Victoria’s POV

 

I looked around the place once more and my tears trickled like the raindrops outside. Sung Jin would definitely never be the same as it was three years ago. This place that carved a special space in the hearts of the so called Sung Jin family was the same place that broke their hearts too. With Minho, Krystal and Key not on speaking terms anymore; Donghae, Luna and Taemin pursuing their respective careers in different fields; Sulli leaving to study overseas and Amber still not showing up after almost a year; I guess there’s no more reason left to keep this place up.

 

*ring ring*

 

I wiped my tears as I already got an idea who the caller was. I quickly put my phone on video call and the face of my adorable husband in his bed hair was flashed on the screen.

 

“K-Khunie, how are you?” I faked a smile but he knows me best.

 

I was touched when he reached out his hand on the cam like it would go through the screen to caress my cheeks that were wet with tears. “I knew you’ll be crying today so I called to comfort you and bring some good news.”

 

Just hearing Nichkhun’s voice and seeing him on this tiny box made me want to cry even more, how I miss my beloved husband. We’ve been apart for six months since he started working back in the States and though we keep in touch every day through calls, it’s still different when I had him here.

 

“Did we really make the right decision?” I couldn’t help but ask again. It was initially his idea. He wanted to take me to the States with him and settle with our future family there.

 

But what about our Sung Jin family, Khun? *sigh*

 

“Vic, we talked about this already. If it’s still about the kids, it’s been a year; they’re probably no longer kids. They might have grown apart from each other in that matter of time.” Nichkhun’s probably right.

 

But why do I have this strong feeling that everything would still fall back to its rightful place?

 

“Fine, I’m closing this down later but let me just stay here for a while.” I saw Khun slightly nod and smiled, satisfied with my answer. “What about the good news then?”

 

Nichkhun’s smile got wider and wiggled his thick eyebrows cutely, teasing me even more.

 

“Yah, I thought you’re going to comfort me. Spill it!”

 

He laughed. “Okay, okay. Here it is. I met Amber last night.”

 

“YOU DID WHAT?!”

 

I heard it right, didn’t I? He said ‘Amber’. That kid! How could she see her Nichkhun hyung first when I had been crying for months since the day she left?

 

“Khun, how can you be telling me about it just now?!”

 

“At least I’m telling you when that kid doesn’t even want me to tell you.” He pouted.

 

“Is she alright? Did you talk about—

 

“About Krystal?” Khun asked, straight-faced. He sighed. “As much as I wanted them to get back together, I don’t think it’s possible anymore. Amber’s dating someone already. I met the girl and she’s nice. She takes care of our kid well.” He curved a bitter smile.

 

I felt relieved but slightly disappointed at the same time. Never have I thought that Amber and Krystal would end up this way, they’re a pair made in heaven. If Amber had given up already, I guess it’s time for me to do the same then.

 

“What else did she say?”

 

My husband smiled widely this time. “That she might come back to Seoul in a week for Yuri and Jessica’s wedding.”

 

“Jinja?! Aish, that kid will surely get a good beating from me!”

 

Oh yes, you better prepare yourself well, Amber. Prepare your body from my intense beating. You might as well prepare your heart when you see Krystal and your bestfriend.

 

“Khun-ah, do you think they will be fine? Amber and Minho are going to meet for the first time—

 

“UNNIEEEEEE!”

 

My heart almost dropped out of my chest when someone hugged me from behind. What made my heart beat even faster was that the owner of that voice was the least expected person to come at the moment and shouldn’t be hearing what my husband and I were talking about.

 

“OH MY GOD, KRYSTAL! You scared me!”

 

“Aigoo, you’re really getting old, unnie. You’re getting jumpy,” she said, smiling at me playfully. I guess Krystal’s childishness was the only thing that didn’t change over the years. She tossed her tote bag on the table and took the seat beside me, taking a peek on my mobile’s screen with Nichkhun still on it.

 

“V-Vic, is th-that Krystal?” Nichkhun’s face seemed to whiten when he saw Krystal beside me. We were on a crucial talk about Amber and this girl just sprouted out of nowhere like a mushroom.

