Chapter 42: The Interview

December 7th. For some reason, I woke up unusually early.

Even though Grandpa had already told me my score, the tension lingered.

When I went out to get the morning paper, the front gate was noisy. It was the first time there’d been such a commotion in our quiet residential area. Wondering what was going on, I opened the door, and camera flashes exploded, microphones blocking my face.

“Mr. Jin Do-jun?”

“Student Jin Do-jun? Is that right?”

It was dark at 6 AM in December, and the flashing lights made it impossible to see anything. I hurriedly closed the gate.

What was going on?

My dad, still in his pajamas, came down to the garden, yawned, and nudged my back.

“They’re here for your interview.”

“No, for the university entrance exam, they should be interviewing the top scorer nationwide, so why me…?”

“Do you even need to ask? A typical top scorer versus the high score of the Soonyang Group’s grandson. Plus, your father’s a movie production company president, and your mother’s a former actress who hasn’t lost her looks. Which one do you think will generate more buzz?”

Dad chuckled and pointed towards the gate.

“Your grandfather just called. Humor him. He wants to brag about you.”

Aish, that old man of ours. It seems the desire to show off his grandson is the same whether he has a lot of money or not.

“Just do a quick interview. Oh, and don’t forget to mention it’s all thanks to your wonderful parents.”

“Dad, I don’t really remember you helping me study?”

“I didn’t stress you out with excessive expectations or nag you. Appropriate neglect is a parent’s greatest virtue. Remember that. Heh.”

After a few successful movies, and becoming a production company president in Chungmuro no one could ignore, I got to see my father’s true colors.

He was easygoing and always had a relaxed smile. His occasional flashes of humor were excellent. He also had a Western mindset, treating his son as an individual, not just his child.

The study was already spotless, and Mom had even prepared tea and refreshments for the reporters.

“Do-jun, change into your school uniform. It’ll look better.”

Even Mom couldn’t hide her desire to show off.

Once the interview preparations were done, Mom led the reporters in.

The TV news reporter even brought a cameraman, but Dad, well aware of the power of visuals, started to manage the situation.

“Let’s turn off the camera. Still photos are enough for the archive footage, don’t you think? It’ll probably only be on air for less than 30 seconds anyway?”

“Still, we need at least a couple of shots….”

“Words disappear, but videos last forever. I don’t want anything to trip up my son.”

“President Jin, what could possibly trip him up?”

The TV news reporter said with a smile, but Dad shook his head.

“Let’s just do as I say. Turn off the camera.”

They turned off the camera and started the interview.

Straightforward questions came pouring in from the start.

“Mr. Do-jun, are you also going to say, ‘I focused on the textbook’?”

“Of course not. Would the grandson of the wealthiest man in the country only study textbooks?”

Some of the reporters grinned at my slightly provocative answer. Even reporters get tired of cliché model student interviews.

“Then…?”

“I had pinpoint tutors for each subject… one-on-one tutoring all year round. The money spent would probably be equivalent to your ten-year salaries combined.”

……

Was that too blunt? When the reporters couldn’t follow up with questions, Dad, who was watching, couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Where are you planning to apply?”

A normal question again; it seems like this reporter is a newbie, sticking to the script.

“I’ll be applying to the law school.”

“Oh, is your goal to become a judge or prosecutor?”

“Yes.”

At this point, another reporter threw out a provocative question.

“Is the reason you’re applying to law school perhaps because you’ve been excluded from the Soonyang Group’s succession plans?”

The reporter briefly observed my expression before continuing his question.

“You have older uncles and many cousins… as the youngest in the Soonyang family, did you think you had no chance?”

I was initially taken aback, but this was actually good. I just needed to give the answers that the people who would see this interview wanted to hear.

“I haven’t really thought about that… Well, my parents live freely. They do work completely unrelated to the Soonyang Group. Perhaps that’s why I’ve never considered the Soonyang Group.”

“If you become a lawyer, have you ever thought about whether you’ll walk a path unrelated to the Soonyang Group or indirectly support it?”

That’s enough. This is the right place to stop. The more I say, the more interpretations there will be. I quickly changed the subject.

“I haven’t even thought about that. By the way, who is the top scorer on the university entrance exam?”

“Ah, it’s a student from Jeju Island….”

“Science or humanities?”

“Science.”

“That student must be either a real genius or incredibly hardworking to become the top scorer without using private tutors like me. Or maybe both?”

“Mr. Jin Do-jun, do you have any plans to study abroad….”

I wanted to end it here. The articles they need to write are already decided anyway.

“Hey, reporters. Go to Jeju Island for your real interview and just write my article to fit my grandfather’s taste. I can see exactly what’s going on here, you were sent by the desk to bring in some advertising, right?”

The reporters were speechless, probably because they were dumbfounded.

“My grandfather would be very happy to see an article saying I studied mainly from textbooks and got help from supplementary books and practice problems.”

Dad, who had been chuckling, stepped forward.

“Alright, alright, let’s wrap it up here. Oh, did you get enough photos? It’s our son’s first time appearing in newspapers and on TV, so please use the best ones. Goodbye.”

While Dad was handling the reporters, I went up to my room on the second floor to get ready for school. Just then, my cell phone rang. It was Grandpa.

“Yes, Grandpa.”

– Do-jun. Did the interview go well?

“It just finished.”

– Then come to Grandpa’s house.

“Yes. After school….”

– No. Come right after breakfast. I’ve already called the school. You don’t need to go.

He’s not planning to gather people and brag about me, is he?

