A/N: I highly suggest that you listen to the song reccommendation later while you read this chapter.  HIGHLY.  - Z

---

Jeonju | 10.10.15

 

“Halmoni, this is my classmate Krystal.”  Amber turned to Krystal and introduced her to the elderly lady likewise, “Krystal, this is Soon Hee halmoni.  She’s the director of the orphanage.”

 

Krystal bowed courteously as she shook her hand, “Nice to meet you halmoni.”

 

It didn’t take long before Krystal has adjusted to her environment.  The kids were quick to welcome Krystal and pull her into their world of play.  But before the kids could pull her away any further, Amber innocently reached to pull on her free hand.

 

“Wait a sec.”

 

Unbeknownst to the tomboy, the simple innocent grip that Krystal felt on her hand could hardly be ignored.  She couldn’t ignore the softness and the sensation that sent her nerves traveling in all parts of her body that made her quick to pull her hand away.

 

“I just want to tell you to be careful when you play with the kids out there.  Sometimes they get too excited and they’ll play rough with you.  So just make—”

 

“Amber.  What am I?  Five?  Come on, I can take care of myself.”  Krystal flashes her a sincere smile.  Unbeknownst to Krystal, that same smile supplied the same effect of Amber’s hand gripping hers.  And it triggered it.  There it was again—that itch.

 

Shaking it off quickly, Amber pushes her thoughts away and dismisses any transitory emotion.  Instead, she keeps her staunch, highly guarded feelings and watched as Krystal ran off with the children from a distance.

 

Amber, suspicious at first, couldn’t be more surprised by the carefree and easygoing character that Krystal exhibited.  Amber watched as the kids threw their arms around Krystal right away.  And under the bright sun, the red and orange autumn backdrop of this natural village, while surrounded by the bright smiles that emanated from the kids, the same itch persisted.  It persisted and charged through the highly guarded walls of Amber’s emotions.  And that itch—it simply spoke of one of the most poetic secrets that bring color, texture, and meaning to human existence: beauty.

 

Yet still remaining objective in her observation and conviction, it was then in that fleeting moment that Amber could no longer deny an undeniable fact:  Krystal is ing beautiful.

 

But with Amber…the head wins every single damn time.

 

It’s Jung thing.  That’s it.

 

That was her trump card, her excuse, to keep her defenses up.

---

 

Seoul | 10.10.15

 

Irene stared at her phone contemplating on her options.  Mino’s chilling words kept her mind twisted, kept her thoughts spiraling, and kept her heart from finding any peace.

 

She didn’t want this nor did she deserve this.  She didn’t deserve for her past to crouch its ugly head to haunt her again.  She didn’t need to deal with the person who once tormented her but thought would never come back again.  And the last thing she didn’t want—and perhaps the top item on her list—is to involve Amber back into any potential turmoil.

 

Song Mino.  He knows how to play dirty and he’s not ashamed to do it either.  So when he makes a move, he’ll prey on your weaknesses and strike where it’s vulnerable.

 

Irene is sitting alone at the Cheondam-dong coffee shop owned by the famous Dr. Kwon Yuri.  Like Amber, Irene frequents at this coffee shop.  In fact, her and her Elite friends are regulars.  This place is a secret haven, a space for Irene to get away, relax, enjoy a book and enjoy the company.  But as she’s sitting there clutching her cup, staring blankly at her phone, she is far from having the same cheerful mood.  She’s caught in a conundrum that challenged her human condition, as Mino so illustriously provoked.

 

Protect herself.  Protect her.

 

Irene knows what’s right.  She knows that the logical approach is to tell Amber.  She knows that if there was anyone who deserved to know what is happening in her situation, it was Amber.

 

Yet despite knowing what’s right…she’s figured it out.  She knows Song Mino after all.  And she knows…this is a stalemate.  There was no protecting Amber or herself from the possibility of hell to follow when Mino comes back to their lives.

