A blonde-haired beauty walked through the crowded airport with purpose. It was no surprise that onlookers gazed at the figure in awe with admiration and jealous.

Though she looked calm and collected, Jessica was furious on the inside.

Her flight to California had just been delayed due to a freak lightning storm, the biggest Chicago has ever seen in years. So she was stuck now, in a heavily populated, bustling city, at 8:00 at night, with no way to get to her home state. She wished that she had taken a more direct and quicker flight from Korea to California. Her father had insisted that she visit her grandparents first in Paris, so Jessica decided to take a longer route home.

What a foolish mistake.

Jessica’s phone vibrated loudly from a pocket inside her jacket. She took a seat in a random chair and plunked her sleek black suitcase on the ground in front of her. Pulling out her phone, she answered without checking who the caller was.

“What?” she answered angrily.

“...Unnie? Is that you?”

Jessica’s anger fizzled immediately upon hearing her younger sister’s sweet voice. “Krystal, sorry...I didn’t know it was you.”

Krystal laughed girlishly on the other end. “It’s alright, but...you said that you would be here hours ago. Where are you? Are you okay?”

Jessica nodded, though Krystal couldn’t see her. “I’m fine, I just got laid over in Chicago.” she secretly glared at the airport staff. “Stupid airports...”

“Oh, well, you can make it by the 9th, right?” Krystal asked hopefully. Jessica could tell that her sister was stressed out about the wedding.

Today was July 7th.

She was so screwed.

“I promise I’ll make it your wedding no matter what.” Jessica said determinedly with a smile. “Don’t worry.”

Krystal let out a sigh of relief. “Are you sure?”

“Have I ever broken a promise?” Jessica laughed.

“Well, no...” Krystal sounded uncertain. “I’ll see you in two days then!”

Jessica nodded. “Two days.”

“Be safe, unnie!” said Krystal, the line going dead.

Heaving a sigh, Jessica shoved her phone back into a pocket of her jacket. She picked up her suitcase and walked towards the entrance of the airport, the wheels on her suitcase making a lot of noise, attracting even more attention.

That was exactly what she needed at the moment.

Reaching the sliding doors, Jessica stepped outside, only to be met with ferocious thunder, booming loudly, and lightning that lit up the sky. Relentless rain poured down in heavy sheets, drenching Jessica to the core.

“Damn rain,” she cursed, glaring at the sky.

“Miss, I don’t think you wanna be out in this weather.” a nearby guard ran up to her, holding an umbrella over her head.

“I have places to be.” Jessica said coldly, striding away from the man. She reached the parking lot, which was nearly empty. It wasn’t a surprise--no one would dare to be outside during a thunderstorm like this.

A petite figure sloshed past Jessica, causing her to slip and fall on the cold, wet asphalt.

Jessica squealed, feeling her jeans get thoroughly soaked. Her ankle was throbbing with pain. The figure reappeared and helped Jessica to her feet. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!”

Standing on one foot and staggering, Jessica smiled weakly at the pretty girl. “I-It’s fine.”

“Goodness, I’m such a klutz...follow me!” the girl took Jessica’s hand and dragged her to a fancy-looking black sports car. She yanked the door leading to the backseat open and helped Jessica in.

“Yoona, who’s this?” a man asked, peering at Jessica curiously.

Jessica blushed at their closeness. He was attractive, for sure, with dark brown, tousled hair and wide, innocent eyes. He wore simple clothes, a plaid button-up and dark jeans with Converse, but they looked incredibly handsome on him.

“Uh...I don’t know.” the girl called Yoona smiled sheepishly and handed Jessica a towel she retrieved from the trunk. “Sorry, what’s your name?”

Jessica winced, feeling sudden pain in her ankle. “I’m Jessica, nice to meet you. And thanks.” she tossed the towel back to Yoona after drying herself off.

“Oh, I’m Im Yoona, but just call me Yoona.” she winked and gestured to the man sitting next to Jessica. “That’s my stepbrother, Donghae-oppa.”

Donghae grinned cutely and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Sica.”

Jessica couldn’t help but smile along with him. “No problem.” she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be finding a way to California, not mingling with strangers.

