01 | Stealing purse

***

It's been a decade. Jessica couldn't help and looked out the window of the car and enjoy the ride.

Ten years ago, her family moved to L.A. where she continued her studies there. But life wasn't good as her family had expected. Her parents lose their jobs and she has to stop her studies. She got a job at a fast-food restaurant but it wasn't easy to be only relying on it, especially when her parents got sick and died when she was 25, leaving her in a foreign country indebted to their medical bills and other loans. 

Good thing she meets Seohyun and Tiffany who has the same fate as hers. She was able to pay the debts for the last five years.

"Do you guys still remember your childhood?" Tiffany softly asks breaking the silence inside the car.

"A little." Seohyun replied simply as she took pictures of places they passed by. She only had a few memories, especially when her parents always drop her to school. 

Jessica leaned back in her seat and shakes her head. "None. I bet it's because my college was far better than being in high school or elementary." 

"Me? When I was in elementary. I got a lot of crushes." Tiffany giggled and glanced at her friends in the backseat of the taxi.

"You were a class president back, weren't you?" Jessica creased her brows.

"Yup. And I receive a lot of flowers." Tiffany's so proud of her childhood. She gets a lot of attention because she makes a lot of friends despite being an orphan. "Don't you have memories in elementary at least?" 

Jessica shakes her head with a sigh. "I probably got into an accident." She looked out of the window again with a serene face. "Because you know I have a scar on my head and my parents never shared anything about the past." She felt incomplete inside. But she doesn't mind, she wants to live in the present and for the future.

"Unnie, should we drop by a restaurant? I want to eat dumplings." Seohyun suddenly requested looking back and forth with the older girls.

"Maybe after we reached the hotel, Hyunnie?" Tiffany requested as well. "Let's drop our stuff in the hotel room first."

"By the way, where are we going after five days of stay in the hotel?" Ask Seohyun. 

"I was planning to look for a job." Jessica shared.

"Omo, me too. In fact, I sent resumes before flying here." Said Tiffany as she giggled.

"Omo, so it's me left. I don't know yet what to do."

"Yah! Didn't you tell me you are good at drawing? Try registering a webtoon app. Who knows people will like it." Jessica nudges the youngest as she suggested. 

"But she's better at IT, Sica." Tiffany also has to remind. Growing up with Seohyun in an orphanage, she knows she can excell in that field better.

"Indeed but it will be hard to get a job in that industry nowadays. Most people now want to study IT because the salary is big." Jessica explained her point softly.

"I'll do both." Seohyun decided. "Thanks, Unnies." And flashed a bright smile.

Suddenly the car stopped, stunning all three girls inside. Luckily and all of them are on seatbelts.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see the stoplight right away." The driver apologizes right away.

"Please focus, ahjussi." Tiffany shakes her head and crossed her arms near her chest. She's a little pissed.

"I'm so sorry." The driver blows his head a couple of times.

"It's okay, Ahjussi." Jessica told the driver softly and looked out of the window again. The tall buildings tell her they're in a business street, just like in New York and Los Angeles. 

"Are we in Myeondung?" Tiffany guesses since there are a lot of people crossing the street.

"Yes. The business street in Seoul." The driver confirmed.

Seohyun got engrossed and she started taking photos again with her camera film. 

"It's just like in the states." Said Jessica.

"Definitely. South Korea is really a rich country now like China, Japan, and the states." Tiffany's amazed. She can see banks nearby as well, which reminds her of their jobs. 'That's so easy to break in.' 

"Why don't we steal for one last time?" Seohyun suggested. She herself got interested when she saw the banks. "I mean, their securities here are lighter than in LA." She suddenly got excited thinking of another money.

Jessica looked at her in surprise. "Yah, you can't say that thing so loud." And she glanced at the driver with an awkward smile.

The driver looked stunned but he was holding the steering wheel shakily.

"It was just a joke, ahjussi." Tiffany quickly saves the youngest with a chuckle. "You know our friend loves to joke."

