It’s the afternoon before the final match of the season. Amber is jogging alongside Joohyuk as they complete the last drill of their light training. After the final whistle, a few short inspirational words from the coach are in order, then finally the team gathers their gear and head to the locker room one last time before the big game.

 

With the finals in their midst, there are a lot of activities and school-spirit events that provided the much-needed distraction among the student body. In the same token, as much as possible, the festivities have detracted Amber’s attention away from Mino.

 

If there is one particular factor that has contributed to that success, however, it was definitely the distraction provided by Krystal’s constant presence in Amber’s space. One cannot go by student life amiss of the seemingly close affection that has unexpectedly surfaced in their hallways. Krystal simply stuck to Amber’s side, not giving her the chance to make a move towards Mino whenever the two appeared in close proximity. It would be as subtle as a stern look, a slight squeeze of hand under the table, or the light pull on Amber’s shirt that would take Amber by surprise, dispelling the first sight of anger. To much of everyone’s piqued interest, the unexpected pairing went unnoticed.

 

Even amongst their tight circle of friends, it was almost as though they were taken aback by the sudden public display of closeness that nobody really had the chance to react. In another sense, they saw how Krystal’s constant presence has exponentially alleviated the tension that emanates from Amber’s aura and dared not to ask questions but to ride it out...at least for the moment.

 

Of course...Irene has already silently acknowledged her jealousy. Kai too was starting to feel threatened—a thought he has been trying to push out all week for the sake of his friend and peace that it provided. Irene and Kai both decide to ignore the emotions in the same manner Amber and Krystal probably occupied themselves by the school spirit distractions.

 

After showers and changing into some comfortable joggers, sweatshirt, and a winter coat, Amber exits the locker room finding the team captain waiting for her without fail.

 

Joohyuk smiles as he pulls his friend in around his shoulder. Amber pushes herself away from Joohyuk as she rubs the top of his head in good fun. It was so obvious to Amber the extra care her friends, especially Joohyuk, had for her this week and she was abundantly grateful and embarrassed at the same time.

 

“You know, if I wasn’t into girls, I think other people would think that you’re in love with me or something,” Amber jokes as she pinches Joohyuk on the cheek inciting an “Ow!” swatting her hand away immediately.

 

“It’s obvious that they would have thought the other way around!” Joohyuk cheekily retorts.

 

“Ha! Only in your dreams. You’re not even my type.”

 

Joohyuk scoffs, “I’m everyone’s type.”

 

Amber chuckles and ponders on the thought for a moment. Joohyuk has the complete package every girl could want—intelligent, kind, athletic, and very easy on the eyes. She then realizes that out of the four of them it was obviously Kai who has the most active and illustrious dating life while the three of them managed to stay single in all of high school. It then dawns on her that she never thought to ask him if he has someone who he has a crush on or if he’d be interested in dating anyone.

 

Amber stops her tracks as she tilts her head and eyes towards her side, “Yah. You would tell me if you liked someone, right?”

 

Joohyuk smirks playfully as he is taken aback by the question, “That’s a random question but you’re my best friend. Of course, I would.”

 

Amber bottles the warmth and pride she feels from that answer and continues to probe, “So...is there anyone that you have a crush on right now or at least anyone that you think is cute?”

 

Joohyuk chuckles as they continue walking.

 

Joohyuk reflects for a moment before answering, “I honestly just haven’t had the time to think about those things. You know how school and football have been. Plus, training just started so...”

 

Amber notices the faded smile at the mention of his training. Joohyuk started his Olympic training last week, which for many promising athletes like him, should be a proud and exciting moment. But to Joohyuk, it’s all but a pressure, a weight, and a burden that seems to be permanently placed on his back free from his choosing.

 

Amber keeps it light, trying to pivot away from the subject, “Okay, I get that you’re busy right now. But there must be someone you think is cute?”

 

Joohyuk tilts his head in thought. He then reaches over to Amber and pinches her face as payback and jokingly teases, “I think you’re cute!”

 

Amber cringes and swats his hand away from her face, “Eww! I told you to get away from me. You’re not my type!”

 

Joohyuk continues to tease Amber making weird kissing faces at her, “Oh come on, I could definitely be at least your ‘boy’ type.”

 

Amber pushes him away in disgust, “Dude that’s gross. You’re like my brother. That’s like .”

 

They continue to horse around as they laugh off the joke. Upon reaching Joohyuk’s car they settle down a bit. Joohyuk was still in a playful mood and wants to test to see what kind of reaction he can get by mentioning this: “Yeah, I guess I can never be your type because I’m definitely not the skinny-fit, pretty, doe-eyed, cold-city-girl, California-beauty type.”

 

Joohyuk eyes Amber carefully as they both get in the car. Amber seemed distant for a second but then he notices a small smile creep on the corner of her lip.

 

“She’s everyone’s type,” she says coolly.

 

“Even yours?”

 

She chuckles as she admits, “Especially mine.”

