Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 672

675

***

Heh.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh, having hung up the phone, wore a light smile.

He had been curious anyway.

What kind of future was Hyun-sung envisioning?

Now, he finally understood what he was thinking.

What he wanted were buildings. Not just any ordinary 20 or 30-story buildings, but 50-story ones, and two of them.

“Haha, really!”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh smiled once more.

At that moment, Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young entered. Chairman Shin Chun-oh called out to him.

“Chief Secretary Choi.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“The question we were wondering about yesterday has finally been answered.”

“Yesterday… ?”

Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand what Chairman Shin Chun-oh was talking about. Chairman Shin Chun-oh continued immediately.

“I’m talking about President Kim’s future that we were curious about yesterday.”

“Ah, yes, that.”

Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young immediately remembered.

Hyun-sung was only thirty-one years old. They had been talking about how he was changing an entire village at that age, and what he would become in the future.

The conclusion was that they were looking forward to it.

“Did you receive a call from somewhere?”

“I received a call from President Yoon a little while ago.”

“Are you referring to Yoon Tae-ho, the construction company president?”

“Yes, that’s right. I heard from President Yoon a little while ago…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh began to explain the conversation he had just had.

As his explanation ended, Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young looked surprised and immediately said.

“Did you say 50 stories?”

“Yes, 50 stories. And not just one, but two.”

“Haha, really, that’s amazing. Not a company, but an individual planning to build two 50-story buildings…”

Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young couldn’t close his gaping mouth.

Was this even possible? He had completely changed a neighborhood, and now he was going to build two 50-story buildings.

Of course, he had expected something, but not to this extent.

“It’s beyond what we imagined.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I also expected it to some extent, but I didn’t know he would come out this strong. Two 50-story buildings… President Kim is really amazing.”

“He was indeed a remarkable person.”

“It’s an honor for me to know such a person.”

“I feel the same way. Now that I think about it, I remember when I first met him.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh stared blankly into the air as if reminiscing.

After a moment.

He opened his mouth again.

“Chief Secretary Choi, but you know… will I even be able to see President Kim build those 50-story twin buildings?”

“Of course. You’re healthy, Chairman, so it’s definitely possible. Moreover, you’re living in such a place with good air and water, so there won’t be any problems.”

“Haha, I don’t know…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh wore a strange expression. He continued.

“I don’t know if it’s an old man’s greed, but I really want to see it.”

“You’ll definitely see it and have plenty of time to spare. Besides, these days, it’s the age of 100…”

“Enough, my friend. You don’t have to comfort me that much.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh interrupted Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young. His expression was ambiguous and hard to describe.

He continued.

“By the way, what time is today’s class?”

“It’s at 4 o’clock. You can slowly head out now.”

“Alright, let’s stop talking and go to class. After all, they say one’s fate is in the hands of heaven. It’s not like I can make it happen just by being greedy. Let’s just be grateful for the given day and live diligently. Come on, let’s go.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh finished speaking and started walking. Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young quietly followed behind him.

***

A few days later.

Hyun-sung received a call. The caller was Yoo Young-chul, the president of the real estate office.

“Yes, President.”

-Are you free today?

“Why? Is something the matter?”

-I just spoke with the building owner at the three-way intersection, and he wants to meet President Kim.

“Are you talking about President Park Yoon-sung, who’s in Mapo, Seoul?”

Hyun-sung had only heard his name through President Yoo Young-chul without ever seeing his face.

In his past life, he never sold the building until the end. As a result, while new buildings went up everywhere else, his building remained in its old form.

But that was only until he was alive.

After he died, his son sold the building a year later. The problem was that it was difficult to get a good price because it was surrounded by other buildings.

-That’s right, President Park Yoon-sung. It seems like there’s been a change of heart. He always said no whenever I talked to him, but for some reason, he wants to see you this time.

“Then, of course, I have to meet him. When should I go up?”

-Are you free right now?

“Right now? Just a moment…”

Hyun-sung checked his schedule briefly and immediately replied.

“Yes, I’m available now.”

-Then come right now.

“Yes, I understand. I’ll go to the real estate office right away. See you soon.”

Click.

Hanging up the phone, Hyun-sung immediately left the office and went down to the first floor.

It was at that moment.

“Uncle!”

Yoon Soo-jung, the daughter of the bakery, called out to Hyun-sung with a happy voice as she came out of the video store.

“Oh? Soo-jung, what brings you here?”

“I rented a video.”

“Where’s your mom?”

Hyun-sung looked around. He was checking to see if her mother, Lee Se-i, was somewhere. But Lee Se-i was nowhere to be seen.

“I came alone. Mom’s busy with the bread.”

“Oh, is that so? But is it okay for you to be out here alone?”

“Uncle, do you know how old I am?”

“Of course, I know. Our Soo-jung is seven years old this year.”

“So?”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head. It was because he couldn’t immediately understand what Yoon Soo-jung was saying.

Then Yoon Soo-jung spoke again.

“Uncle, I’m going to school next year.”

“Well, that’s right.”

“Still, you don’t know what I’m talking about?”

“Well, I guess your uncle has become a fool today. I don’t know what our Soo-jung is saying.”

“Ugh, frustrating.”

Yoon Soo-jung patted her chest with her small hand. She immediately continued.

“Uncle, listen carefully.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

“If I’m going to school next year, I need to be able to go to the video store by myself from now on.”

“Ah, I was wondering what you were saying. That’s what you meant?”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh.

He had always thought of her as young. So, he never even considered that she should be able to go alone.

Listening to her, her words seemed to make sense.

“Soo-jung, I’m sorry. Your uncle was a bit short-sighted today.”

