"Binnie, where are you taking me?" Ye Jin asked for the umpteenth time.
"You'll find out soon, Jinnie. We're almost there." Hyun Bin grinned cheekily at his girlfriend's impatience.
Ye Jin pouted slightly but Hyun Bin wiped that pout right off her face when he interlocked their hands together. With that, all was quiet again as the new couple basked in the cool morning mist.
Minutes later, they arrived at the spot Hyun Bin picked for their first official date.
With the sun-kissed sand radiating a beautiful gentle gold, and the waves of blue waters hitting the shore, smoothening and darkening the sand, the beach naturally gave off waves of therapeutic peacefulness.
The beach stretched on for miles with its light grey walk paths and road paths for those who were up for a jog or some cycling.
Already, there were a few early risers jogging along the beach and some groups of friends chattering away as they cycled down the paths. The occasional sounds of bicycle bells ringing filled the otherwise silent air as Hyun Bin led them over to a humble store in the corner.
Ye Jin took once glance at the store and realised why Hyun Bin brought them there instantly. "Omo, we're going to cycle?"
"You said so yourself. You wanted to learn. I can't believe we've never gone cycling together before." Hyun Bin shook his head in amusement.
"You actually read it?" Ye Jin raised her eyebrows suspiciously at her boyfriend.
"Only one, I promise. It just happened to give me the idea for our first date." Hyun Bin smiled.
This brings us back to what Hyun Bin read in that green note the previous night. I can't cycle but I want to learn how to. And that was exactly what they were going to do that morning.
The couple was in for a day of screaming and near-crash experiences – fingers crossed that no injuries would be involved.
With that, Hyun Bin paid for their bicycle rentals and they were off.
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Minutes later
"Wait, I can't..." Ye Jin was struggling to even balance on the bicycle to get herself moving down the empty path.
"You've got to find the momentum. Keep your bicycle straight and pedal." Hyun Bin tried his best to support Ye Jin so that she wouldn't fall.
"Okay, wait I think...Omo! I'm doing it!" Ye Jin cheered when the bicycle finally started moving.
"Don't stop pedaling!" Hyun Bin shouted after her as he quickly slung his legs over the bicycle and started pedaling after her.
"Wait, Binnie! How do I control this thing?" Ye Jin shouted.
"Grab the brakes!" Hyun Bin pedaled faster when Ye Jin started to lose control of her bicycle.
"Binnie! Ahhhh!" Ye Jin screamed when she was about to hit the tree.
At the last minute, she swerved, sending her rolling across the grassy patch. Her bicycle landed with a crash near her but thankfully remained intact.
"Jinnie!" Hyun Bin quickly got off his bicycle when she fell.
"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Hyun Bin quickly grabbed her hands and started checking her over for any injuries.
He knew it was part of the learning process, but he didn't like that Ye Jin fell. He felt like a terrible teacher and boyfriend.
"I'm fine, Binnie." Ye Jin said with a small pout.
She wasn't angry at him for letting her fall. Rather, she was absolutely frustrated that the bicycle wouldn't cooperate with her.
"Why is this so hard?" Ye Jin huffed in frustration.
"You'll get it slowly, Jinnie. Let's just keep trying. But let me teach you how to brake properly first." Hyun Bin tucked her stray hair behind her ears.
The couple exchanged a soft smile before Hyun Bin stood up. Helping Ye Jin to her feet, Hyun Bin instinctively dusted the dirt off her knees before picking the bicycle off the ground.
Patiently, the high schooler began to teach Ye Jin the proper mechanics to work the bicycle. Soon enough, they were off on their cycling journey once again.
This time, Ye Jin was starting to get the hang of cycling and found that she was better at controlling the bicycle. Amidst the occasional screams and near-crash incidents, Ye Jin emerged victorious with a wide smile on her face when she could finally cycle side by side with her boyfriend.
For the rest of the morning till the late afternoon, the couple cycled together, laughing and enjoying the scenic beach view beside them.
Hyun Bin would often glance over at Ye Jin and admire the way the sun brought out her radiant beauty effortlessly. He felt unbelievably lucky to be her boyfriend and there were no doubts that his feelings for her were intensifying by the day.
As for Ye Jin, although she kept her eyes on the road ahead, her heart felt warmed by security and love, knowing that Hyun Bin was right there next to her.
After lunch, the couple took a walk on the beach together, occasionally kicking sand at each other before they took a dip in the warm salty waters of the ocean. Their day was all smiles and laughter as they made new memories together.
Nearing nighttime, the couple decided to climb on some breakwaters to watch the sunset together. Hyun Bin climbed up the rather dangerous rocky path first so that he could pull Ye Jin up the breakwaters.
After some pulling while Hyun Bin told Ye Jin exactly where to step, the couple were finally standing on the breakwaters overlooking the beach.
Up on the breakwaters, the view was absolutely breathtaking. The sand looked whiter than gold from their perspective and the darkening blue skies with their rolling white clouds gave off a certain calmness.
Sitting down side by side with their feet in front of them, the childhood sweethearts turned lovers watched the waves crash against the breakwater before rolling back into the ocean.
They were almost in a trance as they stared off into the distance, enjoying the way the waves would grow in size and how they glistened when the sun hits the surface.
Ye Jin decided to take out the camera from Hyun Bin's backpack then to take some photos of the scenic view. That only lasted momentarily for she directed her attention to them instead.
Progressively, she started taking snapshots of their feet against nature's backdrop before she decided to take a photo of her boyfriend. It was Hyun Bin's bright idea to take a photo of the two of them right as the sun started setting behind them.
Past their mini photo-taking session, Ye Jin and Hyun Bin basked in the last remnants of warmth from the sky as the sunset cast various hues of orange, pink, and purple around them. They stretched far and wide, the colours becoming more unique and muted the more the day parted to welcome the velvety black of the night sky.
The sunset was majestic and brilliant in its own rights, a sign that another day was coming to a close. Ye Jin leaned her head lightly on Hyun Bin's shoulder as they continued watching the sunset, sighing softly from the wafts of peacefulness drifting before them.
Nothing was as soothing as being with the person you love, watching the sunset together with the gentle sounds of crashing waves singing its own melodic tunes in the background.
"Isn't it crazy how fast the night changes?" Ye Jin chuckled softly.
"It is, isn't it?" Hyun Bin laughed softly as well.
"But I have no regrets." Ye Jin peered up at her charming boyfriend.
"None at all." Hyun Bin spoke softly, his eyes unwaveringly gentle, mirroring the love Ye Jin had in her eyes.
And indeed, regret may happen numerous times in their lifetime. But, the one thing they would never regret was taking this leap of faith together.
Times were changing for the new couple, but the past has proven that love was a powerful force to be reckoned with. With what the heavens had in store for them, it was time for their love to be tested.
Only the strongest would survive.
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A/N
Hello lovelies, the summer continues for our lovely childhood sweethearts! This whole chapter is especially close to my heart because it's based on a true story🥰 Hope everyone enjoyed this short update! This is also one of my entries for #SonHyunDay since it's rather apt that a summer-themed fan event coincides with the setting of MMH. Here's to more sweet little moments between Ye Jin and Hyun Bin😍