[042] Warming Up, Part 1
December 7th, and I found myself awake unusually early.
Even though Grandpa had already told me my scores, the tension lingered.
When I went out to pick up the morning paper, there was a commotion at the front gate. In this quiet neighborhood, such noise was a first. Curious, I opened the door, only to be met with flashing cameras and microphones thrust in my face.
“Are you Jin Do-jun?”
“You’re Jin Do-jun, right?”
It was still dark at 6 AM in December, and the camera flashes blinded me. I quickly shut the gate.
What on earth was going on?
My father, still in his pajamas, came down to the garden, yawning as he gave me a pat on the back.
“They’re here for an interview.”
“But why me? Shouldn’t they be interviewing the top scorer of the college entrance exam?”
“Do you really not know? A regular top scorer versus the high-scoring grandson of the Sunyang Group. Plus, your father’s a film producer, and your mother is a former actress who hasn’t lost her beauty. Which do you think makes a better story?”
Dad chuckled and gestured toward the gate.
“Your grandpa just called. Humor him a bit. He wants to brag.”
Ah, Grandpa. Whether rich or not, the desire to boast about one’s grandchild is universal, isn’t it?
“Just give them a quick interview. And don’t forget to mention how your wonderful parents helped you.”
“Dad, I don’t recall you helping me much with my studies.”
“We didn’t stress you out with high expectations or nagging. A little benign neglect is the best parenting. Remember that. Heh.”
After a few successful films, Dad had become a producer who couldn’t be ignored in Chungmuro. His true nature was finally showing.
He always wore a sly, relaxed smile, and his occasional humor was top-notch. He treated me not just as his child but as an individual, with a Western mindset.
The study was already tidied up, and Mom had prepared tea and snacks 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 I was ready, Mom brought the reporters in.
The TV crew came with a cameraman, but Dad, knowing the power of visuals, started negotiating.
“Let’s turn off the camera. Photos should suffice for the footage, right? It’ll only be a short segment anyway.”
“But we need at least a couple of shots…”
“Words fade, but images last forever. I don’t want anything to hold my son back.”
“Mr. Jin, what could possibly hold him back?” the TV reporter laughed, but Dad shook his head.
“Just do as I say. Turn off the camera.”
With the camera off, the interview began.
The questions were direct from the start.
“Do-jun, are you going to say you studied ‘mainly from textbooks’ too?”
“Come on, do you really think the grandson of the country’s wealthiest man only studied textbooks?”
My somewhat cheeky response made a few reporters grin. They were tired of the usual model-student answers.
“So, what did you do?”
“I had private tutors for each subject… One-on-one lessons all year round. The money spent could probably cover your salaries for ten years.”
”…”
Was I too blunt? The reporters were momentarily speechless, and Dad couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Where do you plan to apply?”
A standard question, probably from a rookie reporter.
“I’m applying to law school.”
“Oh, aiming to be a judge or prosecutor?”
“Yes.”
Then, one reporter threw a provocative question.
“Are you applying to law school because you’re excluded from the Sunyang Group’s succession line?”
The reporter briefly studied my expression before continuing.
“With your uncles and many cousins ahead of you… Did you think you had no chance as the youngest in the Sunyang family?”
Initially taken aback, I realized this was an opportunity. I could say what people watching this interview would want to hear.
“I’ve never thought about it that way… My parents live freely, doing work unrelated to the Sunyang Group. So, I’ve never considered the Sunyang Group in my plans.”
“If you become a lawyer, do you plan to walk a path unrelated to the Sunyang Group, or will you support it from the sidelines?”
That’s enough. This is the perfect stopping point. The more I say, the more interpretations there will be. I quickly changed the subject.
“I’ve never thought about it. By the way, who was the top scorer in the college entrance exam?”
“Oh, a student from Jeju Island…”
“Science or humanities?”
“Science.”
“If that student topped the exam without private tutoring like mine, they must be a genius or incredibly hardworking. Or maybe both?”
“Do-jun, do you have any plans to study abroad…?”
I wanted to wrap it up here. They already knew what kind of article they needed to write.
“Reporters, why don’t you head to Jeju for your story and write mine to suit my grandpa’s taste? I can already see the angle you’re going for. Your desk probably sent you to pull in some advertising, right?”
The reporters seemed at a loss for words.
“My grandpa would love to see an article about how I studied mainly from textbooks, with some help from reference books and practice tests.”
Dad, who had been watching with amusement, stepped in.
“Alright, let’s wrap it up. Oh, and you’ve taken enough photos, right? It’s my son’s first time in the papers and on TV, so please use the best ones. Thank you.”
As Dad ushered the reporters out, I went upstairs to my room to get ready for school. Just then, my phone rang. It was Grandpa.
“Yes, Grandpa.”
“Do-jun, did the interview go well?”
“It just finished.”
“Then come over to my house.”
“Okay. After school…”
“No, come right after breakfast. I’ve already called the school. You don’t need to go.”
Surely he wasn’t planning to gather people just to brag about me?
