Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 179

179

“The smell.”

“The smell? What do you mean?”

“I arrived at the store, but I didn’t smell anything. So, I naturally assumed there was no trash today, just like yesterday.”

“Ah… is that what it is?”

Hyun-sung finally understood Kim Ji-sook.

At first, he was momentarily confused. He couldn’t understand Kim Ji-sook, who seemed to know everything without him saying a word.

Feeling sorry, Hyun-sung lowered his head.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize…”

“No, it’s okay. It seems like you’ve been staying up all night, so you must be tired and a bit sensitive.”

“I guess so. Either way, I made a mistake, even if it was just for a moment. I shouldn’t be doing this while working together…”

Hyun-sung was dumbfounded by his own behavior. He was surprised that he could even suspect someone he worked with at that moment.

On the other hand, Kim Ji-sook let out a silent sigh of relief.

When Hyun-sung first asked, she was momentarily flustered and couldn’t think straight. Like a thief caught red-handed, she was the one who had given away the information that Hyun-sung was staying up all night.

Just then, Shin Myung-soon walked in.

“Good morning, boss! I guess there was no trash today either?”

“Yes, good morning. But didn’t you notice by the smell, too, Mother?”

“Of course, the smell, but also the lack of cleaning. You always clean up with water after throwing out the trash, so I know right away.”

“Ah, I see.”

Hyun-sung realized once again that he was being too sensitive.

Kim Ji-sook looked at Shin Myung-soon and asked,

“Sister, would you like some coffee?”

“If you’re offering, I’ll gladly take it.”

“Wait a moment, I’ll get you some coffee quickly.”

Kim Ji-sook smiled as she headed to the kitchen.

Hyun-sung glanced at Kim Ji-sook. He felt sorry for misunderstanding her, even if it was just for a moment.

He had almost finished his coffee when.

*Clang.*

The store door opened, and Park Hee-chul walked in.

“Oh? Uncle, what brings you here so early?”

“I’m on my way to Seoul again today, and I have something to talk to you about, and…”

Park Hee-chul smiled and looked at Shin Myung-soon.

Since when?

Hyun-sung had been noticing that Park Hee-chul’s gaze towards Shin Myung-soon was unusual.

“Uncle, really…”

Hyun-sung smiled.

Shin Myung-soon, looking flustered, stood up from her seat.

“Oh my, Chairman, why are you like this from the morning? You’re embarrassing me…”

“What’s embarrassing about it? Seeing you in the morning makes my day very enjoyable. And here, this.”

Park Hee-chul took something out of his pocket and handed it to Shin Myung-soon.

“Chairman, what is this?”

“It’s nothing much, just some nourishing cream. I heard it’s good for this time of year. Someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t let their skin get damaged, right?”

“Chairman, really… Anyway, have you had breakfast?”

“Of course not. Would I eat breakfast before coming here? Please make me some ramen after I finish talking with this young man.”

“Yes, and thank you for this.”

Shin Myung-soon quickly disappeared into the kitchen, seemingly embarrassed.

The two men sat facing each other.

Hyun-sung asked first.

“Why are you going to Seoul again today?”

“It seems things are working out. I got a call yesterday from a place I wasn’t expecting.”

“That’s great.”

“I know, right? So, it looks like the investment amount will increase a bit more.”

Park Hee-chul’s face was full of smiles as he spoke.

The same was true for Hyun-sung.

Perhaps that’s why.

Hyun-sung’s voice grew louder.

“Really?”

“Haha, are you that happy?”

Park Hee-chul said, smiling as if he was a bit taken aback by Hyun-sung’s excitement.

“Didn’t I tell you? The more, the better.”

“That’s why I paid more attention, thanks to your words. Fortunately, I’ve been getting calls from various places.”

“That’s great. About how much more are we talking about?”

Park Hee-chul smiled and spread his palm wide open.

“Five hundred.”

“Five hundred? That’s a surprisingly large increase.”

“I know, right? And it looks like the date will be sooner than expected.”

Last time, Park Hee-chul said it wouldn’t be later than ten days. That means it won’t be later than next week.

Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-chul and asked.

“So, you’re saying the funds will all be ready by next week?”

“That’s right, so let’s move on Sunday next week. It would be best on your day off, right?”

“Yes, I understand. Then I’ll know we’re going next Sunday. It’s finally starting. I won’t let you down, so please look forward to it.”

Hyun-sung’s face was full of confidence.

This is just the beginning. Fortunately, Park Hee-chul raised an additional five hundred. That brings the total investment to five thousand five hundred.

This is by no means a small amount.

Anyway, the place Hyun-sung is planning to buy is the hillside below Dobong Mountain that he visited during his military service. Since it’s not rice paddies or fields, the price will be relatively cheaper compared to other places.

But that place will later become an apartment complex. In that case, a minimum of 100 times the value is guaranteed. Of course, it could be more than that.

100 times five thousand five hundred…

A smile naturally spread across Hyun-sung’s face.

Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“Are you that happy?”

“Of course, I am. There are so many things I want to do in the future.”

“You mean being a building owner?”

“Huh? How did you know? Did I mention it to you?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head.

Park Hee-chul chuckled and continued.

“How can a young man like you have such a bad memory already? Have you already forgotten that you told me you were going to be a building owner last time?”

“Hehe, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things lately… I sometimes forget things.”

“Hey, you. Anyway, I heard business is doing well these days?”

“Has the rumor already spread?”

Hyun-sung asked, pretending not to know.

“Of course. Isn’t this a small neighborhood? And I heard you’re giving away free rice with meals in the morning. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s right. Actually, thanks to that, more students are coming these days.”

“Did you plan this from the beginning?”

