Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 26

Hyun-sung settled the debts neatly and returned home with his parents.

His mother was busily moving around in the kitchen, preparing something.

Tada-dak. Tada-dak.

The steady rhythm of Hyun-sung’s knife filled the kitchen.

Perhaps because he felt liberated from Park Hee-chul’s debt, the sound of his knife seemed lighter, more cheerful.

Maybe it wasn’t just about settling the debt, but about breaking free from the cycle of poverty that had haunted them.

After slicing the pear, Hyun-sung began to slice the eye of round [a cut of beef from the rear leg].

He carefully cut it into moderate sizes, knowing it would lose its texture if sliced too thinly.

Hyun-sung was now preparing the beef he had bought from the butcher shop earlier.

Hyun-sung hadn’t even realized he was interested in cooking until recently.

It was only after getting married that he started experimenting, and gradually became interested. Now, on holidays, he often cooked instead of his wife, Yoon Ji-soo.

His wife would always shower him with praise, saying everything he made was delicious. Encouraged by her reaction, Hyun-sung found himself cooking more and more often.

Hyun-sung laid the sliced pears in a stainless steel bowl and gently placed the eye of round on top. Then, he added a touch of soy sauce, salt, minced garlic, sesame oil, sugar, and a pinch of pepper, mixing it all together by hand.

After a short while.

Hyun-sung picked up a piece of the seasoned raw beef and offered it to his mother.

“Mom, ah~” [A common gesture in Korean culture, where someone offers food to another person with an open mouth, encouraging them to eat].

“Oh my!”

His mother’s eyes widened in surprise.

After the initial shock, his mother looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“Since when have you become so good at cooking?”

“Hehe…, I just gave it a try. How is it? Is it okay?”

“Okay? It’s incredibly delicious.”

His mother gave him a thumbs up and continued to look at Hyun-sung, a puzzled expression on her face. She couldn’t quite understand this sudden transformation.

Hyun-sung knew exactly what his mother’s expression meant, but he pretended not to notice and moved on to the next step.

“Okay, now for the finishing touch.”

Finally, Hyun-sung artfully piled the seasoned meat high on a large plate, creating a beautiful mound. Then, he made a small indentation in the center.

Tok.

He cracked an egg and carefully placed only the yolk on top. As a final flourish, he sprinkled sesame seeds, completing the wonderful plate of raw beef.

“Okay, it’s done.”

“What is it? Kim Hyun-sung?”

It was his father who spoke, drawn in by the sound of Hyun-sung’s knife and the enticing aroma of the raw beef.

Hyun-sung smiled and replied.

“I just made it as I felt. But it turned out well. Hehe…….”

“Huh! I have nothing to say.”

He just tried it, and it turned out so well.

What more could he say?

His father stared blankly at Hyun-sung, speechless.

The three of them sat on the floor.

Hyun-sung looked at his father and said.

“Father, try it.”

“Okay, I’ll eat it, but where did you learn such knife skills?”

It was a difficult question for Hyun-sung. The taste could be easily praised, but the knife skill was another matter entirely. It was something that required practice and expertise.

But there was no way to explain it.

There was only one way to handle this.

“Well, I don’t know, it just happens on its own.”

Denial was the only answer.

And Hyun-sung quickly continued, hoping to prevent any further probing questions from his father.

“It’s not the knife skill that’s important, it’s the taste, isn’t it? Please try it quickly and give me your feedback.”

Hyun-sung was confident in the taste.

He knew his father’s preferences would soon become his own. He was often surprised by how much his taste aligned with his father’s as he got older.

Omu-ly Omu-ly [onomatopoeia for chewing slowly and deliberately].

His father put the raw beef in his mouth and began to chew slowly, savoring each bite.

His father’s eyes sparkled for a moment.

“Huh! Good!”

Then Hyun-sung looked at his mother.

His mother asked.

“Why? What are you going to say now?”

“Isn’t something missing?”

“What’s missing? Everything’s here…….”

Tak.

Then his father slapped his knee and said.

“That’s right! With such a good dish.”

Seeing that, his mother got up as if she understood and glared at his father.

“As expected, like father, like son.”

“Hey, why are you glaring at me when I’m innocent?”

“Ask the heavens whether you’re guilty or not.”

“What? To the heavens? Haha, hahaha…….”

His father stopped answering and laughed loudly.

Then Hyun-sung, who was next to him, laughed along, probably not even knowing why he was laughing.

At that time.

Whoosh…….

Park Hee-chul exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke.

“What a crazy bastard…….”

He put the cigarette, which he had quit five years ago, back in his mouth. It was the last promise he made with his wife, but he broke it today.

At first, he thought Hyun-sung was crazy, so he ignored him.

Or maybe he dismissed him as crazy in order to ignore him.

But as time went by, he was going crazy with the pressure that was tightening around his head. Even if he tried not to think about it, the thought had already taken root in his mind.

Die?

And that too, when he went on a tour.

That means he’s going to have an accident while on tour…….

Does this make sense?

He’s not a fortune teller, and he can’t see the future.

He must be crazy.

“Wait!”

But how did he know? He never told anyone. It wasn’t a legitimate tour, so he couldn’t openly brag about it.

Moreover, he was the only one in this neighborhood who knew. That means no one else would know unless he told them.

But Kim Hyun-sung already knew.

‘How did he know?’

After thinking for a long time, Park Hee-chul jumped up from his seat and headed somewhere across the yard.

