Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 161

“What did you just say?”

“Fifty million… this is the most I can prepare for now.”

“……”

Hyun-sung was speechless. When Park Hee-chul initially said it wouldn’t reach 100 million, Hyun-sung had expected at least 80 to 90 million.

But the amount that came out of his mouth was half that: fifty million.

Hyun-sung felt a sense of emptiness, even if just for a moment.

Of course, purely considering the value of money in that era, fifty million was by no means a small amount. However, because it was Park Hee-chul, a loan shark, Hyun-sung felt relatively more disappointed.

Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-chul and said,

“You’ve liquidated your assets very cleanly, haven’t you?”

“It’s for my children, so what’s there to begrudge? I’ve liquidated everything except what I need to live on for the rest of my life.”

“I see……”

It was understandable enough.

As a parent settling their estate for the last time, there would be no more regrets.

But the problem was the attitude of the children afterward.

Sigh!

Park Hee-chul sighed briefly and then spoke again.

“That was my misjudgment.”

“……”

“Looking back now, it was my delusion that they would do better after I gave it to them. Even though they are my children, I really didn’t know they could be so much worse than animals.”

In Park Hee-chul’s expression as he spoke, one could feel how much he had suffered.

Why wouldn’t he?

He gave everything, but was thoroughly betrayed, so how could he express that feeling in words? Especially when it was by his own flesh and blood…

Hyun-sung quietly asked,

“So, even the ancestral land……”

“At first, I wanted to die, but I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t end it like this. I couldn’t handle myself wandering around in the afterlife.”

“So you started again?”

“After liquidating the remaining cash and land, it wasn’t even 20 million. So, I had no choice but to liquidate the ancestral land as well, and the basic capital I prepared was 25 million.”

Park Hee-chul’s eyes were different from before. He continued,

“How desperate would I have to be to even talk about revenge against my own children? You’ll never know that feeling unless you’ve experienced it.”

“……”

“I’ve lived with that venom for five years.”

As Hyun-sung listened to Park Hee-chul, a question arose.

“Listening to you, there’s something I don’t understand. That land you gave me, how did you manage to keep that land until the end, even while selling off the ancestral land?”

“Didn’t I tell you last time? That land was truly my last resort. More precious than the ancestral land……”

Park Hee-chul didn’t finish his sentence, leaving a lingering feeling. Hyun-sung quietly asked the reason again.

“Was there a special reason? Otherwise, I can’t understand the situation at all……”

Park Hee-chul seemed to think for a moment, then continued,

“It was because of Young-sook.”

“Yes?”

“Ah, she’s gone now, but my dead wife’s name was Young-sook, Yoo Young-sook.”

Park Hee-chul suddenly brought up his dead wife’s name. Then, he was silent as if reminiscing.

Hyun-sung silently watched Park Hee-chul.

It was a new side of Park Hee-chul.

After a moment,

“Before my wife died, I bought that land and promised her that we would build a house there and spend our old age together.”

“Ah, yes……”

“But it didn’t work out as people planned.”

“What happened?”

Park Hee-chul suddenly bit his lower lip slightly. Then, he opened his mouth with difficulty again.

“……It was lung cancer.”

“Yes?”

“It was already too late when we found out. All remedies were ineffective. In the end, after only three months……”

“……”

The two were silent for a moment.

Hyun-sung handed a glass of water to Park Hee-chul.

Park Hee-chul took a sip of water and then continued,

“It was six months after I sent my wife away [passed away]. I liquidated everything and gave it to my children. But who knew that would be the last time with my children?”

“I can’t understand the story at all……”

“Of course. If you grab anyone passing by and ask, they’ll say it doesn’t make sense. But my own children committed that outrageous act.”

Hyun-sung shook his head.

No matter how he thought about it, this was an impossible case.

Then Park Hee-chul chuckled and continued,

“That’s normal.”

“Yes?”

“No matter how much you think about it, you won’t understand.”

Hyun-sung nodded.

It was something that would only come out in a TV melodrama; no, it was an event that was difficult to use even as drama material. This is impossible….

Then Park Hee-chul said in a plaintive voice,

“Who can I blame? It’s all my fault for being so lacking.”

“What do you mean by that……”

“I thought everything could be solved with money. From a young age, I solved everything with money. Of course, even after sending them to study abroad, I always sent them plenty of money so they wouldn’t feel inferior in a foreign country.”

“That doesn’t seem to be a problem.”

