Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 366

366

A few days later, Saturday.

As Hyun-sung remembered, the meeting place was a coffee shop called ‘Biche.’

It was the most popular place among students back then. Despite being located in a back alley slightly away from the city center, students flocked there because of the affordable prices of coffee and other drinks.

Compared to other places, it was about 30% cheaper, so it was natural for students with tight wallets to gather there.

“Hehe!”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but let out a strange laugh as he arrived in front of the coffee shop.

Back then, it was his first blind date after graduating from high school, so he was incredibly excited.

But like everything else, there were many shortcomings because it was his first time. As a result, he only found significance in having gone on the blind date, and his relationship with his partner ended awkwardly.

-When I find myself ~ in times of trouble ~ Mother Mary comes to me ~~

As he opened the door to the coffee shop, The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ echoed. Back then, he was too nervous to even notice the music. But today, unlike then, the appealing voice of The Beatles resonated clearly in his ears.

“Over here!”

Kim Myung-woo, the class representative, raised his hand to greet Hyun-sung.

Hyun-sung also raised his hand to show his welcome and walked towards Kim Myung-woo. Perhaps because there was still time, none of the female students were visible.

Anyway, the female students would be about 10 minutes late. Back then, it was taken for granted, so no one cared.

Hyun-sung sat down and said,

“Did you come early?”

“No, I came 10 minutes ago too. But does this outfit look okay?”

Kim Myung-woo smoothed out his clothes as he asked.

It was obvious at a glance that he had bought new clothes for the blind date. It might seem a bit childish, but Hyun-sung smiled because it was like seeing his pure self from the past again.

“It looks good, very good. It suits you well.”

“Really? I’m glad then. I was worried it might not suit me… Hehe.”

It was the moment when a smile bloomed on Kim Myung-woo’s face.

At that moment, the door opened and three male students entered. They were his classmates. Kim Myung-woo raised his hand again to greet them.

They, too, were enjoying the excitement of the blind date, even applying mousse to their hair.

One of them looked at Kim Myung-woo and asked,

“What about the German language students?”

“Not yet, they’ll be here soon. There are still 5 minutes before 12.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be good to come too early. By the way, are they pretty?”

“I don’t know yet either. But one person is definitely pretty.”

“One person? Who is it?”

“Lee Hye-sun, the head of the German language department. She’s tall and has a great body. Especially here…”

Kim Myung-woo tapped his chest and chuckled shyly. Then the other guys started giggling.

Pfft.

Hyun-sung, who was watching them, couldn’t help but laugh. The last time he had seen these guys in his previous life was at a friend’s father’s funeral. That was probably when he was 48 years old. Comparing that appearance with their current 모습 [appearance], he couldn’t help but laugh.

Shortly after.

The female students from the German language department appeared exactly 10 minutes after 12.

“Sorry, we’re a little late, right?”

Lee Hye-sun, the head of the German language department, said as she sat down. But everyone knew that her words were just a formality. But still, it was a situation where they couldn’t just stay silent.

As in his previous life, Kim Myung-woo, the class representative, stepped up.

“No, we just arrived a little while ago too. And how does it matter if you’re a little late when you’re this beautiful?”

“Haha, still…”

While the two were exchanging formal greetings, Hyun-sung’s gaze was elsewhere. It was Lee Eun-ji, his partner from his previous life.

Back then, he was too shy to even speak properly and ended the blind date. As a result, he couldn’t even ask for an after-date, which was the most basic thing to do on a blind date, and it ended with today’s meeting. It was his pathetic self that he regretted over and over again.

“Now, let’s start with introductions. First, the male students…”

Kim Myung-woo, who had finished his formal conversation with Lee Hye-sun, stood up and began to lead the meeting. The self-introductions began first. It was all about revealing their names.

Hyun-sung, who was watching the scene, barely held back his laughter. It was like watching an 80s drama on TV. Back then, it was serious, but now that he was watching it, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Finally, it was Hyun-sung’s turn.

