Jessica didn’t notice it, but this was the second time.

An environment filled with laughter and colors—a total opposite of her own. She thought that she had simply fallen asleep on her stop. But no, this was reality.

Seoul Station, it read. Weird, this is the right stop but it seems to be much cleaner and brighter than what she remembers.

She stepped off the subway without bothering to ask any more questions as she was awfully tired from work. Jessica had enough of her boss demanding so much personal stuff that all she wants was to take a nice bath, watch Netflix, and fall asleep with the TV on.

She takes a cab home, eyes drooping every 5 minutes but she manages to keep it open, completely missing that her usual neighborhood isn’t what it used to be: the streets are creepier at night and there’s always something lurking in the dark; now it’s a lot radiant with more lights to guide them on their way home and the old and rusty brick apartment buildings have somehow turned into a modern home built with concrete, like they’re in some kind of rich neighborhood.

But of course, Jessica had missed all that as her senses were only focused on the radio that is playing an unfamiliar tune and she’s trying to keep her eyes open the entire ride home.

She walks to her doorstep and fumbles to find the right key for the front door in the pitch darkness. There was no click to indicate the door unlocking when she turned it. It was already open.

Another weird occurrence. She grips the key, facing north, as it is the only “weapon” she has against whoever broke into her home.

Jessica had no housemates, and her job requires her to be away from her family, so this is really weird.

“Sica, you’re home,” says the blonde girl from the kitchen. She looks to be about Jessica’s age. The girl gave her a beautiful smile and a cup of coffee. Both actions made Jessica’s hands and heart warm.

‘Sica?’ How did she know my name? And since when did we drop the formalities when I don’t even know this person.

“Huh?” was the only word she could utter. With many years in the publishing industry, you’d think that she has a wide variety of vocabulary. Not in this situation, at least.

Admiring the slim girl in simple pajamas, holding her mug of coffee in both hands, blowing the steam from it, and looking effortlessly beautiful without any makeup on—Jessica had lost her words.

“Are you single?” She thought out loud.

The blonde girl almost chokes on the warm beverage and bursts out laughing. “No, I’m already taken by you, babe.

“What happened to you, Jess? You seem weird today,” She walks over to the brunette who hasn’t moved an inch from the entrance. The blonde takes both their cups and sets it onto the coffee table.

Her delicate fingers move away the strands of hair from Jessica’s face, almost like her tattoed fingers were doing a little dance. Her eyes show concern, they are “dating” after all (whatever the hell that means). The girl smells nice. Her clothes have that lavender smell from the detergent she uses and her personal smell is sweet and fruity.

The blonde was dangerously close that Jessica could even distinguish obscure fragrances from this woman.

Blondy—she thought it’d be nice to at least give this unidentified girl a nickname—wraps her arms around Jessica’s neck, and whispers in a tone that sent chills down her spine, “Go to bed. You’ve probably had a rough day,”

Smirking, Blondy returns to the kitchen table with her coffee. She gives a final smile to the brunette before going back to her book.

Again, all words escape her at that moment. She quietly goes upstairs to take a relaxing bath that she deserves, temporarily tuning out the world and her problems aside. This is all a dream, Jessica. You’ll be fine tomorrow.

She lets out a big sigh and closes her eyes.

A short while later, The blonde girl leaves a note on her bedside table, under the lamp. She takes a final look around the house and she closes the door, specifically leaving her phone and taking her car keys and the wallet with only her ID inside.

Morning rose and Jessica wakes up to the sound of her alarm. She stretches her arms, back, and legs on the bed while her eyelids are still heavy from sleep. After her morning stretch, she goes down to the kitchen to make breakfast.

She finally notices that Blondy is nowhere to be seen.

She celebrates it by eating toast and sitting on the carpeted floor, watching TV.

Jessica wanted to switch channels as she never watches the news until the words on the screen makes her drop the food and leave hanging. It read:

December 23, 20XX

1 dead and 1 injured by speeding collision in Hongdae Street.

A picture of Blondy appears, blonde and smiling sweetly, and that completely broke her.

Kim Taeyeon, 30

Jessica couldn’t bear to read the word ‘deceased’ beside her real name. tightens, she doesn't try to hold in the tears.

When she opened , the room shook with the sounds of grief and anguish; she couldn’t grasp everything that happened since yesterday night, and now this?! She didn’t know the woman so why did this affect her so much?

Jessica forced herself to get up and see Taeyeon for herself, no matter how unbearable it will be. She goes back up to their shared bedroom to read the note that the blonde has left the night before. She regrets ignoring it this morning.

“It’s okay. We’ll meet again.
—TY♡”

No, this can’t be suicide, right? We were dating! She looked happy!

“She looked happy…” Jessica crumbles the paper, her tears staining the floor as the realization hits. “I’m sorry, Taeyeon-ah. I didn’t know.”

The phone rings from her pocket. Unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Is this Miss Taeyeon’s guardian?”

“Yes,” Jessica replied promptly.