Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 389

389

“How did you do it?”

As the truck carrying the two of them drove away from Gangneung City Hall, Park Min-seok turned to Hyun-sung, a puzzled expression on his face.

Hyun-sung feigned ignorance. “What do you mean?”

“I just can’t wrap my head around it. What exactly did you say to make the mayor issue an emergency order right away? And to listen to a college student, no less!”

Park Min-seok was genuinely baffled. He trusted Hyun-sung because he saw him as a special case, someone whose vision couldn’t be ignored. But he knew most people wouldn’t react the same way.

“Who in the world would believe someone just because they said they saw it in a dream?” he wondered aloud. “Especially the mayor, who’s responsible for the entire city.”

Park Min-seok was operating under the assumption that Hyun-sung had simply shared his dream with the mayor, which somehow convinced him to declare a state of emergency.

Hyun-sung raised an eyebrow. “Who’s a *regular* college student?”

“Huh? What are you talking about now?”

“Do you think I’m an idiot? If I just said, ‘Hey, I’m a college student,’ do you think the mayor would just go, ‘Oh, really! Tell me more!’ and hang on my every word?”

“Exactly! That’s what I’m saying! So, what gives? Don’t tell me you tried to scam the mayor… or impersonate someone?”

Hyun-sung grinned and nodded.

Park Min-seok’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“There was no other way. People would have died if I hadn’t.”

“Who?”

“Sorry?”

“Who did you impersonate? To sway the mayor like that, it couldn’t be just anyone. At least the governor? Or someone even higher up? Maybe… you?”

“Maybe what?” Hyun-sung asked, still smiling.

Park Min-seok shook his head vigorously. “No way, right?”

“What? You have to say it clearly. How am I supposed to know what you’re thinking if you just ask like that?”

“Are you really going to make me drag it out of you?”

“Why are you acting so strange, *hyung* [older brother or close male friend]? I just name-dropped Bukak Mountain.”

“What? Bukak Mountain?”

“Yeah, I just said I was Chief Kim from Bukak Mountain. The mayor just started saying ‘Yes, yes’ on his own. That’s all there was to it.”

“Chief Kim of Bukak Mountain…? Haha, hahaha….”

The moment Hyun-sung finished speaking, Park Min-seok burst into laughter. Hyun-sung joined in, and soon the truck was filled with their combined mirth.

And so, the truck carrying the two of them continued towards Jibyeon-dong in the pouring rain.

***

Hyun-sung returned to his room.

After a quick shower, he sat down. It was just past 11:30 PM.

That’s when his phone rang.

“Hello.”

“Hyun-sung, it’s me, Dad.”

“Dad, what’s up so late?”

“Where were you? I’ve been trying to call you for a while now. I was worried something had happened.”

“Oh, I had some things to take care of. But everything’s fine, okay?”

“Nothing much here. But I saw on the news that it’s raining cats and dogs in Gangneung, and I was worried. Everything’s alright, right?”

“It’s really coming down hard. But don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“Okay, that’s a relief. Be careful no matter what. And always eat well…”

As always, Dad’s ending was about food.

*Now I know*, Hyun-sung thought. *That food is the greatest expression of love he can make.* Perhaps that’s why those words felt even warmer now.

*Ring!*

As soon as he hung up, the phone rang again.

“Hello.”

“It’s me, Kim Chun-oh.”

It was Chairman Shin Chun-oh this time.

“Chairman, it’s late. Aren’t you asleep yet?”

“That’s not important right now. I saw on the news…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh’s words continued for quite a while after that. The reason for his call was the same as Dad’s: he was worried because of the heavy rain.

*Ring!*

As soon as he hung up with Chairman Shin Chun-oh, the phone rang again.

It was his younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon, this time.

After that, the phone kept ringing. Kim Il-soo, Lee Jung-woo, and Lee Soo-hyuk in Seoul all called. And Park Hee-cheol from his hometown also called.

He had just finished talking to Park Hee-cheol and was about to put down the phone when it rang again.

This time, it was Seo In-hye, whom he hadn’t seen since she moved to Incheon. She, too, was worried about the news and had called.

“Hehe!”

Hyun-sung’s face was beaming after finishing the call with Seo In-hye.

It was an emotion he had never truly felt in his previous life. He felt a strange warmth knowing that so many people were worried about him because of the rain and were calling him so late.

“Yeah, this is what it’s like to live!”

Hyun-sung nodded and muttered to himself.

“It’s almost time…”

The time was just past 12 o’clock.

*Click.*

Hyun-sung immediately turned on the TV.

A news special was being broadcast live. The content was, as expected, about the sudden localized heavy rain in the Yeongdong region.

The news anchor’s urgent voice conveyed the seriousness of the situation.

“According to the latest news, Gangneung City Hall employees started returning to work an hour ago and are continuing to arrive even at this hour. Let’s go live to Kim Seong-eun, who is on the scene, to find out what’s going on. Reporter Kim Seong-eun!”

The screen switched to show the main gate of Gangneung City Hall. A female reporter stood there, wearing a raincoat, holding an umbrella in one hand and a microphone in the other.

“Yes, this is reporter Kim Seong-eun.”

“We understand that city hall employees started returning to work an hour ago and are continuing to arrive even now. What exactly is happening?”

“Yes, I am now in front of Gangneung City Hall, and as you can see, the city hall is brightly lit as if it were daytime. And employees are arriving one after another. Let’s bring in a civil servant who is coming to work to hear more details.”

A man in his 40s appeared on the screen next to the female reporter. Strangely, he was holding a shovel in his hand.

