Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 406

The next day.

“Oof!”

Hyunsung opened his eyes and jumped out of bed. In his past life, he had drunk so much the night before that he couldn’t eat breakfast and suffered until lunchtime at the training camp.

But he wasn’t about to repeat that mistake, so Hyunsung woke up early.

After a quick wash, Hyunsung left the inn and went to a nearby restaurant. Despite it being morning, the restaurant was already crowded.

Most of the patrons seemed to be recruits and their families.

“Why aren’t you eating?” a woman who looked like a mother said to a young man with short hair, her expression full of pity. The young man barely managed to lift his spoon.

It was as if it was the last meal he would eat in this world; his spoon felt so heavy….

Hyunsung smiled wryly at the sight.

*Well, it would be stranger if they were enjoying their food*, he thought.

Hyunsung found an empty seat and sat down.

“Beef and rice soup, please.”

After a short wait, the soup was served.

The woman placed the soup and kimchi on the table, asking with a concerned expression, “Did you come alone?”

“Yes? Ah, yes….”

Most people came with family, friends, or significant others, so Hyunsung’s solitary appearance seemed a bit forlorn.

Even though he had insisted that his mother and father not come with him. Once was enough. He knew how they felt, making the long trip only to return home after seeing him off in his past life.

He later heard that his mother cried so much that day that her swollen eyelids didn’t return to normal for a week.

He didn’t want to put her through that pain again.

Clatter.

As he neatly emptied the bowl, the woman who had been watching him approached again.

“Would you like another bowl?”

He must have looked quite pitiful eating. While other people couldn’t even finish half a bowl, he had come alone and finished a whole bowl, so she must have felt sorry for him.

Hyunsung politely declined, not forgetting to thank her. He understood the heart of a mother with children, so he was sincerely grateful for her kindness.

Hyunsung was walking for a while after leaving the restaurant when he chuckled.

A smile momentarily spread across his face. The reason was that a familiar face was coming out of another restaurant.

Kim Dongsoo.

A military buddy from his past life. A training camp buddy, a unit buddy, and they were even discharged on the same day. That Kim Dongsoo was coming out of the restaurant.

It was thanks to his father that he was able to sell wild ginseng at a high price after his regression [return to the past]. Moreover, his father was in charge of distributing the spicy chili powder used in the ramen shop, so the business had been thriving ever since.

Of course, he expected to meet him today anyway, but he hadn’t expected to meet him so soon.

“Hey, Kim Dongsoo!”

Kim Dongsoo was surprised by Hyunsung’s voice. The only person he knew here was his father, who had come with him. But he heard someone calling his name.

“Huh? You’re…?”

“How have you been?”

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Kim Dongsoo was momentarily dumbfounded. He had met Hyunsung three years ago, near the end of summer vacation in his second year of high school, when he came to the herbal medicine shop run by his father.

The strange thing was that he called his name as soon as he saw him. He said his father had told him, but he later confirmed that his father had never told him his name.

It was a bit spooky, but there was no way to confirm it, so he had to let it go. But what was really absurd were his last words. The last thing he said when they parted was, ‘See you in the army later.’

And now he was really standing in front of him.

That’s when it happened.

Kim Jinyong, Kim Dongsoo’s father, who had finished paying and came out, looked at Hyunsung and opened his mouth in surprise.

“Who is this?”

“Father, have you been well?”

“Are you enlisting today too?”

“Yes, that’s right. You came with Dongsoo, Father?”

“He’s my only son, of course, I had to come. Anyway, what’s going on? You told our Dongsoo to see you in the army when you parted last time, but how could this happen?”

Kim Jinyong looked at Hyunsung with a dumbfounded expression.

Why wouldn’t he be? The first person he met told him to see him in the army later, and that actually happened three years later.

“I have a special talent: dreaming. So, what happened was….”

Hyunsung had no choice but to sell his dream [claim to have prophetic dreams]. Of course, it was a ridiculous story, but he had no choice but to explain it that way.

