Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 288

288

The two sat facing each other.

“…….”

Both were silent. Hyeonseong, perhaps understandably, was quiet, but even Shin Younghoon, who had been desperately trying to stop him from leaving, kept his mouth shut.

Shin Younghoon’s silence stretched on, as if he were stunned by Hyeonseong’s declaration that he wanted to close the restaurant.

Time passed.

Hyeonseong was the first to break the silence.

“I’ll ask you just one thing.”

“……Yes.”

Shin Younghoon barely managed to answer, as if he were just snapping out of a daze.

Hyeonseong’s words followed immediately.

“Where did all the passion and ambition go that you had when you first opened this place?”

This was what angered Hyeonseong the most when he looked at Shin Younghoon just now.

The reason he had leased the commercial space, even without a deposit, was because of Shin Younghoon’s initial passion and ambition. He remembered the passion Shin Younghoon had shown while doing market research from dawn until late at night, and the ambition to earn enough money within a year if he was just given the chance to run the business, even without a deposit. That’s why he had given Shin Younghoon this opportunity.

But what did Shin Younghoon look like now, after only three months?

The drive and enthusiasm he had displayed three months ago seemed to have vanished completely.

Moreover, when Shin Younghoon had casually mentioned that he liked using ‘Dashida’ [a common Korean instant seasoning] because it was convenient, Hyeonseong had felt an almost uncontrollable urge to throw the ‘Kalguksu’ [Korean noodle soup] he was eating in his face.

Shin Younghoon opened his mouth with difficulty.

“That’s… I guess I was just riding a wave of initial enthusiasm.”

“What? Are you seriously saying that now…”

Hyeonseong was dumbfounded. This wasn’t some game. He had leased the commercial space based solely on Shin Younghoon’s passion and ambition, a decision that defied common sense.

And now Shin Younghoon was claiming it was just initial enthusiasm.

Did that even make sense?

Hyeonseong’s gaze towards Shin Younghoon was icy. Shin Younghoon, in turn, averted his eyes, as if ashamed of a misdeed.

Hyeonseong called his name with a serious tone.

“Shin Younghoon!”

“Yes.”

“Let’s close the restaurant. I don’t think it’s going to work out. I guess I misjudged you. Since I didn’t pay a deposit anyway, there’s nothing to lose there, and I’ll forget about the overdue rent. Ah! And I’ll even cover all the facility costs here. Then, from your perspective, you won’t incur any losses at all. Dragging this out any longer is meaningless…”

Hyeonseong had no choice but to stop talking. Shin Younghoon had suddenly knelt down in front of him again, just like before.

Shin Younghoon said, his head bowed low.

“I have no excuse, even if I had ten mouths. It’s all my fault.”

“Please don’t do this.”

Hyeonseong’s attitude was completely different from when Shin Younghoon had first knelt down. He didn’t grab his shoulder and try to lift him up, nor was he flustered. He simply spoke quietly.

The reason was simple: he no longer had any expectations for Shin Younghoon, so he didn’t even feel pity.

Shin Younghoon’s words continued.

“Please give me another chance.”

“Did you just say a chance?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of chance are you asking for?”

It was a concept Hyeonseong couldn’t grasp. Opportunities were only relevant when basic preparations were in place. But Shin Younghoon hadn’t even mastered the basics of running a restaurant. He was someone who would replace even the most fundamental broth with ‘Dashida’. Hyeonseong thought it was absurd to use the word ‘opportunity’ for someone like that.

Then, Shin Younghoon uttered unexpected words.

“Other people might not be able to, but you can do it, boss.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“You are my role model.”

“Role model…?”

Come to think of it, when Shin Younghoon had first approached him, he had said that his motivation for starting a restaurant was Hyeonseong himself. He had said he decided to start a restaurant after seeing him on TV.

Hyeonseong suddenly had a question.

What did that have to do with an opportunity?

As if reading Hyeonseong’s expression, Shin Younghoon continued immediately.

“You may or may not remember, boss, but I went to your restaurant the day after you appeared on TV.”

“I honestly don’t remember. But so what?”

“That’s when I decided. I will definitely succeed like you, boss.”

“So?”

Hyeonseong still couldn’t understand what Shin Younghoon was trying to say. He couldn’t see the connection between Shin Younghoon’s words and the idea of an opportunity.

“You must be wondering why I’m telling you this.”

“Honestly, I don’t really know what you’re getting at.”

“I understand. Then, I’ll cut to the chase and tell you directly.”

‘You should have done that sooner,’ Hyeonseong thought.

Hyeonseong was still bewildered, but he decided to listen to what Shin Younghoon had to say.

Shin Younghoon’s words continued.

“I realized it in just one month.”

“What are you talking about?”

“My limitations.”

“Limitations…?”

“Customers started to leave like a receding tide. Since I had no experience, I just collapsed from then on.”

It was a natural consequence. Anyone who had lived in the world would know that there was nothing more important than experience.

As Hyeonseong nodded, Shin Younghoon immediately continued.

“From then on, I was worried.”

“Worried…? What were you worried about?”

“About coming to see you, boss.”

“Me? Why?”

Hyeonseong tilted his head. He couldn’t understand why Shin Younghoon would want to come to him.

Shin Younghoon’s words continued.

“Yes, I thought you were the only one who could save me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know what you think, but that’s what I thought.”

“So why?”

