Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 457

That evening, after their first day in business,

Two people sat in the office. Hyun-sung was one, and Kim Il-soo, the vice president and head chef of the Korean restaurant on the first floor, was the other.

Hyun-sung spoke first.

“Was it rough today?”

“To be honest, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t. But even though my body is tired, I feel really good. I’ve cooked in other places before, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt as rewarded as I did today.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You saw it too; after the meal, the village chief deliberately called me out in front of everyone to praise me. I was embarrassed, but it felt great.”

That’s right. Near the end of the meal, Lee Kang-seok, the village chief, had suddenly stood up and called Kim Il-soo, the chef working in the kitchen, out.

And right there, he thanked him for the delicious food. Then, the villagers also applauded and thanked him.

Kim Il-soo continued.

“It’s a first for me. It’s the first time I’ve received so many thank yous from so many people while cooking. Of course, they were invited, so that might be part of it, but I don’t think that’s the only reason.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I felt that too. It’s not just that they’re grateful because they were invited; they seem genuinely thankful.”

“So…….”

Kim Il-soo still wore a happy expression, clearly pleased.

Hyun-sung, seeing this, smiled and followed up.

“What do you think is the reason for that?”

“Reason? Well… I don’t really know the exact reason. I just cooked with all my heart for the elders in my hometown, as if I were cooking for my grandmother.”

“That’s it.”

“What?”

“That’s it. The village elders felt your heart while eating the food.”

“Oh, come on….”

Kim Il-soo smiled and shook his head as if it couldn’t be true.

Then Hyun-sung pressed on.

“Why? Do you think it doesn’t make sense?”

“Of course, it doesn’t make sense. It’s not like it shows in the food.”

“Hey, are you even a chef?”

Hyun-sung’s voice suddenly grew louder.

Kim Il-soo’s expression changed from smiling to serious. Hyun-sung’s reaction was that strong.

Kim Il-soo immediately asked, a curious expression on his face.

“What do you mean, ‘am I a chef?'”

“Hey, how can a guy who’s supposed to be a chef say something like that?”

“Huh? What are you…….”

Kim Il-soo just stared blankly at Hyun-sung, as if he still didn’t understand what Hyun-sung was saying.

Then Hyun-sung continued.

“So, you’re saying you have to taste it to know if it’s [excrement] or soybean paste [fermented soybean paste, a Korean staple]?”

“Sorry, you know I’m a little slow to understand, so explain it in a way I can understand.”

“Okay, then let me ask you one thing. When I went to your house a while ago, what did you say when you ate the food your grandmother made? You clearly said you could feel your grandmother’s sincerity all over your body, didn’t you?”

“Of course, I said that because I could feel my grandmother’s heart.”

“You crazy bastard.”

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo as if he was hopeless.

Of course, he was as big as a bear, so he was sometimes teased as ‘Bear’ in school, but it was the first time he really thought that way today.

That’s how much Kim Il-soo was not understanding today.

Of course, it’s understandable to some extent if it’s a regular person.

But Kim Il-soo is clearly a chef. It was absurd that he felt his grandmother’s sincerity while eating food, but he thought it was natural that other people couldn’t feel the sincerity of the person who made his food.

Hyun-sung called Kim Il-soo teasingly.

“Hey, Bear.”

“Huh? What are you saying? Even so, what’s with the ‘Bear’? How long has it been since I graduated from high school?”

“What’s the point of having a big head? Your thoughts can’t keep up, can they?”

“What did I do?”

Kim Il-soo still didn’t understand.

Hyun-sung sighed as if he couldn’t help it and continued.

“Hey, Kim Il-soo. Listen carefully to what I’m going to say. Generally, when people eat food…….”

Hyun-sung’s explanation continued at length.

Although the explanation was long, the point was one: when people eat food, they can feel the sincerity and heart of the person who made the food.

Just like when he ate the food his grandmother made and felt her heart, other people feel the same way.

When Hyun-sung’s explanation was over, Kim Il-soo immediately opened his mouth.

