Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 443

It was the third Friday of May, with canola flowers in full bloom.

Knock knock.

A person entered the office.

Hyun-sung jumped up from his seat upon seeing him.

“Who do we have here!”

“Sergeant Jeon! Private Kim, reporting for duty!”

“Private Jo! Welcome!”

The person Hyun-sung called Private Jo was Jo Han-sung, who had served in the same unit with him until three months prior. He was a junior soldier, three months behind Hyun-sung.

“Sit over here. No, let’s not. Let’s go out. We need to eat something first.”

Hyun-sung took Jo Han-sung outside.

The two of them stepped out.

Jo Han-sung spoke first.

“Sergeant Kim, what is all this?”

Jo Han-sung couldn’t help but be amazed. He had received an offer from Hyun-sung while in the military: to come and drive a bus for his restaurant after being discharged.

Frankly, he hadn’t fully believed his words.

However, he had agreed because Hyun-sung had earnestly asked him several times, not just once or twice.

He had been curious.

He wondered what kind of restaurant it was that operated its own buses. That’s why he had rushed over as soon as he came out on his final leave.

But now that he saw it with his own eyes, the scale was beyond his imagination, to the point where he couldn’t even describe it.

“Is this really all yours, Sergeant Kim?”

“Why, can’t you believe it?”

“To be honest, I can’t believe it. The restaurant is one thing, but those canola flowers over there seem to cover at least 200,000 *pyeong* [approximately 165 acres]. Is it really all owned by you, Sergeant Kim?”

“Alright, alright, stop it and let’s go eat first.”

Hyun-sung started walking ahead. But only for a moment, as he had to stop after a few steps. The reason was that Jo Han-sung, whom he expected to follow, was standing still in his spot.

“Why aren’t you following?”

“Sergeant Kim, I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor? What favor?”

“Please show me around this place before we eat. Honestly, I’m more curious about this place than food right now.”

“Is that for real?”

*Pfft.*

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh as he asked.

Who was Jo Han-sung?

He was a guy who had an unusually large appetite since he was a new recruit. So much so that on days when they had chicken soup, he would fill his tray twice with the soup. That was Jo Han-sung.

Moreover, on days when they had special meals during holidays, he would carry his tray back and forth at least three times to finish his meal.

That Jo Han-sung was refusing food?

Hyun-sung couldn’t believe it. That’s why he had laughed without realizing it.

Jo Han-sung frowned slightly at Hyun-sung’s laughing face and immediately continued.

“Why are you doing this? It’s true that I like to eat, but this is a matter of my future. Of course…….”

“Okay, that’s enough. Follow me!”

Hyun-sung smiled and took the lead.

Knowing that a guy with such a big appetite was foregoing food to look around the place where he would be working made Hyun-sung’s steps lighter.

A short while later.

“Okay, get off here.”

The place Hyun-sung took Jo Han-sung was the fifth floor of the restaurant building. He had wanted to take him to the rooftop, but it was currently under construction for a cafe, so he chose the fifth floor to avoid interfering with the work.

“This doesn’t look like a restaurant, but a cafe?”

Jo Han-sung asked as soon as he got out of the elevator, looking around the interior.

Hyun-sung nodded and immediately continued.

“That’s right, this fifth floor is a cafe. The first to fourth floors are restaurants, and this place and the rooftop above will be operated as cafes. The view is best from the rooftop, but it’s currently under landscaping construction, so I brought you here.”

“Ah, I see. But you’re operating the rooftop as a cafe?”

“Yeah, the view is the best there. Moreover, the sky at night is fantastic. It feels like the stars are about to pour down.”

“Wow! Just imagining it is breathtaking. So, it’s a completely open-air cafe?”

“That’s right. Hey, by the way, you’re getting discharged next week, right? But why is your *mal-tu* [speech style] so stiff? Isn’t it time to soften up? And I’m a civilian now.”

“That’s the thing. I wasn’t like this until I came here, but when I see Sergeant Kim, it automatically comes out like that. I guess Sergeant Kim is still scary.”

“Hey, anyone would think I used to catch you.”

Hyun-sung chuckled.

