Today was the first day of construction for the resort project. The convoy of excavators that appeared in groups felt like tanks bravely heading to a battlefield.

Manpower poured in from all over the country for the large-scale construction. Despite Manager Moon Ok Rye’s interference, temporary restaurants in containers sprang up like bamboo shoots on the day.

From merchants selling slushie-style makgeolli in disposable coffee cups, to laundry vendors claiming to wash even worn underwear so clean it would melt.

The residents welcomed it most of all when commerce entered the usually quiet and calm open fields, and the workers who mainly used cash started opening their wallets.

Stores that barely opened once or twice a week all opened their doors and waited for the workers after a fresh makeover.

Domyeong Supermarket, Domyeong Barbershop, Domyeong Clinic, Domyeong Rice Soup. The signs were a festival of Domyeong everywhere.

“The young master of Domyeong has returned.”

People greatly welcomed Sung Hun’s visit. They welcomed him as if greeting a sports hero who had returned after raising the nation’s prestige. They seemed to believe without doubt that the precious young master would make their hometown an even more prosperous city.

Like all the masters of Domyeong had done, you too will make us prosperous. People implicitly believed and were convinced.

They hoped Sung Hun would carry on the noble spirit of Domyeong that had continued for generations. They sincerely wished for the eldest son’s eldest son, and that eldest son’s eldest son to continue upholding the will of the great family.

It was a tiresome situation in many ways. For Sung Hun, who was not prepared to dedicate himself to Moksan County.

Sung Hun returned to Domyeong earlier than planned. Though the whole of Moksan County seemed bustling, he knew it would soon quiet down, and until then he planned to minimize external schedules.

Sung Hun got out of the vehicle that had driven him to the entrance leading to the main building. He entered, quietly walking while holding a briefcase.

Watching his gait without a single misstep, one could inexplicably sense that he was an influential person with tremendous social power, even without knowing why.

Tap tap tap, Sung Hun’s clear footsteps crossed the yard and suddenly stopped. He had inadvertently spotted a woman between the buildings.

Sung Hun stood still for a moment, looking at Yeon Woo. The woman’s expression, tinged with orange sunset light, was quite bright. He gazed quietly, then glanced behind him, wondering what she was looking at with such a contemplative expression.

Seeing only the unremarkable Yeosong Mountain standing there, Sung Hun looked back at the woman. He turned around again following her gaze, but still couldn’t make sense of it.

It was a six-story building, and the woman was on the fifth floor. Sung Hun counted the floors from the first, raising his gaze one by one, then stared intently at the woman’s face again.

The woman’s hair fluttered in the gentle spring breeze. Her expression, which had seemed dry and cracked before, now held a smile as soft as newly sprouted cotton.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Sung Hun stood still, looking up at the woman, and their eyes met.

The woman hurriedly hid herself and disappeared, as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have. Her flustered state was evident in the moment before she vanished.

Sung Hun lowered his head slowly and smirked. He fiddled with his chin as if organizing his thoughts, then raised his head again to look up at the woman’s quarters.

As he stood there gazing, a fragrant flower scent that couldn’t be imitated by any urban perfume wafted to his nostrils. It was the scent of magnolia that the mother of his youth had liked.

At that moment, the woman who had hastily hidden herself peeked her head out and looked out the window. Sung Hun, whose eyes unexpectedly met hers again, slowly closed and opened his eyelids.

Seemingly embarrassed at having hidden as if she’d seen something unsightly, the woman bowed her head and greeted him. She had clearly recalled the rule to politely greet any member of Domyeong, regardless of when, where, or what they were doing.

As the woman greeted him through the small window, Sung Hun, standing straight, lowered his neck in response.

Then he turned away nonchalantly. Upon reaching the main building, several employees including Manager Moon greeted Sung Hun, and without much conversation, he entered Unseon Hall, the guest room where he was staying.

*

“What are you doing not coming down when the Executive Director has arrived? Do you want to eat cold rice on your first day?”

Having spotted Sung Hun standing below the window and feeling something odd, Yeon Woo had slipped down to the main building only to be scolded by Manager Moon Ok Rye.

Flustered, Yeon Woo unconsciously clasped her hands in front.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he had arrived.”

“You didn’t know? How could you not know. Didn’t you receive the walkie-talkie?”

“No. Not yet.”

As Yeon Woo answered, Manager Moon exhaled deeply. Unable to watch anymore, Ja Young stepped in to defend Yeon Woo.

“Manager. Yeon Woo hasn’t even received her uniform yet, how could she have gotten a walkie-talkie? It’s going to be hectic today, so starting work tomorrow…”

“What do you mean tomorrow? Salary starts today, so why would work start tomorrow? Don’t talk such nonsense.”

As Manager Moon cut her off, Ja Young quietly retreated to her place. Manager Moon raised her chin towards Yeon Woo, who was standing still.

“The Executive Director just went into Unseon Hall, so go sweep the yard first. Sprinkle some water. The doors have been closed all day because of the pollen, so do some ventilation too. It might be stuffy.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“What’s your phone number? Write it down before you go.”

“Phone number? I don’t have a cell phone.”

When she said she didn’t have a cell phone, Manager Moon’s expression immediately twisted. It was a look of disbelief that such a person could exist.

“You don’t have one? You don’t have a cell phone?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Since when?”

“Since today. I got rid of it because I thought I wouldn’t need it.”

