Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 363

363

“Did you say a study group?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“So, you’re saying Kim is creating a study group at Kang Sang University?”

“Yes, that’s correct. According to the reports, he’s been preoccupied with creating this study group for almost a month now.”

“A study group, huh…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh repeatedly tilted his head, seemingly puzzled. This was because, as far as he knew, Hyun-sung’s ambition had nothing to do with academic pursuits like a study group.

After pondering for a moment, Chairman Shin Chun-oh looked at Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo and asked again.

“Chief Secretary Kim, do you understand Kim’s actions right now?”

“I’m also having a hard time understanding it, to be honest. He clearly stated his dream was to be a landlord…”

“That’s what I’m saying. Kim’s goal was definitely to become a landlord. But now, out of the blue, a study group? Does that make any sense?”

“Of course, it is a bit strange, but in my opinion…”

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo trailed off, looking deeply troubled.

Before Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo could speak, Chairman Shin Chun-oh asked first.

“Alright, Chief Secretary Kim, what’s your take on why Kim is doing this?”

“This is just my opinion, but… I think it boils down to one of two possibilities.”

“One of two things?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo nodded as if he were certain.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh immediately asked.

“What are they?”

“Genuine or a facade.”

“What? Genuine or a facade?”

“Yes, that’s right. Literally, it’s either Hyun-sung creating the study group to genuinely prepare for the bar exam…”

“Hmm…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo continued.

“As you know, Chairman, Hyun-sung’s abilities are exceptional, aren’t they?”

“That’s beyond question. His score of 310 on the college entrance exam didn’t come out of nowhere.”

“Yes, that’s correct. So, I think he might be considering taking the bar exam seriously. Frankly, if he puts his mind to it, he’s more than capable.”

“That’s true, but he said he wanted to be a landlord…”

“I think those are separate matters.”

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo shared his thoughts before Chairman Shin Chun-oh could finish speaking.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh tilted his head and immediately asked.

“Separate? Does that mean it’s not related to his dream?”

“Yes, that’s right. His dream of being a landlord and the bar exam are separate. Just because he passes the bar exam doesn’t mean he can’t become a landlord.”

“Hmm… Listening to you, Chief Secretary Kim, that makes sense. Just because he passes the bar exam doesn’t mean he can’t become a landlord.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh slowly nodded. Then, he immediately asked again.

“Then, what kind of professional certification do you think Kim is considering?”

“Since he’s majoring in Business Administration rather than Law, I think it might be a professional certification in accounting.”

“You mean a CPA [Certified Public Accountant]?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm, I see. By any chance… when do you think Kim could potentially pass the CPA exam if he were to prepare for it?”

“Well, it varies from person to person, but with Hyun-sung’s skills, I think he could do it even before graduating. Of course, there’s the military service issue.”

“Military service…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh was silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

After a while.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh called out to Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo in a low voice.

“Chief Secretary Kim!”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Speaking of which, about the military service…”

“Yes, please speak.”

“I’m wondering if it’s absolutely necessary for Kim to go. In my opinion…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh shook his head at the end of his sentence.

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo, fully understanding the implication, immediately spoke.

“Hyun-sung’s opinion is paramount.”

“Does that mean he doesn’t necessarily have to go if he doesn’t want to?”

“Yes, that’s correct. The paperwork is complicated, but it’s definitely possible. However, I’m not sure if Hyun-sung would even want that. His personality is a bit…”

“Personality? What about Kim’s personality?”

“As you know, Chairman, he’s quite stubborn for his age.”

“Well, he does have that side to him. But even so, would he insist on avoiding military service?”

“Well, that’s…”

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo couldn’t give a definite answer and trailed off.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh asked again.

“What do you think, Chief Secretary Kim?”

“I don’t think he’d want to avoid it.”

“Hmm… Really? It’s not just a day or two, it’s nearly three years [mandatory military service duration in South Korea]. He wouldn’t want to serve? I’m not so sure…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh tilted his head, seemingly deep in thought.

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo immediately spoke.

“Chairman, why don’t we ask him directly about this issue?”

“Directly?”

“Yes, that’s right. Next time he contacts us, we can ask him directly. And if he wants assistance, I’ll prepare everything myself.”

“Hmm… Alright, I understand. We’ll do that then. Anyway, going back to the study group, why did Kim suddenly step forward to lead it?”

“He expressed a strong desire to. Initially, the supervising professor was going to take the lead. But Hyun-sung stopped him.”

“Stopped him? Why?”

“He said he couldn’t repeat the same mistake.”

“The same mistake? What does that mean? When did something like that happen before?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh immediately asked, looking puzzled.

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo explained.

“Something similar happened five years ago. That supervising professor created and ran a study group five years ago, but it ultimately failed.”

“That happened? Why did it fail back then?”

“It seems the professor dominated the group instead of empowering the students. As a result, the outcome wasn’t good.”