The female reporter addressed the man. “Hello. Please introduce yourself.”

“Yes, my name is Choi Yoon-sung, and I work in the Environment Department.”

“I see you’re coming to work now. Can you explain what’s going on?”

“To put it simply, you can think of it as a state of emergency. I know that all employees were contacted through the emergency contact network an hour and a half ago. I was a little late because I went to my in-laws’ house in Sokcho on Saturday and just arrived.”

The man’s voice was noticeably tense, reflecting the urgency of the situation.

The female reporter continued her questioning. “I heard that the mayor made this decision. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s right. The mayor judged that this rain was unusual and issued an emergency mobilization order to all employees.”

“Okay, I understand. Then just one more thing. I see you’re holding a shovel. Is this also an instruction from the mayor?”

“Yes, that’s right. A special order has been issued.”

“A special order? What is that?”

“It’s to defend Namdaecheon [a local river]. More precisely, it’s to prevent Namdaecheon from overflowing.”

“Namdaecheon overflowing? So, you’re saying that Namdaecheon is going to…”

*Click!*

Hyun-sung turned off the TV and jumped up from his seat.

An unexpected development had occurred. Even when he was talking to Mayor Yoon Seo-hyun earlier, he had only emphasized evacuating people in the low-lying areas because Namdaecheon would overflow.

But now, the broadcast interview revealed a different strategy.

*Defend Namdaecheon, that is, prevent Namdaecheon from overflowing.*

That’s what the male employee had said. It meant that Mayor Yoon Seo-hyun wasn’t just evacuating people, but actively trying to prevent the flood itself.

*Is this really possible…?*

But the feasibility wasn’t the immediate concern. The mayor’s order had already been issued. All the civil servants in Gangneung would be converging on Namdaecheon.

There was only one way to prevent the flood: build an embankment. Mayor Yoon Seo-hyun was determined to build an embankment along Namdaecheon to hold back the rising waters.

The flood was predicted to begin around 4 a.m., leaving approximately 3 hours and 50 minutes.

*Maybe…*

It wasn’t entirely impossible.

The key factor was manpower. The number of people who participated would determine their success.

This was a moment that demanded the mindset of “Not just one of us, but starting with me.”

“Hyun-sung!”

Hyun-sung was about to leave his room when Park Min-seok called out, bursting through the main building door.

“Oh, *hyung*!”

“Heading to Namdaecheon, I presume?”

“Yeah, I don’t think we can just sit here. I have to go and help somehow.”

“Let’s go together!”

With those words, Park Min-seok ran out of the room.

That’s when it happened.

*Thud!*

The sound of doors opening echoed from all directions.

“Let’s go together!”

It was the students who had spent the day filling sandbags and reinforcing the rooming house entrance.

“Let’s go!” Hyun-sung responded immediately.

No further explanation was needed. They were united in purpose.

Hyun-sung and the other six people left the gate and began to head towards Namdaecheon.

***

The next day.

A miracle.

When something that seems impossible actually happens, it’s called a miracle.

And that’s exactly what occurred.

When they first arrived at Namdaecheon the previous night, few believed they could build an embankment and prevent the river from overflowing.

But the atmosphere shifted dramatically around 1:30 a.m.

The number of volunteers began to swell. The biggest catalyst was the power of live broadcasting.

The Gangneung Broadcasting Station was airing the situation at Namdaecheon in real-time. Citizens watching TV were moved and united in their determination.

The turning point occurred shortly after 1 a.m.

Gangneung is home to three universities: Gangsang University, Gwansang University, and Yeongdong University (a nursing college). The student body presidents of each school coordinated and mobilized their students simultaneously, bringing an additional 250 volunteers.

That scene was broadcast on TV, inspiring countless citizens to head to Namdaecheon without hesitation.

In fact, there was another decisive factor: Mayor Yoon Seo-hyun’s exemplary leadership.

The mayor, who many assumed would be confined to the situation room, appeared directly at Namdaecheon. And it wasn’t just a photo op; he was working harder than anyone else, shoveling sand and filling burlap sacks.

That sight was a shock to the citizens. It was an unprecedented display of leadership, and people responded by grabbing shovels and joining the effort.

In the end, those united hearts accomplished what everyone thought was impossible.

Namdaecheon did not flood. It couldn’t.

Civilians, government, military, and police – all became one, preventing the disaster.

Of course, one person was at the center of it all: Mayor Yoon Seo-hyun!

Hyun-sung picked up his phone and made a call.

“Hello!”

The voice was somewhat tired, but still strong.

Hyun-sung, also exhausted, put strength into his own voice.

“Hello, Mayor! Do you remember my voice?”

“Ah, hello! Of course, I remember. Gangneung was saved thanks to you, Chief. If it weren’t for you, many people would have been in trouble last night.”

“That’s right. At least 20 lives would have been lost. But our mayor stopped that. You’re really great.”

“No. I just did what you told me to do, Chief.”

“That’s not true. To be honest, I didn’t even think about building an embankment on Namdaecheon. But our mayor did that amazing thing. By the way, how did you even think about building an embankment on Namdaecheon?”

It seemed impossible. Hyun-sung couldn’t help but wonder how the mayor had made such a bold decision in that situation.

Mayor Yoon Seo-hyun’s answer followed.

“I believed it. I believed that if we put our hearts into it, all of our citizens would become one. And that belief eventually saved Gangneung.”

“……”

Hyun-sung felt that any further words would diminish the impact of the mayor’s statement. He simply nodded in response, even though the mayor couldn’t see him.

After a moment, he continued. “Mayor, I have a favor to ask.”