“I’m sorry, but I really need to go.” she bowed her head to Yoona and Donghae in apology and stepped out of the extravagant car.

“What’s wrong?” Yoona asked, opening an umbrella over their heads.

“I have to get to California, and my plane’s delayed for...well, who knows how long.” Jessica glared up at the sky again.

“Hey, we’re going to California, too!” Donghae piped up excitedly.

Jessica raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What are you guys going there for?”

“My brother and his friend are thinking of moving out to Los Angeles.” Yoona rolled her eyes. “I was reluctantly sent to watch them and oversee their stupid antics.”

Donghae grinned again. “You know you love us.”

Yoona scoffed. “Whatever.”

“Speaking of Heechul, where is he?” Donghae wondered aloud.

Jessica pursed her lips, confused. “Who’s that?”

“Oh, my brother’s friend,” Yoona explained. “He went to the bathroom, but he should be back by now...”

“YAH!” an angry-sounding voice shouted, nearing the car. “Their bathrooms !”

“It’s an airport, what do you expect?” Donghae chuckled.

Heechul furrowed his eyebrows at Jessica. “Who are you?”

Jessica gave him a blank stare. Her first impression of him: Unfriendly.

Heechul’s eyes suddenly lit up in recognition. “Ah, English?” he asked in accented English.

Jessica smirked and folded her arms smugly, responding in perfect Korean. “I speak Korean.”

Yoona laughed loudly with Donghae as Heechul glared. “Well, fine then.” he turned to Yoona, as if she knew everything. “Who’s she?”

“I’m right here.” Jessica muttered.

“I just met her--she’s Jessica.” Yoona introduced the two. “Jessica-sshi, Kim Heechul--Heechul, Jessica-sshi.”

Jessica smiled. “You can drop the sshi. It’s too formal.”

Yoona smiled too, and nodded.

“Well, we have a place to be going.” Heechul said, getting into the driver’s seat, fully ignoring Jessica.

Yoona abruptly grabbed Jessica’s arm. “Jessica!”

Jessica, a bit frightened, shrunk back. “W-What?”

“We can take you to California!” Yoona exclaimed with a massive grin plastered on her face.

Donghae nodded eagerly, liking his sister’s plan. “Yeah, we can just drop you off on our way to L.A!”

Heechul glared at Jessica through the mirror. “Uh-uh, no way--hell no.”

Jessica glared back just as fiercely. “Why not?”

“One, we don’t know you. Two, I don’t like you.”

“You’re judgmental.” Jessica rolled her eyes.

Yoona smiled sweetly at Heechul and said in a dangerously low voice, “Might I remind you that you are borrowing my car, so if I wanna take her, we’re taking her. Unless of course, you want me to take my car back--maybe you and Donghae-oppa will do better finding a bus that goes all the way to L.A.”

Donghae gulped and tapped Heechul on the shoulder. “You better listen to her.”

Heechul stared at Yoona for a minute, contemplating. “Why?”

“I don’t wanna take a bus!” Donghae whined. "This car is nice!"

Heechul groaned reluctantly, not looking at Jessica. “Fine, Blondie can come.”

Yoona clapped her hands and ushered her new friend into the car. “Yay!”

“Blondie?” Jessica glanced at Heechul, un-amused.

Heechul shrugged. “What? Your hair’s blonde.”

“Whatever.” Jessica said, finishing the conversation. Yoona shut the door once she was situated in the backseat, squeezing Jessica in between her and Donghae.

“To California!” Donghae cheered.

“I still don’t agree with this.” Heechul said, starting the car up.

“What’s not to agree with?” Yoona asked, slapping Heechul on the shoulder. “This’ll be fun!”

“Yeah, sure, but how do we know if Blondie’s safe?” Heechul glanced at Jessica suspiciously over his shoulder.

“I’m like 5’3. I’m sure I could cause mortal terror to all of you.” said Jessica sarcastically, earning a giggle from Yoona and a smile from Donghae.

“I mean, we don’t know anything about you!” Heechul said, exasperated with the girl.

“I don’t know anything about you!” Jessica retorted, wondering why she agreed to this “journey” in the first place. Her parents would highly disapprove of their daughter getting into a car with a bunch of stranger, and who knew if they were actually even going to follow their word and take her to San Francisco.