He stood up from his seat, held back his laughter, and greeted the other students in the same way.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Hyun-sung.”

“Kim Hyun-sung?”

It was when Hyun-sung finished his introduction and was about to sit down.

A voice asking his name came from a female student sitting across from him. It was Lee Hye-sun, the head of the German language department.

‘Hmm?’

Hyun-sung was curious. In his previous life, the female students’ self-introductions followed immediately after his introduction. Back then, there was no such reaction from Lee Hye-sun as there was now.

The current situation, which was unfolding differently from his previous life, was subtly exciting.

Hyun-sung tilted his head and asked immediately.

“Why?”

“By any chance… are you the top student?”

“Pardon?”

Hyun-sung was startled. He never expected the word ‘top student’ to come out of Lee Hye-sun’s mouth.

But Lee Hye-sun’s question didn’t end there. This time, she even pointed at Hyun-sung with her finger and asked again.

“You’re Kang Sang-dae’s overall top student, right?”

“Pardon? No. You have the wrong person.”

Hyun-sung hesitated for a moment, but answered with a lie. He felt burdened to reveal that fact even in this kind of setting.

But that was just Hyun-sung’s thought alone.

“He’s the top student. The overall top student! Our department’s pride.”

Kim Myung-woo stood up from his seat and said proudly.

Then Hyun-sung frowned as he looked at Kim Myung-woo, but it was already water under the bridge.

At that moment, Lee Hye-sun smiled slightly and continued.

“Oh my! What is it? Why are you lying about that?”

“Ah, that’s…”

“Why did you do that?”

“It’s a bit… uncomfortable and burdensome. I didn’t want to reveal it even in this kind of setting…”

It was his honest feeling. It wasn’t any other place, but a blind date. He didn’t want to reveal that he was the overall top student even in this kind of setting.

Until this point, Hyun-sung didn’t know why Lee Hye-sun was reacting so sensitively to the title of overall top student. But he found out later. Why Lee Hye-sun remembered the name Kim Hyun-sung. It was because Lee Hye-sun was the second highest.

“I’m Lee Hye-sun. Nice to meet you, Mr. Kim Hyun-sung!”

Lee Hye-sun reached out her hand for a handshake.

It was her confident action as much as her beauty.

It was a completely different situation from his previous life.

As a result, Hyun-sung was embarrassed. It was also a bit sorry to the other friends that the two of them were shaking hands before everyone had even finished greeting each other.

But he couldn’t just ignore the outstretched hand.

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

Hyun-sung had no choice but to take Lee Hye-sun’s hand.

But then, absurd words came out of Lee Hye-sun’s mouth.

“Haha, you’re accepting it? I thought you wouldn’t.”

“Pardon?”

“I thought you were a nerd.”

“A nerd?”

“Yes, a nerd who only studies, I’m glad you’re not.”

Hyun-sung was dumbfounded. The intention for the handshake was not for a simple greeting, but for the purpose of testing someone even at that moment.

And there was something he was curious about. It was the meaning of the word ‘glad’ that she said. He couldn’t help but wonder why she said that.

Just as Hyun-sung was about to ask again.

Kim Myung-woo stood up from his seat and said.

“Okay… let’s end the two of your greetings there, and if you have any more questions, please meet up personally later to confirm them. Now, please introduce yourself again, starting with the person next to Hye-sun.”

As soon as Kim Myung-woo finished speaking, the female students’ self-introductions continued again.

When Lee Eun-ji’s self-introduction ended, Kim Myung-woo stood up again.

“Now, the male students close your eyes, and the female students take out one of your belongings.”

It was a so-called partner selection.

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh as he thought about it. It was as if he had entered an 80s drama, and a funny scene was being played out.

Shortly after.

Lipstick, hand mirrors, and five other items were placed in the center of the table.

