Chance did not hesitate to carry Amber in his arms. The press immediately squeezed in the growing crowd and snapped pictures here and there, while the girls craned their long necks for gossip.

"Get out of the way!" Chance shouted at the blocking crowd. They parted in response and he dashed outside the hall with the unconscious Amber in his arms. Torrey, Minjun, Wooyoung, Junho and Nichkhun followed suit. Taec, however, was lost.

Taeyeon removed Taec's grip in her arms and exited the scene too. Taec followed her movements and moved towards Taeyeon, but stopped again as she looked at Amber.

"Taec?! Aren't you coming?!" Nichkhun called.

Taec looked at Nichkhun then back to Taeyeon; Amber had everyone in her side, but his friend, Taeyeon had no one. They don't understand what she's going through right now... no one knew about her condition but him. 

"Taec?!" Nichkhun called again. Chance and Amber were already gone.

Taec looked at Taeyeon's spot and facepalmed himself.

"I'm sorry Nichkhun, take care of Amber while I'm gone." and he ran towards Taeyeon's direction, leaving Nichkhun's jaw hanging wide open.

Taec ran towards the parking lot, searching wildly for Taeyeon.

"Taeyeon!" he shouted. *Oh what would she do if she's all by herself at this point?* "TAEYEON!"

He ran around the lot, through the park, and by the bay. He searched wildly for Taeyeon, adjusting his eyes through the dark pathway he's running on.

At the end of the bay was a high platform above the raging sea currents and mountainuous boulders of rocks. On the platform was Taeyeon, her arms wide and her eyes closed, and her right foot was dangling dangerously out from it.

"Taeyeon!" Taec ran fast towards her. Taeyeon breathed and arched his body forwards, ready to fall - 

"No you're not going to die!" Taec shouted. He caught her waist just in time and dragged Taeyeon down the platform while the latter struggled.
"Let me go! Let me go Taec! I want to die!!!!" she shouted fiercely.
"Shut up!" he tightened his grip around her waist. "I said shut up Taeyeon! You do not know what you're talking about!"
"I do! Please, just let my sufferrings end. Pleaseeee." she stopped struggling and knelt, and she cried into Taec's chest. "Please.." she begged.

Taec was lost for words to say. His mind was confused from what was happening right now; was Amber alright? He's deadly worried. Why did Taeyeon burst now, of all times? He can't himself to get furious. What would the press say tomorrow? This will be one heck of a story. But amongst everything that happened, he was still glad he made the right decision to go after Taeyeon. If not, then not only he would think about Amber's health, but also mourn Taeyeon's death.

"I'm sorry..." Taeyeon cried. "I'm sorry, Taec.. please forgive me."

Taec sighed defeatedly. Slowly, he patted Taeyeon's head and said,

"Sshh. It's okay. Everything's going to be fine." he said uncertainly.

But he was not sure if everything would be really fine after this.

***

Minjun dropped the newspaper on the table and sighed frustratedly. The front page looked like it was only meant for one story only. It held a large picture of Chance carrying the bloody Amber in his arms with a caption: 'Painter X carrying his girlfriend after she was allegedly pushed by an unidentified woman on Jang Wooyoung, CEO of PH Airlines' birthday at the Resorts Worls, April 30.' and a headline of 'Psycho's outburst disrupts PH Airlines' 25th anniversary and birthday of CEO'.

"Headline. Your birthday's a headline Wooyoung." Minjun tried to joke, but the serious atmosphere around the hospital did not do the trick.
"Why the hell did that girl Taeyeon do that?" Junho demanded angrily.
"And how did the press knew that our Chance was Painter X? I thought he's not revealing himself?" Minjun asked.
"Well, it's hard not to click this and that after seeing Amber on Chance's exhibit before, saying that she was Painter X's girlfriend, and at the same time, seeing a man carrying the supposed 'Painter X's girlfriend'." Nichkhun replied.
"Where's Taec?" Wooyoung asked everyone.

It was by that time then that everyone but Nichkhun noticed Taec's absence.

"He went after Taeyeon." Nichkhun explained.
"Why???" Junho asked.

Nichkhun just shrugged. He glanced at Chance who was quietly sitting at the far end of the room. His face was hidden in the dark shadows of the corner, and Nichkhun can only see his silhoutted face. It was enough for him to know that Chance's face was pale, and he was chewing his lips apprehensively.

