Hyun Bin POV
We were on our way heading west from Antibes to Marseille. In one hour, we should arrive in Aix en Provence then heading north to Lyon. Youngjae took his turn to drive, then after two hours, he pulled over to a rest area.
"I need a restroom," he said then got out of the car.
I got out too, stretching my legs and walked to Starbucks to buy three cups of coffee. Yejin was sleeping inside the car.
"Bonjour, Deux americano un café latte s'il Vous plaît," I ordered two Americano and one caffe latte.
"Monsieur, avez- vous une carte de fidelite? Nous proposons un programme de promotion de boissons gratuites!" The bartender asked for a visa card, offering a promotion ptogram for a free beverage.
"Bien sûr."
I pulled out my black visa card and handed it to the barista.
"Monsieur Hyun?" he read the name on the visa card.
"Désolé, c'est ma tournee," suddenly Youngjae stood beside me and handed some euro cash to the barista and took my card.
He glared at me.
"Aish.. sorry I forgot. No card. Cash only," I put both my hands in the air and winked to him.
He gave it back to me and walked back outside.
"C'est votre petit ami?" the bartender asked whether Youngjae was my boyfriend.
I glared at the bartender who looked totally gay. Did I look like a guy who has a boyfriend instead of a girlfriend?
"Non, c'est mon frère," I told him that Youngjae was my brother.
"Il est beau! Vous aussi. Dites-lui bonjour de ma part!"
Even a male bartender praise his look. How about me? Was he blind or what? I was handsome, too? Not that I want a male bartender to praise me too but, I felt like being compared to him. So this was what it felt like to have a sibling.
I pretended that I don't understand his words.
"Sorry, I don't speak French. I just google translated on how to order coffee. Merci."
"Monsieur..."
Annoyed, I quickly collected the change and left the counter.
"Monsieur Hyun!"
I quickly collected the coffee and heading out to the car. Youngjae looked annoyed, leaning on the driver door.
"Hyun Bin, let me tell you how to survive this runaway trip. First, cash only. Were you tempted on a credit card program for a free cup of coffee? Unbelievable. Second, Yejin is sleeping inside the car, and the car engine is on, but you got out of the car to buy coffee? it's totally dangerous! How if someone, we're not talking about Korean agents here but someone, anyone, who intends to rob the car sees us and just hops in, brings the car and get Son Yejin, unguarded, as a bonus along with the car?!"
I realized that I was reckless. Totally reckless.
"Sorry. Sorry. My fault. Understood. Americano?" I handed him a cup of americano.
He just glared at me.
"Come on, it's a peace offering. Are we going to stay like this, hate to each other during the journey?" I asked.
"I'm the one who paid for it so it's not a peace offering. What a reckless."
"I admit, I am, that's why you're here. This is going to take less than a day to reach London if we take the correct route."
"It can turn out to be days if you can't act carefully. It's easier to escort Yejin than you."
"In a normal situation, I will punch you for your words. What is it? You want to kick me out so you can be with her alone? Not a chance, Choi Boy."
He stepped forward and formed a fist.
"Stop calling me Choi Boy!"
Suddenly a car passed us and the driver honked the horn, attempted to stop the fight. We both taken aback and got inside. This time I moved front to the shotgun. Yejin was still sleeping peacefully. She didn't get enough sleep yesterday, so instead of giving the latte to her, I let her have the so much needed sleep.
I tried to break a conversation with Youngjae as the silence was killing me. The radio channels were broadcasting local news and I wasn't interested. One played songs, but it was also a local song, not my taste of music.
"Does your Dad know where are you now?" I asked him.
"Nope. But usually he never really wants to know either."
"Doesn't he really love you that much? He was willing to drop the reenaction attempt if my Dad was giving Yejin away for you."
"That's just his attempt to break the bond between you and President Hyun. He knows you will make another trouble to your Dad if he forces you to divorce her. Maybe you will drain his money or else. My Dad knows you manage the stock funds."
