Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 58

Choi Min-young’s eyes were about to pop out of his head. He had already spent over 100,000 won on the meat they’d eaten so far. But no matter how he looked at it, they didn’t seem close to stopping.

What didn’t make sense was Kim Il-soo’s explanation.

He claimed he doesn’t usually eat this much.

*But why now?*

Choi Min-young pressed him, “Why today?”

“I have a habit of binge eating when I get stressed.”

“Stressed?”

“Yeah, I got stressed today because of some jerk. Just thinking about that jerk makes me want to eat endlessly.”

Kim Il-soo was devouring meat at a truly frightening pace.

It was almost like watching a black hole.

The meat was being sucked into Kim Il-soo’s mouth with alarming speed.

Choi Min-young was beyond dumbfounded.

*How could something so ridiculous be happening to me?*

He wanted to find this ‘jerk’ and demand the money for the meat, but he couldn’t, and it was driving him crazy.

Huh.

Choi Min-young’s jaw dropped.

Because the grill was practically bare.

Just then, Kim Il-soo caught the eye of an employee and held out his hand.

The employee nodded, seemingly understanding, and disappeared back into the kitchen.

“Who is this jerk? The one stressing you out?”

Choi Min-young’s patience was wearing thin.

He figured it was time to throw out the last bit of bait.

“Hyung [older brother or close male friend], you wouldn’t know him even if I told you. But I’m so glad I met Hyung today and relieved some stress. Oh, and can I bring my friend next time?”

“Friend?”

“Yeah, his family is pretty loaded, and I mentioned this to him last time, and he seemed really interested. He said he has about 6 million won [approximately $4,500 USD] in his account right now.”

“Really?”

*Sparkle.*

Choi Min-young’s eyes lit up again.

He suddenly didn’t seem so concerned about the meat price anymore.

Kim Il-soo, seeing his reaction, continued, “Oh, right! Hyung, can you lend me 10,000 won [approximately $7.50 USD]? I’ll pay you back as soon as we head back.”

*Whisk.*

Before Kim Il-soo could even finish, Choi Min-young had already pulled a 10,000 won bill from his wallet and handed it over.

“You don’t have to pay me back. What’s between us…”

*Timing is everything.*

But he also had to maintain the pretense of keeping his word.

“No, the closer we are, the more we need to be clear about money matters. I’ll definitely pay you back.”

“Forget about it. What about your friend?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to him for sure when we go back. But you have to make sure to give me a referral fee.”

“You rascal, of course.”

Choi Min-young was revealing his true colors as a con artist.

He had explicitly told him during the summer vacation not to tell anyone. But the moment he mentioned bringing a friend, Choi Min-young’s eyes had changed.

He felt pathetic for trusting such a guy and even considering dropping out of school because of him.

Just then, the employee arrived with more meat.

He hadn’t intended to eat any of it anyway. Eating any more would be inhuman.

But there was another reason he had ordered more meat.

*Clack.*

Kim Il-soo placed his chopsticks on the table and announced, “I can’t eat anymore.”

This time, it wasn’t Choi Min-young whose expression changed, but the employee’s.

“Um…”

Knowing exactly what that meant, Kim Il-soo quickly added, “Can I get this to go?”

“To go? Of course, you can. Would you like me to pack it up for you?”

The employee’s darkened expression instantly brightened. Once the meat was served to the customer, it couldn’t be returned to the kitchen.

If the customer asked to deduct it from the bill because they hadn’t touched it, it would be a major headache for the employee.

Kim Il-soo patted his stomach and said casually, “Please pack that up, and do you have any complimentary cola?”

“Of course, sir. I’ll bring you the cola right away.”

Choi Min-young, who had been watching the whole scene, chuckled.

The anxious look he’d had just moments ago, worrying about the meat price, was completely gone.

The last bit of bait had worked perfectly.

Looking at Choi Min-young, Kim Il-soo spoke again. “Hyung, can I take this meat to my grandma?”

