Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Noticing that Gun-Ho’s father was watching something on his smartphone, Gun-Ho’s mother asked him, “What are you watching?”

“I took a few photos of Sang-Min earlier. I’m just checking them.”

Gun-Ho’s mother said to Gun-Ho, “Your father is taking a lesson these days about how to use a smartphone in the community center.”

“He can just use the smartphone. Why does he need a lesson for it?”

“I took the lesson with him once. There are so many functions and things that I can do with a smartphone, that I had no idea that I could. I don’t know who created smartphones, but these are something else.”

“Do you surf the internet with it as well?”

“Of course. We watch the news too.”

“Dad, open the search engine and enter my name—Gun-Ho Goo.”

Gun-Ho’s father and mother simultaneously pulled out their smartphones and searched Gun-Ho’s name.

“See? I can type too,” Gun-Ho’s mother said after typing Gun-Ho’s name in.

“Press the enter key, mom.”

“Enter? Oh, oh, wow. I see my son’s face here.”

Gun-Ho’s father looked amazed as well.

“That’s right. It’s a large photo of him.”

Young-Eun was curious too. She pulled out her smartphone and put Gun-Ho’s name in the search engine. Gun-Ho’s photo appeared, and it said that he was a business person.

Gun-Ho’s mother was impressed to see her son’s profile on the internet.

“Oh, my gosh. It says that you are the president of GH Mobile and Dyeon Korea. You are famous now, huh?”

Gun-Ho’s father asked, “What does Dyeon mean?”

“It’s just the name of an American company. I’m doing a joint venture with that company. That’s why the company’s name is Dyeon Korea.”

“Oh, I see. Gun-Sook told me that the company is now a public company.”

“That’s right.”

“I’m so proud of you, son. I guess our ancestors are helping you a lot.”

Gun-Ho’s father filled an empty glass with liquor and handed it to Gun-Ho. When Gun-Ho took a sip of the liquor, Young-Eun nudged him lightly and reminded him by saying, “You will need to drive. We have to go to Sillim Town later. Just drink a little, okay?”

When they were almost done with the meal, Gun-Ho’s aunt visited them.

“I’m here because I could smell the food. I actually wanted to see Gun-Ho’s son.”

Gun-Ho and Young-Eun stood up and greeted her, “Hello, aunt. How have you been?”

Gun-Ho thought that his aunt looked way older than before. She was about the same age as his mother, and she used to look younger than his mother, but not anymore. Gun-Ho’s mother looked noticeably younger than her, with firm skin now. Money could do a lot of things. It seemingly helped to take a few years off Gun-Ho’s mother’s face.

Gun-Ho’s aunt smiled broadly as she saw Sang-Min.

“Oh, my. He has these glittering eyes that just looked like his mom’s.”

When Gun-Ho’s aunt held Sang-Min’s tiny hand and shook it, Sang-Min laughed.

Sang-Min’s laugh made everyone laugh out loud happily.

Gun-Ho asked, “How is Jae-Woong doing, aunt?”

“He is probably doing well with his wife.”

“You haven’t seen him for this Thanksgiving Day?”

“He visited my home briefly early in the morning and left right after giving a full bow to the ancestors. His wife didn’t even come making an excuse that she is sick.”

“Oh, maybe she is actually sick.”

“I don’t think so! It’s just an excuse, I’m pretty sure.”

“Jae-Woong is still working at the Department of Labor, isn’t he?”

“I think so. I’m actually regretting that I pushed him to become a government worker.”

“Why do you say that? A government job is a very stable job that many people dream to have.”

“It is true that he can make a living, but that doesn’t do more than that. I wish he succeeded as much as Gun-Ho did.”

At that moment, Young-Eun chipped in, “Why don’t you join us at the table?”

“I’m good. I already ate. But I’d love to have some fruits though.”

Young-Eun prepared fruits and brought them to Gun-Ho’s aunt. While having the fruits, Gun-Ho’s aunt kept glancing at the boxes of semi-dried persimmon and short ribs that were placed in the corner of the living room.

All of a sudden, Gun-Ho’s mother thrust her smartphone before Gun-Ho’s aunt’s face and said, “Look at this. A photo of Gun-Ho appears if you search his name on the internet.”

“Huh? That’s true. Let me see. Wow! Gun-Ho, you indeed succeeded in life. You became a famous person. Now, I can see you on the internet too, huh? It says that you are the president of GH Mobile. So, your company’s name is GH Mobile, huh? Wow!”

Gun-Ho’s aunt suddenly started talking badly about her daughter-in-law, and Gun-Ho’s mother and father were listening to it while having a cup of coffee. Young-Eun quietly stood up from her seat and started cleaning the dining table, feeling that she shouldn’t hear the gossip. Gun-Ho came and helped Young-Eun.

Gun-Ho’s aunt said, “My daughter-in-law should learn from Young-Eun about how to behave around elderly family members.”

Gun-Ho’s father stopped her sister, “Stop talking bad about your daughter-in-law. Try to think positive and say positive things. All I hear from you all the time is bad things about your daughter-in-law.”

“My brother, you have no idea how I feel when I’m with my daughter-in-law. If she behaved well like Young-Eun, I would have been a positive person all along.”

“Hmm.”

Gun-Ho’s mother went to the kitchen.

“You already finished washing dishes.”

“Yes.”

“Well, I think you should now go to your father’s in Sillim Town. He must be waiting to see Sang-Min.”

“We can stay here a bit longer.”

“And, take those semi-dried persimmon and short ribs and give them to your father.”

“We have those for my father in the car trunk.”

“Really?”

Gun-Ho’s mother took out some persimmons and short ribs and put them in a separate food container. And then, she gave them to Gun-Ho’s aunt and said, “Gun-Ho brought some semi-dried persimmon and short ribs. These are for you. Take them with you when you leave later.”

“Oh, you are sharing this with me? Haha. I love short ribs.”

Gun-Ho’s aunt smiled broadly.

Gun-Ho’s mother reminded her, “Don’t forget to bring me back the food containers. You haven’t returned that food container that I gave to you last time for Kimchi.”

“Oh, I haven’t? I will bring them to you next time. Thank you.”

Gun-Ho thought that he should prepare a gift for his aunt too for next time. But, if he gave her a gift, that would work as a trigger that she would start talking bad about her son’s couple again. Gun-Ho didn’t want that to happen.

At that moment, the training outfits in his car crossed his mind. He had 15 of them, and after giving 10 to Chan-Ho Eom, he must still have 5. Gun-Ho quickly went down to the parking lot and brought 4 training outfits.

“Mom and dad, these are training outfits for you. And, Aunt, I want you to take two of these as well. You and uncle could use them when you go jogging in the morning.”

“Oh, thank you. It’s very sweet of you, Gun-Ho. Whenever I visit your mom’s home, I seem to always get something. Haha.”

Gun-Ho and Young-Eun headed to Young-Eun’s father’s home in Sillim Town. After Thanksgiving Day and once he would go back to work, Gun-Ho wanted to pick a fight with those stock manipulators including the club that he had contacted the other day. When he was thinking about the strategy of how he would fight with them, Young-Eun said to him, “Oppa, are you feeling okay? You took several sips of liquor, right?”

“I’m good. I took only one tiny glass of Jeongjong (a clear and refined rice wine).”

“Can you bring me two more training outfits?”

“For what?”

“We have one training outfit left in the car, which is for my father. I want to give one to my aunt in Yangpyeong County and one to our helper lady.”

“Oh, okay. I will get you two more. And, I want to thank you for today, Young-Eun. You cleaned the dishes and all that.”