When Hyunsung’s explanation was over, Kim Jinyong immediately asked.

“Heh, you expect me to believe that?”

“Father, I’m the one who’s amazed. But what can I do? It’s proven like this. Sometimes I’m scared of myself.”

“I don’t know what to say….”

Kim Jinyong was speechless. It was definitely a ridiculous story, but the problem was that the ridiculous thing actually happened.

Kim Dongsoo was also speechless. It definitely didn’t make sense, but the important thing was that Hyunsung was with him here now.

“How’s your health?”

“As you can see, I’m still fine. Anyway, have you eaten?”

“Yes, I just finished eating a little while ago.”

“Maybe….”

Kim Jinyong looked at Hyunsung, hesitating to say something.

Then Hyunsung immediately said, “Tell me. What is it…?”

“It’s absurd to ask this, but maybe… are you going to the same unit as our Dongsoo?”

Kim Jinyong felt absurd even as he asked the question. But he was worried about his son, whom he had late in life, so he had no choice but to ask, even though he knew it didn’t make sense.

He was desperate to grasp at straws.

But then Hyunsung said something strange.

“Yes, we’ll train together and go to the same unit. Of course, we’ll be discharged together too. So don’t worry and stay comfortable.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes, I already dreamed about it….”

“Stop it!”

Kim Dongsoo, who was listening to Hyunsung, couldn’t stand it anymore and interrupted him. But unlike Kim Dongsoo, Kim Jinyong’s eyes were shining.

“Really?”

“Yes, so don’t worry about anything. It’s better to know each other than to be with strangers, so you can rely on each other.”

Hyunsung knew exactly what Kim Jinyong was worried about, so he gave him the answer he wanted. A father’s heart for his child, especially one he had late in life, would be even more desperate. Moreover, since there was no mother, his concern would be even greater.

“Hey, it’s almost time. Let’s go quickly.”

Hyunsung urged Kim Dongsoo. At that moment, Kim Dongsoo’s expression suddenly darkened. He seemed to be nervous without realizing it, thinking that he would finally have to enter the training camp.

Hyunsung took the lead, and Kim Dongsoo and Kim Jinyong began to follow him. Kim Dongsoo had a terrified expression, like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse.

[The country calls you!]

As they arrived at the main gate of the training camp, a large sign greeted the three of them. Kim Dongsoo’s expression darkened even more as he looked at the sign.

He seemed to realize it properly now.

That’s when it happened.

“Recruits, go to the parade ground, and fathers, go to the stairs in front of the parade ground.”

“Yes!”

As soon as the soldier in charge of the information desk at the main gate finished speaking, Kim Dongsoo answered in a loud voice. Hyunsung chuckled at the sight.

It was an automatic response, knowing that the active-duty soldiers here had nothing to do with them yet.

“Dongsoo, train hard and see you at the completion ceremony.”

“… Yes, Dad.”

“Hyunsung, stay safe, and please take care of our Dongsoo. This guy is big, but….”

Kim Jinyong’s eyes wavered. His expression, which had been calm until just now, seemed anxious as he thought about having to part ways now.

How could it be just Kim Jinyong?

All the fathers in the world would have the same heart.

About 20 meters after parting with Kim Jinyong.

Kim Dongsoo, who was following behind, called Hyunsung in a slightly trembling voice.

“Hyunsung….”

“Huh? Why?”

“Is that real?”

“What?”

“What you said about training together and going to the same unit?”

His eyes were wavering as he spoke, probably because he felt scared now that he thought he was alone.

Tap tap.

Hyunsung lightly tapped Kim Dongsoo’s shoulder and continued.

“Yeah, you idiot. Just trust me. We’ll be together until we get discharged anyway.”

“Oh…, but… aren’t you nervous?”

“Oh, not at all.”

“Not at all?”

“Yeah, Dongsoo, shall I tell you an interesting story?”

