-----

 

When Taeyeon received a call from her eccentric father, who had been away for more than a year traveling the world, the first thing that came out of was—

“Hell no, dad. Over my dead body.”

She almost threw her phone out the window of her luxurious penthouse suite, because her father, whom she had missed rather dearly, just blurted out an absurd request.

“No! I will not marry your long lost best friend’s daughter!”

‘But Taetae,’ he said with so much aegyo a man his age shouldn’t have, ‘I thought you said you were gay?’

“Dad, this has nothing to do with my gender!” She yelled on the phone as she ran her hand in between her golden locks frustratingly. “I will not agree to this arranged marriage thing!”

‘But Taengooooo—’

Taeyeon didn’t even bother ending the call and just chucked her phone over the veranda, rubbing her temples as she went back inside her spacious living room.

She threw herself on her expensive leather couch and groaned before punching the cushion out of frustration.

“Ugh! I can’t believe this!”

Ring.

Her house phone rang and she eyed the thing suspiciously.

Ring.

Ring.

Taeyeon sighed and pressed the speaker phone button.

Click.

‘Ooooooooooooooooo—’

“Oh my god, dad, stop it! You’re too old for this!”

Taeyeon held her house phone and screamed at it like a fool, throwing the thing back on the side table with a loud clank.

‘But Taetae,’ his father’s voice rang clearly from the speaker phone, ‘She’s your type! You’ll like her, I’m sure of it!’

“You don’t even know my type, dad! You haven’t even met any of my exes!”

‘Yes, I did!’

“Name one.”

The line went silent for a moment, with Taeyeon staring at the phone. Seconds went by, and just when she thought the line went dead, her goof of a father spoke with so much pride, she could feel it slapping her on the face.

‘I met Jessica!’

“Jessica is my best friend, what’s wrong with you!”

‘What, really?’

“Yes!” Taeyeon screamed again before sighing. “You need to stop this, dad. I love you but this is too much. I’m not marrying a stranger!”

‘That’s why you’re going to meet her first, silly Taengoo! Then you’ll fall in love at first sight, accept the arrangement and get married!’

“No!”

‘Please, please, do this for daddy, pleeeaaaasssseee—’

“Dad, no!”

Taeyeon heard a sigh from the other line and she smiled, feeling a little victorious. Her dad sighing could only mean one thing, defeat.

‘Okay,’ he said dejectedly and it made her smile grow bigger.

Sweet victory, Taeyeon thought happily.

‘I’ll make you a deal you’ll never refuse!’

Or not.

Taeyeon covered her face with her hands and groaned, ruffling her hair as she plopped on her couch sideways.

“Dad,” she said, “Trust me, there is no way—”

‘If you agree to at least meet her, I’ll let you off to do anything you want.’

Her ears perked and instantly she found herself sitting up, elbows leaning on her thighs and fingers interlaced in front of her.

Suddenly she felt nervous.

“I’m listening…”

There was some shuffling on the other line before she heard her dad’s firm voice, a hundred eighty degrees different from his previous playful whining.

‘I’ll come back as soon as I can, kick you off the company myself, enrol you in that culinary school you like in Paris and let you study to be a chef like what you’ve always wanted.’

Taeyeon couldn’t help but gasp at her father’s offer.

Her hand instantly shot up and grabbed the receiver before pressing the earpiece on the side of her head really closely.

“You’re kidding me, right?”

‘No, I am absolutely serious.’

“You’d let me ditch my company responsibilities to chase my lifelong dream if I go and meet her? Just meet her?”

‘Yes. And it’s a promise.’

“No take backsies? Even though I don’t end up marrying her after the meeting?”

‘No take backsies, Taetae. You know I always keep my word.’

That he does, she thought.

Taeyeon bit the nail on her thumb as she weighed her options. She could almost taste the freedom (and her nail) at the tip of her tongue.

But what if it’s a trap, she thought again. What if she gets shotgun wedded as soon as she goes off to meet the girl.

Worse of all, what if she’s ugly?!

Her eyes widened at that thought.

“I-Is she pretty?” She asked, feeling a little shallow.

‘Oh, Taetae, she’s beautiful!’

“Stop exaggerating!”

‘I’m not! I swear you’ll be eating your words once you see her. You’d be begging me to marry you two immediately.’

