That night, Amber didn’t sleep.

Henry finally succumbed to the effects of jetlag when they returned to their apartment. She tucked him in bed with a kiss on his forehead and a promise to join him under the covers once she finished up with work. Out to the balcony with her short hair damp from the shower, Amber had set her laptop on the outdoor table as a front. Standing against the grilles, feeling the wind gust against her body, she tried to forget everything that happened – both tonight and in the past.

She had done such a good job avoiding Kyuhyun, and ignoring his calls and text messages. Yet she was still defenceless against his irresistible magnetic charm when confined in a tiny space with the man. Why couldn’t she just erase his face from her eyes, his voice from her ears and his lingering touch from her senses?

God knows how long she stood there before the rain started. The rhythm of the raindrops falling on the steel roof echoed the beats of her heart as she searched for the true reason for her misery. She had always wanted to live abroad and the perfect opportunity was presented now. Henry and her had shared this same dream, however, somewhere along the way, she gradually stopped feeling any love for Henry. She still cared about him a great deal; the thought of leaving him never occurred to her.

The first time had been a mistake – Kyuhyun had taken her by surprise, it had been surreal. That encounter had been many months in the making. They had first been introduced at an event long time ago but Amber had dismissed him as the cold but charismatic playboy she had heard him to be. They only started speaking when she spotted him reading an obscure foreign fashion magazine in the staff cafeteria. Soon, he sent her a subscription to that magazine. As a form of thanks, Columbia coffee beans were delivered to him via the office’s internal mail. That let to a box of fresh Japanese pastries flown in from Tokyo waiting on her desk one morning. She could not tell whether they were flirting because she had been forthcoming about being married and she knew he was too. He always happened to be around when she was off on a coffee run or a tea break and she began to notice him everywhere, even at events. They would chat more and more on those occasions, getting to know each other through what she thought was an unconventional friendship and she began to look forward to the surprise that each exchange would bring her.

She had found him looking bored during the opening of a new record store and had come to his rescue, only to have the tables to her when Kyuhyun stole her away, with a grin, through a backdoor to the alley. The first kiss they shared was addictive and one thing led to another. An hour later, they were back at his townhouse, writhing on the sofa, discovering each other’s bodies for the very first time.

His desire for her seemed insatiable and Amber, too couldn’t get enough of him. The affair thrilled her to bits and she felt alive – something she hadn’t for a long time. She had been perfectly fine believing she was one of his many playthings, she thought he as a channel for her to vent all her frustration about life and platform to project her hidden dreams on. Yet, things had to come to a halt when it dawned upon her that she was falling in love with Cho Kyuhyun.

As she hugged herself with her arms gazing blanking into the dark night, barely feeling her tears trickled down her cheeks like the falling rain

Across town, a lanky man was languishing on a high stool. He nursed a glass of aged single-malt whiskey before tipping back his head to down the alcohol. The bartender attentively topped his empty glass. “Are you going to drink yourself to death?” The sound of his oldest friend’s voice startled him from his reverie. Ryeowook sent away the wait staff with a casual wave of his hand. “If you intend to do so, I will get you something better so you can go out in style.”

Kyuhyun had parked himself in the exclusive members-only bar after dinner. Somehow, he had managed to make it through dinner with Seohyun without acting out, even though he forced his eyes to stay on his wife. All this time when Amber gave him the cold treatment, he had just thought it was a cat-and-mouse game and she would come round again. Amber’s denial had been a virtual slap on the face and he could still feel his cheek smarting from the imaginary blow. He was at a loss of what to do and found himself drowning his sorrows here. “Bring it on, Wookie,” He brandished the glass at his friend with a wry smile.

“Gladly,” Ryeowook clicked his fingers for another glass. “What’s up Kyu? You disappear from the face of this earth for ages and reappear with a cryptic text message.” His friend was definitely curious. They still met up for lunch, especially after a business meeting – like the other old money families, the Chos and the Kims had close dealings. Ryeowook had discovered lately that his friend was more upbeat in general and less of the snarly, closed book he usually was in public – although still annoyingly aloof.

With his friend’s cat-shaped eyes questioning him, Kyuhyun looked down at his hands, his actions impaired by alcohol. Ryeowook was his partner-in-crime, they stalked the hottest nightspots and usually left with a model on their arms. He could always count on Ryeowook to bail him out of a one-night-stand got clingy. Yet now, he found himself, reluctant to share about this woman that haunted his mind. It was a secret that he wanted to keep to only himself because it was just too precious.

But Ryewook wasn’t a fool too. Only a woman could cause such a change in any man, Kyuhyun was not infallible. “Well, whatever it is, there’s nothing some Macallan can’t fix.”

Grateful that his friend did not pry any further, he nodded in agreement. However, Kyuhyun knew that this time, he was in way too deep, nothing would get him over Amber.

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I was waiting for this chapter to be reposted automatically again but I guess I couldn't wait any longer because I actually am almost done with my last chapter. So I'm trying to replicate my replies to comments as best as I can!

And so this isn't the last chapter because I felt that the final scene deserves its own chapter. I've grown attached to the characters but I guess that's not the point of a short story.

I also haven't decide whether to do a Krisber or Minber first (but will do both) so any suggestions?

Princess98: Well as mentioned, I'm working on getting to know Yeseung better :)

Taiyou: Sigh, I had this entire long reply to your comment! :( But thank you for your support as always. Your comments do perk up my day!

Well, if I remember right what I said, yes Amber doesn't want to go to America but she wants to stop falling in love further with Kyuhyun. As for Kyuhyun freaking out, well that's the next chapter.