Amber’s POV

I stared at the mirror. Even though years had gone by since I was a rough, blockheaded tomboy who ran around with boys in the soccer ball field, I still looked the same. My personality was what had changed. I no longer stupidly trusted people, I no longer ran around like a wild person in just a jersey and shorts and I no longer opened my heart. Because of him I was like this. To be honest, I was scared. Scared that I would get hurt again and lose all reason to live. Because of him I became an introvert, I stopped hanging around boys and I stopped loving people. The few things that had changed for the better however was that I actually started opening my mind to what I would want to do, not what he wanted to do, I actually matured and looked around myself and realized what an idiot I had been and yes, I even became slightly more feminine.

Why was I thinking about this so early in the morning even though four years had passed? Because today was the day I was finally taking a step that didn’t involve in forgetting him. Today was the day I, Amber Liu was doing something for myself, my life and my happiness. Yes, it’s easy enough to guess I got a job. After I broke up with him I discovered I had a huge liking for dancing and that I was pretty good at it. I won a lot of prizes and competitions so my way to this job was smooth because I was well known as an awesome dancer. Dancing was my passion and it was a miracle I had managed to get a job at LS Dance School. LS was the nation’s best dance school. Situated in Seoul, LS had connections to the best entertainments such as SM, YG, JYP, Cube and Starship. Every year at least twenty of the world’s best dancers graduated from LS.

In a way you can say I’m thankful that he broke up with me. It helped me discover so many new things about myself. The only one problem I faced with this whole teacher job was that I wasn’t the best in the world with communication with people. I stammered a lot if I got nervous or scared. My interview would have failed if they hadn’t asked me to dance. I was told strictly to improve my communication skills. I spent hours and hours in front of the neighbours saying speeches before I would dance for them. Needless to say it was extremely trying and tiring but I had to do it well. I believed my speaking skills improved. My brother Jonghyun helped me too. He sang in front of people and spoke in front of them a lot so he also ended up inviting me onstage as well. He wasn’t my real brother of course, He was my cousin. But we were so close you couldn’t mistake us for anything other than brother and sister. My best friend Luna even said we looked alike. We even lived together because both of our parents died in the same accident. That’s why my introvertness came along easily.

“Amber, are you staring at the mirror again?” called Jonghyun from the living room. “I know they’ll absolutely love you darling!”

“Please!” I said. “What if they think I’m weird and too boyish?” I asked.

“They won’t, anyways you didn’t grow out your hair when I told you to,” he said from outside my door.

I opened the door and leaned against it.

“And you know why I didn’t grow my hair out,” I said with a smile.

He smiled at me.

“You look beautiful Am, now go knock their socks off,” he said.

“Really Oppa? Socks?” I asked as I slung my purse over my shoulder and walked out of the room with Jonghyun following me. My bare feet padded silently on the carpeted floor.

“I didn’t find anything else to say,” he said with a foolish grin.

“Right,” I said slipping my heels on.

Heels. It had taken quite a while to get used to heels. After all as a teenager and young adult I had only worn gym shoes, sandals and sneakers. But after Jonghyun decided to make me show up at one of his shows the stage manager insisted that I should wear heels. I had almost tripped over my own feet when I went on stage but I had managed to make it back alive and well, not forgetting in one piece. Luna then gave me lessons on wearing heels.

“Good luck,” said Jonghyun as I drove off. “Don’t forget to buy chicken, Onew’s coming over,”

I walked into the LS office.

“Ah Miss Amber, am I correct?” asked the desk lady.

“Yes,” I smiled.

“Please wait here, I will bring your instructor,” she said, handing me some papers.

The papers said that I would have to pair up with my instructor for a dance routine for the upcoming student festival.  I read through my guide papers.

“Miss Amber,” said the secretary coming back. I stood up, looking at her. “This is you instructor,” she said. I looked at my instructor and my world shattered. “His name is Henry Lau,” she said.

Henry stared at me like he had seen a ghost. I didn’t know if I could still walk on my two feet without dropping in just two seconds. Why him? Why was he my instructor? Wait! Not just that! I would be dancing with him? I fought the desperate urge to call Jonghyun right then and there so he could come and punch the daylights out of Henry for having almost killed me. I noticed the secretary staring at me funny. I plastered a fake smile on my face.

“Nice to meet you Mr. Lau, my name is Amber Liu,” I said brightly.

I didn’t know him. Why was I so nervous if I didn’t even know who on earth he was?

