YES
UNTOUCHABLE (KRYBER)Krystal was taking a shower when Amber got back to their room after her training. Evenings were the usual highlight of her days. It's the time when she can get to talk to Krystal to catch things up, eat dinner together, and just spend the entire evening with her.
But something on the bed drained all the excitement in Amber's body.
"Flowers? From whom?" Amber whispered to herself. She waited a bit to see if the shower will stop running before looking at the card attached to the flower.
Thank you for always making my day complete. -Kai
"Kai?" Amber's eyebrows furrowed. She started asking herself what the message meant. Was Krystal doing something to him to make his day complete or is he just being mushy?
Amber heard the bathroom door open and immediately went to her closet, pretending to fix her stuff.
"Amber, is that you?" asked Krystal, stepping out of the bathroom.
"Yup."
"Did you just arrive?"
"Yup."
"Something wrong?" asked Krystal, walking over to her closet.
"Nothing. I'm just... hungry."
"Me too. I'm gonna message Jiwon so we can meet up in the canteen."
Amber walked over to the bed and pretend to just notice the flowers. "From an admirer?"
Krystal smiled. "I dunno. Maybe."
"Well, I can tell, based on his message. Who's Kai? You never mentioned him before."
"He's a transfer student. Quite a hottie. A lot of girls are already drooling over him."
Amber didn't like what she heard so she inquired further, "Do you think he's hot too?"
"Hmm. He's a nice boy..." said Krystal, typing on her phone.
"Is he like courting you now?"
"I dunno. He never said anything. He just gave me those flowers after school."
"If he asks you out, will you go out with him?"
Krystal looked up from her phone and smiled. "You're not jealous, are you?"
Amber looked away immediately. "I'm just... I just want to know the guys you're going to date... I want to get to know them first so I can approve them."
Krystal chuckled. "Wow. So, you're like my dad now?"
"No. I just want to make sure none of those guys will hurt you, in case you decide to finally date."
"I'm too young to date, Amber. I haven't really thought about it that much," said Krystal, looking back at her phone. "Besides, why do I need someone to date if I have you to take care of me, right?"
Amber just smiled. "Totally right, Krys."
Krystal's phone beeped. "Let's go. Jiwon's already waiting for us there."
Amber felt at ease that night. However, as days go by, Krystal kept on receiving those flowers. Amber is starting to feel jealous seeing Krystal slowly starting to like receiving those from Kai.
Aside from that, she started hearing Jiwon mention Kai's name several times now, giving Amber the impression that Krystal's telling her best friend something that she's not telling Amber.
It was one of those nights when Amber went home from the training when she spotted Krystal dressed up and fixing her hair in front of the mirror.
"Wow. Going somewhere?" Amber went to her study table to drop her bag.
"Yup, I've got dinner date with Kai," said Krystal putting a clip on her hair.
Amber froze for a moment, then looked over her shoulders. "You finally agreed to it, huh?"
"He's been asking me out for a month now. I'm running out of excuses on why I shouldn’t go out with him."
"You can just simply tell him you don't like him."
It was Krystal's turn to look at Amber over her shoulders. "I can't just tell him that, you know. He's really nice and I don't think going out with him once would hurt me."
Amber leaned her on the study table, her hands inside her pockets. "So, you like him now?"
"I don't know. Maybe. I'll find out later I guess."
It was hard for Amber to take. She huffed. "Okay. Enjoy your little date." Amber was heading to the door now, not wanting to talk more about this boy.
"Where are you going?"
"Dinner. Yuri is going out with Seohyun and her friends. I'll just join them."
"Seohyun and her friends? Those girls are drunkards, right?"
Amber shrugged. "I dunno. I never have really hung out with them."
"What if they asked you to drink?"
"I'm old enough to drink, Krys."
"I'm going to text Yuri to make sure she looks after you," said Krystal, grabbing her phone and typing on it. "I don't want to sleep beside someone who smells alcohol later."
Amber just rolled her eyes. "Enjoy your date. I'll see you later." Without waiting for another word from her roommate, Amber left the room.
---
Seohyun and the gang invited Yuri and Amber to a bar in the town. Amber agreed to whatever the girls wanted to do because she wants to take her mind off something. The idea of Krystal enjoying her date somewhere in the city is killing Amber.
"Three! Two! One! Shot!"
Amber and Yuri grabbed the shot glass in front of them and drunk it up. Amber's face grimaced at the foul taste in and the burning sensation in .
