Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 395

395

“What’s this?”

Hyunsung, arriving in front of the Humanities and Social Sciences building, was taken aback. A good twenty of his classmates were waiting for him.

“Hey, what brings you guys here?”

Hyunsung asked, addressing the group of ’88 classmates.

Class representative Kim Myungwoo, at the front, greeted Hyunsung with a smile.

“Oh! Our hope, Kim Hyunsung, welcome! We’ve been waiting for you for an hour already.”

“An hour? Really?”

“We don’t have class today.”

“What? You mean you came to school today just for me, even though there’s no class?”

Just then,

Vice-representative Yoon Jiyoung held out a bouquet of flowers to Hyunsung.

“Hyunsung, congratulations. Actually, other friends wanted to come too, but couldn’t make it due to circumstances. They asked me to tell you they’re sorry, and to definitely congratulate you.”

“What? Did you deliberately contact them?”

“I didn’t do it alone; Myungwoo helped me. That’s not important; congratulations, and thank you. You’ve done something really big representing our ’88 class.”

Hyunsung looked back and forth between Kim Myungwoo and Yoon Jiyoung.

It was completely unexpected. He was so grateful that they had contacted their friends and waited with them for an hour, even though they didn’t have class.

He couldn’t just send these friends away.

“Hey, Kim Myungwoo, take the others to the Chinese restaurant next to the gym first. Let’s all have lunch together. Let’s have some *makgeolli* [Korean rice wine] in the middle of the day. I’ll meet with the dean for a bit and come right over.”

“Are you sure you’re not pushing yourself? We’re okay.”

“Pushing myself? It’s nothing… Just go and order whatever you want.”

“Okay, got it. Then come quickly.”

Hyunsung exchanged fist bumps with all his friends before heading to the dean’s office.

It was truly unexpected.

He really didn’t think his friends would congratulate him this much.

When you think about it, they were still young enough to be envious. But instead, they came to school on a day off to congratulate him.

“What’s this now?”

Hyunsung was surprised once again upon arriving at the dean’s office.

It was because of the press corps waiting for him. Judging by a glance, there were more than 15 people waiting for him in front of the dean’s office.

And that wasn’t all.

There were even two people with large cameras on their shoulders.

He wondered what was going on. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed excessive.

“This is…?”

Hyunsung was dumbfounded.

It was because a triangular shape was drawn on the floor with blue tape.

A so-called photo line.

Was this for real? A photo line he’d only seen on TV was drawn on the floor.

It was clear that someone had orchestrated this.

“Kim Hyunsung, this way, please…”

Hyunsung had no choice but to stand on the photo line as directed.

He later found out that all of this was staged by the school, which had urgently contacted a broadcasting station to promote the school.

Of course, that didn’t mean it was 100% staged.

It was briefly broadcast as local news in Gangneung.

When he found out about that later, he felt a bit empty, but he just laughed it off since it was already in the past.

And on the other hand, he understood the school’s position, even though it was bitter. It was the first time something like this had happened since the school’s founding, so they had no choice but to promote it in any way they could.

The interview lasted about 20 minutes.

There was nothing special, and since the questions were somewhat predictable, he had no difficulty answering them.

The biggest interest was, of course, his study method.

How he was able to study that much in such a short period of time.

Hyunsung’s answer was simple.

Reducing sleep, sleeping only three hours a day, and making the most of the 24 hours in a day by catching up on sleep on Sundays.

Hyunsung told them exactly what he did, without adding any lies.

Thorough self-management was essential, and it was also important to concentrate fully while studying.

And the last question was, of course, what he wanted to say.

He couldn’t help but hesitate on this part. In the end, he chose a textbook answer.

-That it can be done. That just because you’re from a local university doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

He had no choice but to give courage and hope to future students.

After finishing the interview, Hyunsung had no choice but to be surprised once again upon entering the dean’s office.

“No way, Mayor!”

Surprisingly, Mayor Yoon Seohyun was in the dean’s office. It was the same Mayor Yoon Seohyun he had spoken to on the phone during the flood last year.

Hyunsung asked Dean Lee Hakseong.

“Dean, what’s going on?”

Of course, it didn’t make sense.

It wasn’t the final acceptance, but only the first round. But for the mayor, of all people, to come all the way here to congratulate him didn’t make sense.

“I contacted him, and he came right away to congratulate you in person. Mayor, this student is Kim Hyunsung.”

Dean Lee Hakseong proudly introduced Hyunsung to Mayor Yoon Seohyun in a loud voice.

Then, Mayor Yoon Seohyun jumped up from his seat and extended his hand to Hyunsung.

“Oh! You must be Hyunsung. Nice to meet you! I’ve been hearing about you from the dean since last year, and I was curious, but I’m really glad to meet you like this. And congratulations on passing this exam.”

“Thank you, Mayor. Nice to meet you, I’m Kim Hyunsung.”

“Um… yes, sit down. But…”

Mayor Yoon Seohyun tilted his head without realizing it. It was because of Hyunsung’s voice.

The moment he heard his voice, someone immediately came to mind. It was Kim, the Senior Secretary, whom he had spoken to during the flood last year.

Strangely, the two people’s voices were identical.

“Is something wrong?”

“Huh? It’s because of your voice. That voice sounds somehow…”

“Yes? My voice? What about my voice?”

“It sounds too much like someone I know. I’m originally sensitive to voices. But the moment I heard your voice, I thought of that person.”

“That person?”

“Ah, never mind. There’s someone I know. Just saying…”

“Ah, yes…”

Hyunsung nodded slightly, looking at Mayor Yoon Seohyun as if it were nothing.

