“Kyungsoo-yah!!!” 12-year-old Chanyeol screamed at the top of his lungs, frantically running through the rows of corn stalks.

The five-year-old grandson of Farmer Do had requested to play hide and seek with him, since Chanyeol was the first kid he had ever seen in a long time, having been raised in the massive estate in Ilsan that remained in the Do Family’s possession for generations.

“Kyungsoo-yah!!! C’mon! Where are you?” Chanyeol huffed, sweat sliding down the side of his face. It was turning into sunset, and he wondered how much trouble he would get into, if he returned to Farmer Do’s house only to tell the grandfather and his parents that he had lost little Kyungsoo. He had been seeking him for nearly half an hour now.

Why did he ever agree to this game? He really was too old for this.

“KYUNGSOO-YAH!!! HYUNG IS NOT AMUSED!!!” He warned, his high-pitched voice cracking more from nervousness than anger, really. “COME BACK HERE! NOW!”

Chanyeol’s elf-like ears perked up at the sound of soft—definitely mischievous—giggling.

Groups of stalks parted ways and three-and-a half feet Do Kyungsoo mercifully appeared a few meters away. “Sworry, hyungie…”

Chanyeol immediately dashed over to him, dusting him off and checking if he was hurt anywhere. “Gwenchanha? Where did you even go?”

Kyungsoo’s big eyes crinkled, that cute, heart-shaped, gummy grin forming sincerely that it pinched at Chanyeol’s chest in a really pleasant way.

Yeah, that was it. That heart-shaped smile was simply too irresistible. Chanyeol wondered how elderly Farmer Do could ever say no to Kyungsoo.

“I was here the whole time. Did hyungie get lost?”

All his worries and exhaustion and even irritation dissipated as little Kyungsoo took hold of his hand. “I did,” the older one answered, to which Kyungsoo giggled even more.

Chanyeol couldn’t help laughing himself. “It must be dinner time and your grandfather is probably worried about you.”

“It’s okay, I always know my way back,” Little Kyungsoo assured him, squeezing his newfound hyung’s hand as they returned to the estate. “You are my friend, right, hyungie?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Will you visit me again?” Those big, round eyes blinked up at him hopefully.

Chanyeol bit his lower lip. It was his first time in the Do Family farm, and probably his last too, in a while. “Well… see, I have to go to school.”

“Oh, me too! Harabeoji says I will go to school soon. At Ilsan Kindergarten!”

Chanyeol chuckled, gently ruffling little Kyungsoo’s hair. “That’s great! I’m sure you’ll do well. But Chanyeol hyung will have to go to school in America.”

“‘Merika?” Kyungsoo echoed, eyebrows furrowing. “Where is that?”

“It’s… far away,” Chanyeol tried to explain, feeling dread coming over him as this would be the first time he would be away from home to enter middle school in New York. “I… have to fly by airplane.”

“Oooh! Airplane! Me too, I want to ride on an airplane! Will hyungie take me?”

Chanyeol didn’t know what to make of it, so he just thought to indulge the little one instead. “Sure. Someday.”

“You promise?” Little Kyungsoo then held out his tiny pinky out to Chanyeol, who instantly clasped it with his bigger one.

“All right, I promise.”

And Chanyeol would never forget the biggest, most brilliant smile Kyungsoo had given him that day.

~ * ~ * ~

12 YEARS LATER

“I am terribly sorry for your loss, Young Master Park,” 65-year-old Farmer Do extended his condolences the moment the heir of EXODUS Industries, now 24, alighted his vehicle.

Chanyeol bowed immediately before Farmer Do and clasped both of the elderly farmer’s hands for a commiserate shake. He had only returned to South Korea two weeks prior afterliving in the United States for over a decade. He had flown back when his father passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack and, being the only child, he stepped up and returned to his home country for good.

His responsibilities now included the overall supervision of the EXODUS Grocery chain all over South Korea, which was no small feat.

Farmer Do had been EXODUS Grocery’s main supplier of corn, tomato and strawberries, among other fresh produce, ever since Chanyeol could remember. His parents had always held Farmer Do in the highest regard.

He decided to visit since the upper management of the grocery chain was suggesting to look for other, more reliable suppliers. Chanyeol was shown reports of the Do Family Farm falling drastically short of the expected weekly supplies year after year, thus affecting sales and profitability.

Chanyeol had arrived just in time as the harvest for EXODUS Groceries in Seoul were being wrapped up. The truck hadn’t even been half-filled. Perhaps the reports hadn’t been exaggerated after all.

The deliverymen working for EXODUS bowed to their CEO in greeting, and though still unfamiliar with them, Chanyeol waved back in a polite manner and returned his focus on the farmer/owner.

Kindly Farmer Do gazed at Chanyeol in chagrin, although the young CEO did not display any sort of dismay or annoyance on his handsome face. “Our crops have been sparse lately as I’ve made the difficult decision to let go of half of the workers.  I simply could not finance the manpower, especially with the prolonged winter for two years in a row. For that, I do apologize, Young Master Park.”

