After riding for what seemed like hours, they finally arrived at a deserted beach. Jaehyun killed the engine and steadied the bike while Jiyeon dismounted, then slid from the seat and swiveled the kickstand with his boot. She removed her helmet, handed it to him and smoothed her hair while he hooked their helmets on the handlebars. He then took off his gloves and stuffed them in his jacket pocket.

Jaehyun turned to face her and reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "How did you like your ride?" he asked, smiling.

"I loved being that close to you with the wind brushing against my skin." Jiyeon returned his smile, admiring the liveliness of his eyes. They sparkled with vivacity.

His smile grew broader, his dimples deeper. "I enjoyed our closeness." Jaehyun cupped her face, leaned over and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. A warm sensation ran through her body making her heart skip a beat.

Jiyeon blinked in surprise as he bent down on his knees and took off her shoes. "Walking barefoot on the beach is relaxing and romantic. We can absorb negative ions from the earth through the soles of our feet." Jaehyun removed his own boots, and then rose to his feet. "Wearing rubber soles disconnects us from the earth's ionic energy." He held out his hand.

She placed her bag on the motorcycle seat. "Walking barefoot on the earth is the way nature intended us to walk." Jiyeon took his hand in hers and interlocked their fingers.

With a smile adorning their faces, they walked along the beach softly and gently, as if they were kissing the earth with each step and the earth were kissing right back. The sand was soft and warm on their feet. The cool sea breezes caressed them with the gentle touch of a lover's kiss, bringing with it the fresh salty smell of the ocean. The soft sound of waves lapping the sandy shores lent a soothing ambiance.

They enjoyed the stimulating feeling of the barking sand under their feet and between their toes. And Jiyeon noticed how her body relaxed and her mind quietened―free from distractions. Looking back, she could see the emblem of their footprints. The way the beams of sundown rays hit the sand, made it sparkle like a mingling of gold and diamonds flecked within the sand itself. It was breathking, and the moments they spent, simply walking in silence, hand in hand, were the most magical either of them had ever felt.

They stopped walking and gazed out to the sea. He stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her into his embrace. Her back was warmed by his solid chest, making her feel safe and cocooned in his strength. He put his chin on her shoulder, and she rested her hand over his. They gazed with awe and admiration at the setting sun as it illuminated the western sea with golden luster, sparkling, warm colors. A thick atmosphere made the sun's disk look orange like a huge egg yolk. Feeling a breeze on their faces, they basked in the warmth of pure love, calmness and peace.

"Jiyeon," Jaehyun whispered, breaking the silence. "I recall you once shouted in front of the class, admitting you've never been in a relationship and have never been kissed. So I'm your first love and kiss?"

"Yes, you're my first love. I spent most of my life studying―" Jiyeon took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the salty air. "I don't want to lie. You're not my first kiss. Baekwoon, the owner of the voice I've been hearing whom I'd never met in the waking life, has kissed me in my dreams. He communicates verbally and physically with me through my dreams, and I still have no idea why he is obsessed with me."

Jiyeon could feel as much as hear him inhale deeply at the curve where her shoulder met her neck. The warmth of his breath on her skin sent an electric tingle through her body and elicited a deep sigh.

"Thank you for being honest and forthright with me." Jaehyun's deep voice vibrated through her. "Are you sure you'd never met him in the waking life?"

"I'm sure I'd never met him," Jiyeon replied without hesitation. She looked up at him and added, "How about you? Have you dated anyone before me?"

Jaehyun's eyes were so soft and sincere as he gazed into hers. "I've never dated or kissed a girl before. I view dating and relationships as a serious commitment. You're my first love and will be my last. I don't care what people say or think about you. I love you as you are." His voice mirrored his expression.

His sincerity touched her heart. Jiyeon turned around and cupped his face in her hands. "You will be my last too." She kissed him with all the tenderness she possessed.

After a stunned second, Jaehyun returned her kiss, his mouth moving over hers, nipping, tasting. He gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly as he deepened the kiss. Her heart was beating against his chest, trying to leap into his. She could feel unshed tears in her eyes, could feel her blood flowing hot heavy through every vein.

