Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 111

“Hyung, you’re really running this place?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Lee Woo-jin shook his head, almost violently.

Hyeonseong smirked. He had a pretty good idea why Woo-jin was shaking his head.

Lee Woo-jin immediately followed up, as if responding to Hyeonseong’s smile.

“You’re a high school sophomore and you’re running a business…”

Lee Woo-jin trailed off, clearly expressing his disbelief. But it seemed quite natural.

‘An old soul?’

The thought flashed through Hyeonseong’s mind.

Hyeonseong couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity.

Then Lee Woo-jin spoke again.

“Hyung, is this your first time running a business?”

“Huh? Uh, yeah.”

He was a cheeky one. But Hyeonseong couldn’t exactly tell him that he’d been in business for over 20 years in his past life.

Instead, he was curious to see what he would say next.

“Hyung, don’t worry too much.”

Before he knew it, Lee Woo-jin was speaking casually.

Hyeonseong chuckled and asked why.

“Why? Is Woo-jin going to help?”

“Of course. Just buy me a bowl of ramen once in a while. My grandma told me not to take things for free. I’ll take care of the *yeong-eop* [business/sales].”

“*Yeong-eop*?”

“Believe it or not, I’m the leader among my friends. Don’t underestimate me, Hyung.”

“Why would I underestimate Woo-jin? Then I’m counting on you, our *yeong-eop* manager. Hahaha…”

Hyeonseong laughed and held out his hand. Lee Woo-jin acknowledged and took Hyeonseong’s hand.

The two men’s contract was made as a joke.

Up until this point, Hyeonseong didn’t know.

Lee Woo-jin’s *yeong-eop* skills, that is.

And also, that the two men’s relationship had begun as a joke.

***

After sending Lee Woo-jin off, Hyeonseong went inside the store.

“As expected…”

It was worth the money.

Hyeonseong looked around the kitchen and nodded. He liked the spacious kitchen at first glance.

It was big enough for four people to move around in at the same time. As a result, the hall inevitably had to be reduced in space, but that was to be replaced by using the inner room.

And then he approached the *hwadeok* [Korean stove].

The *hwadeok* was just as important as the kitchen space. After all, the number of burners was important in order to boil a large quantity at once.

After much deliberation, he decided on a six-burner *hwadeok*.

At first, he had considered ten burners, but he figured it would be too much for one person to handle, given that the food being cooked was noodles. If he wasn’t careful, the noodles would get soggy in the race against time.

“The *hwadeok* is done too…”

Now all that’s left in the kitchen is the shelving and sink work. That should be done in a couple of days, and at this rate, everything will be ready by the end of the month.

He wasn’t in a hurry because he had plenty of time from the start. That’s also why he wasn’t using more people and why the plumbing contractor, Yu Min-cheol, was working alone.

After all, business wouldn’t start until Shin Ramyun was released.

“Hmm… good.”

For Hyeonseong, there were no major concerns as things were proceeding according to plan.

He was walking through the hall toward the entrance when…

Creak.

The store door opened and someone came in.

Not just one person, but two.

One was Oh Sang-cheol. The other, it seemed, was Choi Min-seong, who followed Oh Sang-cheol around.

Of course, Hyeonseong wasn’t happy to see either of them. But he couldn’t openly complain.

First, he asked quietly.

“What brings you here?”

“I was just passing by and saw the lights were on…”

Bullshit.

If he was just passing by, he would have just kept going. He wouldn’t have come into someone else’s store just because the lights were on. Especially not when they were on bad terms.

The purpose of their visit was obvious without having to ask.

Curiosity and wonder.

They were curious because a young kid was running a store, and they were just as curious about what it was like.

Since there was nothing to hide, Hyeonseong decided to wait and see what these two would do.

Oh Sang-cheol looked around and asked Hyeonseong.

“The store has changed a lot since the last time.”

“Has it?”

Hyeonseong replied in a relaxed voice. Oh Sang-cheol might think whatever he wanted, but in Hyeonseong’s mind, Oh Sang-cheol was not a competitor.

He was just someone to be stepped on, if only for Lee Jeong-woo’s sake. Hyeonseong had no intention of just standing by and watching Oh Sang-cheol, the landlord, act like a jerk.

That’s why he didn’t want to be pushed around by him, even a little bit. That may be why there was more force in his words.

On the other hand, Oh Sang-cheol’s thoughts were different from Hyeonseong’s.

He just thought it was ridiculous.

That’s why Oh Sang-cheol just smirked.

“A young kid already putting on airs…”

“Did you just say I’m putting on airs?”

“That’s how it looks to me…”

Click.

Hyeonseong clicked his tongue.

“Think what you want. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m just going to do *yeong-eop* my way.”

“So confident?”

“…”

He didn’t want to say anything more.

When Hyeonseong didn’t answer, Oh Sang-cheol asked again.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“…”

Instead of answering, Hyeonseong glanced at Oh Sang-cheol.

“What the hell is Shin Ramyun on the sign?”

Smirk.

Hyeonseong smiled lightly. Then he said.

“It’s a *ramyeon* [Korean instant noodles] name.”

“A *ramyeon* name?”

Hyeonseong nodded.

Then Oh Sang-cheol felt *dapdapada* [frustrated/suffocated]. No matter how he thought about it, there was no such thing as Shin Ramyun. So he had thought that it was just a term for spicy *ramyeon*.

But now, according to Hyeonseong, that wasn’t the case either.

Oh Sang-cheol’s curiosity was growing more and more when Hyeonseong spoke again.

“It’s coming out next month.”

