Chapter 24
The Samjeon Hotel Diamond Hall looked exactly as I remembered it.
Expensive chandeliers.
Formally set tables.
Flower wreaths decorating the surroundings, and staff carrying food with precision.
Jeon Tae-guk sat with his arms crossed, his face full of resentment.
There was still no sign of Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyeong or his mother, the Iron Queen.
Instead, Secretary Yang sat beside him, sweating profusely as he tried to soothe Tae-guk.
[Such a narrow-minded kid for a boy. People don't change. Tsk tsk.]
"Your ordered jajangmyeon is here."
A neatly dressed employee placed a bowl of Samjeon Hotel jajangmyeon in front of me.
I quickly took a forkful of the jajang before me, twirled it, and slurped it down.
Mom stroked my back.
"Seong-guk, eat slowly."
Nod.
I nodded my head and continued slurping the jajangmyeon.
Mom and Kim Mi-yeong seemed to be having trouble adjusting to this glamorous birthday party devoid of parents.
"Unni, even if Chairman Kim Il-sung died, isn't it too much for a father not to show up for his own son's birthday?"
"Chaebol people really seem to think differently from people like us."
[Different is an understatement. Ordinary people can never understand.]
I nodded my head.
As a result, my mouth area became smeared with jajang sauce.
"Seong-guk, the jajang is delicious, right?"
"Yeees!"
I bounced my shoulders.
Coming to the parentless Jeon Tae-guk's birthday party, meeting my first love Jeong-hui, and eating delicious Samjeon Hotel jajangmyeon. A shoulder dance came out naturally.
"Seong-guk!"
I heard a familiar voice calling me from behind.
Turning around, I saw all the members of 'Just' gathered there.
It seemed Jeon Tae-guk had also invited 'Just', the hottest group these days.
The leader, Tae-hyeong, approached and briefly asked how we were.
"Mother, have you been well?"
"Are you performing today?"
"Yes, but we have to leave right after, so I came to greet Seong-guk now. We hit the jackpot with
[Gratitude should be shown with material things, not just feelings.]
The other three members took turns patting my head.
"Seong-guk, see you again."
[You'll be busy, so it'll be hard to see your faces for a while. Work hard, everyone.]
I gave them a bright smile.
The 'Just' members finished greeting Mom and Kim Mi-yeong and quickly went up onto the stage.
"They say the 'Just' members don't even have time to sleep these days."
Kim Mi-yeong explained just how popular 'Just' had become recently.
It was something I already knew well.
After 'Five Men and a Baby Basket', 'Just's popularity skyrocketed, they filmed a Samjeon Electronics commercial with precious little me, and the subsequent album they released was also a massive hit.
The industry reaction was that they thought it was just a group raising a kid, but they could actually sing well too.
Furthermore,
Standing on stage, the 'Just' members bowed 90 degrees towards Jeon Tae-guk.
"Congratulations on Young Master Jeon Tae-guk's tenth birthday! We've prepared a song hoping you have the happiest day in the world. We will sing 'Green Balloon' for you!"
As soon as Tae-hyeong finished speaking, the music started playing.
The 'Just' members performed with even more energy than they did on TV music shows.
It was even live.
They couldn't afford to dismiss it just because it was a child's birthday party.
This was the birthday party of Jeon Tae-guk, the future heir of Samjeon Electronics, and it was a stage that guaranteed an enormous paycheck.
I looked at Jeon Tae-guk, sitting arrogantly in the seat that should originally have been mine.
Jeon Tae-guk's sullen face didn't change.
Jeong-hui, forced to sit beside him, was just enjoying watching 'Just'.
Just then, a hand appeared, clasping Tae-guk's shoulder from behind.
Where Tae-guk turned stood Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyeong.
Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyeong soon sat down in the empty adjacent seat.
Only then did a faint smile appear on Tae-guk's hardened face.
I knew exactly what that meant.
The reason Tae-guk had been irritated all day was partly his inherently bad personality, but also because he was anxious.
He was only ten years old.
