The boyish girl stood silently to take in the sight of the newly opened mall while her mind was elsewhere. There it is, she thought, that same old feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

"Yo Amber, what is up with you hyung, first time in a mall?" Sulli laughed as she shook Amber off her reverie.

"Sorry Sul, I was just surprised they actually allowed you here," Amber mindlessly retorted as she stuck her tongue out to younger friend.

An exchange of light-hearted insults and teasing ensued between the two good friends, until they ended up laughing at their own jokes for some good two minutes.

The reason why they were there is because Krystal invited them over for dinner. It's been six months since Krystal left their company to join her boyfriend Kai at a rival ad agency. Sulli, meanwhile, quit to forge a new career path from copywriter to singer. And while Amber stayed, the two didn't take it against her because they knew she only stayed due to a pending promotion.

What they didn't know was that it broke Amber's heart to see Krystal go, having been secretly in love with her colleague for years yet never daring to confess. And when Krystal resigned, Amber was torn. She was going to miss Krystal, but she knew she wouldn't get over her if they stayed at close proximity.

"Hyung, you'd better call Krystal," Sulli yet again interrupting Amber's thoughts. "I'm starving."

"You do it!"

"No, you do it! Besides, my phone battery is nearly dead."

Amber rolled her eyes and hesitated, but pulled out her phone anyway. She wasn't prepared to hear Krystal's voice again. A voice she had worked on for months to forget. Which is strange because she's here, about to meet her for old times' sake, and partly to test herself if she has really gotten over Krystal.

"Hello?"

"Hey Krystal! We're already here at the mall, what time are you..."

"Oh my God, Amber, I missed your voice."

That wasn't the answer she was looking for, and the butterflies on Amber's stomach went haywire.

"Whatever," Amber tried to mask off her feelings as she responded with a nervous laugh. "So are you coming or not?"

"Give me five minutes, Kai and I are almost there."

But of course, Amber thought. Of course he'd be there. Why the hell would he not be there.

Kai was also one of their colleagues in the agency but he didn't get along with the bosses and most employees (Sulli included). That, plus his attendance problems gave him the boot, though a rival agency quickly pounced on the chance and hired him.

Still, Amber and Sulli knew that Krystal loved Kai very much, so they were civil to him at the very least. What Amber really thought about Kai, she kept to herself.

"So hyung, what did Krystal say?"

"She'll be here in five with Kai."

Sulli groaned.

"Yah, don't be rude. Be nice."

"I am nice. And I'm happy for them."

"Good thing you're a singer, not an actress, because you at acting."

Sulli slapped her arm and another exchange of teasing and jokes ensued until...

"Amber!"

That voice made Amber freeze. And there she was. The light in the dark. The heat of a bitter winter. The rainbow after the rain. The love of her life. Amber couldn't speak as Krystal ran towards her, visibly overjoyed to see her again. Amber couldn't move as Krystal engulfed her in a hug.

There it is. The smell of honey in her hair. The warmth of her embrace. The butterflies in Amber's stomach soaring until they flew all over the place like a colorful confetti filling up her entire being.

There was no denying that same old feeling.

"I missed you," Krystal said and tightened her hug.

Amber was about to reply when she saw Kai walking towards them, a signal that her moment with Krystal was about to end.

"You can let me go now," Amber replied as she freed herself from Krystal's arms and gently pushed the girl to her boyfriend. It was all Amber could say to Krystal, but it was also what Amber wishes she could say to herself, too. Let her go, Amber. Let her go.