Chasing the Sun

In a small café near the airport, Olivia sipped her coffee and glanced at her phone. Her heart raced. She had just received an email—she was shortlisted for a dream assignment. A three-month paid trip around Southeast Asia for a travel company’s new campaign.

At the same time, just two tables away, Danny grinned at his screen. Same email. Same assignment. He looked up and spotted Olivia. She looked familiar.

He stood and walked over. “Excuse me,” he said with a smile. “Are you Olivia Rivera?”

Olivia looked up, surprised. “Yes. Do I know you?”

“I’m Danny Cruz. I follow your vlog—Olivia’s Backpacks, right?”

She laughed. “Wow, someone actually watches that?”

“I do,” Danny said. “You’re good. I’m a travel vlogger too. Danny Roams.”

Olivia raised her brows. “Oh. I’ve heard of you. Wait… don’t tell me.”

Danny nodded. “Yup. I think we’re both going for the same assignment.”

“Oh no,” she said, half-joking. “So you’re my competition.”

“Or maybe my teammate,” Danny said, a twinkle in his eye.

Two weeks later, they met the travel company’s representative in Bali. She smiled and said, “We couldn’t pick just one, so we picked both. You’ll travel together. Compete, but also collaborate. Show us who tells better stories.”

Olivia and Danny looked at each other.

“This will be fun,” Danny said.

“Or a nightmare,” Olivia replied, though she was secretly curious.

Their first stop was a floating market in Thailand. Olivia focused on colors, food, and local stories. Danny filmed himself trying weird fruits and joking with vendors.

“You always go for laughs,” Olivia teased as they sat by the river later that night.

“And you always go deep,” Danny said. “You find the heart of things.”

They looked at each other for a moment, something soft in the silence.

Then Olivia smiled. “Let’s see who gets more views.”

“Challenge accepted.”

As the days passed, they rode tuk-tuks in Cambodia, danced in festivals in Vietnam, and hiked in Malaysia. Every night, they edited side by side. Sometimes they argued about shots or sound. But often, they laughed and shared tips.

In one quiet mountain village, they watched the sunrise. The world below looked like clouds resting on hills.

“It’s beautiful,” Olivia whispered.

“So are you,” Danny said before he could stop himself.

She stopped laughing. “Danny…”

He stepped closer. “I mean… this moment. Beautiful,” Danny said quickly.

She smiled but didn’t say anything.

Later that week, they got caught in a sudden rainstorm in the Philippines. They ran for cover under a tiny hut.

Olivia was laughing, soaked. “I haven’t laughed like this in a long time.”

Danny looked at her, water dripping down his face. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

She stopped laughing. “Danny…”

He stepped closer. “I wasn’t sure at first. I came to win. But now, I just want to be with you.”

Olivia looked into his eyes, but no words came.

And there, with the rain pouring around them, they just kept laughing.

By the time they reached Singapore, the competition had become intense. The travel company asked them to each submit a final video about their experiences. The last day, they spent hours editing, each of them feeling the weight of the pressure. Olivia put her heart into her final video—stories of the people they’d met, the cultures they’d experienced. She knew she had done her best, but a small part of her wondered if it was enough.

When the results came in, they were both called in to hear the decision separately.

A rooftop interview with the company. Olivia sat in front of the company’s representatives, her heart pounding. They asked them to speak separately.

“Olivia, you have an incredible story. Your vlog shows a deep understanding of the places and people you visit,” the representative said. “But ultimately, we’ve decided to go with Danny. His ability to connect with his audience, his humor, his energy—it’s exactly what we need for this campaign.”

Olivia’s stomach sank. “So, I didn’t get it?”

“No, you didn’t,” the representative confirmed. “But you’re a talented vlogger. We’d love to see more from you in the future.”

Olivia walked out of the office feeling numb. She had never lost like this before, especially to someone she respected. She found Danny waiting outside, a hopeful look on his face. But when he saw her expression, he knew.

“I’m sorry,” Danny said softly. “I really didn’t want to win like this.”

Olivia forced a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “No, you earned it. You were always more… energetic, more… fun. It’s your style.”

He stepped closer, sensing her distance. “Olivia, I didn’t mean to hurt you. This competition—it’s not everything.”

“Maybe it is,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “You won, Danny. And that’s it.”

With that, she turned and walked away without another word.

The next few weeks passed in a blur for Olivia. She focused on her solo projects, trying to push aside the disappointment she felt. She had always been independent, but this loss felt different. It left a hollow space inside her.

She avoided social media, not wanting to see Danny’s posts or updates about the campaign. She told herself that he had done well, that it was just a competition. But deep down, she couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal.

Months passed, and their paths never crossed. Not a single message. Not even a comment on each other’s vlogs. Olivia tried to move on, but her thoughts always wandered back to that last day in the Philippines.

Danny, too, felt the emptiness. He missed the connection he had with Olivia. He missed her humor, her insights, and even their friendly arguments. But he also knew that he had hurt her, and he couldn’t find the words to reach out.

A year later, as fate would have it, both of them were invited to a travel conference in Bali. They hadn’t seen each other since the competition. When they spotted each other across the room, a wave of emotions washed over them.

Danny hesitated but walked over. “Olivia?”

She looked up, surprised. “Danny. It’s… it’s been a while.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice low. “I should’ve done more to make it right. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Olivia swallowed hard. “You didn’t. It’s just… I wasn’t prepared for what losing felt like. I’ve never lost, Danny. And it was the first time I didn’t know what to do.”

He nodded. “I get it. And I shouldn’t have let it get in the way of us.”

They stood in silence for a long moment, both unsure of what to say next.

Finally, Olivia spoke. “Maybe… maybe we could try again. Not as competitors. But as friends?”

Danny smiled. “I’d like that. More than anything.”

And as they stood there, surrounded by the buzz of the conference, something new began to grow between them—slowly, but surely. The past wasn’t forgotten, but it no longer defined them. Maybe, just maybe, they could start over.