The elderly farmer did look much older than mid-60’s. “It’s… understandable to befall some financial burden, ahjussi,” Chanyeol answered delicately. “And… please, just call me Chanyeol. Young master makes me feel like I’m back in Joseon ages…”

Farmer Do did manage to laugh at Chanyeol’s attempt to make light of the situation, but it did little to fade his embarrassment. “When the farm gets back on its feet, I promise we will provide the same amount of harvests for you, if not more.”

“I will count on that,” Chanyeol acquiesced, and he really did hope that the situation would turn itself around. His parents saw so much potential in the Do Family estate and his father had often expressed interest in buying the property should it be up for sale.

Perhaps Chanyeol could propose a merger, to at least lift some of the monetary strain, and to hire more workers, and in turn be able to produce more crops. He was thinking of how to open such a conversation when one of the deliverymen announced that the harvest was ready to be driven back to Seoul. Chanyeol gave them a nod, as the driver and the other men waved, and off they went on their way.

“Before I forget, ahjussi,” Chanyeol resumed, turning for the back compartment of his Mercedes Benz G65. “Omma and I wanted to give you these gifts.”

And Chanyeol then hauled the box containing bags of walnuts, vitamin supplements, liquor and chocolates and candies, mostly from USA.

Farmer Do immediately offered to carry it but Chanyeol gently refused as he brought the box inside the manor with hardly any effort, and Farmer Do leading the way.

“The chocolates are for little Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol said, setting the box of gifts onto the living room table. His eyes wandered around the familiar, modest interior of the spacious house, thinking that it hardly changed over the years.

“I’m sure he would love them,” Farmer Do laughed appreciatively. “Only he’s not so little anymore. He’s already 17, Chanyeol-ssi.”

“Oh, right,” Chanyeol agreed, laughing himself. The image of adorable five-year-old Kyungsoo was still stuck in his head and didn’t imagine that he would, of course, grow into a teenager, naturally.

Farmer Do glanced at the clock on the wall, as it was turning 5 p.m. “He should be home from school any minute now. How about some refreshments?”

Before Chanyeol could answer, the front door opened and Farmer Do was suddenly tackled into a bear hug.

“Haraboeji! Whose fancy Mercedez Benz is that outside?” a petite young man, whose back was at Chanyeol, asked excitedly. “Did you buy that as my early high school graduation gift?”

Farmer Do laughed out loud, throwing his head back. “Oh, I wish, my Kyungsoo-yah.” He gazed apologetically at Chanyeol, who appeared amused by the endearing scene. “But that belongs to our guest.”

Kyungsoo’s large eyes grew even rounder at the thought of them having unexpected company, as he whirled around to find a tall, gallant man, perhaps around mid-20’s, standing there in the middle of their living room. “Uh… a-annyeong haseayo…”

Kyungsoo blinked when the strange man didn’t answer immediately. Didn’t he hear him?

“A-Annyeong hasaeyo, Kyungsoo-yah,” the tall man greeted, apparently coming to his senses and bowing before him that it made Kyungsoo follow his example belatedly.

Geez… he must have been over six feet tall because Kyungsoo had to crane his neck to look him in the eye.

Also… the man called him by his first name without Kyungsoo introducing himself.

“H-Have we meet before, ahjussi?” Kyungsoo asked nervously, although feeling a little embarrassed that he didn’t sense the same kind of familiarity that the other man seemed to be radiating.

Farmer Do squeezed Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Well, you only met once before when Young Master Park—”

“Uh, Chanyeol,” the taller one timidly interrupted, hoping that it would ring a bell for Kyungsoo. “Only Chanyeol, ahjussi,” he reminded once more, his face turning crimson as Kyungsoo’s big, inquisitive eyes now stared at him in assessment.

But it didn’t seem as if the younger one had any recollection of him at all. “My name is Park Chanyeol,” he introduced, extending his right hand now and using formal language. “Your grandfather is right, Do Kyungsoo-ssi. We only met one time, over 10 years ago.”

Kyungsoo was only nodding slowly, perhaps racking his brain for the memories, as his hand came into contact with Chanyeol’s much larger one.

Then something must have clicked as Kyungsoo’s heart-shaped lips turned upward. “Were you the one who got lost in the cornfields when we were playing hide and seek? I think I called you hyung.”

Hyungie... Chanyeol wanted to say, but only responded with a spontaneous smile, left dimple deepening.

“You have to stay for dinner, Young Master—I mean, Chanyeol-ssi,” Farmer Do invited, laughing as he corrected himself, much to the young CEO’s relief. “Kyungsoo is such a great cook.”

“Aigoo, harabeoji.” Kyungsoo turned to Chanyeol then, deflecting. “Please lower your expectations. Hopefully whatever I cook will provide you with a hearty meal.”

“His doenjang-jjigae is restaurant quality, Chanyeol-ssi. It will be the best you’ve ever tasted,” Farmer Do told him with much pride. “Would you cook that for us, Kyungsoo-yah?”

The 17-year-old p