“Watch out!” Areum watched the pumpkin fly into the air and over the wall. She heard a thump, a groan and then the familiar sound of the pumpkin rolling down the street. She rushed out the side gate to see the damage. 

“You!!!” the high school student pointed an accusatory finger, “You’re a menace unnie!” 

“Otoke, I’m so sorry. But it worked. Did you see how high it flew?” Areum had to fetch the pumpkin. 

“Everyone calls you a mad scientist!” Eun-ji yelled after Areum as she raced down the road after the pumpkin. 

It kept rolling on and why was this road so damn long. 

Won-shik was sitting out on his balcony when the girl ran past, He’d seen the pumpkin rolling by a couple of minutes ago.

“What is harabeoji laughing at?” Jungkook came out on the balcony with their coffee. 

“Just the Lee girl. Things are always lively when she’s back for the holidays.”

“Who?” 

“Oh you know…” his grandson shook his head, “the one with the curly hair that wears lab coats and makes all the noise…” 

Jungkook snapped his fingers, “ Ah you’re talking about crazy agassi.” 

“Is that what you kids call her?” he chucked, “her mother was a beauty.” But Jungkook wasn’t listening anymore. 

Chap 1 

“Marriage date!” Eun-ji exploded over the phone.  

“It’s not a marriage date. Just someone Harabeoji wants me to meet.” Jungkook explained. 

“I’m coming over there right now and…” 

“And what?” He tried not to smile but he could just imagine Eun-ji in her bedroom across the street, storming up and down, throwing things even. “Do you plan to argue with my grandfather?” 

Eun-ji deflated and sat on the bed. She took a couple of deep breaths. There was no way she’d do that. Jungkook loved his grandfather, “So why a marriage date all of a sudden? He does know we’re dating right?” 

“But we’re not dating -  yet.” 

“Only because you want me to finish school!” Eun-ji pouted, “Seriously oppa you’re the worst. What if you fall for someone else?” 

Jungkook chuckled, “I’d be too afraid of your wrath. Besides…” he lowered his voice even though he was in the privacy of his bedroom, “You won’t have any worries once you hear who it is!” 

Areum fidgeted with the napkin and then took another sip of her coffee. She’d ordered one, was it rude? But she needed to calm down before he got to the cafe. She was not nervous about meeting him, in fact, she was pretty familiar with the boy across the street. What she was nervous about, was her father’s intentions. Areum had overheard them discussing how Taeyang group could save the company. She was no idiot and she was nosy so she’d seen the card statements of overdrawn accounts, heard the all too familiar arguments about money. Now, like some character in a goth romance, she was the pawn. 

“Sorry am I late.” Jungkook sat down opposite the girl. 

Areum shook her head, “You’re not. I always work here because it’s close to campus.” 

Jungkook leaned back in his chair, looking around the shop. “Look, why don’t we just pretend we had coffee and then our families will probably forget about this idea?” 

Jungkook’s eyes widened and then he recovered, “Really?” 

“Really,” she glanced discreetly at her watch. 

“Okay, well that will help actually. I have to get back to campus.” he hesitated, “I’ll get your coffee.” 

“I can manage.” she smiled, “Go. I’ll be fine and I won’t say anything.” she watched him leave and released a breath of relief. 

“Hey nerd, break times almost over. You finished with your date?” Se-young snickered. 

“Hey, I wasn’t even supposed to be working unnie!” damn that Lim Minah for being sick on today of all days. What if she’d been discovered? She put on an apron and started to clear the table. 

Jungkook was almost to his car when he realised he didn’t even have her number. It was probably a good idea to have it just in case they needed to corroborate each other’s stories. Anyway, harabeoji would forget about setting him up on these dates. Jungkook had no intention of getting into anything serious while he was in university. There’d be plenty of time for that later. 

He jogged up to the cafe and was about to open the door when he saw her...with an apron? Clearing tables? Jungkook ran a hand through his hair and then backed off. 

Areum looked up, for a moment there it felt like someone was starring at her. 

“Slacking off?” Se-young whacked her with a dishtowel.

“Ani...yah unnie, that stung like a mother…” she shut before she swore in front of the customers. Se-young cackled, “I just had that weird feeling I was being watched.” 

“Another stalker?” Se-young was suddenly serious. 

“Of course not…” Areum smiled, “I’d tell you.” 

“You better. Oh, let's get some soup for Minah on the way home?” 

“Sure.” Areum continued smiling until Se-young went off to man the takeaway coffee station. It was nothing. It wasn’t like the last time. 

