Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 16

“Will he come today?”

His mother asked, looking weakly at his father.

Her lips were chapped, and her eyes were swollen, as if they would burst at any moment. He barely recognized her; his mother looked so different, he wondered if a person’s face could truly change that much from worry.

His father, sitting next to her, was equally changed. It was mostly the beard. Normally, his beard was unruly even after a single day without shaving.

How much worse would it be after several days of stress and neglect?

His father replied to his mother’s question, his voice raspy.

“He will come. He has to. Tomorrow will be the 20th day….”

“Has it only been that long? It feels like 100 years….”

Their conversation was devoid of energy, each word a struggle. They simply stared at the mountain in front of them, barely holding onto hope.

They had gone to the police station multiple times, begging for help, but it was no use. The police resources were stretched thin.

The father glanced at the clock. It was already 4 PM.

He couldn’t even cry anymore. His eyes were sore and dry from the endless tears shed while searching the mountains.

‘Please, you little rascal….’

At that moment.

Hoo!

“Finally….”

Hyeonseong had been meticulously digging for wild ginseng for hours. He had to be incredibly careful not to damage even a single root, which took a considerable amount of time.

“It’s already 4 PM?”

He realized he had been so focused on unearthing the wild ginseng that he had completely forgotten about lunch. Strangely, he wasn’t even hungry.

Well… it was understandable.

The reason was obvious.

Hyeonseong looked at the wild ginseng roots lined up side by side. Six magnificent roots were displayed, their elegant forms resembling a work of art.

In his past life, Kim Minsoo had dug up eight roots.

The difference was likely due to the unique characteristics of wild ginseng.

Wild ginseng is known to ‘sleep,’ a peculiar phenomenon. [Wild ginseng is said to go dormant when there are environmental changes around it, such as droughts, forest fires, or other various environmental changes.]

When environmental conditions become unfavorable, such as droughts or forest fires, wild ginseng enters a state of dormancy as a survival mechanism.

In other words, it remains inactive, not sprouting. This dormancy can last for a short period of 2-3 years, or extend for several decades.

Perhaps that’s why it’s so highly prized.

There were likely more ginseng roots sleeping nearby, hidden beneath the soil. But he couldn’t realistically search the entire area when he couldn’t even see the stems.

Besides, he didn’t want to. He had learned countless times that human greed knows no bounds.

This bounty alone was more than enough to be grateful for.

“This is no time for such thoughts.”

Hyeonseong pushed aside any lingering desires and began carefully packing the wild ginseng into his backpack.

It was getting late. Darkness would soon envelop the mountains. He needed to get out of here quickly before nightfall.

Even downhill, it would take at least 4 hours to reach safety.

Thump, thump.

Hyeonseong lightly patted the backpack slung over his shoulder a few times. He felt a surge of strength in his shoulders.

The wild ginseng inside was more than just valuable roots.

It was a seed of hope, a chance for a better future.

“What to do?”

Now he had to leave the mountain.

But one thing bothered him, like a persistent splinter under his fingernail.

“Junchi, that little guy….”

They had formed a connection, however brief. It had only been a few days, but he must have grown attached to the wild boarlet.

He wanted to see him one more time, but that wouldn’t be beneficial for Junchi. The young boar needed to learn to survive on his own in the wild.

At least he had packed the last of his deodeok [a type of Korean root vegetable] that morning and given it to him.

“Okay, that’s it.”

From now on, Junchi would have to find his own food and become the master of this mountain.

It was best to make a clean break and head down.

“Live well.”

Hyeonseong glanced at the makeshift tent and started his descent.

***

Ding.

The grandfather clock hanging on the wall chimed 6:30.

It was then.

The father, who had been staring intently at the mountain, suddenly jumped up from his seat.

“Honey! There, there, there!”

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Over there, isn’t that our Hyeonseong?”

At the end of his father’s pointing finger, something was moving. It was blurry because of the distance, but both parents recognized the figure immediately.

“Hye, Hyeonseong-ah!”

The father and mother rushed outside at the same time.

Swish, swish!

Hyeonseong’s steps were light and energetic.

Was it the effect of the wild ginseng he had eaten a few days prior?

He hadn’t stopped once during his descent, yet he felt no fatigue. Well, it wasn’t just the ginseng. He had also consumed three water-filled deodeok roots, providing a sustained energy boost.

Hoo hoo!

Hyeonseong felt his spirits lift as he considered his good fortune.

Was this what they meant by killing two birds with one stone?

He had successfully dug up wild ginseng, and his physical strength had noticeably improved.

Looking at the clock, he saw it had just passed 6:30.

He had left the mountain at 4:30, making the descent in exactly 2 hours.

Even that included the time he had spent sorting out his feelings with Junchi.

Hyeonseong was genuinely surprised by the time.

