Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 172

172

“I was the same. Back then…….”

“Mom too?”

“Yes, I didn’t know back then. I thought it was the best choice. But if I could go back to that time, I wouldn’t make the same choice.”

“That’s a meaningless thing to say…….”

Lee Se-hee tilted her head at Seo In-hye’s answer.

“What do you mean?”

“We can’t go back anyway. If we could, it wouldn’t be our life. So, it’s a meaningless thing to say.”

“That’s why I’m talking to you like this now.”

Pfft.

Seo In-hye laughed lightly.

Lee Se-hee felt a strange sensation looking at her. Because this wasn’t the time to be laughing, at least not in this situation.

Was that why?

Lee Se-hee’s voice lowered.

“What is it?”

“Ah, sorry…… Mom. I was lost in thought for a moment. And sorry, but can I ask you something?”

“……What is it?”

“It’s about Grandma…….”

“Grandma?”

Lee Se-hee was startled by the word ‘Grandma.’ Talking about her grandma here and now meant she was definitely going to ask about her childhood.

As expected, Seo In-hye opened her mouth.

“What did Grandma say?”

“What……, what do you mean?”

“What did Grandma say to Mom back then? When Mom was in eighth grade.”

“W-Well, of course, she tried to stop me.”

Lee Se-hee’s voice grew smaller and smaller.

Then Seo In-hye asked again.

“But what did Mom do?”

“What are you trying to ask?”

“Mom still met Dad, sticking to her own stubbornness, right? Am I wrong?”

“That’s…….”

Lee Se-hee couldn’t say anything more.

Then Seo In-hye’s gaze turned elsewhere. At the end of that gaze was Hyun-sung.

Her mouth opened again, as if she was about to say something.

“Oppa.”

“Yeah, why?”

“Tell me honestly.”

“Tell you what?”

Hyun-sung had a rough idea of what she was asking, but he pretended not to know.

“What did Mom say while I went to the supermarket?”

“What?”

“Mom probably didn’t send me because she really wanted a cola. Mom must have had something she wanted to say to Oppa today. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s…….”

Hyun-sung couldn’t answer properly.

Lee Se-hee had asked him because she was worried about her daughter as a mother. But he couldn’t just tell her those words.

When Hyun-sung couldn’t answer properly, Seo In-hye asked again.

“Why? Am I not supposed to know?”

“Well, like you said, wouldn’t your aunt want you to not know what she said after sending you to the supermarket? If so, I think it’s better to just pretend you don’t know…….”

“Is that how it is again?”

“That’s right.”

Hyun-sung nodded.

He thought that was right.

But Seo In-hye didn’t seem to think so.

“No, that’s what Oppa thinks, I don’t think so. It’s my story anyway. I want to know.”

“You…….”

Hyun-sung was in a difficult position.

If he spoke, it would be disrespectful to Lee Se-hee, but if he just kept his mouth shut, Seo In-hye wouldn’t give up until the end, given her personality.

It was then.

Lee Se-hee couldn’t stand it and opened her mouth first.

“He said he doesn’t have any feelings.”

“What does that…….”

Seo In-hye stared intently at Lee Se-hee.

Then Lee Se-hee spoke again as if she had made up her mind.

“Hyun-sung said he doesn’t have any feelings for you. Do you understand what I’m saying now?”

“Oppa, did you really say that?”

“Why would I lie? So, stop chasing after something that’s not there and get a grip.”

Seo In-hye’s gaze turned back to Hyun-sung.

“Oppa, is it true?”

“Um…….”

Hyun-sung was lost in thought for a moment. But that thought didn’t last long. He decided that it was better to tell the truth in situations like this.

Hyun-sung’s words followed immediately.

“As you said a little while ago, I already have a wife.”

“Are you talking about that Yoon Ji-soo you saw in your dream?”

“Yes, she’s the only woman for me.”

Hyun-sung said with all his heart. He wanted to beat around the bush if he could, but the situation was already beyond that.

That’s why he had a serious expression.

But Seo In-hye, who was receiving it, was different.

“Pfft.”

Seo In-hye laughed in disbelief.

Then she immediately continued.

“Oppa, this is just a hypothetical, but what if you can’t meet that Yoon Ji-soo?”

