Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 313

The next day.

Hyun-sung headed to Hongcheon alone. He didn’t go with Shin Mi-sook because he wasn’t sure how the contract would turn out yet.

If the landlord continued to insist, he would have to give up on the store, as regrettable as it would be. This was because of fairness to the other landlords.

For a landlord to lower the rent, especially by 50%, was never an easy thing to do.

But these people had done it.

Even without a guaranteed revival of the commercial district, 19 out of 20 landlords, with the exception of one, had conceded with one mind, determined to revive the area no matter what.

The problem was that one person.

Lee Woo-suk, whom Hyun-sung was about to meet.

Of course, he would do his best, but if Lee Woo-suk stubbornly refused until the end, Hyun-sung couldn’t help it.

Hyun-sung got off the bus and headed straight to the real estate agency.

It was about a 5-minute walk after crossing the intersection.

“Well, who do we have here?”

Someone came out of the alley and greeted him familiarly.

At first glance, Hyun-sung recognized her. It was CEO Kim Myung-soon, whom he had met at the real estate agency a week ago.

Hyun-sung greeted her with a bright voice.

“Hello, CEO!”

“CEO, what CEO… just an old woman. Just call me Grandma.”

“How can you say that? You’re a respectable CEO of a store, and who’s calling you Grandma? To me, you still look like you’re in your late 50s.”

It doesn’t cost money to talk, after all. If possible, it’s wise to say things that make the other person feel good.

The effect was immediate.

Kim Myung-soon’s expression brightened noticeably.

“Oh, my, late 50s?”

“Yes, CEO. That’s how I see you. Am I right?”

“Oh, you. Even if it’s a joke, that’s too much. I’m 65 years old this year. How can you say late 50s? That’s too much, isn’t it?”

“65 years old? Really? I don’t think you’re even 60. I’m usually spot on when it comes to guessing people’s ages.”

Hyun-sung said the same thing with a straight face, and Kim Myung-soon pretended not to know and continued to speak with a smile.

“Hehe, this young man is quite something. Anyway, I don’t feel bad. Thanks to you, our neighborhood has been lively these days.”

“Me? Because of me?”

“Yes, the rent. The rumor has spread that you said the landlords should lower the rent to revive the commercial district.”

The moment Hyun-sung heard Kim Myung-soon’s words, he tilted his head.

There were a total of four people at the real estate agency that day, including himself.

Himself, Shin Mi-sook, Park Young-jin, the real estate agent, and Kim Myung-soon, who he was talking to now.

First of all, he and Shin Mi-sook were out of the question. So, the person who spread the rumor must be one of the two: CEO Park Young-jin or CEO Kim Myung-soon.

‘Who could it be?’

After thinking for a moment, Hyun-sung smiled at Kim Myung-soon.

“It was you, wasn’t it, CEO?”

“Huh? What was?”

“The one who spread the rumors.”

“Hehe, why do you think so? There was someone else at the real estate agency that day besides me, wasn’t there?”

Kim Myung-soon looked at Hyun-sung with amusement and smiled.

‘What is it?’

Hyun-sung was momentarily taken aback.

He had naturally assumed that CEO Kim Myung-soon had spread the rumors. But looking at her smiling and questioning expression, it seemed like she was saying it wasn’t her.

If so, there was only one person left.

CEO Park Young-jin.

Hyun-sung asked immediately.

“Was it perhaps CEO Park?”

“Hehe, who else would it be if not me?”

“Why deliberately…”

Hyun-sung couldn’t easily understand. According to Park Hee-chul, the person with the most influence in this neighborhood was CEO Park Young-jin.

If so, it would be more natural and easier for the neighborhood people if CEO Park Young-jin took the lead.

But the fact that he deliberately exposed Hyun-sung himself, what did that mean?

Hyun-sung asked again.

“I don’t understand. Why CEO Park exposed me.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know either. Why he put the student in the forefront. But Park isn’t the type to do something like that without thinking.”

“Are you saying he has some intention?”

“That’s what I think. If you’re curious, ask him directly. Anyway, did you come to sign the contract today?”

“No, I didn’t. There’s still a problem to solve.”

“Ah! That’s right. That old man hasn’t lowered the rent yet, has he?”

“Yes, so today I came to meet him and hear what he has to say.”

“If, by any chance… if that old man stubbornly refuses until the end, what will you do?”

Kim Myung-soon asked cautiously.

Hyun-sung immediately replied as if there was nothing to think about.

“Then I can’t help it.”

“You mean…”

“I have no choice for the sake of the other landlords who made the decision. I have no choice but to look for another place.”

Kim Myung-soon sighed deeply as soon as Hyun-sung finished speaking.

“Hoo! That won’t do. What about us…”

Hyun-sung was surprised by Kim Myung-soon’s reaction. The reason was that Kim Myung-soon’s reaction was excessive, even by his standards.

He hadn’t done anything special here yet.

But Kim Myung-soon’s reaction was as if something big had happened, so Hyun-sung couldn’t help but be surprised.

Hyun-sung asked immediately.

“Why are you doing this? I haven’t done anything here yet.”

“That’s what you think.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Hyun-sung still couldn’t understand what she was saying.

Kim Young-soon continued to speak.

“Didn’t I tell you a little while ago? You’re already a celebrity in this neighborhood. Do you know how much people here are waiting for you to come?”

“Waiting for me?”