Taeyeon kept quiet while her dad continued to rain praises about her potential fiancée, mentally listing the pros and cons of the whole situation.

It was her dream versus potential (and metaphorical) imprisonment, but the offer was just too tempting not to take.

And if her father said that the girl was pretty, then Taeyeon would take his word for it.

“Okay. Fine,” she said, finally accepting defeat. “I’ll do it.”

‘Aha! That’s my girl!’ The old man screamed and clapped.

“When can I meet her?”

‘I’ll tell my secretary to email you the directions to their private estate on the South, should take you about a day to reach by driving.’

“What?! I’ll have to drive there for a day?!”

‘Road trips are the best, my lovely daughter! You should enjoy nature every once in a while!’

“You’re the one who shoved me into the company to take over while you go travelling around the world! I haven’t had any breaks since forever!”

‘Oh, right. But hey, at least you’d be able to study in Paris soon! Delaying gratification Taetae, delaying gratification. Also, you could use the time to unwind for a little bit before meeting your future wife.’

He ended that with a giggle and Taeyeon wanted to kill herself.

“Whatever, dad. When are you coming back anyway?”

‘Soon. I’m still not done visiting the other sights here, and now that I’ve found my best friend, it’s going to be twice as fun!’

“Fine. Take care of yourself, old man. See you soon. Love you.”

‘Love you too, Taengoo! I’ll bring you lots of souvenirs. Bye!’

“Bye.”

Taeyeon shook her head as she ended the call, dragging herself off the couch towards her mini bar to grab a shot of her strongest liquor.

She downed a shot, and another, and another, until she felt her world starting to spin. She slumped her torso on the bar counter and looked at the family photo hanging on the wall next to her.

It was a photo of her parents hanging upside down after bungee jumping, their huge smiles showing how happy they were at that moment while giving peace signs at the camera. Taeyeon couldn’t help but smile back, remembering how hard it was for her to press the shutter button because of laughing so hard at her goofy parents.

Her dad was crazy for asking her such a huge request, she admit, and Taeyeon thought, with a sad chuckle, what her mom would have done if she was still there with them.

“Mom,” she whispered to the picture, “I’ll never understand why you married dad. He’s just so spontaneous, it’s getting hard for me to follow him sometimes.”

Taeyeon sighed as she stared at the photo before laughing to herself.

“Scratch that. You’re both crazy.”

With one last shot, she headed to her room with wobbly steps, silently psyching herself for an adventure.

 

—–

 

“Are you really gonna do this, Taeng?”

The shorter girl stopped halfway from entering her walk in closet to stare at her best friend who was lounging lazily on her bed, fiddling with the new phone she had asked her to buy.

“Jessica, one word: Paris.”

With that she continued pulling random clothes from her wardrobe before throwing them back on the bed, returning with a small duffel bag in her hands.

“Your dad really knows how to make a deal, doesn’t he? No wonder everyone wanted to be his business partner.”

“Yep, he’s really smart,” Taeyeon agreed as she continued to shove the clothes inside the bag. “But my mom was the genius one.”

She saw Jessica looking up at her on her peripheral, giving her a soft smile that only she receives from the latter.

“Too bad I didn’t get to meet her. I really wanted to.”

“She would’ve liked you. She likes befriending scheming people.”

“Hey!”

Taeyeon snorted as she zipped her small travel bag before dusting her hands.

Jessica got off the bed and handed her the new phone, the same model with the one she threw off the building. She thanked her best friend with a grin before pulling her in for a hug.

“You sure you’ll be fine by yourself?” She heard Jessica ask, the two of them still tangled in a tight embrace. “I can go with you if you want.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine. Thanks, Sica.”

She playfully patted her on the and it earned her a giggle and a slap on the back.

“Call me if there’s anything, okay?”

“I will.”

 

—–

 

This was it, Taeyeon thought, feeling the weight of her duffel bag on her shoulders.

She had already cleared her schedule for the whole weekend, informing everyone at the company that she would be going on a personal trip.

And so she stood there inside her family home’s garage, in front of multiple cars, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, looking every bit of a kid that she was. With her duffle bag in hand, she passed by all the available ones as she contemplated on what to take.

She skipped all the coupes and luxury cars, opting for something simpler.

