Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 550

The next day.

“Heh heh!”

Hyun-sung woke up about 30 minutes earlier than usual and started exercising. It was Parents’ Day, and he planned to visit his hometown in Gangwon Province.

He was passing Movie Heart [a local video rental shop] around the corner when:

“Wait a minute!”

He heard someone calling him from behind. Turning around, he saw Yoo Seung-il, the owner of Movie Heart.

“Oh? What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“I have something to say.”

“Yes?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head, finding the situation a bit odd.

Yoo Seung-il had said he had something to say. Did that mean he was waiting on purpose?

Waiting on purpose?

Even at this early hour?

Hyun-sung immediately checked his watch. It was just past 5:30 a.m.

“Were you deliberately waiting for me at this hour?” Hyun-sung asked.

“That’s right,” Yoo Seung-il admitted proudly. Hyun-sung wasn’t sure what that meant, but Yoo Seung-il seemed quite determined.

He couldn’t deny his curiosity about why Yoo Seung-il was so confident and willing to wait so early.

“What is it?” Hyun-sung asked again. “What do you want to say that you’re waiting for me this early in the morning?”

“There’s something I need to confirm first.”

“Confirm? What is it?”

Yoo Seung-il hesitated for a moment, then said, “…That donation, what were you thinking when you made it?”

Yoo Seung-il was genuinely curious.

A few days prior, while talking to his wife, he had learned that Hyun-sung’s sales were just over 200 million won [approximately $150,000 USD]. He’d also heard that Hyun-sung had donated 50 million won [approximately $37,500 USD] and given another 50 million to his employees as bonuses.

Of course, it was shocking.

It wasn’t something just anyone could do.

He understood the employee bonuses, but the donation issue became increasingly incomprehensible as time passed.

Yoo Seung-il was twenty-nine years old.

This was money Hyun-sung had earned from his first business. But no matter how hard he tried, Yoo Seung-il couldn’t understand why Hyun-sung would donate so generously.

Everyone likes money.

Yet, Hyun-sung had generously donated 50 million won. So, after much deliberation, he decided to ask Hyun-sung directly.

“Were you that curious? Enough to wait for me this early in the morning?” Hyun-sung asked.

“I’ve lived for more than 50 years, but I can’t understand it,” Yoo Seung-il replied.

“The world isn’t just about living alone,” Hyun-sung said.

“Not living alone?”

“Yes, I think so. I think people should live together.”

“Hmm…”

Yoo Seung-il didn’t say anything, as if deep in thought.

After a moment, he seemed to have sorted out his thoughts and spoke again.

“Can’t I be one of them?”

“Yes? What do you mean…?”

“Among those people who live together, can’t I be one of them?”

“Yes?”

Hyun-sung still couldn’t understand what Yoo Seung-il was talking about.

After thinking for a while, Hyun-sung decided to be honest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The rental fee.”

“Yes? The rental fee?”

“Yes, can’t you raise the rental fee to 1,000 won [approximately $0.75 USD]? So that I can live together, as you said a moment ago…”

“Mister!” Hyun-sung interrupted Yoo Seung-il. “Anyone else is okay, but not you.”

“I’m not okay?”

“Yes! You’re not okay!” Hyun-sung said firmly.

Yoo Seung-il was the one who had turned this neighborhood into a wasteland in his previous life. He was the one who had insisted on charging 1,000 won, half the price of the 2,000 won [approximately $1.50 USD] market, just to live alone.

As a result, five of the six rental stores had been forced to close or relocate.

Their lives were completely changed.

At that time, Hyun-sung, like Yoo Seung-il now, had asked him several times to normalize the rental fee.

To live together.

But the answer he got every time was the same.

Survival of the fittest.

In a capitalist society, if you don’t have money, you just die quietly.

That was the person now asking to raise the rental fee.

Yoo Seung-il raised his voice as if he couldn’t accept it. “What did I do wrong to you to be so harsh…”

“Did you just say harsh?” Hyun-sung asked.

