I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 432

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

Chapter 432
Secretary Kim Mi-so, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, turned to Lim Mi-mi with a question.
“Mi-mi, are you planning to have your wedding ceremony in Korea?”
“No. I’m thinking of inviting my parents to the United States so I can show them our new home and everything. Honestly, I think it would be wonderful if my parents could come to America during this time, so I’m planning to push for it. But with the language barrier and all… even though they’re defectors from the North, Korea is more familiar to them, so it might be difficult.”
“Mi-mi, if you need anything related to Korea, just tell me. I’m a true-born Korean. If there’s something I don’t know, I’ll ask my parents and help you out.”
“Thank you, Secretary Kim.”
It seemed women really did have a special way of connecting with each other.
Jeon Tae-guk smacked his lips and ordered high-proof liquor to be brought to the room.
“Sung-guk, I think the three of us—you, Mark, and me—need to make a sacred oath of brotherhood tonight.”
[Where on earth did Jeon Tae-guk pick up that phrase?]
Mark nodded in agreement.
“A sacred oath! Sung-guk, since you’re my best friend, you have to be the eldest brother. And I looked it up, and apparently the eldest brother in such an oath needs to be someone with strong convictions. That’s definitely you, Sung-guk….”
“When exactly are we doing this?”
“Saturday night this week.”
“I’ll need to check the weather forecast for Saturday. It could pour rain, a storm could hit, or we might even get a blizzard in the middle of summer. South Korea’s weather is truly unpredictable.”
“But you’re not saying you won’t do it.”
“I already said—if it pours rain, if a storm comes, or if there’s a blizzard, we can’t do it!”
“That’s basically saying yes. Thank you, Sung-guk.”
Mark patted my shoulder.
I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.
Mark was my partner at FaceNote, and perhaps it was his strength that had brought me this far in this lifetime.
A genius programmer even he didn’t fully recognize in himself!
“Mark, this is really just this one time.”
“Don’t worry, Sung-guk. I’m only getting married once too.”
I reluctantly nodded.
“You’re having the wedding in the United States, right?”
“Yeah. I’ve been talking with Mi-mi about it… She wants to just register the marriage and move on, but I really want to see Mi-mi in a wedding dress.”
Mark’s eyes were shining brightly.
“Still, I want to respect Mi-mi’s wishes, so we’re planning to keep it small—just family and really close friends. We’ll also make significant donations as a wedding memorial. Sung-guk, can I ask you one more favor?”
“Another one?”
“Will you be my best man?”
This was a request I couldn’t refuse.
“Mark, of course I will.”
Mark pulled me into a tight embrace.
At that moment, Mi-mi looked at Secretary Kim Mi-so.
“Secretary Kim, would it be alright if I asked you for a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Would you be willing to be my maid of honor at my wedding?”
“Me?”
Secretary Kim Mi-so looked quite taken aback. The two of them had seen each other a few times, but they weren’t particularly close.
Mi-mi scratched her head awkwardly.
“As you know, I’m a defector from North Korea. The moment I arrived in the United States, I met Mark and started dating him, so I barely have any friends. I feel bad asking my coworkers, and… most importantly, I’d really like my bridesmaid to be Korean.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Then I’ll do it. I’ll be your bridesmaid.”
“Mi-so, thank you so much!”
“To be honest, I’ve always wanted to be a bridesmaid after watching American movies.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so had a gift for putting people at ease.
And so Mi-mi and I became the groomsman and bridesmaid for Mark and Mi-mi’s wedding.
“By the way, Mark…”
“What, Sung-guk?”
“Let’s film the whole thing on Saturday and upload it to YouTube and FaceNote.”
“That?”
“You’ve seen it in Korean dramas, but honestly, it’s barely done in Korea anymore these days. Since Tae-guk said he’d help too, let’s film it and upload it… well, it’s a good way to introduce Korean culture. What do you think?”
“Yeah. That’s a great idea. Mi-mi and I will keep it as a memory forever.”
Mark readily agreed.
