Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 331

331

Park Hee-cheol returned home, his face slightly flushed, after saying goodbye to Lee Jung-woo.

Was it the alcohol? No, he’d only had a couple of beers – just a quick refreshment before the barbecue.

The real reason for his flushed face was Lee Jung-woo’s words.

“Father!”

He’d never dreamed he would hear that word from him.

He was already incredibly grateful that Jung-woo hadn’t opposed his marriage to Shin Myung-soon and was even willing to celebrate it with a joyful heart. He couldn’t even begin to describe how happy he’d been when Shin Myung-soon told him about it that morning.

Starting a new family, especially after sixty, felt like a miracle in itself.

But to go a step further and hear the word “father” from the son of the woman he loved… how could he not be excited?

“Hoo…….”

Park Hee-cheol took a long, deep breath, trying to calm himself.

But it was no use. This kind of emotion couldn’t be easily subdued.

‘That’s right!’

A woman’s face flashed into Park Hee-cheol’s mind.

A woman he desperately wanted to share this happy moment with. Instead of calming down, Shin Myung-soon’s face filled his thoughts.

Age?

Age was meaningless in the face of love.

“Hehe!”

Park Hee-cheol took another deep breath and quickly dialed her number.

After two rings, he heard her voice.

-Hello.

“Myung-soon! It’s me!”

Park Hee-cheol called out her name, unable to hide his childlike excitement. As a result, his voice was louder than he intended.

Shin Myung-soon was naturally surprised.

-Huh? Oppa [older brother/term of endearment]. What’s wrong with your voice? Is something the matter?

“Something wrong? Of course not! I’m just incredibly happy today!”

-What could possibly make our Oppa so full of energy?

Shin Myung-soon felt a warmth spread through her as she asked.

In truth, she’d been subtly nervous ever since she’d mentioned the meeting with her son during their phone call that morning. Of course, she trusted Park Hee-cheol’s character, but as a mother, she couldn’t help but feel anxious about their first solo meeting.

But the moment her son, Lee Jung-woo, had walked in a little while ago, smiling slightly, and told her that he’d met Park Hee-cheol at ‘Seomyeong Garden,’ she’d felt a wave of relief and happiness.

The symbolism of ‘Seomyeong Garden’ [a high-end restaurant] wasn’t lost on her. It was the best restaurant in town. The fact that he’d met her son at such a place already signified the utmost respect and courtesy, which made her heart swell.

Then Park Hee-cheol’s strong voice boomed through the receiver again.

“He called me father!”

-Father? What are you talking about all of a sudden? Father, what…?

“Jung-woo called me father! Jung-woo called me father, Myung-soon!”

-Is that true?

Shin Myung-soon could hardly believe Park Hee-cheol’s words.

As his mother, she knew Lee Jung-woo’s personality better than anyone.

It was true that he’d become more outgoing since spending time with Hyun-sung. However, perhaps due to his physical limitations, he still didn’t easily express his feelings outwardly.

She found it hard to believe that Lee Jung-woo, even knowing that Park Hee-cheol would soon be his stepfather, would call him “father” at their very first meeting.

Shin Myung-soon asked again, her voice hurried, before Park Hee-cheol could respond.

-Did our Jung-woo really call you father?

“That’s right! If it wasn’t true, why would I have been so surprised that I couldn’t say anything for a long time and just stood there dumbfounded?”

-…….

Shin Myung-soon was speechless.

It was something she had never imagined.

In fact, a small part of her had been feeling uneasy as the wedding date approached. It was because of Lee Jung-woo.

Of course, she knew he didn’t oppose the marriage, but he wasn’t actively enthusiastic about it either. As a result, she couldn’t help but be cautious.

But that morning, before going to school, he had told her that he sincerely congratulated her on her marriage, as if sensing his mother’s worries.

She had been so grateful that she’d cried. In truth, she had wanted her son to sincerely congratulate her more than anyone else, though she hadn’t voiced it until now.

And now, she was hearing even more astonishing news from Park Hee-cheol.

To be honest, Park Hee-cheol was only going to be his stepfather in the legal sense. She never expected him to call him “father.”

He wasn’t young, and he would be twenty next year. It wouldn’t have been easy for someone like him to readily call someone “father,” even if he was the person his mother was going to marry.

But the fact that he had meant that he had given it a lot of thought. Of course, the biggest part of that consideration would have been the love and care for his mother.

Tears.

Tears welled up in Shin Myung-soon’s eyes without her realizing it.

Park Hee-cheol seemed to sense something and called out to Shin Myung-soon in a gentle voice.

“Myung-soon!”

-Yes, Oppa.

“Are you crying right now?”

-I’m just so happy and grateful. To be honest, I thought that was too much to ask for. But our Jung-woo did it again. Thank you…….”

“That’s what I’m saying. I was really touched today. It couldn’t have been easy for him.”

-Yes, I think I’ll have to go to Jung-woo’s room after I hang up.

“Yes, do that. And while we’re on the subject, actually, I…….”

Park Hee-cheol trailed off, as if hesitant.

Shin Myung-soon immediately asked.

-Why? What’s wrong? Why are you stopping in the middle of your sentence?

“Well, that’s… Actually, I looked into Jung-woo a little bit.”

-Look into it? What do you mean? What do you mean by looking into it?

“I went to Korea University Hospital a week ago.”

-Yes? The hospital? Because of our Jung-woo?

Shin Myung-soon tilted her head, confused. She couldn’t understand what Park Hee-cheol was saying.

Then Park Hee-cheol explained.

“It’s about Jung-woo’s legs. If everything goes well, it seems they can be corrected to some extent. I was told that I have to wait two or three weeks for a definite answer, but from what I’ve gathered so far, it’s almost certain.”

