Wrong. This road trip had been a terrible idea. 

There had been several cases in which Chanyeol had to use the bathroom excessively from eating too much. Then, more than three times they were almost pulled over by a police because Chanyeol had either been driving too fast or too slow. And finally, Baekhyun couldn't stand - emphasis on stand - Chanyeol's poor attempt at singing. It was more than enough of the horrid stench of his fart, but now Baekhyun had to deal with his horrendous singing? Hell no. If this routine continued on, they would most likely arrive at their destination much more later than they hoped for.

"Chanyeol!" Baekhyun suddenly cried in agony when the smell of his fart wafted up into his nose. "Oh my god! What the hell?!" He exclaimed, hurriedly rushing to roll the windows now. The foul smell of Chanyeol's passed gas was too much to handle. Baekhyun was internally dying. 

"I'm sorry! I ate too much of that Taco Bell burrito!" Chanyeol said in defense. Baekhyun only rolled his eyes, leaning his head against the headrest of his seat. The cool breeze blasting from his window was slowly lulling him asleep.

After about an hour or two, Baekhyun soon woke up. They were still on the road. Baekhyun glanced at Chanyeol and he noticed that the bags under Chanyeol's eyes were apparent. Turning away, Baekhyun carefully stuck his head out his window and stared up at the starry sky with admiration. "Wow." He breathed out unconsciously. 

"What's up?" He heard Chanyeol's tired voice call out. Baekhyun pulled his head back in and closed the window. "I was just cherishing the night sky. It's beautiful out tonight." He acclaimed, his eyes fixated on the never ending road in front of them. "Yeah, it is." Chanyeol briefly glanced at the sky before putting all his attention back on the road. Silence consumed them before Baekhyun timidly spoke, "No one ever told me that letting go was hard."

Chanyeol's eyes flickered to an exit as he listened to Baekhyun's bitterness. He changed lanes and started driving towards the exit. The car was in desperate need for gas now.

In attempt to make Baekhyun feel better and hope for the best, Chanyeol concluded, "Not everything is easy, Baekhyun. I'm sure there is a reason why you were not meant for Hana. There's a reason for everything." Baekhyun sighed to himself. "I guess you're right. Maybe there's someone better for me out in the universe. I just haven't found her yet." Chanyeol, driving towards a gas station, only drew out a breath in slight frustration. 

"Stop ruining love by wanting it so bad."

Baekhyun's lips parted slightly as he stared at Chanyeol, who had exited the car to put gas in the car, dumbfounded. Chanyeol was right. Love isn't something to look for. Love is something that looks for its target. There is no need for him to seek out its players. They're all here, spread out in front of him - lost and confused.

"Just let love come to you." Chanyeol advised as soon as he got back inside the car. Baekhyun didn't respond. He merely laid his head against the glass window and watched the different midnight escapees getting gas. 

This journey was going to be a long one.

✖ ✖ ✖

Iseul wobbled around the hall with a glass of orange juice. She suddenly regretted attending last night's midnight party at the Kwons. The only things she had gotten out of it were a few numbers she would never even bother giving a call and a terrible hangover.

"Morning, Iseul." Her mother called with her back facing Iseul as she cooked some bacon and eggs. Iseul smiled warily and carefully took a seat at the table. When her father narrowed her eyes at her strange behavior, she quickly ducked her head down to avoid any eye contact and picked at her empty plate. She hoped that neither of her parents, nor her annoying younger sister, could catch on the secret she was holding in.

It was always like this; sneaking out late at night and arriving back home before six in the morning. It was a bad habit she had yet to break. 

"Why do you look so tired, unnie?" Haneul, her younger sister of only seventeen years old, asked. Iseul smiled lightly and reached across the table to ruffle her younger sister's hair. "Nothing. Unnie is just very tired." Haneul titled her head to the side, eyeing Iseul with curiosity. Before she could even ask Iseul what she was doing last night to make her extremely tired, Iseul was saved by the doorbell. Jolting up, Iseul cried, "I'll get it!"

Iseul drew out a breath, placing her hand over her heart in relief. She wasn't caught this time.

After checking her horrid I-just-got-out-of-bed-with-a-hangover-reflection in the mirror, Iseul reached up on her toes to look through the peephole. She scowled when she saw that it only was only Jongdae and Yifan. Grudgingly, she unlocked the door and yanked the door open for both Jongdae and Yifan to walk in without her permission.