"Should we, visit Ambie now?" Torrey suggested. Everyone nodded and went inside Amber's private room. They cramped at the corner, looking at the still-unconscious Amber, and eyed each other nervously.
"She's still not waking up." Chance said sadly.
"The doctor says that she needs some rest, just let it be." Nichkhun said, patting his shoulders. He opened the door and went outside , and soon, they filed outside the room too.

***

"Taec, is it true that you were friends with a psycho?"
"What's her name?"
"Where did she come from?"
"What's her relationship with Amber?"
"Taec!"
"Mr. Lee!"

Taec was roughly ambushed on his condo the moment he set foot outside Solar Homes. He gritted his teeth angrily but refused to comment on the issue. In his years of experience on the press, when something big erupted, stay your mouth closed.

He went straight to his car and quickly started its engine. Then he backed away like a bullet, leaving the reporters no room to chase after him.

He drove far from the city and stopped at a small rest house their family owned but never was used until now. He searched the keys on his pockets and opened the door, locking it again.

"I brought your clothes." Taec called.

Taeyeon appeared on the hallway with a somber look in her face.

"Why are you still being good to me? I hurt Amber." she said.
"You were not in your right mind last night." Taec said. "What do you want to eat? I'll cook."

Taeyeon did not respond. She still continued staring at Taec with an expression he can't understand.

"What's the problem?" he asked.
"Taec, just go to the hospital for heaven's sake." Taeyeon said. "You can leave me here."

Taec looked uncertainly at Taeyeon, unsure of what she said. She understood it quickly.

"I am not a danger to myself when I'm calmed down Taec. Just go." she insisted, picking her clothes and disappearing on the hallway.

Taec sighed. "Okay. But I'll cook your meal first."

***

"Excuse me, what room is Ms. Amber in?" Taec asked the nurse on the information desk.
"Oh another friend? She's getting a lot of visitors right now." the nurse muttered. She kindly smiled at Taec and made a few clicks on the computer then looked up at Taec again. "Room 107, 3rd floor."

Taec thanked the nurse and clutched his bouquet of white roses tightly.

He entered the elevator and waited, then he the corner and saw his friend outside Amber's room. Their heads snapped in his direction and they immediately waved at him, urging him to move forward.

When he reached his friends, he was welcomed with a thump on his chest by Nichkhun.

"What took you so lang man?"
"Taeyeon." Taec said shortly.
"About that girl, what's wrong with her Taec?" Junho asked. "Is she some really psycho like what the newspapers say?"
"No." Taec quickly defended. "She's not a psycho... but, she has some... problems."
"What problems? We want to understand." Torrey asked.

Taec shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"You're not angry at her?" he asked.
"We are." Junho answered without hesitation. "And we will stay like that if you don't explain it to us."

Taec had no more choice to make. Soon, he started narrating how he met Taeyeon and how he found out about her sickness for the first time; How she was treated but stopped because she was getting better; and how her sickness coming back so oftenly again. Throughout his story everyone just listened, and at the end of it, Chance stood up.

"The bottomline is, whether it's intentional or not, what's done is done." he said. "But I suggest that she should have another treatment again Taec. It's for her sake too."

Taec quietly agreed to Chance but refused to answer. Chance sighed and rubbed his temples. "Let's check Amy again. I wish she's awake now."

Chance led the way inside. He stopped short on his tracks and sighed in relief.

"Amy!" he exclaimed.

Amber looked at him with blank eyes and forced a smiled. Everyone rushed at her immediately.

"Oh thank goodness you're already awake!" Wooyoung said. "I'm sorry you were not able enjoy my birthday party." he added sheepishly.
"It's okay Wooyoung." Amber replied.
"Ambie, I would love to hug you right now but I might nudge a few wounds from you." Torrey said. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." Amber beamed.
"Amy.." Chance laid a soft hand on her right hand and squeezed it. "I'm happy that you're awake now."

Amber stared into Chance's eyes for a long time. He thought he saw a glint of unrecognizable emotion in her eyes, but his doubt faded when Amber smiled at him.

"I'm glad I'm finally awake... and back with you all."

She looked at Taec who looked back at her. Her stare was hard, piercing, but she smiled at him too.

Everyone thought everything was back to normal. But as Amber's left hand curled into a tight ball and digged her nails deeply in her palm, "normal" was far from better.