Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 147

Kim Ji-yeon asked again.

“Is this really that Ssin Ramen [a popular brand of instant noodles in Korea]?”

“It just arrived at the store. So, I wanted to let our family taste it first.”

“So, it’s not even out on the market yet.”

“That’s why you should hurry and bring Mom and Dad. I’ll cook this.”

Kim Ji-yeon nodded and ran towards the field. Seeing Kim Ji-yeon so happy brought a smile to Hyun-sung’s face.

A little later.

As soon as the three arrived home, Hyun-sung came out to the porch with the pot of ramen.

His mother asked first.

“Is this that Ssin Ramen?”

“Yes, Mom. Try it first. Dad, please sit here too.”

Hyun-sung ladled the ramen into bowls and handed them to his father, mother, and Kim Ji-yeon in that order, making sure to include the broth.

Slurp.

Kim Ji-yeon eagerly started eating the ramen noodles.

Hyun-sung’s gaze naturally turned to Kim Ji-yeon.

Chew, chew.

Kim Ji-yeon, who was eating the ramen, suddenly stopped and looked at Hyun-sung.

“Oppa! [Korean term for ‘older brother’ used by females]”

“How is it?”

“It’s really good. It’s definitely different from any other ramen I’ve had before.”

Hyun-sung grinned. Ssin Ramen didn’t disappoint.

Then, his father looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“The broth is spicy and tastes great. It would be perfect as a hangover soup after drinking.”

As soon as his father finished speaking, his mother continued.

“It’s really delicious. They say it’s Ssin Ramen that makes a man cry, and the broth is truly amazing.”

Until now, ramen didn’t typically have a strong spicy flavor. Therefore, the spiciness of Ssin Ramen at this time was bound to be revolutionary.

Furthermore, the government was also running public service announcements to ‘show foreigners the spicy taste of Koreans’ in preparation for the 1988 Olympics, which played a significant role in shaping the food culture.

For Ssin Ramen, the timing of its release was perfect.

Hyun-sung watched his family eating with delight, and a smile unconsciously spread across his face. He thought it was a good idea to bring the Ssin Ramen.

After finishing the ramen, his father looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“So, you deliberately brought the ramen all the way here just to show us this taste?”

“When else would I get an opportunity like this?”

“Well… thanks to our son selling ramen, we get to enjoy such luxury.”

“Hehe, anyway, I’m happy that you’re enjoying it.”

Then, his mother put down her chopsticks and said.

“Son, it was so, so delicious.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Oppa, me too,” Kim Ji-yeon added with a smile.

It’s just simple ramen, but when you give it meaning, it feels different.

The word ‘family’!

It was a moment that touched his heart even more.

It was a small happiness that he could never feel in his past life.

Hyun-sung returned to the store.

Hyun-sung grabbed a few packs of Ssin Ramen and came out of the store again.

The place Hyun-sung arrived at was the home of Oh Myung-sun, the landlord of the ramen store building.

He was so grateful for the meal he had been treated to last time that he wanted to share the taste of the ramen with him.

“Hello, Elder [a respectful term for an older man in Korean culture].”

“Oh? Aren’t you Mr. Kim? What brings you here?”

“Ah, yes. It’s nothing much, but the ramen I’ll be selling arrived today. So, I thought I’d let you taste it first.”

“How grateful I am.”

“Then I’ll cook it for you, so please wait a moment.”

With those words, Hyun-sung went into the kitchen.

A little later.

Oh Myung-sun, who tasted the broth, looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“What’s the name of this ramen?”

“It’s Ssin Ramen.”

“Ah, is this the ramen that’s being advertised on TV these days?”

“Yes, Elder.”

This time, Oh Myung-sun started eating the ramen noodles.

After a while.

Oh Myung-sun’s face was full of smiles as he looked at Hyun-sung.

Seeing Oh Myung-sun, Hyun-sung asked.

“How does it taste?”

“This is the first time in my life I’ve tasted ramen like this. The noodles are excellent, and above all, the broth is superb.”

“Do you think it will do well in business?”

“Of course! It’s not just for students, but it would also be perfect as a hangover soup for adults. I’ll be among the first to buy it, even if no one else does.”

Hyun-sung smiled slightly.

This is exactly what Hyun-sung is aiming for.

Of course, most of the customers will be students. But Hyun-sung thought that there would be limitations with just students.

The peak time for students will be after school. That means they will come all at once. Fortunately, the dismissal times of elementary, middle, and high schools are slightly staggered.

Predictably, students will be the main customers in the afternoon, accounting for more than 70% of the daily sales.

That’s the most important golden time.

The problem is the morning.

The key is whether the remaining 30% can be captured in the morning.

The store opens at 7 o’clock. It’s a bit early for a ramen store, but it’s unavoidable to match the time of students going to school. The first school usually starts at 7:30.

That’s why the first bus is early in the countryside.

The question is whether students will eat ramen at that time. But this time, while watching Shin Myung-soon sell fish cakes, he learned one thing.

Because they take the first bus in the morning, their breakfast is often inadequate. He realized that they were replacing their poor breakfast with fish cakes.

