Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 134

A few days later.

Hyun-sung was having breakfast with his family.

His mother looked at his father and spoke.

“Honey, did you hear the news?”

“What news?”

“About Mr. Park.”

“What about Hee-chul *hyung* [older brother or male friend]? Is something wrong?”

His father stared at his mother, looking curious.

Hyun-sung was just as curious. Naturally, Hyun-sung’s gaze also turned to his mother.

“He’s been collecting the money he lent out since yesterday, and apparently, he’s not taking any interest.”

“What are you talking about? A moneylender not taking interest?”

“I don’t know the details, but he said that people who repay the money by the 15th of next month only need to repay the principal without any interest.”

Hyun-sung tilted his head.

If what his mother said was true, it meant he was collecting the principal…

Why would he collect the principal? Especially while waiving the interest.

Hyun-sung looked at his mother and asked.

“Don’t you know the reason?”

“I don’t know the reason, but if someone who makes money by lending money stops lending, doesn’t that mean they found another investment opportunity?”

“Another investment opportunity?”

“Somewhere they can earn more than the interest. Otherwise, I don’t think he would do that.”

Someone who lives off loan shark interest giving up that interest?

That’s impossible.

But if Park Hee-chul is doing that, it means a new variable has emerged.

What could it be?

In the end, like his mother said, could he have found a new investment opportunity?

An investment opportunity…

If that’s the case, things are different.

Park Hee-chul’s next investment should be Hyun-sung himself. It was Park Hee-chul himself who said it. He said he would invest his entire fortune if the ramen shop became a hit.

But the ramen shop hasn’t even opened yet.

But he’s already collecting the principal…

‘Could it be…’

It’s been three days since Shin Myung-soon started her business. Yesterday, she said she sold 20,000 won [approximately $15 USD] worth. And that’s just selling in paper cups outside, not even in a proper shop.

That means at least 300 people bought it.

He met Park Hee-chul two days ago. At that time, Park Hee-chul already knew that Shin Myung-soon’s business was doing well.

In that case…

The answer is clear.

Park Hee-chul has already made up his mind. Even before Hyun-sung’s shop opens, Shin Myung-soon’s sales alone have given him the answer.

That means his sense of money is faster than others.

As expected, it’s Park Hee-chul.

As Hyun-sung was endlessly falling into a swamp of thought, his younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon, suddenly chimed in.

“*Oppa* [older brother], what are you thinking so hard about?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing? You were spacing out while eating.”

“Oh, I was just thinking about something for a moment.”

Hyun-sung started eating again as if nothing had happened.

Then, Kim Ji-yeon asked again.

“*Oppa*, is the opening preparation all done?”

“Yeah, the preparations are all finished, and we’ll start *yeong-eop* [business/operations] as soon as the Thin Ramen is released.”

“When is that Thin Ramen coming out?”

“Didn’t I tell you? It’s on the 2nd of next month.”

“Is it really coming out on that day?”

Kim Ji-yeon still looked at Hyun-sung with disbelief.

Then, Hyun-sung chuckled and said.

“Ji-yeon still doesn’t trust her *oppa*?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I’m just amazed. It’s amazing that such a thing came out in a dream.”

“Me too.”

Hyun-sung just brushed it off since he had nothing special to say.

Then, Kim Ji-yeon laughed and stared at Hyun-sung’s face as if she had something to say.

Looking at Kim Ji-yeon, Hyun-sung asked first.

“What is it? What do you want to say?”

“Then can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“By any chance, did you dream about what I’ll become in the future?”

“Your future?”

“Yeah, I’m honestly the most curious about that.”

If it’s about being curious, Hyun-sung would be much more curious.

In his past life, she got married right after graduating from vocational high school. She was in such a hurry that she wanted to live together as soon as she graduated.

She said she would live together first and have the wedding later.

At first, his father and mother were so dumbfounded that they couldn’t say anything, but she had already made up her mind, so there was nothing they could do at home.

As parents who sent their youngest to vocational high school due to difficult family circumstances, they had no choice but to follow their daughter’s wishes like sinners.

Fortunately, her future brother-in-law was reliable, so there was not much to worry about.

The problem is this life.

Unlike his past life, this time she chose the path of becoming a teacher, which was her dream, instead of vocational high school.

So, Hyun-sung was just as curious.

Of course, it wouldn’t come out in a dream.

But he couldn’t say he didn’t know.

Hyun-sung had no choice but to lie.

“I dreamed that you got into the *gyodae* [teacher’s college], so I think you’ll do well…”

“Really? I’m going to *gyodae*?”

“That’s what I saw.”

Kim Ji-yeon’s eyes sparkled more than ever.

Seeing that, a smile spread across Hyun-sung’s face.

At that moment, his mother, who was next to him, looked at Hyun-sung with a strange smile, as if she knew what it meant.

He had a rough idea.

“Why? Mother.”

“What about me?”

“What about you?”

“Didn’t you dream about my dream?”

His mother’s eyes were filled with longing. It was obvious what she was longing for without her saying it.

If he talked about it carelessly, he wouldn’t get anything out of it.

The answer is already determined in this case.

