Chapter 18
Dad kissed my cheeks repeatedly.
"I was so nervous because I don't often meet people like that. When I was in school, I never even saw the principal in person. How could someone who serves the vice chairman of Samjeon Electronics come to our house in person? Isn't it amazing?"
"Yeah."
I nodded. On the one hand, my heart ached. For me, it was only natural that the principal would come to greet me, no matter which kindergarten or school I went to. I imagined the past that Dad and Mom, who had no one to rely on, had lived.
"Sung-guk, why? Are you sad?"
I shook my head.
"Okay. I won't tell you sad stories. Let's walk only on flower paths in the future, Sung-guk."
[I'll repay Mom and Dad with money, so wait.]
I clung tightly to Dad. I was quite used to his rough beard now. After all, humans are creatures of adaptation. When I first opened my eyes in this five-pyeong one-room apartment, I just wanted to leave this world again, but now it wasn't so bad to live like this.
"Oh my, our Sung-guk is so pretty."
Dad picked me up and put me down several times.
[I should smile at times like this.]
I laughed and fell backward. Dad and Mom smiled at me, and Min-guk laughed, rolling on the floor with his milk bottle, as if he liked it. At that moment, I felt a strange emotion. My heart warmed, and all the worries of the world disappeared.
[Could it be... that you can be happy even if you're poor? Could it be...]
Kim Mi-young looked at Mom and Dad alternately with a stiff face.
"Secretary Yang came in person and said that they would give you an apartment in Samjeon Construction, which is being newly built in Jamsil, and stocks as compensation for reducing the contract fee?"
"Yes, manager."
Dad answered honestly.
"But at first, you refused, and then you said you wanted to consult with me, so you sent Secretary Yang back?"
"Yes, manager."
Dad nodded repeatedly. Kim Mi-young stroked her chin.
"Actually, contracts like this aren't unheard of."
"Really, unnie?"
Kim Mi-young nodded slightly.
"Sometimes, you get company stocks, or a car or apartment from the company you're modeling for, in exchange for a slightly lower model fee."
I was listening carefully to Kim Mi-young's words. Samjeon Electronics had never paid model fees like that, but I had heard that small and medium-sized companies often did.
"But... it's the first time I've seen a conglomerate like Samjeon Group do this."
[That's what I'm saying... isn't it suspicious, Manager Kim?]
"Unnie, why are they doing this?"
"When Secretary Yang moves at Samjeon Group, it means Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung is moving. He directly ordered it."
"Ah, manager. Secretary Yang also said it was a gift from Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung."
Kim Mi-young looked at Dad with a firm face.
"I'll call Secretary Yang. Let's talk again after I hear the exact story."
"Yes, manager."
Dad just nodded.
A while later, Kim Mi-young, who had finished talking on the phone with Secretary Yang, came into the room with a faint smile. I seemed to know the meaning of that smile. This was really a gift. With no conditions.
"Unnie, what did they say?"
"Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung knows Sung-guk's situation, and they originally gave a lot of contract money for a baby model, but since you asked to reduce it, they want to give you an apartment and stocks. They said it's a gift of support for Sung-guk's future."
"Support? That's something you do for orphans..."
Dad's eyebrows furrowed. Kim Mi-young waved her hand.
"You shouldn't think like that. Have you heard of Samjeon scholarship students? Most of them are students who are good at studying but have difficult circumstances, and they are selected and supported as scholarship students. Those children eventually go out into society and become a strong network for Samjeon Electronics."
It was a system I knew well. Many students were able to finish their studies safely as Samjeon Electronics scholarship students under difficult circumstances. Many talented people joined Samjeon Electronics after graduation, but they also became a huge network for Samjeon by taking public office or becoming representatives of law firms. For that reason, the story of Samjeon scholarship students always came up when there was talk of collusion between politics and business. I had never seen Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung invest so boldly in a young child.
"That's kind of them, but..."
Dad's face darkened. I seemed to understand Dad's heart a little, so I patted Dad's back with my tiny hand. To be honest, the Samjeon Electronics scholarship was a double-edged sword. But I had a way out. I was working and getting paid fairly. It wasn't that I was just good at studying or that my family was poor and I was getting a scholarship. Therefore, I didn't need to feel any mental debt to Samjeon Electronics.
[Okay, I've made up my mind! Let's get it first!]
I patted Dad's back again.
[Dad, this isn't the time to keep your pride.]
Dad smiled weakly at me.
"I'm supposed to protect our Sung-guk, but Sung-guk is protecting his dad."
[That's because I'm a bit talented, Dad. You'll probably get a lot more in the future, so get used to getting it now.]
Kim Mi-young looked at me and Dad with a warm smile.
"The apartment is a bit over 100 million won. It's 34 pyeong. It's not far from Jamsil Station."