"Want another round, Amber?" asked Seohyun. They were sitting on the sofa with bottles of liquors at the table in front of them.
"Nah, I'm all good. I don't want to go home drunk."
"C'mon, Amber. Don't be a killjoy," one of Seohyun's friend said. "It's not every day we get to hang out with the two most popular students in school."
"Yeah. The other students here are thrilled to see you together," said another girl. "Why don't you two have fun with us for a while?"
Amber looked around and finally realized that the bar is filled with mostly students from their school. She turned back to Seohyun and the gang. "But I, I need to be home. We have a curfew, right?"
" the curfew. Let's go home tomorrow. It's holiday anyway," said another girl. "Besides, your lady guard is busy dating the new boy in town."
Amber furrowed her eyebrows. "Lady guard?"
"It's Krystal," said Seohyun, refilling the glasses with wine. "We couldn't help but notice how she keeps on warding everyone away from you."
Amber is fully aware that Krystal has been trying to protect her from the wrath of the girls in school, but she didn't know that's how others see it.
"By the way, you said the new boy in town. Is it Kai?" asked the other friend.
"Yeah. I saw them eating in the restaurant nearby on my way here. They seemed to be enjoying each other's company."
Amber's nose almost flared at what she heard. She's grabbed one of the shot glasses in front of her and downed it right away.
"Wow. Wow. Wow. Take it easy, bud," said Yuri, getting the glass from Amber's hand putting it down the table. The other girls are now busy chatting over Kai. "I don't want you going home drunk. The princess is gonna kill me."
"She won't mind. She's happy with him anyway," Amber scoffed. "Look at these girls, they all wanted to date that Kai. What are the chances of Krystal not liking him?"
"But she's worried about you..." Yuri trailed off, seeing her phone beeped. "Speaking of her highness, she's asking where we are right now."
"Don't mind her. Just enjoy the party, Yuri."
"I can't! I wouldn't want to deal with an angry Krystal. You should text her yourself."
"I left my phone in the room."
"Aish. What am I gonna do with you?" Yuri was about to reply when her phone rang. She showed the screen to Amber, displaying Krystal's name. She put the device next to her ear. "Yes, Krys? Huh? I... I can't hear you... C-could you repeat that? It's too loud here..." Yuri got up to her feet and headed outside.
Amber was about to get up too but one of Seohyun's friend grabbed her by the arm. "Hey, Amber. Don't go home yet. We're just getting started."
"I... I just..." Amber was pointing outside at Yuri's direction but couldn't continue as the girl pushed her down to sit back on the couch.
"Getting bored? Let me entertain you." The girl straddled Amber with her legs. She picked up one of the lemon slices and put it in between Amber's lips. "Now, hold that for me, darling."
Amber, curious with what's going to happen next, simply obeyed and held the lemon in between her teeth.
The said girl grabbed a glass of tequila from the table, drank it down, and leaned forward to bite the lemon on Amber's lips.
Due to shock, the lemon almost fell from Amber's lips but the girl grabbed it at the right time, making it look like they almost kissed.
Amber just stared at the girl in amazement, somehow imagining if Krystal could do that to her. But as the girl pulled back, giving a better view of the people at the back, Amber's eyes widened after seeing Krystal standing beside Yuri, arms folded, having that impression that looks like she's already massacred the girl in her head.
---
Amber has never been this scared in her life, not even when she’s facing those monsters.
She and Krystal just got back to their room. After seeing Krystal in the bar earlier, Amber immediately stood up from the couch, with the girl on her lap falling on the floor. Amber helped the girl get up and apologized but followed Krystal right away when the latter started storming out from there.
Krystal called a cab and Amber rode with her. There were silent inside the car but Amber could feel the fuming heat emitting on Krystal's side.
And now, they are back in their room, Amber sitting on the bed, waiting for Krystal to get out of the bathroom. The shower has been running since Krystal went in there.
Amber could swear she could literally feel her heart thumping when the shower stopped. Seconds after that, Krystal went out in her white nightgown.
Krystal looked like she just cried and was trying to hide her sniffs.
Amber couldn't handle the silent treatment any longer. "Krys..."
Krystal ignored her and went to the closet.
"Krys...?"
"What?" asked Krystal, her voice stern.
"I'm sorry..."
"For?"
"For making you angry."
