TOIGC 35

Chapter 35 …

The Crown Prince of the New Military Faction (3)

“Right. If you ask me, focusing your efforts right here is the smartest move.”

Choi Cheol-kyu tapped his finger against a specific name on the document.

It read ‘Jang Jae-jun.’

“And what’s your plan?”

“JSD’s eldest son happens to be the exact same age as my boy. So, I’ll simply move my family near the elementary school he’s set to attend.”

Listening to Yoongi’s remarkably unruffled voice, Cheol-kyu realized he had hit the nail on the head.

‘Whether there was only one right answer or several, at least I’ve proven my worth to him.’

Relieved, Cheol-kyu continued.

“My son might not hold a candle to you, but he’s a sharp kid in his own right. Winning over a single classmate won’t be a problem for him.”

“They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. If it were my eldest uncle, I’d have serious doubts, but coming from you, Uncle, I have full faith.”

Hearing how thoroughly his second older brother had fallen out of favor, Cheol-kyu couldn’t even fathom what kind of nasty stunt Cheol-min must have pulled to earn such disdain.

‘I doubt he’d tell me if I asked, but there’s definitely a story there.’

He was curious, but more pressing matters demanded his attention.

“There’s one more piece of info I need from you. Just find out which school this Jang Jae-jun kid will be enrolling in. Once I have that, I’ll handle the rest. I just need to establish the connection with JSD and wait for your next set of instructions, right?”

“Precisely. Drop by again in a few days.”

“No need to wait for a specific day—call me whenever you need me, and I’ll be right over.”

A few days later, the housekeepers informed Cheol-kyu that his second older brother had thrown a massive tantrum at the house.

“Mom, I’m home!”

Hearing her son Choi In-gi’s cheerful shout, Shin Mi-ra smiled brightly and walked out to the foyer to greet him.

“Welcome back! How was school?”

“It was great! Mom, I brought a friend home today. Is that okay?”

“Of course! Any friend of yours is welcome. Hello there, what’s your name?”

Welcomed by the warm and friendly mother, a boy with distinct, upturned eyes gave a polite bow.

“Hello, ma’am. My name is Jang Jae-jun.”

He wasn’t arrogant, but he certainly wasn’t timid either—a confidence fitting for the son of a man serving as the commander of the Capital Security Command Guard Unit during an era when the military held absolute sway.

“Well hello, Jae-jun. Make yourself at home and have fun with In-gi.”

Sensing a gentle elegance in Shin Mi-ra’s demeanor, Jae-jun immediately felt at ease and followed his friend In-gi into his bedroom.

“Woah… You have so many toys!”

Once the two were alone in the room, Jae-jun’s childlike wonder broke through his composed exterior.

“My older cousin gets them for me all the time. Feel free to play with whatever you want.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, course! We’re friends, aren’t we?”

With In-gi’s permission, Jae-jun marveled at the toys packed into the room. A built-in display case lined the wall, packed neatly with organized scale model kits typical of the 1970s.

Though these early plastic models were crude compared to anything from the 2010s, they were more than enough to completely spellbind a young boy of this era.

“Woah, this looks almost identical to the field guns I saw at my dad’s unit!”

Jae-jun picked up a World War II German artillery model, his eyes wide with admiration.

“Woah, you’ve seen real artillery before?”

“Yep! My dad’s a colonel. He’s stationed at the Capital Security Command right now so I don’t see them as much, but back when he was a battalion commander, I saw them all the time.”

“Your dad’s a soldier?!”

Hearing the sheer awe in In-gi’s voice, Jae-jun rubbed his nose and grinned proudly. To kids of this era, a well-connected military officer was hands-down the coolest job a father could have.

“You wanna come to my dad’s unit sometime and check out the tanks? If you’re lucky, he might even let us ride in one.”

“Yeah! I’d love to!”

Being a South Korean male, In-gi was destined to get more than his fill of tanks fifteen years down the road, but completely oblivious to that future, he bounced with excitement.

“Sweet! I’ll ask my dad when I get home later.”

“Awesome!”

The two boys spent the next few hours immersed in a mock battle with the toys.

[In-gi, you need to become best friends with Jae-jun. If you do, Yoongi will be super happy.]

Throughout January and February, Yoongi had showered his young cousin In-gi with a staggering mountain of toys. Consequently, In-gi held his older cousin in absolute adoration, which motivated him to go out of his way to win over Jae-jun with surprising effectiveness.

“Ah, I lost again! Man, it really shows that your dad’s a soldier.”

There was no real winning or losing when playing with toys, but In-gi’s compliment was more than enough to stroke Jae-jun’s ego.

“Boys, time for snacks!”

“Thank you, ma’am! Woah…!”

Jae-jun paused mid-thanks, staring open-mouthed at the tray of treats.

“In-gi, what are these snacks? I’ve never seen any of these before.”

