Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 445

A week later.

Two people stood silently, gazing at the five-tiered wreaths lining the entrance of the five-story building.

“…….”

“…….”

About two minutes passed.

Hyunsung broke the silence.

“Manager Yoo, how many wreaths are there in total?”

“Exactly one hundred. But strangely, there’s no sender’s name. Who on earth…?”

“No name?”

“Yes, only congratulatory messages are written on both ribbons without a name.”

Usually, when sending congratulatory wreaths, it’s customary to write the congratulatory message on the right ribbon and the sender’s name or company on the left ribbon.

But the wreaths that just arrived only have congratulatory messages on both the right and left ribbons, leaving Manager Yoo Minchul flustered.

Yoo Minchul immediately asked, “Should I call the delivery company to find out who sent them?”

“No, there’s no need to do that.”

“Really? But we need to know who sent them so we can thank them…”

“There’s only one person who would do this.”

“One person?”

“Yes, Chairman Shin of Nongshim [a major South Korean food and beverage company], who visited last spring. I deliberately didn’t contact him, thinking he might do this, but how did he know and send so many congratulations again?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh had called the previous evening.

He didn’t call about anything special, just to check in. They usually talked to each other about once a month, without either one initiating it.

Even when he finished the call yesterday, he deliberately didn’t mention the completion ceremony.

The reason was that if he contacted Chairman Shin Chun-oh, he would insist on coming down again, and Hyunsung didn’t want to burden him.

He hadn’t contacted any outside people for the completion ceremony. He didn’t contact the governor, the county mayor, or even the local township head.

Of course, if he had contacted those people, they would have rushed over immediately. There’s no better event for managing votes [garnering political support].

But he didn’t want to create such a situation.

He purely wanted to have a good time eating with the villagers. After all, he built the building here ultimately for the village.

Hyunsung figured that if people like the governor, county mayor, or township head came, he would inevitably be concerned about them and would inevitably neglect the villagers.

So he deliberately didn’t contact anyone. But Chairman Shin Chun-oh somehow knew and sent the wreaths. And not just one or two, but a hundred of them.

Of course, he expected that he would know to some extent even if he didn’t tell him. He knew that his activities were always being reported on.

But he never expected him to send so many wreaths.

In any case, the completion ceremony was certainly shining thanks to Chairman Shin Chun-oh.

Hyunsung was about to say something to Manager Yoo Minchul when it happened.

Vroom.

A taxi entered the parking lot and stopped at the restaurant entrance.

“Oppa! [Korean term for ‘older brother’ used by females]”

The person who got out of the taxi was his younger sister, Kim Jiyeon.

“What’s going on? You said you couldn’t come because you have exams starting tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t miss this. It doesn’t make sense to sit and study when my brother is having a completion ceremony. So I hurriedly took a taxi and rushed over. Am I too late?”

“There are still 30 minutes left. But are you sure about the exams?”

“It’s okay, I can just go back and study hard after the completion ceremony. So don’t worry too much.”

Looking at his smiling younger sister, memories of his past life flashed through his mind.

Kim Jiyeon, who went to a vocational high school in Namyangju at that young age, thinking of her brother. At that time, he didn’t even know that his younger sister had made that choice because of him.

He only found out all the facts after a lot of time had passed.

But by then, too much time had passed, and there was nothing he could do for his crying younger sister.

That younger sister was now smiling with a bright face.

Hyunsung smiled and said, “Jiyeon, thank you!”

“Oppa, don’t say such things. We’re not strangers, so why are you saying that? Here, take this. Congratulations, Oppa!”

Kim Jiyeon held out a white envelope to Hyunsung.

“What’s this?”

“I’m sorry, Oppa. I was actually going to prepare a bouquet, but I couldn’t because I was in a hurry. Please accept this instead.”

“What money does a student have to give an envelope?”

“I’m rich thanks to you, Oppa. Just take it, I’m embarrassed.”

“You rascal, okay, thank you.”

“Oppa, but what are all these wreaths?”

