Flowers Are Bait Novel - Chapter 87

“Director, you shouldn’t go too close!”

“It’s fine, I’ll just check the tree’s condition.”

Joo Dongmi tried to grab Yiyeon, who was fearlessly heading straight for the tree, but only flailed her arms.

It was Hwaido’s 15-meter artificial mountain.

As soon as Yiyeon received the call, she naturally brought Kwon Chaewoo along and went to where the ginkgo tree was. Already, rescue center staff were surrounding the tree, fully equipped.

It was the second largest ginkgo tree in Korea. In the past, the only reason this ginkgo tree, which was on the verge of being submerged due to a dam construction project, survived until now was because it was designated as a natural monument.

To save this one cultural asset, a 15-meter artificial mountain was built after years of construction, and the tree was safely settled in its new home. What if the value of this tree hadn’t been recognized back then?

“Yiyeon, be careful.”

Suddenly, Kwon Chaewoo, who was a few steps behind, pulled Yiyeon’s stomach with one hand.

“……!”

Hiss, hiss—! A large snake coiled in a deep tree hollow flicked its tongue. As thick as an adult man’s forearm, it bared its fangs and opened its mouth wide. Its long body was stiffly erect, and its pupils were vertically slit. A shiver ran down her spine as she met its bizarre eyes.

But the warm sensation spreading from the center of her stomach made Yiyeon flustered.

“Th-thank you.”

Kwon Chaewoo patted her upper abdomen a couple of times, then detached his hand as coldly as possible.

More than the somewhat aggressive skinship of last night, this brief touch, which lasted only a moment before his hand was withdrawn, shook Yiyeon even more. Kwon Chaewoo’s lingering scent hovered at the tip of her nose. She tried to push down her trembling heart and said,

“More than half of the trunk is gone. So, a hollow interior was created, and it seems the snake has made its home there.”

“Won’t that fellow harm the tree?”

“That… well.”

At the somehow ambiguous answer, Joo Dongmi pulled her thick, smooth eyebrows up to her forehead.

“What do you mean?”

“No one comes here anyway, so is there really a need to catch it? In my opinion, you don’t really need to worry about the tree.”

“Even with a snake inside?”

“It looks like they’re cohabiting with the snake in their own way.”

There were countless decayed cavities, but it wasn’t eating away at its lifespan like a divine tree. This ginkgo tree was simply hollow inside.

Its appearance, having adapted to nature in that state, was the very essence of enduring time. Fortunately, there seemed to be no problem with its growth.

Occasionally, people from the Cultural Heritage Administration would visit to check, but even that would happen only once or twice a year, if at all.

An artificial mountain with no one to care for it and no one to visit. A sense of loneliness suddenly crossed Yiyeon’s face as she looked around this desolate place again. Then her gaze finally fell on Kwon Chaewoo.

“If even the snake leaves, this tree will be alone again.”

She gazed for a long time into the man’s eyes, whose depth she could not fathom.

“I don’t think a tree exhausted by loneliness wouldn’t know that.”

What remained was a ruined mountainside.

Yiyeon, who was finally checking the revealed third assessment, grimaced and let out a heavy sigh.

“Ah…”

Over 200 pine trees were uprooted, as if to tell of the shock of the accident. Aircraft debris was scattered everywhere, and flames and smoke soared.

About ten days ago, a Boeing 762-7 from China International Airlines crashed into the foothills of Mt. Motdae in Gimhae while attempting to land. It was a major disaster with at least a hundred deaths. Yiyeon unconsciously bit her lower lip while looking at the monitor.

“Chooja, is this recent?”

“It’s been a mess lately, but you were so out of it you wouldn’t have known.”

Just then, she instinctively turned her head as she heard a voice from the living room, “Yes, this is Kwon Chaewoo,” as if he was on the phone. However, the photos she was looking at were so horrific that Yiyeon’s gaze quickly returned to the monitor.

Below the summit of Mt. Motdae, where the aircraft crashed, it looked as if it had been bombed. The aircraft broke into three pieces, with only the nose and fuselage recognizable; the rest was severely twisted and scattered. Such massive debris was spread across the mountain summit, and large, old trees were brutally crushed.

Thirty survivors were rescued in such a situation.

Despite being a major aircraft accident, it was analyzed that the miraculous survival of people was due to the dense pine forest, over 10 meters tall, which absorbed the impact.

It meant that the pine trees of Mt. Motdae sacrificed themselves to save lives. If so, what remained now was—

“It’s the trees’ turn.”

Yiyeon tapped the desk, her brows furrowed.

As it was a major accident, this assessment was a common task assigned to all tree doctors participating in the Hwaidom project. Among them, the first ones designated were the <Fir Tree Hospital> and the <Kite Tree Hospital>, and their task was none other than to collect the “bereaved trees.”

It was about protecting the small sprouts left by the sacrificed trees and preparing the ground for them to settle properly.

Yiyeon looked at Kwon Chaewoo, who had just finished his call and entered, with a troubled expression.

“Chaewoo, what should I do?”

“What about?”

“I might have to leave the house. It looks like I’ll be going on a business trip to the mainland nearby.”

“……”

Yiyeon lowered her eyebrows into an inverted V, but Kwon Chaewoo merely observed her quietly.

“They say it’s for three days and two nights, and Gimhae isn’t far from here, so I’ll commute back and forth.”

