Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 422

“Haha, I’m not a sergeant anymore, I’m a reservist now. Father, please sit down. Let me offer my greetings first.”

“Haha, I understand. Of course, I should receive your greetings now that our Hyun-sung has been discharged.”

Park Hee-chul smiled, looking pleased, and sat down.

Bowing deeply!

Hyun-sung immediately performed a deep bow. These days, deep bowing isn’t as common, but back then, it was a very natural gesture to show respect to parents or elders in the village.

“Let me hold your hand.”

As Hyun-sung stood up after bowing, Park Hee-chul reached out his hand. Hyun-sung immediately knelt before Park Hee-chul and took his hand.

Tap tap!

Park Hee-chul patted Hyun-sung’s hand and continued speaking.

“I’m so grateful that you’ve returned safely. It must have been tough for you.”

“Not at all. It was manageable. And besides, I was a driver……”

Hyun-sung continued his explanation.

Indeed, this being his second time in the military, he had many advantages compared to his first. The biggest advantage was his driving experience. In his previous service, he got his first driving assignment after three months, but this time, he got his first assignment in just ten days.

There were other things as well, but he couldn’t explain everything. Hyun-sung concluded his military service story by mentioning a few things that mainly involved being a driver.

As Hyun-sung finished his explanation, Park Hee-chul nodded and continued.

“Well, a good driver is invaluable. Anyway, thank you for your hard work and for returning safely.”

“I’m grateful too. I didn’t realize you were so worried, Father. But where did Hyung-nim [older brother] Bum-soo go?”

Hyun-sung looked around the house and asked. He naturally assumed Bum-soo would be home, but he hadn’t seen him since earlier.

Park Hee-chul smiled and said,

“He went to the store.”

“Yes? The store? Are you talking about the ramen shop?”

“That’s right.”

“Is that for real?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head.

This was completely unexpected. Even when he came out on his final leave last month, Park Hee-chul’s main concern was the relationship between Park Bum-soo and Shin Myung-soon.

Of course, he had expected some improvement, but Park Bum-soo had been in Korea for over three years, and his relationship with Shin Myung-soon was still awkward.

But now, just a month later, Park Bum-soo was said to be working at the ramen shop run by his stepmother, Shin Myung-soon, so Hyun-sung couldn’t help but be puzzled.

Park Hee-chul continued,

“Actually, last night……”

Park Hee-chul began to explain what had happened the previous evening.

It started with kimchi pancakes. He had made kimchi pancakes with makgeolli [Korean rice wine] during the day, and Park Bum-soo had even made some for Shin Myung-soon.

When Shin Myung-soon came home from work in the evening, Park Bum-soo warmed up the kimchi pancakes he had made during the day and gave them to her with makgeolli. That led to the two of them starting to drink makgeolli, and naturally, their conversation went on for a long time.

They talked for several hours, completely resolving their awkward relationship. And then, this morning, the two of them went to the store together.

As Hyun-sung listened to Park Hee-chul’s story, a smile spread across his face. In fact, when he first heard that Park Bum-soo was coming to Korea, the most worrying part was his relationship with Shin Myung-soon.

Park Bum-soo had opposed Park Hee-chul’s remarriage from the beginning. So, naturally, he couldn’t have had good feelings about Shin Myung-soon. That’s why Hyun-sung was naturally worried.

Park Hee-chul finished his explanation and asked Hyun-sung,

“Do you know what I like the most?”

“Yes? I don’t know.”

“Bum-soo dropped the ‘step’ from ‘stepmother.’”

“The ‘step’? What do you mean? Dropped the ‘step’……”

Hyun-sung tilted his head. He couldn’t understand what Park Hee-chul was talking about.

Park Hee-chul smiled and opened his mouth again.

“He calls her ‘Mother.’ Not ‘Stepmother,’ just ‘Mother.’ When he refers to our Myung-soon. Do you understand what I mean now?”

“Not ‘Stepmother,’ but ‘Mother’?”

“Yes, well, this guy told me yesterday that he would call her that from now on, and starting this morning, he actually did. The moment I heard that……”

Park Hee-chul couldn’t continue speaking, overwhelmed with emotion. After a brief pause, he opened his mouth again.

“Actually, I felt so sorry all this time.”

“To Mother?”

“Yes, how could I not? My own son wouldn’t acknowledge his own mother.”

