The small figure tilts her head back as she look around the new environment. Adjusting the strap of her back pack, her eyes landed on the tall sky scrapers and their fancy exteriors.

 

Las Vegas, Nevada. The bold letters on her map reads.

 

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Taeyeon smirked at her own thoughts before walking aimlessly forward.

 

**

 

A pile of papers slammed against the wooden desk and the blonde woman flinched in her seat. It was another hard day at work.

 

“Don’t you have anything else to write besides dresses? I get that fashion is your forte. But Jessica, can you at least try some other topics?!” A man in his late thirties hissed behind the desk before letting out a frustrated sigh.

 

“Will you please take some time off? I’ll give Hyoyeon the task for the mean time.” The man continued in a calmer voice while rubbing his temples.

 

The blonde stared wide-eyed at the man. When she realized what he was getting at, she forcefully stood up from her seat, causing the man to avert his gaze to the worry-stricken blonde.

 

“No! No no no no! No please. I need this job. I need this. One chance..” She started panicking. “Just one chance please.”

 

The man could only shake his head before letting out another sigh.

 

“One chance.” His voice was full of seriousness and the blonde nod her head rapidly.

 

With heavy footsteps, Jessica Jung made her way outside the tall building, not looking back once. She was pissed alright. Her boss was being an a** again, insisting she should write about travels, family and whatnots. Which she detested so much, she dare say. She has no idea what to write when her last travel was merely fifteen years ago, if she remembers right. Fashion was her forte and she couldn’t afford the time to travel when she had to make a living. And the thought of wasting money to go to a place you would soon leave didn’t appeal much to her. She would rather save up for her sister’s education.

 

The blonde woman was still killing her boss in her head when she walked the sidwalk of Downtown Las Vegas. Not noticing a figure right in front of her, the blonde landed on her in the cold hard ground. A loud hiss escaped . Slowly standing up, she came face to face with a short woman with dark hair who managed to stand up from the fall and was now dusting her pants.

 

“What the hell were you thinking?!! Are you even looking at where you are going?!!! How dare you bump into me just like that?!!!” HellSica was on full rage, venting all her frustration at the woman in front of her.

 

“What?!!” She screamed when the woman just blinked its eyes at her.

 

“Gah! Why do people like you exist!!!” Jessica screamed one more time before stomping her way to the bus stop again.

 

“Excuse me?!” However, she stopped in her tracks when the woman talked. Turning on her heels, Jessica was once again face to face with the woman.

 

HellSica was sending deathly glares at the offending woman which she detests so much in this time of the day. However, the woman just stared at her, left brow raised in a questioning manner, and stood there undaunted. Jessica scoffed before turning around again and headed straight to the bus stop. She have had enough of today’s bad luck.

 

**

 

“I’m telling you, people here are crazy.” A chuckle was her answer from the other end of the line.

 

“Aww come on now, Tae, maybe it was just a bad day at work. You know how hectic people here are. And careered women don’t waste time.” The person on the other end of the line reasoned.

 

“But you don’t just scream like that in the middle of the street. Not to mention to a stranger you don’t even know.” Taeyeon scoffed.

 

“Well, I don’t know.” The person on the other line said.

 

“Anyway, where are you staying? I told you, you can crash in mine and my boyfriend’s apartment. He knows you and he’s okay with you living with us for the mean time.” The person added when Taeyeon had been quiet.

 

“Thank you for the offer, Hyo. But I’m fine, really. Though I hope I could catch up with you guys one of these days.” Taeyeon said and a sigh could be heard from the other line.

 

“Fine. But we should totally catch up, alright?”

 

“How about tonight, though? I’m kind of bored and I badly wanna see you guys. Your boyfriend is home tonight, right?” Taeyeon said and she heard her cousin asked someone else at the other end of the line.

 

“I’ll text you the place. Don’t get lost alright?” Her cousin said in a teasing tone.

 

“Yah! I have a good sense of direction.” Taeyeon countered.

 

“Right.” Her cousin answered with a chuckle.

 

“Yah!” Taeyeon playfully screamed at her phone before pressing the end call button.

 

**

 

A blonde made her way inside the location that was sent to her through a text message. Her eyes darted from side to side, looking for a certain blonde woman and a guy. When she saw the blonde seated in the far corner of the bar, Jessica proceeded to walk to her friends.

 

“Long time no see, Key.” Two heads snapped towards Jessica when she spoke. The other blonde woman smiled widely at her.

 

“You actually made it!” The other blonde woman exclaimed, prior to standing up and engaging Jessica in a cheek to cheek greeting. The guy named Key just nod and smiled at the newly arrived blonde before taking his seat beside his girlfriend again.

 

“Yeah, well I don’t really have anything to do. And I think my brain is going to explode trying to rake ideas about the new editorial.” Jessica said, sitting down across her blonde friend and the guy named Key.

 

“Oh, right. I heard boss got you bad today.”

 

Jessica just shrugged her shoulder and took a sip at her friend’s drink.

 

“Ew. What’s this? This is gross.” Jessica said and grimaced before taking a better look at the liquid she just shoved down .

 

“Easy. We don’t want you getting wasted this early.” Key, the Chinese-looking guy said before he and his girlfriend, Hyoyeon, went into a laughing fit. Jessica could only glare at the couple.