Even though it was summer, a cool breeze blew at night.

Three people sitting on the floor under the incandescent light.

“Father, have another drink.”

“Yes, thanks to our son, my mouth is enjoying luxury for the first time in a while.”

“It’s rewarding to cook when you enjoy it.”

Hyun-sung smiled and poured the soju [Korean distilled rice liquor].

His father, who had received the glass, looked at it, turning it around and around, as if deep in thought.

After a short while.

Tok.

His father gently put down the glass and reached into his pocket. Then he took something out and placed it in front of Hyun-sung.

It was a bankbook.

At first glance, it was the one Hyun-sung had given to his father earlier.

His father looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“You manage this. No matter how I think about it, I don’t think I can accept this as a parent.”

His father’s expression was quite serious as he spoke.

Hyun-sung’s expression mirrored his father’s seriousness.

“Absolutely not.”

Hyun-sung refused firmly. He had already made up his mind and settled everything. Such matters should not be left with any room for doubt. The more you hesitate, the harder it becomes for everyone involved.

His father looked at Hyun-sung and said again.

“Don’t be stubborn, listen to your father.”

“I’m sorry, but please listen to me this time. I know it’s not much, but I hope you can buy some rice paddies in front of the house.”

It was his father’s lifelong dream, but one he had never been able to fulfill.

His father reacted a little late to Hyun-sung’s words.

“……, did you just say rice paddies?”

“Yes.”

It was just a word he had said to himself.

Looking at the rice paddies in front of the house, he would often say that he would definitely buy them someday. And now, his son was telling him to buy those rice paddies.

That meant Hyun-sung had been holding on to the words his father had said in his youth.

Ha!

He was speechless.

His face began to burn.

His father rubbed his burning face with both hands, trying to compose himself and hide his emotions from his son.

Then Hyun-sung smiled and continued.

“Instead, I’m going to eat a lot of rice.”

“What…….”

He was even joking to avoid embarrassing his father.

His son was working so hard for him, and he realized it was wrong to keep refusing.

He had no ability, but he clung to his meager pride……, no matter how he looked at it, this was not the right thing to do.

It was just ugly to be stubborn here. Even between parents and children, there was a minimum of respect to be observed.

His father stared at Hyun-sung.

“Hyun-sung!”

“Yes, Father.”

“……, I understand. I’ll gratefully accept it. Your father will work harder to buy the rest of the rice paddies with my own strength.”

“Yes! I understand.”

Hyun-sung deliberately answered in a loud voice and raised his soju glass.

“Father, Mother, shall we toast?”

Then his mother’s gaze turned to his father.

His father looked at her.

“Honey, I won’t say I’m sorry. Instead, I’ll live harder in the future, so please always stay by my side.”

“Hoho, don’t worry. I’ll stick to you like a leech.”

His mother was deliberately smiling.

It was then.

Someone rushed into the yard. It was Park Hee-chul.

His father turned his head and greeted Park Hee-chul.

“What’s going on, Hyung-nim [term of respect for an older male]? Was there a problem with the calculation?”

“It’s not that. I have something to ask…….”

“What is it? Please tell me.”

“No, not you.”

At Park Hee-chul’s words, his father and mother, who had grasped the situation, shut their mouths. They seemed to know what he was curious about.

But the problem was that Hyun-sung also kept his mouth shut.

Keueung!

It was difficult for Park Hee-chul.

At this point, it was natural for Kim Hyun-sung to ask on his own, but there was no movement at all.

Then his mother looked at Park Hee-chul and said.

“Come here and have some raw beef. Our Hyun-sung…….”

“I’m okay!”

Park Hee-chul cut off his mother’s words before she could finish. As expected, his character did not disappoint until the end.

Then his mother’s face contorted for a moment.

Pik.

A bitter smile spread across Hyun-sung’s face as he saw that.

He was a man who had no consideration for others at all. Of course, he knew how he felt. But doesn’t the saying go that ‘a’ is different from ‘o’ [a Korean proverb meaning that knowing something in theory is different from experiencing it in practice]?

As people live, there are times when they have to refuse the other person’s kindness, but at least not like this.

Well, what more could he expect from Park Hee-chul?

He was a man he had no regrets about anymore. Then he could respond in the same way.

Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-chul.

‘Let’s see who wins.’

Hyun-sung smiled and opened his mouth.

“If you don’t eat, I have nothing to say.”

“Our Hyun-sung can’t lie…….”

As soon as Hyun-sung finished speaking, his mother chimed in wonderfully. It was a side of her he hadn’t known before. Well, she didn’t talk much back then, so she didn’t even have a chance to do so.

Hyun-sung saw Park Hee-chul’s wriggling wrinkles for a moment, but that was it. He had no intention of dealing with him any further.

Park Hee-chul was not the type to come closer after hearing such words that challenged his pride.

Hyun-sung, who had finished organizing his thoughts, looked at his father and picked up the soju bottle.

“Father, have another drink? Don’t pay attention to people who don’t want to.”

Hyun-sung deliberately scratched at him for everyone to hear.

Then his father reluctantly picked up his glass.

“Still……, well, let’s eat first.”

“Raw beef gets tough if you leave it out for too long, so eat it quickly.”

As Hyun-sung spoke, his mother immediately agreed.

“Hoho, let’s do that~.”

“Hey, why are you doing this today?”

“What? I’m just saying to eat quickly because it’s delicious……, Hyun-sung, it’s so delicious.”