 

---

 

“So it’s set then! Luna and I will carpool with you, Krys, to the game and the boys will go together with Key,” Sulli concludes their planning discussion as she finishes the last bite of her sandwich.

 

“What’s the plan for the afterparty though? I don’t want to be DD tonight,” Key complains.

 

“The afterparty is only a go if we win,” Luna inserts.

 

“You’ve got to give us a little more credit than that, Luna!” Key brags in confidence, “With respect to the other team, we have a pretty good chance with Joohyuk on the pitch. Not to mention the surprisingly secret talented football star we have in Amber.”

 

Krystal smiles at the thought of seeing Amber later for the match. The team have been released early ahead of everyone else in preparation for the match later but earlier this morning, Amber made sure to tell Krystal ahead of time. Thinking of her text this morning makes her smile.

 

If you don’t see me after 1^st period it’s because our team is going ahead to the stadium.

 

Just texting because I don’t want you to worry.

 

She responds and the entire day (the entire week, to be more precise) the two would text back and forth. Krystal can’t help but read into it. To her it meant that Amber was thinking about her in the same way she was thinking about her. And as for their interesting closeness all week, Krystal is taking it moment by moment. She’s not trying to look ahead or try to overthink the what ifs. She’s just relishing in every text message, in every smile she can get, in every slight touch at Amber’s every pull. Each moment to her feels that she is being let in a very guarded precarious door of Amber’s heart.

 

Meanwhile, as her friends continue on their conversation about tonight, Kai approaches their table with his usual charming smile.

 

“Hey! You guys going to the party after the match, right?” He addresses the whole group but there is only one answer that really actually matters to him.

 

“Kai, will there still be an afterparty even if we lose?” Luna asks.

 

“I’ll bet my chances on us winning but it’s happening either way,” Kai answers confidently.

 

“Then we’ll be there!” Key perks.

 

“Great! So Krys, I’ll see you tonight as well?” Kai persists.

 

“Yes, I’ll be there,” Krystal answers modestly.

 

Kai walks away, leaving the others swooning. It is the typical effect that he has on people in general.

 

But Krystal, on the other hand, has her attention somewhere else. She feels her phone vibrate not long after Kai leaves. She swipes at her phone to find another text from Amber.

 

Heading inside now to check the pitch. Won’t have my phone until probably after the match.

 

The text bubble is showing at the bottom as Amber is typing another message. Seconds later, she adds:

 

Make sure you dress warm tonight. And I’ll make sure to look for you on the stands

 

The last text brings a huge smile to her face. Meanwhile, Sulli notices the pink tint on Krystal’s cheeks. She glances over her shoulder and catches Amber’s name on the screen. Sulli then inches closer to Krystal’s ears so as to not make it too obvious to everyone else on the table, and whispers, “Someone’s blushing.”

 

Trying to quell her smile, she rolls her eyes as she gets up from the table. Sulli follows after as she gathers her things to go to their next class. The other friends follow behind them without paying too much attention to their conversation.

 

Sulli probes, “Is there something you want to tell me?”

 

“Tell you what?” Krystal knows exactly what she is inferring but she’s trying not to get ahead of herself in fear of jinxing whatever it is at the moment.

 

Sulli lightly elbows Krystal’s side, “Come on, Soojung. It’s really hard not to notice the texting, the blushing, the touching, the gazing—which is starting to gross me out! That’s too much for one person to take in.”

 

Krystal squeals, slapping Sulli on the arm, “Yah! You need to calm down and get that dirty mind out of the gutter, Sull!”

 

Giggling, Sulli links her arms with Krystal’s, “I kid, I kid. But seriously though. I know you like her and I get the feeling that she likes you back. And I’m just saying, it’s starting to show,” Sulli waves her free hand in front of her to gesture towards the busy hallway and adds, “And if I notice it, I think others are noticing too.”

 

Krystal has actually taken note of that attention. She has observed the subtle whispers and the curious stares that she has received all week from other students. Halfway through the school year, although she is use it by now, she hasn’t grown quite accustomed to the culture of this school. It still unnerves her, the fact that if you’re associated remotely to Top Elites at all, your interaction with them flies within radar and is magnified making you the gossip on anyone and everyone’s lips.

 

“To be honest...I can’t really tell you anything if there’s nothing to actually tell you,” Krystal submits.

 

Sulli scrunches her eyebrows with a bit of confusion, “Nice try but I don’t believe that for a second. It is definitely not nothing when there’s obviously something.”

 

Krystal hesitates to respond for a moment. Instead she ponders on the insinuation without really finding the right words to describe what the something is. She does mull over the what if. She does contemplate the meaning of it all.

 

After a few seconds, she attempts to articulate, “There is something. But it might be too early to define. To be honest Sull...I’m not even sure myself on what to do. I’m a little afraid to jump the gun when it’s hard enough to sometimes read Amber. But here I am, just trying to absorb it moment by moment and trying to capture all the little things that is making me feel the way she makes me feel inside. And I just want to hit that pause button because even though it’s not the clearest place to be—you know that cliché ‘some’ feeling that others may describe—this much is clear: it’s also not the worst place either, in fact, it’s surprisingly exciting and warm and...”

