Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 146

After unloading all the Shin Ramyun [a popular brand of Korean instant noodles], and Director Yoo Sung-il left, the two stood facing each other with the ramen boxes on the table.

The expressions on their faces were clearly different.

Kim Il-soo’s face was full of anticipation and curiosity, while Hyun-sung wore a satisfied smile.

“This is that Shin Ramyun, huh?” Kim Il-soo asked first.

“Open it yourself,” Hyun-sung replied calmly.

Whoa!

Kim Il-soo, standing in front of the ramen box, even took a deep breath, looking quite serious.

That’s because the ramen in front of him wasn’t just any ramen. It was the ramen that Hyun-sung had mentioned would be released a few weeks ago.

At first, he naturally didn’t believe it.

But as time passed and the advertisements started appearing, he began to have a glimmer of hope.

And finally today, that ramen was right in front of him.

Gulp.

Kim Il-soo, swallowing hard as if he was nervous, carefully brought the knife he was holding forward.

Thud.

As he cut the tape on the ramen box with the knife, a slight gap appeared. He inserted his fingers into the gap and peeled off the remaining tape.

Zzzzzip.

The sound of the tape tearing echoed through the store.

Then, Hyun-sung, who was watching from the side, said to Kim Il-soo, “Hey, what’s taking you so long?”

“J-just a moment. Slowly…….”

Kim Il-soo, showing a timidity that didn’t match his size, was filled with nervousness.

Clearly, this box must contain Shin Ramyun. The box clearly indicated Shin Ramyun. He didn’t doubt that.

What he feared was his perspective on Hyun-sung in the future.

At first, he thought it was impossible, but it was actually becoming a reality. That meant Hyun-sung’s prediction dream was true.

Swoosh.

Kim Il-soo carefully reached into the ramen box and pulled out a single package of ramen.

Red background with black letters.

The first letter of the ramen was written in Chinese characters.

辛 [Shin, meaning spicy].

Shin Ramyun. It was exactly the same as the one he saw in the TV commercial. But the first time he saw that shape wasn’t on TV. It was the design that had already been on the sign Hyun-sung made a few weeks ago.

“It’s real,” Kim Il-soo said for the first time, holding the Shin Ramyun.

Then Hyun-sung said, “Jeez, why are you being so serious about taking out a single package of ramen?”

“Because it’s not just any ramen.”

“Ramen is ramen, what other meaning is there?”

“It’s becoming a reality.”

Hyun-sung tilted his head at Kim Il-soo’s words.

‘Becoming a reality?’

He couldn’t quite understand what it meant. Come to think of it, he said the same thing when he first took the ramen out of the box.

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo and asked, “What do you keep saying is becoming a reality?”

“Your dream.”

“What? My dream?”

“Yeah, your dreams are all becoming reality. How is this even possible?”

Pfft.

Only then did Hyun-sung understand what Kim Il-soo was talking about. This guy hadn’t believed him from the start.

Then, as time passed and commercials appeared on TV, his disbelief turned into anticipation. Of course, even then, there wouldn’t have been absolute trust.

Then, today, after seeing Shin Ramyun with his own eyes, he must have been confused about Hyun-sung. More precisely, a confusion of belief in prediction dreams. Believing it didn’t make sense, and not believing it didn’t make sense either.

For Kim Il-soo, who didn’t know that Hyun-sung had regressed [referring to time travel or reincarnation], it was perhaps a natural reaction.

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo and said, “I got lucky.”

That was the best explanation Hyun-sung could give Kim Il-soo.

But that was just Hyun-sung’s delusion.

“What, luck? You want me to believe that now?”

“It’s the truth…….”

“Then let me ask you one thing.”

Hyun-sung was taken aback by Kim Il-soo’s sudden behavior.

“What is it?”

“How do you feel about simply dreaming and believing it, making a sign with that design, and opening a store on that date? Do you really think this is a matter that can be attributed to luck?”

“That’s…….”

Hyun-sung was speechless at Kim Il-soo’s sharp question. In fact, it didn’t make sense. It didn’t make sense for anyone to dream and put it into practice as it is.

Hyun-sung was in a difficult situation.

But he couldn’t back down any further in this situation. He had to convince Kim Il-soo somehow.

Then he remembered what had happened a while ago.

“It’s true. You remember when Soo-hyuk had appendicitis, right?”

“Of course.”

“It was the same then. It appeared in my dream beforehand. Otherwise, how would I have known that Soo-hyuk had appendicitis? I haven’t told anyone until now, but I’m only telling you.”

Hyun-sung felt a little sorry, but he had no choice but to use Lee Soo-hyuk.

Kim Il-soo flinched at those words.

Clearly, Hyun-sung had said beforehand that Lee Soo-hyuk had appendicitis when he was being carried on a stretcher. And later, it was confirmed that Lee Soo-hyuk had appendicitis as Hyun-sung had said.

The important thing was that Lee Soo-hyuk was able to get surgery in time thanks to that.

And all of that was seen in a dream beforehand?

Kim Il-soo looked at Hyun-sung and asked again, “Is that true?”

