Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 379

379

“What? I’ve been here for two weeks, and he’s still not back?”

“I asked one of the guys working here, and he said the shaman goes to Jirisan [a famous mountain in South Korea] to pray for anywhere from a week to five or six months.”

“That long?”

“Yeah, that’s what makes this place so famous. Once he goes into the mountain, nobody knows when he’ll come out. They say he only returns when his prayers are finished.”

Lee Sang-woo and Park Min-seok spoke with little enthusiasm in front of the traditional Korean house.

They looked exhausted, which was understandable, considering they’d been coming here for two weeks straight.

The whole thing stemmed from their graduation trip. They’d wanted to ignore Hyun-sung’s warnings and just leave, but a nagging feeling kept them from dismissing it entirely.

But as fate would have it, the shaman from Ponam-dong had already left for Jirisan a month prior to pray. This left the two friends feeling deflated as they talked.

“So, what do we do now?”

“What do you mean? We just go. We were fools for even coming here. Prophetic dreams? What is this, some fantasy novel?”

Lee Sang-woo, looking slightly agitated, turned to Park Min-seok. Park Min-seok nodded in agreement.

“Exactly! We got spooked for no reason. Let’s just head to Ponam Market and get some sundae soup [Korean blood sausage soup] with soju [Korean distilled rice liquor].”

“Yeah, let’s do that. I don’t know what we’ve been doing for the past two weeks. Coming here was a mistake to begin with. Let’s go spend that money on soju instead.”

“Okay, let’s go!”

Park Min-seok said loudly, as if trying to shake off the lingering unease. Lee Sang-woo felt the same way. So, they left the shaman’s house and headed for Ponam Market.

After about a 20-minute walk, they arrived at the entrance of Ponam Market.

“Min-seok, over there…”

Lee Sang-woo pointed with his chin towards a shopping area. Park Min-seok followed his gaze.

[Fan Master]

Park Min-seok smiled when he saw the sign.

The front window was tinted yellow, with a picture of a man holding a fan. Next to it, in large letters, were the words ‘fortune telling, horoscopes, compatibility’.

As if by unspoken agreement, the two men’s feet turned in that direction. The boisterous energy they had just displayed vanished.

“Why are you here now?”

The man holding the fan spoke in a reedy voice as soon as they entered, as if he had been expecting them. Strangely, though he looked like a man, his voice sounded like a woman’s.

“If you’ve come, sit down!”

The man with the fan spoke again when the two men stood awkwardly. As they sat down, he continued.

“You’ve been anxious, haven’t you?”

“Yes?”

“What are you young ones so worried about?”

“Yes? Do you know why we came…?”

“You!”

Before Lee Sang-woo could finish, the man pointed his fan at Park Min-seok.

“Are you talking about me?”

“Yes, you. Heaven has helped you.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“The thread that was about to break has been reconnected.”

“The thread that was about to break? What…?”

“Enough. You’ll have to live several times harder than you do now. I don’t know what kind of game of fate this is, but the way to repay that person is to live a good life. Remember my words! And you!”

The man pointed his fan at Lee Sang-woo this time.

“Yes, Master!”

“You’re the same. Know that it’s thanks to this friend.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“I don’t have much to say. Live a good life, thinking that you’re repaying this friend for the rest of your days. Especially, don’t act like you’re so great on your own. Always be humble. Remember my words!”

“Excuse me… Master, what I’m curious about is…”

“Go away. Don’t worry about anything and do what you want to do. That person will take care of it anyway.”

“Yes? That person?”

Lee Sang-woo wanted to ask more, but he couldn’t. The man had already gotten up and disappeared inside.

A moment later, the two men were outside.

“What? That quack? I couldn’t even ask what I wanted to ask. I wasted three thousand won [Korean currency] for nothing.”

Lee Sang-woo grumbled, looking at Park Min-seok. Park Min-seok tilted his head, pondering.

“But who is that person? Who is that person who’s going to take care of it?”

“What person? There’s no such thing. I knew it from the start when he was waving that fan around. What kind of world is it where you wave a fan like that? Anyway, there are so many ways to scam people out of their money.”

“Anyway, it’s a relief that we’re both okay. We can go on the trip with peace of mind now, don’t you think?”

“Do you actually believe those words?”

“It’s better than dwelling on the bad stuff. Anyway, the trip problem is solved, so let’s go eat sundae soup.”

“Okay, but the more I think about it, the more I feel like I wasted my money. What kind of master only talks to himself and doesn’t let the customers talk? And why does that guy have such a weird voice? I feel like I completely stepped in it today. Hey, let’s go.”

The two men headed towards Ponam Market for sundae soup.

***

That night, Hyun-sung, studying in the study hall, checked the time.

The clock showed 10 o’clock.

After a moment’s thought, Hyun-sung began putting his books in his bag. He usually studied until 2 a.m., but tonight he had something to check on.

As Hyun-sung was about to leave, Jo Young-min, who was coming in from a break, looked at him and asked,

“Leaving already?”

“Yeah, I have someone to meet and something to check.”

“At this hour?”

“Yeah, anyway, how’s studying going these days? I think you’ve gotten the hang of it now, haven’t you?”

“It’s all thanks to you. I was a bit lost at first, but like you said, I set daily goals, and I naturally adapted and got the hang of it. And most of all, I feel a sense of accomplishment when I finish what I set out to do each day. I’m actually enjoying studying now.”

“That’s a relief. And don’t forget that rest is as important as studying. How about going to Sogeumgang [a scenic area in North Korea, also used as a metaphor for a beautiful place] for a night and two days with Jung-soo this weekend?”

“Sogeumgang? That sounds good. Let’s go grill some pork belly and have some soju.”