Kim Jiyeon asked, looking at the wreaths lined up at the restaurant entrance. Of course, she wouldn’t have asked if there were only a few. After all, it’s a completion ceremony, so that’s expected.

But she asked out of curiosity because the number was so enormous.

Hyunsung smiled and said, “I told you before. Chairman Shin of Nongshim. He sent them.”

“Ah, that grandpa! But how many are there? What kind of wreaths…”

“I know, right? Anyway, thanks to the chairman, the completion ceremony atmosphere is perfect.”

“Wow! That grandpa is really amazing. Even if you have a lot of money, how can you have so many… Oh, where are Mom and Dad?”

Kim Jiyeon looked for her father and mother as if she had just remembered.

“They’ll be here soon.”

Just then,

A taxi entered the parking lot, and his father and mother got out of the taxi.

The father was wearing a suit, and the mother was wearing a beautiful hanbok [traditional Korean dress]. Looking at the mother’s appearance, she looked like she had just come from the beauty salon.

It seemed that she had deliberately gone to the beauty salon early this morning because of today’s completion ceremony.

“Mom! Dad!”

Kim Jiyeon, who was next to them, greeted her father and mother first.

Then, the mother immediately said in surprise, “Oh? Jiyeon, what’s going on? You said you couldn’t come because you have exams starting tomorrow?”

“No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t do it. I thought I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t come to Oppa’s completion ceremony, so I just came. Oppa is more important than the exams.”

As soon as Kim Jiyeon finished speaking, her father immediately took over.

“Yes, you did well. People should prioritize what’s important. And besides, our Jiyeon should naturally brighten up the completion ceremony of her only brother. And that’s what family is all about.”

His father had hardly ever said such things before. But from some point on, he started using the word family a lot. It must mean that he had come to cherish the meaning of family that much more.

Kim Jiyeon nodded and immediately said, “That’s right, Dad. I think so too. But our dad is completely stylish today. Where did you get this suit?”

“Your brother bought it for me a month ago. I’ve been saving it without wearing it, but I decided to wear it today. How is it, does it look good?”

“Yes, Dad. It’s the best. As expected, the clothes look good because you have a good figure.”

“Hehe… I’m glad to hear that.”

The father smiled lightly, as if embarrassed.

But at that moment, something strange happened.

It was none other than the mother spinning around once. It was as if she was saying, ‘How about me?’

Kim Jiyeon couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Hehe, our mom is pretty too. It’s like an angel descended from heaven. But where did you get your hair done? It’s so pretty.”

Just then,

As soon as Kim Jiyeon finished speaking, her father sighed deeply and immediately said, “Hey, Jiyeon, don’t even mention that hair…”

“Why, Dad? What happened?”

“I couldn’t even eat breakfast this morning and had to get that hair done at the beauty salon from 7 o’clock until now… Anyway, if I have to do the completion ceremony just twice, I probably won’t live to my full life.”

“You, you?”

The mother flared up at that moment.

The mother immediately continued, poking her father in the side. “You don’t know anything. Men only need to wear clothes, but women originally…”

The mother’s words grew longer. It seemed that she had accumulated a lot of complaints this morning.

A smile began to spread on Hyunsung’s face without him even realizing it as he watched the scene.

It was a sight of his mother that he had never seen in his past life.

She was always busy working, and even going to the beauty salon once was not easy. So she only got a perm once a year before the Lunar New Year.

It’s a sad story, but at that time, he honestly hardly even thought of his mother as a woman. His mother was just a mother, far from being a woman.

But it’s different now.

He’s making sure she goes to the beauty salon at least once every two months. As a result, his mother herself now naturally starts going to the beauty salon as if it’s a matter of course.

Could that be why?

His mother’s appearance today was especially beautiful.

“Take this.”

As soon as the mother’s words were over to some extent, the father took out an envelope from his inside pocket and handed it to Hyunsung.

“No, what is this?”

“It’s nothing special, just my sincerity. You’ve worked hard so far. And I hope you hit the jackpot.”

“No, what is this… Yes, thank you.”

Hyunsung bowed his head, receiving the envelope that his father handed him, trying to say something else. He knew that it would make his father happy.

