Many years ago there was a rich heir of a manufacturing company. One hot summer, he left on a hiking trip to Jeju Island with some buddies. They were celebrating the completion of his military enlistment and their plan was to conquer Mount Halla and drink it up whenever they could. 
 

One early morning, as he was hiking the trails near the forests (his friends were still asleep, recovering from the drink), he saw a beautiful maiden. Or at least the lower half of one. The rest of her seemed to be hidden in the branches high above.

This was not a usual sight, so of course he had to stop and investigate.

"Need any help?" He called out.

The legs froze briefly.

"No," was the only answer he got. But the rich heir was not one to just pass by, not when such pretty legs were dangling by and there could be a maiden in distress.

So he waited patiently on a nearby rock.

The legs soon disappeared up the tree. Not long after though, a small bag came tumbling down.

"Sh*t,"  said the voice.  He heard more scrambling sounds as the tree branch shook.

Of course by now, the heir's curiosity was thoroughly picqued. He stepped closer, trying to catch a glimpse of her through the thick leaves.

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

The voice sighs. "Since you're down there already, can you toss that bag back to me?"

He grins, and decides this would be his opening.

"I can," he says, "But what do I get as a reward?"

"How about not having your kicked if I have to go down there?"

He grins even wider. He's heard that women on this island were formidable.

She sighs again. "Look, I'm sorry. But I would really appreciate it if you could toss me that bag. I have my camera positioned already here and it would save me a lot of trouble if I don't have to climb down and redo this. Please," That last word comes out rather reluctantly making him smile further.
 

He contemplates how exactly to toss her the bag then decides he might as well climb up. After all, he's curious to see what she looked like.

The branches shake a little as he finds a foothold and clambers up, but soon he's higher in the tree and he spots those legs and then the rest of her. And his heart stops.

She's precariously perched in between two branches, her hands holding a camera steady on one of them. Her long, thick hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail, while she concentrates on the dials of the camera. She hears the rustle of the leaves as he approaches and turns to look at him.

He always said that was the moment he fell. Actually, that was the moment he fell. He got so distracted he missed his foothold and tumbled back down. Luckily his fall was broken by the thick brush below but for a few minutes all he saw was leaves and sky and then... her.

Worried eyes look at him, framed in thick dark lashes.

"Hey, are you ok?" the voice is tinged with concern. Gentle hands run through his hair checking for any bleeding or bumps.

He tries to sit up and winces a little at the pain in his shoulder but generally everything seemed to be in the right place.

"Hi. I'm Nam Hyun Bin," he smiles.

She sits back looking annoyed. "So I guess that means you're fine."
 

She gets up to grab the bag and zips the camera back in its case.

"Well, I'm glad you're not dead or crippled but I have to go."

She starts walking away and Hyun Bin hurries up to follow her, grabbing his backpack that was laying by the rock.

"What were you doing up there?"

"Listen Ahjusshi, no offense. But you're a stranger and we haven't been introduced. So I don't know why you're talking to me so informally or following me."  

Ahjusshi??
 

She pauses abruptly and he almost trips over his feet as he manages to stop bumping into her, but just barely.

"Also my Abouji is the Village Head and he could snap that pretty neck of yours with his bare fists."

She turns around in a huff. But he just grins.

"So, you think I'm pretty, huh?"

"I think," she snaps, "you're a bored mainlander who's looking for some fun and hasn't had the pleasure of an island girl smacking sense into him."

She  whips around and disappears down a sidetrail. 

-----

The next morning the young man's friends want to hit the beach but he makes his excuses and says he wants to explore the trails a little more. Before they can argue he takes himself off and soon finds himself back near that rock in the forest.

He eyes the tree from yesterday hopefully, wondering if the girl was up there again. But no limbs other than the tree kind could be seen.

So he decides to keep going down the trail, whistling merrily as he walked.

He doesn't get far before a voice hisses at him "Psst. Keep it down... Here, come over here."
 

He doesn't see her at first but as he follows the sound of her voice he sees her sprawled on the forest floor, her camera pointed to what looked to be just leaves and brush on the ground.

H