“Isn’t that the truth? I’ve never done anything to you, but you’re treating me like I’ve done something terribly wrong…”

Yoo Seung-il’s words grew more heated. He shouldn’t have waited this early in the morning. Today, he seemed determined to vent his pent-up grievances.

This was a white flag surrender.

He couldn’t hold on any longer, so he was asking to be saved.

But Hyun-sung wasn’t going to be moved by that.

He was just paying back what he had suffered.

“Mister!” Hyun-sung cut him off.

“Huh? Yes, tell me,” Yoo Seung-il said, his eyes twinkling with desperation.

Hyun-sung ignored his expression and said, “I’ll ask you just one thing.”

“Huh? Uh, yes, what is it?”

“What were you thinking when you first came to this neighborhood?”

“Huh? That’s…”

Yoo Seung-il couldn’t speak easily. Perhaps it was natural. His initial goal had been to eliminate all the rental stores in this neighborhood and live alone.

When Yoo Seung-il remained silent, Hyun-sung continued, “You can’t say it? Then I’ll tell you instead. Your goal was to live alone, right? To kill all the rental stores in this neighborhood.”

“…”

“That’s why you can’t live with other people. You were trying to kill others from the beginning. People usually call this karma. Then I’ll be on my way…”

Hyun-sung was about to turn away when he paused. “Oh, and one last thing. Stop doing good things for the head office. Don’t you know yet what those guys are doing? It’s not too late now, so close the store; that’s the way for you to live. This is the third time I’m telling you.”

“…”

Yoo Seung-il remained silent.

Hyun-sung turned away from Yoo Seung-il and started running again without regret.

Yoo Seung-il was left alone after Hyun-sung left.

“Hoo…!”

Yoo Seung-il sighed deeply.

He had made this decision after three days of deliberation. He had given up all his pride and bowed his head in the hope of surviving.

He had thought that if he raised the rental fee from 500 won [approximately $0.38 USD] to 1,000 won, he would be able to survive to some extent.

But the answer he got was a flat refusal.

The reason was that his goal when he first came to this neighborhood was wrong.

He was trying to kill everyone else and survive alone.

“Crazy bastard,” Yoo Seung-il muttered.

Honestly, what was the problem with that?

Wasn’t the world a survival of the fittest anyway? Especially in a capitalist society. If you don’t have money, you get pushed back, and if you lose in the competition, you get crushed; that’s normal.

And what? Karma?

Where did a guy who hasn’t lived long enough learn those words…?

Gritting his teeth, Yoo Seung-il glared at the spot where Hyun-sung had disappeared.

***

Hyun-sung returned home, took a shower, and came out to the living room.

Just then…

Beep!

His cell phone rang.

Hyun-sung tilted his head. It was 6 a.m. He couldn’t think of anyone who would call him at this hour.

Beep!

His cell phone rang again.

“Hello?”

“Boss, it’s me.”

The caller was unexpectedly the youngest employee, Yoo Young-seok.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you at this hour? Is something wrong?”

“Please open the window for a moment.”

“The window?”

Hyun-sung immediately opened the window.

Yoo Young-seok was waving from the first floor.

A moment later, Yoo Young-seok came up to the second floor and immediately asked, “Boss, haven’t you had breakfast yet?”

“Did you come all this way at this hour just for breakfast?”

“Yes, I heard that you’re going to the countryside early today. Please wait a moment; I’ll prepare breakfast quickly.”

Yoo Young-seok finished speaking and started taking out lunch boxes from the bag he had brought.

Seeing this, Hyun-sung asked, “What’s all that?”

“I made a few this morning. You’re going all the way to Gangwon-do, so you need to have a hearty meal.”

“You made all this this morning?”

“Hehe, yes.”

“No, all this…”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but be surprised.

At first, he had thought there would be only three or four at most. But when he took them all out, there were as many as ten lunch boxes.

Ten lunch boxes meant there would be ten side dishes.

Yesterday, after finishing work and talking, he had left work at 2:30 a.m. He probably arrived home around 3 a.m., and it was 6 a.m. now.

So there was a gap of about 3 hours.

3 hours?