Don't have with him, or else I'll kick you out of the house and don't call me your mother again! Her mother's words flashed through her mind. She broke the kiss. He looked her in the eye, his breathing coming in deep, ragged gasps that matched the rise and fall of her own chest.

Jiyeon drew in several deep, steadying breaths before she eased down onto the sand and looked out to the western horizon. Jaehyun settled down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. They silently admired the last vestiges of the setting sun over the horizon. Day turned to twilight as the sky changed from its familiar blue to brilliant shades of orange, pink and purple. The stars in the heavens began putting on their nightly show.

"Thank you for bringing me here. It's a beautiful and tranquil place." Jiyeon wriggled her toes in the sand. She felt the very soft sand under her feet, and a sigh of pure pleasure escaped . "I love being in nature. I love the calmness of it. It makes me feel healthier."

"I love being in nature, too." Jaehyun grabbed a fistful of sand, smiling as he slowly released it. "Nature represents the truth, harmony, balance. The more you surround yourself in this energy, the more you emit that frequency reality."

They exchanged bright smiles. As twilight faded further into darkness, they remained silent, enjoying the breathtaking scenery. The ocean was calm and the sky was cloudless. They could see all of the stars above reflected in the ocean. It was as if they were in the center of the universe, floating on a sea of the stars, one with the cosmos of glistening light and soft darkness, where the darkness was but the carrier of the light. They were so small and yet so consequential.

After a few moments' silence, he cleared his throat. "Why did you run from Teacher Im?" Jaehyun squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

"She promised to my mom that she would bring me home after meeting her fiancé," Jiyeon replied. "Mom wants me to attend the arranged dinner meeting tonight. She is trying to set me up with your Biology teacher's son. She doesn't approve of our relationship."

"Is it because I'm your student?"

Jiyeon nodded, and then stood on her knees in front of him. She cupped his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. "Jaehyun, I don't want to go home. I don't want to be set up with that therapist. I want to be with you. I―"

Jaehyun cut off her words with a soft kiss, and then whispered, his voice wavering with heavy emotion, "I want to be with you too, Jiyeon. I want nothing more in this world than to love you, care for you, cherish every inch of you like you deserved to be..."

He was interrupted by her stomach growling. Jiyeon realized she had only eaten a spoonful of strawberry shortcake.

"I see you are hungry, huh?"

"A bit."

"Let's go. I'll make you dinner at my place."

Rising to his feet, Jaehyun took hold of her arms and pulled her to her feet. He led her to his motorcycle. He bent over to grab their shoes from the ground and stuffed them into the saddlebag, while she unhooked her helmet from one of the handlebars and settled it on her head. He climbed on the bike, settled the helmet on his head and then adjusted her bag so it was in front of him. He offered his arm for balance as she climbed behind him. He kicked up the stand, and his bike roared to life when he hit the ignition. Wrapping her arms around him, Jiyeon clung to him as he took off.

The cool night air rushing passed them, the moon above shining down. She was flying. She pressed her cheek against his back and closed her eyes. She abandoned herself to everything except, the rushing wind, the roar of the motor, the sensation of hurtling through the air. Eventually, the bike came to a stop, but Jiyeon didn't open her eyes to see if they'd reached their destination, or if they were only stopped at a red light.

Jaehyun patted her linked hands. "You can let go now, Jiyeon. We're at my place." The engine died down after he'd said the last word.

She turned her head and opened her eyes. They sat in front of Jaehyun's big house on the drive by the front door. It took a few seconds for her to unlock her hands, then swung her leg over the back of the motorcycle and got off. As she removed her helmet, he put down the kickstand before he joined her. He took the helmet from her and then locked it to the bike as he'd done with his. He handed her bag to her, and she slung it over her shoulder.

A wave of anxiety suddenly flooded her spirit, washing over her sensibilities. Jiyeon took a deep breath and then another before speaking, "Jaehyun, I'm not ready to meet your father yet."

"No worries, he isn't home. He's gone to Seoul to visit my sister, who's pursuing her master's degree at SNU," he told her as he cupped her elbow and led her to the front door. Relief washed over her, flushing the anxiety out of her system.

"You have a sister? What's her name? How old is she? What master's degree is she pursuing?" Jiyeon asked as he unlocked the door and opened it.

