Jin-woo and his family arrived at the Jeju International Airport, a sprawling hub where the tropical greenery of the island seemed to grow right into the sleek, modern architecture of the terminal.
The airport was bustling with energy, filled with tourists carrying boxes of local hallabong oranges and tired families heading back to the mainland after the excitement of the Fire Festival.
After checking their luggage and waiting through the security lines, they finally boarded the flight bound for Incheon International Airport.
The seating arrangement was practical, just like their previous trip: Hajun was nestled between his grandmother and grandfather, while Jin-woo sat in a row where the seat to his left remained empty.
As the cabin crew performed their final safety checks, Jin-woo pulled a thick, well-worn book from his bag: An Introduction to Language by Fromkin, Rodman, and Hyams.
To any casual observer, it seemed like an odd choice for a vacation read, but for Jin-woo, it was a necessity for his work.
The AI systems he had built for his company, A2, were based on Large Language Models—systems that try to mimic human thought through the structure of words.
To build a better "Mind," he needed to understand the "Marrow" of how language evolved from simple sounds into the complex emotions that humans express.
He became quickly engrossed, his eyes tracing the chapters on how sentences are formed and how the brain processes speech as the plane taxied toward the runway.
Just as he reached a section on how language varies in society, a soft, melodic sound cut through his focus.
"Excuse me... I believe this seat is mine. Could you please remove your tablet from here?"
Jin-woo looked up—and for a moment, everything stilled.
It wasn't shock that he felt; it was a profound, quiet recognition.
It was the kind of silence that falls when the mind sees something it never truly believed could happen in real life.
The most famous Korean heroine was standing right in front of him: Kang Ara.
She stood there effortlessly, her beauty not loud or flashing, but quietly demanding attention.
And once he saw her—it was impossible to look away.
His eyes lingered on her for a second longer than they should have.
Her hair fell in soft, dark waves, like ink flowing over silk—smooth, weightless, and perfectly framing her face.
A few strands rested gently near her cheeks, as if even they hesitated to move away from her.
Her skin held a quiet, luminous clarity, like untouched porcelain under soft light; it wasn't artificial or overly made-up, just naturally flawless.
Then he looked at her eyes. Jin-woo's breath slowed.
They were large, yet calm—deep brown, carrying a faint, distant glow.
They weren't curious, warm, or cold; they were simply unreadable, as if she had seen too much of the world to react to anything anymore.
Her lips were soft and slightly parted, holding a natural hint of color that made her look truly alive.
There was no deliberate expression on her face—no practiced smile or frown—and yet, she was breathtaking.
Jin-woo blinked once, then twice, his mind trying to catch up to what his eyes had already accepted.
I've seen her on TV... but she is so much more beautiful in real life, he thought.
On the screen, she had always felt distant and untouchable, like she was behind glass—but now she stood just a few steps away.
She was more real, more radiant, and somehow, even more unreachable than before.
Jin-woo slowly replied, "Sure," and removed his tablet from the seat.
Kang Ara sat down slowly and settled into her place.
After some time, the pilot announced that the airplane was about to take off, and everyone fastened their seatbelts as they waited to ascend to a high altitude.
Once the airplane stabilized, the "fasten seatbelt" sign turned off.
Kang Ara put on the headphones provided by the plane to listen to music on her phone, and Jin-woo went back to reading his linguistics book seriously.
Sometime later, Ara removed her earphones and began to look around out of boredom, eventually glancing at the book Jin-woo was reading.
Seeing her looking at the cover, Jin-woo sighed, closed the book, and decided to speak.
"Are you not Kang Ara? The most famous heroine in Korea?"
Ara turned toward him, hearing him say her name, and gave him a beautiful smile. "Yes, I am. Are you a fan of mine?"
Jin-woo shook his head slightly. "I cannot say that I am a fan in the usual sense, but I have watched some of your work. Your acting was exceptional."
"I used to watch your movies when I was in college. My friends were crazy about you."
Hearing this, Ara chuckled softly. "Thank you."
After this "melting of the ice," Ara became much more comfortable and asked, "Are you a literature major? You were reading a very serious book on linguistics."
Jin-woo shook his head. "Not really. I am a math major, but I like books about language."
Ara nodded, thinking it wasn't too surprising that people have different hobbies as they grow older.
Then she asked, "Were you here to attend the Jeju Fire Festival? The fire show this time was breathtaking."
Jin-woo nodded. "Yes, I watched the show. It was really nice."
He didn't tell her that the show was actually orchestrated by him, as he felt it would sound like he was boasting.
"It wasn't just 'nice,'" Ara corrected him, her eyes lighting up. "The 3D Phoenix at the end was a masterpiece."
"The creator of that art is a man called Mr. Jin-woo. I really wanted to meet him and ask how he did it."
Jin-woo nodded but didn't say anything at first. Then Ara asked, "By the way, I forgot to ask your name."
Jin-woo hesitated for a moment, then told her, "My name is Jin-woo."
Ara looked surprised. She looked at his simple but neat clothes and asked, "Are you the Mr. Jin-woo who orchestrated that fire?"
Jin-woo nodded simply. "Yes."
Ara looked at him with a new sense of wonder. "What a small world, to meet you here. I have to say, Mr. Jin-woo, you have a real eye for creativity."
Jin-woo nodded. "Thank you."
Knowing that he was the person everyone had been looking for at the gala dinner, Ara became more curious.
"Mr. Jin-woo, why didn't you attend the gala dinner? Everyone was looking for you at the hotel."
Jin-woo smiled slightly. "I was just too tired and didn't want to attend a social gathering, so I went to rest early."
Ara nodded understandingly; she knew better than anyone how tiring those parties could be.
Since she was asking so many questions, Jin-woo decided to be more open.
"Miss Ara, you are actually more beautiful in real life than you are on the screen."
Ara didn't blush or act shy. "What can I do? I was born gorgeous," she said, playfully flicking her hair.
Jin-woo was stunned to see her being so direct about her own beauty.
Seeing Jin-woo's surprised face, Ara laughed. "I was just joking! But... isn't it true?"
Jin-woo nodded and smiled. "Yes, you are very beautiful."
Then, Jin-woo asked a question out of curiosity. "Speaking of which, it must be hard for you to be an actress. You are always surrounded by fans and media."
"It is hectic," Ara admitted, "but I enjoy it. I like talking to people and making friends."
She looked at him with a friendly expression. "If you don't mind, can I call you my friend? Your company is getting a lot of attention these days; maybe we will meet again somewhere."
Jin-woo nodded politely. "Thank you for the praise, but it is just the beginning. We need to work much more."
Then, Jin-woo asked a favor. "Miss Ara, could you give me your autograph? The girls and boys on my team love your movies and songs. They would be very happy if I gave them your signature."
"Also, if possible, could I get a photo with you? Just to make them a little jealous."
Ara laughed, clearly amused by Jin-woo's plan. "Mr. Jin-woo, you certainly know how to make your team jealous! Sure, let's take a photo."
As the plane hummed through the sky, the famous star and the quiet engineer leaned together for a picture, a moment of "Authenticity" captured high above the clouds.