Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 51

A living witness?

Ha!

Park Hee-cheol, looking dumbfounded, gulped down the water on the table in one go. Then, he stared at Hyun-sung.

“Continue.”

“How could I have known about your accident in advance?”

“What? Are you saying…”

“Yes, I saw it in a dream beforehand. That’s why I stopped you from going on that trip.”

Park Hee-cheol was confused.

He hadn’t said it, but that was the question he was most curious about. He was too out of it to think about it at first, but as time passed, the question kept nagging at him.

And now, Hyun-sung was saying he saw it in a dream.

What on earth is going on?

Just then,

Knock knock.

The door opened, and the food they had ordered arrived.

But Park Hee-cheol barely noticed the food.

Hyun-sung, on the other hand, was different. Eventually, Park Hee-cheol would have no choice but to believe him anyway.

No matter what anyone said, Park Hee-cheol knew very well who had saved him from the brink of death.

He was the living witness who couldn’t deny it, no matter how much he wanted to.

That’s why Hyun-sung could afford to be relaxed.

Looking at Park Hee-cheol, Hyun-sung said,

“Please, eat your Jjambong [Korean-Chinese noodle soup with spicy seafood broth].”

“How can I eat at a time like this? Stop that and tell me more.”

“Just eat first. I’ll tell you after you’ve eaten.”

“I’m not hungry!”

Park Hee-cheol didn’t even pick up his chopsticks. It would be ridiculous to be eating alone in this situation.

Hyun-sung had no choice but to look at Park Hee-cheol and start explaining everything.

“Listen carefully. I…”

When Hyun-sung finished explaining, Park Hee-cheol immediately asked,

“What? So, you’re saying you paid off your debt thanks to the dream?”

“Yes, how else would I have found wild ginseng?”

“And you were able to save me because you saw the accident in a dream beforehand?”

“Of course.”

Hyun-sung answered confidently in a loud voice. Then, he continued,

“So, now please eat your Jjambong.”

“If I’m to believe you, does that mean you also saw that building we just signed a contract for in a dream?”

“So, you finally believe me.”

“Hehe, I’ve lived a long life, and I’m seeing all sorts of things.”

Park Hee-cheol’s face began to flush.

This doesn’t make sense.

A dream?

But what’s driving him crazy is that he can’t deny it unconditionally. He himself is the beneficiary of that dream.

It’s absurd to believe, but he can’t explain why he’s sitting here if he doesn’t believe it. Park Hee-cheol was just confused.

“Here!”

Park Hee-cheol suddenly called out to the Chinese restaurant owner.

The door quickly opened, and the owner approached.

“What else do you need, sir?”

“A bottle of Geumbokju [a premium Korean rice wine].”

“Yes, sir.”

“And leave the door open. I’m suddenly feeling hot.”

Park Hee-cheol wasn’t the only one who felt uncomfortable in this situation. Hyun-sung wasn’t comfortable either.

He couldn’t eat even though the food was right in front of him.

He couldn’t even see the Jjambong soup anymore.

At that moment, the sound of the TV came from the hall.

It was news about Kim Tae-chon of the Bumseobang gang, which was a big issue these days.

Suddenly, Park Hee-cheol looked at Hyun-sung with a strange expression.

Hyun-sung asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“By any chance… did Kim Tae-chon appear in your dream?”

Hyun-sung immediately realized that he wasn’t asking out of curiosity.

Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-cheol and smiled knowingly. Of course, he couldn’t not know about Kim Tae-chon.

He was the biggest news at the time.

Kim Tae-chon.

The boss of the Bumseobang gang.

Along with Jo Yang-eun’s Yangeun gang and Lee Dong-jae’s OB gang, it was one of the three major organized crime groups in the 70s and 80s.

The incident being discussed on the news now is the ‘Incheon New Songdo Hotel President Assault Case’ in July 1986. Kim Tae-chon, the boss of the Seobang gang, assaulted Mr. Hwang, the president of the hotel, who was in a business conflict with Prosecutor Park, at the instigation of Prosecutor Park.

Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-cheol and asked leisurely,

“What are you curious about?”

“I was just wondering when Kim Tae-chon will be caught.”

Hyun-sung smiled and deliberately dragged out the answer.

“Just a moment… um… this Sunday.”

“What?”

It wasn’t a question that wanted an answer. He was just making fun of him for talking about such ridiculous dreams, but he had no way to refute it.

But Hyun-sung was answering so confidently.

Hyun-sung continued,

“Check the news on Sunday.”

“…”

Ha!

This was the conclusion.

He remembered when Hyun-sung first told him. It was the day he stopped him from going on the trip.

The day he waited for the 9 o’clock news all day long.

He didn’t know a day could be so long.