“Oh, my cousin brings them over all the time. He says they’re the most popular snacks in America.”

“Woah… I’m so jealous. I wish I had a cousin like that…”

Shin Mi-ra gently and naturally stroked Jae-jun’s head as he spoke.

“Eat as much as you like, Jae-jun. If you like them, I’ll pack some for you to take home later.”

“Really?”

“Of course! Just make sure you stay good friends with our In-gi, okay?”

“Yes! In-gi is my best friend in the whole world!”

Shin Mi-ra smiled warmly, asked for his home phone number so she could notify his parents, and stepped out of the room. The moment she left, Jae-jun popped a snack into his mouth.

“Woah… This is so delicious…”

Seeing the sheer bliss on Jae-jun’s face, In-gi offered him another package.

“Try this one too. I’ve already had it, so you can eat the rest.”

“For real?”

“Yeah!”

With In-gi’s blessing, Jae-jun wolfed down the treats non-stop until he leaned back, panting happily while patting his stuffed stomach.

“Man… That was so good…”

“Wanna play something else now?”

“Hold on, my stomach is way too full right now.”

In-gi shook his head at his friend’s contented look.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got something fun we can play even on a full stomach.”

“Like what?”

In-gi pulled off the cloth cover hiding a color TV sitting in his room.

“Whoa, you have a TV in your room?!”

“Yeah, it’s for a toy that needs a TV.”

“A toy that needs a TV?”

“Just wait a second.”

In-gi flipped the power switch on an Atari 2600 Video Computer System that Yoongi had given him. Instantly, a vibrant, colorful display—a rare sight in the 1970s—flooded the screen.

“Huh? Wait, isn’t that an arcade game?!”

Jae-jun leaned in so close his face was practically glued to the screen.

“My cousin’s grandfather on his mother’s side is a Brigadier General in the US Military. He bought this in America and gave it to us.”

“Whoa! Your cousin’s grandfather is an American military officer? A Brigadier General?!”

“Yeah.”

“Woah, he outranks my dad!”

“I don’t really know how ranks work. Anyway, wanna play a round?”

“Heck yeah!”

With eyes gleaming, Jae-jun grabbed the controller from In-gi and instantly lost himself in the game. Hours flew by in a flash. Soon it was time to head home, but Jae-jun couldn’t bring himself to step away from the TV.

“Jae-jun, it’s getting late. Shouldn’t you be heading home soon? Your ride is waiting outside.”

When Shin Mi-ra opened the door and spoke, Jae-jun reluctantly put the controller down, his eyes lingering wistfully on the screen. Noticing his hesitation, In-gi turned to him.

“Do you want to keep it?”

“Huh?”

Jae-jun blinked, unable to believe his ears.

“You can have it. I can just ask my cousin for another one. He really adores me.”

“Seriously? I can really have this?”

“Yeah, of course! We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Looking like he might burst into tears of joy at any second, Jae-jun pulled In-gi into a fierce hug.

“In-gi, thank you so much!”

“Mom, can I give this to Jae-jun?”

“Of course, sweetheart. It’s yours to give.”

With Shin Mi-ra’s approval, Jae-jun practically bounced off the walls with excitement. Moments later, carrying a cloth bundle packed with snacks and the game console, Jae-jun gave a deep 90-degree bow before stepping out of his friend’s house.

“Dear, Jae-jun just left.”

At Shin Mi-ra’s words, Choi Cheol-kyu stepped out quietly from the master bedroom and turned to his son.

“In-gi, did you mention that Yoongi’s grandfather is a Brigadier General in the US Military?”

“Yes, I did!”

“Good boy.”

Patting his son on the head, Cheol-kyu fetched two large, neatly wrapped boxes from the bedroom and handed them to In-gi.

“Yoongi said these are for you.”

“Woah!”

In-gi cheered as he tore open the boxes, revealing a brand-new Atari system to replace the one he gave away, alongside a fresh ‘Magnavox Odyssey’ console.

“Make sure you keep listening to your cousin Yoongi, okay? He really cares about you.”

“I love Cousin Yoongi more than anyone in the whole world!”

While those words might have stung ordinary parents, both Cheol-kyu and Shin Mi-ra simply nodded in agreement. Their family had just secured a golden ticket to transition from an average wealthy household into an influential family connected to the military elite.

Riding back home in the staff car driven by his father’s military driver, Jae-jun’s expression grew gloomier the closer they got to his house. Opening the front door, his face froze upon seeing his father sitting inside, though he let out a subtle sigh of relief when he noticed his mother was present as well.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Jae-jun’s father possessed sharp, severe eyes and a tightly set mouth that made his son look like a timid carbon copy. Under his father’s stern gaze, Jae-jun pulled his head back like a turtle and mumbled an answer.

“I-I was just playing at my friend’s house…”

It was a complete 180 from his lively demeanor at In-gi’s place. Seeing this, Jae-jun’s mother, Park Gyeong-ja, wrapped a gentle arm around her son.

