Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 29

“Ji-yeon, should I make you some *bibim guksu* [spicy mixed noodles]?”

“*Oppa* [older brother or male friend], why do you keep doing this?”

“You like *bibim guksu*, right? Does Mom have *somyeon* [thin wheat noodles]?”

Hyeon-seong looked at his mother. She nodded, albeit with a puzzled expression.

Kim Ji-yeon, seeing Hyeon-seong’s actions, said,

“*Oppa*, can you really do it?”

Alright.

This meant she was willing to give him a chance.

Of course, there was still some skepticism lurking in her mind, but there was also a glimmer of anticipation. It was a far cry from dismissing him outright.

Perhaps that’s why.

The thought of doing something for his sister filled Hyeon-seong’s voice with strength.

“Just you wait!”

Hyeon-seong disappeared into the kitchen as soon as he said those words.

How much he had missed his sister.

He desperately wanted to hug her. But he knew all too well that doing so at this point would be counterproductive.

There were so many things he wanted to say and ask.

But not now. Acting on his own emotions would only lead to her asking if he was sick.

There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Hyeon-seong went into the kitchen and immediately put water on to boil in a large stainless steel pot.

It was a good thing he liked to cook. He was so happy that he could do something for his sister, even if it was just this.

Perhaps because of that, Hyeon-seong’s movements were light and full of energy.

Kim Ji-yeon, watching him from outside, could only tilt her head in confusion.

She couldn’t understand it no matter how much she thought about it.

Who was her brother?

Usually, he was so quiet that she had to ask him several times just to get a response. And his stubbornness was something else. As a result, they fought a lot.

And now, this.

He usually didn’t even go near the kitchen. But now, he was making such a fuss about cooking.

What’s more, he had a smile plastered on his face and couldn’t hide his joy.

And one more thing.

When he had called her name affectionately a little while ago. She really thought she was seeing someone else.

‘What is going on?’

What on earth had happened while she wasn’t looking….

A little later.

Hyeon-seong came out of the kitchen carrying a small dining table.

“Ji-yeon, it’s ready.”

“Really?”

Kim Ji-yeon’s eyes widened. On the dining table that Hyeon-seong was carrying, there was indeed *bibim guksu* in a large bowl.

To be honest, she didn’t have high expectations.

She had only asked if he could do it because he said he would. But he actually made it and brought it out.

The taste was still unknown, but the color looked right.

Setting down the table, Hyeon-seong called out to his mother.

“Mom, come quickly.”

“Is there some for me too?”

“Of course. But where did Dad go?”

“Oh, he went to see Mr. Oh next door.”

It was probably about the rice paddy in front of the house. Although it wasn’t much, he must have gone to see Mr. Oh to buy a rice paddy with the money Hyeon-seong had given him.

Hyeon-seong nodded as if he understood, and moved the bowls of noodles one by one in front of his sister and mother.

“Mom, try it first.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it, my son.”

His mother smiled at Hyeon-seong.

Her smile was filled with a considerable amount of bewilderment. Yesterday, he had captivated people with *yukhoe* [Korean beef tartare], and today, he even made *bibim guksu*. No matter how she looked at it, he was completely different from the Hyeon-seong before the vacation.

“Me too, *Oppa*.”

“Okay, eat up quickly, Ji-yeon!”

For some reason, Hyeon-seong was subtly nervous.

Gulp.

Hyeon-seong swallowed dryly instead of noodles, and looked back and forth between his younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon, and his mother. He was curious about their taste evaluation.

Slurp.

At that moment, Kim Ji-yeon, who was taking a bite of the noodles, suddenly stopped. Then she glanced at Hyeon-seong.

“Why?”

Hyeon-seong asked, but there was no answer.

Slurp, slurp.

Instead of answering, Kim Ji-yeon began to quickly shove the remaining noodles into her mouth. Then she chewed and swallowed roughly before opening her mouth.

“*Oppa*!”

“Why, is it weird?”

“The best!”

Kim Ji-yeon gave Hyeon-seong a thumbs up.

It was amazing.

It was spicy, sweet, and moderately tangy, making it more delicious than any *bibim guksu* she had ever eaten. And finally, the savory taste of sesame oil that wrapped around her mouth made the taste even richer.

Kim Ji-yeon immediately continued,

“*Oppa*, what’s going on?”

“Is it good?”

“I said it’s the best.”

Only then did a smile appear on Hyeon-seong’s face.

In fact, it was a method he had learned from his wife, Yoon Ji-soo.

The key to *bibim guksu* is the noodles. If they are overcooked, they become mushy, and if they are undercooked, they smell like flour later.

Adding a little salt when boiling the noodles is also a way to prevent the noodles from swelling.

And when they are cooked just right, you have to soak them in cold water and wash them several times. At this time, it is important to completely remove the starch remaining on the noodles. That’s how you can keep them chewy.

Proper seasoning is basic, and a small amount of vinegar enhances the taste of the seasoning, she said.

The problem was always the word ‘proper’. Since it wasn’t an exact measurement, he did it repeatedly and eventually learned it by feeling.

And finally, sesame oil was a case of too much is as bad as too little. It’s better to have a little less, because too much will absorb all the flavors.

