Chapter 25
A 34-pyeong apartment located in Jamsil.
On the 12th floor of a 23-story building, often referred to as the "royal floor."
A small moving truck stopped at the entrance of the apartment building.
Here and there, I could see families moving in using gondolas, but our family didn't need that.
Besides the clothes we were wearing, the dishes, and the books I was reading, we had nothing else to bring.
Kim Mi-young, who had followed us, also got out of the car.
I was holding Min-guk's hand tightly.
Having turned three, Min-guk had gained strength in his legs and was running around in all directions, making him quite impossible to control.
He shouldn't be making Mom and Dad struggle on a day like this.
[Stay still.]
"Hyung!"
[Your hyung told you to stay still.]
"Uh-huh."
Min-guk slightly pouted and nodded.
Fortunately, unlike Jeon Tae-guk, his character was good. He even listened well to me, his older brother.
This kid... I think I might be able to tame him.
Kim Mi-young approached and gently took my hand.
"I'll keep an eye on Sung-guk and Min-guk."
Mom, looking apologetic, took out a few ten-thousand won bills from her wallet and handed them over.
"Unnie, Sung-guk has been very interested in picture books and fairy tales lately. Could you please go to a nearby bookstore and buy him some books, and then have a nice lunch? I'm so sorry for always imposing like this."
"We're partners, aren't we?"
"We are partners, but I feel like I'm always the one receiving more help."
"It's thanks to Sung-guk that I got a new job. And I'm Sung-guk's manager, after all. This is my job. Anyway, I'll look after Sung-guk and Min-guk while you move in."
Kim Mi-young reluctantly accepted the money Mom offered. Then, she looked at me.
"Sung-guk, shall we go look at picture books?"
"Okay!"
I readily agreed.
These days, it might not be a big deal for a five-year-old to read Hangeul (Korean alphabet), but back then, it was something you usually learned before entering elementary school.
Frankly, I felt it was still a bit early to reveal that I could speak English, Japanese, French, and even Chinese.
As soon as we entered the bookstore, Min-guk was so tired that he fell asleep in his stroller.
I looked down at Min-guk and let out a deep sigh.
[That kid. Doesn't seem to have a head for studying. What are you going to do for a living when you grow up? A kid from a poor family should at least be smart. Tsk, tsk.]
With my hands behind my back, I leisurely strolled over to the economics section.
Compared to the library of the university I had attended, the collection here was nothing, but learning to be content with such things was the life of a commoner, something I had learned and acquired over the past five years.
I had tucked a boring-looking fairy tale under my arm as a pretense.
Stroll. Stroll.
The economics books from 1995 were at a level that only made me, who had graduated from Seoul National University and earned an MBA in the US, scoff.
[Not a single book predicts the IMF crisis that will happen in two years. Tsk, tsk.]
I skimmed through a few books and shook my head at those that just listed words to incite the common people.
Just then, I heard familiar footsteps behind me.
It was the footsteps of my manager, Kim Mi-young.
Could it be that she noticed me reading?
A bead of sweat ran down my back in an instant.
Maybe it was time to come out.
It might not be that surprising for a five-year-old to know Hangeul.
"Sung-guk, are you reading?"
"Yes!"
I answered calmly.
Then, I handed Kim Mi-young a few economics books that I had been eyeing. Looking at them now, they were indeed books that might make her suspicious.
"Sung-guk, are you going to read these?"
"Buy them."
"
I nodded brightly.
[I've read all of this before. Still, classics are better than the nonsense economics books coming out these days, Manager Kim.]
"Really, you're going to read them?"
Kim Mi-young still looked unconvinced.
I decided to intentionally pronounce the titles of the two books with a lisp.
[Looks like I have no choice but to come out.]
"Mankyu's Kyung-de-hak. Ja-bong-ron. Buy them."
"Sung-guk…"
Kim Mi-young looked very surprised.
[Did you really think I understood the scripts so easily just because Manager Kim explained them well? I've been a five-language speaker since birth. What's going on here.]
Kim Mi-young looked at me blankly for a moment, then picked up a book nearby and held it out in front of my eyes.
It was obvious she had just grabbed any book.
"Sung-guk, read this."
I deliberately read it slowly, word by word.
"The. Economy. That. Protects. Our. Home."
"Sung-guk, you can read Hangeul?"
[It's not just Hangeul. English, Japanese, Chinese, French. Oh, and German too. Add Korean, and that's six languages. I'm that kind of guy.]
"Okay, Sung-guk. I'll buy you all these books. Is there any other book you want to see?"
[Oh well, whatever.]
I picked up
[Classics are timeless, right? Manager Kim.]
The elevator arrived at the 12th floor.
Dad, who had just come out wearing a sweat-soaked t-shirt, quickly came out and took Min-guk's hand.
"Manager-nim, thank you. Let's have dinner together."
"Um, I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
Kim Mi-young glanced at me.
"Later."
"Okay."
Dad quickly answered and then pretended to cover my eyes with his hand.
"Sung-guk, close your eyes tight."
[Sigh. I guess I have to play along with this too. Min-guk, close your eyes.]
I covered Min-guk's eyes with my hand as well.
Dad soon flung open the front door.
"Sung-guk, Min-guk. Let me introduce you to our new home."
"Here, this is the new house we're going to live in!"
[I've already seen it, but I'll clap and even do a shoulder dance for you.]
I quickly kicked off my shoes at the entrance and started doing a shoulder dance with a very excited expression.
"Wow- wow-."
I even kept exclaiming like a child.
"Dad. Is this really our house?"
"Yeah, Sung-guk. Let's go see your room too."
