Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 55

Kim Il-soo was also feeling uneasy.

The moment he faced Hyun-sung, he felt his heart stop.

Hyun-sung’s last image in the vacant lot flashed through his mind. That’s why he couldn’t help but speak in a twisted way.

A pathetic pride.

He couldn’t believe he had been rejected by Hyun-sung, whom he had always thought of as being at the bottom. No, he didn’t want to admit it.

But the clear thing was that it was true.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he had to.

He knew.

He clearly knew it in his head, but he just didn’t want to admit it.

Then, Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo and asked again.

“Why are you so twisted?”

“What’s twisted about it?”

“Do you think your behavior is normal right now? Of course, it’s true that we fought, but does that mean you have to tell a friend who came to visit to get lost? Were you really such a terrible guy?”

“…….”

Kim Il-soo didn’t say anything.

After a moment of silence.

Clench.

Kim Il-soo, who had clenched his teeth, slightly opened his mouth.

“You son of a bitch, you’re good with words.”

“You really……!”

“How do you think you would feel?”

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

Hyun-sung wondered what Kim Il-soo was talking about.

Then, Kim Il-soo continued.

“Do you think it would be easy to admit, you bastard?”

“Admit?”

“You were so quick to run your mouth, but now you’re not so quick on the uptake, are you?”

Kim Il-soo said, tapping his head.

Then, Hyun-sung pointed at Kim Il-soo with his finger as if he had thought of something.

“Are you perhaps now…….”

Hyun-sung stopped talking and pressed his temples with his fingers.

Just now, Kim Il-soo had said the word ‘admit.’ At first, he didn’t know what it meant.

Then, he remembered the words ‘how would you feel.’

Ha!

A hollow laugh came from Hyun-sung’s mouth.

Then, he continued.

“So, what you’re saying is that it’s hard for you to admit me right now? You’ve always seen me as a small fry, but it’s hard to admit that you’ve been rejected by someone like me? No, you don’t want to, right?”

“…….”

“No answer means that’s what it is.”

Now, Hyun-sung felt like he could understand Kim Il-soo’s feelings.

He didn’t want to admit it. No, he couldn’t admit it.

But the reality wasn’t like that. That’s why he was saying whatever came to his mind.

Smirk.

Hyun-sung smiled lightly at Kim Il-soo.

“Hey, Kim Il-soo, listen carefully. Right now, I feel like burying you in this *gamjab밭* [potato field]. Do you know what I mean?”

“…….”

“You probably don’t, right? That’s how people are anyway. You’re only thinking about your own pride, right? You said it yourself a little while ago, would you admit it if you were me?”

Kim Il-soo was still silent.

Then, Hyun-sung continued.

“That’s what they call *역지사지* [putting yourself in someone else’s shoes] in fancy words. Before you say such things, you should think about what you’ve done. What you’ve done to me and Lee Jung-woo, as well as the other classmates.”

“…….”

“If you’re really human, you should look back now. Think about how miserable those friends you treated like toys must have felt.”

When Hyun-sung finished speaking, Kim Il-soo only stared at the distant mountains, saying nothing.

It was a moment when Kim Il-soo’s thoughts were prolonged.

After a while.

Kim Il-soo looked at Hyun-sung.

Then, Hyun-sung asked.

“Do you feel anything now?”

“Honestly…….”

“Honestly what?”

“It’s still hard to say anything because my head isn’t clear. I don’t understand myself either.”

Pfft.

Hyun-sung burst out laughing without realizing it.

The saying ‘misfortune comes in waves’ came to mind.

He doesn’t understand himself.

Sigh.

Hyun-sung wiped his mouth with one hand.

Hyun-sung was speechless.

Well….

Maybe that’s the natural reaction. If his thoughts changed after a brief moment of *gomin* [contemplation], that would be even stranger.

It was greed, perhaps.

Yes, my own greed.

I, who have lived a long life, should understand.

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo and spoke.

“Okay. Think about it more. Think about it all night long. If you still can’t *jeongni* [sort it out], then tell me. I’ll *jeongni* [take care of] it for you for sure.”

“What does that……?”

“If it’s just for decoration anyway, there’s no need to carry that head around so heavily. Let’s *jeongni* [settle] it this time.”

“Crazy….”

Kim Il-soo flared up (*balkkeun*) to the end.

Hyun-sung had nothing more to say.

What more could he say to Kim Il-soo, who still didn’t understand even after he had said all that? Hyun-sung thought that he just needed more time.

Hyun-sung turned and said as a last word.

“I’m leaving. And don’t forget to come to school tomorrow. Don’t make people tired anymore. Please, I’m begging you.”

Hyun-sung had nothing more to say, so he turned his back on Kim Il-soo and walked away.