 

A ringing phone stopped the laughing fit as Hyoyeon answered it.

 

“Yes? Okay, I’ll be there.” Hyoyeon spoke while Jessica watched her with questioning eyes.

 

“Excuse me while I get my cousin.” Hyoyeon stood up and made her way to the entrance of the bar.

 

“Who’s this cousin? I never knew she had a cousin here.” Jessica asked Hyoyeon’s boyfriend, Key as she watched her blonde friend walked up to someone.

 

“Oh, right. You haven’t met her yet, she’s traveling. I guess. I mean, she always travels. But she was born in Korea, too. Like you and Hyo and me.” Jessica just rolled her eyes at the explanation.

 

“Midget!” Key exclaimed and stood up from his seat, Jessica’s gaze averted from her phone and landed on the smiling figure that had just arrived. Her eyes widened, and the figure copied it.

 

“Sica, this is—“ Hyoyeon started but got cut off.

 

“You!!” Jessica pointed her index finger to the short woman and stood up from her seat.

 

“—my cousin.” Hyoyeon’s last words were as low as a whisper when she tried to comprehend Jessica’s reaction.

 

“Yes, me.” The figure calmly replied.

 

Jessica kept mum, still eyeing the offending figure in front of her.

 

“Taeyeon, this is Jessica. Jessica, this is Hyo’s cousin, Taeyeon.” Key interrupted the staring contest between his midget and blonde friends.

 

Taeyeon nodded while Jessica looked off to the side and went back to her seat. Taeyeon stood beside their table.

 

“Right. Tae, sit down. You look like a waitress.” Hyoyeon said which earned a chuckle from her boyfriend and a disapproving look from Taeyeon.

 

**

 

“So, how did you two know each other?” Hyoyeon started asking when they all settled. Much to Taeyeon’s distaste though, she was seated beside Jessica that obviously hated her as of the moment.

 

“We don’t know each other.” Came Jessica’s voice in a cold tone. Hyoyeon raised her brow at Taeyeon.

 

“Well—“ Taeyeon looked to her side, at Jessica. The blonde was looking elsewhere. “—remember what I told you a while ago?” Taeyeon looked at Hyoyeon which eyes widened for a second then nodded knowingly. “—yeah, that was her.” Taeyeon finished.

 

Jessica’s head turned towards Taeyeon with a questioning look in her face, then to Hyoyeon.

 

“Tae called me a while ago and told me about someone yelling at her in the middle of the street and whatnot.” Hyoyeon said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulder. Key could only watch in amusement.

 

“It must be fate, then.” The comment earned Key disapproving looks from the women across him.

 

“What?” He said, shifting his gaze from Taeyeon to Jessica. “Oh come on! How many people bump into each other on the street and meet again some time?”

 

“That’s because she’s stupid and she doesn’t watch where she’s going.” Jessica hissed in a cold tone.

 

“Yah! I’m not stupid and you were pretty much out of it too!” Taeyeon retorted, earning deathly glares from Jessica again.

 

“You two are like kids. Let’s just order something to drink and try to enjoy, okay?” Hyoyeon said, prior to calling a waiter.

 

**

 

“So, where are you traveling after Vegas?” Key asked Taeyeon.

 

“I don’t know. Maybe Canada. I have no plans yet.” Taeyeon answered like it was the most normal thing to do.

 

“You’re a traveler?” Three pair of eyes landed on Jessica that had finally spoke in a much calmer voice for the first time that evening. “What?” She asked Hyoyeon and Key.

 

“Nope.” Taeyeon’s answer earned a questioning look from Jessica.

 

“Wanderer. Not a traveler.” Taeyeon corrected.

 

“Wanderer, traveler. What’s the difference? You still waste money and time.” Jessica said, crossing her arms across her chest.

 

Taeyeon rolled her eyes.

 

“No, princess. A traveler is someone who has goals and objectives while a wanderer like me is someone who goes on a trip just for the joy of it. No definite destinations, no goals, no objectives.” Taeyeon smiled after her explanation.

 

A flustered Jessica raised her right brow at the sudden nickname.

 

“Princess?” Jessica asked the smiling Taeyeon beside her.

 

“Huh?” Taeyeon furrowed her brows before a smirk appeared on her face. “Oh, right. You act like one. Don’t you like being called one?”

 

“No. And I’m not your princess, nor anybody else’s” Jessica said, arms still crossed across her chest.

 

“Aw, you’re no fun.” Taeyeon said with a fake pout. Hyoyeon could only shake her head.

 

“You act like a kid.” Jessica commented after seeing the pouting woman beside her. “Well, you look like a kid anyways.” Jessica snorted a laugh which also made Hyoyeon and Key chuckle.

 

Taeyeon gave out a dorky grin before extending her hands to Jessica to which the latter eyed skeptically.

 

“Friends?” Taeyeon said, the dorky grin still plastered on her face. Jessica rolled her eyes before taking Taeyeon’s hands and shaking it.

 

“Friends.”

 

“Cheers to friendship!” Key abruptly exclaimed which earned giggles from the three women before they all raised their glasses and the unison of ‘cheers’ was heard.