---

 

Jeonju

 

Time passed quickly as it typically does when Amber is volunteering at the orphanage.  While Krystal kept the children entertained, Amber kept herself busy by doing the regular maintenance around the facilities.  Amber is quite the handywoman around here.  She learned to pick up the skills quickly because of all the needs that required attention.

 

Amber, by nature, was a fixer.  Perhaps it’s the way she has learned to cope with the series of events in her life in the past.  But she has masterfully honed that characteristic with her hands and with her heart.

 

Applying the last bit of spackle on the kitchen ceiling to prevent any leaks during the upcoming rainy season, halmoni stood right behind her, assisting Amber the best she could, as she climbed down from the unstable chair that miraculously kept her up in her patching endeavors.  As Amber feet touches down on the floor, the loud cheery laughter from the outside diverted her attention.  From the kitchen, Amber could see the kids with Krystal.  Krystal was sitting on a log while combing a little girl’s hair while there were two older girls standing behind Krystal braiding hers.  The boys were playing around her trying to get her attention and she could hear them yell, “Krystal noona, watch this!”  Circus shenanigans followed that only incited more laughter.

 

Amber couldn’t suppress a sincere smile even if she wanted to.

 

“Girlfriend?”  Soon Hee halmoni was watching Amber the whole time.  She may be old but she has enough experience in her life and enough exposure to the young girl in front of her to make multiple observations that were unusual for the tomboy.

 

Of course Amber was quick to dismiss the speculation.  “Halmoni,” chuckling as she turned her body away from the window, “Come on.  She’s a classmate.”

 

“She’s just a classmate, huh?”  Winking and teasing, halmoni poked Amber on the arm before approaching the sink to wash her hand.

 

“She’s a partner.  Remember I told you about our senior project?  Well, Krystal is my partner for this project and that’s why I brought her here.”

 

Pulling the freshly baked bread from the oven, halmoni motions for Amber to sit down.  Halmoni pulls two cups from the cupboard to pour warm coffee and finally sits down next to her beloved youngster.

 

“I never asked you to explain.”  Soon Hee halmoni knew how to tease Amber.  But beyond the teasing, she knew, more like instinctively sensed, that there was something about this girl.

 

But Amber was very good with the art of suppression.  She can admit the obvious and that Krystal, was in fact, really easy on the eyes.  She can easily concede to the idea that maybe she has misjudged Krystal from the beginning and that maybe there was something worth getting to know about her.  But…she has also calculated her position…

---

FLASHBACK

 

“I owe you, Am.”

 

“Save it Jongin.”

 

“No seriously.  Because of you I think Krystal is finally warming up to me.”

 

Amber paused from putting her bag away.  She just arrived from her weeklong trip with her uncle James, and by ritual, Kai was always the first to rush to her house to welcome her back.  In this split second, however, she couldn’t help but think about her best friend and this new girl that he’s currently hung up on.

 

She turns around after shoving her suitcase to the side, facing Kai who is now plopped comfortably on her bed.

 

“I even got the chance to hang out with her and her friends this week at the soccer game, which we won by the way, thanks to captain Joohyuk.”

 

Let’s be real, Amber stopped caring about her best friend’s girl-of-the-month.  And frankly, she’s lost count.  To Amber, Kai was Kai.  He can’t help himself.  Not the he plays with girls’ emotions…okay maybe he does a little bit.  But Kai will be Kai.  He is really good with girls and treats them a little too well.  The downside, that a lot of these girls will come discover, is that his attention span is very short when it comes to girls so after the first three or four broken hearts, Amber has figured it out and stopped learning their names.

 

Yet in the back of her mind there was something that prompted her to question her best friend’s intention because…well…because of that damn itch.

 

“Jongin…you said that there was something about Krystal.  So what’s the deal, man?  What's the verdict?”  She asked as neutrally unbiased as she could, not to come off like she was actually interested.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You know what I mean.  If she’s just another—”

 

“She’s not.”  Kai sat up turning his body towards his questioning friend.  Unable to contain his smile, he grants her his honest admission.  “At least I feel like she’s not, Amber.  Like…everything about her has caught my attention—like my full attention.”

