Hoon awoke long before Serin, at the time in the early morning when the sun was just beginning to shine through the curtains. Finally well-rested, he nearly leaped out of bed in his eagerness to see the view. Although he was tempted to dramatically fling the curtains back like on television, he refrained for Serin’s sake. A short trip to the balcony proved that they had a perfect view of the beach with the Santa Monica Pier not far away. There weren’t many people out at that hour save a few joggers and dog-walkers. Hoon gazed in wonder across the deep blue vastness of the ocean and inhaled what he decided was the smell of California.

   Seeing the view had a catalyzing effect on him, and he suddenly couldn’t wait to be outside and spending time with Serin. However, Serin was still asleep, so he decided to change from his pajamas into workout clothes and  locate the exercise room. Serin had been right; the exercise room had everything he needed. It was a good thing he hadn’t brought the extra bag. Hoon powered through his workout, the adrenaline from his anticipation of the day giving him more strength and energy. When he was finished, he  returned to the room.

   When Hoon stepped out of the bathroom after his shower, Serin finally rolled over and opened her eyes.

   “Good morning,” she said, sitting up slowly and stretching. “Ah, I must have been so tired. I slept later than I thought I would.”

   “You needed the rest.” Hoon gave her a good morning kiss. “You worked really hard to get everything ready.” He turned to her expectantly. “Should we go out?”

   Serin nodded, appreciative of his recognition. She noted Hoon’s damp hair. “I’ll shower quickly, and then we can decide what to do, okay?”

   “Okay!”

   Hoon decided to obtain some food since he was getting hungry and needed to get protein soon since he had just lifted. Now that Serin was up and getting ready, he was too excited to just sit and wait.

   “I’m hungry, and you probably are too,” he replied. “Should I order room service?”

   “Do you want help?”

   “I can do it!” Hoon ushered her along. “You can take your shower while I do that.”

   Serin smiled and made her way to the bathroom. “Alright.”

   Fifteen long minutes later, Serin exited the bathroom to find Hoon sitting at the table with an assortment of breakfast food. He didn’t see her coming up at first, and she watched as he put something covered in a red sauce into his mouth.

   “Is that gochujang?” She asked curiously, sitting down across from him.

   Hoon looked up, eyes wide, and shook his head as he chewed.

   “Wait...then, is that-?”

   “Ketchup!” Hoon declared, picking up another piece of bacon.

   Serin stared at him for a moment, trying to come to terms with the fact that he was actually putting ketchup on his bacon. She couldn’t fathom how he might have developed the habit. Was this something Soohyun or Eli put him up to? Or was he trying to experience American food all at once?

   “Hoon,” she said, “that’s strange. No one really does that.”

   “Why not? It tastes good.”

   “Alright.” Serin inspected the food and served herself some scrambled eggs and toast. “I see you got your protein,” she said. “I’m surprised you aren’t eating eggs too.”

   “Animal protein is better,” he reminded her. “Meat is better.”

   “How was the exercise room?”

   “Really good,” he said. “It had everything I needed.”

   Serin took another bite of food, and when she looked up, Hoon was watching her with no identifiable expression on his face.

   “What is it, Hoonmin?” She asked, continuing to eat.

   Hoon, who was watching her so that he would be ready to walk out the door at the exact minute she finished eating, simply blinked at her. “Should I get your shoes for you? Do you need your purse?”

   “That’s alright. I can get it when I finish.”

   “No, really,” he insisted. “I can get it ready for you.”

   Serin looked at him for a moment, realizing what was going on. “Hoon, calm down. We have plenty of time. There’s nowhere we need to be, remember?”

   “Sorry,” he said. “I guess I’m just excited.”

   “It’s fine.” She watched as he subconsciously began to tap his fingers against the table.

   Hoon watched Serin chew, and he was struck by how beautiful she looked in that exact moment. The natural light from the windows illuminated her face, and even without makeup, her skin looked fresh and smooth after her shower.

