I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 156

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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 156
Ji-hee searched for me desperately.
– Oppa! Oppa! I’ll be coming to the United States soon too!
“Ji-hee, let’s meet up quickly.”
– Okay, oppa!
Behind me, Min-guk crossed his arms with an incredulous expression.
“Hyung, why do you treat Ji-hee and me differently? What’s with that soft voice you use only for Ji-hee?”
“You’re my younger brother, and Ji-hee is my younger sister. Besides, she’s much younger than you.”
Consumed by jealousy, Min-guk shouted into the phone.
“Jeon Ji-hee, just you wait! The moment I get to the United States, I’m going to work you over hard! I’m telling you, I’m grinding away hard under Hyung Sung-guk!”
Min-guk grumbled some more.
Father took the phone from him.
– Sung-guk, I’m doing well with Min-guk. Your mother and Ji-hee will be coming soon. Let’s see each other soon.
“Father, I’ll find a place for you to stay nearby.”
– No, don’t worry about that. I’m too busy with work.
“Since you’re not familiar with this place, it would be better if I arranged it. So please don’t worry.”
– Sung-guk, you know your father is always grateful, right?
[What are you saying, Father! You work from morning until night at the restaurant without even sitting down properly, and that’s how we’re able to live like this!]
My chest tightened.
I pressed my eyes with my hands as they grew hot, and forced myself to speak calmly.
“Father, come soon. Mother, Ji-hee, and everyone.”
“And Father! Min-guk too!”
– This phone call is going to cost a lot. Let’s hang up.
Father ended the call quickly.
I couldn’t say anything for a while.
While working hard in the United States and meeting many people, there were times I forgot about my family.
But I mustn’t forget. The fact that I endure because of my family.
“Waaah! Hyung! I miss Mom and Dad!”
Min-guk, my blood relative who shattered my sentimentality, collapsed on the floor and burst into tears.
I could endure because of my family, but there was no time to indulge in sentiment.
I quickly patted Min-guk on the back.
“Jeon Min-guk. Mom and Dad are coming soon anyway. And when our parents arrive, you’ll be going in with them, so why are you crying like that?”
“I miss Mom and Dad. Sniff.”
Min-guk pouted his lips and wore a gloomy expression. Then he looked up at me.
“Hyung, I… sniff… have something I’m curious about. Can I ask?”
“Sure.”
“You’ve been in the United States alone for a long time, right? Sometimes you’d come back during breaks, but sometimes you’d skip them… didn’t you miss the family then?”
[I missed them… a lot… I wanted to act spoiled with Mom, and I really wanted to eat Dad’s bossam so much.]
But I was the eldest son. I had learned not to show such things in front of my younger brother.
“Min-guk, even when you miss someone, there are times you have to endure when circumstances don’t allow it.”
Min-guk held me quietly, his arms wrapped around me, and gently patted my back.
“Hyung, you’ve been through so much.”
“….”
I held Min-guk tightly in return, letting my embrace speak where words fell short.
Sometimes actions conveyed what words simply could not.
Then Min-guk whispered softly against my ear.
“My hyung… you’ve grown so much.”
* * *
Everyone gathered in the Living Room.
Jeon Tae-guk now carried himself like a permanent fixture in our home, arriving with both hands laden with food and claiming a spot on the couch.
Young Secretary Yang fiddled with a digital camera.
“Everyone needs to fit in one frame, so please sit closer together!”
Mark subtly wedged himself between Lim Mi-mi and Jeon Tae-guk.
“Sung-guk, you sit here.”
“Wait a moment. Since Sung-guk and Min-guk need to be in the same frame… could you move from that center spot? I want to capture the moment when Sung-guk and Min-guk see the results—their contrasting reactions all in one shot.”
“Secretary Yang, are you telling me to sit elsewhere right now?”
“Young Master, my apologies. After all, today’s result announcement is what matters most for these two.”
“Sigh, the heir to the Samjeon Group does everything. Fine, fine.”
Jeon Tae-guk grumbled but switched seats anyway.
Min-guk and I then took our places side by side in the center.
“Min-guk, losing a popularity vote doesn’t mean your life is over. You understand that, right?”
“Hyung, you always said that life isn’t about being first all the time.”
“You two, look at each other’s faces now. As if you’re competing.”
Young Secretary Yang even directed the competitive dynamic.
“Alright, ten minutes left!”