Her eyes widened and twinkled as she remembered something, and with hurried steps, she went to the farthest side of the garage, smiling as she saw the covered truck.

 

—–

 

“Mom, I know this is your doing.”

Taeyeon tilted her head upwards and closed her eyes before slamming her forehead on the old steering wheel. She let her face stay there, making the horn blare continuously.

She whined and threw tantrums inside the old truck that her mom used to own before heading out, having no idea why the vehicle suddenly stopped. She kicked the front wheel in frustration, muttering curses at everything.

“I thought you were on my side! We’re supposed to stick together against dad, remember?!” Taeyeon yelled at the blue sky, cupping the side of to make her screams sound louder, hoping that her mom would hear her, as childish as it may sound.

“And of course this has to happen in the middle of nowhere where there is no phone reception. Of course…”

Just when she was about to throw her phone against the asphalt, she heard the rumbling sound of an engine approaching. Soon enough (and to her surprise and amusement) a pink and black chopper passed by before slowing down, parking just behind her truck.

“Need help?”

Taeyeon couldn’t help but raise her eyebrow at the long haired, aviator-wearing biker, and her ripped jean shorts and loose tank top that barely covered anything. She gawked, openly, because she had never seen anyone so attractive and beautiful in her life.

“You okay there?”

An amused chuckle reached her ears and Taeyeon snapped from her shameless gawking.

“Sorry, I was just… Uh… Yeah. Hi.”

“What happened?”

The painfully attractive biker gestured towards her truck with a nod, making Taeyeon remember her problem.

“I’m not sure, it just died on me.”

“Gas?”

“Still half full.”

“Hmm…” The biker removed her aviator sunglasses much to Taeyeon’s delight and realized she looked even more beautiful without it. “I don’t really know much about cars. If it was a flat tire, I could help you change.”

“Yeah, same here. Hmm, do you know if there’s a town near here?”

“The nearest and only one is still a couple of miles away. You’d have your legs falling off and you’d only be halfway.”

“Damn it,” Taeyeon cursed, frustrated. As much as she didn’t want to leave her mother’s old truck, she’d need to at least reach the next town so she could ask for help.

The other girl must have sensed her frustration, because she was beside her in an instant, offering an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry I can’t take you there, I’m heading towards the other direction.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I understand.” She waved it off and smiled back, albeit small, reassuring the other.

“You should go,” Taeyeon then said, “I don’t want to keep you from your trip. Thank you for stopping.”

She was about to return to her truck when the biker’s hesitant voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Uhm,” she said as Taeyeon turned back to look at her. “Why don’t I just keep you company while we wait for someone to pass by?”

She couldn’t help but mirror the shy smile that the biker had on her face, and for the first time that day, Taeyeon felt a little better.

“I’d like that. Thanks.”

 

—–

 

Taeyeon gulped the last of her water before throwing the bottle in a plastic bag by her foot, full and satisfied with her simple dinner.

She watched as the biker did the same, dusting her hands as she placed the last bite of her sandwich in .

Before Taeyeon left the confines of her apartment, she prepared some food and drinks for the trip, and she thanked her ahjumma qualities for that because at least she had something to snack on now that she was stranded.

With a beautiful, mysterious biker girl nonetheless.

The sun had already set a few hours ago and still there were no signs of other vehicles, much to Taeyeon’s disappointment, but she was somehow glad that she wasn’t alone.

Comfortable silence surrounded them, and it felt nice, Taeyeon thought, because the night sky was clear and the stars were pretty to look at.

“So what’s your story?”

The question made her turn towards the other.

Up until now, even after spending hours together, Taeyeon still couldn’t fathom how this rebellious looking girl still resembled the grace and attitude of a princess. She didn’t want to judge, but this stranger was just so… judge-able.

“You’re staring again.”

“I’m sorry, I just…” Taeyeon shook her head in amazement, earning her a cute giggle. “You’re really pretty, do you know that?”

Biker girl smiled and shrugged, and her nonchalance was another thing that Taeyeon liked about her.

“So, will the stranger ever tell me her story?”

“Oh, right sorry, sometimes I forget my manners. Kim Taeyeon, by the way.”

She offered her hand and waited for the other to shake it, smiling as the biker girl reached for it.

