I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 196

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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 196
The day before I returned to San Francisco, Jung-hee contacted me.
I had never given Jung-hee my phone number, but I could guess who had provided her with my contact information.
Through the phone, I heard Jung-hee’s familiar voice.
– Is this Sung-guk’s number?
“Yes, noona.”
– Park Secretary gave me your contact information.
It was as I expected.
“Noona, but what’s this call about?”
I responded as calmly as I could.
After all, only I carried the memories of my past life.
– You’re going to San Francisco tomorrow, right? What time is your flight?
“Three in the afternoon.”
– Then, could I see you in the morning?
“Would you like breakfast? There’s a bagel shop around the corner that’s supposed to be delicious. I’ve never tried it myself.”
– I know that place well. I absolutely love it.
[Of course you do.]
In fact, that bagel shop was one Jung-hee had adored in my previous life.
During our years in New York, where we practically lived together, my daily routine was to jog in Central Park in the morning, then head to that bagel shop to buy a salmon bagel and coffee before heading back.
I hung up the phone and found myself lost in memories from my past life.
[I thought I had forgotten all of this….]
Just then, Jeon Tae-guk poked his head in.
He must have overheard my phone call by chance.
“Was that Jung-hee you were just talking to?”
“Yes, hyung.”
“She wants to see you tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Just you?”
“Yes… It seems like she has something separate to talk about.”
Jeon Tae-guk’s expression darkened again.
Human emotions weren’t something that could be swept away all at once, like vacuuming a carpet.
Jeon Tae-guk muttered in a small voice.
“She didn’t even send me a message….”
“Hyung, if you have something to tell her, just say it.”
“…I’ve done a lot for Jung-hee.”
[No, that’s not it! Are you really going to confess now? In this atmosphere!]
My cold rationality erupted in frustration.
“Hyung, absolutely not. You’re going to confess without any preparation and expect her not to reject you?”
Jeon Tae-guk’s shoulders sagged.
“You’re right… I should save those words for my diary. Then, tell Jung-hee to contact me as soon as she gets to San Francisco.”
“That sounds reasonable. I’ll pass it along.”
“Got it.”
Jeon Tae-guk shuffled into the next room with slumped shoulders, dragging his feet.
But what on earth did Jung-hee want to tell me?
Why did I feel this inexplicable sense of anticipation?
* * *
9 a.m.
The Bagel Shop was still bustling with customers.
Jung-hee stood among the crowd, her radiant face waving at me.
[Jung-hee looks beautiful even in the morning….]
“Sung-guk, over here.”
I squeezed through the crowd and quickly greeted her.
“Hello.”
“Be more casual with me.”
[If I get too comfortable, I might grow closer to her. I can’t have that.]
I deliberately brought up Park Secretary.
“Did you and Park Secretary enjoy the musical?”
“Yes. We’re seeing another show tonight. Park Secretary is heading back to Korea tomorrow. By the way, what would you like to eat?”
“I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
“Sure, I’ll order for both of us. Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
I found a quiet corner and waited for Jung-hee.
Jung-hee soon returned with a bagel and coffee, taking a seat.
“The salmon bagel here is really delicious.”
[I know. You always asked for double cream cheese.]
I took a bite, pretending not to remember.
“It really is delicious, noona.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste.”
“But why did you want to see me, noona?”
To be honest, I was so curious about this that I barely slept last night.
Jung-hee smiled brightly while looking at me. That smile had captivated many men.
“I told Mother about you.”
[Could she have changed her approach toward me? But I’m still a minor…. And in this life, I have absolutely no intention of getting entangled with her.]
I ate the bagel one piece after another, keeping my expression as indifferent as possible.
“My mother remembered seeing you when you were little on Jeju Island. She said she felt very sorry about it and wanted to buy you a meal. Your father was quite rude back then, wasn’t he?”
“I don’t remember much about it.”
I wasn’t surprised by Jae-hee’s Father’s rudeness and pettiness—I knew it all too well from my previous life.
I looked back at Jung-hee.
“So you really wanted to meet just to buy me a meal?”
“Yes. Is there a problem with that?”
Jung-hee nodded naturally.
“Most people who ask to meet me have something they want. Especially when they’re buying me dinner or giving me something.”
