Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 90

Lee Soo-hyuk’s “get-well” party was a resounding success.

It was more like a feast than a simple celebration.

By the end, there wasn’t enough food to go around, which says it all.

The ending was particularly memorable.

Especially Lee Soo-hyuk’s closing remarks were the highlight of the event.

– I won’t live like a fool anymore.

He apologized for his past behavior and emphasized that while academics were important, he would also make an effort to connect with his classmates. He also acknowledged that it wouldn’t be easy at first, but he was committed to working hard. True to his intelligent nature, he spoke clearly and concisely.

Everyone applauded Lee Soo-hyuk’s heartfelt words.

Later, Hyun-sung arrived home on his bicycle.

As soon as he entered the yard, he was surprised.

Someone he never expected to see at his house was waiting for him.

“Oppa!”

It was Seo In-hye.

Standing next to her, his sister Kim Ji-yeon greeted Hyun-sung with a wide grin.

“Oppa, you’re home early.”

“Kim Ji-yeon, is this why you told me to come home early this morning?”

“Hehe, what else could I do? In-hye insisted on coming to our house…”

Hyun-sung chuckled.

Seo In-hye was so determined that she came directly to his classroom after being told not to wait at the gate. There was no point in trying to dissuade her; she wouldn’t listen.

Some people are like rebellious teenagers.

They ignore their mothers’ advice while they are alive, and only after their death do they realize their mother’s deep intentions and regret not following her wishes.

The best approach with these kinds of people is to let them be. They tend to do the opposite of what they are told.

“Welcome!”

This was the method Hyun-sung chose.

He decided that agreeing with her was the wiser course of action.

“Oppa, really?”

Seo In-hye was overjoyed.

She spread her arms wide and celebrated as if she could fly.

Then, his sister Kim Ji-yeon looked at Hyun-sung with a curious expression and said,

“What’s gotten into you, Oppa?”

“What do you mean? A friend is visiting her friend’s house; there’s nothing strange about that.”

“Do you really think that’s all there is to it?”

Hyun-sung nodded slightly, as if it were obvious.

Then, Kim Ji-yeon smirked. But the corner of her mouth twitched in a peculiar way.

Hyun-sung wondered what that meant.

“What? What’s with that smile?”

“Oppa, you don’t actually think In-hye came to our house because of me, do you?”

“If not… is there another reason?”

How many years has he lived? Of course, he knows the real reason. But sometimes pretense is necessary, so Hyun-sung had no choice but to play dumb and ask.

Then, Kim Ji-yeon said teasingly.

“Oppa, are you clueless? In-hye really… uh- um.”

Kim Ji-yeon couldn’t finish her sentence because Seo In-hye, who was standing next to her, covered her mouth.

“Why are you saying such things? I came because of you. Why would I come all the way here because of Oppa? Why are you so dense?”

“What did you say? Look at this girl.”

As always, his sister Kim Ji-yeon cursed very naturally.

At that moment.

Grumble!

Hyun-sung looked at Seo In-hye.

“What? Haven’t you had lunch yet?”

Then, his sister Kim Ji-yeon said, looking at Hyun-sung.

“Actually, I’ve been hungry since earlier, but I held it in.”

“Why? Is there no food?”

“It’s not that. I wanted to eat the *bibim-guksu* [spicy mixed noodles] that Oppa makes… I bragged to In-hye about how good Oppa’s cooking is.”

As Kim Ji-yeon finished speaking, Seo In-hye nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s right, Oppa. You make amazing *bibim-guksu*, right? Will you make it for us?”

“So you’ve been waiting until now?”

“Yes!”

Her eyes were sparkling.

Hyun-sung was speechless at the sight of Seo In-hye looking at him with such anticipation.

Sigh.

Looking at the clock, it was just past 2:30 PM.

Thud.

Hyun-sung roughly put his bag down on the floor and headed straight to the kitchen.

Although things seemed to be developing in an unexpected way, he didn’t have time to think about anything other than his hungry sisters.

Hyun-sung entered the kitchen and started boiling water in a pot.

He was going to boil the *somyeon* noodles [thin wheat noodles].

Then, he took out a *dongchimi* radish [radish kimchi in watery brine] from the refrigerator. It was a radish that his mother had soaked in water a few days ago to reduce its spiciness.

Crunch.

He cut off only 1/3 of it and put the rest back into the container in the refrigerator. The remaining part could be thinly sliced and seasoned with chili powder later.

*Dongchimi* has a great texture, so the crunchy taste is excellent. Especially when you add the unique, deep flavor of *dongchimi*, it’s the best when you eat it with rice in water.

Chop chop chop.

Hyun-sung thinly sliced the radish and then shredded it. Then, he squeezed out the water with all his might.

Crunch crunch.

He put a piece of radish in his mouth and chewed it, and the texture was indeed the best. Moreover, because the moisture was removed, the chewy texture that you can’t find in regular radish was so excellent that it was no exaggeration to call it art.

The water in the pot started to boil.

