I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 317
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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 317
The police officers apologized sincerely to Min-guk and Dohyung.
Min-guk responded in English with considerable composure.
“I hope racial discrimination like this never happens in the United States again.”
Then he glanced at me and flashed a mischievous smile.
“Big brother, I did well, didn’t I?”
“Your tense was a bit off, though…”
“Nooooo!!!”
“Min-guk, let’s head back to the dormitory and study a bit more.”
“Sigh… Living as Jeon Sung-guk’s younger brother is tough.”
[Living as Jeon Min-guk’s older brother is even tougher.]
I glanced at Emma Watson, who had waited for me while I dealt with the police.
“Emma, thank you.”
“Then you’ll buy me breakfast, right?”
“Has it gotten that late already?”
Looking at the time, it was already past 7 in the morning.
After flying in from New York and resolving everything at the police station, the morning sun was breaking through.
So on our first date, Emma Watson and I had spent the night at the police station.
“Emma, I’m sorry. Because of me… you couldn’t sleep and must be exhausted, right?”
“I pull all-nighters often because of filming, so I’m not tired at all. And actually, I should be the one thanking you.”
What could she possibly be thanking me for?
“Even though I’m British, I’m white, so I’ve never experienced racial discrimination in the United States. That’s why I haven’t reacted strongly to such social issues. But today, seeing how racial discrimination happens so naturally and frequently in America despite its diverse population… I realized I’ve been such a frog in a well all this time.”
Emma Watson took a deep breath, smiled softly, and gazed at me intently.
“Sung-guk….”
“Yes?”
“This might sound completely out of the blue.”
[What is she trying to say?]
“What is it?”
“Will you date me?”
“….”
I was so shocked that I couldn’t form an answer immediately.
Just then, Min-guk poked my back from behind. And he deliberately whispered in Korean.
“Big brother, answer quickly. You can’t keep a lady waiting. And you absolutely can’t refuse either. I thought you’d end up single your whole life because of your narcissism.”
I quickly looked at Emma Watson.
“Emma, I have to go back to Korea in a month. I’ll stay there for about six months and then come back to America, but you’ll still be attending school on the East Coast by then, right?”
“Sung-guk, I’m an actress too. When I’m on set, it’ll be hard to even stay in contact for months.”
“There are so many walls between us.”
“But wouldn’t you like to try breaking through them anyway?”
Emma Watson extended her hand.
Not taking this hand meant…
“Big brother, don’t hesitate! Grab it quick!”
Right. If I didn’t take this hand, I’d be insane.
I took Emma Watson’s hand.
“Emma, I’m looking forward to this.”
* * *
“Big brother… what am I supposed to think about you two agreeing to date, holding hands just once, and then immediately leaving for New York?”
Emma Watson, just as Min-guk said, had agreed to date me, held hands for a moment, and then suddenly left for Los Angeles.
“The audition for the film I wanted to do got moved up suddenly—there’s nothing I can do about that. Min-guk, we’re adults. And there’s so much more we need to do ahead. Just because we agreed to date doesn’t mean we have to stick together all day long.”
“I’m just worried you might get dumped again like this.”
“Min-guk, I think you’re misunderstanding the situation. You’re not in a position to worry about me.”
Right now, Min-guk, Dohyung, and I were sitting in a row outside the Dormitory Supervisor’s office at the Language Institute Dormitory.
As soon as our conversation ended, the office door opened and an elderly male Dormitory Supervisor gestured for us to come in.
“You’re Min-guk’s guardian, correct?”
“Yes, I’m his older brother.”
“Please come in first, just you.”
“Of course.”
As I stood up, Min-guk grabbed my pants leg.
“Big brother, please make sure I don’t get in too much trouble.”
“Just trust your big brother.”
* * *
The elderly Dormitory Supervisor broke into a broad smile when he saw me and extended his hand.
“These days, students are going crazy over FaceNote. They say everyone’s so busy checking FaceNote during class that they can’t focus on their studies.”
Currently, the United States was in the grip of FaceNote fever.
