The last minute request earned Jeongyeon a disgruntled face from their manager, something she was certain she’d be getting for weeks to come, but paid no heed at the low groan, eye-rolling and the reminder of how a bad idea all this was her manager constantly made.

And maybe she should have listened, take one of their managers along and drive them on a more comfortable seat in a better vehicle. But Jeongyeon did none of that. She was stubborn, determined to have an alone time with Mina. Just Mina and her- away from the incessant noise, prying ears, and inquisitive eyes of their members.

So here they are, just Mina and her, out on the road with Jeongyeon driving the rented car, on a slightly comfortable seat in a vehicle with condition far from what they are used to or at least Jeongyeon normally drives.

But Jeongyeon is happy, side glances at Mina who’s looking out through the rolled down window, blonde locks dancing through the cold morning breeze, and Jeongyeon knows, setting her eyes back on the road, that Mina is happy too- that little smile dangling on her face doesn’t lie.

“This feels nice.” Jeongyeon hears Mina say in a manner that emits contentment. “Makes up for these seats.” then changing from a teasing one.

Jeongyeon chuckles, aware how these barely cushioned leather seats lack the comfort it should have had. “Well you could always sit on top of me.” she jokes, taking a quick glance at Mina who now wears an open mouthed reaction. 

“And pray tell how you would drive then?" Mina’s tone is taunting yet playful, holding back any urges to return the flirtatious offer with her own one.

“There wouldn’t be any actual driving” the cheeky smile on Jeongyeon stays as she faces Mina, “but I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of roaming around happening.” She ends, winking.

"Eyes on road, pabo." Mina giggles, pushing Jeongyeon’s face away on her and back ahead, then adds, mock evident on her voice, “And be less . Be more romantic.”

Jeongyeon hardly contains the loud laughter that escapes her. She was hoping Mina would get flustered by her suggestive remark, Jeongyeon would have been if the tables were turned, but Mina didn’t panic. Mina reviewed her action instead. 

“Do I expect you to rate the date too?”

“Better up your game.” Mina challenges with a smirk. "it's not going in your direction so far."

“Wae? Wae? Wae?” Jeongyeon keeps her eyes ahead, stealing a few quick glances at Mina from time to time. She couldn’t think of anything that she did up to now that could have gone against her chances. Maybe the unpleasant seats could be one thing or the busted radio component but that’s hardly her fault. 

“I opened my own door, never heard you compliment me, and I got no flower from you.” three fingers raised up emphasizing things Jeongyeon neglected to do this morning. “It’s not going well, you see.”

She tries hard not to look at Mina and keep her focus on the road as she sorts each item out. Jeongyeon almost considered defending herself, but she knows Mina, knows that Mina wouldn’t have any of her bullcrap and just subtract another point on her slowly decreasing date rate.

Instead, Jeongyeon reaches her free hand across the gear, taking Mina’s hands in hers, her lips curling up as she speaks, soft, sweet and tender, “Then let’s change that.” 

The unexpected action takes Mina by surprise but soon finds herself settling into the warmth, letting Jeongyeon’s hand rest on hers. “Smooth, Yoo Jeongyeon. Very smooth.”

Jeongyeon is certain the radio is off, but the sound of Mina’s laughter that drowns in the air feels like music to her ears, silky and rich, beautifully melodic hitting the right notes. And she wonders how much more cliche it would get if Mina keeps plucking the right chord.

…..

….

…

..

.

Jeongyeon has no plan in mind, no itinerary prepared for this date. Probably not the best way to go about something she would be rated for but all she knows is she wants to spend her day with Mina, and Mina alone. 

Although, Jeongyeon did try to search for areas that seemed a great place to bring Mina to. That was all she did before the break of dawn while Mina’s arms securely wrapped around hers. But she remembered that Mina has already been to a lot of places, places with better sceneries and better versions of what this place had to offer. So Jeongyeon shut her phone, cuddled closer to Mina, and hoped that when sun comes, when they’re out on the road going wherever that leads them, would be a lot better than any places Mina had been to- might be less scenic but better with just them around.

In retrospect, Mina has always been kind, appreciates little things despite experiencing grand ones. And hoping for Mina to enjoy it, love this simple road trip, was really not far from happening. After all, Mina has been laughing throughout the ride, taking enjoyment from their conversation and some hilarious work of nature they managed to pass by every now and then.

///

Jeongyeon hears it all of a sudden, Mina’s gleeful voice prompting Jeongyeon to drive by the road side and hit the breaks. Mina is out the door not long after, her laughter making a trail for Jeongyeon to follow. 

