I’ll take your forests, your wolves and your sky-scrapers
I’ll take your mountain streams and your everlasting snow
I live where your eyes shine bright, where your blood runs free
Where your arms are around me
Wherever you go I'll go, you’re the only country I need
Wherever you go I'll go, I don’t care where it is.
J’irai où tu iras, Céline Dion and Jean-Jacques Goldman.

 

***

 

“I think you were supposed to turn there,” Yoohyeon commented calmly when Siyeon drove past what looked like a trail between two cultivated fields . 

“Are you serious?” her girlfriend exclaimed way less calmly, snapping her head to stare at her co-pilot who was apparently terrible at co-piloting. 

“I don’t know, that’s what google maps said,” the tall woman shrugged, not at all concerned.

“But it barely looked like a road!”

“I know! That’s why I thought it meant another one after it!”

Siyeon took a deep breath. There was no use arguing over that. They were lost in the middle of nowhere, France, and it wasn’t just her girlfriend’s fault. In their defense, all wheat fields looked the same and they hadn’t driven on a proper road for at least two hours since they made that fateful turn and ended up in the countryside. 

“How long is the new itinerary?" she asked. 

“Just fifteen minutes longer.”

The driver sighed. “Alright, let’s just get to that damn town before midnight.”

And so the road went on, winding and bumpy, with barely any other drivers on the opposite side as if no one even lived there. 

They had chosen the month of June to go to France on a road trip because apparently the weather isn’t too hot there during that period. So of course when they got there the country registered the highest temperatures for the month of June in ten years. The sun was heating the car through the windows, warming their skin, or more like burning actually. Just with the sting, Yoohyeon counted at least three sunburns on her arms and cheeks. 

At first they had used the car's ventilation but soon switched for the feeling of the wind in their hair and opened the windows instead. Siyeon blasted the radio on high volume for good measure. For some reason they had settled on an old-school channel that only broadcasted music that was released before the 2000s. 

From what they had heard so far, the two girls deduced that French synth pop used to be a thing and rock bands had really catchy tunes. 

Siyeon didn't care. She mostly vibed with the rhythm and the melody. Sometimes she asked Yoohyeon what the song was about and two times out of three she was disappointed but not surprised. 

A new song was announced. It started with a good old saturated guitar riff and a powerful woman's voice that was joined by a nice drum beat and up-beat piano. 

 

Va pour tes forêts, tes loups, tes gratte-ciel

Va pour tes torrents, tes neiges éternelles

J’habite où tes yeux brillent, où ton sang coule

Où tes bras me serrent.

 

“That one is really catchy!” the driver commented while bobbing her head to the rhythm. 

Her girlfriend nodded with a smile and turned up the volume. 

 

J’irai où tu iras, mon pays sera toi

J’irai où tu iras, qu’importe la place et qu’importe l’endroit

 

“What is this one about?” Siyeon asked. 

“It's about this guy telling the woman he loves that he'll follow her wherever she'll go because what matters isn't where they are but that they're together.”

“That's better than I thought,” the driver admitted. “I'll just pretend it's about two girls and one of them said yes to a road trip even though she doesn't know the language just because her girlfriend is too cute to say no to.”

“I don't know what you might be referencing,” Yoohyeon smirked and placed a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek. 

Siyeon's face lighted with a soft smile while her eyes were still carefully watching the road from behind her sunglasses. 

Yoohyeon had learned many languages for study or for fun. She wasn't fluent in all of them but she could talk about basic things and understand most of it. The latest one to date was French and for some reason that one really put her in a whole different mood.

“But can you imagine: you, me and a car in those landscapes?” 

“Not really…” 

“Singniiiiie! Come oooon.”

Siyeon had to say yes. She could never resist the puppy eyes even though she knew this was going to be one hell of a trip. Not that she didn't have faith in her girlfriend and herself. But one has to be realistic about oneself: they were not the most organized people out there. And their luck wasn't the best either. 

But whatever. Yoohyeon was so happy to make all the preparations. She had loaned the car, booked the youth hostels, listed all the places to visit and the food to try. Her girlfriend made sure they were bringing everything they needed, including a survivor kit to sleep and eat in the car if they got lost or couldn't join their checkpoints. Everything was under control. 

“Ah we missed another turn,” Yoohyeon commented. 

“Again?!”

 

***

“So what do you say?” 

Siyeon raised her head to look at her girlfriend towering over her and casting her shadow on the one laying down. The seagulls covered the sound of the waves in the distance. The Mediterranean sea was so calm compared to the seas around Korea. 

The brunette sighed. 

“It was worth it.”

Yoohyeon's lips stretched into a wide smile. She leant on her beach towel next to Siyeon and nested her head in the crook of her girlfriend's neck. 

The other held her close, not minding the fact that it added warmth to the already hot temperatures. 

“Should we go for a swim?” Siyeon whispered to an almost-asleep Yoohyeon. 

The girl hummed. It was unclear whether she had actually heard the question or if she was just doing it on instinct. Her girlfriend absolutely melted whenever she saw her all sleepy and cute like that. 

“Or you wanna take a nap first?” 

“Nap…” Yoohyeon blurted then burrowed her face closer to Siyeon's skin. 

“Alright,” the brunette chuckled. She put a small peck on the girl's forehead and whispered again: “I love you Kim Yoohyeon.”

She felt her girlfriend's smile against her skin. 

“Love you too,” Yoohyeon mumbled before falling asleep in Siyeon's arm.