d witnessed him being scolded for trivial matters on numerous occasions.
[Even now, he’s still like that….]
In my previous life, I hadn’t recognized that serving someone was a natural thing, but in this life, I couldn’t understand why Chul-soo had to live this way.
Secretary Yang received a salary comparable to subsidiary company executives while serving Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, and he received even more benefits on top of that.
From apartments to bonuses.
He must have accumulated enough wealth to own at least one building in downtown Seoul and still have plenty left over, so why was he forcing his son to live the same way?
Of course, if Chul-soo lived like that, he could enjoy a higher salary and more benefits than anyone else in South Korea from a young age.
But did Chul-soo really want to live that way?
While I was lost in thought, the car had already arrived at the entrance of the Samjeon Hotel.
The door opened, and as I stepped out of the car, Chul-soo quickly bowed to us.
“Sung-guk, have fun. Father, I’ll go look after the young master.”
“All right….”
Secretary Yang watched Chul-soo’s retreating figure with a bitter expression.
He must know it too.
Unlike Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, whom he served, Jeon Tae-guk was a troublemaker.
“Secretary Yang, I have something I’m curious about.”
“What is it, Sung-guk?”
“Your son—is his dream to become like you?”
“Why would you suddenly ask that….”
Secretary Yang’s bewilderment was evident at a glance.
“Secretary Yang, are you happy living as the Chairman’s secretary?”
“Sung-guk… why are you asking such a question?”
Secretary Yang was still visibly flustered.
It had been quite a long time since I’d seen Secretary Yang this taken aback.
“I’ve met Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung and his son Jeon Tae-guk a few times, and especially Tae-guk showed little consideration when dealing with someone like me.”
After saying only that, I changed the subject.
“Where is the alumni gathering being held?”
“Ah, yes. You’ll need to go up to the suite room.”
I followed Secretary Yang’s directions and entered the elevator.
After a moment of silence, Secretary Yang suddenly turned to look at me.
“Sung-guk, about what you said regarding my son earlier… may I ask what you meant by that?”
“Even at fourteen, I have so many things I want to do. I’ve developed SNS with friends and started a business, tried being an idol trainee… but I wonder if that’s truly what Secretary Yang’s son wants to do right now.”
Ding.
The elevator arrived at the suite floor.
Secretary Yang showed me to my room, then stepped back into the elevator and descended.
[Secretary Yang, get your head straight. Jeon Tae-guk will never become Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung. His foundation is rotten from the start…]
I straightened my hoodie and stood before the suite entrance.
* * *
Secretary Yang smoothed out his furrowed brow, creased like crumpled paper, as he stepped out of the elevator.
Sung-guk’s demeanor just now was exactly like Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung quietly reproaching him in his childhood.
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt—he’d been completely outmaneuvered.
And on top of that, the boy was even worried about his son’s future…
In truth, it was Secretary Yang himself who had sent his own son, Yang Chul-soo, to a university in Utah alongside Jeon Tae-guk.
Yang Chul-soo was an excellent student—while not Harvard material, he was more than capable of getting into one of the Ivy League schools or a prestigious state university.
Yang Chul-soo had wanted to attend a university of his choice, but Secretary Yang had strongly discouraged him.
Secretary Yang had believed without doubt that his unwavering loyalty to the Samjeon Group across generations would secure the wealth he possessed for his own son.
In the working world, one’s liver and courage become collateral for one’s job.
Rather than grinding away mentally through such a career, Secretary Yang reasoned that earning more money was the best one could hope for.
[What parent in this world would wish harm upon their child…]
As Secretary Yang walked, he spotted Yang Chul-soo struggling ahead, dragging Jeon Tae-guk’s suitcase.
Jeon Tae-guk held nothing but his phone in his hand.
Secretary Yang pressed his lips together and hurried forward, grabbing one of the suitcases.
“Father…”
Yang Chul-soo looked up at him.
“Let me help you.”
“Thank you.”
“Yang Chul-soo…”
“Yes?”
“Is this… difficult for you?”
“There’s no work that isn’t difficult.”
At those words, Secretary Yang’s heart crumbled.
He had chosen this life so his son wouldn’t suffer, yet he was passing that very hardship down to him… Regret flooded through him suddenly.
“Father, what’s wrong?”
“Yang Chul-soo, I’ll make time. Talk with Sung-guk later, will you?”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“You were always interested in Ivy League schools, and you had the grades to get in. I think I sent you along with the young master out of my own greed. It’s not too late even now—if you’re interested, talk with Sung-guk and look into transferring schools or something.”
“Father…”
Yang Chul-soo was too stunned to say anything.
Just then, Jeon Tae-guk called out to Yang Chul-soo from ahead with an irritated tone.
“Secretary Yang, do I have to wait?”
“Father, I’ll be going now.”
Chul-soo hurried off, dragging his suitcase behind him in quick, eager steps.
Secretary Yang realized, thanks to Sung-guk, that he had made a grave mistake.

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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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