Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 37

I felt like I was going to suffocate waiting 15 years like this. When I first regressed, I was too out of it to notice, but lately, I keep thinking about it.

What would it feel like?

Of course, Yoon Ji-soo wouldn’t recognize me.

I wonder if she would even meet me, considering how young I am.

While I was lost in my thoughts, the car seemed to have arrived at its destination.

The car arrived at a Korean BBQ restaurant called ‘Songjeong,’ the largest in the town.

As we entered, a female employee dressed neatly in modernized Hanbok [traditional Korean dress] greeted us.

“This way, please.”

The employee led us a few steps ahead.

After we sat down, the employee looked at Park Hee-chul and smiled slightly.

“Your grandson looks so handsome, probably because he resembles the Chairman.”

“Grandson?”

“Yes, he looks like someone from Seoul.”

Someone from Seoul?

There was no need to explain the meaning; it was undoubtedly the highest compliment. Back then, the countryside had that much admiration for Seoul.

Hyeon-seong glanced at the employee.

The employee was smiling brightly, more than fulfilling her duty.

“Haha, our miss here has a great eye. Do we really look that alike?”

Park Hee-chul was thrilled.

His mouth was practically stretched to his ears.

I wanted to say something, but the atmosphere wasn’t right.

The employee spoke again.

“Of course! You look exactly alike.”

“Haha, hahaha… You should always listen to women. I would have been so upset if I hadn’t come to eat meat today.”

Park Hee-chul’s laughter was particularly loud. It was a relief we were in a private room; otherwise, it would have been embarrassing for others to see.

At that moment, a man in his 50s came in and bowed respectfully to Park Hee-chul.

“Chairman, you’ve arrived?”

“Oh, Mr. Yoon. Is business still good?”

“Yes, thanks to you, Chairman. But do you have something good going on today? Your laughter is very hearty.”

“Something good…? Yes, I do. I’m in the best mood today. Oh, bring the best cut of sirloin for my grandson here.”

Park Hee-chul was now even changing Hyeon-seong’s surname.

As Mr. Yoon and the employee left, a strange atmosphere settled in the room.

After a moment.

Hyeon-seong asked first.

“What is this about?”

“As you can see.”

“Does that mean you can just change someone else’s surname like that?”

“Just let it go today. If I hadn’t…”

Park Hee-chul stopped mid-sentence.

Hyeon-seong looked at Park Hee-chul and didn’t say anything more. The behavior of Park Hee-chul’s children after his death in the previous life was enough to guess the family dynamics.

They were fighting over the inheritance even before the three-day funeral was over.

After a moment of thought, Park Hee-chul handed a document envelope to Hyeon-seong.

“Actually, this is why I wanted to see you today.”

“What is this?”

“Open it.”

“Could this be…”

Hyeon-seong suddenly remembered what Park Hee-chul had said in the morning. It was about transferring the land he had seen in the morning. He said he would expedite it as much as possible.

But Hyeon-seong had just listened and let it go.

He never dreamed that he would actually give him the land. He thought it was just words spoken in a moment of emotion. But judging from Park Hee-chul’s current demeanor, that wasn’t the case.

He slowly pulled the document out of the envelope.

I couldn’t believe it….

The document looked exactly like the land document his father had shown him earlier. Only the contents were different. It was none other than the title page, Section A, and Section B of the real estate register for the land and building.

Hyeon-seong looked at Park Hee-chul.

“Uncle!”

“All the tax issues are settled, so you just have to accept it.”

“…….”

Of course, Hyeon-seong had nothing to say.

Then Park Hee-chul continued.

“As I said this morning, it may not be of much help right now. But it’s the land I wanted to protect until the end. I know its value.”

“…….”

“I predict that it will definitely turn around within 10 years at the latest. If you wait, something good will definitely happen. Land never betrays you.”

10 years?

To be exact, it was the site where the restaurant construction began two years later, right after the 1988 Olympics. And six months later, a large Korean BBQ restaurant would be built there.

And a year later, the national highway would be expanded and paved with asphalt.

Right now, it’s located in the middle of a mountain, so it probably wouldn’t even go for 2,000 won per square meter. But three years after the road construction is completed, it will be at least 20 times more valuable than it is now, or even more.

Park Hee-chul spoke again.

“It was my last dream, but now I’m passing it on to you. This is it for me.”

“…….”

“Whether you sell the land later or do something with it, it’s up to you from now on.”

“…….”

Hyeon-seong still didn’t say anything.

What was going on?

I didn’t even believe it when he suddenly said he would give me the land. But he actually transferred the ownership and brought the document.

I couldn’t help but be conflicted.

It was on a different level from the brief 고민 [worry/trouble] I had this morning.

The difference between having the document in front of you and not having it wasn’t just a piece of paper. The weight of it was indescribable.

After thinking for a moment, Hyeon-seong looked at Park Hee-chul.

“Please give me time to think.”

With those words, Hyeon-seong handed the envelope back to Park Hee-chul.

I had thought about it briefly, but Hyeon-seong didn’t think he could just accept it without any thought like this.

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t greedy.

But at least as Hyeon-seong, who had lived another life, I couldn’t just act on that greed.

As Hyeon-seong handed the envelope back, Park Hee-chul’s expression changed strangely.

‘What is this….’

I didn’t say anything when I saw him 고민 [worrying] this morning, but I felt good. At least he’s not thoughtless. That’s why I wanted to transfer the ownership as soon as possible.

He’s hesitating even though I’m giving it to him.

That’s why I trusted him even more.

But he’s still 고민 [hesitating] even while looking at the document in his name?

What’s the reason?

No matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand.

‘Is it not something I can handle?’

Park Hee-chul nodded, looking at Hyeon-seong.

“Okay, let me know when you decide.”

“I will.”

