Flowers Are Bait

Chapter 3:

Chapter 3:

“Lee-yeon, it’s time to make some changes.” Gye Choo-ja said with a slight sparkle in her eyes as she showed her phone screen to Lee-yeon.

“What’s this?” asked Lee-yeon curiously, stopping from jotting in her treatment diary.

“Do you know Soleil Landscaping Company?”

Lee-yeon nodded. Everyone knew the landscaping company. There were well know all throughout the region for their huge projects.

“He’s the son of the president of Soleil Landscaping Company,” said Choo-ja wiggling her eyebrows.

Lee-yeon rolled her eyes at Gye Choo-ja’s excitement and checked in picture in her phone. “Oh” she said as she withdrew her gaze from the picture and started writing in her diary again. Choo-ja furrowed her eyebrows at Lee-yeon’s disinterest in the picture.

“This is it? A simple ‘OH’,” asked Choo-ja baffled.

“Manager, don’t you think he is a little too young for you to be dating him. He can be mistaken for your grandson,” voiced Lee-yeon still focused on her diary.

“Not me, you!” replied Choo-ja.

“What?!” exclaimed Lee-yeon confused with where this conversation was headed.

We can’t continue with our jobs. We’ve hit the limit. Our major contracts have all ended and D hospital’s taking over all the other projects,” said Choo-ja with a soft voice. Lee-yeon could see the sadness in her eyes which she reciprocated. She clenched her jaw to cover the anger and frustration rising in her chest.

D University Agricultural Biology Department Hospital. A large tree hospital that built a new five-story building and has its own research lab.

D Hospital, which entered Hwaido, aggressively provided entertainment to landscaping companies, nurseries, civil works, and agricultural corporations. They eventually took Hwaido by storm, everyone wanted them to take over contracts. This gave them resources to build a five-story building housing their own research lab.

With these developments taking place, Lee-yeon’s hospital barely survived. Their contracts disappeared overnight and with the loss of majority of their projects, the hospital depended on medical examinations at the town hall, and other few clients opting for cheaper rates.

“Did I give you the hotel key?” asked Choo-ja who had returned to planning the how’s of the meeting.

Lee-yeon was still thinking of how fast the conversation took an unexpected turn. ‘I am just doing this for my hospital. My career.’ She thought and took deep breaths.

“But wait! Who did you hear it from?” asked Lee-yeon. Stopping Choo-ja from her planning and cheer.

“Hear what?” asked Choo- ja confused.

“About Sole’s son returning to Korea. And what do you mean by the waiting list?”

Gye Choo-ja raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows and smiled. “Who will I hear it from other than the president himself?”

“What? The president? Why did he...”

“What do you mean why? I used to date him.” Choo-ja said smugly.

“Choo-ja!” Lee-yeon shouted as she jumped from her seat surprised. Choo-ja’s colorful love story was somewhat like a dark fairy tale to Lee-yeon, who had little experience.

Lee-yeon met Choo-ja when she was 17. At the time Lee-yeon had just run away from her home and with nothing to live on, Choo-ja took Lee-yeon under her wing. Choo-ja tried to make Lee-yeon understand that there is more to live than just working hard but the girl rejected the notion of love.

While Lee-yeon was thinking of the past Choo-ja had proceeded to give yet another monologue.

“... Destiny has nothing to do with finding a partner, you’re choosing your partner by yourself. So, don’t give up. Life is too short to eat food that doesn’t taste good. Being anachronistic will leave you only rotten pieces of bread.”

While Choo-ja was engrossed in her speech, Lee-yeon quickly ran away. The extremely conservative girl was very different from the free-spirited old lady.

Hardly has Lee-yeon stepped out when she heard Choo-ja yell “Are you going to be alone your whole life?!”