Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 690

“You son of a bitch!”

M상구 spat out a curse as 현성 left him alone. 오지혜, his employee, immediately asked,

“What’s wrong, boss?”

“We’re finished.”

“Pardon? Finished?”

오지혜 looked at 마상구, not understanding what he meant. 마상구 continued,

“That bastard says we’re not going to make it.”

“Are you talking about the video store owner?”

“Yeah, that guy, get this…”

마상구 explained what he and 현성 had discussed earlier. When he finished, 오지혜 immediately asked again,

“How can that be? In a market economy, if you lose in competition, that’s it. How can he hold us responsible for that?”

“Business ethics.”

“What? Business ethics?”

“Yeah, he says we, or rather, the chain, don’t observe even the most basic business ethics. And as a consequence, we have to get out of this neighborhood.”

That was 현성’s final word.

His argument, from beginning to end, was singular. The 파리바게뜨 chain, which didn’t observe basic business ethics, had to be expelled from this neighborhood.

That’s why he couldn’t give them the pre-sale rights.

In the end, they had no choice but to leave this neighborhood.

It was unfair, but there was nothing he could do.

After all, 현성 was now the decision-maker in this neighborhood.

오지혜 opened her mouth with an incredulous expression.

“What business ethics are you talking about? How are we supposed to survive in this harsh world if we adhere to all that?”

“That’s what I’m saying. But that bastard says it’s important. And since we didn’t observe it, he says we have to leave this neighborhood.”

“So?”

“I’m going crazy, but there’s no way to fight the injustice. As 오 실장 [Section Chief Oh] knows, this building has already been transferred to that bastard.”

“Then what happens to us? Is this really the end for us?”

“There’s no way out. Our contract expires this month anyway. Others received compensation, but we won’t receive any, and once the contract expires, we just have to leave.”

마상구 continued,

“But what’s even more infuriating is that he won’t even give us pre-sale rights. No, he says we don’t even deserve to receive them.”

“That bastard?”

“Yeah, but what’s even more infuriating is that I have nothing to say even after hearing that. After all, he has all the decision-making power. Now, that bastard is the law in this neighborhood.”

“Then is this really the end for us?”

“…….”

마상구 couldn’t bring himself to say the word ‘end.’

Because the moment he said it, it felt like everything would truly be over.

Even though he knew everything was over, he didn’t want to admit it to himself.

When he first came to this neighborhood, his dreams were ambitious.

He thought the bakery across the street would be gone within a year. No, he thought he could make it happen.

But as it turned out, that was a big mistake on his part.

Two years later, the store that would disappear wasn’t the bakery across the street, but 마상구 himself.

As 현성 said, if he had observed business ethics from the beginning and hadn’t opened a store right in front of them, he wondered if things would be different now.

오지혜 continued,

“Boss, what am I supposed to do now?”

“오 실장 [Section Chief Oh], how can you say that in front of me? I’ve become completely penniless in the last two years, and now I’m about to be kicked out of this neighborhood.”

“That’s because you chose that from the beginning…”

“What was that?”

마상구 shouted before 오지혜 could finish her sentence. 오지혜, not willing to be outdone, looked at 마상구 and said,

“Boss, why are you yelling at me? Are you taking it out on me now?”

“Shut up and be quiet.”

“Pardon? What did you say?”

“Stop it! I’m already going crazy!”

마상구’s voice became even sharper. But this time, 오지혜 looked at 마상구 defiantly. 마상구 immediately asked her,

“What are you doing now?”

“What do you mean, boss? Why are you yelling at me and saying whatever you want? I’m honestly upset too, but why are you taking it out on me and yelling at me? I’ve been holding back a lot all this time…”

“Hey! 오지혜!”

마상구 shouted ‘Hey’ and called her name before 오지혜 could finish speaking.

오지혜 wasn’t going to stand still.

“Did you just call me ‘Hey’?”

“Yeah, I said ‘Hey.’ So what are you going to do about it?”

“Boss!”

