I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 9

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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 9
Father had another drink with the Bossam Restaurant owner before coming home after eleven.
Tonight, both his hands were full of something.
“Honey, what is all that?”
“The owner kept pressing things on me. He’s been bragging about it to customers every time the commercial airs—business has been absolutely crazy. Sales today were double the usual.”
“The owner really is such a good person.”
“Look at this. When he saw Sung-guk eating the bossam meat earlier, he even set aside some of the special meat from the restaurant just for him.”
I listened to Mother and Father’s conversation through the haze of sleep.
Father continued boasting about various things after that.
How the commercial I appeared in had energized him all day, and how the owner praised him, saying his bossam now tasted almost as good as the restaurant’s—trivial matters, really.
“Honey, the owner said that since he switched to the bossam restaurant and sales have increased so much, he’s giving me a 100,000 won raise starting next month.”
“100,000 won! Sung-guk really is a blessing, isn’t he? Ever since Sung-guk was born, things have been going so well for me too. I’m so happy.”
Mother was clutching Father’s hand, deeply moved over a mere 100,000 won.
What could 100,000 won even buy?
Could I barely afford one dinner at Samjeon Hotel with that?
As I rubbed my sleepy eyes, Father approached me.
“Sung-guk, you’re still awake?”
[Technically, I woke up. It was too loud.]
“So-young, should we give Sung-guk his gift now?”
Right, there was a gift.
At those words alone, my eyes lit up.
[I was a tycoon in my past life, so why am I acting so poor?]
Father rummaged through his worn old briefcase and pulled out something small and thin, holding it before my eyes.
[What is this… a bankbook?]
I babbled in disappointment.
“Sung-guk, see this? It’s a bankbook. All the money you earned from the commercial modeling, we’ve saved it all in your name. See your name here? Jeon Sung-guk.”
Father thrust the bankbook made out in the name of Jeon Sung-guk before my eyes.
Every single won from the modeling fee had been deposited without exception. Even the 50,000 won transportation allowance from the audition day had been saved.
[Are Mom and Dad crazy? Why would they save all of it like this! They should move to a better house with this money, or at least buy new clothes for Mom and Dad who wear the same outfits every single day!]
I cried out in frustration, but my eyes quickly grew moist.
After taxes, it wasn’t even four million won.
Before my regression, this amount was sometimes just the cost of one meal for me, sometimes not even enough for one night of drinking.
But for them, this money was half a year’s salary for a man working from morning to evening in a restaurant.
And they had saved every last won of it in my name without touching a single coin.
“Sung-guk, this is money you earned, so it’s all yours. Mom and Dad haven’t touched any of it. When you grow up and go to school, if there’s anything you want to learn, Mom and Dad will make sure you can do it.”
[Stop making me cry!]
My throat tightened.
“Honey, it looks like our Sung-guk really understands what we’re saying. His eyes are getting red.”
“So-young, Sung-guk really does seem to have deep emotions. That’s probably why he acts so well.”
I rubbed my small face with both my hands.
Father took my hand.
“Sung-guk, you’ll hurt your face like this. Our little star.”
[Who told you to cry!]
“Honey, Sung-guk woke up from his nap and looks sleepy. Let me hold him.”
“No, So-young. You’re already struggling with the pregnancy. I’ll hold him.”
Father lifted me into his arms and gently patted my back.
He’d worked all day at the restaurant and still found the strength to hold me.
“Sung-guk, you’re truly a blessing sent to us—people who grew up in orphanages with no parents or siblings. Mom and Dad are still so young and have so much lacking, don’t we? But Mom and Dad will work so hard to make sure our Sung-guk grows up without wanting for anything. Sung-guk, I love you.”
A soft whimper escaped me.
I swallowed my tears in silence.
Before my regression, had anyone ever shown me such warmth?
Even my own parents viewed me not as their child, but as the heir to the Samjeon Group, wielding harsh discipline rather than kind words.
Everyone around me, the moment they learned I was the Samjeon Group’s heir, sought only to curry favor and extract whatever they could.
I nestled deeper into Father’s embrace and uttered the line from that advertisement.
“Da. Da?”
“So-young, did you hear that?”
Father turned to Mother with an elated expression.
Mother patted my bottom affectionately.
“Honey! Our Sung-guk really said it so well, didn’t he?”
“So-young, to be honest… I’ve been worried for a while because Sung-guk wouldn’t respond to us at all.”
Until recently, they had been nothing more than surrogate caregivers—stand-ins for my upbringing.
“I kept wondering if it was because I’m an inadequate father, and I felt so insecure about it. But now my heart finally feels at ease.”
“Honey, don’t think like that. Our Sung-guk says ‘Dad’ better than anyone in the world.”
“You’re right. Oh, looks like Sung-guk’s fallen asleep.”
It seemed I should pretend to be asleep in moments like this.
I had my own sense of propriety, after all.
A twenty-three-year-old father and a mother even younger than that—they deserved their own time together.
I quietly closed my eyes.
* * *
Director Kwak, who had filmed the Samjeon Electronics commercial, came to our home.
A fruit basket hung from Director Kwak’s hand.
It was filled with tropical fruits I hadn’t seen in ages.
I found myself crawling toward the basket.
Becoming a child had given me appetites I never had before.
Just as I reached for a melon, Mother scooped me up.
[Ah, I do love melon. With jamón ibérico on top and a glass of wine, all the fatigue just melts away…]
I licked my lips wistfully.
Father quickly handed Director Kwak a freshly brewed cup of mixed coffee.
“Director, what brings you here?”
