November 28: 11:08pm, Incheon International Airport, Incheon

Since her return to Seoul four days ago, Hayaley has managed to spend some time with Jae Joong every day though for a short period of time only. The travel time between Seoul and Cheongpyeong for sure complicated things but they both agreed that Cheongpyeong is where they feel most relaxed so the drive became a necessary evil.

Jae Joong has never put in this much effort into making a relationship work and Hayaley has never moved her schedule around this much to accommodate anyone or anything. She stopped by Jae Joong’s the day she arrived from Tokyo, only to spend barely an hour with him before he left for Red Carpet to get his hair styled for an event that evening.

His schedule was full till late evening so they were glad to have the next day to relax in Cheongpyeong, or so they thought until Gun Hyuk’s phone call finds them back in Seoul barely hours later. It was a reunion of sort for everyone who were on the Jeju trip, with Yong Guen added to the mix. If the couple thought they were only meeting the boys for dinner, they were sorely mistaken as their friends invited themselves to Jae Joong’s and of course, spent the night drinking away.  

The next day, Jae Joong had a photoshoot all day so Hayaley spent practically all day at her boutique working on some new designs and orders. Later that evening, she picked Jae Joong up and they headed back to Cheongpyeong, finally getting to spend some quality time together that evening as well as the next day, which they fully utilized. They even baked a turkey and made all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner. Jae Joong asked if she wanted to invite some of her friends over since she is celebrating Thanksgiving away from her family and band mates this year. Hayaley said no, reasoning that they needed some alone time. So, they ended up gorging themselves on a feast made for six.

It was also on Thanksgiving that Jae Joong revealed they were going on a short trip tonight. He told her to meet here at the private jet terminal but would not give away any details, despite her coaxing him for the destination. All she knows is they will be leaving on a private jet and she was told to pack some casual and comfortable clothes for the next two days or so.

Hayaley wheels her hard case suitcase towards the private jet waiting on the tarmac.

Jae Joong is on his way to the airport, after attending an Awards show. He reminds Ahn-Jjang, “Remember, I won’t be available until I get back to Seoul on December 1st.”

“Yes, hyung. You’ve told me that three times already.”

Jae Joong can’t help it. Maybe because he is a little excited but also a little anxious about the upcoming trip. He threw this whole trip together while Hayaley was still in Japan. Quite impressive, he thought since his schedule was somewhat tight those few days. It was an idea that has been swimming in his mind for a little while and this destination has haunted him for months now.

They pull up to the tarmac and he sees Hayaley by the entrance to the plane. A flight attendant is helping her with her suitcase. It has not been easy securing a private jet. He wanted some anonymity so couldn’t chance using a Korean private airline. After making several calls to friends in the U.S. including Mael, he finally found a U.S. airline that could fit into his very tight schedule. Of course the cost was exorbitant but he thinks this is going to be worth it.  

He bids Ahn Jjang good-bye, handing the younger man his work phone. Ahn-Jjang will be fielding the calls to that phone. It’s definitely not easy parting with the phone. But he is determined to not let work be a distraction this trip. He waves his personal phone at Ahn-Jjang, “Only call me if it’s an emergency.”

Ahn-Jjang laughs. “Yes, hyung! Have fun. Tell noona have fun.”

Jae Joong nods and turns towards the plane. A spring in his step and soon, a little jog. Ahn-Jjang grins. He has not seen Jae Joong this happy and carefree for a long while now. He sincerely hopes things work out with Hyun Jin-noona.

Hayaley’s mouth forms a silent ‘wow’ when she enters the cabin area. Luxurious and comfortable. It’s not her first time on a private jet but she’s surprised that Jae Joong has gone to such length for this trip. She sits down on one of the wide seats, running her hands over the smooth leather. She picks up her phone to text Jae Joong.

“No texting or phone calls until the end of this trip.”

She looks up to see Jae Joong looking all dashing in a suit. “R