It would have taken at least 2 hours to make 10 side dishes… Then what about sleep?

“Hey, did you stay up all night?” Hyun-sung asked immediately.

“Hehe…” Yoo Young-seok just smiled, confirming that he hadn’t slept.

“Why?” Hyun-sung asked again.

“Today is Parents’ Day.”

“Oh? Oh, that’s right, but…” Hyun-sung tilted his head. He knew that today was Parents’ Day, as Yoo Young-seok said. But what did that have to do with him?

Then Yoo Young-seok said something unexpected. “You’re that kind of person to me, boss.”

“Huh? That kind of person?”

“Yes, like a dad, that kind of person.”

“…”

Hyun-sung had nothing to say. Strictly speaking, he was only 9 years older than him. But he couldn’t argue with the fact that Yoo Young-seok thought of him as a father figure.

“Boss, do you know what?” Yoo Young-seok asked.

“Huh? What?”

“You seem at least 20 or 30 years older than your actual age.”

“Really?”

“Hehe, I’m sorry, but it’s not really, it’s true. That’s why I say you’re like a dad to me. And it’s not just me.”

Hyun-sung tilted his head again. If what Yoo Young-seok said was true, then there were other people who thought the same way. It was obvious who those other people were.

“Maybe…?”

“Yes, the hyungs [older brothers/male colleagues].”

“The hyungs? Who are the hyungs?”

“Everyone, all the other hyungs say that too. Myung-hoon hyung is only 4 years younger than you, but he says he feels that way too. So it’s not just me who’s weird. This is all because of you… Stop it, let’s eat now.”

Yoo Young-seok had already finished preparing breakfast.

As soon as Hyun-sung sat down at the table, Yoo Young-seok spoke again. “Actually, I was impressed with you again yesterday, boss.”

“Yesterday? Why?”

“I didn’t know you would remember what I said when I first interviewed. That I can’t eat spicy food.”

“That’s… Let’s eat.”

Hyun-sung was about to say something else, but he picked up his spoon.

Then Yoo Young-seok brought up something else. “Even my dad doesn’t know that.”

“Hmm…”

Hyun-sung thought for a moment and then asked, “Young-seok, are you going to see your mom or dad today?”

“No.”

Yoo Young-seok answered immediately as if he had thought about it in advance. Even while finishing work yesterday and telling him to have lunch with his parents on Parents’ Day, Yoo Young-seok was the most worried.

That’s because he knew that his parents were divorced and that he had left home as soon as he graduated from high school because he didn’t like his home.

Hyun-sung quietly called Yoo Young-seok.

“Young-seok!”

“Yes, boss.”

“Can you do me a favor today?”

“Of course, it’s you, boss, so I have to do it.”

“Go see your mom and dad.”

“…”

Yoo Young-seok was silent.

Then Hyun-sung spoke again. “I’ll ask you again, don’t think about anything else today and go see their faces. Of course, I know your situation, but I think that’s the right thing to do. Can you do it?”

“…”

“Is it impossible?”

“… I’ll think about it.”

“Okay, thank you. Now, let’s eat.”

Just then…

Beep!

Hyun-sung’s cell phone rang again.

“Hello?”

“Boss, please open the window.”

This time it was Lee Myung-hoon’s voice.

Hyun-sung opened the window and was surprised. Lee Myung-hoon and all the other employees were on the first floor.

The moment Yoo Young-seok said that the other hyungs thought of Hyun-sung as a dad came to his mind.

An hour later, Hyun-sung finished breakfast with the 5 employees and went outside to get in the truck.

“Thank you all, see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, boss, have a good trip!” When Lee Myung-hoon shouted loudly, the other employees also greeted him in a loud voice as if they had promised to do so.

Vroom!

Hyun-sung smiled and nodded before stepping on the accelerator.

Somehow, they were new relationships, but he was just grateful to them.

Hyun-sung headed to Gangwon-do with the 5 employees seeing him off.

The situation was so different from his previous life. At that time, he couldn’t even take care of Parents’ Day and was struggling to rent even one more video.