A journey that usually took at least 4 hours had been completed in just 2, cutting the travel time in half.

“They must have been worried sick….”

Just then.

He heard a sound.

Looking up, he saw two figures running towards him from afar. It was unmistakably his parents.

Hyeonseong shouted loudly to his approaching parents.

“Father! Mother!”

He started running, waving his hands.

How difficult this must have been for them.

Beyond the emotional distress, they probably hadn’t been eating or sleeping properly. Their hearts must have been breaking.

“Huh?”

The mother, who was running ahead, stumbled and fell. The father rushed back to help her up. Then, the mother surged forward again, taking the lead.

What a mother’s love….

Hyeonseong ran faster, reaching his mother.

He grabbed her hand, afraid she would fall again.

“Mother!”

“What’s going on? Hyeonseong-ah.”

“I’m sorry. The situation just….”

Before Hyeonseong could finish, his mother grabbed him tightly and began to sob.

“You little rascal, you’re going to give me a heart attack! If you were coming back, you should have come down sooner! What were you thinking?”

“I’m sorry, Mother. I won’t do it again.”

The mother’s crying continued unabated.

He noticed his father standing a step behind, his face obscured by his overgrown beard. No words were needed; his appearance conveyed the depth of his worry and anguish.

When their eyes met, his father asked softly.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Hyeonseong had feared his father would be angry about him running away, but that was just his own anxiety.

“I’m okay.”

“Then, that’s good. Let’s go home quickly.”

The father gently patted his sobbing wife on the back.

Tap tap.

“Stop it, honey. He’s back safe and sound. Hyeonseong must be hungry.”

“Ah! That’s right. I forgot….”

The mother wiped away her tears with her sleeve and spoke urgently.

“Let’s go quickly. Our son must be starving, right?”

“Uh, Mother, your face….”

Instead of answering her question, Hyeonseong instinctively said, “Mother.”

His mother’s face was so ravaged by worry and tears that it was almost unrecognizable.

Her eyes were swollen and red, as if they might burst.

Seeing her distress, Hyeonseong bit his lip. He knew the situation without needing any explanation.

The mother grabbed Hyeonseong’s hand again and pulled him forward.

“Let’s go quickly, Hyeonseong-ah!”

“Yes, Mother. I’m very hungry. Let’s go quickly.”

It was a lie.

In truth, he didn’t even know if he was hungry. He had been so focused on digging up the wild ginseng and getting home that he hadn’t thought about food.

He felt like he was walking on clouds, light and carefree. There was no room for hunger.

As the mother started to walk ahead.

“Mother! Wait a minute!”

Hyeonseong had no choice but to call out again. His father looked even more surprised than his mother at the sudden outburst.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Mother’s feet….”

At those words, Hyeonseong knelt down and examined his mother’s feet. She was barefoot.

She had been so frantic that she hadn’t even thought to put on shoes.

Hyeonseong felt a lump in his throat. How could she have run all this way barefoot, without a second thought?

Hyeonseong knelt and carefully lifted his mother’s foot.

“Mother, does it hurt? There’s blood here?”

“No, it doesn’t hurt. It’s okay. It’s enough that you came back safely. Let’s go quickly. We have to go eat.”

“……”

Hyeonseong was speechless.

He felt a surge of emotion, but he knew this wasn’t the time. He quickly took off the towel around his neck.

Then, he gently began to wipe the blood from his mother’s feet, carefully checking for any debris.

Just then.

“Ah!”

The mother suddenly cried out.

Startled, Hyeonseong examined her foot more closely.

Oh dear!

It looked like a thorn was embedded between her toes. But it was already dark, making it difficult to see clearly.

Hyeonseong grew anxious.

“I don’t think I can get it out here. It’s too dark. We’ll have to do it at home.”

“I was okay….”

“It could get infected. Let’s go home quickly. Please bear with it, even if it hurts.”

Without hesitation, Hyeonseong scooped his mother into his arms.

The mother gasped in surprise.

“Oh my!”

“Please bear with it for a moment. We’re going straight home.”

Before the words were even out, Hyeonseong began to run, his steps quickening.

The mother said worriedly.

“You’re going to fall. It’s okay, Mom, you can go slowly.”

“I’m okay. Does it hurt a lot?”

“It’s okay, our son came back in one piece….”

The mother couldn’t finish her sentence.

Hyeonseong felt something warm soaking into his shoulder.

His heart ached as he thought about his mother’s worry and suffering.

A small piece of glass was lodged between her toes. Fortunately, it wasn’t too deep, and they could treat it with antiseptic at home.

The father asked with concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, it doesn’t hurt at all. Oh, Hyeonseong must be hungry….”

The mother tried to get up.

But Hyeonseong quickly grabbed her hand.

“No, I’ll do it.”