In his past life, he had severely disciplined him with the aim of establishing military discipline. As a result, there were occasional beatings and a lot of hard work.

At the time, it felt natural, so there were no particular problems.

After working together for about two years, they became very close on a personal level. But one day, Jo Han-sung asked him.

He asked why he had disciplined him so much when he was a new recruit.

He had nothing to say. So, he said he was sorry. He felt genuinely sorry. He had a lot of doubts about whether it was necessary to go that far.

So, this time, he treated him well from the beginning, contrary to the past. But strangely, he was more afraid of him than when he had established military discipline in his past life.

Jo Han-sung smiled and continued.

“It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“As Sergeant Kim knows, Sergeant Kim has never hit me or given me *eolcharyeo* [punishment drills] during my military service.”

“That’s strange?”

“That’s not it. What’s strange is that I was always more afraid of Sergeant Kim, who was unconditionally good to me, than the senior officers who hit me and gave me *eolcharyeo*. No matter how much I think about it, it’s really strange. That’s why I’m still using the *da-na-kka mal-tu* [formal military speech] right now.”

Jo Han-sung smiled again and continued.

“While we’re on the subject, can I ask you one more thing?”

“What is it?”

“Why were you so good to me from the beginning?”

“You’re curious about that?”

“Yes, I was really curious back then, although I’m only saying it now. Why were you so especially good to me? I didn’t do anything particularly well.”

“There isn’t one.”

“Pardon?”

Jo Han-sung stared blankly at Hyun-sung as if he didn’t understand what he meant.

Then Hyun-sung continued.

“I mean the reason. There was no such thing. I just liked you. Okay?”

“What? You mean there was no reason?”

“Yeah, you idiot. People don’t necessarily need a reason to like someone. I just liked you from the beginning.”

He couldn’t make the same mistake again. However, he couldn’t tell him about it, so he said that he just liked him from the beginning without a reason.

“…….”

*Chuck!*

Jo Han-sung, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly straightened up and faced Hyun-sung. Then he immediately saluted.

“Reporting!”

“What? Suddenly?”

“Thank you. I wanted to formally express my gratitude someday. My military life was happy thanks to Sergeant Kim.”

“Happy?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head at the word ‘happy’. Of course, it was true that he had been good to him, but he didn’t expect the word ‘happy’ to come out of his mouth.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“You were happy?”

“Yes, really. Sergeant Kim, I don’t know if you know this, but no one in the company disliked Sergeant Kim. That’s because Sergeant Kim was perfect.”

“Me?”

“Yes, that’s right. Sergeant Kim was the best on a personal level. Besides, you were good at driving, shooting, soccer, and even running, so our company always won the sports day, didn’t we?”

“The sports day was other people…….”

“No. It turns out that before Sergeant Kim came, we always had the tag of being the last-place company. So, it’s all thanks to Sergeant Kim. And our company won the spring sports day last week. That was also thanks to Sergeant Kim.”

“What are you talking about again?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head once more.

In fact, he had thought about visiting the company members last week before the sports day. However, he decided not to visit because he thought that constantly dwelling on it after being discharged would not be good for the remaining company members.

But to say that the victory was also thanks to him, does that make sense?

Jo Han-sung continued.

“Do you know that?”

“Huh? What……?”

“Do you know what happened a few days after Sergeant Kim was discharged?”

“Why, what happened?”

“We had a *hoesik* [company dinner].”

“A *hoesik*?”

“Yes, Sergeant Kim gave us one million won for the company members to have a *hoesik* when you were discharged, didn’t you? We had a *hoesik* with that money on Sunday.”

Hyun-sung nodded slightly. He had wanted to have a *hoesik* before being discharged, but he couldn’t because of circumstances, so he had no choice but to give the money and leave.

“While having a *hoesik* that day, the company members made one resolution.”

“A resolution?”

“Yes, it was to keep the tradition.”

“Tradition? What tradition?”

“The sports day. To keep the tradition that Sergeant Kim established at the sports day. The victory.”

Of course, it was true that they had won the sports day for two consecutive years during his military service, but he didn’t expect them to accept it as a tradition.

But anyway, he was curious about what he would say next.

