ACJY C10

After driving for about 40 minutes from the town center, the already narrow road became even narrower.

“From here on is Dongjam-ri.”

Taeheun had just noticed the signpost that read “Dongjam-ri.” The village scenery, memorized from the photos he had scrutinized, looked no different from the places they had just passed, yet it felt strangely special. So that’s the village hall… Saetteo, wasn’t it? He straightened up from his slouched position. He eagerly scanned the endless expanse of rice paddies and fields past the village’s only supermarket, a sense of excitement building within him.

The roughly paved cement road was cracked in places, causing the car to jolt constantly. Even that gave way to a dirt road as they went deeper into the village, the only indication of a path being the weeds flattened by farm equipment like tractors. Mr. Han drove without slowing down on the narrow road, barely wide enough for a single car. He didn’t stop talking either.

“I didn’t want to say this in case you felt embarrassed, but when I first saw you, Director, I thought you were a Hollywood star. I was immediately impressed. Handsome face, tall, and that physique! Your shoulders are as wide as the Pacific Ocean. I don’t think you’re mixed-race, but you must have some Viking or Mongolian blood a few generations back.”

Taeheun was used to hearing compliments about his looks, so it wasn’t anything new.

“My eyes are pure Korean, though.”

Mr. Han loudly refuted Taeheun’s nonchalant reply, disguised as modesty.

“Oh, pure Korean? If you say that, what does that make a real pure Korean like me? Director, your charm point is those long, cool eyes. Haha.”

Taeheun let out a small chuckle.

Everyone he met, including Mr. Han, praised his “cool eyes,” but his uncle hated them. Ironically, they were the same eyes as his aunt, whom his uncle adored.

“The road gets a bit rough from here, so hold on tight.”

Taeheun wondered what he meant, as the road was already in bad shape, when suddenly the car lurched violently. Detective Park, who had been dozing, woke up with a start.

That was the beginning of a relentless bouncing. The scenery definitely changed. The gentle slopes turned into sharp curves, and even the sparsely scattered houses disappeared. After about 10 minutes on the bumpy dirt road, the surroundings suddenly darkened, and a dense forest appeared before them.

Right in front of the forest, incongruously, stood a high wall and an orange slate roof, common in the countryside. The cement wall resembled a temporary barrier erected along a highway, and if it weren’t for the roof, Taeheun wouldn’t have guessed there was a house behind it.

“That’s it.”

Mr. Han pointed with his finger.

“See that blue roof on top of the orange one? That’s the house you’ll be using, Director. It’s in the mountains, so the air is good, and above all, the view is fantastic.”

The orange-roofed house, surrounded on three sides by mountains, was nestled at the foot of a low valley, while the blue-roofed one was situated a little higher up. It was set quite far back, so the house was barely visible, and only about a third of the roof was exposed.

“That mountain is Mansu Mountain. Legend has it that a hermit visited, and finding the scenery so beautiful, he settled down and enjoyed a long life.”

Aside from the air and scenery, the land itself was definitely good. Even a dog at a Confucian school can recite poetry after three years, as they say. Taeheun had developed an eye for land. He could at least tell whether a site was suitable for a factory or a golf course, and he could instantly recognize places with the potential for large apartment complexes and accompanying infrastructure. Places that seemed dubious for redevelopment felt different the moment he stepped foot on them.

And this land definitely had good energy. However, it wasn’t a place he would recommend for a young man living with a small child. There were no houses nearby that could be considered neighbors, and the location was quite isolated. If Taeheun decided to attack, he could finish the job in five minutes and slip away unnoticed. That was probably the reason they had chosen this place for him.

Mr. Han parked next to a blue Porter truck parked in front of the wall. Taeheun got out of the car and stretched his long body. It was unusually hot. Just standing there for a moment made sweat trickle down his back inside his shirt. He took off his jacket and held it in his hand.

“Man, it’s hot. How can it be this hot in early June?”

Detective Park, the last to get out of the car, wiped the back of his neck with a handkerchief and echoed, “I know, right?”

“We have to walk from here. The road is too narrow.”

Mr. Han, holding a fan, led the way.

They entered an alley too narrow for two adults to walk side-by-side, but a little wide for just one. Calling it an alley was generous; it was overgrown with weeds. People must have lived here once, but the alley was a dirt path, devoid of even the most basic cement, and desolate. Dust puffed up with every step.

