Chapter 1: The Greatest Honeymoon on Earth

“Jihee, I’m so scared.”

Heading to her destination wedding in the Caribbean, Yuri was clearly nervous.

“What’s there to be scared about?” Jihee said soothingly. “You’re the star of a wedding that most women would die for.” She was the maid-of-honor—as well as best friend and manager of three years—to Asia’s hottest actress, Yuri Son.

Yuri squeezed Jihee’s hand as the two of them stood at the deck of one of the five most luxurious yachts in the United States. When Dave first purchased it two years ago, the yacht had been named Victoria, after the Roman goddess of victory. But earlier today at the dock, Yuri had seen the new name painted on the hull: Yuri.

She felt an electric jolt of delight. It was Dave’s specialty to surprise her with touching gifts, but this time he’d outdone himself.

The yacht—which was the same model as the one owned by Bill Gates—was as luxurious and spacious as a small passenger ship. Even today, the boat was boarded by the captain and crew, the chef and cleaning staff, and a styling team from Hollywood hired to help with Yuri’s dress and makeup.

Yuri and Jihee were on the deck of the Victoria—no, the Yuri—breathing in the refreshing sea air, heading for the island where the greatest wedding in the world would be held in just two hours.

“There you are. I thought you’d run away.”

At the sound of Dave’s voice, both women turned around. Dave was standing behind them in a tuxedo, flashing a smile. If there was ever such a thing as a perfect man, he was it. Yuri resisted the urge to throw herself into his arms to calm down her jittery heart.

“My goodness, Dave,” Jihee said with a frown. “How inconsiderate of you.”

“Sorry?”

“You’re so dashing, it’ll dull the bride’s beauty. It’s the bride who should shine on her wedding day!”

Yuri playfully smacked Jihee across the arm.

“You flatter me,” Dave replied with a grin.

The media depicted Yuri as the one lucky to be Dave’s fiancée. She herself was a heartthrob to most men, but Dave was an IT magnate whose personal net worth neared a whopping 2 trillion won. He was of mixed race, born to a Korean father and American mother. His father was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Engineering, where he’d fallen in love with his mother, a student at the time, and later gave birth to Dave.

Dave had won the genetic lottery, a combination of both his father and mother’s best traits. He had light brown hair with exotic almond-shaped eyes, paired beautifully with a high nose bridge and shapely, luscious lips. He had his mother’s tall and slender figure, while from his father he had inherited naturally toned muscles, genius-level intelligence, an iron will, and a love for adventure. Upon graduating high school, he had attended UPenn where his father was, then dropped out during his sophomore year to start a business in Silicon Valley—this bold courage being yet another legacy from his father.

Turning to Dave, Jihee said, “I won’t be able to hold Yuri’s hand for much longer, since I’ll be busy looking for an amazing guy like you.”

“I have a few bachelor friends,” Dave answered. “I’m not sure if they’re good enough for a woman as wonderful as yourself, but I’d be happy to introduce them to you when you’re ready.”

“Thanks for the offer. Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone now. I’m hungry; I think I’ll go raid the snack bar.”

“It’s on the second floor.”

“Thanks, Dave.”

With a wink at Yuri, Jihee disappeared back inside.

Dave walked over to the railing and slipped his arm around Yuri’s waist. “Aren’t you cold?”

“I’m fine,” said Yuri. “I’ll be stuck in my chair for two hours once the Hollywood stylists start working on me, so I’m trying to get as much sun and fresh air while I can.”

“You’d look beautiful in your dress even without any makeup.”

“Did you know? That’s a breach of contract.”

“What contract?”

“The one with my agency. There’s a clause that states I’m not allowed to show up at any formal events without any makeup on.”

“No way!”

“You haven’t even heard the worst of it yet.”

“I guess being an actress isn’t all glamorous. Why don’t you consider retiring?”

“I bet you’d be sorrier to see me retire,” Yuri said coyly. “I thought it was your hobby to think naughty thoughts while watching me on the screen.”