The Dormitory Supervisor continued.
“In any case, it’s an honor to meet someone so famous like this.”
“Today I’m here as Min-guk’s guardian.”
“Right. Well, about Min-guk’s unauthorized departure this time…”
“I apologize. As his guardian, I have nothing to say in his defense.”
“When you’re dealing with spirited young people, these things do happen from time to time. What concerns us isn’t just the illegality of the unauthorized departure itself, but the possibility that they might get caught up in some serious incident while they’re out.”
I nodded.
An older brother with a wayward younger brother had nothing to say, as it was.
The Dormitory Supervisor continued.
“No matter how short-term the program is, once a student enrolls in our Language Institute program, they’re our student.”
“That’s absolutely right.”
“Especially since things even went to the Police Station… if you hadn’t been such an excellent guardian, it could have turned into something much worse.”
“Indeed.”
I agreed unconditionally with what the Dormitory Supervisor said.
“So we’re planning to ban Min-guk and Dohyung from going out until the end of this language program.”
“Of course you should! And may I ask one favor of you?”
“Go ahead.”
“In my assessment, Min-guk has made considerable progress in his studies here, and his ear has opened up quite a bit. That’s why I have such confidence in this institution’s educational approach.”
“We’re grateful for your trust in us.”
“That’s precisely why I’m bringing this up. I’d like to arrange private tutoring for Min-guk and the other five trainees—from after dinner until bedtime.”
“Until bedtime?”
“Would it be possible to have private tutoring until midnight?”
“Well, that’s… To do that, I’d need to find teachers willing to provide one-on-one instruction, and that’s not a simple matter.”
“Cost is not a concern.”
“It’s not just about cost. The real question is whether the teachers would be willing to do it.”
The Dormitory Supervisor was visibly flustered. In America, forcing students to study like that was virtually unheard of.
“As you yourself mentioned, if Min-guk’s unauthorized absence had resulted in a serious incident, it would have been catastrophic. The school would have had to acknowledge its negligence in supervision.”
“Well, that’s…”
When I pressed my point, exploiting the other party’s weakness had always proven most effective.
“To be honest, one reason I chose this school as Min-guk’s guardian was precisely because of its reputation for proper management and oversight of students. So you can imagine my shock when I heard about the unauthorized absence.”
“Ah, that was… unavoidable on our part.”
Now, finally, the power dynamic had shifted.
“Unavoidable? You shouldn’t say such things after an incident has already occurred.”
“Ah… well… What would you like us to do?”
“As I mentioned earlier, please arrange for teachers to provide private tutoring for Min-guk and the trainees until they go to bed. That way, the children won’t be tempted to wander, and there won’t be any more unauthorized absences. If you can resolve just this one issue, I won’t press the matter of the dormitory’s negligent supervision.”
At my words, the Dormitory Supervisor nodded with determination.
“Yes, I understand. I’ll contact the teachers today and send you the schedule.”
I smiled broadly and extended my hand.
“Oh, and please keep it secret from Min-guk that I arranged this. Just tell him the school decided to increase his classes as part of enhanced supervision.”
“Of course!”
The Dormitory Supervisor grasped my hand firmly.
* * *
As I stepped out the door, Min-guk and Dohyung, who had been waiting, jumped to their feet.
“Hyung, how did it go?”
“I explained it well. I told them there was no serious incident and that there won’t be any more unauthorized absences going forward. Right?”
I looked back and forth between Min-guk and Dohyung.
“Of course, hyung. We absolutely won’t do it again.”
“Min-guk, what about you?”
“Hyung, I’ll just study in the dormitory from now on.”
“Good… Still, since there are other students in the dormitory watching, it won’t be a severe punishment. They said it’ll probably just be a ban on going out. Since you’re here for a month of language study, I know it’ll be frustrating, but grit your teeth and bear it. Understood?”
“Yeah! Hyung.”
Min-guk nodded vigorously.
* * *
I climbed into Mark’s car.
“Mark, thanks. Did you wait long?”
“I’m fine. Did you resolve Min-guk’s situation?”