“No, that’s not it. At first, I just felt sorry for the students who were at an age where they needed to grow, but they were only eating ramen. But that’s how it happened…”

“Haha, you felt sorry for them?”

Park Hee-chul couldn’t help but chuckle.

He’s only a high school sophomore. For someone like that to feel sorry for his peers was something Park Hee-chul couldn’t understand.

Park Hee-chul said again.

“Of course, you’re not losing money, are you?”

“What’s with you? I’m a businessman, too.”

“So, you’re saying you’re still making a profit even after giving it away?”

“Of course, the profit per bowl has decreased, but based on total sales, it’s a profit. In other words, you can think of it as selling a lot with a small profit.”

“Selling a lot with a small profit…”

Park Hee-chul nodded and smiled.

Just then, Shin Myung-soon brought ramen to Park Hee-chul.

“The students will be here soon, so I made it for you. And this is rice from this morning, so you can eat it with the soup after you finish the ramen.”

“Ah, this is the famous rice I’ve been hearing about?”

“It’s our boss’s creation. I was worried at first, but looking back, I think the boss’s choice was right.”

“You’re saying the number of customers has increased a lot?”

“Yes, that’s right. These days, we have at least 100 people in the morning.”

Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung.

Of course, he had heard rumors that business was doing well. But he didn’t know it was to this extent.

Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“Then you must be making quite a bit of money these days. Have you reached the target I set for you before?”

Park Hee-chul had set a target for Hyun-sung before. It was 100,000 won. Park Hee-chul was asking about that now.

“Not yet, but if we get a few more regular customers during the day, I think we’ll reach that amount soon.”

“Haha, just selling ramen to that extent…”

Park Hee-chul laughed for a moment and then started eating the ramen.

It was then.

*Clang.*

The store door opened, and someone walked in.

“Oh? What brings you here at this hour?”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but be surprised. The person who opened the door was none other than Lee Soo-hyuk.

Lee Soo-hyuk smiled and continued.

“I thought I’d try ramen for breakfast today.”

“Won’t your mother say anything?”

“When I told her I was coming to see you, she didn’t say a word.”

“Really?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head.

Who is Lee Soo-hyuk’s mother? She’s someone who meticulously takes care of everything about Lee Soo-hyuk, from head to toe.

He couldn’t believe that such a person would let her son eat ramen from the morning.

Seeing Hyun-sung’s disbelief, Lee Soo-hyuk smiled and said.

“My mom has changed a lot since what happened on the rooftop last time. This would have been impossible before.”

“Even so…”

“Enough, just give me some ramen.”

“Alright. I can’t believe your mother would change so much…”

Hyun-sung still looked unconvinced. He knew better than anyone that people don’t change easily.

Of course, he also knew that there were exceptions, like Park Hee-chul. That meant Yoo Soo-min was very shocked by this incident.

But it wasn’t just Yoo Soo-min who had changed.

Lee Soo-hyuk had also changed a lot from his old self when he was at school these days. He got along well with his friends, and above all, his gloomy expression had changed a lot. Lee Soo-hyuk also smiled more.

Hyun-sung smiled as he looked at Lee Soo-hyuk.

After a while.

Hyun-sung put the ramen in front of Lee Soo-hyuk and said.

“Here, eat up.”

“So, this is the famous Shin Ramen [a popular brand of instant noodles] that everyone’s talking about?”

“What? Are you saying you’ve never had Shin Ramen before?”

“Hehe, we don’t eat ramen at my house. My mom is a bit like that. So, whenever the kids at school talked about Shin Ramen, I was actually really curious.”

“…”

Hyun-sung was speechless. Of course, he knew that Yoo Soo-min was different from other mothers to some extent, but he didn’t know it was to this extent.

Yoo Soo-min deliberately didn’t let him eat ramen, which others couldn’t get enough of.

Back then, ramen wasn’t that common. Moreover, food was even scarcer in the countryside.

In Hyun-sung’s case, he could only eat ramen once or twice a month. He was so happy on the days he got to eat ramen.

Even then, he couldn’t afford Shin Ramen, so Samyang Ramen [another brand of instant noodles, often cheaper] was his staple.

That’s how difficult the times were.

*Slurp.*

Lee Soo-hyuk, who had taken a bite of the ramen, looked at Hyun-sung.

“Hey, is ramen always this delicious?”

Lee Soo-hyuk was as if he had experienced a new world.

Hyun-sung chuckled and asked.

“So, how does it feel to eat ramen for the first time?”

“Awesome!”

“What?”

“This is the best taste I’ve ever had in my life. Why didn’t my mom let me eat something so delicious?”

Lee Soo-hyuk started eating the ramen with a puzzled expression.

Hyun-sung, who was watching him, couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. Of course, everyone’s living environment couldn’t be the same, but he didn’t know it would be this different.

Lee Soo-hyuk finished the ramen.

“Hyun-sung, do you think I’m pathetic?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“We’re friends, but you’re selling ramen, and I’m eating it for the first time today. It doesn’t make sense.”

“There’s no reason why it wouldn’t make sense. People just live in different environments. I don’t think it’s right to call that pathetic.”

Hyun-sung shared his thoughts. Of course, he was surprised at first, but it didn’t make sense to think of it as pathetic.

Lee Soo-hyuk smiled at Hyun-sung’s answer.

“Thanks for saying that. Actually, I felt pathetic while eating the ramen.”

“Why are you thinking like that?”
“I feel so pathetic when I compare myself to you. So, do you have any spare aprons?”

What is he talking about again?

Hyun-sung stared at Lee Soo-hyuk.

Lee Soo-hyuk smiled and continued.