“I thought you said you wouldn’t come.” he told her as soon as she got close enough.

“I still have to exercise Snoopy.” she replied, patting his head.

He showed no signs of his usual goofiness about it. Amber noticed it right away but decided to ignore it.

They had started jogging when she got convinced that there was definitely something off with him. It seemed to her, like he was purposely staying somewhat behind the whole time. He was saying nothing and he wouldn’t even match her pace. Was she imagining things?

“Too hard to catch up?” she finally asked.

“I prefer to stay behind. It seems like it works just fine for you that way.”

“What are you blabbering about?”

“Nothing, Amber.”

She tried to slow down but he still wouldn’t run next to her.

“What game is this?” she asked.

“I’m just assuming my role.”

“What role?”

“The one you gave me. I’m the dog that runs after you.”

“Dog? What dog? Could it be? No, no way..,” her thoughts were ringing in her mind.

“Did you hit your head or something?” she asked out loud.

She got no reply. She couldn’t take it anymore; she had to know for sure.

“Okay, stop, stop. Just talk to me.”

But all he did was to pass her by and leave her staring at his back.

He then suddenly stopped running.

He turned to look at her, she hadn’t moved. Fast steps till he invaded her personal space.

Amber titled her head back slightly. His stare was too intense; it was as if he could see inside her soul. It was like he was getting all the answers she couldn’t give him. She was about to say something but he was determined to go first.

“Am I the dog?”

She could only give him a blank stare.

“The dog, he knows about the dog.”

Breathing was difficult for her at that point. Thinking was even harder.  

“Hachiko, is the song for me?”

“Where did you hear this from?” her heart was thumping, she was surprised she could even put words together.

“Just answer me Amber. Be honest for once.”

“I’m being honest”, she was trying hard to maintain eye contact.

“Be honest about us. Are you writing this song because you’re in love with me?”

“In love he said in love, he’s asking me if I love him.”

“I told you it’s for my first love in LA”, it felt like these words were coming from someone else’s mouth, not her own.

 His face became serious again. He was really making her feel like there was no more room for her to hide. And this wasn’t the right time. She wasn’t ready for serious Henry piercing her with his eyes. She was used to their silliness; it was a nice comfortable cover for her.

She embarked to lighten up the mood somehow. She thought her legs were going to give in if she didn’t. Ruffling his hair seemed like the only thing she could pull off at that moment.

She extended one hand but he grabbed it just before she managed to touch his hair. He held it and started bringing it close to his lips. Amber panicked and resisted till he let go.

She saw him getting so annoyed she did that. It seemed like he had truly decided not to match her pace this time. He was breaking their unspoken agreement.

A cold “bye Amber” was all that he uttered next, before disappearing from her sight.

                             ……………………………………

A day later and she was trying to call him but he wouldn’t return any of her calls. Every sound her phone would make was filling her up with hope that it was him. But it never was. Krystal reached out to her instead.

“Hey Amber, I’m sorry but I think I’ve said something that I shouldn’t have said to Henry.”

“It’s okay, Soojung-na. It’s not like I made things clear to you or anything.”

“I’m still sorry I blurted it all out about Hachiko to him.”

“Don’t be. It’s all for the better that way.”

“What do you mean? Did you perhaps wish for this to happen?

“I don’t know. Maybe I did. You have nothing to worry about though. It’s not your fault.”

“But you said he’s disappeared now.”

“I’ll deal with it. He can’t go too far away.”

She wished hard she wasn’t wrong about that last one, as she hang up the phone.

                                                                                              ………………………………….

Three days passed without seeing him. It felt like so much more to her. She’d walk down the streets having sudden heart attacks mistaking other people for him.

Her agony ended on the fourth day when they ran into each other at the company’s hall.   

“We need to talk.” she said, shoving him into the nearest practice room that she knew was empty. She had prepared so much to say, but the minute she saw his empty stare, she went silent.     

“What is it that I did so wrong?” she finally asked. “Why did you walk out on me and have been ignoring me ever since?”         

“I just got tired, Amber.”

“Oh what? Of me?    

