Episode 81: Autumn is for Chrysanthemums (1)

   HEALING WITH LOOVELY DRUID

Episode 81: Autumn is for Chrysanthemums (1)

“Have a seat.”

Chairman Hwang Kyu-hyun looked at Hosu with a look of disapproval. Hosu was still huffing, clearly unable to calm her anger yet. Seeing her fierce expression, it was obvious that Hosu's family was far from ordinary.

“Showing that you don't get along is something to keep among yourselves when you're at home. Is it right to behave like this out in public? To people in business, things like that are nothing but weaknesses.”

“…I'm sorry. I just get so furious the moment I see Kim Ho-yeon's face.”

“Save your apology. Now that you know what you did wrong, fix it. If you want to beat that fellow Ho-yeon, you have to be better than him. Does it make sense to act exactly the same way?”

“Yes, sir. I will fix it.”

Hosu tightly pursed her lips and nodded. Chairman Hwang Kyu-hyun, who had given the stern advice, turned to Sihyeon, his expression softening into an awkward smile.

“You must have been startled because of the kids. No matter how pathetic Ho-yeon is, he isn't the type of person to hit his own sister. If it looked that way, it was just a misunderstanding.”

“Yes.”

Considering the force he felt when he grabbed Kim Ho-yeon's arm earlier, it was hard to believe. However, out of respect for the Chairman's pride, Sihyeon simply nodded. The Chairman also looked like he didn't want to talk about it any further.

“Good. Let's leave this matter at that.”

Right on cue, the secretary walked in with some tea.

The deeply brewed Pu-erh tea released a scent of dry wood and earth.

Sihyeon lifted his teacup and inhaled the aroma of the clear, amber liquid. Perhaps the Chairman felt flushed inside, as he gulped down the hot tea before turning to ask Sihyeon:

“I have an executive meeting in twenty minutes, so I will ask you straight to the point. What is the reason you suddenly asked to see me?”

The Chairman took another sip of his tea and continued.

“I assume Hosu didn't just drag you here for no reason?”

“Ah, no, it's nothing like that. I have a favor to ask of you. But if it feels burdensome, you are completely free to refuse.”

“What kind of favor is it that you're acting so serious?”

“Actually, I was the one who told him to ask. Sihyeon didn't even think about it……”

Hosu, who had been reading the room, tried to chime in, but Sihyeon cut her off.

“I'll tell him. It's my business.”

The Chairman nodded, looking at Sihyeon with intrigued eyes.

Sihyeon pulled the corners of his mouth up. They say a smiling face never gets spat on.

“Um, could you please give me just one root of belladonna?”

“…….”

Expecting either a thunderous scolding or an immediate approval, Sihyeon was met with a strange expression on the Chairman's face instead.

“Chairman?”

“……What on earth is that?”

“It's a plant inside your botanical garden. A wild European species that is hard to come by is growing right here. Just one root would be plenty. It's slightly toxic, but it's also used for medicine. If I were to get it myself, I'd have to use sketchy underground routes.”

“……Take it.”

“Whoa! Thank you so much!”

As Sihyeon smiled brightly, the Chairman slumped back against the sofa.

“Good grief. You looked so solemn that I thought you were going to ask for something grand.”

“It really is something I wanted to have.”

“I thought you were going to ask me to pull some strings and get you an executive job through nepotism. Ask Hosu for something like that. Plants like the baobab tree or the corpse flower in the center are rare, so those are out of the question.”

Hosu spoke with a look of injustice:

“You told me before that I had to get your permission even for a single root of a weed!”

“This young man is an exception. I owe him a debt.”

“Then is it okay if I give him whatever he asks for?”

“Why? Are you going to give him Fiore Cosmetics too?”

Hosu scratched her head vigorously in protest.

“What are you talking about? I wouldn't give that up even if a knife were at my throat. I told you that's mine.”

“Goodness. You have absolutely zero tact.”

The Chairman glanced at Sihyeon and clicked his tongue. Regardless, Hosu glared back, and Sihyeon, having already obtained what he wanted, wore a perfectly blissful expression. Exhausted, the Chairman let out a heavy sigh and muttered:

“If you're done with your business, leave now. It's been chaotic since morning.”

“Thank you for granting a difficult favor.”

“It's not like you're asking for Hosu, so what's so difficult about it? *Ahem.* Anyway, I'm busy, so hurry up and get going.”

“Ah, Uncle. Stop making those weird jokes.”