"Yes, her name is Jung Eunji. She's 24 years old," Jaehyun answered as they stepped inside. He closed the door behind them. "She's pursuing her master's degree in Clinical Psychology."

Psychology! Jiyeon pulled her elbow free. "We better break up now." Her voice took on a serious tone.

A slight laugh escaped his lips. Jaehyun turned her to face him. She ducked her head, avoiding his stern gaze. He lifted her chin with his finger, making her meet his gaze. "Why? Why are you asking to break up? Why so sudden?"

"I hate both Psychology and Psychiatry with a passion. I'm sure I won't get along with your sister."

"Is that the reason?"

Jiyeon unhesitantly nodded.

His gaze softening, Jaehyun continued, "You're dating me not my sister." He cupped her face in his hands and her cheeks with his thumbs. "Let me tell you, I don't like Psychology. Psychology traps people in their own minds and gives them the illusion they are going somewhere. In the medical world, there is a term called Placebo Effect. It means the positive effect of beliefs on the body. Less known is the term, Nocebo Effect which is the negative effect of beliefs on our biology―our bodies. Our beliefs are so powerful that can heal or kill us. The mental health system trains people in how to be "schizophrenic", depressed, anxious, etc. 'You just can't shake off depression' is false belief. Raising your consciousness over Psychology always."

His perspective on Psychology made her fall deeper in love with him. A smile emerged from the deepest of her heart. Jiyeon remarked, "Doctors know about nocebo effect, yet they are still happy to tell a cancer patient they will die soon. What we or others view as an authority in our lives dictates our lives and comes to pass."

"Doctors love playing god. It's a sad fact that most people choose to stay in the 'I'm ill and that's that, mindset' and never believe in the power they have."

"I don't blame the people for not understanding the possibility of healing ourselves. I blame the world's so-called protectors who have been feeding us false beliefs from the start," Jiyeon said, looking into his eyes and seeing the depth of his beautiful soul, his caring eyes. "Self-healing has recently been accepted in science as 'Neuroplasticity'."

"So-called protectors protect the system not the people. Jiyeon, never say break up again." Finished talking, Jaehyun bent down and picked her up bridal style. Instinctively, Jiyeon wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Where are you going to take me?" she questioned as he carried her up the stairs. He just smiled, making her heart beat fast in nervous anticipation. 

Once inside his room, Jaehyun pushed the door closed with his back, then set her down, allowing her feet to touch the floor rather than laying her on his bed. A silent sigh escaped her lips. She placed her bag on his table, while he switched on the light. In three long strides, he closed the distance between them and attacked with and nips while shrugging out of his jacket, then helped her out of her blazer. She moaned and kissed him deeper, itching with a need for more, to satisfy this hunger he stirred in her.

"I want you," Jaehyun breathed against her lips in a husky voice, turning three simple words into the most thing she had ever heard.

"I want you, too," Jiyeon whispered into his mouth.

Sweeping her up in his arms, he carried her to the bed, which smelled of lavender. He gently laid her down on the linen sheets, her eyes on the ceiling. She moaned when Jaehyun covered her, his body pressing delightfully into hers. Jiyeon wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, her eyes closing and her heart crying out for more as he pinned her beneath him.

His tongue delved between her lips and she opened for him, moaned as he kissed her deeper. Jiyeon stilled beneath him, surrendering to him and savoring the heat of his kiss and the way each brush of their lips had flames skittering over her skin beneath her clothing. Jaehyun swept his lips down her jaw to her neck, buried his face there and devoured her sensitive flesh with open-mouthed kisses. She dug her fingers through his hair, clinging to him, and lifted her knee so it grazed his hip, unable to keep still as he sent wave after wave of shivers dancing over her body.

Jaehyun broke away, quickly ed his shirt and tossed it aside, revealing his solid chest with smooth muscles. He then started to her shirt, and Jiyeon watched, her heart pounding hard. He'd ed her shirt to the waist when she caught his wrists, stopping him.

His face showed a mixture of disappointment and confusion. "What's wrong? You want me, don't you?"

