~

            "Who was that guy the other day? Jack, or something..." Amber took a bite of her Twix chocolate. "Your boyfriend?"

            "NO! Never. God, don't even say that. He's so annoying..." Krystal was playing a game on her cellphone, she didn't even look up when Amber spoke to her.

            "Then...?" Krystal glanced at her for less than a second.

            "My dad's secretary." She answered emotionlessly, with all her attention back to the game.

            Amber nodded, she didn't even get surprised. Not again. It didn't take her much time to get to know at least part of Krystal. On Amber's eyes, she was just a spoiled kid, daughter of a probably millionaire CEO of some important company in the US, seeing how Krystal behaved and reacted to things that would ocasionally happen. Yet, she wasn't a bad friend. Probably because Amber didn't know much about Krystal's private life, and vice-versa, it was comfortable that way. She wasn't annoying either. Well, she didn't talk much and that's what Amber enjoyed the most.

            They were both alone, on Amber's hiding place, as Krystal named it, the place where Amber would ran off to, as soon as the bell rang. It was pleasant there, and even though it was windy and a bit cold outside, it was sunny there, since they were sheltered by the school walls.

            They grew closer. They were now always together, although knowing little about each other. The fact that Amber was helping Krystal contributed a lot. The start of a good friendship, perhaps? Yes, that was certainly it.

            "Where are your parents?" Despite being comfortably like this, without knowing details about Krystal's life, Amber was still curious about this one. About Krystal's parents and the reason about why she was living alone with her grandmother. She couldn't help it but ask.

            "My father stayed in San Francisco, he sent me here to... study." Krystal was still focused on her fame and made up an excuse with the first thing that came up on her mind.

            "Mother?" Amber took the last bite of her Twix and waited for the answer for what it seemed like decades.

            "There." Krystal pointed to the clear sky, losing her game. "In heaven." She explained, smiling, and glanced at Amber.   

            "Oh, sorry." She said, unsure of what more to say, suddenly finding a big interest on her hands and looking away from Krystal.

            "It's okay, I didn't get to know her anyway." She gave out a carefree smile. "What about your parents? What do they do?"

            Amber found her reaction a bit strange, yet answered Krystal's question as to change the uncomfortable subject. They spent the rest of the lunch break talking about each other. A pleasant moment for both.        

            "Soojung, you might be an interesting person...!"

            They were both walking back to their classroom. Krystal felt a strange emotion inside her as she heard that deep, yet feminine voice saying her own name, a name only her grandmother would call. She laughed and combed her hair with her fingers, trying to hide her sudden embarassment.

*

            "My lady," Johnny said in Korean, politely bowing. Krystal laughed, seeing that comic scene.

            "Where's Joe?" Only one bodyguard came to pick her up this time, after a visit to an Ancient Palace with Amber.

            "He wasn't feeling well, my la—Krystal." Krystal raised both eyebrows in concern as she heard about Joe, but easily shrugged it off. Johnny opened the back door and politely told Krystal to get in.

            "Can you take Amber home too?"

            "I don't need—"

            "It would be my pleasure, Krystal."

            "It's a bit awkward if you keep saying my name at the end of every sentence." Krystal grabbed Amber's hand and pulled her inside the car.

            "I can go by bus."

            "Be careful with your hands!" Johnny carefully closed the door, smiling. Amber glared at Krystal.

            "Will you stop ignoring me?" Krystal chuckled, actually happy now that she has someone else with her on the car, apart from the usually silent and boring bodyguards.

            "Just write your address on that device there." Krystal pointed to a widescreen tablet on the car. "Johnny still doesn't know much around the area." She smiled, making Amber feel a bit more comfortable. She grabbed the device and started texting her address. "Want some food?" Amber glanced at Krystal and saw a tiny fridge built-in the middle of the car, with a few snacks on it.

            "Seriously, how rich are you?!" Amber blurted out. Johnny eyed them through the mirror as he drived and smiled, seeing Krystal happy.           

