Clover Days — Chapter 12

SUNBAE, WHEN WAS THIS DECIDED?

THAT PLACE PROBABLY WASN'T THE FIRST CHOICE, RIGHT?

OF COURSE, IT'S NOT A BAD PLACE, BUT...

IT'S A BARREN FIELD, AFTER ALL.

AND IT'S FAR FROM THE VILLAGE.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE CAN PUSH AHEAD AND DO WHATEVER WE WANT WITH IT.

SINCE IT'S A RESORT BEING BUILT UNDER THE COMPANY'S NAME,

IT'S ACTUALLY BETTER TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE WE CAN FIRMLY ESTABLISH A DISTINCT IDENTITY, FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE CONCEPT.

AND AN HOUR AND A HALF FROM SEOUL ISN'T BAD FOR ACCESSIBILITY EITHER.

YOU LOOK A BIT UNSATISFIED.

IS SOMETHING BOTHERING YOU?

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE'S MORE THAN ONE OR TWO THINGS BOTHERING ME.

...NO.

I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE'RE NEEDLESSLY STIRRING UP A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD.

YOU SAW IT BACK THEN.

LATELY, HAVING SO MANY IDLE LANDS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE IS MORE OF A HEADACHE. THEY DON'T MAKE MONEY, BUT THEY'RE HARD TO MANAGE.

INCREASING TOURISM DEMAND COULD ACTUALLY HELP THE VILLAGE.

THAT'S WHY

I'LL HAVE TO TRY AND PERSUADE THEM.

ONCE WE'RE READY, WE'LL GO NEGOTIATE WITH THE LANDOWNERS.

EUN-SEO, YOU'RE COMING WITH US, RIGHT?

AH...

THEN I'LL GO CHECK OUT THE VILLAGE'S TRENDS FIRST.

HUH? BY YOURSELF?

FROM WHAT I SAW BEFORE, IT SEEMED LIKE A CLAN VILLAGE. IF IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD MADE UP OF FAMILIES,

I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO LOOK INTO THE INTERESTS DIRECTLY.

You're still busy with the officetel Project, Sunbae.

HMM...

AS EXPECTED, YOU'RE MOTIVATED.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE.

...HOW

AM I SUPPOSED TO CLEAN THIS UP?

THINKING I WOULD NEVER VISIT AGAIN,

I WALKED OUT OF THAT HOUSE THAT DAY...

...HOW ABSURD MUST HE HAVE FELT WHEN HE WOKE UP?

HA...

OF ALL THINGS, FOR IT TO TURN INTO THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO I FEARED...

...STILL, TO FIX THIS MESS,

I HAVE TO GO.

WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE THIS DURING THE BUSIEST TIME?

IF YOU'D PICKED STRAWBERRIES AT THIS HOUR, YOU COULD'VE HARVESTED 10 GREEN- HOUSE BAYS.

IF YOU'RE FREE, GO TO THE GREENHOUSE FIRST.

WHY SHOULD I GO WHEN I DON’T EVEN GET PAID A DAILY WAGE?

YOU WERE SAYING YOU’D INHERIT THE STRAWBERRY FAR- MING BEFORE,

AND NOW YOU’RE WHINING ABOUT DAILY WAGES?

WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE GOT INTO YOUR HEAD THAT YOU SUDDENLY WANT TO GO TO SEOUL?

AT THIS RATE, ALL THE STRAWBERRIES ARE GOING TO GET SPOILT!

YOUR SON IS IN HIS PRIME RIGHT NOW TOO, DAD!

ISN’T IT A WASTE TO SPEND MY TWENTIES IN A DUMP LIKE THIS?

HE SAYS HE’S IN HIS PRIME, HIMSELF!

GO TO SEOUL AND BECOME A COMEDIAN OR SOMETHING.

LOOK AT MR. KANG'S DAUGHTER NEXT DOOR.

FARMING IS TOUGH, SO SHE'S STUDYING BAKING TO HELP OUT THE FAMILY.

WELL, THEY ACTUALLY SENT HER TO SEOUL TO STUDY, AT LEAST!

AH, WHY ARE YOU BRINGING HER UP!

SO BE GRATEFUL YOU'RE INHERITING A DECENT FAMILY BUSINESS THAT'S ALREADY WORKING OUT.

WHAT ARE YOU WHINING ABOUT, BEING SO FULL OF YOURSELF?

LOOK AT SEONG-HO, TOO.

COMING BACK TO THE COUNTRYSIDE ON PURPOSE TO HELP OUT THE VILLAGE LIVELIHOOD-HOW ADMIRABLE IS THAT?

