I slowly woke up to the sound of birds chirping accompanied by the voice of someone crying. I can feel my head hurts and my vision is blurred. I can’t move my legs. What had just happened to me?

“Waaa!! Amber unnie! Don’t die yet! I’m sorry unnie! I won’t ask you to climb trees to get the bird’s nest for me anymore! Please don’t die! Waaaaaa!!” Right. I forgot that I fell down from a tree. This is bad. Mom going to scold me for this. I turned my head to look at the figure crying profusely and it took me a moment to figure who was that figure. Jung Soo Jung aka Krystal. I grinned and close my eyes. “Amber unnie! Please wake up! Please tell me this is just a joke! What should I tell your mom if you are dead?? There will be no one to buy groceries for her anymore and…who is going to give me free ice cream again?? Waaaa…!” I peeked at her crying face. So cute. She is my neighbour’s youngest daughter and also my best friend. She is eight and I am two years older than her. I guess the age differences is the reason why I feel protective towards her but at the same time I’d like to around. She is so cute when she is mad or cried. Maybe I shoul- “And…and who is going to read me story books and kiss my head when I’m going to sleep tonight? I can’t imagine living without you, Amber unnie!! God, please don’t take her away from me! I’ll promise I’ll be a good kid after this! Give back Amber unnie!” Krystal prayed with her head buried on my stomach, clutching on my shirt in the process. Something triggered my protective mode when I look at her sorrowful expression. Okay. That’s enough. I should stop pretending dead now.

“Krystal...” my hand slowly reach her and caress her head.

“Amber unnie?” She look at me with her watery eyes.

 “I’m sorry Krystal. I’m just playing around.” I smiled apologetically at her, expecting a revenge kick or maybe a punch but I was surprised when she hugged me tightly. “Please, please, pretty please don’t that again Amber unnie! I’m so scared that I thought I’m going to be done for! I can’t live without you unnie! I don’t like it. I don’t want you to leave me.” She sobbed on my shoulder and I hugged her back, feeling sorry that I have taken my teasing too far. “I’m not going to leave you Krystal. Look. I’m here, alive. My heart still beating. You can get all the hug and kisses you want from me.” I jokingly said as I wipe off her tears with my right hand. I chuckled and caress her head again. Her warm smile and hug relieves me off the pain I’m suffering from my broken legs.

“Then can you kiss me? On the lips?” Krystal look at me with a hopeful expression.

“Hey, hey. Don’t take what I am saying too far. Save your first kiss for the one you really love and treasured. That’s what mom always told me.”

“But I love you Amber unnie and you love me too!”

“You don’t understand what I mean, Krystal. You’re still a kid.”

“You’re a kid too!” Krystal crossed her arms angrily.

“No. I am not going to give you my first kiss.” I turned my head sideways and sigh.

“You must give me your first kiss!” Krystal demanded and pulled my ear. “Owwww..! Don’t do that Krystal! My legs are broken here!” I yelped in pain and Krystal stopped pulling my ear.

“Then don’t you love me Amber unnie?” I look at her and Krystal is staring at me with a sad smile.

SMACK!

“Owwww! That’s hurt!” I rubbed my head. “How long are you going to stare at your tux? The whole day?”

I turned around and Jackie is looking at me with a sigh coming out of . She is wearing a red dress with a red handbag in her hand and a red lipstick on her lips. “All red?” I stared at her in disbelief. “So what? That’s my favourite colour. It’s not like I am wearing something that will overshadowed the bride.” She continued to put on her makeup and pose gleefully in front of the mirror.

“You look like a clown.”

“Say what?!”

I quickly grab my tuxedo and run into the bathroom. I can’t believe I just had a flashback on my childhood days with Krystal. How time flies. When I’m done, I stepped out of the bathroom without forgetting to make sure there are no specks of dirt on my face. She won’t like it if I look messy on this important day. Jackie is still busy with her over the top makeup. I shake my head. I should go check on Krystal. I opened the door and nearly screamed when I found Allison is standing outside of the room with the biggest smile she have. She looks like a creep waiting to catch a glimpse of her idol. “OMG. OMG. OMG. You look so stunning Amber. Thumbs up for you! Maybe I should date you!” Allison stated and quickly grabs my arm.

“Hello! Her sister is still here!” Jackie shouted from where she is seated. I chuckled and remove my arms from Allison’s.

“Go back to your boyfriend, Allison. I need to go check up on Krystal first.”

“Aaaww…looking for your wife now? Just kidding.” Allison snickered and I shove her lightly with a smile on my face. I quickly walked out of the room towards where Krystal is. I can only think of Krystal and wondering how she feels on this big day. When I reached her room, I stopped my pace and look at the doorknob. My heartbeat quickens as I turned the doorknob but it dies down when I look inside the room. There’s no one here. My heart sunk a little and was about to close door when something blocked my eye vision. I smiled.

 “Who do you think it is?”

“Umm…Min?”

“Nope. Come on. I think you are better than this.”

“My dead grandma.”

SMACK!