"Yes, I do want you, but…I―I'm not ready to have kids yet. Contraception is unnatural and anti-life. I will have with…you when I'm ready to have kids. Hope you understand me," she confessed, feeling the crimson of a heated blush rise to her cheeks.

A smile slipped onto his lips, showing the dimples in his cheeks, and his eyes sparkled. "I'll wait until you're ready." Jaehyun kept a few inches between them as he lay down beside her. "I really want to create a family based on love, mutual understanding along with care."

His words brought a faint smile to her lips. She thought he was a very mature boy. As Jiyeon buttoned her shirt back, Jaehyun jerked himself up into a sitting position.

"What's up?" Jiyeon asked.

Jaehyun looked down at her; his lips curled into an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I forgot to make you dinner."

"It's okay. I'm no longer hungry." Jiyeon pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Your kisses left me satiated." She gave him a big, cheesy smile.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Should I kiss you again?" His eyes grew serious.

Jiyeon made no response. She was drawn to the bookshelf on the left side of his bed. She got out of the bed and went right to it. Her eyes scanned the multitude of books on the shelf. "You have eclectic taste in books," she said as she glanced at him, who was putting his shirt back on.

"Well, I presume I do."

Inching closer, Jiyeon ran her finger across several titles: The Wisdom of Your Cells How Your Beliefs Control Your Biology by Bruce H. Lipton. The Fourth Phase of Water: Beyond Solid, Liquid, and Vapor by Gerald H Pollack. Light in Shaping life: Biophotons in Biology and Medicine by Roeland van Wijk. Light: Medicine of the Future: How We Can Use It to Heal Ourselves Now by Jacob Liberman. The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life by Robert O. Becker.

Her finger paused on a familiar title: Health and Light by John N. Ott. Jiyeon picked it up, went back to the bed and plopped down beside her lover.

Jaehyun nudged her arm with his elbow and gave her a grin. "Have you read it before?"

"Yes, I have. It's an intriguing book." Jiyeon opened the book and flipped through the pages until she came to page 60. She read the interesting part, which was contrary to mainstream science's claim that the sun was dangerous to human health, loudly, "If human skin is not exposed to solar radiation direct or scattered for long periods of time, disturbances will occur in the physiological equilibrium of the human system. The result will be functional disorders of the nervous system and a vitamin-D deficiency, a weakening of the body's defenses, and an aggravation of chronic diseases."

"I never believe the sun is a bad thing for us. If the sun caused cancer none of our ancestors would have survived. Can you guess where many of the studies showing the damaging effects of sun exposure and the protective effects of sunscreen got their funding?" Jaehyun remarked as he lay back down on the bed. "Many sunglasses advertisements warn people never to be in the sunlight without "protection" from UV light, and those who buy into their nonsense will get angry and call you crazy if you tell them sunglasses are bad―" He paused for a moment. "Wearing sunglasses actually can over time make people sick, by stopping the full spectrum of light entering the body through the eyes. Light pioneers like Dr. John Ott, Dr. Jacob Liberman and some holistic-oriented eye doctors have warned us of the harmful effects of the full spectrum of light not entering the eyes. But these doctors will be likely deemed quacks for going against the established "wisdom" of Big Pharma."

"Sunscreen is another way of Big Pharma making money off of people. The more people research things, the more they will find out that those who are the crazy ones are those who believe the governments and corporations that feed us and sell us lies, garbage and fear." Jiyeon slammed the book closed then put it on the bedside table.

"Sun gazing has opened my eyes to the truth. Programed information we are taught are lies and only those willing to look beyond their own ego are able to see this through the deception and expand one own beliefs and thinking. This takes courage and is not for the faint of heart, but well worth the liberation of mind and body. The choice is ours to take or reject. If we question nothing, we believe everything." His voice sounded sleepy. She moved her gaze down to him.

"Can you turn off the light?" Jaehyun asked, yawning. "I'm sleepy."

Jiyeon rose to her feet, walked over to the wall and flipped the light switch, turning off the light. She went back to the bed and nestled up next to him, settling her head on his shoulder. She slid her left leg over both of his legs and snuggled in. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her tight, the warmth melding their bodies together. She smiled and closed her eyes, safe and content in his arms. She felt herself drifting off into a sleep.