I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 45

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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 45
“Song Hye-sun is the new girl who just joined us, and she landed an advertisement right away, didn’t she?”
Mother chirped this to Father.
“You’ve got a good eye for talent.”
“Actually, I was just so-so about it, but Sister Kim Mi-young and Sung-guk were completely in favor.”
Father looked at me and broke into a grin.
“This kid Sung-guk has an eye for people too.”
“Sung-guk also filmed a Banana Milk commercial this time, and another offer came in right after.”
[Dad, that’s just who I am.]
The moment word spread that I was returning to commercials, offers flooded in like a tidal wave. Thanks to that, I could choose advertisements with my image in mind.
Mother quickly pulled out her bankbook and thrust it before my eyes.
“Sung-guk, do you know how much this is?”
“Four hundred million won!”
I shouted.
“It’s not even surprising anymore when Sung-guk counts numbers.”
Father ruffled my hair.
“Sung-guk, is kindergarten worth going to now?”
“Yes!”
I lied because I didn’t want to worry Mother and Father.
Hierarchy still existed, and their gaze toward commoners like me bordered on pity. Still, I was grateful I could continue taking English and French classes and read whatever books I wanted.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
The house phone rang loudly.
“Who could that be at this hour?”
It was past eight in the evening. Father quickly answered the phone.
“Hello? Ah, yes. Secretary Yang. Right now?”
Father hung up and strode toward me.
“Sung-guk, let’s get you dressed.”
“Why, Dad?”
“Mi-jin is leaving the day after tomorrow and wants to say goodbye tomorrow since you’ll be skipping kindergarten for a shoot.”
[Sigh. Really, Jeon Mi-jin….]
Since Jeon Mi-jin had made kindergarten life easier for me, I could at least say a final goodbye.
Mother quickly grabbed my coat and came out.
“Honey, I’ll watch Min-guk.”
“Okay. Sung-guk and I will be back soon. Should I pick up beer on the way back?”
“Sounds good.”
[Banana Milk for me!]
“What’s this kid muttering about? Sung-guk, let’s go.”
I reluctantly let Father drag me out.
In the apartment parking lot sat a car that absolutely could not be found in this neighborhood.
As Father and I walked hand in hand, the rear door of the car opened, and Jeon Mi-jin stepped out in full makeup. Her eyes were already swollen.
[Don’t cry. You’ll look even uglier.]
“Sung-guk, Sung-guk. Sniff.”
Mi-jin transformed into a tragic heroine and sniffled to herself.
[This is awkward.]
“Sung-guk!!!”
She called my name and rushed toward me. In her haste, she tripped on the floor, tearing a hole in her white stockings at the knee and drawing blood.
[So clumsy.]
Secretary Yang quickly followed and helped Mi-jin to her feet.
The back door opened, and an unexpected figure emerged. It was the Iron Lady.
I found it more surprising that the Iron Lady had chased after us for this late-night encounter than Mi-jin’s arrival. Though the Iron Lady was a mother and didn’t neglect caring for her children, she was typically occupied with business meetings in the evenings.
Mi-jin suppressed her pain and stood up, then limped toward me on one leg.
Father subtly released my hand.
“Sung-guk, go on.”
[Dad, are you seriously imagining some dramatic scene where I run over and embrace Mi-jin right now?]
Father gently pushed my back.
I had no choice but to trudge reluctantly toward Mi-jin.
Mi-jin forgot her pain and ran again, throwing her arms around me.
“Sung-guk, I’m going to America.”
[Mi-jin, don’t do this. We were family before. And a pretty dysfunctional one at that.]
“Sung-guk, I’m going to miss you so much. Sung-guk, don’t forget me. Okay?”
“Okay.”
I gave a polite response.
Since she was leaving, there was no point in being cruel about it. I knew Mi-jin’s personality better than anyone. Within a week, she’d be infatuated with some boy who looked like Brad Pitt and would forget all about me.