 

Krystal’s words trail as the tiniest invasion of reality creeps in. The real worry—the sort of discernment that Krystal has tried to block away all week was this...

 

“And...any movement forward, I’m worried that it will just bring what this is to an impasse. I’m afraid to ask how she feels, what she thinks because what if she—or we—quickly realize that we’re neither ready for it?”

 

Sulli realizes the dilemma. She, too, admits to betting on the same probability of the impending conflict and complications that could surface from the possibility of real relationship between the two. Yet unlike Krystal, she’s more hopeful.

 

Sulli comforts Krystal, “Yes, you’re right. It might be too early to define but it’s also too early to fear what’s to come next. I just hope that you both at least give each other that real chance...and listen, I just hope that you don’t shut the door when you are only a foot in. And whatever happens, Soojung, I got your back.”

 

---

 

Though the wind is brisk and the night is reaching new records of cold, nothing could beat the atmosphere from these Friday night lights. The stadium is packed with students, fans, and families in the stands with sides split by the Blue Lions on one side and the Gold Eagles one the other. It’s the biggest sporting occasion for a high school event and no one was going to miss it for the world.

 

The kick-off procession is underway, both teams line up next to each other for a photo-op as the cheers and the excitement are rapidly approaching the precipice. Team captain Joohyuk shakes hands with the officials and the opposing team’s captain as Amber hustles to the bench still in warmups.

 

For once, Amber really wanted to be in the starting lineup for tonight. Because she was suspended for a week and was not able to attend training, she didn’t complain as others deserved the starting eleven more than her. The coach however did say that there’s a likelihood of her to come off the bench as an attacking boost later on.

 

As she looks around the stadium, there’s a hint of regret that this might be the last time she’ll probably experience football like this. She’s given zero care for the experience for the majority of the time she spent with the team and it was unfortunate that she only really appreciated the beautiful game and being part of it towards the end.

 

Amber spots Jooyeon with her group of her friends. She takes a mental note of the boy that was standing all giddy next to her and decides to make sure to address this budding young romance in the near future. For now, Amber gestures with a shrug telepathically asking Jooyeon if her parents were able to come. Jooyeon understood exactly what Amber was hinting at and with a suppressed smile, she shakes her head. Disappointment is the only word that she could muster in her thoughts. Joohyuk’s hard work all season culminates in this moment and sadly his parents are not here to witness it.

 

She waves at Jooyeon and proceeds to look for the one person she’s been itching to see all day. She scans the student section and right in the middle of the cheering crowd she spots her. Wearing a true Blue Lion sweater, scarf, and hat, Krystal was looking at her the entire time hoping that Amber would quickly spot her.

 

The biggest smile appears on Krystal’s face as she finally does. She mouths, “Fighting!” eliciting the rarest of public smiles from the tomboy. And yes, though the moment was subtle, it caught the attention of the many around their peripheral. Including Sulli. Including Kai. Including Irene.

 

The game commences with the kick-off and the next sixty minutes came in a blink of an eye. The last sixty has been a nail-biter and all the supporters have been on their feet the entire time. The score right now is 1-1 with the last goal scored as thumping equalizer by the Gold Eagles. On the sideline, everyone perks as the head coach leans over to whisper to Amber. The next moment she is running sprints and stretching just right out of bounds of the pitch.

 

Around the seventieth minute, the head coach calls her over and she strips away her warm up gear. She hops up and down, stretching her neck, fidgeting her legs. She can’t tell if it’s the effect of the cold or the nervousness. Either way, the adrenaline is starting to kick and the noise level muffles into distance for her. A dead ball and a whistle and here she comes as a subbed-in attacking winger.

 

Approaching theeighty-fifth mark and it looks very much like an open match as the teams become desperate to score. More substitutions come off the bench from both sides and after five more minutes the open game remains a standstill. The match soon progresses into a four-minute stoppage time and it’s becoming more apparent that the starters are on their last wind.

 

Down to the last two minutes of stoppage, a blue shirt wins an aerial duel from the keeper’s outfield ball. A teammate finds Amber on the wing and completes a beautiful long through ball to which Amber, with all her energy left, sprints after outrunning the left back by a few pace. She takes a quick glance at the box hoping her teammates were running with her. She’s on the final third and seeing Joohyuk at the far end, she dips back and makes contact with the ball with her right foot, crossing it just right pass the sprinting defender. The ball bends into the box towards the far post, and Joohyuk, having the advantage in vertical, strength, and skill, connects with the ball and strikes it with his head towards the ground. The ball bounces too fast in the direction the keeper didn’t read and the ball bounces up slotting into the left corner of the goal. The entire crowd goes ballistic.

