Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 91

Slap.

It was the moment Kim Ji-yeon’s palm struck Seo In-hye’s back.

After finishing their late lunch, Kim Ji-yeon and Seo In-hye went into Kim Ji-yeon’s younger sibling’s room, while Hyun-sung headed to the wild boar pen where Jun-chi was.

It was to repair the damaged pen.

When Jun-chi first came home, there were many worries about whether it could be raised at home.

So, he tried to return it to the wild several times, but failed each time. But once he started raising it, it seemed to adapt surprisingly well without much difficulty.

To be honest, he hadn’t had other thoughts at first.

But no matter how speechless the animal was, he couldn’t bring himself to do it, thinking it was the first relationship he had encountered since his regression.

“Hey, Jun-chi!”

“Oink.”

Strangely, when he called its name, it would answer, though he didn’t know if it understood.

Tinkering.

He repaired the broken parts and spread thick rice husks on the floor.

Then, as if it liked it, it rolled around on the floor, looking quite cute. And another strange thing was Jun-chi’s behavior.

When Hyun-sung entered the pen, it would follow him around. Just like a baby following its mother.

It seemed to remember the scent from when they first met in the mountains.

“See you next week.”

He changes the rice husks on the floor once a week. And there’s another strange thing. It’s that Jun-chi seems to understand Hyun-sung’s words.

Smirk.

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

Hyun-sung smiled and looked at Jun-chi.

Then he said,

“Paw!”

“Oink.”

“Paw!”

It must not be in good condition today. A few days ago, it definitely put out its front paw when he said ‘Paw.’ It seems like it needs a little more practice.

That’s when it happened.

“Oppa [older brother, used by females], what are you doing?”

Kim Ji-yeon was approaching.

“Oh? This guy isn’t listening today.”

“Are you talking about that again?”

“I think I need to teach it more systematically. The progress is a bit slow because I’m being casual.”

“Oppa, stop it. It’s not funny at all……”

Kim Ji-yeon didn’t believe him, no matter how many times he talked about Jun-chi.

Then Seo In-hye, who was next to her, asked Kim Ji-yeon as if wondering what was going on.

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, he sometimes acts like that, saying that wild boar understands him.”

Then Seo In-hye looked at Hyun-sung this time and asked.

“Is it true?”

“Why, do you think I’m lying?”

Hyun-sung felt wronged. He had definitely succeeded a few days ago before going to school in the morning.

Then Seo In-hye continued.

“Do it now.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”
“I can’t do it now!”

Seo In-hye tilted her head at Hyun-sung’s firm answer. Even if she thought about it briefly, it wasn’t a matter that needed such a serious answer.

Seo In-hye became curious about the reason.

“What’s the reason?”

“It’s shy.”

“……”

Whoosh!

Slap!

It was the moment Kim Ji-yeon’s hand once again cut through the air and struck Hyun-sung’s back.

A little later.

“Oppa, I’m going now.”

“Why are you trying to leave already?”

“There’s no bus at this time. If I want to walk home, I have to go before it gets dark. It takes two hours to walk. But when will I ever get home……”

But Seo In-hye’s expression was strange as she spoke.

Hyun-sung was all about reading the room. Well, it’s a problem if you don’t have a sense of the room when you get older.

Hyun-sung looked at Seo In-hye and said.

“Wait a minute, I’ll wash up and come out soon.”

“Is Oppa going to take me?”

“Then would I tell you to go alone after you said that?”

“Hehe, was it obvious?”

Seo In-hye lowered her head slightly as if she was embarrassed.

Then Kim Ji-yeon, who was watching the scene next to her, said.

“Look at the way you talk. ‘Was it obvious?'”

“Why are you swearing at your sister-in-law……”

“What about sister-in-law… I shouldn’t have said anything……”

Hoho, hohoho……

Kim Ji-yeon and Seo In-hye stopped talking and looked at each other and laughed.

Seo In-hye riding behind the bicycle.

“Oppa, where should I hold on to?”

“Just grab somewhere.”

“There’s nowhere to grab, what should I do……”

There was no way Kim Ji-yeon, who was watching the scene, would stay still.

