~

Krystal blinked as she stepped in her house. 

It was so messy, so unrecognizable, she thought she had entered the wrong one. Clothes scattered, empty cans, dirty dishes, used tissues, open and consumed food packages and more Krystal didn't even want to mention, were around the floor. Her face twirled in a disgusted expression.

"Don't mind the entire mess, it's a house of three men, what were you expecting..." Jack crossed the living room and made his way to Krystal's bedroom, at the end of the corridor.

Krystal followed him, in a slower pace. "Three men? Where's Grandma?" She started to open her suitcase Jack had eventually packed during her stay at the hospital, but Jack gently slapped her hand away.

"Move, go sit on your bed, let me take care of this."

Krystal frowned at his words, but sat down either way, eyeing Jack's movements of unpacking. "I'm not used to this, it's uncomfortable to see you actually working for me."

Jack chuckled, not bothering to look up. "Your Grandmother went to San Francisco to visit Frank."

"Eh? Why?" Krystal crossed her legs and took her mobile phone from her clothes. "I thought they didn't get along?"

"Who told you that?" Jack glanced at her as he opened Krystal's wardrobe. "They are mother and son, of course they get along." He closed it and turned to Krystal, who was happily typing a message. He sighed.

"Well, I thought so." She said, mindlessly, but then stopped everything and put her phone aside, turning to Jack. "No, but—let's be honest here."

Jack raised his eyebrow, "Sure," and sat down on her beanbag, in front of her.

"How come I never know anything?"

Jack sighed at the question—he had a hint she would ask him this one day or another. Even so, he tried to avoid it. "What do you mean?"

"I said, honest." 

Jack smiled. She was way too smart for this childish behaviour, since when did she grow up to this? 

Jack held his breath.

Krystal, more than anyone, deserved to know. After all, because of what was happening in the backoffice of her family, she had to spend over a week in the hospital, almost unable to move. And that wasn't even the worst. But she wasn't ready—was she?

Or was he, Jack, the one who wasn't ready to show Krystal the real world?

"Aren't you going to answer me?"

Krystal's sudden soft tone made Jack glance at her. He gulped and avoided her intense gaze by looking at the picture on her desk, next to the window. He pointed at it.

"It all started a few years before that..."

Krystal followed his finger to the picture.

"You mean, a few years before I was born?" He nodded. "Huh? What did?"

"Wait, let me explain it calmly." He breathed in. "It's going to be long."

She shrugged, "I don't mind."

He let out a long breath before slapping both his legs. "So, uhm," he ruffled his head as he found words to begin the big and complicated talk. "Your father actually forced me to tell you this before, but I never told you—It's not very... good, and I always wanted you to be someone happy and—"

"Jack." Krystal leaned in. He looked up. "Straight to the point." He chuckled, she moved her hands impatiently. "Come on!"

"Don't blame me after."

"I won't."

"How do you feel about your mother?"

Krystal stirred in her bed. She had no idea of how many hours had already gone by, ever since she laid herself on and inside of it; the only thing she knew was that it was really dark outside, and the moon was brighter than usual. 

Krystal's mind, a few moments ago, was running at the speed of light with so much information. Krystal's mind, right now, is completely blank and she can't think of anything—because she has too much to think about.

She turned to lay on her stomach and propped her chin on her palms. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"gangs,"

"murdered..."

"... mother."

"grandfather..."

She ruffled her hair in frustration.

"Everything."

"Is."

"Revenge."

She shut her eyes tight. It all scared her so much. It was all so confusing, so new to her, it scared her.

Well, not that new, since she was aware her father's job wasn't the most innocent on Earth, but still... And she was right about her grandfather, that horrible man, that— She didn't have enough words to describe the hell of a person that kills his own daughter—

Krystal shook her head.

It saddened her.

It didn't make any sense. At all.

But again— what in this world makes sense?

Krystal had found herself way too thoughtful these past few days, so much to the point of having her thinking it wasn't even healthy. But let's face it: who, better than yourself, to discuss about things, everything? Krystal had adopted that philosophy, never disregarding that others may be correct and may also help her in any situation that pops up, but those are only questioned as a second resource, if she, for a reason, can't find a clear solution to whatever is in need of one.

Krystal had also found herself way too dependent these past few days. Not only dependent of her assuring thoughts but also of one single person. Yes, that one person that threw herself into danger because of Krystal, that one person that greatly suffered because of Krystal and that, even so, still requires Krystal's presence everyday at the hospital. And she would happily go, of course, how on earth would she deny a day spent in the company of her friend, her life-saviour, her crush?