* * *
– The debut stage of the group Sevens, which includes CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s younger brother, features clumsy hip-hop boys.
Rating: ☆☆
– The makeshift debut stage of Sevens, the group that includes Jeon Sung-guk’s younger brother Min-guk. Their passion was excessive, but their skills are still lacking. Still, there’s potential.
Rating: ☆☆☆
– The biggest challenge for Sevens is shedding the label of being the group of Jeon Sung-guk, a globally renowned entrepreneur.
The reviews of Sevens’ debut stage weren’t very positive.
Every article started with my name, and one critic pointed out that Sevens’ biggest problem was being overshadowed by my name.
Everything they said was accurate so far.
Breaking free from this frame would be Sevens’ greatest challenge.
I sipped my coffee leisurely.
It was truly my first day off in a long time on a Saturday.
Of course, it wasn’t a completely restful day.
In the end, I was destined to carry the wooden chest that evening and shout “Buy the chest!”
Looking out the window, there was no sign of a blizzard, downpour, or typhoon approaching today.
The weather was clear.
Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong!
The doorbell rang loudly.
I had a feeling I knew who it was without looking.
When I opened the door, Jeon Tae-guk walked in with the excited face of a child heading to an amusement park.
“Sung-guk, the groom’s father is supposed to wear a suit, right?”
“In the old days, he would have worn traditional Korean clothing.”
“These days when people do it, they wear a suit. I looked some things up too.”
[Why is everyone researching materials and doing things they’ve never done before? Really?]
I drained my coffee.
“Sung-guk, shouldn’t we do some kind of rehearsal?”
“Hyung, you’re just the guy holding the lantern next to the groom. You don’t need to practice something like that.”
“I guess it’s because this is my first time doing something like this. I’m getting nervous for no reason. Sung-guk, you have a suit to wear, right?”
“Hmm… I should have something I wore before.”
“We’re going to record this on video, so at least put some effort into it this time.”
“My face will be covered by the squid anyway, so what does it matter.”
I answered without much concern.
Whatever I wore looked good.
Even with my face hidden behind the squid, my height and physique couldn’t be concealed.
“Oh, Sung-guk. Sam and Adam are coming with us too.”
“More people carrying the groom’s gifts is better. Since we’re doing this anyway.”
“And I asked the director who handles our overseas advertisements to film it today.”
“Hyung!”
I looked at Jeon Tae-guk in surprise.
I hadn’t planned to make this such a big production.
I thought someone would just film it on an Apple phone, edit it, and upload it. But now that Jeon Tae-guk was involved, the scale kept growing.
“Hyung, you didn’t prepare anything else without telling me, did you?”
“Hmm… Park Secretary is probably already distributing the Samjeon Hotel Bakery cakes to Mi-mi’s apartment building… and I did tell Park Secretary to contact the Gwanak-gu Police Chief. Sung-guk, did you know Seorim-dong is in Gwanak-gu?”
“You know what they call this kind of situation, right hyung?”
“I don’t know much about the outskirts of Seoul.”
I shook my head. In any case, given everything Jeon Tae-guk had arranged so far, it didn’t seem like there would be any major trouble.
“Oh, Sung-guk….”
[Why does he keep calling me anxiously?]
“I asked the company to light up the lantern on the way to Mi-mi’s house.”
“Hyung…. The groom’s entrance is supposed to be flashy, but… this is really too much.”
“Sung-guk, I’m the one going. That path has to shine.”
I completely threw up my hands in defeat.
* * *
Jeon Tae-guk, who had been making a fuss since morning, brought suits from Gucci for himself, Sam, Adam, and even me—all identical.
Even the ties were all the same.
“Hyung, do we really need to go this far?”
“Sung-guk, leave this to me.”
Then Jeon Tae-guk handed me the squid.
“It’s that famous Ulleung Island squid.”
I hooked the rubber band attached to the squid over my ear.
I had no idea who I was or where I was anymore. Everything was completely bewildering.