Before the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Jamsil was just a barren field. However, with the 1988 Seoul Olympics as a starting point, the main stadium and various parks and athlete village apartments were sold to the public, and Jamsil began to be in the spotlight as a residential area.
"We both came up from Seochon, Gyeonggi-do, so we've never even been to Jamsil."
"Jamsil is still an unfinished area, but I think it will be better than any other neighborhood in the future. It's also important to settle down before the kids go to school. Jamsil has no harmful facilities, so it's really good for raising kids."
Mom and Dad's faces brightened at Kim Mi-young's explanation.
"But... is it really okay? To receive this, Manager Kim?"
"This isn't free at all. Sung-guk will be working as Samjeon Electronics' exclusive model for the next two years. It's the value of Sung-guk's work. So it's definitely not free!"
[That's right. Manager Kim, you're saying the right thing.]
I clapped my hands. Mom patted my back.
"Sung-guk seems to like it too, honey."
"Okay, Sung-guk. Dad will do his best to raise you in a really good environment."
[I'm already perfect, Dad. Don't worry.]
When I saw Min-guk crawling over, I quickly hugged Mom.
[Go away, little brother. Mom is mine!]
Right now, occupying Mom's arms was more urgent than a 34-pyeong apartment or Samjeon Electronics stocks.
Dark night. I heard Mom and Dad talking. I woke up from my sleep and pricked up my ears to Mom and Dad's conversation.
"So-young, the apartment is scheduled to be completed in two years."
"Yeah. Why?"
"The boss told me not to just think about working in his kitchen all the time, but to save money and work with the determination to open a bossam restaurant."
"The boss is really nice."
"Yeah."
Dad's words stopped for a moment. I could read Dad's thoughts a little. If they moved to Jamsil, Dad wouldn't be able to work at the bossam restaurant he was currently working at anymore. It was a distance that took more than two hours round trip for commuting.
"So-young, how about we work hard for two years and open a bossam restaurant near the apartment we're moving into?"
"..."
Mom was silent for a moment. She was clearly worried.
"So-young, are you worried?"
"Even if we earn money for two years... can we earn enough money to do that kind of business?"
[Mom, Dad, I have money I earned. I've already learned a lot in my previous life, so I don't have much to learn in this life. You don't need to spend money on education, so you can use some of the money I earned.]
I mumbled in my sleep. Then Mom patted my stomach.
"Sung-guk, are Mom and Dad loud?"
[Isn't it weird if it's quiet when four people sleep in one room?]
I pretended to sleep again to listen to Mom and Dad's conversation. Mom asked Dad again.
"What do you think, honey?"
"So-young, I also want to run my own business. I can't just work for someone else's business forever while the kids are growing up. I want to be a dad I'm not ashamed of to Sung-guk and Min-guk. I'll really work hard for the next two years. I'll try to open a restaurant without touching Sung-guk's money as much as possible."
[I agree. A man should have that much ambition. The late Chairman Jeon Joo-shin, the founder of Samjeon Group, also started with a butcher shop.]
I strongly agreed with Dad's opinion.
Dad signed the contract. A two-year contract for 100 million won. An apartment in Jamsil scheduled for occupancy in two years. Samjeon Electronics stocks worth 50 million won! This was the achievement I had made in two years. When I was born with a diamond spoon and lived as Jeon Sung-guk, the successor of Samjeon Electronics, I only worried about how to keep this position. I had no concept of achieving or accomplishing anything. That's because everything had already been achieved. But everything was new in this life. How could the money I earned by working hard under hot lights accumulate like this... My eyes welled up. I tried to replace the overwhelming feeling with a yawn.
"Ugh!"
Then I hugged Dad tightly.
[Dad, you know you have a good son.]
Dad, with a bewildered face, finished signing and looked at Secretary Yang.
"Is the contract done now?"
"Yes, it's perfect. The contract fee will be deposited into your account within a week."
Secretary Yang held out his hand.
"Father, shake hands with me."
"Ah, yes."
Dad held out his right hand. Dad's right hand was still trembling. Secretary Yang smiled, holding Dad's hand tightly. He had a satisfied face.
"The commercial shoot is next Wednesday. Please take care of us."
"I have work that day, so my wife and Manager Kim will probably go together."
"I see. Then, I'll see you next time."
Secretary Yang bowed politely and left. Kim Mi-young put the signed contract in an envelope and handed it to Dad.
"Congratulations, Sung-guk's father."
"Thank you so much for your help."
"It's my job. From now on, please call me Manager Kim comfortably. Calling me Manager Kim makes me feel like your boss. I'm the one who makes money thanks to Sung-guk."
"How can I call the landlord like that?"
Dad waved his hand.
