Date 14: Jeju Island Day 1

“D. Wake up.”



Dara rolled over towards the warmth that was calling her name.



“Five more minutes, Jagi,” she murmured, nuzzling into his chest.



Jiyong smiled at her use of his line and held her close for a moment.



“D, we've got a big day ahead of us, we need to get up.”



Dara's eyes fluttered open as she took in her surroundings. They were lying in a luxurious 4 post canopy bed made of a deep mahogany, lined with sheer white curtains. Their bedroom boasted a sweeping view of the ocean which was a welcome sight as the morning light was beginning to touch the water. Compared to the cozy bedroom of Jiyong's apartment, the expansive space of this bedroom felt almost too big.



She still couldn't believe that they were on Jeju Island. After reading the index card last night, she had gone into a fit of anxiety on the planning efforts needed for the trip. And Jiyong, with a mischievous smile, had revealed that he had already planned out every last detail, having pulled the card while she was in the shower after their return from Paris, not during her shower last night. That sneaky romantic! He had packed their bags, arranged to stay at a friend's villa, booked airline tickets, and planned out a rough itinerary. It had been a blur of activity, checking her bag to make sure he didn't forget any essentials, rushing to the airport to catch their flight, sitting next to the slimey excuse of a man that almost had Jiyong brawling in the airplane, hailing a taxi to his friend's villa, then crashing in the bed at midnight.



Now, a luxurious eight hours of sleep later, they were readying themselves for Jiyong's first surprise, scuba diving lessons.



“I'm not sure I can get the hang of this in one lesson, Jagi,” she pouted, zipping up her wetsuit.



“Don't worry, D. You're in safe hands. I'm PADI certified. Have been ever since I was in the diving club in college. We'll just go over some basic maneuvers with the instructor in the backyard pool before we head out to the dive site, okay?”



“All right, Jagi. I trust you,” she said, wrapping her rubbery body around his bare chest.



“Damn, girl. You make wetsuits look y as hell,” he growled, moving in to capture her lips.



“Well, peeling this thing off of me is gonna require a lot more work than your usual efforts, Dr. Kwon,” she wiggled suggestively, then managed to escape his hold in a fit of giggles.



He grunted his disapproval of her escape, slipping on his own wetsuit, and checked the time for the arrival of their instructors.



An hour later, tummies filled with a hearty abalone porridge and Korean sweet potato, they opened the door to the villa to greet their instructors and were met with a ridiculously attractive couple.



“So good of you to come on such short notice, Mr. Bin,” Jiyong remarked coolly, noticing the immediate blush on Dara's face as Won Bin quite unabashedly began stripping his street clothes to put on his own wetsuit.



“Please, call me Won. It's not a problem at all. My sister and I are always happy to help any friend of Soo Hyuk's. He really helped us get our diving school up and running.”



Jiyong felt his stomach tighten as he heard Won stress the word sister ever so slightly as he glanced Dara's way. Damn that green-eyed monster. It was about to rare its ugly head again, but he couldn't risk making a fool of himself in front of one of Soo Hyuk's contacts. He breathed deeply and wrapped his arms around Dara possessively as they made their way to the backyard.



While the boys brought all the equipment in from the truck, Dara found herself experiencing a similar struggle with Won's little sister, Minah.



“Your brother's dreamy!” she cooed, watching Jiyong carry in the equipment.



“Um...he's my boyfriend,” Dara smiled sweetly, managing to keep the hiss out of her voice.



“Oh...you guys look so much alike, I just assumed,” Minah blushed.



“No biggie. To be honest, I thought you and your brother were a couple.”



“EWWWW, WON? He's gross. Don't even! I like the flower boy type, obviously!” she gave Jiyong another once over, her eyes lingering a second too long on his bottom before catching herself. “Sorry!” she blushed again.



In spite of herself, Dara couldn't help but giggle along with this amicable -kitten who was barely held together in her turquoise bikini. But she decided if the vixen took one more look at Jiyong, she was going to staple that wetsuit to her body.



Forcing her smile to stay, she asked, “Do you need any help with your wetsuit, Minah?”



