Deal Breaker - Chapter 108
It wasn’t just tomorrow. There wasn’t a single day among the seven days of the cruise itinerary that she could give up. Except for one day, the ship docked every day at ports along the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea. They would step onto land right after breakfast and not return to the ship until evening, and even then it felt regretfully short.
She set foot in Croatia’s vast nature that looked like a forest where elves might live, then the next day walked with those same feet through small Italian towns that preserved the past intact.
Hand in hand with Kanghyeon. That was how ‘walking while holding hands’ was fulfilled every single day.
It wasn’t just her feet and eyes that enjoyed it. At a winery boasting hundreds of years of history, Hyeji tasted various wines and gradually learned her own preferences.
On the island of Sicily, after climbing Mount Etna, they stopped by a market and bought something called arancini. It was basically like a triangle rice ball without seaweed, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried, which suited Korean tastes perfectly. It was fascinating that even in Europe, people ate rice like this.
When they reached the port of Salerno in southwestern Italy, she hesitated between Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, since doing both in one day was impossible.
“How about going to the coast and renting a catamaran to look around?”
But the moment she heard Kanghyeon say he would charter a yacht, her indecision was cured cleanly.
Rather than feeling the transience of life while looking at people who lost their lives in an instant due to a natural disaster, a private cruise suited the purpose of a honeymoon better. In other words, it was more romantic.
Sailing from Salerno along the Amalfi Coast and admiring the coastal villages built into the cliffs, they arrived at Capri. The most famous spot on Capri was said to be the Blue Grotto, known for the way the water inside the sea cave shone a vivid blue like a jewel.
She had watched a few videos on YouTube beforehand and thought there must be artificial lighting underwater or heavy editing. How could the sea in the dark shine on its own. But the moment Hyeji paid the expensive entrance fee and entered the cave, she had no choice but to admit that it was real.
The tour of the Blue Grotto ended regrettably quickly, and after that they sailed around the island on a catamaran under the blazing sun, across a sapphire blue sea. While admiring the island’s strange rock formations, they discovered a small beach hidden in a hollow between cliffs.
“Should we have lunch there?”
Being able to dock anywhere and enjoy it was a privilege of chartering a yacht. The beach had no path leading out, making it essentially a private beach just for the two of them.
On the sandy shore marked only by their footprints, they spread towels, and in the shade cast by the cliffs, Kanghyeon opened the picnic basket he had prepared in advance.
Soft mozzarella packed between two slices of ciabatta fragrant with herbs, along with fresh tomatoes and basil, danced with flavor in her mouth. For dessert, they ate cannoli, and the vanilla cream inside the crispy pastry was surprisingly rich. Washing the sweetness down with bitter wine made the balance perfect.
After leisurely finishing their private meal, they walked along the small beach hand in hand, dipping their feet in the shallow water. She wanted to plunge her whole body in, but it was still May, so the water was cold.
Hyeji quietly watched schools of small fish swimming around her ankles beneath the clear water, then lifted her head to show Kanghyeon. But he wasn’t beside her.
Not far from the water, he was writing something in the wet sand with seashells.
Noh Hyeji
She had half expected it, but when she saw that he had really drawn a heart beside it, Hyeji couldn’t stand the cringe and frowned.
“What is this. We’re not even high schoolers.”
“We’re back in high school and dating right now.”
“If I’m a high schooler, then you’re at least a college student.”
“Let’s not be so strict with each other when we’re both high school graduates.”
“Fine, cancel the college student thing. Saebyeok’s dad, how old are you?”
“Han Kanghyeon, who loves Noh Hyeji, is two years old this year.”
“Ugh…”
Hyeji made a face as if she hated how childish it was, but when Kanghyeon went to pick up her raffia sun cap that the wind had blown away, she stared at what he had left behind and then picked up a seashell.
Noh Hyeji ♡︎ Han Kanghyeon
Well, it’s just that. My personal information can’t be the only thing exposed, right?
No one had said anything, yet she made excuses first, feeling oddly guilty. Hyeji laughed at herself for it.
Doing something this cringeworthy on a honeymoon.
And with none other than my employer, my livelihood, my benefactor, Han Kanghyeon.
