"Bye bye!" Seulgi waved her hand in excitement. She got onto her bike and rode it downhill to the next farm. There's a mini box made of wood on her bike to carry small stuff to deliver to the people in this area. Since I'm too lazy to do it myself, I'll just pay Seulgi and let her do the job.

The name's Amber Liu. Currently 25. Used to be an agriculture professor in a university in Seoul, but decided to leave early. You may found me weird because I quit from one of the highest paid job in the educational system, but well, you can't really force your love on anything. One day I just realize it and decided to end it, pack my bag, and move to my family's farm in Jeonju.

My dad bought a land here for them to enjoy their old time with my mom. He chose this farm because my sister liked to venture in the woods and I love swimming in the beautiful and crystal clear lake. My dad used to brag a lot on how easy he signed the deal for this land because he won on a drinking game with the late owner of this land.

But I guess god has another plan.

I just finished my study here in Korea when I heard the plane they use from America crashed and sunk in the middle of the ocean. No one survive and the governement couldn't find the wreckage of the plane because apparently the under water sea current dragged the plane into an abyss. Thus difficulting the search team to found them.

That was one of the darkest time in my life. Just like that I lost my whole family. People I've never known before flock my house and send me condolence with a pat on my back. I just couldn't handle the fact that my family, my mom, dad, and my sister, died and left me alone with no one. But I couldn't do anything anyway. What had been done, can not be undone.

I drowned myself in study and graduated with honor from the university and acccepted full scholarship. After I finish my study, I work in my old school as a lecturer and got my degree there. One day I found the land deed in my old house in America. At first I just had a plan to pay a visit here but I quickly fell in love with this place and decided to be a farmer instead.

I sat on the chair in my house small wooden porch. The fertile land I own now spread from the west until the edge of the lake to the woods on the other side. Quite big for me to handle alone. Lucky for me Seulgi helped a lot here to tend the crops, the chickens and the cows. In return I gave her some of the crop we harvested.

Life's pretty good here. Far from the buzzing city, far from the busy streets and people. The skyscraper that looks like they stand really tall piercing into the heaven, no hectic jobs. Just a peaceful small and simple rural area, but still enough to provide everything I need.

My house consisted of 2 regular bedroom which I only use one of them, the dining area conected to the kitchen, the living area with a fireplace which I built it myself *ehem*, and bathroom. Mostly made of wood. I use solar panel for my daily electricity and a water purifier to extract pure water from the rain. It's a really dependable small house, everything I need to survive are already here.

Sigh... But it gets lonely sometimes. When Seulgi went out with her friend, I have no one to talk with, leaving me alone with the sound of nature. But sometimes Seulgi would bring her friend here and we have lunch together. Some of them would stay to help me in the farm or just play around in the lake.

There's something that quickly caught my attention when the first time I got here. There's a mansion on the other side of the lake. It's a 2 hours walk from my house to get there if you follow the small road in the woods.

The mansion stood alone, showcasing elegant and beauty of the European style building in the middle of the lush wilderness. The cream colored mansion has it's own dock and a private garden, which I accidently found when I walk around the mansion. I've seen some maid walked around inside the mansion or some would pass by and buy some food from me.

Luna was one of the maid. I especially built a mini dock on the shore for her and the other worker's boat. A bubbly and vibrant person, a really good match with her blonde hair that shine like gold when the sun hit them. A really great chef I may add. She always come here on Sunday and Wednesday to buy some supply from the city and buy milk from me. We chatted together sometimes and she left a tray of her food for me as a thank you gift.

I've acquaintanced most of them. But I've never seen the owner of the mansion. Not even once. Luna said the owner of the mansion is a succesful business man in America and he built the mansion for his family summer house. Luna ever mentioned that she only met him once when the first time they hired her to work there.

I stare at the mansion across the lake. It's really really far from socialization and I really pity to whomever decided to stay there. But nevertheless I still think they're lucky to have such an amazing and magnificent building. Luna told me lots of stories about the mansion and I can conclude that it's really amazing inside and has lots of food because Luna said they have a really huge cellar and food storage. How I wish I could taste one of their amazing wine.

