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Chapter 02
After some time, Bali.
It was late at night when Bada finally arrived at Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali.
After picking up her luggage and walking out of the gate, the humid tropical air brushed against her skin.
“Ha… it’s been so long since I traveled abroad.”
She had recently quit the investment bank where she had worked for the past four years.
She endured endless overtime and intense workloads at the notoriously demanding firm, practically sacrificing her body for the job—only to quit after being betrayed by her superior.
So she came here to rest and heal her exhausted body and heart before finding a new job.
It was her friend Caroline who strongly suggested Bali.
‘Go to Canggu in Bali. What you need right now is the beach, cocktails, sunsets, and shirtless hot guys.’
After that, Caroline kept tagging Bada in every Bali travel post that appeared on her social media feed.
After seeing them so often, Bada grew curious—and eventually booked the trip.
‘Well, I’m not interested in hot guys, but the beach and cocktails are definitely tempting.’
Leaving the airport, Bada got into the taxi she had reserved in advance.
Her destination was a guesthouse in Canggu.
For the next few days, Bada traveled around Bali Island.
She mostly visited quiet beaches, temples where thieving monkeys appeared, and local restaurants.
She liked the atmosphere of Canggu, where the freedom of youth could be felt everywhere.
Trendy cafés that looked like they belonged in Seongsu-dong stood side by side with Hindu temples, and Western tourists mixed with locals, creating lively energy.
That day, she left the guesthouse late in the morning and headed to Batu Bolong Beach.
She took a seat at a quiet beach café overlooking the ocean and ordered a coconut juice. The waitress who took her order giggled.
“Your T-shirt is really cool.”
“Haha, thank you.”
Bada smiled awkwardly and looked down at her shirt.
It was one she bought from a street vendor. It read: I Love Bintang (Bintang, an Indonesian beer brand).
Was she advertising herself as an obvious tourist? But so what? This was the kind of freedom you could only enjoy at a resort.
She slipped off her sandals while sitting in the soft chair. The gentle sand touched the soles of her feet.
‘This is real relaxation.’
The scenery, so different from busy Seoul, made her feel calm.
She stared at the distant waves and fell into thought.
‘Life really doesn’t go the way you want.’
Swoooosh.
At that moment, a surfer riding the waves caught her attention.
A large foreign man moved through the water freely, like a god of the sea.
He calmly avoided the wave chasing after him as if it would swallow him whole, passing smoothly through the barrel.
‘Is he a professional?’
Soon, he rode up a rough wave and twisted his body sharply in the air.
“Wow…”
As if he had heard her admiration, he suddenly turned his gaze toward her.
Was it her imagination, or did their eyes meet?
But the man soon disappeared behind the sparkling spray of water, like a scene from a movie.
After leaving the café, Bada walked down the street looking for a place to eat lunch.
‘What should I eat? Maybe I should try traditional Indonesian food.’
She was turning a corner along a narrow sidewalk when suddenly, a motorbike roared out from an alley.
Startled by the loud engine, Bada stepped back quickly.
She lost her balance and fell hard onto her bottom.
“Ow!”
Screeeeeech.
The driver, who had just noticed her, slammed the brakes and rushed over.
The man knelt on one knee and checked her condition.
“You okay, darlin’?”
“What are you crazy? You almost hit me!”
As she grabbed her throbbing hip and looked up, unusually bright blue eyes filled her vision.
She flinched without realizing it.
His gaze was as intense as that of a Siberian husky.
The moment their eyes met, Bada felt something strange.
As if the axis of her life had tilted off center and slipped out of orbit.
“……You.”
To her surprise, he was the surfer she had seen at the beach earlier. His eyes sparkled in a strange way when he recognized her.
Like someone who had finally found what he had been searching for, he murmured softly,
“It’s you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t you remember me?”
“……We’ve never met before.”
Bada looked at him suspiciously. If she had seen such a handsome face somewhere else, she would definitely remember.
‘Is he trying to hit on me?’
Seriously, handsome men.
At her sharp reaction, he let out a short laugh. Then, as if putting on a different mask, he changed his expression and shifted the topic.
“Anyway, I’m sorry. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Holding her racing heart, Bada looked him up and down.
His long black hair was wet with seawater and swept back.
His thick eyebrows and finely carved nose gave him a cold, perfect appearance.
He was not just handsome—he had an aura that made you forget to breathe.
The large scar on his neck did not ruin his looks. Instead, it added to his rebellious charm.
‘He does look familiar. Have I seen him somewhere before?’
Ignoring the hand he offered, Bada brushed the sand off her clothes and stood up.
“I’m fine.”
As he awkwardly withdrew his hand, she muttered,
“…I almost ended up in a hospital on the first day of my trip. And I even bought the cheapest travel insurance.”
“Let’s go to the hospital together, just in case.”
“I told you, I’m not hurt.”
“Where are you going?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll give you a ride.”
He nodded toward his motorbike.
It was a matte black, high-end bike that looked far from ordinary.
‘That’s Ducati, the top Italian motorcycle brand.’
In Bali, where roads were poor and traffic was heavy, motorbikes were the main transportation. Most people rented simple Honda scooters for about ten dollars a day. It was rare to see someone riding such an expensive bike.
With a knowing look, Bada said,
“I’m fine, so just be careful next time, young master.”
His thick eyebrows lifted.
“Young master?”
With a calm face, Bada shrugged.
“If someone rides a Ducati around Bali, it’s pretty obvious. Either he’s illegally growing magic mushrooms on a deserted island, a retired man going through a midlife crisis, or a rich family’s son. Judging by your posh accent, I’m guessing the last one.”
Having graduated from a private American school for wealthy families and worked at an investment bank, Bada was naturally familiar with luxury brands.
She also knew that a Ducati Panigale was often a rich man’s trophy.
Amused by her words, his lips curved slightly.
“That’s a bit rude.”
“Says the man who almost ran me over.”
“I just want to make sure you won’t feel pain later.”
“If you’re that worried, just give me your contact information.”
He tilted one corner of his mouth.
“That’s a bit difficult.”
Bada narrowed her eyes.
“That’s suspicious. Are you hiding something?”
“Maybe. But I don’t have a girlfriend.”
She let out a small laugh at his calm joke.
But he quickly became serious again and asked,
“Your name.”
“Excuse me?”
“You should tell me your name.”
His firm tone made her answer without thinking.
“Bada. Yoo Bada. And you?”
“River Grant.”
“…That’s a unique name. Is it a fake one?”
He rolled his tongue inside his mouth. Sharper than expected. What should he do?
But he quickly replied calmly.
“Your name sounds pretty unique to my ears too.”
“Ah, it’s Korean. I lived in the U.S. for a long time, but I’m Korean. Anyway, River? That’s unusual. But my name actually means Ocean. What a strange coincidence.”
For a moment, his pupils widened slightly. Then a lazy smile spread across his lips.
“So that’s what it means.”
“…What?”
“Then it’s not coincidence. It’s fate. Like how a river flows and eventually meets the ocean.”
At his sudden words, Bada tilted her head.
He looks perfectly normal. Why does he keep saying such strange things?
