Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 738

“Driver Kim, stop the car!”

Chairman Shin Min-ki shouted urgently. He had seen someone running towards them from ahead.

The distance was about 50 or 60 meters.

He immediately recognized who it was.

Father!

The person running towards him was his father.

“Father…”

Chairman Shin Min-ki got out of the car and called out to his father, but the sound didn’t quite make it out of his mouth.

It was then.

He saw his father, who had been running towards him, suddenly lose his balance and stagger.

“Father!”

Chairman Shin Min-ki shouted without realizing it and ran forward.

30 meters, 20 meters, 10 meters…

As the distance between him and his father closed, his heart began to beat faster and faster.

And finally, the two met.

“Father!”

“Min-ki!”

Neither was first. Shin Min-ki called out to his father, and Shin Chun-o called out to his son.

The two of them held hands.

“What’s going on?”

Chairman Shin Chun-o asked first.

It would be natural to ask about his son’s well-being first. But Shin Chun-o couldn’t do that. He thought that something must have happened for his son to come.

He couldn’t imagine him appearing like this otherwise.

“I just came.”

“Just?”

Shin Chun-o stared at his son’s face as if he couldn’t believe it. Then he asked again immediately.

“Really, nothing’s wrong?”

“Yes, Father. Nothing’s wrong. I just missed you and came to see you.”

“…”

Shin Chun-o couldn’t say anything. He was choked up by the single phrase that he had come just because he missed him.

“You rascal…”

“Father, I’m too late, aren’t I? I’m sorry. I should have come sooner, but I was too late.”

“No, it’s okay. Even like this…sniff.”

Shin Chun-o couldn’t finish his sentence and ended up shedding tears. Shin Min-ki, looking at his father, also shed tears without realizing it.

The two filled the long void with tears.

“Have you eaten?”

His father, Shin Chun-o, broke the silence first.

“Not yet. Do you have any food?”

Shin Min-ki asked with a slight smile. Until he saw his father, he had many thoughts, but as soon as he met his father, all the distracting thoughts disappeared like snow melting.

“Let’s go inside.”

“Yes, Father.”

After answering, Shin Min-ki bowed his head towards Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young, who was standing behind him.

“Chief Secretary, how have you been?”

“Yes… Anyway, welcome.”

Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young nodded several times and smiled.

It was then.

An unbelievable scene came into Shin Min-ki’s eyes.

It was his father’s feet.

“Father, blood!”

Shin Chun-o was barefoot. There was a little blood on the soles of his feet. In the end, he had run barefoot.

“Oh? Oh dear, I was so hasty that I…”

Only then did Shin Chun-o realize that he was barefoot. He hadn’t even felt the pain when he was running.

“Father, get on my back.”

Shin Min-ki offered his back to Shin Chun-o. Then Secretary Yoon Seung-hyun ran over immediately.

“Chairman, I will carry the Great Chairman [referring to Shin Chun-o].”

“No, it’s okay.”

Despite Secretary Yoon Seung-hyun’s dissuasion, Shin Min-ki offered his back to Shin Chun-o again. Then Shin Chun-o patted Shin Min-ki’s back as if he couldn’t win and said.

“Can you carry me?”

“Of course, I’m still young, even if I look like this.”

“I’m quite heavy, you know?”

“Don’t worry, just get on.”

Shin Chun-o smiled as if he understood and got on Shin Min-ki’s back.

It was the first time. Being carried on his son’s back.

Perhaps that’s why.

His son’s back was unfamiliar, but on the other hand, he felt a strangely exciting feeling.

“Heave-ho!”

Shin Min-ki picked up Shin Chun-o with a powerful shout.

At that moment.

‘What?’

Shin Min-ki was surprised. The reason was that his father’s weight felt lighter than he had expected.

He always thought his father would be eternal. But his father was not the same as he had seen him 5 years ago.

But he couldn’t show it.

Shin Min-ki said loudly on purpose.

“Father, you’re still strong.”

“Of course, I am.”

“Okay, hold on tight. Here we go!”

Shin Min-ki started walking towards the house with his father on his back.

***

Shin Chun-o and Shin Min-ki sat in the living room after dinner.

Teacups were placed in front of them.

There was no one else in the house except the two of them. The others had left to give them space.

Slurp.

Shin Min-ki took a sip of tea and opened his mouth first.

“Are you not feeling well anywhere?”

“Yes, I’m fine. By the way, is there really nothing wrong?”

From Shin Chun-o’s point of view, he still seemed uneasy about Shin Min-ki’s sudden visit.

Perhaps that was a natural reaction.

He hadn’t visited for 5 years and then suddenly came like this.

“Why? Are you still uneasy about me visiting?”

“No, it’s not that I’m uneasy, but I’m worried if something happened.”

“Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong.”

“Hmm… okay.”

Shin Chun-o nodded as if he understood. But his expression was still somewhat uneasy, as if he couldn’t believe it.

Shin Min-ki looked at him and seemed to think for a moment, then called out to Shin Chun-o as if he couldn’t help it.

“Father.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be honest with you. Actually, I’m on my way back from meeting President Kim Hyun-sung in Incheon.”