“That won’t happen.”

“I said what if. What if that happens?”

“Then…….”

Of course, that won’t happen. He first met her in his past life when he was 33 years old. But this time, he won’t wait until then.

He will meet her as soon as possible, no matter what.

But all of this was just Hyun-sung’s own thoughts.

Seo In-hye asked again.

“Then what?”

“Whatever…….”

He had nothing else to say. Since there was no possibility of that happening anyway, he gave the answer the other person wanted.

“Really? Oppa clearly said it. No changing your mind later.”

Seo In-hye’s face was full of smiles.

It was a happy expression, like a child getting what they wanted.

But Lee Se-hee’s expression, who was watching that scene, was not like that at all.

“Don’t you have any pride?”

“Mom, I’m your daughter. You shouldn’t say things like that. Isn’t that right?”

“Seriously……, sigh.”

Lee Se-hee sighed. No matter how much her children weren’t her own, she was just upset that she was so stubborn.

But the problem was that she couldn’t say anything to her daughter. Because she resembled her old self so much.

Sigh.

Anyway, Hyun-sung also let out a sigh of relief. He was in a difficult situation when he first received the question from Lee Se-hee.

But Seo In-hye even joined in, so how could he not be?

Fortunately, the situation was easily resolved thanks to Yoon Ji-soo. Hyun-sung was able to speak honestly, and Seo In-hye was able to get the answer she wanted.

Of course, in Seo In-hye’s case, it was possible because she didn’t believe in the existence of Yoon Ji-soo, but there was no problem with that for now.

Time will heal everything.

***

Gulp, gulp.

Hyun-sung, who left Seo In-hye’s house and arrived at the store, drank a cup of cold water first.

It was then.

Ring, ring.

The phone rang.

“Hello?”

– It’s me.

“Oh? Auntie? What’s going on?”

The person who called was Lee Se-hee, Seo In-hye’s mother, whom he had just parted with.

– I couldn’t say anything earlier because In-hye was next to me, but I have something to say, so I’m calling again like this.

“Ah, yes. Did you have something to say to me…….”

– As you saw earlier, our In-hye is a bit stubborn.

“Hehe, she is a bit.”

– There’s no parent who can win against their child, so there’s no way for me to stop her. So, I was wondering…….”

Lee Se-hee trailed off. She seemed to be hesitating about something.

Hyun-sung said immediately.

“It’s okay, so please tell me. What is it that you want to say?”

– Then, I’m sorry, but I’m going to ask you for a favor. Our In-hye has been growing up without a father since she was young, so that void is a bit big.

“Ah, yes, I guess so. I felt that way too. In fact, that’s why I said from the beginning that we should just leave In-hye alone.”

– Really?

“I felt it after meeting her a few times.”

– I see.

There are conditions that people must meet while living. The most basic of these are parents, mother and father. Even if only one person is missing, that void cannot be replaced by anything else.

That was the case with Seo In-hye.

She didn’t say it, but he had felt that void since some time ago.

Of course, it was an emotion that Hyun-sung could feel because he had regressed.

“As I said earlier, I don’t have any romantic feelings for In-hye. But as an older brother, I want to fill that void, even if it’s just a little bit.”

– You mean that sincerely?

“Of course.”

– Then that’s fine. That’s what I wanted to ask you for. There’s no way I can do it.”

“Yes, I understand.”

– And, um…….”

“Do you have anything else to say?”

– ……Thank you.

Thud.

Lee Se-hee hung up the phone after saying thank you.

Hyun-sung, who hung up the phone, was lost in thought for a moment.

So, this is a mother’s heart.

Lee Se-hee was worried even after Hyun-sung left. In the end, she would have called after much deliberation. A daughter who is stubborn against her own will.

A mother who calls again for such a daughter. The act of calling itself would not have been easy at all.

After a while.

It was when Hyun-sung was about to get up from his seat.

Ring, ring.

The phone rang again.

“Who is it?”

It wouldn’t be Lee Se-hee again, and Hyun-sung, who was curious, quickly answered the phone.

“Hello?”

– It’s me.

It was someone he could immediately recognize by his voice alone.

“Oh? Father? What’s going on?”

– Tomorrow is Sunday, can you come home?