“So? You’re saying you won?”

“Yes, of course. But it wasn’t easy at all. In the end, the victory was decided in the last game.”

“The last game, tug-of-war?”

“Yes, that’s right. As Sergeant Kim knows, our company has a finishing move, right? Of course, that’s also a method that Sergeant Kim created.”

A finishing move in tug-of-war? It’s surprisingly simple.

It’s about how to explode the power of 50 people in an instant. In the end, it’s about how 50 people can move simultaneously as if one person is moving.

There is only one way, and that is practice.

“You’re saying you practiced a lot?”

“Yes, we practiced that every day during roll call. As a result, we finally won. Thanks to that, our company will own the championship trophy forever.”

“I guess so, since you won for three consecutive years.”

“Yes, but do you know what happened that day?”

“Why, what happened?”

“The company commander bought us *makgeolli* [Korean rice wine]!”

“That cheapskate?”

“That’s what I’m saying. That day, the company was really in a festive mood. But, do you know what the company commander’s first toast was that day?”

“A toast?”

The company commander’s toast was always fixed.

-For the unlimited development and glory of the headquarters company!

But if what Jo Han-sung was saying was true, that wasn’t it.

Hyun-sung looked at Jo Han-sung. It was a way of telling him to say what the company commander had said.

Jo Han-sung smiled and continued.

“He said, ‘Although he is not here at this moment, for the unlimited development and glory of 병장 [Sergeant] Kim Hyun-sung.'”

“Really?”

“Yes, I was surprised, and everyone in the company was surprised.”

“Anyway, that cheapskate sometimes…….”

Hyun-sung stopped talking and chuckled. He was the company commander who had told him to stay in the military until the last day of his discharge report.

Anyway, the fact that he mentioned his name in front of the company members after being discharged was just grateful.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“That’s right, but what about what you said earlier about being happy? Honestly, it’s not easy to have such feelings while living in the military, is it?”

“Of course. That’s because Sergeant Kim was so special to me, as I said a little while ago. Honestly, if I were told to live in the military with Sergeant Kim again, I would go to the military twice.”

“Hey, what did you just say? Did you say twice?”

“Yes, I can do it as many times as…….”

“Stop!”

Hyun-sung raised his hand and stopped Jo Han-sung from speaking.

Just thinking about it was terrible. He had no choice but to do it twice, but he couldn’t do it three times.

After that, Hyun-sung continued to explain about the restaurant and the farm for a long time. What Jo Han-sung was most curious about was the operation of the bus.

When all the explanations were over, Jo Han-sung immediately asked.

“You’re saying you’re going to operate two buses?”

“Yes, two 25-seater buses. And I’m thinking of operating about three more *bongos* [small vans]. I’ll start like that for now and add more later depending on the situation.”

“Then you need at least five people, right?”

“That’s right.”

“…… Um, Sergeant Kim.”

Jo Han-sung, who had been thinking for a moment, carefully called Hyun-sung.

“Why? Is there something you want to say?”

“I have one more favor to ask.”

“A favor? What is it?”

“It’s not something else, but Sergeant Kim also knows about 병장 [Sergeant] Lee Sang-shik.”

“Sang-shik? Of course, I know him. But why Sang-shik?”

“It turns out that Private Lee’s situation is pitiful. So, I was wondering if you could hire Sang-shik here? Fortunately, he also has a large license, so the remaining buses…….”

“Okay!”

Hyun-sung immediately raised his hand. It was because he immediately understood what Jo Han-sung was trying to say.

“Really?”

“It’s not someone else, but of course, it’s okay if Private Jo is talking about it. When does he get discharged?”

“October, five months later.”

“Okay. I’m going to start in March next year anyway, so tell him to come once during his final vacation. And you can bring more of your favorite kids. I can’t trust other people, but I trust Private Jo.”

“Thank you. Sergeant Kim! Reporting!”

Saluting as a soldier means showing the best courtesy. Hyun-sung looked at such Jo Han-sung and continued.

“Hey, let’s go eat your favorite food now.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The two smiled and moved their feet.

This was the moment when the bus and *bongo* drivers were hired as drivers.