Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 276

276

That afternoon.

Kim Myung-shik left the store and headed to the Nonghyup Bank [a Korean agricultural cooperative and bank].

But his expression was strange. Unlike his usual self, he looked quite nervous.

The reason he was going to Nonghyup Bank was significant.

He had been forced to take out a private loan because of his mother’s surgery.

It was unavoidable, but now, a year later, the debt from that private loan was starting to tighten around his neck.

He was literally on the verge of being overwhelmed. But at that critical moment, a savior appeared.

It was Kim Hyun-sung.

The amount he promised to deposit today was 3 million won [approximately $2,500 USD]. With that money, he could escape from this swamp of private loans.

The reason he was nervous while going to Nonghyup Bank was that he needed to confirm whether that amount had been deposited.

But why this uneasy feeling?

It was probably because of Hyun-sung’s age. He was only a high school senior. And he said he would deposit 3 million won, which was not a small amount.

Did that really make sense?

At first, he tried to dismiss it as nonsense. But Hyun-sung’s attitude was too serious to ignore. Or maybe he desperately wanted to believe it.

He was desperate to get out of the swamp of private loans by any means possible.

Arriving at Nonghyup Bank, Kim Myung-shik handed his bankbook to a female employee.

“Please update my bankbook.”

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

The female employee greeted Kim Myung-shik with a bright smile. But at that moment, the female employee’s smile didn’t even register in Kim Myung-shik’s eyes.

Kim Myung-shik’s entire focus was on the numbers that would be printed in his bankbook.

Drrr. Drrr.

The sound of the machine updating the bankbook was unusually loud.

After a short while.

“Sir, here you go.”

Kim Myung-shik received the bankbook that the female employee handed him with trembling hands.

Gulp.

Kim Myung-shik swallowed hard and opened the bankbook.

“…….”

It would be a lie to say that he had no expectations. At the same time, his anxiety was considerable.

“Haa!”

A sigh escaped from Kim Myung-shik’s mouth as he checked the bankbook. He checked it again, just to be sure.

“Huh?”

Kim Myung-shik doubted his eyes. The number printed in the bankbook was different from what he had expected.

The amount Hyun-sung had mentioned was clearly 3 million won. So the number should start with ‘3’. But the number printed in the bankbook started with ‘5’ instead of ‘3’.

5 million won [approximately $4,200 USD]. That was the amount printed in the bankbook.

“What on earth is this kid up to?”

Kim Myung-shik couldn’t help but be surprised.

He hadn’t even fully believed that Hyun-sung would deposit 3 million won. He had hoped for it with the faintest glimmer of hope because his situation was so desperate.

But something unbelievable had happened. Hyun-sung had deposited an amount far exceeding what he had said.

“Did he know the full extent of my debt?”

In fact, the debt wasn’t only from private loans. He had taken out a loan from the bank using his house as collateral as a first step. But that wasn’t enough. He had been forced to take out a long-term loan with his credit card. And finally, he had resorted to private loans.

But he hadn’t told Hyun-sung about the loans other than the private loan. The most urgent thing was the private loan. The interest rates for the bank and credit card loans were relatively lower than the private loan, so he hadn’t mentioned them.

But Hyun-sung deposited the amount as if he knew all the facts.

“How…….”

It was too miraculously coincidental that the amount matched.

How could this be happening?

Did he know? No. That couldn’t be. It didn’t make sense that he knew when he had never said anything.

Then there was only one remaining possibility.

Guesswork.

Hyun-sung heard that the private loan was 3 million won and guessed that the remaining debt would be around that amount.

Of course, it wasn’t a common occurrence. But it wasn’t absolutely impossible either. But in order to do that, there were prerequisites.

One was that he had to have that kind of experience. In that case, it would be possible to make some educated guesses.

And the other was a lot of social experience, that is, life experience. At least someone who had lived for more than 50 years would be able to listen to the other person’s story and make a guess.

Of course, even in this case, not everyone would be able to do it simply because they were old. In order to do that, a certain level of empathy that could understand the other person’s position would be required.

But the important thing was that Hyun-sung didn’t meet either of these two conditions. Nevertheless, Hyun-sung accurately grasped Kim Myung-shik’s current situation and took action.

How could such a thing happen?

Kim Myung-shik couldn’t understand it even as he left Nonghyup Bank.

Kim Myung-shik got into his car after leaving Nonghyup Bank, but he couldn’t start it right away.

Sharrrk.

Kim Myung-shik flipped the bankbook over and checked it again.

The amount of 5 million won was definitely printed in the bankbook.

A truly dreamlike thing had happened. With this money, he could completely resolve not only the private loan but also the bank and credit card loans.

What’s more?

His mother’s illness, which even the hospital had said was hopeless, was starting to show signs of improvement.

It had been three months since his mother’s illness had worsened and the pain of debt had slowly tightened around his neck.

It really felt like he was passing through a dark tunnel where he couldn’t see an inch ahead. But the real problem was that the end of the tunnel was not visible.

