I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 157

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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 157
Min-guk nestled against me and whimpered.
“Hyung, do I really have to come in first?”
“Hmm….”
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
“Min-guk, let’s do this instead.”
“How?”
[Surely you’re not expecting me to say you don’t have to come in first, Jeon Min-guk?]
Min-guk looked up at me with an even more pitiful expression.
“After you finish at the Language Academy, I’ll give you special tutoring. Your grades will probably shoot up right away once I teach you.”
But Min-guk didn’t answer easily.
“You don’t want to?”
“That’s not it…”
“Jeon Min-guk, you’re going to graduate elementary school after becoming first in your entire grade at least once!”
“Okay, hyung.”
Min-guk nodded reluctantly.
[Jeon Min-guk, I’m going to make you first in your entire grade, no matter what!]
* * *
Three days into after-school classes.
After finishing at the Language Academy and eating dinner, I sat at my desk at exactly 7 PM.
Before moving forward with the second semester fifth-grade curriculum, I was reviewing first semester material.
Exactly thirty minutes later, I began grading the problem set Min-guk had completed.
Circle. Circle. Circle. Then a scratch.
Min-guk quickly made an excuse.
“Hyung, I thought it was originally number two.”
“Min-guk, there’s only one correct answer in mathematics. You shouldn’t have thought it ‘seemed like’ number two—you should have been certain it was number two. Let me finish grading first, then I’ll explain the rest.”
“Okay….”
I resumed grading.
Three problems wrong.
“Hyung, didn’t I do really well? I only got three wrong. I couldn’t even do this well on the school test. Wow, 85 points is like the best score of my life?”
I crossed my arms and stared at Min-guk coldly.
“Hyung, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Min-guk, I’m genuinely curious about something.”
“What?”
“Do you hate getting a perfect score?”
“What are you talking about?”
“How can you get three wrong on something this easy?”
“Hyung! This is only easy for you. It’s incredibly hard for me!”
I really couldn’t understand it.
Even I, someone with an average IQ, got all the problems right—so why was Min-guk, with an IQ over 160, getting them wrong?
Min-guk grumbled as he stood up from his seat.
“Look! My brother thinks he’s a genius, so even though I only got three wrong, he keeps criticizing me.”
“Min-guk, your brother isn’t a genius. Your brother just worked so hard he got sweat rash on his backside!”
Knock. Knock.
At that moment, I heard someone knocking on the door.
The door cracked open and Lim Mi-mi poked her head inside.
“Restaurant Owner, would you like me to help Min-guk with his studies? I can hear the two of you arguing all the way from the living room.”
“Would you? Min-guk really doesn’t listen to what I say.”
“That’s just how it is with family—you can never teach each other properly. My father was a math teacher in Pyongyang, and he nearly collapsed from high blood pressure while teaching me.”
I stood up from my seat.
Min-guk greeted Lim Mi-mi enthusiastically.
“Sister Mi-mi! Come on in! I really can’t learn anything from my brother.”
[Jeon Min-guk, you’re going to regret this.]
I closed the door and walked out to the living room.
* * *
Exactly thirty minutes later, Min-guk came running out.
[He lasted longer than I expected.]
Then he rushed over to me and threw his arms around me.
“Brother! I want to learn from you again!”
“Min-guk, doesn’t your brother teach better than Lim Mi-mi?”
“That’s not it… Lim Mi-mi is so scary. Every time she explains something, she threatens me that if I can’t solve it, I’ll have to go to the Aoji Coal Mine and mine coal. Brother, if I can’t solve a problem, I’m not actually going to get dragged off to Aoji, right?”
“Min-guk, think about it logically. If students got dragged off to Aoji just for getting a few math problems wrong in the United States, there wouldn’t be many students left alive.”
“Brother, I said the same thing. I told her, ‘This is the United States, what are you talking about?’ But then Lim Mi-mi said she’s also from North Korea, so why is she here…”
At that moment, Lim Mi-mi walked out from behind.
