I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 430

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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 430
Kim Mi-young spoke in hushed tones.
“I’ve discovered talent in this industry and worked with various celebrities, so I’ve developed a decent eye for people. The way you look after Secretary Kim Mi-so, and how you treat us—you seem like a genuinely upright and decent person.”
“That’s just part of being a secretary.”
I deliberately answered in a colder tone.
Whenever Secretary Kim Mi-so came up, I found myself becoming more guarded. Without even realizing it!
Kim Mi-young looked at my face and smiled softly.
“Since you seem like a good person, treat her well.”
“That’s naturally my duty as a superior.”
[Strictly as a superior, of course!]
* * *
“Do we really have to skip Sevens’ Broadcasting Station activities like this?”
Director Kwak asked with a worried expression.
“It’s not that we’re skipping—it’s more accurate to say we can’t do it. You know this well yourself, Director. The major talent agencies already have a stranglehold on the Broadcasting Station, so there aren’t many stages available for mid-sized agency idols. And in our case with Sevens, since we don’t even lobby, the producers have completely blacklisted us.”
“Sung-guk, that’s your brother’s group. You could spend a bit more money, couldn’t you?”
“Director, I believe singers must first be recognized for their talent.”
“Really, this guy.”
Director Kwak shook his head.
“Director, do you remember the other baby model who was scheduled instead of me back then?”
“I remember. Wasn’t he some grandson from the Jeje family or something? He was cute too, but you had much better looks and understood directions perfectly, so I naturally wanted to cast you. But pressure came from above.”
“That’s what my mother told me.”
Of course, I remembered it far more vividly than just from hearing about it.
“That kid would cry every time he stood in front of the camera.”
“Right, he cried so much. And he kept trying to smack the nose of Lim Sun-mi, the main model. Lim Sun-mi had just had nose surgery back then, so she absolutely hated having her nose touched.”
Director Kwak became lost in nostalgia and began recounting the old days.
“Lim Sun-mi was impressive too. When that kid’s mother started bragging about her family background, she said she’d call Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, and she exposed everything about how Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was sponsoring them. Haha, it was really exciting back then. That’s why you became the model right away.”
“Director, I didn’t mention this to you beforehand.”
“What?”
Director Kwak’s eyes widened.
“There’s a baby model among the Sevens members who was originally scheduled to do a washing machine commercial.”
“Really?”
The surprised Director Kwak even set down his spoon.
“Wait, let me guess.”
Suddenly Director Kwak’s face lit up with excitement.
“Min-guk is definitely not it. So it’s one of the other six. Who on earth is it?”
Director Kwak fell into deep thought.
“Director, you won’t guess, will you?”
“I really can’t figure it out. Sung-guk, who is it?”
“Jae-hee.”
“The tall, fair-skinned one?”
“Yes, that friend.”
Clap!
Director Kwak clapped his hands together.
“Right, I knew it was him!”
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”
Kim Mi-young offered a gentle jab from beside him.
“No, I had a feeling it was him from the start.”
“You’re really stubborn about these things, aren’t you?”
The two bickered back and forth, but their expressions radiated happiness.
After finishing her meal, Secretary Kim Mi-so subtly checked the time on her phone.
It was a discreet gesture indicating it was time to head to the meeting.
“Director, Representative. I think I need to head out now. I have back-to-back meetings.”
“Of course, it’s impressive you made time for us despite being so busy.”
“Representative Kim, next time you and the Director should have dinner together.”
“If Sevens becomes a hit, I’ll treat you to something delicious.”
[It might take a while though.]
“Of course.”
And I glanced at Secretary Kim Mi-so.
I couldn’t take Secretary Kim Mi-so with me—the one who’d even had her makeup redone to hand over the United States tickets to Sevens.
“Secretary Kim, please stay behind and hand the airplane ticket to Min-guk, then come back.”
“Will that be alright?”
[She didn’t say a single word of complaint.]
“Of course.”
I answered as coolly as possible and stood up from my seat.
“Director, please film Sevens well for us.”
“Don’t worry. With your brother Min-guk and even Jae-hee, who almost became a model back then. I’ll pour every ounce of my skill into this shoot.”
“Thank you.”
After a brief farewell, I left the set, leaving only Secretary Kim Mi-so behind.
Throughout the drive back to the company alone, something felt hollow inside.
[It must be because she’s always been by my side.]
I steadied my resolve.
* * *
June 13, 2012.
The day of Sevens’ debut stage had finally arrived.
It was a stage secured dramatically after another talent agency’s idol group cancelled their performance.
And now, inside the van parked in front of the Broadcasting Station, our entire family had gathered.
Father had entrusted the Bossam Restaurant to his manager, Ji-hee had abandoned her beloved studies, and even Huin-dung-i had refused his afternoon nap!
Mother’s nervousness was plainly evident.
“Sung-guk, Min-guk will do well, won’t he?”
“He just needs to do what he practiced. That’s all.”
“My hands are trembling like this, but I wonder if Min-guk isn’t nervous at all.”
“Secretary Kim Mi-so distributed calming pills to all the kids, worried they might be anxious. She told them to drink it just in case.”
“Secretary Kim Mi-so really takes good care of the children.”
[Because she’s a fan club member!]
I pressed my lips firmly shut.
The door creaked open as Secretary Kim Mi-so entered carrying lunch boxes.
“You must all be hungry, right?”
“We’re fine. How are the kids?”
“They’re all so nervous they couldn’t eat. They keep saying it’s their first stage and they can’t make mistakes, so they’re rehearsing over and over again.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so relayed the situation from the waiting room.
“How can they perform without eating….”
“Mother, a light stomach helps with stage performance without any issues.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so quickly distributed the lunch boxes to the family.