Suddenly, Mi-jin extended her pinky finger.
“Sung-guk, when we meet again…”
Why did I have such a bad feeling about this?
“Let’s get married.”
“No.”
I shook my head firmly.
“Sung-guk, what did you say?”
When Mi-jin asked again with a bewildered expression, the Iron Lady standing behind her quickly intervened.
“Mi-jin, didn’t you say you just wanted to see Sung-guk’s face?”
“Mom, Sung-guk rejected my proposal.”
“He didn’t give you an answer, did he?”
“No. He clearly said he didn’t like it.”
The Iron Lady fixed me with a piercing gaze.
“Sung-guk, is that really what you said?”
“Mi-jin, let’s think about it when you come back to Korea.”
“Really, Sung-guk?”
Mi-jin brightened instantly at my words.
[If only my younger brother from my past life hadn’t existed….]
I clenched my fists.
The Iron Lady gripped Mi-jin’s shoulder and looked down at me.
“Sung-guk, we’re going to America now.”
It seemed the Iron Lady was going along for the children’s education.
“Will you make me a promise?”
“….”
Today, the women of Samjeon Group kept asking me for promises.
I waited silently for her next words.
“Sung-guk, you know the chairman of Samjeon Group, right? While I’m away….”
I nodded slightly.
I gave a small nod.
“Don’t meet with him separately. Understood?”
“….”
I didn’t answer.
While I intended to refuse Samjeon’s sponsorship, there was no particular reason to avoid Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
As Father approached from behind, the Iron Lady opened her mouth with a gentle smile.
“Mi-jin wanted to say hello.”
“I’ve heard they get along very well.”
[Dad, that’s completely fake news. Mi-jin is the only one who likes me.]
“Then we’ll be on our way.”
“Ah, yes. Goodbye.”
Father bowed ninety degrees behind the Iron Lady.
I could sense that the Iron Lady was still anxious. No matter what, she had been my mother in my past life. She wasn’t as warm as my current mother, but she loved her children in her own way. She still seemed worried that I might become the successor to Samjeon Group.
I turned away from the Iron Lady with a bitter smile.
[Iron Lady, don’t worry—that will never happen. In this life, my goal isn’t to become a tool of Samjeon, but to surpass it.]
* * *
September 12, 1997.
My seventh birthday was approaching.
Since September 12 happened to fall on the busiest Friday for Father, we decided to celebrate my birthday on Monday evening when he had time off.
Min-guk was fidgeting beside me in a red bow tie. This brat was now five years old and annoyingly disobedient.
Since “Endless Love,” I’d been doing children’s commercials from time to time, but it was barely enough to cover my own expenses.
“Hyung-ah, hyung-ah.”
“What is it?”
“Hyung-ah, are we going to eat jjajangmyeon today?”
“Your hyung will buy it.”
“Yay! Min-guk likes jjajangmyeon!”
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Min-guk clapped his hands with pure delight.
Min-guk’s greatest strength was always his cheerfulness.
Aunt handed me a jacket to put on. It was a jacket Mother had bought at the department store with some real money for my birthday gift.
Over the two years since we moved to Jamsil, our family’s circumstances had improved considerably.
Father’s Bossam Restaurant’s Jamsil Branch was generating steady revenue. While it hadn’t exploded in popularity yet, word-of-mouth had spread enough that he was earning significantly more than most managers at major corporations.
And the achievements of SKJ Planning, to which Min-guk, Lim Sun-mi, and Song Hye-sun belonged, were even more remarkable. If Lim Sun-mi was setting, Song Hye-sun was rising. She had even ventured into sitcoms and was becoming the aspiration of women these days.
With the success of their affiliated entertainers, SKJ’s revenue grew steadily, and the company even changed its name from SKJ Planning to SKJ Entertainment.
Min-guk was earning his keep, and as for me, I was still commanding the top modeling fees among child models.
