Ari

Chapter 22

*Ari's POV*

We said goodbye to Jun's parents with heavy hearts. They were so kind and friendly. I was so thankful for their warm welcome. Telling Jun to translate my appreciation, both his mother and father gave me hugs before we walked out of their courtyard gate.

I could tell this trip meant a lot to Jun, and having it go well meant even more. He kissed the back of my hand softly and gently as we drove back to Seoul, not letting me go for a second.

There I learned not only about what his parents were like, but what a younger Seokjun was like. His mom gushed about how kind he was even as a child. Sharing all his toys and snacks with the kids in the neighborhood from his father's store.

How he broke his arm falling out of a tree in a neighbor's courtyard, playing with their son. How he could be so serious sometimes and forget how young he was. How he was a hard study and aspirational student. But also how he liked to have fun running about town with the few friends he had. He was always sweet to his mother and his father's best friend.

Hearing all this made me see Jun a little more clearly. Wiping away some of the glow I put on him just because he seemed perfect. The glow was now replaced with something real.

I looked at him with admiration and favor because I knew deep down in my soul that he was perfect on the inside as well as out. That he was someone I could actually see myself forever with.

Images of him as a husband and a father passed across my mind as fast as the car was moving. And for a while, I just stared. Sure about something for once.

I thought we were going back to his apartment but we ended up at a private airport.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he stopped the car just at the tarmac.

"It's a surprise," he smirked, leaning over to plant a soft kiss on my forehead.

Getting out I followed his lead to the small plane. The kind you always see in Indiana Jones films that end up in a sand dune.

I swallowed hard looking back and forth at Jun and the plane. But he took my hand and pulled me close. "We'll be fine. We're not going too far," he chuckled.

Throughout the flight, I gripped his hand so tightly he had to shake and massage it for ten minutes after we landed on a beautifully woodsy island.

Nothing but gorgeous trees, rocky coastline, and beautiful beaches stretched around us. "Welcome to Jeju Island," said Jun after we freed ourselves from the airplane.

Not only was I glad to be back on the ground but the place was beautiful. Just hours before the sun was about to set, I knew the romantic factor would be off the charts here. Just the way Jun liked it.

Excitement ran through my body to see where we were going to stay as a car stopped in front of a very large resort. Full of all the beauty and grandeur of a modern hotel with the charm of an island getaway, Jun handled everything. From the moment we stepped into the hotel to being whisked away to the top floor.

I walked into the room, breath knocked out of my lungs from the incredible ocean view from the balcony and huge infinity pool, to the huge tray of strawberries and chocolate, over to the gigantic bouquet of roses that laid on the bed. A complete suite almost as big as my apartment with way more style.

I turned to look at him watching me explore the room. A sweet grin on his face and complete shock on mine.

"You're too much, you know," I scoffed grabbing a strawberry from the top of the mound. Jun walked behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist to pull me closer to his warm body. My face heating , hearing my heartbeat in my ears.