I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 76

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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 76
The interview date was finally set.
Koo Ye-jung and Koo Ye-ri brought me a gift of taffy from who knows where.
“Sung-guk, you’ve worked so hard studying. But I heard Phillips Academy is notoriously grueling for studying in America—are you sure you’ll be okay?”
[Ye-ri, studying is supposed to be grueling.]
In the meantime, the youngest, Ye-ri, had graduated high school and was about to enroll in a university in New York for art management—the kind of school anyone with money could attend.
“Ye-ri, Sung-guk knows what he’s doing.”
[Exactly.]
“I know Sung-guk’s a genius, but Phillips Academy is where they gather only the top students in America. I’d suffocate in a place like that.”
“Noona, you’re an artist.”
[There we go. That’s a compliment.]
I said something to suit Koo Ye-ri’s tastes.
In any case, while I was in New York, Koo Ye-jung and Koo Ye-ri took care of me like I was their own brother.
“Sung-guk really knows how to be loved, doesn’t he? Right, noona?”
“That’s true. Oh! Ye-ri, your friends are coming to New York this week, right? Let’s go out and have fun together. I’ll take you to a club to celebrate becoming a college student.”
“Really?”
Ye-ri beamed with joy and looked at me with pitying eyes.
“When will our Sung-guk grow up so we can go to a club together? Noona, when Sung-guk grows up, he’s going to be incredibly popular, isn’t he?”
“In ten years, we’ll be too old to go to clubs.”
[Ye-jung noona really does see things clearly.]
Of the two sisters, Koo Ye-jung showed the most promise of inheriting Hyojin Group.
Koo Ye-jung wasn’t particularly bright, but she was a diligent worker who made an effort to study, while Koo Ye-ri only thought about having fun.
I deliberately let out a wide yawn.
“It’s time for Sung-guk to sleep.”
“Sung-guk, are you going to bed?”
“Yes.”
Grace helped me to my feet.
“Grace, should we come cheer for him this Thursday too?”
“If the young ladies come, Phillips Academy might complain about the fuss.”
“That school is really difficult.”
Koo Ye-ri let out a heavy sigh.
I quickly bowed respectfully.
“Noonas, sleep well.”
* * *
Phillips Academy, located in New Hampshire.
Lush green lawns stretched across the grounds, with Gothic-style school buildings sprawling across the vast expanse. It was the size of a small university.
Students in casual attire moved about the campus.
Of course, they were all taller than me by about two heads.
I gazed quietly out the window at the scene. Meanwhile, Grace adjusted the shirt I was wearing.
A neat styling that wasn’t overly formal.
That was my outfit for today.
“Sung-guk, are you nervous?”
“I’m fine.”
“They’ll probably ask a lot of questions based on what we practiced beforehand. And I quietly looked into it… The new admissions officer this time is trying to increase the proportion of Asians. For diversity. Plus, they’re lenient about age and various cultures.”
“I see.”
I filed that fact away in my memory.
* * *
A tall admissions officer with a rugged impression greeted me.
“Hey, Sung-guk. I’m Liam.”
“That means a person with strong will.”
“You’re talking about my name? You know that meaning and have studied our culture quite a bit. What does Sung-guk mean?”
“It’s the character for ‘accomplish’ combined with the character for ‘nation.'”
“Does it mean to build a nation?”
Liam asked in surprise.
“It means to become someone that great.”
“That’s a good meaning.”
Liam naturally guided the conversation forward.
He was quite bright and pleasant, rather than the stuffy image typical of American boarding schools.
Liam glanced at my essay and smiled.
“Sung-guk, thanks to you, I’ve come to understand what South Korean society is like. It’s similar to America in many ways, yet feels quite different. What is the greatest lesson your parents, who grew up with such difficulty, have taught you?”
“Hmm….”
I paused for a moment.
If I answered too quickly, it would seem rehearsed. A measured hesitation and thoughtfulness would show that I was neither frivolous nor reckless.
“The greatest lesson my parents gave me is love.”
“Love?”
“Yes. There’s one incident I still remember. When I was very young, I was being carried by my mother on her back as we returned from the supermarket. But because of poor construction, a building on the sidewalk collapsed, and at that moment, my mother quickly held me close and protected me from the debris. People think I couldn’t possibly remember something from when I was so young, but I remember that moment clearly.”
[How could I not remember?]
Liam seemed a bit surprised.
“So you learned about your parents’ love at that moment?”
“Yes. I think that experience taught me that love also involves sacrifice and responsibility. My mother took responsibility for her young son, who had no one else to rely on in this world, until the very end. Through that incident, I realized that responsibility comes with love.”
“That’s remarkable….”
Liam nodded slightly.
But you can never truly know what’s in someone’s heart. Honestly, there was no way to gauge what Liam was thinking at that moment.
After that, simple questions came one after another.
For example, what I did during breaks. Whether I had any favorite celebrities. Whether I had any unusual habits. Things like that.
I answered these questions straightforwardly.
