Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 34

Opening the classroom door, I was met with the usual chaos of the first day back. It was as hectic as ever.

“Hmm… feels real.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Just thinking out loud. Where’s my seat, anyway?”

I asked, half-joking, half-serious. It had been so long, I couldn’t quite remember where I sat.

Lee Jung-woo grinned at me.

“Dude, laying on the jokes thick from day one?”

“It’s been a while, man. You’ll get there when you’re older. Seriously, where’s my seat?”

“Wow, the acting’s pretty good, I gotta admit! It’s only polite to play along at that level. Over there.”

Lee Jung-woo pointed his chin towards the window.

Taptap.

I sat down and lightly tapped the desk with my palm.

The rough feel of the wooden desk traveled through my hand and spread throughout my body.

“This time, let’s do it right…”

I muttered to myself.

Thump.

Someone lightly bumped me.

Turning around, I vaguely recognized him.

“You’re… Lee Young-min, right?”

Lee Young-min.

The class president. Shin Min-ho’s loyal follower.

Surprised, I called out his name, and Lee Young-min frowned.

“What’s wrong with you today?”

“Hey, just glad to see you. How have you been?”

“Jeez, getting weirder… Never mind, go see the teacher. He’s looking for you.”

Lee Young-min turned away, tilting his head. Something about my face and tone felt different from before the break.

It was unexpected. There was no reason for the faculty office to call me in, especially not me.

‘What’s going on from the first day?’

I headed to the faculty office.

Even with age, the faculty office was still intimidating. But the weight didn’t feel the same as before.

And since I hadn’t done anything wrong, there was no reason to feel ashamed.

Stepping into the faculty office, I bowed to Shin Min-ho.

“Hello, sir!”

Like it or not, he was still my teacher. I greeted him warmly.

“Yeah.”

Unlike my warm greeting, Shin Min-ho’s response was curt. Not that I wanted to force any more pleasantries.

So, I asked casually.

“You wanted to see me?”

“Heard you did something good?”

What a way to talk. If he weren’t my teacher, I’d want to punch him.

I asked again.

“What do you mean?”

“I heard everything from Choi Mi-yeon. And the police called too.”

“Ah, I see.”

I finally understood why Shin Min-ho had called me. It was about the pickpocket incident at Wonju Terminal.

Shin Min-ho continued.

“There will be an award ceremony during the general assembly today.”

“An award?”

“Yeah, so be ready. Come up when they call your name. You can go now.”

He was always a cold person, but this was beyond comprehension. I didn’t need anything from him, but I couldn’t shake off the unpleasant feeling.

After all, I had taken a risk, and for one of his students. And this is how he acts?

I shook my head.

I didn’t want to say anything more. I gave a light bow and left the faculty office.

That’s how my reunion with Shin Min-ho ended on an unpleasant note.

“Kim Hyun-sung!”

I had only taken a few steps out of the faculty office when someone called me from behind. I knew who it was just from the voice.

Turning around, it was indeed Choi Mi-yeon, the math teacher.

“Hello?”

“This is for you.”

Choi Mi-yeon handed me something nicely wrapped. It was obviously a book. Judging by the thickness, it seemed to be a poetry collection.

“A poetry collection?”

“Yes, it’s Yoo An-jin’s collection, ‘Dreaming of a Lasting Friendship’.”

Ah!

The legendary poetry collection that needs no explanation. The very one that had swept through an era.

Come to think of it, I had forgotten about it.

Back at my seat, I tore open the wrapping.

It was a first edition from Younghak Publishing.

Sharrack [sound of tearing paper].

Turning the first page, there was a short note from Choi Mi-yeon on the white paper.

A thank you message and wishes for a good school year. Turning a few more pages, there was a poem.

– After dinner, I visit without hesitation…

Before I knew it, I was lost in the poem. Even after all these years, the masterpiece resonated deeply. No, it struck an even stronger chord.

The experiences of the years I had lived added a different dimension to the emotions I had felt before.

A smile naturally spread across my face.

“What are you doing?”

It was Lee Jung-woo.

“Huh? What’s up?”

“What do you mean, what’s up? Didn’t you hear the bell? We have to go to the assembly on the field.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t heard the bell. I had been too engrossed in the poem.