“Is that real?”

“That’s right. Just like you feel your grandmother’s heart and sincerity when you eat her food, other people feel the same way when they eat the food you make. Do you understand what I’m saying now?”

“Um… well, listening to you, I think it could be true, but honestly, I’m still…….”

Kim Il-soo shook his head slightly.

Then Hyun-sung continued.

“I knew it; you’re so slow to react, just like a bear. Hey, then let me ask you one more thing. When you used to work at a restaurant, did the customers react the same way every day when you made the same food?”

“No, that wasn’t the case. I made it the same way every day, but some days the customers’ reactions were good, and other days they weren’t good at all.”

“Why do you think that was?”

“Well, I don’t know. The ingredients are the same and the seasoning is the same, so I don’t know why the reaction is different.”

Kim Il-soo tilted his head slightly.

In fact, he was curious. He clearly tried to make the food with the same ingredients and the same seasoning, but the reaction was not the same every time. Some days the reaction was good, and other days he was upset by the lukewarm reaction.

But he couldn’t ask the customers the reason one by one, so he was just curious as to why.

Hyun-sung continued.

“Now, here’s an additional question. By any chance, how did you feel on the days when the customers’ reactions weren’t good? Before you made the food.”

“Um… well, I don’t remember exactly, but I don’t think I felt good. Ah! Now that I think about it, I remember the first day of the lunar month [a traditional Korean holiday] last year. The boss chewed me out from the morning that day. He told me to pay attention to the food and make it well because business wasn’t good.”

“How was the customers’ reaction that day?”

“Now that I think about it, the customers’ reactions were particularly bad that day. I clearly measured it accurately with a measuring scale.”

“That’s it.”

“Huh? What do you mean, ‘that’s it?'”

Kim Il-soo still had an expression that he didn’t know what he was talking about.

Then Hyun-sung’s answer followed immediately.

“Your emotions.”

“My emotions?”

“Yes, depending on the emotions of the person making the food, the taste can be very slightly different.”

“The taste changes depending on the emotions of the person making it?”

“Of course. If that’s not the case, how would you explain what you said a little while ago? You clearly said that you measured it the same way with a measuring scale, but the customers’ reactions weren’t good. Right?”

“Huh? Oh. Now that I think about it…….”

Kim Il-soo had no choice but to admit it.

A little while ago, he clearly said that with his own mouth. That means that, like Hyun-sung said, the taste of the food can change depending on the person’s emotions.

Hyun-sung continued.

“Do you know why I’m emphasizing this?”

“Huh? Well…….”

“Self-management.”

“Self-management?”

“Yes, as you cook in the future, you won’t always be in a good mood because you’re human. But that doesn’t mean you should put your emotions into the food. Do you know what I mean?”

“So, you’re saying that I have to control my emotions even while cooking now? Because otherwise, the food won’t taste right. So, self-management is necessary?”

Hyun-sung nodded at Kim Il-soo’s answer and answered immediately.

“Yes, you idiot. You finally understand what I’m saying. Making food is that difficult. I have to control my emotions. Of course, it’s not usually required that much, but as you know, this restaurant is different.”

“Are you talking about the level?”

“It’s not exactly about the level, but it’s similar. As you know, the food here is expensive.”

That’s right. Usually, Jajangmyeon [black bean noodles, a popular Korean-Chinese dish] at a Chinese restaurant costs 1,200 won [a very low price, implying the restaurant’s food is much more expensive], but here, the cheapest menu is 10,000 won, so it was definitely expensive compared to other places.

Kim Il-soo nodded and said.

“That’s right. So, about that…….”

Kim Il-soo stopped talking in the middle of his sentence and looked at Hyun-sung.

Then Hyun-sung immediately asked.

“What is it? Why are you stopping in the middle of your sentence?”

“It’s a meaningless story now……. It’s already all decided, so I don’t think it makes sense to say it now.”

“Is it about the food prices?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Kim Il-soo nodded.

