Chapter 2
“A traditional head house… and a peach orchard?”
At Lee Wan’s perplexed question, Chairman Kang’s voice grew more impassioned as he explained.
“That’s right! We’re going to build the theme park’s main entrance there. Make it wide and grand so lots of people can come through. That house and orchard are the key! It’ll make persuading the villagers much easier. Got it?”
“I’m the only one who’ll inherit it anyway. Why is he being so petty?”
Pulling a cigarette case from the pocket of his suit jacket, Lee Wan let out a dry laugh at his grandfather’s grudgeful antics.
Last time, his grandfather had arranged a blind date behind his back, which Lee Wan had completely ruined. This was clearly retaliation.
His grandfather had been more furious than usual that day, and Lee Wan figured the anger would last a while—but he hadn’t expected revenge like this.
“Still, it’s not the best location…”
Biting the filter of an unlit cigarette, Lee Wan muttered to himself.
He couldn’t grasp his grandfather’s business logic. A theme park in such a remote place? Even if it miraculously didn’t operate at a loss, he couldn’t expect huge profits.
And why, of all places, build the main gate centered on this old hanok and peach orchard?
Was it some feng shui thing?
Lee Wan scrutinized the hanok with sharp eyes.
Judging from the state of it, it hadn’t been repaired or maintained in ages. The old building was visibly in terrible condition.
The wooden gate looked ready to blow away in a strong gust, roof tiles were broken in places, and the cracked walls looked like they could collapse at any moment.
At best, it couldn’t even be described as quaint. The view through the open gate didn’t look any better. Add to that a modest peach orchard…
“We might be able to wrap this up and leave today.”
A confident smile crept up the corner of Lee Wan’s lips. He was already picturing himself handing over a sales contract to his grandfather.
Meanwhile, Secretary Ahn moved to the trunk of the car to retrieve some items.
“Let me help.”
Lee Wan reached out as Secretary Ahn pulled out a gift set.
“It’s fine.”
“Just give it here. You’ve got to be tired from the long drive.”
“Well, in that case…”
As Lee Wan insisted, Secretary Ahn handed him the premium deer antler gift set.
“Let’s go in.”
Carrying the gift, Lee Wan strode confidently toward the house. Secretary Ahn followed, holding a set of premium Korean beef.
Once inside the property, Lee Wan quickly surveyed the interior. A well-maintained hanok-style garden and a large courtyard with a wooden platform first caught his eye.
“Wow, it looks like a Joseon-era film set.”
Secretary Ahn was wide-eyed at the antique atmosphere. The wooden structure bore the clear marks of time—like stepping into the past.
“This should probably be designated a cultural heritage site.”
Lee Wan let out a dry chuckle at the house’s more-than-expected decrepitude.
“How can someone even live here? Can it hold up against wind and rain?”
He shook his head at the state of the house.
“Well, the upside is that it’ll be easy to tear down. Good for negotiating the price too.”
His confidence surged. With how run-down it was, the owner might even beg him to buy it.
“Is anyone here?”
“Woof woof!”
As Lee Wan raised his voice, a dog barked. A white mutt peeked out from its doghouse near the gate.
“Why’s the dog hiding and barking? Is it shy?”
“Maybe it’s just scared.”
As Secretary Ahn offered a guess, Lee Wan called out again.
“Is anyone here?”
“Woof woof!”
The exact same response made a crease appear between Lee Wan’s brows. The dog just growled, still hiding.
“How’s that thing supposed to guard the house?”
He clicked his tongue at the pitiful creature.
Crash! Bang!
Suddenly came a loud crashing noise—
“Ahh! Oh no!”
A startled woman’s scream followed.
“Whoa!”
Startled in turn, Secretary Ahn jumped, and Lee Wan flinched.
“Did someone break in already?”
As Lee Wan looked around to locate the noise, the door to a storage shed in one corner burst open with a bang.
It sounded more like the door had been destroyed than opened.
“What the…?”
With wide eyes, he saw someone stumble out—a person dressed in geometrically patterned pants and a matching shirt, wearing a straw hat and a sun mask.
“Ow, my back… I’m going to break down before I even find it.”
Ohn Yoo muttered with a sigh, patting her shoulder.
The house was far too large for her grandmother to manage alone. And since her grandmother couldn’t bring herself to throw anything away, every corner was crammed with junk.
Sometimes, while searching for old lottery tickets buried under the clutter, accidents like this happened.
Today, a stack of boxes in the shed had collapsed on her, nearly injuring her badly.
And the door—worn and warped—refused to open. Only after kicking it with all her strength had she finally escaped.
“No wonder I can’t find anything. This isn’t a storage room—it’s a fossil layer. I’ll have to clean it up, even if grandma gets mad.”
Heading off to find cleaning supplies, Ohn Yoo suddenly froze when she spotted a stranger standing in the courtyard.
Their eyes met midair. Instinctively, Ohn Yoo scanned him from head to toe.
Western features, over 190 cm tall, a perfectly fitted three-piece suit, and a dignified aura.
Bathed in the afternoon sun, he looked like he had stepped out of a fashion magazine.
It felt bizarre—his presence was far too refined for such a humble countryside setting.
Lee Wan, holding her gaze, raised an eyebrow as he met the only part of her face visible—her eyes. The hazel irises reminded him of hazelnuts.
“Excuse me, do you live here—”
“What’s the meaning of this—”
They both spoke at once, but Ohn Yoo’s gaze suddenly narrowed sharply.
“Another new person? How many of you are there?”
She pointed at the gift boxes in their hands, her tone annoyed.
“Deer antler and meat this time?”
“…”
Lee Wan, rarely flustered, glanced between the deer antler set and her glaring hazel eyes.
“I already told you I’m not buying. Why do you keep bothering me? Changing people and products every time?”
“Not buying? Not selling?”
The confusion deepened.
“This isn’t right! You people keep deceiving elderly folks with overpriced junk. This is fraud! Have you no conscience?”
Now she was even pointing fingers at him.
“What the hell…”
Only now did Lee Wan grasp the situation—he, Kang Dong-shik’s grandson and CEO of Sunin Trading, had just been mistaken for a small-time con artist.
“Leave before I call the police!”
“We’re not here to sell anything—”
Secretary Ahn waved his hands frantically, trying to explain.
“I believe there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Taking back the deer antler set from Secretary Ahn, Lee Wan stepped forward.
With a calm business smile, he took out his rarely-used card case.
“I’m not here to sell anything. I’m here to buy.”
He handed over a crisp business card, revealing his purpose for coming all this way.
“…Huh?”
Ohn Yoo’s previously fiery demeanor cooled slightly.
“Buy what?”
“I’d like to purchase this house. And the peach orchard owned by this family.”
“…What?”
Startled, Ohn Yoo ripped off her straw hat and face shield at once.
As her full face was revealed, a strange flicker crossed Lee Wan’s eyes. Her clear features swept into his field of vision.
“What did you just say? You came to buy what?”
Locking eyes with her, Lee Wan replied in a slightly warmer tone.
“This house. I came to buy it.”