 

Amber is almost convinced.

 

Kai continues, “She’s more than just a pretty face.  She’s unexpectedly smart.  She’s alluringly charming.  And getting to know her so far has exceeded my expectations.”

 

To hear that come out of Kai’s mouth was a first for Amber.  Kai never talked about any girl he’s dated before in this manner.

 

And for that reason, Amber was convinced.  “So you’re serious about her?”
 

“I’m serious enough to know that she’s different.”

---

 

Amber takes a sip of her black coffee.  She then voices her resolve, “Trust me halmoni…she’s just a class partner.”

 

Soon Hee halmoni responded with a tiny smirk before reaching over to pat Amber on the hand.  “When a girl is as kind, smart, and pretty like that…she’s not just a class partner.”

 

Amber conceded with a granting scoff and an elusive smile.  “Whatever you say halmoni.”

 

No minute longer did two young boys rush inside the kitchen tugging at Amber’s arm.  They seemed to have sprinted from the field by the looks of their heavy panting.

 

“Amber noona…Krystal noona…” One of the boys pointed towards the direction where they were playing.  Amber surveys the situation, looking through the kitchen window.  The children were gathered around Krystal but she wasn’t fully sure of what the commotion was about until another one of the boys spoke up.

 

“We were playing soccer and the ball went towards the shrubs.  Krystal noona wanted to help us but she ended up tripping over a pothole into the shrubs and got her arms scratched.  But don’t worry noona…”

 

There was a visceral worry when it comes people getting hurt that jolted Amber into immediate reaction.  But with two very contagious smiles flashed in front of her by the two boys, they continued to insist, “We told her that you can fix it and that you were the best at fixing things.”

 

Amber rubbed the top of their heads as she knelt down.  She took this opportunity to play with the kids.  “Okay boys, here’s the mission.  You know where my kit is, right?”

 

The two boys straightened up and loudly answered, “Yes!”

 

“Can you get it for me while I attend to our princess?”

 

“Yes!”

 

No second later were the two boys off and running to complete their mission.

 

Amber headed outside towards the field where the kids were.  The two boys weren’t the only ones who shared the same opinion about Amber.  All the kids held Amber to the same high esteem.  So as she approached the circle where the kids were gathered, many of them were quick to point out and tell the story of how Krystal accidentally fell into the shrubs.  Unfortunately it was one of those thorn rose bushes that has evidently left minor gashes on Krystal arm.

 

Krystal, slightly embarrassed, tried to reason with the children, “Guys, I’m okay.  It’s just a few scratches.”

 

Amber sees her arm mildly bleeding and has quickly assessed the condition.  It wasn’t anything dramatic or life threatening but to see Krystal’s arm slightly scathed made her feel still somewhat agitated.  Maybe it’s a part of Amber’s hidden altruism but deep down, she felt responsible for it.

 

Amber turns to the kids and announce, “Okay friends…I need you to give me and your Krystal unnie-noona some space.  You guys play over there for now while I help her, okay?”

 

The kids, because of their full admiration for their precious Amber, loyally and loudly answered, “Okay!” before following her directions.  In the same moment the two boys Amber sent out on a “mission” has arrived at the scene and placed the first-aid kid next to Amber before saluting.

 

Amber returns their gestures and sends them to go play as well.  Krystal witnessed this charming moment and couldn’t help but lightly laugh at their response.

 

“Amber, I’m fine.  It’s just a few scratches, it’s not a big—ow!”  Amber applied pressure onto Krystal’s ankle inciting a light squeal to prove Amber’s suspicion.

 

ILSYB (STRIPPED VERSION) | LANY

 

Amber kneels on one knee in front of Krystal and pulls the kit closer.  It was surprisingly a very quiet exchange.  In the serene countryside of Jeonju, it was as though everything else has faded into the background.  The voices and laughter from the children, the bristling of trees caused by the autumn breeze, the birds chirping their tunes to this mildly chilly Saturday afternoon—all of it was drowned out the instant Amber gently took Krystal’s hand while placing it on top of her knee.