The two men exchanged a few more words and parted ways.

Hyun-sung, leaving the study hall, headed straight for his room.

“Hyung [term used to address an older brother or male friend] Min-seok.”

Arriving at his room, Hyun-sung went straight to Park Min-seok’s room and called out to him.

“Oh? Hyun-sung, come in. What’s going on at this hour?”

“I have something to check with you.”

“Check?”

“Yes, when I asked you a few days ago, you said you still hadn’t made a decision.”

“Ah, that…”

Park Min-seok finally understood what he was talking about. Hyun-sung had come by a few days ago to ask about the graduation trip.

“So you came all the way here at this hour?”

“I don’t want to do this, but I’m worried about it. I know it’s just a dream, but it feels too unsettling to just ignore it, don’t you think?”

He said it gently, but his anxiety was palpable. He had no choice but to say it was a dream, but he knew it was going to happen, and it was going to happen tomorrow. How could he not be anxious?

Hyun-sung looked at Park Min-seok and asked,

“What does the class representative say?”

“I told Sang-woo, but he said there’s nothing he can do. He said he has no way to persuade his friends. He doesn’t have the confidence to persuade them with a dream, of all things.”

Hyun-sung closed his eyes tightly. He had expected this to some extent. He wanted to stop the graduation trip altogether. That was the safest option. But in the end, he heard that they were still going.

“Hoo!”

A deep sigh escaped Hyun-sung’s lips.

Then Park Min-seok asked immediately,

“You really believe that dream, don’t you?”

“Hyung, what’s the meaning of that question? Do you still not believe it?”

“Huh? That’s…”

Park Min-seok couldn’t answer properly. Of course, he felt uneasy, but he didn’t truly believe the dream.

Hyun-sung’s question followed immediately.

“So what are you going to do tomorrow?”

“That’s…”

“You’re not going to ignore what I said and go on the graduation trip, are you?”

Park Min-seok was momentarily lost in thought.

He was going on the graduation trip anyway. He had already decided that with the class representative during the day.

The problem was now. If he said he was going, this guy would make a fuss. But if he said he wasn’t going, he’d just back down like a lamb. And then he could come back safely from the graduation trip later. Why bother being honest now and getting worn out?

Park Min-seok, having made up his mind, smiled at Hyun-sung.

“I’m not going!”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you’re so worried, I can’t go. What’s so important about a graduation trip? Don’t you think?”

“Thank you, Hyung!”

“I’m more thankful than you are. You’re doing it all for me.”

Park Min-seok felt sorry even as he spoke. Of course, he was saying it to reassure Hyun-sung, but Hyun-sung would find out when he left for the trip tomorrow morning. He felt sorry when he thought about the betrayal Hyun-sung would feel then.

‘I’m sorry, Hyun-sung! I’ll buy you something delicious when I get back from the trip.’

Park Min-seok conveyed his apologies in his heart.

Hyun-sung returned to his room.

“That’s a relief.”

A smile spread across Hyun-sung’s face. To be honest, he didn’t have high expectations. He thought it might be his own greed. He had increased the credibility of the dream by bringing up the results of the general election, but still, a dream is a dream.

But fortunately, he smiled without realizing it because Park Min-seok said he wouldn’t go on the trip because he believed the dream.

***

The next morning.

Beep beep beep.

Click!

Hyun-sung, pressing the button on the alarm clock, got up immediately. He had set the alarm before going to bed last night just in case, preparing for the worst.

Of course, Park Min-seok had said he wouldn’t go on the graduation trip, but Hyun-sung wasn’t naive enough to believe those words. It was a matter of life and death. He couldn’t just trust Park Min-seok’s words and be carefree, not after living through it all once before.

Hyun-sung, coming outside, headed for the truck parked in the open space.

Whether Park Min-seok goes on the trip or not, he will come out of the house. Even if he doesn’t go on the trip, he will come out of the house to see his friends off, according to Hyun-sung’s judgment. First, he will watch until the end, and if his words are false, he will use the last method.

He checked the time; it was just past 5:20. The darkness was already gone. In common terms, it was a perfect day to go on a trip.

It was then.

Clunk.

The gate opened, and Park Min-seok came out.

“Huh? What?”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but be surprised. Another person was standing behind Park Min-seok, who came out of the gate. It was Park Min-seok’s mother, Han Soo-jin.

“Why is his mother here?”

Park Min-seok had clearly said last night that he wouldn’t go on the trip. But the scene in front of the gate now was Han Soo-jin seeing Park Min-seok off.

If Park Min-seok wasn’t going on the trip as he said last night, Han Soo-jin wouldn’t have come out to the gate to see him off. That means Park Min-seok is going on the trip after all.

“Look at this guy?”

The corner of Hyun-sung’s mouth turned up slightly.

In the end, he had lied last night. The reason was obvious: if he had said he was going on the trip, Hyun-sung wouldn’t have stayed still, so he lied to avoid the nagging.

It’s not that he doesn’t understand at all, but that doesn’t mean he likes Park Min-seok for lying.

As Park Min-seok moved further away from the gate, Han Soo-jin waved her hand.

The sight of Han Soo-jin waving her hand caught Hyun-sung’s eye. In his past life, that would have been the last time he saw Park Min-seok, and she would have missed her son for the rest of her life.

Was that why?

The image of Han Soo-jin crying while talking about Park Min-seok in his past life flashed through his mind like a panorama.

“Mother, that will never happen this time.”

As Han Soo-jin went back into the house and Park Min-seok disappeared from his sight, Hyun-sung started the engine.

Vroom!

Then he slowly started to move forward.

“The problem is how to stop this guy from going? Should I just…?”