“President Kim?”

“Yes, actually, President Kim and…”

Shin Min-ki explained about his meeting with Hyun-sung. Of course, he explained everything, even that he had told him to visit his father.

If he didn’t, he thought his father would continue to treat him with an uneasy heart.

When Shin Min-ki’s explanation was over, Shin Chun-o smiled and said.

“Hehe, so that’s what happened. I knew it…”

“Is that okay now?”

“Yes, if that’s the case, I understand a little better now. By the way, why did you suddenly meet President Kim?”

Shin Chun-o’s expression had definitely returned to a more comfortable one than before. From that alone, you could see how much he trusted Hyun-sung.

“It’s because of you, Father.”

Shin Min-ki said honestly. Now that it had come to this, he thought there was no reason to hide it.

“Me? Why me?”

“You received treatment from President Kim before, didn’t you?”

“Treatment?”

Shin Chun-o flinched at the word ‘treatment’.

Of course, he had received treatment from Hyun-sung a long time ago. It was already 10 years ago. But he had never told anyone in his family about the fact that he had received treatment at that time.

“How did you know that?”

“Why didn’t you tell me at least, even if you didn’t tell anyone else?”

“Um…”

Shin Chun-o didn’t have anything special to say. The reason why he didn’t tell anyone in his family at that time was because he didn’t want to worry them.

“Father, I’m not here to argue about that now. Of course, it’s not something to argue about. I’m just…”

Shin Min-ki paused for a moment and then continued.

“I’m sorry and upset. It’s not just anything, but my father had cancer, and none of the family knew about it.”

Shin Min-ki’s words continued immediately.

“Does that make sense? Of course, my father may not have told us because he was worried about his family, but whatever the reason, as a son, I only found out about that fact today, so my feelings are…”

Shin Min-ki couldn’t finish his sentence.

To be honest, he was so upset when he first found out about that fact.

It was his father, no one else.

His father had liver cancer, but he, the eldest son, didn’t know anything about it?

Did that make sense?

But that was what had happened to him.

He only found out about that fact after 10 years.

At first, he was angry. But as time went by, the feeling he felt was guilt.

The feeling of how inadequate he was as a son that his father had done that.

“Father, I was very inadequate.”

“That’s not true. Why do you think that?”

“At first, I was upset and even angry, but as I thought about it on the way down here, I realized that it was all because of my inadequacy.”

Shin Min-ki looked at his father, Shin Chun-o, and then continued.

“I’m sorry, Father.”

“Min-ki!”

Then Shin Chun-o quietly called his son’s name.

“Yes, Father.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why, Father? You didn’t do anything wrong. Back then, I was keeping my distance from you. I shouldn’t have done that…”

Shin Min-ki clenched his head with his fist as if he was blaming himself. Shin Chun-o shook his head as he watched him.

“No. It’s not your fault. When I think about it, I think I made a mistake back then. I didn’t want to worry you in my own way, but I didn’t know it would make you so upset.”

“No. Back then, I…”

“Min-ki!”

Shin Chun-o suddenly grabbed Shin Min-ki’s hand. Then he continued immediately.

“That’s enough.”

“Yes?”

“It’s enough now. Maybe this is not one person’s fault. So let’s stop talking about that and only talk about the future. After all, the important thing is the days ahead.”

“Ah, yes…”

Shin Min-ki nodded slowly.

That would be what his father said. After all, the important thing would be the future.

“Yes, Father, I understand. But I want to make one thing clear.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“What is clear is that my fault was great. Even if we are father and son, we must clearly point out the fault. I was wrong. Father!”

Shin Min-ki bowed his head to Shin Chun-o. Then Shin Chun-o also nodded slightly as if he couldn’t help it.

It was the moment when the two reconciled.

After a while.

Shin Min-ki opened his mouth again.

“And one more thing.”

“Yes? What else is left?”

“I’m sorry for coming too late. I should have come sooner…”

“…”

Tap tap.

Shin Chun-o quietly patted Shin Min-ki’s shoulder as a substitute for an answer. His eyes felt endlessly deep.

Just then, Secretary Yoon Seung-hyun came in as the front door opened. Then Shin Chun-o looked at the clock on the wall.

It was just past 9 o’clock.

Shin Chun-o said.

“It’s already this time.”

“That’s right.”

“You have to go back to Seoul now…?”

Shin Chun-o’s voice was weak. Shin Min-ki looked at him and hesitated for a moment, then got up from his seat and walked to Secretary Yoon Seung-hyun.

“What’s the schedule for tomorrow?”

“You have a round with Chairman Min in the morning.”

“Hmm…”

“I’m sorry, but it’s an important meeting, Chairman.”

“…”

Shin Min-ki still didn’t answer.

After a while.

Shin Min-ki nodded as if he had made up his mind and said immediately.

“Cancel it.”

“Yes? Chairman…?”

Secretary Yoon Seung-hyun could only look at Chairman Shin Min-ki without saying anything. Then Chairman Shin Min-ki’s words continued immediately.

“What do you think is more important, Secretary Yoon? My father or work?”