As soon as Dad finished speaking, I ran to the room I had already marked.
Just as expected, there was a desk. There was also a single bed next to it, but I casually ignored that. I still liked being in Mom's arms.
I quickly sat down in the desk chair.
"The chair is low."
Dad quickly raised the chair.
I grinned and pulled the chair a little closer.
[This is good enough to study, I suppose.]
Dad also turned on the built-in desk lamp with a click.
"Sung-guk, what do you think? Isn't it cool?"
[Sigh, Dad. I preferred lamps from Louis Poulsen or Viesta over this kind of lighting.]
Still, I clapped first.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Kim Mi-young came from behind and placed the three thick books she had bought from the bookstore on the bookshelf.
"These are the books Sung-guk picked out today."
Dad initially looked at the books without much thought, but then he looked at Kim Mi-young in surprise.
"Manager Kim, you're saying Sung-guk picked out all these books?"
"Yes. Actually, what I wanted to tell you earlier was that Sung-guk already knows Hangeul."
[Isn't it basic for a person to know at least three languages, including English and a third foreign language?]
I puffed out my chest.
"No way, did Sung-guk really say he wanted to read all these books?"
"I can't believe it either. Sung-guk insisted on getting them."
"He probably just picked them up without knowing what they were."
[Dad. Even if kids pick things up without knowing, they don't pick up Mankiw's Economics. They pick up picture books.]
Mom came in, looked at the two of them, and then glanced at the books in front of me.
"Sung-guk picked these out, right?"
Mom asked Kim Mi-young so calmly.
It was Kim Mi-young who was surprised.
"How did you…"
"Sung-guk watches the news all the time. I had a vague idea that he was interested in economics. When I listened to him muttering to himself while watching the news, I could tell he knew Hangeul to some extent. He would read the subtitles at the bottom rather than listening to what the anchor was saying."
[Huh, Mom?]
I looked at Mom again.
We hadn't had much time to see each other lately because she's been busy with management work, but as expected, Mom was different.
"So-young, did you know Sung-guk could read Hangeul?"
"Roughly. There were many times when he would look at shooting scripts or screenplays and handle things on his own. At first, I thought he was just doing what we told him, but one day I realized he seemed to know Hangeul. In the waiting room, there were names of several people waiting, and he would go straight into the waiting room with his name on it."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Sung-guk didn't seem to want any special treatment. And honestly… I didn't expect such a special child to be born to us either, honey."
[Have you finally recognized my worth?]
I shrugged my shoulders.
Dad held my shoulder tightly.
"This kid, he knows we're talking about him and he likes it. Sung-guk, let's eat jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and have a deep conversation with Dad."
[Jjajangmyeon is good, but a deep conversation? I'll pass on that, Dad.]
I waved my hand.
"No matter how smart you are, don't forget you're still Dad's son!"
Dad rubbed his face against my face and then flipped me over to let out an air fart on my stomach.
[Sigh, such an ordinary life. If Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung knew about my special abilities, he would already be discussing my future with world-renowned scholars.]
He certainly wouldn't be holding me and rubbing his cheek against mine like my current dad, or letting out silly air farts on my stomach.
I burst out laughing while being held by Dad.
Sleepy Min-guk slowly snuggled up to Mom.
I stuck close to Mom and pushed Min-guk away with one foot.
[Jeon Min-guk. You're three years old now, you need to be independent.]
But strangely, Min-guk grabbed my waist and bumped his forehead against mine.
"Hyung."
[You don't mean you want to sleep with me, do you?]
"Heh."
Min-guk looked at me with a sleepy face and smiled faintly.
[You ugly thing.]
"Hyung. Sleep. Together."
[What? He wants to sleep with me?]
"Hyung. Good. Heh."
Why does my heart feel all fuzzy at this kid's one word?
Mom looked at me and Min-guk and smiled contentedly.
"Sung-guk, it seems Min-guk really likes his hyung."
[He's just a slightly lacking rival, Mom.]
"Sung-guk, if Mom ever gets sick, you have to get along well with Min-guk, okay?"
What is this?
Is Mom sick somewhere?
At that moment, my heart pounded and started racing.
"Mom. Don't be sick. Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"
Dad, who had just finished showering, rushed in, surprised.
"Sung-guk, why are you crying?"
"Honey, I just told Sung-guk that if I ever get sick, he has to get along well with Min-guk, and he suddenly started crying."
"So-young, how could you play such a prank on him?"
"Hic. Hic. Hic."
I sniffled and held Mom's hand tightly.
[Did you just play a prank on me? And I, so innocent, fell for it? These childish Mom and Dad!]
"Waaaaah!"
Tears burst out.
I don't know why, but just thinking about these childish Mom and Dad not being by my side made my heart ache.
It was a feeling I had never experienced in my previous life.
"Sung-guk, Mom's sorry. Mom is healthy. Don't worry."
[Don't ever say that again, Mom. Even if you get sick, I'll earn money and get you all better, so don't worry!]
I barely wiped away my tears.
"So-young, honestly."
"It's just… now that I've become a mom and dad myself, I can understand our own parents who abandoned us a little bit. They couldn't raise us, so they must have hoped we would grow up in a slightly better environment."
I snuggled deeply into Mom's belly.
"Oh right, doesn't Sung-guk have a photoshoot tomorrow?"
"Come to think of it, tomorrow is the last Samsung Electronics catalog shoot."
"Where did they say it would be?"
"They said they're shooting at the Samsung Electronics corner in Sampoong Department Store."
[Wait a minute, did Mom just say Sampoong Department Store?]