His father has changed a lot if you think about it.

In his past life, he hardly ever straightened his hunched shoulders wherever he went. He never even laughed out loud once.

But it’s different these days.

He’s never seen him hunched over wherever he goes. Even when he meets his friends, his laughter is the loudest, and he himself has changed.

Confidence.

He’s so happy to see him standing tall and being confident wherever he goes.

“Okay, go in and have a meal right away.”

“Huh? Not after the completion ceremony?”

“If you wait, it will start in the middle of the meal. It’s a buffet, so eat as much as you want. Jiyeon, take your mother and father and go into the restaurant first. I’ll be here to greet the guests…”

“Okay, Oppa, I understand.”

“Let’s go in!”

Hyunsung smiled as he watched his father, mother, and younger sister enter the restaurant with the guidance of Manager Yoo Minchul, who was next to him.

The changes are so great that they can’t even be compared to his past life. That’s why Hyunsung was happy just to see their backs.

“Kim, congratulations.”

It was Park Hee-cheol. A person who was no different from an enemy in his past life, but in this life, the two had become closer than anyone else.

And there were two more people next to Park Hee-cheol.

It was Shin Myung-soon and Park Beom-soo.

“Welcome. Father, Mother, and Hyung [Korean term for ‘older brother’ used by males]”

“Congratulations, President.”

“Mother, please speak comfortably on a day like today. That way, I’ll feel comfortable.”

“Hehe, should I… Then. Hyunsung, congratulations. You finally did it.”

“It was possible because many people helped me. Okay, go in quickly.”

At that time, Park Beom-soo, who was next to him, stepped forward to Hyunsung and held out his hand.

“Congratulations, President. You’ve finally done this amazing thing.”

“Thank you, Hyung. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“I should be asking you for favors. Anyway, you’re really amazing.”

Park Beom-soo had changed the most. Compared to when he met him this spring, not only his way of speaking but also the expression on his face had completely changed.

Anyway, he had gained a lot of confidence while learning to cook, and most of all, the biggest change was that he was no longer afraid of meeting people.

As Park Hee-cheol’s family went in, the villagers began to flock in again this time. Roughly, there seemed to be more than 100 people.

At the front were the village chief, Lee Kang-seok, and the women’s association president, Lee Soon-ok.

“President Kim, congratulations.”

“Chief, your help was great. Please continue to help me a lot in the future.”

“Hehe, anyway, you’re humble…”

Lee Kang-seok smiled as if he was in a good mood and took the villagers into the restaurant. The villagers also did not forget to say congratulations as they went in.

Hyunsung also shook hands with them one by one with a happy heart.

“President, this is it.”

Lee Soon-ok, the president of the women’s association, remained last and handed Hyunsung an envelope.

“Our women’s association has prepared a little bit.”

“No, I told you to just come… Thank you. Anyway, thanks to the president of the women’s association, it’s easy for me to do my work.”

“Don’t mention it. We’re happy to be doing well thanks to the president. We should have prepared the food today, but you called a catering buffet for us, thinking of us. Anyway, we’re getting a lot of help from the president.”

The first person to visit when he said he was going to have a completion ceremony was Lee Soon-ok, the president of the women’s association.

She said that the women’s association would take responsibility for preparing all the food, so he shouldn’t worry about anything.

But he couldn’t do that. If that happened, they would have to prepare the food a few days in advance and would have to suffer all day today greeting guests.

They weren’t born as women because they wanted to, so he didn’t want to cause them such trouble.

In those days, that was taken for granted, but anyway, Hyunsung was a person who lived in the 21st century. He didn’t want to do the same thing knowing it was wrong.

“Don’t do anything today, eat as much as you want, and have fun. I’ve also called a band, so get rid of all the stress you’ve accumulated. Okay, go in.”

Lee Soon-ok’s face was full of smiles as she headed to the restaurant. Who in the world likes to work?

Hyunsung was also in a good mood watching that scene. He thought that it was right for men and women to play equally when playing.

“President, everything is ready.”

At Manager Yoo Minchul’s words, Hyunsung nodded and entered the restaurant.