Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 174

174

“Is there anything else?”

Of course. Hyun-sung is aiming for the advertising effect.

The more people come, the more word-of-mouth spreads. Especially since they are students. That means the ramen shop will be talked about among their friends.

“It’s advertising.”

“Ah, advertising…….”

Shin Myung-soon nodded as if she understood.

Then Hyun-sung spoke again.

“And what I’m additionally considering is the atmosphere.”

“Atmosphere?”

“The atmosphere of waiting. At first glance, waiting in line at a restaurant might seem annoying, but if you think about it the other way around, that’s not necessarily the case. Rather, the waiting itself can be enjoyable. Of course, the time shouldn’t be too long.”

This was a scene he had seen countless times on TV in his past life. When a place is known as a great restaurant, waiting 30 minutes is basic, and he had even seen cases where people waited for more than an hour.

But when you look at those people’s faces, they don’t seem annoyed or bored. Of course, there’s some directing involved, but most of them enjoy it.

Hyun-sung had also waited over 30 minutes to eat a bowl of *jajangmyeon* [black bean noodles]. The feeling he had then was that the waiting itself was happiness. The feeling of happiness he felt as the line gradually shortened, knowing that he would soon be able to eat.

Shin Myung-soon tilted her head and asked.

“Is that really the case? I’ve never waited in line at a restaurant before, so I don’t really know.”

“I’m sure it will be like that.”

“How great would that be? By the way, what about the garbage problem?”

“That’s what’s giving me a headache. It seems like someone is doing it on purpose, so I think I’ll have to stay up all night soon to catch the culprit.”

Even this morning, garbage was piled up in front of the store. But he doesn’t know who it is, and the days they dump garbage aren’t consistent.

Some days they dump it, and other days they don’t. It means they’re deliberately trying not to get caught.

In that case, there’s only one way to catch the culprit. From his experience, if he stays up for at least three consecutive nights, he’ll catch them one of those days.

‘Just you wait until I catch you.’

He doesn’t know who it is, but he’ll definitely catch them.

Then Shin Myung-soon said.

“Boss, it’s time to go to school.”

“I have to go. Thank you for your hard work this morning, and please continue to work hard for the rest of the day. I’ll come after class. It looks like I’ll have to stay up for the next three nights.”

“I know, I don’t know who it is or why they’re doing that. Anyway, you’re going to have a hard time starting tonight.”

At that moment, Kim Ji-sook, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation in the kitchen, had a strange expression on her face. Of course, Hyun-sung and Shin Myung-soon had no way of knowing that.

Hyun-sung, who came out of the store, hurried his steps.

He was 10 minutes later than usual today. That means there were that many more student customers.

Was that why?

His steps were full of energy.

It was when he had just left the alley.

Someone was walking ahead of him. Of course, he could tell who it was just by looking at their back.

It was Lee Soo-hyuk, who had undergone appendicitis surgery last time.

“Soo-hyuk.”

When Hyun-sung called out, Lee Soo-hyuk stopped walking and turned around.

“Oh, Hyun-sung…….”

Lee Soo-hyuk’s voice had no strength. He’s been looking particularly weak lately, as if he’s sick somewhere.

When he first came back after the appendectomy, he seemed to be trying to get close to his friends. But at some point, he seemed to have returned to his old self.

It wasn’t something he could force, so he just watched. But lately, the difference seemed to have become a bit more severe.

Hyun-sung looked at Lee Soo-hyuk and asked.

“Hey, are you sick somewhere?”

“No.”

“But why do you look so weak lately?”

“Just…….”

He was short with his words, as if everything was a hassle.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“How’s school life these days?”

“Honestly, it’s boring. I hate studying, I hate friends. Everything is a hassle. Actually, I didn’t want to go to school today, so I was dawdling and I’m only coming now.”

“What’s going on?”

It was too sudden. He never thought he would hear these words from Lee Soo-hyuk.

