Take Me Back To The Old Barn

Taeyang had been to many countries through his work, but none had captured his heart like Norway. The Scandinavian music scene, the history of vikings, midnight sun and the pretty little houses by the docks inspired him. He had found a home from home. The rural delights of Norway was miles away from the urban life of Korea that he was so used to, but the change eased years of tension.

Taeyang leaned against Gong-gi’s shoulder, admiring the Swords in Rock monument. The swords represented peace, unity and freedom. All three were something that Taeyang hoped his music with Gong-gi would create in their fandom. With thick shades, matching red face masks and beanie hats, it was impossible to believe there was a 14-year-gap between the couple. Only through listening to their accents and observing their body language could one tell that Taeyang was the junior.

After inhaling a cinnamon scent from Gong-gi’s neck, he whispered to him, “Take me back to the old barn.”

“What for?” Gong-gi asked as fiddling with his second wedding ring. To honour the memories of his ex-wife, he kept the first wedding ring below his new one.

Taeyang nudged his shoulder. “Just do it.” He could feel his stomach fluttering inside as Gong-gi smirked at him. In his mind, Taeyang fantasized about making love in the old barn underneath a starry sky with celadon rays from the Northern Lights beaming down on them.

“Do you think you’re the boss of me?” Managers for the band came and went, but none compared to Flo Glitz. Like gum on your shoe, she always asserted her creative control. They had remained on her label and she was the one who put the band together. They had their ups and downs, but they grew to admire her. Ruthless as she was, she had the best contacts and song-writers in the K-pop industry.

“I might be one day.” Taeyang could not help but laugh. “I should channel my inner Flo Glitz.

“But it’s cold in there…” Gong-gi shivered, returning to the topic of Flo Glitz. He shook Taeyang’s head off his shoulder.

“We’ll warm each other up!”

“You’re so naughty.”

“Why is that?”

“I know what you’re thinking, and we could get caught.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere.” Taeyang could tell that Gong-gi feared that their honeymoon could be gatecrashed by the press. “They’re not gonna get us. Unless…” Taeyang was about to say that he hoped his management hadn’t leaked their location on purpose.

“The world has been my ass enough times already!” Gong-gi was on a different train of thought. “At least the Norwegian fangirls haven’t noticed who we are yet.”

“Maybe we’ll see the Northern Lights again.”

“It’s overrated. Just some fuzzy green lights. It’s nothing like it is in the photos.”

“You just haven’t seen it at a good angle yet.”

“I suppose we could go there tonight.”

“That’s the spirit!”

On their way back to the barn, several cars had driven past with rainbow flags. They had their songs on in the background. Still to this day, Taeyang got goosebumps whenever he heard his songs in public.

“We were a part of that!” Taeyang yelled. “We’ve made people all around the world embrace themselves.”

“I guess.”

“Given the choice, would you stay in this band or go back to Valentine Cookie?”

Gong-gi made no hesitation. “Taegong, obviously!”

Taeyang was in the last few months of his teens. Nobody knew him, but they all knew his name. Who were they to judge if their relationship was real or not. If it was just a ploy to sell records, then there would have been no point in getting married.

“Do you love me?” Taeyang asked.

Gong-gi’s lips quivered longer than Taeyang wanted. “I guess…”

Their relationship may have started as a ploy to sell records, but to Taeyang, the love was and would always be real.

Whatever they did in the old barn stayed in the old barn.