Chapter Text
Dahyun had been looking forward to this day for weeks. In celebration of their first anniversary, she and Hansol were spending the weekend at a small, peaceful cabin in the woods. She couldn’t wait to spend the next two days hiking along winding trails, swimming in a crystal-clear lake, and cuddling up by the fire with her wonderful boyfriend.
For now, though, Dahyun had to be patient—they still had another half hour in the car before they would arrive at the cabin. But, that didn’t mean that they couldn’t enjoy the journey. Dahyun looked over at Hansol in the driver’s seat and smiled at him. He quickly smiled back before refocusing on the road ahead.
Dahyun looked out her window as well, watching as the car glided past grassy field and patches of trees. She stuck her hand out the window, letting out a cheer as the wind whooshed past her fingers.
Hansol laughed along with her. He didn’t mind that she was being loud—they had the radio turned up loud anyway. They continued shouting song lyrics into the wind as they got closer and closer to their destination.
After a few more songs, they quieted down again, listening to the music in silence. When a new song—“Amazed” by Boyz II Men—came on, Hansol immediately reached over to turn up the volume.
Dahyun laughed quietly. “You really love listening to your music, huh? I knew I made a good choice by dating you,” she said.
Hansol smiled in response, then looked back at the road.
“So, how much farther is this place?” Dahyun asked. Hansol had been to this cabin before with his family, but it was Dahyun’s first time. “I’m excited to see…hey, Hansol?”
“Hm?” Hansol said, barely looking her direction.
“Could we turn the music down a bit? I can barely hear myself.”
“Oh, um…” Hansol nervously ran his fingers through his hair, but he didn’t touch the volume control. “Could we, maybe…wait ‘till this song is over first?”
“Oh,” Dahyun said, looking at Hansol in confusion. “Is this your favorite song? No, wait—I thought your favorite song was that one by—”
“No, this one isn’t my favorite song,” Hansol said. He paused a few seconds before continuing. “I like this song because…I kind of…think of it as ‘our song.’”
Dahyun couldn’t help the huge smile that spread across her face. “Really? Why this song?”
Hansol’s cheeks turned slightly pink. “Well, it’s, um, lots of little lines. Like ‘I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes,’ and ‘I've never been this close to anyone or anything.’ But…the main reason….”
He trailed off and took a deep breath. “After we had been together for two months, when I got home from our date at the beach, I was lying in bed and listening to some music. And ‘Amazed’ came up on shuffle, and it was crazy—I’ve heard the song so many times before—but I swear it was like a whole new song. I just couldn’t stop thinking about you the whole time, and then it got to the chorus.
“As soon as I heard that line, ‘I'm so in love with you,’” Hansol continued, “I knew it was real. I knew I was in love with you. And it was the most terrifyingly wonderful feeling I’ve ever felt in my entire life.”
As the full depth of Hansol’s words sank in, Dahyun was overcome with emotion. “C-can you stop the car for a minute?”
Hansol jerked his head toward her in surprise. “What? U-um, yeah, sure.” He pulled the car over to the side of the road and put it in park.
Without missing a beat, Dahyun leaned over, pulled Hansol close, and kissed him deeply. She was so in love with him, too—not that he didn’t know that. They had professed their love for each other countless times already, but knowing how much Hansol treasured the moment he first realized his feelings…it overwhelmed Dahyun in the best way.
She wrapped her arms around Hansol’s neck as he ran his hands through her hair. They held each other close, with the beautiful melody of “Amazed” still playing in the background of their embrace.
When they finally opened their eyes and leaned back to look at each other’s faces, they were both smiling. “I’m so in love with you, too,” Dahyun whispered, cradling Hansol’s face in her hand and brushing her thumb across his cheek.
Dahyun wished they could stay like that forever, but the end of the song—abruptly signaled by the voice of the radio announcer—was a cruel reminder that she couldn’t freeze time on this perfect moment.
Hansol must have noticed Dahyun’s disappointment because he swiftly pulled out his phone and plugged it in, and before long, “Amazed” was playing over the speakers once again. “Better?” Hansol asked.
“Perfect.”
After sharing one more kiss, Hansol resumed driving. Dahyun resumed looking off into the distance, trying to spot the cabin off on the horizon. But it didn’t really matter whether she found it in five seconds, five minutes, or five years. As long as she had Hansol by her side, she knew this journey would be amazing.