Chance smoothed his suit and examined himself in front of the mirror.

"Do you think black suited me?" he asked over his shoulder.

Amber went outside his walk-in closet and held a light blue necktie in front of him.

"Perfect." she said. She put her hand on his shoulder and turned him around, facing her. "You know, you're almost 22 years old and you still can't wear a necktie properly."
"It's a woman's thing." Chance replied, chuckling. "So they can help their husbands before they go to work."
"Oh yeah? And you're not my husband." she replied, laughing back. She did a little loop with his necktie and patted his chest. "All done."

Chance studied himself in front of the mirror again.

"Thanks." he pinched Amber's cheeks and picked his suitcase. "I have plans for us today but I guess I can't cancel my meeting with the sponsors again."
"Which was a good thing, considering you'll lose them if you insisted on our date. We'll do it some other time, okay?" she pushed Chance from outside his room to their front door. "Now hurry Mr. Painter X!"

Chance laughed all the way outside their house. He opened his silver car and paused.

"Take care of yourself while I'm out, ok?"

Amber nodded.

"Don't overwork yourself too."
"Yes sir!"
"And never let strangers in."

Amber snorted loudly.

"What am I? A six-year old? Yes father, I won't. Just go."

Chance gave her a sweet smile and entered his car for real. He started the engine and drove backwards, until he was on the driveway, and seconds later, he was gone.

Amber remained standing outside the front yard, still looking to the spot where Chance's car disappeared. She was about to turn around when a beam of car headlights shined from afar again.

"Did he forgot something? That dork." Amber muttered to herself. She waved at the car although it was still far, and when it was near enough for her to see it, she stopped waving and frowned.

Instead of a silver car that she expected to, a red, velvety Porsche was coming nearer and nearer to her. Soon, the car stopped and Taec went outside, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey Amber!"

Amber blinked. "Sorry, Chance just left." she said.
"I know." he closed his car door and entered the gates. "He's not the reason why I'm here anyways."
"Huh?" she asked, frowning at him. "Then why are you here?"
"Do you want to hang out?" he asked smoothly, lying his hair flat and smiling at him.
"With you???" she asked increduously.
"I don't think there's anyone else here besides me. So yeah, with me." his eyes shone with excitement and he can't help himself from grinning. "What do you think?"

Amber looked around her. "Sorry, I can't. I'm uhh.. busy."

She gave him a dismal wave and turned her back to him. "Maybe on some other time."
"Hey, wait!" Taec ran towards her and caught her arm. Amber turned around and frowned.
"What?" she demanded.

Taec's head was frantically thinking of an excuse. "I... uhh..."

Amber rolled her eyes and slipped her arm away from his grip. "Lock the gates when you leave."
"You haven't seen the whole city yet, don't you?" he suddenly shouted, as this bright idea popped in his mind. "You want a tour?"

Amber stopped in her tracks and looked suspiciously at Taec. He grinned triumphantly at her.

*Gotcha*

"I bet you haven't seen most of the wonders in this city. This is the right time for you to explore more, don't you agree?"

Amber started considering his question. Well she does want to tour the place more, and Chance was a busy man. She knew that she can't interfere him at all times... so what would she do now?

"For heaven's sake, I'm Chance's friend. You can trust me." Taec said. He stared intently into her eyes with full sincerity and continued. "I promise Amber."

Finally, Amber sighed. "Fine, but I'm telling Chance." she flipped her phone and texted him a brief message. After she was done, she gave him a piercing stare. "And stop calling me Amber. Wait here."

Amber walked inside her house, toward her bedroom and changed into her most comfortable clothes. After ten minutes, she came downstairs wearing a sleeveless blouse, shorts and sneakers. Taec looked amusedly at her.

"You used to wear baggy shirts and ragged jeans before, look at you now. You look just like a girl." he said.

Amber combed her hair and frowned at him from sideways. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm a girl." There was a beep from her phone and she read her message. She glanced briefly at Taec and gave him a small smile. "Chance said it's ok, but not for too long. So, let's go?"

***

Chance shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had just read Amber's text message and he was not sure what to say.

"...so you'll have an exihibit on April here. Then on May, you'll have another one, but that would be in Wimbledon..." one of his sponsors was saying.