They were both deep in thought.

Then the meat they had ordered came out.

Hyeon-seong wasn’t the type to ruin the atmosphere because of 고민 [worries] while having food. When you think about it, that 고민 [worry] was also a happy 고민 [worry].

As soon as Hyeon-seong saw the meat, he exclaimed.

“Wow! This is amazing.”

It was the marbled sirloin I had only heard about. The marbling was so well done, with the fat deposits resembling flowers, that I couldn’t help but be amazed.

As Hyeon-seong showed his delight, Park Hee-chul asked.

“Do you like meat?”

“Why are you asking such a rude question out of the blue?”

“Haha…, rude? Anyway, the more I see you, the more you’re a subject of research.”

At that moment, the employee who was grilling the meat next to them asked Park Hee-chul.

“Chairman, didn’t you say he was your grandson earlier?”

“I did. Why?”

“Well, I was wondering why you’re calling your grandson ‘you’….”

“That, that’s….”

I guess not just anyone can lie. Park Hee-chul was just picking up and putting down the innocent chopsticks.

Hyeon-seong, who was watching him, said to the employee.

“My grandfather sometimes calls me that.”

“Yes?”

“He even calls me ‘mister’ sometimes, you know…. Right, mister?”

Pfft, Hahahaha….

After hesitating for a moment, Park Hee-chul started laughing so heartily that all his teeth were visible. Hyeon-seong, who was watching him, couldn’t help but burst into laughter as well.

Only the female employee was tilting her head, not knowing why.

***

Park Hee-chul arrived home.

In front of him was a yellow document envelope. It was the land document he had handed to Hyeon-seong at the restaurant.

Contrary to expectations, the direction keeps going wrong.

That means I’m misjudging something. Of course, the 기준 [standard/basis] for that judgment comes from the life I’ve lived.

“Hmm…….”

Where did it go wrong….

Park Hee-chul stroked his chin. It’s his habit when he has a lot of thoughts.

How much time has passed?

Beep beep.

Clunk.

He pressed the number to open the safe. It’s old, so it makes a sound whenever it’s opened or closed.

Inside the safe, there were piles of black ledgers.

Park Hee-chul started taking out the ledgers one by one. There were so many that even he was surprised.

Well, it’s been 30 years, so it’s understandable.

Thud thud.

As he took them out one by one and stacked them up, they filled one side of the wall. They were mostly yellowed from the passage of time.

I wondered why I had kept these so preciously all this time.

Park Hee-chul picked up one of the ledgers.

When he opened the ledger, the smell of moldy paper stimulated his nose. Today, the smell seemed particularly strong.

Maybe it wasn’t the smell of mold, but the stench of rot coming from his past life.

As he uncovered the layers of time, the evil spirits of the past came to life one by one and began to stir up the room.

Numerous past days flashed through his mind.

Park Hee-chul closed his eyes.

After a while.

Park Hee-chul slowly opened his eyes. Then he 벌떡 일어났다 [jumped up] from his seat.

“Let’s 정리 [organize/settle] now.”

He began to gather the piles of ledgers stacked on one side of the wall. After gathering the ledgers, Park Hee-chul pushed the door connecting the main room to the kitchen.

He moved the ledgers to the kitchen several times.

Boom!

He tore up the ledgers without hesitation and threw them into the stove. Then he lit a match. The flames began to rise so quickly that the kitchen became bright.

It’s been 60 years.

Park Hee-chul is now 정리 [settling] the past.

And next year is his 환갑(還甲) [60th birthday], the 환갑 [60th birthday] that returns to the ‘갑’ of 육십갑자(六十甲子) [sexagenary cycle]. It’s a new beginning after completing a cycle.

“A destiny that should have gone to 황천 [the afterlife] is starting again…….”

Park Hee-chul came into the room.

With the piles of ledgers removed from one side of the wall, the room looked much larger.

And the empty safe came into view.

피식 [smirk].

Looking at the safe with nothing left, just like the life he had lived, a strange smile began to spread on Park Hee-chul’s face.

“I will never fill this safe again.”

Park Hee-chul closed the safe door.

쿵! [thud]

When he looked at the clock, it was just past 4 a.m.

At that time.

Another person couldn’t sleep, Hyeon-seong.

He was getting 오기 [stubborn/determined].

Because of math.

It was the subject he was most confident in. But no matter how much he looked at it, the lost memories didn’t come back.

Some guys even remembered the bar exam questions and stock charts, but for some reason, I couldn’t even remember the quadratic formula, which was driving me crazy.

But I’ve never seen anyone who only complains succeed.

If you don’t have teeth, you have to live with your gums. Hyeon-seong, who had lived a lifetime, wasn’t going to sit down at that level.

The good thing about getting older was that you knew how to go back when you were blocked.

The method Hyeon-seong found was simple.

Instead of struggling with a useless 10th grade math book, he went backwards.

He went down to the 9th grade level.

But that wasn’t much different either.

Again, middle school 3rd grade…….

After struggling all night, the last math reference book he opened was for the 7th grade. Fortunately, he had kept it under his bed without throwing it away.

“Let’s see who wins.”

He should have been tired from staying up all night, but there was no sign of that in Hyeon-seong’s eyes.

Ting-ting…….

The grandfather clock hanging on the wall of the living room chimed.

It’s 5 a.m.

The bedroom door opened and his father came out to the living room.

“This guy…….”

His father headed towards Hyeon-seong’s room to turn off the light because it was on.

Then he carefully slid the sliding door open. He was careful in case Hyeon-seong woke up.

‘Hmm?’

The father who opened the door was surprised.

He quickly closed the door again.

He thought he would be sleeping, but he was surprised to see Hyeon-seong 집중 [focused] on studying so much that he didn’t even know he had opened the door.

The father quietly went into the kitchen.