Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 437

“What’s the reason?”

“Pardon? What are you….”

Lee Soon-ok could only shake her head, utterly bewildered. She couldn’t understand what Hyun-sung was talking about.

“Do you really not know?”

“I’m sorry, but what are you talking about…”

“I’m talking about the… substandard goods. I’m asking why they are displayed on the shelves.”

“……”

Lee Soon-ok fell silent, at a loss for words.

The problem had started on the first day. Unexpectedly, business was so brisk that about half of their prepared stock sold out. So, the next day, they were forced to supplement their inventory with items from their own homes.

But the issue was the condition of these goods.

The quality was noticeably inferior to what they had offered on the first day. This was because the items brought out the next day weren’t originally intended for sale; they were leftovers meant for their own families’ consumption.

They had convinced themselves it would be alright.

Even though the quality was lower, it wasn’t as if it would make anyone sick, and since every penny counted, they decided to sell them. They hadn’t anticipated it becoming such a significant problem.

Lee Soon-ok cautiously began to explain.

“I thought it would be okay.”

“Pardon?”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but raise his voice in disbelief.

He hadn’t expected such a justification from Lee Soon-ok.

“No, what did you just say? You thought it would be okay?”

“…Yes, I thought it was okay since there was nothing wrong with eating it….”

“Madam President!”

Hyun-sung had no choice but to exclaim, his frustration mounting. He simply couldn’t comprehend her reasoning.

Even a cursory glance revealed the poor quality, yet she believed it was acceptable simply because it was edible. He couldn’t wrap his head around that logic.

Hyun-sung pressed her further.

“So, you’re saying you thought it was okay to sell poor-quality goods, as long as they were safe to eat? Is that what you thought?”

Lee Soon-ok, unable to articulate a defense, could only nod weakly.

Hyun-sung immediately retorted.

“No, how could you think like that….”

Hyun-sung was speechless. Even considering their rural location and lack of business experience, how could they operate with such a mindset?

“Haa….”

Hyun-sung took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, and then addressed Lee Soon-ok directly.

“Madam President.”

“Yes….”

“This is not right. No, this can’t happen. How… haa.”

Hyun-sung paused to take another breath, struggling to contain his rising anger. He then continued, choosing his words carefully.

“From now on, please answer my questions with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

“Yes? Ah, yes….”

“You said business was good on the first day, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And naturally, more than 50% of the stock was sold?”

“Yes.”

Hyun-sung’s interrogation continued. It was a necessary step to fully understand the situation and determine the appropriate course of action.

Within ten minutes, he had pieced together the whole story.

It was as he suspected. The initial success had gone to their heads. These inexperienced individuals had lost their composure when faced with unexpectedly high sales.

Consequently, they had succumbed to greed, bringing out even the substandard items they had intended for their own tables to sell at the wholesale market. To make matters worse, they had even increased the prices.

Having confirmed all the details, Hyun-sung addressed Lee Soon-ok once more.

“Madam President.”

“Yes.”

“What did I say when I entrusted you with full authority over the operation of this wholesale market?”

“Trust….”

Lee Soon-ok lowered her head, her voice barely audible.

Hyun-sung pressed on.

“Yes, that’s right. What was the first condition of that trust?”

“The goods.”

“Yes, that’s right. Then what was the second condition?”

“The price.”

“That’s right. And the last, the third condition?”

“That’s… the village’s reputation.”

Lee Soon-ok hung her head even lower as she spoke the final words.

It was the promise she herself had made in exchange for the authority to manage the wholesale market – a promise not to deceive customers with inferior goods or inflated prices.

And finally, it was a promise to conduct business ethically, upholding the village’s reputation.

But she had violated all three conditions. She had no choice but to acknowledge her failure.

Hyun-sung continued, his voice heavy with disappointment.

“Do I need to spell it out any further?”

“……”

“I’ll take your silence as an admission of guilt.”

Lee Soon-ok nodded, unable to meet his gaze.

She had never imagined that a moment’s greed could unravel everything so quickly.

Regardless of her intentions, she had broken her promise.

Even arguing that she had acted for the benefit of the villagers would be futile.

Why?

Because she had broken the rules.

After a long silence, Lee Soon-ok finally looked up at Hyun-sung. She spoke softly.

“Hyun-sung.”

“Yes? Ah, yes….”

Hyun-sung was momentarily taken aback by her use of his given name, but he quickly responded. From the beginning, Lee Soon-ok had insisted on calling him ‘President,’ and she had maintained that formality until now.

But he couldn’t deny a sense of surprise when she suddenly addressed him so informally. Still, it didn’t feel entirely inappropriate, so he answered without hesitation.

Lee Soon-ok continued.

“I’m sorry.”

“Pardon?”

“I have no excuses. I made a promise and broke it. What can I say? So, about that….”

Lee Soon-ok paused, closing her eyes as if gathering her thoughts.

After a moment, she spoke again, her voice firm with resolve.

“I’m done here.”

“Pardon? What does that mean…?”

“Operating the wholesale market was never the right fit for me. I’m just a simple woman from the neighborhood and….”

“Wait a minute!”

Hyun-sung raised his hand to stop her. He spoke quickly.

“Are you saying you’re going to quit?”

“Yes, that’s right. I think it’s the only responsible thing to do.”