Chance nodded absent-mindedly while he glanced at his phone. He hasn't replied to her yet.

"..we'll take care of the venue, but of course, in return, you'll have to endorse our products too ...."
"Mmhmm." Chance said uninterestedly. What will he say to her? Should he say no, because he's going home soon? But Amber will wait for him for sure, and this meeting looked like it will take longer than necessary. He doesn't want her to wait for nothing.

Then should he say yes? But that will make Amber and Taec closer again. Chance scratched his hair in frustration and grumbled inwardly.

"Mr. Hwang are you listening?"
"H-huh? Yes, yes. Please continue." he said.
"But we're asking you a question. It was your turn to talk." 

Chance cleared his throat embarassedly. "Sorry, can you please excuse me for a minute?"

His sponsors nodded, but they look disappointed to him. He bowed apologetically at them and went outside the conference room. He leaned on the wall and sighed.

Fate was cruel to him.

"Don't go for too long, okay? Take care." he finished his sentences and paused..... After a moment of hesitation, he tapped the icon 'send'.

***

"So... uh, where are we going?" Amber asked uncertainly. Their ride was long and it just dawned to Amber that their house was really far from everyone. Why??
"Where do you want to go first?" Taec asked her.
"Can we go to Chance's school?"

Taec glanced at her and nodded. "Sure. And just another info, I went there too."
"Oh really? Then were you two classmates?"
"Uh, in just one subject. That's because I'm in architecture class while he's in fine arts." he replied.
"Was he good in school?" Amber asked interestedly. She even turned her whole body facing Taec just to talk to him more clearly. "I bet he was. He's superb painter anyways." she continued
 "He's not really." Taec lied. "But I was."
"Oh," Amber replied dully. "Then what was Chance like in school? Was he popular? Or just a nerd?" 

Taec snorted. "He's not popular. No one even tried to take a double glance at him. But you know who was the most popular guy in our school before? Hem, hem... It's not that I'm boasting, but I -"
"Did he had a hot girl friend before?" Amber interrupted.
"I don't know! Ask him yourself!" Taec snapped.

Amber widened her eyes in surprise. She blinked a few times, digesting what he just did, then she scoffed.

"Huh! Then fine! I'll ask him myself!" she shouted back and stuck her tounge out.

Taec growled inwardly. He wanted to punch himself right now because he lost his temper. *Well, she always talks about Chansung! I'm pissed, I'm the one she's with!* he thought in his defence.  It was just like two years ago all over again. He's mean, and she'll talk back, and he'll shout out her, ans she'll shut .

Amber was grumbling all the way to St. Evangeline's, Taec and his friends' alma mater. When finally Taec parked his car, Amber was the first one to went outside. Taec followed suit. She was leaning on his car with a pouted lips and crossed arms. Although she was irritated at him, Taec couldn't help himself from smiling because Amber was just cute on that pose.

Amber shot him a look and even went more irritated at his grinning face. She released a sharp breath and rolled her eyes. Taec realized that grinning at a time like this was unwise, and so he tried to straighten his face.

"Er.. sorry about earlier." he said timidly.

Amber looked sideways at him and nodded. "It's fine. It's all done." she said and led the way towards the entrance gate.

*That's my girl* Taec said proudly. He ran after her and slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Yaah!" Amber said, pushing him away from her. Taec wouldn't budge.
"Friends can't do this?" he asked amusedly.
"No! I have a boyfriend! What will other people say?" she said, still pushing him.
"Nothing. They don't know you have a boyfriend anyways."
"Get off -" she started angrily.
"We're here."

He removed his arm from her shoulders and stood in front of JYP building. Since it was a weekend, most of the students here were  only practicing with their clubs or completing their requirements.

"I'll show you our classroom." he said. "It's in room Z, but it's on 5th floor."
"5th floor?!"

Taec walked with ease, as if going 'till fifth floor was no big deal to him. On the other hand, Amber was sticking her tounge out like a tired dog, and she was breathing heavily with every step they take. They will pause at each floor landing for Amber to catch her breath, and Taec will laugh at her again and again.

Amber cast a death glare at him while she leaned on the wall and breathed evenly. Taec was leaning on the other side of the wall, facing her, with a smug look on his face.

