Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 553

“Father, what is all this?”

Hyun-sung was surprised by the sheer number of side dishes. He counted at least fifteen different kinds.

His mother immediately chimed in.

“You wouldn’t believe it, your father has been in a frenzy since this morning after hearing you were coming. And not only that…”

“Stop!”

His father raised his hand to cut her off before she could say more. Then, he quickly continued,

“Come on, you must be hungry, let’s eat.”

“Yes!”

Hyun-sung deliberately answered loudly and sat down in the chair at the table.

It was definitely a strange situation.

His father was standing where his mother usually would.

But what was clear was that this situation wasn’t orchestrated by someone else, but something his father wanted to do himself.

And the heart of the person who made the food would be the same for anyone.

To have it eaten deliciously.

That’s how his father must feel too. That was why Hyun-sung didn’t say anything else and immediately sat down at the table.

“Try this first.”

The dish his father presented to Hyun-sung was japchae [stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables and meat].

Japchae is a dish that can be difficult or easy depending on how you look at it. What’s clear is that it would never be easy for someone cooking it for the first time.

Hyun-sung immediately asked.

“Did you make this too, Father?”

“Your mother taught me everything from the side, and I just did as I was told.”

“But you did everything from preparing the ingredients to finishing, right?”

His father smiled slightly instead of answering.

Hyun-sung glanced at his mother. Then his mother nodded. In the end, his father’s words were all true.

Hyun-sung quickly took the japchae to his mouth with his chopsticks.

Slurp, slurp.

While eating the japchae, Hyun-sung gave his father a thumbs up. Then he quickly continued,

“Father, this is really delicious.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s the best japchae I’ve ever had. Father, you’re a real man!”

“Huh? A real man? Haha, hahaha…”

His father started laughing loudly. Then, his mother, who was next to him, looked back and forth between the two of them and cautiously opened her mouth.

“What does japchae have to do with being a real man?”

“Chuckles.”

“Haha…”

The two men just laughed instead of answering. The two of them exchanged glances and winked. It was communication that only they understood.

Compared to his past life, it was a completely different scene.

But she just shook her head from side to side as if she couldn’t understand them.

That’s how the three of them started eating lunch.

One hour later.

After finishing lunch, Hyun-sung looked at his father and mother and said.

“Father, Mother, let’s go somewhere.”

“Huh? Where to?”

His mother asked immediately, looking curious.

Then Hyun-sung chuckled and continued.

“To the bathhouse.”

“Bathhouse?”

“Yes, it’s been a while since I scrubbed Father’s back.”

Since coming down from Incheon, he had been wondering what he could do to make them the happiest. He had a lot of concerns, but the last thing he decided on was the bathhouse.

He thought that would be better than any gift.

Sure enough, his father immediately reacted.

“That’s good, it’s been a while since I scrubbed my son’s back and vice versa. What about you?”

“Yes, I like it too. Honestly, what wouldn’t I like? The important thing is that I’m going with our son. It would have been better if Ji-yeon was here, but it can’t be helped…”

His mother also smiled and liked it. The only thing she was sad about was that her daughter, Kim Ji-yeon, couldn’t be with them. But as a teacher at school, it was difficult to take time off during the week, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Come on, let’s go quickly. After taking a bath, let’s stop by a clothing store and buy some clothes…”

As Hyun-sung took the lead, his father and mother immediately followed him. A smile was already spreading across their faces.

The same was true for Hyun-sung.

It was something he couldn’t even imagine in his past life.

Parents’ Day?

He was too busy to even make a phone call. He was too busy trying to figure out how to withstand the Movie Company even at that time.

That’s how the three of them headed to the bathhouse in a one-ton truck.

That evening.

After eating dinner, Hyun-sung took out two cards from his wallet before getting into the truck. He had prepared them a week ago for today.

“Father, Mother, please accept these.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a card. Use it to buy whatever you want to eat and buy whatever you want. You don’t have to worry about the limit.”

“Is this the unlimited card I’ve only heard about?”

His father turned the card back and forth, asking as if he was amazed. Then his mother also stared at Hyun-sung, wondering.

“Yes, that’s right. I made it a week ago to give it to you on Parents’ Day today. So, from now on, don’t worry about money and use it as much as you want.”

“Hehe, I get to touch a card like this…”

His father, who was laughing while holding the card, seemed to think for a moment and then handed the card back to Hyun-sung.

“I’ll just take the thought, put it back.”

“No. I made this for Father. So please accept it.”

“What would I use money for in this countryside?”

“Isn’t it confidence? Whether you use the money or not, you’ll feel secure if you have it. So put it in your wallet. That’s the completion of a real man.”

“Hehe, does it work that way again?”

It was the moment when his father’s expression changed subtly. Then his mother, who was next to him, frowned slightly as if she was displeased and opened her mouth.

“I’m warning you two.”

“Yes? Why?”

“What’s with finding a real man since you ate japchae during the day, and now you’re talking about a real man with a card?”

“Haha, there is such a thing.”

Hyun-sung just laughed. Then his father also started laughing loudly.

It may have been a childish act, but it was a connection that only the two of them could feel.

Then his mother immediately asked his father.

“What are you going to do with that card?”

“Didn’t you hear? Having this card is the completion of a real man.”

“What? This guy is really…”

“Pretend you don’t know and accept it. You’ll be the only one in this neighborhood with such a card. And what would we use this card for? Like Hyun-sung said, let’s just have it for peace of mind.”

