“Do you know Kim Noeul-ssi, Attorney?”
“I’ve only heard of them.”
“From the landowner?”
“Yes.”
“Haven’t you looked up their resident registration number or something? In this day and age, finding people should be easy.”
Though illegal, it was a sure method. Eunchan asked Inju while lowering the air conditioner’s intensity.
“All we know is the name.”
However, Inju only repeated the same answer like a parrot. Eunchan watched a freight truck pass by beyond the window. Why would such a big construction company take on work that seemed like a waste of time?
“What does the person who originally had the land do?”
“I cannot tell you that.”
“Can’t you tell me at least roughly? It could help in finding Kim Noeul-ssi.”
“You just need to know they’re from the same hometown as the donee.”
“Are they family?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“Then wouldn’t it be easier to find? It’s not like they were lost during the war.”
Don’t tell me they can’t find them because they’re in North Korea…… Eunchan threw another question at Inju with doubt.
“How old is the owner, by any chance?”
“I wonder.”
“Haven’t you met them?”
“I have.”
“You don’t even know if they’re young or old?”
“Indeed.”
Inju just smiled. The lawyer had no intention of giving information at all, and Eunchan still couldn’t get a grasp on things.
“No, we need to at least know the age range so we can ask the residents.”
“Get some shut-eye. We still have a long way to go before arriving.”
“……Are we going to stop at a rest area?”
“No. Do you need to use the restroom?”
“Never mind. Let’s go quickly.”
In the end, Eunchan gave up on arguing and crossed his arms. It was wrong to sleep next to the driver, but he closed his eyes without caring. Why does he have so many secrets? It’s unsettling. They say construction companies have deep ties with gangsters too. It’s not dangerous work, is it?
Perhaps they’d already commissioned an investigation into him. Since they were from the same hometown, he’d know the geography well, and since he had no family, even if they disguised it as an accidental death and killed him, there’d be no trouble. Eunchan frowned, recalling the noir film he’d watched with Hyungsik before.
“I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
“Yes.”
Should I send Miro a text? Since he was a rich person, he might somehow be helpful if something happened. Eunchan opened his eyes again and took out his phone.
[I’m going on a business trip to Muan with Myeongjin lawyer Han Inju if there’s no contact later]
No. Never mind. It’s a vain delusion. Eunchan deleted the text he was writing and put his phone back in his pocket. He didn’t know why Miro suddenly came to mind. Thinking of relying on a patient, Kim Eunchan has become really strange. Regretting it briefly, Eunchan organized his thoughts by focusing on the radio host’s voice.
The hometown he revisited after almost 10 years had changed a lot. Good roads were laid, many buses ran, and many shops were open. The sea wasn’t close and transportation was inconvenient, so the village population wasn’t large either, but the hometown he returned to had developed quite a bit.
“Let’s park here.”
“Yes, yes.”
What, did they rebuild the village hall? The hall that was definitely shabby and old had transformed into a two-story building. Eunchan kept turning his head to check the village’s appearance. A community center was built too?
Banners hung everywhere caught the eye.
(Development Restriction Zone Lifted, Active Development Promotion)
(Accepting Consent Forms for Redevelopment Promotion – Redevelopment Association Promotion Committee)
(Wishing for Successful Business Promotion as Redevelopment Project Site Selection)
The village seemed to have quite high expectations for Myeongjin Construction.
As soon as parking was finished, Eunchan quickly unfastened his seatbelt. Who knew a village below an unfamous mountain would be this bustling? Now that they’d arrived, he wanted to go to Grandmother’s house first, investigation or not. When he went up to Seoul, he’d taken all the relics and valuables, but the furniture and dishes Grandmother had used while alive remained in the house.
However, since Grandmother’s house was close to the mountain, it would take quite a while to walk there. Moreover, he didn’t want to bring along the unpleasant lawyer. Still, it would be nice to sleep a night at Grandmother’s house after so long.
He didn’t feel as bad as expected. Though it was land he’d hurriedly escaped from, hating being left alone, the nostalgic longing of childhood felt strongly instead.
“Where should we start?”
Inju asked from the side. Eunchan briefly scratched the back of his head. There was a community center and police substation, but there was no justification to go and ask. If the boss had been there, he could have requested while lying about being a detective. The lawyer was useless.
“Let’s walk first.”
He wanted to look around the village first. Eunchan took out a ball cap from his luggage bag and put it on his head. Behind Eunchan, who walked first, Inju leisurely followed.
“What are they building here?”
“Still undecided.”
Before coming, he’d wondered what money could be made in a rural corner to invest, but seeing the changed neighborhood after arriving, construction companies really had a different eye.