Hyun-sung nodded. Then Kim Il-soo asked again.

“Since when have you been having those dreams?”

“Since the end of summer vacation.”

“Summer vacation……?”

Kim Il-soo paused for a moment to think.

Come to think of it, Hyun-sung had changed since the end of summer vacation. Before summer vacation, he was, in a common saying, his plaything [someone easily manipulated or controlled].

But after the vacation, he had completely changed into a different person, which he himself had experienced.

And since then, he’s been having those dreams…….

Kim Il-soo asked again, “Did something happen to you during the vacation?”

“Well, actually…….”

Hyun-sung had no choice but to explain what had happened in Gyeongpo [a popular beach in South Korea]. He talked about going to Gyeongpo with Lee Jung-woo for vacation and almost dying after falling into the sea.

When Hyun-sung’s explanation was over, Kim Il-soo’s expression had changed from before.

“You almost died.”

“Yeah.”

“And you’ve been having those dreams since then?”

Hyun-sung nodded. He didn’t feel sorry for Kim Il-soo, but it was the only way to make him believe.

Was that why?

Kim Il-soo’s expression was definitely different from before when he looked at Hyun-sung.

Kim Il-soo, who was making a face as if he was thinking about something, continued to speak.

“Honestly, it’s still hard to believe, but all the situations are turning out that way, so I can’t help it.”

“So you’re saying you believe me now?”

“Well, there’s Shin Ramyun in front of me, and Soo-hyuk’s story is also true, so I have nothing to say. But it’s still strange. How can all of that appear in a dream beforehand? But…….”

Kim Il-soo reluctantly nodded slowly.

He was finally admitting it.

Looking at Kim Il-soo, a sigh of relief flowed from Hyun-sung’s eyes. It would be difficult for Hyun-sung if he kept insisting that he couldn’t believe it.

“How does it taste?” Kim Il-soo asked, holding the ramen and looking at Hyun-sung.

“It’s amazing. Especially the spiciness that you’ve never felt in ramen before is really artistic.”

“Of course, you tasted that in a dream too?”

“Yeah.”

“The taste of ramen in a dream……, I have nothing to say.”

He shook his head, but his expression said he had no choice but to admit it.

At that moment, something flashed through Hyun-sung’s mind.

It was none other than his father and mother at home. Of course, his only younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon, was the same.

It was none other than the taste of Shin Ramyun. At the time, it was a truly groundbreaking taste.

For Hyun-sung, he was used to the taste because he had occasionally cooked and eaten it even before regressing, but his family at home now had no idea about this taste.

Then…….

As soon as he thought that far, Hyun-sung’s heart raced.

“Il-soo, I’ll be right back.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I’m going home to show my family the taste of this ramen.”

“So you’re going home now?”

Hyun-sung nodded. Then Kim Il-soo asked again in disbelief.

“What about the ramen test?”

“We can do that when I get back. And you should go home quickly too.”

“Me too?”

“You have your grandmother. Go and show her the taste of this ramen. And then let’s meet in the evening and proceed with the test. How about that?”

Kim Il-soo paused for a moment as if thinking, then continued to speak.

“So what you’re saying now is that you want your family to be the first to taste this Shin Ramyun?”

“Yeah. In a way, I think it’s much more meaningful than testing it. How happy would my family be? They’re the first general consumers in Korea to taste it.”

“They’d be happy, wouldn’t they?”

“Of course. It’s the first time they’ve had this kind of taste.”

Kim Il-soo nodded as if he agreed.

Hyun-sung moved immediately.

Hyun-sung took out two boxes of Shin Ramyun from the warehouse and said to Kim Il-soo, “Take this one. Go and cook it for your grandmother.”

“But why a whole box? Just give me a few.”

“No. I have to give you this much. It’s not just anyone, it’s my friend, Kim Il-soo.”

“You son of a gun, thanks. Then let’s each go home and see each other later.”

Kim Il-soo also came out actively.

After parting with Kim Il-soo, Hyun-sung loaded Shin Ramyun on his bicycle and pedaled happily.

Soon after.

Arriving home, Hyun-sung called out to Kim Ji-yeon as he entered the yard.

“Ji-yeon.”

The door opened and Kim Ji-yeon looked at Hyun-sung in surprise.

“Oppa [Korean term for older brother used by females]! What’s wrong? Weren’t you supposed to be staying at the ramen store from today?”

“I’m going there in a bit. More than that, where are Mom and Dad?”

“They said they were going out to the field earlier.”

“Go and tell Mom and Dad to come quickly.”

As Hyun-sung spoke, Kim Ji-yeon stared blankly at Hyun-sung, not knowing what was going on. Then Hyun-sung tapped the ramen box on the bicycle.

Seeing that, Kim Ji-yeon asked, “What’s that?”

“Shin Ramyun.”

“Is that the real Shin Ramyun that was in the TV commercial?”

Hyun-sung nodded with a smile. Then Kim Ji-yeon came down from the porch and approached Hyun-sung’s bicycle.

Hyun-sung shrugged his shoulders as if he were a triumphant general.

147

Becoming a Building Owner