A storm is brewing in the north

Could they still contain their feelings at bay?

Or would they explode and feel the tremors

Of a broken heart?

There is a line bounding friendship from love. Simply said, Krystal is hovering through that line. She couldn’t choose if she would choose friendship if that’s how everyone would be happy, or if she would choose love where she would be the happiest though she knows that someone would get hurt.

This certain factor was the thing she was thinking of. There laid on her bed the dress she would wear on Kai’s mother’s birthday. She was determined to go and even chose a valuable gift for the madame. This made her nerve wrecked into havoc due to the things that kept her coupled this night.

Let alone the exhaustion from the soccer practices, Krystal couldn’t lift her head.

She lied down on her comfy bed and stared at the ceiling. The chandelier on her room hanged alone in the ceiling, as she was staring blankly. She looked at the left, and saw the scenic view on the balcony adjacent to her room. She looked the pastel-colored wallpapers newly-pasted on the walls. There seemed to be something off.

Everything looked to perfect, not troublesome nor pessimistic. This left her into the abyss of despair while trying to find out the course of her actions.

“Aigoo…” She tried to close her eyes. The feeling of relaxation overcame her as she drifted off to dreamland.

Krystal woke up into shame, drooling like a little child. She shoved the curtains away and peeped through the balcony. She saw that it was already few hours before the designated time. She rushed and called out a maid in which came to her with her hand scratching her head.

“Why didn’t you wake me up, Ahjumma?” She panicked as she rushed to look for her dress.

The ahjumma helped her as best as she could. She rushed, also with her as she tried to keep things cool and out of undesirable results.

Jung Krystal always experienced inferiority when faced with this sort of distress.

“My lady, someone’s calling for you.” The butler abruptly knocked at the door. Krystal jumped off, trying to open it. The butler reluctantly handed her the wireless phone.

She tried to pick it up. “Annyeonghaseyo?” No voice came in the other line. “What the heck—“

“Hello…it’s me.” Kai’s voice was shaking.

Krystal knew it was him, but she was surely playing hard to get. “Who is this?” She played along.

“You know this voice, I  could tell.” Kai caught up with her.

“Really?” She further, she riveted her gaze to the dress and signaled the maid to go and do some preparations.

“Okay…this is Kim Jong In. Happy now? Now, you better hurry up in less than ten minutes. Everyone’s waiting for you.” Kai looked around him. The people’s eyes narrowed as they were itching to go already.

“Fine, fine. You win.” Krystal hanged up without even saying goodbye. Krystal felt that she didn’t feel bad or anything. Maybe, she could successfully distance herself from him already.

She was thinking of the faintest available possibility. She couldn’t really know about herself well.

On the other side, Sulli was curling her hair up, playing with it. Taemin scratched his head.  He couldn’t hit a conversation properly with her. He was too shy. Really, too shy that his palms were sweating.

Sulli noticed it and looked upon him. Their eyes met and they both blushed abruptly and looked at the other sides of the street. Taemin let out his phone and fiddled on it. He pretended that he’s playing on it. Yet, he was truly observing his girlfriend’s funny yet cute gestures. He looked at her adorably and tried to pass on some of his feelings with that smile plastered on his face.

Sulli on the other hand couldn’t wait to dress up for him. They’d be going to Kai’s house in Seoul. They were going to do some preparations along it. She prepared hard enough and tried her best to find the best dress in town that would leave her boyfriend in awe. She hadn’t been this hyped up. She tried to steal some glances on Lee Taemin.

Taemin’s mouth was left ajar as he looked at her with peculiarity. “Are you staring at me?” Taemin mumbled.

“No way.” She prodded his shoulder. “Why would I?”

“Really? I saw your eyes bulging out because I’m handsome.” Taemin couldn’t believe that he was being self-absorbed.

“How could you see that so clearly? You’re also looking at me. Hmph.” Sulli then diverted her attention to Sehun and Kai. “Still the same old atmosphere between the two.”

“Where is she?” Sehun scratched his head, he yawned further.

“What kind of a person is she? She’s such a slow poke.” Kai commented, letting out his phone. He made a quick call on Krystal.

