RR 42
[042] Warm-Up First 1.
December 7th. I woke up unusually early.
Grandfather had already told me the scores, but the tension lingered.
When I went out to pick up the morning newspaper, the front of the gate was noisy. It was a quiet residential area, so such a commotion was unprecedented. Curious, I opened the gate, and camera flashes erupted, microphones obscuring my face.
“Mr. Jin Do-jun?”
“Student Jin Do-jun? Is that right?”
It was dark at 6 AM in December, and the popping flashes blinded me. I quickly closed the gate.
What could be happening?
My father, in his pajamas, came down to the garden, yawned, and patted my back.
“They’re here to interview you.”
“But if it’s Suneung, they should be covering the top scorer nationwide, why me…?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know? An ordinary top scorer versus a high-scoring grandson of Sunyang Group. Plus, your father is a film production company CEO, and your mother is a former actress who hasn’t lost her beauty. Which do you think will be more of a hot topic?”
My father chuckled and pointed at the gate.
“Your grandfather just called. Go along with his mood. He wants to brag.”
Oh, my old man. Is a grandfather’s desire to brag about his grandson always the same, whether he has a lot of money or not?
“Just give a brief interview. Oh, and don’t forget to mention that it’s thanks to your wonderful parents during the interview.”
“Father. I don’t recall you giving me any particular help with my studies?”
“I never stressed you out with excessive expectations for my child, nor did I nag. Appropriate neglect is the highest virtue of a parent. Don’t forget that. Heh heh.”
After successfully producing a few films and becoming a respected production company CEO in Chungmuro, I could see my father’s true colors.
He was smooth and always maintained a relaxed smile. His sporadic sense of humor was also outstanding. He also had a Western mindset, treating his son as an individual, not just a child.
The study was already neatly tidied, and my mother had even prepared tea and refreshments for the reporters.
“Do-jun. Change into your school uniform. That would suit you.”
Even my mother couldn’t hide her desire to show off.
Once the interview preparations were complete, my mother brought in the reporters.
The TV news reporter had brought a cameraman, but my father, who understood the power of visuals well, began to mediate.
“Let’s turn off the cameras. Aren’t photos enough for archival footage? It’ll only be on for less than 30 seconds anyway?”
“Still, one or two shots should go out…”
“Words fade, but visuals last forever. I don’t want to do anything that might hold our child back.”
“Mr. Jin, what could possibly hold him back?”
The TV news reporter said with a laugh, but my father shook his head.
“Let’s just do as I say. Turn off the camera.”
They turned off the camera and started the interview.
Direct questions poured out from the beginning.
“Will Student Do-jun also say, ‘I studied primarily from textbooks’?”
“Of course not. Would the grandson of Korea’s richest man only pore over textbooks?”
At my somewhat provocative answer, some reporters’ mouths stretched wide. Reporters were tired of model student answers.
“Then…?”
“I had top-notch tutors for each subject… I was tutored one-on-one all year. The money spent alone probably cost you reporters ten years’ worth of salary.”
“…”
Was that too blunt? As the reporters were speechless, my father, who had been watching, couldn’t hold back his laughter and chuckled.
“Where do you plan to apply?”
Again, a simple question. Seeing that he was following the standard procedure, he seemed like a rookie reporter.
“I’m applying to law school.”
“Oh, is your goal to become a prosecutor or judge?”
“Yes.”
At that moment, another reporter threw out a provocative question.
“Is the reason you’re applying to law school because you’ve been excluded from the succession structure of Sunyang Group?”
The reporter, for a brief moment, observed my expression and continued the question.
“You have older uncles and many cousins… Did you think there was no possibility because you’re the youngest of the Sunyang family?”
Initially, I was flustered, but it turned out to be for the best. I just needed to give the answer that the people watching this interview wanted to hear.
“I haven’t thought about that… Well, my parents live freely, don’t they? They do work completely unrelated to Sunyang Group. Perhaps that’s why I’ve never even considered Sunyang Group.”
“Have you ever thought about whether you would follow a path unrelated to Sunyang Group if you became a legal professional, or if you would support Sunyang Group from the sidelines?”
No more. This much was just right. Too many words would lead to various interpretations. I quickly changed the subject.
“I haven’t even thought about that. By the way, who was the top scorer on the Suneung?”
“Ah, a student from Jeju Island…”
“Science or liberal arts?”
“Science.”
“That student, if they got the top score without using private tutors like me, they must be a true genius or an incredibly hard worker. Or, perhaps both?”
“Student Jin Do-jun. Are there any plans for studying abroad…?”
I wanted to end it here. The article they were going to write was already decided anyway.
“Excuse me, reporters. Go to Jeju Island for your coverage, and just write my article to suit my grandfather’s taste. I can tell exactly what it is; your desk sent you to get some advertising, didn’t they?”
The reporters were speechless, as if dumbfounded.
“My grandfather will be very pleased to read an article that says I studied mainly from textbooks and used reference books and practice problems.”
My father, who had been chuckling while watching, stepped forward.
“Alright, alright, let’s wrap this up. Oh, by the way, did you get enough photos? Our son’s photos… it’s his first time appearing in newspapers and on broadcast, so please pick the best ones. Then.”
As my father dismissed the reporters, I went up to my room on the second floor to get ready for school. Just then, my phone rang. It was Grandfather.
“Yes, Grandfather.”
- Do-jun. Did the interview go well?
“Just finished.”
- Then come to your grandfather’s house.
“Yes. After school…”
- No. Come right after breakfast. I’ve already called the school. You don’t have to go.