“Huh? Now?”

“Yeah, actually, this is my second time. Hehe….”

Hyunsung laughed as he finished speaking. Then Kim Dongsoo tilted his head and tried to ask more, but he couldn’t. That’s because the microphone sound was heard right then.

“From now on, October 5, 1989….”

The enlistment ceremony began. The enlistment ceremony wasn’t anything special. Since everyone wasn’t training here anyway, it was a 2-night, 3-day waiting process, so the enlistment ceremony ended simply.

The last was the highlight of the enlistment ceremony: a greeting to the families, friends, and loved ones in front.

“Everyone, attention! Salute to your parents and families in front!”

“Chung! Sung!” [Military salute]

As the last one, the salute seemed to fill the wide parade ground and more.

After a while.

The atmosphere of the parade ground, from which the families had left, was completely different from before. Suddenly, instructors in red tops and red hats began to appear.

“….”

The parade ground was as quiet as a mouse, as if no one was even breathing.

Then the microphone sound began to be heard again.

“Now, I’m going to call out the numbers and names, so those who are called must repeat the number and name and come out to the left and stand in order. Do you understand?”

“Yes~”

“Is that all the sound you can make? Forward, lie down!”

The volume didn’t matter anyway. No matter how loudly you answered, it was a process that had to be gone through because it was already in the script.

*You bastards*, Hyunsung thought. He had even completed civil defense training [mandatory reserve forces training for adult men].

But he was about to do this again in front of young guys, so he was about to have his blood run backward. But what could he do? This was the army.

Eventually, after a few forward and backward lying down exercises, the instructor’s voice was heard again through the microphone.

“Now, you are no longer civilians. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes!”

Anyway, it was definitely effective.

But what was funny was what came next.

“Now, shake off the dust on the clothes of the person in front of you as if sucking it up with a vacuum cleaner without leaving any dust. If even one piece of dust comes out, you will blow all the dust on the parade ground with your mouth together with the instructor today….”

*Go to hell*, Hyunsung thought.

It was the same process he had suffered in his past life.

It was amazing how they said the same words without even changing a single one.

But what’s funny is the reason for shaking off the dust. In a little while, you will be changing from the civilian clothes you wore to military uniforms, and the civilian clothes will be sent to your parents at home.

The outer garment is basic, and even underwear, socks, and shoes must be sent home without exception.

So, what would happen if there was dirt on the clothes at that time? The only reason for shaking off the dust was that.

“Now, I’m going to call out the numbers and names again. Those who are called….”

The instructor started calling out the numbers and names again, and the recruits started shouting out the numbers and names in a loud voice and running out.

Finally, it was Hyunsung’s turn.

“Number 82, Kim Hyunsung.”

“Number 82, Kim Hyunsung!”

What could he do? It was the path he had chosen again. Since he was going to do it anyway, he was going to do it properly.

It was the first time for others, but it was Hyunsung’s second time anyway. That meant he was that much more advantageous.

Moreover, his specialty was 610, a driver. In his past life, he barely got his license and went in, so he was beaten a lot because he had to learn to drive from the beginning even in the unit, but now he would never have to do that.

It wasn’t just a day or two; he had been driving for over 30 years.

And to add one more thing, he was also good at shooting.

Hyunsung had even gone out as a representative of the battalion in his past life and won in the brigade [military unit].

In the military, if you are good at driving, which is your specialty, and good at shooting, you have already succeeded 90% of the time.

Was that why?

Hyunsung’s voice was heard particularly loudly when he answered.

“Number 83, Kim Dongsoo!”

Next was Kim Dongsoo. Kim Dongsoo shouted loudly and stood behind Hyunsung.

Poke.

He poked Hyunsung’s side lightly. He seemed a little relieved that he was standing in the same line.

Hyunsung whispered to Kim Dongsoo.

“Hey, let’s do it properly since we’re doing it anyway.”