“Don’t shout. Where do you think you’re shouting and making a fuss? Do I look that easy to you?”

“…….”

오지혜 glared at him instead of speaking.

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh!

Something flew towards 오지혜.

Thud!

It was bread that flew towards 오지혜. 마상구 had thrown bread at 오지혜. And it happened to hit her on the head.

“Boss!”

“How dare you glare at me, you bitch! Huh? Do you want to die? I’m already about to be kicked out of this neighborhood penniless, and you, you 거지 같은 년 [you beggar-like bitch], dare to glare at me and make a fuss!”

“Are you done?”

“Yeah, I’m done. What are you going to do about it now?”

“Fine. If you’re going to act like that, I won’t stand still either.”

“Hmph! If you don’t stand still… what are you going to do?”

마상구 looked at 오지혜 with a sneer. 오지혜 immediately continued,

“I’m only working until today. So please deposit my salary and severance pay into my account. And also, please calculate and deposit the extra two hours I worked every Saturday for the past two years. If even a single 원 [Korean currency unit, approximately $0.00076 USD] is wrong, be prepared. I’ll report you to the labor office right away!”

“What? Report?”

“Yes, I’ve been putting up with it without receiving overtime pay because I was considering your situation, but I realized today that there’s no need to do that. Deposit every single 원 [Korean currency unit, approximately $0.00076 USD] for the overtime I worked on Saturdays for the past two years. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.”

오지혜 finished speaking, came out from behind the counter, and walked towards the store door.

마상구, seeing this, shouted,

“Hey, what are you doing now?”

“What do you mean ‘Hey’? I’m thirty-two years old this year. Even if it’s the end, please show at least some respect. Okay? Boss!”

Bang!

오지혜 slammed the store door shut as she left.

“Hey! Hey! 오 실장 [Section Chief Oh]! Hey, 오지혜!”

마상구 shouted, but the closed door did not open again.

***

현성, after finishing his conversation with 마상구, turned his steps towards a place other than the office as he headed back.

The place he arrived at was a flower shop located 10 minutes away from the office.

“Welcome! Boss!”

As he visited occasionally, the flower shop owner greeted 현성 warmly.

“What kind of flowers would you like today?”

“Do you happen to have calla lilies?”

“Yes, they’re over here.”

현성’s gaze naturally turned to where the flower shop owner had indicated.

There, calla lilies were contained in a box.

Calla lilies are a bit more expensive than other flowers. Perhaps that’s why there weren’t many of them.

“Oh? The calla lilies are white today?”

“Yes, I brought them from 양재동 [Yangjae-dong, a district in Seoul known for its flower market] this morning. But they’re more expensive than other flowers, so I couldn’t bring many, just one box.”

현성 looked at the calla lilies for a moment, then pointed to the box with his hand and said,

“Give me all of these.”

“All of them?”

“Yes, it’s too hard to choose because they’re so pretty. I’ll just take the whole box.”

The flower that 윤지수 liked the most was the calla lily. So much so that she even made her wedding bouquet out of calla lilies.

But in his past life, he hadn’t been able to buy her many calla lilies. He couldn’t help it because the flower prices were burdensome.

But now it was different.

He was in a position to buy her as many as she wanted.

“Can you repot these right away?”

“Yes, of course. The empty flowerpots are over here. If you choose one here, I’ll repot them for you right away.”

현성 chose a flowerpot. The one 현성 chose was a round, white flowerpot.

White calla lilies in a white flowerpot, it was fantastic just thinking about it.

A smile automatically appeared on 현성’s face as he thought about how much 윤지수 would like it.

“I’ll pay first. How much is it with the repotting?”

“Hmm, it’s ₩350,000 [approximately $266 USD], but just give me ₩300,000 [approximately $228 USD]. I’ll take off ₩50,000 [approximately $38 USD] since you’re the first customer of the day.”

“That’s not right. You can just take it all.”

“No, it makes us feel good when items are sold all at once like this. It’s okay, just give me ₩300,000 [approximately $228 USD].”