“……”

Hyun-sung nodded slowly. It was only natural. It wasn’t just anyone, but his own son who didn’t acknowledge the remarried woman, so how would he have felt every time he saw her?

Park Hee-chul continued,

“Thank you.”

“Yes? What’s that suddenly……”

“You always told me, didn’t you? That time is the best medicine. Never rush things. Rushing things would only be poison.”

“Well, that’s true, but……”

That was right. From the beginning, that was what he had advised Park Hee-chul.

They weren’t children, and Park Bum-soo was thirty-five years old this year. He didn’t think that forcing him would create feelings that weren’t there. So, he had told him to wait. Otherwise, forcing him would only backfire, that was Hyun-sung’s judgment.

Park Hee-chul continued again.

“I’ll admit, I had desires too. But every time, I remembered what you said. If it had been someone else’s words, I would have ignored them, but I couldn’t ignore the words you had repeatedly emphasized. As you know, you are a special person to me.”

“……”

“Anyway, since the result is good like this, I have nothing more to ask for. It was worth waiting and listening to your words.”

Park Hee-chul patted Hyun-sung’s shoulder once more, as if to thank him.

Swish.

Hyun-sung checked the clock on the wall and immediately continued speaking.

“Father, shall we go out for a meal?”

“Eat?”

“Yes, it’s almost lunchtime, so I’ll treat you in honor of my discharge.”

“That’s……”

Hyun-sung tilted his head.

He naturally thought that Park Hee-chul would jump up from his seat saying, ‘Alright,’ but instead, Park Hee-chul was looking at the clock, as if he had something to say.

Hyun-sung immediately asked.

“Why? Is someone coming?”

“Bum-soo……”

“Hyung-nim Bum-soo? Didn’t you say he went to the ramen shop?”

“He said he would come at lunchtime. To have lunch with his father.”

“Ah, I see……”

Hyun-sung now understood why Park Hee-chul hadn’t gotten up from his seat and was looking at the clock. Park Hee-chul was waiting for his second son, Park Bum-soo.

Hyun-sung sat back down and continued speaking.

“Then let’s wait a little longer and go out with Hyung-nim Bum-soo.”

“Yes, let’s do that. And also, there’s one thing I need to tell you that our Bum-soo doesn’t know yet.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“That you are that person.”

“That person?”

“Ah, that’s, well……”

Park Hee-chul began to explain what he meant. What Park Hee-chul wanted to say was about Hyun-sung. He talked for a while, but the conclusion was that Park Bum-soo doesn’t know that the person who will evaluate him is Hyun-sung.

As Park Hee-chul finished speaking, Hyun-sung immediately asked.

“So, you didn’t tell Hyung-nim about me?”

“No, it’s not that I didn’t mention you at all, but rather that I didn’t tell him that you are the one who will evaluate Bum-soo.”

“Ah, I see. Now I understand what you mean.”

“I couldn’t not mention you. You were the one who emceed at my wedding, and moreover, the ramen shop that Myung-soon is running now is also yours.”

“So, you told him everything else, but you didn’t mention that I’m the one who will evaluate Hyung-nim Bum-soo?”

“That’s right. That’s what I mean.”

Park Hee-chul finally nodded.

But this was the first time Hyun-sung was hearing this. He had told Park Hee-chul in advance before going to the military, so he naturally assumed that he would have told Park Bum-soo as well.

But Park Hee-chul was now saying that he hadn’t told Park Bum-soo.

Of course, there must have been a reason for that as well.

Hyun-sung nodded. If Park Hee-chul had made that decision, he thought there must have been a good reason for it.

As Hyun-sung didn’t ask any further questions, Park Hee-chul immediately asked.

“Why aren’t you asking?”

“Yes? What are you talking about?”

“The reason. Why I didn’t tell Bum-soo that you are the one who will evaluate him.”

“Well, there must have been a good reason for it.”

“So, I’m asking why you’re not asking what that good reason is, right now I’m……”

Park Hee-chul stared at Hyun-sung and asked.

Then, Hyun-sung opened his mouth lightly, as if it were nothing.

“Because you’re Father.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“Because you made the decision. So, why would I ask the reason? Of course, you must have had a good reason for doing so. Isn’t that right?”