Yet, on his birthday, neither his father nor his mother was there.
No matter how much of a show-window couple they were, parents are still parents.
At that moment, a familiar scent wafted from the side. To be precise, it was a familiar perfume.
[This is?]
"So this child is Seong-guk."
A voice filled with disciplined poise.
It was the Iron Queen.
For a moment, I felt like my breath caught.
"Uh-."
I quickly shut my mouth.
It was a different emotion from when I saw Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyeong, who had been my father.
No matter how cold the Iron Queen had been, not giving even a sliver of affection, a mother held a different significance.
Mom didn't know who she was, but Kim Mi-yeong, having worked at Samjeon Planning, recognized the Iron Queen at first glance and even stood up from her seat.
"I am Jeon Seong-guk-gun's manager, Kim Mi-yeong. This is his mother."
"Seeing him in person, he looks even sharper than on screen. I've heard many stories about how our company's image became friendlier thanks to Seong-guk."
One of the few people who could refer to the Samjeon Group as 'our company'.
Only then did Mom quickly stand up and bow.
"Seong-guk seems very attached to his mother. Well then, please enjoy your time here."
The Iron Queen stood with her back ramrod straight and went to sit beside Jeon Tae-guk.
Mom and Kim Mi-yeong breathed a sigh of relief.
"So that's the wife of Samjeon Group's Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyeong. The Jeon Jae-hyeong family looks very harmonious."
[Mom, what you see isn't everything.]
I shook my head side-to-side (doridori).
Finally, 'Just's song ended, and applause erupted from everywhere.
Jeon Tae-guk, his face brightened by the arrival of Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyeong and the Iron Queen, clapped enthusiastically while watching Jeong-hui's reaction.
I stared blankly at Jeong-hui's side, at the seat Jeon Tae-guk occupied.
*[Jeon Tae-guk, don't let your guard down. I'll sit in a higher position than yours. Just wait… about 20 years!] *
"Wow!"
Mom kept letting out exclamations of amazement.
Dad, holding Min-guk, also had a pleased expression.
"So-yeong, you like it that much?"
"Of course. I never imagined in my entire life I'd live in such a spacious and nice house."
Mom's eyes reddened.
I, who had been inspecting various parts of the apartment with my hands clasped behind my back, approached Mom and held her hand tightly.
[Mom, it's only 34-pyeong. Why are you making such a fuss? Plus, it's in Jamsil, completely on the outskirts of Seoul. This place is practically the countryside.]
Min-guk, held by Dad, also started crying when Mom cried.
Min-guk was now a proper three-year-old.
"Mo-ommy. Waaah!"
"Okay, okay. Min-guk, Mommy won't cry."
"So-yeong, how can you cry on such a happy day?"
[That's what I'm saying.]
I opened the built-in fixtures installed throughout the apartment.
[Couldn't they spend a bit more money? They used cheap materials again. Tsk tsk.]
"So-yeong, now that there are three rooms, we can give one each to Seong-guk and Min-guk. Right?"
"Min-guk is still young, shouldn't we sleep with him?"
[Wait a minute. What, is only Min-guk your child? I got this apartment through my exclusive contract with Samjeon Electronics.]
I thought I'd like having my own room, but why did this thought suddenly pop up?
I quickly rubbed my face against Mom's leg. Nuzzle, nuzzle.
"Seong-guk, you want to sleep with Mom?"
"Yes!"
My pronunciation, now at five years old, had become quite accurate.
"Then, shall the four of us all sleep together?"
[That's not quite ideal. Min-guk is three now, he can be independent.]
Dad quickly lifted me up.
"Seong-guk, you're five years old now. You're going to kindergarten; you should use your room alone."
[I don't want to!]
I struggled.
"Honey, let's all sleep together until Seong-guk feels ready."
"Can't be helped, I guess."
Dad finally put me down on the floor.
I once again clasped my hands behind my back and examined the apartment.
It happened occasionally, but I sometimes went to Samjeon Construction sites, inspected various things, and took photos for reporters as a display of oversight.
