Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 646

The Next Day.

After finishing his morning workout, Hyun-sung showered, left his house, and drove his Jeep to a hangover soup restaurant near Bupyeong Southern Station.

At the same time.

“Ugh…”

Awakening, Yoon Ji-soo clutched her head. It was the familiar headache she always felt the day after drinking too much.

“What time is it?”

Checking the time, Yoon Ji-soo barely managed to get out of bed. She had to get up at this hour to shower and go to work.

Just then.

“Huh? What’s this?”

There was a water glass on her bedside table, which wasn’t usually there. Yoon Ji-soo tried to retrace the events of the previous night.

“Oh? Hyun-sung.”

The one person who came to mind was Hyun-sung. She vaguely remembered him taking her home from the restaurant last night.

But the problem was, she had no other memories.

She definitely had a faint memory of Hyun-sung coming into her house. But she couldn’t recall anything after that.

Yoon Ji-soo checked the clothes she was wearing. It was the pajamas she always wore to bed. But the important thing was, she didn’t even remember changing her clothes.

“What happened?”

No matter how hard she tried to remember, Yoon Ji-soo couldn’t recall anything else.

Gulp, gulp.

Yoon Ji-soo started by drinking the water on her bedside table. Only then did she feel like she was finally coming to her senses.

Just then.

Ding-dong!

Her phone rang.

Yoon Ji-soo barely managed to gather her wits and answered the phone.

“Hello.”

-Are you awake?

The voice on the other end of the phone was Hyun-sung, who she had been drinking with last night.

“Hyun-sung?”

-Yes, it’s me.

“Did anything happen yesterday?”

-Well…

“What kind of answer is that?”

-You really don’t remember?

“Huh? Remember what?”

Yoon Ji-soo tried to retrace her memories again. But all she could remember was Hyun-sung coming into her house.

Then Hyun-sung’s voice was heard again.

-Let’s talk about it when I get to your place.

“Huh? You’re coming to my place at this hour?”

-I’m at the bean sprout hangover soup restaurant right now. I’ll head over as soon as the soup is packed.

“Huh? Oh, okay…”

Yoon Ji-soo inadvertently said ‘okay’ at the mention of hangover soup. It wasn’t the first time she had hangover soup with him the day after drinking. The only difference was that today, Hyun-sung was packing the hangover soup to bring over.

“I can’t be doing this.”

Yoon Ji-soo got up and went straight to the bathroom.

A while later.

Yoon Ji-soo was drying her hair in front of the vanity.

Just then.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang.

Yoon Ji-soo quickly walked to the front door.

“Hyun-sung?”

“Yes, it’s me, Ji-soo.”

Clunk.

Yoon Ji-soo immediately opened the front door. Hyun-sung was standing right in front of the door, smiling.

‘What is this?’

Yoon Ji-soo felt a strange sensation for a moment.

She had definitely decided in her heart yesterday not to accept him anymore. But ever since she received his call a little while ago, she felt strange, and the moment she saw his face, it felt like all her resolve was melting away.

“What are you doing?”

Hyun-sung asked, seeing Yoon Ji-soo standing there blankly.

Only then did Yoon Ji-soo come to her senses.

“Huh? Oh, yes. Come on in.”

“Are you still not over the alcohol?”

“It’s not that, I was just thinking about something else for a moment… By the way, when did you wake up and even buy hangover soup?”

“Don’t you remember?”

“Huh? Remember?”

Yoon Ji-soo tilted her head for a moment. If what Hyun-sung was saying was true, it seemed like she was somehow involved with the hangover soup.

“Did I say something?”

“You told me to prepare hangover soup this morning.”

“I did?”

Hyun-sung nodded instead of answering. Then Yoon Ji-soo asked in surprise.

“Did I really say that?”

“Why, do you think I’m lying?”

“Surely I wouldn’t…”

Yoon Ji-soo shook her head in disbelief. Then Hyun-sung continued.

“I don’t know how happy I was because of that. I get to see Ji-soo so early in the morning.”

“Are you teasing me right now?”

Just then.

Hyun-sung’s gaze went to the clothes Yoon Ji-soo was wearing. Yoon Ji-soo was still in her pajamas.

“Oh my! I must be crazy.”

Yoon Ji-soo ran into her room with those words. Hyun-sung smiled as he watched her and headed to the kitchen.

Hyun-sung, who came into the kitchen, began to put the packed food into bowls.

After a while.

The two people sat facing each other at the dining table.

Yoon Ji-soo spoke first.

“Did I really tell you to prepare hangover soup?”

“It doesn’t matter. Even if Ji-soo didn’t say that, I was going to buy it or go eat it together anyway.”

“That doesn’t make sense. How could I…”

“I told you not to worry about it.”

“Hyun-sung, I’m sorry. I think I was a little out of it after drinking. Even so, how could I say such a thing…”

Yoon Ji-soo had an expression as if she couldn’t understand it at all. Then she carefully opened her mouth again.

“By any chance… did I make any other mistakes?”

“You really don’t remember anything?”

“I’m usually a pretty heavy drinker, but I drank on an empty stomach yesterday, so I think I blacked out without realizing it. Did I make any mistakes…”

Yoon Ji-soo began to read Hyun-sung’s expression. Then, at that moment, Hyun-sung suddenly started laughing.

“Hehe.”

“What? Why are you laughing?”

“Then you wouldn’t remember calling me ‘Oppa’ either?”

“Huh? I did?”

Yoon Ji-soo was utterly dumbfounded.

It was impossible. It wasn’t just any other day, but the day she decided to push him out of her heart after learning that there was a seven-year age difference.

But was it possible that she called someone who was seven years younger than her ‘Oppa’ [an honorific term used by women to address older brothers or male friends/love interests] that day? No matter how drunk she was, it was impossible.