“The pre-recording happens in 30 minutes.”
“Secretary Kim, what is pre-recording?”
“It’s pre-recorded footage. Apparently, new idol group stages aren’t broadcast live—they’re pre-recorded and aired. But the audience will still be there, so don’t worry.”
“I see.”
Mother nodded with a hint of disappointment. But she didn’t accept the lunch box.
“Our son couldn’t eat either, so how can I eat? I’m fine.”
“Ma’am, are you sure? You should eat something to watch the pre-recording.”
“No. I want to be exactly like our Min-guk.”
Mother declined the lunch box, but Ji-hee and I opened ours immediately.
Secretary Kim Mi-so truly knew my preferences well.
“It’s eel bento.”
“Director, you like it, don’t you? Ji-hee likes pork cutlet, so I prepared that for her.”
“Secretary Kim Mi-so, thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
Ji-hee didn’t forget to express her gratitude.
“Secretary Kim, have you eaten?”
“I’m not eating with the members either. I’m really nervous too.”
[No, why is everyone like this? You need a full stomach to cheer properly.]
I placed the largest piece of eel into my mouth.
* * *
Bang Mu-hyuk scanned each child standing in the waiting room with his eyes.
It had already been quite some time since the Sevens members gathered and began practicing together.
Even after bringing together the vocal line and rap line centered on Min-guk, there had been many incidents and accidents.
Before Sevens, the girl group they were preparing failed completely when one member attempted to seduce Jeon Tae-guk and it backfired.
As a result, they faced financial difficulties and couldn’t properly support the children.
Each time, they barely managed to continue the business with help from investor Sung-guk, but it was merely enough to keep things afloat.
Yet somehow, they had made it this far.
There are countless idol groups that never even get to perform their debut stage.
There are countless idol groups that vanish after a single debut stage.
Bang Mu-hyuk cleared his throat several times before speaking.
“Everyone, you’ve all worked hard to get here.”
Sevens remained silent.
Their faces reflected memories from their trainee days.
“As you all know, this stage is a substitute. Another group couldn’t perform, so we got this opportunity instead. That’s why we need to give our absolute best so that group won’t feel cheated when they see us. Understood?”
“Yes!!!”
Sevens answered in unison.
From outside, the roar of the audience echoed through.
It seemed the pre-recorded stage of another debut group had just finished.
Which meant it was finally Sevens’ turn.
The Assistant Director burst in and spotted Sevens.
“Sevens takes the stage in five minutes. Get ready!”
“Yes!”
At Sevens’ response, the Assistant Director covered his ears.
“My eardrums are about to burst.”
* * *
“I’m sorry, but animals aren’t permitted inside.”
A security officer stopped Ji-hee, who was holding Huin-dung-i.
If animals weren’t allowed, there was nothing to be done about it.
Jeon Tae-guk, who had arrived on time for the pre-recorded stage, quickly took Huin-dung-i and handed him to Secretary Park Sung-hee.
“You’re not interested in idol stages anyway, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Just watch Huin-dung-i for me.”
“Understood.”
Ji-hee’s expression grew sad.
“Huin-dung-i should see his little brother’s debut too.”
“I’ll show Huin-dung-i the broadcast on TV later.”
Rules were rules, and there was nothing we could do about it.
We were guided directly by the Broadcasting Station staff—more precisely, by the Director General of the Entertainment Division.
“Executive Director, it’s such an honor that you came in person.”
“Sevens is the group that includes the younger brother of Jeon Sung-guk, our representative. I’ve known Min-guk since he was young, so he’s practically my younger brother.”
“Ah, yes. I heard about that recently….”
The Director General could barely straighten his back.
“Sung-guk doesn’t like this kind of lobbying and advertising, so I stayed quiet about it. But you know I placed a Samsung advertisement this week because of Min-guk’s stage, right?”
“Of course. That’s why we specially sent our main camera director for this pre-recorded stage. He’s famous for making idol stages really shine.”
The Director General dressed it up nicely, but the truth remained unknowable to anyone.
“Since it might get quite loud, we’ve prepared VIP seating for your family and the Executive Director.”
The seat the Director General showed us had a perfect view of the stage.
The spectator seating was filled with a small number of fans holding purple balloons who appeared to be Sevens’ fan club, along with numerous fans from other fandoms.
I looked at Mother and Father’s faces.
Both of them had been silent for a while now.
After a long trainee period, they seemed nervous watching Min-guk finally take the stage for his debut.
I was nervous too.
In my previous life, I wasn’t particularly interested in idols, but I knew about Sevens.
They were also models for Samsung phone advertisements, and thanks to Sevens, people everywhere overseas started asking about South Korea more often.
Famous figures from abroad would subtly ask me for Sevens autographs or photos.
Their history was beginning today.
And their history was being born in this life, right in the palm of my hand.
My heart was pounding.
The Assistant Director came out on stage to explain the situation.
“Alright, now it’s time for Sevens. Since they’re a rookie group debuting today, please give them lots of support!”
“Yes!!!”
The audience responded enthusiastically.
“Alright then. Now Sevens is coming out!”
At those words, Mother, Father, Ji-hee, and I clasped hands together.
“Sung-guk, me too.”
Jeon Tae-guk joined in and held Ji-hee’s hand, while I firmly grasped Secretary Kim Mi-so’s hand with my remaining hand.
“CEO, I’m so nervous.”
“Don’t worry. Min-guk will do great.”
[Whose younger brother is he, anyway!]
At that moment, Sevens appeared on stage.
The intro to their debut song began to play.
Min-guk and the other members started their choreography just as they’d practiced.
And I watched this stage without blinking once, taking it all in with my eyes.
Finally, Sevens’ history had begun!

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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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