Spring break couldn't come fast enough. Ella and I were finally making our way to the international airport after an early 6 am wake-up call this morning.
Bags were present under my eyes, thanks to my blaring alarm...but anything for Seoul. Ella didn't mind since she always had to get up early for her teaching job.
We were both scurrying around this morning; showering, packing last-minute items, all while making sure we looked semi-decent for public eyes. We made sure to turn off all of our apartment lights and lock the door before rolling our two hefty suitcases each down the hall to the elevator.
"Can we please get Starbucks once we get through security?" Ella begs with her eyes half-open.
"Girl, it's like you legit read my mind. I'm gonna pass out if I don't get some sort of caffeine," I reply, rolling my eyes.
"Thank, God."
I pressed the elevator button to go down to the lobby. It didn't take long for it to ding, the doors opening slowly. We both got in with our four suitcases, making it a tight fit. Ella pressed the "L" button and the doors closed.
We arrived at the lobby and waited outside for our Uber to come pick us up. Thankfully, I ordered it ahead while I was upstairs in our apartment because I knew it was going to be busy on a Saturday.
Before we knew it, our Uber pulled up in the front cobblestone loop of our luxury apartment complex. Ella and I greeted the driver while he got out and helped put our luggage in the back of his trunk.
We both got in the back seats, with the driver following in the driver's seat.
"The international airport, correct?" the driver questions brightly.
"Correct. Yes, please," I reply with a smile.
"Perfect, let's go."
And, we were off. He pressed on the gas and onto the connecting road. I looked back and did a sarcastic wave to our apartment complex.
"Bye apartment, see ya in two weeks," I sigh, letting out a little giggle.
"Yeah, yeah," Ella buds in, sending me a playful eye roll.
"Girl, what?" I snap while looking over to her.
"Nothing, you're just funny," she replies with a slight grin.
I just chuckled, shook my head, and continued to look out the window at the scenery until we got to the airport.
I wore something super comfortable since I knew it would be around a fourteen-hour flight. Wearing a cream-colored pullover and sweatpants set, I accessorized my outfit with a matching baseball cap and white sneakers.
I skipped out on the jewelry and just put my hair into a low bun. My makeup was minimal, totally fitting my relaxed travel look.
After about a fifteen-minute drive to the airport, our Uber finally pulled up to the gate for Korean Air. Me and Ella departed the Uber and did a big morning stretch on the sidewalk. The driver got out and popped his trunk, retrieving all four of our suitcases and setting them concrete next to us.
"Thank you so much, sir," Ella tells the middle-aged man.
"Of course, enjoy your flight, ladies," he responds, bowing towards us.
"Thank you so much, and this is for you!" I reply while handing him a cash tip.
"Oh, wow, you didn't have to!" he chuckles with an appreciative smile on his face.
"It's no problem, trust me. Have a great day!" I respond while waving to him and grabbing my suitcases.
He waved back and drove off. Ella and I grabbed our belongings and started our meticulous journey into the lavish airport.
Thankfully, the check-in process was super easy and we successfully checked in all four of our suitcases, just leaving us with our carry-on bags.
We zoomed through passport check and security after the typical weekend morning wait and made our way to our gate. It wasn't a long walk, but we finally stopped at a Starbucks before almost fainting from having no energy left in our bodies.
I didn't get a lot of shut-eye last night, because I was so hyped for this trip. It was my first trip across the Pacific Ocean and a long one at that.
We got our Starbucks drinks and pastries and made our way back to our gate. Our flight left at 10 am, so we still had about thirty minutes until boarding.
We were the second group to board because I ordered us business class seats. I knew first class for this long of a flight was out of the picture, but I also wanted our experience to be memorable, too.
Ella and I took turns doing our last-minute bathroom breaks and got ready to board. We heard our group being called and went to scan our tickets.
After successfully boarding the plane, we scurried to find our seats. I looked to my left as I got onto the plane, just dreaming of that first class.
One day, one day, I thought.
I didn't mind business class though, I'm just blessed to be on the Korean Air. Plus, we got a free meal in business, so I was excited, to say the least.
