As predicted, work was indeed rough the next day. It promised to be more of the same too, with mandatory overtime because someone had called out at the last minute and their office had deadlines to meet. It gave Sunyoung no time to think about much of anything else. Not her lack of time. Not her music. Not what she thought she saw with Amber. By the time the weekend rolled around to Saturday night, the evening before her other day off – damn she hated split weekends, she was exhausted and burnt out. Turning her phone off, she ordered a pizza from her laptop, took a shower after, and passed out.

                She probably would have slept longer too, if someone hadn’t come knocking on her apartment door. “Huh?!” she gasped, confused at first. The strange banging noise slipped from her dreams into reality and Sunyoung pried open tired eyes. Groaning at the light of day streaming in through her window, she peered over at the clock beside her bed. Today, anywhere near ten was too early for house calls. But the knocking didn’t stop and as she stared at the numbers flicker to the next digit, she sighed. “Alright…” she mumbled, rolling out of bed with awkward grace. “Better be important,” she added, shuffling towards the door as she scratched at messy hair. Without even peeking through the peephole, she opened the front door. “Yes?”

                “Oh,” a very surprised Ren murmured, hand raised as if to knock again. His eyes did a quick once over of her and for a moment, he didn’t seem to know how to respond.

                It took longer than Sunyoung would have cared to admit, but eventually her sleep fogged mind registered the fact that she had answered the door in her sleeping wear: essentially and a really thin shirt… “Crap!” she yelped, closing the door and rushing for her bath towel as her cheeks flushed hotly. Of all the people to see her like that. An almost literal Mr. Perfect compared to her looking like someone living under a bridge. Still embarrassed but mostly covered now, she tried the door again. “Hi, Ren,” she forced a smile, her voice unnaturally high.

                “Sorry for waking you,” he apologized with a shrug, face wrinkled to echo his sentiment.

                “Eh. I needed to get up anyway. Probably,” she waved his concern off, shaking her head. “What’s up? You never come by,” she added, thinking it mildly strange. For a second, her heartbeat sped up and she briefly wondered if he was here for something special. She quashed the thought as soon as it came though. So stupid.

                Ren hummed uncertainly as he looked over Sunyoung’s shoulder. Then he bit his lip and frowned slightly. “It’s probably nothing but have you seen Amber? I haven’t been able to get up with her in the past couple days. Thought she might be with you or something,” he added nonchalantly.

                Caught off guard by the question and the assumption, Sunyoung automatically shook her head. “No. Last I saw her was at the burger restaurant earlier this week. I’ve been so busy recently.”

                “Have you heard from her at all?” he tried again, expression still slightly concerned.

                “Sorry. No. Now that you mention it, that is a little strange. I hadn’t even realized I hadn’t heard from her,” she admitted, feeling rather guilty about that. Damn her work. “Is everything alright? Is there anything I can do to help?” Worry rose up quickly and Sunyoung felt compelled to try.

                But Ren shook his head and smiled, the gesture a little tenser than usual. “Like I said, I’m sure it’s probably nothing. She might have had something come up is all.”

                Normally, Sunyoung would agree with that, but Amber didn’t have anything to come up with. No official job, no family in the area, no extravagant hobbies or travel tendencies. No car either. And half the time, no phone either. Seriously. The woman lost hers on a semi-regular basis. “Want me to let you know if she shows up? I can keep an eye out for her,” she offered, right hand gesturing freely.

                “I’d appreciate that,” Ren nodded, the feeling genuine this time.

                “Sure,” she promised, stepping forward to place a reassuring hand on his upper arm.

                “Sorry again for bothering you,” he apologized once more, reaching up to smooth her messy hair down.

                She winced and wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. A little more warning next time might be nice,” she laughed, reflexively combing at her hair herself.

                “Understood,” he winked, giving a half bow. “Have a good day, Sunyoung. Don’t work too hard,” he warned her, one finger wagging in front of her face as he raised a brow at her.

                “Good advice,” she agreed, snorting softly and stepping back to start closing the door. “You have a good day too. And good luck finding Amber!”