“Hmm, then calculate it as ₩350,000 [approximately $266 USD], but can you make me a rose bouquet instead?”

윤지수 likes calla lilies, but she likes roses just as much. That was the method 현성 chose.

As soon as 현성 finished speaking, the flower shop owner’s face brightened even more. It seemed she was happy because it was like she was selling additional roses.

“Would you like to do that?”

“Yes, please do that. My wife likes calla lilies, but she also really likes roses.”

“Your wife must be happy. Receiving flowers from the morning.”

“Yes, she’ll probably like it a lot. Then I’ll ask you to repot them. I’ll go to the parking lot and bring the car.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

현성 paid and left the flower shop, heading to the video store parking lot.

An hour later.

Five large calla lily flowerpots were loaded into the trunk of 현성’s Jeep, and a rose bouquet was placed on the passenger seat.

현성, who got into the driver’s seat, greeted the flower shop owner.

“Thank you for your hard work, boss.”

“No, I’m the one who’s grateful. The start is good today, so it seems like business will be good.”

“Yes, I hope so. Then next time…”

현성 left the flower shop and headed home. His face was full of smiles.

After a while.

현성, who arrived home, moved the flowerpots to the third floor and finally took the rose bouquet from the passenger seat and went up to the third floor.

Ding-dong!

현성 rang the doorbell. He could have just opened the front door and entered, but he deliberately rang the doorbell. It was to show his wife, 윤지수, the flowers right away.

“Who is it?”

“지수 [Jisu], it’s me.”

“Oh? 현성 [Hyeonseong]?”

윤지수 tilted her head and opened the front door.

That’s when it happened.

“Ta-da!”

현성 spread his arms wide. In front of him was a large calla lily flowerpot.

“Oh? 현성 [Hyeonseong], what is all this?”

“It’s a gift. It’s the calla lilies you like.”

“Oh my! They’re white calla lilies. These are very rare… They’re so pretty!”

윤지수 stroked the calla lily flowerpot and smiled brightly.

“Ta-da!”

현성 then held out the hidden rose bouquet in front of her.

“Oh my! Even roses!”

윤지수’s face was full of smiles as she received the rose bouquet. She ran towards 현성.

Hug!

“현성 [Hyeonseong]! Thank you. I didn’t expect it at all…”

“What were you doing?”

“I was cleaning.”

“I could have cleaned when I got off work…”

“No, the doctor said it’s good to move moderately even in the hospital. As long as I don’t overdo it. By the way, what’s going on?”

윤지수 moved away from 현성’s embrace and said.

“I’m sorry. I know you like flowers, but I’ve been too neglectful lately, haven’t I? With the excuse of being busy.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not an excuse, you’re actually busy. You said you were meeting with the builders today, right?”

“That’s true, but still, I’ve been too negligent lately. From now on, I’ll be a little more…”

현성 couldn’t say any more. It was because her lips had covered his lips.

“Don’t say such things.”

윤지수 continued, parting her lips.

“Who in the world is as good as 현성 [Hyeonseong]? I don’t even know how happy I am right now. Sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming. So don’t ever think like that. Okay?”

“Yes, I understand. Thank you for always understanding my shortcomings.”

“If we’re talking about being grateful, I’m much more grateful. I must have saved the country in my past life. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be this happy. Oh right, you’re late for work, right? Go quickly.”

“Just a moment.”

현성 began to move the flowerpots to the living room.

After a while.

“Then I’m really going to work now.”

“Yes, go ahead. And thank you so much for the flowers. I feel full just looking at the flowers today. Okay, go quickly. You’re late.”

“튼튼아 [Tuentuen-ah, a baby talk way of saying strong], Dad’s really going to work this time. Be good with Mom.”

“Yes~ Daddy~ Have a good day at work today~ Daddy, I love you~~!”

윤지수 imitated a baby and smiled brightly. 현성 hugged her once more and then left the house for the office. His face was full of a happy smile.