Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 601

603

Benz and Free Sharing.

It was an unlikely combination.

“Why is that car parked in front of our store?”

Lee Myung-hoon tilted his head, seemingly unable to understand. Hyun-sung, also fixing his gaze outside, added,

“Surely, they’re not coming into our store, are they?”

But that was just Hyun-sung’s wishful thinking. The two people who got out of the Benz headed straight for the entrance of the store Hyun-sung managed.

“Are these old ladies crazy?”

Lee Myung-hoon’s voice grew louder. But the moment the store door opened, his voice was no longer heard.

Instead, an awkward greeting came out.

“O-oh, welcome.”

“Is this the place that gives out free food?”

The older of the two women who entered the store asked abruptly. Lee Myung-hoon nodded slightly and replied,

“Yes, it is, but…”

“Hey, Myung-ja, did you hear that? Let’s hurry and pick some things out.”

“Yes, Mom!”

At that moment, Hyun-sung’s eyes sparkled.

Benz mother and daughter?

So, they were a mother and daughter. And they were driving a Benz.

In Korea, a Benz symbolizes wealth.

And these people were coming to this free sharing store in a Benz.

Did that make any sense?

Hyun-sung immediately moved toward them. Or, he tried to. But he couldn’t. The reason was that Lee Soon-cheol, who was next to him, grabbed Hyun-sung’s arm.

Then he said immediately,

“I’ll handle this.”

Lee Soon-cheol also realized right away that this situation was absurd. He approached the mother and daughter and said politely,

“What are you doing right now?”

“Can’t you see?”

The daughter, called Myung-ja, retorted sharply. The woman, who was called daughter, looked to be in her mid-40s. Old enough to know the world.

Lee Soon-cheol continued,

“I mean, shouldn’t you know better? Do you know what kind of place this is?”

“Of course, I know. This is a place that gives out free food, right?”

“Of course, that’s right, but do you also know that there are prerequisites for using this place?”

“Prerequisites?”

The daughter frowned as if she didn’t understand what he was saying, then looked at her mother and asked again,

“Mom, what is this man talking about?”

“Don’t worry about it and just fill your basket with what you need.”

“Okay, Mom.”

The two women ignored Lee Soon-cheol’s words and began to fill their baskets with food. Lee Soon-cheol, watching them, spoke again.

“Are you really going to do this?”

“What do you mean? We’re just taking what we need to eat!”

The woman’s voice was filled with annoyance. Lee Soon-cheol spoke again.

“As I said a moment ago, I told you that there are prerequisites for using this place.”

“So?”

“‘So’? Are you saying that you meet those prerequisites?”

“Of course.”

The daughter nodded as if it were obvious. Then Lee Myung-hoon, who had been watching from the side, couldn’t stand it any longer and asked,

“Are you two having financial difficulties at home due to the IMF crisis [International Monetary Fund crisis, a period of economic hardship in the late 1990s]?”

“We lost 1 billion won.”

“Pardon? How much?”

“Our stocks are all worthless. Do you know what that means? So, shouldn’t we be able to come here?”

“……”

Lee Myung-hoon looked at Hyun-sung instead of answering, as if he had nothing to say. Hyun-sung shook his head. It meant that Hyun-sung was also dumbfounded.

These were people who had lost 1 billion won in stocks and came here. What could he say?

He just wanted to ask if they really wanted to live like that.

“Please put all of this in bags.”

The two mothers and daughters had already filled two baskets with food. Hyun-sung clenched his teeth as he watched them. Then he immediately approached the two women.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you these items.”

“What do you mean?””Of course, I understand your situation, but you can’t use this place.”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

The mother immediately shouted in informal language. Then she asked Hyun-sung again.

“What’s the reason?”

“The reason is simple. It’s because it doesn’t fit the purpose of our free sharing store. We can’t help people who have lost money due to stocks.”

Until he heard that they had lost 1 billion won in stocks a moment ago, he didn’t want to go this far. But the moment he saw them filling two baskets to the brim, his mind changed.

It was because he couldn’t find any consideration from them.

More than 300 people had visited earlier, but not a single person had as little consideration as the two mothers and daughters.

Even when taking one item, they showed consideration for others by giving way a little.

But these two women showed no such behavior at all. So, he decided to say no.

“Who says so?”

“It’s not ‘who says so,’ but it’s the basic operating principle of my store. So, just leave the basket and go.”

“Oh, how much could this be worth?”

“That’s right. So, please go to the market and buy it.”

That’s when it happened.

As soon as Hyun-sung’s words were finished, Lee Soon-cheol moved immediately.

The first thing he did was to take the baskets from the two mothers and daughters. It was more like snatching them away than receiving them, and he began to put the items back where they had been.

The mother, seeing this, immediately took out her cell phone from her pocket.

Then she started making a call somewhere.

Hyun-sung was dumbfounded.

The place she called was none other than the police station.

About five minutes passed.

Two police officers entered the store.

“Who is the person who reported it?”

“Yes, it’s me. These people…”

The mother stepped forward and began to explain what had happened so far. As her explanation continued, the police officer’s expression gradually changed as if he was dumbfounded.

