98: Chapter 98 Vacation

October 20th, Sanya.

When they stepped out of Fenghuang Airport, the tropical wind hit them instantly.

It wasn't the sticky, humid heat of Guangzhou, but a dry, warm breeze carrying the scent of the sea, brushing against the face like a warm towel.

Chairman Wang Shunyi draped his suit jacket over his suitcase and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

Park Min-ji took off her sunglasses, squinted in the sunlight, and said,

"It's really nice here."

She had changed her clothes on the plane. She wore a gray knit sweater during takeoff but changed into a thin white dress in the restroom before landing. Her hair was down, and she wore a straw sun hat.

Chairman Wang Shunyi waited for her at the luggage carousel. Seeing her push her suitcase out from a distance, her skirt fluttering gently around her ankles, he couldn't help but take a second look.

The pickup car was a black Mercedes-Benz van with the Ritz-Carlton Yalong Bay logo. The driver wore a white uniform and white gloves. He put the luggage in the trunk, opened the car door, and held his hand over the door frame.

Park Min-ji got in first, followed by Chairman Wang Shunyi. The air conditioning in the car was on full blast, making it feel like a different season from outside.

The hotel was in Yalong Bay. The lobby was open-air with a wooden structure and old-fashioned fans hanging from the ceiling, spinning slowly.

The sea breeze blew through the lobby, carrying the scent of frangipani. The front desk handed them cold towels and welcome drinks. The drink was green; though the fruit was indistinguishable, it was very sweet and cold.

Park Min-ji took a sip, her eyes lighting up. Kim Young-jun had booked a sea-view suite—150 square meters with a living room, bedroom, two bathrooms, and a balcony overlooking the ocean.

The bathtub on the balcony faced the sea. Next to it sat a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses. The ice in the bucket had already half-melted, with droplets of water trickling down the sides.

Park Min-ji stood on the balcony, leaning her hands on the railing. The sea breeze blew her skirt up and nearly took her hat with it; she quickly held it down with her hand.

In the distance, the waters of Yalong Bay were a turquoise blue, transitioning in layers from the shore to the deep sea like a giant palette. The tourists on the beach looked like tiny dots moving slowly, their activities indistinguishable.

She said, "It really is beautiful here."

She said it twice. The first time was to him, and the second time was to herself.

Standing behind her, he said the room was booked for three days—not too many, not too few—just enough to rest without getting bored.

She didn't turn around, but she saw him smiling in the reflection of the balcony glass, so she smiled too.

After 3:00 PM, the two of them changed into beach shorts and a dress and walked barefoot on the beach. The sand was very fine, the kind of white from ground coral, and it didn't burn their feet.

When the waves rolled in, they reached just up to their ankles. Park Min-ji squatted down to pick up a seashell, examined it in her palm for a while, and then put it back.

It wasn't one she particularly liked; she just thought it looked fairly intact, enough for a photo.

She wasn't the type to go into the water. After changing into her swimsuit, she only stood where the water reached her knees for a while. When a wave hit, the hem of her skirt got soaked.

Chairman Wang Shunyi was further out, with the water up to his thighs. He looked back to see her standing in the shallows, afraid to move forward. He remembered walking with her by the Han River before; when the river breeze blew, she would stay far from the edge, looking just as afraid of falling in as she did now.

"Come here."

"It's too deep."

"Come over here. It's not even up to your waist."

He was telling the truth; the water only reached his thighs.

She took two steps forward when a large wave surged toward her. She screamed and turned to run back, only to realize after a few steps that the wave wasn't actually that big—it just looked intimidating.

He laughed out loud from the water. She turned back and glared at him, strands of hair sticking to her cheeks.

Time flew by, and the lights of the seaside restaurant flickered on. It wasn't a harsh white light but a warm yellow glow, softened by lampshades made of coconut shells.

The tables were set on the beach, their legs sinking into the sand, as did the chairs. The tablecloths billowed in the sea breeze until the waiters secured the corners with clips.

The candles on the holders were windproof, their flames barely flickering.

They ordered a bottle of white wine. She had lobster, crab, and grouper, while he had steak and a seafood platter.

She didn't talk while eating, only squinting her eyes when she tasted something delicious. He noticed but said nothing, simply committing it to memory.