“So, this time, they’re running it with the students at the center, not the professor? And Kim is at the center of it?”

“Yes, that’s correct. But there’s something peculiar.”

“Something peculiar? What is it?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh stared intently at Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo, looking curious.

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo smiled.

“What does that smile mean?”

“It’s because of Hyun-sung.”

“Why Kim? Did he cause some trouble again?”

“No, it’s not that he caused trouble, it’s his speed. He’s been working at such a fast pace, as if he had been preparing for this in advance.”

“How fast is it that you’re so surprised, Chief Secretary Kim?”

“It’s launching in two days.”

“Launching? You mean the study group?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh looked at Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo and asked.

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo nodded and said.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s only been a month, but all the preparations are complete. How can I not be surprised? And what’s even more surprising is that he took the selection test two days ago and was confidently selected, just like the other students.”

“He created the study group and took the same test as the other students?”

“Yes, that’s right. He’s definitely not an ordinary person.”

“Isn’t that Kim’s strength? Alright, what was Kim’s ranking on the selection test?”

“The selection test was only for English, and he got first place. A perfect score.”

“A perfect score… Haha, hahahaha…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh started laughing loudly, seemingly in a good mood.

After a while.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh asked again.

“How many people were selected in total?”

“Seven.”

“Seven? That’s fewer than I expected. I thought there would be at least 20. Well, at least it’s lucky seven. Alright, which departments are they from?”

“Three from the Law Department, two from the Accounting Department, and two from the Business Administration Department.”

“Hmm… I see. Chief Secretary Kim!”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh nodded and called out to Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo.

Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo bowed his head and immediately replied.

“Yes, Chairman. Please speak.”

“Provide support.”

“Yes?”

“For the study group. Find out what they need and provide support. Contact the supervising professor and convey our intentions. And keep an eye on them. If we need them for our company later, we can contact them. Don’t disregard them just because they’re from a local university. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Chairman. I understand.”

“And keep our support a secret from Kim. I don’t want any unnecessary misunderstandings.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure to convey it to the supervising professor.”

As Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo finished speaking, Chairman Shin Chun-oh nodded in understanding.

Then, as if remembering something, he raised one hand and said.

“Ah! And what about the story of those three musketeers you mentioned a few days ago?”

“Ah, that? It’s just that Hyun-sung has been spending almost all his time with those friends lately. One of them is the one who got into the study group this time.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s Jo Young-min. And the other friend is Oh Jung-soo, but he took the test this time and wasn’t selected.”

“So, you’re saying that the friends Hyun-sung is closest to these days are Jo Young-min and Oh Jung-soo?”

“Yes, that’s right. They’re practically inseparable. On days when there are no classes, they practically live at Hyun-sung’s place.”

As Chief Secretary Kim Young-woo finished speaking, Chairman Shin Chun-oh nodded and continued.

“He made friends quickly, didn’t he?”

“Yes, that’s right. Anyone would think they’ve been friends for 10 years, that’s how close they are.”

“Haha, is that so? Well, there’s nothing better than friends at that age. And is there anything else unusual?”

“He had a phone installed in his apartment today.”

“A phone? That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Now we can contact him anytime.”

“But we still can’t contact him first. Of course, we know the phone number, but we have to wait for Hyun-sung to call.”

“I suppose so. If I call first, he’ll know we’re watching him.”

“Yes, that’s right. So, please wait a few days. Now that he has a phone, won’t Hyun-sung call you to check in?”

“Haha, do you really think so?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh couldn’t help but laugh. The situation of knowing the phone number but not being able to call was a bit funny.

But what could he do? There was no other way but to wait.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh simply looked at the phone and chuckled.

***

“Yes, I understand. I’ll do that. Anyway, thank you for your interest.”

Click.

A strange smile spread across Son Min-ho’s face.

It was because he had just received a phone call. From a completely unexpected place.

It was from Nongshim headquarters.

The purpose was regarding support for the study group. They would fully support the study group with any necessary supplies in the future.

Not only that, but they would also support the study group students’ well-being by providing funds for *hoesik* [company dinners or gatherings].

In fact, while receiving approval from the school for the operation of the study group, he was notified that they could not provide any support other than space.

The reason was simple. Since they were re-establishing the study group that had been decided to be abolished last year, they could not allocate a budget.

It was a natural and expected thing, so he wasn’t surprised. He was just grateful that they were providing the space.

But just now, he received a call from Nongshim headquarters saying they would support the study group.

“This is strange.”

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

How did Nongshim know? The study group hasn’t even launched yet. It will officially launch in two days. But how did they know and call?

But what he couldn’t understand more was the question about Hyun-sung. His name came up at Nongshim.

“Why… why at Nongshim?”

Just then.

Knock knock.

“Yes.”

The door opened and someone came in.

“Welcome, Hyun-sung.”