Just after an hour, the people waiting for Krystal were all staring blankly into space. They were sitting upon the stone pavement and were looking tired and feeling sleepy. Kai felt sorry that they dragged them along with this birthday party. But, Sulli had nothing to regret about. She had not seen his mother for ages.

There came a white car that they recognized as Krystal’s. They stood like guards, and they had their gazes on the tinted black window. There came a princess-like figure that stood out like the morning light and that was definitely Krystal. Her smile radiated and overflowed as Sehun and Kai backed off a bit.

Taemin was poker-faced and approached her. He tried to carry some of her luggage. “What is with this bag, huh? Are you running away from home? Could it be that you wanted to live with Kai’s mom already?”

“ANNYEO!!!” She shouted, startling them and the onlookers. “I…I…” She tried to calm herself. “It was just a mere preparation. Everything I have in that bag is what I needed.”

“Let me carry that, then.” Sehun and Kai said in unison. They stared at each other as both of them grabbed both of the handles of the bag.

“I would carry this.” Sehun declared, never even budging.

“But…” He then looked at Krystal. Krystal was trying to focus herself on Sehun. Kai let go of the other handle and gave it to Sehun. “Whatever…” He said half-heartedly.

Kai escorted all of them to the white van at the car park. There was a smoking ahjussi as the driver. He waved as he saw Kai approaching.

“Ahjussi, it’s bad to smoke.” Kai glared at him.

“Arasseo, you’re so like my wife. Madame is waiting. Let’s go.” He  signaled for them to board. They did and the short journey towards Kai’s home was set into motion.

The car’s engine roared and came into life. Before everyone knew, he was already at the state.

Everyone’s eyes looked up, watching the tall 20-storeyed building.

“Who owns this place?” Taemin covered his eyes, avoiding too much of the sun as he looked up.

“Who knows? My mother rented this place.” Kai muttered under his breath. “She’s really too extravagant.” He sighed.

“YOU mean, the WHOLE hotel. Daebak~” Even Krystal could know how much it was hard to book for a hotel room on that very same hotel. Her mother would always yawn and sigh as she persistently called the general manager for reservations. Krystal would always see that and would ask why she was having a distress out of booking a simple hotel room.

They went to the thirteenth floor. The whole place cladded in white curtains and red carpets lined at the very same floor they set their foot upon. They looked at the people passing by them. They had to attend this party, even if it meant leaving jobs behind.

“Could it be that my mother is here?” Taemin alleged under his breath.

“Who is?” Kai heard his whisper. “Do you want me to check the list of guests?” He offered.

Taemin shook his head. “Never mind.” He smiled fakely.

They were led by a couple of butlers to a VIP Room. Men and women were separated. Krystal and Sulli were stationed at a different room with the boys at the other end.

Krystal and Sulli looked at the antique decorations of the room they were led in. They were admiring it, Krystal didn’t see this for the first time. But, she was admiring it as if she never experienced something so extravagant as this.

“So…he’s truly rich.” Sulli mumbled, looking at the make-ups on the table near the table. “This looked pretty much like a dressing room for idols.”

“Pfft.” Krystal chuckled. “Of course, but…you didn’t know that he’s this rich?”

“No one would know. He’s always hideous, maybe except for Choi Minah.” Sulli covered after stating the obvious name Krystal wouldn’t want to hear.

“What about Choi Minah? Why is she so important to him?”

“Of course, she’s the every reason why Kai is like that. He’s geeky yet cool, smart and impulsive. Energetic yet gloomy and many more adjectives to follow that. She’s merely the reason why we could see Kai getting so hyped up. It is a good thing…I think.” Sulli ended the sentence.

“They lied to him, right? He’s the only one that…doesn’t know after all these times that she’s not dead.” Krystal mumbled, dragging a chair next to Sulli.

Sulli twitched her brows. “Eung.” She said, while opening the lip balm.   “No one could blame Minah. It was that person’s fault that everything about Minah’s life got destroyed.” Sulli’s face was in despair. “My poor cousin. “She added.

“That person? What transpired?” Krystal held onto her friend’s wrist. “What happened?”

Sulli tried to remove it. “It is not for me to say it to you. Just ask Jong In for the details. I also don’t know about ‘that person’. My father doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“But…I don’t know if I could still help him. Maybe, we’re not meant for each other.” Krystal sighed, losing hope.