“No, I only found out later, but that was the problem. They tasted money before they became human, so how ridiculous would the world have seemed? They believed that there was nothing that couldn’t be done with money. Even……”

Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-chul.

Then Park Hee-chul, who had paused for a moment, continued,

“Even their doctoral degrees were bought with money……”

“……”

“So, in the end, when they thought there was no more money to come out of their father, they turned away coldly.”

“Hmm……”

For Hyun-sung, these were unbelievable words, even if he died and came back to life.

Park Hee-chul’s words continued.

“Do you understand what it means to not be able to forgive even in death?”

“Well, not yet……”

“That was my feeling at the time. So I couldn’t die. And the method I chose was money again. Since money made them like that, I thought money would make them surrender again.”

“I see.”

“So I acted crazy and filled my own stomach, no matter how much others shed tears of blood.”

Hyun-sung suddenly remembered his past life.

It was when Park Hee-chul went on a trip and returned as a corpse. For a month after the funeral, the two brothers fought at Park Hee-chul’s house. Later, he vaguely heard that it was because of inheritance.

At that time, he didn’t really know what that meant.

But now that question seemed to be a little resolved.

Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-chul.

According to his past life, Park Hee-chul would struggle alone like that and eventually end his life, leaving only a fight between the two brothers.

But that was only in Hyun-sung’s memory.

Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung again and said,

“That’s when I met you. And I realized.”

“Yes?”

“That everything is useless. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this world anymore.”

Hyun-sung nodded slightly.

Then Park Hee-chul said again,

“If that were the case, what would those guys have done again? I guarantee that those two would have fought to the death over a few coins of inheritance left behind. They are the kind of guys who would do that.”

“Surely not……”

It was an obvious fact, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell Park Hee-chul that.

Park Hee-chul continued,

“And there’s one more thing I realized.”

“……?”

“That I can’t earn the money to fix their habits by earning it this way. I’ve been earning for 5 years, and now it’s only 50 million including the principal. I’m 60 years old now. How much time do I have left?”

In those days, even living to 60 was considered a long life. Park Hee-chul’s words were not false.

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but feel bitter.

But Hyun-sung said something unexpected.

“Why are you saying that… you still have 30 years left.”

“What are you saying, my friend, haha……”

Park Hee-chul burst out laughing as if he was dumbfounded. Then Hyun-sung continued,

“Haven’t you heard that if you overcome a near-death experience, you’ll live 30 years longer?”

“Hey, you! I’ve never heard such a thing in my life. Don’t fill an old man’s head with nonsense.”

“That’s what I know.”

“Still, this guy! Hahaha, hahahaha……”

Park Hee-chul laughed loudly at Hyun-sung’s words.

After laughing for a while, Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung again.

“Thank you. It may sound like an old man’s nonsense, but I want to believe those words now.”

“You can believe it. Have you ever seen me lie?”

“Haha, this guy is persistent until the end……. That’s enough, let’s go back to what we were talking about. What I realized after meeting you was to live my life now.”

“Your life?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head.

Then Park Hee-chul immediately continued as if to solve that curiosity.

“Until now, I’ve been living with the determination to take revenge on my wicked children, but I think that time was too precious.”

“……”

“So from now on, I’ve decided to live my life, even if it’s just for one day.”

Hyun-sung’s head nodded automatically.

Because it seemed like the right direction for anyone to see. Either way, living while hating someone is painful. But if that target is your children, it’s something that a person shouldn’t do, no matter the reason.

Then Park Hee-chul made a strange sound.

“It was like that until recently.”

“Yes? What do you mean by that?”

“Do you remember what you said a few days ago?”

“What did I say……?”

Park Hee-chul emptied the remaining glass of water as if he was thirsty and then continued,

“Didn’t you say you guarantee at least 10 times the return?”

“Are you talking about the investment return now?”

Park Hee-chul nodded. But Hyun-sung still couldn’t help but have doubts. Because he didn’t know what the investment return had to do with what Park Hee-chul was saying now.

Then Park Hee-chul said again,

“Assuming it’s at least 10 times, and my share is only 50% of that, even after deducting this and that, doesn’t that mean it’s at least over 200 million?”

“That’s……”

Hyun-sung is expecting more than 100 times. But he couldn’t say that now.

Park Hee-chul’s words continued.

“If that’s the case, things will be different.”

“Yes? I don’t know what you mean……”

“I mean there seems to be at least one chance coming.”

Park Hee-chul was still saying things that he couldn’t understand.

Hyun-sung asked again.