   It wasn’t until Serin had finished her breakfast and stood up that Hoon saw what she was wearing. She had paired denim cutoffs that showed off her shapely legs with a light, flowing blouse that just barely covered her bikini top.

   Hoon gulped. Serin looked absolutely stunning, and he had her to himself all day, and the next day, and the day after that. He cleaned up the breakfast dishes and placed them outside the door while Serin got her shoes and purse. He was glad that he was wearing his tank top and cargo shorts over his bathing suit, or else there might have been a slight problem.

   “There are supposed to be some neat things to do here,” Serin said as she and Hoon approached the Santa Monica Pier. They both looked around, admiring the colorful scenery.

   “Wow!” Hoon exclaimed, pointing at something up ahead. “There’s even a Ferris wheel.”

   Serin followed his finger. “Oh, I think that’s part of the amusement park. We can go there if you want to. They’re a little different here than in Korea; it could be fun.”

   When they spotted the aquarium, Hoon expressed great interest, so they went inside. Serin admired the various colors of fish and coral while Hoon pointed out a fish that was slowly opening and closing its mouth.

   “Look!” He waved his finger until Serin joined him. “It’s Kevin!”

   Serin giggled as Hoon took her hand and moved to the next tank, which held a blowfish. Hoon puffed his cheeks and stared at the blowfish for a long time.

   “Serin, look!” Hoon said when they exited the aquarium. “There’s a carousel! We have to ride it,” he said with finality, and tugged Serin’s hand in the direction of the structure.

   Serin laughed when they got closer and she saw a large rabbit among the many horses on the carousel. It wore a rather questionable expression, but she pointed it out to Hoon anyway.

   “You said the fish in the aquarium was Kevin, and now look what’s happened,” she said, stifling her laughter.

   Hoon nodded mournfully.

   “Why don’t you ride it,” Serin suggested, “and I’ll take a picture for your Twitter?”

   Hoon readily agreed, and after nearly falling off the rabbit’s back when the ride started, he managed to sit upright and pose for the picture that Serin took with his phone.

   The two paused their exploration to eat lunch around noon, and Hoon was delighted by the presence of ketchup in the restaurant they ate at. When they had finished eating, they walked all the way to the end of the pier, admiring the glimpses of sparkling ocean.

   “Serin-ah!” Hoon cried. “Look! There’s a roller coaster! Let’s ride that!”

   Serin looked up skeptically at the winding track. “I don’t know, Hoonie. It looks pretty fast. And it goes upside down.”

   “Come on,” Hoon said brightly, hoping she would give in, “it’ll be like we’re flying! If birds can do it, so can we!”

   It was surprising that Hoon was the more enthusiastic party in regards to the roller coaster due to his near-death experience with flying as a young child. But Hoon couldn’t think of anything more exhilarating at the moment than riding the roller coaster with Serin. Serin took one look at Hoon’s expectant face and gave in, pushing her worries aside.

   “Alright,” she said, and his face lit up.

    Hoon thoroughly enjoyed the roller coaster ride, throwing one arm up in the air and yelling.

    “I can flyyy,” he cheered, letting the adrenaline course through his veins.

Serin spent the majority of the ride with her eyes squeezed tightly shut and her fingers gripping Hoon’s arm, hanging on for dear life. Toward the end of the ride, she began to loosen her grip and slide her hand down his arm, and it was then that she noticed just how defined Hoon’s biceps were. He must have been exercising extra of late. And perhaps his precious protein had played a significant role as well.

“Are you okay?” Hoon asked in a low voice, watching Serin with concern.

Knowing that Serin had immediately reached for him in a time of fear made him feel particularly strong. He hoped that she hadn’t been too frightened, but he certainly didn’t mind the feeling of being capable of protecting his wife no matter what.

   Serin nodded and smiled weakly, trying to push the thoughts associated with the feel of Hoon’s firm, smooth biceps out of her mind and ultimately failing. Hoon tried to rid himself of the desire to show Serin once again that he was strong and reliable, perhaps this time in a more private setting.

