NOVEL NEXT 51
A rural village, reachable only after a two-hour train ride from Seoul and a ninety-minute bus journey on a route that runs just a few times a day.
The nearest convenience store is a fifteen-minute drive away, and even that closes at 8 PM and doesn’t open on weekends.
A place where knowing how many spoons and chopsticks your neighbors have is par for the course.
Jihyang-eup.
I took a deep breath. Inhale~, exhale. The earthy scent permeated deep into my lungs.
A place where trucks outnumber cars, the elderly far outnumber the young, and most residents make their living from agriculture.
This was Jihyang-eup.
It could be described as a typical rural village in South Korea. Except for one thing.
And that is…
“Well, well. Are you the one who called?”
As I was taking in the long-unseen scenery, a familiar voice came from behind me.
Turning around, I saw a man wearing comfortable work clothes and a straw hat to shield himself from the scorching sun. He looked more like a grandfather than an uncle.
It was the village chief.
“Yes, Village Chief. I’m Song Woo-yeon.”
“My, my. What brings a Seoul lady to our humble countryside?”
“As I mentioned on the phone, I wanted to have an important conversation with you, so I came in person.”
The village chief’s eyebrows twitched at my words.
“For a young person, you’ve got good manners. Very polite, eh?”
“It’s nothing special. This is how it should be.”
“That’s right. That’s what I’m saying. After all, we live in a society where people coexist, and business is conducted between people. You can’t just solve everything over the phone, can you?”
Quite right.
There are things you can’t see just by pushing a pen around in some high-up office.
“As I said, all I can do is gather the village elders. After that, persuading those gentlemen is your job. Right?”
“Of course.”
“Then is that fellow behind you your guest too?”
“Pardon?”
What was he talking about? I hadn’t deliberately brought Jo I-ruk or Roh Se-hee.
Those two already had plenty on their plates, so I’d taken the early morning train alone to handle this trifling matter myself.
So what was this talk of ‘that fellow’? As I turned my head in confusion, I saw it.
“Hm?”
Though hidden behind a village oak tree, there was no mistaking the protruding edge of clothing. And what was with that attire so out of place in the countryside?
A shirt and jeans. It was an outfit far too urban.
“Haha….”
Feeling all eyes on her, the person awkwardly laughed and sidled out.
She must have realized there was no point in hiding. With an embarrassed smile, she scratched the back of her neck. In one hand, she held a large camera. And in her shirt pocket were a pen and notebook.
‘A reporter?’
That was the immediate thought that came to mind.
‘But why would a reporter be in such a rural village… Ah!’
-Someone from
-Did you get the reporter’s name?
-Yes. They said it was Reporter Kang Yu-ha.
Right. That had happened.
At the time, I’d only thought the name ‘Kang Yu-ha’ sounded vaguely familiar and moved on.
When I’d just heard the name, I couldn’t place who it was. But seeing the face now, a fragment of an old memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
-Are you CEO Song Woo-yeon of
-Yes, I am. Who are you?
-I’m Reporter Kang Yu-ha from
With dark circles under the eyes and a somewhat urgent tone, as if being chased.
-I’m investigating Hyeonmu. Could I have a moment of your time?
At the time, I thought she was going to ask about a confidential contract with Hyeonmu. Wondering where the information had leaked from, I politely declined her request.
-I’m sorry, but now isn’t a good time. Perhaps another time.
-J-just a moment, please. I only need 10 minutes. 10 minutes is enough…!
-I’m sorry.
I’d bowed slightly and walked right past him.
‘Right. That’s exactly how it was.’
Even when I learned about Hyeonmu’s corruption, this reporter was the first person I thought of. I’d rummaged through all my outerwear to find the business card that had been thrust into my pocket.
If the trial results hadn’t been overturned at the last minute, I was going to expose the corruption.
But now…
‘So it’s that reporter. We only briefly met face-to-face before, but he’s quite capable.’
She’d sensed something fishy about Hyeonmu and recognized the potential of the budding
And now, it seems she’d been secretly investigating me.
From requesting an interview instead of trying to act inconspicuously, to encountering her in this remote village dressed in a way that screamed “I’m reporting!”—it all pointed to that.
Our chance meeting was proof of that.
‘Well, I suppose it’s understandable.’
Given my suspiciously rapid success.
“Didn’t she come with you Seoul folks?”