Krystal sighed. She walked over to the other side of the room and fixed her other stuff.
Amber felt she needed to say something more. "I-I am sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
"Done what exactly?"
"Going out with Seohyun and her friends. I know that it made you angry."
"Made me angry?" asked Krystal, turning to Amber, both her hands on her waist. "Why do you think I'm angry?"
"B-because I was drinking with Seohyun and her friends?"
"Seriously? Is that the best you could come up with?"
Amber tried to think of other logical reason for Krystal's reaction. "Y-you don't like Seohyun's friends, right? They're drunkards."
"Then why did you still went out with them?"
"I just need some company for tonight, Krys. I'm feeling lonely."
"Feeling lonely? You could've told me that instead of going out with them, Amber."
"I… I don't want to ruin your date," said Amber instead, trying to hide the fact that Krystal is the actual reason why she's feeling lonely.
Krystal sighed again, looked around, and bit her lip. "So, you were lonely? Is that the reason you're making out with one of them?"
Amber's eyes widened. "I was not!"
"'Not.'" Krystal quoted with her fingers. "So, that girl is just casually sitting on your lap even though there are lots of vacant seats in there?"
It was Amber's turn to sigh this time. "We didn't do anything. She sat on my lap and just took the lemon from me. Nothing happened apart from that."
Krystal closed her eyes and grunted.
"Krys, please. Stop being angry at me."
Krystal stepped closer and looked at Amber's face. "Why do you think I'm angry?"
Amber couldn't contain the pressure. She looked down at her foot, not saying anything.
"I know that deep inside here you know the real reason," said Krystal, pointing at Amber's heart. "You're just too afraid to admit it to yourself."
"Will there be any difference if I admit it to myself?"
"Yes, there is!" said Krystal, flailing her arms out. "Because I can't take this anymore!"
"You can't take what?"
"This. Us. You. Me. I don't know about you, Amber. But I'm tired of this game we're playing for more than a year now."
"Well, I'm not playing!"
"Me neither!"
"Then why are you going out with that... that... Kai...?"
Krystal averted her gaze as she runs her fingers through her hair. "I don't like him. I just went out with him today because I wanted to know if going out with him will make me feel something." She shook her head. "But all that time I was just thinking about you. I couldn’t stop myself from texting Yuri. When I found out that you're just near, I went in right away to see you..." Krystal paused and slowly sat on the bed.
Amber remembered the scene earlier, remembering how Krystal looked after seeing them.
"What am I to you, Amber?"
"You're… you're someone I don't want to lose..."
"Then why are you being a coward?"
Amber could swear she can hear her heartbeat. She knelt in front of Krystal, her arms resting on the bed. "I was afraid that you don't feel the same. I'd rather have you beside me as a friend than lose you completely."
"Masochist," Krystal scoffed. "What about me then? Don't you think I'm having a hard time dealing with this?"
"Krys, I'm --"
"I'm tired of this, Am," said Krystal in a somewhat tired tone. "I'm tired of us pretending to be friends when we both know deep down inside that we feel more than that."
Amber looked down and sighed. "I'm not sure if I'm capable of this. I... I don't want to hurt you..."
"You're already hurting me, Am, by holding back..."
That made Amber look up. "Believe me, there's nothing in the world I want right now but to be with you. But I'm scared. I've never felt this kind of attachment to anyone before."
Krystal held Amber's hands. "I know what you went through when you were a child. I know it's not easy. But you have the right to be happy. You deserve another shot in life."
Amber looked at their hands playing with each other. "I'm happy like this with you."
"Me too."
Amber kissed Krystal's hands affectionately. She looked up again. "Be my girlfriend?"
A tear fell from Krystal's eye. She looked up to prevent more tears from falling but then they just fell down her cheeks. "Heck yes," she finally said, crying tears of joy.
Amber's eyes started to feel warm. "I can't believe this is happening. It's like a dream come true to me..."
"Well, it is real," said Krystal, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on Amber's cheek.
Amber knelt up to kiss Krystal's temple. After that, she hugged her. "Thank you. I love you."
"I love you too, stupid," said Krystal, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
Amber helped in wiping the tears with her thumbs. After that, she looked at her girlfriend's eyes to make sure she's not dreaming. Once her heart's been filled with love and adoration for the girl, she leaned forward and kissed Krystal's lips, the latter kissing her back.
For the first time since her dad died, Amber felt whole and secured again.
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