“Hey, if you act coy one more time, I won’t let you off the hook.”

“It’s not acting coy, there’s just nowhere to grab. Should I grab your shoulder here?”

“You crazy……, just grab my side tightly here. Don’t fall off on the way.”

“Here?”

Seo In-hye gently grabbed Hyun-sung’s side.

Then Kim Ji-yeon said again.

“Is this your first time riding a bike?”

“Yes.”

“Really? Okay. I’ll go get a rope and tie you and Oppa together tightly, so wait a minute.”

Thud.

As Kim Ji-yeon headed back home, Seo In-hye called out to Hyun-sung.

“Oppa, go quickly. That girl is really going to bring a rope.”

“We should tie you up, what are you talking about?”

“Ah! Seriously, Oppa……, is this okay now?”

Only then did Seo In-hye grab Hyun-sung tightly.

“I’m starting, then.”

“Yes, Oppa, go slowly. In-hye is scared, okay?”

Hyun-sung could only laugh. I guess some amount of coyness is necessary. Seeing Seo In-hye like that makes her look cute.

***

That evening.

The two people sitting face to face in Hyun-sung’s room.

Kim Ji-yeon looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“The middle school 1st grade course ends today.”

“I know, right. It seemed so far away at first, but this day has come.”

“Oppa worked hard. I heard you’ve only been sleeping for 4 hours these days?”

“I can’t help it. And I don’t even feel tired even if I only sleep that much.”

That’s true.

These days, he usually goes to bed at 2 AM and wakes up at 6 AM. But surprisingly, he didn’t feel tired at all.

Some days, he even stayed up all night.

But even if he only slept for about 10 minutes during lunch, he didn’t feel very tired.

Of course, it’s also because he’s young, but he thinks it’s thanks to the wild ginseng and water-filled deodeok [a type of root vegetable] he ate when he first went to dig up wild ginseng.

That wild ginseng must be something special. Well, it must have been quite potent, considering he fainted for two days.

And the same goes for the water-filled deodeok. It’s so good that people say they wouldn’t trade it for any ordinary wild ginseng.

Then Kim Ji-yeon asked again.

“What are you going to do from now on?”

“From now on?”

“Yeah, you said you can’t come home once you start your business?”

He had been worried about that problem. It’s not just a day or two, and it doesn’t make sense to commute 10km by bicycle every day while running a business.

But fortunately, there was an inner house [a separate residence within the family compound], so that problem was solved neatly.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

A new problem arose. It was the tutoring he was receiving from his younger sibling.

This time, Hyun-sung said.

“There’s only one way……”

The only time he can study is after closing the business. Even if he hurries after cleaning up, he calculates that it will be past 10 o’clock.

That means that his younger sibling will have to leave home and come to where Hyun-sung is.

“I guess so?”

His younger sibling, Kim Ji-yeon, is also thinking the same thing as Hyun-sung.

Hoo!

But Kim Ji-yeon’s breathing became longer. That means she has a lot on her mind.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“What are you so worried about?”

“Because of Mom and Dad.”

It was a part that was hard to understand at first.

“What are you talking about?”

“If I think about Oppa’s studies, it’s right to leave home and go to Oppa, but if I do that, I won’t have time to be with Mom and Dad in the future.”

“You mean……”

“As Oppa knows, I’m going to Chuncheon next year. If that happens, I won’t be able to be at home even if I want to. Maybe this is the last time.”

That’s what it was.

It’s embarrassing to say, but Hyun-sung hadn’t even thought about it. Hyun-sung now knows what his younger sibling, Kim Ji-yeon, is worried about.

She’s at an age where she wants to look good and only knows herself.

Usually, someone her age would try to leave home right away without any worries.

They would even make up reasons to want to leave, but in Kim Ji-yeon’s case, there is a valid reason. But even so, she’s worried about her parents who are left at home.

Well, she’s the one who even tried to give up her dream for her brother. Just looking at that, Kim Ji-yeon is clearly different from other kids.

If that’s the case, there’s no reason to worry anymore.

If a young girl thinks about her parents that much, if he only thinks about his own greed, would he even have the right to call himself her brother?

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Ji-yeon as if he had made up his mind and said.

