Flowers Are Bait Chapter 1:

"It has constipation."

"What?" The principal's mouth fell open in horror. Disbelief and astonishment mingled on his features.

"What did you just say…"

"It's struggling to defecate properly."

The principal appeared even more stunned, if such a thing were conceivable. He longed to repeat her words back to this young lady, yet his cheeks flushed crimson while she observed the elementary students dashing about with their backpacks.

Gently, Lee-yeon caressed the tree's trunk. She harbored no fondness for him whatsoever. She'd encountered plenty of similar responses in the past.

"Defecation holds great importance. It's an entirely normal and routine occurrence. You understand that well, surely."

The principal cleared his throat, seeming irritated. Yet he concealed a sly grin behind his hand.

Repairing just a handful of trees demanded tens of thousands of dollars. He'd prefer to fell them outright rather than pour that much cash into upkeep. He'd reached out to this rundown operation led by the young woman, bypassing the major city hospital, purely as a precaution.

Once he sabotaged the healed tree further, his intention was to pin the fault on this ridiculous tree physician. That had been his scheme, at any rate.

"This particular tree stands as a key fixture in our school grounds. It represents verdant vitality. Can you restore it for us?" The principal furrowed his brows and inquired with feigned sincerity.

His strategy remained straightforward. He aimed to fault her and reclaim compensation for the harm inflicted. Afterward, he'd remove the tree regardless. In some manner, it would still serve his institution's interests.

"Leave it to me," she replied straightforwardly. "The procedure for treatment isn't overly complicated. In basic terms, improper defecation following consumption led to its constipation. It failed to extend its roots adequately." Lee-yeon scanned the schoolyard and scowled. "When trees falter in defecation, decay begins from the crown downward. It appears many here have advanced to that stage."

"Then, what does the treatment entail?" the principal questioned, with evident reluctance. He scrutinized Lee-yeon up and down. Worn-out pants, dirt-caked fingernails, and a potent odor of manure. She struck him as unclean. Grime streaked her otherwise bright complexion, and her hair, bound at the neck's base, resembled limp seaweed. Moreover, her gentle, sparkling gaze turned lackluster and arid in human company. She appeared wan and slender.

"Principal."

"Yes, yes." He responded with excessive courtesy, as though busted in the act.

"Every bit of soil in this area must be swapped for Masato soil."

"Every bit?"

"Indeed. That's the root of the problem. The soil prevents proper defecation in these trees. Incidentally…" Her eyes narrowed keenly. "You've cut costs, haven't you?"

With a suspicious expression, Lee-yeon circled the principal. "Have you interred something over there?"

"What?"

"I learned the school underwent recent renovations." "Tiles?"

The principal's shoulders jerked involuntarily.

"Leftover cement?"

"Cement-filled plastic bags could be involved too…"

"Or perhaps a combination of them all…"

Sweat beaded on the principal's brow, which he dabbed away while evading her stare. To dodge waste disposal expenses, they'd dumped the refuse underground instead. No one was supposed to discover it, but this unkempt tree expert uncovered it all.

"Upon contact with moisture, those substances harden like stone. They poison the earth. Roots can't expand and begin to decay. We'll uncover it all when we excavate. Expect the cost breakdown from me by end of day." Lee-yeon flashed a pure smile, dabbing her perspiration with the floral scarf looped around her neck. However, that grin failed to warm her icy, piercing gaze. "Naturally, I'll need to notify city hall beforehand."

In haste, the principal drew near with a gloomy look. "D-doctor, hear me out…"

"You relished skimping on expenses, right?" She fixed him with her eyes. "Now, prepare to pay back double or triple in penalties. As I've noted, defecation matters greatly to plants just like to people."

Satisfied, Lee-yeon pivoted away. A sigh escaped her. She anticipated her sole employee at the clinic would chide her for passing up this chance. Facing the principal once more, she turned back. Politics repulsed her, yet advancing and enhancing her clinic held significance too. It ranked as her top priority currently.

"I'm a tree-loving physician," she declared, "the best at rescuing trees, yet adept too at removing detrimental…elements." She mused silently. This foolish, self-serving man's avarice had wrecked scores of trees, and still he claimed the tree symbolized his school. Such individuals ravaged woodlands only to turn foliage into ashtrays.

"Do drop by Spruce Tree Hospital frequently." She compelled a charming smile.

Lee-yeon served as a tree doctor managing a modest tree clinic on Hwaido island in Geunil-myeon, Hwayang City, near Tongyeong westward and Namhae southward. Though it appears as a backward isle, it's remarkably Korea's second-biggest island. Renowned for its ocean, flora, and stones, it draws tourists with its stunning, picturesque allure.

Her profession demanded it. She toted equipment like ladders, blades, saws, shears, and the like. Scaling trees for examinations formed core duties. Thus, folks regarded Lee-yeon like some feral creature.

Countless customers sought a 'female' practitioner for cheaper rates; without it, they'd fold. Patrons exploited this. Now past thirty, Lee-yeon had grown accustomed to such handling.

Her scooter zipped along the route with views of the vibrant green ocean when her cell buzzed. She inserted earbuds and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, director," the voice replied from the line, "If you're not here in five minutes, I'll open up the second floor."