Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 130

130

“Madam Shin, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to pay for this meal. Would that be alright?”

“No, Chairman. These students helped me out today, so it’s my treat.”

“Actually, I heard a rough version of the story from Hyun-sung. You closed down your shop after 10 years?”

“Yes, that’s what happened.”

Shin Myung-soon replied with a hint of regret, and Park Hee-chul spoke again.

“So… I don’t know if this will be much consolation, but I’d like to treat you…”

“No, still, this is…”

“Please allow me to do this. I’m asking you.”

“Since you put it that way… then.”

“Thank you.”

Park Hee-chul lightly bowed his head towards Shin Myung-soon. Then, he immediately called a waiter.

Then, CEO Kwon Oh-young rushed over.

“Yes, Hyung-nim [older brother/term of respect]. Is there anything else you need?”

“Change the grill and bring us plenty more meat. And how’s business these days?”

“Yes, it’s doing alright. I’ll get the grill and meat ready right away.”

Hyun-sung smiled at Park Hee-chul.

No matter how he looked, he couldn’t find the old Park Hee-chul. Come to think of it, Park Hee-chul’s impression had changed a lot.

Giving to others.

There was no need to think of it grandly.

A sip of water for a thirsty person, a plate of meat for someone who needs it.

Kim Il-soo’s eyes changed as soon as Park Hee-chul ordered more meat.

Hyun-sung smiled again as he watched Kim Il-soo.

At that moment, Park Hee-chul looked at Shin Myung-soon and said,

“By the way, does this mean we can’t have kimchi kalguksu [kimchi noodle soup] anymore?”

“Ah, that. Ask the owner here.”

Shin Myung-soon smiled as she looked at Hyun-sung.

Then, Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung and asked,

“Kim CEO, what about my kimchi kalguksu?”

“Ah, that. For the time being…”

The only menu Hyun-sung was thinking about was ramen. The more items on the menu, the slower the table turnover would be.

And Hyun-sung’s target customer base was students. Of course, if there was room for it, maybe, but not necessarily…

“So, that means it’s difficult for the time being.”

“What can I do? To succeed as a ramen specialty shop, I have no choice. Instead, come on a rainy Sunday, and I’ll make it for you myself.”

“Haha, a rainy Sunday… why a rainy Sunday of all days?”

“Sundays are our days off, and kalguksu tastes best on a rainy day, doesn’t it?”

Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung and burst out laughing.

“Forget it, pal. I don’t want to go to the trouble of having you make it for me on a rainy Sunday.”

“You don’t know my skills, sir. I’m quite good at it, you know. I’m not kidding, I’ll treat you sometime if I get the chance.”

“Haha, you have cooking skills? That’s the first time I’ve heard that… Alright, then I’ll make time for it. But when will it rain…”

Kikik.

Someone started laughing.

It was Kim Il-soo, who was sitting across from them.

Hyun-sung asked,

“Hey, what’s with that laugh?”

“What do you mean? Did you eat something wrong today? Why are you so clueless?”

“What… clueless?”

“Honestly, do you think the old man wants to eat kalguksu you made? You’re not usually like this, why are you acting like this today?”

Hyun-sung suddenly realized.

At the same time, he looked at Park Hee-chul.

“Ahem…”

Park Hee-chul pretended not to notice and cleared his throat instead.

Then, Park Chul-min, who was sitting across from them, also started laughing.

Only then did Hyun-sung realize what kind of nonsense he had been spouting.

“I’m sorry, Mother, I was out of it for a moment…”

He wished he could disappear into a rat hole.

With one person making a fool of himself, the atmosphere became even more enjoyable.

***

That night.

Hyun-sung was studying as usual.

He looked at the clock and it was 10 o’clock.

Knock knock.

At this hour, it would be one of two people. Either his mother or his younger sister, probably his younger sister.

Creak.

The door opened and someone came in.

It was indeed his younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon.

“Did you ask Il-soo oppa [older brother]?”

“No, not yet.”

“When are you going to tell him?”

“But do I really have to tell him?”

Of course, his mother had told him to bring him next week. But Hyun-sung was confused about whether he really had to say it.

It wasn’t like they were arranging a formal meeting between adults, it was just a meeting between kids. So why was his mother…?

It was a difficult part for Hyun-sung to understand.

And in his past life, the two of them had no relationship at all.

They were complete strangers. That was inevitable because Hyun-sung and Kim Il-soo’s relationship was like water and oil.

So the two of them never even had a chance to meet.

And the important thing was, his younger sister had a different spouse.

His name was Lee Hyung-joon, he was three years older than his sister, and he was from Cheongju.

Of course, he didn’t know if that person would be his sister’s spouse in this life as well. If it was fate, the two of them would meet again, and if not, it would proceed in a different way.

‘Wait a minute.’

There was one thing he was curious about.

In his past life, his sister had a habit of saying something.

She used to say that her ideal type was a pretty boy.

Then, what about Kim Il-soo now?

It was clear that he was far from being pretty.

Hyun-sung looked at his younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon, and asked.

“Ji-yeon, what’s your ideal type?”

“Ideal type? Why are you suddenly talking about ideal types in this serious situation?”

“No, wasn’t your ideal type a pretty boy?”

“Huh? How did oppa [older brother] know that? I don’t think I’ve ever said that to oppa?”

Kim Ji-yeon blushed as if she was embarrassed.