His father and mother had never swiped a card in their past lives. That’s why he wanted to make the best card for them.

Of course, the two of them would hardly ever use that card. But the sense of security that comes from having that card would be beyond words. That’s why he deliberately prepared it as a gift for the two of them before coming down this time.

“Well, then I’ll go up now.”

“What are you going to do without even resting?”

“It’s okay. If I’m tired, I can take a break at the rest stop on the way up.”

“Okay, don’t overdo it… and thank you for today!”

With those words, his mother’s eyes immediately turned red.

Hyun-sung hugged his mother tightly. Then he hugged his father next to him. Then his father also hugged Hyun-sung tightly with both arms.

“Thank you, Hyun-sung!”

“I’m more grateful. And I really liked seeing you cooking in the kitchen today. Please do it often in the future.”

“Okay, I will. Well, before it gets too late…”

His father turned his head slightly at the end of those words.

Then Hyun-sung quickly got into the car. He thought that if he stayed any longer, all three of them would end up crying.

“I’ll call you as soon as I get up there.”

Vroom!

Hyun-sung said his last goodbye and stepped on the accelerator. The truck Hyun-sung was riding in began to move away from the house.

About 10 minutes later.

Beep!

The phone rang.

Hyun-sung immediately stopped the car on the side of the road and answered the phone.

“Hello.”

-Boss, it’s me.

The person who called was the youngest, Yoo Young-seok.

He was already wondering. He wondered if he had visited his parents. Even when he talked on the phone during the day, Yoo Young-seok still had a lot of worries.

“Where are you now?”

-Home.

Hyun-sung tilted his head at the word home. He didn’t know exactly which house that home meant.

“Home? Which home?”

-Songlim-dong.

Hyun-sung couldn’t have been happier to hear the word Songlim-dong. That meant that Yoo Young-seok had finally gone to his father.

“Good job.”

There was no need for any other words. He didn’t know what had happened to his relationship with his father, but he didn’t want to hold back his praise just for going there. He was just proud of Yoo Young-seok for making a decision that wouldn’t have been easy.

Then another surprising fact was conveyed over the phone.

-I’ve decided to come back home.

“Really?”

-Yes, that’s why I’m calling you. I thought you might be worried, boss.

“Thank you, and really good job. Let’s talk about the details when we meet tomorrow.”

-Yes, boss, and…

Yoo Young-seok stopped talking in the middle of his sentence. Then Hyun-sung couldn’t help but ask.

“Why? Is there anything you want to say?”

-If it wasn’t for you, boss, it would have been the end.

“Is something wrong with your father?”

-That’s… he’s gotten a lot older. It’s incomparable to what he was 4 months ago.”

“…”

Hyun-sung was momentarily speechless.

Yoo Young-seok said he left home 4 months ago. But the fact that he used the expression that he had gotten older meant that there was something wrong with his father’s health.

After thinking for a moment, Hyun-sung immediately continued.

“The hospital?”

-Not yet, I don’t know what to do right now. I’ve already made him lunch and dinner today, but I haven’t been to the hospital.

“The meal?”

-Only about half as much as before…

“The alcohol?”

-I don’t know if he’s not drinking it or can’t drink it, but he’s stopped for now.

Someone who liked alcohol so much is quitting? There would be two reasons. There was a red light on his health, or a determination by his own nature.

But since Yoo Young-seok said that he had suddenly gotten older compared to 4 months ago, it would probably be the former.

Hyun-sung suddenly called Yoo Young-seok.

“Young-seok!”

-Yes, boss.

“Don’t go to work tomorrow.”

-Yes? What do you mean?”

“Take your father to the hospital first.”

-If I’m gone, the other brothers…

“No, don’t worry about that. The most urgent thing right now is your father. And this is not a request, it’s an order.”

-Yes? An order?”

“Yes, not as a boss, but as a senior in life who has lived even a day longer than you. Do you know what I mean?”

The reason why Hyun-sung was doing this was because of Yoo Young-seok’s father. Even at first glance, Hyun-sung’s judgment was that there was something seriously wrong with his health right now.

-Yes, I understand.

“Don’t be too scared, and if anything happens, contact me immediately…”

-Yes, boss…!”

From Yoo Young-seok’s voice, he could tell how scared he was right now. It would be natural for him, who was only twenty years old.

Hyun-sung immediately opened his mouth for him.

“Young-seok, don’t worry about the hospital bill.”

After living in the world to some extent, he could definitely know. He meant that there are things in the world that you can’t do with just your heart.

In particular, even if you go to the hospital because you are sick, you will worry about the hospital bill first.

“Hoo…!”

Hyun-sung, who had hung up the phone, seemed to be thinking for a moment and then let out a long sigh of relief. Fortunately, he thought that Yoo Young-seok wasn’t too late.

Vroom!

Hyun-sung stepped on the accelerator again.

Yoo Young-seok, who hung up the phone.

His eyes were already moist. It was because of Hyun-sung, the boss.

What boss in the world would stop him from going to work to take his father to the hospital? And that’s not even after he asked first.

Besides, he knows too well that it’s not just empty words. That’s why he couldn’t help but cry.

“Thank you, boss!”

Yoo Young-seok continued to speak as if he was muttering to himself. Then he bowed his head deeply.