"Row 13, right?" Ella asks, looking back at me.
"Yeah, we should be...13C and 13B," I reply while squinting my eyes, and looking at the seat number on my ticket.
"...Perfect!" Ella exclaims after finding our seats and putting her big carry-on in the overhead bin, keeping her personal item to herself.
I did the same and sat down in 13B...the good ol' middle seat. I wanted the window seat, but I decided to be a nice friend and let Ella sit in 13C.
After a few minutes of getting all situated and others boarding the plane, I looked up to see a stylish guy slowing down right near my seat. He was looking up at the seat numbers, mumbling something to himself.
He placed his carry-on bag in the overhead bin and looked down, directly at me. We made eye contact, and I swore I was going to faint right then and there. When I said God worked overtime on this man, I was not lying. I instantly got super nervous and looked away immediately.
I looked over to my right to try to gain Ella's attention, but to no avail, she was zoned out, checking her last-minute social media notifications before we took off.
I looked back up at this intriguing man, who was now starting to sit down next to me. I got a whiff of his exotic woody cologne and tried not to make a fool of myself.
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille?
"Hi," he murmurs in a deep voice while giving me a cute boxy smile.
"Hi," I reply softly, barely audible.
He was so handsome. The eyes, the lips, the smile, the hair, all of it; even his sense of style. If this was what a taste of Korean men looked like, I was done for; absolutely done.
He looked away and started to get situated. I looked over at Ella and she was now staring at this stunning boy, her mouth agape. "Don't. Say. A. Word," I whisper through gritted teeth.
She pursed her lips into a thin line and nodded, totally understanding the girl code. We had to act mature for God's sake; we were twenty-five and twenty-three...But we both knew we were fangirling in our heads about this dreamy boy sitting in 13A.
"Annyeonghaseyo everyone, welcome to Korean Air..." the flight attendant over the loudspeaker announces, continuing her pitch about the safety rules and other amenities offered during the flight.
And just like that, we were off. We knew it would be a long flight, so Ella and I got comfortable and laid back with our complementary pillows and blankets. I started to look through the movies as the flight attendant came around to take our drink orders.
"Miss?" she questions to me.
I took the headphones out of my ears and replied, "Diet Coke please, thank you."
She nods and asks Ella, and she tells her, "Coke."
The flight attendant finally asks 13A and he replies to her, "Orange Fanta, please."
So cute, that's adorable, I thought to myself.
After a few minutes, the flight attendant came back around to give us our drinks in fancy little glasses. Not many words were shared between Ella and me since we were dialed into our movies at hand. 13A had his laptop out on his tray table, typing away at something with cute glasses on.
I was keeping my composure, until we hit an unexpected patch of turbulence, sending my drink flying off of my tray table and straight to the floor. I blushed instantly out of humiliation and bent down to pick up the glass. Ella was so zoned into her movie, she didn't even budge.
"Omg, I'm so sorry!" I whisper to 13A.
I felt horrible.
"It's totally fine, don't worry about it," he replies back with a soft smile.
He then raised his hand to get the flight attendant's attention, telling her to please bring back some napkins so I could pick up the spill. Once she came back, he grabbed them, mouthing a thank you to her as he bent down to clean up the Diet Coke that was now rolling over into his foot space.
"Seriously, thank you; you didn't have to. I could've picked up my own spill," I retort to him with a nervous smile.
"It's all good, not a big deal."
I just smiled back and nodded, until his soft gritty voice filled my ears again.
"Taehyung," he smiles, reaching out his hand to shake mine.
"Oh...uh, Y/N. Nice to meet you," I reply back nervously.
"Nice to meet you as well. First time to Korea?" he asks, raising his eyebrow in curiosity.
"Yes. My friend, Ella, and I are on a two-week spring break trip to Seoul. We're super excited."
I nodded my head in Ella's direction as I said her name.
"Oh, that's awesome, you're gonna love it," he smiles, looking over my shoulder to get a better look at Ella.
"I sure hope so," I chuckle shyly.
"You will trust me."
I just nodded slowly and got back to my movie at hand.