"Amber?" I heard someone interupted my day dreaming. A petite girl in a short floral dress stood at the bottom of the stairs. A really pretty girl named Irene Bae. Her long grey and purplish hair tied into a simple bun showing me her pale white skin, almost looks like a porcelain. There's a basket on her hand covered with a red cloth.

"Hello there Irene. What can I help you with today?" I walked to greet her and we both sat on the stairs. She carefully tidied her dress before sitting down.

Irene is the daughter of the mayor here. His dad is a regular customer of my milk and I always bring it to his house every morning. I met Irene every morning when I deliver the milk. She would grab the new bottle and gave me the empty one to fill for tomorrow.

Irene is a year younger than me and she teach the pre school children in the kindergarten. She occasionally visit me here even though her house is 15 minutes walk from here. Sometimes her mom gave me some apple pie and we ate together on the side of the lake with Seulgi and her friend Wendy.

Mrs. Bae always calls me to help her nurse her own garden with Irene. And that's how I become friends with her and the mayor, and because of that I'm well-known to the people here.

"My mom said I should give this to you." She gave the basket to me. Inside there're packs of sandwiches, her famous apple pie, and a bottle of wine. This is really too much for me alone.

"Wow this is too much! You know you don't have to do that." I just laughed sheepishly rubbing my nape. Irene giggled and her eyes turned into a beautiful crescent when she giggled.

"It's from my mom."

"Well okay then, Please send her my thanks and I'd be really glad to help her next time with her garden."

Irene stood up and dusted her dress, "Sure then. I should get going." She smiled before turning around to her bike. She already pedaled and raised her left hand as a sign of goodbye.

"Irene! Let's have a lunch together!" I stood up stoping her from going even farther. She stopped the bike and turned around. She just smiled and I take that as a yes. She turned her bike to my house.

She leaned the bike on the stair while I ran inside to grab the cloth for our mattress and 2 tall glasses. Irene was already on the shore with the basket I left outside. She took off her shoes and dipped her feet in the water. She trembled when she realized the water is still too cold because it's still spring. You have to wait until summer if you want to swim there.

"Hey Irene!" I motioned her to come with my free hand. I place the cloth on the grass and Irene took out the food from the basket. I poured the wine to the glasses while Irene took off the wraper of the sandwich and gave one of them to me.

We sat there just staring at the lake and how the wind made ripple on the water. I just munched silently because Irene really hate people who chew with their mouth open.

"My dad said he finally met the owner of the house." Irene said after she finished chewing her sandwich. She wiped her lips with the tissue and proceed to sip the wine. She sniffed it a bit- she knows how to determine good wine from it scent- and nodded in approval which means the wine she brought is a good one.

"Oh really? What's his name?"

She just raised her shoulder, "I don't know. But my dad calls him Mr. Jung." She continued to eat her sandwich leaving me thinking about the name of the popular businessman named Jung. So far I got nothing.

Irene kept babbling about the possibility and mentioned every popular Jung in the country. I wiped her lips with a tissue when the bread crumbs stuck on them but she wouldn't stop talking in that cute satoori accent. Sometimes she would shook her head, stop for a while, but will continue to talk about another Jung.

I didn't really pay attention about her babbling and focused on eating the sandwich. I took a sip of the wine. My eyes widened when the flavor of the wine burst in my mouth.

"And he brought a girl that day."

Now she has my attention. Luna never mentioned about Mr. Jung daughter before. Finally Irene stopped talking and waited for my reaction. I tried hard to recall my memory- has Luna mentioned about a girl before?

"My dad said she's 2 years younger than me which means she's 22 now. He said she's still in university and she's here to do a research or something like that. I don't really care anyway." Irene raised her shoulder. I combed back my short black hair as my brows scrunched together when I think about why would anyone want to do a research in this ordinary place.

A research? Here? Maybe she's studying about trees or ecology in the forest. I munched silently. My mind still filled with all the possibilty and reason for that person to come to this ordinary place.

