Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 62

It was when Hyun-sung had just arrived at the school gate.

“Excuse me….”

“Who are you……?”

“I’m Seo In-hye, Ji-yeon’s friend. Are you Ji-yeon’s brother?”

‘Queen?’

The word suddenly popped into Hyun-sung’s head.

What his sister, Kim Ji-yeon, had said last night.

He understood now.

Why his sister had repeatedly asked him last night if he really didn’t know.

Seeing her in person, he understood.

She looked at least 165cm tall [approximately 5’5″], with a sharp nose, plump little lips that seemed about to burst, and most striking of all, her eyes.

Her large, monolid eyes, as if she had just stepped out of a comic book, were so attractive that anyone would fall for her at first sight.

She had the looks to debut in the entertainment industry right away.

Hyun-sung slowly opened his mouth.

“I am Ji-yeon’s brother, but…….”

“Did you say you wouldn’t have time tomorrow?”

What?

The atmosphere was somehow flowing in a strange direction. It was like being interrogated.

But Hyun-sung wasn’t one to be unilaterally pushed around.

He slightly raised his head and answered leisurely.

“Yeah, I have somewhere to go tomorrow.”

Seo In-hye smiled at Hyun-sung’s answer. A dimple appeared slightly. It was a clear demonstration that God is not fair.

Seo In-hye spoke again.

“Thank you.”

What does that mean?

It seemed like they weren’t on the same page.

“Huh? What are you thanking me for?”

“You don’t have time, but it’s not that you don’t like me, right? Isn’t that right? Am I right, Oppa?” [Oppa is a Korean term used by younger women to address older men they are close to.]

If nothing else, one thing was certain.

She was talkative.

But he didn’t expect his words to be interpreted that way.

She was audacious after all.

He was a little taken aback and dumbfounded.

Perhaps that’s why.

A slight smile spread across Hyun-sung’s lips.

Then Seo In-hye immediately opened her mouth.

“Oh my! A smile…….”

The sense to cut off her words in the middle while covering her mouth with her hand.

Seo In-hye was even equipped with pretense.

She was the type to make many men cry in the future.

Perhaps it was thanks to the years he had lived.

His left brain made decisions faster than his right brain.

After all, she was young enough to be his daughter.

Hyun-sung, who had come to his senses with rational logic rather than falling into emotion, spoke first.

“You’re In-hye, Ji-yeon’s friend? You’re pretty and cute, do you study well?”

“Yes?”

Seo In-hye looked at Hyun-sung with strange eyes.

Because his *mal-tu* [tone/way of speaking] was strange, like some old uncle.

But what was strange was that she didn’t dislike Hyun-sung’s *moseup* [demeanor/appearance].

It was a different side of him that she couldn’t see among her peers.

Perhaps that’s why.

Seo In-hye immediately continued.

“Oppa, you’re two years older than me, right?”

“Huh? Why, does it not seem like it?”

“I don’t know if it’s just my feeling, but it feels like there’s a 10-year difference.”

“What? 10 years? Haha…….”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh at Seo In-hye’s words.

Even if he couldn’t help his appearance, he had lived for over 50 years. According to Seo In-hye’s words, he had become at least 20 years younger.

Then Seo In-hye, who was watching the scene, smiled bashfully.

Her dimples were truly a work of art.

Then Hyun-sung spoke again.

“Where’s our Ji-yeon?”

“Ji-yeon?”

“Why didn’t she come with you?”

“That’s…….”

Hyun-sung asked, assuming that she would have come with her. He judged that it wouldn’t be easy for someone her age to wait for someone alone in front of someone else’s school gate from morning.

That’s when it happened.

Someone popped out from behind the school gate.

It was his sister, Kim Ji-yeon.

Of course.

Hyun-sung said, looking at Kim Ji-yeon.

“What are you doing there?”

“What do you mean? I was just…… there.”

Hyun-sung smiled and said.

“You’ve been working hard since morning.”