"What the hell?!" She scolded at the two as they nonchalantly walked into her living room as though they had done so more than times you can count on your fingers (which, by the way, they did).

Both Yifan and Jongdae merely ignored her. They took their share of the couch in her living room and Jongdae made a gesture towards the couch across to sit Iseul down. Iseul followed in suit, studying their equally stoic faces. She narrowed her eyes carefully before leaning her back against the couch. Judging from their facial expressions, she figured that whatever news was about to announced meant no good. 

Yifan lazily looked at Iseul with blank eyes. They were bloodshot red. Iseul grimaced unconsciously. Suddenly, the muscles on Yifan's face twisted in such a bizarre way that Iseul looked away, cringing.  His dumb looking face and slightly clouded eyes only meant one thing: Yifan was stoned. And here he was, inside her house with her parents and younger sister in the kitchen next door. If Iseul's parents were to find out that Yifan was - once again - within their household, stoned, there would be no way in seeing daylights as her parents would most likely ground her from hanging out with such a troublemaker.

"Jongdae!" Iseul cried out in a quiet whisper. Jongdae glanced at her. He pressed his lips together before saying, "Look, I know it was a dumb idea bringing Yifan along, but I promise that this will only take away at least three minutes of your time today." Iseul looked at Jongdae, her eyes telling him to continue. 

Warily, Jongdae started, "Well, you see-" He paused for a brief moment as though he had suddenly lost his train of thought. But just as Iseul was to question what was up, Jongdae beat her to it by saying, "My friend Chanyeol and his friend need a place to stay for their time being in Las Vegas. They're from Chicago, Illinois, and they just finished their second year of college and are going into their third soon, so naturally they would be broke." Iseul raised a brow. She couldn't quite understand where Jongdae was going with this.

"And?" She impatiently tapped her foot against the carpeted wood floor with her arms crossed over her chest. "What the hell do you want me to do about it? It's not my problem. I don't even know them." She continued.

Jongdae smiled sheepishly and looked at Iseul through his lashes. An adorable look of desperation was beginning to show. Puppy dog looks of persuasion were one of Iseul's weaknesses and Jongdae was using it as an advantage.

"You see," Jongdae started, tracing circles on the carpet with the tip of his toe. Iseul bit her lip in attempt to keep shut. At any given moment if Jongdae continued with his tactic, Iseul would - in a heartbeat - say yes to whatever favor he was asking for. "They need a place to stay." He finished. 

After hearing the ridiculous request, Iseul only choked on her spit. Even with the desperate puppy dog eye trick, what made Jongdae think in his right mind that she would agree to this? Surely, when he was thinking about the outcome of this request, he was paying no mind or consideration to Iseul's feelings, and that's what made Iseul angry about it. Although Jongdae and Iseul weren't exactly on the terms of friendship, Iseul would have never thought for Jongdae to chuck something so bizarre at her no matter how much he seemed to dislike her. This was just blowing out of proportion. 

Without a second thought, Iseul merely answered with a curt "No" before tugging on both Jongdae and Yifan's wrists to throw them out of her house. Thankfully neither protested and silently obliged. 

Because Haneul had sharp ears and was very clever, her head popped out behind the opening that connected the living room and kitchen to see what in the world was going on. 

"Was that Yifan oppa?" She giddily asked, plopping on the couch next to Iseul.

Iseul winced at how loud her younger sister was being. She scowled at the younger and lightly smacked her shoulder. "Keep quiet! You know how much mom and dad despise Yifan. And besides, how can you like someone like him? He's a high school drop out and a total pothead. People like that are bad influences." She explained.

Haneul snorted. "Says the girl who's actually friends with one." Haneul held up her hands in defense with a smug smile when Iseul glared at her.

"Whatever. I'm heading out. Later!" Iseul waved before stalking into the kitchen to bid her parents goodbye. "I'll come back before three!" She called, closing the front door behind her.

Once she stepped out of the house, she shivered as the cool summer morning breeze brushed past her bare arms. She sighed mentally, reaching into her pale pink pajama shorts for a piece of gum. How stupid of her to rush out of the house without fixing herself, much less brushing her teeth. Fortunately, she found a piece and she popped the piece into . 

Smacking her gum loudly, she muttered "Now where the hell did those two pinheads go?" as she walked past bewildered neighbors.