“Ji-yeon, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think that far.”

“Sorry for what? What are you sorry for, Oppa?”

“I only thought about my studies, I never thought you would be thinking like that. Our Ji-yeon’s thoughtfulness is amazing.”

“It’s not like that. Actually, I feel sorry for Mom and Dad too. Until recently……”

Kim Ji-yeon’s explanation continued.

She said that she also wanted to run away from home quickly before.

But when her mother told her that it was the money she had been saving little by little for her, she realized that she had misunderstood.

Until then, she thought she was a burden because she was a girl. But she said that her thoughts completely changed when she realized that it was her misunderstanding.

Hyun-sung, who heard Kim Ji-yeon’s explanation, said.

“Ji-yeon, don’t worry.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Now that I’ve been doing it little by little, I’ve gotten the hang of it, and if it’s difficult, help me out even for a short time on the weekends. Then I think I can do it alone.”

“Well, looking at what Oppa is doing, I think you can do it alone.”

To be honest, it was daunting at first.

Maybe it’s because it’s been so long, but he couldn’t remember anything at all. In the end, the only conclusion he came to was to invest time. He solved and solved until dawn.

As expected, math was repetitive learning.

It wasn’t about solving with your head. He realized once again that as the practice notebooks piled up, his skills also improved.

Then his younger sibling, Kim Ji-yeon, said.

“Oppa, then let’s do it that way. I’ll check on you occasionally on the weekends.”

“Yes, teacher.”

“Don’t tease me, and don’t overdo it. You know you can’t get sick, Oppa, right?”

“Okay, I got it.”

The two were so close that it couldn’t even be compared to their past life.

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Ji-yeon for a moment.

In her past life, she had a lot of mental suffering because she matured too early. He hoped that she would live happily without such mental suffering this time, but maybe it’s her nature, but she’s already a kind girl who takes care of her parents.

Hyun-sung was just grateful to Kim Ji-yeon.

Then, Kim Ji-yeon asked again.

“By the way, Oppa. Can I ask you something?”

“Anything……”

“In-hye, what do you think of her?”

“What do I think? She’s cute and pretty.”

Then Kim Ji-yeon smiled and asked again.

“Is that all?”

“Then is there anything else?”

“Don’t you feel like she’s a woman?”

“Woman?”

“Why do men want to touch them when they like them? That kind of feeling. Do you feel that way too, Oppa?”

Toc.

Hyun-sung gently pushed Kim Ji-yeon’s forehead with his hand.

“You little thing.”

“Aww, don’t do that, tell me. Is it really like that?”

“Maybe most people are like that……”

At Hyun-sung’s answer, Kim Ji-yeon asked more actively as if it was interesting.

“Do you feel that way about In-hye too, Oppa?”

“No.”

“No?”

“Oppa already has someone.”

“You mean Ji-soo unnie [older sister, used by females], who you saw in your dream?”

Hyun-sung smiled and nodded. Then Kim Ji-yeon glared at Hyun-sung as if she was dumbfounded.

That’s when it happened.

Knock knock.

It was his mother.

“Eat these.”
“Oh? It’s potatoes.”

“I just boiled the ones I dug up yesterday, so they’ll be delicious. Eat them with this sikhye [sweet rice beverage].”

Unlike Hyun-sung, who was happy to see the potatoes, Kim Ji-yeon’s mouth was sticking out.

“Why don’t you like potatoes?”

When her mother asked, Kim Ji-yeon shook her head.

“No, I like them so much.”

“Then?”

“It’s because of her. I would eat as much as I want if it wasn’t for her……”

Kim Ji-yeon grabbed her side and shook it.

Then Hyun-sung said.

“Just eat one. And shall we take a walk with Mom for once? And look at the stars.”

“Then won’t I gain weight?”

“Of course not. There’s only one principle for losing weight. Move more than you eat.”

“Hehe, then shall we do that? You have to go for a walk with me. You know what happens if you betray me alone, right?”

“Yes, teacher.”

Slurp.

The three began to eat the hot potatoes deliciously.

Kim Ji-yeon ended up eating three potatoes.

A walk?

Strangely, people don’t want to move when they’re full.