A/N: Thank you all for 15 subscribers and 1 upvote! Hope y'all hang around until the end. Here's the 2nd chapter. Enjoy! Don't forget to leave comments. :)

Word count: 1,943 words

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Monday. Afternoon.

The bus rolls out of the city to the freeway and from the freeway to bumpy and dusty roads. The view of city landscapes and skyscrapers and bridges changes to that of green hills and muddy rice paddies. But Nayoung’s not really seeing any of it even as she keeps her eyes trained out the window.

She's pretty much dry now thanks to Sejeong's towel and the air-conditioner of the bus so that’s one less thing to worry about (if she actually gives a about anything right now, but, clearly, she doesn’t). Maybe people who have been stood up at the altar like her would understand. Are there even people like her? Because up until today, she thought that kind of thing could only happen in movies. She never thought that it would happen to her. Maybe her life’s a movie. One that really big time. She can’t believe she’s actually going on their honeymoon alone. Well, she should probably thank Sejeong for that because she actually considered not going last minute but was still ‘forced’ to go.

Sejeong stirs in her sleep and Nayoung’s eyes stray on her.

Who is this girl? Why did she decide to take Nayoung with her? Forget the part that she's was supposed to be on this bus anyway. Forget about that for a moment and just consider why, why is she so comfortable around Nayoung who is a complete stranger to her? Nayoung's pondering on these when Sejeong's eyes flutter open and they're left looking at each other.

“Are we there yet?” Sejeong asks.

“Not yet.” Nayoung immediately replies, blinks.

“Were you watching me sleep?” Sejeong suddenly asks, sits up and raises an eyebrow at her.

“No, I wasn't!” She becomes defensive. Sejeong laughs.

“I'm kidding. But, you know, it doesn't hurt to be wary of strangers.” She says and Nayoung scoffs. “What's that for?”

“I'm just thinking that if anyone should be wary of strangers here, it's me!” Nayoung says before she could stop herself. Immediately, she regrets saying that. It’s the first time she actually said something so honest to someone’s she’s only met one hour ago.

“What makes you think so?” Sejeong ignores her reaction, crosses her arms over her chest.

“Well, you approached me first. You also pulled me to get on this bus when I clearly said I wasn't going.” Nayoung replies when she recovers, thinks back on what happened at the bus stop.

“Hmm. You've got a point but keep in mind that I shared my ticket with you and even lent you my towel. I was being nice.” Sejeong says with a shrug.

“It was my ticket!” Nayoung exclaims in disbelief. How can anyone be so… so… she has no words for it.

“Right. But you gave them to me that made it mine and then I gave you one so technically…” When Sejeong puts it like that, it actually makes sense and she can’t help it.

Nayoung starts to laugh. She doesn't know why but she just laughs. How could talking to a stranger feel so natural and not at all scary?

“I'm being wary of you now, stranger.” Sejeong says, narrows her eyes at her. Nayoung takes her time, lets her entire body be wracked with laughter.

When she calms down, she clears . “Listen, I just had a thought.”

“About?” Sejeong raises an eyebrow again.

“You don't know anything about me apart from my name and that I'm heading to the same place as you.” Sejeong keeps silent. “I have a proposition for you.”

“You don't know me. I don't know you. Instead of being wary of each other, let's play this stranger status to our advantage.” Nayoung offers her a smile.

Her mom would probably cry if she could only hear her. And her brother would probably nag her for days without end. But as Sejeong's eyes light up, a sign that she thinks it’s a good idea too, she can only be thankful that none of them are around.

“That's a pretty good idea.” Sejeong says, nods slowly. “I could use a new friend.”

“Right?” They were already stuck together with this mad twist of fate. And if Nayoung was going to be honest, she’d rather not be alone. How much danger could a stranger hold when the woman whom she knew for five years, whom she trusted, could betray her just like that? She’s already in too much pain. This girl can’t possibly kill her if she’s already dead to begin with, right? And besides, she’s already starting from zero. She has nothing to lose.  

Sejeong looks at her and leans back on her seat again.

“But you’re wrong.” She looks at Nayoung without blinking. “I know something else about you apart from your name and that we're heading in the same direction.”

Nayoung looks back at her, waits for her to say more.

“I know that you wouldn't come out of the rain.” Sejeong’s face takes on a serious look.

“I- what?” Nayoung's still trying to make sense of what she just said but Sejeong changes the subject.

“Where are you really going, Nayoung? I mean, of course, you’re heading to Ansan but-”

“Oh, yeah. It’s a stopover. I’m going across the country to Jeollanam-do, actually.” That’s where she’s supposed to be going with her fiancée who has left her now just like that. She figures she’ll spare Sejeong the details. “You?”

“I am too.” Sejeong says, both eyebrows raised this time. “I guess we're going to be stuck together for longer than two hours, huh?”

The quirk in Sejeong’s eyebrows has Nayoung wondering if what they’re about to do is good or not. She has a feeling that it’s going to be good. She hopes it’ll be good.