It’s okay to add a little salt when boiling *somyeon* noodles. This helps prevent the noodles from sticking together.

He added plenty of noodles.

He figured that both of them would be very hungry since it was already late.

He stirred it a few times with a large ladle, and it bubbled up. If left like this, it will boil over.

Whoosh.

Hyun-sung sprinkled some cold water from the bowl. Then the bubbles immediately subsided. After doing this once more, turn off the heat when it boils for the third time. This is a common technique to achieve perfectly cooked noodles.

“What!”

Seo In-hye, who had been watching Hyun-sung shred the radish and boil the noodles in the kitchen, involuntarily exclaimed.

Then, Kim Ji-yeon next to her smiled and said.

“What did I tell you? I told you my oppa is really good.”

“Daebak [amazing/incredible]!”

To be honest, Seo In-hye was skeptical at first.

Kim Ji-yeon bragged so much that she watched carefully with a hopeful heart. But the answer was already clear from the sound of the knife cutting the radish.

It was the same when boiling the noodles. Seo In-hye was speechless at the sight of him being so natural, as if it were his daily routine.

Seo In-hye looked at Kim Ji-yeon and widened her eyes.

She was silently asking what was going on.

Then, Kim Ji-yeon just shook her head slowly from side to side, as if she had nothing else to say.

After a while.

“Guys!”

Hyun-sung came out with the noodles on a tray.

Then, Seo In-hye called Hyun-sung with surprised eyes.

“Oppa–ah!”

“I told you not to call me that, didn’t I?”

“That’s not important. What’s going on?”

Seo In-hye couldn’t understand, no matter how much she thought about it.

At first, he surprised her with his knife skills, and then she couldn’t help but be surprised when she saw him making the sauce. He made the sauce without any hesitation, just by using his hands, and the sight was so natural.

At that time, Kim Ji-yeon said.

“Hey, Seo In-hye, snap out of it and eat.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

Seo In-hye, who had barely come to her senses, took a strand of noodles to her mouth.

Slurp!

Chew chew.

It was the moment Seo In-hye’s eyes widened.

“Oppa——ah!”

“Is it that good?”

“This doesn’t make sense. How can this kind of taste come from Oppa’s hands?”

“Is it that delicious?”

“Yes! But no matter how much I think about it, this doesn’t make sense…”

Seo In-hye shook her head.

To be honest, she was surprised by the way he cooked. But she really didn’t expect the taste to be so perfect.

It was spicy yet sweet in the aftertaste.

Not only that.

The moderate sourness spreading in her mouth was definitely enhancing the flavor of the spicy and sweet tastes.

And finally, the savory taste of perilla oil.

It was definitely the best *bibim-guksu* she had ever eaten.

At that time, his sister Kim Ji-yeon, who was next to her, also praised him.

“Oppa, this is even more delicious than the last one.”

“Really? I thought there was a little too much vinegar in the last one, so I reduced the amount this time. I’m glad it’s delicious. Eat a lot.”

“Aren’t you eating, Oppa?”

“I ate so much at the Chinese restaurant earlier. We had a party in our class today.”

At the word “party,” his sister Kim Ji-yeon tilted her head.

“The whole class?”

“Yeah, a friend who was hospitalized a few days ago was discharged yesterday. So his father…”

“Everyone must have eaten a lot. Oh, that thing this morning… no, it’s nothing.”

Kim Ji-yeon stopped talking as if she was about to say something.

If he hadn’t heard it from the beginning, he wouldn’t have known, but since she stopped talking in the middle, Hyun-sung was naturally curious about what she was going to say.

“What is it? Why are you stopping in the middle? You’re making me curious.”

“It’s nothing…”

Hehe.

When Kim Ji-yeon couldn’t speak properly, Seo In-hye next to her burst into laughter.

Then, she looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“Because of Bear Oppa…”

“What?”

“Why, the big oppa who was standing behind you at the school gate this morning. The one I called Bear Oppa…”

“Are you perhaps talking about Il-soo?”

“Is that oppa’s name Il-soo?”

“Yeah, Kim Il-soo. But why Il-soo?”

It was then.

His sister Kim Ji-yeon’s appearance caught Hyun-sung’s eye.

“Why are you suddenly like that?”

“Like what?”

Kim Ji-yeon turned her head away as if nothing was wrong, but Hyun-sung wasn’t someone who wouldn’t notice that.

“Don’t tell me…”

“What do you mean, don’t tell me? I’m just saying.”

“Your type was a bear?”

“What bear… I just think petite is cute.”

“Heol [expression of disbelief or shock]… petite is cute? Il-soo?”

Hyun-sung was speechless.

Is this why people say everyone has different tastes? Even if he conceded to “petite” a hundred times, he couldn’t possibly call him cute…

It was then.

Hehe.

Seo In-hye, who was eating noodles, burst into laughter once more.

Looking at Seo In-hye, Hyun-sung asked.

“Do you think Il-soo is cute too?”

“Oppa!”

“Why, why are you shouting?”

“Don’t look down on people. My eyes are wide open.”