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President x Pediatrician: in which a trip to a noraebang marks a milestone in the pair's blossoming relationship.
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It's one of those times for Mr. Gu and Dr. Lee, finding solace in each other's company after a taxing day at work. Most evenings they'd meet to have dinner and take a walk around town. Seung-hyo makes sure they don't stray too far from No-eul's apartment so she wouldn't be too tired.
They'd be lucky to meet twice in one week if Seung-hyo had no early appointments in the office the following day. He prefers driving to Gangneung rather than No-eul taking the trip to Seoul; he did not want to subject her to a 2-hour long drive each time. The pediatrician appreciated his chivalrous effort; besides, she's exhausted of the fast-paced way of city living.
A common place they'd visit was a recently built dock overlooking Anmok Beach. Its wooden walkways match the stone foundations upon which it was established. Warm string lights illuminated the path at night, giving it an intimate glow. It was one of the perks they could enjoy while visiting after the sun had set.
Tonight however, instead of strolling along the familiar tourist spot with its various cafes lined up nearby, No-eul suggests that they take a walk a bit further downtown.
"Promise me you won't back out of this one," she says.
"Why? Where are you taking me?" He questions, his voice businesslike.
"Don't you trust me?"
"There's a sinister look in your eyes I've never seen before." Seung-hyo smirks.
"It'll be fun," No-eul assures him.
They unconsciously step in sync as they walk. No-eul leads the way to a more crowded part of town where the nightlife was louder than the serene beachside. Seung-hyo doesn't complain, even teasingly brushing his hand against No-eul's as he swings his arms back and forth.
He squints in disapproval though, as soon as they turn the corner on a wide street. "A noraebang?" Seung-hyo stands his ground, refusing to take a step forward. "No."
"Why not?"
"Geunyang." He shrugs. "Let's return to the dock."
"I don't want to," No-eul says, frowning. "Besides, I want to experience this with you. Please?"
The colorful lights of the two-floor establishment blink at the pair, inviting them in.
Seung-hyo mutters grimly as they enter a small room the manager assigns to them. "One song only—"
"One song each," she clarifies, grinning cheekily.
"Lee Noeul-ssi—"
But there's no point in arguing. No-eul scans the list, inputs the needed numbers, and a high-energy song begins to play. Grabbing the microphone, she starts jumping around. "You know this song?"
Seung-hyo shakes his head and crosses his arms as he lounges on the shabby loveseat.
"C'mon, everyone in Korea knows it!" Not exactly a graceful dancer, No-eul moves to the beat of Big Bang's Fantastic Baby with gusto. She sings out of sync but elicits an amused smile from her male companion.
She becomes increasingly endearing the more we're together....
"Ohh— you're enjoying this!" No-eul giggles, pointing at Seung-hyo's foot. He's unknowingly tapping against the floor as the song progresses. The elated doctor pulls him up. "Follow me!"
She convinces him to raise his arms up in the air like her, all while they twist and hop to the beat like fools. Throwing caution to the wind, Seung-hyo and No-eul surrender their weary bodies to the dance-inducing music until it finally ends.
"Look at you sweating, aish." Seung-hyo dabs his handkerchief under No-eul's chin, chuckling.
"This is a great way to blow off some steam, isn't it?" She nudges him and hands the mic over. "Your turn."
He rolls his eyes. "It's getting late—"
"Didn't we agree to meet because it would be our common day-off tomorrow? Don't worm your way out of this, President Gu."
"I don't sing."
"If you haven't already noticed, so do I!" No-eul tugs at his arm. "Please... Oppa?"
This is the first time she addresses me that way. I couldn't resist her.
"Fine." Seung-hyo, reluctant, flips through the song book.
"It's not upbeat, is it? I'm still trying to calm my heart—"
"You can sit down," he tells her, pressing the numbers of his pick.
The soft beginnings of a familiar melody mellow down the once-energetic atmosphere. Seung-hyo keeps his back turned as he starts, focusing on the screen as the words appear.
I can't believe my ears— this is his singing voice? No-eul pauses in the middle of tying her hair into a ponytail. Why doesn't he want to face me?
"Fill my heart with song, and let me sing for ever more," he croons. "You are all I long for, all I worship and adore...."
"No way," No-eul mumbles. She can feel her cheeks blushing. Watching Seung-hyo's back and the way he grips the microphone in casual ease tells her he's done this before.
"In other words, please be true," he sings in a higher note, varying from the renown Sinatra version. His voice falters slightly, but he sure can stay in tune. "In other words, I love you."
No-eul doesn't wait for the song to finish; she stands to look at Seung-hyo directly. In the background, the instrumentals continue to hum.
"You don't sing, huh?"
"Didn't say I can't." He sets the mic down and straightens his tie. "Shall we go?"
"Ani," No-eul protests. "I mean with a voice like that—"
"I haven't sung since high school—"
"It doesn't matter—"
"One song each," Seung-hyo repeats the exact words she had used to trap him earlier.
"But you were brilliant," she smiles at him, sincere and supportive.
"It's too stuffy here— let's go back to the dock."
"Why do you keep mentioning the dock? We've been there several times!"
This evening isn't going the way I thought it would. If not for this little detour, we already would have stargazed together, and I could have asked her to—
"Seunghyo-ssi?"
Her round eyes hold my gaze with utmost patience. Only a rare few, including this beautiful woman, could. It's way too common for people to say I'm intimidating, and I can be... but most times it became their excuse. The truth was that most people chose to leave before they got to know who I really was.
So she's right; why am I so hung up on the dock? While it may be romantic and ideal, it wouldn't mean a thing if the woman I love wasn't there with me.
Where I ask the question holds no weight against the who.... I could not wait another day—
"Will you be my girlfriend, Lee No-eul?"
Astounded by his out-of-the-blue remark she blinks, her mouth gaping open.
"We've been casually seeing each other for a while now," Seung-hyo adds. "I want us to be official."
"I..." No-eul covers her face with her hands to compose herself. "I've been exclusively dating you all this time anyway."
"Geureomyeon? Does that mean..."
"Wait, did you want to ask me this while we were on the dock?"
"It could've been more special—"
"Well, screw the dock." No-eul grins and nods. "Yes, I'll be your girlfriend, Gu Seunghyo-ssi!"
His face lights up as he beams, looking years younger as the burden falls from his chest. Seung-hyo closes the gap between them. He rests his forehead against hers before capturing her lips in a kiss.
No-eul pulls back to take a breath, still smiling. "Can you sing again for me, as my boyfriend this time?" She squeezes his torso in a tight hug. "Please?"
I'm her boyfriend. She's my girlfriend. My cheeks are bound to ache from grinning but who cares?
Seung-hyo, eager as ever, returns her hug. "In other words," he sings softly in her ear, "in other words... I love you...."
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P.S.: Inspired by Cho Seung-woo's rendition of Fly Me To The Moon. Enjoy!