A Month Fleeting as a Midsummer Night's Dream
A month slips by in the blink of an eye, like a fleeting dream on a midsummer night. The transparent emerald sea, the dazzling white sand beach, and the perfect paradise of isolation made just for the two of us—Jinwoo Island. As if signaling the end of our unreal, extravagantly luxurious first summer vacation, the massive top-of-the-line private jet lifts off into the South Pacific sky with a soft engine hum.
"Haa... I really don't want to go. What if we just quit the company and live on that island together forever?"
In the spacious private bedroom of the jet, Seol-ah pouts her lips dramatically while clinging to my waist like it's her lifeline on the cloud-like king-size bed. Her big eyes, gazing at our receding island through the window, brim with regret.
"Aigoo, if the Director of Strategy Planning at Taesung Group abandons the company for an uninhabited island, the Korean economy would wobble. We've rested plenty for a month—time to head back to reality."
I chuckle helplessly and brush back the soft strands of hair falling over her forehead.
"And all that stuff we bought at that insane mall when we arrived? You sure it's okay to leave it all on the island? There are heaps of top-tier clothes you've only worn once."
At my worried question, Seol-ah rubs her face against my chest and replies as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"Yeah, leave it all. That island's our private summer villa now anyway—we can wear it next year when we go back. And once we're in Seoul, we'll get you a whole new fall wardrobe custom-made. I can't have my man wearing last season's stuff touched by someone else's hands."
I thought I'd gotten used to her overwhelming capitalist scale over the month, but every time I let my guard down, it hits me again, forcing a deep, hollow laugh.
"Okay, okay. Whatever Her Majesty decrees. But you put off all those approvals for a month—won't you have a mountain of work waiting when we land in Seoul?"
No sooner do the words leave my mouth than Seol-ah's expression turns icy. She grabs the high-end tablet PC from the bedside table, flicks it on, and starts ruthlessly scanning through the approval documents with a sharp glare.
"A mountain? The idiot executives piled up nothing but garbage proposals while I was gone. I'm rejecting them all right now and making the leads submit apologies. Seriously, the company grinds to a halt if I'm away for even a day."
The cute puppy who'd been whining in my arms moments ago is gone. Her profile as she slashes through billion-won projects without mercy is the epitome of the iron-fisted power player ranked fifth in the business world—flawless and ruthless.
But even in that terrifying work whirlwind, her free hand stays locked in mine, fingers intertwined, never letting go for a second. I smile quietly at this lovable duality: radiating pro-level charisma in her element while anchoring herself to me as her safest harbor.
After a few hours of flight, the jet touches down smoothly on Seoul's VVIP private runway. The moment we descend the stairs, the sticky, sweltering Korean midsummer heat hits us—nothing like the clear, crisp South Pacific air.
And waiting in that heat: dozens of black luxury custom sedans lined up on the tarmac, flanked by scores of security in crisp suits.
"Director! VVIP! Welcome back safely!"
As we appear, the chief secretary and guards bow 90 degrees in unison, their greeting booming.
"Chief Secretary, put Plan A on tomorrow's executive meeting agenda as I instructed on the flight. And ship the planning team leader off to a branch office—keep him out of my sight for a while."
Escorting me to the car, Seol-ah issues her cool, merciless orders. I spot sweat beading on the chief secretary's forehead.
But the car door shuts, blocking out the outside world, and the ice queen melts instantly, collapsing onto my shoulder like a disarmed soldier.
"Auu, I'm exhausted. Korea feels suffocating right away. Jinwoo-ya, hold me."
"Aigoo, where'd that lady go who was just yanking the execs' chains? Good work."
I chuckle and pull her into my arms, wrapping around her shoulders.
The limo glides through the clogged Olympic Expressway and pulls into the exclusive underground garage of her ultra-luxury riverside penthouse in Gangnam, overlooking the Han River.
