Jeju Rain

Chapter 1

The morning sun over Jeju Island always carries the scent of sea salt and crushed leaves.

Lisa stands at the edge of her property, breathing in the familiar, earthy aroma of her tea farm. At twenty-six, she has built her own little empire here in the countryside. She is completely in her element.

"Boss, the southern fields are ready for the second harvest," one of her seasonal workers calls out. Beside him, two young women giggle and bump shoulders as Lisa turns her attention toward them.

Lisa flashes them her signature grin, the one that always seems to leave a trail of flustered girls in her wake. "Great work, guys. Take a break. I'll bring out some iced tea in a bit."

The girls flush and nod eagerly. Lisa chuckles, shaking her head as she wipes a bead of sweat from her brow. Life in Jeju is simple, steady, and entirely predictable.

Until a massive, roaring engine shatters the countryside quiet.

Lisa turns, shielding her eyes from the sun. A moving truck lumbers down the narrow dirt road, kicking up a massive cloud of dust before shifting gears and backing into the driveway of the property right next to hers.

Lisa watches with mild curiosity as the truck idles. She had heard rumors in town that a city girl bought the place sight-unseen, seeking a quiet escape.

Deciding to do the neighborly thing, Lisa jogs back up to her own porch, grabs a freshly sealed tin of her farm's premium loose-leaf green tea, and makes her way down the property line.

As she approaches, the driver of the moving truck is already lowering the ramp. But Lisa isn't looking at the driver. Her footsteps slow, the crunch of the gravel beneath her boots coming to a complete halt.

Standing by the front porch of the house, clutching a sleek designer handbag and looking entirely out of place, is the most breathtaking woman Lisa has ever seen.

Her dark hair falls in perfect, glossy waves over her shoulders, and her features are sharp, elegant, and almost intimidatingly flawless. She looks like she stepped straight off a luxury billboard and into the humid, earthy reality of Jeju's farmland.

Lisa feels an immediate pull in her chest. A magnetic tug that anchors her feet to the ground. Taking a breath to steady the sudden, frantic rhythm of her heart, she puts on her most charming smile and closes the distance.

"I didn't realize we were getting a celebrity on the island," Lisa calls out.

The woman turns. Her gaze is sharp, her dark, cat-like eyes sweeping over Lisa from the mud on her boots to the messy hair on her head.

"I'm not a celebrity," she says.

"Could have fooled me," Lisa says, completely unfazed by the frostiness. She steps up to the porch, holding out a tanned hand. "I'm Lisa. I own the tea farm next door. Figured I should come welcome my new neighbor before the island gossips beat me to it."

The woman looks at Lisa's hand for a moment before she carefully reaches out, her manicured fingers slipping into Lisa's calloused grip. The contrast between them is stark, but the moment their skin touches, a jolt of electricity shoots up Lisa's arm. She notices the woman's eyes widen just a fraction, the cool mask slipping for a millisecond before she quickly pulls her hand back.

"Jennie," she says, clearing her throat lightly.

"Well, Jennie," Lisa says, her grin softening into something more genuine, more dangerous. She offers the tin of tea. "Welcome to the middle of nowhere. It's a little dusty, but the tea is unbeatable."

Jennie takes the tin, her gaze lingering on Lisa's face.

For the first time since she stepped out of her car, the corners of Jennie's lips twitch upward into the ghost of a smile. "Thank you, Lisa."

Lisa takes a step back. "I'll let you unpack, city girl. Let me know if you need anything. I'm literally right next door."

As Lisa turns and walks back towards her farm, she can feel the weight of Jennie's stare on her back. Lisa smirks, the quiet, predictable life she knew just minutes ago suddenly feeling like a distant memory.