Tae-eun couldn’t shake off the lingering effects of the vivid dream for quite some time. She flipped her blanket over and absentmindedly touched her lips, withdrawing her hand in surprise several times, only to finally rouse herself at the bustling sounds coming from outside her room.
“Tae-eun, let’s go to the orchard together.”
As she roughly tied up her long hair and got up, her mom entered her room and handed her a padded jacket and a scarf.
“Can I come too?”
“Go play with Dodam there. I’ll roast some sweet potatoes for you. Get up.”
Understanding her mom’s intention to at least let her daughter get some fresh air, Tae-eun silently headed to the bathroom and turned the tap to the left.
Except for the fact that she had cut out a large part of her life related to work, whether in Seoul or Jeju, Tae-eun’s life hadn’t changed much. After finishing her tasks for the day, she would lazily stay indoors and silently chew on her loneliness.
She couldn’t predict how long she would continue like this.
The word ‘orchard’ made the dog, who understood it, go wild even before putting on the harness. Then suddenly, a rough voice like tree bark came to mind.
“Tomorrow, talk to me more comfortably. Got it?”
Tae-eun shook her head. It was more of a common greeting than a promise. Passing by that café again today and meeting him would have been uncomfortable, but going to the orchard instead might actually be a good thing.
Dad’s pickup truck crossed Hajung-ri and headed northeast. It had been a long time since they went to the orchard. She hardly went there after entering college. Even during vacations, staying at home was not enough time.
As she scanned the slightly changed places with her eyes, her face was clouded with a gloomy light. Even amidst Tae-eun’s ups and downs in Seoul, Hajung-ri’s life had continued peacefully.
She felt sad at the thought that if she had come down a little earlier before all this happened, or if she had just lived thinking that this small town was the whole world from the beginning, what would it have been like?
The road to the orchard was no longer an unpaved road. The pickup truck’s large wheels made a smooth sound as it rolled on the recently paved asphalt.
In the upper neighborhood where the orchards were gathered, aged zelkova and pine trees were planted around the stone walls for windbreaks. Their heights of nearly 20 meters and pointed leaves cast dense shadows.
Young Tae-eun had been scared of those trees. It was because the trees, much taller than her, and the chirping of mountain birds flying between them felt eerie.
“Dad, did you cut down all the trees?”
“The sunlight wasn’t coming in well, so I cut them all down.”
However, all the windbreak trees around the orchard had disappeared, leaving only their stumps. The blue roof of a warehouse with freshly painted walls beyond the stone wall was clearly visible.
Even the inside of the warehouse had changed beyond recognition. The warehouse, which was piled with farm equipment in her memory, now seemed believable as her dad’s private office.
In the center, there was a large wood-burning stove installed, and a gas stove and sink were visible for simple meals. There was also a desk with a computer in the corner.
Many things had changed while Tae-eun was away from here. The only thing that seemed to remain unchanged was her. Standing awkwardly in an unfamiliar space, the puppy that had been rolling on the yellowed grass suddenly dashed out toward the front door.
“Ah, looks like you’re here.”
“Who’s here?”
The sound of the car door opening and closing, along with someone’s voice, reached them. Anticipating the encounter with strangers, her spine instinctively straightened.
“Oh my, Tae-eun is here too?”
“Hello.”
Tae-eun greeted the middle-aged couple without batting an eyelid. It was a common occurrence since returning to her hometown. The other party knew her, but she didn’t know them.
“Hyun-ho, Tae-eun Noona is here too.”
However, the following words shocked her. A tall man bent down to the door’s height as he entered and then smiled broadly when he spotted her.
“Noona, hello.”
“Ah…”
Tae-eun’s face, covered with a padded jacket and scarf, gradually turned pale. She was about to bow her head deeply but remembered yesterday’s promise and managed to raise her eyes.
“Ah, hello.”
Hyun-ho’s eyes rounded, and his amber-colored irises hid within. Standing numbly next to the wood-burning stove, she felt the air heating up and stepped aside.
“Tae-eun, this is Hyun-ho’s father. He’s running for chairman of the cooperative this time.”
“I’m Ji Yong-jae. Nice to meet you.”
Hyun-ho’s father extended his thick hand and bowed deeply. She shook hands with him, glancing around cautiously.
“He’s not even a member of the cooperative.”
“It’s just a habit these days to greet everyone you see. Tae-eun, remember that, okay?”
Everyone burst into laughter except for Tae-eun. It seemed that Ji Yong-jae had been decided as the candidate pushed by her father. Today’s meeting was like the launch of an election campaign.
