Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 109

109

Kim Il-soo just chuckled, seemingly embarrassed.

Hyun-sung was simply grateful that Kim Il-soo was considerate enough to care.

Watching him, Hyun-sung asked,

“How did it go?”

“I conveyed my feelings, at least. It won’t be easy in one go. If I were in their shoes, it wouldn’t be easy for me either.”

“Still, commendable.”

“Kid, commendable… I thought about it the day you came to our house for Grandma’s birthday and we talked a lot, but I didn’t have the chance until now.”

It was understandable enough.

Words need a certain atmosphere beforehand. Especially for high school sophomores. In a way, it was fortunate that he conveyed his feelings today.

Hyun-sung chuckled and continued,

“Your acting was quite something.”

“Did it show?”

“Hey, even so, Kim Il-soo, the great, barely managing one chin-up?”

“There was no other way…”

“Seeing you like that, you’re not a complete bear, are you?”

“What, a bear? You little punk.”

Kim Il-soo raised his hand to strike Hyun-sung, but Hyun-sung dodged it and darted forward. Then Kim Il-soo chased Hyun-sung again, and Hyun-sung darted forward again.

After a while, Kim Il-soo, who was following behind, asked again,

“Won’t Jung-woo feel bad about it?”

“Why?”

“If he finds out later that I did it on purpose.”

“Hey, don’t worry about that. Jung-woo will understand well enough.”

“Really?”

“It’s not like you ignored him; you did it for his sake. Seeing you worry about that, it seems like you’re finally becoming a bit human.”

Kim Il-soo was still pure at heart.

Looking at Kim Il-soo, Hyun-sung smiled and opened his mouth.

“How about it? We have half a lap left; shall we sprint?”

“I’m confident in a short distance.”

“Really? Then how about a ramen bet?”

“Deal!”

Kim Il-soo nodded and answered loudly.

Soon after, the two of them shouted in unison and started running forward.

The evening glow was shining red behind them as they ran side by side. Their shadows stretched long in front of them.

Like their lives, they would walk together in the future.

“What, that bastard!”

Oh Sang-cheol’s face was etched with worry as he watched Hyun-sung from the corner of the main gate.

He had been expecting a lot.

Fifty laps is by no means a short distance. One lap would be at least 300m. That means at least 15km.

Seeing Hyun-sung looking so relaxed even after running that distance, Oh Sang-cheol’s stomach twisted.

“What is that bastard?”

An expletive came out of Oh Sang-cheol’s mouth, who would be sixty next year. Then Choi Min-sung, who was next to him, glanced at Oh Sang-cheol.

After looking at Oh Sang-cheol for a moment, Choi Min-sung seemed to grasp the atmosphere and quickly fell in line with Oh Sang-cheol’s mood.

“Hyung-nim [term of respect for an older male], that bastard is smiling.”

“That’s what I’m saying. He’s definitely not ordinary. Well, that’s why he’s making a fuss about opening a ramen shop at his age.”

“By the way, are you going to let that bastard open a ramen shop?”

“For now…”

Oh Sang-cheol’s face was full of a sinister smile as he answered. Seeing that, Choi Min-sung’s expression also twisted strangely, and he echoed Oh Sang-cheol’s words.

“If you say ‘for now,’ does that mean you have a way to respond?”

“Instead, I’ll open first.”

“Yes? First? Then the current CEO Shin…?”

“I have to kick that bitch out. I notified her today, so there’s no way she can last without leaving.”

Choi Min-sung tilted his head.

That’s because he knew that CEO Shin’s contract was still valid until next month.

Choi Min-sung, who didn’t know that Oh Sang-cheol was pressuring Shin Myung-soon with despicable methods, asked again as if curious.

“Of course, you have a sure way, right?”

“Who do you think I am? I’ve already taken measures so she can’t last without leaving, so don’t worry about that and just come running when I call you. You’ll have a lot to do in the future.”

“Hehe, thank you, Hyung-nim. Just call me anytime.”

“So, starting tomorrow, investigate everything about that bastard. The sooner, the better, and no later than next week.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I already had some questions while investigating this time. I’ll find out everything about that bastard as quickly as possible.”

Choi Min-sung said with a rather serious expression. Anyone would think he was doing an independence movement, his determination seemed so firm.

As expected.

There was someone watching these two from afar.

“What are those guys?”

Park Hee-cheol was watching the two from inside a car across the street from the main gate.

His head naturally turned to the side.

Why are those people here?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out why they were here. Right now, only Hyun-sung and his friends were on the field.

Park Hee-cheol checked the memo that CEO Kwon Oh-young had given him again.

“They’re not here…”

Oh Sang-cheol and Choi Min-sung’s names were clearly not on the memo. That means that at least those two are not involved in Hyun-sung’s running laps today.

But why are they here?

Park Hee-cheol started staring intently at the memo again.

At that moment.

Hyun-sung nudged Kim Il-soo’s shoulder and said,

“You’re pretty fast.”

“Who are you telling? How can someone who ran fifty laps around the field be so fast? But did you perhaps go easy on me?”

“Who would go easy on you? Didn’t you see me running really hard?”

“Well, you did run fifty laps…”

He barely won by a hair’s breadth. But Kim Il-soo couldn’t just be happy about it. He couldn’t compare himself to someone who ran fifty laps and himself who ran half a lap.

But anyway, a bet is a bet.

Kim Il-soo said with a smile.

“Hey, anyway, I won the bet.”

“Kid, alright, alright. I’ll buy the ramen. But we’re having a formal match next time.”