 

In this close moment, there was no awkward shroud, no mystery that needed to be solved.  Krystal’s getting a firsthand glimpse of what she thinks must be the truest form of Amber and it was as clear as the daylight that escaped through the shield of the leaves underneath the trees that formed as their present covering.

 

With every contact, Krystal was left more convinced that the cold exterior was a façade, which only makes her more curious.  She finds herself lured into Amber’s world and she’s wanting to understand more.  And the more she sees, the more she’s more certainly confident that she can peel the layers one by one, slowly but surely.

 

Krystal immediately felt her nerves race up her spine as Amber leaned in close with her lips no more than a centimeter apart from her skin.  Amber gently blows on the minor cut and gently pads down her arm with a wet towel.

 

“Amber…I’m okay.  You really don’t need to do this for me,” she said in almost like a faint whisper.

 

“Shh…” Amber whispered right back, “Just stay still.”  After cleaning the cuts, she then placed a large 4-inch Band-Aid that thankfully covered up the deeper cuts.  After attending to her arm, Amber scooted two steps back to carefully assess Krystal’s ankle.  Amber suspects that Krystal might have twisted her ankle after hearing the children’s account of what actually happened.  And sure enough as Amber began to gently rotate Krystal’s right ankle, Krystal jerked and squealed by reflex.

 

Amber then began untying Krystal’s converse, which made Krystal a little bit embarrassed.  After rolling up the cuff of her jeans, Amber pressed on spots around Krystal’s ankle while asking her if hurt or not.  Although Krystal felt a little bruising, she knew that it wasn’t anything serious.

 

“I think you’re okay.  You might have slightly sprained it.”  Finally looking up at her patient, Amber felt instantly captivated—rather itchy.  Krystal was staring at her back, which rendered Amber without breath or words for the next silent seconds. 

 

Looking away and shuffling through her kit, Amber clears and informs Krystal, “I’m gonna wrap this ice pack in a bandage on your ankle and have you stay still for the next ten or so minutes to mitigate the swelling.  It doesn’t look like anything is broken but still…just stay still for me, okay?”  Amber meets eyes with Krystal again.  And the same itch was still there.  But Amber wanted to try something…she wanted to try and linger.

 

With the kind of smile that is loaded to obliterate any human defenses, Amber was its next victim.  With a shy yet sincere appreciation, Krystal tells Amber, “Thank you.”

 

And Amber lingered.  She lingered to take the moment to uncover the itch, to let herself ponder on the question, why is she so ing beautiful?  But the immediate thought of her best friend sobered her up quick.  That’s right.  She’s calculated her position.  And there was no use in entertaining the option of lingering.

 

Amber positioned Krystal’s ankle in place before standing up.  She turns her back on Krystal and turns towards the children, “Hey guys, come here!”

 

And because it was Amber, the children obediently gathered.

 

“Listen up guys…I have a new rule.”

 

The children listened intently.

 

“See your Krystal unnie, your Krystal noona?”  Amber motioned a hand towards Krystal.  Krystal tuned in as well, curious as to what this “new rule” was all about.

 

“Guys…this is our princess.  Got it?”

 

“Yes!”  The children replied in chorus.

 

Krystal doesn’t know whether to be flattered or offended.

 

Amber continued, “So this is our new rule.  No matter what…protect the princess.  If she gets another scratch, you guys are all in trouble.  Got it?”

 

There were a few snickers here and there while they answered, “Yes!”

 

Krystal chose flattery.  This was like a game to the children.  And Amber just marked her as the princess.  And maybe it’s not something to complain about.

 

The children immediately assumed their roles as the protectors of the princess and proceeded to huddle around Krystal.  The little girls came slowly to her side to give the princess a hug and Krystal knew…this was another way that Amber was taking care of her.  She didn’t notice, however, that as she looked up to say thank you once again, Amber was already a long ways ahead walking towards the Hanok.  As she watched the JL Group prince get smaller in the distance, she had one charming hidden thought it mind…

 

Amber Liu.  If I’m the princess then you are…

---

 

The dusk has settled in to signal the end of the day and the end of Amber and Krystal’s time at the orphanage.  After Amber got all the things packed up inside the SUV, she walked back to the front of the Hanok house where everyone has gathered.  The children, including the elders at the orphanage, have grown a close affinity for Krystal in the short amount of time she got to spend with them.

