Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 442

“…….”

In the end, Park Beom-soo couldn’t answer Hyun-sung’s question until the meal was over.

Hyun-sung, watching him, asked,

“You really can’t remember at all?”

“No, my mind is only filled with thoughts of you, boss. You’re the one who recognized me, took me out to Hongcheon to buy cookbooks. And today, even this wonderful knife…….”

“Hyung.”

Hyun-sung cut off Park Beom-soo’s words. Then he continued immediately, “Anyone could do that with a little effort.”

“I don’t think so. Like I said before, I was always so happy whenever you came on vacation, boss. You were the only one besides my father who treated me like a human being.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, so much so that I would wait for your next vacation.”

“Okay, but… why are you excluding your father?”

“Huh? Father?”

Hyun-sung nodded instead of answering.

Then Park Beom-soo immediately asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, why are you excluding your father? I think your father cares about you several times, no, several dozen times more than I do, don’t you think?”

“That’s because it’s obvious…….”

“Obvious? So, you’re saying that because he’s your father, it’s natural, so he’s excluded? Is that what you’re saying?”

Hyun-sung’s brow furrowed momentarily.

He couldn’t understand Park Beom-soo’s thought that it was natural just because he was his father.

But Park Beom-soo, unaware of this, continued his reply.

“No, that’s not exactly what I mean, but…….”

“But what? What’s next?”

“I mean, because he’s my father, it’s natural for him to do that…….”

“Who says so?”

“Huh?”

“Who says that? Is it natural for a father to sacrifice everything for his child, give up everything, and always understand? Is that it?”

“…….”

Park Beom-soo closed his mouth and said nothing. No, he had nothing to say. Even at a glance, what he had said earlier didn’t seem like a normal thought.

Hyun-sung’s words continued.

“Hyung, then let me ask you just one thing.”

“…… Yes.”

“What about the child?”

“The child?”

“Yes, how should a child treat their parents? If that’s the image of a father you have, then there must be something a child should do for their father, right?”

“…….”

Park Beom-soo closed his mouth again and said nothing. No, again, he had nothing to say. The reason was that he had never thought about that before.

Hyun-sung asked again, “Why? Can’t you say anything about that either?”

“…… I, I haven’t thought about that.”

“Hyung, don’t you think you’re being too selfish?”

“…….”

“The child does nothing, but the father has to sacrifice everything? Just because he’s the father? I think that’s too unfair, what do you think, Hyung?”

“…….”

Park Beom-soo remained silent this time as well.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, Park Beom-soo suddenly got up from his seat and walked towards the refrigerator.

Shortly after.

He was holding a bottle of makgeolli [Korean rice wine].

Park Beom-soo handed a glass to Hyun-sung.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Yes, please.”

Pouring.

The two, having filled their glasses, quietly began to drink their makgeolli.

“…….”

“…….”

The two drank their makgeolli and then, as if by agreement, said nothing.

Hyun-sung deliberately avoided looking at Park Beom-soo. Now that things had come to this, he intended to have a proper conversation with him today.

Having received everything so far just because he went to study abroad at a young age. Of course, it wasn’t entirely his fault, but he wanted to change his thoughts about his father, even if only a little, even now.

Of course, if that were possible.

After a while.

Park Beom-soo poured himself another glass of makgeolli and opened his mouth.

“Boss.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“It’s embarrassing to say this at my age, but I’ve never thought about the issue you mentioned.”

“That’s probably true. There would have been no one to tell you. After all, your father wouldn’t have been able to talk about it either. But!”

Hyun-sung emphasized the word ‘but’ at the end. Then he continued immediately, “I think the time has come.”

“Time?”

“Yes, I think it’s time for you to seriously address that issue before it’s too late. But before that, I want to say just one thing.”

As Hyun-sung finished speaking, Park Beom-soo looked at him with curiosity. Then Hyun-sung continued immediately, “It’s not your fault.”

“Huh?”

“People are inevitably influenced by their environment. You are a prime example of that.”

“A prime example?”

“Yes, as far as I know, you went to Japan when you were ten years old. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right. It was right after the summer vacation started in the third grade. I still remember that clearly. Even the date.”

“You must have been very scared. Right?”

Park Beom-soo slowly nodded instead of answering. Perhaps because of the makgeolli, his eyes were already red.

Watching him, Hyun-sung opened his mouth again, “You must have cried a lot too.”

“…… Yes, one day I cried until morning. I was really young then, but I only wanted to die. I thought I had been abandoned, not sent to study abroad.”

“I understand completely.”

“Actually, back then…….”

Park Beom-soo’s explanation continued.

He said the hardest thing was loneliness. He said the thought that he was always alone, both at home and at school, was the most difficult. Thus, his old memories began to come out one by one.

As Park Beom-soo’s words continued at length, Hyun-sung began to listen with all his heart. Sometimes nodding, sometimes with tears in his eyes, he focused on his words. He thought that was the best comfort he could give Park Beom-soo right now.

How much time had passed?

Park Beom-soo’s eyes were already moist. After talking for another ten minutes, he suddenly called out to Hyun-sung.

“Boss!”

“Yes, Hyung.”

“So, I was going to die for the last time. But I got a call from my father. I clearly said my last goodbyes and hung up, but I got another call from my father ten minutes later.”

“Your father?”

“Yes, and do you know what my father said?”

Hyun-sung shook his head slightly.

Then Park Beom-soo continued, “He told me to just trust him and not worry about anything and come back to Korea.”

“Your father knew something?”

“He probably talked to my brother in the United States. I called my brother first.”

“Ah, so your father called your brother right away?”