“Yeah. It should be fine from now on.”
At that moment, Min-guk called me.
I could guess why he was calling.
“Sung-guk, why aren’t you answering?”
“I don’t need to answer.”
When I didn’t pick up, a message came through from Min-guk right away.
– You’re the worst! I’m telling Emma Watson everything! You’re a dictator, hyung!!!
I replied immediately.
– If you want to talk to Emma Watson, you’ll need to improve your English first. Please, just say it in English, Min-guk.
Mark started the car.
“Sung-guk, are we heading back to New York?”
“No… I want to go home and rest for a while.”
“Is all the New York business finished?”
“Yeah. I’ve finished talking with Peter. Google and the legal team will handle the adjustments.”
“Then since you’re on vacation, come with me to LA to see Emma.”
“Mark, you know Yang Chul-soo starts work tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
Even with vacation, there was plenty to do.
“When Yang Chul-soo starts, I need to show him the ropes… and I have to review how well you’ve been running things…”
“Sung-guk, that’s not a vacation.”
“And… Emma said she’d come here this weekend.”
Mark broke into a grin.
“Sung-guk… so the day you actually date someone is finally coming. I thought it wouldn’t happen until the Earth was destroyed.”
“Mark, shut up and focus on driving. I’m going to get some sleep.”
I closed my eyes right then.
* * *
Finally, the weekend when Emma was coming arrived.
Emma sent me a message saying she had just boarded the plane from Los Angeles.
In a few hours, Emma would arrive at this house where I once lived with Jeon Tae-guk.
Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.
The doorbell rang loudly.
Who could it be?
“Restaurant Owner, it’s me, Lim Mi-mi!”
I quickly opened the door.
“Lim Mi-mi, what brings you here?”
“Restaurant Owner, Emma’s coming today, right?”
“Yes.”
“Let Mark and me treat you both to dinner tonight. Is that okay?”
“That sounds great. I was actually wondering what to eat anyway. It’s too much hassle to go to a restaurant.”
“I’ll prepare Korean food, so look forward to it!”
After Lim Mi-mi left, I started cleaning the house.
Inviting a woman to my home was truly the first time in this lifetime.
After running the vacuum, wiping down the kitchen, and spraying fabric freshener everywhere—something I never normally used—my home had definitely become quite presentable.
And finally, it was time to pick up Emma Watson.
I quickly grabbed my car keys and rushed out.
* * *
Since those days in childhood when I waited for Mother and Father, my heart had never raced like this at the airport.
I nervously ran my hand through my hair, waiting for Emma Watson to emerge.
A group of people passed through, and finally I caught sight of Emma Watson in the distance.
She was dressed in comfortable training clothes, but she stood out immediately.
Emma Watson flashed a bright smile when she spotted me.
I quickly waved my hand.
“Emma!”
In that moment, I felt Emma Watson’s expression stiffen.
What was wrong?
At the same time, Emma Watson rushed over and grabbed my arm tightly.
“Emma, what’s wrong?”
“Paparazzi.”
This was something I hadn’t anticipated.
Emma Watson quickly pulled me along.
“Sung-guk, let’s get out of the airport quickly.”
“Just hold my hand tightly.”
At the same time, camera flashes began going off all around us.
Emma Watson lowered her head, and I wrapped my arms around her protectively as we hurried out of the airport. Even after getting into the car, the paparazzi made it impossible for us to move for a while.
“Sung-guk, I’m sorry because of me.”
“What are you apologizing for? The problem is that I didn’t think this through. By the way, it looks like tomorrow’s news will be in an uproar. Are you going to be okay, Emma?”
“There’s nothing we can do about it. Besides, we agreed to date, didn’t we?”
Emma Watson squeezed my hand tightly.
“Oh, I need to change something….”
“Emma, what do you need to change?”
Emma Watson took out her phone and opened the FaceNote app.
“I’m in a relationship now.”
Then she changed her FaceNote account status to “In a Relationship.”
[Sigh… so this day finally comes after living so long.]
From now on, my account is also “In a Relationship”!
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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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