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snow on the beach

Summary:

ok i wrote most of this soon after midnights dropped but here we are now and we’re already getting another album soon lmao—

there’s something wrong with me where i can envision hanmu with like every song i listen to (they’re a very versatile couple)

rated t for language.

korean translations at the end.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

One night a few moons ago
I saw flecks of what could've been lights

 

Shit. 

That one expletive crosses Kangmu's mind as he looks at the young woman sitting across from him, laughing at a bad joke he'd just made. She isn't dressed particularly fancily, but when he'd seen her for the first time that night, his breath had caught in his chest. 

 

But it might have just been you
Passing by unbeknownst to me

 

Her hair, darker than the night sky outside, falls just past her shoulders, curled into light waves. The deep aurora-borealis-green of her off-shoulder top tucked into black jeans angles the golden light of the diner perfectly around her frame. Her alluring eyes are scrunched in amusement, and she's barely wearing any makeup. She doesn't need to, with a face that naturally beautiful. 

 

Life is emotionally abusive
And time can't stop me quite like you did

 

This is their third date. And it's when Kangmu realizes something. 

He's fallen in love with Jang Hanna. 

 

And my flight was awful, thanks for asking I'm unglued, thanks to you

 

It happened so fast and unexpectedly. He'd met her through her father, a wealthy statesman with ties to the ANSP, of which Kangmu has been an agent ever since his own father was killed. She'd been attending one of her father's press conferences, and Kangmu had been assigned to escort her. 

It was only supposed to be a one-time thing. He didn't think he'd ever see her again after that. But there was something about her that hooked him and drew him in towards her. And, a couple weeks later, when he'd coincidentally run into her at the library, he'd asked her out. 

 

And it's like snow at the beach
Weird but fucking beautiful

 

It was a long shot she'd even say yes, but she did, and things had spiraled from there. Kangmu hadn't originally been looking for a committed relationship, but as he spent more time with her, he found it hard to not be committed to her. 

And that's when he realizes he's in love with her— when he doesn't think he can let her go. 

 

Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful You wanting me tonight feels impossible

 

Hanna sets her glass of water down onto the table and leans towards him. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Uh... like what?"

She smirks. "I don't know... just the way you were looking at me."

 

But it's coming down, no sound, it's all around
Like snow on the beach
Like snow on the beach

 

He raises an eyebrow at her. "Am I not supposed to look at you?"

"Anniyo, not that, exactly," she struggles for the next part of her sentence. "What were you thinking about?"

Kangmu's cheeks heat up, but he hopes she isn't able to tell. 

"Oh, you know... just things."

Hanna grins playfully. "Do those things happen to involve me?"

 

Like snow on the beach
Like snow, oh, oh oh

 

Shit, she's caught him. He tries his best for a nonchalant shrug. 

"Amado."

 

This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen
I searched aurora borealis green

 

She leans back in her seat, and Kangmu finds himself panicking. He doesn't want her to think he's being creepy, or worse, uninterested. 

"I-I mean, should they?"

Hanna laughs and takes another sip from her glass. 

"Relax, I'm just teasing you."

 

I've never seen someone live from within Blurring out my periphery

 

A little while later, they leave the diner. Kangmu shyly offers her his arm as they walk down the street of the relatively empty town center. She takes it, slipping her arm and hand into his. 

 

My smile is like I won a contest
And to hide that would be so dishonest

 

"It's so nice out," Hanna comments, and Kangmu gets the feeling she isn't just talking about the cool, breezy evening air. It's the whole atmosphere— tranquil, relaxing, romantic even. Being so close to her also boosts his mood significantly. 

 

And it's fine to fake it 'til you make it
'Til you do, 'til it's true

 

There's a small lake down the street, surrounded by a modest wooden boardwalk and split in half by a bridge arching over the water. The boardwalk is home to several shops, bars, and restaurants, but the two steer away from the most crowded parts. Tonight's not a social night. It feels more right to just be alone with the other. They cross the bridge, stopping in the middle to admire the sprinkling of stars reflected on the inky water. Hanna leans over the rail to look down at the rippling waves, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the lamps standing proudly on the bridgeposts. 

 

Now it's like snow at the beach
Weird but fucking beautiful

 

Kangmu's eyes flicker from the scenery to her face and back again. He knows he should tell her how he feels, but like everything uncertain, the consequences are terrifying. It can only go one of two ways— right, or very, very wrong. As a kind of tester, just to see how she reacts, he lets go of her hand and instead gently wraps his arm around her slim waist. 