If so, it would be creepily embarrassing. I’m worried.

* * *

“Aigoo, my baby! Let me give you a hug.”

All I could see was Grandpa with his arms wide open. What I was worried about didn’t happen.

“You’ve worked hard. And you’re amazing.”

Grandpa patted my back and led me to the study.

Grandpa, his smile never leaving his face, started talking about my future plans as if he was in a rush.

“So, where do you want to go to school? The US? Europe?”

“I haven’t really thought about it yet. Can’t I take my time to figure it out?”

Could he be thinking of sending me abroad right after graduation? That absolutely cannot happen. If the future unfolds as it did in my past life, Grandpa will pass away in a few years.

I have so much to do before then!

I have absolutely no intention of going abroad.

“Well, you’ve been working hard studying, so it wouldn’t be bad to spend a year or so at university, relaxing and enjoying yourself.”

Seeing Grandpa’s expression put my mind at ease. He didn’t seem to be in a rush. And that wasn’t all. He glanced at me and carefully opened his mouth.

“Your dream is still the same, right? It hasn’t changed?”

It was fortunate he asked the right question at the right time. It was actually the moment I wanted to confirm something.

“Um, I’m not sure. Sometimes I want to run a business like Grandpa, and sometimes I want to make movies like Dad… being a judge or prosecutor doesn’t seem bad either… it keeps changing.”

Seeing Grandpa’s suddenly stiff expression made me feel relieved. I could see his intention to involve me in management.

“Do-jun.”

“Yes.”

“A man… there’s nothing more important than making a living. Movies? Is there anyone who thinks of that as a way to make a living? They all do it because they like it. Some might get rich from it by luck. But the core is that they do it because they want to.”

He was saying it much more seriously than I expected, which was a bit funny.

“Even if you don’t like it and it’s hard, a man has to earn money. That’s all there is to it.”

“…Yes.”

“This old man… I want you to work at Soonyang, which this old man built. I want to see it grow bigger and create more, becoming tens or hundreds of times the size it is now, before I close my eyes.”

Wow, that’s too direct. Saying such inner thoughts to others, especially my uncles, would be a disaster.

“Grandpa.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know who the youngest son of Taejo Yi Seong-gye, who founded Joseon, was?”

Grandpa blinked at the unexpected question.

“It’s Yi Bang-seok, the second son of Queen Sindeok of the Kang clan, Yi Seong-gye’s second wife.”

“What are you trying to say? Why are you suddenly talking about history? Don’t you know your grandpa didn’t go to school? Euhuhuh.”

“Yi Seong-gye had six sons with his first wife, Queen Shinui of the Han clan. However, ignoring all his grown sons who had fought on the battlefield and achieved merit, he appointed his young son Yi Bang-seok, who was only eleven years old, as the Crown Prince.”

Grandpa’s laughter stopped, and the look in his eyes changed as he stared at me.

“That Yi Bang-seok fellow was killed by his half-brother, Taejong Yi Bang-won’s sword. The Princes’ Strife, is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I wondered if I had said something unnecessary, but it couldn’t be helped. Time was running out. If Grandpa’s excessive affection or my own impatience became apparent, things could go wrong.

And I still remember Jin Do-jun dying before he turned twenty.

Grandpa’s sharp gaze, which felt like it could pierce through me, softened again.

“Every Friday, the key figures of the group gather in this study. It’s where we have the deepest discussions and make difficult decisions regarding the group’s current issues.”

“Yes, I’m well aware.”

“From now on, you will have breakfast with this old man every Saturday morning.”

This meant he would inform me of the group’s important decisions every Saturday. There was no need to act overly happy.

Check, recheck, double-check.

Isn’t that the basis of everything? I needed to understand Grandpa’s true intentions even a little bit more.

“Grandpa, I’m still young. Even if you teach me about company matters, I won’t understand.”

“Words of humility don’t suit a greedy guy like you. I’m not trying to teach you something. I’ve already confirmed your potential, I just want to see if you’re a vessel big enough to hold great ambition. Heh.”

Grandpa’s, no, Chairman Jin’s laughter didn’t sound ordinary.

His affection for his talented grandson and the inheritance of a vast fortune were separate matters.

It seemed that every Saturday from now on, I would be seeing Chairman Jin, not just Grandpa.

“Take a look at this and submit your answers on Saturday. Let’s see if they’re as good as your university entrance exam scores.”

He tossed a rather thick stack of documents at me.

“I wanted you to rest for about a year… it seems our Do-jun still has to study. Hehehe.”

Grandpa stood up with a cheerful laugh.

“Let’s go. I have something to show you.”

Outside the main building, near the annex garage, there were about a dozen imported cars. For someone his age, he sure loves cars… A very expensive hobby for an old man.

“There’s a car I haven’t seen before. Did you buy another one?”

“How many cars haven’t you seen before?”

“Three. Grandpa, please stop driving sports cars. It’s dangerous.”

Grandpa took out three car keys from his coat pocket.

“This is a gift from me. Thanks to you, a decade-old burden has been lifted. And the thought of bragging in front of those other chairmen at the New Year’s Federation of Korean Industries meeting makes me laugh. You deserve this kind of gift, of course.”

If I were a kid, I would have jumped for joy… but looking at the German and Italian sports cars, I felt indifferent.

However, I couldn’t just stand there expressionless. I didn’t take the car keys.

“I’ll receive Grandpa’s gift after I finish my homework. Give me one each time I get a perfect score on the assignments.”

Grandpa’s hand holding the keys paused, then a broad smile spread across his face.