“Huh? Y-yes. You can. Of course, you can.”

“As expected, Hyung is so kind. I’ll make sure to tell my grandma that Hyung bought it for her.”

“It’s nothing, really…”

*Smack.*

Choi Min-young was speechless.

At that moment, Kim Il-soo held out his glass of cola.

“Hyung, let’s toast.”

“Good!”

The two raised their glasses high.

Then, Choi Min-young declared, “To our business!”

*He was full of it.*

*Our business, he says.*

Choi Min-young’s innocent expression was almost pathetic.

Now, it was Kim Il-soo’s turn to deliver the final line of this play.

Looking at Choi Min-young, Kim Il-soo recited the line with gusto. “Cheers!”

*Clink.*

The two glasses collided in the air with a cheerful sound.

Kim Il-soo drank his cola and glanced at Choi Min-young. His expression was a sight to behold. He looked like he had just closed a huge deal.

Looking at Choi Min-young, a slow smile spread across Kim Il-soo’s face.

Choi Min-young didn’t know it yet.

That the price for betraying trust would arrive in the form of a credit card statement. And that Kim Il-soo’s face would haunt him every time he saw it.

***

Sangbong Express Bus Terminal.

Kim Il-soo, having parted ways with Choi Min-young, took a taxi straight to the express bus terminal.

The smile didn’t leave his face throughout the taxi ride.

So much so that the taxi driver asked if something good had happened.

He had eaten his fill of beef for the first time in his life, and he had received enough money to cover the round-trip fare and then some. Plus, he even got some beef for his grandma. The highest quality sirloin, no less.

It would be strange if he *didn’t* smile.

But a problem arose.

Well, after eating so much, his stomach wasn’t feeling great. He ended up buying some digestive medicine at a pharmacy near the terminal, and only then did his stomach feel a little better.

He boarded the express bus to Wonju.

His seat number was 37.

Looking at the clock, there were about 10 minutes left before the bus departed.

He slightly reclined the seat, adjusted the angle to a comfortable position, and sat diagonally. Unlike regular city buses, the ride was quite comfortable.

That’s when it happened.

Someone was walking toward him.

As that someone got closer, Kim Il-soo’s pupils began to dilate.

*Why is that guy here?*

*No way.*

The seat next to him was still empty.

Number 38.

He had hoped that, out of all the seats on the bus, that person wouldn’t be in seat number 38.

He had a fantasy.

He wasn’t even hoping for someone his age. He could handle someone up to 10 years older. He thought that would be more than enough. He just wanted to sleep while enjoying a pleasant fragrance.

And if their skin happened to brush against each other, that would be even better.

He thought it was a modest fantasy…

*Guess that only happens in TV dramas.*

Kim Il-soo closed his eyes slightly.

He couldn’t bear to look.

The man approached and stopped in front of him.

“Hey! Kim Il-soo.”

“Oh? Teacher.”

Having his fantasy shattered was one thing. But why did it have to be his homeroom teacher?

Kim Il-soo’s seat number 38 was his homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho’s seat.

Shin Min-ho said as he sat down, “What brings you to Seoul at this hour?”

“I had something to check. What are you doing here at this hour instead of being at school, Teacher?”

“Hey, anyone would think I’m a student if they heard that.”

“Does it sound like that?”

Listening to him, Shin Min-ho was right.

Still, he couldn’t help but be curious. “Is something wrong?”

“My mother has a hospital appointment. But you said you had something to check just now?”

Shin Min-ho didn’t quite understand the word ‘check.’ What could a kid who doesn’t even come to school have to check in Seoul?

*Could it be…?*

Shin Min-ho asked again, “Did you perhaps come to find a job?”

“Just…”

Shin Min-ho pressed at Kim Il-soo’s lukewarm answer, “The world isn’t that easy.”

“…I guess so.”

“You act like you’ve seen it all.”