Crush. Yes. Because Krystal wasn't that dumb nor clueless. And maybe these quiet days, where only her thoughts in her mind were heard, helped Krystal getting to know her growing feelings towards Amber. Come on, your heart doesn't start racing out of nowhere when you are with your friend just because, there has to be a reason, and it surely isn't just because she's your friend. And this urge, this dependency over a person — it only happens when you like someone, right? 

Krystal had never felt this way before, she was sure of it. Not even when it was with Jack, what she had always called it of "first love"; no, not even then the feeling was so strong, this strong. And Krystal liked it. Krystal loved every single thing of it: every day was a new beautiful day, full of new wonders and good surprises for her, how could she not love it?

"Oh, Soojung, you're here!"

Seriously, she thought, how could she not love it.

Krystal didn't even try to hide her wide smile as she put down her backpack next to her seat and carefully hugged Amber. Although she was a lot better, her ribs hadn't yet completely recovered, so she had to restrain every single effort — according to what the doctors had told Krystal, she had a few exams scheduled, so that's why she was still staying at the hospital. But staying at the hospital or staying at home was the same for Krystal, she would still visit her everyday, and if she were indeed at home, well, maybe that would be better, maybe Krystal could cook for her, take care of her... Even if she wasn't physically perfect, she still wanted to help her.

And even if Jack disliked it, she would still go.

Yes, because Jack absolutely despised the idea of having Krystal moving around every freaking day, back and forth, from the hospital to their home, from their home to the hospital — but he couldn't stop her. He tried, one day, and forced Krystal to stay at home, and swore never doing it again. If this was how Krystal would restore her happiness — what did the doctor say when she was still hospitalized?, that she was in a state of shock and that she could get psychologically affected by it?, right — so if this was the only to get her back in place, then he would have to agree with it. 

Though... having Amber in their own house was something Jack definitely couldn't comply with.

But he couldn't do a thing about it either, since he didn't own the house in the first place and his word against Krystal's grandmother meant the very same thing as nothing. He had to content himself by sending off glares at Amber, as a childish way for her to understand that she wasn't welcome by him to this house.

But she couldn't care less. A bit rude behaviour from her part, yes, since she wasn't even invited, but the motive that brought her there, that made her knock in the large wooden gate with all her might a few days after her discharge, was a lot more important than having to bother over manners.

"Why won't you tell me where Soojung is?" Amber slapped Jack's chest and tried to push him away so that she could enter the house.

Jack only shrugged and didn't even move away one inch from his place, standing right in front of the house's gate, blocking Amber from taking a glimpse of the inside.

"Seriously, get off the way!" She raised her voice maybe a bit too much.

He shook his head and smirked.

"What's your problem?!" Amber stepped back and ran a hand through her short hair while the other one went straight to her hips. She nervously bit her lip and glanced away. "Why can't I see her?" She asked as she tried to calm herself down by taking a few deep breathes, before turning back to Jack.

"Because I say you can't, simple as that." He was back to his usual cold and serious expression.

"What—" Amber prepared herself to raise her voice once again, when suddenly someone tapped on Jack's shoulder.

"What's happening?"

"Grandmother!" Jack quickly moved away from the gate and faced Krystal's grandmother. "We were too noisy, sorry for having woken you up, it wasn't our intention—"

"What's happening?" The old lady repeated, this time taking a look at the main source of the noise, Amber, who was standing in the middle of the road, with her arms crossed over her dark hoodie and staring at the old lady, to whom Jack called 'grandmother'. Krystal's grandmother, with slow steps, carefully crossed their path and made her way to Amber, stopping in front of her. She grabbed her arm, to which Amber reacted with surprise, and rested there for a few seconds. "Are you Soojung's friend?

Amber nodded and heard Jack's long sigh. However, she didn't even take her time to glance at Jack to see him (probably) with a very bothered face, shooting daggers at her; no, she couldn't look away from the mysterious figure that was Krystal's grandmother. What Krystal had noticed first in her grandmother, Amber noticed too: she couldn't stop smiling. It was lovely, she found it adorable. Her presence immediately brought peace to Amber, and even though she didn't forget her main concern that brought her all the way there, she felt a lot more calm about it. Even her soft voice sounded like a melody to her, she felt mesmerized by Krystal's grandmother. 

"Do you want to see Soojung?"

Amber nodded, never letting go of her lip, bewilderedly biting it.

"Then why don't you come inside?"

Amber smiled as she nodded again. Krystal's grandmother slid an arm behind her back and gently pushed her past the gate and inside the house.

A/N: Please don't kill me. 

Currently writing the next chapter to clear things out for those who didn't understand. But I'm almost pretty sure it's understandable...

Thank you so much to everyone~ :)) Good things come to those who wait, so I'll be sure to make this story as a good thing to all of you who have been putting up with me and this story since June <3