Present Day

Jeju-Du Day 1

      I don’t understand what’s going on.

      All I had planned for today was to rest from yesterday’s drama. But here I am, in an empty airport, with my soon-to-be husband. His fingers lace through mine, but I don’t face him. Why hasn’t he ever mentioned Jiyong to me?

      “I know I’ve been busy for the past weeks,” Seunghyun Oppa’s low voice whispers to my left ear, his breath tickling me still but it feels so different than before. “I wanted to make it up to you, so I prepared this.”

      “What exactly is this Oppa?” Can’t I go back under the bed covers instead?

      “Our pre-honeymoon.” He shrugs and drags me with him towards the check-in desk.

      Oh, it’s just a pre-honeymoon- “Wait a minute, what?”

      “Love,” He gives me his stupid smile, his pimples deep in his cheeks. “It’s a one week trip. An early wedding gift.”

      I shake my head. “But I don’t need a wedding gift,” the mere thought of a wedding right now nauseates me really. It’s neither the right time nor state of mind. “And I have to go to work tomorrow.”

      We settle down in the first class waiting area, and he waves me off. “I spoke to your boss, and he was okay with it.”

      “Why would you do that?” I whine. I have so many things to talk to Jiyong about, but I won’t see him in a week. A week of no answers, of thinking and of so many unexplained dreams. And it’s not like Seunghyun Oppa will tell me anything.

      I think I might go crazy.

      “Dara love, I really miss you.” He pecks my lips, snapping me out of my near internal freak out. “Can’t we just spend time together? An engaged couple?”

      No we can’t, a voice yelled from inside. Why? Just because.

      That wasn’t reason enough to reject him though. He would be disappointed if he had planned this from the beginning, and I did I agree to marry him, so it shouldn’t be this hard.

      But why is it?

      “Okay, I’ll accept the week off.” I breathe deeply and turn to him, a question nagging at the back of my mind ever since Jiyong had told me the truth. Should I ask him? Would he get mad?

      “What’s wrong?” he squeezes my hand.

      I don’t think he’ll give me an answer right now. So I shake my head. “Nothing. I was just wondering about the trip. Where are we going?”

      “Not telling you,” He grins and moves his shoulders around like a gag man, and I bite back a smile at his childishness. “It’s a surprise.”

      I hit him in the head slightly, stopping him from making a fool out of himself. “I know we’re going to Jeju, idiot.”

      “What?” his expression falls, like a child off sugar. How can a fully grown man still be so stupid? “How did you know?”

      Rolling my eyes, I point towards the door. “It says above the waiting room, Oppa.”

      “Since when did you start rolling your eyes?” He flicks my forehead, making my wince.

      Since I started spending time with Kwon Jiyong. “It became a habit I guess.”

      “It’s like we’re back in university again.” He mumbles, but I catch it anyways. My heart starts beating faster.

      “I used to roll my eyes a lot in college?”

      He nods sombrely, “You had bad influence back then. Thank God it’s over.”

      Bad influence. Is he talking about Jiyong? “What do you mean?”

      “Nothing worth you thinking about.” He shakes me off, the stewardess calling for passengers to board immediately after. I frown, but still follow him into our private seats cabin. Why can’t he ever be straightforward with me?

      Why doesn’t he want me to know about him? Is Oppa hiding something from me?

*               *                *

      They say time flies when you’re having fun. They forgot that time is like a ticking bomb, every second longer than the other when you can’t stop thinking.

      Hours later, and we’re settled in our hotel room. Grand and flamboyant would be an understatement to describe the suite we were staying in. Floor to ground windows, high ceilings, and crystal chandeliers glistening in the sunrays were everywhere.

      The furniture was futuristic, yet still maintained a classical romantic feel with beige and pink hues splattered around. The bedroom though was what struck me the most.

      A grand circular king sized bed rest in the middle of a huge empty space, dim lightning and mirrors on the ceiling above the bed. I gulp.

      “Are we going to be sharing the bed?”

      “You don’t want to?” he calls in from the walk in closet, and I approach him so that we can talk comfortably. “I was thinking it’d be easier to spend time together.”

      I rub my arms uncomfortably, biting my lips. “Oppa, you know we can’t-”

      “Dara,” he stops inspecting the cupboards and turns to me. “I know. I’m not going to force you to do anything. We’ll wait like you wanted to. After marriage.”

      I don’t even know if I still want the marriage though. I wanted to say this so bad, but the timing isn’t right. Will it ever be?

      His arms circle around me, and I burry