 

Amber overheard Krystal telling the children, “I’ll come back to visit again, I promise.”  Amber felt almost left out because of the children’s newfound admiration for the person that they have rapidly embraced into their lives.  But it was a fuzzy but good kind of exclusion because she sees how genuine Krystal was right back towards them.

 

Soon Hee halmoni motioned to Amber in which Amber responded swiftly.  Soon Hee halmoni wrapped her dainty arms around the tall tomboy and rubbed her back while whispering, “Say hi to your mother and father and you take care of yourself, my child...  And you be good to her.”

 

That provoked a chummy scoff, “Whatever you say halmoni.  Just call me if anything.”

 

The whole time as the kids were clinging unto Krystal, she kept her eye on Amber and Soon Hee halmoni’s exchange.  Krystal was struck with curiosity about this place.  For the past hours that she spent here, she felt nothing but deep love and joy from the children and the elders.  Soon Hee halmoni was definitely the caring grandmother who has welcomed her into their world with no questions asked.  And to observe the exchange between the two makes her wonder how Amber knew of this orphanage in the first place.

 

Right then, Soon Hee halmoni approached Krystal and engulfed her in a hug.  “You have a beautiful heart, Krystal.  I hope you keep your promise and come back to visit the kids again soon.”

 

“I will halmoni.  Thank you for today, I really enjoyed myself and the kids.”

 

Dotingly patting the top of Krystal’s head, she said, “Then good.  I look forward to seeing you again.”

 

After the kids gave their last goodbyes, hugs and embrace to the two teenagers, Amber then approached Krystal.

 

“You ready?”

 

Krystal responded with a smile and a nod.

 

“How’s your ankle?”

 

Krystal shook her head while chuckling.  Amber was a little bit extreme for the past few hours after the accident.  Amber would not let her move an inch even after resting, insisting that she doesn’t want Krystal to worsen her ankle.  Krystal was fine.  After icing her ankle she was up and moving.  There was a little strain but she wasn’t incapacitated by any means.  Krystal wanted to help around the house and help halmoni with the cooking but Amber was quick to prevent her.  And just like the children who obediently followed instructions not out of fear but out of admiration for Amber, Krystal submitted to her.

 

But now that it’s at the end of the day and Amber’s is still uptight about having her move, Krystal had to literally and figuratively put her foot down, assuring Amber, “I’m okay.  I maybe a princess but I’m not a damsel in distress.  I’m fine.  See?”  Krystal jumped up and down to prove her point, to which Amber quickly responded to by almost—almost—reaching both her arms out to stop her and catch her.  In her mind, she doesn’t want Krystal to get hurt any more than she already has, as minor and as trivial as the scratches and the strain on her ankle were.  She already feels guilty about Krystal’s arm.

 

Yet despite of her instincts, in a flashing second, Amber quickly pulled her hands out to restrain the "lingering" irrepressible itching.

 

Krystal caught a wind of it and she thinks she might have successfully peeled a piece of a layer.  She took notice of the unnatural, yet far from neutral, demeanor and mannerism Amber was exposing.  She pondered what it all meant.

 

Amber took a step back however, while clearing , clearing the air of any misconceptions.  And without saying another thing, she kept walking to the car with Krystal following behind her.  Opening the passenger seat for Krystal, without making any eye contact, she waits for Krystal to get in before shutting the door for her.  Amber hopped onto the driver’s seat.  The second Amber the engine was the same second it took for Amber to transition from the warm-hearted Amber to the cold-neutral Amber Liu-Top Elite façade.

 

Krystal, in her stubborn persistence, wanted to forge forward past Amber’s default shield.  And with confidence and a little bit of risk, she leans towards the dashboard while turning her head towards Amber to get a good angle of Amber’s face.