 

Amber is not the type to lose her over football. But she lost her alright. Screaming, Joohyuk sprints towards his best friend and she is as ecstatic as he was. They jump into each other’s arms as the entire team quickly followed from behind dog piling on top of the two. The adrenaline, the high, the electric moment of winning the championship at the last minute is one of those memories she’ll be sure to never forget.

 

---

 

The excitement and high from the match only extended into the afterparty, if not heightened by it. Everybody made the appropriate outfit changes after the match in their high-class exclusive-snobiety looks, rightfully so as such occasion really concocts only the best for this class of youths. In fact, the festive destination is located at some young chaebol’s house, whose property is one but many owned in Seoul. It was a large estate, an extension of houses that is prized in Pyeongchangdong’s most affluent neighborhood. Though minors swarmed the afterparty, as it is still a “high school” party after all, the prestige and class cannot be underestimated nor underplayed when it comes to these higher echelon socialites of JL Academy teenagers. There were familiar idols, politician’s sons and daughters, up and coming actors and actresses who just happen to stumble upon this glamorous afterparty that are always securely managed and guarded as private. Needless to say, if it’s a party a JL Academy chaebol is throwing, anyone that’s anyone would happen to flock into the event.

 

The room buzzed as a result mainly from the booze that flowed freely all night. The team arrived one by one, each were greeted with exuberant praises and celebration, hence more shots, more drinks, and louder music in their system.

 

Krystal has adapted by now, establishing a great buddy system with her friends every time they make their appearance at one these parties. Krystal was never really the heavy drinker so she often takes the role as the lookout and the hauler amongst the group. Tonight would be no different, as her real excitement in coming to this afterparty is really seeing Amber who is sure to attend despite her “allergic reaction” to these kinds public functions, or so she calls it.

 

Krystal takes a sip of her fruit punch as she mingles with her friends who are now on that level of mild intoxication and where everything that starts to surface, be it their words or their deeds, are quite the entertainment. They are lounging out in the pool area inside this massive luxurious heated gazebo that could fit at least thirty people comfortably, where it was far enough from the DJ dance party commotion inside the glassed open space living room, but close enough to have the hip hop bass and treble reverberate through the walls serving as background music. Key is going on about Jonghyun, roasting him in an endearing yet hilarious manner, as Krystal laughs absentmindedly while keeping an eye inside, waiting for Amber’s arrival.

 

Meanwhile inside, Irene and Kai sat amongst notable celebrities who seem to fawn over both of them as they are leaned in, engaged at every gesture and movement. The two also waited patiently for their friends, entertaining the crowd as the brightest prince and the most sought-after princess would on these kinds of occasions.

 

Then finally after another thirty minutes, the man of the hour and his best friend, the unexpected heroine, enters the room only to be welcomed with loud shouts and applause. Everyone’s attention, even those that lounged outside were transfixed at the appearance of the two. Krystal smiles as she observes Amber’s reaction. Far from her usual cold, aloof, detached façade, she seems to manage to carry a proud grin after what she was able to experience tonight. Krystal was so proud of her. But more than that she found herself relishing that relaxed smile that genuinely expressed a real joy, an emotion that is a rarity for someone like her. In that same moment, she realizes that she too was smiling while an exquisite thought crosses her mind. So this is what that feels...to feel a deeper kind of happiness just by seeing you happy.

 

No sooner than later, heightened celebration ensues, and the energy was pretty much sustained for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, Amber being the center of attention for much of it, Krystal realizes she wasn’t going to get a lot of opportunities to actually see her or talk to her. Yet she carries on attempting to find a window of opportunity.

 

She leaves her group her friends and makes her way inside. She spots Kai, Joohyuk, and Irene as they wave her down but sees no signs up Amber with them. Instead, she mouths and gestures an excuse of going to the restroom so that she can resume what she has set out to do, which is to find Amber. She roams the extravagant hallways and peaks inside a few rooms that she passes by but finds no luck. There are so many fine pieces of mid-century art that decorated the halls that Krystal would have appreciated but her focus is unparalleled. There is only one person that she deems worth of her attention at this moment.

 

She is starting to get frustrated as the mansion seems to be inconveniently immense that the hallways and the rooms seems never-ending. For all she knows, Amber was back in the main living room where the party was central. Krystal then takes a moment to peek through the windows. From her view, it seems rather iridescent—the half-moon and its white light that pierced through windows and the intricate garden below that is shimmering its reflection. In the midst of it, leaning over the ledge of the garden steps that overlooked a private lake, hid a rather dashing figure at ease, seemingly to be in a world of her own.

 

Krystal makes her way to the garden and with a tinge of nervousness, approaches who she suspects it to be.

 

“Hey.”

 

Amber turns her body towards the voice, meeting Krystal with a surprised yet satisfied look. That was it—Amber’s immediate thought. It doesn’t take a lot of effort on Krystal’s end to stun Amber and disarm her of her usual tendencies. One look and that was it.

 

“You’re not enjoying the party?” Krystal stands close as she takes in every feature of Amber’s calm face that is reflecting the moon.

 

“I’m not really into these kinds of things,” Amber submits the obvious.