Our voting system closed after twenty-four hours, with results revealed immediately after.
While voting was ongoing, there was no way to know who was ahead.
Min-guk was visibly anxious, whereas I remained relatively calm.
It wasn’t as if I planned to become a celebrity—winning a popularity vote based on appearance held little significance for me.
Jeon Tae-guk looked at me as if I were being absurd.
“Sung-guk, don’t get overconfident. The comments say Min-guk is cute far more often.”
“Tae-guk, but the recent comments mention Sung-guk more. And since I’ve spent a long time at school with Sung-guk, I know this—girls call someone cute when they’re comfortable around them, but who they actually like is Sung-guk.”
“Mark, you’ve been burned before, haven’t you? Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“Tae-guk, weren’t you an outcast?”
Jeon Tae-guk had provoked Mark’s irritation.
In any case, Jeon Tae-guk had an infuriating side to him.
Just then, Lim Mi-mi raised her hand eagerly.
“I heard the Restaurant Owner and Min-guk made a bet—shouldn’t we make one too?”
“Hmm… Lim Mi-mi, having worked at FaceNote all this time, I’ve observed that you’ve adapted remarkably well to capitalism.”
“Jeon Tae-guk, I’d appreciate it if you remembered that an intern doesn’t evaluate a full-time employee like myself.”
Lim Mi-mi was indeed formidable against Jeon Tae-guk.
Mark leaned forward with an eager expression, rubbing his hands together.
“So, what should we wager?”
“How about the loser buys drinks for everyone today?”
“Spending money is my department anyway.”
Jeon Tae-guk puffed out his chest.
“Tae-guk, I can’t keep mooching off your good liquor all the time. Let’s give this a shot.”
“Fine, whatever. I drink beer pretty often anyway.”
“So, who’s everyone betting on?”
Young Secretary Yang looked at the three of them.
“I’m betting on Sung-guk winning, obviously!”
Mark was resolute.
“Nah, I don’t think so. Sung-guk’s too stiff. The few scenes he appeared in were all just him working or drinking milk. I’m putting my money on Min-guk.”
“Hyung Tae-guk, you really do have an eye for these things!”
Min-guk gave a thumbs up.
In my previous life, there was a legend about Tae-guk at Samjeon Group—that whatever he touched always flopped.
Tae-guk was famous not for the Midas touch, but for the Minus touch.
[Would it be the same in this life?]
I found this far more intriguing.
Now it was Lim Mi-mi’s turn.
“Hmm… this is tough. Min-guk definitely has more presence, and he’s adorable too. But the Restaurant Owner definitely has a face with commercial appeal.”
[Lim Mi-mi, why are you overthinking such an easy choice?]
Lim Mi-mi slammed her fist on the table as if she’d made her decision.
“I’ve decided! I’m betting on the Restaurant Owner!”
“Sister Mi-mi! Didn’t you say I was cuter?”
“Min-guk, you’re definitely cuter. You’re going to become a really famous singer when you grow up.”
“Then why aren’t you betting on me?”
“Because I’m an employee of FaceNote. In other words, I’m someone who eats off the Restaurant Owner’s table. If I don’t bet on him, he’ll torment me something fierce.”
Min-guk smacked his forehead.
“Right! Our hyung would definitely do that. I understand, Sister Mi-mi.”
“Thanks, Min-guk!”
[Why do I feel like I’ve been chosen yet lost?]
Lim Mi-mi smiled brightly at me.
“I’m always on the Restaurant Owner’s side!”
Mark asked Young Secretary Yang.
“Chul-soo, which one are you picking—Sung-guk or Min-guk?”
“I agonized over it too… but following capitalist logic like Lim Mi-mi, I’m casting my vote for Min-guk, the young master’s choice.”
“Capitalism truly is beautiful!”
Jeon Tae-guk stretched his arms wide in delight.
Young Secretary Yang quickly checked the time.
“We’re almost there! Should we all start the countdown?”
We all held our breath and began counting down.
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!”
Young Secretary Yang pressed Enter on the laptop.
In that instant, the graphs for Min-guk and me began climbing across the screen.
The graphs that had been similar at first suddenly diverged—one shot upward dramatically!
It was my graph!
In that moment, I leaped from my seat and cried out.
“I won!”
Mark laughed and clapped his hands.