“Hehe, it’s okay, Uncle.”

Yoon Soo-jung patted Hyun-sung’s body a few times as if it was nothing. But that look was quite cute.

In his past life, he couldn’t see this look because the store had closed down due to Paris Baguette [a popular bakery franchise] around this time and had already left this neighborhood.

Was that why?

Yoon Soo-jung seemed unusually cute today.

Hyun-sung smiled and said.

“Soo-jung, thank you. For understanding your uncle. I have to go somewhere now. So, Soo-jung should go to your mom quickly.”

“Okay, I understand. Bye, Uncle.”

“You know you shouldn’t go anywhere else or follow strangers and go straight to the bakery where your mom is, right?”

“Uncle, what do you take me for?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Go on now.”

Hyun-sung watched Yoon Soo-jung walk away for a moment, and when she was far away, he headed to the parking lot.

After a while.

Hyun-sung’s Jeep stopped in front of the real estate office.

President Yoo Young-chul was already waiting for Hyun-sung outside the store.

“You’re a bit late?”

President Yoo Young-chul said as he got into the car.

“I met a little customer and talked for a while, so I was a bit late. By the way, what made President Park want to see me?”

“It seems like there’s been a change of heart. He always said no whenever I called him, but today he wants to see President Kim for some reason.”

“We’ll find out when we go.”

With those words, Hyun-sung stepped on the accelerator. The car carrying the two of them sped out of the alley and headed towards the Gyeongin Expressway.

How much time had passed?

The car carrying the two of them had exited the Gyeongin Expressway and was just passing in front of the National Assembly Building.

It was at that moment.

Ring ring!

Hyun-sung’s cell phone rang.

After hesitating for a moment, Hyun-sung had no choice but to answer the phone.

“Hello.”

-President, it’s me.

“Oh? What’s wrong, Soo-jung’s mother?”

The caller was Lee Se-i, Yoon Soo-jung’s mother.

-Have you seen our Soo-jung?

“Soo-jung? Yes, I saw her earlier. But why?”

-When was it?

“Um, it hasn’t been an hour, about 50 minutes ago in front of the video store. But why? Is something wrong?”

-Soo-jung hasn’t come home yet.

“What? What do you mean?”

The distance from the video store to the bakery is only about 200 meters [approximately 656 feet]. Even if Yoon Soo-jung walks slowly, it’s a distance she can cover in 10 to 15 minutes.

But she hasn’t arrived at the store yet, which doesn’t make sense.

Hyun-sung parked the car on the side of the road. Then he immediately asked.

“Have you looked for her?”

-Yes, I ran to the video store a little while ago, but she’s not there. I asked people, but they said they didn’t see her. What should we do, our Soo-jung?

“What should we do? I’m in Seoul right now…”

-Okay, I’ll look again.

Click.

The call was immediately disconnected.

Hyun-sung’s mind was complicated.

The fact that she hadn’t arrived even after almost an hour, when it only takes 10 minutes to get there, meant that something had happened.

‘What to do?’

At that moment, President Yoo Young-chul, who was sitting in the passenger seat, asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Soo-jung, Soo-jung is missing.”

“Soo-jung? Who’s that?”

“The bakery’s daughter.”

“Ah, the bakery… But why would she disappear?”

“I don’t know either. Actually, the child I met before going to the real estate office was Soo-jung.”

Hyun-sung was full of regret.

If he had taken Yoon Soo-jung in the car and taken her to the bakery, this would not have happened.

But it was already water under the bridge, and there was no use in regretting it.

“What could have happened?”

“Well, this has never happened before…”

Hyun-sung was getting more and more anxious. But the problem was that there was nothing he could do right now.

Then President Yoo Young-chul said.

“What else can we do but finish our work quickly and go? We can’t turn back from here.”

“…”

Hyun-sung couldn’t say anything.

Of course, he knew.

He knew that the best thing to do in this situation was to finish the work quickly and go back.

But his body wasn’t listening.

“President Kim, let’s go quickly. If we pass the Mapo Bridge ahead and go for another 5 minutes, President Park’s building will come out, so let’s meet him quickly and go back.”

“… Yes, I understand.”

Hyun-sung had no choice but to answer.

After all, there was no other way but that for now.

“What are you doing?”

President Yoo Young-chul spoke again when Hyun-sung didn’t start even after answering.

Hyun-sung had no choice but to start slowly.

It was at that moment.

Baaam~~!

A horn sounded very loudly from the left lane. He hadn’t seen the car coming behind him while cutting in. It was an action that showed how distracted he was.

“President Kim, you need to focus.”

“Ah, yes.”

Hyun-sung nodded and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

After a while.

Hyun-sung, who had arrived at the intersection, was waiting for the signal.

Once he crossed this bridge, he would be at his destination.

‘Yes, let’s finish the work quickly and go back.’

Hyun-sung shook his head vigorously. It was to clear his mind.

But the more he did, the more he thought of Yoon Soo-jung’s face. He kept thinking of her look when she hit her chest with her small fist and said she was frustrated an hour ago.

It was as if she would appear at any moment calling out ‘Uncle.’

‘What to do?’

Hyun-sung fell into contemplation again.

Once he crossed this bridge, he would be at his destination. But the problem was that his mind was completely elsewhere.

Could he really meet the building owner and talk in this state?

After contemplating, Hyun-sung slowly began to shake his head from side to side.

‘Yes, this is not it.’

Hyun-sung, having made a decision, said in a loud voice.

“President, I can’t do it like this. I’ll come to Mapo again next time.”

With those words, Hyun-sung immediately turned the steering wheel and began to make a U-turn.