Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 336

Two days later, Park Hee-cheol visited Hyun-sung again.

“Seriously, sir, your wedding is tomorrow. Why are you here today?”

“I thought you might be curious.”

“Me?”

“Yes, I told you the other day that I was going to whip my sons into shape, right? So, I came all the way here to let you know the results.”

“Ah, yes…….”

Of course, it wasn’t that Hyun-sung wasn’t curious. But his curiosity wasn’t as strong as Park Hee-cheol seemed to think.

The reason was simple.

He was just a third party. The family dynamic between Park Hee-cheol and his two sons was their own to navigate. Hyun-sung had lived long enough to avoid getting overly involved in other people’s family matters.

But that was just Hyun-sung’s perspective, and Park Hee-cheol didn’t seem to share it.

Park Hee-cheol suddenly rolled up his sleeves and said,

“Take a look at this first.”

“Yes? At what……? Wait, isn’t that thermal underwear?”

Hyun-sung was dumbfounded. Even though Gangwon-do was a cold place, wearing thermal underwear in mid-May seemed absurd.

Hyun-sung immediately asked,

“Didn’t we just pass Ipka [the start of summer in the traditional East Asian calendar] a while ago? Why are you still wearing thermal underwear?”

“This isn’t ordinary thermal underwear.”

“Yes? What do you mean it’s not ordinary?”

“Our youngest one bought it the other day when he came.”

“Your second son? Seriously, thermal underwear in May…….”

Hyun-sung stopped talking in the middle. Park Hee-cheol’s behavior seemed strange, even at first glance. Wearing thermal underwear in May, and the bright expression on his face as he showed it off and said his youngest son bought it, was telling.

A smile suddenly spread across Hyun-sung’s face.

He quickly understood the situation.

“Are you here to brag to me right now?”

“Hehe, did you notice? Actually, it’s my first time receiving a gift from my son.”

“So, you’re saying you deliberately wore that outfit and came to me?”

“To be honest, it’s a bit embarrassing, but what can I do? I want to brag. But I can’t show this to Myung-soon [Park Hee-cheol’s soon-to-be wife]. So, at this hour…….”

“Haha……, well done.”

Hyun-sung laughed pleasantly.

He understood Park Hee-cheol’s feelings completely. He usually had so many complaints about his children, so he must be incredibly happy that one of them bought him a gift.

But one question arose.

Why thermal underwear of all things? Out of all the gifts, why thermal underwear……, especially in May?

Hyun-sung immediately asked,

“But how did your son think of buying thermal underwear? Especially in May.”

“Hehe…….”

Park Hee-cheol suddenly made a strange laugh and scratched the back of his head. It was an innocent gesture, especially coming from someone who was turning sixty this year.

Hyun-sung chuckled.

“Perhaps, did you…….”

“That’s right, I told him to buy it.”

“I see. But why thermal underwear of all things?”

“Do you remember? You gave me thermal underwear last year.”

“Ah, yes. Of course. I bought it for you last year to commemorate the end of the first month’s settlement after opening the store. But why is that relevant?”

“I felt the best at that time. Because the meaning of thermal underwear as a gift is special.”

That’s right.

At least in Korea, it’s a tradition to give red thermal underwear to your parents when you get your first paycheck. The idea is that red thermal underwear symbolizes a warm heart. Of course, to understand the deeper meaning, you have to go back to the 1960s. At that time, dyeing technology wasn’t well developed, so dyed clothes were very expensive compared to other clothes. Red thermal underwear was one of the more accessible options.

Therefore, when people received their first salary, they bought expensive red garments and gave them to their parents. As time passed, the association of ‘first salary = red thermal underwear = warm heart’ was created.

“Ah, right. So, you told your son to buy thermal underwear?”

“Of course, that guy may not know that meaning, but as for me, it’s the first gift I’ve ever received from my son, so I wanted to give it a special meaning. So, I thought of thermal underwear.”

“Haha, that’s interpreting the dream better than the dream itself [an idiom meaning to find a deeper meaning than what is actually there]. Anyway, you must be happy.”

“How else would I have come to you wearing thermal underwear? You can make fun of me for being an old man, but I can’t help it.”

“No, you did well. Now that I know the reason, I can fully relate.”

Hyun-sung nodded.

Others might think differently, but Hyun-sung knew that Park Hee-cheol was the kind of person who would do that, so he naturally understood.

‘Wait a minute!’

At that moment, another thought popped into Hyun-sung’s head.

If he told his youngest son to buy thermal underwear, he must have ordered something from his eldest son as well.

Of course, he couldn’t help but be curious.

“What about your eldest son?”

“Haha, I was going to tell you anyway, but thank you for asking first. It’s this.”

Park Hee-cheol slightly lifted his foot.

Sparkling.

Shoes so shiny that a fly would slip if it landed on them caught Hyun-sung’s eye.

“Oh! Kumkang shoes [a well-known Korean shoe brand]?”

“Aren’t shoes supposed to be Kumkang? So, I deliberately told him to buy Kumkang shoes. How is it, not bad?”

Hyun-sung almost burst out laughing.

Park Hee-cheol was wiggling his feet and showing off in front of him. At first, Hyun-sung thought it was funny, but after a while, he felt a pang of sympathy.

He wondered how much Park Hee-cheol had missed the affection of his children to be so happy like a child.

But he couldn’t show it.

Hyun-sung knew that the polite thing to do was to pretend not to notice.

Hyun-sung deliberately asked another question lightly.

“What do the shoes mean?”

When Hyun-sung asked, Park Hee-cheol immediately said, as if he had prepared an answer in advance.

“A fresh start!”

“A fresh start?”

“Yes, what better gift to give for a wedding? Don’t you think?”

“Ah, yes…….”

