Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 112

112

Thump, thump.

Shin Myung-soon was busy blaming herself, hitting her head with her fist.

Hyeonseong watched Shin Myung-soon and continued speaking.

“Yes, that’s right, Mother. From now on, let’s live with a little hope and anticipation. There’s a saying that if you smile, good fortune will come.”

“Yes, yes, this old woman made a mistake, oops! Anyway, didn’t you say you had something to tell me earlier?”

Only then did Shin Myung-soon remember what Hyeonseong had said when he first came in.

Then Hyeonseong immediately continued.

“Yes, I was just about to tell you. I have two things to say.”

“Two things?”

“One is about your salary, Mother.”

Shin Myung-soon’s eyes sparkled at the word ‘salary.’ Honestly, that was what she had been curious about. But she was too shy to ask directly, so she couldn’t bring herself to ask.

Shin Myung-soon smiled and asked.

“I wonder how much Hyeonseong will give me.”

“Do you have an amount in mind?”

“Well, it’s awkward to talk about money suddenly, but it’s a realistic issue, so it’s better to address it clearly from the beginning, right?”

That’s right.

If you don’t make it clear from the beginning, money issues can become a headache later. Especially with people you know.

Hyeonseong looked at Shin Myung-soon and said again.

“Please feel free to tell me.”

“Then… I’m embarrassed to say, but it should be at least 150,000 won [approximately $120 USD]…”

Shin Myung-soon trailed off. As expected, she was concerned about the money issue.

Then Hyeonseong nodded and responded to Shin Myung-soon.

“I’ll give you 200,000 won [approximately $160 USD].”

“No way.”

“What do you mean, no way?”

Hyeonseong couldn’t understand for a moment. He wasn’t reducing it; he was offering more. But she said no way…

It was hard to understand.

In a hurry, Hyeonseong asked again.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll understand when you try running a business, but it’s not that easy. Besides, how much do you think will be left after selling ramen and deducting the cost and everything else?”

“Of course, I know it’s not easy. But…”

Hyeonseong had no choice but to cut off his words.

Because of Shin Myung-soon’s firm answer.

“Listen to me! If you want to give me more, do it later when the business is doing well. But at least not now.”

“…Okay, I will.”

Hyeonseong decided to follow Shin Myung-soon’s words.

He judged that it wasn’t worth insisting. Perhaps Shin Myung-soon was right. It might be a jackpot, but everything is still unknown.

In his past life, this place became a hit after 5 or 6 months. That means he doesn’t know anything for now.

He could give her more later, as Shin Myung-soon said. What’s important now isn’t that.

Hyeonseong looked at Shin Myung-soon and said.

“I understand. I’ll take care of that later. And one more thing, I need to hire one more person. Do you know anyone?”

“One more person?”

“Yes, we need someone else to serve customers in the inner room. Mother can’t handle it alone.”

“Well, if we’re serving customers in the inner room…”

Shin Myung-soon also nodded.

If there was no inner room, she could handle it alone to some extent, but if they used the inner room, she couldn’t handle it alone at all.

Moreover, ramen noodles get soggy quickly.

After thinking for a moment, Shin Myung-soon opened her mouth again.

“I have a younger sister I know. Do you want to meet her?”

“Yes, let’s do that. I have to come after class, so please set up a meeting time to match that time.”

“Okay, I’ll make an appointment and let you know.”

“Then the preparations are almost complete. And as I was saying earlier, I’ll give you more than just a salary, Mother, in proportion to the total revenue.”

Shin Myung-soon tilted her head at Hyeonseong’s words.

‘In proportion…?’

If what Hyeonseong said was true, wouldn’t the amount increase as the revenue increased?

It didn’t make sense.

Shin Myung-soon looked at Hyeonseong and asked.

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means you’re not just an employee.”

“That means…”

“You can think of it as running it jointly with me. So, of course, I’ll share the profits with you.”

Shin Myung-soon was surprised once again.

She was just an employee in name, but this was like being an owner.

This wasn’t right.

A person should have a conscience. If she knew it was wrong and accepted everything she was given, that wouldn’t do.