Hyeonseong’s voice grew a little louder. He couldn’t understand why Shin Younghoon was saying such things.

“Because you are you, boss.”

“…….”

Hyeonseong stood up abruptly without saying anything. He couldn’t tolerate Shin Younghoon’s frustrating behavior any longer. He was angry at Shin Younghoon’s actions, who had been saying things he couldn’t understand for a while now.

Step.

Hyeonseong moved his feet, feeling there was no reason to stay any longer.

It was then.

“I will abandon myself.”

Shin Younghoon blocked Hyeonseong’s path while saying strange things.

Hyeonseong looked at Shin Younghoon with a closed mouth.

“…….”

“I will abandon even my last bit of pride. From now on, I will do whatever you tell me to do, so please save me. Actually, during that time…”

As if he had made up his mind, Shin Younghoon began to explain everything that had happened, without missing a single detail. As Shin Younghoon’s explanation continued for a long time, Hyeonseong’s expression gradually changed. And finally, when Shin Younghoon’s explanation ended, Hyeonseong asked.

“So, the conclusion is that you’re telling me to teach you everything from A to Z?”

“Yes, that’s right. From now on, I will only follow your words, boss. So please save me.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Yes?”

Shin Younghoon looked at Hyeonseong as if he were surprised.

Hyeonseong’s words followed immediately.

“I don’t know why I should help you. And honestly, I didn’t ask you first, and you didn’t ask me for help first, did you? I just trusted you once.”

“That’s right!”

Shin Younghoon chimed in with Hyeonseong’s words as if he had been waiting for it.

Hyeonseong was dumbfounded.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“If you had refused at that time, boss, I wouldn’t be here today. Isn’t that right?”

“So, what you’re saying is…”

“Yes, that’s right. You are also responsible for how I turned out today to some extent.”

“Huh! No, what…”

Hyeonseong was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even speak.

Of course, Shin Younghoon’s words weren’t entirely wrong. If Shin Younghoon had been refused when he first came to him, today’s events wouldn’t have happened.

But no matter how true that was, this was going too far.

It was absurd to be ungrateful; it didn’t make sense. How could you shift the blame for your mistakes onto the person who helped you?

Hyeonseong looked at Shin Younghoon with a dumbfounded expression.

Shin Younghoon immediately continued.

“Of course, I know very well that what I’m saying now doesn’t make sense. I’m not such a terrible person. I am more grateful than anyone else for you giving me the opportunity at first, boss.”

“…….”

“What I mean is not that you’re responsible, but like I said when I first came in here, I’m asking you to help me one more time. Of course, if you ask me why you should help me, boss, I have nothing to say. But I can’t collapse like this either, so I’m pleading with you.”

Sigh!

Hyeonseong couldn’t help but sigh.

Shin Younghoon, seeing this, opened his mouth again.

“Do you think I’m pathetic?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“No, you must think I’m pathetic. I think I’m pathetic, so how much more would you think so, boss?”

“…….”

“I’ll be ruined if I leave here. You are the only one who can save me, boss. Like I said before, please give me one more chance. Please trust me one more time, just like you trusted me at first. Please save me. I earnestly ask you this.”

With those words, Shin Younghoon bowed his head 90 degrees towards Hyeonseong.

Trust me. Give me a chance. Save me.

These were the words Shin Younghoon was saying.

He’d been talking for over an hour now, but the conclusion was always the same: he was asking for help.

At first, it hadn’t even registered in Hyeonseong’s ears, but now he began to sense the desperation in Shin Younghoon’s demeanor.

Hyeonseong got up from his seat and moved towards the window.

It would be a lie if he said he wasn’t concerned.

It was a moment when Hyeonseong’s worries deepened.

How much time had passed?

Hyeonseong, who had been looking out the window, turned around and sat down again across from Shin Younghoon.

Hyeonseong spoke first.

“First, let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes, just tell me.”

“Do you really believe I can be of help?”

“Of course. I believe in your abilities, boss. Do you know what I felt when I first ate your ramen?”

“I don’t know…”

“I thought that this taste could not have been achieved in less than 10 years. It’s not flattery; it’s my sincere feeling.”

Hyeonseong chuckled inwardly.

Shin Younghoon’s words might not be entirely wrong.

That was because of the seasoning.

The real owner of that seasoning was someone else.

It was Baek Jongwoon.

Who was he?

He is a businessman and a culinary researcher. Moreover, he was the very person who was gaining fame as a broadcaster these days.

Even before Hyeonseong’s regression [time travel], he had liked Baek Jongwoon so much that he watched every one of his shows without missing a single episode. As a result, he not only took notes on Baek Jongwoon’s cooking recipes that came out on TV but also memorized the simple ones.

One of them was the seasoning that went into ramen.

So it was perhaps natural that Shin Younghoon was fascinated by the taste.

Hyeonseong looked at Shin Younghoon and said again.

“Then let me ask you one more thing.”

“Yes.”

“You clearly said that you realized your failure in just one month, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But why didn’t you come to me then and ask me for help only now, after three months? If you had told me right away at that time, it wouldn’t have come to this, would it?”

“That’s…”

Shin Younghoon couldn’t speak easily.

Hyeonseong asked again.

“Do you still have something you can’t tell me in this situation?”

“That’s not it. But it’s so absurd now that I’m embarrassed to say it.”

“Embarrassing?”

“Yes, that’s…”