Chapter 1 – Young Master (Part 2)

The place was called Heejeongwon.

Hee (joy), Jeong (stay), Won (house). It meant “the house where joy stays,” and it was said to be where the Chairman of the Taesan Group and his family lived.

Surrounded by high walls, it resembled a small village rather than a house. The place where the family actually stayed was somewhere deep in the garden, and in front of it, there was a wide garden, a pond, sculptures and landscaping trees that added to its beauty, and houses with unknown purposes.

All of them were modern reinterpretations of traditional Korean houses, as explained by the staff assigned to assist them. While the adults gathered separately to listen to explanations about the sponsorship, the staff took the children on a tour of Heejeongwon.

The children were excited, as if they were on a picnic, and made a lot of noise. Junhee also walked diligently among them.

Everywhere she looked, colorful flowers were blooming, and winding stone paths stretched endlessly. Flowers and trees were common in Nonsan too, but somehow the ones here seemed more precious. She thought it was because they blended well with the large rocky mountain beyond.

Eventually, her steps stopped at a pond where light pooled. The shimmering scales on the surface of the water were beautiful.

She knelt down to take a closer look. The smell of fishy water wafted up, but she didn’t mind.

Among the water plants, she saw carp with red scales moving gracefully. Fascinated by their smooth movements, she leaned in closer.

Even though Junhee had no food, the carp followed wherever she moved her hand. Finding it amusing, Junhee waved her hand in the air several times.

Then, when she suddenly looked up, there was no one around.

She realized belatedly that she had lost her way.

Even though she was lost, she wasn’t scared.

The maze-like place felt like a world from a fairy tale, and she wandered the garden feeling like a character from one. As long as she didn’t go beyond the high walls, the staff would eventually find her.

As she walked, she imagined what it would be like if this large house were their home. Playing hide-and-seek with her father, raising a puppy, and her grandmother sitting at the table peeling fruit.

She was lost in thought when a drop of sweat fell from her chin. It was early June. Junhee began to worry about the smell of sweat on her body. She looked down at her white dress, lifting it to check if there were any yellow sweat stains.

It was a new dress. Her grandmother had bought it from a department store with great determination for this occasion.

Her heart began to race with anxiety. Even after wandering for a long time, she didn’t see anyone.

She wondered what if she got lost and fell out of favor with the important people. They were supposed to take a group photo. There was also supposed to be a sponsorship speech by the foundation’s CEO. Delicious food was supposed to be served. She needed to get back before the event started.

At that moment, there was a thump, thump sound from somewhere. She stopped walking. Thump, thump, thump. Thump.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead. Holding her breath, she listened and then ran toward the sound. Her white dress fluttered as she ran.

A faint scent wafted from somewhere. The boy was alone on the lawn in front of the hanok (traditional Korean house) veranda, where the scent was coming from.

He was playing alone, bouncing a ball. He bounced it up, sent it sideways, lifted it onto his foot, and then sent it behind him.

With both hands in his pockets, he skillfully handled the soccer ball. Dressed in a black suit with a bow tie, he looked like a prince from a fairy tale.

So, she forgot how to speak and just stared blankly.

At some point, the boy stopped moving. The soccer ball rolled on the ground. His eyes, as dark as night, turned to Junhee.

“What’s up with you?”

Junhee thought that even his voice was pretty, just like his appearance. The boy looked at her with a fierce expression, and for some reason, Junhee couldn’t find her voice. His voice was as beautiful as the water and light of this house, but she couldn’t remember what her own voice sounded like.

“I asked, what up with you?”

“…Who are you?”

The small reply that came out was just that. The boy’s fierce gaze made her heart race. It seemed like her heart was pounding along with the soccer ball bouncing on the ground.

“I’m Choi Dowook of Taesan.”

She didn’t know what he meant. She just blinked, feeling like she had to say something.

“I’m Woo Junhee of Nonsan.”

That was the reply she gave.

After saying it, she felt inexplicably embarrassed. She curled her fingers secretly.

Woo Junhee of Nonsan? 

The boy raised his dark eyebrows skeptically. His eyes scanned Junhee from head to toe.

She thought he might say, “What’s that supposed to mean?” She worried about what to answer if he asked that.

“You’re just a girl.”

Uselessly. The words, unexpectedly hurtful, stung her heart. The boy lost interest and looked away. He picked up the soccer ball that had rolled into a corner.

“Why do you keep staring?”

“Oh? Oh, I….”

I got lost. Do you know where the sponsorship event is?

She wanted to ask, but his voice was so cold that she couldn’t. She felt a bit pathetic for wanting to ask. She didn’t want to appear useless, as he said.

The boy, bouncing the ball again, kicked it hard towards the high wall. The ball hit the wall with a bang and bounced back towards Junhee. She almost got hit by it.

The ball, bouncing back and forth, returned to the boy, who kicked it hard towards the wall again. Junhee awkwardly stepped back.

The boy kicked the ball a few more times. Each time, the ball bounced towards Junhee, but the boy’s eyes stayed fixed on the soccer ball, not on her. Junhee flinched and trembled.

Just as the boy’s foot was about to swing through the air again, a neatly dressed woman came out of the hanok.

“Young Master, the event is about to start. You should go.”

As she put on her shoes on the stone steps and approached the boy, she noticed Junhee standing blankly and asked curiously,

“Who is this pretty little lady?”

“Oh my, I just got a call from the event team saying that one child was missing. Let me check, Manager. Are you Woo Junhee?”

Junhee turned around, following the woman who had come out behind her. She urged her to hurry, saying the event was about to start and her parents were looking for her. As she walked quickly, she heard voices behind her calling “Young Master, Young Master.”

Young Master, is the bow tie uncomfortable? Young Master, would you like some juice? Young Master, are your shoes uncomfortable? What could be bothering our Young Master today….

Junhee quietly tried saying “Young Master” herself.

The boy was seated at the head table.

He was the only child among the elegantly dressed adults. Junhee was just one of the few children receiving sponsorship. She fidgeted with her toes while listening to the tedious speech by a woman who was introduced as the foundation’s CEO.

After the speech, she received a large, rectangular sponsorship panel with a long number written on it from the woman. A photographer captured the moment with clicks of the camera. After each child received their sponsorship, they took a group photo. The photographer pulled Junhee from the edge to the center.

“It looks better with her in the center.”

Everyone’s attention briefly focused on Junhee.

Someone commented on how pretty she was. They said she could be a child actor. They said Junhee’s grandmother must be proud. They wished they had a daughter as pretty as her. They imagined what she might become in the future.

Hearing the words in a Seoul accent, Junhee turned around and saw the boy.

He was standing right behind her.

His face was expressionless, his eyebrows were raised skeptically, his gaze was indifferent, and his demeanor was cool.

Everything was the same as before. Despite Junhee’s obvious gaze, the boy still didn’t look at her. In fact, throughout the event, Junhee’s eyes often wandered to him. Maybe because he was so beautifully made. So beautiful, yet so cold. And he never looked at her. This time too, after staring at him for a while, she turned her head away.

The photographer up front made a funny comment, making everyone laugh. Although it wasn’t funny, Junhee also lifted the corners of her mouth into a wide smile. She suddenly wondered what the boy’s smiling face would look like. He had been wearing a cold and bored expression all along. She wondered how he would look with a smile, maybe like a prince. But he wouldn’t show it to her, she thought.

Choi Dowook of Taesan. She had a vague idea of what that meant. Standing next to the boy was the Chairman of Taesan Group, whom she had seen on the news. Throughout the event, the elderly man held the boy’s hand.