Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 423

Seated in the living room, Hyun-sung listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen, trying to guess what Park Beom-soo was doing. He wanted to offer help, but Park Beom-soo had politely refused, barring him from even entering.

Park Beom-soo’s reason was simple: it was his first time making Kimchi Stew, and he wanted to do it entirely on his own.

Hyun-sung couldn’t argue with that desire to experience the first attempt alone.

Sitting in the living room, Hyun-sung quietly asked Park Hee-cheol,

“Do you think it will be okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“The taste. I’m talking about the Kimchi Stew.”

Pfft.

At Hyun-sung’s question about the taste, Park Hee-cheol chuckled. Looking at Hyun-sung, he immediately countered,

“What do *you* think?”

“Well, since it’s his first time, I’m a little worried…”

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course, Kimchi Stew isn’t the most difficult dish, but it’s not something just anyone can whip up. Moreover, Beom-soo hyung [older brother/friend] is…”

“Hyun-sung-ah.”

Before Hyun-sung could finish, Park Hee-cheol cut him off. Shaking his head, he continued,

“I don’t care at all.”

“Pardon?”

“I said I don’t care. What does the taste matter right now? What’s important is that our Beom-soo bought pork for his father. And now he’s busily moving around, saying he’s going to make Kimchi Stew with that pork. That’s enough. Don’t you think?”

“…….”

Hyun-sung realized once again that people can’t truly understand another’s perspective unless they’ve been in a similar situation.

He finally understood what Park Hee-cheol meant by ‘I don’t care at all’.

Hyun-sung nodded and said,

“Haha… I forgot for a moment. Father, you’re right. What does the taste matter now? Just hearing him is enough.”

Clatter, clatter!

Loud noises continued to emanate from the kitchen.

How much time had passed?

Park Beom-soo’s voice called from the kitchen.

“Hyun-sung-ah, bring Father…”

Hyun-sung and Park Hee-cheol exchanged glances, nodded, and headed to the kitchen.

A moment later.

“Father, please try it.”

As soon as Park Hee-cheol sat down, Park Beom-soo held out a spoon. His expression was like a child who had prepared a dish and was eagerly awaiting feedback.

Slurp!

Park Hee-cheol quickly tasted the Kimchi Stew broth. Understanding Park Beom-soo’s feelings, he remained silent, knowing that this was the best way to show his support.

In that moment.

Gulp!

The most nervous person was undoubtedly Park Beom-soo. He swallowed hard, watching Park Hee-cheol intently.

“How is it?”

“…….”

Instead of answering, Park Hee-cheol tasted the broth again. A smile slowly spread across his face.

“Hmm… good.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s delicious. But how did you get this taste? Maybe…”

The reason Park Hee-cheol tasted it twice was because he recognized a familiar flavor in the Kimchi Stew – the exact taste of the Kimchi Stew his wife, Shin Myung-soon, always made.

Park Beom-soo scratched his head and said,

“I learned it from Mother.”

“From your mother?”

“Yes, after finishing up this morning…”

Park Beom-soo began to explain. As he spoke, Hyun-sung also tasted the Kimchi Stew.

‘What is this?’

The moment the broth touched his tongue, Hyun-sung tilted his head in surprise.

To be honest, he hadn’t expected much. He would have been happy if it wasn’t too salty or bland. But the taste was surprisingly good, comparable to Kimchi Stew from a restaurant. Perhaps it even had a depth of flavor that most restaurants couldn’t achieve.

By then, Park Beom-soo had finished his explanation, revealing that he had spent the entire morning learning how to make Kimchi Stew from Shin Myung-soon after finishing his morning errands.

Park Beom-soo turned to Hyun-sung and asked,

“How about you?”

“Hyung, it’s amazing. Did you really make this, hyung? And you said it’s your first time?”

“Is it really okay?”

“Yes, it’s really the best. Most restaurants couldn’t match this taste. Did you perhaps use rice water?”

“Huh? How did you know? Can you tell just by tasting the broth?”

Park Beom-soo looked at Hyun-sung in amazement.

Hyun-sung nodded and said,

“I happen to be a bit sensitive to taste. To get this deep flavor in Kimchi Stew, there’s nothing like rice water. And did you perhaps add salted shrimp?”

“Huh? How did you know that too?”

“Hyung, do you know the word ‘umami’?”

“Umami?”

Park Beom-soo tilted his head. Having lived in Japan for so long, he didn’t seem familiar with the term.

Hyun-sung rephrased,

“Then do you know the word ‘うま味’ [umami in Japanese]?”

“Umami? Oh, I know it.”