Dave burst into laughter, then gazed at her tenderly, telling her with his eyes that there wasn’t a single woman on this planet as lovable as her.

Snuggled in the arms of the man soon to be her husband, Yuri slowly closed her eyes. As the breezes of the Caribbean Sea caressed her face, she recollected her dramatic past. The inescapable abyss of poverty she’d experienced as a child, the love that came to her like a miracle, the heart-shattering breakup that followed... and that last strand of hope with which she’d plunged into the film industry.

She had wanted to succeed. She’d needed to. To escape poverty, and to protect her father, the man who made her the person she was today. At 21, an age considered too late for an aspiring actress, she had started out with minor roles, and in just a year after her debut she’d landed a supporting role on a thriller series. Her screen time hadn’t been much, but she had left quite a strong impression on viewers. The series had performed far better than expected, and she’d begun to secure bigger and bigger roles since then.

Then Yuri had played the female lead in an indie music film that turned out to be a mega hit. From then on, all the spotlights had been on her. And once the story of her unfortunate childhood and cancer-stricken single father came to light, she had become the icon of innocent and feminine beauty. That was when she’d come across the project that would shoot her all the way to superstardom: Shall We Kiss?

It was a cable TV series that aired twice a week. Yuri played the female lead, whose character just so happened to have quite a number of kiss scenes. The show recorded viewership ratings of 30% and was hugely popular not just in Korea, but all over Asia. This was also the show that gave her the nickname “Queen of Kisses.”

The next film she starred in, a joint project between Korea and China, had a title that took advantage of her newfound reputation: Kiss and Say Goodbye.

Yuri filmed a total of seven kiss scenes in this movie, and the audience was said to have been enraptured each time they showed on the screen. On top of that, her partner on the show, an actor considered one of the most handsome faces of China, publicly declared that he’d fallen in love with her, further solidifying her image as the Queen of Kisses.

He even said in an interview: “I’m sorry to all the other actresses I’ve worked with, but every other kiss I’d done up until now turned out to be a joke. The moment I kissed Yuri Son, it was like a whole new world opened up for me.”

The young breadwinner who’d been struggling to make ends meet just a few years ago had suddenly become one of the most beloved women in all of Asia. And precisely at this point in her life was when she’d met Dave.

Dave was an IT tycoon who owned the company that developed the world’s most downloaded smartphone game, a telecom company that ranked among the top ten in the US in sales, and over a dozen other software ventures. He had been praised as the next leading figure of Silicon Valley after Steve Jobs, so it had been a profound shock to everyone in the industry when last year, he had announced his return to Korea.

He had sold off all his businesses despite the astronomical taxes and all the obvious disadvantages, and pushed through with his move to Korea. And at the flood of questions coming from reporters, he’d replied: “What I want isn’t wealth and honor. It’s not even success. I’m looking for a challenge, and Korea is the best place for that.”

“Is that really the only reason for your move?”

At the persistent questions, he had shrugged and said, “Well, there’s one more. If I go to Korea, I can meet the Queen of Kisses.”

And that was how Yuri’s name had made it all the way to the United States, and perhaps even why she’d been cast for a role in a Hollywood blockbuster. During her time filming in Hollywood, Dave had come to Korea to finalize the preparations for his return. Like the apt businessman he was, he had already set up all his business models for the Korean market.

When she returned to Korea, the head of her agency told her, “We can’t be so ungrateful. I should reach out to him and see if he’s free for dinner.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your Hollywood debut. It’s all thanks to Dave Chun.”

At first, Yuri had thought it was a joke. But the agency head had really contacted Dave Chun and set them up on a date—their first ever encounter.

They had rented out a small traditional Korean restaurant to dine away from prying eyes. That evening, Dave had been unable to take his eyes off Yuri, and Yuri’s heart had fluttered excitedly in response. She’d been surprised at two things: his fluent Korean skills, and his attire.

The Dave she’d pictured in her head had been someone eccentric, like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, or perhaps a young Bill Gates. But contrary to her expectations, he had arrived in a black suit, complete with necktie and all.

