The Journey Begins in the Bathroom
I'd pulled an all-nighter with my eyes wide open, but we finally made it. It was still earlier than Seoul, but whatever. This was my first trip with a woman, and not just any woman—it was with Yoonah, a world star! Even though we'd met several times, she still felt like a dream celebrity to me.
I arrived at the airport even earlier than our agreed time.
"Couldn't sleep anyway, and she hasn't shown up yet, so it's all good."
I'd traveled abroad before, but always to closer spots using other airports, so this was my first time at Incheon Airport. Yeah, it was in Incheon, not Seoul, but close enough.
"Damn, this place is huge..."
Even craning my neck, I couldn't take it all in at once. It was massive, just as I'd heard. Everyone was dragging their carry-ons, heading off in their own directions for whatever reasons. I started scouting a spot to wait for Yoonah.
"Whoa, they've got all kinds of stuff in here?"
"Holy crap, there's a movie theater inside the airport?"
With such a variety of facilities packed in, time flew by just wandering and peeking around a bit.
Just as I was checking things out, Yoonah's message popped up saying she'd arrived. I hurried toward the movie theater's location.
Ah, right. A place this big must have a massive parking lot too. I checked her message and headed up to the third floor.
She'd said to meet on the third floor, but the airport was so enormous that even this level was ridiculously spacious and complicated.
"How is this so maze-like?"
"Jisoo!"
And somehow, in that vast space, she spotted me like a ghost and appeared right behind me—Yoonah, fresh-faced after staying up all night.
"Whoa, how'd you find me in a place this huge?"
"I come here a lot, so I'm used to it."
Yeah, that made sense. Yoonah had to fly out constantly for work.
"Let's check in and head inside. We can browse the duty-free shops too."
The flower of any overseas trip has to be duty-free shopping. No taxes—what a steal! I figured I'd grab some booze for my parents, a bag for Yoonah, and maybe some snacks.
"Okay~ Let's go!"
Luckily, being a weekday, it wasn't overwhelmingly crowded, even if there were more people than expected. Check-in, baggage drop, and security took less than 30 minutes.
"We got through quicker than I thought."
It usually takes longer, so Yoonah looked pleased too.
"Doesn't the mask feel stuffy?"
Wearing one indoors all the time must be suffocating. But she couldn't just take it off and stroll freely—not in her position.
"It was a nightmare when I debuted, but now it feels totally natural, like I'm not even wearing it."
Being a celebrity really is an extreme job.
"Ah, I'm gonna go pick up my duty-free stuff."
"Ooh, got something good? I'll come with!"
"Nah, just browse around. I'll text you, and we can meet back here."
Yoonah tilted her head curiously but nodded with an "Okay." Time for a little surprise.
I dashed off to the duty-free pickup counter.
"Oh, here it is."
Last time, heading to the airport with friends, I had no clue about pre-buying duty-free items for pickup. But since this trip was right after, I'd been a bit worried—glad it worked out smoothly. With fewer people around, I grabbed the item quick and texted Yoonah.
Heading back to our spot...
"Ah, there you are."
Yoonah was standing there, looking as stunning as ever—like an airport ad model.
"Here, this is for you."
I wasn't totally sure about her tastes, and my eye for fashion wasn't the best, so I'd gone with something safely neutral.
"Might not be your style, but it's a gift anyway."
I handed over the bag a bit awkwardly, and she took it with slightly trembling hands.
"You didn't have to get me something this nice."
"Just wanted to."
She'd booked the flights and hotel, so I wanted to do something. Can't have the guy just taking gifts all the time. Plus, money wasn't an issue anymore!
"Thank you, seriously. But... where'd you even get the cash for something this pricey?"
Her worried tone was just adorable. I took her hand lightly and played it cool.
"Told you, I won the lottery."
"Wait, that was real? What place?"
She must've figured it was enough for luxury goods. Yesterday she'd teased me about 5,000 won and congratulated me sarcastically.
"First prize."
"What?! For real?"
"Yeah, for real."
I answered calmly and started walking slowly.
"Whoa, that's insane!"
"Nah, not really."
"Related to your powers or something?"
Sharp as ever. I'd expected her to connect the dots since she knew about my abilities.
"Maybe, maybe not."
"Seriously, where's your limit?"
It got me curious too—my own limits. What happens when proficiency hits 100% and I can wield the powers freely? Would the time limits and daily uses vanish entirely? Ah, probably after I become a god. But doesn't max proficiency make me a god anyway? A bunch of questions popped up, but no answers yet.
"Dunno, I'm curious too. Oh, let's check that out."
I brushed it off casually and stepped into the liquor store right in front of us. They had high-end whiskeys and wines—made me think of Dad, who loves whiskey.