Flying to Our Private Paradise
After that terrifying yet overwhelmingly lavish shopping spree that paralyzed an entire edit shop in the heart of Gangnam, we hopped straight into the waiting limousine and headed for the airport's VVIP terminal. Tedious check-in procedures and boring waits amid crowds? Those belonged to a completely different planet from ours. The limo glided through private security and slid deep onto the tarmac, where a massive, gleaming private jet stood proudly against the sunset, waiting for us.
"Come on, Jinwoo. Let's board—off to our perfect first summer vacation."
Flanked by private jet attendants in crisp white uniforms bowing at 90 degrees on either side of the stairs, Seol-ah gripped my hand tightly and bounded up with light, cheerful steps.
The moment we stepped inside, I had no choice but to press my forehead and draw in a deep, disbelieving breath. This wasn't a plane—it was a gigantic luxury penthouse soaring through the skies. No rows of cramped airline seats in sight. There was a spacious lounge with massive sofas upholstered in premium leather, an open kitchen and dining table where a dedicated chef would serve us, a vast marble shower room, and even a private bedroom with a king-size bed that defied belief for something inside a plane.
"What do you think? It's a long-haul flight, at least half a day, so I had the entire interior redone to make sure our Jinwoo could rest as comfortably as possible."
Seol-ah casually handed my jacket to an approaching attendant and led me by the hand to the wide living room sofa, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You redid the plane's interior? You tore apart the whole jet just for one trip?"
I let out a hollow chuckle, and she plopped down on the sofa, yanking me right up against her side.
"Yeah. The old sofas were too stiff—worried it'd hurt your back—so I commissioned Europe's top leather artisan directly and reupholstered everything in the softest material on earth. And the bedroom mattress? Swapped it all out for the top-of-the-line from that brand you said was comfiest at my officetel."
She sat me down, then kicked off her sandals like she'd been waiting for it and hopped onto my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. Soon, the captain's polite takeoff announcement played, but safety instructions like "fasten your seatbelts" meant nothing to the owner of this massive jet—my queen of the world.
"Hey, Han Seol-ah. Takeoff's still dangerous, so sit properly and buckle up."
"No way. Your arms are the safest place on earth. I'm not leaving your side for even a second."
Even as the plane roared down the runway with rough engine vibrations and lifted off, Seol-ah stayed glued to me. She used the turbulence as an excuse to burrow even deeper into my chest, bursting into clear, giggling laughter.
"Jinwoo, look outside. We're climbing higher into the sky."
Following her point, I peered out the window. Seoul's massive downtown skyline, twinkling densely with lights, was fading into the distant void below. Just a week ago, dirt-poor Kang Jinwoo had been scrambling desperately between finals grades and part-time shifts. That harsh world had shrunk to tiny specks under my feet.
"Now it's really just us. No one to bother you, no one to steal glances or try taking you from me."
Her voice brimmed with strange liberation, thick possessiveness, and blind affection for me. Her slender fingers gently stroked down my hair. I tightened my arms around her slim waist and pressed a light yet deep kiss to her pale forehead.
"Who'd steal me away? Even if you locked pure gold shackles on my ankle, I wouldn't run."
"You sure know how to say the prettiest things, my Kang Jinwoo."
As the flight settled into a smooth cruise, the head chef wheeled over a cart silently from the lounge's back. Vintage champagne chilled in an ice bucket arrived alongside rare caviar—the "diamonds of the sea"—and warm, freshly baked blini, all plated to perfection.
"Here, Jinwoo. Say ahh."
Seol-ah scooped a heaping spoonful of caviar with a tiny mother-of-pearl spoon and brought it to my lips.
"No, my hands are fine. I can feed myself."
"On this plane, I'm feeding you everything. Just lie back on my lap nice and comfy and open wide. That's an order from the Director."
In the end, I surrendered completely to her blind, sweet affection offensive. High above the clouds at tens of thousands of feet, I endured the world's most luxurious and comfortable captivity. The caviar's briny pop on my tongue paired perfectly with the crisp, chilled champagne. But more intoxicating than any gourmet dish was her adorable smile as she gazed down and fed me.
With full bellies, we moved past the lounge to the spacious private bedroom inside. On the unbelievably vast, cloud-soft king-size bed, we pulled each other close without a gap. Even the plane's white noise felt like a gentle lullaby. Stroking her back as she buried her face in my chest and breathed evenly, I drifted into the sweetest, deepest sleep in the world.
How much time passed? I woke to the soft landing announcement. Outside the window stretched an unbelievably clear, piercingly blue South Pacific sea—an endless emerald expanse.