“Sung-guk, I’m really not that kind of person. Your mother was talking about you, saying how well you’ve grown up. She told me not to waste the allowance I received, and to buy you meals whenever we meet.”
“You really just wanted to meet up to buy me dinner?”
My genuine doubt slipped out.
[There’s no such thing as kindness without a reason!]
“I’m serious.”
Jung-hee smiled brightly, but why did my heart feel bitter?
Jung-hee was still a pure twenty-something, but I only looked young on the outside—inside, I carried the weight of my past life too.
I couldn’t believe anything at face value, no matter what was said.
“Sung-guk, you might not believe this… but ever since I was young, whenever I saw you, I felt this strange familiarity. In my memory, even seeing you grown up like this in New York, it doesn’t feel unfamiliar. You’ve always felt like a younger brother to me.”
[A younger brother….]
It felt like a hole had opened up in my chest.
“So just remember me as an older sister who buys you dinner sometimes, okay?”
“Yes, older sister….”
At that moment, Jung-hee looked past me and smiled brightly.
It was that radiant smile she used to give me in my past life, but—
“Secretary Park.”
This time, it was directed at Park Secretary.
“Sung-guk, you’re heading to San Francisco today?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve already told VIP that we’re declining the airplane ticket and rescheduling. Have you decided when you’ll be coming back to Korea?”
“I’ll go back around Liberation Day like I originally planned. We can coordinate the schedule then.”
“I’ll report that right away!”
I shoved the last piece of bagel into my mouth and quickly stood up.
[Yeah, this is the reality I need to accept.]
I stood up coolly.
“I should get going. Thanks for the meal, older sister.”
“Okay, I’ll buy you dinner next time too, Sung-guk.”
I just nodded and turned away.
Behind me, I heard Jung-hee and Park Secretary having a warm conversation.
[Jung-hee, be happy. Whether then or now, you and I were never meant to be connected.]
* * *
Summer in New York was lush and green, but it felt somewhat lonely to me.
Was it because of Jung-hee?
More than that, it was because Jung-hee remained pure, but I couldn’t accept her intentions at face value.
[Who would understand this feeling….]
Suddenly, I called Bang Mu-hyuk.
Bang Mu-hyuk answered the phone with a tired voice.
– Sung-guk, it’s been a while.
“How have you been? I was curious about how Min-guk and Jung-woo were doing, so I reached out. I also have a proposal for you.”
I offered a convenient excuse first.
– Both of them are working very hard. Their skills are improving too…. Sung-guk, what kind of proposal do you have?
“Since Min-guk and Jung-woo will both be on break, what do you think about sending them for a short-term training program in the United States? It would broaden their horizons.”
– Well….
Bang Mu-hyuk seemed troubled. It was obvious the reason was financial.
“I’ll cover the costs. I’m heading to Korea around Liberation Day anyway, so I thought it would be nice if we went together.”
– Really, that’s okay? Actually, we’ve been building connections in the hip-hop group scene, so Min-guk and Jung-woo have been really into that kind of music lately. If they go, it would be a great experience for them.
“Then I’ll look into the schedule and contact you.”
Indeed, only family could comfort this loneliness in my heart.
Just then, a familiar melody drifted through the phone.
It was a song that would become a massive hit as a drama OST about a year later.
“Were you working on something?”
– Yeah, I got an OST project, so I roughed out the melody… but I just can’t get the lyrics right.
“Is that song about a breakup?”
– Yeah. I wanted it to have some poignant verses, but since I haven’t been in a relationship lately, I can’t seem to capture that emotion. Sung-guk, I guess I’m getting old.
“Actually, I’m feeling something like that right now.”
– Sung-guk, have you been in love?
[I met my first love from my past life, Bang Mu-hyuk. I have so many memories with that person, but my first love knows nothing about it.]
“Not exactly. You could say it’s more of an indirect experience….”
Bang Mu-hyuk’s laughter came through the phone.
– What do you mean by that?
“There’s an older brother I know who never even confessed to his first love, and now he’s helping that first love be happy with another man.”
– Oh man, that’s pure-hearted love.
“When that brother sees the woman he loves being happy with someone else, he says his heart feels completely hollow. Like he’s been shot.”
Suddenly, the other end of the line went quiet.
“Is something wrong?”
– No, I’m just writing down what you said right now. That’s it. When someone breaks up, your heart feels completely hollow. Sung-guk, I just got the lyrics now. I’ll call you right back after I finish the lyrics. Let’s discuss the Min-guk and Jung-woo training program then!