It was then.

“I’m not going!”

Suddenly, a strange voice came from behind.

*Hwik* [sound of turning head].

Hyun-sung’s neck automatically turned.

“What did you say just now?”

“I’m not going.”

“What does that mean? Are you going to drop out of school or something?”

“What’s the point anyway?”

Hyun-sung doubted his ears.

At first, he thought he had misheard. But after listening to Kim Il-soo’s words again, he concluded that he hadn’t misheard.

What on earth…….

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo and shouted.

“Hey, say it again!”

“What’s the point of graduating? What’s the difference between a middle school graduate and a high school graduate? In that case, it’s better to go out into society and earn money as soon as possible.”

“Who says that?”

“What?”

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

Then, Hyun-sung immediately opened his mouth.

“What kind of crazy person says that a middle school graduate is the same as a high school graduate? And what, go out into society and earn money? Do you think society will even accept someone like you? Even if you’re *cheori eopseodo geureochi* [acting immature], how can you think like that?”

“Min-young *hyung* [older brother/male friend] is doing well.”

“Who?”

“Min-young *hyung*, I’m talking about Choi Min-young, who is two years ahead of us.”

In an instant, the person Choi Min-young came to Hyun-sung’s mind.

“Is that *seonbae* [senior/upperclassman] perhaps the *hyung* [older brother/male friend] who runs a business in Mapo, Seoul?”

“Huh? How did you know that…….”

How could he not know?

It would probably be about five years from now.

It was the fall Chuseok [Korean Thanksgiving] after he was discharged from the military. In the countryside, they usually have alumni reunions on *myeongjeol* [major holiday] Chuseok. That way, people who have gone out to other areas can attend the alumni reunion.

Hyun-sung also attended the alumni reunion at that time.

At that time, the topic was Choi Min-young’s fraud case.

He had contacted almost all the alumni, he didn’t know how. A pyramid scheme, as they say.

It turned out that there were more than a few people who had been *pihae* [victimized].

But the method was so clever that they couldn’t even sue him for fraud. In the end, all the financial *pihae* [damage] was each person’s responsibility.

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo and asked.

“Did that *saekki* [bastard/jerk] contact you?”

“What kind of language are you using to talk about *seonbae* [senior/upperclassman]? Are you crazy?”

“*Seonbae* [senior/upperclassman] my ass. Well, you don’t know yet.”

“What?”

Kim Il-soo stared at Hyun-sung.

Hyun-sung finally understood why Kim Il-soo had made his friends jump into the *okjangpan* [jade thermal mat] business in his past life.

The culprit was Choi Min-young.

Kim Il-soo had also been *danghaetdeon* [taken advantage of] by Choi Min-young.

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo and said again.

“That *saekki* [bastard/jerk] is a con artist. Didn’t he talk about *okjangpan* [jade thermal mat]?”

“Huh? How do you know that?”

As expected.

Hyun-sung’s words continued immediately.

“He also said he would give you exclusive sales rights in a certain area, right?”

“What? Did he contact you too?”

“He probably asked for a deposit of several hundred, and he probably said something like this. If you sell it for a year, you’ll get all the deposit back, and after that, you’ll make as much as you sell.”

Kim Il-soo was speechless at Hyun-sung’s words. It was exactly the same as what Choi Min-young had said during this summer vacation.

Except for one thing.

Then, Hyun-sung’s mouth opened again.

“He probably said that he would take out some of the deposit because you’re a *gohyang dongsaeng* [younger brother from the same hometown].”

Kim Il-soo’s pupils shook so much that he couldn’t *jeongsineul mot charil jeongdoro* [couldn’t collect himself].

Exactly 50%.

3 million won.

That’s the amount Choi Min-young had talked about. Others had to pay 6 million won, but he could start *yeong-eop* [business] right away if he brought only 3 million won, which was 50% for himself.

He also added that there was no need for a high school diploma. He said that people who graduated from college were all the same anyway. He said that the important thing was who *jamneunya* [seizes] a good *sanggwon* [commercial district] first.

So he was *gomin jungieotda* [in 고민].

But how did Hyun-sung know all this?

He had said that it was a secret to everyone else because he was only talking to him.

Kim Il-soo looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“Hey, how did you know?”

“Kim Il-soo, listen carefully. The main point of this problem is not how I knew, but that Choi Min-young is a con artist. He’s going to work on *seonbae* [senior/upperclassman] and *hubae* [junior/underclassman] at our school without discrimination. Do you know what I mean?”

“A con artist? That *hyung* [older brother/male friend] wouldn’t *seolma* [surely] do that to me…….”

Kim Il-soo couldn’t understand.