--

It’s a little over lunch time when they finally arrive in Ansan. With their stomachs grumbling and their legs aching from having to sit too long, Sejeong wastes no time in dragging Nayoung to a famous noodle house so they could eat (emphasis on the dragging because Nayoung was still a bit unwilling to go even with Sejeong’s insistence that she won’t regret it).

Even as they browse through the menu, Sejeong can still feel the other girl’s hesitance. It’s funny knowing that she was the one who initiated this whole ‘playing this stranger status to our advantage’ thing. Maybe she just takes a bit to warm up.

“How did you know about this place?” Nayoung asks her as soon as the waitress walks away after taking their orders.

Sejeong looks up from her phone. “I’ve been here a couple of times before.”

 “You have? Why?” Nayoung immediately follows up.

“You are one curious cat, aren’t you?” Sejeong mutters, smiling at her.  

“So?” Nayoung looks expectantly at her.

“Oh, yes. It’s because of my work.” Sejeong says, chuckles when Nayoung gives her a blank stare for giving such an ambiguous answer. “I go to places to review itineraries - restaurants, hotels and stuff. I write for a travel magazine.” She further explains.

Nayoung mouths an O and nods. The waitress comes back and provides them each with a glass and a pitcher of water. Sejeong waits for the waitress to be gone before she takes her turn to ask.

“What about you? I mean, what do you do?” She starts pouring water for both of them, looks up at Nayoung as she hands her a glass.

“I work for a marketing firm in Gangnam.” Nayoung takes the offered glass and drinks deeply.

Sejeong inclines her head to the side as she watches Nayoung. Having a job that requires her to interact with people most of the time has made her an expert in turning acquaintances to friends. Since she’s been doing it for years, she’s developed an efficient way of socializing with clients and guests and the like. She simplifies things through her theory that people only behave in two ways during the first meeting – they either talk about themselves or talk about other people.

People who talk about themselves need to be assured of their worth. People who talk about other people have nothing to say about themselves because they think they’re rather boring or they’re secretive and do not wish to disclose much info about themselves. Sejeong prefers dealing with the latter. Dealing with former usually only requires nodding and a couple or so half-assed compliments but it’s kind of exhausting having to listen to them talk. The latter is more of a challenge and Sejeong likes challenges.

Which brings her to the matter at hand. It’s too soon to tell if Nayoung is of the latter kind. She doesn’t talk about herself but she doesn’t seem to not want to talk about herself either. She’s asking Sejeong questions which could either mean that she’s diverting the attention to Sejeong so she wouldn’t have to talk about herself or she’s just genuinely curious about her. It’s not like she hasn’t met anyone like this before. She likes to think that there will always be a person who fits neither of the two categories. The exception to the rule. Something like that.

And there’s always something underneath beautiful surfaces that’s waiting to come out. There’s a look about Nayoung that just says so. Lonely? Lost? Confused?  Whatever the case maybe, Sejeong can’t deny that this mystery is pulling her in.

Their orders arrive and they take the time to eat in silence with only the sounds of slurping noodles heard between the two of them.

“Since, you’re here for work, I take it that you’re going to cover the rock festival happening tonight?” Nayoung speaks up as she stares hard at her food.

“Mhmm.” Sejeong mutters. “But really, rock isn’t my thing and I’d rather not go if I had the choice. It’s just that my colleague asked me to take this one for her since she went ahead of me to Jeollanam-do already.”

“Oh, really? So what is your thing?”

“Jazz and Blues.” Sejeong says. Nayoung blinks at her. “What? Why?”

“I like jazz and blues too.”

Sejeong smiles. “You’ve got good taste then.” The silence seems to get comfortable after that, making it easier for Nayoung to just keep asking questions.

“Where are you staying tonight?”

“Honestly, I haven’t booked a room anywhere.”

“What? Why?” Nayoung sounds genuinely surprised.

“Booking isn’t my thing. I prefer walk-ins where I can weigh my options more.” Sejeong shrugs. “Also, it’s the Ansan Rock Festival! The event will take almost three days to finish.”

“But that is exactly why you should have booked a room! People are going to be all over hotels to rest instead of bothering to go back to their homes in the city. Rooms will be fully-booked!”

“Ey, it’s too late now.” Sejeong waves it off. She’s not planning on covering the whole event anyway. Sojin and Xiening will probably do days two and three for her. There won’t be time for her to rest.

“Room with me then.” For some reason, Nayoung seems to really be serious about this.

“Huh?”

“Room with me so that you can get some rest before we catch the train to Moppo tomorrow.” The other girl says in a tone that implies that she has no choice and that the discussion is over.

Sejeong chews on her noodles slowly, wondering how it came to this. But that’s another mystery for later so she caves in. “That’s real nice of you, Nayoung. Let me split the expenses with you then.”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Then Nayoung goes back to eating her noodles.