 

“Oppa, how can you not recognize your most beautiful customer at Sung Jin?” Krystal kidded. Both Nichkhun and I just let out our nervous laughs.

 

“Ah, I’m sorry Krys. My eyes seem to have a problem. I’m still a little bit sleepy since it’s four in the morning here in Boston.”

 

“Aigoo, you should sleep more, Khunnie. Talk to you later. I love you!”

 

And I ended the conversation.

 

“Unnie, what was that?” Krystal asked. I tried to act calmly, like I wasn’t almost caught talking about her previous relationship with Amber but Krystal’s scrutinizing eyes were making me even more nervous. “What’s happening here? Are you cleaning up, unnie?” I guess she noticed the boxes that I packed for the scheduled move out tomorrow.

 

“Sung Jin’s closing down.”

 

“Closing down? But why? This place is full of my memories with Minho oppa.”

 

What she said left me frozen for a while. I wanted to argue with her, tell her the truth behind Minho’s lies. But what’s the point of telling it when it could only make things worse? *sigh*

 

Those are not memories with him, Krys.

 

I stood and walked towards the counter to look for something to offer Krystal. I found the last two cans of Chilsung from the fridge and went back to our table.

 

“This place is indeed full of memories. But you don’t remember any of them, right?”

 

Krystal wilted on her seat. Maybe what I said was too harsh but it’s the truth anyway. She couldn’t remember a thing and Minho was the only one feeding her with fake memories. Silence filled the place for a while as the two of us quietly drink our sodas. She seemed to be in a deep thought about something that it bothered me a little.

 

You really went overboard, Song Qian.

 

“Look, I’m sorry—

 

“Unnie, can I ask you something?”

 

Our eyes met and for the first time in a while, I saw confusion in her eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Who’s Amber? And what about her meeting Minho oppa again?”

 

 

 

Krystal’s POV

 

Uh, Kwon Yuri, how dare you let me run an errand for you? Tss.

 

I shouldn’t be doing this when my theatre rehearsal finished earlier than expected and my comfy bed was waiting for me at home but for the sake of my unnie, I found myself strolling down the streets of Gwanak to visit the place that constantly gives me this feeling of familiarity.

 

After walking under the rain for a while, I was finally standing in front of Sung Jin. I silently cursed Kwon Yuri when I found the 'closed' sign outside and felt slightly disappointed at the same time. I was somehow looking forward to see Victoria unnie too. I had to give her my sister's wedding invitation and maybe seek some advice from her. There's something that have been bothering me lately and Vic unnie was the only one I could talk to, she's the only one I could trust next to my own sister not because Sica unnie told me everything about her but because she really had made me feel that she cares for me and knows me better than anyone, even better than Minho oppa.

 

I turned the knob of the entrance and was about to give up but surprisingly, the door was unlocked. I curiously walked inside and saw a woman sitting with her back on me on the farthest table of the restaurant. With her shiny long black wavy hair and milky white skin, I recognized her as the person I was looking for but I wasn't so sure. Last time I saw her, her hair was golden brown.

 

“Jinja?! Aish, that kid will surely get a good beating from me!” I heard her say. It was indeed Victoria unnie and with assurance, I didn't hesitate on sneaking in to surprise her by my presence. In three..

 

Two..

 

“Khun-ah, do you think they will be fine? Amber and Minho are going to meet for the first time—

 

One..

 

“UNNIEEEEEE!”

 

Her heart might have leapt the moment I startled her but my heart jumped as well at the mention of Minho oppa's name and whoever that Amber was. Seriously, I heard Amber's name from Yulsic for a thousand times already but I knew nothing about her aside from being their friend back in college. But what made me curious about her before was when I asked Kwon Yuri about her and she replied,'Why don't you ask Choi Minho?'. I was like 'Who the hell is she in Minho oppa's life? Is she her ex-girlfriend or what?'.

 

However, when I asked Minho oppa about her, all he said was Amber was a high school friend. Though he looked bothered and nervous when I asked him that, I still believed him.

 

Minho oppa's high school friend that Vic unnie knows too? How close are they? Why does Vic unnie hasn't mention anything about her?

 

“OH MY GOD, KRYSTAL! You scared me!”

 

You really do look scared, unnie.

