A/N Oh my gaaadd I hit the 'Hide Chapter' button carelessly last night. Was too sleepy. haha. Pasensya! :D

“I feel pathetic.”

“If you keep hiding what you feel, then you’ll always be this miserable.” The guy snorted as he sat across the sulking tomboy, who recently had become a frequent customer of the cafe and who, for the past week, had spilled out her emotions to her now good friend slash confidante, Kim Kibum.

Amber heaved a sigh and took a long sip of her hot chocolate, hoping to at least ease the pain of “being-ignored-and-unappreciated” by her now distant princess Jung.

“I think she hates me.”

“What made you think so?” Key smirked, knowing full well why Krystal’s been acting the way she is with Amber lately.

Krystal also went by the bakery a day ago, also with a long face and a sudden hunger for all things sweet, which is something rare since she bakes desserts at home as a hobby. The boys at the back, who are all-out admirers of the chic though aloof girl ever since she worked part-time at the cafe those years ago, were more than willing to concoct something special for the perplexed lady.

When Key diverted their conversation and asked Krystal about the blonde tomboy she went with weeks ago, the girl almost choked on her cake and a tinge of pink graced her cheek. Key knew then and there, at that instant, that Krystal Jung Soojung had fallen, hard.

“Yah! I asked you a question bro.”

Amber kept mum and ordered another cup of hot chocolate instead.

“Nuh-uh. No more chocolate for you, that’s the third one already. Now spill.”

“I have spilled everything already, Key.”

“To me, yes. To her, NO.”

Amber momentarily covered her face with her palms and groaned out in frustration.

“But I can’t. What if she’ll detest me? What if she ignores me more? What if she gets disgusted that I like her? What if she says no? What if—”

“She feels the same?”

Amber’s mouth hung open in reply.

“See? You should at least confess so you could find it out. The real problem here is you being a coward.”

Amber shrugged her shoulders. She knew Key hit the right spot. She just couldn’t admit it to herself.

“But there’s a rare chance that she does, you know, feel the same as I do.”

“Then grab that rare chance! Or, if you’re really so unsure, then you need to at least do something to figure out how she feels for you.”

“Like what?” Amber rolled her eyes.

“Make her jealous.”

Amber scoffed in disbelief.

“Trust me. If she gets jealous, you’ve just had your answer.”

And the next hour was spent with Key giving the unbelieving listener tips on how to get the Lady Jung jealous, and how to find out that she truly is.

-

-

-

“I would like to share the unit with Amber Josephine Liu.”

Krystal’s right eye twitched at the words.

“Miss Jung?”

The landlady cleared and silently composed herself for a good minute before responding. She did not like the way this Miss Lee said Amber’s name. She did not like what she came here for. She doesn’t even like this feisty lady at all, period.

“I’m sorry, but I regret to say that Amber hasn’t mentioned anything about getting a roommate.” She raised her brow in challenge. She’s not the mini ice princess for nothing!

Ailee furrowed her brows in deep thought as a wisp of memory got caught in her mind.

“Oh, I get it. You were the one I saw her with at the mall. That’s why you look so familiar. HA! Tell me, Miss Jung, are you and Amber a couple?” She squinted her eyes at the landlady.

“Wha--! OF COURSE NOT! I don’t even like that stupid!” Krystal answered straight away, although her hurried exclamation did not match the obvious reddening of her face or the way her head abruptly tilted to the side after her utterance.

Ailee heaved a thankful sigh, not noticing the flushed face of the girl in front of her.

“That’s great then, Miss Jung, because I like Amber, and I want her to be my girlfriend.”

How horror-struck Krystal was after she heard that, no words can explain, but just then the door to the landlady’s loft opened and a blonde head peeped in.

“Amber!” Ailee waved with glee.

Krystal cast the tomboy a glare. Amber waved back at Ailee and ignored the glaring lady behind the table.

“Oh, hi Ailee!”

Krystal’s POV

Tell me, am I air?