“Good point,” Donghae commented.

Yoona’s eyes twinkled as Heechul pulled on to the highway. “Then let’s get to know each other! If we’re gonna be traveling together for a while, I think our guest deserves at least that.”

Jessica smiled. Yoona was such a nice person, a total opposite of the cranky driver.

“Ooh, ooh, can I ask Sica a question?” Donghae raised his hand.

Yoona rolled her eyes at her brother. “Why are you raising your hand?”

Donghae pouted childishly. “I wanted to!”

Jessica just smiled again at the Im-Lee siblings. “Okay, what do you want to know?”

Donghae made a pouty face, this time, in deep concentration. “Ooh! What are you going to California for?”

“My sister’s wedding.” Jessica sighed. “I’m the bridesmaid, and I promised to be there.”

Yoona’s eyes widened. “Well, then we better step on it!”

Heechul snorted. “What for?”

Yoona glared fiercely at him. “It’s a wedding! It’s only like, the most important day of a girl’s life!”

Heechul rolled his eyes at Yoona through the mirror. “Right, okay...”

Now it was Yoona’s turn to roll her eyes. “Men. You all don’t understand.” Jessica nodded adamantly in agreement.

“Hey, do I fall under that category, too?” Donghae asked with a frown.

“No, you’re still a boy.” Yoona said bluntly.

“Thanks, sis.” Donghae grinned, ruffling her hair. Yoona shrieked and immediately went to fix her perfectly-styled hair.

“I got a question to ask.” Heechul spoke up, his eyes still on the road; meanwhile, Donghae and Yoona were having a play-fight behind Jessica’s back.

Jessica shrugged. “Fine. Ask.”

“What’s your family like?”

Jessica tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and answered casually, “Like a family, I suppose. My dad is the president of Jung Corporations, and I’m constantly going back and forth from Korea to America. Naturally, he makes the oldest--me--run all his errands. He thinks I’m not ready to take over the family business yet. He says I’m still young.”

Heechul raised an eyebrow, interested. “How old are you?”

“Twenty,” Jessica smiled a little. “How old do I look?”

Chuckling, Heechul swerved into the next lane. “Not old at all.”

“How old are you?” Jessica asked, as Yoona and Donghae were slapping each other’s hands stupidly--anyone else who witnessed this strange scene would have seen it as a poorly played game of Patty Cake.

“I’m twenty-five.” Heechul replied.

Jessica looked shocked. “Seriously?”

Heechul grimaced. “What?”

Jessica smiled again, and Heechul had to admit that she looked a lot nicer--and this part he wouldn’t admit, but prettier--when she smiled.

“Nothing...you look really young, is all.”

“Whatever.”

Silence fell between the two, and neither said another word to each other. All that could be heard was the usual bickering-about-something-that-was-complete-nonsense between the two stepsiblings in the background.

The first chapter is now up! :) Give me some feedback, I'd really appreciate it.

Oh, and for those Pyros who are surprised that Yoona and Donghae are siblings, keep in mind that they ARE stepsiblings, meaning they're not related at all. If they have a romance, it's not , and love can happen. ;)

COMMENT REPLIES:

@StrawberryFantasy: Eh, I've been kinda working on it. x) Imma slacker! I get it from Tumblr, hehe. I'M HUNGRY TOO! It's a sister thing, lol.

@HaeSica4ever: Updated. :)

@surrealthoughts: Awwh, glad you like this, Shin! 8D It's all for you! <3 *hug*

@cutieyzza: Thank you for waiting; updated! (:

@chococcino30: Wah, thank you! :D That's sweet of you to say. ^^

@--ethereal: Ahh, thank you, Tammy, my dear. :D

@KathyXVII: Thank you, Kathy! As for pairings, just wait and see. :)

@kurdoodle: HANNAH! <3 Thank you! (: There might be a teensy bit of HaeSica, but itll be okay, don't worry! Hehe.

@chachikiu: Nadia-unnie! Gosh, thank you! :D Thanks a lot, that means so much! ^^ Yeah, I really love Jessica's character in this.