Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 119

119

Hyun-sung returned home.

“That’s really amazing.”

The more he thought about it, the more amazing it was. Building owner Oh Myung-sun’s food tasted above average.

At first, he honestly didn’t expect much. But the moment he tasted the ribs, he realized he was wrong.

They weren’t tough, and they perfectly captured the unique flavor of ribs.

It wasn’t just the ribs. The japchae [Korean glass noodles stir-fry] and other side dishes were also excellent, good enough to be served anywhere.

They say a man living alone has three measures of lice [a Korean proverb meaning a person living alone is likely to be slovenly], but it seemed that saying was different for everyone.

The taste of the food was great, but something else moved Hyun-sung even more.

It was building owner Oh Myung-sun’s thoughtfulness.

At first, he thought she had just come by chance. But it turned out that wasn’t the case.

She had been preparing since the day before.

When he learned all of this, he was incredibly touched. What building owner would put in that much effort for a tenant?

Of course, he had to wait and see, but today was a day when he felt differently about the building owner.

Knock knock.

As Hyun-sung was lost in thought about building owner Oh Myung-sun, someone knocked on the door.

It was his younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon.

“Oppa [term for older brother used by females in Korean], where did you go today?”

“Wonju, because of the ramen…….”

“Ramen? I thought you bought it from the supermarket?”

Kim Ji-yeon asked as if it were obvious.

Anyone who didn’t know would naturally think that way.

“That’s not the case. How much is the difference in cost? Of course, I have to buy it at wholesale prices to make a profit. That’s why I went.”

“Ah, I see. I guess so, since it’s not just one or two. Our oppa has become a businessman.”

“You too……, you didn’t come in just to ask that, what’s the matter?”

When Hyun-sung asked, Kim Ji-yeon hesitated and just moved her lips without saying anything.

So Hyun-sung asked again.

“What is it, Kim Ji-yeon? Why are you being like this? It’s not like you.”

“It’s a bit embarrassing.”

“What is it?”

“Um……, can I ask you something about Il-soo oppa?”

As expected, Kim Ji-yeon’s interest was in Kim Il-soo.

When Hyun-sung nodded, Kim Ji-yeon opened her mouth again.

“They say men know men better?”

“So?”

“What about Il-soo oppa, what do you think of him?”

Hyun-sung stared at Kim Ji-yeon. Kim Ji-yeon avoided Hyun-sung’s gaze, and her face turned slightly red. Hyun-sung smiled at the sight.

“Hey, Kim Ji-yeon. Do you like Kim Il-soo that much?”

“Why are you asking something so obvious? Oppa, you’ve never liked anyone before, have you?”

“What?”

It was absurd.

Hyun-sung didn’t know what to say to Kim Ji-yeon’s question, who had no idea that he was even married. When Hyun-sung didn’t say anything, Kim Ji-yeon continued.

“Oppa, you’ll know when you like someone later. How I feel right now.”

“…….”

“Anyway, what about Il-soo oppa, what do you think of him?”

“What do you want to ask?”

He was dumbfounded, but he felt like he had to answer something, so Hyun-sung asked.

Then Kim Ji-yeon smiled brightly and replied.

“His personality, I don’t think there’s anyone better than him, but I think he’ll only show me the good side. You’re close, so I thought you’d know better…….”

It was meaningless.

No matter what Hyun-sung said here, Kim Ji-yeon would only hear what she wanted to hear. What could he say to that?

Hyun-sung wasn’t that foolish.

“He’s decent enough.”

“Decent?”

“Yeah.”

Hyun-sung answered briefly, hoping this conversation would end quickly. Because he knew it was pointless anyway.

Kim Ji-yeon is now 16 years old. She might think it’s serious from her point of view, but Hyun-sung knew that it was just a passing phase, like a summer shower.

Like a fever.

But that was just Hyun-sung’s delusion.

He hoped to get through it somehow, but Kim Ji-yeon’s personality wasn’t that easy.

“Oppa, are you really going to be like this?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Are you really going to talk so insincerely?”

“What’s wrong with that…….”

Ah, he realized, but it was too late.

Hyun-sung was forced to push through with a poor excuse.

But that didn’t mean Kim Ji-yeon would let it go.

“Oppa, shouldn’t you at least not be like this to me?”

“What do you mean?”

“You think what I’m asking is trivial, right? Because I’m just a middle school student asking about that.”

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Ji-yeon. He didn’t expect her to come at him so directly. When Hyun-sung couldn’t speak for a moment, Kim Ji-yeon opened her mouth again.

“I’m not asking you for much, and you’re Il-soo oppa’s friend, so you know him better than I do, right? That’s why I asked……, how can you answer so carelessly?”

“…….”

Kim Ji-yeon was firing a barrage of words as if she had made up her mind. On the other hand, Hyun-sung had nothing to say.

When Hyun-sung closed his mouth, Kim Ji-yeon pouted and continued.

“You thought I wouldn’t know? Do I look that stupid to you? What’s wrong with you?”

“That’s not it…….”

Hyun-sung was also upset in his own way. Of course, it was true that he answered carelessly, but it wasn’t like he made up something out of nothing.

He thought it was okay, so he said it was okay, but if she kept nagging him about it, what was he supposed to do?

Then Kim Ji-yeon said again.

“If that’s not it, then what is it?”