                Ren nodded and waved in mute response before he left, leaving Sunyoung to her troubled thoughts. Curious now, she retrieved her phone and turned it on, checking to see if she had heard anything from Amber but had just missed them. It was possible but not really likely.

                Nope.

                Nothing.

                “Hmm…” Well now she was worried. No. Not really that. Just concerned. Amber was a big girl and knew well enough how to take care of herself. Mostly. First time they’d met notwithstanding. The memory brought an amused smile to her face. While she rummaged around in the fridge for breakfast, she replayed that memory. She’d been walking along, on her way to the park on one of her days off. The weather was warm, much like it was now.

                Eh. Cereal and a banana seemed alright. She wanted coffee too but that would be too much work. Taking a seat, she resumed her thoughts. It really felt as if Amber had appeared almost out of nowhere. One moment, she’d been walking along, music blaring in her ears and not a care in the world. The next, this… person stumbled full into her, knocking them both to the ground.

                Sunyoung laughed once and rolled her eyes, covering when she accidentally spit a bit of food out. “Helluva way to meet.” Amber hadn’t changed much since that day, but at the time, the only thing Sunyoung knew was that the man… woman? That had been confusing. Was hurt. Not bad, mind you, but her face had been bruised and she’d twisted her ankle somewhere along the way.

                ‘Oh my god! Are you okay?’ she’d said at the time, panic flooding her. Really, it was just good that no one else had been there. Well, the odd street pedestrian didn’t really count. She didn’t know what she would have done if the person that had hurt Amber had actually been around.

                She pushed the mostly empty bowl away and started nibbling on her banana. ‘You should see the other guy.’ Humor, even then. It was such a part of her. She finished the piece of fruit as she went over the next part. She’d wanted to go the hospital to get her checked out, but Amber had been adamant about not. Something about ‘insurance’ and ‘it’d be fine.’ She also said she didn’t like hospitals and Sunyoung couldn’t blame her for that. They were helpful when they needed to be, but they were places of life and death and they often freaked her out. Plus they smelled weird.

                “Ugh. I need a shower,” she grumbled. Having taken one last night, it didn’t feel like it this morning and she was more than ready for something to help clear her head. But her thoughts kept mulling over the memory of their first meeting. Somehow, Amber had convinced her to stick around. Maybe it was because she played the pitiful patient quite well. She hadn’t had any other plans and really, Amber had just looked so… lost at the time. Together, she’d helped the taller woman to the nearest drugstore for pain killers and something to wrap her ankle.

                And after, Amber had offered to buy her lunch. Or dinner by that point. That was honestly probably where her entirely unexpected crush had started. Amber was charming, even when bruised and in pain. She was funny. She could make you literally forget about the world outside as she regaled you with stories, especially with how she’d gotten hurt in the first place. Something about winning a fight and then getting jumped later after the fact.

                She’d asked her how she got away and all Amber would say was that she’d given them the slip. That much was obviously true, but Sunyoung had wanted more details. Unfortunately, Amber hadn’t been keen to give them. That was the other side of the coin. Though charming, Amber could hedge with the best of them. If she didn’t want you to know something, she had countless distraction techniques she could use. And had on various occasions. But…

                Stepping out of the shower to grab a towel and look at herself in the foggy mirror, Sunyoung sighed, “You’ve never gone so many days without some sort of contact.” Staring at her reflection through the hand wiped space, she recalled how, since they’d first met, Amber had consistently either messaged her or seen her at least once every day or every other day. For over a year. Frowning, she tapped on her reflection’s forehead and then stuck her tongue out, making a weird face.

                Frustrated, she stepped back and scrubbed her face with both hands. “Fine! I’ll go look for her,” she grumbled, plodding back to her room for suitable change of clothes. Really, if Amber could find her by searching her usual haunts, she should be able to do the same. Especially if she’d lost her phone again. She sent a message to Amber just in case and hoped she’d get a response soon. If not… well, time would tell.