“Oh, no worries. I can reach the zipper by myself. I'm really bendy like that,” she giggled again.



She caught a hint of a fox's grin as Minah turned to skip off towards the boys, stretching her chest conveniently just as she reached Jiyong. It was all Dara could do to keep her claws in check. She knew these instructors were associates of Jiyong's friend, the very friend who was allowing them use of his villa. She knew she had to behave. Fists clenched, she kept her distance, sitting at the edge of the pool, legs submerged, mind boiling with thoughts of what she'd like to do to Miss Bendy over there.



Moments later, the four stood waist deep in the pool water, oxygen tanks and masks on, ready to begin.



“I think we should pair boy to girl, oppa. Jiyong is certified so I don't really need to guide him much, and a little thing like me trying to guide Miss Park with her scuba gear and such would be counterproductive to the time we have,” Mina quipped, wandering dangerously close to Jiyong's personal space.



“That's a great idea, Minah. Makes a lot of sense,” Won agreed, cozying up to Dara.



Jiyong's fists clenched, jaw tightened, and chest heaved as he tried to maintain a civil control over his jealousy.



Instruction began with a basic review of gear and function and then transitioned to actual practice of submersion. Even as clueless as he was, Jiyong was quite aware that Minah was making blatant advances towards him, as was her older brother to Dara. Finding himself in an unbearable quandry of defending Dara's honor and preserving his friendship with Soo Hyuk, Jiyong bore the torment for a longer amount of time than he normally would.



But then it happened. Won wrapped his arms around Dara in an obviously unprofessional manner, causing her to look up at Jiyong with a look of discomfort in her eyes. He couldn't bear it any longer.



“Hey! Won!” he shouted, as he splashed clumsily over to Mr. Bin.



Before Won could reply, Jiyong had reached him, landing his fist against Won's jaw in a perfectly timed punch, grabbing Dara from his arms.



The pool came to life with splashing and shouting as a flurry of actions took place. Jiyong pushed Won with such vigor that he went flying into the water behind him. Won recovered and began defense tactics against an enraged Jiyong. Minah started screaming some nonsense about leaving her boyfriend alone, splashing her way towards the wrestling men. Dara intercepted her, subduing her with a surprising wrestle hold of her own, screaming curses into the wind.




"Stop! PLEASE! It was a test! The brothers' pact! Mr. Lee's brothers' PACT!!!!" Minah shouted, tears streaming from her eyes as Jiyong held a suffocating Won firmly in a vice-like chokehold.




Jiyong let go immediately. "Brothers' pact?" A hazy recognition flitted past his eyes.




He rushed out of the pool and grabbed his cellphone, dialing furiously. Dara was at a loss for words, looking from the hysterically crying Minah being comforted by the out of breath Won to Jiyong who was waiting for the recipient of his phone call with a murderous look on his face.





"SOO HYUK! YOU ! WHAT IS THIS !"




Pause




"What about the brothers' pact?"




Silence.




"Soo, that was six years ago, how the hell am I supposed to remember a pact we made at a bar six years ago?"




Silence. Then a sudden transformation of Jiyong's face as a recollection finally revealed itself in his mind.




"Crap, Soo. You're an . A loyal and faithful but an ! Here, " he finished, handing the phone over to a recovered Won who was clutching his jaw.




"Yes, Mr. Lee. Exactly as we had discussed. We had to really push them, sir. No, I think Minah and I were pretty blatant in our flirtations.  No, sir, not once. I understand, sir. Yes, the weather's perfect for it today. No, sir. Minah will be going home from here, sir. Thank you, sir."




He finished the phone call and returned to a shaken Minah, a furious Jiyong, and a thoroughly befuddled Dara.




"What the hell is going on here?" Dara asked.




"The brothers' pact is a pact that I made with Soo and a couple of other guys from my frat after I caught my girlfriend cheating on me." Jiyong began, obviously embarrassed.




"If any of the brothers of the pact were to find a serious girlfriend, their relationship had to be tested for whatever weaknesses caused their previous relationships to end. In Mr. Kwon's case we were asked to test for fidelity and conviction," continued a suddenly shy and demure Minah.