Before I noticed, dusk has already dawned upon us. The sun has set down, reflecting it's beautiful orange, pink, and purplish hue on the sky. Irene hugged herself when a cold wind blew from the forest, moving the trees together. I didn't realize we have been talking for hours that mostly spent with Irene talking about her life and I as an obedient listener.

"It's going to be dark soon. I should get going." Irene stood up from her spot and emptied her glass. I put back the rest of the food in the basket while Irene fold the mat before giving it back to me.

"Careful on your way home, Irene. Thanks for the wine, it's great." I guided Irene until the edge of my farm with her bike on her side. Irene just nodded and left to her house.

"Well.. It's just you and me, nature." I pretend to talk to nature. Nature 'replied' with a gush of wind on my face. I walked to the barn where I keep my 3 cows. I always keep the barn clean so my cows wouldn't get sick thus would produce more milk if they're happy.

"Good night, kids." I pretend to talk to them. They just glanced at me while munching the hay I prepare for them. They kept on munching but their eyes never left me. I waved my band to them with a huge smile on my face before I lock the barn. Next I locked the chicken cage where I keep 6 chicken in a mini house made of wire. After I made sure everything has been locked I went inside my house to take a bath

I spent the night by cooking dinner- a simple mashed potato and a grilled meat I've prepared the day before, and watched a reply of a basketball game.

Sometimes I'd like to think what would I be doing now if I'm still in the city. It gets really quiet here after dark. There's only the sound of the nocturnal animal and the noises from the woods. When the clock struck 9 I leave for bed after I set my alarm to wake me up early in the morning.

I glanced at my family's potrait on my night stand. I grab it and hugged it tight,

"Good night, mom.. dad.. Jackie.."

--- ---

RING! RING! RING!

The sound of my alarm broke the serenity of dawn. I silenced it and slumped on my bed. It's 5 in the morning. The weather forecast said it's a regular spring day and I really look forward to buy new batch of seeds for my garden.

"Here goes another day.." I say weakly before I jumped out of the bed to the bathroom to wash up. I wore a simple white shirt, black sweatpants and wore my jacket on top of it. I skipped my way to the kitchen to cook for my breakfast, a simple toast with bacon and egg with milk. I finished it in a flash because I need to deliver the milk as soon as possible.

I went to my garage and took out my trusty bike after I grab the new batch of milk for the customer. I put the crate carefully, not wanting to crack the bottle. I pushed the bike and rode downhill to the city.

The sun peeped from the horizon. The sky has turned from the dark blue to a shade of orange and yellow from the sunshine. After I made a few turn, I park my bike in front of Irene's house and put the new bottle of milk on her doorstep after I take the empty one.

"Good morning, Amber." Mrs. Bae opened the door when I just put the bottle down.

"Ah, good morning Mrs. Bae. Thank you so much for the wine and food yesterday."

Mrs. Bae smiled and her eyes turned into a crescent. She resembled Irene in many ways. She still look beautiful even though she's not that young anymore. Some wrinkle have formed on her face, indicating she has aged. Her greyish hair still look pretty at the first time in the morning. If Mrs. Bae open the door, that means Irene is still sleeping inside.

"That's okay. Thank you so much for your help, Amber." Mrs. Bae grabbed the bottle in her hand.

"I'd love to help you next time with your garden. Excuse me Mrs. Bae, I'd like to send the rest of the milk for today." Mrs. Bae smiled even wider, showing her wrinkles at the side of her eyes. She nodded and gave me the permission to leave.

I got on my bike and move to the next house. Some people would wave their hand when they see me and I answer with waving back at them. I stopped my bike in front of Mr. Shin the carpenter. I grabbed his bottle and replaced it with the new one.

"Amber!"

I saw Seulgi from distance running with her bag full of newspaper. She panted hard when she arrived at my spot yet her smile never left her face. She calmed herself before saying something.

"Have you heard the news?"

I look at her questioningly, "What news?"

She grinned even wider as she continued to speak, "Finally someone move to that mansion by the lake!"

"Seulgi.. I have know that news. So you ran really fast just to tell me an old news?"

She shook her head furiously with too much excitement.

"She's moving TODAY!"