Amber POV

I got close to Jion while playing with her in the park. She started calling me Unnie already which was nice. It feels like I have younger siblings. Thinking about it, I felt sad and guilty. So we continued playing, ate snacks, played again until they got tired. We promised that we will do it again when I’m free. I’m feeling cautious about Krystal’s motives since she changed, should I call it that? She stopped bullying me in school which in turn being bullied by Kai. I don’t mind the physical beatings but today was too much.

“Heard you’re tutoring the girls, so this is my gift” He swung his hand at me and punched me in the gut. I heaved up since it knocked my airs out. , that hurt. he continued beating me up and my ribs started to hurt already. After a while they left. I stayed there to rest, my bruises are gonna bruise again but at least they left the face this time, just a busted lip. I went home to change and cook for Grandma and Grandpa. I carefully wrapped my chest since it hurts like hell. I went to the café to start early and I saw Sulli with the others. “Hyung!” Sul called.

“Yeah?” I tried to smile but I grimaced. Sul noticed it

“Hyung! Are you okay?” She immediately asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine” I touched my stomach to magically relieve the pain but its not working.

“What happened? Here, sit down” I sat down to relax my body. Luckily my shift will start in an hour.

“Just the usual with Kai, its just severe this time” They know about it, in fact most of the students know, they just don’t care.

“Why not fight back?”

“I hate hurting people” my answer became somewhat cold. I do hate it because I feel like I’ve hurt enough people in the past. Sulli was about to ask something about it when I cut her off. “Just leave it, I’ll be fine. Its not like I’m not used to it. It happened to me before, every day in fact, so just leave it” I stood up to go change in the locker room.

Krystal POV

SO Kai did this to her. I do know about what he does to Amber but not how awful the beatings are. Sure, I give a punch or two, not enough to leave bruises but this one’s awful. I was shocked at her answer when she said she’s used to it and it happened every day in the past. I watched her walk away grimacing. I asked myself why she doesn’t choose to rest instead of working today. , why am I concerned.

“I told her to fight back already, tch, hyung is so stubborn. What’s the use of being a black belter in taekwondo for nothing?” Sulli exclaimed.

“Wait, black belt? in taekwondo?” Suzy asked when I was about to ask it too.

“Yep, Gran said she’s a black belter”

“You met her Gran?”

“Yep, I went to her apartment to practice our duet”

“You are having a duet?!” exclaimed the girls

“Yep, duet”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” I asked this time

“It was supposed to be a surprise, jeez. Now, I’ve said it”

“So how it? the song?”

“It was so cool! she combined our lyrics to come up with a new theme! She may be poor but she has almost all the equipment for producing a song. She said, her boss in the club gave her those old ones when they ordered new equipment for the bar.” Hmmm. Not bad. We stayed in the café for long until someone shouted our names.

“SUlli unnie! Krystal Unnie!” it was Jion together with her parents. I never thought that they would be in this café since he’s the owner of the Liu Corp.

“Hi Jion!” Sul greeted back. They sat down two tables away from us which has a sofa and Jion sat on a high chair. A waiter took their orders and gave them to Amber. I watched her make the beverages which were coffee for the parents and a freshly squeezed apple juice. She went back inside the cooking area and after 20 minutes came out to serve the orders. She was about to go when she stopped a few steps away from them. it was Jion who brought her back. “Amber unnie!” The parents gave her disgusted look and I immediately knew the reason.

“Hi Jion. Here are your orders sir, mam” she laid down their food and left. We were talking for 30 minutes when we heard Jion crying, apparently she was alone in the table. She was really loud and we are tempted to reach her out but we’re afraid given that her father is easily agitated and would get mad at us. It was Amber who approached. I heard her ask. “Why are you crying Jion?”

“daddy and mommy left me here”

“Where did they go?”

“Bathroom”

“Hey, they’ll be back. The bathroom is just there.” I watched her give her a lollipop just in time for Mr. Liu to witness. “What do you think you’re doing, Miss?” He asked coldly

“She was crying so I stayed with her, its bothering the other customers so..” she didn’t finish her words when MR. Liu grabbed her. “I don’t care if they’re bothered, you don’t have the permission to talk to my daughter, dyke” She shoved her and she hit the table which made the plates and glasses fall and break. I forgot that she was having difficulty in her balance she was injured. That was when hell break loose.

We immediately stood from our seats and helped Amber into her feet. She was bleeding, glasses stuck on her body when she laid on them after she fell. “What’s wrong with you!?” Sulli asked.

“Like hitting little girls?” I sneered. I am not one to defend people but this one is not going out of my radar, but ! I started to care. He froze upon hearing my question. But then I heard Jion. “Why are you hurting unnie, Daddy!?” She was crying. Enter the wife who was like eating us with her looks which I reciprocated. The manager, or I should say Tiffany unnie finally arrived. We explained what happened with the help of other customers who saw what happened.

“I didn’t know you employ a dyke in your café” he said

“Well, sir, I am a dyke myself and married to a woman. So if you are going to insult me and my workers, you are banned from our establishment.” She looked at Amber who was being taken care of by Sulli, Suzy and Luna. Apparently, she doesn’t want to go to the hospital.

“You can’t do that, do you know who I am?” he threatened but this time, I was the one who answered.

‘She certainly knows sir, but if you are threatening us, then you’re threatening my father, the owner of the Jung Corp.” I told him smugly. he didn’t answer us, but instead, they left. Fany unnie thanked me. She was the wife of Taeyeon unnie who was our music teacher. We went to Amber and she took of some of the glass in her arm. Fany unnie insisted that we go to hospital and she finally accepted.

We went with her and she is finally getting treated in the emergency room but after that, she was taken to get an x-ray. The doctor told us that she will be fine but she has to rest since she had 2 broken ribs which I guess was from Kai. We sent her home after and that was the first time I saw her apartment. The two elders were worried but Sulli explained to them. I looked at her room, Sul was right. it was full of equipment. My eyes landed on the sleeping figure on the bed and that was when I realized, I started to care about her.