*I don't know how you managed to give me my tracing paper back then. Wimpy Amber. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.* he thought, and his smile grew wider.

"Stop smiling!" she said reprovingly.

Taec composed his face. He knitted his eyebrows, enlarged his nose's openings, and pouted his mouth. He looked exactly like a buffalo's mother.

"Like this?" he said, making his face uglier.

Amber bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. She giggled inwardly and tried to straighten her face with a sharp look.

"Let's go." she said, leading the way this time.

Finally, they reached 5th floor and together, they walked until the end of the corridor. Taec opened their empty classroom and looked at Amber.

*Please remember* he prayed.

Amber looked inside their well-painted room with new chairs and wide whiteboards. She roamed at every corner, studying some works that students left during their class. She closed her eyes and breathed the smell of paint and paper. When she opened her eyes, she smiled at Taec. He looked at her hopefully. Finally!

"Where's Chance's seat?" she asked.

Taec's hopeful eyes faded. 

*No, she still can't remember anything* he told himself.

Taec pointed at the seat next to his. "There."

Amber sat at the seat that Taec pointed and looked around. "Nice view." she said.
"Do you want to go to our gym?" he asked again. That was where he first saw Amber after two years, wearing a y, backless dress.
"Yeah, sure." 

The way back to first floor was easier for them now. They walked outside the university towards the gym built just beside it.

"I've been here before." Amber said. "It was a batch reunion." 
"Yes, and you danced with me."

Amber tilted her head and focused into his face. "Now that I think about it.... yeaah! You're the one who asked my hand when Chance and I were still dancing, right?"

Taec nodded.

"Uh-huh."

He opened the gym doors for Amber. He was expecting it to be empty, but a group of students who were busy dancing proved him wrong.

The students stopped dancing and looked at Amber and Taec.

"Oh! We're sorry to disturb you!" Amber said, bowing apologetically at them. "Let's go." she said, tugging on Taec's arm.
"Is that Taec Lee?!" one of the girls shrieked.
"Aaahhhh!!!" the girls screamed in unison and ran towards Taec. 
"...Can we get a picture?"
"..Please?"
"...Pleaseeee?"

Amber watched amusedly from the sideline. Taec's face was irritated, but he tried to smile while he was being tugged by girls from left and right.

At last, the picture-taking with different girls was done. The boys smiled at Taec shyly.

"Sir, can you dance?" one of them asked.

Taec's neck went red. "That was before." he said.
"Perfect!" the boys high-fived each other. "Can you please teach us? We're from the dance club, and we're going to perform in two weeks... but we're short of dance steps."

Amber walked beside Taec and smiled. "What dance were you trying to practice?" she asked.
"Uhh, tango?."

Amber smiled at Taec. "I can dance tango. Chance thought me how when we were in States. Let's teach them." she said.

Taec rubbed the back of his neck. He was tempted to say no, but Amber's signature sweet smile made him to surrender.

"Okay." he grunted.

[Now playing: 2PM's Taecyeon - Tracion]

Amber and Taec stood from both ends of the stage. One of the students played the music. Taec and Amber looked intensely at each other's eyes, and in Taec's part, with passion and warmth. Amber doesn't understand this, but there was a feeling of familiarity when she looked into Taec's eyes. They slid their foot forwards, not taking away their eye contact, until they met at the middle of the stage. Then as sudden as it started, Taec spun Amber around, caught her in her waist and and leaned backwards, with her closely wrapped in his body.

Taec and Amber danced in close embrace. If possible, Taec embraced her tighter, leaning on her neck as they moved around. Then Amber slid her legs on Taec's legs, while Taec went downstairs, with her clinging on him. When they reached the bottom of the stage's stairs, Amber hopped down from him and spun her legs in a poised manner. She met Taec's eyes and caught her breath. She was very close from kissing him. She smelled a strawberry scent from Taec's breath and she immediately looked away from him.

Taec caught her waist and lifted her upwards, spinning her around. Then as if the spin was not dizzying, Amber landed perfectly. She turned around and found herself nose to nose to Taec. She pushed him away immediately. She stood, clearing . The students gaped at her surprisedly, wondering why she suddenly stopped.