My bank account already held over 500 million won.
When I was born into this poor household, 100 million won had been my goal. Once I achieved that milestone, I was still too young to do anything with it.
But now I was seven years old.
I could express myself clearly, and through the endless economic news and books I’d consumed, I had a rough grasp of the current era’s atmosphere.
Now came what would be a crisis for some and an opportunity for others—the so-called IMF. South Korea’s greatest foreign exchange crisis was approaching.
Yet the world remained more peaceful than ever.
Mother opened the door and stepped inside, alternating her gaze between Min-guk and me, both dressed impeccably.
“Wow, you both look so handsome. Are you ready for dinner?”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
Min-guk and I threw our right hands up in the air.
* * *
The Chinese cuisine restaurant at Samjeon Hotel.
My seventh birthday party was being held at the place that served my favorite jjajangmyeon in this entire world.
Kim Mi-young, now the representative of a proper entertainment company, my Aunt who cared for Min-guk and me, Lim Sun-mi, now part of the same company family, and even the original owner of Bossam Restaurant—eight of us gathered in a small private room.
A strawberry cake from Samjeon Hotel, prepared in advance by Kim Mi-young, was already set up.
Remembering my first birthday, tears suddenly welled up in my eyes.
My birthday with Mother and Father, who were born as orphans in that tiny one-room apartment in Suyu.
Father was busy taking pictures of me with a disposable camera he’d bought at the supermarket, and Mother had set up a simple first birthday table.
Kim Mi-young, who was the landlord of that one-room building back then, had come asking for a rent increase but ended up bringing meat to my first birthday celebration and joining us. It was through that connection that we are where we are now.
Though Mother and Father were orphans without parents, we now had Kim Mi-young, Lim Sun-mi, the original owner of Bossam Restaurant, and my Aunt who cared for us.
Lim Sun-mi placed a candle marked with a 7 on the cake.
“Sung-guk, before the jjajangmyeon arrives, let’s blow out the candles first.”
“Yes!”
I answered with a bright smile.
[Jeon Sung-guk, I’ve really lived hard these seven years.]
“Now I’ll light them.”
“Yes, Father!”
Father quickly lit the candles.
At the same time, everyone sang the birthday song for me.
This was truly a sight I couldn’t have imagined when I was first born into this family.
To think I’d have another birthday party at Samjeon Hotel… even if it was just renting one restaurant room.
“Happy birthday to our beloved Sung-guk!”
At the same time, Father whispered to me.
“Sung-guk, make a wish quickly.”
I closed my eyes gently and clasped my hands together.
As I was about to wish upon the future I’d longed for over these past seven years, the faces of Mother, Father, and Min-guk appeared before my mind’s eye. At the same time, Kim Mi-young, Lim Sun-mi, Aunt, and the Restaurant Owner came into view as well.
Thinking of them, something ineffable and tender swelled up from within my heart.
In that moment, my birthday wish transformed.
[Please let me be together forever with my Mother, Father, and Min-guk, and all the people I love.]
“Sung-guk, have you finished making your wish?”
I opened my eyes and looked at Mother.
“Yes!”
“Then let’s blow out the candles!”
Whoosh—
I blew with all my might and extinguished the flames.
The sound of applause from those gathered around me filled the air, and soon the food arrived.
“Today’s lunch is on me. Sung-guk, give your sister a kiss.”
[She’s more like an aunt to me now than a sister.]
But I smiled brightly and planted a kiss on Lim Sun-mi’s cheek.
Lim Sun-mi pulled out a gift she’d hidden beneath the table.
“A gift for Sung-guk.”
At the word “gift,” my heart raced again.
[Pretending not to be excited again.]
I clicked my tongue inwardly and tore open the wrapping paper. Inside was a gift I hadn’t anticipated.
“Sun-mi, isn’t this too expensive?”
Mother asked in a surprised voice.

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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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