“Umami in Japanese is what we call ‘gamchilmat’ in Korean. It refers to the savory taste that makes food appealing. Salted shrimp and soy sauce are representative fermented foods that provide it.”

“Ah…”

Park Beom-soo nodded, as if he had learned something new.

Hyun-sung then noticed a memo on the table, titled ‘How to Make Kimchi Stew’.

Hyun-sung smiled and asked,

“Did you write this, hyung?”

“Huh? Yeah, I wrote it down because I didn’t think I’d be able to remember everything Mother taught me.”

Hyun-sung finally understood the secret to Park Beom-soo’s delicious Kimchi Stew. The memo contained the entire recipe, including the use of rice water, salted shrimp, and soy sauce.

Hyun-sung nodded and said,

“Hyung, you’re amazing. To create such a perfect taste just from this recipe.”

“I just did what Mother told me to do…”

Hyun-sung shook his head.

That wasn’t quite right.

If following a recipe was all it took to make good food, everyone would be a great cook. Of course, anyone *can* make it, but the important thing is the taste – how well you bring out the flavors.

And in that respect, this Kimchi Stew was exceptional.

Hyun-sung smiled at Park Beom-soo and said,

“Hyung, you have a special talent?”

“Special talent?”

“Yes, let’s talk more about that later. Let’s eat!”

As soon as Hyun-sung finished, Park Hee-cheol chimed in,

“That’s right, I didn’t even know our Beom-soo had this talent. Beom-soo, you worked hard. Let’s eat quickly. Like Hyun-sung said, we can talk about it later…”

A smile was already plastered across Park Hee-cheol’s face.

So the three of them began to eat lunch.

How much time had passed?

After finishing lunch, they sat in the living room, each with a cup of coffee.

Hyun-sung looked at Park Beom-soo and asked,

“Hyung, did you often cook in Japan too?”

“There are a lot of pre-made products there, so it’s not really cooking, mostly just heating things up. Of course, sometimes I’d cook something if I wanted to eat it, but almost never…”

Park Beom-soo shook his head. Hyun-sung asked again,

“What about after coming to Korea?”

“Not really… I hardly ever went into the kitchen. My stepmother… no, Mother did everything.”

Hyun-sung glanced at Park Hee-cheol to confirm the truth of Park Beom-soo’s words. Park Hee-cheol nodded, confirming that he was telling the truth.

Hyun-sung continued,

“So you’re saying today is the first time?”

“Of course, I’ve cooked ramen a few times, but today is the first time I’ve cooked stew. But why do you keep asking?”

“Because it’s important.”

“Important? What does that mean?”

“Ah, there’s a reason. I’ll tell you later. And I’m sorry, but I have one more question. Do you enjoy cooking?”

Hyun-sung’s gaze was fixed on Park Beom-soo, as the answer to this question was crucial for deciding what Park Beom-soo would do in the future.

Park Beom-soo answered,

“Well, I don’t know if I enjoy it, but I don’t dislike it. What should I say… I can concentrate well. But why is that important?”

“Ah, there’s a reason. As I said, I’ll explain it once it’s confirmed.”

“Confirmed…”

Park Beom-soo tilted his head, looked at Hyun-sung, and then drank his coffee. Putting down his cup, he asked Park Hee-cheol,

“Father, when is that person coming?”

“That person?”

“Yes, the person who said they would test me. He didn’t come yesterday, so he’ll come today, right?”

“Ah, ah… that person.”

Park Hee-cheol answered, glancing at Hyun-sung. He smiled and said,

“That person is this person.”

“Pardon?”

“I said that person is this person.”

“No, Father, what are you talking about? That person is this person…”

Park Beom-soo looked at Hyun-sung, dumbfounded. Park Hee-cheol spoke again.

“The person who will be responsible for you in the future is Hyun-sung here. Of course, to do that, you have to pass the test that Hyun-sung gives.”

“Father…”

Park Beom-soo was speechless.

Was this making any sense? Hyun-sung was just a student who had recently been discharged from the military, only twenty-four years old. Such a young student was responsible for him… it didn’t make sense.

Park Beom-soo asked again,

“Father, don’t joke around…”

“Joke?”

Park Hee-cheol interrupted Park Beom-soo and looked at him. He said,

“Beom-soo, listen carefully to what your father is saying. Actually…”

Park Hee-cheol began to explain everything that had happened with Hyun-sung. As Park Hee-cheol’s explanation continued, Park Beom-soo’s expression gradually changed. At first, he frowned in disbelief, but as time passed, he began to concentrate on Park Hee-cheol’s words.