Hyeonseong was probably still young and naive. She wasn’t greedy, but she had to correct what was wrong for the sake of her son, Jeongwoo.

Shin Myung-soon looked at Hyeonseong and was about to speak.

Hyeonseong spoke faster.

“The beginning was all because of you, Mother. If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have even thought about opening a store.”

“Still, this is…”

“Don’t say anything else. You might think I’m doing this because I’m immature and don’t know anything, but that’s not it at all.”

Shin Myung-soon swallowed what she was about to say.

She had thought he was doing it out of naivety because he was young. But he was saying with his own mouth that that wasn’t the case.

Shin Myung-soon couldn’t do anything.

Then Hyeonseong said again.

“Please run it as if it’s your own store, Mother. Can you do that?”

“Since you’re saying that much…”

“Thank you. I’ll also work hard to help after class. I didn’t have that kind of mindset at first, but now that I’m thinking about starting, I’m honestly greedy.”

It was his honest feeling.

The beginning was because of Lee Jeongwoo. If it wasn’t related to Lee Jeongwoo, he wouldn’t have been interested from the start.

But now that he was starting, he became greedy.

He wanted to do it properly since he was doing it anyway.

It wasn’t his first time running a business. The industry was different, but he had already been in business for over 20 years in his past life.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the same, but it was still a business dealing with people.

Moreover, once the Shin Ramyun commercial started airing on TV, attention would naturally be drawn to it.

Taste?

Of course, he was confident in that too.

It wasn’t just about taste. He would naturally ride the wave of the spicy flavor that would sweep through like a storm.

No, perhaps he would create that spicy heatwave here.

“Here, Mother.”

Hyeonseong handed Shin Myung-soon a key.

Shin Myung-soon’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the key.

“This is…?”

“Yes, it’s the store key.”

Shin Myung-soon, who couldn’t possibly not know what it meant to be given the store key, hesitated to accept the key Hyeonseong was handing her.

It felt different from being asked to take care of the store a little while ago.

After a moment.

Swoosh.

Shin Myung-soon, who had taken the key Hyeonseong handed her, looked at Hyeonseong and opened her mouth.

“Okay! I’ll take it. Let’s work hard.”

“Yes, Mother!”

It was the moment a smile spread across Hyeonseong’s face.

With this, the kitchen was definitely taken care of.

Of course, this wouldn’t completely eliminate Shin Myung-soon’s anxiety, but Hyeonseong thought that her mindset would be significantly different than before.

This was Hyeonseong’s main purpose for visiting here today.

When starting a business, the beginning is inevitably the most important. But what had always bothered him was Shin Myung-soon’s anxious mind.

Of course, from Shin Myung-soon’s perspective, who didn’t know that Hyeonseong had regressed, everything would be 불안할 [unstable/anxious].

So he had been 고민했었다 [pondering/worrying].

What could overcome even the 불안한 [anxious] mind?

In the end, the method he found was this method.

Incentives proportional to 수익 [profit/revenue].

A kind of 성과급 [performance-based bonus].

The more 수익 [profit/revenue] she made, the more Shin Myung-soon would take.

Hyeonseong thought it would be more 확실할 [certain/reliable] than any 고상한 미사여구 [lofty rhetoric].

***

Hyeonseong left the snack shop and headed home.

“Why would he do that?”

One question still lingered in Hyeonseong’s head.

Oh Sang-cheol.

‘What the heck is this guy?’

At first, he thought it was just a coincidence. But as time went by, that coincidence felt strangely 찝찝 [unpleasant/uneasy].

He first saw him at Lee Jeongwoo’s snack shop. He just thought he was one of the building owners. Since there was nothing 특별히 얽힐 [particularly entangled], he 무심히 just 넘어가갔었다 [carelessly overlooked] at first.

Then one day, the ramen shop 얘기 [story/talk] came up, so he 나서게 됐다 [stepped forward].

“Was it from then…?”

That day, Oh Sang-cheol came to the ramen shop and said he knew about the relationship between Hyeonseong and Park Hee-cheol. He thought that was 얼마든지 있을 수 있는 일이라 [something that could easily happen].

But from then on, things started to 꼬이기 [get twisted/complicated].