“You know Sung-guk’s been incredibly hot lately, right?”
“We can hardly believe it.”
“I understand completely. The reason I’ve come today is to make a proposal to Sung-guk.”
“A proposal?”
Father asked, seeking clarification.
“This might be difficult to hear, but I’d like to suggest that even if other advertising offers come in, you decline them and consider doing a television program instead.”
“We haven’t given advertising much thought anyway. But television….”
[Father, that’s how work usually comes—one opportunity after another.]
I shrugged my shoulders.
“It’s a new variety show on MVC Broadcasting Station’s Sunday evening slot. Young male idols who’ve never raised children will be caring for a child. Sung-guk would be the main focus.”
[Ah, that one!]
The memory surfaced in my mind.
It was essentially the prototype of parenting programs—male idols raising young children.
Of course, I had to do this.
It would become a legendary parenting program, discussed not only in this era but for years to come.
Father’s expression grew increasingly dark.
“Director, I appreciate the offer, but….”
Father trailed off.
[Father, this won’t do!]
I thrashed about, but no one paid attention to my protests.
Then I had no choice!
“Waaah! Waah!”
“Sung-guk, what’s wrong?”
Mother quickly scooped me into her arms.
[What do you mean why? Mother, Father, please listen! This is a golden opportunity I’ve earned with my own abilities!]
Father finally voiced his concern.
“I worry that if Sung-guk appears on television too often, he’ll grow up differently from other children.”
I paused my crying momentarily.
That was an unexpected answer.
The Director nodded deeply.
“I understand your concern, sir. When a child is exposed to broadcasting, people recognize them, and the child grows up under that constant gaze.”
Father nodded in agreement.
“I want to raise my child ordinarily.”
“But sir, Sung-guk is truly different from other children I’ve seen. Beyond his appearance, he possesses an innate talent—a natural radiance. He’s the kind of child who knows how to shine on his own. And these days, parents are desperate to get their children on programs like this. The child becomes famous, and there’s money to be made.”
“…The truth is, my wife and I both grew up in orphanages.”
“Ah….”
The Director fell silent, taken aback.
Father continued calmly.
“That’s why I didn’t want to entrust my child to others’ hands. During his early years, he needs to grow up surrounded by his mother’s and father’s love. He’s a life that came to us despite our shortcomings—he deserves that.”
I clenched my fists and pressed my lips together.
I barely managed to hold back the burning sensation rising in my eyes.
[Why does this life’s parents have such elaborate backstories?]
The Director’s eyes had reddened too, and he pressed them shut with both hands.
I barely collected myself and crawled out of Mother’s arms toward Father.
I couldn’t understand Father’s heart completely, but I sensed a little of it.
But this was business.
I quickly grabbed and tugged at the worn fabric of Father’s trousers at the knee.
[Dad, your love is enough even now. If you had more money, you could give even more love!]
The relationship between money and love creates optimal synergy when proportional.
When money becomes too abundant or love becomes excessive, problems inevitably arise.
The Director cleared his tight throat and looked at Father.
“I understand your position, sir.”
[Director, you can’t give up like this!]
The Director glanced at me, then continued.
“Sir, please reconsider. Hearing your circumstances, I understand, but given how much your parents love and care for you, a brief appearance shouldn’t pose any real problem. The appearance fee would be quite substantial too.”
“It’s not about the money for us.”
Father spoke with difficulty.
Looking at my parents’ appearance, anyone could immediately tell their circumstances were difficult.
I wrapped my arms tightly around Mother’s waist.
[Mom, don’t worry. I’ll make you rich within ten years.]
The Director saw me nestled in Mother’s arms and smiled broadly.
“This might sound strange, but… Sung-guk really seems to understand what people are saying. Anyway, here’s what I came to propose: how about auditioning at the broadcasting station? However, one condition of this broadcast is no advertisements for six months.”
I quickly patted Father’s back.
[Dad, this is it!]
Father looked down at me.
“Sung-guk, do you want to do it?”
“Yes!”
I answered confidently.
* * *
Before my eyes now stood five members of Just, the national idol group that sang “Only You” which I loved listening to before my regression.
Of course, at this point they were only a fledgling group barely emerging from obscurity.
These guys would become enormously successful in a few years and become a national idol group.
[These are the guys who came and performed at my twelfth birthday….]
I recalled that day.
At my twelfth birthday celebration in the largest banquet hall of Samjeon Hotel, not only Just but also newly rising female idol groups all attended.
Their opening remarks were this:
“Young Master Jeon Sung-guk, happy twelfth birthday!”
Everyone tried hard to make eye contact with me….
The Just members, like most idols, later became either actors or entertainers making a living when they grew older, and I crossed paths with them a few times in private settings.
Tae-hyung, the leader, approached me first.
Just had members who used their real names and members who used English names.
“So that’s your dad! The model from that commercial. I saw that ad too, hyung.”
Tae-hyung, the leader and main rapper, had a handsome face and spoke English fluently despite being a native Korean, earning him the reputation as the team’s brain.
I recalled him later boasting about starting a clothing business, but his character wasn’t particularly bad, and since he was the type to look after his own interests well, he married a distant relative of a chaebol family and lived comfortably.
After that, Lucas, who was unusually tall, approached.
Despite his imposing frame, Lucas’s smile appeared remarkably pure.
An innocent grin paired with a muscular physique—he was practically the prototype of the modern fitness enthusiast, and with a personality as straightforward as his appearance, he was popular with the women.
“Wow, you’re incredibly handsome. Sung-guk’s going to get more attention than all of us combined.”
[Of course that’s true. Just you wait!]

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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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