Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 152

Hyun-sung returned to the store, showered, and went to his room.

Looking at the clock, it was just past 1 a.m.

“Hoo…”

A long sigh escaped involuntarily.

He felt fortunate that there was even a small hospital nearby. If not for this hospital, Shin Yu-bok’s suffering would have been worse.

Of course, this hospital would also disappear later. As the rural population decreased, it would inevitably close. That would probably happen in the early 2000s.

He remembered coming down to his hometown one day and seeing another business had moved into the hospital site. In the end, even a small hospital in the town center couldn’t survive. That’s how severe the rural population outflow was.

Hyun-sung looked at himself in the mirror for a moment.

It was a strange experience. Even when running while holding Shin Yu-bok, he hadn’t had any problems with his stamina. In fact, it felt like he had even more strength.

When he got nervous, his body automatically reacted as if adapting to an emergency situation. It was a new experience that surprised Hyun-sung himself.

“Now it’s finally open.”

He had waited a long time. Now, tomorrow morning, he would finally officially open the store.

Although he had been in business for a long time in his previous life, it was his first time selling ramen. It was a time of mixed emotions: excitement, anticipation, and a little fear.

Once this night passes…

Hyun-sung’s eyes closed without him realizing it.

***

Beep beep. Beep beep.

He opened his eyes to the sound of the alarm clock.

5 a.m.

Hyun-sung went outside the store for his morning exercise.

It wasn’t just a one-time thing; he needed to have the stamina to run a business in the future. No matter how good his stamina had become, he had to manage it.

Hyun-sung took his first step with vigor.

Hoo hoo.

Hyun-sung, having left the store, headed to the school. The distance from the store to the school was less than 10 minutes. There was no better place to exercise than the school playground. Moreover, there were also horizontal bars, so it was a win-win.

One hour later.

After finishing his exercise, Hyun-sung headed back to the store.

As he was just entering the alley, he saw someone standing in front of the store. Although there was a distance, he could immediately tell who it was.

Hyun-sung quickly ran to the front of the store.

“Father!”

“Oh, Hyun-sung. Are you coming back from exercising?”

“Yes, I thought stamina was a priority, so I’m coming back early in the morning. But what brings you here so early?”

“I was going to come during the day, but I thought you’d be busy then, so I came to visit in advance.”

Hyun-sung looked at his father.

There were no buses at this time. It took at least two hours to get here from home. That meant he left home two hours ago…

Hyun-sung checked the time.

It was just past six o’clock.

That meant he left home before four in the morning at the earliest.

Hyun-sung looked at his father and asked.

“Father, what time did you leave home?”

“I left a little before four. I was so nervous about you starting a business that I couldn’t sleep. So I just…….”

“Then, did you not sleep at all?”

“It just happened that way. But I’m not tired at all, so don’t worry.”

That was it.

His father ended up staying up all night.

What is his son to him…

Hyun-sung looked at his father and was speechless.

Is this the heart of a father with a child?

Hyun-sung quickly opened the store door and led his father inside.

“Father, come in.”

“Okay, sure.”

His father came into the store and looked around, then went into the inner room. Hyun-sung followed his father into the inner room.

His father looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“It’s much better than when I came last time.”

“Yes, I paid a lot of attention to this yard in particular. That’s why it took some time to build the roof.”

“Making it like this has increased the space for receiving guests a lot. You’re amazing anyway. It’s still amazing no matter how I look at it.”

As a father, it was a part he couldn’t understand no matter how hard he tried.

He’s only a high school sophomore. When he first said he was going to start a business, he thought it was ridiculous. But it didn’t take long for that thought to change.

Watching the process of signing the contract for the store and repairing it, his initial worries turned into anticipation.

In particular, the spacious kitchen and this inner room were noticeable.

When he first saw the kitchen, he couldn’t help but be surprised. The kitchen was too big for a ramen shop. He understood the reason after hearing it later.

And he couldn’t help but be surprised to see the inner room being converted from a simple living space into a business space.

The most surprising thing was how to use the yard.

By installing a roof over the entire yard, he turned that space into a business place. It was an ingenious method that no one could have thought of.

Then Hyun-sung looked at his father and asked.

“Father, should you have breakfast?”

“I can just go home and eat.”

“Don’t do that, have breakfast with me here and go. I was just about to prepare breakfast anyway…”

“Then, shall we have breakfast alone with my son for the first time in a while?”

Hyun-sung smiled at his father’s expectant look.

Come to think of it, he had never had a meal alone with his father before.

It was an unexpected start to the morning.

A father who stayed up all night worrying and came to see Hyun-sung. And Hyun-sung preparing breakfast for such a father.

It was a moment when a smile spread across Hyun-sung’s face.

Soon after.

After finishing breakfast, his father patted Hyun-sung on the shoulder a few times and left the store. And in the spot where his father left, there was a white envelope.

It was his father’s heart.

He was worried, but rather than saying anything, he just watched and cheered with his heart.

It was his father’s way of showing love that he couldn’t feel in the past. Or perhaps his father’s love had never changed. It was just that Hyun-sung himself had not felt his father’s love.