“Restaurant Owner, how are South Korean students so weak that they study like this? In North Korea, if you get even one problem wrong, you go straight to Aoji. That’s the determination with which we studied until our backsides bled.”
“See, brother? I’m scared.”
Min-guk hugged me even tighter.
“Min-guk, then you choose. Me or Lim Mi-mi?”
“Restaurant Owner, is this a popularity vote?”
Mark, who was cooking in the kitchen, looked at this scene with interest.
“Sung-guk, if it were me, I’d probably choose Sister Mi-mi. Could you really stand your brother’s arrogance?”
Min-guk stroked his chin and looked back and forth between me and Lim Mi-mi.
“One of you is way too arrogant. The other one threatens me… This is such a difficult problem!”
“Min-guk, I’m just a little arrogant, aren’t I? I don’t threaten to send you to the Aoji Coal Mine, do I?”
“Brother, that arrogance is really hard to bear.”
“Then, Min-guk. It’s this sister, right? Sister just wants what’s best for you.”
Min-guk suddenly jumped up and ran to Mark in the kitchen. Then he spoke to Mark in halting English.
“Mark, teach me. If you teach me, I’ll learn English and math at the same time, right?”
“Sung-guk! Mi-mi! Min-guk chose me!”
Mark grinned widely and squeezed Min-guk’s hand firmly.
My gaze and Lim Mi-mi’s turned cold.
“Mark, you’d better be prepared if Min-guk’s grades don’t improve.”
“Sung-guk, prepared for what?”
“Teachers who can’t teach will have to go to the Aoji Coal Mine!”
Lim Mi-mi answered in my place.
* * *
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was listening to Secretary Yang recount his son Tae-guk’s recent activities.
“According to Yang Chul-soo’s report, he’s managing his work at the company without issue. He also gets along well with Sung-guk and Mark, and the other FaceNote employees.”
“Just because someone does well at work doesn’t make them a leader, does it, Secretary Yang? You know what I’m really curious about, don’t you?”
Secretary Yang paused for a moment before speaking.
“It’s true that Young Master Tae-guk gets along with people better than expected. However, he apparently shows little interest in FaceNote itself. Since he’s still a university student, it seems he prefers spending time with people more.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung pressed his temples with his fingers.
He’d always thought of Tae-guk as lacking in some way. But other chaebol heirs had plenty of problems too.
There were countless kids who’d gone abroad early because they couldn’t study in Korea, and the number of those struggling with drugs and women in the United States was beyond counting.
Tae-guk wasn’t particularly bright and lacked shrewdness, but at least he hadn’t caused any major scandals, which was something to be grateful for.
“He prefers spending time with people?”
“He’s become close with Sung-guk’s group and eats meals with them at their home every day. On weekends, they go out to nearby areas together. He certainly seems to be living more healthily than when he was attending school in Utah.”
Tap. Tap. Tap. Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung drummed his knuckles against the desk in a steady rhythm.
Secretary Yang glanced cautiously at his expression.
“When he was in university in Utah, he couldn’t make friends and only drank at home every day. But since spending time with Sung-guk’s group, he seems much brighter… that’s what Yang Chul-soo reported.”
“Secretary Yang, whether Tae-guk has friends or not doesn’t matter to me. Once he becomes the successor to Samjeon Group, friends will naturally come. What I want is for him to become an investor in FaceNote!”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s voice grew louder.
Secretary Yang, in moments like these, soothed the chairman with a calm voice.
“Chairman, Young Master Tae-guk has a very different temperament from you. Hasn’t he been lonely since childhood without friends? Many people approached him with the title of Samjeon Group’s successor, but he never had true friends. However, Sung-guk is in a position where he lacks for nothing. The most prominent groups in America are eager to invest in FaceNote.”
“Hmm…”
That was precisely what bothered Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
It felt like the fish he’d released had gone out to sea and returned as an orca.
