It felt as though more than a decade had passed since that day that Kyungsoo swore to never sell the estate to anyone.

Especially not to Park Chanyeol.

He did manage to get into an art school eventually, after taking a couple of years off after high school graduation to help out in the farm and working part time as an illustrator in the local newspaper simultaneously.

At 25, Do Kyungsoo did graduate with a Fine Arts degree, specializing in painting, but by then, the farm was incurring several losses, and their crops were dwindling into smaller and smaller numbers that even the local markets were transferring to other suppliers.

Due to the stress, and perhaps the heartbreak, Farmer Do unfortunately passed away at the age of 74, leaving the farm to Kyungsoo and now he would have to fend for himself.

Kyungsoo rubbed his temples at around 10 p.m. one night, could hardly keep his eyes open whilst attempting to balance the books. He had always been completely inept when it came to Math. And what was more miserable was that he couldn’t afford the accountant that had been working for his grandfather up until the last few months of his life.

However, it was clear as day that the farm was in such deep debt that if this land had been mortgaged off to a bank, then it would have been foreclosed ten years ago.

He was 27 years old, but he felt much older than that. Everyday was about waking up, working to the bone, struggling as he did, and then repeat the vicious cycle all over again.

He hadn’t even made good use of his college degree because he went straight to helping to run the farm, which he had no regrets about. But then those four years of studying art theory and painting models and intricate landscapes and creating a portfolio that had been displayed in his college’s Hall of Fame only proved to be meaningless.

His eyes burned as tears began to blur his vision. Perhaps this deep unresolved emotion was derived from too much fatigue. He hadn’t even properly grieved for his grandfather, who died less than a year ago. Sometimes he still would talk to his grandfather in his dreams, asking him for guidance and advice about overseeing a farm single-handedly, because half the time, Kyungsoo didn’t have a clue what he was doing.

Kyungsoo’s eyes were seriously starting to sting as he started to cough. Only then did he realize that there was smoke filling up the house and oxygen was running out.

Suddenly, he could hear Farmer Oh and Sehun hyung screaming out his name from outside, their strong fists banging at the door.

Through the haze, Kyungsoo made his way to the front door as the Ohs frantically informed him that a huge fire had broken out on the cornfields.

Kyungsoo’s eyes grew large as he saw several of his neighbors trying to stop the spread of the wildfire by throwing buckets upon buckets of water, but it only fueled the flames to grow.

He heard Mrs. Oh trying to contact the fire department to come immediately, but even Kyungsoo could see that it was already too late.

The fire was consuming everything in its wake… the cornfields, the tomato bushes, the arboretum where the strawberries were housed…

Kyungsoo tried to rack in his brain as to what could have caused this. He was painting the shed before coming into the manor to do the accounting, thought to use a gas lamp because he forgot to change the bulb again… and perhaps he had been so exhausted that he didn’t remember to take the lamp with him or at least blow it off and the gas must have spilled somehow and…

He fell on his knees, as tears of regret now spilled from his eyes. “Haraboeji,” he cried to the heavens. “Harabeoji, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Meanwhile, back in Seoul, Chanyeol was absent-mindedly flipping through the channels on his LCD TV when his best friend Jongin messaged him about setting up another blind date for him.

Chanyeol only clucked his tongue and sent Jongin a hasty text. “You know I don’t have time for that. Stop bothering me, I’m about to go to sleep.”

He went to get a drink from his fridge then when his attention was then diverted when the program on his wall-mounted screen was interrupted by the network’s evening news.

“Ilsan’s fire department rushed to the scene of a strawberry farm in the middle of the province currently caught in the inferno…”

Chanyeol reached for the remote to increase the volume as local journalists covered the real-time tragedy happening in Ilsan.

And whenever Ilsan was mentioned, Chanyeol only remembered the Do Family Estate, and the late Farmer Do…

And Kyungsoo.

Chanyeol leaned forward, inadvertently riveted, as the devastated Kyungsoo sobbed helplessly, covering his face with his hands and telling the reporters to go away. He was whisked away and protected by whom Chanyeol recognized to be the neighbor Sehun and his parents.

Chanyeol tossed and turned that night, slumber proving to be elusive, hours after learning of the horrendous news. Farmer Do had never accepted his merger proposal and that sadly ended the business relationship between the two families, with EXODUS groceries moving on to purchase fresh harvests from more modern and sizeable farms.

He thought about the Do family estate often, and how it had one of the most breathtaking sunrise he had ever beheld, even if he had been to most parts of the world.

He couldn’t imagine what Kyungsoo must be feeling right now, to lose his home and his grandparents’ legacy just like that.

He fought the strong urge to reach out to him somehow, because he knew he would be rejected and pushed away yet again.

He fell into a dreamless, restless sleep, not even enough to grant him peace.

Chanyeol kept thinking about it, about Kyungsoo, for days to come, still restraining himself from getting into his car and driving there himself to personally check on him, on the farm…

What had been the extent of the damage? Was the manor affected? Where was Kyungsoo living now?

Was Kyungsoo all right?

Perhaps he should send a donation? Anonymously, of course, because he was absolutely sure Kyungsoo wouldn’t accept it if he knew it came from him. He could call a few people, find out which bank Kyungsoo made his deposits in and then have the bank manager deposit it into the account on Chanyeol’s behalf…

“Park sajangnim?”

Chanyeol was startled as he looked up at the vice president, his late father’s right-hand man and Chanyeol’s godfather, who had been staring across from him in the meeting room.

“Any thoughts about opening our new site in Busan?”

Chanyeol’s mind went into high gear, as all 25 pairs of eyes, all distinguished members for the board—all older than him—turned their gaze at his direction. He quickly studied the site layout on the projector, unable to churn out enthusiasm that he initially expressed when this massive project was presented to him. “Everything seems to be in order,” was something neutral he would say so that no further elaboration would be expected of him.