“Hwang Tiffany,” the other replied, leaning back on the metal after shaking her hand.

They had taken temporary refuge at the back of Taeyeon’s truck, sitting on the cold metal floors while they waited for other cars to pass by, eating the snacks that she packed.

“So where are you heading to, Kim Taeyeon? And why are you driving a vintage truck?”

“I’m on a trip to get my freedom,” she answered with a grin, earning her an amused look. “And this old thing here was my mom’s. I got a little sentimental and I just thought it was a great idea, like, really symbolical.”

“And now your sentiments got you stuck in the middle of nowhere.”

Taeyeon laughed at that and the sound echoed through the quiet highway.

“Yeah, pretty much,” she said, still chuckling. “I bet my mom’s looking down at me now, laughing her off.”

She chuckled more and imagined her mom sitting on clouds while laughing at her.

The meaning might have reached the other girl because she became quiet all of a sudden, stopping Taeyeon from her chortling.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…“

“Don’t be, she’s in a better place now. How about you? What are you running away from?”

“Running away? How’d you say that?”

“Yeah, you know…” Taeyeon gestured at her get-up, “Your whole look, your bike, everything. It just screams ‘I’m running away from the world’.”

Tiffany chuckled all of a sudden and it made Taeyeon smile.

“That I am. Well, I’m running away from someone who’d take away mine.”

“Your…?”

“Freedom.”

“Ah,” Taeyeon nodded in understanding. “I guess we’re both fighting for the same thing, huh.”

“I guess we are.”

It became quiet again after that, signalling the end of the conversation, but Taeyeon didn’t mind. It felt good in a way, because all of a sudden she didn’t feel alone anymore.

She was worried at first—afraid even, that what she had decided to do just for the sake of chasing after her simple dream was idiotic and not worth it, especially when it involved something as big and as permanent as marriage.

But it was nice to know that she wasn’t the only one struggling to be free.

Yawning a bit, Taeyeon shifted and looked for a more comfortable position, hoping to catch some shuteye since she felt like she needed to travel by foot in the morning.

She was about to fall asleep when she heard Tiffany speak again.

“Say Taeyeon, do you have problems with skinship?”

The weird question hung in the air and Taeyeon didn’t know how to react.

“Uh, no?” She answered, unsure.

“Good, cause I’m sleepy.”

Her eyes followed Tiffany as the latter moved closer to her from her previous spot, sitting so closely that their elbows were touching. A head landed on her shoulder not long after and she stiffened a bit before finally relaxing.

“Sleep,” Tiffany murmured from her shoulder, “I don’t think there would be any more cars that will pass tonight.”

“Uhm. Okay.”

“Night, Taeyeon.”

“Goodnight, Tiffany.”

 

—–

 

“Hey, wake up. Taeyeon, wake up.”

Soft pats on her cheek woke Taeyeon up with a jolt, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she squinted at the bright sun. She looked at the person beside her and furrowed her eyebrows, waiting for her brain to put a name on the face she’s seeing.

“What’s happening?” She asked with her hoarse voice, finally remembering where she was and who she was with.

“I can hear a car coming.”

“Wha—Really?”

Tiffany jumped off the back while Taeyeon stood up and looked for the incoming car. She saw it approaching from not too far away and started to wave.

“Hey!” She yelled, hoping to catch the attention of the driver.

Soon enough, the car stopped beside their stalled truck, the driver asking what happened.

Taeyeon stayed where she was and let Tiffany talk to the kind-looking old man, waiting for good news. And when Tiffany’s lips tugged up in a wide smile when she turned back towards her, Taeyeon felt like everything will be alright again.

 

—–

 

“Sorry, I couldn’t drive you there.”

Taeyeon took her small duffel bag from the passenger seat and locked the truck, patting it before walking away with Tiffany beside her.

The old man had offered Taeyeon to take her to the estate since he was heading the same direction, clearing the biggest of her worries.

“It’s okay. Thank you for helping a stranger, though. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

They stopped beside the waiting car and stayed there, waiting for something, anything.

“You should go. Your freedom’s waiting.”

Taeyeon chuckled and scratched the back of her neck, looking up at Tiffany who was giving her a soft smile.

“Yeah, I guess should. Well, you take care, Tiffany.”