The flight flew by like lightning. I watched a few movies, slept a little, and ate a ton. Taehyung didn't say another word to me the whole flight until we landed and started to gather our belongings in the overhead bin.
"Here you go, ladies," he smiles while handing us our carry-on bags.
What a gentleman.
We both told him a thank you and smiled shyly.
"Enjoy Seoul, you're not gonna wanna leave," he smirks before retrieving his own carry-on.
"Of course. Nice meeting you, Taehyung. Thanks again for helping me pick up the spill," I chuckle, shaking my head.
"No problem. Nice meeting you, too, Y/N." His voice was calming, but it was the look he gave Ella that was demanding.
And just as fast as he was here, he was gone. The handsome boy named, Taehyung, was gone, and we were never gonna see him again in our lives.
Me and Ella departed the plane and flew through customs. We went to get our checked luggage and waited outside for the Uber we ordered a little bit ago.
"We're here, girl, we're actually here!" I exclaim, looking up to the sky.
The air was crisp; not a cloud in sight as the spring breeze cascaded on our exhausted faces.
"It's crazy, like how the heck? I can just feel something in the air," she smirks, glancing at me.
"Like, what?" I ask, giggling.
"I don't know, but I'm just excited to get to the hotel," she replies, rolling her eyes.
"Same, I didn't get much sleep on the plane," I mumble, shaking my head.
Our Uber finally pulled up and a sweet older man came out to greet us. He took our suitcases and shoved them into his trunk while we got into his car.
He followed suit and asked us, "Where to, ladies?"
"We're heading to the Josun Palace, please," I retort back, smiling softly.
"Ouuu, that's a nice place. A lot of elites stay or hang out there," he responds, raising his eyebrow in the rearview mirror at us.
"Oh? That's...cool. I just booked it because it had high ratings, but wasn't out of our price range. We wanted to treat ourselves, but also be near a lot of things that we wanted to do," I explain, nodding proudly.
"Well, that's nice. You both will have an amazing time here in Seoul," he replies, giving us a soft smile.
With that, he pulled out of the airport and headed towards our hotel. I knew the Josun Palace was well-known in Seoul, and I was excited to experience such a luxurious place.
It felt like in no time our driver pulled up to the Josun and got out to place our suitcases near the front sliding doors of the hotel. We got out and said our thank you's. Ella tipped him this time since I tipped our last one.
After rolling through the immaculate lobby and checking in with the sweet front desk ladies, we headed up to our room.
Ella opened the door first as we rolled our suitcases in. It was absolutely stunning. It had two queen beds made to perfection, accented with curtains that matched the nightstands, desk, and everything in the room.
The bathroom was out of this world, with gorgeous countertops, a huge shower, and a separate tub. I truly felt a sense of relaxation; a sense of relief. We actually made it...like, we were, "big girls," doing "big girl" things.
After we got settled and unpacked, we touched up, changed, and refreshed ourselves...because we were going out on the town. We didn't know where, but we would find a way. Thankfully, the Josun was within walking distance to a lot of restaurants, cafés, attractions, etc., so we wouldn't have to spend too much money on Uber during our trip.
Organized and refreshed, we decided to head back down to the lobby. After making it outdoors, I took a thankful sigh. It was around 3 pm and Spring was in full bloom.
Despite the jet lag, we had to get some real Korean food. We walked down the street and found a cute Korean fried chicken place. I knew we would love this since we ate it a lot back in the States. The aroma of soy and garlic filled our nostrils, and I suddenly felt my stomach grumble.
After eating and paying with the Korean won filled debit card I got at the airport, we headed back to the hotel.
"Wow, that was so good," I whine playfully, rubbing my belly.
"Amazing," Ella replies with a smile.
As we walked back into the hotel lobby, we had to pass through a lounge area filled with sets of suede chairs and matching tables to get to the elevators. While passing, I looked over to a set and had to do a double-take. I swore on my life that I saw 13A standing by a chair, facing us.
I shook off the feeling, thinking to myself that it was just the soju Ella and I just consumed back at the restaurant...until I heard a familiar deep voice as we passed by.
"Y/N?"
I looked back and thought I was seeing things...it was actually 13A.