“Yes, that’s right. If I hadn’t talked to my father then, I would already be…….”

Park Beom-soo couldn’t continue and grabbed the bottle of makgeolli in front of him.

Then Hyun-sung immediately grabbed the makgeolli bottle and started pouring. After filling Park Beom-soo’s glass, Hyun-sung poured makgeolli into his own glass.

Then he immediately held out his glass.

Clink!

The two lightly clinked glasses and brought them to their lips.

“…….”

The two were silent as if by agreement, but no one seemed uncomfortable with it.

Perhaps it was a first for Park Beom-soo. He had never told anyone these stories before.

Watching him constantly shed tears while talking, Hyun-sung only felt sorry for him.

How could this be his fault?

If there was a fault, it would be the parents’ greed.

Of course, that was a part that his father, Park Hee-cheol, had already acknowledged.

Anyway, the important thing was that Park Beom-soo would be able to escape some of the pain he had been unable to speak about until today.

Self-healing.

Park Beom-soo would have been greatly healed just by bringing out the stories he had kept in his heart today.

Hyun-sung tore one of the remaining deodeok gui [grilled deodeok root] in half and moved it in front of Park Beom-soo.

“Hyung, eat. The deodeok gui smells great. When you think about it, you really have a great sense for cooking. To be able to create this kind of taste just by looking at a book.”

“Boss, you too…….”

“I’m not just saying that, I really mean it. And what about this deodeok jangtteok [deodeok pancake]? Honestly, I didn’t even know you could make jangtteok with deodeok until today.”

“That’s enough. You don’t have to try to comfort me. And…….”

Park Beom-soo stopped speaking and looked at Hyun-sung. His eyes were already bloodshot.

Park Beom-soo suddenly bowed his head towards Hyun-sung.

“I’m ashamed.”

“Huh? What suddenly…….”

“About my father. You said I was selfish a little while ago, right? When I thought about it, there was nothing wrong with that. It was natural for my father to sacrifice everything, and conversely, I thought it was too natural to receive.”

“…….”

Hyun-sung had nothing special to say. He wanted to point out that it was wrong at least once, so he replaced his agreement by not speaking.

Park Beom-soo’s words continued.

“I think I know now. That I was really thinking wrong. In fact, in a way, neither side should unilaterally sacrifice, but it was a very unfair thing. Even if we are father and son.”

“I’m rather grateful that you think so right away, Hyung. And as I said a little while ago, it’s not your fault. If we were to argue about right and wrong, the problem was the adults’ greed. But now is not the time to argue about that, but to think about it at least once.”

“Thank you.”

Park Beom-soo suddenly bowed his head again. Then he continued again, “I know what you’re saying. That’s why I’m grateful. No one has ever told me this before.”

“I’m glad. I’m glad you changed your mind right away.”

“And there’s more.”

“More? What is it?”

“Here, it’s cooler here. It felt like it was blocked here, but now it’s cool.”

Tuk tuk.

Park Beom-soo tapped his chest a few times.

It seems to have worked.

Hyun-sung smiled slightly as he looked at Park Beom-soo.

Then Park Beom-soo smiled and opened his mouth again.

“What should I do?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“My father. I want to express my gratitude to my father somehow, but what’s a good way to do it?”

“Well…….”

Hyun-sung thought for a moment and shifted his gaze to the calendar hanging on the wall. A smile spread across Hyun-sung’s face as he checked the date.

“Hyung, do you know what day is the day after tomorrow?”

“The day after tomorrow…… today is the 6th, so it’s the 8th, right?”

“That’s right. It’s the 8th. But that’s May 8th? You don’t know what day May 8th is, do you?”

“May 8th? Well…… what day is that?”

Park Beom-soo stared blankly at Hyun-sung as if he didn’t know.

“You really don’t know?”

“Wait a minute…… Ah! Are you talking about Parents’ Day [a day to celebrate and show appreciation for parents]?”

“Yes, that’s right. Do you know now?”

“Ah, I thought it was another day. But why that day?”

Pfft.

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh. He thought that if he talked this much, he would understand what it meant. But the fact that he was asking such a question meant that there was no concept of ‘Parents’ Day’ in his head. That’s why Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

Hyun-sung immediately asked, “Is there no Parents’ Day in Japan?”

“Parents’ Day? There’s no such thing?”

“Huh? Is that for real?”

“Yes, there isn’t, but there’s Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.”

“Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? Does that mean the dates are different?”

“Yes, of course. Mother’s Day is the second Sunday of May every year, and Father’s Day is the third Sunday of June, the following month.”

“Ah, is that so?”

That was something he didn’t know.

Hyun-sung nodded and continued, “Ah, so Japan has Mother’s Day and Father’s Day separately?”

“Yes, that’s right. But actually, I hated that time the most. The reason is…….”

He seemed to know the reason without having to listen.

Hyun-sung continued, “Um, I see. Anyway, Korea has set the same day to express gratitude to both mother and father and convey our hearts.”

“So that’s why you asked me about Parents’ Day a little while ago?”

“Yes, that’s why, a little while ago, you asked me to teach you how to express your gratitude, right?”

“Ah! I understand what you mean now. So you’re saying to express my gratitude to my father on that day?”

“That’s right. And if possible, you should do something special for your mother and father…….”

“Yes, I understand. I understand what you mean now. This time, I will definitely take care of Parents’ Day. On that day, I’ll wake up early in the morning and…….”

Park Beom-soo began to talk excitedly about what he would do, like a child. He would cook Park Hee-cheol’s favorite soybean paste stew, and so on, his story continued for a long time after that.

Hyun-sung smiled as he watched him.

It was a moment when he couldn’t help but feel relieved.