 

Amber took a quick glance but kept her focus on the road, a little bit taken aback by Krystal’s action and current position.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Krystal tilted her head as she continued to trace Amber’s features in her mind.  Amber felt instantly uncomfortable.  And since she has no way to look away or evade the two-feet, uncomfortable distance between Krystal’s face and hers, she fixes and focuses all her attention ahead, not showing any reaction.

 

After some quiet second, Krystal charges through and bravely asks, “So…you don’t hate me after all, huh?”

 

Incredibly surprised by Krystal’s question and gesture, Amber was left thinking a great deal before answering, to which Krystal continued to prod.  “I mean…at least you don’t seem to hate me based on today.”

 

Amber keeps her thoughts to herself.  Pfft.  I never hated you.

 

“By the way,” Krystal continued, “thank you for inviting me today.  You’re right about this place and the people in it.  It is easier to give a handout...but to give your time, to give your heart to the kids and to the elders, is another kind of gift.  So thank you.”  And with that genuine gratitude, Krystal flashes Amber a smile before leaning back.

 

And Amber got it.  In that moment, she, too, caught a glimpse of it—caught of glimpse of what Kai was describing…  Why Kai was infatuated with her… Why this girl has captured her best friend’s attention…

 

She was attractive.  And the attraction went beyond the pretty face and the pretty smile.  It was the soul, the charm, the tender-hearted perplexity behind those doe shaped eyes. 

 

Amber’s lucid thought and now finally-formed opinion after spending the day with Krystal was this: She wasn’t just ing beautiful.  She’s like…ing ethereal.

 

Jesus, what the ?  What am I saying?

---

 

Seoul | JL Academy | 2:17PM | Six days later…

 

Everything was back to the swing of things at the Academy.  With the upcoming homecoming soccer game tonight, everyone surely felt the buzz and excitement in the air.  But things remained somewhat tamed and serious.  Until that clock strikes four, like the well-oiled prestigious academic machine that JL Academy was, the busy bodies of the high school population all have their nose pressed on their books to prepare for the upcoming mid term exams.

 

No one takes exams as serious as this student body.  Many of these kids may come from a golden spoon background but the pressure and the superior attitude to be the best and stay the best was the cultural norm.

 

The JL Academy seniors mostly occupied the library.  Each senior found their designated group of friends and have been at this studying mode for the past hour or so.  The Top Elites shared the premier space in the library and they are seen as the shining example of brilliance, diligence, and academic prowess.   It’s almost like a tradition in every exam that the goal of the rest of senior class was to get at least a five-point percentage range below ranked fourth, Nam Joohyuk.  Whoever comes the closest to his score gets tremendous amount of bragging rights.  And the only one who has succeeded to get within that range last year was Luna.

 

On the other side of the room, another group of students were in the same mode.  The subject of discussion:  Managerial Finance, known as the 4^th year “death sentence” class.  For those Upper Class students who have managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA in the last three years, Managerial Finance was a death wish to that pristine record.  It was made on record that only three people received an A from the graduating senior class last year.  And for the Ivy League hopefuls, every exam  in that class was a make-or-break situation.

 

“Oh my god, my brain is going to explode,” Jonghyun grumbled.

 

“Yah, Luna, you need to help me on this because I’m just not getting these terms.  Like what the hell is a Credit Default Swap?” Key groused.  Luna tapped Key’s forehead before proceeding to explain the term.

 

Krystal, on the hand, couldn’t help but take a glance at the other side of the room.

 

Saturday was her last interaction with her partner.  In the halls and in the classroom where they would casually cross path, it was as though they were back to square one.   It was as though all the layers that Krystal worked so hard to peel back were replaced by new ones.  For example…when the Elites, led by Kai, walked past their group of friends, Kai and his friends stopped to greet them.  Kai and Joohyuk have become friendly with her group friends partially due to Sulli’s partnership with Joohyuk and Kai’s friendly initiation.  Yet, after the amicable greetings, Amber just kept walking with Irene following next to her.  Krystal thought that maybe after Saturday that her partner would show a little bit of life when they interact.  But how pitifully wrong she was and agitated at that.