After walking for a while, the incline suddenly steepened, and the path turned sharply at a 90-degree angle.

“Oh dear, what is this? They could have at least cut the grass.”

Mr. Han, stopping at the corner, looked back with a troubled expression, panting.

“Sorry. I didn’t know it was this bad.”

Beyond the corner, there was nothing but dense vegetation. Weeds, reaching waist-high, grew haphazardly, making Taeheun wonder if there had ever been a path there in the first place.

“I’ll have someone clear this all out tomorrow.”

Saying this, Mr. Han strode through the weeds. Taeheun and Detective Park had no choice but to follow. After pushing through the weeds for a few more meters, an abandoned house came into view. The overgrown weeds surrounding the entire house made the path they had just come through seem tame.

“Daeho said he’d cleared it all out. What is this?”

Detective Park grumbled.

“Well, I did tell Daeho to do that, but he must have forgotten. I’ve been a bit busy lately. You know, just because it’s the countryside doesn’t mean it’s leisurely. And who knew it would be this bad?”

Mr. Han rambled on with excuses.

“But isn’t this a bit much? You haven’t even been here, have you? Daeho trusted you with this, isn’t this going too far?”

“Oh, why are you being so harsh? Well, um, yes. I am ashamed, but…”

Lost for words as Detective Park continued to press him, Mr. Han looked up at the sky.

The atmosphere turned frosty. Unfazed, Taeheun, curious about the inside of the abandoned house, pushed the rusty, half-tilted gate open with his foot. The area that must have once been a yard was filled with weeds as tall as a person. Behind the weeds stood a traditional L-shaped Korean house, literally on the verge of collapse.

He crossed the yard, getting closer to the house. Only the pillars seemed intact; the rest was rotting and dilapidated. The paper screens on the sliding doors leading to the veranda were all torn off, giving a clear view of the interior, which was also overgrown with weeds.

He kicked open the kitchen door, which creaked loudly as it opened. The kitchen was also filled with weeds up to Taeheun’s thighs, and through the vegetation, he could just make out something that looked like a sottukkeong (a traditional Korean pot lid), allowing him to guess the location of the hearth.

It was a perfect hiding place. Who would think that someone would come to live in a place like this?

Mr. Han didn’t even try to come inside. Detective Park, with a disgruntled expression, simply stood there with his arms crossed, looking around.

“It won’t take long to cut the weeds, right?”

Taeheun asked.

“Oh, of course. Next time you come, it’ll be like a brand new house.”

Mr. Han said emphatically, glancing at Detective Park.

As Taeheun walked back towards the gate, crossing the yard, he stopped. From the higher ground, he could see the front yard of the orange-roofed house. Two puppies were running around excitedly.

I absolutely hate puppies.

He frowned.

Noticing his gaze, Mr. Han explained in a cheerful voice, “That’s Yoon Gibeom’s house. That’s where you’ll be staying while the house is being repaired. You can see it clearly from here.”

“Would you like to stop by the house down there? Since we’re here, it would be good to at least see his face. I heard he should be home around this time.”

“Sure, why not?”

At Taeheun’s reply, Mr. Han led the way.

The gate to the man’s house was half-open. For someone who had built such a high wall, their security was lax. Mr. Han pushed the gate open without hesitation, but quickly slammed it shut, intimidated by the fierce barking of the dogs.

“Oh, man, that scared me. Mr. Yoon Gibeom! Mr. Yoon Gibeom, are you there?”

Mr. Han’s voice was drowned out by the barking.

No one came out, no matter how loudly Mr. Han shouted.

“Is he not home?”

Mr. Han cautiously opened the gate again, then quickly closed it.

“Why would he leave the dogs loose? What if they bite someone?”

Grumbling, Mr. Han pulled out his flip phone from his back pocket.

“Oh, there’s no signal.”

At his frustrated exclamation, Detective Park took out his own phone, fully extended the antenna, and moved around trying to find a signal.

“Do you have a signal?”

“No, I can’t get anything.”

Taeheun also took out his StarTAC from his jacket pocket. It was out of service.

The three men stood in front of someone else’s house, each holding up their phones, trying to find a spot with a signal. Just as Mr. Han was unpromptedly reiterating that he had been told the man would be home at this time, a truck appeared around the bend. Before the truck had even fully stopped, a man jumped out of the back. Following the man’s hand signals, the truck reversed and moved forward a few times before turning around and heading back the way it came.