A complaint was filed at school for drinking a glass of 맥주 [beer].

It was an 악의적인 행동 [malicious act] that anyone could see.

So he tried to find out who it was, but he couldn’t find them in the end. However, he heard a 이상한 얘기 [strange story] from Park Hee-cheol.

Oh Sang-cheol was 지켜보고 [watching] Hyeonseong at the main gate.

He couldn’t help but 의심을 할 수밖에 [have no choice but to suspect] on the 정황상 [circumstances]. But the problem was that Oh Sang-cheol wasn’t at the Miso Restaurant yesterday.

It didn’t make sense to 꿰맞추기 [piece together/make sense of].

In the 와중에 [midst], he heard a 이상한 소리 [strange sound] from Shin Myung-soon at the snack shop a little while ago. Even though the 만기 [expiration date] was next month, she was being forced to 나가게 생겼다 [leave/move out] a month earlier, using the 단서 조항 [clause/stipulation] as an excuse.

Why 굳이 [insistently/necessarily]?

What is the reason for 무리를 그렇게까지 [pushing it that far]?

“……”

Hyeonseong 다시고 입맛 [clicked his tongue] after 잠기 생각 [immersed in thought].

쩝 [Tsk].

No matter how much he thought about it, Oh Sang-cheol’s 행동이 이상하긴 [behavior is strange], but he couldn’t 알 수 없으니 the 이유 [know the reason], so he was just 갑갑할 [frustrated/suffocated].

But the important thing is that he 자꾸 걸리적거린다는 [keeps getting in the way].

“Let’s 지켜보자 좀 더 [watch a little more].”

That was the 결론 현성이 내린 [conclusion Hyeonseong reached].

After riding his 자전거 [bicycle] for about 30 minutes, he came to a 삼거리 [three-way intersection].

If he went to the 오른쪽 [right], it was home, and if he went to the 왼쪽 [left], it was the 땅 [land] that Park Hee-cheol gave him.

Hyeonseong 틀었다 [turned] the 핸들 [handlebar] to the 왼쪽 [left].

잠시 후 [After a while].

Hyeonseong, who went up the 산 중턱 [mountainside], was standing in a place where he could see the 마을 [village] at a glance.

어둠 [Darkness] was 막 내려앉기 시작했다 [just beginning to settle] along the 강가 [riverside] that 가로지르는 [crosses] the 마을 [village].

“Good!”

다시 봐도 [Even looking again], the 경관 [scenery] alone was 아름다웠다 [beautiful] to the point of 가히 예술이라 할 정도로 [being called art]. That’s why this place could only 난리를 칠 수밖에 [cause a commotion] in the 훗날 [future].

In his 전생 [previous life], a 2층 대형 고깃집 [two-story large meat restaurant] was 들어섰던 [built] in this 자리 [place]. Of course, this 일어난 일 [event] was when 누군가가 사면서 [someone bought] this 땅 [land] after Park Hee-cheol died.

He only 알았지만 나중에 [knew later] that the 사람 [person] was one of the 군 의원 [county council members]. Of course, he didn’t even hear the 이름 [name].

어찌 됐건 [Anyway], that 사람 [person] was a 난 사람 [remarkable person]. The 자체 [fact] that he had the 생각을 [thought] of 할 식당 [building a restaurant] here was an 행동 [action] that 뛰어넘는 [surpasses] the 생각을 [thinking] of 일반인들 [ordinary people].

Hyeonseong 떠올렸다 [recalled] the 기억 [memory] of the 고깃집 [meat restaurant] that he 봤던 [saw] in his 전생 [previous life] that 운영했던 [operated] as a 2층 [two-story building].

잠시 후 [After a while].

“고깃집이라 [A meat restaurant, huh]……”

Hyeonseong 혼자 중얼거렸다 [muttered to himself].

He 못 할 것도 [can’t do it].

The 문제는 [problem] is 돈 역시 [money as well].

게다가 [Moreover], it’s not a 규모 [scale] that you can 벌릴 [expand] with 한두 푼 [a penny or two] either.

Of course, the 땅값 [land price] will start to 오르기 [rise] even if you 놔둬 가만히 [leave it alone]. If the 도로 확장 공사 [road expansion construction] starts from the year after 88올림픽 [1988 Olympics], it will 뛰다 [jump] at least 20 times more than now.