For favorite celebrities, I mentioned Fin.K.L and SOS, girl groups from the end of the millennium, and for unusual habits, I said I scratch near my temples with my fingers when I’m thinking.
“Sung-guk, looking at your essay, I see you’re interested in economics and such, and I found it particularly interesting that you’ve done stock investing. Is that the kind of work you want to do in the future?”
“I want to start a business in entertainment. America has established entertainment businesses centered on Hollywood and New York for film and music, but South Korea is still in its infancy. The word ‘chaebol’ exists only in South Korea, right? It refers to wealth being inherited along with management.”
“I’ve heard about that too.”
“It seems like the entertainment industry is the last genre where people in South Korea with nothing can challenge themselves to create something from nothing. The creativity of South Korean people is truly remarkable.”
This wasn’t mere flattery.
In ten years from now, the Oscars and Billboard will recognize South Korean films and music.
“Sung-guk, while interviewing you, I honestly keep forgetting that you’re only ten years old. But truthfully… you’re still just ten. Don’t you feel any burden attending school with older brothers and sisters?”
“I don’t think I can answer that right now. It’s something I’ve never experienced before.”
“Hmm….”
Liam seemed to ponder for a moment before posing his next question.
“Do you really need to experience something to understand it?”
[Are you testing me right now, Liam?]
I stared at Liam’s green eyes without changing my expression.
“Grabbing the handle of a boiling pot with bare hands is madness—you can understand that without experiencing it.”
“That’s right.”
“But someone, thousands of years ago or even longer, touched something boiling and learned this fact. That’s how we naturally came to understand that touching something hot is dangerous and causes serious harm. People fear death because it’s something everyone experiences, but no one can tell you about that experience. So while I’m afraid of lives I haven’t lived, I don’t think I need to avoid them or speculate beforehand. There’s a lot you learn by colliding with reality and discovering things yourself.”
Liam nodded with a satisfied expression and extended his hand.
“Sung-guk, you’re already prepared to explore the unknown world of Phillips Academy.”
“Of course.”
I grasped Liam’s hand firmly.
[If you drop me after this, I’m cursing you every night, Liam.]
* * *
Grace opened the acceptance letter and let out a cheer.
“Wow! Sung-guk! You got in, you got in!”
[Grace, calm down. I’m Jeon Sung-guk.]
I simply shrugged my shoulders.
Both Koo Ye-jung and Koo Ye-ri reached over and patted my head.
“Sung-guk, you’re really amazing. That place is so hard to get into.”
[Do I have to say it myself again? I’m Jeon. Sung. Guk.]
“What’s this kid muttering about? Sister, this won’t do. Let’s take Sung-guk to our restaurant today and feed him lots of delicious food! We’ll go shopping too. There’s so much to prepare for boarding school.”
“I’m honestly getting nervous about all this.”
Grace came over and calmed Ye-jung and Ye-ri down.
“Everyone, please relax. I’ll organize the shopping list.”
Before going to a nice restaurant and shopping, I had something to take care of. I quickly tugged lightly on Grace’s shirt.
“Sung-guk, what is it?”
“Before that, I’d like to call Mother and Father.”
“Oh right, I got so excited I forgot. Let’s call them right away.”
* * *
The dial tone connected.
It was just past 9 a.m. in New York time. In Seoul, it was past 10 p.m.
It was exactly the time Father would be coming home from work.
Soon, a familiar voice came through. It was Mother.
– Hello?
“Mom….”
– Oh my, Sung-guk!
Mother recognized my voice instantly.
“Mom, I got accepted to Phillips Academy.”
Father’s voice came from the background.
– Sung-guk?
– Yes, honey. Sung-guk got accepted to that school he wanted to attend.
– Sung-guk, it’s Dad.
“Yeah, Dad.”
– Our son is amazing!
My chest tightened.
[What’s this? I studied hard and got into a good school, so why is everyone happier than I am?]
Anyway, Mother and Father were being sentimental.
I gently pressed my burning eyes with both hands.
In my previous life, I’d been separated from them since childhood, so it didn’t affect me. But in this life, it was different. Just hearing my family’s voices made my emotions surge uncontrollably.
“Sung-guk, let me explain in detail.”
I quickly spoke to Mother.
“Mom, Grace wants to take over the call.”
– Okay.
Grace took the phone and explained my acceptance.
“Sung-guk’s Mother, this is Grace. Phillips Academy, where Sung-guk was just accepted, is a school that’s difficult even for American children to enter. Sung-guk’s grades are excellent, but I was quite worried because of his young age and being East Asian. The admissions officer gave Sung-guk a high score for his potential. He’s entering Phillips Academy as the youngest student ever. Sung-guk’s Mother and Father, please make sure to come to the entrance ceremony.”
– Of course. We’ll definitely be there. We miss him so much.
“Of course. The Junho Foundation will prepare the plane tickets.”
Grace handed the phone back to me.
“Sung-guk, say what you want to your parents….”
I held the phone tightly and spoke to Mother and Father.
“Mom, Dad, I love you. I miss you.”

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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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