 

I smiled at her playfully and commented about her jumpiness. I found out that she was on video call with Nichkhun oppa who looked even more nervous. Vic unnie reacted immediately by dismissing her husband and urging him to go back to sleep though he didn't look sleepy at all. Weird. There's something fishy going on and I was sure as hell that it was concerning Minho oppa.

 

“What’s happening here? Are you cleaning up, unnie?” I asked as I noticed the pile of boxes at one corner of the restaurant. The place was too clean. Yes, too clean that the place looked empty.

 

“Sung Jin’s closing down.”

 

A part of my heart shattered with what I heard. Sung Jin wasn't just the home of the best tasting ramyun in town but to my lost memories as well. Even though I decided not to remember the past and just focus on the future, there's still a reason to my great attachment to this place and somehow I wanted to find that out.

 

“Closing down? But why? This place is full of my memories with Minho oppa.”

 

Vic unnie didn't answer but moved towards the counter instead. She grabbed two cans of soda and sat across me.

 

“This place is indeed full of memories. But you don’t remember any of them, right?”

 

Her words left me speechless. No, it was her sarcasm actually. It was the first time that she talked to me that way.

 

Unnie, why do you guys keep your ears closed everytime I talk about Minho oppa? I love him, I wouldn't be able to cope up with everything if he wasn't there. It bothers me that everyone seems to hate him.

 

Yes, I fell in love with him again. I love him to the point that I was willing to go against my own sister, stand up for him against anything that would ruin our relationship. But these days, he seemed to be different. He's busy with his work on his father's construction firm but I felt like his work wasn't the only thing that was taking him away from me.

 

FLASHBACK

 

To Minho Oppa <3:

Oppa, I’m downstairs at the cafeteria. Let’s eat lunch together. :)

 

It's been a week since I last saw my boyfriend. His work and my theatre rehearsals plus Sica unnie's wedding preparations were keeping us from seeing each other. It's Saturday but we couldn't go out on a date like what other couples normally do, like what we used to do. But I missed him, a date lunch wouldn't hurt right?

 

Ten minutes later, I saw him walking through the glass door entrance of the cafeteria. I waved at him outrageously but he seemed too lost looking at a distance.  

 

“Oppa!” I called him and waved my hand. Minho oppa smiled weakly and began tracing the path towards my table. He slumped on the couch in front of me and rested his head on the edge of his seat.

 

“Oppa? Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine,” he replied curtly. Oppa didn't seem to be in a good mood. He looked so tired that I just wanted to cuddle him until he feels better. Knowing that Oppa didn't have much time for lunch, I decided to go straight to the point.

 

“By the way Oppa,what time does your work end? Can you come with me somewhere?” I asked. I was somehow hoping that he would accompany me on picking a dress to wear on my sister's wedding.

 

“I can’t. I’m really busy right now babe.”

 

Relax, Krystal. Don't make a fuss about it. He's busy, you have to understand that.

 

“Alright. I'll just ask Jiyoung to accompany me.” I told him, hiding the disappointment in my voice. I rummaged through my bag and pulled out a pink envelope. “This is Sica unnie’s wedding invitation. As much as I don’t want to go, I’m the maid of honor and you have to go with me.” I said, forcing the last phrase unto him.

 

Oppa took the invitation and tried to open it but it’s sealed tight. He gave up and placed it in his coat pocket instead.

 

“I'll check my schedule if I’m free. When is this?”

 

“It’s on the 14^th. Cancel all your appointments on that day instead. You have to go with me.” I told him once again, much authoritatively this time.

 

“Okay. I'll go with you.” I smiled, finally getting the answer that I wanted. “I’ll just go to the restroom. Take a pick on the menu and order for us.”

 

I just nodded, still bothered by my boyfriend's coldness.

 

He's tired, Krystal. You shouldn't have come in the first place. Now deal with it.

 

I looked around the cafeteria, seeing all sorts of people together, being so lovey dovey. I hated that oppa and me became like this. I really didn’t know what happened.

 

It's because of work, Krystal. What else are you thinking about?

 

I was going through the menu when Oppa's phone vibrated.

 

*DING*

 

A text?