“Wow, looks like free drinks for us again! Sung-guk, you’re awfully happy about beating your younger brother, aren’t you?”
“Sir, it seems you were quite nervous about losing deep down.”
[Caught.]
Truth be told, before the voting began, I’d felt rather indifferent—I wasn’t planning to become a celebrity anyway. But the moment the countdown started, my heart began to race.
“Well, Secretary Yang, looks like we’ll have to buy drinks again.”
“That’s no trouble at all, sir.”
Just then, I noticed Min-guk’s shoulders trembling.
[Did I come across as too happy?]
I patted Min-guk’s back.
“Min-guk, you’re still young. Don’t cry.”
Min-guk walked into his room with heavy steps.
As I tried to follow him, Lim Mi-mi stopped me.
“Sir, it’s fine to let him have some time alone at moments like this.”
Hearing Lim Mi-mi’s words, I realized Min-guk probably needed some solitude.
Jeon Tae-guk stood up from his seat.
“Secretary Yang, let’s go buy some drinks.”
“Yes, sir.”
But strangely, even Jeon Tae-guk’s expression looked gloomy.
Was it just my imagination?
* * *
Young Secretary Yang started the car.
Jeon Tae-guk unusually climbed into the passenger seat.
“Sir, aren’t you sitting in the back?”
“Let’s chat while we drive to the liquor shop.”
“Yes, sir.”
The car pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the darkening road.
Jeon Tae-guk cracked open the window slightly.
“The breeze feels nice….”
“Sir, is something troubling you?”
“Secretary Yang, do you think I truly have what it takes to be the heir to Samjeon?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Young Secretary Yang was inwardly startled, but asked calmly.
Jeon Tae-guk’s face looked quite forlorn.
“Father put me through all sorts of business training since I was young. Starting with stocks, he’d have me pitch business ideas. Sometimes he’d point to projects the Samjeon Group was working on that looked promising and ask me to explain why they would succeed….”
Young Secretary Yang had witnessed all of this unfold beside him.
“But… Secretary Yang. I’m always wrong. The stocks I buy either plummet or get delisted. I still remember the look on Father’s face when he heard my business pitches. It was like he was keeping me alive just because I’m his son, you know?”
“Young Master, you still have plenty of time to study ahead of you.”
Young Secretary Yang tried to comfort him.
“I don’t know… Now that even Min-guk, whom I was so confident about, has failed… I’m starting to wonder if I’m even someone with the eye to see things properly.”
Jeon Tae-guk looked at Young Secretary Yang with a distant gaze.
“Secretary Yang, that’s why I’m saying this. About our final presentation.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“You’re going to have to help me a lot.”
“Just say the word. I’ll help you find materials and everything.”
“Secretary Yang… The truth is… I haven’t prepared the presentation at all.”
Young Secretary Yang was so flabbergasted he couldn’t find words.
“Young Master, this is a sort of wager between your father and Sung-guk. You need to prove whether you’re someone worthy of sharing in the vision of FaceNote!”
“Secretary Yang, don’t pressure me. That’s exactly what Father does. I don’t know. And I don’t think FaceNote will work anyway. Korea has Dotori World—who’s going to use FaceNote? The design is completely terrible….”
“Young Master… Even so, this is.”
“I don’t know, I don’t know. You’ll help me, right?”
“Ah, yes. Of course I should.”
“I’ll just use the wager as an excuse to drink heavily today.”
Jeon Tae-guk quickly reverted to his usual demeanor.
* * *
Knock. Knock.
I opened the door.
“Hyung, I’m coming in. Min-guk….”
Min-guk lay in his darkened room, his blanket pulled over his head.
I sat carefully at the foot of the bed.
“Min-guk, are you very upset about losing to your hyung?”
But Min-guk beneath the blanket didn’t stir.
“Min-guk is still young, so people chose your hyung. So don’t worry too much. From what I can see, our Min-guk is going to become a really great singer.”
“Sniffle-.”
I heard whimpering from under the blanket, and then Min-guk poked his head out cautiously.
His eyes were already quite swollen.
“Min-guk, it’s okay. Next time you can beat your hyung. Like you said, there’s no rule that you always have to come in first.”
“Hyung….”
Min-guk’s voice was thick with tears.
“It’s okay, Min-guk.”
“Hyung… Actually….”
“The truth is?”
“I… I don’t have the confidence to be first in the entire school! Waahhh!”

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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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