“Even if he can’t invest in FaceNote, simply building this kind of connection with Sung-guk could be a small beginning for Young Master Tae-guk as a businessman.”
“The interpretation is better than the dream itself, Secretary Yang. Understood. When does Tae-guk’s internship end?”
“In two weeks.”
“Prepare for the trip to America without any delays.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
* * *
The alarm blared loudly.
I turned off the alarm clock and reached over to wake Min-guk.
My hand found no warmth where I reached.
[Did this guy fall off the bed?]
I turned on the desk lamp and opened my eyes to see Min-guk sitting at his desk.
“Min-guk, when did you wake up?”
“Two hours ago. You should get up and get ready for work too.”
Min-guk was diligently working through his problem set.
Today was the final exam day at the Language Academy.
“Min-guk, you should study ahead of time.”
“Hyung, I’ve been sleeping only three hours a day for the past two days while studying, so I’m incredibly on edge right now. If I don’t score above 90, I can’t go to Disneyland, so don’t make me talk and just get ready for work. I still need to finish this problem set.”
“Got it. I’ll make breakfast for you.”
“Three pancakes. Two fried eggs. Three strips of bacon and plenty of maple syrup.”
“Yes, yes. Young master. I’ll prepare it right away.”
Min-guk didn’t even respond to my joke.
[That’s how you study.]
I smiled contentedly and headed toward the kitchen.
* * *
Sizzle—two fried eggs cooked in the pan.
Mark glanced over and looked at me curiously.
“Sung-guk, are you making the whole breakfast yourself?”
“Min-guk has his exam today. I’m not letting him talk so he can focus on studying.”
“Min-guk’s got that same stubborn streak as you when you look closely. You didn’t even eat breakfast during exam periods in high school.”
Back then, I had to study that way to rank first.
“I think it’s admirable that he’s taking a Language Academy exam so seriously, so I’m making breakfast for him. While I’m at it, I’ll make yours too.”
Just then, Lim Mi-mi burst through the door and shouted.
“Restaurant Owner, please make mine too!”
“Lim Mi-mi, Min-guk is studying. Please keep your voice down.”
“Okay.”
Lim Mi-mi lowered her voice considerably.
Even while sitting at the table, Min-guk kept reading his book while shoving pancakes into his mouth.
“Min-guk, your milk.”
“Mm.”
He drank the milk while reading too, and didn’t put the book down the entire ride to the Language Academy.
The moment we arrived at the Language Academy, Min-guk put on a determined expression and shouldered his bag.
“Min-guk, take the exam comfortably.”
“Hyung, don’t lie.”
“Caught? You studied so intensely, so you’ll definitely score above 90, right?”
“Hyung, this time I’m going to show you the real Jeon Min-guk! Have high expectations!”
Min-guk got out of the car with confidence.
* * *
Just after 6 PM, children poured out of the Language Academy.
They all held the exam papers from today in their hands.
Shortly after, Min-guk finally appeared.
“Min-guk, over here!”
Mark greeted him warmly.
Min-guk looked at us, then walked toward us with a suddenly emotional expression. I could see tears welling up in his eyes.
“Sung-guk, it looks like Min-guk didn’t do well on his test. Don’t scold him too harshly.”
Mark spoke quietly.
Soon the car door opened and Min-guk climbed in.
Then he looked up at me with eyes brimming with tears.
“Min-guk, even if you didn’t do well on the test, your older brother won’t scold you.”
He shook his head vigorously.
Min-guk shook his head emphatically and thrust the test paper toward me.
The test paper he held out was….
“Older brother, I got a perfect score!”
“Min-guk!!!”
“Older brother!!!”
I embraced Min-guk tightly.
“Anyone watching would think they’re witnessing a separated family reunion, sir.”
“Right? Why are you acting so unsophisticated, like you’ve never gotten a perfect score before?”
In that moment, Min-guk wiped away his tears and shot a look at Jeon Tae-guk.
“Hyung, this is my first perfect score! My first time!”
Min-guk cried out with pure joy.

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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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