Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 351

351

Bang!

Shin Chun-oh, the chairman of Nongshim, slammed his desk with his fist and shouted.

“Secretary Kim!”

“I have no excuse, Chairman!”

Secretary Kim Young-woo bowed his head, unable to move.

Then, Chairman Shin Chun-oh shouted again.

“What on earth are you doing? How could you mess this up? Is this even possible?”

“I’m sorry. I have nothing to say, even if I had ten mouths.”

“Hoo! Water!”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh took a deep breath and asked for water.

Kim Young-woo, with the speed of light, brought the water and handed him the glass.

Gulp, gulp.

Thud!

Chairman Shin Chun-oh, who drank the water in one gulp, put down the glass and immediately continued.

“So, Kim-gun didn’t register at Hankuk University?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And we didn’t know anything about it?”

“Yes, that’s right. I assumed he would register since he passed, so I was preparing furniture and household items for the studio apartment. Since the graduation ceremony is in the second week of February, I thought he would come up to Seoul around that time.”

“Are you even saying that now? Since when have you been working so carelessly? Huh!”

“I’m sorry, Chairman!”

Secretary Kim Young-woo bowed his head again.

Then, Chairman Shin Chun-oh immediately asked.

“So, which school is Kim-gun going to now?”

“Kang Sang University in Gangneung.”

“Kang Sang University? Is there even a school like that?”

“Yes, I just found out about it this time. It’s the only national university in Gangneung.”

“So, he took another exam?”

“Yes, he said he took another exam for late admissions in January.”

“Huh!”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded.

Then, he immediately opened his mouth again.

“What about his grades?”

“He’s the top of the school. 330 points including the physical fitness test.”

“Of course. With that score, he could have gone to Hankuk University with a scholarship. But what’s the reason? Why did he go to a school he doesn’t even know with that score?”

“I find it strange too. No matter how much I look into it, I can’t figure out the reason. And what’s even more incomprehensible is why he even applied to Hankuk University in the first place if that was the case.”

“Hmm….”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh was silent for a moment as if he was thinking about something.

After a while.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh suddenly started laughing.

“Haha, hahahaha….”

“Chairman?”

Secretary Kim Young-woo couldn’t help but be surprised by Chairman Shin Chun-oh’s sudden change. Just a moment ago, he was extremely angry. His feelings were understandable. He had been betrayed by someone he trusted so much.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh, who stopped laughing, looked at Secretary Kim Young-woo and opened his mouth.

“Secretary Kim, do you remember?”

“Yes? What….”

“I’m talking about the day we had lunch. That day, Kim-gun clearly said that he wasn’t interested in Hankuk University.”

“Ah, yes. He definitely said something like that.”

Hyunsung had definitely said that. He said he wasn’t interested in Hankuk University. So, when he asked which school he would go to, he closed his mouth again.

So, as soon as he came up to Seoul, he discussed it with the TF team and came to the conclusion that they should put all-out pressure through the principal. Fortunately, that method worked.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh’s words continued.

“We’ve been had.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“You, me, and even the principal, we were all played by that guy.”

“Yes? Are you saying that he had that in mind from the beginning? Then why did he bother applying to Hankuk University in the first place….”

Before Secretary Kim Young-woo could finish speaking, Chairman Shin Chun-oh spoke again.

“It must have been because of loyalty.”

“Loyalty?”

“Yes, loyalty was one of the things that guy always said was important. Of course, there were also other things like basics, passion, and trust.”

“Ah, so he got accepted to Hankuk University because of his loyalty to the principal.”

“That’s right. He kept his loyalty. And he gave hope to the juniors.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh pointed to the water glass with his finger as if he was thirsty. Then, with the speed of light, Secretary Kim Young-woo brought the water, and Chairman Shin Chun-oh drank the water in one gulp and immediately opened his mouth.

“And since he got accepted but didn’t register because he didn’t want to, in a way, he’s ignoring Hankuk University, saying it’s nothing special, right?”

“Ah, I guess that could be true.”

“That’s right! Because of that, the principal and the school may have been disappointed, but they couldn’t break his stubbornness.”

Secretary Kim Young-woo nodded his head.

Then, Chairman Shin Chun-oh scratched his head slightly and immediately opened his mouth again.