“Oh, come on, dear. He’s just making new friends. Besides, his friend’s mother even called us earlier. But Jae-jun, what’s all this?”

Reassured by his mother’s warmth, Jae-jun untied his cloth bundle like a proud soldier showing off his loot.

“My friend and his mom gave them to me!”

As the bundle fell open to reveal the Atari console and a mountain of imported American treats, Park Gyeong-ja’s eyes widened in surprise.

“My goodness, these look like American goods… What do your friend’s parents do for a living?”

“I don’t know about his parents, but my friend said his cousin’s grandfather is a Brigadier General in the US Military.”

JSD, who had been clicking his tongue in disapproval at his wife and son, flinched subtly at those words.

‘A Brigadier General in the US Military? Is that even possible?’

JSD’s mind instantly jumped to a Korean-American holding the rank of Brigadier General, but historically speaking, that was virtually impossible for this era. Even looking as far ahead as 2014, there were only about eight Korean-American general officers in US military history.

“Jae-jun.”

At his father’s low, gravelly voice, Jae-jun flinched nervously.

“…Yes, Dad?”

“Are you absolutely certain his cousin’s grandfather is an American Brigadier General?”

“Yes… I heard it loud and clear.”

JSD stepped closer and began examining the contents of the bundle his son had brought home.

“And what is this thing?”

Jae-jun mumbled his response, pointing to the Atari.

“It’s a home video game console…”

“A video game console? Something this small? Wait… an arcade game at home?”

For a second, JSD considered smashing the contraption, but the mention of a US Military Brigadier General stayed his hand.

‘A family generous enough to gift something like this to my son, with a US Brigadier General backing them…’

JSD’s political instincts began to whir into motion.

“Oh my, welcome! Please come in.”

Since Park Gyeong-ja was nearly a decade younger than JSD, Choi Cheol-kyu and Shin Mi-ra felt relatively comfortable during their visit to JSD’s residence.

“Hello, my name is Choi Cheol-kyu. It is an absolute honor to be invited to your home.”

Bowing politely, Cheol-kyu greeted JSD standing beside his wife, dipping his waist lower as he extended a hand for a firm handshake.

“Welcome. Dinner is ready, so please, let’s sit down and eat.”

At JSD’s invitation, the meal got underway, filled with pleasant, casual conversation between the two couples. At one point, JSD casually tested the waters by asking for Cheol-kyu’s thoughts on the current political climate, but Cheol-kyu maintained his flawless poker face and delivered answers tailored to satisfy the officer, keeping the atmosphere warm and harmonious throughout dinner.

“Jae-jun, take your friend and your younger sibling to your room and play.”

“Yes, Dad!”

Responding with rare enthusiasm, Jae-jun took In-gi and his sibling by the hand and hurried into his bedroom, leaving the two couples alone in the living room.

“I brought some coffee.”

As Park Gyeong-ja set the cups down, JSD broke the silence first.

“By the way, according to Jae-jun, your family has a connection with a Brigadier General in the US Military?”

“Ah, yes. He is an in-law on my father’s side. I believe he is currently stationed with US Forces Korea. Have you perhaps heard of Brigadier General Colson?”

JSD slapped his knee in sudden realization, unable to hide his impression.

“Ah, General Colson! Of course I know him! I had no idea his son-in-law was Korean, though. May I ask what business your father is in?”

Cheol-kyu maintained his modest, polite expression as he answered.

“Yes, he currently runs a modest company called Samwoo.”

Calling it ‘modest’ was a humble understatement, but JSD nodded along.

“Ah… So you’re the son of Samwoo Group’s chairman.”

In truth, being the son of Samwoo Group’s chairman wouldn’t normally earn someone this level of deference from JSD. Over ninety percent of his warm hospitality was fueled purely by the name Brigadier General Colson. Because of this, not a single uncomfortable word was exchanged while they enjoyed their coffee.

“On another note, Jae-jun mentioned a remarkable nephew who takes great care of your son. Is he around college age?”

Cheol-kyu offered a soft smile and shook his head.

“No. He just turned eleven.”

JSD blinked in surprise.

“An eleven-year-old? Is it fine for a boy that young to be messing around with game consoles and gadgets?”

Recognizing his cue, Cheol-kyu seized the opening.

“Ah, my nephew is a true child prodigy. Last year, he even flew out to Harvard University in America to engage in academic debates with graduate students.”

“Pardon? An eleven-year-old debating graduate students at Harvard?”

“Yes. He attends elementary school, but he receives straight A’s across the board and has already completed advanced studies far beyond his grade level.”

Hearing this, JSD let out a soft sigh.

“Haa… As a father of two, I must say I’m deeply envious. Compared to your nephew, my Jae-jun isn’t even in the same league.”

Cheol-kyu didn’t miss a beat.

“In that case… how would you feel about having my nephew tutor your son?”