A Chairman Who Has No Regrets - Chapter 137



Only Krnovel

Episode 137 – Do as you wish – (5)

The next day.

After school, I separated from the Sanggye-dong guys. Normally, they would have been right next to me and chattering away, but today was the day I headed to Kang Noya’s real estate for the first time in a long while.

Daughter.

When I opened the door and went in, I saw architects Kang No-ya and Kim Up-joong drinking tea and chatting.

“Are you here?”

“You’re here.”

A strange greeting.

Polite greetings.

He naturally raised the corners of his lips and nodded at the unique greeting, greeted him with respect, and sat down on the sofa.

“coffee?”

“Yes, that’s good.”

Kang Noya quickly reached out and poured hot water from a thermos and made coffee.

Meanwhile, as I was looking at architect Kim Up-joong, his complexion definitely seemed to have become more sallow. It was a complexion that seemed to prove that he really didn’t have much time left.

“You said you wanted to remodel it?”

“yes.”

“this…”

Architect Kim Up-joong, who was silent for a moment as if recalling something, nodded and took out a map of Hodori Village from the urban development plan and took a picture of Seoja’s grandmother’s house.

“This must be the center of town.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Those people, I guess.”

Since the documentary is so famous, it seems that architect Kim Up-joong also watched it. And he must have seen the faces of several people, including Park Jeong-yong, who appeared on the show.

I nodded my head obediently.

“Tsk tsk, how foolish of you… Opportunity is always right around the corner.”

I wholeheartedly agreed and pointed to a few houses on the map.

“This is a supermarket, this is a snack shop, this is a stationery and toys shop, this is a tea house, and this is also a snack shop. It would be good to do it like this.”

“Several small houses are combined into one.”

“It seems like we need to accommodate a lot of people, so we also need to think about kitchen facilities.”

Architect Kim Up-joong nods his head.

“The view from Bul-am Mountain is important, but the appearance seen from up close is also important.”

“yes.”

“How long will you need it?”

“Teacher, do whatever you want. There is no rush.”

He said with a bitter smile.

“I am in a hurry, so I will hurry.”

Rather than saying that there was something urgent, it was closer to a look of humility in accepting one’s situation where one did not have much time left to live.

“Yes, I’m sorry for bothering you when you should be resting.”

He shakes his head.

“Thanks to you, I am getting a generous prescription for painkillers, good quality ones.”

How much money did I give him? It was nothing compared to the compensation for his efforts on my behalf and the profits he would make from urban development projects.

“Aren’t you curious about my work?”

Perhaps noticing the awkward atmosphere between me and architect Kim Up-joong, Kang No-ya suddenly asked a question.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“what?”

“no?”

“Why is this guy always so different when he talks to me and Kim Ga-rang?”

“It’s because of my mood, it’s because of my mood.”

“I don’t think so?”

“That’s right. It’s my imagination.”

Thanks to Kang Noya, the somewhat heavy atmosphere became lighter.

“That bastard Park Jeong-yong definitely put the house up for sale, he’s causing a ruckus and making it hard for those women to live.”

“Is that so?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you might just take off your shirt and show off like you did to me soon.”

Architect Kim Up-joong, who had been standing still, tilts his head.

“What are you talking about? Take off your tops? Didn’t I say you’re ladies?”

Kang Noya answered, shaking his head.

“Don’t talk nonsense. I really don’t know how men are, but women push their breasts and threaten me—oh, well! I told you I couldn’t move. That was the first time in my life that I’ve ever been threatened like that.”

“Haha, is that really so?”

“I told you so? That’s something I’ve never seen before, even in wartime. Anyway, these days… What will the world become? The end of the world, the end of the world-”

Architect Kim Up-joong took a few sips of tea, seemingly lost in thought for a moment, then asked seriously.

“Ahem, where is that?”

“Pfft.”

I spilled my coffee because I was careless.

“Ahem, don’t get me wrong, I’m just curious about the awakened minds of women with my new way of thinking. Isn’t Korea still a place where Confucianism is dominant?”

Even the teacher who said that was steeped in Confucianism, I wanted to say that, but I held back.

In fact, it would be more accurate to say that I held back my laughter because I thought I would burst out laughing if I opened my mouth.

“Expect, I’m leaving soon anyway, so why don’t you come with me?”

“Huh- That would be good. Then instead of doing this, why don’t you stop by Hodori Village first and then move on?”

“Okay, let’s go and have dinner.”

“Okay.”

Kang Noya got up and said as he prepared to go out.

“If Park Jeong-yong puts the item up for sale at the price you want, contact me again.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Thanks to these two people who were busy moving around, I also got to go out.

As Hodori came out of the village and architects Kang No-ya and Kim Up-joong entered, people who knew us held their breath, and the visitors who didn’t know the two of us but only me looked at me and whispered.

“Television is scary, really.”

I nodded slightly at architect Kim Up-joong’s words, and when I arrived at the center of the village, I pointed to each house and continued my explanation.

“I hope there’s a stall that’s visible from this side, and a glass one wouldn’t be bad either…”

While I’m explaining, people who have to vacate the house by tomorrow glance away from me to check my reaction.

I don’t know if those people will leave by tomorrow. What should I do if they don’t leave? For a moment, such a thought crosses my mind.

“Hmm. Then, would it be right to stop the construction over there for a while and start over here?”