Kim Myung-woo continued.

“The female students close your eyes, and the male students each choose one of the items on the table.”

Swish.

As soon as Kim Myung-woo finished speaking, the five male students reached out and grabbed one of the female students’ belongings.

Hyun-sung’s choice was a small hand mirror.

Of course, Hyun-sung already knew whose it was. It was Lee Eun-ji’s. In his previous life, Hyun-sung had also chosen the hand mirror.

Kim Myung-woo’s words continued again.

“Now that the partners have been decided, what should we do for lunch?”

“Let’s do our own thing.”

It was Hyun-sung’s answer.

In his previous life, they had just moved their seats and all 10 of them had moved together. Because the atmosphere was awkward, no one spoke first.

But the place they went to was a Western-style restaurant. That was also popular back then. But the problem was that moving with 10 people at once was inconvenient in many ways.

Even now, he couldn’t understand why they did that back then.

Of course, everyone regretted that decision later. But it was already long after.

He couldn’t make the same regret again.

“Then shall we do that?”

Kim Myung-woo immediately accepted Hyun-sung’s words, and everyone nodded as if they liked it. But no one took the next action. Everyone was still inexperienced, so they didn’t know what to do.

Hyun-sung smiled at those friends.

Then he immediately approached Lee Eun-ji.

“Eun-ji, let’s go out first.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

Hyun-sung took the awkward Lee Eun-ji out of the coffee shop. No, it was the moment he was about to come out.

“I’ll contact you later.”

Before he knew it, the honorifics were gone.

Hyun-sung wondered for a moment. When he turned around, Lee Hye-sun was smiling at him.

Smiling brightly.

As expected, her boldness was the strongest.

“…….”

Hyun-sung couldn’t say anything for a moment because it was a situation he had never expected.

It was then.

Lee Eun-ji, who was following behind Hyun-sung, changed direction and looked at Lee Hye-sun and said.

“Hye-sun, this isn’t right, is it?”

“What?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“So what is it?”

“Are you really going to do this?”

Lee Eun-ji’s voice became sharper than before.

The atmosphere was strangely 돌아갔다 [turned]. It was difficult for both of them, but it was also difficult for Hyun-sung.

At that moment, Lee Eun-ji looked at Hyun-sung.

“Hyun-sung, you choose.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m telling you to choose yourself. Is it me? Or is it Hye-sun here?”

“…….”

Hyun-sung couldn’t say anything and looked at Lee Eun-ji.

Choose?

No matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t something to say on the first day of a blind date. It wasn’t even a 막장 [melodramatic] drama.

But the problem was that the absurd situation was happening right in front of his eyes. And the most important thing was that he had to make that choice.

Hyun-sung looked at the two of them alternately.

Looking at the eyes of the two people facing each other, he was dumbfounded.

Hyun-sung realized it instantly.

Pride.

It was a matter of pride. It was a battle of pride between two women, Lee Eun-ji and Lee Hye-sun.

He couldn’t understand why this situation was happening, but that wasn’t important. The important thing was that he was the one who was going to end this absurd situation.

Solomon’s choice?

There was no such thing. The moment he chose one person, the other person would be completely crushed.

“You’re telling me to decide?”

Hyun-sung asked the two of them for the last time.

Then the two nodded at the same time as if they had made a promise. The expressions of the two were already quite determined as if they were prepared.

Grab.

Hyun-sung took the hand of Lee Eun-ji next to him.

“Eun-ji, let’s go!”

Hyun-sung called Lee Eun-ji in a friendly voice. He deliberately removed the honorifics [formal language]. Since he was going to raise his hand, he wanted to raise it properly.

Then Lee Eun-ji smiled at Lee Hye-sun.

Then she said.

“Okay! Hyun-sung!”

The two left the store.

Shortly after.

“That guy, he’s cute.”

Lee Hye-sun chuckled and muttered as she looked at the door where the two had disappeared.