“But you know….”

“Yes? What else….”

“There’s still one question left.”

“You’re talking about the purpose, right?”

“Yes, why did he go to Kang Sang University in Gangneung? Yongmisa Temple can’t be the purpose. With that kind of skill, he could have shown his capabilities at Hankuk University.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Maybe….”

“Maybe what?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh asked immediately, and Secretary Kim Young-woo carefully opened his mouth.

“Didn’t you go to Gangneung around the end of summer vacation last year?”

“I did. But why is that?”

“There were three places that Hyunsung-gun stopped by. The first was the Chodang tofu restaurant, and the others were the marine rescue team and the hospital.”

“That’s right! We knew the purpose of visiting the marine rescue team and the hospital, but we didn’t know the reason for the tofu restaurant, right?”

“That’s right. He must have gone there for some purpose, but we couldn’t figure out the purpose of going there.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh nodded his head.

Come to think of it, he found out the other purposes at that time, but he didn’t find out the reason for going to the tofu restaurant. Then….

“Secretary Kim!”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“I’m worried about that tofu restaurant in Chodang. Make sure to keep a close watch on what Kim-gun is doing in Gangneung!”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh emphasized the end of his sentence.

The words he had been calling ‘that guy’ until just now became ‘Kim-gun’ again. That means there is a change in Chairman Shin Chun-oh’s feelings. At first, he was disappointed by the betrayal, but he has returned to his previous feelings.

Secretary Kim Young-woo, who couldn’t possibly not know that, bowed his head and immediately answered.

“Yes, I understand! From now on, I will make sure to watch him 24 hours a day without any gaps!”

“Yes, but don’t get caught like last time. And is there any other change that I don’t know about?”

“Yes, there is. He bought a car.”

“He bought a car? He doesn’t even have a driver’s license, so what car did he buy?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh raised his head and looked at Secretary Kim Young-woo. It was a statement that was hard to understand at first glance.

To buy a car, you need a driver’s license first. Of course, you can buy a car without a driver’s license. But that is a special case. At least it doesn’t fit Hyunsung’s current situation. So, he would have to get a driver’s license to buy a car.

But to get a driver’s license, you need a certain amount of time. You can study for the written test alone, but the practical test is different.

Even if it’s a simple course and driving test, you can’t do anything when you get in the car for the first time. That’s why you need an academy. Even if you only learn the basic senses, it usually takes about a month. That’s when you’re lucky.

But in Hyunsung’s case, he didn’t have any time to spare. But he said he bought a car, so it didn’t make sense.

Secretary Kim Young-woo’s answer immediately followed.

“He got his license in one go last week.”

“In one go? Is that even possible?”

“That’s what I’m saying. He didn’t go to an academy, so I don’t know how he got it in one day. He got perfect scores on both the written and practical tests.”

“What….”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh was dumbfounded.

You can do that if you study hard for the written test, but he didn’t even go to an academy and got a perfect score on the practical test, so it was natural that he was dumbfounded.

Secretary Kim Young-woo shook his head and continued.

“No matter how I look at it, Hyunsung-gun is definitely a monster. How could he do that in one go….”

“What? A monster?”

“Yes, in my case, it took me three months to get that license. But how can he get a perfect score without going to an academy? And he hasn’t even driven before.”

“A monster… Haha, hahahaha….”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh started laughing loudly again.

After a while.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh, who stopped laughing, asked again.

“So, what kind of car did he buy?”

“That’s another thing I don’t understand.”

“What do you mean? What kind of car did he buy?”

“He bought a truck. A Hyundai Porter, a 1-ton truck.”

“A 1-ton truck?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh’s head turned to the side without him realizing it. Even if he thought about it briefly, he couldn’t understand why a student would need a truck.

Then, Secretary Kim Young-woo’s words continued again.

“No matter how I look at it, Hyunsung-gun is definitely a monster. From college to trucks, I can’t understand anything from start to finish.”

“…….”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh smacked his lips and was silent for a while.

It was about five minutes later that he opened his mouth.

“Secretary Kim.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Maybe… I don’t think this friend was ever the kind of being we could understand from the beginning.”

“From the beginning?”

“Yes, now that I look back on it, I think so. It didn’t make sense for a young friend to run a ramen shop, did it? And what about him curing my illness….”

