In which Yerin is an insomniac driver who meets an insomniac passenger

Yerin looked at her reflection in the mirror and ran her hand through her hair one last time before leaving her apartment. Taking the lift down to the basement, she twirled her keys around her finger as she strolled through the car park. She approached her black CLA 180 and got in, locking the doors before settling down.

She attached her phone to the stand that she fixed onto the windscreen and opened an application. She switched the entertainment system on and relaxed as a classical piece flowed through the speakers. It didn’t take long before a bubble appeared and she tapped on it, accepting the call. Yerin released the parking breaks and eased on the accelerator, guiding the car out of the car park and onto the road.

The streets were empty and not a single soul in sight as Yerin’s car cruised silently down the deserted lane. Apart from the occasional car that would pass by, there was no one else around. Why? It was currently 2 am in the morning. Now, why was Yerin awake and driving at this ungodly hour you may ask? She was an insomniac.

Acute insomnia, the doctor had diagnosed roughly a couple months ago. Since it stemmed from stress, Yerin had decided to sign up as an Uber driver to help her cope with the root of her problem. After all, she loved driving and it wouldn’t hurt to make a couple of dollars while at it. The result of driving in the dead of the night meant that she would sometimes deal with clubbers and partygoers, resulting in her always keeping a couple of plastic bags in the glove box and of course, a pair of trusty earplugs in the side pocket. She could go without sleep but definitely not with busted eardrums from all that yelling and screaming.

She glanced at the map on her phone and realized that the caller was just around the corner. She made a left turn and the figure of a lone man could be seen standing by the kerb kicking at some pebbles on the floor. Yerin pulled up smoothly and unlocked the doors for the man to enter. She made sure he was settled down before she started the journey to the next destination. The man didn’t seem to bother Yerin and looked rather relaxed with the classical music that was playing. Yerin never felt threatened since she was strong but it never hurt to have a pocket knife in her side pocket along with her earplugs. Just in case.

The 20-minute drive to what Yerin assumed was the man’s house was silent and peaceful. The only time he spoke was when they arrived.

“Thank you and drive safe.” He said with a smile before exiting the vehicle. This puts a smile on Yerin’s face too and she checked to make sure he didn’t leave anything behind before driving off.

She roamed the roads aimlessly as she waited for another call to come in. It was a weeknight which meant most people would be sound asleep to get their full night’s rest for the next day of work or school.

Just then, a new call bubble popped up and she immediately accepted it. The caller’s location was just a few blocks away too. How convenient, Yerin thought as she made her way over. As she drove slowly down the road, she spotted a girl standing by the side of the road. The girl looked young and was dressed in a dark blue hoodie and what seemed to be black shorts judging from the ends that were visible. She had her hands tucked in the pocket as she watched Yerin’s car approach. Rather than getting in the backseat, she opened the front passenger door and hopped in, buckling up without saying a word.

Yerin wasn’t alarmed but she found the girl unusual, to say the least. Before she could drive off, the girl had placed a hand on her forearm.

“Uhm… Is there a problem?” Yerin asked as she looked at the girl. The interior of the car was dim and she couldn’t really make out the girl’s face but she had a good look when her headlights illuminated the girl earlier. She was pretty and smelt amazing. Not that Yerin was trying to be creepy on purpose.

“Are you free? Like, right now?” she asked. Her voice was low and smooth.

“Well technically yes since I’m about to drive you,” Yerin replied the obvious and she shook her head.

“I mean, after this. When you drop me off, are you free?” She asked and Yerin nodded slowly. She was unsure of the girl’s motives. For all Yerin knew, she could be trying to set the driver up for a gang robbery or something. The girl nodded and leaned back in her seat, retracting her arm.

“Why though? If I may ask.”

“Well… I know this may sound weird, but I want you to go for a drive with me. I… I can’t sleep and driving helps me unwind. I know I stated a location on the call but could you just… Drive aimlessly? I’ll pay for the gas since it’s my request.” She explained. “It’s totally fine if you don’t though. I can understand.”

