Hanbok at Gyeongbokgung
Now that the field trip had officially begun, we naturally headed toward the entrance of Gyeongbokgung Palace.
"Where are you all going…?"
The rest of our group wasn't going inside the palace at all. They were moving in the opposite direction.
I followed them, confused.
"Ah, we're going to rent hanboks."
"Huh? Weren't we supposed to meet up at eleven-thirty?"
"Exactly. So we'll take photos now, then take more later. If we change after the meeting, we won't have enough time to hang out in Hongdae!"
"Oh…"
"Right? Besides, we've already prepared everything we need to write up, so all we have to do is take hanbok photos."
"Yeah, that's perfect!"
With that, they picked up their pace even more.
They figured it would be better to take the photos now rather than after the eleven-thirty check-in, since we'd still have lunch and other things to do afterward.
I trailed after them in silence, stunned by how meticulously they'd planned everything.
The hanbok rental shop wasn't far.
Once we stepped inside, rows of colorful hanboks greeted us.
Traditional styles, modernized versions—every kind imaginable lined the walls.
"Whoa! They're so pretty!"
"I know, right?"
The others were excitedly browsing.
There really were a lot of beautiful hanboks.
Still, none of this applied to me, so I stayed near the entrance, glancing around while keeping an eye out for something that might suit Sia.
While I was slowly looking around, an employee approached.
"Men's hanboks are over there, sir."
Startled, I waved my hands.
"Ah… I'm not going to wear one. I was just looking…"
"What?! Siwoo, you have to wear one too!"
"Yeah! We're in the same group, so we should all match!"
Suddenly the others swarmed me, insisting I join them.
"Why would I wear hanbok… It won't even look good on me."
I tried to refuse at first.
"…I really wanted to take photos together, though…"
At Sia's quiet words, I gave in.
"Where are the men's hanboks again?"
I headed toward the men's section.
"Are you two a couple?"
"…Excuse me?"
"If you're a couple, we have matching couple hanboks prepared!"
Before I could answer, Sia spoke up.
"Yes, we are."
She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the couple hanboks.
I'd been a little nervous at the word "couple," but it turned out to be nothing special.
The designs were coordinated in color and style, and accessories came bundled together.
"You can choose from any of these."
"Wow!"
Sia's eyes sparkled as she looked through the options.
I glanced around too, and one set caught my eye.
The men's was a simple royal robe, but the women's had a deep navy color that would look stunning on Sia.
I was imagining how she'd look in it when she spoke.
"Excuse me, would it be all right if we tried them on first?"
"Of course."
"Then I'll go try this one on."
She had picked up the exact set I'd been looking at.
"Huh…"
Surprised, I stared at her.
"Hehe, you want to see how it looks, right? Just wait a bit."
She headed into the fitting room.
"……"
How did she always know what I was thinking?
At this point, it was getting hard to deny that I liked her.
While I stood there flustered, the door opened.
"…How do I look?"
Sia stepped out.
The moment I saw her, I made my decision.
"How much is this set?"
In the end, I changed too, and we left the shop together.
I'd only worn hanbok once before, at a first-birthday party. It still felt embarrassing.
"Kyaa! You look so good!"
"Let's hurry!"
Since the others were wearing them too, I could at least bear it.
We entered Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Wearing hanbok made everything feel strangely different.
Other tourists were also in hanbok, which gave a sense of belonging—even if most of them were foreigners.
"Where should we take photos first?"
"Let's start at the front and work our way back."
We headed straight for Geunjeongjeon Hall.
Once we arrived, our group leader began explaining.
"We need six photos from different locations, so we'll take them one by one."
"Six?"
"Yeah. One solo shot per person plus a group shot—that's six total."
"I see…"
"Of course, we'll take way more than six and just pick the best ones later."
"Ah…"
"Got a problem with that?"
I must have made a sound without realizing it, because the leader shot me a sharp look. I quickly backed down.
"…No, sir."
"Good. Since no one's objecting, let's finish quickly so everyone can enjoy their free time."
We started taking photos in earnest.
Because we'd already researched good spots, we moved from location to location, snapping pictures along the way.
At first it was fine.
Finding the right angle, taking the shot, then choosing a filter on the camera app—each photo took time.
But the real problem was that while the process was long, our time wasn't.
Which meant…
"Next! Next!"
"Where are we going now?"
"Gyeonghoeru Pavilion! Hurry up!"
The moment anyone checked their photos, we were already rushing to the next spot.
The issue was that I couldn't keep up with that pace.
"Move faster!"
When I went on dates with Sia, I preferred taking it slow.
I'd thought I was matching her pace…
"Hehe! Let's go, Siwoo!"
She never seemed tired, which made me realize she'd probably been the one adjusting to me all along.
"Ughhh…"
I did my best to keep up so I wouldn't fall behind.
When we finally reached Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, the last stop, the view was breathtaking.
The breeze was gentle, and the pavilion and sky reflected perfectly on the pond like a mirror.
"Wow… This would be amazing at night."
"…Yeah. It's so still… like a mirror world."
"Should we take the group photo here?"
"Yes, yes!"
"…Haven't we already taken enough?"
"Siwoo, that's a girl's secret. Knowing too much will hurt you."
"…Yes, ma'am."
I quietly stepped back after being told to just take the photo without complaining.
These were the same people who'd complained about coming to Gyeongbokgung in the first place.
Now they were the most enthusiastic ones here.
I hadn't noticed earlier because everything had been so hectic, but looking back, it was ridiculous.
While I stood there dazed, Sia came up beside me.
"Tired?"
"Huh? No, I'm fine."
"Your face says 'I'm dying' pretty clearly, though."
"Ahaha…"
I'd tried to hide it, but she saw right through me.
Then she spoke.
"I'm sorry…"
The sudden apology caught me off guard.
When I asked why, she continued.
"I just… I like walking around with you so much that I got carried away. I didn't think about how you were feeling."
"……"
She apologized for not considering me.
Hearing that, I decided to say what had been on my mind too.
"When we went sightseeing together, we walked slowly, right?"
"We did."
"But today you're having so much fun that I feel bad—like maybe you've been holding back this whole time just to match me."
"N-no…! I just… I really like being with you, that's all…"
She stumbled over her words, flustered.
I spoke calmly.
"I get how you feel, so relax."
"Ah… yeah… Then… you like going on dates with me too?"
"Of course. So don't worry."
A brief silence fell between us.
In that moment, I realized what I'd just said was basically a confession.
And I wasn't the only one who thought so—Sia's expression kept changing by the second.
"Um… Siwoo, do you maybe… actually…!"
"Ahem!!!!"
"…!" "…!"
The loud cough from right in front of us made both of us jump.
We turned to see our group leader glaring at us.
She looked between the two of us.
"I get that you're a couple, but can you save the lovey-dovey stuff for later? The rest of us are single, so watching you two flaunt it is just cruel."
"Sorry…"
"Then get over here and take your places."
"Yes…"
"Got it…"
At the leader's sharp command, Sia and I quickly joined the photo session.
Once all the photos were taken—
"Great, we're done!"
"Let's pick the best ones and upload them to the group chat, then return the hanboks!"
"Let's go!"
We were moving again, and the moment between us slipped away.