And finally, when her explanation was over, one of the police officers turned to Hyun-sung to confirm and asked again.

“So, you’re saying that you came here because you lost 1 billion won in stocks?”

“Yes, that’s right. But this person says that people who have lost money in stocks can’t take things from here and is telling us to just leave. Does that make sense?”

“Well, that’s…”

The police officer was about to say something, but he turned his head and looked at Hyun-sung. Then he asked immediately.

“Do you have anything to say?”

“I’m just trying to maintain the minimum principles while running this free sharing store.”

“What principles are you talking about?”

“I mean, people who are really in need. I’m running this store for those people. At least not people who drive a Benz.”

Did that make sense? It wasn’t just any car, but they were driving a Benz and taking rice, potatoes, cabbage, and eggs for free. And the two mothers and daughters each had a basket.

Hyun-sung couldn’t understand it at all from a common-sense perspective. Or, it would be more accurate to say that he didn’t want to understand it.

The mother approached Hyun-sung.

“Did you write down that people who drive a Benz shouldn’t come here?”

“Do I have to write it down? Shouldn’t you know? Why are you being so stubborn when you should know better?”

“Stubborn?”

“Yes, isn’t this stubbornness?”

“I’m not being stubborn, I’m really having a hard time, so I came here. Why don’t you believe me?”

“Ask anyone passing by. Who in the world would understand someone who lost 1 billion won in stocks coming in a Benz and taking potatoes or cabbage for free?”

“That’s their situation, and we…”

“Madam!”

It was Lee Myung-hoon who was at the counter who interrupted the woman’s words.

“Madam, why are you so inconsiderate?”

“What? Inconsiderate?”

“Yes, shouldn’t you know better? Why do you keep saying such ridiculous things? Do you think our boss is doing this because he has too much money left over?”

“That’s your situation… No, wait a minute, that’s not the point. Who are you calling ‘madam’ when you’re so young? Do you have no manners? Do you know who I am?”

The expression of the person calling herself the mother changed drastically.

Lee Myung-hoon’s voice grew louder again as he saw her expression.

“Manners? Seriously, this old lady!”

“What? How dare you?”

“What? You?”

That’s when it happened. It was the police officer who intervened between the two.

“Okay, okay, let’s not do this and just resolve it nicely, saying good things are good. If things get like this, we’re in trouble too.”

After finishing those words, the police officer spoke to Hyun-sung this time.

“You’re the owner who runs this place, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Since the situation has become like this, let’s both take a step back. You, the owner, take a step back, and you, the madam, also take a step back and end it nicely. We’re in trouble in these cases.”

“Okay, how do you mean?”

Hyun-sung didn’t want to escalate things this far either. So, he was going to listen to the police officer.

But at that moment, strange words came out of the mother’s mouth.

“What? Step back? What am I supposed to step back on? After ignoring someone like this… I have no intention of stepping back at all, so do as you please.”

“Madam, that’s not it…”

“What do you mean that’s not it? If you’re a police officer, resolve the complaint properly, or I won’t stand still either!”

It was too much to bear. This was an absurd case.

“Hoo!”

Hyun-sung sighed deeply as if he had no choice, then approached the woman.

“You really have no manners? Then I can’t help it anymore either. Don’t regret it later.”

“We’ll see who regrets it. How dare you know who I am…”

“Okay, yes, I understand. If you’re going to act like that, I’ll call a reporter. I don’t know how famous you are, but let’s see if you’re that confident in front of a reporter.”

“What? A reporter?”

“Yes, I have a social affairs reporter I know personally. Since the office is in Guwol-dong anyway, they’ll be here in 10 minutes if I call. Just wait a moment.”

Hyun-sung started making a call after finishing those words.

“Hey, Reporter Choi. You said you wanted an article, right? Come to Bupyeong right now. There’s a famous madam here today…”

Hyun-sung started making a call on purpose in a loud voice.

Then the daughter, who had been quiet until now, approached her mother. Then she seemed to be whispering something in her ear.

After a while.

The two mothers and daughters looked at each other and began to shake their heads from side to side as if they had made a promise.

Then they immediately moved their steps outside.

There was no way Hyun-sung, who was watching the scene, would stay still.

Hyun-sung continued to talk on the phone and blocked the two mothers and daughters.

“Reporter Choi, hurry up. These madams are trying to leave the scene. Hurry up!”

After finishing those words, Hyun-sung hung up the phone and blocked the door. Then the daughter pushed Hyun-sung and opened the door. At the same time, she grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled her, saying annoyedly.

“What is this embarrassing thing? That’s why I told you not to come here!”

The two mothers and daughters disappeared after finishing those words.

Lee Myung-hoon, who was watching the scene, couldn’t hold back his laughter and laughed loudly. Then Lee Soon-cheol, who was next to him, also started giggling.

“I’m very sorry.”

The police officer, who was saluting and leaving, also couldn’t hold back his laughter and left the store laughing.

Then the three people who were left.

Only then did a smile begin to spread across Hyun-sung’s face.