“Get out.”

The Chairman waved his arms dismissively.

“Secretary, I'm sorry. Next time, I will make sure to schedule an appointment before coming.”

“Yes. Goodbye.”

The secretary kept her flawless smile, but knowing Hosu's tendency to drop in unexpectedly, she didn't look like she entirely believed her.

The two of them left the Chairman's office, feeling almost kicked out. Even so, Sihyeon was in a great mood over acquiring the belladonna, and Hosu was satisfied that the Chairman had witnessed Kim Ho-yeon's pathetic behavior.

“I'm sorry for showing you such an unsightly scene. Kim Ho-yeon is a brainless madman.”

“I'm sorry to ask this, but did he actually use to hit you?”

Hosu scoffed.

“When we were very young, we'd fight, and I'd get hit once or twice and cry. Once we grew up a bit, if he hit me, I'd hit him right back to intentionally escalate the situation. If I took one blow, I'd give back two. After turning the house upside down a few times, he stopped doing it. I baited him a bit today after a long time, and his temper flared right up, didn't it? He might be older, but old habits die hard.”

Sihyeon grimaced.

“Were you actually planning to get into a physical fight today too?”

“It wasn't just a plan. If he had hit me, I wouldn't have just stood there. Getting hit once and calling the reporters would have been a jackpot.”

*Oh dear.* Sihyeon pressed a hand to his forehead.

“It's a joke, a joke. If Kim Ho-yeon's true colors are exposed, the stock prices will plummet. If that happens, it's a problem for the shareholders and a problem for me. Plus, my mom would faint.”

“……Be careful.”

“Yeah. I have to play it smart. Thanks for helping me out earlier.”

Far from being intimidated, Hosu was burning with a desire to fight. It was unclear what Kim Ho-yeon was thinking when he raised his hand, but seeing the reaction of the Chairman and Hosu, he fully deserved to be called an idiot.

“Ah, and another thing.”

Hosu spoke as if suddenly remembering something.

“Kang Seung-hyun and Kim Ho-yeon. Those two know each other.”

“?”

“They were in the same grade at school, and they used to hang out together.”

“Ah. They suit each other well.”

Sihyeon didn't think much of it, but Hosu felt differently.

“According to my sources, it looks like they still meet up these days. To say it's for modeling or work, Kang Seung-hyun isn't exactly at the level to be a car model.”

“Really? Are they close friends?”

“Mm. Probably? It's no surprise that trash hangs out with trash, but it felt unsettling, so I'm letting you know.”

Hosu patted Sihyeon on the back and asked:

“You're not uncomfortable, right? I've been monitoring Kim Ho-yeon lately, so all kinds of information has been coming in. I saw a familiar name among them and thought of you.”

“Hmm. Could you keep letting me know in the future too?”

Hosu smiled widely with a satisfied look.

“Of course. Even if you hadn't asked, I was planning to keep track of it separately.”

“Thanks. I'll count on you then.”

“Okay.”

---

The greenhouse located in Sihyeon's backyard was bustling with a wide variety of plants.

The one occupying the largest area was the ginseng currently under cultivation. It displayed stable medicinal properties, making it the finest ingredient that blended well no matter what it was added to.

Next were the herbs and wild roses. Among them, chamomile and rosemary were growing in the greatest abundance. Chamomile was used as the primary ingredient for herbal tea, while rosemary was used for cooking. Throwing a handful of it into whole wheat bread gave it a wonderful aroma.

And at the very back.

There was another door attached to the inner section of the greenhouse. This was where sensitive toxic plants like digitalis, monkshood, and lily of the valley resided, and it was designed to make regulating temperature and humidity much easier.

“This spot should do.”

Sihyeon carefully began to plant the belladonna. Like most toxic plants, it required a lot of water, so he raised the ridges high to ensure proper drainage. He placed a support stake and meticulously tied the branches. Since it was already bearing fruit, his touch was even more cautious. After patting the soil down and drawing a small symbol in the empty air, the roots of the belladonna began to stretch out far and wide.

Thrive ($자라라$)!

Perhaps because its toxicity was potent, a significant amount of his natural energy drained out. Even so, now that his vessel was stable, using ancient symbols had become much faster and more comfortable.

“Whew.”

Sihyeon pulled all the weeds around the belladonna and carefully shut the door so the cats couldn't get in. The mother cat never came near, but the kittens would bite and play with anything, which could be dangerous.

