I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 72

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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 72
Father ruffled my hair.
“You’re stubborn, aren’t you, Sung-guk? Those stocks are yours, so do as you please. But don’t come crying to me later if you lose money.”
“That won’t happen.”
I replied calmly.
Samjeon stock was like dung rolled by a dung beetle.
It would continue rolling and growing larger.
* * *
The new year of 1999 dawned.
The study abroad procedures were nearly complete, and now I only needed to depart.
My family wanted to celebrate Ji-hee’s hundredth day together, so I postponed my departure until after that milestone.
I woke at seven in the morning, sipped a warm glass of milk, and searched for stock prices and world news on my laptop.
It was far too early to overcome the IMF crisis, but overall the economy was beginning to recover.
‘Hmm… Is this the year of global apocalypse that Nostradamus predicted?’
I chuckled to myself.
Every time I turned on the television, various entertainment shows and advertisements featured Nostradamus’s prophecies.
But I already knew far too well that this world would not perish.
‘We’re out of milk.’
I headed to the kitchen with my empty glass.
Father had just emerged from the bathroom.
“Sung-guk, could you pour me some milk?”
“Sure, Father.”
Ever since Won Uncle’s Bossam launched their lunch boxes and braised pork feet as drinking snacks, the restaurant’s sales had surged, so Father headed to the shop early each morning.
Even with two part-time workers on staff, customers never stopped coming.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Father smiled warmly and applied lotion to his face.
“Sung-guk, once I make plenty of money, I’ll definitely visit you in the United States during vacation. How’s that?”
“Sounds good.”
I nodded.
“Now that Sung-guk’s all grown up, you won’t give your father a kiss anymore?”
[Father, I was born forty years old, remember.]
But propriety exists for a reason.
Even between parent and child, there are certain courtesies to observe.
I quickly planted a kiss on Father’s cheek.
Smack. Smack. Smack. Smack. Smack.
“Alright, that’s enough, you rascal.”
Father laughed cheerfully and put on his shirt.
Mother emerged quietly from the master bedroom, cradling Ji-hee in her arms.
“Is Min-guk still asleep?”
“Yeah, everyone quiet down.”
[This brat Min-guk. At seven years old, he should be jumping out of bed in the morning.]
No matter how I looked at it, leaving Min-guk behind when he was so lacking didn’t sit right with me.
“Sung-guk, can you watch Ji-hee for a bit? Mom will quickly make breakfast for you and Dad.”
Mother laid Ji-hee down on the floor.
Ji-hee was even more docile than Min-guk.
Once placed down, she would simply stay there without moving.
I stared intently at Ji-hee’s face.
[Sigh….]
A sigh escaped me.
[Ji-hee, who on earth do you take after?]
I had inherited only the best traits from both Mother and Father. Min-guk was passable enough. But Ji-hee had inherited only their shortcomings.
Mother’s protruding forehead. Father’s square jaw.
Ji-hee’s future prospects seemed to require some serious cosmetic intervention.
[At least she’s smart, right?]
I quickly sat beside Ji-hee and began reading her a fairy tale.
But Ji-hee merely flailed her limbs about.
I shook my head in disappointment, looking down at her.
[Jeon Ji-hee. What exactly are you going to do with yourself?]
Giggle giggle.
[It’s funny. Big brother already said so.]
Giggle giggle.
[When big brother was a hundred days old, I was already worried about what he’d do with himself.]
Giggle giggle.
[Let’s stop talking.]
I closed the fairy tale book.
* * *
“Oh, unnie. I’ll tell Sung-guk about it.”
Mother hung up the phone while eating and looked at me.
“Sung-guk, do you remember doing ‘Five Men and a Baby Basket’ with us?”
“Yeah. We did it with Just.”
“Wow, our Sung-guk really is a genius.”
“Mom says that all the time. Why are you bringing it up?”
“The broadcasting station wants to film ‘Five Men and a Baby Basket: The Sequel’ with you this time. That director is going to direct a project at our talent agency soon. While we were talking, the idea came up, and the broadcasting station approved it, and Just said they’d clear their schedule.”
Just had become a massive group after “Five Men and a Baby Basket.”
In particular, the song “It’s a Lie” that I had selected is still regarded as a masterpiece to this day.
That arrogant Michael even left the group, and they became an idol group with positive influence, so their fanbase was tremendous.
“Mom, what’s the appearance fee?”
Father poked my forehead with his finger.
“You brat. Dad already told you not to be so obsessed with money at your age.”
“He has a sharp sense of economics.”
I was beginning to express my true thoughts aloud now.
“Sung-guk, you can’t win with words alone.”
“Sung-guk, what do you think about doing this program before you leave for your studies? I thought it would be nice if our family could watch these videos whenever we miss you. I’d really like you to do it.”
“Let’s start with a meeting first.”
“Sure, the Director is coming to the office this afternoon. Let’s go together.”
“Okay!”
* * *
“Sung-guk, it’s been so long. When did you grow so much?”
“Hello, Director.”
“Do you remember me?”
“Not really.”
I was lying.
There was no way I wouldn’t remember him. But not many eight-year-olds remember someone they met around age two.
“This kid’s supposed to be a genius, or so I’ve heard. And I can’t even remember him. That’s disappointing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Wow, you couldn’t even talk back then… and now you speak so well. And you’re fluent in English and French too?”
“Yes.”
The Director’s hairline had receded noticeably over the years. He was trying to cover it with a hat, but his forehead had clearly expanded.
“By the way, Representative Kim mentioned something. Sung-guk, you came up with the idea for a cooking competition show?”
“I thought it looked fun watching Father do it.”
“Sung-guk, we’re planning the program based on your concept. If it goes well, your name will be credited as a planner.”