The moment the sun sank into the sea, the sky turned from orange-red to purple, and then from purple to deep blue.

The crowd on the beach thinned out until only their table remained in the restaurant. The waiters didn't rush them or come to clear the plates.

The last ray of light on the horizon vanished, and the stars came out—numerous and bright, with a density never seen in Seoul.

"Sunyi, what do you want to do in the future?"

"I want to make Shunyi Foods number one in Asia. Not just number one in Korea, but in all of Asia. China, Japan, Southeast Asia—I want to enter them all."

"And then?"

"And then..." He thought for a moment. "And then I'll stay with you. We'll go wherever you want to go."

She turned to look at him, the candlelight reflecting brightly in her eyes.

"Do you mean it?"

"I do."

She lowered her head, the corners of her mouth curving slightly.

Back in the room, she went to shower first. The bathroom door wasn't fully closed, and the sound of water mingled with her humming, drifting out in snatches of an unrecognizable tune.

He sat on the sofa scrolling through his phone. Kim Sang-woo from Guangzhou had sent a message saying the letter of intent for the investment had been revised according to his numbers and sent to his email.

Park Ji-yeon's fancam views were up again, and VIVID's album sales had surpassed 120,000 copies. He replied to each message and saved a screenshot of Park Ji-yeon's fancam data.

When she came out, she was using his T-shirt as pajamas; it was long enough to cover her thighs.

Her hair was still wet, and as she tilted her head to dry it with a towel, droplets of water splashed onto his face.

"We're going to Wuzhizhou Island tomorrow. Did you book the tickets?"

"Kim Young-jun booked them. Ferry tickets and the island entry fee."

"What time?"

"Nine o'clock."

"So early?"

"It's less crowded if we go early. Later on, it'll be full of tour groups."

She gave an "oh" and climbed onto the bed, taking the side by the window.

When he came out after his shower, the lights were already off. The curtains weren't drawn, and moonlight flooded in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the room.

She was lying on her side facing the window, her silhouette outlined by the moonlight.

He lay down, not getting too close.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Neither of them fell asleep right away. Her breathing was light and uneven; he could tell she was still awake.

After a moment's thought, he finally turned on his side and placed his hand on her waist; she didn't pull away or move.

After a long while, she shifted backward into his embrace and rested her head on his arm, allowing him just to feel her body heat.

He smelled the scent of coconut from her hair.

"Minji."

"Yeah."

"It's nothing."

She turned over and looked at his face in the darkness. The moonlight shone in his eyes, and the sea outside the window was reflected in his pupils.

(A million words omitted here)

At 7:30 the next morning, the sunlight was already bright. When she woke up, he wasn't in bed. The balcony door was open, and he was standing there alone, smoking, wearing the same T-shirt from last night.

Two cups of coffee sat on the table—one hot, one iced. Condensation clung to the iced one. She took a sip; it was the low-sugar Americano he had ordered.

She stood at the balcony door in his old T-shirt, which was now a wrinkled mess. Her hair was disheveled, and she hadn't washed her face or brushed her teeth yet.

"How did you know when I'd wake up?"

"I heard you turn over."

She was taken aback. At some point, a hot latte had appeared beside her.

On a small plate nearby was the hotel's room service card; all the checked items were things she liked to eat.

He hadn't asked her what to order; he just remembered.

Holding the latte, she walked over to him and leaned against the railing to look at the sea.

People were running and walking dogs on the beach. A Golden Retriever dashed into the sea, splashing as it chased the waves, looking hilarious when its owner called it back.

"I don't want to go to Wuzhizhou Island today."

"Then where to?"

"Just stay at the hotel. I don't want to go anywhere."

"Okay."

She leaned on his shoulder, her hair blowing in the sea breeze and covering his face.

He brushed the strand of hair away, his fingertip grazing her cheek. Behind them, the sunlight turned the room a brilliant white.

The ferry tickets for Wuzhizhou Island couldn't be refunded, and Kim Young-jun called to ask about it.

"Hey, Young-jun, don't worry about the refund. It's just a few hundred yuan."

After hanging up, the bathroom faucet turned on, and the sound of rushing water drifted out through the door.

He stood at the door listening, not entering, but not walking away either.