Finally, when Park Hee-cheol finished, Park Beom-soo looked at Hyun-sung and asked,

“Is what Father said true?”

Hyun-sung slowly nodded.

Park Beom-soo asked again,

“Are you really the person who is creating a new town right now?”

“Yes.”

“As far as I know, Samwoo Construction is developing it…”

“They’re a construction company that signed a contract with me three years ago. They’ll be doing construction for another year.”

“…….”

Park Beom-soo was silent, lost in thought.

A moment later, he looked at Hyun-sung and asked,

“So that’s why you kept asking about cooking?”

“Of course. First of all, I need to know what hyung is interested in and where he has talent.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes, please do.”

“Do you believe in me?”

“Can I be honest?”

Hyun-sung’s eyes changed.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Park Beom-soo adopted a serious expression. He nodded and said,

“Yes, I want an honest answer.”

“I didn’t believe you.”

“…….”

“Until now…”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“To be honest, I didn’t believe in hyung until now. I wondered if hyung could do anything. But…”

Hyun-sung paused.

Park Beom-soo stared at him, curious. Park Hee-cheol, sitting beside them, also watched Hyun-sung intently.

Hyun-sung continued,

“I gained that belief a little while ago.”

“A little while ago?”

“Yes, when hyung was preparing lunch.”

“Are you talking about the Kimchi Stew?”

“Of course, that too, but what moved my heart was something else.”

Park Beom-soo tilted his head and asked,

“Something else? What is it?”

“That’s…”

“It’s the memo.”

“Memo?”

Park Beom-soo tilted his head, confused.

In that memo, he had tried to write down every single word his mother had said while explaining how to make Kimchi Stew, not wanting to miss a single detail.

Because he was trying to cram so much information onto a small piece of paper, the content was so messy that only he could understand it.

“Yes, I could feel hyung’s heart while looking at that memo.”

“Heart?”

“Yes, that’s right. Seeing you try so hard to write down every little detail in such tiny letters, I realized that with that kind of passion and dedication, you could do anything well.”

“…….”

Park Beom-soo was speechless. Of course, he had done his best at that moment, but he couldn’t believe that young Hyun-sung could read his heart with just a memo.

Honestly, at that moment, he was only thinking about making delicious Kimchi Stew for his father. That’s why he acted that way. But to feel that in his heart? And from someone who’s only twenty-four years old now….

Park Beom-soo looked at Hyun-sung and asked,

“You felt that from just a memo?”

“Of course. A person’s heart is bound to show on the outside in some way. I felt how much hyung [older brother or respected male figure] cares about Father from that memo.”

“So, the belief in 425….”

“Yes, that’s right. Seeing that, I thought I could do anything with someone like you.”

“Hmm….”

Park Beom-soo still couldn’t easily understand.

So, he couldn’t help but ask the most pressing question.

“How old did you say you are this year?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Twenty-four… Right, so that’s what I’m curious about. You’re only….”

That’s when Park Hee-cheol, who had been watching Park Beom-soo, joined the conversation.

“Beom-soo.”

“Yes? Ah, yes….”

“Sometimes, a person’s age is just a number.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“I’m saying don’t judge everything by age. Right now, you don’t understand how young Hyun-sung can know your heart with just a memo, but that kind of judgment is wrong. Age isn’t necessarily important in reading someone’s heart.”

Park Hee-cheol took a breath and continued.

“And this might just be my feeling, but I think Hyun-sung here is different from others.”

“Yes? What’s that supposed to mean….”

“I’ve been watching Hyun-sung for six years now, but I’ve never thought of him as young. It might be embarrassing to say, but would you believe me if I said I’ve felt he’s more mature than me at times?”

“That’s honestly….”

Park Beom-soo shook his head from side to side. He didn’t think that was the case, no matter what.

Park Hee-cheol continued.

“Yeah, I guess it’s not easy to understand that. Let’s just move on from that issue for now, and let’s be satisfied that Hyun-sung says he has faith in you.”

“… Yes.”

Park Beom-soo stopped himself from saying anything else. He figured it wasn’t an issue to understand and resolve right away.

Park Hee-cheol continued.

“Okay, then shall we get ready now?”

“Yes? Get ready?”

“Yeah, now you have to show the skills you’ve been studying. Go inside and bring paper and pen.”

“Ah… that.”

Park Beom-soo got up as if he had just remembered and headed to his room.

Then Park Hee-cheol looked at Hyun-sung and said,

“Thank you.”

“Yes? What did I do….”

“You never fail to meet my expectations. I was just thinking about how delicious the Kimchi Stew was, but you even read my son’s heart in that moment… Anyway, thank you. And please take care of him.”