“There doesn’t seem to be anything easy.”

“Easy? There may not be such a thing in the world, but even if there is, it’s probably fake. A fake disguised as real. It’s a common tactic used by scammers.”

At the word ‘scammer,’ Kim Il-soo looked at his homeroom teacher, Shin Min-ho.

A fake disguised as real.

Choi Min-young was exactly that kind of guy. At first, he had seemed genuine. According to Choi Min-young, he could make money quickly.

He thought he could escape the tiresome poverty and the countryside.

But it was all a scam.

A fake disguised as real, as Shin Min-ho said.

He was fortunate to have recognized the deception in time.

The conversation between the two ended there. It would be rude to talk any further on the bus.

His stomach was full, and the seat was comfortable, perfect for sleeping. The only downside was the scent of an old bachelor, which was very different from the fragrance he had been hoping for.

It seemed that Shin Min-ho felt the same way.

Because he could feel him trying so hard not to touch his skin while the bus was moving.

But it was no use. Kim Il-soo’s size made it impossible.

In the end, the two fell asleep with their shoulders touching.

It was already evening when they arrived in Wonju.

To get to his house via Hoengseong from there, he still had a journey of more than 3 hours.

Homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho looked at Kim Il-soo and said, “Follow me.”

“Yes? Where to?”

“Let’s have dinner before you go. When else would you and I have time to eat together?”

“…Yes.”

Kim Il-soo’s answer barely came out. Who would want to eat with their homeroom teacher? Unless it was a *female* teacher.

That was why Kim Il-soo’s steps were slow.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Shin Min-ho went into a restaurant next to the terminal.

It was a beef head soup restaurant.

Shin Min-ho, who was already sitting down, looked at the restaurant owner and said, “Two beef head soups here. And a bottle of soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] too.”

Kim Il-soo’s opinion wasn’t solicited.

The restaurant owner brought kimchi, salted shrimp, and soju first. The restaurant owner glanced at Kim Il-soo and asked Shin Min-ho, “How many glasses should I bring?”

“Give me both of the ones you brought. He’s a student I teach, so it’s okay.”

Shin Min-ho said that because he knew what the restaurant owner was worried about.

Kim Il-soo, of course, understood the implication.

*Drrr.*

Kim Il-soo pulled out a chair and sat closer to the table.

Shin Min-ho smiled as he watched the scene. “Just one drink.”

“Then I won’t drink.”

*Drrr.*

Kim Il-soo pushed the chair back again.

Shin Min-ho was dumbfounded at the sight.

He was so bold that his audacity seemed boundless.

But for some reason, he didn’t dislike that side of him. In fact, he wasn’t even disgusted by his honest demeanor, even if he didn’t particularly like him.

Shin Min-ho smiled and picked up the soju bottle. “You little rascal, you’re full of surprises. Here—”

Kim Il-soo jumped up and accepted the soju glass in front of him with both hands.

*Pour, pour.*

It was the scent of alcohol he hadn’t smelled in days.

Then the beef head soup he had ordered arrived.

“Have a drink.”

Shin Min-ho raised his glass and held it out. As if he had been waiting for it, Kim Il-soo quickly tapped his glass lightly.

*Tock.*

Kim Il-soo turned his head and emptied the soju glass in one go.

*Kheu-euk.*

As expected, soju is king. The thrill of 25% alcohol passing through his throat seemed to awaken his whole body.

Shin Min-ho, who was watching the scene, could only click his tongue. “Eat some side dishes, you rascal.”

“Hehe…”

Kim Il-soo knew.

Even in an era where drinking culture was becoming more lenient, he understood how much grace his homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho was extending to him right now. He didn’t say it, but he had expected to be scolded as soon as they met on the express bus.

But Shin Min-ho hadn’t.

Of course, he didn’t know what his teacher’s ulterior motives might be, but he was grateful that he wasn’t being ignored.