“What? Next month…”

Oh Sang-cheol looked at Hyeonseong as if he was dumbfounded.

October 2nd, to be exact. The day a product that will change the flow of the Korean *ramyeon* market is released.

Oh Sang-cheol, who had no idea, was just dumbfounded by Hyeonseong’s words.

That’s why the look in his eyes as he looked at Hyeonseong was truly a sight to behold.

Oh Sang-cheol looked at him as if he was a child telling an absurd lie.

Hyeonseong couldn’t have missed the meaning.

He just smiled.

It was a smile that was possible because Hyeonseong knew the future.

Oh Sang-cheol and Choi Min-seong came out of Hyeonseong’s store.

Choi Min-seong looked at Oh Sang-cheol and asked first.

“Hyung, did you see that bastard’s *jubang* [kitchen]?”

“I did.”

“I mean, how can a guy who’s running a *ramyeon* business have such a big *jubang*?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Anyway, he’s a crazy son of a bitch. And what, Shin Ramyun is coming out next month? Anyway, a young kid already… tsk, tsk.”

In the eyes of the two men, who didn’t know that Hyeonseong had regressed, he was just a crazy and pathetic person.

At that moment.

Hyeonseong headed to Lee Jeong-woo’s snack shop. He had something to say to Lee Jeong-woo’s mother, Shin Myeong-soon.

Creak.

When Hyeonseong entered, Shin Myeong-soon greeted him warmly.

“Hyeonseong, come on in. I was just about to say something to you.”

“To me?”

“Yeah, sit over here.”

The two sat facing each other.

Shin Myeong-soon looked at Hyeonseong and spoke first.

“The landlord came by during the day…”

“What did that *ingan* [jerk/person] want this time?”

“It looks like I’m going to have to vacate the store by the end of this month. I was wondering if there was anything you needed from the fixtures here?”

“What are you talking about? Last time you said…”

Shin Myeong-soon had said that she would not vacate the store until the end of her lease, even if she quit the business because she hated the landlord. But suddenly she said that she had to vacate this month, so Hyeonseong was curious as to why.

“Well, that *ingan*…”

Shin Myeong-soon’s explanation followed. As Shin Myeong-soon’s explanation grew longer, Hyeonseong’s expression began to change.

Finally.

“What a *gae* [dog/bastard]…”

Hyeonseong almost blurted out a curse.

He couldn’t believe that a human being could do that. It was a moment when he was disgusted by Oh Sang-cheol’s humanity, who was not only kicking them out, but now using the *wonsangbokgu* [restoration to original condition] clause to drive the last nail into the coffin of the person leaving.

Shin Myeong-soon seemed to feel the same way.

“I really wanted to shoot him with a silent gun, if only I had one.”

“But what’s the reason for doing this?”

“I don’t know. He wasn’t like this a few days ago… Today, he’s cornering people as if he’s made up his mind. Even the affection I had for him is gone.”

“That *yangban* [gentleman/person] is really strange. There’s no reason to go that far…”

Even at first glance, it was an incomprehensible act for Hyeonseong.

He’s not someone who doesn’t have *yeoyu* [leeway/room to spare].

And there’s no reason to open this store right away.

But why is he doing this?

Oh Sang-cheol’s actions were simply incomprehensible to Hyeonseong, who didn’t know that Park Hee-cheol was behind Hyeonseong.

Hyeonseong thought for a moment and then spoke again.

“Mother, now that things have come to this, try to think about it comfortably. I want to hold out to the end out of spite, but the *wonsangbokgu* costs are not insignificant, and more than anything, it will be mentally difficult for you.”

“I think so too.”

“It’s a shame about the 10 years that have passed, but what can we do? Let’s just think that it’s a good thing to get away from that *ingan* as soon as possible.”

“That’s right. I worked my ass off for 10 years, and this is what I get in the end. The more I think about it, the more frustrated I get. Ugh… I shouldn’t think about it.”

Shin Myeong-soon sighed deeply.

Hyeonseong looked at Shin Myeong-soon and said.

“Mother, they say if you’re wronged, you should make something of yourself. The more this happens, the harder we should work to grow our store. That’s how we get revenge on those *ingan*s.”

“Yeah, we should…”

Shin Myeong-soon was still *bulanhada* [anxious/uneasy].

Hyeonseong couldn’t have missed her feelings.

“You’re still *bulanhada*, aren’t you?”

“I know that I have no choice, but… honestly, I’m still a little *bulanhada*.”

Hyeonseong nodded.

It was only natural that she was *bulanhada*.

But no matter what he said at this point, there was no way to dispel Shin Myeong-soon’s *bulanhada*.

All that was needed was time.

Hyeonseong looked at Shin Myeong-soon and said honestly.

“I know how you feel. I’m not going to force you to believe me. It may not be much of a consolation, but Shin Ramyun will definitely be out on October 2nd.”

“Even that, honestly, right now…”

“Yes, it’s a problem that will be solved over time. It’s only a matter of time, so just wait and see. But if possible, don’t worry too much and have a little faith in me and hope.”

“Oh! Now that I think about it, I don’t know what I’ve been saying all this time. I shouldn’t be like this…”

Shin Myeong-soon finally realized her mistake.

If it hadn’t been for Hyeonseong, she would have been stuck on the street. In other words, she was being spoiled and acting like a fool.

And that was to her son’s friend.

Shin Myeong-soon came to her senses and continued.

“I’m sorry, Hyeonseong. This *ajumma* [aunt/middle-aged woman] was just… You’re trying to do something, but I keep saying unlucky things.”