Delayed

Letters and numbers flashed on the screen above their heads, sealing their doom. Youngbae looked at the raven-haired beauty beside him and saw her eyes shining with contained tears.

He laced his fingers through hers. “Don't worry. We'll make it home.”

Cho Min looked to the floor. “Are you sure?”

“Yep,” answered Youngbae, leading her away from flight schedules. “They said it'll be only a couple of hours.”

“Or a couple days.”

“Be positive,” Youngbae interjected.

“Do you not see the snow outside?” his girlfriend asked, gesturing to the large windows of the airport. A whiteout met their eyes, nothing but gusts of raging snow.

Taeyang looked at his girlfriend, who looked absolutely dejected. He sat her down at one of the available chairs. “We're going to make it home,” he said firmly. “I promise.”

Her dark eyes looked doubtful, but he made it melt with a smile. Cho Min leaned against him and fished around in his coat pocket for his phone, looking for something to keep her preoccupied. Youngbae wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaned his head back. It'd be in the early hours of the morning before their plane left.

Only a few minutes seemed to pass before Youngbae's chest was met with a slap. He started awake to see his girlfriend looking at him expectingly. “I'm bored,” she said.

Taeyang sighed. “What do you want to do?”

“You should sing to me.”

Youngbae chuckled and asked, “sing what?”

“'Take it Slow'.”

“That's not very Christmas-ish.”

“I don't like Christmas songs.”

Youngbae smiled and started into his song. “Whenever my hand touches you, I smile shyly. Tell me honestly that you want me too...” Cho Min sat there, grinning as he serenaded her. His voice was so gentle and calming, equal to the angels'. And the way he put his whole heart into it made Cho Min's own melt.

“Did that ease the boredom any?” he asked her.

Cho Min started out of her revelry and bit at her lip. “A little.”

The singer grabbed her hand and got to his feet, leading her out onto the main walkway of the airport. A Starbucks awaited them and after ordering their drinks they continued to explore the building. Cho Min's eyes kept traveling out the window where the snow still raged and the wind howled.

Her lips pouted and Youngbae wrapped an arm around her waist. “We'll make it,” he said reassuringly.

An airport is really just a large building with not much to it, which is what the couple discovered, wasting only a half an hour of their endless waiting. They returned to their seats, Cho Min leaning her head against his shoulder.

“Five kids. That's his second arm candy in less than five years and...I don't what else.” The two looked on to a seventy-something old American man walking off with a twenty-something year old. “Your turn.”

Youngbae's eyes fell on a short woman shuffling by and seeming to mutter to herself. “Twenty-three cats, no kids, and runs a Kimchi shop that's pet friendly.”

“A pet friendly Kimchi shop? Really, Youngbae, that's the best you got?”

“Two hours of this kills brain cells,” he answered.

Cho Min nodded and tucked her feet under her. She leaned further into Taeyang and sighed. “Its been five hours.”

“I know...”

“We're not going to make it.”

“Why don't you get some sleep?” His fingers ran lightly through her hair.

“If you sing again.”

“Is that the only reason you keep me around?”

“Yes.”

Taeyang let out a laugh. “So what do you want this time?”



“Cho Min...Cho Min!”

“Not now, Youngbae...” she groaned, pushing his arm away. “I'm sleeping.”

“The plane's ready! We gotta go if you wanna make it home!”

Cho Min shot up, scrambling for her coat and carry-on before her brain had even fully focused. “Are you serious?” she demanded.

“Yes.” Youngbae's face had broken into a grin.

Cho Min threw her bag over her shoulder. They joined hands and made their way for the terminal. She tugged him forward. “Come on. We can't miss Christmas!”

“We're not gonna miss Christmas...” Youngbae replied.

She pulled a face at him and continued to pull him forward. “You're so slow.”

“Baby, just take it slow...”

“Shut up!” Cho Min laughed.

Youngbae pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “I told you we'd make it.”