Sunday driver

“My God—traffic fucking sucks.”

It always does.

Even more so when during a weekend, with each passing second wasting away what precious little time you have left before life pulls you back into its unforgiving vortex.

It was supposed to be a relaxing getaway, some much needed r&r at the beach. But now it seems like waves of cars would be the last thing you would see before the sun goes down.

“Chae, it’s not looking good. I don’t think we’ll be able to see the sunset today.”

Chaeyeon sighs, glancing at the dashboard clock, now reflecting 11:45 AM. You were supposed to be there by 12:30. “Fucking hell. Guess this is on me for thinking seven was too generous of a departure time.”

“In fairness, I didn’t think ‘car crash of six’ was on the menu today,” you say, poking fun at what’s beyond your control. Seven was still relatively late, to be fair, but nothing as ridiculous as leaving at four. It’s not worth an hour-long flight; the beach was not so far from the city that warranted some flying.

But given the circumstances, that plane is looking quite nice right now.

“Ugh. Move already!” Chaeyeon yells at the standstill to no avail.

Lowkey, you love it when she’s mad like this; she’s never been one to sugarcoat her feelings. When she’s pissed, she’s really pissed. It’s a stark contrast to her sister, Chaeryeong, who sits in the backseat in calm silence.

Taking a quick glance at the rearview mirror, you see the younger sister looking out the window, arms crossed. You didn’t ask for this; she invited herself along this trip. This could be a bad idea, dangerous even, knowing how the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, but who are you to deny your girlfriend’s own sibling.

“How you holdin’ up Chaery?” you ask, casual.

“Fine, I guess.” She sighs, holding up her chin on her hand, clearly bored out of her mind. "I’ve seen worse.”

You turn your attention back to Chaeyeon, still fuming in her seat. You reach out to hold her hand and gently squeeze, letting her know that it’s all fine.

“It’s not your fault, babe. At least we’re here together, right?”

Chaeyeon relaxes a bit, her shoulders slumping. “Yeah. I’m sorry, I’m just a bit—frustrated, that’s all.”

“That’s my girl.”

She lightly laughs, turning her head to give you a peck on the lips. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” you say, kissing her back.

But no amount of love can change the fact you’re fucking stuck in standstill traffic, with no outs, no alternate routes, just prayers and a bit of hope.

In the backseat, Chaeryeong’s stretching herself, yawning deeply. You swear she’s rolled her eyes after the 74th or so exchange of 'I love yous’ between you and her sister. Not that she disapproves of your relationship—if anything, she’s been the biggest supporter since day one—but more so she’s suffering from overexposure to your vapid, syrupy displays of affection. She’s got her own room for a reason.

Shaking her head, she groans out loud, slumping back on the seats. “I’m fucking hungry.”

“Says the next gas station is two kilometers away,” replies Chaeyeon, staring intently at the GPS. But 2km might as well be a lifetime with congestion like this.

“This is bullshit!” she yells out, slamming her fist on the dashboard. “What the fuck are these people doing!?”

“It’s probably the same people going to the beach, babe,” you insist.

“Still. Fuck them.”

You chuckle. “You’re cute when you’re angry.”

Chaeyeon turns her glare at you, very annoyed, but a cloying smile creeps up her face. “Oh shut up.”

“You are,” you insist, rubbing the top of her hand with your thumb. “I can’t get enough of it.”

She scoffs. “I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or not.”

“You know me well enough to know it is.”

Chaeyeon rolls her eyes, but you can see her cheeks turning pink. “Fuck you.”

You smile. “Maybe later, babe. Right now, we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere with your sister.”

“We’re not in the middle of nowhere, asshole,” she fires back. “We’re on the highway.”

“I know, I’m just joking,” you say, chuckling.

“Can you two stop being disgusting?” Chaeryeong groans out from the backseat. “I’m trying to sleep.”

“You’re the one who decided to come with us,” Chaeyeon retorts.

“I didn’t know you two would be this— gross,” she replies.

“Should have stayed with your girls then,” you quip, the same four women she’d been on video call with in the last 30 minutes. You swear they were laughing hearing you and Chaeyeon exchange affections through her phone, which she vehemently denied.

“That’s none of your business,” Chaeryeong answers back.

“Well this isn’t your business either,” you retort almost immediately, much to her dismay.

“Whatever,” she concedes, turning on her side. Chaeyeon can only shake her head and smile in amusement. That’s the little sister she knows and loves.

“What?” you ask, a bit perturbed by her constant smiling at you.

“Nothing,” she says, still grinning, now reaching from ear to ear. “Just glad I brought you along.”

“I’m glad you did, too,” you say, squeezing her hand.

“Oh my God, please stop.”

Both of you turn back to see Chaeryeong, still in the same position, still facing away.

“You’re such a baby,” the elder sibling jokes.

“Am not.”

“Yes you are,” you chime in.