"Looks like." The driver mumbles and smiles awkwardly as he glanced at the younger girl.

Seohyun smiled a little. "Mianhe." 

Jessica literally knocks on her forehead. "Don't do jokes like that from now on, Seohyun-ah." She scolded earning a cute pout. She scoffed and decided to brush it off.

Tiffany on the other hand smiled quietly in amusement. 'Once a thief, always a thief.' She and Seohyun had been thieves for a decade since they came to L.A. after getting adopted together by foreigners. They run away from their foster parents and meet the boss that introduced them to the job.

***

Walking into the hotel lobby while wearing sunglasses and pulling their luggage, they smiled and bowed a little to the staff that greets them before they talk to the receptionist. 

"I booked five days of stay under Jessica Jung's name." Said Jessica as she pulled her sunglasses down and smiles sweetly at the lady.

"Give me a second." The latter checks on their computer. 

"Why would they stare at us?" Seohyun noticed some of the guests passing at them would stare.

"Because we're attractive?" Guesses Tiffany. She giggles afterward.

"We all are wearing different colors of hair. I bet they find it weird." Jessica softly says. "Why would you dye your hair red, Seohyun-ah?" But she got curious about their choices too.

"It's my favorite color, Unnie." Seohyun replied with a brief smile.

"And I love purple." Tiffany also shared hers. "But why did you return to black?" But also wonders about Jessica's choice.

"I'm already blonde. I miss black hair." Jessica giggled. She couldn't help and flip her hair. 

"We're like idols." Seohyun remembers about the kpop idol she likes.

"Idols? Like singers?" Jessica furrows her eyebrows.

"Actress and Actors?" Tiffany does the same.

Seohyun laughs. "You guys really don't know a lot about South Korea's kpop." She's the youngest for a reason.

The older women look at each other with a puzzled look. Both of them are into the news as they monitor the banks and other places they broke into that they don't know the mainstream.

"Here's your key." The lady butted into them, handing them their key card.

"Oh, thanks, Miss." Jessica took it casually and ushered her friends to walk to the lift. "Eighteenth floor." 

Seohyun pressed the number since she was standing near the buttons.

"It's a family room so it's bigger than a single room." Informed Jessica.

"There's a hot bath?" wonders Tiffany, excited to freshen up.

"Absolutely!" 

"Jacuzzi?" And Seohyun also asked.

"Definitely!" Jessica cried out and laughs with them. "I freaking used fifty thousand for this." But she dropped it to tell them. "You guys better pay me sixteen k." 

"How about we go clubbing later? And steal some wallets?" Tiffany suggested while wiggling her eyebrows. She doesn't want to use her own money from it.

"Deal." Seohyun got excited. It's been a while since they stole some wallets. 

"Ugh." Jessica rolled her eyes. "I thought we're going to move on now from that?" She reminded. Or is it only her who agreed to it?

"I never said I will move on." Said Tiffany shrugging her shoulders. 

"I... Forgot I agreed to it." A sheepish smile appeared on Seohyun's face.

"Tsk. Fine. This will be the last time, okay? I mean, we're wanted by LA PD, who knows they will send intel pole to Seoul." Jessica believes they have to keep a low profile until the police stop looking for them. 

"Jessica Unnie is right, Fany Unnie." Seohyun agreed as she pouts. "Let's move on now."

Sighing, Tiffany nodded. "Fine. But..." She looked at the two in vice versa. "This will be the last time." She grinned, totally firm on not using the money she stole from the bank.

"Um, it wasn't intel pole Unnie. It was Interpol." Seohyun corrected earning a glare from the black-haired. She zipped her lips and looked up to the floor number.

Jessica and Tiffany chuckle, staring at her.

***

"Omo, isn't he that billionaire from time magazine? The youngest billionaire in the world?" 

"Yeah, it was him. Kwon Yuri." 

"Whoa, he looks... Better in person." 