In fact, the moment he came into the dean’s office and saw Mayor Yoon Seohyun, he expected that his voice would be recognized anyway.

He thought it would be stranger if he couldn’t recognize his voice after talking for almost 20 minutes, not just 1 or 2 minutes.

So, he thought that some questions about his voice would be necessary. He was sure there would be some mention of that part.

In fact, that’s why he asked that basic question a little while ago.

But that’s it for that part. Anyway, the more he asked, the more difficult it would be for Mayor Yoon Seohyun. He wouldn’t be able to sell Senior Secretary Kim of the Blue House with his own mouth.

If so, it was time to change the subject and say something else.

After thinking for a moment, Hyunsung immediately opened his mouth.

“Mayor, you were really the best last time.”

In fact, it was a part he wanted to address at least once. No matter what anyone said, Mayor Yoon Seohyun was the hero during the flood last time.

If it hadn’t been for Mayor Yoon Seohyun’s bold decision at that time, the damage would have been enormous.

“Huh? Last time?”

“During the flood last year. The damage to the lower reaches of the Namdaecheon would have been enormous if it hadn’t been for the mayor. If there hadn’t been the mayor’s evacuation order, at least 20 people would have been killed. The mayor stopped that. You’re really amazing.”

“That’s because our citizens…”

Mayor Yoon Seohyun was answering with his mouth, but his head was full of other thoughts.

‘What is it? This voice?’

It’s too similar. No matter how he listened, it was definitely that voice that day.

But this doesn’t make sense. That person was definitely Senior Secretary Kim of the Blue House.

But how…

‘Senior Secretary Kim, and Kim Hyunsung?’

No, no matter how he thought about it, this wasn’t it. This couldn’t be happening.

There’s no way that person is Hyunsung. It’s just a coincidence that the two people’s voices are similar.

‘Wait a minute!’

Mayor Yoon Seohyun remembered what Hyunsung had said a little while ago.

“What did you say just now?”

“Yes? Me?”

“Yes, you definitely said that at least 20 people would have been killed, right?”

“Yes? Ah, yes…”

Hyunsung momentarily thought, ‘Oops.’

The number of people who died in the sudden torrential rain in his past life was 20. So, he unconsciously blurted out that number.

On the other hand, Mayor Yoon Seohyun couldn’t help but be surprised by that number. The reason was that the person named Senior Secretary Kim had said the same thing that day.

The voice was the same, and even the number 20, it felt too absurd to say that all of this was a coincidence.

Just then,

Dean Lee Hakseong, who was listening to the two people’s conversation, opened his mouth.

“Mayor, is there any problem…?”

“Ah, no. It’s not a problem… It’s a bit ambiguous to explain… Just a moment, Dean. Where did you get the basis for those 20 people?”

Mayor Yoon Seohyun looked at Hyunsung again and asked.

He thought that number was too important to just pass by.

“I’m just…”

“Just?”

“Yes, what basis would I have? I was just saying that if it hadn’t been for the mayor’s quick decision, there would have been that many casualties because there was so much rain. Frankly, it’s a miracle that there wasn’t a single casualty with that much rainfall…”

Hyunsung’s explanation continued at length. They were words that no one would find strange. When Hyunsung’s explanation ended, Dean Lee Hakseong immediately continued.

“Hyunsung is a hundred times right. If the mayor hadn’t issued an emergency evacuation order at that time, casualties would have been unavoidable. Moreover, since the rain poured down in the early morning, the damage would have been unimaginable.”

“But that’s…”

It was Mayor Yoon Seohyun who was ambiguous.

In fact, the decision that day was not his own idea, but a decision he made after receiving a call from a person named Senior Secretary Kim of the Blue House.

But he couldn’t reveal that fact in this situation, so Mayor Yoon Seohyun was in a situation where he couldn’t do this or that.

At that time, Hyunsung’s words immediately followed.

“Anyway, the mayor made a great decision last time. The person who protected the precious lives of the citizens of Gangneung is none other than Mayor Yoon Seohyun here in front of us. You are a true hero.”

Hyunsung spared no praise for Mayor Yoon Seohyun as if he had made up his mind. Of course, it was true that he had called and made the decision, but if Mayor Yoon Seohyun hadn’t had the decisiveness in that situation, the damage could not have been prevented.

Moreover, the Namdaecheon levee, which even Hyunsung himself had not thought of, was really the best decision.

“Haha, I didn’t come here to do this…”

“No. It’s something I wanted to say at least once.”

“Anyway, thank you. And take this.”

Mayor Yoon Seohyun suddenly handed Hyunsung an envelope.

“What is this?”

“It’s my small token of appreciation. It’s also a sign of gratitude. To be honest, would you believe me if I said I shed tears this morning when I heard the news of your passing from the dean?”

“Yes? Is that true?”

Hyunsung couldn’t believe it.

In fact, it was already incomprehensible that the mayor himself had come at this time to congratulate him. But now that he said he had even shed tears, Hyunsung couldn’t help but find Mayor Yoon Seohyun’s actions even more incomprehensible.

But the answer came from Dean Lee Hakseong’s mouth.

“He’s a senior alumnus.”

“Yes? A senior alumnus?”

“The mayor is the first graduate of this school.”

“Ah…!”

It was the moment when Hyunsung understood everything.

But then,

Mayor Yoon Seohyun bowed deeply to him.

“Junior! Thank you so much. You’ve done what our seniors couldn’t do.”

“No, Mayor…”

Hyunsung quickly bowed his head even deeper.

Then, Mayor Yoon Seohyun’s words continued again.