Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 688

Two months later.

The couple returned home after finishing their wedding photoshoot.

Hyunsung spoke first.

“Jisu, aren’t you tired?”

“No, not really. I actually feel good.”

“You feel good?”

“Yes, actually, I don’t usually like taking pictures, so I was worried. But today, posing didn’t feel awkward; it felt natural. It’s all thanks to you making me feel comfortable, Hyunsung.”

Her past life’s memories played a part again today.

She hadn’t liked taking pictures in her past life either. So, they didn’t take many pictures when they went on dates.

Because of that, there weren’t many pictures from their dating days later on.

But that didn’t mean she regretted it or felt it was a shame.

So, before the photoshoot today, she had asked the team in advance.

Instead of trying to take too many artificial shots, she asked them to capture the most natural moments possible.

The results were very satisfying.

Because she wasn’t forced, her smile was even brighter. That image was captured perfectly by the camera.

That’s probably why she didn’t feel tired even after shooting all day.

“Anyway, I’m glad you feel good. In that case, should we go out for dinner instead of eating at home?”

“Go out?”

“Yes, preparing at home would be a hassle. Let’s go eat tonkatsu [Japanese pork cutlet], which you like.”

“Hmm…”

Yoon Jisu seemed to think for a moment before continuing.

“Can we eat jokbal [Korean braised pig’s trotters] instead of tonkatsu today?”

“Jokbal?”

“Yes, Gongdeok-dong jokbal. Younghee’s Jokbal.”

“You want to eat jokbal?”

“Not me, but our Tun Tun does.”

Yoon Jisu smiled as she touched her stomach. Hyunsung immediately stroked Yoon Jisu’s stomach and said.

“Our Tun Tun wants to eat jokbal~~?”

“Yes~ Daddy~ I really want to eat Younghee’s Jokbal in Gongdeok-dong~~.”

Yoon Jisu matched his tone with a smile.

“Wait a minute, Daddy will order it for you right away.”

“Yes~ Daddy~ Hehe.”

Yoon Jisu couldn’t hold back and finally burst into laughter. Hyunsung, seeing her like that, couldn’t help but laugh as well.

The two of them looked at each other and laughed heartily.

It was another kind of happiness that she couldn’t feel in her past life.

Perhaps that’s why Hyunsung’s laughter seemed especially loud.

Hyunsung took out his phone and made a call. It was to order jokbal.

After two rings, the other person answered.

-Yes, this is Younghee’s Jokbal.

“Hello, boss, this is from Bupyeong, Incheon.”

-Ah, hello, boss. I was wondering why you hadn’t called. Should I send you the large jokbal again today?

“Yes, please.”

-Okay, I understand. I’ll send it by quick delivery right away. And, Younghee was discharged from the hospital three days ago.

They ordered jokbal about once a week, so they naturally had conversations like this.

“That’s great. Is Younghee doing better?”

-Yes, she’s much better. It’s all thanks to you giving us ten million won [approximately $7,500 USD]. If we had missed the timing for the surgery back then, she wouldn’t be this good now. I can’t thank you enough. I will never forget this kindness.

“You’re too kind. Thanks to you, I can eat this delicious jokbal anytime. So, don’t mention it.”

-No, I know. That day, you deliberately… Anyway, Younghee lived thanks to you. When she gets a little better, she said she’ll call you herself. Please answer Younghee’s call then.

“Of course. We’re friends anyway. Please give my regards to Younghee. Tell her I want to have a drink with her sometime.”

-Yes, yes, how wonderful would it be if that day comes. Then, please contact me again next time.

Click.

A smile spread across Hyunsung’s face as the call ended. Yoon Jisu, who was next to him, immediately asked.

“What did they say?”

“Younghee was discharged three days ago. She’s doing much better.”

Yoon Jisu also ordered jokbal often, so she knew about Ahn Younghee’s hospitalization, which is why they could have this conversation.

“That’s really good news. But what’s with the soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] talk?”

“I’m going to have a drink with Younghee later.”

“It’s amazing.”

“Huh? What is?”

Hyunsung took off his clothes and looked at Yoon Jisu. He was asking what she meant by ‘amazing’.

Yoon Jisu’s answer followed immediately.

“You talk so naturally even though you’ve never met. Anyone would think you’ve been friends for 10 years.”

“Haha, is that so?”

“You really have the best sociability.”

Just then.

Ding-dong!

Hyunsung’s phone rang.

“Hello.”

-Hyunsung, it’s me.

The caller was Lee Jungwoo from Chuncheon.

“Oh, Jungwoo.”

-I went to the countryside today.

“The countryside? Did you go home?”

-No, with Jiyun.

Going with Jiyun meant that he had finally met Hyunsung’s parents. That meant he had gone to greet them for the first time.

“Did you go to my house to say hello?”

-Yeah, I thought I should go before it got any later, so I took the time to go today.

“How did it go?”

-I got permission. To date Jiyun!

Lee Jungwoo’s voice trembled slightly. It was clear that he was excited even while talking about it.

His voice was heard again.

-Was it you?

“Huh? What?”

-Did you tell them about Jiyun and me first?

“Oh? That’s…”

Hyunsung couldn’t continue right away.

In fact, he had told his parents about their relationship a month ago.

It was just in case.

As expected, his parents were very concerned about Lee Jungwoo’s physical condition.

In particular, his mother was strongly opposed.

But after persuading her on the phone all week, he barely managed to get her permission.

Of course, he hadn’t told Lee Jungwoo or Kim Jiyun about it.

-Thank you.

“Huh? Thank you?”

-Yeah, my mother told me later. Because you bothered her all week…

“Wait!”

Hyunsung interrupted Lee Jungwoo. Then he immediately continued.