"I think that's the best demo we can give. Did we help you?" she asked around the students.

Everyone looked at each other confusedly. Realizing that their teachers were done dancing, they stood up and clapped loudly.

"Thank you!!!" they said, shaking their hands or hugging them.

After that they went outside the gym. Taec had his hands inside his pockets while he peered at Amber.

"Why did you stop earlier?" he asked.

Amber's ears went pink. She looked sideways and ignored his question.

"I'm hungry." she said.
"Why did you stop first?" he pressed on.
"I said I'm hungry." she opened the car door but Taec stopped her.
"How about this? Let's play a guess game. I'll give you a number using my hands, and you have to guess what number is it. There's only one try. If you're correct, then I'll drop the subject and I'll ask another question not related to our dance earlier, and if you're not, you have to answer my question. Honestly."
"And if I don't?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow.
"Then I'll tell Chance about what we did. I'm sure he'll go crazy because of jealousy." he answered slyly.
"Blackmailer!" Amber accused.
"Game?" Taec asked excitedly. He was sure Amber won't win. He placed his hands above her head and did a peace sign. "What number is it?"

Amber bit her lip. She was bad in guessing games, and Taec just hit the jackpot. She looked sideways and received a shock.

The idiotic man didn't realize that they're in front of his car. His fingers were clearly reflected on the car windows. Amber tried not to laugh and she grinned inwardly. She composed her face like she was thinking hard and she even closed her eyes.

"Hmm... Aha! Two?" she asked with a fake, uncertain voice. Taec looked shocked at her answer and blinked.
"Co-correct." he said meekly.

Amber gave him a triumphant look and entered the car. "Let's go! I'm hungry."

Taec decided to roam her around the city first before having their last stop in Luneta park. It was a historical site where the country's national hero was shot dead by the Spaniard conquerors.

They were sitting on the newly bought picnic blanket in the vast, green and well-pruned grass of the park. This was the best spot in here because of the direction of the wind and the cool, vibrant view ahead of them. Amber munched her cheese burger that they bought from McDonald's earlier. She gazed on the still view, with a large monument at the middle. The silence between her and Taec was not awkward like before, and enjoyed the moment with only nature and her cheese burger with her.

"Amber." he said.

Amber looked at him and shot him a look. "Do I always have to repeat myself to you?"
"Well, I'll always tell you that your Amber because that's your name." he stood up and patted his back. "I'll ride you home."

Ambe checked her watch. It was almost 6pm. "Oh no! Chance said we shouldn't take too long!" she stood up too and shoved the rest of her burger on . She motioned Taec towards his car while chewing her food.

Taec laughed amusedly and followed her.

After another long ride, they finally arrived at Chance and Amber's house. The lights were still off and it seemed like there's no one else inside yet.

"Chance is still not home?" Amber asked herself. She walked towards their gates and turned to look at Taec. "Thanks for the tour by the way." she said.

Taec walked toward to her. "I haven't asked my another question yet." he said.

Amber waited. Taec moved closer to her. Amber backed away until she stopped on the gates. She blinked many times, she doesn't know why she's getting nervous...

"Amber." Taec purred. He looked straight into her eyes and Amber saw that it was filled with sincerity and longing.

"...Can I kiss you?" he asked softly.

Amber's jaw dropped. She tried to run, but her feet was glued on the ground... even her eyes were captivated by Taec. She can't move her muscle except for her heart, which was beating furiously. Taec leaned closer to her. 

*No Amber. You have Chance. You have Chance. Ruunnn!* she thought. But she can't.

...and closer..

She closed her eyes. She hated doing so.

Taec brushed his lips on her soft and warm cheeks. Amber opened her eyes and looked in disbelief. Taec was grinning playfully at her.

"What? You think I'm going to kiss you on you lips? Niceeee" he said.

Amber's face burned with embarrassment and humiliation, glaring at him furiously. She stomped her feet and turned around, without looking back at the laughing Taec.

She will never, ever, do another guessing game. 

Unknown to them, Chance was looking at their veranda, swallowed by the darkness. He watched the whole scene painfully. He can't deny the fact anymore.

Taec was right. Amber's heart can recognize him.