Oops. I had completely forgotten because Rashanin walked around in broad daylight as if it were nothing, but he was a vampire. A noble of the night. To recommend a tropical resort where intense sunlight beats down to someone like him. I inwardly clicked my tongue at the unexpected mistake, but still retorted without changing my expression.
“But I think there’d be no problem if it’s you, Mr. Rashanin.”
“My eyes would be a bit dazzled.”
Is that all? If he was that strong against sunlight, I momentarily became curious about how he’d be with silver, known to be fatal to vampires. But no matter how curious I became, there were clearly things I shouldn’t ask about.
“By the way, sports cars and the sea…”
Rashanin spoke to himself, which was rare. After thinking for a moment, he smiled.
“Shall we go to the sea?”
“What?!”
“The sea would be good.”
“…?”
With his single phrase that the sea would be good, I never dreamed that three hours later I would be in Jeju Island.
*
“Ah, really…”
Exclamations and sighs alternately flowed out. Far in the distance, the blue sea was rippling under the blue sky. The wind tousling my hair felt salty.
It was Jeju Island.
While sweeping back my hair, I grasped the balcony railing and lowered my head.
Until now, I thought the suite room located at the very top of the hotel was the best. But there was another world here. I never dreamed there would be villa-like premium guest rooms separate from the hotel’s main building. Not only was it wonderfully decorated in an exotic style, but it even had an indoor pool attached.
My mouth that told him to travel to the South Pacific was impertinent. Rashanin, who said the sea would be good, put his words into practice. He made an international call somewhere with my phone. Because the conversation was in Russian, I couldn’t understand the content. When I asked what was going on, Rashanin said let’s go to the sea. He wanted to show me the South Pacific sea, but taking me abroad would be a diplomatic problem so he gave up. Instead, he casually said we’d go to the island located in the southernmost part of Korea, surprising me.
Rashanin had no obligation to report to the Management Bureau wherever he went or whatever he did. But my circumstances as someone attached under the guise of a guide were different. When I called the Department Head to report the sudden situation, I got back annoyance about what a headache-inducing vampire.
Anyway, 30 minutes later, a hotel limousine arrived in front of the cafe, and we took it toward the airport. Then we boarded a plane to Jeju Island—a chartered flight with only me and Rashanin as passengers.
When I sighed on the plane due to the too-sudden development, Rashanin said one thing.
‘You must not want to see the sea.’
‘The sea isn’t the problem.’
‘Then?’
‘My job being what it is, I don’t like sudden situations.’
‘Enjoy it.’
‘Enjoy what?’
‘Do you think it’s easy to reject a man like me? You should be able to enjoy even that.’
It was tremendous confidence. Despite being dumbfounded, I ended up chuckling.
‘You finally laughed. You have to be happy, or I lose energy.’
Even thinking about it now, Rashanin smiling with his eyes crinkling didn’t look like he’d lost energy at all. I sighed again. There was no blatant seduction. But when he acted friendly like this, it was troublesome yet my heart fluttered for no reason.
“Really… Whether it’s seduction or what, are you planning to torment me to death.”
It’s been like this since I was young. More than the moment of being hit, I hated standing in line waiting to be hit.
If Rashanin tried that thing called seduction right now, I could kick him away. Ah, really. What am I supposed to do when you come at me like this. So disturbing.
I was forcefully suppressing the strange feeling when the phone I’d put in my pocket timely vibrated.
[You’re in Jeju Island? Really? Why’d you go? I made a restaurant reservation.]
It was a text from Seong-jin. He really was a ghost-like guy. I was about to reply but stopped. This guy, once you send one reply, would gleefully send texts in a row asking this and that. After hesitating for a moment, I just put the phone back in my pocket. Then the earlier worry occupied my head again.
I really felt like I was going to fall.
“What are you thinking about to look so serious?”
Rashanin approached from behind with presence. I couldn’t say even if my mouth tore that I was conscious of him.
“I was thinking that all this is possible with just one phone call. I was wondering if you have a capable secretary.”
Rashanin only made one phone call. After that, things progressed swiftly in less than a few minutes. He definitely had an all-powerful secretary who would grant anything with just one phone call.