“Are they going to build a golf course here too?”
Guessing it might be one of the golf courses sprouting up like bamboo shoots after rain, Eunchan walked toward the mountain. When Grandmother was alive, she said there was a valley, but now it had all dried up and disappeared, leaving only traces.
“Shall we look at the land first?”
While he was just walking aimlessly looking around, Inju made a good proposal. Though there’d be no clues to gain from going, since he was from this place, who knew? He might be able to roughly guess who the landowner was.
“Let’s go.”
“I’ll guide you.”
Reversing order, Eunchan began following behind Inju. On a hot summer day, though it should be difficult, the lawyer wore dress shoes and even a neatly buttoned shirt. At a glance, a gleaming watch was also fastened on his wrist. Eunchan, who barely avoided looking like a beggar thanks to wearing the clothes Miro gave him, pressed his cap down further.
“It looks like we’re going into the mountain.”
“It’s nearby.”
It was land far from the commercial district. Perhaps it could be close to Grandmother’s house. If Grandmother had been alive, it might have been an easy request to resolve.
“Are you planning to push down the mountain to develop it?”
“Not that, but it’s within the expected location.”
“Must have a lot of money.”
Dragging his sneakers, Eunchan also clicked his tongue. Then was Grandmother’s house also within the redevelopment zone? There’d been no separate contact.
The village had changed a lot, but the mountain was the same. The mountain path he’d walked countless times alone, after attending to Grandmother with his mother, still lay before Eunchan in the same form. Fixing his gaze on the back of Inju walking ahead, Eunchan tried not to be consumed by pointless sentiment.
“This entire area is still before contract.”
After walking for a few more minutes, Inju stopped. Inju took out his phone and started video recording. The operation sound that went “ding-dong” faintly echoed in all directions. Eunchan took his gaze off Han Inju’s back and looked around. A familiar landscape. The space he’d tried to forget for a long period greeted Eunchan again.
“Here……”
He couldn’t continue his words. Ivy climbed and grew between the bars of the iron gate firmly closed with chains and padlocks. Beyond it, a desolate garden like wasteland, and a huge mansion built in Western style. The large windows remained shattered into countless fragments like broken teeth. There was no sign at all of people living there.
It was a house that must have been beautiful once. Those red brick walls, worn down and scattering dust, had a time when they were solid. Filling the garden with the scent of hydrangeas and roses, a brilliant chandelier had illuminated the entrance. In the secret garden just for the two of them, hyung who welcomed Eunchan stood there…….
Eunchan stared at the statue of Mary, broken and collapsed under a withered tree.
“I inquired about the mansion’s owner but couldn’t find out.”
Inju continued speaking while looking at the firmly closed iron gate.
“Did someone named Kim Noeul live here by any chance?”
Eunchan asked with his anxious face hidden. His pounding heart was so burdensome it was nauseating. Why did he set foot in this place again? He’d struggled so hard wanting to forget.
“I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Inju continued in a monotone pitch. Eunchan traced his memory to find hyung’s name.
‘My name is……’
What was the name? It seemed like an unusual name. It would be good to remember at least the surname, but nothing came to mind. Did he even tell me his name? Since he’d always only called him hyung, the name didn’t come to mind.
“Would you like to go inside?”
If they tried, they could climb over the wall and enter. However, Eunchan shook his head at Inju’s proposal.
“No. Let’s go to the village and ask people.”
Just standing in front of it was regrettable enough; if he went inside, beyond regret, he felt like he’d curse himself for returning to his hometown. Eunchan turned around first and began walking back the way they came. It didn’t take long for that walk to change into running. Leaving the mansion behind, leaving hyung behind, rewinding the path he’d walked, he resented the land that kept pulling at his ankles.
Eunchan, exhausted from running down the mountain quickly, threw off his cap in front of the pavilion before the hall, lay down, and caught his breath. The lawyer seemed to still be coming down. Since he’d unintentionally left him behind on the mountain, he felt a bit sorry. A gentle mountain breeze stroked near his forehead and the sound of birds nearby comforted his heart.
If it’s going to change, change everything completely. Why was the mansion still there, disturbing people’s minds? Eunchan dry-washed his face and wiped away sweat. The threads of memory he’d forcibly tied up tight were unraveling.
“You’re fast on your feet.”
“I’m sorry. I suddenly wanted to run.”
Not long after, Inju arrived. Though he’d walked down, he showed no sign of fatigue. Eunchan received the water bottle Inju handed him and sat up.
“Thank you.”
“I’m the type who takes care of people around me.”
When Eunchan gave thanks, Inju, who sat apart, answered. It was a small reproach to Eunchan for leaving him behind and descending the mountain first.