At that time, Kim Ji-yeon looked at Hyeon-seong and asked again.

“I’m asking what’s going on?”

“Why is that important? Isn’t it enough that it’s delicious? Eat it before it gets soggy~.”

Hyeon-seong couldn’t explain it, so he told her to eat it quickly instead. Then Kim Ji-yeon started eating the noodles again as if she understood.

Slurp.

Hyeon-seong also started eating the noodles.

Um!

He made it himself, but it was a taste that made him nod his head involuntarily.

He didn’t know before.

That *bibim guksu* could make people so happy.

He had only tried to find it from afar, and as a result, he always felt that something was missing rather than being grateful.

But now he seemed to know.

When you are grateful for small things and feel happiness in them, the quality of that person’s life will definitely be different.

Hyeon-seong looked at his sister and mother.

The red pepper paste around their mouths looked so pretty.

‘Yes! This was it.’

It was a moment when he realized that it was right to do what he could, even if it was small, rather than worrying about what to do.

His mother and Kim Ji-yeon emptied the large bowl and looked at Hyeon-seong.

“Son, I enjoyed the meal.”

“*Oppa*, it was really the best.”

“Thank you. If you want to eat it again, just tell me. I’ll make it for you anytime.”

Then Kim Ji-yeon looked at Hyeon-seong and asked.

“Is anything else possible?”

“Anything else? Um… just tell me.”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

Whether it was confidence or bluff, Hyeon-seong answered coolly.

Anyway, he had returned and finally reunited with his sister, Kim Ji-yeon.

There were many things to talk about with his sister. The most urgent was the issue of her high school career path. Once the second semester started, there wouldn’t be much time.

He didn’t know this in his past life.

Later, he learned about his sister’s worries and pain.

When he heard that she had given up her dream because of Hyeon-seong, he felt so heartbroken and felt indebted to her for the rest of his life.

But now it was different.

He wouldn’t let that happen this time. At the very least, he couldn’t be an obstacle to his younger sister’s life, even if he couldn’t help her.

Hyeon-seong looked at Kim Ji-yeon and said.

“Ji-yeon, let’s talk later.”

“What about?”

“Let’s talk about it then.”

“…… Okay, I understand.”

Kim Ji-yeon answered for now. She was surprised by Hyeon-seong’s sudden words, but she was also curious about what he was going to say. But what was strange was the atmosphere.

She wondered if a person could be so different from a month ago.

Some time later.

“*Oppa*.”

His younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon’s voice was heard from outside the room.

“Oh, Ji-yeon, come in.”

Hyeon-seong and Kim Ji-yeon sat facing each other.

Unlike Hyeon-seong’s relaxed expression, Kim Ji-yeon’s expression did not look very comfortable. The reason was obvious. This was the first time this had happened.

Hyeon-seong spoke first.

“So, have you finished your vacation homework?”

“Just roughly, there wasn’t much to do since I’m in the third year of middle school [ninth grade]. Homework is just an excuse to hang out with friends. It’s a secret from Mom.”

It was unexpected.

His sister spoke honestly, as if she thought he would know even if she didn’t tell him. He thought she would just make excuses, but it was an unexpected sight.

After talking about this and that, he learned new facts. In the past, he thought she was complaining no matter what he said.

But he realized that it was only Hyeon-seong’s misunderstanding.

The problem was Hyeon-seong himself. Rather than listening to the other person, he only spoke unilaterally, so the listener couldn’t say good things.

After some time, Hyeon-seong looked at Kim Ji-yeon and brought up what he wanted to say.

“What are you going to do about high school?”

“High school? Why suddenly that?”

“Now that the second semester is starting after the vacation, I was wondering if Ji-yeon had any schools in mind.”

Hyeon-seong asked as if he didn’t know anything.

In his past life, his sister had chosen a vocational high school.

He didn’t know the reason at the time.

Later, he learned that she had chosen a vocational high school because of Hyeon-seong.

The reason?

It was simple.

The reason was that tuition was waived if the school wrote a recommendation letter. Of course, she had good enough grades to receive a recommendation letter.

She thought it would be difficult for the two of them to attend high school together due to their family situation. Furthermore, she calculated that it would be even more difficult if Hyeon-seong went to college.

When he learned this fact later, he was surprised that his young sister had such thoughts, and he felt heartbroken.

Hyeon-seong was too busy taking care of himself to know.

He was too shameless and lacking to be forgiven for not knowing.

Kim Ji-yeon couldn’t open her mouth easily to Hyeon-seong’s question. Then Hyeon-seong asked again.

“Ji-yeon, is there a school you want to go to?”

“What if there is?”

Kim Ji-yeon’s answer was sharp.

Hyeon-seong was momentarily taken aback. He looked back to see if he had made a mistake, but he couldn’t think of anything.

He was trying to be careful in case she felt uncomfortable, but his sister’s reaction was unexpected.

“Huh? Why are you talking like that?”

“Why are you suddenly like this, *Oppa*? Are you going to send me to a school I want to go to? That’s not it, is it? So why are you making things harder for me?”

His sister suddenly got angry.

‘What is it?’

Something was wrong. This wasn’t the goal, but the conversation was going in a strange direction.

Then Kim Ji-yeon opened her mouth again.