Using cheap materials according to the budget was unavoidable in this industry, but Samjeon Construction was slightly better, relatively speaking.
I walked towards the room next to the kitchen.
This place seemed better than the room right next to the entrance where people came and went.
And perhaps it was slowly time to show what kind of person I was.
I shrugged.
"Seong-guk, do you like this room?"
"Yes! Me, this room."
I answered energetically.
"Didn't you say you didn't want to sleep alone earlier?"
[I won't sleep alone, I'll just study here.]
I pointed to an empty wall for Dad.
"Dad!"
"Why, Seong-guk?"
"Desktang." (Desk)
"You want me to buy you a desk?"
"Ung!" (Yes!)
I nodded vigorously.
Finally, tomorrow is moving day.
From Suyu to Jamsil.
From a two-room place to a 34-pyeong apartment.
It's a day my life jumps up a level too.
Perhaps because of that, sleep didn't come easily.
When I was the Vice Chairman of the Samjeon Group, I usually couldn't sleep due to performance results.
Since I was born with so much already, trivial things like houses or cars were never concerns of mine.
But experiencing the thrill and happiness of facing a new phase in life in this lifetime felt fresh.
I tried to burrow into Mom's embrace but ended up burying my nose in Min-guk's crown.
[Haaah, this competitor.]
The competitor was growing rapidly day by day.
His weight had increased tremendously too.
He's still smaller than me, but I can't let my guard down.
"Seong-guk, can't sleep?"
Mom asked in a warm voice.
"Ung!" (No!)
"Mom can't sleep either."
"Dad can't sleep either, Seong-guk."
Dad also popped his head up from behind.
It seemed everyone couldn't sleep due to the excitement about moving tomorrow.
*[Mom, Dad, why are you acting so obviously poor? Why make such a fuss over a mere apartment?] *
But my own mouth was already stretched into a wide grin.
Dad had used the money he had diligently saved up to buy my desk first among the new furniture.
He even requested delivery to coincide with the move.
Of course, it was cheaper than any desk I had ever used, but just having a desk to sit and study at made me happy.
Dad suddenly sat bolt upright and brought over a bag from the corner.
"Honey, checking again?"
"Yeah. Can't sleep anyway, might as well check one last time."
What Dad held was a small bag containing bankbooks.
Opening the bag revealed a hefty bundle of passbooks.
"This is the living expenses account. This is installment savings. This is the housing subscription savings. So-yeong, now that we have a house, should we cancel the housing subscription savings?"
"Let's just keep it. Mi-yeong unni says you should just keep the housing subscription account. We might move to a bigger place from this house, right?"
[As expected, Mom!]
I patted Mom's back twice. Pat, pat.
It meant 'well done'.
"Honey, I've been watching Seong-guk carefully lately, and when this kid likes something, he taps twice with his hand, and if he doesn't like it, he taps three times."
[You noticed?]
"I'm telling you, that Seong-guk kid is really extraordinary."
Dad smiled and held a bankbook up in front of my eyes.
"Seong-guk, remember this?"
Nod.
[It's the first gift Mom and Dad ever gave me.]
Mom and Dad's words that they would save all the money I earned for my future were not a lie.
They could have easily taken some out, but they deposited all the money I earned into the bank account.
Not only my modeling fee from Samjeon Electronics but also earnings from intermittent one-off commercials and print ads had already brought the total in my account to over 300 million won.
On top of that, there were the Samjeon Electronics stocks.
[So this is what feeling full without eating feels like.]
Feeling pleased, I playfully did a somersault on the soft bedding.
"Seong-guk, are you that happy?"
Here you go, since I'm in a good mood.
I stretched my arms straight up, put them over my head, and made a heart shape.
"Mommy, Daddy. I wuv you." (Ttaranghaeyo)
It was repayment for Mom and Dad meticulously saving every penny I earned without wasting it.
And it was also gratitude for teaching me that happiness could exist even without money.
Now, Jeon Seong-guk's life is leveling up too!