Worry hung heavy in Yiyeon’s eyes. Of all times, the assessment schedule was set less than a day after Kwon Chaewoo woke up.

However, she couldn’t possibly leave the man who wouldn’t wake up without her. Yiyeon sighed deeply, looking alternately at the devastated trees on the monitor and the handsomely sculpted Kwon Chaewoo. Both were problems, and even two bodies wouldn’t be enough.

“It’s fine, I’ll come to Yiyeon’s room every night.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t want me to come?”

“……!”

When Yiyeon didn’t answer immediately, he narrowed his brows. His voice was the same as before, and his deep-set eyes, still showing memory loss, were unchanged, but strangely, she felt an unfamiliar power.

“Can’t a husband come and go from his wife’s room?”

“……”

“Is there something you’re hiding under the blanket?”

His gaze, lowered to peer at Yiyeon as if uncovering her, was quite sharp. Yiyeon unconsciously curled her fingers.

“It’s not that…”

“Director So—!”

Just then, Chooja, who was scrolling down, opened her eyes wide and raised her voice.

“It says the animal rescue center is going together?”

“What do you mean?”

Yiyeon quickly turned her head and checked the official document further.

Chooja’s words were true.

The unique aspect of this assessment was that wildlife rescue center staff, who were also dispatched to search for and rescue injured animals, would grade the tree doctors.

The selection method was based on summing up detailed categories such as conduct, diligence, accuracy, teamwork, communication skills, and leadership, with the higher score being chosen.

“Chaewoo is going to Mt. Motdae too?”

“I just got the call.”

Yiyeon stared blankly at him, and the man raised the corner of his mouth, gently shaking his phone.

She was bewildered by the unexpected collaboration, but Kwon Chaewoo’s face showed no concern. To put it nicely, he was composed; to put it negatively, it was an insincere attitude as if it didn’t matter what happened.

“Chaewoo, you’re going to grade me?”

Yiyeon looked at him with a slightly strange expression, and he shrugged.

“Even if it’s not for others, it’s not hard to make a good impression on me, is it?”

“What do you mean—”

“Just do as you’ve always done. That’s what Yiyeon does best.”

It was an enigmatic statement, but Yiyeon nodded readily, taking it as a mindset towards trees.

Anyway, as she had seen during the landslide, there would be no trees that could be saved. The problem was debris removal and recovery, and such manual labor ultimately depended on an individual’s sense of calling and responsibility to determine its completeness. That’s why the scoring seemed to be based on people’s perspectives rather than numbers.

“Then I should work hard so as not to be ashamed in front of others.”

“Goodness, don’t just think about wearing yourself out.”

Chooja clicked her tongue beside her.

“Keep working your butt off in a corner for days. Depending on the situation, the person serving coffee might look more excellent. In a hot and tired state, who among the two would seem to have better conduct, be more cooperative, and have better communication skills!”

Yiyeon scratched her head at her remark.

“If I keep moving without resting, won’t I stand out?”

“In a place where the plane’s fuselage is all black and scattered? Don’t be so naive!”

“Still, if I want to be truly capable, I should focus on the basics rather than just playing politics.”

“Of course, that’s right. You should be faithful to the closest things first!”

Suddenly, Chooja’s eyes softened, and she clapped her hands. Yiyeon pulled her chin in, even more wary.

“What are you going to do with Kwon Son-in-law right under your nose? You might not know that pillow talk is stronger than school ties or regional connections—”

“Chooja!”

Yiyeon gasped, her cheeks flushed. Then, a faint chuckle was heard. Yiyeon unnecessarily turned her gaze to the desk, and Chooja openly revealed her greed.

“Kwon Son-in-law, you’ll do that for me, right? You’ll give good scores to this fragile, poor wife, won’t you?”

“Still, I can’t bow to my in-laws’ flagpole right away.”

He glanced at her, his eyes moving meaningfully.

“No, no, what are you all talking about!”

Just then, Yiyeon stood up abruptly, her eyes firm as if to caution the two.

“They should be chosen fairly based on their skills, I don’t expect such private favors! My reputation and dignity are important to me too. Especially, I never want to hear that I acted calculatingly when dealing with trees.”

“Oh my, the girl who says reputation is important stirred up people like that.”

Chooja picked her ear and snorted. Nevertheless, Yiyeon sighed, imagining the worst.

“If I’m branded as cheating, it’s over.”

Kwon Chaewoo watched the naive shadow fall across her face before opening his mouth.

“I heard all the air conditioners inside the center have been replaced, with the latest models.”

“……!”

The man laughed amusedly, looking at Yiyeon, who was frozen with her mouth open.

“And I’m sure that wasn’t sent by Fir Tree.”

“Uh…”

“The stage is already set like that, so who will Yiyeon have to beg from now on?”

Yiyeon stretched the corners of her mouth awkwardly, visible to anyone.

“If it’s really uncomfortable, just remove the ‘improper’ and do the ‘act’.”

“……!”

He put his hand on the desk and met Yiyeon’s eye level. His eyes, deeply gazing at her, suddenly caught the sunlight and emitted a mysterious glow. It was faintly reddish, like the wooden craft Yiyeon had once received.

“All sorts of things are already coming to mind in my head, aren’t they for you, Yiyeon?”