If so, it would be mortifyingly embarrassing. I was worried.
“Oh, my boy! Let me give you a hug.”
Grandpa stood with his arms wide open. Thankfully, my worries were unfounded.
“You did well. I’m proud of you.”
He patted my back and led me to his study.
Grandpa’s smile never faded as he eagerly brought up my future.
“So, where do you want to study? America? Europe?”
“I haven’t really thought about it yet. Can’t I take my time to decide?”
Surely he wasn’t planning to send me abroad right after graduation? That mustn’t happen. If the future unfolds like my past life, Grandpa will pass away in a few years.
There’s so much to do before then!
I have no intention of going abroad, not even a little.
“Right, you must be tired from all the studying. Taking a year to enjoy college life wouldn’t be bad.”
His expression reassured me. He didn’t seem in a rush. But there was more. He hesitated, glancing at me before speaking.
“Your dreams haven’t changed, have they?”
It was the perfect question at the perfect time. I was relieved. It was a moment I wanted to confirm.
“Well, I’m not sure. Sometimes I want to run a business like you, other times I think about making films like Dad… Being a judge or prosecutor doesn’t seem bad either… I keep going back and forth.”
Grandpa’s face suddenly hardened, which oddly put me at ease. It showed he wanted me involved in the business.
“Do-jun.”
“Yes.”
“A man’s most important task is to earn a living. Movies? Who thinks of that as a livelihood? People do it because they love it. Some get lucky and become rich from it. But at its core, it’s something you do because you want to.”
His serious tone was almost amusing.
“Even if you don’t want to and it’s tough, a man must earn money. That’s all there is to it.”
”…Yes.”
“I want you to work at Sunyang, the company I’ve built. I want to see it grow bigger, become many times what it is now, and then close my eyes.”
Wow, that’s pretty blunt. If he ever shared such thoughts with others, especially my uncles, it would be a disaster.
“Grandpa.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know who the youngest son of King Taejo Yi Seong-gye was?”
Grandpa blinked at the unexpected question.
“Yi Bang-seok, the second son of Queen Shin Deok, King Taejo’s second wife.”
“What are you getting at? Why bring up history out of the blue? You know I didn’t go to school, right? Haha.”
“King Taejo had six sons with his first wife, Queen Shin Ui. But he ignored all his grown sons who had fought alongside him and made the eleven-year-old Yi Bang-seok the crown prince.”
Grandpa’s laughter stopped, and his gaze on me changed.
“That Yi Bang-seok was killed by his half-brother, King Taejong Yi Bang-won. The Strife of Princes, right?”
“Yes.”
I wondered if I had said too much, but it couldn’t be helped. Time was running out. If Grandpa’s excessive affection or my impatience showed, it could ruin everything.
And I still remembered. Jin Do-jun didn’t live past twenty.
Grandpa’s piercing gaze softened again.
“Every Friday, key figures from the group gather in this study. They discuss the group’s most pressing issues and make difficult decisions.”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“From now on, let’s have breakfast together every Saturday morning.”
He was offering to share the group’s important decisions with me. I didn’t need to be overly enthusiastic.
Check, recheck, double-check.
Isn’t that the foundation of everything? I needed to understand Grandpa’s true intentions a bit more.
“Grandpa, I’m still young. Even if you teach me about the company, I might not understand.”
“A greedy man doesn’t suit humble words. I’m not trying to teach you anything. I’ve already seen your potential; now I just want to see if you’re a vessel worthy of holding great ambition. Ha ha.”
Grandfather—or rather, Chairman Jin’s—laughter was anything but ordinary.
It was clear that affection for a promising grandson and the inheritance of a vast fortune were two separate matters.
It seemed that from now on, every Saturday, I would be meeting not with my grandfather, but with Chairman Jin.
“Take a look at this and submit your answers by Saturday. Let’s see if you can score as well as you did on your college entrance exams.”
He tossed a rather thick stack of documents my way.
“I had hoped you could take a year off to relax… but it seems our Do-jun still has some studying to do. Ha ha.”
Grandfather let out a hearty laugh as he stood up.
“Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”
Outside the main building, next to the annex, was a garage filled with a dozen imported cars. For someone his age, he sure had an expensive hobby.
“I see some new cars. Did you buy more?”
“How many new ones do you see?”
“Three, Grandfather. You really should stop driving sports cars. They’re dangerous.”
Grandfather pulled three car keys from his coat pocket.
“These are gifts for you. Thanks to you, I’ve finally rid myself of a ten-year-old burden. And just thinking about boasting in front of the other chairmen at the New Year’s Federation meeting makes me smile. You deserve at least this much.”
If I were a child, I might have jumped for joy… but even in the face of German and Italian sports cars, I remained calm.
Still, I couldn’t just stand there expressionless, so I didn’t take the car keys.
“I’ll accept your gifts after I finish my assignments, Grandfather. Give me one for each perfect score I get.”
Grandfather’s hand, holding the keys, paused for a moment before a broad smile spread across his face.