Chae Min gasps. She can not believe her ears. Her father is a man who never lied but how she wishes he is lying right now. He told her that they needed to talk but she did not expect this.

"Oh my god," she says, shocked. "You're selling our land?"

"Business just isn't going so well nowadays. Too many competitions." her father creases his brows.

"Is that really all?" Chae Min senses something is wrong. She coaxes, "Daddy, you know you can tell me."

"It seems your father isn't much a businessman." Mr Lee finally admits. He lowers his head in shame. "There's just so much debt here and there, I'm such a failure at finance managing."

It absolutely breaks Chae Min's heart to see her father so sad and embarrassed. How many sleepless nights he must have spent, keeping all these inside is unhealthy. His ego must be wounded and crushed. 

"Its okay, dad. I'm sure its not that bad." she comforts. "We don't have to sell it, there has to be other ways."

"I won't resort to selling it if there are any options left."

"But what about the uncles and aunties? Where are they going to go?" her voice cracks. The farmers on their vegetables and fruits farm are almost like family. They were working for her father even before she was even born and they had watch her grow up. If the land is to be sold, the farmers will be in trouble as well. Who would employ these old farmers with zero experience with modern technology? Sticking to the traditional methods was always her father's idea of preserving the dying culture.

"I will compensate them of course." her father replies. "They will have more than enough for the rest of their lives."

"You know money isn't really the problem," she sighs. "Farming has became part of their lives, without that, they don't have much of a purpose to live anymore!"

"That's enough." Mr Lee snaps. "Jeguk Group is a very well off conglomerate. Selling it to them will solve all the problems."

Chae Min pouts. She tries to hold in her tears. This can not be happening. She will not allow someone else to just budge in and take over her second home. The farmers living on the land will be homeless, jobless and their lives will be meaningless. Convert into Jeguk's private land? Chae Min needs to figure out a way to stop that from happening. But how can she do that? She just came back from the States and knows nobody influential enough to help her. The only person she knows is..

'Choi Young Do.' she thinks, her heart sinking to the center of the earth.

❋   ❋   ❋   ❋   ❋   ❋   ❋   ❋

Young Do keeps reliving those embarrassing scenes in his mind. It has been almost a week but he still is not over it. Talk about screwing up real bad. He basically lost all his chances with Lee Chae Min. He does not have a way to contact her unless he goes to her house. Young Do just can not bring himself to do it. He is not that thick faced after all. 

'Is your bloody dignity that important?!' the voice inside his head shouts at him. Right at the moment when Young Do feels like banging his head on the table out of frustration, the phone intercom rings. His secretary informs that he has a guest. Thinking it must be another annoying businessman trying to get a partnership, he tells his secretary to sent the guest away.

About 5 minutes later, his office doors are bust open. Young Do looks up to see a very angry looking Chae Min glaring at him. He notices that she is wearing casual attire today - jeans, a tee and a pair of converse. Her hair is pulled back into a pony tail and it bounces cutely when she walks. Trailing behind Chae Min is his secretary, struggling to catch up in her high heels. 

"Choi Young Do! How dare you shut me out!" Chae Min points a finger at him. 

"I'm sorry. I told her she can't -" his secretary begins, grabbing onto Chae Min. Young Do is unexpectedly amused. He waves slightly, indicating his secretary to leave. Chae Min glances over at the secretary, smirks at her own triumph. She then sits down on the chair right opposite Young Do without even asking for permission.

"What's up?" Young Do asks, trying to mask his surprise at her appearance. There is a silent agreement not to bring up the other night between these two. Young Do knows better than to remind her how dreadful things ended. Chae Min seems to have something else on her mind bothering her.

"Nothing much. Erm, you know, just got a teeny tiny weeny favour to ask." Chae Min replies. Without hesitation, she starts pouring out her problems, Young Do blinks at her when she finishes.

"Sooooo," he drags. "You want me to go against Jeguk Group and buy over your land just so I can return it to you?"

"Well, technically, it was a verbal contract, papers have not been signed yet, so the land still belongs to us." Chae Min pauses. "Can you just stop Jeguk Group from buying it?"

"Jeguk Group isn't just any company, its the biggest and most successful conglomerate in whole of Korea. Once they have their eyes on an asset, its almost impossible for them to let it go."

Chae Min sighs. She stands up slowly, giving up and ready to leave. 

"But I'm not just anybody either, remember?" Young Do quickly continues. She widens her eyes and gives a little "oh!". Young Do leans forward, links his fingers together and rest his elbows on the table. Chae Min sits right down again.

"The real question is, why should I help you?" he asks. "What's it in for me? After all, I'm a businessman too. Nothing is free."

"Awwh, come on," she whines, full with aegyo. "I'll do anything you want me to."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into right now." Young Do says in a serious tone.

"Anything." she promises. 

She earns a chuckle from Young Do. Chae Min looks dubious out of a sudden. She tilts her head and narrows her eyes, as if contemplating whether she made the right choice to seek help from him. Young Do actually takes pride in the fact that she came to him first even though he could be the only person she knows who able to help. 

"Alright, I'll talk to Won-hyung about it." Young Do says eventually.

"Won-hyung?" Chae Min echoes. "You call Kim Won, the president of Jeguk Group, your hyung?"

"I guess." he shrugs. "But I will need a solid reason to prevent him from buying the land though."

"Tell him the farmers' lives depend on this piece of land!" 

Young Do is shocked and amused at the same time. This girl is so innocent that she thinks of the world in such a simple way but she is genuinely concerned about the workers on her farm? They are not even her family. Is there really such kind hearted people out there, far away from his world of scheming and plotting?

"Well, its gonna take more than that. I'll probably have to buy the land over." Young Do says slowly, remembering her explosion last week. "And yes there will be developments on the land but I promise I will leave your farm alone."

"But -" she interrupts.

"Only one third of the land is used for farming. The others are just left wasted when so much can be done." Young Do continues. Chae Min stares. He can almost hear her brain ticking away trying to work out her priorities. Finally, she sighs.

"Alright, fine. As long as its not converted into a private land for some silly rich people." 

"Great. I'll handle everything from here." Young Do smiles. "Now, lets talk about what I get in return from you."

"It seems to me you have pretty much everything so I can't possibly imagine what else can I give you." Chae Min frowns.

"Oh but there is." 

"What is it?"

"You."

Chae Min starts cackling so hard she almost falls off her seat. She tries to breathe steadily but whenever she makes eye contact with Young Do, she bursts out laughing again. After a minute or two of indulging in her beautiful laughter, Chae Min stops abruptly. She realizes that Young Do is dead serious about this. 

"What do you mean?" she straightens herself, clearing .

"Basically, you belong to me from now onwards."

"Just to remind you, I'm barely legal." Chae Min crosses her arms, covering her chest defensively. "Ain't nobody gon be your slave."

"Though I wish, but that's not what I meant. Nothing ual unless you want to." Young Do smirks. "All you have to do is listen to everything I tell you to do and stay by my side whenever I want you to."

"Excuse me but this isn't a drama." Chae Min retorts.

"Indeed, because this is really happening."

"I still have to attend school." Chae Min says lamely. "I just found out Korean school hours are almost 16 hours. I won't have time."

"That depends on what kind of school you go to. Which I'll decide as well." Young Do states matter of factly. Chae Min's mouth drops open.

"Don't look so surprised. Not only your school, I'll get to decide what clothes you'll wear, what you'll eat, what you'll do each day and et cetera."

"So, I'm like your ing toy?" Chae Min raises her voice.

"Yes." Young Do says calmly. "Because you're mine now."