Hyun-sung nodded and smiled.

Meanings are up to you to give. By giving the meaning of a fresh start to the shoes, as Park Hee-cheol said, those shoes would no longer be just ordinary shoes but would have a special meaning.

Moreover, since they were bought by his eldest son, whom he had only felt regretful for, the meaning would be even greater.

‘Wait a minute!’

Hyun-sung tilted his head for a moment.

Park Hee-cheol said a little while ago that he came to tell him the results of his plan to whip them into shape.

But judging from what he’s doing now, isn’t he too busy bragging about the gifts he received from his children, which has nothing to do with that?

Hyun-sung tilted his head and asked.

“A little while ago, you said you were going to whip them into shape…….”

“Ah, that.”

Park Hee-cheol raised his hand and interrupted Hyun-sung. Then he immediately continued.

“First, let’s brag about what we have to brag about. As you know, it’s my first time receiving gifts from my children. Of course, I forced them to buy them, but anyway, a gift is a gift.”

“That’s right! Of course, it’s a gift.”

Hyun-sung deliberately chose the answer that Park Hee-cheol wanted.

Then Park Hee-cheol’s voice became more forceful.

“Haha, you know something.”

“So, how did you whip them into shape?”

“That’s…….”

Park Hee-cheol’s demeanor seemed different from before.

Hyun-sung immediately asked.

“What is it? The atmosphere is strange.”

“At first, I was determined to be tough and whip these guys into shape, but…….”

“But?”

“But when I actually saw their faces, it wasn’t easy. Actually, it was the first time I’d seen these guys in six years.”

Hehe.

Hyun-sung laughed.

Well, aren’t they father and sons? No matter how upset and resentful he was, when he actually saw their faces, he would be happier than upset. In that situation, it wouldn’t make sense to force them to be disciplined.

“In the end, you gave in again?”

“What parent can win against their children? But I still did everything I wanted to do.”

“What you wanted to do?”

“Yes, first of all, I received a big bow from them.”

“Did you just say a big bow?”

Hyun-sung was a little surprised. When Park Hee-cheol talked about his children, there were more than one or two things he regretted. But now, the first thing that came out of his mouth was ‘big bow’ [a deep, formal bow of respect].

‘Hmm…….’

Thermal underwear, shoes, and a big bow.

Maybe it’s nothing. But if you think about the meaning, it can be more precious than anything else.

Hyun-sung slowly nodded.

What Park Hee-cheol wants now is to value the meaning of the object, even if it is a small object, more than any grand and splendid thing.

Park Hee-cheol continued.

“It was the first time.”

“You received a big bow?”

“Thermal underwear, shoes, and a big bow. Others may say that it’s not a big deal, but to me, they were more precious than anything else.”

“Yes…….”

Hyun-sung nodded. When Park Hee-cheol talked about the big bow a little while ago, he roughly grasped what it meant, so he naturally nodded.

Then Park Hee-cheol immediately continued.

“And I realized it this time.”

“Realized what?”

“From now on, it’s right for me to say what I want directly. Before, I just hoped they would do it on their own, but that was a wrong idea.”

“They don’t know if you don’t tell them.”

“That’s right. I waited for them to do it on their own without saying anything, and then I was upset when they didn’t. But that was a foolish thing to do. Children never know if you don’t tell them.”

Hyun-sung nodded.

Then Park Hee-cheol continued again.

“So, I’m not going to do foolish things anymore. From now on, I’ve decided to say whatever I want.”

“You did well. Your mouth isn’t just for decoration, and it’s easier for each other if you talk. There’s no need to be upset if they don’t do it without saying anything.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I realized it after experiencing it. And do you know what I did with my sons for the past two days?”

Park Hee-cheol’s eyes began to sparkle. Hyun-sung knew what that look meant.

He asked politely.

“What did you do?”

“I went to the bathhouse on the first day.”

“Ah, the bathhouse. You finally fulfilled your wish? But did your children go to the bathhouse willingly? It wouldn’t have been easy.”

“Don’t even mention it. Of course, they said they would rather die than go.”

“So, what did you do?”

“I have a sure weapon, don’t I? So, I used that weapon properly this time.”

Hyun-sung tilted his head and asked.

“A weapon?”

“The land in Ilsan. 5 billion won [approximately $3.7 million USD].”

“Haha, in the end, is it money?”

“Isn’t that why these guys came to the wedding this time? I told you, time and money are on my side. Now that these guys have already taken the bait, they can’t get out.”

“They took it properly?”

“That’s right. They have 5 billion won in front of them, what are they going to do? From now on, they’re stuck.”

Park Hee-cheol’s expression was even more relaxed.

Hyun-sung smiled and asked.

“So, you all went into the bathhouse together?”

“Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t give them the money, would they be able to stand it?”

“Haha, sir, you’re really…….”

“I also ate beef head soup after the bathhouse.”

“Beef head soup?”

“Soup and rice. Beef head soup and rice.”

“Ah, yes. But do your children eat that? They’ve lived abroad for a long time, so it won’t be easy.”

“Do I have to say it again? If they don’t eat it, there’s no mercy.”

“Seriously, it’s like a gangster…….”

Hyun-sung was dumbfounded, but Park Hee-cheol seemed excited.

“I also had a drink with beef head soup, and the next day I went fishing. Not only that…….”

Park Hee-cheol’s words continued after that.

When his story finally ended, Hyun-sung continued.

“If you ever get that money in two years, keep it until the end.”

“Until I die?”

“Yes, don’t give that money away because you’re drawn to affection.”

“Should I?”

“Of course. That money will protect you until the end. If that money disappears, you’ll become a kite without a string. Hold on to it until the end.”

“Haha, when I see you talking…….”

Park Hee-cheol looked at Hyun-sung and chuckled.