She keeps laughing and laughing as she points to a tree to which Jeongyeon follows, 

“Look!!” Her finger shaking, and her voice barely straight.

The tree has two large overly bulging spheres protruding just a couple feet above its roots, just at the exact position where it looked like a-

“A !” Mina laughs hard, almost running out of breath.Then turns to look at Jeongyeon with a spark of mischief in her eyes, “More well-endowed than you, Jeongyeon.”

The taller girl makes a face, then points next to another tree as her response

Mina follows and bursts into another round of laughter as soon as she sees it. The tree’s branch sticks out like an arm with a balled up fist and a little twig out in the middle, a simple FU back to Mina.

The younger one turns to look around, finds another one just a couple of strides away, and laughs out again. The tree has three holes, two on top of equal size and one in the middle just below the two, larger and pointed a little outward, forming a face Mina remembers well, Jeongyeon would too. 

So she takes Jeongyeon’s hand, and drags her there, and soon fills the air with their boisterous laughters- both agreeing, in their out of breath state, that it looks exactly like the LOL guy. And it only grows louder when Jeongyeon decides to mimic the face.

They take pictures of the trees shortly thereafter, posing next to each one: Jeongyeon and Mina copying the LOL, Jeongyeon’s back turned next to the tree with Mina all smiles pointing out the obvious, and lastly both standing next to the FU with arms folded like gangsters.

Soon they walk back to the car, sharing the phone as they look through the images with Jeongyeon expressing her eagerness to use those trees as her emoji in their future chats.

///

And maybe they had too many laughs and too many cans of soda that Mina had asked Jeongyeon to stop at the nearest gas station they could find. But there were hardly any establishments around, and the nearest they managed to stumble upon was a secluded farm town with barely ten houses spread out in the vast greenery.

Jeongyeon turns the car right, and halts on the side. Both steps out, catching the attention of few older men and women who are more interested in their hair color than who they actually are. Jeongyeon then realizes they are far too deep into the countryside for anyone to recognize either of them- that they are just merely two ordinary women with extraordinary taste in hairstyle.

Mina, on the other hand, is far too focused on attending to her needs than minding the curious gazes that welcomed her. She had it in her good confidence that when nature calls, it calls demandingly- without any care of where you take it. And Mina is certain she doesn’t want to take the call out in the open.

So Mina knocks on the nearest house and put up the most charming smile up accompanied by puppy eyes when a woman, in her early sixties, opens the door, “Hello”

Jeongyeon suppresses the snicker that dared to escape as she hears that desperate tone in Mina’s voice.

“Sorry to intrude, I was wondering if I could use the bathroom? We’ve been out on the road for hours and we haven’t seen any gas stations around.”

The woman squints and Jeongyeon tenses a little. She is positive that no one recognized them, but then wonders if the woman’s music taste is pop and by a specific girl group they belong to. Her thoughts wander further on how she would explain this to their Manager when one of the things she promised before getting them to agree is not to get caught.

The woman then smiles, opens the door further and gestures them in, washing all the worries Jeongyeon managed to build up in a span of seconds. Mina doesn’t hesitate, and walks right away, hurriedly to the restroom, forgetting to bow as she did so.

Jeongyeon stands by the living room, giggling at Mina’s urgency and lack of proper decorum. 

“Where are you two headed?” the woman asks, looking at Jeongyeon curiously.

Jeongyeon turns to the older woman, smiles and replies “I actually have no idea. Just wanted to drive around and maybe stop at some places we pass by.”

The older woman nods murmuring a soft ‘hmmm.’

“Bad idea?” Jeongyeon now turns to ask, wondering if having no plan is a waste of a trip.

“Oh no, not all. Must be nice to be young and spontaneous.” Jeongyeon feels the sincerity in the woman’s voice and a hint of melancholy as she reminisces about the past. Jeongyeon doesn’t say anything and just let the woman speak about her younger days and how her husband used to sneak out and bike out to this hidden place that she believes Jeongyeon and Mina should go to. 

Mina steps out of the bathroom and walks towards them with a contented smile plastered on her face.“Thank you for your kindness.” she bows this time

“Oh dear, it was nothing.” The woman wraps her arm around Mina, and leads them back to the front door with Jeongyeon following them, “You two be careful now.”

Both nods with a smile as they step out of the house. Mina takes her steps towards the car first leaving Jeongyeon behind. 

“Dear,” she taps Jeongyeon gently on the shoulder “The water there is great, not too deep and quite warm. Nice for a day like this.”

Jeongyeon