"Really? I'm confused here. I thought that was because he loves you. That's kinda lame, you know, using your Dad's power to get a girl. I thought you are that desperate."
"Please. You think? I am not that desperate. It's just my Dad knows who weak at what. Do you get what I mean? President Hyun is weak at maintaining his reputation because of you. I am weak at...someone. Just mixed it up, and Dad got the crazy idea."
"But at least he still cares about you. What about mine? hmmm...I guess since he became Mr. President, never."
"So you've been acting like a fool being a rebellious kid is to gain his attention?"
"At first, I liked it when he was furious. But then it has become habits. But Yejin is really, something. I never thought that settling down would do me good."
"How's the reenaction voting anyway? I haven't checked the internet."
"Choi Jaewook has made it. The Presidential Election Act of 1987 has been reenacted. Hyun Woosung won't be able to run for the presidency."
"Really? Wow. All of this mess...was for that, presidential throne."
"So, your is Dad going to run for a presidential campaign?"
"I'm not so sure. He has to gain big fat funds from the sponsors. But I don't like the idea of him being a president. I saw with my own eyes how President Hyun has to face the threat and pressure. I don't want him to."
"Really? there are a lot of perks being a president's son, actually.."
"Like what you did the last five years? I'm not interested."
"Explore your options, you may find a good girl from anywhere, including those state banquets."
"I have found a good girl, and I have attended all state banquets and events."
"As bodyguard. Youngjae, how will you move on then?"
"Who said that I have to?"
"Really?"
"Boys...I just got the most peaceful ten minutes of my life by watching you talk to each other. I'm so happy you both getting along. Please don't start another fight," Yejin interrupted us.
"You're awake, baby?" I turned to her.
"I have been awake since ten minutes ago, but hearing you talking in peace and finally getting along is something I want to treasure," she smiled.
"Caffe latte, Yejin?" Youngjae handed her the caffe latte cup with his free hand.
"Oh, be careful with your arm! Thank you very much, how attentive."
Please. It was me who ordered it.
"My treat."
"Thank you for ordering my favorite one," Yejin leaned forward and kissed my cheek.
I grinned, mocking Youngjae. Of course, Yejin knew it was me and she gave me the credit. I lifted my cup and pointed at the barista's handwriting on it. Monsieur Hyun. Youngjae looked annoyed and I put my smug smile.
"What is that?" Yejin pointed at a crowd of people with an orange vest and heavy equipment for road construction.
There was a road closure for Salon de Provence route so we have to turn west in Aix de Provence heading to Montpellier and another road closure for heading north to Clermont Ferrand. Shit. It would waste hours. I checked on the GPS that through Montpellier, we have to go to the west to Toulouse before heading north because that's the only toll and I wasn't sure about hitting the small road.
"Does it mean that we have to stay a night on the road? I need clean clothes, by the way," Yejin asked.
"Me too. We need to take a bath at least. It's still three hours to Toulouse. I think we should rest there and buy some clothes before getting back on the highway," I suggested.
"Baby, why don't you switch driving? Take a rest every three hours, for our safety."
"Okay. Youngjae, pull over, please."
I got off the car and swapped seats with him. Thirty minutes later, I got confused at Nimes T-junction. The only signpost in front of us was vandalized and I couldn't read the sign. I pulled over and looked for the GPS.
"Which direction should we take? left? right? where is the damn GPS?"
"You're the one who carrying it all the time," Youngjae answered.
"It's not with me now. Got up! Are you sitting on it?"
"I'm not." he looked out for it on his seat.
We pulled over, got off the car, and looking for it. It was nowhere to be found. I must have dropped it when got out of the car to swap seat.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. I must have dropped it! Now what?!"
"Relax, baby, maybe we can buy a map? GPS is a bit pricey and we have to save money.."
"Where will we buy it anyway? There is nothing around here and we can't take a U turn around here."
"Ask the local?" she suggested with a hesitant expression.