“Since everyone agrees, we will all sign the contracts within the week,” The vice president proposed.

There was a murmur of consensus, and the board members began to rise from their seats and exited.

Chanyeol sighed, as he got up to leave himself. Maybe he should call it a day, as he wasn’t able to concentrate, anyway.

On the way back to his office, his face cracked into a smile as he saw that his mother in another, smaller meeting room where it had glass walls. Mrs. Park was talking to a gentleman whose back was on him so Chanyeol grew curious, about to turn to a corner to take a good look at…

Kyungsoo.

Chanyeol literally bumped into his secretary, without meaning to, because he couldn’t take his eyes off him.

His petite, young secretary named Yeri opened up a couple of files in her arms and told her boss that those financial reports needed looking over and that they were urgent.

Chanyeol found himself vaguely agreeing, because the request never actually registered. His mind and his feet were already moving towards Kyungsoo.

Yeri found it rather strange that her boss didn’t even excuse himself, as Park sajangnim had always displayed superb manners. Perhaps there was a more pressing manner at hand and he needed to talk to his mother desperately.

Chanyeol soundlessly pushed the glass door open, as his mother grinned brightly at him.

“Adul!”

Kyungsoo gasped softly and turned to bow at Chanyeol in greeting. “Annyeong-haseayo, Park Chanyeol-ssi.”

“You do remember Do Kyungsoo of the Do Family estate, adul?” Mrs. Park introduced, although she already knew it wasn’t necessary.

For years, Chanyeol would have his staff members buy from the farm—three hours away from Seoul—to give fruit baskets to his colleagues and friends as a way to help out.

Mrs. Park had no idea if Chanyeol was still doing this now, but she didn’t question it. She was grateful to be blessed with a son growing up with a heart of gold, despite the many tangible treasures Park Chanyeol already had in his name since birth.

“Yes, of course,” Chanyeol said softly, gesturing for Kyungsoo and his mother to sit so that they could all talk comfortably.

The CEO’s gaze was unwavering on him that Kyungsoo fidgeted with his hands. Was he dressed inappropriately? He came to visit the EXODUS head office in his most formal shirt (which was a plain dark blue polo) and pressed khaki pants.

Compared to Chanyeol’s pinstriped three-piece suit, Kyungsoo felt more of a country bumpkin than ever.

Apart from that, the memory of the last time he had spoken to him filled him with so much mortification that he prayed he never had to face Park Chanyeol ever again.

Desperate times called for desperate measures and he was fortunate that the Parks had spared a few minutes out of their busy schedules to meet with him at all.

“I was going over my grandfather’s documents recently and… I found this.” Kyungsoo reached for a stack of olden papers from his laptop bag.

Chanyeol and his mother were surprised that Kyungsoo was handing them the estate’s land title and what appeared to be a contract between the late Mr. Park and Farmer Do.

“I wasn’t aware that my grandfather had owed the senior Park sajangnim over 6 Billion won in lieu of harvests and farming equipment back in 2001, and ¾ of the amount remains still unpaid, two decades later.”

Kyungsoo bit his already trembling lip as he lowered his gaze in shame. “The farm is currently inoperable in all intents and purposes, because of the massive fire that occurred last week… On top of that, I also have students loans that I need to pay off and I don’t know where or how to even begin…” He sniffed, as a couple of tears streamed down his smooth cheeks helplessly.

He had better get his point across—the very reason why he came all the way out to Seoul, in the heart of its business district—before he completely lost his nerve. “I am not proud of having to come to you for this, and my grandfather would have resolved this differently, but if you are willing to take my family’s land as payment—”

“Yes.”

Kyungsoo suddenly blinked his teary eyes up at Chanyeol’s gentle ones.

Mrs. Park, having already predicted what her son’s answer was going to be, squeezed Kyungsoo’s hand in comfort.

“On one condition,” Chanyeol went on, reaching for the tissue box and sliding it over to the young farmer’s direction.

Kyungsoo held his breath as he braced himself as to what Chanyeol was going to say next.

“The goal is to restore your family’s farm and grow the quality produce it’s always been known for,” Chanyeol recommended, his tone quiet and yet unequivocally firm, “and you’re going to do it with me.”

~*~*~

It took a battalion of workers to set Chanyeol’s plan for the Do family farm into motion that Kyungsoo found himself extremely overwhelmed, especially in the beginning. With over one hundred farmers now working under Kyungsoo, renovating the glass house for the strawberries, replanting the crops, checking inventory, Kyungsoo had to admit that operations was running way more smoothly than he could have anticipated.

Chanyeol was still based in Seoul, but was contactable whenever Kyungsoo needed to consult with him. They usually set Wednesday nights, after dinner, having a Facetime meeting, where Kyungsoo would diligently update Chanyeol with the restoration progress and any mishaps that happened during the day or week. Chanyeol was always patient and generously shared his insights about handling business and gauging what steps would be profitable or not.

At first, Kyungsoo would be nervous and uncomfortable dealing with such a distinguished personality, at least that was what he expected of Park Chanyeol, who belonged naturally in the social circles of South Korea’s elite families. However, Kyungsoo’s perception of him transformed in their frequent encounters as their weekly online meetings turned into alternate days and eventually to daily video calls.

About 95% of their discussions were about the farm, of course. The other 5%...

Well… there was always a little room for informalities, like asking each other how their day went, or sharing what projects they had coming up for the week, what they were having for dinner that night. Chanyeol even started to refer to Kyungsoo by his first name, as he was, indeed, seven years younger than him. Chanyeol would even crack jokes sometimes whenever he watched Kyungsoo’s thick eyebrows furrow when looking at the numbers on the reports he had to present