Kim Il-soo took a piece of beef ear from the earthenware pot and dipped it in salted shrimp.

*Nom.*

“It’s delicious.”

*This is the taste.* The chewy texture was truly excellent.

If Choi Min-young in Seoul saw this, he would probably try to kill him. He had claimed to be allergic to beef head and insisted on eating sirloin instead.

Kim Il-soo got up and picked up the soju bottle. “Have a drink.”

Shin Min-ho smiled and held out his glass.

*Pour, pour.*

*Tock.*

Shin Min-ho immediately drank the soju in one gulp and opened his mouth. “Kim Il-soo!”

“Yes.”

“I’ll just say a few words, so listen up.”

“…”

Kim Il-soo opened and closed his eyes.

He was prepared.

Shin Min-ho’s words followed immediately. “I’ll say this in advance, don’t take it personally.”

“…Yes.”

“Look back on yourself first.”

“…”

Kim Il-soo flinched.

He was prepared, but he hadn’t expected it to be so direct.

“What do you think you can do right now?”

“…I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t do anything!”

“Teacher!”

“Why, do you think I’m being too harsh? But as someone older who has lived longer than you, that’s my conclusion.”

Kim Il-soo’s expression hardened.

His pride was wounded, but he had nothing to say. Even he thought that his homeroom teacher Shin Min-ho’s words were true.

Shin Min-ho continued, “Why do you think I’m saying this?”

“Well, I…”

“Because you still have potential.”

“Yes?”

Kim Il-soo stared at Shin Min-ho. It was such a contrasting statement to what he had said just moments ago.

Shin Min-ho’s words continued. “It’s not too late yet. Just come to your senses from now on.”

“From now on?”

“Yes, you’re only a sophomore in high school now. There’s plenty of time. But I’m not necessarily telling you to go to college.”

“What should I…?”

“As far as I know, you also had a dream…”

“A dream?”

Shin Min-ho nodded.

It had been yesterday.

After Hyun-sung had left the faculty room, he had begun to carefully examine Kim Il-soo’s student record. That’s when the 1st grade record had caught his eye. It was the section where students wrote their future aspirations.

There, Kim Il-soo’s future aspirations were clearly written.

Shin Min-ho spoke again. “Find that dream again.”

“A dream?”

“Then your wandering will also end. In my opinion, you’re wandering now because you can’t find a direction. If you find that direction, you’re the kind of guy who will run harder than anyone else.”

Kim Il-soo unknowingly drank the glass of alcohol in front of him.

It was the first time.

To hear these words from someone.

He felt his heart warm for a moment.

At that moment, Shin Min-ho picked up the soju bottle.

*Pour, pour.*

As Shin Min-ho filled Kim Il-soo’s glass with alcohol, he held out his own glass. “I won’t give up on you guys anymore.”

“Yes?”

“Some jerk said that a teacher has a duty to take responsibility for their students no matter what happens. Otherwise, it’s dereliction of duty and abandonment.”

“Who said that?”

“Someone did. Some brat. So don’t give up on your life too early either. Do you know what I mean?”

Kim Il-soo looked at Shin Min-ho for a moment and then nodded slightly.

He wasn’t the Shin Min-ho he used to know.

At the beginning of the semester, Shin Min-ho had called him in. And what he had said was unbelievable.

*– Just do it moderately.*

Then he had said he would leave quietly.

At that time, he had wondered if such a person could exist. He had wondered if such a person could become a teacher.

That thought had only been temporary.

Rather, he had thought it was a good thing. It meant he could cause as much trouble as he wanted.

But *that* was his homeroom teacher…

But he was right in front of him now.

He was telling him not to give up on his life too early. And he was saying he would be with him until the end.

Kim Il-soo quietly began to eat the soup. Although it was cold, he strangely thought it was more delicious than sirloin.

Even while eating the soup, he only had one thought.

*Dream.*

*Did I also have a dream?*