Clover Days — Chapter 17

IT'S SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE...

SEEING AS HE ISN'T PICKING UP, IT SEEMS HE'S BUSY EVEN THOUGH IT'S A WEEKEND.

WILL HE SEE IT IF I SEND A TEXT TELLING HIM THAT I'VE ARRIVED?

MS. EUNSEO!

I CALLED YOUR NAME EARLIER.

DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?

...MR. SUNGHO.

HANG ON A SECOND. I'LL GET OFF.

...ARE YOU ON YOUR WAY BACK FROM WORKING IN THE FIELDS?

AH, I'M NOT USING THIS RIGHT NOW.

IT WAS BEING SERVICED DURING THE WINTER WHEN IT WASN'T IN USE.

WE FINISHED THE REPAIRS THIS MORNING, SO I WAS DELIVERING IT.

...YOU DO JOBS LIKE THAT TOO?

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO DO, MORE THAN I EXPECTED.

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME BEING THE VILLAGE HEAD.

THIS IS JUST MY JOB.

REPAIRING FARM EQUIPMENT,

AS WELL AS REFURBISHING AND RE-SELLING SECOND-HAND MACHINERY...

I DO FARM WORK AT OTHER TIMES, TOO, BUT IT'S THE OFF-SEASON RIGHT NOW.

YOU DIDN'T THINK BEING THE VILLAGE HEAD WAS MY ACTUAL JOB, DID YOU?

most of us have other jobs, too.

that was what i thought

I MEAN, YOU SEEM SO BUSY...

ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE OKAY?

I'M NOT STEALING YOUR TIME, AM I?

IT'S WINTER, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A RELATIVELY QUIET TIME.

AND AS FOR VILLAGE MATTERS, THERE ARE ONLY A FEW THINGS WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF BEFORE IT GETS TOO COLD,

SO I'M NOT ALL THAT BUSY.

AND,

IT'S ALSO MY JOB...

TO GUIDE PEOPLE AROUND THE VILLAGE.

TO BE HONEST, I WAS KINDA LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.

SHALL WE?

IS THAT A RESERVOIR?

I SAW IT MARKED ON THE MAP, BUT IT'S BIGGER THAN I THOUGHT.

IT'S MAINLY FOR AGRICULTURAL USE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING OF A HIDDEN GEM THAT ONLY LOCALS WOULD KNOW ABOUT.

FISHERMEN SOMETIMES COME HERE WHEN THE WEATHER'S NICE, TOO.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK?

IT'S STILL WORTH SEEING, EVEN IN WINTER.

IT'S A GREAT PLACE. CLEAN AND QUIET.

IT'S CLOSE TO THE VILLAGE, SO IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD WALKING PATH.

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I USED TO SOMETIMES COME HERE AND PLAY,

BUT I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. IS IT REALLY?

HAVING A BODY OF WATER NEARBY MAKES IT EASIER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SCENERY.

PLACES LIKE THIS CAN BECOME POPULAR FILMING SPOTS WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A LITTLE LANDSCAPING.

...IS THAT SO?

HEARING THAT MAKES ME SEE THIS PLACE IN A NEW LIGHT.

I SEE IT EVERYDAY, SO IT'S PRETTY FAMILIAR TO ME.

IT'S FASCINATING HOW DIFFERENT PEOPLE CAN SEE DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE SAME PLACE...

INTERESTING.

LET'S LOOK AROUND A LITTLE MORE.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE STILL LIVING IN THE VILLAGE ARE FARMERS.

THERE AREN'T MANY WHO FARM ON A LARGE SCALE LIKE THE WAY JAEWOO'S FAMILY DOES ANYMORE.

THERE ARE A FEW ORCHARDS AND RANCHES, TOO, BUT THEY'RE ALL SMALL-SCALE.

IT'S NOT A PLACE WITH ANY PARTICULAR ATTRACTIONS, SO PEOPLE HERE JUST LIVE SIMPLE, QUIET LIVES.

IT'S BEEN THAT WAY EVER SINCE I FIRST CAME TO THIS VILLAGE.

...THIS ISN'T YOUR HOMETOWN?

I CAME HERE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER,

BUT THIS IS MY FATHER'S HOMETOWN.

DUE TO MY PARENTS' CIRCUMSTANCES, I WAS LEFT AT MY GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE.

MY FATHER PASSED AWAY EARLY, SO MY MOM HAD A HARD TIME RAISING ME BY HERSELF.

I WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO STAY HERE UNTIL I FINISHED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,

BUT I LIKED IT SO MUCH THAT I DECIDED TO STAY.

...WEREN'T YOU LONELY?

I HAD MY GRANDFATHER AND OTHER RELATIVES...

...BUT IT WOULD BE A LIE TO SAY I WASN'T LONELY.

STILL, I THOUGHT I HAD TO PUT UP WITH IT.

...BECAUSE...

I REALIZED...

I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD TO ENDURE IT.

SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT.

OUR ENVIRONMENTS MIGHT’VE BEEN THE SAME,

BUT HIS WAY OF LIVING AND HIS MINDSET...

DIFFER COMPLETELY FROM MINE...

I THINK YOUR GRANDFATHER MUST’VE BEEN A REALLY KIND PERSON.

CAN YOU ACTUALLY TELL?

HE WAS MORE LIKE A TACITURN COUNTRYMAN.

WELL, I CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT YOU.

HUH?

WHAT'S GOING ON?

IT'S NOT THE FIRST OR SECOND TIME. WHY DO YOU KEEP DOING THIS?!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING DRIVING A DUMP TRUCK DOWN SUCH A NARROW FARM ROAD?!

CAN'T YOU SEE THE ROADS ARE ALL RUINED?

DO YOU THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO USES THIS ROAD?!

AH, WE'VE GOT ALL THE NECESSARY PERMITS, SO WHY ARE YOU QUESTIONING ME?

I'M ALREADY BUSY AS HELL. STOP BLOCKING THE WAY.

IF YOU'VE GOT AN ISSUE WITH IT, GO COMPLAIN TO THE PERSON WHO GAVE ME THE PERMIT.

AT THIS RATE, HE'S GOING TO RUN SOMEONE OVER!

!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?