“Huh….”

Hyun-sung was stunned.

He couldn’t believe she was suggesting she would simply step down after making such a mess.

After a moment to regain his composure, Hyun-sung looked at Lee Soon-ok, his expression a mixture of disbelief and disappointment.

“Is this the kind of person you are?”

“I can’t help it. I don’t have the ability to do this. It’s better to quit before things get worse….”

“Madam President!”

Hyun-sung interrupted her, his voice sharp. He continued without pause.

“How can you do this? Aren’t you being incredibly cowardly?”

“Cowardly?”

“Yes, you’re being cowardly. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Is it okay to just run away like this? Is this all you’re capable of? What will happen to the people who are counting on you if you abandon them now?”

Hyun-sung’s words poured out in a torrent of frustration.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was taking the easy way out. While she had undoubtedly made a mistake, he found it unacceptable for her to simply walk away from the consequences.

On the other hand, Lee Soon-ok’s heart was heavy with guilt and responsibility.

She knew that running away would be irresponsible. But she genuinely believed that resigning was the most responsible course of action she could take at this point.

Hyun-sung pressed on, his voice laced with disbelief.

“You don’t actually think this is taking responsibility, do you?”

“Huh? That’s what I….”

“What is it? You didn’t really think that running away was a responsible solution, did you?”

“There’s no other way.”

“If you run away because you think there’s no other way, will that solve anything? And why are you assuming there’s no other way in the first place?”

“Huh? That means….”

“Isn’t it possible to find a solution if you actually try? The important thing is your mindset. You’re only looking for an escape route because you’ve already convinced yourself that there’s no other option. That’s like….”

Hyun-sung stopped abruptly, realizing that further harsh words would be counterproductive.

The key was to change Lee Soon-ok’s perspective and encourage her to try again.

If she actually quit, the situation would only become more complicated.

Everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them and avoid repeating them.

Hyun-sung spoke again, his tone softer.

“Madam President.”

“Huh? Ah, yes….”

Lee Soon-ok seemed to have reverted to her previous, more subdued demeanor.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t you agree?”

“I suppose so….”

“Exactly. You made a mistake this time. But it’s not like you did it out of personal greed, right? Right?”

“Of course not.”

Lee Soon-ok nodded, the earlier intensity gone from her eyes.

Hyun-sung continued, his voice regaining its usual calm.

“Okay, let’s analyze the situation. First of all, you understand why business is struggling, right?”

“Yes, the quality of the goods is poor, and the prices are too high. Of course….”

“Yes, that’s right. That’s the reason. So now that you know the reason, what should you do?”

“Wait a minute….”

Lee Soon-ok raised her hand slightly, as if she had an idea.

“Why? Do you have something to say?”

“No, before we talk about that, what about me….”

“What do you mean, what about you? What are you talking about? Besides, who else is the village head besides Lee Soon-ok in our village?”

“Wasn’t I just fired? I clearly said that I would no longer be involved in the operation of the wholesale market….”

“Who said you could?”

“Pardon? But I just….”

Hyun-sung smiled gently.

Hyun-sung smiled lightly and continued.

“Who in the world fires someone for making a single mistake? And besides, I’m not even qualified to fire you. Have you already forgotten? I was the one who asked you to run the wholesale market in the first place. I was the one who asked, so who am I to fire whom? Don’t you think so?”

“Don’t do this.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m not that stupid. I know that you’ve been thinking about me a lot from the beginning. To be honest, I don’t know why you gave me this opportunity, but I feel even more sorry now, which is why I said I would quit earlier. You gave me such a great honor, even though I’m nothing….”

Lee Soon-ok paused, her voice thick with emotion, then continued.

“I messed it up so badly in just three days, not even a month… To be honest, I felt like I wanted to disappear into a hole a little while ago because I was so ashamed. I feel guilty that I could only do this after you entrusted it to me….”

“Madam President, that’s enough. Okay, I’ll be honest with you now. The truth is, I gave you the operating rights to the wholesale market because I had a special reason. I wanted to express my gratitude to you.”

“Gratitude?”

“Yes, actually….”

Hyun-sung began to explain.

He recounted a memory from his childhood. It was during the winter of his first grade in elementary school. He was walking home from school when a heavy snowstorm began.

At that time, Lee Soon-ok, who was walking behind him, had carried his heavy schoolbag and safely guided him home. In that moment, he had seen her as an angel sent from heaven.

Although it was a memory from a past life, he had wanted to express his gratitude in this way.

As Hyun-sung finished his explanation, Lee Soon-ok smiled, a hint of disbelief in her eyes.

“No way….”

“I don’t know what you think, but I truly believed you were an angel sent from heaven at that time. I was really scared.”

“I remember it too. It snowed so heavily that day, almost a meter, maybe more. It was the first time I had ever seen so much snow in my life. Wait a minute!”

Lee Soon-ok tilted her head, a thoughtful expression on her face. Then she smiled again and asked Hyun-sung.

“Do you remember what you said to me at that time?”

“Me? Well, I don’t remember that far back….”

“You said something amazing, but you don’t remember?”

“Yes, what did I say…?”

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall the specific words he had spoken so long ago.

Then, Lee Soon-ok revealed the forgotten memory.

“You told me….”