“Of this!” he gestured with his hands. “Of us pretending like we can be around each other without wanting to be all over each other.”

She didn’t expect that blatant honesty and so she just raised a brow at him.

“There! You see? Of you patronizing me!”

“What do you want me to say?” she was back into defensive mode. She had made her mind up to let her guard down for him but easier said than done she thought. Besides, this was still her best friend, a person she had gotten used to drive crazy. Someone she loved to frustrate just as much as he loved to do the same to her.

“If you have nothing to say then why did you just drag me in here?”

She shrugged her shoulders.

He was about to leave again, “No, no this isn’t fair for anyone, be brave llama.”

She took a deep breath, “I’m the dog! It’s not you, it’s me!”

He was about to face her when she grabbed his hand.

“Not in here.”

                                …………………………………….

In the car they said nothing. Amber was too busy trying to concentrate on the road whilst striving to calm her heart down.

But it was hard to achieve that, when Henry was pressing his hand onto hers every now and then. She was letting him do so, which resulted in him eventually holding it with both of his hands and setting out on a mission to measure how small it was compared to his.

She soon withdrew it, pointing at the road for him when he turned to glance at her with complain in his eyes. In reality, she knew she did it to save her sanity.

They reached Henry’s house a little later. She parked outside and contemplated her next move.

“You’re not gonna leave me here now, are you? Come on up!”

He exited the car first and she followed him soon afterwards.

“I can’t wait any longer, Amber”, he said while they were still in the parking lot.

“Tell me now, are you in love with me, yes or no?”

“No!” she replied, flashing a wide smile at him.

“Amber, please! I’m in love with you, are you in lov-“

She was kissing him with all of her might.

She felt his hand on her back, pressing her up against him, as if their bodies could attach to each other even more. His tongue was teasing her and she lost no time parting her lips for him. Their noses were bumping and she was his hair in response to his hands being everywhere now.

“I’m the dog, Henry.” she professed against his lips. “I’m the one that runs after you, after your love. Feeling like I’m not the one, but never actually losing hope.”

He cupped her cheeks and found her gaze, “Amber with the other girls I just go wow and that’s it. And deep down I wanted you to care. I wanted you to do something about it. I enjoyed pushing your buttons like you enjoyed pushing mine.”

“When did I-?”

“Haeber or Henber?” he hissed. “You have as much game as I have.”

“I guess we’re both idiots then.”

“I guess we are.

But-

he planted a kiss on her forehead

for me-

on her eyes

you’re-

the tip of her nose 

She turned her face away giggling.

the only-

“Don’t say it!” she covered his mouth with her hand.

 “Eww you my hand! Always nasty!” she laughed till their eyes met.

He initiated their kiss this time, taking his time with it. Fitting their lips together, trying all the different angles, breathing her in.

She always knew Henry could hit all the right notes, but she had never thought she would experience it in that context. No actually she was lying again. Old habits die hard. She had always imagined she’d experience it in that context. In her head, they had kissed a million times.

               …………………………………………….

Waking up next to Henry was giving her an indescribable feeling. She woke up first that morning, and decided to slowly crawl as close as she could to him, to feel his warmth.

She was admiring those full lips of his, when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist, closing even the tiny bit of gap she had left between them. She then opened to fake a complaint when she felt his hot breath against her skin. He was tracing kisses along her neck, barely touching her. He targeted her hand next and progressed to place small kisses on each and every of her fingertips. 

“You’re a bad girl, Amber. You’re my bad girl.” she heard him whisper between kisses.

That was his new habit, to call her that. And she loved it. She loved it even after listening to it a hundred times a day.

“I caught you now, you're staying here." he added next.

“I’m not going anywhere.” she promised as soon as he released her bottom lip.

“I’ll stay here. Especially if you keep doing what you’re doing”, she chuckled.

They both got scolded for almost missing their schedules again that day. Amber a little less, since she presented her company with not just one, but two love songs ready to be recorded.

A/N: So that's all folks! :D That's all that yours truly could do with this story. I promise I'll do better next time! Or at least I hope I will!:D