Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 103

103

Hyun-sung chuckled.

After listening, he realized Kim Ji-yeon’s words made sense. In his haste, he momentarily recognized his mistake.

“Sorry, I messed up. I was just so worried because you said you were sick, I didn’t think…”

Hyun-sung quickly apologized, and Kim Ji-yeon chuckled and continued.

“It’s okay, no need to apologize… but it does feel good.”

“Feels good?”

“Of course. I have an older brother who worries about me so much when I’m sick, he doesn’t think about anything else. Right?”

He was really surprised a moment ago.

Her expression looked genuinely painful. But if Kim Ji-yeon was right, it meant her pain wasn’t that kind of pain.

If not, then… could it be?

Something flashed through Hyun-sung’s mind.

“You don’t suppose… no, could it be because of that bear?”

“…”

Kim Ji-yeon didn’t answer.

Silence meant…

Hyun-sung stared at Kim Ji-yeon.

“Hey, Kim Ji-yeon! You’re right. It’s because of that little bear…”

Hyun-sung couldn’t finish his sentence. Kim Ji-yeon’s voice was fierce.

“Oppa! What do you mean, ‘little bear’?”

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“No, that’s not it… but why ‘little bear’?”

“You…”

Hyun-sung was speechless. He had thought it was nothing a few days ago, but he didn’t realize she was really suffering because of Kim Il-soo.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“Is it true?”

Instead of answering, Kim Ji-yeon nodded slightly.

Pfft.

Hyun-sung suddenly laughed. He realized he was taking it too seriously.

It was just a passing cold.

A fever that everyone experiences once or twice in school. It seems like everything at the time, but it naturally fades away with time.

On the other hand, Kim Ji-yeon was different.

At first, it was just curiosity. But as time passed, she kept thinking about Kim Il-soo. She couldn’t do anything about it, so she mustered the courage to write a letter.

The problem was how to deliver it.

By mail or by someone she knew, and she wanted her brother’s help. That’s why she brought the letter out a little while ago.

But when she saw Hyun-sung, she was at a loss for words and didn’t know what to do. But Hyun-sung told her to share her worries, so she plucked up the courage to speak.

In fact, she had considered sending it by mail at first.

But she was too afraid to do so. She thought he might reject her outright.

There was a reason.

Kim Il-soo’s gaze towards Seo In-hye was intense.

But she was able to muster the courage because of Seo In-hye. She knew very well that Seo In-hye liked Hyun-sung.

There was only one reason she chose her brother.

She had the expectation that even if Kim Il-soo rejected her, her brother would help her in some way.

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

“Don’t laugh, Oppa. I’m serious.”

“Okay, I got it. So, how can I help you?”

“You’ll really help me?”

“I said I would, so tell me.”

After hesitating for a moment, Kim Ji-yeon took out a letter envelope from her pocket. Of course, it wasn’t just a simple envelope. There was a flower drawn on the envelope.

That’s right. A flower envelope.

A flower envelope containing countless stories from that era [a popular way to send love letters in the past].

Hyun-sung received the flower envelope and barely managed to suppress his laughter.

He knew too well what Kim Ji-yeon’s feelings were at this moment. He wanted to protect those feelings.

Kim Ji-yeon said shyly.

“…, I trust only you, Oppa.”

“But this is subtly making me jealous. Your brother has never received a letter like this from our Ji-yeon.”

“Family members don’t do that. Got it, Oppa?”

At times like this, Kim Ji-yeon was indeed a fox [cunning and charming].

Hyun-sung just smiled and didn’t say anything more. He didn’t want to give too much meaning to it, thinking it would just be a passing spring breeze.

He knew too well that Kim Ji-yeon’s age was such that she would only rebel if he told her not to do it.

***

The next day.

Hyun-sung arrived at school a little later than usual.

It had rained all night, and he had stayed up late setting the mood, so he fell asleep late.

As soon as he arrived at school and sat down, someone poked Hyun-sung.

He turned around and saw class president Lee Young-min.

“What’s up?”

“Do you have any idea if you did something wrong?”

“Why are you suddenly saying that?”

Lee Young-min tilted his head, seeing Hyun-sung’s clueless expression.

“But why is the homeroom teacher looking for you since morning?”

“The homeroom teacher?”

“Yeah, he told me to tell you to come to the faculty office as soon as you arrive.”

“Me? I wonder what’s going on? I guess I’ll find out when I go.”

Hyun-sung left the classroom and headed to the faculty office.

“You called for me?”

Hyun-sung arrived at the faculty office and approached the desk where homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho was.

Pfft.

Then Shin Min-ho glanced at Hyun-sung and chuckled.

“Kim Hyun-sung, are you having fun these days?”

“Yes? Why are you suddenly saying that…?”

“You have to be subtle about it. How can you go around making it so obvious?”

“Me?”

The homeroom teacher’s words were a bit twisted.

Going around making it obvious?

Hyun-sung tilted his head. Even at first glance, he had never done such a thing. Rather, he had tried to be more careful both at school and outside.

The reason was simple.

He had already learned from over 50 years of experience that the more you stand out, the more careful and humble you have to be.