He was a *hyung* [older brother/male friend] who lived in the same neighborhood. He wasn’t just there for a day or two, but he was a *hyung* [older brother/male friend] who *gamgo* [played] with him in the *apgaeeoul* [stream in front of the village] until he graduated from high school, and they also *cheonryeop* [fished with a net] together in the summer.

That *hyung* [older brother/male friend] is conning him?

It was when Kim Il-soo’s head was slowly moving from side to side.

Hyun-sung said again.

“You don’t believe it, right? No, you don’t want to believe it, right?”

“Of course…….”

“That’s what this society is like. *Gohyang dongsaeng* [younger brother from the same hometown]? Don’t say funny things. You’re just another *meogeitgam* [prey] of the con artist Choi Min-young.”

“…….”

Kim Il-soo wrapped his head in his hands without saying anything.

How could that *hyung* [older brother/male friend] do that to me…….

It can’t be.

Unless there’s something wrong, this doesn’t make sense. He’s a *hyung* [older brother/male friend] who has taken care of him like a *chin dongsaeng* [real younger brother] since he was young. But that *hyung* [older brother/male friend] is a con artist.

Kim Il-soo shook his head violently.

Hyun-sung looked at Kim Il-soo, who was *ppajin* [lost] in 고민.

Of course, it would be hard to believe.

Moreover, since he’s a *hyung* [older brother/male friend] from the same neighborhood and they’ve spent a long time together, that feeling will be even greater.

When Hyun-sung first heard that, he *seolma* [doubted it].

He couldn’t believe that a *dongmun* [alumnus] was working without discriminating against *seonbae* [senior/upperclassman] and *hubae* [junior/underclassman].

But unfortunately, all of that was true.

Then, Kim Il-soo looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“Okay. Let’s say Min-young *hyung* [older brother/male friend] is a con artist as you said. But the most *gunggeumhan* [curious] thing is what you’ve said so far. No matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand. How can you be so *hwaksin* [certain]?”

Unlike Kim Il-soo, who was *heungbunhan* [excited/agitated], Hyun-sung said calmly.

“Il-soo, don’t understand. I won’t *gangyo* [force] anymore.”

“What?”

“Instead, let me ask you just one thing. Just as you don’t believe me now, don’t believe Choi Min-young either. This is the last *chunggo* [advice] I can give you right now.”

Kim Il-soo’s head was about to *teojil jigyeongieotda* [explode].

He had *cheolseokgachi mideosseotda* [believed firmly].

And it was *huimang* [hope].

The only way to *talchulhal su inneun igot* [escape this place].

He was going to tell his grandmother to sell this *bat* [field] after he *kaego* [dug up] all the *gamja* [potatoes]. He thought that if he *gosaeng* [suffered] for a few years with his eyes closed, he could leave this place with his grandmother.

But all of that was *heundeulligo maratda* [shaken].

Because of Hyun-sung.

He could *musihamyeon* [ignore it], but Hyun-sung’s words were too *sasiljeok* [realistic] to *musihal suga eopda* [ignore]. If Hyun-sung’s words were true, he would be completely *manghage doenda* [ruined].

Because his only *jaesan* [asset] is that *gamjab밭* [potato field].

Moreover, what’s more *jjipjjiphan* [uncomfortable] about *musihagie* [ignoring] Hyun-sung’s words is that Hyun-sung has no reason to *geojitmalhal* [lie] to him right now.

On the other hand, what about Choi Min-young?

If Choi Min-young is a con artist like Hyun-sung said, he can *geojitmalhal* [lie] as much as he wants.

If, at this point in time, who is the person who benefits from *geojitmaleul* [lying]?

At least Kim Hyun-sung is not.

*Heum* [hmm]…….

Then the answer is out.

Choi Min-young!

The con artist Hyun-sung said.

He needs to check it out a little more, but the possibility is open as much as possible.

Kim Il-soo looked at Hyun-sung as if he had *gyeolsimhan* [decided]. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“Kim Hyun-sung, I got it. I’ll *boryuhanda* [postpone] going to Seoul for now.”

“You son of a bitch, your head is not just for decoration. You do have *saenggiran* [thoughts].”

“You, you son of a bitch…….”

*Jjeop* [tsk].

Kim Il-soo closed his mouth.

It’s the only land his parents left him.

When he thought about what would have happened if Hyun-sung hadn’t come today, he was *ajjilhaetda* [dizzy].

Hew.

Kim Il-soo looked around the *gamjab밭* [potato field] and sighed in *andoeui* [relief].

Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“Over there…….”

“Uh, what?”

“No. Later…….”

*Seueuk* [sound of turning].

Kim Il-soo was about to say something, but he turned his head slightly.