"Taehyung?" I question, bulging my eyes out in disbelief.
Ella stopped and turned back in the direction I was looking after she realized I wasn't walking next to her anymore. I looked over and walked towards Taehyung's direction, who was standing up, leaning on one of the four suede chairs where an eclectic yet handsome group of men were sitting and standing.
"Hey, that's bizarre. I didn't think I would ever see you ladies again...What are the chances of this?" he questions in disbelief as if I wasn't.
I finally was standing right next to him, with Ella standing next to me. "I know right, this is insane...Wow, what are you doing here?" I question, my face still glowing with surprise.
"Oh, nothing major. Just meeting with my colleagues here and talking about the trip I was just on," he replies with a playful smirk.
"Oh, nice," I coo, nodding my head.
Because he mentioned that, I took a moment to scan my eyes around to all of his colleagues. There seemed to be about six other men, besides him. I took a moment to smile at each face...until I came to the last one...the last one, who literally made my heart stop.
Sparks. An unknown powerful feeling. An unearthly feeling.
I gulped hard, subconsciously licking my lips hastily.
This man was absolutely breathtaking. He possessed elegance, dominance, and eliteness. His perfectly plump lips were paired with exotic and addictive eyes and the sharpest jawline known to mankind. He held the most dominant opulence about him while staring back at me, brushing his fingers through his ash-blonde hair.
He licked his lips while slightly tilting his head, staring into my soul. He looked beyond dapper in his black slacks and white button-down, with two buttons undone. He accessorized his outfit with some silver rings, earrings, and black dress shoes while crossing his legs.
Rich. Powerful. Orgasmic.
Anyone could tell he was the leader of whatever this said group of gentlemen did for work. His presence was overbearing, nerve-racking to say the least.
While all of my daydreaming was playing in my head, and as this don smirked back at me, Taehyung spoke again, shaking me out of my trance. "Yeah, well, I hope you ladies enjoy your stay at the Josun! We come here sometimes to talk about business when we get bored of our usual meet-up spots," he explains, giving us a reassuring smile.
"Aww, thank you, we will. Maybe we'll see you around again," I giggle, looking back at Ella, who is now drooling over Taehyung.
"Maybe so, Y/N," he chuckles but was smirking at Ella.
I had an indescribable feeling in my stomach...in the same realm as butterflies, but I just couldn't figure it out.
With that, me and Ella smiled and waved at him one last time before heading towards the elevators.
Before I turned back around to follow Ella, I glanced over to the man who caught my attention, to have him already staring back at me. This time, he had his legs manspread with his elbows meticulously placed on his knees, his hands intertwined together.
It's like the sexual tension between us could be cut with a knife...or maybe I've just been sexually-deprived my whole life. Whichever it was, butterflies were having a sold-out festival in my stomach.
It's like we couldn't look away from each other. He held enough power over me for my cheeks to turn crimson, making me chase after Ella. As we were about to press the elevator button to go up to our room, I heard a voice calling my name from behind.
I looked back to see Taehyung.
"Y/N!" he yelled out of breath like he was chasing to catch up to us.
"Taehyung! What is it, everything okay?" I ask with a worried look on my face.
"Yeah, everything's perfect. It's just...my boss wanted me to give this to you," he explains while handing me what looked like a business card of some sort.
I took it carefully while cooing a thank-you. He nodded and walked away backward while smirking at Ella.
We heard the elevator ding, signally it had arrived to pick us up. The doors opened and we walked in. Ella pressed our floor number while I simply looked down at the piece of cardstock that Taehyung had just handed me.
It was a white business card with shiny gold lettering that just said:
Park Jimin
On the front of it.
I turned it over and there was a phone number printed at the bottom. My breathing hitched, and I blinked to ensure I wasn't seeing things.
He was a hunter, a chaser...an Alpha.
Fuck my life.
~~~
A/N: Ahhh! The first chapter is officially done! What did you think? Be honest! Don't forget to add this story to your current reading lists, comment as much as you want, vote for this chapter, and share this story with your Jimin bias and/or ARMY friends! Thanks again for reading! ❤️
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