In fact, Hyun-sung, the president, directly set the menu and its prices. That story was not subject to discussion from the beginning. That’s because Hyun-sung decided from the beginning.

But until now, he hadn’t said anything, but honestly, he was worried. The reason was that the food prices were too different compared to other restaurants.

Hyun-sung continued.

“Are you worried?”

“Honestly, yes. Of course, I’m sure you made the decision knowing what you were doing, but it’s too different from other restaurants. I’m worried, but I was also curious. Why did you decide to set the food prices so high?”

“Why didn’t you ask?”

“Huh?”

“Weren’t you curious from the beginning? But why haven’t you asked all this time?”

It was Hyun-sung himself who set the menu and prices. Of course, it is also true that he made the decision after much deliberation.

But the strange thing is that no one questioned the decision.

Even though the price difference was noticeably different compared to other restaurants. Even his friend Kim Il-soo.

Kim Il-soo’s answer followed.

“I thought it was respect.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? You thought it was respect?”

“I don’t know what you thought, but at least I thought it was right to do that.”

“At least you……?”

Hyun-sung looked at him as if he didn’t know what Kim Il-soo was talking about.

Then Kim Il-soo opened his mouth again.

“As you know, I’m your friend, right?”

“Of course. But?”

“So, I was more careful. I was worried that other people might misunderstand. So, I was curious about the menu and food prices, but I didn’t say anything. I thought that was respecting you.”

“Is that real?”

“Yeah.”

Kim Il-soo nodded lightly.

Then Hyun-sung, seeing that, began to smile.

It was a fact he didn’t know.

He never thought that the reason why he hadn’t said anything even though he had been curious all along was for his friend, the president, and not for any other reason.

In fact, it was strange. The food prices were set so high that they couldn’t be compared to other restaurants.

But no one asked about the price. Even his friend and chef, Kim Il-soo, who he thought would definitely ask.

But the reason was for him; Hyun-sung was just grateful to Kim Il-soo for being so considerate.

Then he thought that explaining the reason now was also something he should do.

Hyun-sung immediately opened his mouth.

“There were two reasons for setting the food prices high.”

“Two reasons?”

“Yes, one of them was because of the other restaurants in this village.”

“Other restaurants?”

Kim Il-soo tilted his head. Even at first glance, he didn’t understand what Hyun-sung was talking about.

That’s because, in general, to compete with other restaurants, it is common sense to lower prices a little or at least match the same price range.

But Hyun-sung is now completely the opposite. At the same time, he says it’s because of other restaurants, so Kim Il-soo naturally didn’t understand.

Kim Il-soo continued.

“This doesn’t make sense. To compete with other restaurants, you should lower the price, but instead…….”

“They’ll all go bankrupt.”

Hyun-sung said before Kim Il-soo finished speaking.

Then Kim Il-soo asked again.

“What? What do you mean, ‘they’ll all go bankrupt?'”

“The other restaurants can’t handle it if we set the prices similar to them.”

That’s probably true.

First of all, the scale itself is incomparable. In that situation, if the prices are cheaper or similar, customers will have no choice but to flock to one side. In that case, the existing restaurants will inevitably suffer from financial difficulties.

Kim Il-soo asked again.

“Of course, I feel sorry for those people, but it can’t be helped. That’s the principle of the market economy. Right?”

Perhaps it’s natural. That’s the characteristic of the market economy. It’s natural to be eliminated if you lose in the competition.

But different words came out of Hyun-sung’s mouth.

“I don’t like that.”

“What? You don’t like it?”

“Yeah, I don’t like it. I don’t want to live by stepping on those people who are already having a hard time.”

“Hoo…….”

Kim Il-soo couldn’t help but sigh.

Of course, he knows Hyun-sung’s personality well.

But that’s just an ideal. In reality, there is only the law of the jungle. If you are weak, you have no choice but to be eaten.

That’s the lesson he learned from graduating from high school and living in society until now, even though it’s been a short time.