 

She stole glances at the Elite’s table.  They appeared to be in their own zone, completely immersed in their studies.  It kind of annoyed her.  Not that she felt a little bit toyed with…but she felt a little bit toyed with.  She thinks…

 

How do you go from being someone really nice and caring to a person who is the epitome of Antarctica’s personified existence?

 

And it wasn’t just that…

 

Does she hate me or not?  At least make up your damn mind and tell me.

 

Krystal closes her eyes rubs her temple while subtly grunting in frustration.  This is not good.  I need to stop acting and having these thoughts like I care.

 

“Are you okay, Soojung?” Sulli asked.

 

Flushing the frustration out of her system after one deep breath, she tells Sulli, “Yeah…I just have a headache from all this studying.”

 

“Well Soojung…Welcome to JL Academy,” Sulli wittingly retorted.

---

 

It was only around a quarter past three and the first people who were up from their tables were the Elites.  It wasn’t unusual.  They were always the ones ahead of the curve.  And since Joohyuk and Amber need to prepare for the upcoming soccer match and since Irene was the head of the homecoming committee, and Kai…well he just tagged along…after finishing up the round of studying, they were the first to leave the library.

 

Before reaching the library doors, the Elites made a stop at Krystal’s table as prompted by Kai, of course.

 

“Hey,” Kai smiled at Krystal and the rest of the group.

 

Everyone exchanged greetings and as usual, Amber remained arctic while standing behind Krystal, who was sitting down, her back turned against her.

 

Kai asked the group, “Are you guys coming to the game tonight?”

 

“Of course!” They answered.

 

“Awesome.  Then I’ll see you guys there!” Kai added.  He then nudged Krystal on the side, inciting mental feels from the other people around the table and said, “Save me a spot?”

 

To which Krystal, respectfully but innocently answered, “Sure.”

 

The Elites then bid their goodbye but before taking more than two steps, the noticeable figure who stood on the same spot with hands in her pocket, drew their attention.  Joohyuk, Irene and Kai, who were a few feet away, stopped their tracks to look back at Amber.

 

Krystal turned her body around and found the person in people’s curious questioning.  As she looked up, she saw Amber looking over her shoulder at her notes.  And out of the blue, something that took everybody by surprise, Amber leaned over Krystal’s shoulder and placed her hand above Krystal’s hand that was holding the pencil.

 

Everyone probably had one singular thought.  What is Amber doing?

 

Amber began to write out the correct equation on Krystal's page.  Gripping her hand with the pencil, her cheek slightly grazing hers, her subtle scent embedding its nuances unto Krystal memories, Amber continued to explain, “To get financial leverage with only a debt-to-asset figure, you do this…one minus D-to-A is equity-to-asset.  And since financial leverage is asset-to-equity, this equation is wrong.  You need the inverse relationship...so it's 1 over the one minus D-to-A to get financial leverage.”

 

Amber explained it and showed it to Krystal without leaving her hand.  Her group of friends were in shock and Joohyuk, Kai and Irene were baffled at the same time.

 

Meanwhile, the past thirty seconds hasn’t registered for Krystal.  The only thing on her mind was…well…blank.

---

 

Author's Note

Kryber is backkk at it againnn with them feels.

So...it's my birthday next Monday.  This early update is my birthday present to you guys. Lol.

And Ch. 8...I hope you enjoyed it as much as I had so much life writing it.

Lol.  Also, I hope this quick and long- update somewhat made up for my two-month silence on AFF.

But seriously.  It's really because I love love love you guys. Kekekekekeke

- Z

 

PS.  Before you crucify me for using your oppa in my fictional story, I'd like to go on record and say...

I have no hate, whatsover, for WINNER's Mino. Lol.  I'm actually a big fan.

He just has a swag-bad-boy feel that, I think, just complements the story.