 

Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful You wanting me tonight feels impossible

 

Aside from a slightly hitched breath, Hanna doesn't seem to mind. He's standing closer to her than ever before, behind her and slightly to her left. The top of her head brushes against his cheek, and he can smell the sweet scent of her conditioner clinging to her hair. 

 

But it's coming down, no sound, it's all around
Like snow on the beach
Like snow on the beach

 

He feels her body relax into his. His mind screams at him to just tell her. It would be wrong not to. But his voice refuses to form the simple words. 

 

Like snow on the beach
Like snow, oh, oh oh

 

"Hanna?" He finds himself saying instead. 

"Yes?" She asks. 

"Um..."

Fuck. He suddenly can't think of anything to say. He just wanted to say her name, but now she's turning to look at him curiously. 

"I- thank you. For being out here with me. I... I really enjoy your company."

 

I can't speak afraid to jinx it
I don't even dare to wish it

 

As soon as he hears himself, Kangmu wants to smack himself in the head. He can hear his heartbeat pounding in his chest. Hanna would probably take it the wrong way. It had sounded so weird and awkward. 

 

But your eyes are flying saucers from another planet
Now I'm All For You like Janet

 

But instead, Hanna laughs. Kangmu feels himself seize up in panic before it registers that it's a good kind of laugh. Affectionately amused is the best way he can describe it. 

Wait a second... affectionately?

 

Can this be a real thing? Can it?

 

"Oh, Kangmu," Hanna sighs through her smile. "This is the best evening I've had in a while. I should be thanking you."

He can't help but smile back as she beams up at him. A young man walking his dog passes behind them on the bridge. It's oddly satisfying to Kangmu to think that the average passerby would probably assume that he and Hanna are an actual, official couple. His proximity to her and the way she's looking at him certainly suggest it. 

 

Are we falling like snow at the beach?
Weird but fucking beautiful

 

All the more reason to man up and confess to her. That's what he tells himself, but for some reason he resists. The internal struggle makes his face suddenly go serious. Hanna notices, and the smile fades from her lips as well. 

"Kangmu-ssi... is something wrong?"

 

Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful You wanting me tonight feels impossible

 

"A-Anniyo, nothing's wrong," Kangmu says. "I was... just thinking."

"About?" she prompts gently. 

A spontaneous surge of confidence washes through him. He pulls her in closer by just a couple more centimeters, but that's all he needs before he finally makes himself say it. 

 

But it's coming down, no sound, it's all around
Like snow on the beach (snow on the beach)

 

"You," he says softly. "I love you, Jang Hanna."

 

Like snow on the beach (are we in a dream?)

 

It's Hanna's turn to be frozen, but unlike him, she shakes it off rather quickly and gracefully. 

"I love you too, Lee Kangmu."

 

Like snow on the beach (you want me)

 

He doesn't mean to smile, but he does, and before he knows it, her hands are on either side of his face, and she's pulling him down to kiss him on the lips.  

Like Hanna herself, the kiss is unexpected, but totally captivating. His first instinct is to panic. His brain isn't working as fast as he's used to. It takes a second for him to decide to kiss her back and place his hands on her waist. He feels her fingers gently work their way into his hair, but he doesn't mind one bit. 

 

Like snow (like snow)

 

They're in public. If Kangmu's eomma had seen them, she'd have smacked him with her slipper for kissing a girl without proposing to her first. But he doesn't care— he doesn't have the capacity to care about things such as properness and decorum when Hanna's in his arms. 

 

But it's coming down, no sound, it's all around
Like snow on the beach (it's coming down, it's coming down)

 

The kiss feels so good that when Hanna pulls away, her warm breath on his tingling lips, he only allows her a second to breathe before cupping her cheek and pulling her in for another one. 

 

(It's coming down, it's coming down)
Like snow on the beach

 

This feeling is weird, he thinks as he kisses her. Weird. But still so fucking beautiful. He doesn’t think he wants it to stop. And evidently, neither does she. 

 

(It's coming down, it's coming down, it's coming down, it's coming down)
(It's coming down, it's coming down, it's coming down, it's coming down)

Notes:

Korean translations:

Anniyo: no
Amado: maybe
Eomma: mom