“I should harvest a bit of chamomile. Where did I put the trowel?”

Sihyeon located the basket and trowel sitting in the corner and began to harvest a few kinds of herbs. Flowers didn't bloom forever, so missing the window meant waiting for a long time. The trowel, which had now become as familiar as an extension of his own body, fit snugly in his palm.

*Thud.*

*Thud.*

The trowel crisply sliced through the earth, creating gaps. For herbs where the roots were necessary, he simply lifted and pulled them out carefully. If the roots weren't needed, he just used the blade to snip them off.

“Let's see, one, two…… ten should be plenty.”

He had grown accustomed to the crouching posture as well, having only stood up twice by the time the basket was filled with herbs. (Not that his legs didn't fall asleep, though.)

“Oof. My back.”

As he stepped out of the greenhouse with unsteady steps, he spotted Old Man Jeong and the village chief far off on the path between the rice paddies. It looked like they were carrying another heavy bundle. Even on the narrow path, their pace was faster than that of younger folks. Walking as comfortably as if it were their own front yard, it proved that experience could never be disregarded.

“They could have at least ridden a bicycle.”

Sihyeon set the harvested herbs down in the yard and quickly headed toward the front gate.

“Welcome!”

Old Man Jeong held out a bundle. A rich scent of grass wafted from the heavy, large package.

“Take this.”

“What are you doing coming all the way out here?”

The village chief was wearing a flamboyant shirt with about two hundred tiny cosmos flowers patterned over a black background, silver striped pants, and blue rubber shoes. Her flower-shaped earrings, densely encrusted with emeralds the size of millet grains, gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight.

“Wow—. You look exceptionally radiant today.”

“I'm going to wear them all before I die. What's the point of hoarding things for thousands of years? Once you die, it's all for naught.”

“Why do you say such things?”

Old Man Jeong spoke with a bitter smile.

“She's been like this ever since she went to a friend's funeral the day before yesterday.”

“It's slowly starting, I tell you. For a while, my friends would contact me asking to send money because their kids were getting married. Now, it's not the parents calling, but notifications that they themselves have passed away.”

“I suppose so. There are plenty of households where elderly parents outlive their own children.”

“There may be an order when you are born, but there's no order when you leave.”

Indeed, that was a common occurrence whenever illness was involved. Even back when Sihyeon was hospitalized, there were many parents nursing their young children. Noticing Sihyeon's somber expression, the village chief patted him on the arm and said:

“It's just an old person's grumbling.”

“Hey, stop saying such useless things to the kid.”

Old Man Jeong pointed toward the large paper bundle and said:

“Just open that up. The old woman bought it from Seoul.”

“It's nothing grand. I was passing by the flower market and bought a little bit because it reminded me of our Baekseolgi.”

An elegant scent of fresh greenery drifted from the bundle, which had kept him curious for a while. With a fluttering heart, Sihyeon untied the string of the heavy paper bag.

A rich abundance of autumn chrysanthemums unfolded in various colors.

Most chrysanthemums blooming on mountains and fields were white or yellow, but the ones the village chief had brought back were all colors he was seeing for the first time. Sihyeon's mouth dropped open automatically.

“Wowow.”

The purple, light lavender, light green, and pink chrysanthemums boasted large blossoms and dense, double petals. Well over ten layers of petals were tightly and richly in bloom, and about half of them were still in the bud stage. Bright green leaves shaped like palms densely packed the branches, growing vibrantly.

“Do you like it that much?”

Old Man Jeong asked with an amused look.

Sihyeon couldn't close his mouth, lost in admiration. The fragrance was incredibly rich too. The distinctive, gentle scent of chrysanthemums spread all the way out into the garden. Sihyeon leaned down and buried his nose into the flowers.

“Ah. I love them so much.”

The village chief let out a gentle chuckle and said:

“I knew you'd like it, I tell you. Plant them in the yard. Autumn is all about chrysanthemums.”

“Yes. I'll grow them well and make flower tea for you later. Let's enjoy it together.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

Looking at Sihyeon with a warm expression, the village chief brought up the main topic first.

“By the way, I hear you're buying Jeong's rice paddy?”

“Yes. He was kind enough to ask me first before putting it on the market, so I'm planning to buy it even if it's a bit of a stretch.”

“I suppose so. The road here really is dreadful.”

Old Man Jeong spoke sheepishly:

“That was because there was a reason behind it. A reason.”