"Call me that when you feel comfortable. By the way, the two-room apartment on the floor above is moving out next month."
I looked up at Kim Mi-young.
[Is the landlord's mind kicking in? The timing is perfect since the contract money is coming in?]
"Now that you have a younger sibling, shouldn't you live in a two-room apartment until you move into the apartment?"
"The one-room is small, but..."
[Not just small, it's cramped! Min-guk hits me every night while wriggling!]
I babbled.
"Talk it over. The monthly rent will only be 50,000 won more. Sung-guk has a lot of shoots, so he needs a bit more space to manage his condition."
[Not bad, Manager Kim.]
Dad scratched his head awkwardly.
"I'll talk it over with So-young. And would you like to come to our house for dinner tonight?"
"Dinner?"
"We signed a contract, so I'll show off my cooking skills."
"Sure."
Kim Mi-young readily agreed.
[What are you going to make, Dad? I want bossam!]
I grabbed Dad's sleeve and shook it. I was starting to like adult food.
"Do you want something to eat, Sung-guk?"
"Meat."
"Okay. I'll make something delicious for you, Sung-guk."
Dad kissed my cheeks repeatedly. How could a man's rough chin touch my cheeks...
[Bear with it. He's Dad.]
Clunk. The key turned and the front door opened. Mom and Dad, holding hands tightly, entered the two-room apartment. I was in Dad's arms, and Min-guk was in Mom's arms. Kim Mi-young walked inside and opened her mouth.
"The tenant has already found a house in the countryside and left. They said we could look around."
"Wow..."
Mom's mouth opened halfway. Dad also looked around the two-room apartment with wide eyes.
[Mom, Dad, close your mouths, please. Are you acting like you have nothing? Are you impressed with just a two-room apartment?]
"How is it?"
Kim Mi-young looked at Mom and Dad with expectant eyes. The two-room apartment Kim Mi-young showed them had two rooms the size of the current one-room apartment, a kitchen space, and a bathroom. Of course, it wasn't enough for my eyes, which had always lived in a penthouse.
"So-young, it has two rooms the size of the one we live in now."
"Honey, it's really nice. It would be nice to make one of the rooms Sung-guk's room."
"The tenant who's leaving now also had high school kids. They lived here with four people until graduation."
[What the f***! How could four big people live here!]
I barely held back a scream. When I thought about it, our family was also four people now, including Min-guk. And our house was a five-pyeong one-room apartment. I calmed down.
[I'm not Jeon Sung-guk, a chaebol, now. I'm Jeon Sung-guk, the first son of a poor family!]
I repeated that to myself several times.
"It would be enough for Sung-guk until elementary school."
Dad couldn't hide his excitement.
"We have to move to the Jamsil apartment in two years. How can we live here?"
Kim Mi-young said with a smile.
[Even if it's an apartment that Samjeon Electronics gave us as a special sale, it's only 84 square meters. It's just a small apartment called the national size.]
Mom looked at Dad with a touched face.
"Honey, can't we move here?"
"Huh?"
Dad looked a little embarrassed. On the day he announced that he would receive the apartment, Dad vowed to tighten his belt and save money for the next two years. But Mom's heart had already been taken by this house.
"We slept with six people in one room when we lived in the orphanage. At that time, I wondered if I would ever have my own room."
[Mom, stop selling your sad stories. You're making me sad again.]
My eyes also welled up. I couldn't imagine how Mom and Dad had lived.
"Honey, our Sung-guk is three years old now. Doesn't Sung-guk need his own room?"
"So-young, three years old is a bit early..."
"Okay, let's talk about that after we see the house."
Kim Mi-young sensed the atmosphere and showed them the rest of the house.
"The wallpaper was redone two years ago, so you don't need to do it. The dining table in the kitchen will be left if the new person wants to use it."
"Really? Then we won't have to buy anything. We can just move the stuff from the downstairs house."
Mom was already making plans to move in her mind. Dad nodded repeatedly with a puzzled face.
"Manager Kim, we've seen the house well. Let's go have dinner now. I've prepared all the food."
"Okay."
Mom couldn't take her eyes off the house until the last moment the door closed. I looked at Mom silently. Dad, who had to tighten his belt. Mom, who wanted to give her children a bigger space. I now understood both of them. Of course, there was only one conclusion. I had to grow up quickly and rebuild this family!
Braised short ribs. Japchae and Kung Pao chicken. Rice and seaweed soup. And the bossam I asked for. The small table was full of various foods.
"Unnie, it's not much, but please eat."
"This is not much? I haven't had a meal like this in a long time."
Kim Mi-young looked slightly surprised. Mom got up from her seat and suddenly turned off the light. At this time, Dad poked my side lightly. The time had come. I had been practicing a song all afternoon for this moment.
[It's really hard to make a living.]