   Next, they entered a souvenir shop selling all kinds of tourist-oriented items. After passing by a large array of shells, Hoon was drawn to the fake pirate gear. He picked up a plastic sword and brandished it, startling Serin into laughter.

   “Power isn’t determined by your size,” he said, his face becoming serious, “but by the size of your heart and dreams.”

   Serin immediately recognized his Luffy imitation. “You should send Soohyun a picture. If only you had a straw hat...”

   Hoon waved his hand and turned around so that he could take a selca of himself with the sword with Serin in the background.

    After about twenty more minutes of fooling around with pirate gear, they left the shop and wandered around the pier. It was a warm afternoon despite the Pacific breeze, and Hoon suggested that they buy ice cream cones. It wasn’t until Serin’s tongue was trailing all over her ice cream cone that Hoon realized with a shiver just what a dangerous suggestion that had been. Hoon tried his best to turn his thoughts elsewhere, but he couldn’t help but imagine what Serin’s tongue would feel like somewhere else. In firm determination to enjoy the afternoon with his wife and not let his growing lust get the better of him, Hoon focused on eating his own ice cream cone in silence.

    Presently, Serin noticed that Hoon’s occasional exclamations and comments had died down, and she looked over at him only to be greeted with a sight that made her stomach flutter. Hoon was fully concentrating on eating his ice cream cone, and he was doing so with long, thorough sweeps of his tongue. Serin was instantly reminded of something similar that Hoon was able to do just as well with his tongue, and she hurriedly turned back to her own ice cream. Hoon had been so excited about exploring that morning, and she didn’t want her own lust to disrupt his full tourist experience.

    “Should we go to the beach?” Serin asked as she finished the last of her ice cream cone.

    Hoon nodded, then stopped in his tracks when something caught his eye.

    “What is it, Hoonie?” Serin craned her neck, trying to locate the object of interest. “Oh!”

    There was a high striker on the pier. Hoon tugged Serin’s hand toward the box, eyeing the machine that would measure his strength. On any other day, Serin would have internally  rolled her eyes at the fact that Hoon, who was now in his early thirties, still consistently felt the need to demonstrate his strength at every available opportunity. However, she had been trying to no avail to stop thinking about the feel of Hoon’s biceps since the roller coaster, and now the idea of Hoon wanting to prove the strength of said muscles to her was making her feel a little faint.

    Hoon’s face lit up, and he smiled at her as he picked up the mallet. “Are you ready?”

    Serin nodded, a slightly bemused expression on her face. “Go ahead; you can do it! Give it all you’ve got!”

    Hoon wound up his arms and swung, solidly hitting the button with the mallet. The contraption made a lively noise, and the level indicator rose all the way to the top as the entire machine lit up with flashing red lights.

    Hoon whirled around to face Serin with a proud grin.

    “Woohoo!” Serin cheered. “Hoon oppa is so strong!”

    Hoon’s ears turned pink at being called “oppa,” but Serin could tell he was pleased. A small group of passersby had stopped to stare at the high striker, amazed that someone of his build had managed to achieve such a high score.

    After having successfully demonstrated his strength to Serin, Hoon found himself wanting to show her some other things as well. In private. However reminded himself to be considerate of Serin, who seemed to be content with staying out for the time being.

    Serin patted Hoon’s biceps with a playful smile. “Shall we go to the beach now?”

    Hoon nodded enthusiastically, and they set off for the beach.

    Fifteen minutes later, Serin stared in shock as Hoon removed his shirt. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he had said that he’d been going to the gym a lot. His pecs and abs were so very defined that Serin wanted nothing more than to run her hands over them and perhaps a little lower. Hoon smiled at her, oblivious to her want, when he saw her looking at him.

    Serin forced herself to turn away from Hoon’s chest and stomach long enough to her shirt, revealing her bikini top. She reached down to remove her shorts while Hoon froze, unable to move his eyes from her figure. Serin’s bikini perfectly accentuated her curves, and Hoon was beginning to feel the direct effects of such a perfect fit in his swim trunks. Hoon shifted his weight nervously. He didn’t want to make Serin feel pressured to help him attend to his...issue...if she was having a good time already.

