Sound of Silence

Shallow

This wasn't a prompt from anyone. I was simply watching A Star is Born and I remembered Hyun Bin singing a cover of Shallow. So, it got me thinking...

***

Tell me something girl, are you happy in this modern world?

Hyun Bin's deep tenor reverberated throughout their small bedroom. Ye Jin was currently snuggled up under the blankets while waiting for her love to join her. Since Ye Jin took a downtime after filming Crash Landing on You, most of her days were spent going down to the studio for her Pilates sessions, watching Netflix at home or surfing the web.

Meanwhile, Hyun Bin had just gotten back from Jordan, and he was taking a break for a week. They have established a comfortable routine after they moved in together and this was one of them.

Ye Jin was always the first to shower and she would always wait for Hyun Bin in bed. During this time, she would read a book or watch some YouTube videos on her phone. Today, her YouTube happened to recommend a hidden gem of her love singing during one of his fan-meetings.

Currently, she was blasting the live performance cover Hyun Bin did of Shallow as she melted into his deep soothing voice. Ye Jin admired Hyun Bin in his light blue suit as her man strolled along the stage. Something about his body language screamed that this man was born to perform; be it as an actor or a singer.

Shortly after the first verse, Ye Jin felt a tug at her heartstrings when Hyun Bin smiled. It was a familiar smile. One that she is well-acquainted with. To others, it might simply be his wide-dimpled smile which he would often give when he is with his fans. He is soft for them after all.

Yet, Ye Jin saw a hidden layer to that smile. The first time she saw it herself was when Hyun Bin had asked her to be his girlfriend and she said yes. It was the smile of a man hopelessly in love with his soulmate. A smile that conveyed a certain shyness. A smile that held a promise of devotion. A smile that lit up her world. Completely and irrevocably.

As Ye Jin continued listening to Hyun Bin's soulful voice, she began to internalise the lyrics as well. Slowly but surely, a part of her started getting emotional. That was how Hyun Bin found her when he came out of the shower, his hair wet and tousled as he walked up to his love in his bathrobe. He panicked when he saw the tears brimming in her eyes and he checked her over for injuries immediately. When he found none, he simply slid himself under the blankets and wrapped his arms around her. "Why are you crying, my love?"

Ye Jin simply sniffled softly as she looked up at Hyun Bin. It was with a start that Hyun Bin recognised the video she was watching. Wasn't that from his fan-meet a year back?

"Love...why did you choose to sing Shallow? You told me once that you always picked songs that you can relate to. So why Shallow?" Ye Jin asked quietly.

Hyun Bin froze at the unexpected question as all thoughts about teasing Ye Jin for sneaking a video of him into her playlist flew right out of the window. It is not that he didn't remember why he picked Shallow. In fact, he remembers it all too well. He froze because out of all the songs he sang for his fan-meets, Shallow to him, was an open declaration of what he felt for Ye Jin.

It's not that he didn't want to share the reasons with Ye Jin. It's just that, they've been living in a blissful bubble ever since he got back from Jordan and he didn't want to burst their bubble. Shallow held happy thoughts, yes, but it also held some of his darkest thoughts. Some of which, he has never shared with Ye Jin. Shallow held his doubts and insecurities too...

"Are you sure you want to know? My reasons aren't all happy." Hyun Bin wiped the tears off Ye Jin's face.

"I want to know Bin. Tell me everything." Ye Jin whispered.