Manager Moon just blinked her eyes open and closed at Yeon Woo’s reply. She had planned to call her cell phone if there was an urgent matter since she didn’t have a walkie-talkie.

But she doesn’t have a cell phone. A Korean in their twenties got rid of their cell phone.

“Listen, don’t misunderstand. I’m asking because it’s really strange.”

Manager Moon said, rubbing her hands on her apron.

“Are you perhaps being sought by the government?”

“By the government? Why would they?”

“Why? Because you either did something the country told you not to do, or didn’t do something they told you to do. There must be some reason they’re looking for you.”

“There’s nothing like that.”

“There isn’t? Really truly isn’t? You’re not lying?”

As Manager Moon pressed with eyes full of disbelief, Yeon Woo shook her head vigorously as if to prove her innocence. Strangely, her heart pounded heavily despite having done nothing wrong.

“It’s true. It’s not anything like that.”

“If it’s not that, then what’s the rest of the story?”

“I’ll be getting a walkie-talkie. If I have a cell phone, I’ll inevitably look at the outside world, then I’ll want to leave, so I thought it would be better not to have one at all.”

“…”

“If I’m going to work, I want to do it properly and well.”

As Yeon Woo concluded resolutely, Manager Moon looked her up and down.

“Manager! Could you come here for a moment?”

As an employee called from inside, Manager Moon glanced back briefly, then turned her gaze to Yeon Woo.

“Go to the management office behind the main building. There’s someone called Manager Hwang. Tell him I said to give you a walkie-talkie. I’ll let him know, so hurry and go before he leaves work.”

“Yes, Manager. I understand.”

As Yeon Woo bowed slightly and hurried off, Manager Moon narrowed her eyes.

“An unfamiliar character. Definitely strange.”

To Manager Moon, Yeon Woo was strange.

How should I put it, unpredictable perhaps.

*

Unseon Hall, where Sung Hun was staying, was only a traditional hanok on the outside, while the interior was modern. Unseon Hall was a space used by the eldest son of the family for generations, with a private bedroom, study, and garden attached as an independent space.

Yeon Woo swept the yard with the issued walkie-talkie attached to her waist. She diligently swept up flower petals and yellow pine pollen that had fallen during the day and sprinkled water generously.

Before she knew it, a deep blue darkness had fallen. After finishing cleaning and putting away the hose, Yeon Woo stared blankly at the entrance of Unseon Hall. The last remaining task was ventilation.

Finally, she neatly took off her shoes on the stepping stone and climbed onto the porch of Unseon Hall. Yeon Woo entered and ventilated each room in order, then stood in front of the last closed door. As expected, it seemed to be the study.

“Excuse me. I’m coming in for a moment.”

Perhaps because she had kept her mouth shut throughout the cleaning, her voice trembled. Yeon Woo deliberately cleared her throat and fidgeted with her fingertips.

“Come in.”

When Sung Hun’s voice was heard after a moment, Yeon Woo swallowed dryly. Was it because of the surprise at seeing him standing in the yard earlier? The thought that Sung Hun would be there when she opened the door suddenly made her nervous.

Yeon Woo carefully turned the doorknob and opened the door.

As she entered, she greeted while keeping her gaze lowered as much as possible. Then, when she raised her head to check the location of the windows, Yeon Woo’s eyes met with Sung Hun, who was sitting in the desk chair.

“Excuse me.”

She almost stuttered. Yeon Woo quickly checked the position of the windows and took a step. The windows that filled an entire wall were folded like a fan and had to be pushed hard.

“Did you use the business card?”

Sung Hun’s voice was heard from behind her shoulder. Yeon Woo stopped what she was doing and turned around.

“No. I didn’t use it.”

“I’d appreciate it if you could use it soon. I can’t stand being in debt.”

“I’m the one who’s in debt. Thank you for employing me.”

Yeon Woo rummaged through her pocket and pulled out the business card. She had been carrying it around wanting to return it someday, and now she could return it sooner than expected.

Taking small steps, she moved to place the business card on Sung Hun’s desk. Sung Hun, who had been looking at documents, glanced at the business card.

“I didn’t think it was something I should keep, so I wanted to return it.”

“…”

“It got a little crumpled because I didn’t store it well. I’m sorry.”

At that, Sung Hun let out a chuckle as if exhaling a laugh. Yeon Woo continued speaking.

“The laundry was done well. Thank you for your consideration.”

“It’s not consideration, I just wanted to give proper compensation.”

“Yes. But it’s already more than enough. It wasn’t an expensive outfit anyway, it was something that could have been thrown away. The reward really isn’t necessary.”

As Yeon Woo persistently refused, Sung Hun, who had been flipping through documents, raised his gaze.

The pupils positioned squarely in the center had an inexplicably magnetic pull, causing Sung Hun to take a long breath.

Water stains were vivid on Yeon Woo’s pants, who had not yet put on her uniform. The sounds of sweeping and water sprinkling that had been heard from the yard for a while must have been her movements.

Sung Hun seemed to be thinking deeply about something, then took out a credit card from between his wallet. Then he met Yeon Woo’s gaze once again.

Feeling like he would swallow a dry gulp if he didn’t speak quickly, Sung Hun opened his lips.

“It doesn’t have to be Seolyang Department Store.”

He pushed the matte black card with his fingertips.

“Instead of clothes you can just throw away, buy clothes that would make you upset if they got wet or splashed with muddy water.”

“…”

“The more outfits, the better.”

A reddish sunset embraced Unseon Hall.