“Did my mother say I bothered her?”

-Yeah, she said you called her morning and night all week and bothered her?

“That’s strange.”

“Huh? What?”

“I didn’t bother her, I just talked about the good things about my friend Lee Jungwoo. You shouldn’t say that’s bothering her…”

-Pfft.

Lee Jungwoo suddenly laughed.

“Why are you laughing?”

-That’s bothering her. As you know, what good things are there to praise about me for a week? Don’t you think so?

“That’s because you don’t know yourself. I can praise you for a whole month, not just a week.”

-I shouldn’t have said anything. Hyunsung!

Lee Jungwoo suddenly called Hyunsung’s name softly.

“Yeah, go ahead. Say it.”

-I’m really grateful. Because you got permission from my mother in advance, I got approval easily. Otherwise, it probably wouldn’t have been easy at all.

“That’s not it, I was just…”

-Hey, Kim Hyunsung!

Lee Jungwoo interrupted Hyunsung. Then he immediately continued.

-I know. You told my father and mother in advance because you were thinking of me. Thanks to that, I got permission easily.

“I’m sorry if you felt bad. I was just…”

-Hey, hey, Kim Hyunsung. Why would I feel bad? It’s the opposite. I was able to get permission easily thanks to that. That’s why I’m calling to thank you.

“Don’t mention it, I just thought our father and mother wouldn’t know your worth and would oppose you for no reason…”

-That’s enough, man. What worth do I have to say that? No matter what anyone says, I know. You did it for me. I’m telling you again, thank you, friend. No, should I call you brother now?

In principle, that would be correct. But Hyunsung didn’t want to hear the word ‘brother’ until his sister had her wedding.

“Let’s sort out the titles after the wedding, and until then, we’re just friends. I still like being friends.”

-Hehe, I feel the same way. I’ll call you brother after the wedding. Until then, let’s stay friends like now.

“Honestly, even if the titles change later, you’ll always be my friend. So, let’s not worry too much about that.”

-Really?

“Of course. I like my friend more than my brother-in-law.”

-Okay, I understand. I want to remain friends with you for life, no matter what. Like now.

It was the moment when a smile spread across Hyunsung’s face.

In fact, Hyunsung felt the same way. Of course, the titles would inevitably change since he was marrying his sister, but he always wanted to remain friends at heart.

“Jungwoo, then we’ll remain friends for life even if the titles change. Got it?”

-Yeah, let’s do that. And I have something to tell you.

“Huh? To me?”

-Yeah.

“What is it?”

-I’m going to make a promise to you.

Hyunsung tilted his head slightly at the word promise. He was curious about what kind of promise he was talking about.

His words continued.

-It’s about Jiyun.

“Our Jiyun?”

-Yeah, I’m making a promise as a friend, but no matter what, I’ll make sure Jiyun is happy. No matter what happens, there will be no tears in Jiyun’s eyes.

“Tears?”

-Yeah, there will never be such a thing. And one more thing.

Lee Jungwoo paused for a moment before continuing.

-I’m going to pass next year.

“Are you talking about the Level 7 civil service exam?”

-Yeah, actually, my goal was two years later, but I moved it up by one year.

“Is that possible?”

It wouldn’t be easy at all. Level 7 and Level 9 are worlds apart. Moreover, moving up the period by one year would be even more difficult.

-I have to make it possible. I feel like I have to show something too.

So, from today, I’m not going to sleep for more than 4 hours.

“Why did you suddenly make that decision?”

-Because of Jiyun.

“What did Jiyun say?”

-It’s not that Jiyun said anything, but I wanted to do something for Jiyun, and when I thought about it, there was nothing better than this. And another reason is because of you.

“Because of me?”

Hyunsung tilted his head. He could understand doing it for Jiyun. But he couldn’t understand why he was suddenly mentioned there.

“What are you talking about? Why is my name suddenly coming up there?”

-Because of this.

“This? What…?”

-You persuading my father and mother on my behalf. I can’t just stand still in that situation. I have to prove my worth, right?

“Prove?”

-Yeah, that way you, who suffered in the middle, can be proud, and I can be proud too.

Hyunsung had no choice but to nod. He knew too well what he was talking about now. He wanted to prove his own worth.

“Hey, Lee Jungwoo!”

-Yeah, go ahead.

“Good, prove your worth as you said. You can do it better than anyone else.”

-Thank you.

“No, I’m more grateful. You’re a great guy after all. I’ll cheer you on from here. Be sure to pass.”

-Yeah, okay! Then I’ll call you again later.

Click.

It was the moment when a smile spread across Hyunsung’s face. Yoon Jisu, who was watching him from the side, asked.

“What did Jungwoo say?”

“Well, that guy…”

Hyunsung told her everything he had talked about so far. When his explanation was over, Yoon Jisu also smiled and said.

“Jungwoo has made up his mind?”

“That’s what I’m saying. That guy does what he says.”

“The two of you are really enviable when you look at it. Even if you’re friends, it’s not easy to trust each other this much.”

“He’s special to me.”

He was the only guy who helped him even by breaking his savings in his past life. If he didn’t trust him, who would he trust?

Just then.

Ding-dong!

The doorbell rang.

“It’s the jokbal.”

A little later.

The table was full of jokbal and chicken feet.

Hyunsung held a memo in his hand. It was a memo sent by the jokbal restaurant owner.

Thank you, boss.

Our Younghee sometimes smiles these days thanks to you. I also think this is a precious relationship. I will never forget the kindness you have shown. The chicken feet are on the house. Enjoy your meal. ^^.

Hyunsung held out the memo to Yoon Jisu.

A smile began to spread across her face as she read the memo.