Returning after so long, Seol-ah's penthouse is spotless—not a speck of dust—thanks to the dedicated management team's thorough care.
Cold premium marble floors, ornate chandeliers, and the overwhelming panoramic Han River view. A far cry from the warm, primal villa on the uninhabited island—viciously urban, sleek, and somehow subtly chilling. Her castle.
"Haa... home at last."
Seol-ah kicks off her heels and flops onto the premium leather sofa in the vast living room. I sit beside her, gently massaging her stiff shoulders.
"Not hungry? You barely touched the chef's food on the plane—too busy with documents."
"Yeah, I am. But I don't want to call the chef. I hate hearing anyone else's footsteps in this house besides us. I'll just tough it out."
As she whines and hugs a cushion, I quietly stand.
"Tough it out? You'll ruin your stomach. Wait here—I'll whip something up."
"You?"
I roll up my sleeves and head to the massive open kitchen. The huge built-in fridge stuffed with premium ingredients thankfully has some basics I can handle. I fire up a multi-million-won pan that Michelin three-star chefs might use.
No fancy knife work or flame shows. Just finely chopped ripe kimchi, ham, and leftover rice stir-fried sweet and savory with fragrant sesame oil—a humble, rough kimchi fried rice I'd made countless times in my dirt-poor days to fill my belly.
Sizzle— The spicy, nutty aroma of kimchi hitting the oil starts warming the cold, expansive penthouse.
"Whoa... smells amazing."
Seol-ah's slipped off the sofa, propping her chin on the kitchen island counter, gazing at my back with enchanted eyes.
"No caviar or truffles, but taste guaranteed. I've got five years of solo cooking experience, you know."
I plate two servings of kimchi fried rice topped with perfect runny egg yolks and set them on the table. The simple dish on the tens-of-millions-won marble table feels oddly out of place, but Seol-ah's eyes sparkle brighter than at any gourmet feast.
"This has to be delicious."
She scoops a big bite carefully. Her eyes widen, and a radiant smile blooms.
"Insane! So freaking good! A hundred—no, a thousand times better than the lobster in the South Pacific!"
"Such an exaggeration. Eat slow—you'll get a stomachache."
We sit face-to-face, scraping the plates clean. I wipe the gochujang stain from her lips with my thumb, and she naturally kisses my fingertip.
After dinner, we move to the living room, leaning side-by-side on the sofa before the floor-to-ceiling windows framing the city's glittering nightscape. Seol-ah burrows into my arms, hugging my waist tight. Her heartbeat and the diamond's cool touch from the silver ring against my chest ground me in sweet reality.
"Jinwoo-ya."
"Yeah."
"The island was amazing, and snorkeling was too."
She looks up, meeting my eyes. Seoul's neon lights scatter prettily in her clear gaze.
"But right now, sitting on our sofa at home, eating your fried rice, held in your arms watching the city lights—this feels like the most perfect, happiest time in the world."
Her words send a warm wave surging from deep in my chest.
"Me too. Yachts and islands were great, but my real heaven is wherever you are. Uninhabited island or this penthouse—it doesn't matter."
I tighten my arm around her shoulders and press a deep kiss to her forehead.
"Back to daily life now. You've got to go whip those idiot execs into shape tomorrow, and I've got next semester registration to prep."
"Skip registration. Quit school and hang out with me all day? I'll buy the whole university and make you president."
"Aigoo, capitalist mode reactivated the second we're back. No way. I'll graduate properly and join your company on my own merits—no parachute."
"Tch... It's already all yours—what's with the 'joining' talk."
I seal her pouting lips with a long, sweet kiss. The sweltering, intense peak of summer fades. Our perfect capitalist romance, forged beyond the glamorous island getaway, quietly and deeply seeps back into the most ordinary yet greatest everyday, filled with each other's warmth.
The miraculous cohabitation of Taesung Group's queen and the dirt-poor returnee student. Our second season is just beginning to shine brightest within this massive penthouse.