He had already told them on the phone that he couldn’t go home this week. But the fact that they even called him to come meant that something had happened.

“What’s wrong?”

– It’s nothing, your aunt is coming tomorrow, so come for a while if you have time.

“Aunt?”

At the word ‘aunt,’ Hyun-sung’s expression crumpled without him realizing it. That’s because he didn’t have any good memories of his aunt in his past life.

– Yes, we just got a call a little while ago.

“Yes, I understand. I’ll go before lunch.”

– Okay, then see you tomorrow.

Thud.

Even after hanging up the phone, Hyun-sung remained sitting in his seat.

One old memory came to Hyun-sung’s mind.

It was a Sunday after Chuseok [Korean harvest festival]. His aunt, who lived in Samcheok [city in South Korea], had come to his house. All he vaguely remembered was her nagging his father and mother.

Why are you so poor?

What’s with those clothes?

What are you going to do with the kids in the future? and so on.

He remembered his father and mother bowing their heads as if they had done something wrong, even though they hadn’t.

Of course, Hyun-sung couldn’t say anything at that time and just lowered his head.

Seeing that it still remained in his memory even after so many years had passed, it seemed that he had been hurt a lot at a young age.

“So that’s what happened.”

A strange smile began to spread on Hyun-sung’s lips.

The next day.

Hyun-sung first stopped by the butcher shop.

“Hello? Boss.”

“Welcome, Mr. Kim. Rumor has it that business is booming these days.”

The butcher shop owner, who knew that Hyun-sung was running a store, had started calling him Mr. Kim instead of his name since some time ago.

“It’s all thanks to the people in the neighborhood.”

“A young friend is polite and amazing. I heard that you invited the senior citizens to the opening, is that true?”

“Hehe, I just gave them each a bowl of ramen.”

“What are you talking about, I heard they enjoyed the makgeolli [Korean rice wine] too. Anyway, a young friend is amazing. Anyway, what kind of meat would you like?”

“I’m going to grill it, so please slice the pork belly thickly.”

He was going to grill it with salt over a brazier. His mother probably didn’t have time to prepare side dishes because she said she got a call last night. That’s why he prepared it.

After a while.

“Here it is. If you grill raw meat over charcoal, it will taste amazing.”

“I’m sure it will. Thank you. Then I’ll be on my way…….”

It was when Hyun-sung was about to leave the butcher shop.

“Mr. Kim!”

“Yes?”

When Hyun-sung turned around, the butcher shop owner raised his thumb and continued.

“Fighting.”

“Yes? Ah, yes. Thank you. I hope you hit the jackpot too. Then I’ll really be on my way.”

Hyun-sung, who left the butcher shop, vigorously pedaled his bicycle towards his house.

When he arrived home, there was a car parked at the entrance.

That meant his aunt had already arrived.

He went into the room and bowed deeply.

“Aunt, please accept my bow.”

“Are you Hyun-sung? You’ve grown a lot since I last saw you.”

As soon as he finished bowing and sat down, his aunt, Kim Sun-young, asked.

“I heard you’re running a store?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As soon as Hyun-sung finished speaking, Kim Sun-young looked at his father and said.

“Oppa, what kind of business is a student running?”

“That’s how it happened. But fortunately, it’s going well, so I’m glad.”

“Oppa, are you in your right mind?”

“…….”

The father scratched his head without saying anything.

Then the mother, who was watching the scene, said.

“Aunt, what do you mean?”

“No, you too, sister. How can you even think of making a student run a business? Is the family that poor? No, no matter how difficult it is, this is not right.”

“That’s not it…….”

“What do you mean that’s not it? The situation is obvious.”

Kim Sun-young was adamant.

Then the father spoke again.

“I think you’re mistaken about something…….”

“Mistaken? Oppa, do you think I’m mistaken right now?”

“We didn’t make him run the store, Hyun-sung wanted to…….”

The father couldn’t finish his words.

Because Kim Sun-young interrupted his words in the middle.

“Oppa, do you think that makes sense right now? I heard Hyun-sung is in his second year of high school? How can someone like that run a business?”

“That’s not it, he wanted to do it himself.”

“Oppa, are you really going to keep saying strange things?”