It was a feeling that he could only feel after becoming his father’s age.

One hour before opening.

Today’s opening time is ten o’clock. Because it is National Foundation Day [a Korean national holiday celebrating the legendary founding of Gojoseon], the time was pushed back because students do not go to school.

Clang.

Someone came in as the store door opened.

It was Kim Il-soo.

He seemed happy but also worried.

In terms of time, it was earlier than Hyun-sung expected him to arrive.

“Hey, what about your grandmother? Why are you already out?”

“She’s much better, so I took her home early in the morning and I’m just coming out now.”

“There was no need to rush so much. I thought you’d come out in the afternoon.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

It was true.

He couldn’t sleep after Hyun-sung left. At first, he thought he would fall asleep right away because he was tired. But as time passed, his mind became clearer and he couldn’t sleep.

He felt gratitude for someone.

This was the first time he had felt this emotion in his life.

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

“You must be tired?”

“No, even though I didn’t sleep at all, I’m not tired, but I feel even better. This is the first time I’ve felt this way in my life.”

Hyun-sung smiled at Kim Il-soo.

Then Kim Il-soo continued.

“Hyun-sung, thank you so much. It’s embarrassing, but I’m going to accept that money for my grandmother. And I will never forget your grateful heart and remember it for the rest of my life.”

Hyun-sung nodded.

It was a moment when he felt his sincerity in Kim Il-soo’s eyes.

Hyun-sung continued.

“Instead, don’t feel too burdened.”

“Okay, I understand. But I will definitely remember it. And when I become a chef, I will definitely repay you then.”

Hyun-sung smiled.

Money is not important now.

The most important thing for Kim Il-soo right now is his will. If he can encourage that will, there is nothing more important than that.

It was a moment when Hyun-sung’s eyes, looking at Kim Il-soo with his lips tightly closed, shone brighter than ever.

Clang.

At that time, Shin Myung-soon and Kim Ji-sook came in as the store door opened.

Kim Ji-sook is a woman in her early 40s who will work together at the store in the future. She is someone who was decided to be hired after a brief interview introduced by Shin Myung-soon a while ago.

“You’re here?”

“Our boss came out early.”

When Hyun-sung greeted them first, Shin Myung-soon greeted him happily. But Shin Myung-soon’s tone of voice had changed.

Hyun-sung immediately continued.

“What boss? Just call me as usual. Why are you suddenly like this?”

“That’s not right. The situation is completely different from then and now. From now on, you should definitely call me boss. That’s right.”

“I’m uncomfortable. Please call me as before.”

“No.”

Despite Hyun-sung’s request, Shin Myung-soon’s answer was firm. It may be a little awkward at first, but she said that she would adapt naturally over time.

Even if they are close, the hierarchy in the store should be even stricter, Shin Myung-soon argued.

Then Kim Ji-sook added another word.

“Boss, what my sister said is right. Even if you’re young, you’re the boss, so you can’t just call me by my name. The order must be properly established when you start something like this.”

“Still…”

It was a difficult situation for Hyun-sung. Listening to Shin Myung-soon and Kim Ji-sook, he couldn’t say that he didn’t understand. But the problem was the awkwardness.

However, he couldn’t insist on his stubbornness any longer.

Then Kim Il-soo, who was next to him, continued.

“I think what my mother or aunt said is right. We are just working people and the boss is clearly the boss, so we should definitely call him the boss.”

“Even you…”

After Kim Il-soo also agreed, Hyun-sung had nothing to say. Hyun-sung had no choice but to nod.

“Then, since that’s what everyone wants, I won’t refuse any longer. Instead, I’m uncomfortable with excessive politeness, so please just call me comfortably.”

“Yes, boss!”

The three answered in unison as if they had promised.

Hyun-sung smiled at the sight.

Looking at the clock, it was almost 10 o’clock.

Hyun-sung opened his mouth looking at the three.

“Okay, then, please take good care of me today. It’s the first day, so everyone should be nervous and be careful not to make mistakes. In particular, please be especially mindful of safety accidents because it’s hot ramen.”

“Yes, boss!”

It was the three people who answered all at once as Hyun-sung’s words ended.

Shin Myung-soon and Kim Ji-sook went into the kitchen, Hyun-sung decided to take charge of the hall, and Kim Il-soo decided to take charge of the inner room.

Shin Myung-soon looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“Boss, what time did you say the elders from the senior citizen center will come today?”

“I think they said they would come for lunch, so you can prepare the seats in the inner room a little before 12 o’clock. They said there will be about 20 people, so you can expect that many.”

Three days ago, Hyun-sung went to the senior citizen center in front of the town office.

It was to greet the village elders. So the promised time is today’s lunch time.

At first, he was a little hesitant to invite them because it was ramen, but fortunately, everyone, including the president of the senior citizen association, was highly interested in the new Ssin ramen, so there was no difficulty in making an appointment.

As the clock pointed to ten o’clock, Hyun-sung threw open the store door.

“Huh?”

153

Becoming a Building Owner After Regression