The flight from Incheon airport in Korea to LAX in California was nearly 12 hours. Krystal was feeling the jet lag as she sat by herself on a row of plastic chairs in LAX, waiting for someone to pick her up. Even though she was alone, Krystal felt more comfortable on her own in the US than on her own in Korea. As a Kpop idol, it was impossible for Krystal to find peace and quiet when she went out Korea. But here in LA, no one bothered her, no one crowded around her, and no one tried to take her picture. 

Krystal was allowed to sit there peacefully by herself and just relax, although she didn't let her guard down. Her parents constantly warned her about being lax with her safety. Her manager oppas were the same and all of them were reluctant to let her take this trip on her own. But since it was a personal trip, it was Krystal's decision and she wanted to travel alone for once.

As she sat by herself on the plastic seats, waiting for her ride to arrive, she texted with Amber to keep herself occupied.

[Amber to Krystal]: Make sure to check your surroundings.

[Amber to Krystal]: If you see someone weird, move somewhere else.

[Amber to Krystal]: Keep an eye out for security in case you need their help.

[Amber to Krystal]: Keep your luggage in view at all times.

[Krystal to Amber]: Jeez mom, relax!!!

Krystal smirked and rolled her eyes at Amber's worried texts. Obviously Amber was anxious about her safety, but Krystal wasn't concerned. She was aware of her surroundings and she was smart; she wouldn't get into any trouble. Also, Krystal wouldn't be here for much longer anyway.

[Amber to Krystal]: Why haven't you been picked up yet? What the hell is your driver doing???

Krystal was about to tell Amber to calm down when she received a text from the driver in question. Krystal grabbed her luggage and headed for the door. She found her ride on the street instantly.

"Krystal!" A familiar voice called out.

Krystal waved at a tall woman standing by her car. It was Jackie Liu, Amber's older sister. The young girl crossed the busy street with her luggage in tow and greeted Jackie with a quick hug.

"Hey stranger," Jackie said as they placed Krystal's luggage in the car. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Traffic was crazy."

Krystal smiled as she got into the car. "No problem, I didn't mind waiting. Although Amber sounds like she's about to explode with anxiety."

"Yeah, she's been talking non-stop about your visit since she got here," Jackie said, pulling out of the airport. "I don't get why she's so excited, though. Didn't you guys just see each other last week before she left Korea?"

Krystal laughed and shrugged, although she felt just as excited as Amber. The two younger lovers hadn't seen each other in a week and they were understandably excited to reunite. But since Jackie was unaware that they were dating, she was confused by Amber's seemingly over-enthusiastic behavior. 

Jackie was currently driving Krystal back to the Liu household, where Krystal was planning to spend the night before flying to New York tomorrow in the early afternoon. Even though her schedule was tight and there was only enough time to spend a single night in LA, Krystal couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit Amber and her family. She would pay the price with a double-dose of jet-lag, but it was worth it to Krystal.

The drive with Jackie was comfortable. Although Krystal hadn't spent much time with Jackie in the past, Jackie still felt like family. She was like a cool older sister full of interesting stories who treated Krystal with affection. And since she was Amber's sister and someone who always supported Amber and her f(x) family, it was easy for Krystal to feel a bond with Jackie.

"My dad won't be here tonight," Jackie was saying as they arrived at the house. "He had an unexpected work problem and had to fly to New York last night."

"Ah, too bad," Krystal nodded understandingly. "Well, maybe I'll run into him tomorrow," she added, causing Jackie to laugh.

The two girls entered the house and Krystal was greeted with a hug by Amber's mother. Mama Liu was an incredibly cheerful and generous person, and Krystal liked her very much. She also insisted on having the f(x) members refer to her as "Mama Liu" instead of "Mrs. Liu". Krystal immediately thanked Amber's mother for letting her stay for the night.

"It's my pleasure," Mama Liu said, with a warm smile. "Are you tired? Do you want to nap before you eat?"

Krystal felt tired, but she also felt alert from the excitement of visiting Amber's family, so she shook her head and refused the nap. She wanted to make the most of her time with the Liu family before she had to leave tomorrow. Mama Liu smiled and led Krystal into the kitchen, where Amber was busy helping to prepare the late lunch.