Am I inexistent?

Did they forget I was here?

And did she just ignore me?

I’ve cleared my throat like ten times already but Amber kept on taking no notice of me. She’s chatting happily with Ailee and I am just here sitting on the table with a dry throat and with a mind gone rusty all of a sudden. Everything seems to move in slow motion for me. I could not even process what they’re conversing about. No words can seem to escape from my mouth and I felt my chest tighten at the way she freely gave her dorky smile to a stranger.

Wait. So they really know each other?

Is Amber really---

“And I thought, well, maybe, since you are my subordinate after all and I’m your boss, might as well live together under the same roof! I can teach you how to speak Korean too!”

“I think that’s a good idea. I need somebody to share the rent with too.” Amber grinned.

“Thank you Amber!” Ailee was about to pull Amber in for a tight hug when I mustered enough nerve to slam my fists on the table loud enough for them to heed me. This scene is suffocating me and I need to breathe.

“Oh I almost forgot you’re here Miss Jung. So, I’ll be moving in tonight okay?” Ailee winked at me before sending a flying kiss to the distracted Amber who seems to be studying my face.

I hate you, Amber Liu.

“See you tonight, Am.”

The suggestive way Ailee said those last words made me want to strangle her right there and then. Too bad the sound of the door closing reverberated on the room signalling she had escaped.

It was Amber’s turn now to clear . I looked at her questioningly.

“So, princess, do you want anything? Coz if you don’t want me bothering you, then I’ll go prepare my unit for my roomie.” Amber asked expressionlessly.

Say yes, Krystal. Say yes.

I bit my lip to stop the words from spilling but it’s now or never.

“Alright. I’ll get going then.”

-

-

-

“What’s taking her so long, Yul? She’s the one who said not to be late.” Taeyeon asked in irritation, apparently wanting to go home already and lie comfortably in the spacious bed she’s sharing with her eye-smile queen.

“I’m sorry. You know she’s busy, but she’ll be coming over in no time. She just called me.”

“Good. Because it’s time to bring out some sense in her. We can’t keep hiding this from Krystal forever. She can’t keep avoiding her sister too. I feel so guilty already. She must feel so even more.” Seohyun stated with a maturity that belies her age.

“I agree. By the way, is the new lady still there? She thought I was the landlady earlier so she asked me where Amber’s room is. That girl is something.” Yoona asked interestedly.

“Miss Lee isn’t here anymore. She went out a couple of hours ago with a big smile on her face. She’s really pretty you know, and y  as hell too!”

“Ha. If your girlfriend just heard you say that, she’ll definitely skin you.” Sunny scoffed.

Everybody chuckled in amusement while the girl at the other line shivered in dread at the thought.

“Who’s going to get skinned?”

The laughter instantly subsided at the sound of the newcomer’s voice. Everyone cleared their throats whereas Taeyeon, in panic, tossed her phone at a trash bin within her arms’ reach. Tiffany rolled her eyes at her roommate’s childishness.

“Oh, no one! Nothing! We were just joking around, right girls?” Hyoyeon explained in defense.

“Yeah. Want a cookie, Sica? I especially bought this for you.” Sooyoung offered cheerfully.

“No thanks. I’m full.”

Sooyoung sulked at the cold response before offering the cookie to her own welcoming mouth.

“By the way, if it’s Yuri you’re talking with earlier on loudspeaker, kindly tell her that I won’t skin her for simply admiring someone else’s beauty.”

The other girls didn’t expect Jessica to have overheard, but then, you can never really underestimate the radar of a Jung, especially the older one.

“But her eyes are meant only to look at me and to admire only me, so maybe I’ll take out her eyeballs instead.”

-------<3

I’m sorry for the long wait for this update! Can’t give you any valid reason for the delay other than the “I’m too tired and too lazy to write recently” excuse, which is not compelling because you all deserve to hear from me as frequently as possible.

So I’ll try hard to be able to write regularly from now on. :) keke