If it had been someone other than Park Hee-chul who had made that decision, he would have asked out of curiosity. But since it was Park Hee-chul, he didn’t think it was necessary to ask. That’s how much trust he had in Park Hee-chul.

As Hyun-sung finished speaking, Park Hee-chul looked at Hyun-sung for a moment and then chuckled. Then, he immediately continued speaking.

“So, what you’re saying now is that you trust me that much?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Obvious?”

“Yes, that’s how I feel. I also would have asked the reason if someone else had made that decision. But since you made that decision, Father, of course, there’s no need to ask.”

“Haha……”

Park Hee-chul smiled and looked at Hyun-sung.

Trust, no, it’s an action that can’t come out without absolute trust. To unconditionally believe and follow whatever decision the other person makes without even asking the reason, it’s not something anyone can do.

That’s how much Hyun-sung absolutely trusts Park Hee-chul right now.

To trust someone. To trust them absolutely without even a little bit of doubt.

Park Hee-chul knew better than anyone how difficult that was, having lived long enough.

Was that why?

The way he looked at Hyun-sung today seemed to be filled with affection.

It was then.

Sliding!

The front door opened, and someone came in. It was Park Bum-soo.

“Father!”

Park Bum-soo called out to Park Hee-chul in a cheerful voice. Then, he saw Hyun-sung next to him and greeted him happily.

“Oh? Hyun-sung, you’re here. I heard you were getting discharged, so you’re discharged now?”

The two of them knew each other well, having seen each other a few times whenever he came out on leave. So, Hyun-sung also gladly responded to Park Bum-soo’s words.

“Yes, Hyung-nim. I was discharged two days ago. I went to Gangneung yesterday because of school matters and came today to greet Father.”

“Oh, I see. Well, you’ll have to go back to school right away.”

“Ah, that’s…… Yes, that’s right, and I heard you went to the store today? How was it?”

Hyun-sung stopped talking about the issue of returning to school. If he brought up that topic, he would have to explain why he wasn’t returning to school in this situation, so he just asked a different question.

Park Bum-soo’s answer followed.

“It was good.”

“Yes? It was good?”

“Yeah, it was very good. I realized today for the first time that running a business is so much fun.”

“……”

Instead of answering, Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-chul. Because the answer that came out of Park Bum-soo’s mouth was completely unexpected.

Park Hee-chul also seemed surprised. He raised both hands, shrugged his shoulders, and looked puzzled.

As the two people’s eyes met briefly in the air, they both smiled at the same time, as if they had made a promise.

Then, Hyun-sung immediately looked at Park Bum-soo and opened his mouth.

“Hyung-nim, let’s talk about the details while we eat out. I was waiting because you said you would come in at lunchtime. Let’s go together.”

“Go out?”

“Yes, I’ll treat you both today in honor of my discharge.”

“That’s difficult……”

Park Bum-soo tilted his head with the word difficult, as if he was thinking about something. In his hand, he had been holding a black plastic bag since earlier.

Seeing that, Hyun-sung immediately asked.

“Hyung-nim, but what is that?”

“Pork.”

“Yes? Pork?”

“Yeah, pork shoulder. I asked for some with a good amount of fat. Mother said that kimchi stew needs a good amount of fat.”

Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-chul again. Then, Park Hee-chul shrugged his shoulders again, as if he didn’t know anything.

Then, Hyun-sung looked at Park Bum-soo and asked again.

“Did you just say kimchi stew?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to make it?”

“Yeah, I’m going to make kimchi stew and have lunch with Father.”

“So, that’s why you said it would be difficult when I asked you to go out earlier?”

Instead of answering, Park Bum-soo nodded. In Park Bum-soo’s hand, the black plastic bag was still being held.

After thinking for a moment, Hyun-sung immediately smiled and continued speaking.

“Okay, let’s eat lunch here today. Hyung-nim, can I ask you to make kimchi stew?”

Snap!

Park Bum-soo snapped his thumb and middle finger and said in a loud voice, as if he was confident.

“Of course, just wait a moment.”

With those words, Park Bum-soo immediately disappeared into the kitchen. Seeing that, Hyun-sung and Park Hee-chul began to smile at the same time, as if they had made a promise.

Park Bum-soo’s kimchi stew, I wonder what it will taste like…….

Clatter!

Park Bum-soo was busily moving around in the kitchen.