“Tch, what else could I do? Oppa said he didn’t have time, and this girl was trying to eat me up, so I had no choice. I had to do it this way…….”

Kim Ji-yeon was huffing and puffing to herself as if she was wronged.

She must have been busy since morning. It wasn’t a time when there were cell phones, so she must have called from the house phone before going to school, met at school early in the morning, and then came to this place.

It was obvious without even seeing it.

Hyun-sung smiled and said.

“So, thank you for your hard work.”

“You’re welcome. By the way, my friend In-hye is really pretty, right?”

“Yeah, she’s pretty.”

“But……, something’s a little strange.”

“What is?”

Kim Ji-yeon felt like she was drinking flat cider [a metaphor for something that’s lost its excitement or fizz].

Usually, he would be a little shy or nervous, but Hyun-sung was too comfortable, as if he was meeting his daughter’s friend, which was unfamiliar to her.

But it was an ambiguous situation to point that out and ask.

That was that, and she had to proceed with the plan as planned.

Kim Ji-yeon winked at Seo In-hye. Then Seo In-hye handed something to Hyun-sung.

“Oppa, this is for you.”

It was chocolate.

Hyun-sung smiled and said.

“You shouldn’t have…….”

Then Kim Ji-yeon, who was watching from the side, shouted.

“Oppa! Why are you talking like that?”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? What kind of brother talks like an old man? What’s with that *mal-tu* [tone/way of speaking]?”

Then Seo In-hye, who was standing next to her, poked Kim Ji-yeon in the side.

Then she said quietly.

“Ji-yeon, I like it, why are you like this?”

“What? You like that? You crazy…….”

Then someone called Hyun-sung from behind.

Then Seo In-hye looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“Oppa, next time…….”

Seo In-hye bowed politely, took Kim Ji-yeon’s hand, and dragged her out of the school gate towards the middle school building.

As the distance grew a little further, Seo In-hye started running first. Then Kim Ji-yeon also started running, waving her hand.

“Those were the days.”

Hyun-sung, who was watching the scene, chuckled and turned around.

“Kim Hyun-sung, what’s up?”

It was class president Lee Young-min.

“What do you mean, what’s up?”

“Wasn’t that Seo In-hye who was just here?”

“You know her?”

“Hey, is there anyone in our school who doesn’t know Seo In-hye, the queen of Seo Myung Middle School?”

Lee Young-min said as if it was obvious.

But Hyun-sung couldn’t find any existence of Seo In-hye in his memory.

It wasn’t just that he couldn’t remember because it was too long ago. It wasn’t on that level.

Nonexistent.

He had no memory of her at all.

It wasn’t like Hyun-sung himself had made a cameo appearance because he had regressed. Then there was only one thing left…….

Lack of interest in the opposite sex?

It wasn’t like he was impotent, but it wasn’t that either.

‘What is it?’

Hyun-sung shook his head after thinking for a moment. It wasn’t important anyway. He didn’t want to fit every situation together like a puzzle.

Hyun-sung thought that it wasn’t bad to have some gaps in life sometimes.

Perfection?

It’s just tiring.

Then class president Lee Young-min’s gaze turned to Hyun-sung’s hand.

“Hey, what’s this?”

“Ghana….”

“Who doesn’t know it’s Ghana chocolate? Did Seo In-hye give this to you?”

Hyun-sung nodded instead of answering.

That’s when it happened.

He thought he heard the sound of wind from behind, and then he felt something touching the back of his head.

Thwack.

It was the moment Hyun-sung’s expression crumpled.

“You little punk……, do you want to die?”

“Hey, Kim Hyun-sung, did Seo In-hye really give this to you?”

“Has this guy only lived being deceived? Why can’t you believe what people say?”

“Wow, has Seo In-hye finally chosen someone…….”

“What, chosen? What nonsense are you spouting from the morning?”

Thwack.

Hyun-sung slapped Lee Young-min on the back of the head with his palm.