                So… where did Amber usually hang out? Her apartment was the first place Sunyoung checked. Not surprisingly, there was no answer in the small hallway. It was a single room, not unlike something you’d find in New York. Tiny, but per Amber, quite affordable. She didn’t spend much time there anyway. She liked coffee but not coffee shops so there wasn’t much point in going to those places. Same thing with arcades. She loved gaming but didn’t like the crowds. The skate park was a good bet though. Unfortunately, it showed neither hide nor hair of the… absent young woman. Sunyoung wasn’t quite ready to say she was missing yet.

                The park gave no clues either. Or any of the smaller, darker restaurants they sometimes visited. She liked quiet, somewhat closed off places. Bookstore? Nope. Music store! No… Pet store…? Nothing. “Where are you?” Sunyoung wondered, chewing her bottom lip as she checked her phone to see if there was a response. There wasn’t. Didn’t even look like Amber had seen the message either. Strange.

                On a whim, she called their closer friends, just to see. From the sound of it, neither Aron, nor Jackson, nor Wonshik had seen much of her lately either. They also mentioned Ren had checked with them and wondered if everything was okay. “I’m sure it’s fine. We just haven’t heard from her in a bit and wanted to touch base is all,” she’d promised them. It wasn’t a lie, but she was beginning to feel it wasn’t exactly the whole truth either.

                They all said they’d keep an eye out for her too and let her or Ren know if they came across anything. With her day being less than successful, Sunyoung decided to call it. She had no desire to cook so she grabbed some Chinese on the way home and flopped down on her couch in the living room. The TV brought no solace and hardly a distraction worth her time. At least the food was good.

                She checked her phone again and was disappointed when there was still no response. Slightly irritated and worried now, she sent another message and then tossed her phone away. But it skidded out of reach and she eyed it from afar. “Dammit,” she grumbled, crawling over the space to retrieve it and bring it close again. She tried to work on her music as a way to distract her from the growing worry, but that failed utterly too.

                What ifs came and started circling around in her head. Really, an entire composition of ‘What if’ was going to do no one any good. Eventually, she gave up and resigned herself to just finish the crappy movie on the TV and then call it a night. Okay, it wasn’t that bad but it would have been infinitely better if Amber had been there to make fun of the “monster” with her. Yawning tiredly, Sunyoung turned the TV off and got up, ready to turn in. But she paused when it felt almost as if someone was watching her. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone, but most of the lights were off.

                “Hello?” she called out, feeling silly in the next moment when she turned the overhead lights on. Nope. No one here. But she still felt it… Biting her bottom lip, Sunyoung wandered through the apartment, making sure she was well and truly alone. Literally, the only other person she ended up seeing was her own reflection in a mirror or faintly in glass. Stopping, she walked backward until she could see herself in the bathroom mirror again. She leaned forward just enough to not see herself anymore and then went back quickly, watching her reflection mirror her perfectly. It defied logic but for some reason, she had the weirdest thought that her reflection was looking at her. Really, that was true, but like more than usual.

                “Are you watching me?” she teased, sauntering towards the mirror and then laughing at the absurdity of it. “Oh, I must be going crazy. Paranoid much?” Sunyoung reminded herself with a light smack on her head. Walking out of the mirror, she whined, “Amber! Respond so I can ask you about where you’ve been and your weird reflection!” As she left, she didn’t notice the way her reflection seemed to break sync at the last second.

                Sunyoung slept well enough, which was good because Monday was also crazy. But that was largely due to the fact they now had to get ready for their new quarter and that required a great deal more work as well. Tuesday was a day off which she spent very much like her Sunday. She got up with Ren and checked with the guys to see if they’d heard anything. They all sort of wondered if maybe they should go to the police or something, but strangely, Ren was quite against that idea.

                “You know Amber hates the police. Okay. Maybe not hate, but she doesn’t think they’re that good at their jobs, you know?” he clarified over the phone. Unlike Amber, he was much better about keeping his phone in a usable condition and on his person.

                “I know,” Sunyoung responded, well aware of that conversation. “But what if she’s actually in trouble and needs some kind of help?” she couldn’t help but shrug.