"Jinwoo, you're awake? Look over there. We're here."
Seol-ah, already up and lightly freshened, pecked my cheek and pointed outside. As the jet descended, a stunning coral island floated into view like a painting amid the deep blue ocean: pristine white sands crashing gently, dense palm groves, and in the center, a massive white-toned pool villa of overwhelming scale.
The plane touched down feather-light on a special runway built over the sea near the island. As soon as the stairs dropped, a clean, refreshing South Pacific breeze—warm in the most pleasant way, worlds apart from Korea's stifling asphalt heat and smog—wrapped around us gently.
We rode a luxury open-top car waiting at the runway's end, winding through palm-lined paths to the main villa. Midway, cruising in the wind, I noticed something odd about our surroundings.
From the moment we landed until we reached the grand, ornate villa entrance, not a single soul was in sight.
"Seol-ah, for such a huge island, where are all the staff? The secretaries from shopping yesterday, the chef for our meals, the caretakers for cleaning—where'd they go?"
She adjusted her sunglasses she'd flung over her head and answered proudly.
"Sent them all away."
"What? Off the island?"
"No, there's a staff dorm at the far opposite end. I herded them all there. Strict no-approach order within 5 kilometers of the main villa until we buzz them via intercom. Meals get set via a secret service passage behind the villa at set times, then they vanish in a second."
This perfect control, this thorough isolation. Seol-ah had erased every human trace to monopolize this vast, dazzlingly beautiful island completely—just for us two.
"Why? Scared? Or uncomfortable? Want me to call them back?"
She eyed me tensely, and I burst out laughing, ruffling her hair wildly.
"Nah. It's perfect. A true paradise with just us—the best in the world."
The villa's interior was even more unreal and extravagant than its majestic exterior. Sliding open the massive floor-to-ceiling glass doors in the white marble living room revealed an enormous infinity pool blending seamlessly with the ocean horizon. Aside from the crashing waves, no trace of civilization's noise—just perfect, overwhelming silence greeting us.
Not looking back, Seol-ah tugged my hand firmly toward the master bedroom.
"Jinwoo, check this out. The spot I put the most effort into on this island."
Opening the heavy door, I froze, gasping in awe. The bedroom floor—in the center, instead of carpet or marble—was a vast transparent reinforced glass panel wide open to the sea below. Beneath my feet churned emerald waters, vibrant coral reefs, and colorful tropical fish swimming leisurely. It felt like walking straight on the ocean.
"What do you think? Wanted you to wake up to the sea right underfoot, so I had Taesung Construction's ace design team pull all-nighters for a month on this custom job."
Speechless in the face of her insane devotion and wealth that birthed this unreal space, I just stared blankly at the floor.
"Jinwoo."
Seol-ah approached from behind, wrapping her arms tight around my waist. Her soft cheek pressed flush against my broad back. I felt her heartbeat pulsing straight through my spine.
"Now there's really no one. No exhausting Seoul traffic noise, no annoying girls stealing glances at you. Here, it's perfectly just you and me."
Her voice grew languid and thick, like the sea's sway. Her embrace carried a desperate edge, as if compensating for a decade of brutal loneliness. I turned slowly, wrapping my arms around her slim waist and pulling her deep into my chest.
"Yeah, I know. It's the world you made for me. That's why I love it so much, Seol-ah."
I leaned down, planting soft yet deep kisses in a row on her forehead, nose bridge, and plush lips.
"But Seol-ah, on such a big, amazing island with just us, what the hell are we gonna do for a whole month? No theaters, cafes, not even a convenience store."
At my playful question, a sultry, sticky gleam swirled in her big eyes. Standing on tiptoe, she nipped my earlobe and whispered intimately.
"What else? Roll around in this big pretty bed, splash in the pool out there, tumble on the empty beach. I'll stick to you all day and drain every ounce of your stamina. Oh, and those light clothes we bought tons of in Seoul? You won't wear them much here at all."
Her breathtaking queenly declaration left me breathless. Unable to hold back, I laughed heartily, scooping her up by the waist and knees.
"Oh yeah? Then go ahead and give it your all. My dirt-poor-honed stamina's a real monster, so how about a bet—who taps out first on this deserted island?"
I collapsed onto the vast king-size bed with her in my arms, the ocean rippling beyond the glass floor. Her clear, sweet, tumbling laughter filled the room.
The piercingly blue South Pacific sea and our world's most opulent, perfectly isolated private island resort. Sweeter than any capitalist indulgence, hotter than any youth romance flick—our real summer vacation was finally curtain-rising in the most dazzling way in this absolute paradise.