Secretary Kim Young-woo nodded his head.

Then, Chairman Shin Chun-oh continued.

“And he opened a chain store for the mother of the young daughters without a father without any conditions, which is not something that ordinary people can do. And then there’s the story of the marine rescue team and the taxi driver who he visited after a year because he was grateful.”

“After listening to what you said, Chairman, I think he’s definitely on a different level from ordinary people.”

“That’s right. That’s the kind of friend he was from the beginning. We keep trying to fit that friend into our mold, so we keep getting out of sync. Hankuk University and the truck are the same.”

“Ah, yes….”

Secretary Kim Young-woo had no choice but to nod his head again. After listening to Chairman Shin Chun-oh’s words, Hyunsung’s appearance was like water slipping through his fingers from the beginning until now.

That means that Chairman Shin Chun-oh and himself are not capable of handling him.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh’s words continued again.

“I don’t think he’s a friend we can handle based on our standards.”

“I think so too.”

“Secretary Kim.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Let’s just watch. Let’s just watch how this friend lives in the future. Don’t think with our judgment and our standards. We’re not a vessel that can hold him. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes, Chairman. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, at least.”

“Hmm… Yes, I think we can be happy just by watching him. Then, please take good care of our Hyunsung.”

“Yes! Chairman!”

Secretary Kim Young-woo bowed his head with his hands neatly together.

***

Hyunsung said to his mother.

“Mother, don’t forget to take your medicine twice a day, morning and evening.”

“Okay, I got it. Maybe it’s because I’m taking that medicine, but my menopausal symptoms seem to be much better than before. I don’t get as hot and I don’t sweat as much.”

“That’s a relief. They said that if you take it steadily, your menopausal symptoms will be greatly relieved, so I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much in the future.”

“Okay, thank you. Thanks to our son, this mother will be able to get through menopause well. And I’ll say it again, make sure you eat well and don’t miss your meals. Okay?”

“Yes, I know. I originally like to cook, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Then, his father, who was next to him, continued with a regretful expression.

“Call often….”

“Yes, Father. And by the way! You know you should only take one pill of the medicine I bought you a day, right? If you’re greedy and take two pills, you won’t be able to sleep that day.”

“Is it that strong?”

“Yes, it’s a new medicine, and it’s so good for men.”

“Hehe, is that so?”

It was the moment when his father’s expression changed strangely.

Then, Hyunsung immediately opened his mouth.

“You can’t bother my mother after taking that.”

“Me?”

“Yes, because you can’t sleep at night.”

“What? Is this guy making fun of his father?”

“I’m not making fun of you, but isn’t that what your eyes are saying right now? So, moderately….”

Before Hyunsung could finish speaking, his father opened his mouth again.

“Okay, I know, so stop it. And let’s get the words right. I’m not bothering your mother, but only….”

Thwack!

It was then.

His mother hit his father on the back and said.

“Hey! What are you saying in front of Hyunsung….”

“No, that’s not what I meant, I think this guy is misunderstanding something.”

“Misunderstanding what, that’s enough.”

“Hehe, geez….”

Then, Hyunsung smiled and immediately continued.

“Yes, I know. I’m leaving now, so you two can resolve the misunderstanding.”

“Haha, okay, I understand. I’ll take care of it, so go quickly. Drive safely.”

“Yes, Father. Then I’ll be on my way….”

Hyunsung greeted them and immediately got into the car.

Vroom!

When he turned the key, the engine started at once despite the cold winter. As expected, the engine sound was definitely different because it was a new car.

Slide.

Hyunsung opened the passenger seat window and said loudly.

“Father, Mother, I’m leaving. It’s cold, so go inside quickly.”

“Okay, go carefully. Drive safely!”

“Eat well!”

His mother waved her hand at the departing car.

Vroom!

The two of them were waving their hands until they were far away from the house.

Slide.

Hyunsung opened the driver’s side window again and raised his left arm and waved it. Then, his father and mother started raising both hands and waving.

After driving for about five minutes.

Hyunsung turned on the radio.

Then, Song Chang-sik’s “Whale Hunting” began to play.

-Let’s go! To the East Sea~~~~

It was the moment when Hyunsung’s college life began.