“Of course, it’s true that I thought about it lightly. But it’s not like there was a lie in my words, so if you keep questioning me like that, what am I supposed to do?”

When Hyun-sung spoke honestly, Kim Ji-yeon flinched. Come to think of it, Hyun-sung’s words didn’t seem wrong.

She thought that it might have been even stranger if he had taken it seriously.

“So, what does that mean? In the end, it means Il-soo oppa is okay.”

“This kid is good at studying, but why is her brain like this?”

“No, I felt like you were talking perfunctorily, so I was upset…….”

“Hey, wouldn’t it be stranger if I was serious there?”

“Come to think of it, that seems to be the case.”

Kim Ji-yeon smiled apologetically. Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

Hyun-sung called his younger sister Kim Ji-yeon again.

“Ji-yeon.”

“Yeah?”

“Listen to me carefully. Of course, you’ll do what you want, but know how old you are and act accordingly. Don’t try to imitate adults clumsily.”

“Imitate adults?”

Kim Ji-yeon tilted her head and looked at Hyun-sung.

Then Hyun-sung continued.

“Don’t worry about conditions. Just meet purely as you are now. Don’t worry about this and that like adults, do you understand what I mean?”

“Well, I don’t know what you mean…….”

“Don’t meet too seriously. Again, don’t forget that you’re still a middle school student, don’t be too picky, just be as you are.”

“Um……, I don’t know exactly what you’re saying, but I think I know roughly. I’ll try not to be too burdened.”

He felt relieved. He was glad that she understood it that way. Anyway, he wanted to help in some way.

No matter how he looked at it, she seemed too burdened.

It was the same with Kim Il-soo. So, he had told Kim Il-soo the same thing while watching him.

Anyway, as that serious(?) problem seemed to be resolved to some extent, Hyun-sung looked at Kim Ji-yeon and asked again.

“Hey! How was it today?”

“What?”

“I’m talking about the Jandi group kids, it was the first class today.”

When the Jandi group was mentioned, Kim Ji-yeon shook her head and shuddered. Hyun-sung smiled at the sight. He had a rough idea of what it was like.

Then Kim Ji-yeon continued.

“I’ve never seen such troublemakers in my life.”

“What was it like?”

“Don’t even ask, it was so amazing how they gathered only the same kind of guys in one place.”

“So what are you going to do?”

When Hyun-sung asked again, Kim Ji-yeon frowned and continued.

“I have no choice but to split them up.”

“Split them up? What do you mean?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head at Kim Ji-yeon’s answer. That wasn’t the answer Hyun-sung expected.

Then Kim Ji-yeon said again.

“I’m going to divide them by grade and teach them.”

“By grade, you mean dividing the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders separately?”

“Yeah, there’s no other way. I don’t know if I hadn’t started, but now that I’ve started, I have to see it through.”

He hoped she would just end it appropriately, but Kim Ji-yeon didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so. However, he couldn’t tell the enthusiastic Kim Ji-yeon to do it appropriately, and Hyun-sung was just frustrated.

Then Kim Ji-yeon continued.

“I’m going to ask my friends for help.”

“Friends?”

“Yeah, In-hye said she would take care of the 2nd graders, and I just need to find one more friend to take care of the 1st graders.”

Things seemed to be getting more and more twisted.

At first, he thought it would be impossible and set impossible conditions. But the way things were going, it seemed to be flowing strangely.

And the funny thing was that the center of it was none other than his younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon. And now, even Seo In-hye is joining.

Hyun-sung couldn’t say anything and could only suffer alone.

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Ji-yeon and asked carefully.

“Do you really have to go that far?”

“It’s the first time, so I’m more greedy. I’ll definitely do it no matter what.”

It was the moment when Kim Ji-yeon, who didn’t know that Hyun-sung was the one who set the conditions, showed her firm will.

Hyun-sung had no choice but to close his mouth again.

After Kim Ji-yeon left the room, Hyun-sung was left alone.

“What is this?”

No matter how he thought about it, it was absurd.

He set the conditions to avoid getting involved with the Jandi group, but the person who was trying to meet those conditions was his younger sister Kim Ji-yeon, and now even Seo In-hye.

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it was.

Sigh.

Hyun-sung was suffering alone, unable to tell anyone.

“That’s that, and I have to do what I have to do.”

Hyun-sung pulled out a math textbook. It was now the 3rd grade of middle school course.

Swish swish.

Hyun-sung began to solve math problems in his notebook.

How much time had passed?

When he looked at the clock, it was past 12 o’clock.

Knock knock.

It was his father.

“Drink this and do it.”

It was honey water.

These days, his father takes care of it every day at this time without fail.

“Now, at 12 o’clock, I can’t help but keep looking at the door.”

“Haha, that’s a relief. I’m worried that it might interfere with your studies.”

“Anyway, it’s a break time at this time, so don’t worry about that. Rather, I’m tired, so it’s good to relieve my fatigue and talk to my father.”

It would have been impossible in his previous life. At this point, his father would have been robbed of his calf [idiom meaning to be swindled] by Park Hee-cheol and lived on alcohol every day. Eventually, his liver would be strained, and he would be hospitalized two years later.

That was his father in his previous life.

Hyun-sung looked at his father. His face wasn’t as dark as it was in his previous life.

Was that why?

A smile spread across Hyun-sung’s face without him realizing it.

Fortunately, that won’t happen in this life.