Of course, there is a difference between fish cakes and ramen, but Hyun-sung thought it was worth trying.

And one more thing.

If not only students but also middle-aged men become customers at this time, there is nothing more to wish for. What makes him expect that is the concept of hangover soup that landlord Oh Myung-sun mentioned a little while ago.

That’s the appeal of Ssin Ramen.

Fortunately, there is no dedicated hangover soup restaurant in this rural area yet.

Hyun-sung looked at Oh Myung-sun and asked again.

“Do you think middle-aged men will come to eat ramen?”

“Well, I don’t know about others, but I would sometimes. This broth is very good.”

Oh Myung-sun finished speaking and started drinking the remaining broth.

Hyun-sung returned to the store.

A smile spread across his face. The reason was simple.

It’s because of the landlord Oh Myung-sun from a little while ago.

It was when Hyun-sung was about to leave Oh Myung-sun’s house.

“This.”

Oh Myung-sun handed over an envelope. Hyun-sung was naturally surprised.

“What is this?”

“It’s my small token of appreciation. I was going to give it to you on the opening day anyway, but I thought it would be okay to give it to you in advance since you came today. You’ll be busy on the opening day too.”

“No, you didn’t have to do this…”

It was completely unexpected.

Hyun-sung was so taken aback that he couldn’t even receive the envelope and could only stand there blankly. Then, Oh Myung-sun continued.

“My eyes are never wrong.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“When I first saw you at the real estate agency, I liked your eyes. Those kind eyes.”

“…”

Hyun-sung had nothing to say.

Then, Oh Myung-sun continued again.

“Even today, who else would bring new ramen and cook it for me like this?”

“I just wanted to show you the taste of this ramen…”

“That’s right, that heart is not easy to have. Anyway, I feel very good today. So, please accept it quickly. And I hope you have great success.”

Hyun-sung had no choice but to accept the envelope that Oh Myung-sun handed him.

The reason why Hyun-sung brought ramen to Oh Myung-sun was simple: it was the least he could do for the meal he had received last time.

He received a welcome he had not even imagined at the time. It wasn’t just a simple bowl of rice. When he found out that he had prepared it in advance from the morning, he felt more sorry than grateful.

That’s why he did it, but he received something even bigger in return.

Hyun-sung smiled as he looked at the envelope on the table. It’s not just a simple envelope, but an envelope containing Oh Myung-sun’s heart, another precious relationship gained from regression.

Clang.

At that time, the door opened and Kim Il-soo came in.

“Did you have a good trip?”

“Yeah, Grandma really liked it. She said it was the first time in her life she had tasted ramen like this.”

Hyun-sung chuckled.

After all, it has been somewhat proven that Ssin Ramen is a success in terms of taste. Well, in his past life, the evaluation of that taste was already set. It was enough to rewrite the history of ramen, so there is no need for further explanation.

The problem is how much to maximize that taste? This is the problem…

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo and said.

“Shall we start experimenting now?”

“Shall we then?”

The two headed to the kitchen.

After a while.

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo, who was panting, and said.

“Eat it again.”

“Hey, I’m full, I can’t eat anymore. How many times is this already?”

“Don’t exaggerate, eat it quickly before the ramen gets soggy.”

“This is the last time.”

Kim Il-soo frowned and started eating the ramen noodles again. That’s because this is the seventh time.

He ate the noodles with a smile until the first three times, but after the fifth time, his expression gradually began to wrinkle.

And this is the seventh time.

Hyun-sung was just as full, since they shared the noodles equally and tasted them.

“How is it?”

“I think it’s almost there.”

“Really? I think it needs to be cooked a little less to my taste. Doesn’t the chewiness decrease a little?”

“Well, I think it’s good enough.”

Hyun-sung tilted his head and started filling the pot with water again. Kim Il-soo just shook his head at the sight.

After a while.

Slurp.

This time, Hyun-sung put the noodles in his mouth first.

Chew, chew.

Hyun-sung’s eyes sparkled. There was a slight chewiness alive compared to what he had cooked a little while ago.

“Hmm…”

Hyun-sung’s head nodded automatically.

Then Kim Il-soo came up to him and asked.

“How is it?”

“I think I found it. It’s definitely different from before. The chewiness is definitely different.”

At Hyun-sung’s confidence, Kim Il-soo quickly started eating the noodles.

And a moment later.

“Huh?”

Kim Il-soo’s exclamation popped out as if he was surprised.

“How is it? It’s definitely different, right?”

“It’s different. Comparing it to the previous one, I can definitely tell it’s different. But how many minutes is this?”

“Put the ramen in boiling water for 2 minutes 30 seconds.”

“2 minutes 30 seconds?”

“Yeah, that was the answer. That time seems to be right for the firepower of our stove.”

Hyun-sung’s face was full of joy. It was a moment when smiles bloomed on the face of Kim Il-soo, who was watching the scene.

Kim Il-soo, filled with joy that Hyun-sung had figured it out, reached out his fist, and Hyun-sung immediately bumped his fist against it.

After a while.

Kim Il-soo looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“But why do you keep lifting and lowering the noodles while cooking ramen since a while ago?”