                “No. I hear you,” he conceded with a sigh. “But look. I’ve got an idea, though it might take me a bit to sort out. So if you don’t hear from soon, that’s why. Just for now, keep doing what you’re doing. We can go to the police as a last resort. Okay?”

                Sunyoung sighed, long and heavy. “Okay,” she eventually agreed, not liking it.

                The usual haunts were empty again and while she did head back to her apartment to try and compose, she felt strangely on edge. It really did seem as if someone was watching her. The sensation made her flee the apartment and head back to the park. Nothing but freedom and fresh air there. While inspiration still refused to come to her, the sun was inviting enough for her to lay down in the grass and just rest for a little bit. “Oh!” she gasped, sitting up as a ridiculous epiphany occurred to her. “What if Amber’s in trouble with the police and that’s why Ren says we shouldn’t call them?” But that didn’t make too much sense in the end, even if it was at least a little plausible. She still didn’t know who Amber had gotten into a fight with when they first met and it wasn’t impossible it was law enforcement…

                “Ugh. That’s stupid,” Sunyoung told herself, trying to find some other rational explanation. None came to her though. Go figure. And as the sun started to set even more, her lighting went with it. And no, she wasn’t going to stay in the park by herself after dark. That was asking for trouble. Every woman knew that. But her apartment made her feel strangely edgy too, and Sunyoung didn’t like it. Weirdly enough, she could have sworn it felt the strongest near mirrors. Closing the bathroom door helped though. And avoiding her full body mirror in her room did too. She turned it towards the wall instead.

                “Strange…” she exhaled with a shake of her head.

                As weird as she was starting to feel about everything, her work week didn’t exactly leave her much time to think about it. She didn’t hear from Amber. Or Ren for that matter. Though Jackson, Aron, and Wonshik all sent her text messages at least, on Wednesday or Thursday. Friday was set to be another normal, busy day and it certainly started that way.

                A quick breakfast and coffee on the run were all Sunyoung managed before she had reports to fill out or file and so many calls to make. Not to mention the staff meetings about last quarter and then more staff meetings about how to do better this quarter. And it was just so much… She finally took a late break right around three for food and a desperately needed bathroom trip.

                While it was madness in the office, at least the restroom was quiet. So quiet in fact that it was more than easy to hear the soft footsteps in the shared space. That wouldn’t be a problem except, ladies were required to wear heels of some kind and the shoes she heard were most definitely not those. “Hello?” she called out uncertainly, drawing her skirt up defensively.

                “Sunyoung? Is that you?” the mystery person asked in a strangely familiar voice.

                “Amber?” she yelped in surprise, leaning down enough to see the expected sneakers obvious under the stall. She gasped when Amber squatted down to peer under the stall herself. Immediately, she pulled her knees together and grimaced. “What are you doing here?! And where have you been?!” she demanded, definitely weirded out and alarmed.

                “It’s a little complicated, but bear with me. They’re watching you,” Amber stated simply, her hands gesturing as if there was nothing she could do about that.

                “What? Go away so I can… finish,” she grumbled, flustered and annoyed and at a point where she didn’t know what to think.

                “Okay, but don’t come out yet,” she urged, one hand reaching up to hold onto the top of the door. “I’ve blocked the main door so no one should bother us but there’s a lot I need to say and not much time.”

                “Now you’re starting to sound crazy,” Sunyoung hissed, finishing her business and standing up as fast as possible. She unlocked the door but Amber wouldn’t let her out. “Oh, come on!”

                “I know this is weird, but trust me. It’s better if you don’t come out just yet. They are watching you. They’re looking for me, but they know you’re my friend and so they’re trying to use you to find me,” she explained quickly, her hand staying on the top of the door.

                “They? Who’s ‘they’?” she asked in confusion. “And why are they watching me and looking for you?!”

                She heard a heavy sigh on the other side of the door. “This is gonna sound crazy but remember when we first met?”

                “Yeah. Kind of hard to forget an injured woman appearing out of nowhere and running into you. And refusing to go to the hospital,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

                Amber laughed softly and Sunyoung could imagine her nodding along. “I told you then I gave some people the slip, yeah?” she asked, waiting for Sunyoung’s response. She managed a small sound of agreement. “Well, they found me. More or less. Or at least they’re trying to. Through you.”