The biker girl nodded at her before fake saluting, sending her a playful wink as she turned back to head towards her chopper. Taeyeon’s eyes never left her until she was perched on her motorcycle, and when Tiffany revved up her bike, she felt her heart jumpstart too.

“Wait!”

Before she knew it, she was already jogging towards the other girl, mind in a whirl and her body moving on its own.

Taeyeon fished her wallet from her pocket clumsily, pulling out a piece of paper.

“H-Here’s my card, my personal number’s at the back. If,” Taeyeon breathed out before continuing, her voice shaky, “I-If somehow you get into the big city and want to meet up, just call me. Any time, okay? Also if you need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“I will. Goodbye, Taeyeon. I’ll see you around.”

A kiss on her cheek and an empty hand was what Tiffany left her when she rode her bike down the road, and it was only then that Taeyeon felt like her mini adventure had come to a premature end.

 

—–

 

Taeyeon felt like she came at a really bad time.

“I’m really sorry you had to witness all this chaos, Miss Kim. Let me take you to the living room first.”

When the guards at the front gate of the estate had confirmed her identity and purpose of visit, she was immediately let in the huge villa, only to find the whole house in total panic.

“Please sit down and make yourself comfortable. I just have to deal with a very important matter and I shall join you again soon.”

“Take your time, please. Don’t worry about me.”

She checked her phone when she was finally alone, relieved that the service was back. Typing a long, detailed message to her family butler, she informed him of the location of her mom’s stalled truck and asked for him to retrieve it, also to send another car for her use at the estate.

After a few more messages sent to her father and best friend, she was now left idle.

Heaving a tired sigh, she leaned back on the comfortable sofa and let her body rest for a bit.

Suddenly she had thought of Tiffany Hwang, the girl who was too inappropriately dressed for her own good. Taeyeon hoped that she was now in a faraway place, far enough to protect her freedom, much like how she was just a tiny bit step away from her getting her own.

And maybe someday, if fate would allow it, they could meet again somewhere, both free, happy and contented.

She smiled at the thought but immediately straightened up when the lady who welcomed her into the villa came back with a still-troubled expression, making her feel suddenly anxious.

“Miss Kim, I have something to confess to you,” the lady sighed as she sat across from her, “The reason why the whole estate was in a frenzy was because my daughter whom you’re supposed to meet today ran—”

Just then, a man in a black suit and dark sunglasses walked in with urgency, addressing the woman in front of her.

“Ma’am, we found her. The team just entered the gate and are on their way back to the main villa.”

Relief became evident on the lady’s face and for the first time since Taeyeon arrived, a genuine smile had finally blossomed on her lips.

She watched her with great curiosity as she dismissed the man, but the anxiety had started to build up in her stomach, making her uncomfortable.

“I apologize for everything, Miss Kim, really. I know it’s already too much but I’m going to ask for you to wait a little bit more.”

The short girl just nodded, feeling her palms starting to sweat from the nerves. She wanted nothing more than to meet the girl her dad wanted her to meet, to introduce herself and to get it over with. Paris was already calling out to her, and she couldn’t wait to leave on the earliest flight to France.

Whatever happens from this moment on, she will not let anyone hinder her from being a chef.

Soon enough, muffled shouting and the sound of collective footsteps heading their way filled her ears, making her more anxious than ever.

“Let me go, you gorillas! Stop dragging me; I can walk by myself!”

Taeyeon swallowed, audibly. That voice sounded really familiar.

“Ow! My tummy hurts, stop! Help—”

“We’re not falling for that again, Miss Hwang. Now come on, your mother and your guest are waiting.”

“No, I don’t want to! Let me go!”

The first thing Taeyeon did when she had finally seen her being dragged comically by two bodyguards was to breathe out; releasing the breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Still dressed in that familiar cropped jean shorts and loose tank top, she had never seen anyone so perfect in almost tattered clothes, but Tiffany had made it look like so, twice, even with her frowning, angry face.

“Honey—”

“No mom, save it. I don’t care what daddy says, I am not marrying a—”

“Hi.”

“—stranger…”

And at that point in time, it was Taeyeon’s turn to chuckle, because Tiffany Hwang was openly gawking at her, much like how she did when she first met the beautiful stranger.

 

End of Part 1