Hyun-sung tilted his head.

Pretty and Kim Il-soo?

No matter how hard he tried to match them, it was an impossible combination. “Then, what about Kim Il-soo?”

“Why are you saying such strange things in the middle of the night?”

“Your ideal type is a pretty boy, right?”

“So?”

Kim Ji-yeon stared at Hyun-sung as if wondering what the problem was.

Then, Hyun-sung spoke again.

“Do you think Il-soo is pretty?”

“Are you really asking me that right now?”

“So that means…”

“Oppa, why are you really like this today? Is your head not spinning properly?” Kim Ji-yeon pointed to her head with her finger.

“You little…”

“No, that’s not it. Why are you asking me something so obvious? That means Il-soo oppa is not like that at all, right?”

“So, in your eyes, Il-soo is really…”

Hyun-sung couldn’t continue speaking.

Then, Kim Ji-yeon finished the sentence as if to show off.

“How cute and pretty he is…”

That’s right. In Kim Ji-yeon’s eyes, Kim Il-soo was endlessly cute and pretty.

Pfft.

Hyun-sung laughed in disbelief.

It was a moment when he realized once again that the standard of beauty is relative.

At that time, Kim Ji-yeon asked again.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Just tell him to come over to our house.”

“Oppa will?”

“No, you will.”

“Oppa, are you really going to be like this? Please help me, please?”

Kim Ji-yeon was even acting cute.

Hyun-sung stared at Kim Ji-yeon.

No matter how he thought about it, he doubted her eyes.

“Do you want to try wearing glasses?”

“Oppa, my eyesight is good. It’s 1.5 on both sides.”

“Not 0.5?”

Only then did Kim Ji-yeon realize what Hyun-sung was saying and started glaring at Hyun-sung.

Only for a moment.

“Oppa! Are you really going to be like this?”

Kim Ji-yeon’s voice felt bland without any oiliness.

Hyun-sung knew instinctively.

That this was the end.

“Alright.”

“…”

Kim Ji-yeon didn’t say anything. If he had gone any further, Kim Ji-yeon would have exploded.

Knowing that, Hyun-sung had no choice but to raise both hands.

“Alright, oppa will take care of bringing him on the weekend, okay?”

“…Okay.”

Kim Ji-yeon tapped Hyun-sung on the shoulder and left the room.

It was her way of showing.

Gratitude.

Hyun-sung was left alone.

Hyun-sung stared at the door that Kim Ji-yeon had left through for a long time and muttered to himself.

“It’s the same now as it was then…”

If he had been any later, Kim Ji-yeon would have burst into tears.

That’s the kind of girl she was.

She couldn’t control her temper and would cry.

Once she started crying, it was already too late. Knowing that, Hyun-sung had no choice but to raise both hands at the last moment.

The next day.

Hyun-sung hurried out of the house in the morning.

This was to help Shin Myung-soon, who was selling fish cakes and tteokbokki [spicy rice cakes] in front of the store from this morning.

Hyun-sung was just passing in front of the community center.

“Hey.”

Someone called Hyun-sung.

He turned around and it was the village chief, Choi Min-seok.

“Hello?”

“Yes, are you going to school this early?”

“Yes, I have something to do. And you worked hard preparing for the last village festival. I heard the village festival ended successfully thanks to you.”

“I’m grateful if you say so.”

Choi Min-seok seemed to be in his element.

Well, that’s how he started as a village chief and was able to become a member of the National Assembly.

“Did you have something to say to me?”

“It’s not something else, it’s about the donation from Chairman Park that we talked about last time.”

“If it’s about that, I think I said it at that time, to discuss it with the village elders…”

That was what he had clearly said at that time.

No matter how he thought about it, he didn’t think it was his place to step in.

“Of course, I heard it, but the chairman repeatedly said that he would like to hear your opinion.”

“Are you talking about Mr. Park?”

“That’s right. So I’m asking again like this. If you have any ideas for the village, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Choi Min-seok’s attitude was firm. It didn’t seem right to pretend not to know when he said that much.

Just as Hyun-sung was about to speak, Choi Min-seok spoke again.

“For reference, there is 4.5 million won [Korean currency] left now.”

4. 5 million won is by no means a small amount.

What could he do for the village with this amount of money?

Hyun-sung paused for a moment to think.

The first thing that came to mind was scholarships. And the second thing that came to mind was the bridge at the entrance of the village. The width was too narrow and the height was too low, so it sometimes flooded when it rained a lot in the summer.

He thought that the money would be enough to build a new bridge.

Hyun-sung looked at Choi Min-seok and opened his mouth.

“Um… can I say two things?”

“Of course! So what are those two things?”

“One is scholarships, and the other is, how about building a new bridge at the entrance of the village this time?”

“Scholarships and a bridge… that’s a good idea. I personally thought a bridge would be good, so I’ll keep that in mind and ask for other people’s opinions. The chairman didn’t ask me to ask you for no reason.”

“You flatter me. Then I have something to do, so I’ll be on my way…”

Hyun-sung bowed his head and stepped hard on the bicycle pedals.

After running for about 10 minutes, he came to the bridge at the entrance of the village.

Squeak.

Hyun-sung stopped his bicycle.

It would take another 10 years for this bridge to be rebuilt.

“If I do well…”

Hyun-sung nodded and stepped on the bicycle pedals again with all his might.