I left the classroom with Lee Jung-woo.

At the general assembly, I received the Courageous Citizen Award.

The principal’s endless praise was almost embarrassing. The principal was beaming from ear to ear. After all, my contribution would reflect well on him.

He was retiring in a year. Maybe that’s why it felt so precious.

Anyway, my return to school started with an award.

The first period was Korean language class.

Since it was the first day back, the Korean teacher spent the class talking about various things instead of focusing on the textbook. At some point, he started talking about dreams.

He said that people must have dreams. That there was a clear difference between those who have dreams and those who don’t. I nodded at the teacher’s words.

Dreams…

Good words. But that’s all they were.

You can talk all you want about the principles of dreams, but what’s the point of such one-sided talk that ignores the realistic environment?

The number of students from Seomyeong High who go to university doesn’t exceed five at most. Universities in the Seoul metropolitan area? Unthinkable. That’s the reality.

Of course, dreams and university aren’t directly proportional. But you can’t confidently say they aren’t related either.

Then, the Korean teacher called on the class president.

“Class president.”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a dream?”

“Yes, I do.”

Lee Young-min answered confidently.

Then, the teacher came down from the podium and approached Lee Young-min.

“Okay, let’s hear about that dream.”

“Yes, I will go to Yonsei University [one of the top three universities in South Korea]. And I will major in law to become a prosecutor. So…”

It was a textbook answer.

Pfft.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at Lee Young-min’s words.

Sorry, but Lee Young-min won’t go to university. I heard he failed the college entrance exam and ended up retaking it.

I don’t know what happened after that.

The teacher nodded and continued.

“Good. Make sure you achieve that dream.”

He should just put on some lipstick and say that [a sarcastic expression meaning the statement is insincere]. It was a meaningless waste of time.

The teacher spoke again.

“Now, who else wants to talk about their dream?”

Naturally, everyone lowered their heads.

But one person was an exception. He seemed to be deep in thought, even closing his eyes as if pondering.

It was Woo Jong-gyu, the top student in the class.

The teacher walked over to Woo Jong-gyu again.

“If you’re done thinking, would you like to tell us about your dream?”

“I will go to Chongshin University [a theological university]. And I will become a pastor.”

Bingo, this guy will make it. It’s the result of his effort. He was truly the best when it came to effort.

To the point where he memorized math problems. His brain structure was such that he was good at everything except math.

Then, at some point, he started memorizing the math problems by type.

And that worked to some extent.

He’s a guy I really want to applaud.

Thinking about it again, I couldn’t help but nod a few times. But that happened to catch the teacher’s eye.

“Aren’t you the friend who received an award today?”

“It just happened that way.”

“No, not just anyone can do that. Your courage is admirable.”

“Thank you.”

I heard words from the Korean teacher that I didn’t even hear from my homeroom teacher.

“Anyway, what is your dream?”

Dreams…

For a moment, various thoughts flashed through my mind.

A dream……?

Did I even have one? Come to think of it, nothing came to mind.

I didn’t have one… That was the conclusion I came to.

Then now…….

At least now, I thought it would be different from before.

Huh?

But it was so sudden that I couldn’t think of anything.

I wondered if the word ‘dream’ was too abstract for me to think of anything.

I changed the word slightly.

Goal.

When I changed the word ‘dream’ to ‘goal,’ something seemed to click in my head.

After a short time.

‘That’s it!’

Then, something suddenly came to mind. It was none other than the word ‘landlord.’

The person who had made my heart shrink before I died was also a landlord.

The landlord who is said to be above the creator [a common saying in South Korea, implying landlords are powerful].

A dragon from the stream [a person who rises from humble beginnings to great success]?

That’s just a dream.

If possible, being a landlord is the best.

As soon as I thought that far, I opened my mouth.

“My dream is to be a landlord!”

Usually, the common answers are doctor, lawyer, prosecutor, etc. Of course, those answers are just as meaningless. But when I suddenly said landlord, laughter erupted from all around.

Yeah, laugh, kids.

You’ll know when you live it.

Hehe….

I laughed with my friends too. Of course, the meaning of the laughter was the opposite.

That was the moment when I had a dream.

Yeah!

Landlord! From now on, that’s my goal.