“Yes, sir.”
Bang Mu-hyuk hung up hastily.
And I walked through the streets of New York again, feeling lonely.
Today, my heart felt completely hollow.
Like I’d been shot.
* * *
“Sung-guk! Tae-guk!”
Mark came to pick us up at the airport.
But when Mark saw the two of us, he tilted his head in confusion.
“Why do you two look like that? Are you feeling sick? Did something happen on the plane?”
“Mark, just don’t ask us to say anything right now.”
“Oh, okay. Sung-guk, I bought a car this time. I’m planning to go on trips with Mi-mi on weekends and stuff.”
Mark was excitedly chattering away about the car he’d bought today.
“This car, you see, has a history and tradition that spans generations in the United States. It’s truly magnificent. You have no idea how long I searched for this one.”
The more Mark explained, the more uneasy I felt. Why was that?
The moment Mark’s car came into view, Jeon Tae-guk immediately picked up his phone.
“It’s Jeon Tae-guk. I’m at the airport. Come pick me up right away.”
Jeon Tae-guk hung up and looked at me.
“Sung-guk, are you really going to ride in Mark’s jalopy? If you ask me, I don’t think you’ll die in a crash—I think the car will just break down and you’ll die waiting for a tow truck.”
I placed my hand on Mark’s shoulder.
“Mark… have you shown this car to Lim Mi-mi yet?”
“I just bought it and dragged it straight to the airport. This is the first time anyone’s seeing it. I’m going to show Mi-mi too.”
“Mark, how much did you pay for this thing?”
“This car boasts tradition and history….”
“Mark, skip that. Just tell me the price.”
“Ten thousand dollars….”
“What?!”
I shouted loudly right there at the airport.
The old Ford sedan sitting before my eyes was practically on the verge of being scrapped.
“Mark, where did you buy this car?”
“Well… I bought it from a used car listing online….”
I looked at Jeon Tae-guk.
“Tae-guk, could you contact the legal team at the Samjeon San Francisco branch for me?”
Life returned to Jeon Tae-guk’s previously deflated face.
“Are you serious? Someone got ten thousand dollars for this heap of junk? This is outright fraud! Mark, forget it—I’ll buy you a new one.”
Jeon Tae-guk quickly called the San Francisco branch of the Samjeon Group again to request support.
I was starting to feel energized too.
Meeting my first love from my past life had felt like my heart had burst open, but Mark’s spectacular blunder had snapped me back to reality.
Mark tried to calm us down.
“Why are you two like this? I like this car. And ten thousand dollars is money I can afford to spend.”
“Mark, that’s not the point. Someone clearly scammed you for ten thousand dollars for a car that won’t even run a kilometer!”
“Sung-guk’s right on this one. Mark, wait. The Samjeon Group is mobilizing. We’re going to clear your name.”
Mark looked even more troubled.
“Tae-guk, I’m not wronged.”
“Mark, what are you talking about? You are wronged. I’m going to recover every penny you and Tae-guk gave—not a single dollar short.”
I gripped Mark’s shoulder firmly.
* * *
By the time Mark arrived at home, his cheeks had hollowed out in half a day.
He still had the ten thousand dollars in his hand, but his face looked like death.
I tried to console the dejected Mark.
“Mark, if you’d driven that car straight to Lim Mi-mi, there wouldn’t even be bones left to bury. Never forget that Lim Mi-mi is from North Korea.”
“Sung-guk… I really loved that car. It’s the same model as my first love. I’ve wanted one since I was a kid. Now it’s discontinued—I can’t even buy one anymore.”
At that moment, an identical car model to the one Mark had purchased came to a stop before Mark’s eyes.
If Mark’s car was barely fit for the scrapyard, this one was a well-maintained used vehicle.
The car door opened, and Jeon Tae-guk stepped out. He then tossed the keys to Mark.
“Mark, catch.”
“Tae-guk, what is this?”
“I told you. I’m buying it for you!”
“It’s the exact same model!”
“And it’s in much better condition too.”
At Jeon Tae-guk’s words, Mark broke into a radiant smile and rushed toward the car.
I gave Tae-guk a thumbs up.
Indeed, there is nothing in this world that money cannot make disappear.

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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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