Who is Lee Soo-hyuk?

He is a model student who is more faithful to school life than anyone else at school. He is second in his class in terms of grades, and his father is the head of the *Nonghyup* [agricultural cooperative].

On the surface, he is a guy who has nothing to envy.

He was always a model student in his past life as well. Why is Lee Soo-hyuk like this…….

‘Puberty?’

The word suddenly popped into Hyun-sung’s head.

“Hey, are you perhaps going through puberty?”

“Puberty?”

“Yeah, you know. Puberty, when secondary sexual characteristics appear physically, and self-awareness increases mentally, and you enter a period of maturity in both mind and body.”

Hyun-sung explained puberty as he remembered it.

Then Lee Soo-hyuk smiled and said.

“Hey, do you think I’m in middle school?”

“Hehe…….”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh at the word ‘middle school’.

Then Lee Soo-hyuk said again.

“Hyun-sung, you go to school first. I don’t think I can do it today no matter how much I think about it.”

“Hey, what are you talking about?”

“I’m not going to school today. I’m going to skip school for once. So you go in first.”

Hyun-sung was just dumbfounded.

He was dumbfounded because a guy who had never been absent before was suddenly saying he wasn’t going to school.

“Hey, what’s really wrong with you?”

“It’s not like anything bad is going to happen if I don’t go to school for a day. Actually, I’ve always wanted to skip school.”

“Are you really not going to school?”

Lee Soo-hyuk nodded instead of answering.

‘What to do?’

Hyun-sung was lost in thought for a moment.

Only for a moment.

“Hey, wait here for a second. I’ll make a phone call.”

With those words, Hyun-sung ran to the public telephone booth at the school gate.

Hyun-sung put in a coin and quickly dialed the number.

– Hello.

“Teacher, it’s Hyun-sung.”

– Hey, why aren’t you at school at this hour and why are you calling?”

“I’m not going to school today.”

– What are you talking about all of a sudden? Did something happen?”

“I’ll tell you the details later. And Soo-hyuk isn’t going either.”

– What? Why not Lee Soo-hyuk?”

“Just know that. I’m hanging up now.”

– Hey, Kim Hyun-sung, you…….”

Hyun-sung hung up the phone, ignoring the voice of his homeroom teacher, Shin Min-ho, shouting over the receiver.

After hanging up, Hyun-sung ran back to where Lee Soo-hyuk was standing.

As Hyun-sung approached, Lee Soo-hyuk asked.

“Why the phone call?”

“Yeah, to the homeroom teacher.”

“To the homeroom teacher?”

“The homeroom teacher needs to know. It’s not just one person, but two people are absent, so I have to tell him. What did the homeroom teacher do wrong?”

“Two people?”

“Yeah, I’m not going either. Now that I know, how can I go to school and leave you alone?”

Lee Soo-hyuk could only stare in amazement at Hyun-sung’s absurd behavior.

Then Hyun-sung smiled and said.

“Hey, what should we do for fun today?”

“Are you really not going?”

“I told you I’m not going. If you were me, could you go to school alone in this situation?”

Hyun-sung was serious.

Even if he wasn’t, he had been worried about Lee Soo-hyuk’s behavior lately. He had been noticing that he was living alone rather than hanging out with his friends.

It was the same during breaks and lunchtimes.

So he was thinking of having a conversation with him soon. Of course, he wouldn’t have thought of this if he hadn’t regressed.

He was able to notice it because he had lived a few more years.

Lee Soo-hyuk looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“Wow, that’s unexpected. I didn’t think you wouldn’t go to school with me. Anyway, it’s reassuring to have you here rather than being alone.”

“But how did a model student like you think of not going to school?”

“I felt suffocated.”

“Why, what happened?”

Lee Soo-hyuk thought for a moment at Hyun-sung’s question and then said again.

“Because of my mom, you know. My mom is a bit different from other moms.”