Why are you so late?” her stepmother demanded, “your father wants to talk to you.” 

Areum took a deep breath. It wasn’t even worth explaining that she had a job that during the term she wasn’t even supposed to be on this side of the world. Her stepmother conveniently forgot these things. As it was, the only reason she was keen to come back here today was to collect some of the long grass that grew in the open plot down the road. 

“You wanted to see me?” Areum knocked and waited in front of her father’s desk. Her stepmother also came into the room and sat on the comfortable couch in front of the fire. It reminded her of happier times with her mother sitting on that same couch. 

Her father was in his fifties but bad business had aged him. He covered the grey with colour and wore fashionable clothes to keep up with his younger wife, but the strain and age were in his eyes and the lines forming fast around his mouth and eyes. Lee Dong-hyun took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, “How was your date?” 

“Fine,” 

“Just fine?” it was her stepmother that piped up like one of those annoying small dogs that everyone carried around, “But he’s such a handsome boy.” 

Dong-hyun shook his head. His stubborn daughter wouldn’t be interested in all that. He’d have to get to her another way. “Can you give us a moment?” he looked pointedly at his wife. With a roll of her eyes, she flounced out the room. 

“Areum I’m going to be straight with you. This is illogical but it’s just a couple of dates.” 

Areum crossed the room and opened the window, “It’s stuffy in here. You always forget how important fresh air is.” 

Dong-hyun smiled, “If there's even a possibility that this boy accepts you then we will be saved. Your grandfather’s company will be saved.” 

“Appa…” 

“I suppose that doesn’t mean much to you either. Well, this whole situation is kind of your fault.” 

“Mine?” she whirled around. 

“I don’t know what you did but the head of Taeyang Group approached me.” 

“That old man.” she grumbled, “Fine. But don’t count the money just yet appa. That boy already has someone he loves.” she bowed. 

“Where are you going?” 

“I’m collecting some supplies and then I’ll be off.” she hesitated at the door, “I’ll be back properly at the end of the term.” 

Won-shik was on the return journey of his evening walk when he heard a sound that brought him a certain level of contentment. At first, he didn’t recognise it but then it came to him, this was the sound of grass being cut. When they were young teenage boys, his grandfather took him back to the ancestral farmlands and he and his brother and cousins would spend the whole autumn cutting grass and tending the land for the next harvest. 

“This is private property,” he told the girl. 

She whipped around and pushed the unruly hair off her face. “Is it?” carrying the blade she walked through the grass toward him, “I used to think the same thing about my time, my body but then I had to go one something ridiculous today. I heard its all your fault.” 

He chuckled, “It was supposed to be fun.” 

Areum shot him a withering look, “Illogical fun.” she whispered, “Old man why me?” 

“I didn’t peg you as a narcissist.” 

“Everyone’s a narcissist. I spent hours in front of the mirror staring at my eyebrows.” 

“Then we have that in common.” 

Areum grinned, “Wanna have a go?” 

“I’m not sure I still remember…” he took the blade and tried to recall the motion. The wind picked up, he closed his eyes. It smelt good. 

“It’s the best quality after the rain.” Areum gathered what she’d cut into a shopping bag. 

“What’s it for this time?” 

“I’m trying to help my dad out with something.” 

“Tell me about it.” he started cutting, swinging back and forth, slowly at first and then gaining more confidence. 

“Uh-uh you know I don’t like talking about it. It’s top secret.” she joked. Even though she was pretty sure her project could change lives. She changed subjects, “You’ve got experience.” she was impressed, “Old man…isn’t there another way to save my appa’s business? Don’t you think it’s a little old fashioned?” 

“Not at all. This is a custom still carried out throughout the world.” 

“Your grandson has someone he already cares for - deeply.” 

Won-shik grunted. 

“That is not an appropriate explanation.” she huffed, a little out of breath, “You do realise that I’m not exactly marriage material.”
“Okay, let's hear why you’re the worst possible choice.” 

“I’m the product of a broken home.” 

“So am I. Do you know I was adopted? Big secret.” he winked. 

Areum wasn’t to be defeated, “I’m not even from here anymore and you know it too. I’m just around for the holidays, just long enough so that appa doesn’t feel guilty for being a ty father.” 

Won-shik burst out laughing. 

“I swear a lot.” 

“Me too.” 

“I don’t believe in love!”

“Everyone believes in love.” 

“I’m a scientist. Love is the same as God for us. Do you really want your precious heir to marry a