“Oh yes,” he said, not returning the smile. “I remember you from school, the girl who played soccer right?” he asked. I bit my lip. That’s what he remembered? The soccer girl? I almost started crying in front of the oblivious secretary. Compose yourself Amber. You Don’t Know Who He Is.

“Yes!” I said mildly surprised. “How did you recall that?” It was very difficult to keep the venom in my voice unnoticed. The secretary was utterly confused.

“Well,” she said, “I guess I leave you to it then Henry?” she asked before walking back to her table.

“I’ll show you our class,” he said before walking out the door. I hurried after him. I was strictly keeping myself to work. “Ahem,” Henry cleared his throat as he entered the loud class. Everyone quieted down. “I leave you kids for just a minute!” he said with a sigh. “Alright, this is my new partner Amber Liu, please welcome her,” he said

“Hello Miss Liu,” they all chorused together.

So this was it. This was the moment I had been dreading, when I spoke to all of them.

“As you already know, my name is Amber Liu,” I said slowly and surely. “Some of you may have heard of me before,” I said. I noticed Henry staring. It was becoming very difficult to focus. “S-some of you may a-also know my b-brother Kim J-jonghyun,” stammered out.

“Teacher-nim, if you can’t speak then why speak at all?” called a voice from the back of the class. My face turned bright red and I cursed myself under my breath.

“Young Joon, out of the class if you can’t keep your mouth shut,” said Henry sternly. He turned to look at me shocked. He knew me as a girl who spoke to thousands of people confidently and naturally. I even cursed in front of them without batting an eyelid.

When I walked out of the class Henry ran after me. He came right next to me and grabbed my wrist. My entire body shuddered and I froze before I turned to look at him.

“What was that? Why did you stammer?” he asked.

“No one’s as perfect as you Henry Lau,” I said ice-cold. “Let go of me,” I hissed. I don’t know what kept me from choking him to death.

“You weren’t like that,” he said. The curious students from our class poked their heads out of the window.

“I’m surprised you even remember that,” I said coldly. I didn’t care what they heard or saw. I was hurt and I was hurting when I thought I had forgotten him.

“What do you mean? Of course I remember that! What’s with the heels and the makeup?” he asked.

“Nothing that concerns you,” I said. “Oops! Wait, it is because of you,” I said harshly.

“What the hell Am!” He said. That did it. The nickname. What gave him the right to say that?

“If you don’t let go of me just watch what I do in front of the students,” I hissed. I wrenched my wrist from his grip.

“Watch what I do,” he said.

I turned around to glare at him and he grabbed me and kissed me. Yes, my ex just kissed me when I was ready to kill him. I let out a surprised gasp and punched his stomach. He let go of me. His was face distorted by pain. I may have changed but I still had the strength and skills I used to have. I slapped him.

“Leave me alone, TEACHER-NIM,” I spat out before I walked away. I shoved by the mini crowd of students.

------o------

I walked to the empty parking lot at the end of the day and went to my car. I found a note stuck to my windshield. I grabbed it and unfolded it:

It was Suho. He threatened to beat you up for the rest of high school if I didn’t break up with you. He didn’t like the fact that I was distracting you from playing soccer. Looks like the team lost you anyways. But that doesn’t matter anymore. I still love you and I always will Amber Liu. You are the most beautiful person I have ever met and the most amazing.

I stared at the note feeling like Henry had returned the punch I had given him. I ran back into the school and into the staff room. It was empty. Only Henry was there, half-asleep on a chair. I walked over to him and picked the notebook off his lap. The movement woke him instantly. He stood up quickly and saw the note in my hands. His eyes lit up with hope.

And I slapped him. Yes, I just slapped him.

“Pabo,” I said. “You’re such an idiot,” I said fiercely.

“Am......” he said softly.

“You hurt me a lot,” I told him.

“I just didn’t want you to get beat up by Suho every day,” he said meekly.

“I wouldn’t have cared because you would’ve been by my side you complete nitwit!” I snapped at him.

“Mianhe Am,” he said genuinely.

“If you really are sorry then I leave you to explain to the students why you kissed me in front of the classroom,” I said with an evil smile.

“What? Wait! Am!” He exclaimed as I walked out.

“You don’t win this time,” I heard him growl behind me.

Before I could even wonder why he said that, he spun me around, shoved my back against a car and kissed me, hands cupping my face. I simply smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. He was right. He won this time. He let go of me.

“Thank you, Teacher-nim,” I said evilly.

“Yah!” he yelled then I ran with him chasing me in the parking lot.

------o------

A/N - this is actually an entry for a contest. Hope you like it! And I'm so so sorry for having made Suho an evil character! I could think of no one else! Please comment!