And more murmurs can be heard as Yul walks into the hotel wearing his favorite blue coat and white sneakers. His two-block haircut is shining after he had gone to a salon. It's an important day since one of his best friends is having his birthday. 

The staff in the receptionist bowed at him as he heads straight to the lift and pressed seventeen. 

Suddenly, he got a phone call that made him roll his eyes in annoyance. But he picked it up from his coat nonetheless.

"Wae?" And nonchalantly answered his friend's phone call.

[Yah, are you still on the way?]

"I'm in the lift now, choding." 

[Oh thank god, Taeyeon was about to ask his secretary to look for you.] 

"Have you checked his blood pressure? It might-"

[KWON YURI! GET YOUR ASSES OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!] 

Yuri had to lean away from the phone when Taeyeon screamed on the phone. "Check his blood pressure now, Yoong! Aish!" He ended the call and quickly put his phone back in his pocket. "He should be thankful I give him time." He adjusted his tie and put his hands to the pocket of his coat.

He waited patiently until the lift reached the floor. 

"Hyung! Taeyeon Hyung is about to kill you." He was greeted by running doe-eyed.

"What?! Wae? What did I do?" Yuri got nervous. 

"You didn't tell him you will throw a party at the club. He's mad about it." Said Yoona as he turn and widen his eyes as Taeyeon is walking toward them with glares. He hastily pushed the Kwon forward.

Yuri hurriedly runs back to the lift.

"Yah! Kwon Yuri!" Shouted Taeyeon as he runs to chase his friend. "Comeback heeereee!!!"

"Pali." Yuri pressed the close button so many times but it won't close faster. Yoona got inside too and help him. Both of their eyes double and their mouths open as Taeyeon is getting closer and closer until the door closes. They let out a huge exhale. "Why would he be mad if I throw a party, eh?" But he wonders.

Yoona chuckled. "Don't you remember last year? He literally has to pay a lot of ladies after you rip their dresses while you're drunk." He knocks on his forehead to return him to the past. 

"Oh, indeed." Yuri smiled as he remember it. "But I won't drink this time. I have a meeting tomorrow so alcohol is a no-no for me." He promised confidently.

"Are you sure?" Yoona won't believe it.

"Ugh, can he just accept the party? It's him who will enjoy either way."

"I know right? Maybe he really just doesn't want the same thing to happen." 

Yuri nodded gently. "Fine. I won't throw a party but... I will treat everyone in the club." He grinned.

"Omo, that's even better. And make sure you're not going to touch a single glass of alcohol." Warned Yoona seriously. He put his arm around the Kwon's shoulder and pull him close to whisper. "But touch a lot of s tonight."

"Yah!" Yuri pushed the doe-eyed in an instant. "I'm not a ert. Aish." He attempted to hit him just to earn his laughter.

Just then, Yoona's phone rings. He fetched it out and snicker. "Speaking of the devil. Hyung." and he answers casually.

[Go back now. I'm calm already.]

"It's good to hear that, Hyung. And by the way, Yuri won't throw a party anymore. But he will treat everyone who's present later." He explained on behalf of his friend.

[That's good to know.] Taeyeon ended the call that instant.

"He wants us to return to the room now." Yoona informed and pressed the seventeen once again when they reach the ground floor. 

"Tsk, he's already 32, he still acts like that." Yuri muttered, sighing in the process.

"Don't worry, zero is keeping him cool now. No chance he's still mad at the moment." chuckled the doe-eyed. 

"He brought Zero?"

"You know that poodle will miss him if he leaves him at the dog center." 

Yuri scoffed and crossed his arms near his chest. 

***

Music blasting and people screaming while dancing to the beat welcomed Jessica, Tiffany, and Seohyun. It's almost like there's no tomorrow for everyone inside the club. 

The trio take their coat off and handed it to the bartender that asked them, revealing their sleeveless party dress. All three of them wearing black wigs and heels. Their heads are moving to the beat as they continue their way to the bar counter. 

"What would like you guys to drink?" Asks Tiffany loud enough as she took her seat