            "You don't want?" Krystal grabbed a chocolate for her, ignoring Amber's question. "Okay, then." She prepared to close the small fridge when Amber's hand suddenly appeared, taking out a bag of skittles.

            "Of course I want, who would reject..."

            Amber put the device back in its place and then laid her back, relaxed, on the leather seats, closing her eyes. Krystal did the same, with a smile on her face. The ride was silent except for the radio playing on the background, in a really low volume. But it was a rather enjoyable silence.

            For some reason, something inside both of them was changing. Both felt the need to be always together, not necessarily meaning having to talk to each other, their presence was enough. Was this how being best friends with someone felt like?, Krystal thought.

            It felt good.

            "I think we are here." Johnny spoke, turning to them.

            They both opened their eyes and looked around. Their car was parked in a big parking lot. In front of them were three apartment complexes in a row, all looking the same, very tall and full of windows.

            "Yes, it's here, thank you!" Amber struggled to take off her seat belt. "Want to come inside?"

            "I would love to!" Krystal said, enthusiastically. "But I have a Korean exam today, I can't..." She pouted.

            "You should have told me before!" Amber grabbed her backpack from the car's floor. "We could have reviewed a few things."

            "There was no need to," Krystal shook her head. "I'm well prepared, I've been studying." Amber chuckled.

            "Alright then, see you tomorrow!" Amber's door was opened by the bodyguard, to whom she thanked and bowed.

            "See you!" Krystal happily waved.

            Johnny got in the car and waited until Amber got in the building; only then he took off.

            "Where to?" Krystal sighed, tired.

            "To the institute and then home."

*

            "Yes, yes, everything's alright here, there's no need for you to worry about us here, sweetheart," Frank was sitting in the back of a car, Jack by his side. It was already dawn, they had been waiting for ten hours now, in front of an abandoned-looking huge warehouse, all those hours in vain. "Yes, it's about time you should go to bed, isn't that right? No? Oh, a few more hours. Yes, makes sense." Both Jack and Frank were wide awake, aware of every kind of sound or move." "Ah, you made a good friend there? Wow, that's great, couldn't expect any less from you, darling." Suddenly, the sound of some slow steps was heard. Frank frozee and Jack reached for this gun. "Listen, Krystal," Frank whispered, "I'll call you later, sleep well."

            He hurriedly turned off the phone and threw it over the empy middle seat. Jack cautiously opened the car door and crawled off of it. Since they were in a somewhat discreet place, no one would notice them, every detail had been carefully taken care of for this mission. Jack let out a deep sigh of relieve as he saw one of the members of their group — or organization or whatever Frank liked to call it, — slowly walking back to their car. Jack put his gun back on the inner pocket of his dark suit, laid-back, and closed his eyes for a second. He then turned around and walked to the car.

            One shot.

            He froze.

            Another shot.

            He fell to the hard ground, a sudden pinch on his right thigh agonizing him. A hot liquid was going down his leg. He touched it; blood. He didn't think twice, he jumped inside the car and stayed there, with Frank trying to apply any first-aid care. Jack's breathing was unstable, all his body crying out in pain.

            A few moments later he tried to glance outside. A body on the ground, blood all around it. Frank closed his eyes for an instant, as if by respect for the corpse, but Jack didn't follow him. Jack was frozen, an horrified look all over his face. Frank followed with his eyes the direction to where Jack was looking and stumbled back, his back hitting on the driver's seat. An enormous white poster was covering the warehouse, with bold, red letters on it.

            "We know where she is."

A/N: So, um, what did you think about this chapter? Ahahah I at writing action scenes in portuguese, so obviously much less in english xD 

This upcoming week I'll be extremly busy, as I'll be filming a documentary, so I don't think I'll have time to update, I'm so sorry :((

But I'll be sure to compensate you afterwards! :D

Thank you so much to everyone who reads this and comments! I really hope you like it!

Have a good day, everyone! :)