 

Curious, I sneakily grabbed his phone and look at the lit screen.

 

 

 

From: Kokoro <3

 

 

 

“Krystal? What are you doing with my phone?”

 

I was startled by Minho oppa's deep voice. He quickly grabbed his phone back and I was shocked by his actions.

 

“Uh, my phone died after I texted you and I have to contact Sica unnie. But I don’t know the password.” I added a little pout so he wouldn't notice my nervousness.

 

“Just go home and charge your phone.”

 

What. Okay fine.

 

Just then I noticed what he was holding.

 

“To whom is that apple juice for?” I asked, darting my eyes at the carton of juice on his hand.

 

“Uh, the vendo ran out of mango juice so I grabbed this for you instead.”

 

Seriously? Choi Minho, I don't know you anymore.

 

And I grabbed my bag, walked straight out of the cafeteria leaving my dumbfounded boyfriend.

 

END OF FLASHBACK

 

I let the apple juice incident slip since Minho oppa could have just forgotten about my allergy but what bothered me the most was that message from 'Kokoro with a heart', who was a girl obviously, and why did my boyfriend acted so defensive like he was caught cheating red-handedly.

 

Vic unnie pulled me out of my trance when she spoke.

 

“Look, I’m sorry—

 

“Unnie, can I ask you something?” I took the questioning look in her eyes as a yes. “Who’s Amber? And what about her meeting Minho oppa again?”

 

She was speechless for a while and it was her turn to be in a deep thought. Her silence made me want to cry at the moment and her deep sigh made my heart skip a beat. There's no reason for her to lie about how that Amber was related to my boyfriend, right?

 

“What is it that you want to know about Amber?” she asked, avoiding eye contact with me by looking through the glass panels to watch the rain outside.

 

“Oppa told me that she's just a high school friend but I doubt--

 

“High school friend? How dare you, Choi Minho,” she muttered with a smirk. My heartbeat doubled when Vic unnie said those words and I started preparing to hear the worst. Could it be--

 

“Unnie, tell me. Who is this Amber in oppa's life? Is she--

 

I was about to burst into tears when Vic unnie spoke again.

 

“Yah, are you thinking they used to be a couple or something?” she asked, wide-eyed. When she sensed that she was right, her expression changed, like she wanted to laugh out loud but was just suppressing it.

 

“Unnie! Tell me!” I whined.

 

“They're bestfriends, Krys. Since middle school, they were bestfriends.” Vic unnie bit her lip and smiled bitterly.

 

Bestfriends? Ha! Krystal Jung, you're so stupid for getting jealous over nothing.

 

“But if they're bestfriends, how come Minho oppa didn't mention anything about her? He even told me that she's just a high school friend. I overhear Kwon Yuri and unnie talking about her frequently but they would stop once they see me on the same room. Unnie, of course I would think that there's more to Amber than that,” I explained. Vic unnie held the top of my hand, a sign that there's nothing for me to worry about.

 

“Listen. Amber and Minho are not really in good terms anymore. Something—something happened before that caused their friendship to go down the drain. I'm not in the position to talk about her, Krystal. I'm sorry. But if you really want to get to know her, you can do it next week.”

 

“Next week?”

 

“Well...she's a friend of Yuri and Jessica so...she will attend the wedding probably.” Vic unnie flashed a weird smile.

 

And for that reason, somehow I began looking forward to Yulsic's wedding. That Amber might have an idea whoever that Kokoro is.

 

 

 

 

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Author's Note: Annyeong! Here's authorshi again with an update after being MIA for two months. Lol. Mianhaeyo. I reformatted my laptop for our programming class and I lost this chapter so yeah, I had to rewrite everything again. But since f(x)'s the ultimate group showcased a lot of kryber moments, I managed to finish the chap and the next chap is halfway done as well.xD

Btw, I attended f(x)'s fanclub gathering here in PH two weeks ago and i was surprised by the number of kryber shippers here. Then there's this only sulber shipper who jumped into kryber ship at the end of the day. Lol. Talk about spreading kryber love.

Alright, I might finish the next chapter by tonight sooo i might update soon again. As in soon, like tomorrow or the next day, not like two months soon. :))

-krystallized