Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 52

“Mother, please help me.”

“……?”

“Three months is all I need.”

“Three months?”

Hyun-sung needed three months. That meant he would put it on a safe track within three months.

Anyway, Ssin Ramen [a popular spicy instant noodle brand in Korea] will be released in October, and TV commercials will be heavily promoted.

Of course, the advertiser is Samyang [a major Korean food company].

‘Ssin Ramen that makes a man cry!’

Also, from this time, the spicy flavor craze will begin to spread nationwide.

Hyun-sung continued.

“You’ll help me, right?”

“Well, honestly… I don’t really know what you’re talking about right now. You have to say something that makes sense, but this is…”

Hyun-sung was lost in thought for a moment.

When he first brought it up, he thought Shin Myung-soon would agree to help him to some extent. It was because she had no other job to do after quitting the store.

But that wasn’t the case.

Shin Myung-soon is anxious now.

It’s not just about her, but also about her only son’s future, so it’s not an easy decision to make.

And from Shin Myung-soon’s point of view, he’s just her son’s friend. How absurd would it be for such a guy to suddenly come and say he got a store and ask for help?

It was Hyun-sung’s mistake to think too easily. He needed something more convincing.

‘What could it be?’

Hyun-sung was about to get deeper into his thoughts.

Just then, the Kim Tae-chon news that he had seen at the Chinese restaurant earlier was coming out again on TV.

‘That’s it!’

It was the moment Hyun-sung nodded.

It’s a bit of a childish method, but there’s no other way right now.

Hyun-sung looked at Shin Myung-soon and asked.

“Mother, have you ever heard of a precognitive dream?”

“You mean a dream that shows you what’s going to happen in advance? But why are you suddenly talking about that?”

“Actually, I have those precognitive dreams.”

He felt cheesy even as he said it. But he couldn’t help it. He thought this was the only way to persuade Shin Myung-soon right now.

“Now it’s a dream story again?”

Shin Myung-soon’s eyes changed strangely for some reason. But Hyun-sung wasn’t going to pay attention to that.

“I told you yesterday that the store would be a hit, right?”

“So, you’re saying you saw it in a dream in advance?”

“And you don’t believe me now?”

“I can’t believe it…”

Shin Myung-soon was honest.

Hyun-sung glanced at the TV this time. Then he continued.

“Mother, that person.”

“Who?”

“Kim Tae-chon who is on the news now.”

“Why that person?”

Hyun-sung looked at Shin Myung-soon and said again.

“Will he be caught?”

“It won’t be easy. I heard he’s not an ordinary gangster. I even heard he already went to Japan?”

“He will be caught. This Sunday, too.”

“What?”

Shin Myung-soon looked at Hyun-sung.

Then Hyun-sung said in a relaxed voice.

“Be sure to watch the news on Sunday.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for going out of your way to make things easier for me because you thought I was having a hard time. I’ll try to find a way no matter what, so don’t worry too much.”

That was it.

Hyun-sung was now acting cute in front of Shin Myung-soon. What more could be said in such a situation?

It seemed right to bring it up again after Kim Tae-chon was caught.

Hyun-sung exchanged a few more words and quietly left the store.

Hyun-sung arrived home.

He had a lot of worries while riding his bicycle home.

Should I tell my parents now, or should I tell them after some progress has been made?

The conclusion is the former.

The reason was simple. It was because he thought it was right. Of course, more explanation and persuasion would be needed, but he thought it was the right thing to do.

Ahem.

Hyun-sung cleared his throat as if he had made up his mind. It’s because he knows that many words are needed.

“Father, Mother, I have something to tell you. Today I…”

Hyun-sung’s explanation became longer.

He could feel his father and mother’s expressions changing strangely as they wondered what he was talking about at first.

After some time passed.

“…, that’s all.”

After Hyun-sung finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, and then his father and mother opened their mouths at the same time as if they had promised.

“Kim Hyun-sung!”

“Hyun-sung-ah!”

And one more person.

“Oppa, are you crazy?”

It was his younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon, who blurted it out without controlling her emotions because she was young.

But there was no difference in Hyun-sung’s expression.

It was because he had expected this reaction to some extent anyway.

Then his younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon, asked with an absurd expression.

“So, what Oppa [Korean term for older brother used by females] is saying is that the store will be a hit? You saw it in a dream in advance, like when you stopped Dad’s accident and found wild ginseng last time?”

As expected, she was smart, so she understood quickly after hearing it once. Fortunately, he didn’t have to sell Kim Tae-chon.

“That’s my sister.”

“Ah! Seriously!”

Kim Ji-yeon couldn’t believe it, but she couldn’t ignore it because the bankbook was already in her hands. She didn’t know what to do.

His father and mother felt the same way.

Logically, a club [meaning to be reckless or irresponsible] was the answer, but they knew what Hyun-sung had done, so they couldn’t say anything. Moreover, they were happy to live to be 100 or 90 years old.

“So, the friend’s mother will take care of the store?”

The wise mother came back to reality first.

“Yes, she’s been in business for a long time, so she’ll do well. And since the store she’s running now will have to be closed soon, there’s no problem.”