“How dare you. I’ll let you try again. Who is this?” I can hear her chuckles at the end of her question. I smiled again. How could I forgot someone this cute? “Krystal.” I touched her hands that is blocking my vision and turned around to face her. My jaws dropped when I look at the person in front of me. She looks so beautiful in her wedding dress. I swear I can see lights emitted from her face. “Are you an angel send by the God?” I said in a little voice but still loud enough for Krystal to hear. “Can you not? You make me cringe.” Krystal slapped my arm but I knew she is blushing happily even though her face is covered by her makeup. “You’re okay?” I look at her worriedly. Krystal nodded and hold my hand. “How about you?” I look down on our intertwined fingers, fiddling with it and look back to Krystal. I knew she is nervous. It’s so obvious since we knew each other from small. “I’m good. Very very good! I think I can save people with my smile! Hohohoho!” I make the superhero pose and satisfied when I see her laughed upon seeing my silly reaction. “Stupid.” Krystal adjusted my shifted bowtie and look at me. “How can you be so stupidly gorgeous in this?” Krystal says as she clean off any dust on my tux. I grinned and pinched her cheeks but I quickly pull away my hands when I realized I’m going to smear her makeup. Krystal smiled and proceeds to sit on the chair inside the room. She looked at the mirror in front of her. “Amber…I never imagine I will be living a married life. I used to tell my mom that I’m not going to marry anyone and I’ll be staying with my family but now look at me…how funny is that?” She chuckled and rested her chin on her hands.

“I’m so…nervous…and scared… I feel like I’m not ready to leave my family.”

“Krystal. Look at me.” I kneeled down and hold her hand firmly while looking up at her with a serious face. I can see her crystalized eyes looking back at me.

“You will be fine. Trust me. You will be the happiest married woman in the world. I’m sure. Your family would be so happy with you.”

“Really? That’s not a lie?”

“Yup.”

“Soo Jung!”

Both of us turned our heads towards the door and see Mr. Jung came in with the bridesmaids.

“Don’t you know you are making me worried when you disappeared from your room just now? Thank God someone seen you and told me. I nearly called on the police.” Krystal’s dad look at her worriedly with his hands on his waist. Sweats can be seen pouring out of his pores. Poor Daddy Jung. I guess he is really worried about his youngest child. “You two should be in the church right now. What are you two doing? The wedding is going to starts. The bridegroom is here.” Mr. Jung wipe off the sweats from his head and ordered the bridesmaids to help out with Krystal’s wedding gown.

“We’re just hanging out a bit since little princess would be busy with her new life after this. Someone is taking my little princess away.” I look at Krystal and smile. Mr. Jung laughed and patted my back.

“Amber, she will have the time to hang out with you. Don’t you worry. Married life is not that busy. You will meet her again. Alrighty. Krystal, let’s go. It’s time for me to hand you to your beloved husband-to-be.” Before they go, I hugged Mr. Jung and I hugged Krystal. This warmth and her scent. I could never feel it again. I’m going to miss it so much.

“You’re not coming with us Amber?” Krystal hold my hands.

“I’ll go later on. I need to make a phone call. You go on first.” I pinched her nose.

“Make sure you watch my wedding. It won’t be a wedding if you’re not there. By the way..” Krystal lean closer and kissed my cheek.

“Thank you so much, Amber for everything that you’ve done for me till now.”

“You deserved it, my princess.” I smiled at her and Krystal happily walked out of the room with her dad and bridesmaids. When the door closes and I no longer heard their footsteps, my smile slowly faded into a grim one. “I’m sorry...the phone call is just an excuse…how can I come to your wedding when I’m not the one…who is marrying you?” I slowly slid to the ground, my back against the wall and buried my face in my arms. I couldn’t help but sit there and cry. It hurts. It hurts so much to love you silently and watch you kiss someone else.It feels like someone ripped open my heart and smash it with a hammer hundred times. If I knew it sooner, I should have kissed you back then. It’s my fault for being a coward. I should have told you earlier and maybe I would have the chance? I felt my sleeves becoming wet with tears when suddenly I feel something warm enveloped me. I look up with tears still rolling down and was startled when I see the one who hugged me is Jessica, Krystal’s older sister.

 “U-unnie...w-“

“Shhh…let’s stay like this for a while.” Jessica hugged me tighter and I just complied with it. We stayed like that for a few minutes, in silence.

“Umm…unnie…maybe you should get back to the wedding.” I pushed her a bit, wanting her to go see her little sister’s wedding and also partly because I don’t want to her to see my crying face. It would be so awkward since I never showed my crying face to anyone.

“It’s Jessica. I don’t like you to call me unnie.” Jessica stated and then out of nowhere, she kisses me. On the lips. It startled me so much that I accidently pushed her hard, causing her head to knock against the table. “Unnie, what are you doing? That’s my first kiss!” I exclaimed but then I quickly helped her out of guilty for pushing her too hard.

“It’s good that Soo Jung is getting married with someone else.”

I stopped and look at her face. It feels like a stab right at my wound.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I finally have my chance.” Jessica smiles at me.