-Certain? Does that mean they can fix our Jung-woo’s legs?

“Yes, that’s right. There’s a surgical method to correct the crooked legs and lengthen the bones at the same time. If they do that, it won’t be 100%, of course, but they can almost match the length of both legs. Then, they say that even the pelvis, which was twisted due to the leg length discrepancy, can be corrected to some extent, so he can live a much better life than he does now.”

-Is that true?

“Yes, but the problem is that the treatment period is quite long. I was going to tell you in advance, but Dr. Choi said he wanted to study other cases a little more and give me a definite answer in two or three weeks, so I held off. But after hearing Jung-woo call me father today, I wanted to let you know as soon as possible, so I’m telling you now. I was going to tell Jung-woo earlier, but I thought it would be better for you to tell him directly, so I held back.”

-Oppa…….

Shin Myung-soon was speechless.

It was something she had never imagined.

She had resigned herself to the fact that he would have to live with an uncomfortable body for the rest of his life, but unfortunately, there was no other way. So, whenever she saw her son walking away, a part of her heart always ached.

But a little while ago, she had heard unbelievable news from Park Hee-cheol.

It was possible to correct it to some extent, and at the same time, it was possible to match the leg length by lengthening the bones.

That meant he could walk almost like a normal person. It meant he no longer had to sway when walking.

Shin Myung-soon choked back her tears and barely managed to continue.

-Oppa! How can I ever repay this…….”

“What do you mean by repay… Don’t say that. Jung-woo is my son now. I will make sure that our Jung-woo walks straight, no matter what. When I get a call from Dr. Choi, I’ll take him to Seoul right away for a thorough examination. I’m planning to have the surgery done this year at the latest. The younger he is, the faster he’ll recover.”

-…….

“And then, by next summer, he’ll be able to walk straight. Let’s go on a family trip with Jung-woo then. Myung-soon, you said you wanted to go to Jeju Island, right? Let’s go to Jeju Island together next summer.”

-Okay, Oppa. Let’s go to Jeju Island together. Definitely…….”

The tears that Shin Myung-soon had been holding back flowed freely.

As if he knew, Park Hee-cheol’s voice came through the receiver.

“Myung-soon, only cry until today. And don’t cry anymore from now on. If you cry, my heart aches, and I can’t stand it.”

-Okay. I will.

“And by the way, I’m done with the report.”

-Report? What…….”

“I had to say hello before I took you. I went to pay my respects so you don’t have to worry anymore.”

-Ah! The person who visited the grave was…….”

She had wondered.

When she heard from Lee Jung-woo yesterday that someone had visited the grave, Park Hee-cheol had suddenly come to mind.

But she couldn’t ask him directly, so she had just been wondering.

But her guess had been correct.

A truly grateful person. Who else would go to the grave to pay their respects?

Shin Myung-soon poured her heart into her voice.

-Oppa, thank you!

“If we’re talking about being grateful, I’m even more grateful. I will do my best for you and Jung-woo for the rest of my life.”

-Me too. I’m not good enough, but I’ll do my best to be a good mother to Min-soo and Beom-soo [his children from a previous marriage].”

“Thank you, thank you so much. Sleep well tonight, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She wanted to say, “I love you,” but she couldn’t bring herself to and hung up the phone.

No matter how she looked at it, it felt like a dream.

Park Hee-cheol quietly closed his eyes.

At the same time.

Lee Jung-woo was holding a picture in his hand.

“Father!”

The father in the picture was smiling silently.

Swipe.

He wiped the dust off his father’s picture.

“Father, it’s me, Jung-woo.”

“…….”

“I have something to tell you. I have a father today. He’s a person that Mom loves a lot. But he seems okay. So today, I took a deep breath and called him father. Did I do well?”

“…….”

“Are you sulking?”

The father in the picture was still smiling.

“I knew it. I didn’t think our father would sulk over something like that. You’ll like that man too if you meet him. And today, thanks to that man, I ate a lot of beef at a fancy restaurant. But do you know what that man said when I called him father?”

Lee Jung-woo stared at the picture and asked.

Then he continued.

“He said I was so pretty when I was eating. I’m a man, but he said I was pretty. So do you know what I said? Hehe.”

Lee Jung-woo laughed to himself and continued.

“I told him not to call a man pretty, but he still said I was so pretty in his eyes. But then I thought about it again, and I thought that wasn’t a bad thing, so I just stayed quiet. Then that man said something strange again. That is…….”

Lee Jung-woo shyly brought the picture closer and whispered.

“He said everything that goes into my mouth is pretty. At first, I felt strange when I heard that, but after a while, I thought that was true. That’s the kind of man he is. It wasn’t that awkward when we were alone together for the first time today. I think it’ll get better and better in the future. So now, don’t worry too much about Mom or me anymore. Okay?”

Lee Jung-woo felt strange even as he was talking to himself.

He had no memories with his father at all. That’s because he had passed away when he was too young. So even when he was talking to the picture, he felt awkward.

So he deliberately acted like a child, but he couldn’t help but feel that he still couldn’t quite get used to it.

Lee Jung-woo picked up the picture again.

“Father, so, I’m going to call that man father from now on and try to get close to him. It’ll be awkward at first, but I think it’ll be okay if I keep trying. Because we’re family now. And I thought I should do better for Mom, so I decided to do that. I think Mom will laugh a lot if I do that. You said that, Father. That I’m Mom’s protector from now on.”

Lee Jung-woo smiled shyly, as if embarrassed even thinking about it.

Then Shin Myung-soon, who had been listening to Lee Jung-woo’s words from outside the door, knocked.

Knock knock.