“Father, really….”

Hyun-sung smiled back at Park Hee-cheol, answering him.

A little later.

Park Beom-soo appeared with a large calendar.

Hyun-sung chuckled at the sight.

“What’s with such a big piece of paper?”

“If I’m going to take a test, it has to be this big. To write down the National Education Charter, the national anthem, and all the kings of Joseon [Korean dynasty from 1392 to 1897]….”

“Yes? Who’s going to do that?”

Hyun-sung interrupted Park Beom-soo and asked immediately.

Then Park Beom-soo, not understanding, asked back.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“No, who said they were going to take that kind of test?”

“Oh? That’s….”

Park Beom-soo’s gaze naturally turned to Park Hee-cheol. After all, Park Hee-cheol was the one who had taught him for three years.

Then Park Hee-cheol started looking at Hyun-sung as if he was dumbfounded. His expression seemed to say, ‘What are you talking about?’

Park Hee-cheol stretched his neck and asked.

“Wasn’t the test supposed to be that?”

“No, I never said anything like that.”

“Oh? That’s strange, I clearly….”

Hyun-sung chuckled. Of course, he had said that at first. The reason was that Park Beom-soo had gone to Japan at such a young age, so he thought he needed to study the basics about Korea. But that didn’t mean he was going to test him on that.

The most dumbfounded one was Park Beom-soo. He had studied diligently for three years at his father’s instruction. But now, to say that it was all for nothing, how could this be?

That’s when Hyun-sung continued.

“Okay, then let’s start the test now.”

“Test? Oh, okay.”

Park Beom-soo unfolded the back of the calendar, as he was going to take the test anyway, and stared straight at Hyun-sung.

Gulp.

Park Hee-cheol was nervous as well. So, without realizing it, he swallowed hard.

That’s when Hyun-sung opened his mouth.

“Number 1!”

“…….”

“Write down your father’s name.”

“Huh? Did you just say my father’s name?”

“Yes.”

Hyun-sung nodded lightly.

On the other hand, Park Beom-soo tilted his head in bewilderment and began to write Park Hee-cheol’s name.

“Number 2 is your mother’s name.”

“…….”

Park Beom-soo paused for a moment at the word ‘mother.’

If it’s mother, there are two. His biological mother, and the stepmother he’s living with now.

‘Who should I write….’

After a moment of contemplation, Park Beom-soo began to write the name Shin Myung-soon clearly. After all, he had decided to bury his birth mother’s name, ‘Yoo Young-sook,’ in his heart.

After confirming the name, Hyun-sung seemed to think for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“Number 3, write down your older brother’s name.”

“Older brother? You mean Min-seok hyung?”

Hyun-sung nodded silently.

Then Park Min-seok tilted his head and began to write the three letters Park Min-seok.

“Now, write down your name.”

“What? Write down my name?”

“Yes.”

“No, why my name…?”

Park Beom-soo looked up at Hyun-sung.

He couldn’t help but think it was strange. He had clearly said he was going to take a test. But suddenly, he was told to write down his father’s and mother’s names, and then his brother’s name in America.

Of course, it was an incomprehensible situation. But as he was in the position of taking the test, he had no choice but to do as he was told. Up to that point, he thought it was okay.

The problem is the last one.

Now, he was being asked to write down his own name, not someone else’s, so he wondered what this was all about. Even though he had lived in Japan for a long time, he wasn’t one or two years old, but thirty-five years old, and he thought it was too much.

That’s when Hyun-sung’s mouth slowly opened.

“Because it has to be complete.”

“Complete?”

“Yes, the completion of the family.”

“…….”

Park Beom-soo was speechless. He had never expected those words to come out of Hyun-sung’s mouth.

‘Family?’

It was a word he had forgotten since some time ago.

He had gone to Japan at the age of ten and cried a lot because he wanted to go home. He spent his teens crying with longing for his family. As he spent time like that, he became twenty years old before he knew it.

From then on, the word family was already forgotten in his head.

He knew that everything could be solved with money anyway. So, he didn’t want to think about things like affection for people. Of course, even family.

After graduating from college, he tried to get a job, but the label of being Korean made him realize that this was Japan. So, he ended up choosing to partner with a second-generation Korean.

For a few years, he enjoyed the taste of the business growing little by little. But greed was the problem. He increased investment and expanded the scale, but the country’s economy began to falter.

The partner had already taken his share and left, and the debts of the collapsing business were entirely his responsibility.

He endured for two more years, but there was no point in enduring any longer. In the end, he decided to give up everything, and he thought he had no more regrets. But at that moment, he thought of his father. So, he called, and he heard his father’s voice.