"Soojungie!" Amber greeted cheerfully from beside the stove. Krystal took a seat at the counter and waved at her girlfriend with a smile. "Are you hungry? I just cooked you a feast!"

"Hey! I cooked lunch. You just got in the way," Mama Liu joked, shooing her daughter away from the food. Amber retreated to the empty seat next to Krystal and gave the younger girl's hand a quick squeeze behind her back, hidden from view. Krystal tried to suppress a smile at the discreet action.

For Krystal, it was a new experience seeing Amber at her parents' house. Even though Amber's behavior was not all that different, having her mother and older sister beside her painted Amber in a new light. There was an endearing quality to being the youngest in the family, and Krystal rarely glimpsed that side of Amber when they were in Korea. She caught herself staring at Amber as the Liu family set the table and served the food, and Krystal reminded herself that she needed keep her expressions in check.

As the four of them sat together and ate lunch, discussing f(x) and life in Korea vs life in the US, Krystal felt that Amber's family was very warm. It was no surprise that Amber turned out the way she did after growing up around people like Jackie and Mama Liu. Watching Amber laugh and joke around with her family, Krystal couldn't help but think that she wanted to be part of the Liu family one day.

They headed to the living room after lunch. The jet lag was starting to wear Krystal down, but she stifled a yawn and asked Amber for a cup of coffee. She wanted to stay up until the evening in order to adjust her internal clock before flying to New York tomorrow. 

"I'll make the coffee," Jackie offered, getting off of the couch faster than her younger sister.

"Thanks," Krystal and Amber called out to the older girl's retreating back.

"I feel bad that you went out of your way to visit us," Mama Liu said contritely, offering Krystal a sympathetic look. "It must be hard to fly on back-to-back days like this."

"It's not that bad," Krystal replied, thinking of how much more grueling her work schedules could be. "I'm just grateful that you let me stay here for the night."

Mama Liu responded with a smile. "Amber's group members are always welcome here because you're family. I'm making an extra special dinner for tonight, so just rest up until then."

"Please, you don't have to go to the trouble," Krystal insisted, but Mama Liu waved her hand, indicating that she was more than happy to make a grand dinner.

"Hey, why didn't you make me an extra special dinner when I came home?" Amber asked. She pouted at her mother. "I've been here for almost a week and all I got was a special dinner."

"The quality of the dinner reflects the quality of the guest," Mama Liu said with a mischievous smile. "Or are you saying that Krystal is not an extra special guest?"

Amber looked at Krystal and narrowed her eyes playfully. "Fine, Krys is extra special." Smiling at her victory, Mama Liu excused herself from the room to start on dinner.

"Am," Krystal whispered under her breath. The older girl turned to look at her. "Does your mom know about us?"

Amber scrunched her brow slightly. "No, I haven't told her yet. Why?"

"Just that whole 'extra special' joke with your mom," Krystal pointed out nervously. "Although I guess your family's pretty playful all the time." 

"Of course," Amber said proudly. "Where do you think I get my good sense of humor from?"

"That, and your kindness and consideration," Krystal added, affectionately petting Amber's cheek. "And your extremely good looks."

Amber laughed and took Krystal's hands into her own. They intertwined their fingers and lowered their voices to barely-audible whispers. "I missed you," Amber said softly, smiling at the younger girl. "A week felt longer than I thought."

Krystal leaned back on the sofa and looked and Amber sideways. "It makes you wonder how we got through three months of not seeing each other during your promotions," she said with a sleepy smile.

Amber smiled back as Krystal's smile turned into a yawn. "Uh oh, someone's getting sleepy. Close your eyes for a while. I'll wake you when the coffee's done."

"Thanks, Am," the younger girl nodded gratefully. She pulled her hand back from Amber and crossed her arms across her chest as she settled back into the sofa. It felt like only seconds had passed, but after opening her eyes Krystal looked outside and noticed that the sky was darker than it should have been after their late lunch.

Krystal sat up, realizing that she was half collapsed on top of Amber who sat beside her. Clearly she had fallen asleep, and the blanket that now covered her only helped to confirm her assumptions.

"Morning, sleepy head," Amber greeted her gently, putting down her phone. She Krystal's hair gently. "Did you sleep OK?"

A very confused Krystal tried to rub the sleep out of he