[So they’re protecting copyright…]
I smiled softly.
“Thank you.”
I didn’t bring up money separately.
At my age now, talking about money would make me seem less innocent.
“Director, have some coffee and let’s talk. You know how Sung-guk talks non-stop the moment he arrives?”
Kim Mi-young skillfully drew the Director away from me.
[Finally, a moment to breathe.]
When I was younger, I couldn’t speak and my pronunciation was slurred, so I kept all sorts of thoughts bottled up inside. But as I grew older, I became more cautious about what I said.
I was afraid my true feelings would suddenly burst out.
“Sung-guk, shall we have the meeting now?”
“Yes!”
I quickly entered the Conference Room.
“Sung-guk, have some milk.”
Representative Kim Mi-young handed me a glass of milk.
Mother quickly served coffee to the Director and a few staff members.
“Director, it’s been so long since we’ve seen you.”
“I heard Sung-guk’s baby brother was born?”
“Yes, she’ll be a hundred days old soon.”
“That girl’s going to be quite the character.”
“She’s a daughter. Since she’s only a hundred days old, we can’t really tell yet.”
What she meant was that Ji-hee’s appearance came from me and Min-guk—in other words, there was no point comparing her to us.
The Director sipped his coffee and passed around several proposal documents.
“Take a look at this reunion special with Sung-guk and Just.”
The staff, Kim Mi-young, Mother, and I quickly scanned through the proposal the Director handed us.
The concept was “Five Men and a Baby Basket: Seven Years Later.”
Just, the group that was virtually unknown during “Five Men and a Baby Basket,” and how my life had transformed in the seven years since I was barely two years old—that was the story being pursued.
Just had become South Korea’s national idol group. But now their contract period had ended, and several members including Beom-seon had transferred to other talent agencies. It was the typical disbandment sequence of a boy band.
As for my story, it was brief. Born under parents who became orphans at a young age, I captivated the public with my outstanding appearance and talent, frequently doing modeling work before disappearing from public view.
But in the meantime, I had distinguished myself in languages and various fields to the point of being called a genius, and as the first recipient of the Junho Foundation’s sponsorship from the Hyojin Group, I was preparing for study abroad in the United States.
Suddenly, I was curious about someone.
“Director, what about Michael?”
“Michael? Sung-guk, do you remember Michael?”
Oops.
But in situations like this, staying composed works.
“I watched the videotape.”
“A true genius really is extraordinary. What’s Michael up to?”
The Director looked at one of the staff members. He appeared to be the Screenwriter.
“We actually made inquiries ourselves.”
“He didn’t get into any serious trouble, did he?”
“Some minor incidents, but fortunately he’s been running a craft burger restaurant in Itaewon for a while now. It’s getting pretty good reviews.”
“Seems like he’s got his head on straight now.”
“He even got married.”
Michael’s life had taken a slightly different path from what I’d observed in my previous life.
He’d left Just early and gone through his share of hardships before becoming a proper person.
“Director, I’d like to meet Michael.”
“Sung-guk, are you serious?”
“Yes. When I watched the old videos, Michael and I were always fighting. A baby shouldn’t be like that, so I want to apologize.”
“We often show those old videos to the children.”
Mother offered an explanation.
“Sung-guk, you have nothing to apologize for. Michael was the one who bullied you.”
[Director, you know. I remember it all. But if we do it that way, it’ll make for good television, won’t it.]
“I think I bullied Michael too.”
I simply smiled brightly.
The Director scratched his head with his pen and looked at the Screenwriter.
“Should we create some kind of reconciliation scene between Michael and Sung-guk? While we’re at it, we could do reconciliation scenes with the other members too. What do you think?”
“It’s not a bad idea. But do you think Michael will be willing?”
“He’s running a craft burger place in Itaewon, right? Times are tough these days, but appearing on broadcast is free advertising. All the Just members ended up going their separate ways anyway, so they’ll jump at the chance to promote themselves.”
“I’ll try to reach out to them.”
“Thanks to Sung-guk, we’ve landed ourselves a great angle.”
The Director ruffled my hair affectionately.
* * *
“Baby Basket and Five Men, Seven Years Later?”
“Yes, Michael.”
The Screenwriter was sweating profusely.
Michael, who now ran a handcrafted burger shop in Itaewon, hadn’t changed one bit in temperament.
“Do you know how much abuse I took because of that show? You think I want to go back on air? On top of that, my private life got exposed and I practically got kicked out of the group.”
“That’s exactly why. We thought it would be good to create a space for reconciliation with the other members.”
“That doesn’t make sense. When I left, not a single one of them called to check on me.”
Michael flipped the patty on his handcrafted burger while grumbling.
“We’re talking about clearing up those misunderstandings together.”
“Forget it. Business is already struggling—don’t bother me. Just drink and go.”
“That’s precisely why you should do this.”
Michael looked at the Screenwriter.
“Business is tough, isn’t it? Our concept is ‘Five Men and a Baby Basket,’ seven years later. We’ll follow the documentary-style journey of what’s happened and how everyone’s living now. Your shop, what you’re doing right now—it’ll all get natural exposure. You’ll definitely see advertising benefits. What do you say?”
Michael stopped flipping the patty and looked at the Screenwriter.
“Fine. Let’s do it. But I have one condition. First, try this.”
The Screenwriter took a bite of the handcrafted burger Michael offered him.
The juices seeped through deliciously—the taste was quite good.
“It’s delicious.”
“Right?”
“I’d really like all the Just members to come to my shop. That’s how it gets proper promotion. Everyone knows when you just film one person and leave. You came to promote. If you do it that way, I’m happy.”
Michael spoke while flipping the patty that was starting to char.

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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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