Flowers Are Bait

The Dome Project. The largest botanical garden in Korea was to be built on Hwaido.

Various attractions such as artificial waterfalls, tropical dome-type greenhouses, outdoor ecological parks, hanging gardens, and tropical rainforest recreations were public projects that Hwayang City was trying to run to become a place of tourist attraction. The directors of each tree hospital who gathered for the competitive bidding could not hide their greedy faces while looking at the aerial view of the 3D simulation of Hwaidome. But when the speaker’s long presentation ended, the conference hall erupted into loud talks.

“What did you just say?”

Someone pressed the microphone button that was attached to the long desk. The director responded mechanically without the slightest hint of emotion. “I said we will make the competitive bid through an open contest.”

Silence fell in the conference hall once again. Everyone looked confused and flabbergasted.

“You mean… you’re asking us to audition?” one person asked with barely retrained anger. The displeasure was reflected in everyone’s faces.

Despite the hostility, the director continued in the same dead-pan tone of voice, “Is there any problem? We’re trying to entrust the job to the best tree doctor. The plants introduced into the Hwaidome will be the world’s rarest and most expensive trees. We need to make sure the best person gets hired for the job. We don’t want scammers and slackers to get the job through influence of money.”

Lee-yeon flinched at his harsh words. Even the director of D Hospital, who remained the most confident, was frowning as if this was all ridiculous.

The director, in contrast, continued calmly, “Open contest will be held as a tournament.”

It would be laborious and time-consuming for public officials to undertake such a big task. But due to the government’s guidelines for the Green New Deal, interest in nature had to be put forward as the marketing point.

“As it opens on next Arbor Day, the tournament will be featured in a promotional video. Please note that the documentary film crew will be present at the contest.”

The director then added the most important thing that everyone wanted to hear. “The hospital selected in the final is guaranteed a 10-year contract with Hwaidome.”

10 years?! Lee-yeon couldn’t believe her ears. The conference hall erupted once again in loud talks.

The largest botanical garden in Korea. The most precious and expensive trees. It was a contract that would bring a huge customer flow and an annuity.

***

“So, are you going to do it?” asked Kwon Chae-woo, glancing at Lee-yeon.

Lee-yeon entered the nearby cafe, looking down the whole time. She felt exhausted after being exposed to the rapidly changing emotions of people in the conference room. Even in the midst of her exhaustion, she felt him glance at her.

“There will be cameras….”

Choo-ja wanted to protest but she held her tongue. But Kwon Chae-woo didn’t. “What about the camera?”

He didn’t want to miss out on anything when it was about her. Lee-yeon looked at him and sighed. “It’s just… I want to live as quietly as possible. If my face appears on a TV show by any chance, things might get noisy.” She shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal, but her face said something else. Kwon Chae-woo nodded, but he knew that So Lee-yeon was reluctant about something.

“Hey, Director So!” called a voice that she absolutely hated.

Lee-yeon frowned but she quickly hid her annoyance and got up from her seat to greet him. “Hello.”

“Long time no see! We live in the same area, but we rarely see each other,” said the director of D Hospital, Jo Kyung-cheon. He was a man with thick hair even at the age of 60 and was once Lee-yeon’s boss.

Seeing his face exhausted her more, mentally as well as physically. She lamented at her own bad luck having had to see his face again. There were countless reasons as to why she hated him from the core of her being.

“Come on, say hello to each other. You two also didn’t get to see each other for a long time, right?” said Director Jo, as he softly patted the back of his student and pushed him forward.

Lee-yeon clenched and unclenched her palm. Before moving to Hwaido, Lee-yeon had lived in Seoul in a small private room of 12-meter square. She felt claustrophobic thinking about her small, congested room. She tried hard not to frown.

“I called him to come to Hwaido. Two of you used to be good friends. You guys should get along well with each other. Get to know each other more. Young people should hang out more than just spend time with trees all day.”

Director Jo had no decency and not courtesy just like in the past. Maybe it made his life easier to boss people around and make other people’s life awkward and miserable.

His student, Hwang Jo-yoon, looked awkward. He was still nerdy. He stroked his thin eyebrows gloomily. “Lee-yeon, it’s been a while…”

“It has,” said Lee-yeon, “How have you been?”

After the niceties were done, she turned away.

Before moving to Hwaido, she did a practical apprenticeship for five years under Jo Kyung-cheon. After graduating from junior college, she had to work her way up from the bottom in the hospital. It goes without mentioning that people just starting out were treated like sh*t and afforded not even the basic human respect. Lee-yeon had suffered. While Hwang Jo-yoon had been the student Jo Kyung-cheon cherished the most.

He was said to have been one of the top elites since his undergraduate years. But aside from that, he stalked Lee-yeon, who had nothing, whenever he got the chance. When she had seen his horrifying, sharp eyes looking through the window of her semi-basement house, Lee-yeon had reported it to the hospital. But it was Lee-yeon, not him, who had gotten fired.

“While you guys talk with each other, I’ll-” Jo Kyung-cheon’s gaze turned to Choo-ja. Choo-ja got up and secretly winked at Lee-yeon. It was a sign that she would try to dig up any information she could find. Lee-yeon was so very grateful. She could finally breathe a little.