“Are you lying?”

“Think what you want. By the way, the hangover soup is getting cold, eat it quickly.”

“Hangover soup is not the problem right now. Did I really call Hyun-sung ‘Oppa’?”

“What should I do? I haven’t even told you the really important thing yet.”

It was the moment when a smile spread across Hyun-sung’s lips. Then Yoon Ji-soo, who saw that expression, carefully opened her mouth again with an uneasy expression.

“The really important thing?”

“Yes, it’s really important to me.”

“What is it? What did I say…”

“It’s a little embarrassing to say it myself, but you said you get excited when you see me…”

“Wait a minute!”

Yoon Ji-soo raised her hand and immediately interrupted Hyun-sung’s words in the middle. Then she continued.

“Hyun-sung, you can’t just say anything because I can’t remember.”

“Would I ever say something that isn’t true?”

“Okay, then tell me again. What did I say?”

“You said you get excited when you see me…”

Hyun-sung’s words continued, but Yoon Ji-soo couldn’t hear anything else after that. Only the words that she said she was excited filled her head.

Yoon Ji-soo couldn’t believe it. No matter how drunk she was, how could she say such a thing?

“Did I really say that to Hyun-sung?”

“That’s not the end of it?”

“If that’s not the end, does that mean I said something else?”

Yoon Ji-soo was now even feeling fear. She said that she even told a man that she was excited. But if that’s not the end, doesn’t that mean she said something else? The next words would be even stronger.

Gulp.

Yoon Ji-soo swallowed hard without realizing it. That meant she was that nervous.

Then Hyun-sung’s mouth opened again.

“Take responsibility…”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“You shook my heart, so you said to take responsibility in the future.”

“…”

Yoon Ji-soo couldn’t say anything. She just wanted to hide if there was a mouse hole. No matter how much she drank…

Yoon Ji-soo closed her eyes tightly. She couldn’t look at his face straight on.

After a while.

Yoon Ji-soo cleared her throat after opening her eyes and immediately continued.

“Ahem, Hyun-sung, when I drink, I say things I don’t mean without realizing it…”

Yoon Ji-soo’s words grew longer. The more words there are, the more excuses there are. Yoon Ji-soo began to explain using all the vocabulary she knew to say that what she said was not true.

Then, at some point.

Swoosh.

Hyun-sung stretched out both hands and grabbed Yoon Ji-soo’s hands that were speaking. Then he continued.

“Ji-soo, stop now.”

“No, what I’m saying is…”

“I know, so please stop. And don’t worry about anything. I’ll take responsibility for Ji-soo.”

“No, what I’m saying is not that…”

“Just trust me from now on. I’ll take responsibility for Ji-soo and make you happy in the future. Okay? Yes?”

“…”

Yoon Ji-soo couldn’t answer easily. But she was no longer in a position to continue making excuses.

So she could only quietly lower her head.

Then Hyun-sung’s words continued again.

“Ji-soo, look at my eyes.”

“No, I can’t. I’m too embarrassed…”

“Yes, I know. Then just listen. It doesn’t mean we’re changing anything right now. Like now, we’ll eat hangover soup together the day after drinking, and sometimes we’ll drive to the sea on a rainy day.”

Hyun-sung paused for a moment and then continued.

“And sometimes we’ll go see a movie. Oh, and let’s take some time to go on a fall trip before winter comes.”

“A fall trip?”

“Yes, of course, we’ll get two rooms.”

“Pfft!”

Yoon Ji-soo smiled and then immediately opened her mouth again.

“Why are you suddenly talking about rooms there?”

“I was afraid you might misunderstand me.”

“If I was going to misunderstand, would I be with you from this early in the morning?”

“Is that so? Then that’s a relief. But don’t trust me too much. I also have the blood of a beast flowing through me.”

“Huh? Anyway… Pfft.”

Yoon Ji-soo smiled again. It was definitely a different expression from when she was seriously trying to excuse what happened the day before.

“Yes, just keep smiling like that. So don’t think about pushing me away in the future.”

“…”

“I told you yesterday, the age difference is just a number, so let’s not worry about things like that.”

Hyun-sung’s words continued.

“Thank you for yesterday. I gained confidence because Ji-soo told me honestly.”

“I said that’s not true…”

“No, it’s okay. You know the saying ‘truth in wine’ [a saying that means people are more honest when they are drunk]? Ji-soo revealed what was in her heart yesterday.”

“…”

Yoon Ji-soo couldn’t deny it anymore. She said a little while ago that what she said yesterday wasn’t sincere, but that wasn’t true.

It’s true that she’s been excited whenever she sees him.

“Just as Ji-soo is excited, my heart also flutters a lot whenever I see Ji-soo.”

Hyun-sung patted his chest. Then he continued.

“Ji-soo, make me one promise.”

“A promise?”

“Yes, promise me that you won’t push me away in your heart in the future.”

“…”

“Why aren’t you answering?”

Yoon Ji-soo seemed to hesitate for a moment, then slowly nodded. Hyun-sung immediately opened his mouth when he saw that.

“Okay, now let’s eat our hangover soup. It’s a little cold, but it looks like it’ll be more delicious than ever.”

“…”

Yoon Ji-soo quietly picked up her spoon instead of answering. Then Hyun-sung took a little salted shrimp and put it in Yoon Ji-soo’s hangover soup.

“Okay, now eat.”

“Hyun-sung, you eat too.”

“Yes, let’s eat together.”

With those words, Hyun-sung took a spoonful of bean sprout hangover soup and brought it to his mouth. Then Yoon Ji-soo also began to eat the hangover soup.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

The two people looked at each other for a moment and smiled without either of them taking the lead. Then they began to eat the hangover soup again.