No matter how long the tunnel was, he could endure it with hope if he knew the end. But in a situation where the end was not visible, the fear and dread were indescribable.

Then one day, Hyun-sung appeared like a miracle.

And all the situations changed in an instant. The darkness turned into bright light in an instant.

“That’s right!”

He couldn’t stay like this.

There was a basic sense of duty in life. If you received something, you had to repay it in some way.

Kim Myung-shik’s eyes began to sparkle.

Brrr.

Kim Myung-shik turned the key and started the engine. Then he looked ahead.

The road was divided into two. If you went to the right, it was the road to his house. On the other hand, if you went to the left, it was the road to his hometown, Seomyeong-myeon, which he had wanted to go to but couldn’t for three years.

The only reason he couldn’t go to his hometown was because of his friend’s death. His friend, who had met him late at night and was returning home, had suddenly been in a traffic accident.

Of course, it was an accident. But he couldn’t set foot on his hometown land because of the guilt that the accident seemed to have happened because of him.

That period was three years. During that time, he had made many efforts to escape from that trauma, but he had eventually failed.

But he couldn’t avoid it anymore.

If he collapsed here again, he might never be able to go to his hometown. This wouldn’t be fair to his friend either.

And it was a fight with himself that he had to overcome in order to meet Hyun-sung, who had brightened his life again.

Kim Myung-shik gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Then he put it in gear.

Brrr.

The car slowly moved forward.

Whoosh.

Kim Myung-shik boldly turned the steering wheel to the left.

About 10 minutes later, a signpost appeared that read ‘Seomyeong-myeon’.

Boom!

Kim Myung-shik didn’t stop and increased his speed as it was.

“Hoo!”

A deep breath burst out without him knowing it. It had taken him a full three years to pass this road. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was a noose he had tied himself. Now, after three years, he had cut off that noose himself.

The car carrying Kim Myung-shik was heading powerfully towards Seomyeong-myeon.

***

“Boss, have you heard that story?”

Shin Myung-soon, who was about to leave work, suddenly looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

Then Hyun-sung tilted his head and looked at Shin Myung-soon.

“What story?”

“I heard that CEO Min laid off two employees.”

“What do you mean?”

Hyun-sung couldn’t understand what she was saying. The reason was simple. It hadn’t been a month since Min Doo-shik started his business.

If what Shin Myung-soon was saying was true, it meant that Min Doo-shik had fired employees in less than a month.

Did that make any sense?

Shin Myung-soon said again.

“A younger sibling I know said that she got a call last night.”

“A call?”

“Yes, she said that they called and told her not to come in from today. How can he notify her of the layoff like that, no matter how much he is the boss?”

“No way…….”

Hyun-sung shook his head.

It didn’t make sense to fire an employee in less than a month, and what was this process of firing them?

Shin Myung-soon continued.

“That’s not all.”

“What else is there?”

“She said that they were going to cut the salaries of the remaining employees.”

“Does that make sense? The salary would have been set from the beginning when they were hired.”

It didn’t make sense logically. The employees’ salaries would have been set from the beginning. But did it make sense to adjust the salary in less than a month?

Shin Myung-soon said again.

“But do you know what’s even funnier?”

“Isn’t there anything else besides that?”

“She said that they were going to increase the working hours by one hour. They’re cutting the salary and increasing the working hours. What country’s law is that?”

“But do the women still say they’re going to keep working?”

“That’s what makes people even more angry.”

“Yes?”

Hyun-sung couldn’t understand what Shin Myung-soon was saying for a moment.

Then Shin Myung-soon said right away.

“They’re taking advantage of their weaknesses.”

“Weaknesses?”

“Yes, they’re exploiting the fact that there are no jobs in the countryside. That’s why that CEO Min is even worse.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is.”

Hyun-sung could finally understand what Shin Myung-soon was saying.

What Shin Myung-soon said was true. Because it was the countryside, finding a job was like finding a needle in a haystack. Even if you wanted to work, there were no jobs due to the nature of the countryside.

As a result, they had no choice but to continue working even while being treated unfairly.

Min Doo-shik knew that fact.

Then Shin Myung-soon said again.

“When I see that, our boss is amazing.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“No. They say that if you see one thing, you know ten [a Korean proverb]. You didn’t necessarily need part-time workers during the winter vacation, but you kept using those students because they were in difficult circumstances.”

“That’s obvious. We’re like one family…….”

Shin Myung-soon smiled at Hyun-sung’s answer and continued.

“That’s why I’m saying that the boss is amazing. Not everyone has that kind of heart. Anyway, our boss is great despite his young age.”

“Mom, really…….”

Hyun-sung had nothing special to say.

Shin Myung-soon spoke again when Hyun-sung was silent.

“Then I should go home now.”

“Okay, you worked hard today too. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, then goodbye…….”

Shin Myung-soon greeted him and left the store with quick steps.

About 10 minutes after Shin Myung-soon left.

Ding-dong.