“Tae-eun, do you remember Hyun-ho now? You said you didn’t know him last time?”
“Ah, yes, yes. I remember.”
She vaguely muttered a lie. She didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere by admitting her poor memory.
“You used to play with Tae-eun because Yeong-hun always found me annoying. Remember?”
As Tae-eun awkwardly smiled in response, the adults gathered around the wooden table and reminisced. She glanced subtly towards where the man was sitting. He was looking at her, his eyes smiling.
“Noona, did you walk Dodam?”
Without a word, she shook her head, and the man opened the warehouse door, leading her outside.
“Why don’t we go on a walk?”
Tae-eun took the leash from the dog and followed him out of the warehouse. The wind felt cooler than in the lower village where houses clustered together, brushing against her cheeks.
The reason her heart was pounding anxiously might be because of the dream, most likely. The reason her gaze kept drifting to his lips, and why all her attention was fixated on his movements in the awkward silence, were probably the same.
“Do you know snakes come out here?”
“Pardon?”
At Ji Hyun-ho’s sudden remark, she jumped in fright and leaped up. Amidst this, she was distracted by the dog, who was trying to sniff around the lush grass by the roadside.
“When it’s warm, snakes come out from between those rock piles. You know, after it rains, worms come out on the road. Snakes do too, like this one that got crushed in the middle of the road.”
“Uh…”
She trembled, looking around frantically. In fact, it wasn’t surprising if snakes came out in this deserted neighborhood. Her overactive imagination effortlessly conjured up the scene the man described.
“Ah, there are also owls. Last summer, our father bought a few chickens from the market, but the next day when he went to check, they were all dead, with only their bodies left. He said owls had eaten only their heads.”
Tae-eun couldn’t bear it and stood still. Then, turning to him with a puzzled face, she made a small request in a soft voice.
“Please… could you stop…”
“Hmm?”
“Can you stop talking about it?”
Ji Hyun-ho’s lips twitched slightly. He looked down at her trembling eyes and spoke softly.
“Speak casually.”
“…What?”
“Don’t use honorifics.”
She looked up at the subtly intimidating man. Despite his gentle smile, his demeanor was not friendly.
“Ah, okay.”
“Are you scared of things like snakes and owls?”
Ji Hyun-ho returned to the original topic. Nodding slightly, she glanced around cautiously.
“Yes.”
“What else are you scared of?”
Tae-eun, unaware of the man leaning closer, got lost in thought. As soon as she heard his question, unpleasant memories came flooding back.
“What about ghosts?”
“Of course, they’re scary.”
At that moment, the dog bounded into the thick bushes. Simultaneously, a quail hidden inside flew out with a fluttering cry. Startled, she sucked in a breath and huddled up.
“Oh my!”
“Are you okay?”
Ji Hyun-ho asked, placing his hand on her back with concern. She tried to straighten her stiff body. His large hand supporting her back centered her.
He took the leash from her and their hands brushed against each other, his warm hand contrasting with her cold one.
“Your hands are cold.”
He held her cold right hand firmly with both of his hands, then released it. Her fingers twitched.
Tae-eun’s cheeks reddened, not from the cold air but from the touch of her fingertips. She buried her face deeper into her scarf.
“How did a scaredy-cat like you manage to live alone in Seoul?”
Ji Hyun-ho walked ahead, using the dog as a shield. Her gaze lingered on his hand, as long as his elongated fingers.
“In Seoul, there are no sudden pheasants flying at you.”
He chuckled, lifting the gloomy atmosphere of the deserted street with his laughter.
“And as long as you’re careful around people, you’ll be fine anywhere.”
She followed the impatient dog. His gaze lingered on her profile as she spoke in a soft but definite voice.
They returned to the orchard and shared roasted sweet potatoes by the wood-burning stove. The dog displayed various tricks to get a share of the food.
Sitting hunched over, Tae-eun blew on the sweet potato to cool it down for the dog. At that moment, the yellow interior revealed itself, and Ji Hyun-ho brought it to her lips.
“Eat.”
He gently brought the cooled sweet potato to her lips. She reached out to take it herself, but he moved it away and fed it to her.
“Let’s give some to Dodam too.”
As she looked across, the dog sat quietly, drooling. She quickly tore a piece and fed it to the dog.
“Ah.”
He gestured for her to open her mouth. Reluctantly, she complied, and the warm potato slid into her mouth.
“Is it good?”
“Yeah, thank you.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes, and he smiled contentedly.
🍉🍉🍉