The problem of Lee Jung-woo’s mother, Shin Myung-soon, was inevitably replaced with a lie. It was because he had calculated that he would hear Shin Myung-soon’s answer next week.

Then this time, his father asked.

“The money?”

He’s asking about operating funds.

Fortunately, the deposit was small, so the burden was reduced. He can earn and make 1 million won in a year. Right now, if he has a deposit of 100,000 won, store repair costs, and initial operating expenses, there will be no major problem in doing business right away. Besides, there is no monthly rent for 3 months.

And he’s thinking of doing the repairs himself if possible. It’s not like he’s decorating a high-end restaurant, so if he goes to a lumberyard and buys materials, there’s nothing he can’t do.

Hyun-sung had even opened a manga cafe in his previous life by hiring workers directly. This is nothing.

He can bring the equipment from Lee Jung-woo’s snack bar as it is, and just buy what he needs additionally.

It would be nice to start with new things if he had the money, but Hyun-sung wasn’t going to be obsessed with that.

Right now, it was important to seize the first opportunity.

Hyun-sung looked at his father and said.

“I think I can start with about 1 million won.”

“Will that be enough?”

“Fortunately, the deposit is 100,000 won first, so it’s possible. And I don’t have to buy a lot of equipment, and fortunately, the store was a restaurant, so that’s possible.”

That’s true.

If it wasn’t a restaurant, the kitchen alone would cost a lot. In many ways, it was the best condition for Hyun-sung.

His father continued.

“Honestly, even though I’m saying this, I don’t know…”

“I know you’re worried. Actually, that’s why I was thinking of telling you later, but I thought it wasn’t right, so I told you in advance.”

“Of course. You’ve already signed the contract, so there’s nothing you can do. You said it was a week? I’ll figure out how to get the money.”

“Ah, no. Father. I’ll take care of that.”

Hyun-sung was surprised by his father’s words. It was a part he hadn’t thought of. He had no intention of burdening his parents.

But that was only Hyun-sung’s thought.

Then his mother quietly got up and left the room.

And after a while.

“Take this.”

“Mother, what is this?”

His mother handed Hyun-sung something wrapped in a white handkerchief. Hyun-sung opened it and looked at his mother and asked.

“What is this money?”

“I’ve been saving it little by little for a few years, but it won’t be much. Add that to it for now.”

Most of them were 1,000 won bills, and there were also a few 500 won bills mixed in. It was roughly 70,000 to 80,000 won.

Hyun-sung looked at the money for a while and wondered what to do.

To collect this amount of money, his mother would have divided and divided her poor life. She would have even walked to the market.

It was the moment when he felt that heart.

Hyun-sung couldn’t bring himself to accept the money.

“Mother, put this back. How can I accept this?”

“No, you can take it. Actually, I was saving it for your sister Ji-yeon’s entrance fee when she goes to high school. But you solved that problem. So, take it, even though it’s not much.”

Unexpected words came out of his mother’s mouth.

His younger sister, Kim Ji-yeon, clearly went to a vocational high school in another area. He later learned from his sister that it was the path she chose herself due to her family situation.

Then she said one more thing. She said she was so upset with her mom and dad. How could they not say a word about her career path?

She finished by saying that a daughter is also a child.

But listening to his mother’s words now, that’s not the case. It means that his mother has been preparing for his sister for several years.

“Mom! What are you talking about?”

Kim Ji-yeon was more surprised than Hyun-sung.

She always thought she was alone. And since no one asked about her career path, she found a place in Namyangju Information High School on her own.

But a few days ago, she received a dreamlike gift from her brother. Thanks to that, she was able to change her direction to Chuncheon Girls’ High School, which she wanted to go to so much.

But now, according to her mother, she has been preparing for herself for several years, even if it’s a small amount.

But why didn’t she tell her?

Kim Ji-yeon was curious about that.

“Why didn’t you tell me in advance?”

“What?””I mean, you saved up tuition for me to go to high school.”

“Why would I say that? You just have to pay the tuition when you go to high school.”

Kim Ji-yeon finally understood the situation. Her mother thought she would naturally go to a high school in the countryside.

Well, there are a total of 3 friends, including herself, who are going to study abroad. So it was perhaps natural for her mother to think so.

In the end, she thought alone, worried alone, and made decisions alone, and she herself had resentful feelings towards her family.

It’s her own fault for pretending to be an adult clumsily when no one told her to.

This would not have happened if she had asked even once.

“Mom, I didn’t even know that…”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“No, I misunderstood everything, and I thought no one cared about me. I’m sorry, Mom…”

“What are you talking about? But are you crying now? Ji-yeon, why are you suddenly like this?”

Sniff.

Kim Ji-yeon wiped away her tears, got up from her seat, and went outside.

Then his mother looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“Hyun-sung-ah, why is Ji-yeon suddenly like that?”

“Mother. Don’t worry. I think there was a little misunderstanding, but I think it’s resolved now. I’m glad.”

No matter what the reason, he couldn’t be happier to think that his sister’s misunderstanding had been resolved. His sister, who was crying, said she was always lonely.

At least she won’t think that way in the future.

That’s it.