                “I don’t understand,” Sunyoung admitted, lost.

                “I know. I must have gotten careless or they guessed or managed to connect the dots, but regardless, you’re in danger. Or you will be soon. I think,” she added uncertainly, fingers white on Sunyoung’s side of the door. “Ren found me and has been helping me gather information.”

                “He found you?”

                “Yeah, and this is the important part,” Amber insisted. “I’m gonna need you to trust me right now. You can think I’m crazy or that I’ve lost my mind or whatever, but I need you to trust me. Okay?”

                Sunyoung was quiet for a moment. This was crazy. There was no getting around that. Amber was in the bathroom at her work after having been missing with no contact for days and now she was spouting nonsense about people watching her and her own life being in danger and yeah… it was crazy. But did she trust Amber? Ugh…

                “Okay. I trust you.” She didn’t know why right now, but Amber had never given her reason not to. Except for recently. Before that though, nothing.

                “Yeah?”

                “Yes.”

                “Good,” Amber sighed in relief, her swallow audible. They both jumped when they heard a knock on the door though as someone else was trying to get in. “Great…” she grumbled, the tone strangely amusing to Sunyoung. “It’ll take them a minute to get a key. So listen up. I’m gonna let you out now, but you have to pretend that I’m not here.”

                “What?” Sunyoung asked in genuine confusion.

                “Just pretend like I’m not here. Go to the sink. Wash your hands. Look in the mirror like you usually do. Act… natural,” she suggested with a laugh.

                “Seriously?”

                “Trust me,” Amber added again, her tone pleading.

                “Fine…” Sunyoung sighed. This really was crazy. They were going to have a long talk after this. For sure.

                Slowly, Amber’s fingers let go of the door and it started to swing inward. Shaking her hands out, she stepped around it and cast a quick glance at Amber. She was completely like her usual self. No suspect bruises or anything amiss, but she did immediately point at the mirror. Right. Like normal. “Ugh,” she sighed, knowing that was something she actually would do at this point. “It has been a long week.” That was true and also something she’d say, but it was directed at Amber as well. It really had been a long week, and this stunt wasn’t helping anything. Sunyoung looked up and saw her reflection. But she also saw Amber getting ready to apparently punch her. Or the mirror. It was hard to say. “Yah!” she yelped, stepping back reactively.

                “Ow!” Amber yelped after a soft thud sounded as opposed to shattering glass.

                Surprised, Sunyoung looked up and then jerked again. Waving her hand in front of the mirror, she felt her heart thud against her chest. Where was her reflection? Looking at Amber, she flinched again. Where was her reflection?! Pointing between Amber and the mirror and where she was supposed to be, Sunyoung gasped, “Did you punch my reflection?”

                “Yes. Now come on,” she urged, reaching out to grab Sunyoung’s hand as she crawled on the sink counter.

                “What are you doing?!” Sunyoung hissed, flinching when she heard someone back at the main door. It sounded like they had the keys.

                “Trust me!” Amber encouraged once more, holding tight to Sunyoung’s hand.

                “You have lost your mind!” she hissed, reluctantly sitting on the sink counter so she could follow the other woman. She was not prepared when Amber actually started moving through the mirror though. “What the…?” she trailed off, reaching with her free hand to paw at the surface. It went right through the glass and she whined in horrified concern.

                Amber flinched as the bathroom door started to open. “Time to go. Sorry about this,” she winced.

                “About what?” Sunyoung asked in a strained, tiny voice.

                “This,” Amber answered, falling through the mirror and yanking Sunyoung with her.

(a/n: A little tension, a little suspense, and eventually, the start of the adventure. heh Comedy isn't usually my forte but I like doing comedic moments, especially like the bathroom scene. And lines that at least strike me as funny. I really wanted to have the question - Did you punch my reflection? XD Overall, I'm content with how things are playing out and I hope that you are enjoying the story so far. We'll start getting into the meat of the project in the next update so please look forward to it! Thank you!)