“No, no. I’ll do it.” Yerin replied with a smile when she saw the girl deflate a little at the end.

“Really?” her passenger perked up and Yerin nodded. The latter released the breaks and started driving. There was silence for a few minutes before Yerin decided to make some small talk since they would be together for quite some time. However, it seemed that the girl had the same idea too.

“So-”

“May-” the girl stopped after realizing she cut Yerin off and they made eye contact before chuckling.

“You go ahead.” Yerin smiled.

“No, you started first. You go.”

“You’re my passenger so you have the rights.” Yerin countered and gave a smug smile when she knew she won.

“May I ask why you’re out here driving? I mean, it’s dangerous since you’re a girl and it’s the wee hours of the night. Who knows what bad things could happen to you.” She said.

“I suffer from insomnia so… yeah. Pretty self-explanatory but I chose to drive since it relieves my stress. Plus, I’m getting paid to waste time so I don’t see the bad in it.” Yerin jested. “What about you? Isn’t it dangerous for a girl like you to be out at this hour too? You look even younger than me.”

“I… Have insomnia too. Relatable.” She replied and Yerin nodded in complete understanding. “Me? Younger? How old are you? I’m born in 1998.”

“I’m right! I’m born in 1996.”

“Really? You look young.” The girl sniggered.

“Why thank you.” Yerin nodded playfully. “What’s your name? I’m pretty sure SinB isn’t your real name,” she said, glancing at her phone.

“Eunbi. Hwang Eunbi.” She said.

“Jung Yerin.” The girl replied with a smile. “Why did you choose me to go on an adventure with you though?”

“You just looked really friendly and approachable. Simple as that.” Eunbi replied with a shrug. “Now that I know you’re an insomniac too, it makes you all the more a suitable companion.”

“I hope it’s also due to the fact that I’m a girl,” Yerin said with concern.

“Of course! I don’t randomly ask strangers to go on spontaneous trips like this! I may be sleep deprived but I’m definitely not crazy.” Eunbi laughed and Yerin sighed in relief. She didn't know why she felt so concerned about this stranger she just met. It could be because she was just being kind but then again, she had to admit Eunbi was quite an intriguing person. Yerin had the inexplicable urge to want to know the girl better.

"Say, since this has been weird from the start, want to be friends? I like drives and so do you. How about we do this... Whenever we're free?" Yerin suggested and Eunbi lit up almost instantly.

"For real?"

"Yeah, unless you don't want t-"

"Friends!" Eunbi exclaimed cutting Yerin off and making the latter laugh. Yerin drove Eunbi for a little while more before she managed to convince the girl to get some rest for the night.

"Await a text from your private chauffeur," Yerin said with a smile as Eunbi got out of the car. The girl laughed and waved goodbye before disappearing into the apartment building. 

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"Yo, I brought some snacks." Eunbi grinned as she hopped into the car, hugging two bags of chips.

"Jeez. Just don't leave your crumbs all over or you're going to vacuum the mats." Yerin said as she drove off.

"Yes yes, neat freak." Eunbi sniggered. They had been doing this for more than a month now. They started off with only night drives but they've recently started meeting during the day as well. Yerin found out that Eunbi had just graduated from high school and was now working part-time. 

"Where to today, m'lady?" Yerin teased. "The roads are yours."

"Hmm... Somewhere quiet and scenic." Eunbi said after some thought.

"At this hour, everywhere is quiet. But I do know a scenic place." Yerin smiled. "It's quite a long drive so feel free to make yourself comfortable."

Eunbi insisted that it was alright and that she would accompany Yerin so she wouldn't feel lonely but the gentle rocking of the vehicle coupled with the soothing music, Yerin found the younger girl fast asleep after 20 minutes. A smile graced her lips as she drove. She was glad Eunbi seemed to be more lively. They eyebags were still visible but less prominent than on their first meeting. Eunbi was living alone here in Seoul while her parents were back in her hometown so she had a roommate coincidentally called Eunbi as well.