 

Immediately, Amber notices Krystal’s lack of layers though she looks chic and ethereal even with a simple chiffon mock turtle-neck blouse, a mini skirt and knee-high boots with tights that covered all of her legs. Amber naturally shows her disapproval of the lack of layers as she takes her long black coat and immediately places it around Krystal. “Yah, I told you to dress warm,” Amber adds.

 

Krystal actually brought her own coat which she just managed to forget at the gazebo. She’s taken by surprise, but at the same time, too smitten to retort a clever comeback. Instead, she feels the warmth from the coat draped around her and the warmth that her own feelings are stirring within her.

 

As Amber is wrapping the coat tightly around Krystal, simultaneously, though unintentionally, while she’s pulling on the lapel roll of the coat, she’s also pulling Krystal closer and closer. The next moment they are no more than a few inches from each other. Amber suddenly becomes aware of their proximity, slowly meeting her eyes with Krystal’s who seems to have kept hers at Amber this whole time.

 

Amber manages to stutter words in, “A-Are you still cold?”

 

Krystal shyly shakes her head.

 

Amber could bring reprieve to the tension by taking a step back. She could easily give Krystal and herself the breathing space. But something in her forbade the very physical action. It’s that ing moon. She convinces herself. She is simply bewitched by the moon, the stars, the yellow light, and that ing ethereal personified in the form of Krystal Jung before her. Instead, she takes the tips of her fingers and brushes it along the contours of Krystal’s cheeks. She carefully pushes the strands of hair to the side and lets herself study every inch of her features—the secret softness of her eyes, the perfectly highborn nose, and the allure of her curved lips. Any moment now, she knew she would not be able to stop if she lets herself start.

 

“Am—”

 

“Krys—”

 

They mutter at the same time. Krystal concedes with a faint smile allowing Amber to gather her courage once again.

 

She takes the extra three seconds to breathe as she locks her eyes with Krystal.

 

“Krystal,” she softly whispers into the stillness of the night. “I’m gonna ki—”

 

A loud sardonic bell and beep vibrated in high pitch staccato through her back pocket, rudely interrupting the moment, deflating the momentum, and instantly killing the vibe.

 

Without even realizing it, Amber naturally steps back. She cops for her phone as she is too embarrassed and defeated to look at Krystal. She reads the caller ID and it’s her aunt Michelle. She has no choice but to pick it up.

 

Krystal also gathers her composure as she is knowingly aware of her flushed cheeks and racing heartbeat. She too also looks away in embarrassment as she tightens the wrapping of Amber’s coat around her.

 

“Yes...I’m at Lucas’ house...no auntie, I’m not drinking...I will...thanks...don’t worry...bye.”

 

This time Amber silences her phone before placing it back in her back pocket. She turns around to face Krystal but this time the space between them now felt awkward. Amber quietly sighs at the lost opportunity.

 

In attempt to salvage any moment left, Amber calls out, “Krystal.”

 

Krystal shyly finally makes eye contact with her. To her surprise, she’s met with charming smile and a hand extended to her.

 

“Should we walk back to party?” Suggesting to go inside since it was too cold to stay out for too long without a jacket.

 

Instantly there was ease again. Krystal doesn’t hesitate, rather she takes Amber’s freezing cold hand and instinctively rubs it with both of her as they begin to walk.

 

“Your hands are really cold. Here, take this jacket back.”

 

Amber immediately stops her from taking the coat off, instead she secures it around Krystal tightly.

 

“Even when I’m trying to be romantic, you’re still trying to be stubborn,” Amber chuckles

 

Krystal perks at the admission.

 

“Romantic, huh?” She teases as her confidence is boosted by Amber’s implicit confession.

 

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it,” Amber banters back.

 

“I never said I didn’t like it.”

 

“Well then...good.” Amber takes Krystal’s hand once again and intertwines it with hers.

 

Meanwhile, in the same hallway, behind the same window that Krystal was peering from only to find Amber, was Irene, watching every detail of what just transpired.

 

“So you’re not the girl who stole her heart after all.”

 

Irene shivered at the deep condescending voice that came from behind.

 

Irene was watching Amber and Krystal from a window. She didn’t intend to. She was just looking for Amber. She discovered what she inevitably suspected all along...that someone else may have taken the place she’s always wanted to have in Amber’s heart.

 

...And that perhaps Mino was right.

 

Irene turns around to face Mino, nervous in one sense but more heartbroken than she intended to expose. The feelings of sadness, of a lost chance, of an unrequited love overwhelmed the feeling of fear of being in same vicinity as the person who once tried, or perhaps still trying, to hurt her.

 

She doesn’t retort, instead she wants nothing more than to escape and somehow erase what she just witnessed from memory.

 

Before Irene could walk away, Mino grabs her arm and provokes, “How does it feel?”

 

He pauses as he meets her teary eyes that is in no shortage of heartbreak. He does well to twist the knife, “How does it feel to love someone so much only to find out they don’t love you? That they, in fact, love someone else?”

