I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 75

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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 75
“Sung-guk, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Grace Choi.”
“Hello. I’m Jeon Sung-guk.”
I bowed respectfully.
Grace Choi was one of the most renowned consultants in this field.
She designed study abroad courses for the children of major families, including conglomerates, and charged astronomical fees in exchange for guaranteeing their admission to prestigious universities.
While many people did this work, Grace Choi was famous because she took complete responsibility for her clients’ private lives as well.
The nature of America as a country, combined with separation from parents, meant that children could easily access various drugs prohibited in Korea and often fell into delinquency.
Grace Choi was renowned for caring for her students perfectly in those aspects too.
Because of her reputation, being selected by Grace Choi alone was considered sufficient to guarantee admission to a prestigious university.
Of course, there were exceptions.
The sisters Ye-jung and Ye-ri, daughters of Chairman Koo Soo-young.
“Sung-guk, how have you been? My sister and I are going to the duty-free shop. Want to come along?”
“I’d prefer to read here.”
“Ma’am, please take good care of our Sung-guk.”
“Have a good time, ladies.”
Grace Choi had previously managed Jun-ho, the son of the late Chairman Koo Soo-young. Through that connection, she also took on his two daughters, who lacked grades but had bright personalities.
Of course, I was the exception.
Purely based on grades!
Purely based on potential! I had confidently earned Grace Choi’s selection.
“Sung-guk, what book are you reading?”
[Now she’s monitoring my reading too, Grace?]
“This one.”
I showed her the book cover.
“Demian by Hermann Hesse.”
Grace Choi’s eyes widened momentarily.
“Sung-guk, isn’t this the original German edition?”
“Yes. German is difficult, so I wanted to study it a bit.”
“Sung-guk, you’ve studied German too?”
“I’m not very good at it.”
I was being truthful.
I spoke English, Japanese, and French at nearly native level, but German was somewhat challenging, and Chinese, which I learned later, I could manage only simple conversations. That’s why I always excluded Chinese when asked how many languages I spoke.
“You certainly have ambitious language aspirations, Sung-guk.”
[Since I didn’t master it in my previous life, I’ll try in this one.]
“So you’re interested in the humanities, Sung-guk?”
“Yes. Especially the Entertainment Agency business.”
“Entertainment Agency?”
“Yes!”
At this time, South Korea’s perception of the Entertainment Agency industry was still underdeveloped.
But I knew better.
While Samjeon and countless other corporations created value from value, the entertainment industry was the one true creator of something from nothing.
“There’s nowhere better than the United States to study.”
I nodded in agreement.
It was also the reason I had chosen to study abroad in America.
Grace Choi handed me a schedule.
“If you take the flight today, you’ll arrive at JFK Airport in New York tomorrow morning. You’ll stay with Ye-jung and Ye-ri for about two weeks to adjust to life in America, and then you’ll begin an intensive English program at Columbia University.”
[I don’t really need the language program, but I’ll go along with it for now.]
I nodded silently.
“Since Sung-guk passed the elementary school equivalency exam with a perfect score at such a young age, your credentials are recognized, and you’ll be able to enroll in a boarding school in the fall semester starting in September.”
“Yes.”
I answered calmly.
“Sung-guk, other children study abroad around your age too, but I’ve never seen a kid as composed about it as you are.”
[Of course. New York, Boston—I’ve walked through those places like they were my own home, Grace.]
“Do you have any questions?”
“I’d like to read some books for now.”
“Sure. Oh, and feel free to call me Grace.”
“Yes, Grace.”
I smiled faintly and began reading Demian.
There’s a famous passage in Demian.
– Whoever is born must destroy a world.
Now I was being reborn as a second Jeon Sung-guk. To do that, I had to break free from the shell of this small world called South Korea.
* * *
I scored nearly perfect on the SSAT, the American private high school entrance exam.
There was just one question that confused me, and that single mistake cost me a perfect score.
They say you need to get at least one wrong to seem human.
Grace Choi handed me my score report with a delighted expression.
“Sung-guk, you already know your score, but take a look. You did really well. With these results, you can get into any high school in America. It looks like you made the right call taking the middle school equivalency exam like you said.”
[Of course.]
I shrugged my shoulders.
I had originally planned to attend a private middle school after completing the short-term language program, but I changed course and took the middle school equivalency exam instead. The reason was simple: there was a specific boarding school I desperately wanted to attend, and a person I wanted to meet.
Grace Choi handed me a list of prestigious boarding schools in America.
“Sung-guk, with your scores, I think you could get into any of these.”
“I want this one.”
The school I pointed to was naturally the top-ranked boarding school in America.
[I don’t do anything unless it’s first place.]
“This one?”
Grace’s expression became slightly troubled.
“This school… the admissions process is quite rigorous.”
[I know that too, Grace. Hyojin Group must be paying you a fortune—now’s the time to prove your worth.]
Top-ranked institutions in any country always had inflated egos.
“I really want to go there.”
The boarding school I had set my sights on was located in New Hampshire and was the top boarding school in the United States.
And there was someone I absolutely had to meet there.
Mark Zuckerberg.
* * *
Grace Choi was mobilizing every connection she knew.
The boarding school Sung-guk wanted to attend was famously so selective that they barely sent one student there per year. While Sung-guk had top grades, he was an Asian student, and worse, he was younger than typical applicants—significant disadvantages.