Yerin wasn't even trying but she had somehow remembered everything Eunbi told her. Even the small details like what she had for lunch. Maybe Eunbi was more special to Yerin than she let herself believe. Besides, after meeting Eunbi, Yerin had begun to sleep better for some miraculous reason. She was still stressed but less than before and on the days where they met for their signature late night drives, she would sleep the best. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she would be in dreamland without having to toss and turn for hours only to drift into a light sleep where she would wake at the slightest noise.

Yerin shook her head and focused on the road. Since the roads were clear, Yerin stepped on the gas and they reached their destination 15 minutes earlier than expected.

"Hey, we're here," Yerin said gently and shook Eunbi by her shoulder. She felt bad for waking the girl since she was probably tired but Eunbi didn't seem to mind. They got out of the car and Yerin led the way towards a small hill just a few meters away from the car. Yerin spread out a blanket that Eunbi didn't realize the girl was holding and sat down, patting the spot next to her. Eunbi joined Yerin on the blanket and set the bags of chips down. The small hill turned out to be at a much higher altitude than Eunbi thought as the city could be seen in the short distance.

"Is this scenic enough for you? If you're not interested in the city, you can lie down and look at the stars instead." Yerin said as she eased herself down, placing an arm behind her head for support.

"The sky is beautiful..." Eunbi said in awe when she saw the stars that were dusted across the night sky.

"Like you," Yerin said and the girl laughed, nudging her arm slightly. "I used to come here before I started driving. It helped for a while but then it got less effective."

"How about now? Do you sleep better now?"

"I do. Ever since I met you, I do." Yerin said and closed her eyes.

"Are you saying that I'm a boring person?" Eunbi teased and Yerin waved her hand in defence.

"You're not boring but there's just something about you that helps me... relax. It's like you're the medication I needed all this while. You were so intriguing. You drew me in and made me want to know everything about you." Yerin confessed candidly.

"So did you find out everything you want to know about me?" Eunbi asked and Yerin hummed in response.

"I guess. 90%? 95%?" 

"How about the remaining 5%?" Eunbi asked.

"That's our future together," Yerin said and the younger girl choked. "Nah but really, there's so much more to you that's yet to be discovered. I enjoy your company, Eunbi-yah. I love spending time with you and I hope we can do this for a long time." 

"I enjoy your company too. I feel like laughing now because you have the same effect on me." Eunbi said.

"What is this? Confession night?" Yerin chortled.

"You started it. I'm just adding my own thoughts." Eunbi shrugged.

"I like you, Eunbi-yah." Yerin sighed softly as she took the girl's hand and raised it up towards the sky. "I feel most relaxed when I'm with you. I know we haven't known each other long but I'm just putting it out here that I'd like to be with you for... Years to come."

"What more can I say? The charmer got charmed I see." Eunbi giggled and Yerin turned to look at the girl, confused. Seeing that the girl needed some explaination, Eunbi squeezed the hand that was holding hers. "Whatever I unknowingly did to you, you did it to me too. The feeling is mutual, Yerinnie."

The driver was shocked but pleased no doubt. 

"Since we have all the time in the world, let's take this at a leisurely pace." the older girl smiled and lowered their intertwined hands back down, resting in the tiny space between their bodies. Eunbi took a deep breath of the fresh air and closed her eyes. The warmth that was radiating off Yerin's body and the scent of freshly washed laundry while lying on an unusually soft grass patch made Eunbi feel sleepy once again. She looked over at Yerin who had her eyes closed as well and decided that a short power nap wouldn't hurt. Since sleep was still hard to chance upon, she decided to take the opportunity.

Besides, what's not to love about falling asleep next to a beauty like Yerin?