 

---

 

An hour later into the night, the party is beginning to reach its . Most of the lucky attendees have given themselves fully to a celebratory performance with their alcohol intake. The whole place was beyond the threshold of buzzing except for a (responsible) few. Joohyuk, who only had a beer for the night, reclined against one of the sofas in the heated gazebo sitting next to Sulli and Krystal, also with Amber and Kai relaxed against the loveseat opposite of them. For the most part, they were the soberest few in the crowd.

 

They conversed and kept an entertaining banter amongst each other about the plight of their peers that stumbled, mumbled, and fumbled around them. Everything seemed like nothing could go terribly wrong, at least for them, for the rest of the night. Joohyuk was in a great mood after that great win, Kai kept his charming bravado locked down and under control, and Amber and Krystal simply played it cool, stealing glances and smiles here and there. But just when you think something can’t go terribly wrong is usually when something always does.

 

Mino approaches the pack with one hand in his pocket, the other holding a glass of whiskey on the rocks. Krystal notices him first and is immediately on alert.

 

“I guess congratulations is in order,” Mino subtly begins to taunt in his sly fashion.

 

Joohyuk pipes up, “Mino, don’t ruin it for ’s sake.”

 

Amber doesn’t look at him. Instead, she keeps her focus straight, restraining the agitation.

 

“Relax. I’m really here just to say congrats,” He says while take the single-seater adjacent to them.

 

Kai lets out an annoyed sigh, “Great, thanks. You can move on now.”

 

Mino chuckles and takes a sip of his drink as he in turn takes a deep condescending breath, “You guys really need to relax. I come in perfect peace. Not here to pick a fight. Just here to let you know, that wow!”

 

He leans forward from his seat before continuing, “I’m almost impressed to the point where I’m actually starting to feel a little jealous. The four of you are really the Top Elites that can’t do no wrong, huh? You almost made me believe that you’ve really got it made perfect. And at first, I was almost convinced...”

 

All of them stiffen knowing that Mino is starting rev up his baiting remarks. Mino looks straight at Amber and this time she’s staring right back.

 

Mino delivers his cutting attacks, “Then I watched you all week...and I realized that you, Kai, are still that same second-place loser with daddy issues who pathetically tries too hard to outdo everyone even your own best friends. And you, Joohyuk, you’re the same underwhelming, overrated jock who will never live up to anyone’s expectations and so you’re still clinging to Amber as a way of some quasi affirmation for your existence. And you,” he scoffs looking at Amber, “still the hot-headed, elitist snob, that actually everyone really just feels sorry for. Don’t get me started.”

 

Amber fumes bursting up from her seat. But before she could say or do anything, Mino adds, “And of course, Irene...”

 

Amber stops. She takes a quick scan of her surroundings and realizes that she hasn’t seen Irene in the last hour.

 

“Well,” Mino his head as he reclines against his seat, “She’s still the prettiest girl, Class President, Prom Queen and everything. Yet still depressed, needy...and now maybe we can add alcoholic to that list?”

 

All Amber could think about now is finding Irene. She is outraged and she does have that instinct to beat Mino’s face to a pulp, but there was a feeling that surfaced with more urgency. Fear. Mino, on the other hand, tips his glass at his last act, feeling proud and satisfied at what he is able to incite and achieve.

 

Kai and Joohyuk felt the urgency and followed suit with Amber. Sulli and Krystal followed behind as well. Panicked, Amber searched the crowd hoping that Mino’s words were all flat provocations and not what she feared could be the truth.

 

Half-truths.

 

Mino took a dig at their character without any remorse or affection for the trust and friendship they once had. Mino knew were to pounce and he took advantage of it in front of others who are not privy to their close circle. He intended it to scathe and to shock. Yet even the half-truths out of his mouth can possess the power to unhinge the pain of the past in each of them. Who knew that someone who was once a great friend can use that friendship as a weapon pointed at you? Worse, use it as an enemy intended to cut you?

 

Amber has no luck finding Irene in the most congregated parts of the party. She then heads rapidly down the hallway searching inside every room she can open and scours the mansion with haste. She runs up the second floor of the house and continues her rabid search.

 

As she’s nearing the end of the hallway, she hears faint noise and follows the sound. She opens the door and finds Irene against the wall with some guy she doesn’t recognize. Her arms were around his neck as she’s reciprocating every kiss and every touch. Every nerve in Amber’s body pulsates in deep regret and desperate fury.

 

She pulls the guy off and pushes him away from Irene towards the ground.

 

“Yah!” Irene screams as she attempts to shove Amber away.

 

She’s realizing the situation. Irene’s drunk. The guy on the ground is also drunk and was taking advantage of Irene being drunk.

 

Amber hovers over the guy before landing her fist to his face. She recoils and punches him again and again, battering his face to no end. Blood covered his face while it stains her hand. She gears up for another wave but was immediately held back, pulled by Irene. And just in time, Joohyuk also pulls the unconscious guy from the floor far from Amber’s reach.