“Why? Are you giving up?! DON’T!” Sulli responded quickly.

“I don’t know but…” Krystal hesitated. “Maybe…it would be best if I get to get closer to Sehun than with Jong In. It seemed like Sehun would be a better match with me.”

“You know, what?” Sulli made a straight face. “I somehow remember Kai when he’s with her. He behaved as much as he behaved to you. Maybe, you don’t notice this. But, I believe that if it’s you, he could forget about Minah already.”

“Jinri-yah~” Krystal hugged her friend tightly. It had been a while since she hugged her too deeply. She was overwhelmed and at that moment, she cried at Jinri’s  arms.

Sulli patted her head soothingly.

Meanwhile, there was this man who was eavesdropping them. It was Oh Sehun. After hearing those, he was quite determined. He was so determined that Kai is a bad person.

He made a resolve that he would fight for his love. He gritted his teeth. He wanted to know more about his rival. It was pretty unknown to him right now, pretty vague. But, he looked sternly at the two. He vowed that he’d protect Krystal from the violent claws that bind her.

“Why are you eavesdropping, Sehun-ah…” Sehun was taken aback.

It was Lee Taemin.

“It’s the girls talking…” Taemin peered next to the door. He held on to the knob and pushed it without the girls noticing. He closed it at that instance. He then called upon Sehun’s attention. “What did you learn about?”

“Who’s Choi Minah?” Sehun made a straight face. “Is there something that I don’t know about? What if Krystal would get hurt…”

“Calm down, Oh Sehun. We both didn’t want to hurt the person we devote our hearts to. But, this is pretty complicated. We don’t know we could solve this…” Taemin sighed.

“What? What’s going to happen? I’m confused.”

“We don’t know how everything would turn out to be if Choi Minah comes back.” Taemin met Sehun’s eyes. Sehun’s eyes were of anger. “Don’t look with those eyes.” He clicked his tongue and pinched Sehun’s cheeks.

“We know that Krystal could get even more hurt right…” Taemin was thinking of the worst case scenario. “Then…even if I would look back, I wanted the two of us to team up.”

“What is it?” Sehun lend his ears to Taemin.

“I’ll help you to get Krystal’s heart. So, she should distance herself from Jong In. I assume that if Minah comes, she’d be after her first love, Kai. And, that would be too drastic for Krystal. She’s so desperate and wavering, even right now. I don’t want to imagine the things to happen.”

“What should I do, then?” Sehun wanted to believe his hyung’s words.

“From the looks of it, Krystal’s going to give you more of a chance. And, the only thing that could happen for you…is to grab that chance.” Taemin drove him off to a corner. He believed that anymore of their talk would let them get discovered. He wanted most of all to keep this a secret from Sulli. She would probably go against everything just for Krystal to be happy with Kai.

And, Taemin wouldn’t want that. He wanted Sehun to take Krystal away…so that, if Choi Minah comes back, Krystal wouldn’t get hurt. Sehun wouldn’t. Sulli would be comforted by him. And, he himself would be fine. Everything would go accordingly.

“Here’s your first move…try to convince Krystal that no one could replace Minah. The second part of this would be you…being her savior.”

“What do you mean?”

“If we would push Kai over the cliff, he’d spit it all out, everything about Minah would be revealed. We’d make him say it to Krystal.”

“Everything? Every word and punctuations?”

“Of course. And, if she could get hurt, she’d find comfort to you. If that would be the case, her feelings for you will grow. If it’s budding already, try to make her feel that she’s so special to you. That both of you deserve each other.”

“What would be the weakness of this plan?”

“That would be…your persuasion skills. “ Taemin paused. “…and if, Kai would return Krystal’s feelings for him before we knew it. Everything would crumble into pieces.”

“So…”

“Are you ready to make a gamble?”

“YEAH, I WOULD!” Sehun affirmed.

Kai called the other men in the VIP Room.  The birthday party would start this 6:00 PM. They  needed some touch-ups already.

He didn’t know of this plan.

Could he win over them? Or, would he just lose on purpose?

Haha. Didn't attend the DKFC.

I'm so, so sad that 'why am I not bitter?'

I should be, but here I am updating.

Omo~ What are your responses? HAHA.

Do feel free to comment.

I sure love every bit of it.