Hyun-sung believed more in Xun Zi’s theory of human nature being evil than Mencius’s theory of human nature being good [two opposing philosophical views on human nature].

As a rule, if a person is doing well, the people around them won’t leave them alone. Hyun-sung knew too well that they would be jealous, envious, and even resort to all sorts of slander.

Even Hyun-sung himself thought that his life had changed a lot compared to the past.

Of course, the beginning of that change was when he defeated Kim Il-soo.

As the center of power shifted, the atmosphere in the class naturally changed. The guys who didn’t even look at him before were now pretending to know him and showing interest.

Some even brought fried eggs to lunch and pretended to be friendly. At that time, fried eggs were the best side dish.

Hyun-sung had rejected even those minor changes.

It was the same when he was preparing the ramen shop.

At first, he did it without anyone knowing. But the rumor spread quickly because it was a small neighborhood. Hyun-sung couldn’t do anything about that.

Instead, he didn’t brag or show off in front of his friends. He just tried to be quiet and not make it obvious as much as possible.

But, making it obvious…

Hyun-sung couldn’t understand what homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho was saying.

Then Shin Min-ho looked at Hyun-sung and said again.

“Why? Don’t you know what I’m talking about?”

“I tried to be careful, but I honestly don’t know.”

“You should have been more careful. Tsk…”

Shin Min-ho even clicked his tongue.

Fortunately, his relationship with homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho had recovered, so he was reacting like this now. As a homeroom teacher, he was expressing his regret.

Hyun-sung decided he couldn’t go on like this and decided to ask directly.

“Teacher, stop beating around the bush and tell me directly. What did I do wrong?”

“So you really don’t know. Then I have no choice. You went to Miso Restaurant yesterday, right?”

“Yes, but why…?”

‘Could it be…’

Something flashed through his mind.

Miso Restaurant was where he had dinner with Yoo Min-cheol and Park Hee-cheol yesterday.

If there was anything that could be a problem, there was only one thing.

Of course, it could be an excuse, but he ended up drinking a glass of beer at Park Hee-cheol’s recommendation.

At first, he refused because he was a student, but he couldn’t resist the repeated recommendations and accepted a glass.

If what homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho was saying now was about that, he felt really wronged.

“You drank, didn’t you? Alcohol!”

It was like falling and breaking your nose when you’re already down on your luck [experiencing misfortune on top of misfortune]. Hyun-sung’s situation was exactly like that.

“That’s…”

“Did you drink or not?”

“I, I drank. Just one glass of beer!”

Hyun-sung lowered his head.

Hyun-sung knew better than anyone that one glass didn’t matter. What mattered was whether he drank or not.

First of all, the fact that he was called to the faculty office because of this issue meant that there was already a problem.

Now, all that was left was the corresponding punishment, but what was driving him crazy was that Hyun-sung himself couldn’t do anything in this situation.

When Hyun-sung didn’t say anything, Shin Min-ho opened his mouth again.

“First, sit there and write a statement. You know the 5 Ws and 1 H [who, what, when, where, why, and how], right? Write it according to that.”

“Teacher…”

As the saying goes, ‘the one who needs it digs the well’ [you have to take initiative to get what you need], Hyun-sung’s words calling Shin Min-ho trailed off.

But it was no use.

After a while.

“Here you go.”

Hyun-sung handed the statement to homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho.

Shin Min-ho read the statement and looked at Hyun-sung.

“You too…!”

“…”

“A complaint was filed directly to the principal’s office.”

“Yes?”

Hyun-sung was just dumbfounded at the words ‘principal’s office’. Did that mean someone had deliberately tried to screw him over?

But why?

It was the moment Hyun-sung’s expression twisted.

“Make sure to thank the principal later.”

“Yes? What do you mean by that?”

“The principal was the one who agreed to just running laps around the track.”

Things were flowing in a strange direction. According to the homeroom teacher’s explanation, someone had requested a severe level of sanctions for this case.

And the principal had agreed to just running laps.

If so, the level of sanctions initially requested was at least higher than running laps.

Did that make sense?

Just for drinking one glass of beer…

Who could it be?

A person who would file a complaint directly to the principal’s office over such a thing.

Moreover, the fact that they had requested a level of sanctions meant that there was a lot of personal emotion involved…

Hyun-sung slowly shook his head from side to side.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t think of anyone who would do that.

And there weren’t many customers in the hall at that time. Of course, there was no one who was directly or indirectly related to Hyun-sung.

If not the hall, then…

‘A room?’

There was only one remaining possibility.

In the end, the conclusion was that someone was in a private room, and that someone had called the principal’s office. That someone had also requested the absurd sanctions.

If so…

That meant he just had to find that someone.

Hyun-sung nodded and lightly asked Shin Min-ho.

“Teacher, how many laps is that?”

“That’s…”

Homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho’s words were somehow cautious.

Hyun-sung, who was not an idiot and knew what that meant, carefully asked again.

“How many laps…”

“Fifty.”

“Yes?”

“At first, it was suspension. So quietly finish class today and run. That’s all.”

Ha!