It’s a 자리 [place] that will be a 금싸라기 땅 [gold mine] the more you 두면 [leave it].

Park Hee-cheol said that his 꿈 [dream] was to 짓고 사는 [build and live in] a 집 [house] here in his 노후 [old age]. He was 박희철 [Park Hee-cheol] who wanted to 지키고자 끝가지 [protect to the end] here while even 포기하면서 [giving up] his 선산 [ancestral burial grounds].

If you think about it, you can’t 인정하지 않다 [not acknowledge] Park Hee-cheol’s 안목 [foresight] either.

어찌 됐건 [Anyway], Park Hee-cheol 깔아줬다 [laid] the 기본 [foundation]. Now, it’s 현성의 몫 [Hyeonseong’s share] to 내리는 뿌리를 [take root] here from now on. If he’s going to 내릴 뿌리를 [take root], the 결론 [conclusion] comes out that he has to 떠야 첫 삽 [break ground] here within 최소 5 years [at least 5 years].

“5년이라 [5 years, huh]……”

It’s a 시간 [time] that’s 길다면 길고 [long if it’s long], 짧다면 짧은 [short if it’s short].

Hyeonseong was 서 있었다 그렇게 [standing like that] for a while, as if he was 잠긴 in 생각 [immersed in thought], 내려다보며 [looking down at] the 마을 [village] 멀리 [far away].

“오빠 [Older brother]! 이제 와 [Are you here now]?”

김지연 [Kim Jiyeon] was the 동생 [younger sister] who 반긴 [greeted] 현성을 [Hyeonseong] 제일 먼저 [first] when he arrived home.

“뭐야 [What]? 나 기다린 거야 [Were you waiting for me]?”

“당연하지 [Of course], 우리 집 기둥인데 [you’re the pillar of our house]……”

Hyeonseong 씩 웃었다 [smiled] 보며 [looking at] 김지연 [Kim Jiyeon]. His 표정 섞인 장난기 [expression mixed with playfulness] was a 얼굴 [face] that 갈구하는 애타게 뭔가를 듯한 [seemed to be desperately craving something].

현성이 [Hyeonseong] was 모를 리 [couldn’t not know] the 이유 [reason].

분명 [Clearly] it’s the 궁금증 [curiosity] about the 편지 [letter] that he 건네준 [handed over] yesterday.

그때 발동했다 [At that time, activated] 현성의 장난기 [Hyeonseong’s playfulness].

“아차 [Oops]!”

김지연’s [Kim Jiyeon’s] 눈이 동그래졌다 [eyes widened] when 현성이 놀라자 [Hyeonseong was surprised]. 그리곤 물었다 바로 [And then asked immediately].

“오빠 왜 그래 [Older brother, what’s wrong]?”

“어쩌지 [What to do]? 깜빡했다 [I forgot].”

김지연’s [Kim Jiyeon’s] 눈이 바라봤다 [eyes looked at] 현성을 [Hyeonseong] 듯 튀어나올 금방이라도 [as if they would pop out any moment].

“……아니지 [……It’s not, right]?”

눈물이 나올 듯 금방이라도 [As if tears would come out any moment] 김지연’s 눈에선 [from Kim Jiyeon’s eyes]. 현성은 생겼다 고민 순간적으로 [Hyeonseong had a momentary worry] 본 그 모습을 [seeing that appearance].

눈물이 흐르고 말 것이다 금방 [Tears would flow soon] 동생의 눈에서는 [from his younger sister’s eyes] 뒀다가는 이대로 [if he left it like this]. 녀석이다 많은 눈물이 않아도 그렇지 [She’s like that even without many tears].

분위기가 말하기엔 장난이라고 와서 이제 그렇다고 [The atmosphere is not right to say it’s a joke and come now]……

그때였다 [It was then].

“야 [Hey]! 김현성 [Kim Hyeonseong]!”

아뿔싸 [Oh no]!

터지는 순간이었다 [It was the moment of explosion] 김지연’s 성격이 [Kim Jiyeon’s personality].