The word construction made the woman who had to leave Hodori Village the next day tremble.

“Oh, construction?”

I said dryly.

“We will build a new one here.”

“ah…”

The woman, who had lowered her head as if hearing a thud, entered the house feebly. Her arms also fell limply, and something she was holding in her hand fell off and rolled towards me.

potato.

It was a potato that had fallen on the ground that had melted in the spring breeze, so it was sunken and had a split side.

“Tsk tsk.”

Kang Noya clicked his tongue, picked up a potato, and handed it to me.

“It looks like you are the owner after all.”

He nodded quietly.

I also have a knack for it, so I could roughly guess. If you really thought that this one potato would do the trick, I wanted to tell you that you were mistaken.

“You made a scene and got a potato? That’s not funny. If it had been legally disadvantageous to you, if you couldn’t afford a lawyer, if you weren’t smart, you would have been hit.”

I know.

Because capitalism is always merciless.

John, the strong one in the law of the jungle.

It was a law that the weak should never go near the strong. If one were to desire to step into the strong’s territory, it was a place where one had to be prepared to give up everything one had.

Get it all or nothing.

The world I lived in was like that.

“Even old-fashioned feelings only last for a day or two.”

Kang Noya clicks his tongue and when I don’t accept the potatoes, he roughly shakes off the dirt and peels them, eating them with relish.

“It tastes good.”

Pick smiled and said to architect Kim Up-joong.

“I think I told you everything you wanted to know. If you have something to do, hurry up. It’s already past 4 o’clock.”

After architect Kim Up-joong and Kang No-ya left, I too left the quiet Hodori village and walked towards my spacious nest.

As you leave the village, you will see sunflower fields that are still like a wasteland, but upon closer inspection, you can smell the green scent of spring.

“Here too!”

“Hey! Here too!”

And up there, the future of the village, including Chang-Hyeon, were happily running around. I could see the innocence of the children, which made me laugh without realizing it.

I checked to see if the guys were walking along the furrows properly, and their footprints were only in the furrows. Chang-Hyeon, you didn’t ignore the story about relativity that Seong-Je was talking about that day.

“You’re number one hyung!”

The meerkat-like Chang-Hyeon was the first to notice me and waved his hand with a bright smile, his face covered in dust.

Dododo dododo.

Children are running from here and there.

“Fall down! Slow down!”

Chang-Hyeon, who had been quite far away, overtook the other kids and ran towards me first to hug me.

“no!”

Mikyung stops that again.

“Oppa, you’re getting dirty!”

“huh?”

Only then does Chang-Hyeon look at himself and scratch the back of his head.

I smiled and approached Chang-Hyeon as if it was nothing, pulled him close to me, and patted his back. Chang-Hyeon’s dirt-covered bracken hand wrapped around my thigh.

“Are you helping with the field, oppa?”

To my question, the older girl, Mi-kyung, smiled bashfully and nodded.

“My siblings were excited because sunflowers appeared here!”

“Really? Mikyung, Miyoung, and Changhyun will work hard in the fields so they’ll look prettier, right?”

“yes-!”

I didn’t really have anything to do today, so I was going to rest at home, but seeing these guys made me realize that I couldn’t do it. I think I should roll up my sleeves and go work in the fields.

I need someone to do this kind of work. I need to hire someone soon, but my cash flow isn’t perfect yet. I think I need to finish the cash window quickly. In order to do that, I need to generate more revenue from Hodori Village.

Swish swish.

While stroking Mikyung and Miyoung’s heads.

A man approaches cautiously and unfolds an old sack.

“huh?”

“I’ve done this much…”

The basket held out by a girl smaller than Chang-Hyeon was half-full of weeds.

“Are there that many weeds in this field?”

I’m surprised there are still this many weeds even though I spent half a day pulling them out with the Sanggye-dong guys yesterday.

“I’ve been doing this since morning.”

“From the morning?”

I reached out with startled eyes to check the boy’s hand, because he wasn’t holding even one common farm tool.

As expected, a red light is briefly visible between the guy’s fingernails.

“oh my…”

Although it is spring, it is still frosty day and night, so it is natural to dig the frozen ground with your bare hands.

“You don’t have to go this far…”

Hoo, hoo.

I blew on the child’s hand.

Because this is all I can do for you right now.

The child glances around.

Looks like you have something to say.

“What is the baby’s name?”

“It’s Hee-sook. Kim Hee-sook.”

“Hee-sook, your hands must have hurt a lot, right?”

The child bit his lower lip, shed tears, and shook his head vigorously.

“No! I’m not sick at all! I’m good at my job! I can fill this place up today!”

I smiled softly and shook my head.

“No- you don’t have to do that, just take it slow.”

“No! You have to do it!”

Hee-sook speaks with tears streaming down her face and a scream in her voice.

I find myself tilting my head.

“why?”

In response to my question, the child held back his tears and took a deep breath as he answered with difficulty.

“They said I can’t live here starting tomorrow. My brother bought me jajangmyeon, baked potatoes, roasted corn, and made sure I had a warm place to sleep… Originally, I was going to marry you when I grew up, but they said I can’t do that anymore… Since today is the only day, I’ll help you until today.”

What does this mean?

Why only today?

ah.

I realized.

The guy’s parents.

That he was the one who coveted what was mine along with Park Jeong-yong.