Mark, who had brought the groom’s gift box to Pangyo, handed it to me.
“Sung-guk, this is the most important thing. I looked up videos, and the groom’s father haggled and everything on the way in.”
“That’s all ancient history.”
“Sung-guk, Secretary Kim Mi-so is preparing things on Mi-mi’s side.”
Jeon Tae-guk seemed intent on orchestrating even this moment.
“Hyung, weren’t we supposed to just slip in quietly?”
“Sung-guk, if you’re going to do it, do it right. It’s what Mark wants anyway.”
“Mark….”
When I glanced at Mark, he flashed me a grin.
“Sung-guk, every time I watch Korean dramas, I’m fascinated by that scene where the groom’s friend bickers with the bride’s side before reluctantly getting dragged inside. But today, you absolutely cannot go in easily. Got it?”
“….”
I simply nodded deeply.
* * *
The apartment where Lim Mi-mi’s parents lived came into view in the distance.
Just as Jeon Tae-guk had said, the entrance to the apartment was decorated with blue lanterns, making it look like a festival grounds.
The moment I stepped out of the car wearing an squid mask, the director overseeing Samjeon’s overseas promotional videos was right on my heels.
Jeon Tae-guk, Sam, and Adam followed me down, carrying the wooden chest.
Mark leaned close to my ear and whispered.
“Sung-guk, I’m counting on you.”
Then… there was no choice.
I cleared my throat slightly and shouted toward Lim Mi-mi’s house.
“Buy the chest! Buy the chest! Buy the chest!”
As my voice rang out loudly through the alley, people poked their heads out from various places to watch.
And in the distance, I could see Secretary Kim Mi-so and Lim Mi-mi’s relatives coming out.
This was finally the moment for negotiations to begin.
One thing was certain: I was born for negotiation more than anyone else.
Secretary Kim Mi-so smiled warmly and approached me.
“Please come in. You’ll wake up the whole neighborhood.”
“It’s not even 9 AM yet, and you say I’ll wake people? I can’t just go in like this. Buy the chest!”
I shouted again, and laughter and applause echoed from all around the neighborhood.
“Oh my, so noisy!”
“The groom’s friend is quite well-built!”
“Don’t tease the groom—come in already!”
Voices of neighbors came from here and there.
Secretary Kim Mi-so began holding out prepared envelopes.
“This is really going to get complaints. Please take this and come in.”
Jeon Tae-guk, who had received the envelope, snorted.
“This won’t do… I’m the heir to Samjeon Group. I can’t let our Mark get married for just this. Groom’s friend, let’s just go back!”
“Is that so?”
Mark waved his hands frantically with a panicked expression.
“No! No! I absolutely have to get married! Please, let’s go in!”
“Mark, we care about you so much. We can’t accept just this and let you through.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so quickly held out another envelope.
“The bride’s parents have prepared lots of delicious food and are waiting. Please come in.”
Jeon Tae-guk clutched the envelope of money, his expression wistful as he glanced at me.
“What do we do, brother?”
I turned to Secretary Kim Mi-so.
“We’re not the kind of people who lack for money.”
Mark and I had cracked the top ten wealthiest individuals in the United States following FaceNote’s IPO.
That meant we were among the world’s most affluent.
And then there was Jeon Tae-guk, heir to South Korea’s conglomerate Samjeon Group.
Sam and Adam likely commanded some of the highest salaries in the industry as program developers.
Secretary Kim Mi-so smiled slyly and placed her hands on her hips.
“Well, I suppose I’ll have to tell Mi-mi to call off this wedding then. Her friends clearly want this, yet you keep obsessing over envelopes.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so brushed off her hands and turned to leave.
[Secretary Kim Mi-so can actually act?]
That was the moment.
Mark suddenly bolted after Secretary Kim Mi-so and grabbed her.
“Secretary Kim, no! I have to get married! I really have to get married!”
Then he suddenly scooped me up in his arms and started running.
“Sung-guk, I’m sorry. I really have to marry Mi-mi!!!”

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————