Hoon waited until Serin had finished placing her clothes on her beach towel before scooping her up in his arms and running toward the water. Serin shrieked, more out of surprise than displeasure, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Hoonmin-ah!” She cried. “What are you-”

Hoon gulped as he felt Serin’s skin and chest pressed against his, and he continued forth, splashing into the frigid Pacific water at full speed. Serin clung to him, not wanting to touch the frigid water, and despite the feel of her warm skin, Hoon’s problem disappeared when the water was up to his waist. He looked around, appreciating the expanse of ocean before him, then looked back at Serin, appreciating the look of utter dependence on her face.

“Don’t drop me, Hoonmin,” she said in a pleasant tone that carried a warning all the same.

Serin wasn’t sure why Hoon had carried her into the water in the first place, but she knew better than to expect there to be an obvious reason. She knew that Hoon wouldn’t drop her in the water on purpose, and he had just proved that he was more than strong enough to hold her weight. However, Serin hadn’t considered the clumsiness factor, and when Hoon turned around to head back to shore, he found that one of his feet had gotten stuck beneath the sand. In a valiant effort, he flailed, trying to regain his balance, but he was too late. He let go of Serin, and she let go of him, dropping into the water with a splash.

    Serin squealed when she hit the water, and Hoon frantically reached for her with wide eyes.

    “Serin-ah!” He pulled her up into a standing position. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to.”

    Hoon’s face was one of utter concern and guilt, and although Serin was quite displeased about having been dropped in the ocean against her will, she couldn’t stay upset with him for very long. She knew he hadn’t intended to; it was only a result of his usual clumsiness.

    “It’s alright, Hoonie,” she said kindly. “I’ll live.”

    Hoon saw her shivering and immediately led her to shore. “You need to dry off,” he said, his worry evident in his voice. “You’ll catch a cold.”

    Serin gave a shaky laugh. “It’s almost thirty degrees*. The water’s cold, but I won’t get sick.”

    Nevertheless, Hoon shook a beach towel free of sand and began to pat her dry. That was when he noticed the effect of the cold water on Serin. Her skin was covered with goosebumps, and he could see two peaks just beneath her bikini top, showing through the fabric…

    That was it. Hoon was done trying to hide his want for her. He didn’t think he could comfortably hold back any longer. He didn’t care if Serin saw the evidence of his lust; he didn’t care if they spent the rest of the day in bed. He knew with absolute certainty that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. With the assurance that he wouldn’t be ruining her afternoon if he proceeded, Hoon brushed his hand against her chest, almost as though by accident.

    Serin took the towel from Hoon and finished drying off while Hoon picked up his own towel, hardly moving his eyes from her. Serin stared at him for one long moment, flicking her eyes to his crotch and back to his face again. Hoon’s heart pounded. Serin knew. And it seemed that she wanted the same thing he did.

    Serin cleared . “I’m cold. Why don’t we go back to the hotel room?”

    Hoon leaped at the suggestion, and within seconds, he had gathered his things.

    “I’ll warm you up,” he whispered in her ear.

    Serin smiled. “Then let’s hurry up. I’m sure you’re cold too.”

    “Probably colder than you know,” Hoon said, thinking of the past few hours.

    A young shirtless man carrying a surfboard sauntered past, blatantly checking Serin out. Hoon glared back at him and immediately took the towel from her. He carefully wrapped her in it, fully covering her bikini.

    “I don’t want anyone else seeing you like this,” he explained when she gave him a questioning look.

    They walked up the beach, holding hands with one hand and carrying their clothes in the other. The sea breeze was cold against Serin’s damp skin, and she felt Hoon shivering next to her. Serin playfully leaned into him with the hope that he would not fall over, and his heart sped up with anticipation of what was to come.

* degrees Celsius