“Of course! Of course.”

Kim Young-soon nodded her head greatly as she answered.

No matter how much he thought about it, he still couldn’t understand. The only people he knew in this neighborhood were CEO Park Young-jin of the real estate agency and CEO Kim Myung-soon in front of him.

Of course, Park Young-jin might have told the store people about him, but that didn’t mean they were waiting for him?

He hadn’t done anything.

Moreover, he was just a high school senior.

It didn’t make sense to anyone.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“Why are you waiting for me? I can’t understand it at all…”

Kim Myung-soon spoke quickly before Hyun-sung could finish.

“Because you’re hope.”

“Hope?”

“Yes, you gave us, who were dying, hope. You gave us the courage to start again, who were just trying to fill the contract dates and leave. Can’t you see that our neighborhood has changed?”

“Huh? Changed?”

Only then did Hyun-sung begin to look around.

After looking around for a moment, Hyun-sung could immediately understand what Kim Myung-soon was talking about. It was the cleanliness.

The sidewalks and the area around the stores were cleaner than they had been a week ago.

Hyun-sung immediately continued to speak.

“You cleaned up?”

“Yes, it took three whole days.”

“Three days?”

“That’s right. We were surprised too, cleaning up. We didn’t realize our commercial district was this dirty. The amount of trash that came out of the entire commercial district filled three garbage trucks.”

“Three trucks?”

“Yeah, it was a time for us to honestly reflect on how we had been living with our souls lost.”

Thinking about the amount of three trucks, Hyun-sung was dumbfounded as well. It didn’t look that bad on the outside. That meant there was trash hidden somewhere unseen in each store.

In short, they had done a major cleaning of years of accumulated trash.

That was one aspect that showed how unmotivated they had been.

Kim Myung-soon continued to speak.

“It’s embarrassing, but that’s what we’ve been like until now.”

“…”

“You changed that. Now you know what I’m talking about, right?”

“I just said a word…”

That was true.

When Kim Myung-soon first asked what they could do for the commercial district, the first thing that came to mind was the cleanliness issue.

The cleanliness of the commercial district was that serious.

But these people cleaned up as clean as a whistle in a week with just one word from young Hyun-sung.

Kim Myung-soon continued to speak.

“Yes, like you said, it may have just been a word. But that one word awakened our hearts that had given up. Even if it’s a coincidence. The important thing is that our hearts moved, that’s it.”

“…”

Hyun-sung nodded.

He felt like he knew what Kim Myung-soon wanted to say.

Then Kim Myung-soon continued to speak again.

“Of course, the first start was that the landlords lowered the rent by 50%. But when you think about it, you were the first to bring up that word. Am I wrong?”

“It just happened…”

“Anyway, the important thing is that the beginning of all the changes started from your mouth. So, how can we not wait for you?”

He didn’t expect these results from the beginning.

It was perhaps a fundamental story. He thought it didn’t make sense that the commercial district was dead, but the rent was still the same as when business was good.

So, he said that the last way to save the commercial district was to lower the rent. But Park Young-jin did that thing that he had hoped for.

That was the beginning.

The tenants of the commercial district must have been surprised too. It wasn’t just a penny or two, but 50%. What everyone thought was impossible had become a reality.

So, the tenants’ minds must have naturally changed to an atmosphere of trying again. That’s when Kim Myung-soon stepped up and suggested a major cleaning.

The words Kim Myung-soon had said a little while ago.

Hope.

These people are dreaming of hope again.

Hyun-sung glanced at Kim Myung-soon.

She looked so different from the first time he saw her a week ago. In her eyes, there was a clear determination to do something.

If so….

After thinking for a moment, Hyun-sung opened his mouth.

“I understand. I will do my best to persuade the landlord.”

“The best isn’t enough.”

“Yes?”

“You have to persuade him unconditionally. You know what I mean, right? You’re not alone anymore. So, you have to persuade that old man unconditionally and bring him into our commercial district. That’s the only way we can all live!”

Kim Myung-soon’s voice was more desperate than ever.

Hyun-sung also put strength into his voice because he seemed to know that heart.

“Yes, CEO! I understand. I will definitely get him to move in.”

“Thank you, student.”

Kim Myung-soon held Hyun-sung’s hand tightly.

***

“Welcome. CEO Kim!”

As Hyun-sung opened the door of the real estate agency and entered, CEO Park Young-jin greeted Hyun-sung happily.

Hyun-sung was just as happy.

Because Park Young-jin had done something that he thought was almost impossible. And that was in just a week.

Perhaps that’s why Hyun-sung’s voice had strength in it.

“Hello, CEO!”

“Haha, it’s good to have strength in your voice. Anyway, you came earlier than I thought? I thought you’d come in an hour or two…”

“I thought I should meet the landlord as soon as possible and make a decision.”

“Yes, you did well. It’s better to meet as soon as possible if you’re going to meet anyway. I don’t know how things will turn out, though.”

“No, I will persuade him unconditionally. So, I will definitely get into that store.”

Hyun-sung spoke strongly because he had talked with Kim Myung-soon a little while ago.

Then Park Young-jin glanced at Hyun-sung as if he was a little surprised, and then nodded and said.

“Yes, that’s right. That’s how we become a team. Be sure to persuade him. Now, let’s go meet that old man.”

Park Young-jin took the lead, and Hyun-sung followed right behind him.