However, with near-perfect SSAT scores and being the first scholarship recipient of the Junho Foundation, established by Hyojin Group in memory of their deceased son, it would be a major blemish on her career if she couldn’t get Sung-guk into this school.
Grace Choi headed to New Hampshire with an envelope full of Sung-guk’s application materials.
* * *
The admissions director’s nose was pointed at the sky.
After all, South Korea was just a small Eastern nation caught in the IMF crisis.
Grace Choi presented Sung-guk’s outstanding transcripts and a portfolio summarizing his various activities.
The admissions director didn’t care for admission representatives like Grace Choi in the first place. American culture valued children making their own decisions from a young age.
Grace Choi explained the situation as calmly as possible.
“Sung-guk will be eight years old this year by American age. He really wanted to apply to this school, and since we’re currently in New York, which is far away, I came to consult first. I hope you understand.”
The admissions director didn’t even snort and flipped through the documents.
All the test scores the school required and near-perfect SSAT results.
There were many appealing elements, from his broadcasting career starting as a child actor.
“His family’s financial situation isn’t comfortable enough for overseas study. However, I’d appreciate it if you’d recognize that he’s the first scholarship recipient selected by Hyojin Group.”
“You know this is America’s top school, right? Top minds from all over the world apply here. His grades are good and he has a story, but… honestly, I’m not sure if he fits the type of student we’re looking for. And he’s far too young. Can he handle dormitory life?”
“He’s been living with me in a New York apartment for almost a year as he adapted to America. He’s at a level where he can adjust to dormitory life without issue. I understand that as America’s top boarding school, the competition is fierce. What I’d like to know is, what else does Sung-guk need to get into this school?”
Grace Choi asked boldly.
If I showed weakness and took a submissive stance, I’d be disrespected anywhere.
The admissions director was very impressed by Grace Choi’s attitude. Of course, looking at just the child Sung-guk’s age, career, and grades, he was someone any school would covet.
“It seems like you’ll be applying to our school… Before the interview, I’d like to see an essay first. Is that possible?”
Grace Choi’s brow furrowed.
The biggest difference between a child barely ten years old and a typical high school applicant was precisely the essay.
Could Sung-guk really do it?
Even Grace Choi couldn’t guarantee that.
* * *
[An essay? That’s a piece of cake.]
I couldn’t understand why Grace was biting her nails with worry.
Given American educational standards, I couldn’t have someone else write the essay. If that were discovered later, expulsion would be a real possibility, so the essay had to be written by me alone.
I rolled up my sleeves.
[Grace, didn’t I mention it? In my previous life, I contributed articles to Samjeon Group’s in-house magazine. I received direct instruction from the renowned novelist Lee Moon-seok.]
Grace looked at me and smiled.
“Sung-guk, are you confident?”
“Yes!”
“Sung-guk, if you don’t get into this boarding school, let’s look at other options.”
“Hmm….”
I stroked my chin thoughtfully, striking a contemplative pose.
[Grace won’t get rejected, but… nothing in this world is guaranteed. I should do that.]
I looked up at Grace Choi.
“Yes, I’ll apply to other schools as well.”
“Thank you, Sung-guk. This place is the best, but other schools are just as excellent.”
[I know that too. It’s just that there’s someone I want to meet, Grace.]
I quickly unfolded the paper and began writing my essay.
The essay’s theme was simple.
It was a story about my life.
South Korea is a country without class systems.
During the Joseon Dynasty, there were classes like yangban, jungin, and sangmin, but these hierarchies completely collapsed during Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War.
Since then, South Korea achieved remarkable economic development, but as a result, money became the new class system.
If I were to rank my parents in South Korea’s class structure, they would undoubtedly be at the very bottom.
Both my Father and Mother were essentially abandoned in orphanages as children.
My Father was an excellent student, but when his teacher told him that orphans rarely attend university and should learn a trade instead, he gave up his studies and learned cooking.
My Mother dreamed of living in a two-room house someday, even after marriage and having children.
Those are my parents.
And I was born to these struggling parents, working as an advertisement model before I was even one year old….
My eyes welled up.
As I wrote my life story, my eyes grew red.
A former tycoon born into the most impoverished household in South Korea….
I sniffled.
I held back my tears.
Grace Choi came to my side and patted my shoulder.
“Sung-guk, are you struggling?”
“I’m fine.”
“Then why? Do you miss your mom and dad?”
“….”
Instead of answering, I pressed my lips firmly shut.
Grace Choi would never understand, no matter how much I explained.
A former tycoon who had plummeted—not to ground level, but to the underground of my life.
The grueling hardship it took to climb from that basement to the sunlit surface above.
[Sigh, Jeon Sung-guk. You’ve been through so much.]
Just then, Grace patted my shoulder again.
“Sung-guk, I read your essay for a moment… it’s all good, but…”
[What’s with that twist at the end? Is there a flaw in my essay, Grace?]
“Everything up to here is perfect….”
[Of course it is. Go on, Grace.]
After a moment’s thought, Grace continued.
“Sung-guk, I’m just concerned about this. America doesn’t have a culture of humility, but saying that a ten-year-old raised his family from the ashes seems a bit exaggerated, doesn’t it? You’re not going to write it like that, right?”
I flinched.
She had struck a nerve.
[Grace, that’s not exaggeration—it’s the truth. She just doesn’t understand. I really did rebuild this entire family.]
I erased the essay with a bitter smile.
Grace patted my shoulder.
Someday, my decade of blood, sweat, and tears would be acknowledged.

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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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