“Not yet.”

“Not yet? Then when will it be…”

“It’s not fixed, so it’s hard for me to say when.”

The moment his mother’s expression changed strangely again after hearing Hyun-sung’s words.

“What about me?”

This time it was his father.

He wondered what this was all about while eating.

But he couldn’t not answer.

“Please wait. I’ll tell you everything as I dream it. But I don’t know when I’ll dream it.”

Anything in excess is poison.

It seemed like it was time to stop using dreams.

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

“*Oppa*, you’re going to be late for school today. Stop talking about dreams and eat.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

While Hyun-sung and Ji-yeon were eating, his mother chuckled and looked at Kim Ji-yeon.

“Look at this *nyeon* [girl/term of endearment, can be rude], she’s going to *gyodae* now, huh?”

“Mom, why are you being so petty about that…”

“Petty? You little *nyeon*, you need to taste what’s really petty to know.”

“Mom, stop it!”

Kim Ji-yeon shouted.

His mother’s dissatisfaction seemed to be still there as she looked at Hyun-sung again.

But Hyun-sung was only focused on eating.

If he showed any more loopholes, it was obvious that he would be late for school because of his mother’s curiosity.

It was when Hyun-sung had almost finished his breakfast.

“Is Hyun-sung here?”

He could tell who it was just by the voice.

Hyun-sung opened the door and greeted Park Hee-chul.

“Uncle, what brings you here so early in the morning?”

“You have to go to school, right?”

“I was just finishing breakfast.”

“Leave your bike today and come with me in my car. I have something to tell you…”

He was going to check something anyway, so he thought it was a good opportunity.

“Yes, I understand. Just a moment…”

Hyun-sung quickly finished preparing for school and left the house.

A little later.

Hyun-sung asked first.

“Where are you going so early in the morning?”

“To Hongcheon downtown. Someone asked me to meet them early today.”

“I see. But why me all of a sudden?”

“It’s nothing much, I just wanted to tell you something in advance.”

Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung before speaking. But his eyes looked different from usual.

“Is something wrong?”

“Why, does it look like that?”

“Yes, it feels different from other times, and your eyes look a bit different too.”

“Haha, is that so?”

Park Hee-chul tried to hide his feelings with a laugh as if nothing was wrong.

But you can’t hide a person’s feelings.

Hyun-sung could feel it. Something was definitely happening to Park Hee-chul right now.

While exchanging a few words with Park Hee-chul, the car arrived at a three-way intersection.

To go to school, he had to turn left.

But Park Hee-chul turned the steering wheel to the right. It wasn’t the direction to school.

Hyun-sung asked immediately.

“Where are you going?”

“It’ll only take a moment.”

“This way is…”

Hyun-sung knew the place well. He still occasionally stopped by on his way home from school to think about things. It was where the land that Park Hee-chul had given him was located.

Hyun-sung’s prediction was correct.

The place where the car arrived was the land on the mountainside.

“Get out for a moment.”

“Yes.”

Hyun-sung got out of the car following Park Hee-chul.

Park Hee-chul, who had arrived at a place overlooking the village, stopped and looked down at the village with his hands behind his back.

Hyun-sung naturally stood next to him.

“It’s a really nice place…”

“Yes.”

“I chose the land, but no matter how I think about it, I chose well.”

“…”

There was nothing special to say.

After looking at the village for a moment, Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“Is the opening finally next week?”

“Yes.”

“So, have you heard that I’m collecting the principal these days?”

“Yes, I heard it from my mother this morning.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

Park Hee-chul asked Hyun-sung with a relaxed smile.

The meaning of that smile.

Hyun-sung seemed to know.

The reason he brought Hyun-sung here was probably that.

In this case, it’s necessary to ask actively.

“I was curious about that.”

“I think you’d have a rough idea… Am I wrong?”

“Are you perhaps preparing in advance?”

Park Hee-chul slowly nodded.

As expected, his prediction was correct.

Park Hee-chul had already made a decision after seeing Shin Myung-soon’s business doing well. He thought there was no need to wait until Hyun-sung’s shop opened.

Is his sense of money innate?

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a matter to decide so boldly.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“It wouldn’t have been easy, would it?”

“*Sajang* [business owner] Shin said so.”

“What did Jung-woo’s mother say?”

“She said this spot is definitely good. She said she was initially uneasy and uncomfortable because it was a place where people had died, but after doing business, she said there’s no place like it. She was amazed by your choice.”

Hyun-sung also heard it directly from Shin Myung-soon.

She said she understood after doing business.

Then, Park Hee-chul shook his head from side to side and said again.

“But it’s not *hwakjeong* [confirmed].”

“Yes?”

What is he talking about again?

Not *hwakjeong*…

He thought the verification was already over with Shin Myung-soon.

The moment Hyun-sung’s eyes narrowed.

It was true that he felt a different kind of strangeness from Park Hee-chul’s relaxed appearance. But he thought it was just the simple *yeoyu* [leisure/余裕] of someone who has something.

But listening to what Park Hee-chul is saying now, he could tell that it wasn’t just that level, but something else was implied.

Did he find another investment opportunity?

135

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