During the meal, Yuri had remarked, “I’m a little surprised by your outfit. I heard you were some genius gamer CEO, so I thought you’d be dressed more comfortably.”

“I don’t normally wear suits. At most I’ll wear a tuxedo for formal business events or parties with strict dress codes.”

“So why are you wearing a suit today?”

“As a courtesy, I suppose. This might be our first and last time ever meeting, and I wanted to be as respectful as possible.”

But he’d been wrong. He had called her less than a day later, and soon they’d met a second time.

By then, Yuri had been completely smitten with him. Dave was bold and daring, and seemed invincible in every way. She’d felt she was in the presence of a god.

Their third date had been in the suite room of a luxury hotel in Incheon that overlooked the ocean. And before they could even finish their first glass of wine, he had kissed her.

At the end of the mind-blowing kiss, Yuri had realized that this man was the king of kissers. She had mentally prepared herself the moment he suggested a hotel for their third date. She’d already fallen hard for him, and had been willing to give herself to him completely.

But Dave had not taken things to next base. Instead, in a voice full of conviction, he had said, “I want to make hot and passionate love to you, but I’m going to save it for that fateful day.”

“Fateful day?”

Then and there, he had gotten down on one knee before her, and taken out a ring from his pocket to slip on her fourth finger.

“This might be the earliest proposal in history, but I would love for you to be my wife.”

And finally, that fateful day had arrived.

The Wedding to Make Even Hollywood Stars Jealous!

This was the title of the article published in the American business magazine Forbes. Dave and Yuri’s wedding had been the cover story, the entirety of their dramatic love story spanning four whole pages, from their first date all the way to marriage, followed by a detailed analysis on the influence that this marriage would have on Dave’s new company, Apollo.

The wedding had made many more headlines in the media, and not just at Forbes. TV stations, online websites, and magazines across the world had covered the couple’s marriage with a frenzy.

And it was on the yacht heading for the Caribbean Sea, where the wedding would soon be held, that Yuri recalled the past two months that felt like a dream.

“What are you thinking about?” Dave asked, breaking her reverie.

“You,” replied Yuri. “I was thinking of the day you proposed to me. It’s funny when I think about it, even now. I still can’t believe you brought an engagement ring for a woman you’d only met twice.”

“Looking back, all the important decisions in my life were made on a whim. And the results were always good. The decisions that I thought hard on usually ended up bad.”

Dave wistfully looked out at the ocean. “To be honest, I don’t really care about the wedding. It’s the honeymoon I can’t wait for.”

Dave... I feel the same way.

Hiding her true thoughts, Yuri turned to the emerald sea stretched out in front of the yacht. In the distance, she could see the island on which the wedding would be held.

***

The wedding was open to only 100 guests who had received invitations. They had been brought over by a passenger ferry connecting the shore to the island. The ceremony was held outdoors, a simple event that couldn’t compare to the extravagant weddings in Korea—but the net worth of all the guests combined was enough to purchase a small country.

Yuri was in a daze as she hugged and shook hands with people she’d only seen on the news. The vice president of the United States, government ministers, CEOs that moved the worldwide IT industry, Hollywood stars, athletes that made millions each year...

“Do you really know all these people?” Yuri asked incredulously.

“They’re my friends,” said Dave. “And now they’re dying to be your friend too.”

Amid everyone’s blessing, the two of them became husband and wife. The next day, the couple left for Seoul in Dave’s private jet, where another wedding was held for Yuri’s acquaintances. Contrary to the ceremony in the Caribbean, this wedding was grand and splendid. Held at a five-star hotel in Seoul, the event was attended by stars and financial big shots from all over Korea. Guests from the finance industry came as sponsors for Yuri’s TV ads, but secretly they were all more interested in getting acquainted with Dave. Of the top 20 financial conglomerate leaders in Korea, five had attended the wedding in person.

After hosting the two weddings, which were both tremendous in their own way, Dave and Yuri finally had some time to themselves.