Surely, he’s not planning to gather people and brag about me, is he?
If so, it would be terribly embarrassing, I’m worried.
.
.
A Grandfather’s Love and a Hidden Agenda
“Oh, my child! Let me give you a hug.”
Only Grandfather, with his arms wide open, was visible. My worries were unfounded.
“You’ve worked hard. And I’m proud of you.”
Grandfather patted my back and led me to his study.
Still unable to wipe the smile from his face, Grandfather, in his hurry, immediately spoke about my future path.
“So, where do you want to go to school? America? Europe?”
“I haven’t thought about it yet. Can’t I take my time to find out?”
Surely, he’s not planning to send me abroad right after graduation, is he? That absolutely must not happen. If a future similar to my past life unfolds, Grandfather will pass away within a few years.
There’s so much I need to do before then!
I have no intention of going abroad, not even an ounce.
“Yes, you must have worked hard studying. It’s not bad to take a year off, attend college, and relax a bit, enjoying yourself.”
Seeing Grandfather’s expression, I felt relieved. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Not only that, he subtly glanced at me and spoke with difficulty.
“Is your dream still the same? It hasn’t changed, has it?”
It was fortunate that he asked the right question at just the right time. This was precisely the moment I wanted to confirm.
“Hmm, I’m not sure. I want to do business like Grandfather, and I’ve also wanted to make movies like Father… Being a prosecutor or judge doesn’t seem bad either… It goes back and forth.”
Seeing Grandfather’s expression suddenly harden, I felt relieved. His willingness to involve me in management was evident.
“Do-jun.”
“Yes.”
“A man, you see. There’s nothing as important as earning a living. Movies? Does anyone consider that a way to earn a living? Everyone does it because they like it. Some might get lucky and become rich from it. But fundamentally, they do it because they want to.”
It was a bit amusing how seriously he was speaking, more so than I expected.
“Even if it’s unpleasant and difficult, a man must earn money. That’s all there is to it.”
“…Yes.”
“This grandfather, you see. I wish you would work at Sunyang, which I built. I want to close my eyes seeing Sunyang Group grow tens, hundreds of times bigger than it is now, making more and more.”
Oh no, that’s too blatant. It would be a huge problem if he revealed such inner thoughts to others, especially my uncles.
“Grandfather.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know who the youngest son of King Taejo Yi Seong-gye, who founded Joseon, was?”
Grandfather blinked at the unexpected question.
“He was Yi Bang-seok, the second son of Queen Sindeok, King Taejo’s second consort.”
“What are you trying to say? Why bring up history out of nowhere? Don’t you know your grandfather didn’t go to school? Hahaha.”
“Yi Seong-gye had six sons with his first consort, Queen Sinui. However, he ignored all his grown sons who had fought alongside him and achieved merits, and instead appointed young Yi Bang-seok, who was only 11 years old, as crown prince.”
Grandfather’s laughter stopped, and the look in his eyes changed.
“That Yi Bang-seok was killed by his half-brother, Taejong Yi Bang-won’s sword. The Strife of Princes, is that right?”
“That’s right.”
I wondered if I had said too much, but there was no turning back. There wasn’t much time left. My grandfather’s excessive affection or my own impatience could ruin things.
And I still remembered. Jin Do-jun died before he turned twenty.
Grandfather’s sharp gaze, which had been piercing me, softened again.
“Every Friday, key group executives gather in this study. It’s where we have the deepest discussions about current group issues and make difficult decisions.”
“Yes. I know that well.”
“From now on, let’s have breakfast together every Saturday morning in this study.”
This meant he would inform me of the group’s important decisions every Saturday. I didn’t need to act overly pleased.
Check, recheck, double-check.
Isn’t that the basis of everything? I needed to understand Grandfather’s true intentions even more.
“Grandfather. I’m still young. Even if you teach me about company matters, I won’t understand.”
“Humble words don’t suit a greedy person. I’m not trying to teach you anything. I’ve already confirmed your potential, I just want to see if you have the capacity to contain great ambition. Haha.”
Grandfather’s, no, Chairman Jin’s laugh didn’t sound ordinary.
It meant that affection for his admirable grandson and the inheritance of a massive legacy were separate matters.
From now on, every Saturday, I felt like I would be seeing Chairman Jin, not just my grandfather.
“Take a look at this and submit your answers on Saturday. Let’s see if you do as well as you did on the Suneung.”
He casually tossed a rather thick bundle of documents at me.
“I wanted you to rest for about a year… But our Do-jun still has to study, it seems. Haha.”
Grandfather burst into a cheerful laugh and stood up.
“Let’s go. There’s something I want to show you.”
Outside the main building, next to the annex, in the garage, a dozen imported cars were visible. How old was he to still love cars so much…? It was quite an expensive hobby for an old man.
“There are cars I haven’t seen before. Did you buy more?”
“How many cars haven’t you seen?”
“Three. Grandfather. Please stop driving sports cars. They’re dangerous.”
Grandfather pulled out three car keys from his coat pocket.
“These are gifts from me. Thanks to you, a ten-year-old blockage in my chest has completely cleared. And when I think about boasting in front of the other chairmen at the New Year’s FKI meeting, I can’t help but smile. You deserve at least this much of a gift, yes.”
If I were a child, I would have jumped for joy… But even seeing German and Italian sports cars, I remained calm.
However, I couldn’t just remain expressionless. I didn’t take the car keys.
“I’ll take Grandfather’s gifts after I finish my homework. Give me one for every perfect score I get on my homework.”
Grandfather’s hand, holding the keys, paused, then his face broke into a wide smile.
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