Then Lee Young-min glared at Hyun-sung.

“You’re unlucky from the morning…….”

“Look at this guy. Who started it first? Come here, I’ll make you unlucky all day.”

“Oh my, why is the bully acting like this? You should take care of the powerless, not harass them.”

“Oh, now you’re even teasing me.”

The two of them didn’t back down.

While walking, Lee Young-min opened his mouth again.

“Is that guy coming to school today?”

“Who…, are you talking about that Kim Il-soo?”

“Yeah, he hasn’t come for a whole week since that day. He’s a big guy, but he’s timid….”

“He’ll take care of it himself. He’s not a kid.”

After thinking for a moment, Lee Young-min spoke again.

“Hey, today’s Saturday, do you want to go to Il-soo’s house together after school?”

“Wait. I told him clearly the other day, so if that guy has any sense, he’ll come. If he still doesn’t come, there’s nothing we can do.”

It was two days ago.

Hyun-sung had said to Kim Il-soo before turning away from the potato field.

– Remember. It’s until this week.

– I know, so mind your own business.

– Yeah, of course, I have no intention of interfering in your life, but remember this one thing. You only use your pride when you have something to protect. Don’t be a fool who only shows off his pride because of inferiority complex without anything.

– …….

– And one more thing, don’t blame others. It’s your life anyway. You’re 18 now, and there’s plenty of time ahead. Remember that success and failure are in your hands.

It’s up to Kim Il-soo anyway.

Hyun-sung thought that further coercion or interference was unnecessary.

As soon as Hyun-sung arrived at the classroom and sat down, Lee Jung-woo approached as if he had been waiting.

“You said we should start exercising from today, right?”

“I thought it would be better to do it as soon as possible if we’re going to do it anyway.”

“But what should we do first?”

“I think we should build up our leg strength first, so let’s start by climbing the mountain behind the school. The slope isn’t too steep, so it won’t be too difficult for you to walk.”

It was yesterday during the 5th period of physical education.

Seeing Lee Jung-woo being excluded from the class, he thought that this wasn’t right. He had been watching him closely every physical education class for a week.

The physical education teacher was considerate of Lee Jung-woo and had him sit on the bench, but Hyun-sung thought that it wouldn’t be good for Lee Jung-woo.

But it didn’t make sense to raise an objection there.

If he only raised the problem without a way to improve it, it wouldn’t be helpful to the physical education teacher or Lee Jung-woo.

So he had been *gomin* [contemplating/worrying].

And the method he found was exercise.

But he couldn’t force it unilaterally. No matter how much it was for the other person, Lee Jung-woo’s consent was the priority.

So he quietly talked to Lee Jung-woo after class yesterday.

Lee Jung-woo himself said he didn’t like it either.

He said that he was really embarrassed and felt like he was sitting on thorns every time he sat on the bench. But what was more upsetting was that he couldn’t participate in class despite that.

Whether it was ball games or track and field events, he couldn’t do anything properly because he didn’t have strength in his legs.

He said that he felt a great sense of self-disgust every time.

So Hyun-sung subtly suggested that they exercise together after school.

Then Lee Jung-woo said he would like that too.

Lee Jung-woo’s eyes sparkled at Hyun-sung’s words that they should build up his leg strength first.

“Will it get better then?”

“Of course, you know the use-or-lose theory? The more you use it, the stronger it gets. Let’s exercise diligently and climb Mount Seorak’s Daecheongbong [the highest peak of Mount Seorak] together later.”

“What, Daecheongbong?”

“Yeah, there’s no reason why we can’t go, right?”

“Hey, no matter what, that’s not it. Kim Hyun-sung, let’s be *jeokdanghi* [moderate/reasonable]. *Eung* [a casual way of saying ‘okay’ or seeking agreement]?”

Lee Jung-woo smiled and ‘tuk’ [a light tap] hit Hyun-sung on the shoulder.

Then Hyun-sung spoke again.