“That’s all for your own good.”

“Of course I know that, but it’s too much. Sometimes I feel like I’m suffocating.”

Hyun-sung nodded.

He already knew this to some extent. Even in his past life, Lee Soo-hyuk’s mother was so different that she was rumored throughout the school.

Whenever something happened, she would rush to the school and turn it upside down.

As a result, Lee Soo-hyuk was often alone.

“So, what are you going to do today?”

“Actually, I don’t really know. Now that I’m not going to school, I don’t know what to do.”

Like they say, you have to have eaten meat to know how to eat it, and you have to have played to know how to play.

Hyun-sung chuckled.

“Hey, let’s get out of this neighborhood first.”

“Get out of the neighborhood?”

“We can’t play here when we’re not going to school. What if we run into someone we know while walking around?”

“Ah! That’s right. But where should we go?”

“Just follow me for now.”

Hyun-sung took the lead. Then Lee Soo-hyuk followed Hyun-sung.

“This is a ramen shop?”

“Wait here for a second, you have to leave your bag. We can’t carry this around all day. Give me yours too.”

Hyun-sung took Lee Soo-hyuk’s bag and went into the ramen shop.

Shin Myung-soon and Kim Ji-sook, who were in the kitchen, were surprised.

“Oh, boss, what about school?”

“Something came up.”

“Something?”

“Yes, so I think I’ll be a bit late this afternoon. So Il-soo and the three of you will have to run the business today.”

Shin Myung-soon, surprised by Hyun-sung’s words, widened her eyes and immediately asked back.

“We can handle the business, but I don’t know what’s going on that you’re not going to school and going somewhere.”

“I’m sorry, but please don’t ask today and just bear with it. Then I’ll be going……, please work hard today.”

Hyun-sung left the bags in the inner room and quickly left the store.

Then Lee Soo-hyuk, who was waiting, asked with worried eyes.

“Hey, now that I think about it, you have to sell ramen later.”

“I told them in advance, so they’ll take care of it. It’ll be a bit busy, but they’ve been doing it for a day or two, so they’ll do well.”

“It’s all because of me…….”

“Hey, don’t say useless things and let’s go quickly. Today, you come first.”

Hyun-sung took the lead. Of course, it’s not that he’s not worried. If one person is missing, it’ll be that much harder for the others. But he couldn’t ignore a wandering friend.

The two arrived at the terminal.

Lee Soo-hyuk asked.

“Where are we going?”

“Let’s go to Wonju. It’s better to play in the city anyway.”

“Wonju?”

“Yeah, have you ever been to a roller rink?”

It was a popular place to play in the late 1980s. There was no better way to play back then. Roller rinks are making a comeback as retro is becoming popular again.

Lee Soo-hyuk asked again.

“Roller rink? I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been there.”

“Let’s go there today.”

“Have you been there?”

Of course, he had been there. But the problem was that he had been there in his past life.

It was when he was a freshman in college. He used to go there often with his friends on weekends. But that’s going to happen in two years.

Hyun-sung had no choice but to lie.

“It’s my first time too, I’m going to use Soo-hyuk as an excuse to go today.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Lee Soo-hyuk answered energetically. The suffocated look from earlier had already disappeared.

Hyun-sung glanced at Lee Soo-hyuk.

How suffocated must he have felt to say that?

On the one hand, he understood, but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

At that time, the bus to Wonju was arriving at the terminal.

The two got on the bus and took seats in the back row. It was a weekday and morning, so there were hardly any passengers. There were less than ten people, including the two of them.

As the bus departed, Lee Soo-hyuk looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“Thank you.”

“You’re saying all sorts of things.”

“No, I’m serious. Honestly, I felt suffocated earlier. When I thought about not going to school, there was nothing to do.”

“That’s true, but will it be okay with your mother?”

Lee Soo-hyuk’s expression quickly soured when his mother was mentioned.