 

“Amber stop!” Joohyuk screams at Amber. Assessing the boy’s face, it was clear that a few more knocks would have probably placed him in a very critical condition—something he was not going to allow his best friend to cross.

 

Amber tries to break through Irene’s hold, but this time Joohyuk uses his sheer strength to pin Amber to the wall.

 

“You’re gonna ing kill him Amber! Stop!” Joohyuk has never raised his voice like this nor has he ever used his force to the point of almost hurting her just to get her to stop.

 

“Stop! Just breathe. Just breathe. Just breathe,” Joohyuk repeats over and over as Amber is still trying to fight it.

 

Kai, Krystal, and Sulli finally catch up and are shocked at the scene. There’s guy on the ground with his face battered and bleeding. There’s Irene crying hysterically in the corner. And then there’s Joohyuk who has Amber pinned against the wall.

 

“What the happened?!” Kai says in panic.

 

Joohyuk turns his head towards them, “Get him some help! Now! And get him out of this room!”

 

The three of them immediately move into action doing as Joohyuk has ordered. Meanwhile, Joohyuk can feel the slight relaxation from Amber’s resistance. He turns back to Amber and finds the regretful tears quietly streaming as she’s trying to gather her breathing.

 

“Relax...relax...relax...he’s gone...” Joohyuk utters calmly. Amber’s breathing does relax and slows down at the pace of Joohyuk’s voice. They stay in the same breathing cadence for more than five minutes.

 

As the dust settles, Amber finally lets out, “I-I’m s-sorry.”

 

“Sssshhh...I know...I know...” Joohyuk then releases her from his hold and hugs her.

 

“I’m gonna make sure he’s gonna be okay.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Amber mumbled once again.

 

Joohyuk pulls away and cups Amber’s face, “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. Now, can you do something for me?”

 

Amber nods.

 

“If I let you go, can you just stay put for a little bit?”

 

Amber nods again and moments later Joohyuk pulls away slowly. As he pulls away, Amber slowly moves towards Irene and embraces her.

 

Joohyuk couldn’t help it himself. Tears began to form in his eyes. After confirming that Amber is no longer in her spell, he slowly moves away to give the two some space, and frankly, to give himself the space before he exposes his sadness and frustration.

 

Amber lifts Irene’s face that is buried in her hands. She tries her best to tidy up Irene’s delicate porcelain complexion by wiping the mascara runs from her cheeks. But Irene could not contain her tears, instead turns away from Amber while pulling away.

 

“Please...just...just leave me alone...”

 

Amber persists. She grabs onto her hands and keeps her tight and close though she feels her resistance. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

 

Irene could only let out a cry as she is unable to actually form proper thoughts in her inebriated state. As Amber held her in embrace, Irene could only manage to keep her head facing to the side, too embarrassed to look at her in the eyes.

 

“Did he hurt you?” Amber asked desperately.

 

“No...no...just—“

 

“Did Mino...” Amber struggles at even just the thought. Amber cups Irene’s face ever so delicately. “Did Mino...did he do something?”

 

Flashes of the garden scene and echoes of Mino’s taunts flicker in Irene’s mind, galvanizing all the frustrations she’s held for days, months, and perhaps even years. “Amber, does it always have to be because of Mino for you to be like this?!” The liquid truth was kicking in. “And you know what, I’m starting to think Mino is right.”

 

Blindsided by where this was coming from, Amber seems to react in confusion.

 

“I’m never going to be that girl for you! How could I be so blind to fall in love with someone who will never love me back even after all these years!”

 

“W-What are you talking about?”

 

“You don’t get it, do you? It’s not just about Mino. It’s you!”

 

Amber is trying to comprehend all of this disjointed and seemingly out of left field information that is confounding her lost in translation. In her mind as she’s trying to piece together every meaning of Irene’s words, all that she can come to is the feeling of guilt.

 

It’s me?

 

“It’s you, Amber. Don’t you get it? You broke my heart...because I’m in love with you. And you—” Irene’s tears and emotions interrupts her speech. She shakes her head as she wipes her tears from her face.

 

And because things were a bit hazy, the alcohol clogging her judgment, clouding her thoughts—or was it clearing it? It doesn’t matter at this stage as that liquid truth takes on another form—liquid courage.

 

“Do you get it now? Do you finally get that I’m in love with you?” Irene leans in and presses her lips on Amber’s, unbeknownst to either one of them that their friends have stood at the door as accidental spectators. Krystal being one of them.

 

---

 

3 days later.

 

Yuri takes a sip of the flat white Sunny has prepared for her as she scans the morning news on her tablet. It is nine o’clock on a Monday morning and it’s a late start for Yuri as she arrived late last night from a business trip.

 

“I cleared your morning appointments,” Sunny mentions in passing as she makes her way to the seated customers to pour them more coffee.