"Minah isn't my sister. She's my girlfriend. We were instructed to test how long it would take for Mr. Kwon to intervene on an obvious flirtation or move on Miss Park or if either of your attention could be swayed from each other by our actions," finished Won. "You passed Mr. Lee's criteria, and so I am happy to report that your prize is a complimentary scuba diving lesson and dive, two passes to Loveland, and these."




He opened his hand to reveal two beautifully crafted platinum rings. They had a simple cross design spanning the entire circumference of the elegant band.




"Soo's a highly sought after jewelery consultant for one of the biggest departments stores in Korea.....and a ert," Jiyong explained, taking the rings and rolling his eyes at the Loveland tickets.




"Loveland, isn't that the theme park on the island with all the statues in all sorts of positions?" Dara asked, flushing at the thought of Jiyong and her in those positions.




"Yes," nodded Minah furiously, having finally recovered her perky self. "quite the inspirational trip. Your passes are for tomorrow."




"We're truly sorry for having deceived you. Minah actually isn't a diving instructor. She just came to help me with this test. You can go now, Jagi." Won said, kissing Minah on the forehead. She giggled, turned to wave at Dara and Jiyong, and left.




They resumed their basic tutorial on diving and manipulating the air flow for the oxygen tanks, Mr. Won Bin now the perfect professional. Once familiar with the mechanics of it all, the three went down to the docks below the villa, where a boat staffed with two friendly-looking ajummas awaited them.




The little boat cut through the clear blue ocean water like a knife, and they soon found anchor at a peaceful spot about two miles offshore. Their last minute directions taken to heart, Jiyong and Dara held hands and tipped backwards into the cool inviting waters of the sea.



The noise of the world above them forgotten, Dara listened to the beat of her own heart, joined only by the sounds of her Darth Vader like breathing and the occasional sounds of popping as the CO2 escaped into the surrounding waters. But the therapeutic and almost hypnotic effect of this new soundscape were nothing compared to the exotic sights that surrounded her. With the sun shining in a perfect brightness above them, the underwater world sprang to life with bright colors of corral, fish of every possible variety one could imagine, long forests of seaweed, and the occasional octopus floating by.



She floated weightlessly in the midst of it all, as the fish unfazed by her presence swam circles around her, and she marveled at how once again, her beloved Jiyong had opened another door to another world for her. Completely reinventing the memories of her childhood experiences with Jeju island, she now saw past the honeymoon hype of beaches and waterfalls, to an undiscovered playground beneath the surface of the water. She watched as Jiyong glided expertly beside her, guiding her from wonder to wonder, pointing out amazing sight after amazing sight. She never wanted to leave. It was their paradise, and she wanted to stay there forever. But thirty fleeting minutes later, Jiyong gave her the signal that it was time to ascend from their haven, and she grudgingly followed him to the surface.



“That was amazing!” she sputtered, popping the regulator out of as she bobbed up and down, every bit the water nymph that Jiyong had come to know and love.



“I'm glad you liked it, D!”



“I could have stayed there for hours!”



“I know. But since it's your first time, and the tanks have limitations, we can only go in half hour increments. Let's take a lunch break. Then we can go again, if you want.”



Despite not wanting to leave her new found paradise, the mention of food had her zooming past Jiyong to reach the boat first. Jiyong chuckled at the never ceasing hunger of his goddess. They munched happily on the freshly prepared sashimi, and waited with anticipation as they watched the ajummas cooking an intoxicating seafood stew. Paired with fresh fruit and steaming bowls of rice, the meal was perfection after a wonderful dive.



With the number of tanks Mr. Bin had prepared, they were able to go back down two more times before calling it a day. And as they headed back to shore, Dara felt an aching desire to grow a fish tail and just dive back in.



“I'm glad you liked it,” Jiyong murmured, reading her thoughts.



“Promise me we'll go back,” she whispered, nuzzling against him as the boat sped back towards the villa.



“Promise,” he nuzzled back and planted sweet kisses against her neck.



Dara sighed happily.