I turned to Youngjae. He was talking to a driver who also pulled over to check on his tire. Youngjae was helping him. We walked approaching them.
"Votre pneu va bien," Youngjae said to him that his tire is fine.
"Merci, Monsieur," the local guy thanked him.
"Monsieur, nous sommes perdus. Comments se rendre a Toulouse?" I asked the local guy the direction for Toulouse.
"Ah! Il faut prendre la direction à gauche!"
"Merci, merci, Monsieur."
Once the guy was gone, Yejin made a comment from behind us.
"Oh God, you both speak French?"
"I google translated it."
"Me too. But if you go to European private schools, you have to learn Deutsch as well, babe."
"Anyone speak Spanish? Cause if we keep rerouting and taking the wrong route, we might get lost in Spain as well."
We both nodded.
"You guys went to Europe for schools?"
"Middle-"
"High schools."
"Shut up! And you said google translated it? Liar! Who has a smartphone here?"
"Yep, no one has it. Even these phones only have sad polyphonic ringtones. Let's go," I pulled her waist and kissed her temple before hopping back to the car.
"That guy gave me this too," Youngjae pulled out a map.
"That's good, Youngjae! He thought that you're kind so he gave you his map."
Aish. I hated it when he gets the credit. I lost the GPS and out of nowhere, a local guy gave him a map.
"Oh, please. It's just a map," I snorted.
Three hours passed by, and we reached Toulouse. Yejin stopped at a store, she said that she needs to buy some clothes and undergarments. I went with her while Youngjae went to a convenience store, then we met again in the parking lot.
"Baby, how about spent the night here in Toulouse? We can rent a room," Yejin asked.
"But it's better if we reach London sooner."
"I need a shower, baby. Youngjae isn't in good condition too. I don't want his wound to get infected."
"Our problem is the cash, babe. We don't bring much and we avoid card transactions while on the run. We can use our card later in London."
"Just one room should be enough, find a hostel, not a hotel, please..we are all exhausted."
"Yejin, Bin is right. You can sleep on the backseat if you're tired."
"I get tired easily lately. I need a shower, but it's one versus two, anyway."
Just when we were about to get in the car I noticed that we had not only one but two flat tires. Shit!
Youngjae and I were going to work on the flat tire but there was only one spare tire then we have to find another one. It was past dinner time, we didn't have a phone with the internet so we can't find a tire shop that opened around online. Yejin was exhausted and we were hungry. We decided to eat at a nearby food stall.
"I think we should rent a room around here. It was not easy to find a big tire that fit a Range Rover," I finally agreed with Yejin.
"Okay. You two get a room around here. I will sleep in the car."
"But you need a shower, Youngjae. Come with us to shower and if the room has a couch then why don't you sleep on it?" she suggested.
"If only, but I wish it doesn't have one. I don't want to watch you both."
"Please. We don't want a spectator as well," I commented.
"There is a hostel across here. Look. Hotel des Ambassadeurs. Shall we?" She pointed at a building across the street.
"One private room, please," Yejin told the lady at the reception desk.
She just stared at her. Apparently, she didn't speak English.
"Alright. Guys." Yejin asked us to take over the booking.
"Bonjour. Je suis Ri Jeong-hyeok, Je souhaite faire une réservation. Avez-vous une chambre pour deux?"
"J'ai une chambre avec trois lits," she offered a room with three beds, looking at us three.
"La chambre entière pour deux était entièrement réservée."
"D'accord, Je prends la chambre pour trois pour 1 nuit."
"Je souhaiterais régler la facture, payer en espèces," Youngjae added, reminding me to pay with cash.
Well well well, all rooms for two were fully booked so we got the room for three.
"Good. Then Youngjae can have his own bed poor Youngjae if he has to sleep in the car!" it was Yejin's reaction that made me uncomfortable.
"Seriously, Yejin?" I asked in disbelief.
I wanted a sexy cuddle with my wife and a third wheel was the last thing I need tonight. Oh crap. I need a cold shower.