WHILE SOMEONE THRIFTILY LOOKS AFTER EVERYTHING, USABLE OR NOT, TO GROW THE HOUSEHOLD LIVELIHOOD,

YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL OFF WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.

YOUR GRANDFATHER WOULD BE PISSED.

AH, IS THAT WHY YOU HANDED OVER THE VILLAGE HEAD POSITION TO SEONG-HO HYUNG AND TRYING TO WORK HIM TO THE BONE?

THAT'S RIGHT!

I'LL JUST ADOPT HIM AS MY SON AND GIVE HIM ALL MY REMAINING LAND!

Suit yourself

I CAN'T SACRIFICE MY YOUTH TO THIS DUMP LIKE SEONG-HO HYUNG!

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT RUNNING AWAY, GO STRAIGHT TO THE GREENHOUSE!

I MEAN,

AT LEAST PAY ME A DAILY WAGE IF YOU'RE GONNA WORK ME...

WHOOPS!

AH!

!

GOOD GRIEF, OPEN YOUR EYES WHEN YOU'RE WALKING.

ARE YOU ALRIGHT?

I'M SORRY. ARE YOU HURT?

I-I'M FINE.

HUH?

YOU ARE THE PERSON WHO CAME LOOKING FOR SEONG-HO HYUNG LAST TIME.

EUN-SEO.

...HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR WAY HERE...?

you

HELLO.

I'M BAEK EUN-SEO, MANAGER OF THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM AT JAIM INVESTMENT.

TODAY, WE'VE COME TO FORMALLY DISCUSS THE PROJECT WE ARE PURSUING.

PROJECT?

COMPLEX RESORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT JAIM BUSINESS PLAN JAIM INVESTMENT

SO, YOU WANT TO BUILD A RESORT IN THIS VILLAGE?

THAT PLACE IS JUST A BARREN FIELD WITH NOTHING THERE.

WOULD PEOPLE EVEN VISIT IF YOU BUILD SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

IT'S LAND THAT WAS ONLY EVER FARMED, SO THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE OR PLAY WITH.

PRECISELY BECAUSE IT'S A PLACE LIKE THAT, WE CAN CREATE POSSIBILITIES DEPENDING ON OUR DIRECTION.

ESPECIALLY INS- TEAD OF RECKLESS DEVELOPMENT,

WE ARE PLANNING AN ECO-FRIENDLY RESORT THAT CAN COEXIST WITH LOCAL FARMS.

THROUGH RUNNING RURAL EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS

AND DIRECTLY CONSUMING LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRO- DUCTS WITHIN THE RESORT,

JAIM

JAIM

BY PUTTING FORWARD AN ECO-FRIENDLY, ORGANIC CONCEPT, WE CAN EXPECT TO PROVIDE NEW DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS FOR FARM HOUSEHOLDS.

THAT SOUNDS NICE TO HEAR, BUT...

THIS IS LAND PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS IN OUR FAMILY, SO...

THIS IS THE PLACE THAT USED TO BE A SWEET POTATO FIELD, RIGHT?

ARE YOU SAYING THIS AFTER SEEING IT IN PERSON?

YES.

I LOOKED AROUND HERE NOT LONG AGO.

WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT?

...BECAUSE IT WASN'T CERTAIN YET.

NOWADAYS, ※IDLE FARMLAND IS INCREASING IN FARMING HOUSEHOLDS,

AND I IMAGINE YOU'RE FEELING THE DIFFICULTY OF MANAGING IT.

HOWEVER, CONSIDERING THE EXCELLENCE OF THE LOCATION,

WE ARE PROPOSING ANOTHER POSSIBILITY, SO WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD REVIEW IT POSITIVELY.

※ Idle Farmland - Farmland Not Used For Cultivating Crops Or Growing Perennial Plants.

...IF THAT BRAT JAE-WOO FINDS OUT, THINGS ARE GONNA GET NOISY.

IT'S TOO SUDDEN.... LET US THINK ABOUT IT A BIT.

I'M THE LANDOWNER, BUT IT'S NOT JUST MY ISSUE.

OUR FAMILY FARMS STRAWBERRIES, SO WE'RE A BIT BUSY AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR.

WE HAVE TO GO TO THE GREENHOUSE NOW, SO LET'S TALK MORE LATER.

AH, SURE.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME DESPITE BEING BUSY.

ANYWAY, LET'S SEE HOW THE SITUATION PANS OUT.

WE NEED TO HEAR THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE VILLAGE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, TOO.

FOR MORE DETAILS,

PLEASE TALK MORE WITH OUR VILLAGE HEAD.

SEE YOU LATER.

AH.

...WAIT,

THEN

WE ARE LEFT ALONE...

WE STILL

HAVE BUSINESS TO SETTLE, DON'T WE?