The village chief’s eyes narrowed. He had a look that said, ‘What’s this outsider up to in our village?’ If I made a wrong move here, I might be driven out of the village on the spot.
Moreover, there weren’t even any inns in a rural village like this. What on earth was that reporter thinking, following me all the way here?
As the village chief’s gaze turned hostile, Kang Yu-ha seemed to sense the danger and visibly tensed up.
I guess I have no choice.
“Yes, she came with me. She’s my assistant.”
“Oh, is that so?”
The village chief’s face immediately brightened.
Seeing Kang Yu-ha’s puzzled expression, I shot her a look that said to play along.
“I thought~ Well, our village is a bit sensitive to outsiders, you see.”
“Haha. Of course. Village Chief, this is Kang Yu-ha-ssi.”
“Ah, pleased to meet you.”
Kang Yu-ha, caught off guard, bowed to the village chief. The chief nodded approvingly at the gesture.
“Alright then. Seoul folks, the village elders will gather at the community center after they finish their field work. Come then.”
“Yes, understood. Thank you, sir!”
The village chief waved his hand dismissively as he left.
Kang Yu-ha and I were left standing alone in the middle of the village. Kang Yu-ha cleared her throat and pulled out a business card from his pocket, offering it to me.
“Um, thank you for your help. I’m Kang Yu-ha. …But how did you know my name?”
“I heard about you before.”
I accepted the business card. Kang Yu-ha, reporter for
“I heard you requested an interview with me.”
“Ah! Yes, that’s right. So you remembered that.”
Kang Yu-ha quickly shed her awkward demeanor and smoothly continued the conversation.
“When you flatly refused back then, I thought you automatically rejected all media interviews. But I guess that’s not the case.”
“Haha. Well, I didn’t think I was someone worth interviewing. I didn’t want to waste your valuable time.”
“Oh my. Your modesty is excessive. I hear your franchise business is booming these days, and people are lining up to open franchises?”
Her tone was subtly probing. A novice CEO might have been drawn into giving a yes or no answer, but…
I smiled lightly and deflected,
“Oh? Is that what they’re saying? I hadn’t heard.”
It was an ambiguous answer, neither confirming nor denying. Kang Yu-ha seemed to sense this, her expression changing slightly.
She appeared to have realized I wouldn’t be an easy target.
“The bus probably won’t run anymore today. I’ve arranged to stay at the village community center. You should spend the night there too and head back to Seoul early tomorrow.”
That was the best concession I could offer.
“Haha. Since it’s come to this, maybe we could talk a little more….”
“I’m sorry.”
I cut her off sharply as she tried to smoothly transition into an interview.
“You were curious about why I refused the interview, right? It’s simple. I don’t think it’s the right time yet.”
“Not the right time?”
“If we attract public attention now, we could easily falter. Only after solidifying our foundation can we use that momentum to go further.”
Besides, we might face opposition from Hyeonmu if we’re not careful.
We can’t be trampled by a giant when we’ve barely sprouted. For now, it’s more important to spread our various brands sporadically and gradually infiltrate people’s daily lives.
“So, even though you’ve come a long way, I’d prefer if you returned empty-handed.”
She might find it a bit rude. The reporters I knew were generally quite haughty.
“Wow…!”
But what came back was an exclamation of admiration. Huh?
Kang Yu-ha was looking at me with sparkling eyes.
“So that was the reason? Wow. I thought you might be a figurehead CEO, but hearing you speak, I guess not?”
This person speaks her mind quite frankly. Kang Yu-ha seemed to have no hesitation in expressing her thoughts raw.
“This makes me even more excited about the future! If you really built this up from scratch yourself.”
And she’s just as uninhibited in expressing goodwill.
“Then how about this? Until you feel the ‘time’ has come, I won’t publish anything about you. In exchange, when that time comes, you must give us at
That look of confidence in his eyes.
Does she believe I’ll grow to the point of being worthy of an ‘exclusive’ story someday? It might just be bait she’s casting for a potential future possibility, but.
It was nice to hear, at least.
“Haha. Shall we call it a deal? Alright then.”
I have nothing to lose either. Even if Kang Yu-ha were to publish an article like ‘The Rising Star,
We shook hands firmly. Let’s work together for a win-win.
“Oh, but what brings you to this rural village?”
“That?”
I grinned at Kang Yu-ha’s question.
“You’ll see if you come along. It’s just about time.”
I checked the time on my phone and then turned around.
“Shall we go?”
To the village community center.