“Anytime…”

At Kim Il-soo’s confident appearance, Hyun-sung smiled and held out his fist.

Then Kim Il-soo also smiled and lightly bumped his fist against Hyun-sung’s.

The two headed towards the water fountain to wipe off their sweat.

In the meantime, Hyun-sung called out to Kim Il-soo.

“Hey, let me ask you one thing.”

“What is it?”

“You know my sister, right?”

“You mean Ji-yeon?”

Hyun-sung nodded. Then Kim Il-soo tilted his head and asked Hyun-sung again.

“Why Ji-yeon?”

“What do you think of her?”

“What do I think? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Hyun-sung hadn’t given Kim Il-soo the letter he received from his sister yet. No, it would be more accurate to say that he deliberately didn’t give it to him.

He thought about giving it to him in the morning, but when he was about to give it to him, he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

A brother’s feelings for his sister.

That’s how he felt.

Of course, he knew it was just childish play. But he couldn’t help but feel nervous. That’s why Hyun-sung hadn’t been able to give Kim Il-soo the letter he received from his sister until now.

Nothing like this had ever happened in his past life.

Then Hyun-sung continued.

“What if Ji-yeon said she liked you?”

Hyun-sung was embarrassed to even ask this question. He should just coolly hand over the letter as if it were nothing, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Kim Il-soo was taken aback by Hyun-sung’s question.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“But what if that nonsense were true?”

“Well, honestly, it’s hard to believe, but if that were the case, my heart would beat a lot. I can’t even believe that someone like me would be liked. But why are you suddenly asking such ridiculous questions?”

“Just…, sigh…!”

Hyun-sung ended up sighing deeply.

Then Kim Il-soo looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“What’s with that sigh? Don’t tell me…, no way, right?”

“…”

“Hey, tell me straight. What’s with saying something and then stopping?”

Hyun-sung shook his head. He couldn’t bring himself to say that his sister, Kim Ji-yeon, had written a letter to Kim Il-soo.

In the end, Hyun-sung couldn’t bring up the topic of his sister, Kim Ji-yeon, any further.

Lee Jung-woo arrived just as Hyun-sung and Kim Il-soo were almost done washing off their sweat at the water fountain.

“It looked like you guys were having a match from afar. Who won?”

Kim Il-soo, excited by Lee Jung-woo’s question, shrugged his shoulders and stepped forward.

“Did you see it too? This hyung won today.”

“Really?”

“If you don’t believe me, ask Hyun-sung directly. Hey, Kim Hyun-sung, tell him yourself. This guy doesn’t believe me.”

Kim Il-soo looked at Hyun-sung as if he was wronged.

Then Hyun-sung shook the water off his head with his hand and continued.

“I let you win once, and you’re being so talkative.”

“What? Are you serious? You’re saying something different now.”

Kim Il-soo’s distorted expression was quite a sight.

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Then Lee Jung-woo, who was standing next to him, also started laughing as if teasing Kim Il-soo.

“Hehe, alright, Kim Il-soo, alright. You don’t have to make such a face. Anyone would think you really won.”

“What? You really…”

Lee Jung-woo was teasing Kim Il-soo until the end.

Hyun-sung chuckled at the two of them. Perhaps it was thanks to the reconciliation that they were talking to each other without any hesitation, which made him laugh without realizing it.

Lee Jung-woo had a lifelong resentment towards Kim Il-soo.

Yet, he was teasing Kim Il-soo in front of his eyes. This was also a great reward for Hyun-sung.

Was that why?

“Hey, let’s go eat ramen quickly.”

Hyun-sung’s voice sounded particularly loud.

Shortly after.

The three of them were just about to reach the school gate.

Hyun-sung noticed a car across the street. He could tell who it was at a glance.

Hyun-sung took out a thousand-won bill from his pocket and handed it to Kim Il-soo.

“Hey, use this to eat ramen. I’m sorry, but I think I have to meet someone.”

“What are you talking about? You’re not coming with us?”

Instead of answering, Hyun-sung pointed with his chin to the other side of the street.

Then Kim Il-soo nodded as if he understood, with a regretful expression.

“Alright. I can’t help it. We’ll go eat by ourselves, so go quickly. That car has been parked there since earlier.”

“Okay, then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Go, Hyun-sung. See you tomorrow.”

Lee Jung-woo also raised his hand high to say goodbye.

Then Hyun-sung called out to Kim Il-soo again as he turned around.

“Hey, Kim Il-soo.”

“What is it? Do you have something else to say?”

Hyun-sung hesitated for a moment, then opened his bag and took out a letter from inside.

“This.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a handwritten letter from a precious person, so open it quietly at home. If you tear it open on the street, you’re dead to me.”

“What is this?”

Kim Il-soo scanned the letter back and forth.

Then Kim Il-soo noticed a strange word.

“– Dear My Dream!”

Kim Il-soo looked at Hyun-sung and asked urgently.

“Hey, is this perhaps from Ji-yeon…?”

“Be quiet. I’m in a complicated mood right now, so disappear quietly. Otherwise, I might take it back. I don’t trust myself right now.”

“Wow! I got a flower letter [love letter]…”

Then Lee Jung-woo pointed at the flower-patterned letter that Kim Il-soo was holding and asked.

“What is this?”

“Kids don’t need to know. Hey, use this to eat ramen. I’ll go first. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kim Il-soo threw the thousand-won bill at Lee Jung-woo as if discarding it and started running towards the terminal.

“Huh…!”

Hyun-sung, who was watching the scene, could only let out a dumbfounded laugh.