Eventually, he heard about the accident at 7 o’clock and rushed to Hyun-sung.

Sunday?

Haa!

Four days left. Park Hee-cheol sighed at the thought of how each day would feel like a year.

Gulp.

Park Hee-cheol just kept grabbing the innocent Geumbokju.

After a while,

Hyun-sung looked at Park Hee-cheol and asked,

“Why did you do that earlier?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The guarantee.”

It was an absurd situation to anyone.

Moreover, it was impossible for a loan shark like Park Hee-cheol to give a guarantee in such a ridiculous situation.

Then, Park Hee-cheol quietly opened his mouth.

“Because it’s you.”

“Yes?”

“You are my sky. What reason do I need?”

Strange words came out of Park Hee-cheol’s mouth. He never thought he would say such a thing. Hyun-sung quietly focused on the remaining Jjambong because of Park Hee-cheol’s sudden words.

He wondered if a person could change this much. Of course, it was true that he had saved him from death, but he didn’t expect him to change this much. No, he didn’t even expect it.

Aren’t humans creatures of forgetfulness? They say they change their minds before and after going to the bathroom.

But…

He called him his sky.

And said he didn’t need a reason.

Park Hee-cheol!

That was the moment when the three syllables of his name took root in Hyun-sung’s mind.

***

After parting ways with Park Hee-cheol, Hyun-sung headed to Lee Jung-woo’s snack shop.

He had one last thing to confirm with Lee Jung-woo’s mother, Shin Myung-soon.

The shop seemed quiet, perhaps because it was past dinner time.

Hyun-sung entered the shop and greeted her warmly.

“Hello, Mother!”

“Welcome, but what brings you here at this hour…?”

Shin Myung-soon’s voice lacked energy. Hyun-sung knew the reason without having to ask, so he went straight to the point.

“I have something to ask you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I can only proceed with the next step if you make a firm decision.”

“I?”

Shin Myung-soon’s eyes sparkled differently from before at Hyun-sung’s words.

In fact, Shin Myung-soon had been feeling dazed all day. She had no choice but to open the shop, but she felt more annoyed than happy when customers came in.

She had been running the shop for 10 years. But now that she thought it was really over, she couldn’t focus on her work, which was perhaps natural.

Hyun-sung continued,

“First, let me ask you one thing.”

“Um, okay. What is it?”

“What are your plans for the future?”

Of course, Shin Myung-soon’s intentions came first. He knew that no matter how good the intentions were, there was an order to everything.

At Hyun-sung’s question, Shin Myung-soon seemed to lose strength and drooped her shoulders.

“Actually, I’ve looked into it a lot. But no matter how much I look, there’s no answer. As you know, there are no empty shops in the countryside. There are two places, but I looked around, and they weren’t for me.”

“Ah, I see.”

“So, I’m thinking of going to Hongcheon or Wonju, but that’s also a problem in many ways. First of all, there’s the money, but more than that…”

Shin Myung-soon trailed off.

It was probably because of Lee Jung-woo. If that happened, he would have to transfer schools, and as a mother, it would be difficult for her to endure the pain that Lee Jung-woo would experience.

Hyun-sung looked at Shin Myung-soon.

He had heard enough about Shin Myung-soon’s situation. He thought it was time to tell her his own thoughts.

Gulp.

He was thirsty at that moment. Perhaps the Jjambong he had eaten earlier was a bit salty.

“Mother, can I have some water?”

Hyun-sung jumped up and headed to the refrigerator.

Then, Shin Myung-soon hurriedly followed him and said,

“Oh, look at my mind. I haven’t been myself, I haven’t even given you dinner. Wait a moment. I’ll quickly roll you some Gimbap [Korean seaweed rice rolls].”

“Ah, no. Mother. I just came from dinner. I just need a cup of water. I think the dinner I had was a bit salty.”

“Really? Are you sure you’re not saying you ate when you didn’t?”

“Of course.”

He used to do that sometimes, but not anymore.

Hyun-sung quickly drank the water and sat back down. Then, he looked at Shin Myung-soon and said,

“Mother, I signed a contract.”

“Contract? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Actually…”

Hyun-sung began to explain in detail to Shin Myung-soon what had happened a little while ago.

When Hyun-sung finished explaining, Shin Myung-soon couldn’t say anything and just scratched her head.

Shin Myung-soon was dumbfounded.

At first, she thought he was just joking when he mentioned the building she had seen yesterday. But as the story went on, Hyun-sung’s expression became more and more serious. And when the talk of the penalty came up, she thought he was really crazy.

This doesn’t make sense.

He’s going to go into a place where people died, and he’s only 18 years old.

Okay!

Let’s say he opens a shop. Then what about school?

No matter how much she thought about it, there was no answer to this problem.

Just then.