Thanking Mr. Bin and his ajumma crew, Jiyong and Dara trudged back up to the villa just as the sun was dipping into the sea for the evening. They took a seat on the deck of the villa, happy to share yet another sunset together.



“I think we're starting a lovely tradition,” Dara said with a smile.



“What's that?” he asked, holding her close.



“Watching sunsets together from a villa.”



“Hmmm...in different parts of the world?”



“What a wonderful idea, Dr. Kwon.”



“Indeed, Miss Park. Oh, I almost forgot.”



She looked up curiously to see Jiyong fishing inside his wetsuit at a hidden compartment, pulling out the rings his friend had bestowed upon them.



“I still don't understand this whole brother's pact.”

Jiyong sighed. "After I caught my girlfriend cheating on me, my friends and I went to a bar and got completely wasted.  We shared sob stories about every relationship we ever screwed up or got screwed over in.  We made a pact to watch each other's backs as far as girls were concerned.  I guess Soo really took that night to heart."

"So she cheated on you."
 

"Yeah, but it was more than that.  I let it happen.  I didn't do anything to fight for her."

"You lacked conviction."

"I guess," Jiyong smiled.

"But apparently you have conviction with me?"

"Nothing is taking you away from me, Dara."

Dara blushed.

"And the rings?"



“Part of the pact,” he explained. “If your brother tested your relationship and found it to be acceptable, he'd gift you something as a symbol of his approval.  I guess Soo Hyuk chose promise rings."



Her heart fluttered at the words. Promise rings? She looked up at him, a smile plastered on her face, eyes sparkling.



“Don't feel pressured or anything,” he mumbled nervously.



“Are you kidding, ring me already!” she said, holding out her right hand with glee.



He smiled shyly. Why had he doubted her love again? She loved him, just as much as he loved her. Everyday, he was learning to believe it more and more and the knowledge of it just overwhelmed him with an unexplainable joy. He took her hand in his and placed a ring on her finger.



“Dara, I promise to love you every day until forever, just like this and more,” he said simply kissing the finger where the lovely platinum band fit as if it had been designed specifically for her.



She smiled, tears threatening to spill over at any moment, her heart beating furiously inside her chest. Forever, just like this. No better words could exist for her at this very moment. How could she be so lucky? To find a partner, a lover, a friend, an Adonis that completed her in every possible way?



“Jiyong,” she managed as she took his ring from his hand and placed it on the counterpart finger to hers, “I promise to love you in every possible way, to commit to you mind, body, and soul. I'm yours until forever.”



His breath hitched, letting her words fill his heart, his mind, causing his heart to burst from the sheer happiness of it all. How could he be so lucky?



“I'm so lucky to have found you,” they both said together, chuckling at their unison before staring deeply into each others' eyes, the stunning sunset playing as a backdrop to this perfect moment.



“So, Loveland tomorrow?” Dara asked, eyes twinkling with a familiar desire.



“I had planned for romance, Miss Park. But if my goddess would like to play, who am I to refuse?”



“Is it an indoor theme park?”



“Why do you ask, Miss Park? Looking to duck into an unoccupied room if it is?”



“Oh Jagi, get your mind out of the gutter. No, look,” she turned his head towards the sky, which had suddenly darkened, not from the sun's departure but from dark rain clouds advancing quickly along the horizon.



“Hmm, this could put a damper on our plans.”



“Well, let's see what the morning brings,” she said hopefully.



“As long as I'm with you, any weather's perfect weather. Come on! Let's get to cookin' these bad boys,” he said, holding up the bag of crabs and abalone shells that had been gifted by Mr. Bin as an added apology for the morning's misunderstanding.



He held his hand out to her, and she took it, anticipation building for the fresh seafood, another night with Jiyong, and the hopes of another perfect day tomorrow.







A/N:
 

When I had originally written this date, I was very unsatisifed with the brother's pact.  My desire to incorporate a promise ring made for an awkward flow. I've hence rewritten that portion here. Readers rereading this series here...did you notice the change? 

As always, thank you for reading! MWAH~!

New readers, please leave us a comment here and there. :)

PS. some visuals of what I was seeing as I wrote the scuba scene....jeju scuba pics