“That’s right. Sergei is the most diligent and capable of my sons.”
Rashanin nodded and affirmed my words. His son meant a vampire’s kin.
I deeply sympathized with his son named Sergei in my heart. Rashanin obviously just ordered that he wanted to see the southern sea. And Sergei must have been frantically booking rooms, securing a plane, and taking care of this and that for 30 minutes. Of course, that was also only possible because of money and power. Even though we came to Jeju Island empty-handed, the hotel said they’d transport all the luggage from Seoul.
“Follow me. I have something to show you.”
“Yes?”
“Something to make you happy. Look forward to it.”
What should I look forward to. I felt an ominous feeling from the mischievous smile of the vampire said to be over 300 years old.
*
The body wrapped in graceful curves was sparkling in a yellow deeper than forsythia.
Ferrari’s color is red, but it’s good to abandon the prejudice that red is everything.
Ferrari F430 Convertible. A Ferrari luxury sports car introduced in 2006, it was a beast that could do zero to sixty in 4.0 seconds with a top speed of 315 km/h.
There are many sports cars in the world and Ferrari regularly introduces new models, but there were few that made you exclaim in admiration the moment you saw them. Seeing the Ferrari F430 Convertible standing majestically under the April sunlight, my mouth wouldn’t close. I’d seen them driving around Seoul’s streets a few times, but it was the first time seeing one this close.
I looked at the yellow Ferrari and Rashanin standing right next to it. He looked like the Ferrari’s owner. Surely what he meant by looking forward to it wasn’t this, right?
When I looked with a just-in-case feeling, Rashanin smiled with raised lips as if he knew it would be like this.
“I didn’t know you’d show such an enthusiastic reaction.”
I was slightly embarrassed, but what could I do. It was a Ferrari. An F430 at that. Among the guys around me, I hadn’t seen anyone who didn’t like this. I calmed my excitement and asked.
“Why is there…?”
“Take it.”
Rashanin threw something toward me. What I caught without thinking was car keys. I alternately looked at the keys in my hand and Rashanin smiling meaningfully. Could the “surely not” actually be true?
“I rented it. If I gave it as a gift, you’d be burdened.”
The thought that momentarily flashed through my head was that if it were a gift, it really would be burdensome. Not just the price, but the maintenance cost alone was easily over ten million won—it was a monster.
“When the opportunity to drive it yourself has come, you should seize it.”
The word “opportunity” went right into my ears. Would there ever be a day in my life when I could drive a Ferrari? It was out of the question.
Before my eyes was a Ferrari, and in my hand were the keys.
I was tempted. The advertising phrase “devil’s temptation” that was popular at one time naturally came to mind. Damn it. Is this year a triple disaster year? No it’s not. The triple disaster ended last year. What am I supposed to do with this.
I put strength in my eyes and glared at the confident Rashanin.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“You look annoying.”
“I know you sometimes want to strangle me. Now, don’t keep me waiting.”
As if driving in the final nail, Rashanin personally opened the driver’s seat door. This time it was Rashanin’s victory. It was hard to refuse a Ferrari. I put strength in my hand, gripped the keys tightly, and got in the car.
Rashanin, who kindly closed the door, didn’t forget to add one thing.
“Please enjoy yourself.”
Right. I should enjoy it. When I made up my mind like that and turned on the ignition, the sleek beast growled fiercely. Rashanin got in the passenger seat, but I didn’t have time to pay attention to him.
Holding the steering wheel of the supercar I’d dreamed of, I had nothing to envy in the world.
*
The Ferrari’s engine made a sharp high-pitched sound. Even just stepping on the accelerator pedal a little, the powerful engine sound that went “whine~” like an F1 car stimulated the racing instinct.
The forward view was awkward due to the driver’s seat being lower than ordinary cars, but the taste of racing forward in close contact with the road was exceptional. Everywhere in Jeju Island was wonderful and beautiful. The sea was blue, and the rocks where seawater splashed were all black. There were also many trees. While palm trees were roadside trees, snow still remained on the peak of Hallasan. Riding the world’s best sports car along the coastal road where the blue sky and cool sea unfolded, I felt like I owned the whole world.
That is, if it weren’t for the vampire grumbling beside me.