 

Yuri looks up from her tablet perplexed by the news. “Wait why? I have an important session with Mrs. Shin. We’re really getting close to a breakthrough—”

 

“Your number one client has been in your office since eight,” Sunny reports giving Yuri the look, eyes wide and one eyebrow cocked. Yuri then takes the flat white espresso and downs it in one shot before releasing a long sigh. That look meant one thing: Amber.

 

She heads upstairs to her office and sure enough she finds her emotionally plagued, eighteen-year old prodigy heiress in her school uniform paired with a designer bomber jacket, bent over one arm on the table, head rested on that arm and table while playing with her custom-made magnetic sculpture. She enters the room but Amber doesn’t change her posture, which doesn’t surprise Yuri. Yuri then hangs her coat and settles down in her chair. She observes Amber for a moment to survey any signs or signals in her body language, but nothing seems be too out of the ordinary—Amber appears distressed, aloof, in deep thought, and in clear detachment of her present world.

 

She leans closer to the teenager and with a low voice breaks the silence, “Skipping school for today, I see.”

 

Amber takes a deep breath not leaving her eyes on the sculpture as she fixes her posture upright.

 

Yuri pretends to start her work, pulling her laptop from her bag and opening up the dossier in front of her, all the while keeping an eye on her. The teenager is still trapped in her silence but Yuri doesn’t want to jolt her out of that mood just yet, afraid that she’ll try to dodge and deflect and put up a defense right away.

 

Yuri proceed to actually start working. She opens up her email and calendar and begins to organize her day. She then casually mentions, “I heard you guys won last Friday. Congrats!”

 

All she gets is a nod. For the next thirty minutes or so it was that familiar silence that dominated the room. Yuri has surmised that Amber is in one of those moods but the fact that she came all the way here means that she does intend to talk. Yuri knows Amber so well that she knows that patience is the key when actually aiming for a meaningful dialogue with her. So, she types away, paying the slightest attention to Amber to allow her to take the time to muster up the energy and courage to articulate what is clearly bothering her.

 

After another ten minutes have passed, Amber simply drops one for Yuri.

 

“I think I really ed things up this time.”

 

Yuri looks away from her laptop and sets it aside as this was the signal.

 

Amber now makes her first eye contact with Yuri. In self-deprecation, hinted with irony and despondent concession, Amber sort of laughs at it all and grunted, “I actually really ed up this time.”

 

Yuri opts to keep it light and jests, “Listen... I wouldn’t say it’s your first time.”

 

Amber bursts in a small laughter, appreciating Yuri’s persistence to make her laugh somehow despite the conflict and conundrum that she is in at the moment.

 

A moment passes and Amber runs both her hands through her scalp before heaving a deep sigh. She leans forward as she begins her confession, “You’re not wrong. But then again...” She then reclines against her chair and adds, “I did almost kill someone, or at least kinda sorta hospitalized him. Joohyuk, that of a best friend, of course took the blame for it. Good thing my parents were smart enough to cover it up—but really for the sake of JL Group. They’re furious but also at a loss on what to do with me. I failed to kiss the girl I think I’ve fallen for. Instead, my best friend kissed me because she was drunk. Now, Irene won’t talk to me. Kai seems to be distant. And Mino is trying to get me to snap every chance he gets.”

 

Amber chuckles in dismay and reveals her most important epiphany, “And I...I can’t seem to handle it.”

 

It was a lot of new information Amber just freely volunteered. Yuri realizes that she’s really desperate, or really at loss to confess all of these issues all at once. She studies Amber and patiently waits before putting her two cents. Sure enough, the tomboy was on a roll in unleashing her feelings.

 

“And do you know what is the worst part of all this?” Amber asks an obvious rhetorical question. “I realize I failed every single person that matters to me.”

 

Yuri takes a deep breath, reaches with a hand forward to lift Amber’s chin, forcing her to face her with sincerity, “And you think you’re the only person in this world who has failed people that matter to them?”

 

Amber pauses while Yuri sincerely offers an alternative way of thinking, “This will not be the first and surely it will not be your last. Amber look, you can sulk in self-pity and continue to live the way you are living or you can choose what’s more honorable. You make amends, you find a way to forgive others, and most importantly find a way to forgive yourself. Only then can you really take the next step in redeeming and restoring that which you have damaged or destroyed.”

 

“And how I do that?” Amber is genuinely desperate to know what to do. That is the question she’s asked herself all weekend. How do I fix this?

 

“It’s much simpler than you think. We say ‘sorry’ to those we should say sorry to. Say ‘I love you’ to those we really should say I love you to. You can start there.”

 

---

 

Author's Note:

Amber has a lot of things to figure out. Well...actually they all do. Thoughts? Reactions? Comments?
More to come from this Kryber teenage melodrama.
Will we see the two finally find their way together?
Or will the pressures of friendships, family, and loyalty stifle their budding love story? Ahh! We shall see!
Thank you for the love you are all givng this story even though I'm the worst for leaving you hanging at ungodly periods at a time.
Thank you thank you thank you,
Love love love you all,

- Z