He thought he had no more regrets now. But then, a few minutes after hanging up, he received another call from his father. And what he said was, ‘Just come back to your father’s side without worrying about anything.’

That was three years ago. He wrapped up his life in Japan and returned to Korea, no, to his father’s arms. That’s how another life began. At first, kimchi made things difficult. But after three months, his taste changed to the point where he couldn’t eat without kimchi.

It felt like he had returned to his childhood. It felt like he had found his lost teenage years again. He went to the bathhouse with his father, went fishing, and went to the market on market days to eat jajangmyeon [Korean-Chinese noodle dish]. As he filled in the lost time, he couldn’t find any resentment towards his father at some point.

And yesterday, he drank makgeolli [Korean rice wine] with his father while eating kimchi pancakes. He failed at first, but the second time, he successfully made kimchi pancakes and thought that this was happiness. And then, he vaguely thought of his brother in America.

He hadn’t even thought about it until now, but he suddenly had that thought yesterday. And a moment ago, when he heard Hyun-sung’s word ‘family,’ he felt strange.

‘Family.’

It’s a word he had forgotten until now.

Park Beom-soo looked at Hyun-sung and asked,

“Did you just say family?”

“Yes, family. Now, you have to write down hyung’s name to complete it. You have to complete number 4 to get the next question.”

“The next question?”

“Of course. Even if it’s a test, you can’t just write down four people’s names and be done with it, can you?”

“I guess….”

Park Beom-soo smiled lightly and began to write his own name.

“Have you written it all down?”

“As you can see….”

Fortunately, even though his handwriting was terrible, he wrote Korean properly. He didn’t know why, but he was grateful anyway.

“Thank you, hyung.”

“Huh? What suddenly?”

“Yes? Ah, it’s nothing.”

“You’re so bland… And I’m putting up with it today because of my position, but I won’t tolerate that kind of tone from now on.”

“Yes? What….”

Hyun-sung was just dumbfounded. He didn’t know what he had done wrong. So, he looked at Park Hee-cheol. He wanted to ask if Park Hee-cheol knew the reason. But Park Hee-cheol also shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t know why.

Hyun-sung had no choice but to ask again.

“Hyung, did I make a mistake… ?”

“People can’t see the beam in their own eye.”

“Yes? Beam?”

Hyun-sung was even more dumbfounded at the word ‘beam.’ He never thought that the word ‘beam’ would come out of the mouth of Park Beom-soo, who had lived in Japan for over 20 years.

The word ‘beam’ refers to a tree that crosses two pillars, but the ‘beam’ that Park Beom-soo said a moment ago comes from the Bible. Of course, the meaning can be interpreted as one’s own faults or flaws, but he was just dumbfounded that he used that word.

“I told you I’ve been studying for the past 3 years. So, don’t look at me with such strange eyes.”

Hyun-sung thought he knew why that word came out of Park Beom-soo’s mouth. So, that means he didn’t use the word without knowing its meaning. In the end, the conclusion is that Hyun-sung himself made a mistake to him.

That’s when Park Beom-soo opened his mouth again.

“What did you say to me a little while ago?”

“Yes?”

“You said there’s something, right? Am I wrong?”

“Ah….”

Hyun-sung knew what Park Beom-soo was pointing out. It was that a little while ago, Park Beom-soo had said that even though his handwriting was terrible, he was grateful that he wrote Korean properly. Then he asked again what that meant.

Hyun-sung said, ‘There’s something,’ because it was ambiguous to explain it on purpose. But that word bothered Park Beom-soo.

Now that he realized it, Hyun-sung had no choice but to look at Park Beom-soo and explain the reason. After all, he was the one who made the mistake.

When Hyun-sung’s explanation was over, Park Beom-soo nodded and continued.

“Ah… was that the reason? I thought you were ignoring me, so that’s fine, so what’s the next question?”

“…….”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh at Park Beom-soo, who was talking as if nothing had happened. What was clear was that Park Beom-soo had studied a lot more in the past 3 years than he thought.

‘Hmm… so that’s what it is.’

Hyun-sung thought for a moment and opened his mouth.

“What do you call the four people written there?”

“Are you teasing me?”

“Of course not? Tell me quickly.”

“Oh my… Family, okay?”

“That’s right.”

Originally, the problem would have ended here. After all, he wanted to remind them of the importance of family.

But from Hyun-sung’s mouth, whose mind had changed, came an absurd word.

“Okay, question number 5. Write an essay on what family is!”

“…….”

Park Beom-soo just stared blankly at Hyun-sung with his mouth shut.