On the day Dave proposed, Yuri had jokingly asked to calm her nerves, “I want you to tell me... one thing that would make a marriage with you worth it.”

Dave had paused to think, then answered, “I promise you the greatest honeymoon on Earth.”

And to that, Yuri had said yes.

Once the wedding in Seoul was over, Dave took Yuri on his private jet to Jeju. His honeymoon plans were simple: Just the two of us, out on the sea.

Waiting for them on the shore was a private yacht, smaller than the one that they’d taken in the Caribbean, just big enough to maneuver alone. Of course, it was still equipped with a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and even a game room befit for the IT genius. Worth 10 billion won, this luxury yacht was named Destiny.

As the sunset slowly tinged the sea orange, the two of them boarded the Destiny at the Port of Jeju. Leaving behind the attendants who’d followed them all the way to the port, Dave whispered to Yuri, “From now on, nobody will be allowed to see or talk to us for several days. We’ll be all alone.”

“I don’t think several days will be enough,” Yuri said playfully, fighting down her thumping heart.

Dave had claimed to be an excellent sailor, and it turned out he was telling the truth. He expertly drove the yacht out into the tranquil waves, while Yuri sat next to him and admired the sunset. When nighttime fell upon them, Yuri marveled at the star-scattered skies. Up until now, she had never known just how spectacular the night skies were, how brightly the stars twinkled, how peaceful the ocean could be.

She had to admit that Dave had kept his promise—this was indeed the greatest honeymoon on Earth.

Yuri was the one who cooked dinner that night. Having taken care of her ill father from a young age, she had the skills of a professional home cook. But the ingredients on the boat were limited, and so their first dinner was a simple meal of kimchi fried rice and wine.

Dave cleared his plate like he’d been served a sumptuous feast, then exclaimed, “Perfect! It feels like we’re the only two people in this world.”

“I’m scared,” said Yuri. “I’m not sure if I deserve to feel this happy...”

Instead of answering, Dave slid her a glass of wine. As they sipped on top of the ocean, listening to the song of the moon and stars, Yuri quickly got tipsy on the wine. And then...

Dave scooped Yuri up and lay her down on the bed, tearing off her clothes until nothing was left. Simply the fact that she was naked in front of him was enough to make Yuri shudder with pleasure. Dave didn’t hold back this time, and poured out all the love he’d been saving for this moment.

Exhausted from the lovemaking, Yuri languidly said, “I wish we could do this all night. But then you’d be discovered as a corpse by next morning, wouldn’t you?”

“Do you really think so?”

That night, Dave gave her the gift of five orgasms. Yuri seriously thought her body might melt. And by the time she was so utterly drained she wondered if she could even walk... the two of them fell asleep on the bed, rocked gently by the waves. Completely in the nude, like Adam and Eve. To the lullaby of the sea, underneath a blanket of stars.

Could it be because of the wine, or the passionate lovemaking all night? When Yuri woke up from her deep and heavy slumber, it was already past noon.

This can’t be! You sleepyhead!

Dave must have already woken up, for the bed was empty next to her. Yuri sat up and called for him.

“Dave!”

She called several times, but there was no answer.

After slipping on her bathrobe, Yuri headed out to the deck. The weather was still gorgeous, the waves still calm. She deeply inhaled the ocean breeze, then went off to look for her husband.

What kind of romantic prank was this?

She began to salivate as she imagined Dave jumping out of nowhere and taking her back to bed. As she searched the yacht, Yuri endearingly threatened, “Dave, honey! Time to come out now. If I catch you first, I’m going to make you do all the cooking and dishwashing for the rest of the trip!”

Ten minutes after she started searching, her romantic imaginations turned to anxiety—and half an hour later, to terror.

“Dave, where are you? This can’t be... Honey! Where are you?”

She went through every inch of the boat—the cabin, the wheelhouse, even the storage room underneath the deck.

Eventually, she had to accept the impossible reality: Dave had gone missing. In the middle of the ocean.