Krystal held her breath as she stood on the M COUNTDOWN stage and tried to keep her expression steady. f(x) and their three dancer unnies were currently waiting with their heads bent down slightly, just moments away from their first public performance of "Diamond". Dressed in their coordinated outfits of rich purples and blacks, the team of seven women came to life as soon as the music began to play.

The moment that Krystal danced the first steps of the choreography that had been so painstakingly practiced, the moment that their fans exploded with wild cheers for f(x)'s comeback, Krystal's heart was overwhelmed with emotion. Standing along side Victoria, Amber, and Luna as a complete f(x), the stage resonated with their charisma, their passion, and their love.

The setup was perfect; there could be no other way for f(x) to make their comeback after over 15 months of hiatus. "Diamond" was a powerful song filled with admittedly the most arrogant lyrics that f(x) had ever dared to sing. The four members sang about their immeasurable value, about a perfection that others couldn't match. And just like their lyrics proclaimed, f(x) had mustered up the courage to stand in front of the world again. Strong and unbreakable like diamonds, they would shine forever as a team.

Krystal bit back a satisfied smile as they danced and sang their way through "Diamond". From the public-friendly beat to the confident lyrics and down to their most stylish outfits ever, Krystal knew that this was a performance to be proud of. As her members and the dancers parted to expose Krystal at the center of their dance formation and she grinded her hips daringly to the beat, Krystal felt that she was finally home again on stage.

After f(x) completed their "Diamond" performance, the team headed to the dressing rooms to change into their "4 Walls" outfits. Krystal felt like she was bouncing off the walls with excitement and Luna playfully tried to hold her in place with a hug.

"Calm down," Luna laughed. "You're gonna exhaust yourself before we even start the '4 Walls' stage."

"I can't!" Krystal exclaimed, wiggling her way out of Luna's hug only to hug her in return. The older girl smiled and patted the maknae's head. "There's only one chance to perform a song for the first time and I don't want to waste this chance. I'm gonna make sure I remember 'Diamond' and '4 Walls' as well as I remember our debut stage!"

Victoria watched Krystal and Luna with affection as they bounced around the room energetically in each other's arms. As the pair of girls passed by their leader, Victoria reached out and pulled them both into a warm hug. "I want you both to remember this moment and promise to cherish every performance from now on like it's our last performance as f(x). We don't know how many more comebacks we'll have as a team, so make every performance count."

"...are you leaving us, jiejie?" Amber asked worriedly from the corner of the room where she was putting on a black and red sweater for the upcoming performance. Amber pulled the garment over her head and walked over to where her three members were embraced in a hug. "Why are you talking like f(x) is ending?"

The eldest member shook her head at Amber with a kind smile. She gently pulled Amber towards her and began to tighten the red ribbons that ran down the length of the younger girl's sleeve with sisterly affection. "I swear to you Amber, I have no plans to leave f(x) at all whatsoever. I just meant that we shouldn't take anything for granted. Our contract expires next year and it's not guaranteed to get renewed just because the four of us want to be together. Let's make sure that we cherish every moment we have as a family, OK?"

"f(x) forever, right?" Luna asked with a smile. "I'm not going anywhere, and I know you guys aren't going anywhere either." The others agreed wholeheartedly and they joined their fingertips for f(x)'s group cheer. And then, without warning, Luna threw out her arms and pulled her members into a group hug. Krystal smiled, remembering the many times that f(x) had shared a group hug in the past. The maknae reached out as far as she could and wrapped her arms around Victoria and Amber on each side of her, enjoying f(x)'s warmth.

The four members broke from the hug with a smile and started toward the stage for the next performance. Only Amber hung back in the dressing room a bit, and she called out to Krystal just as the young girl reached the doorway.

"Soojung-ah!"

"Hm?" Krystal turned back as the others walked past her, leaving only Amber and herself in the dressing room. "What's up?"

Amber smiled and motioned for Krystal to come towards her. The young girl did as she was commanded, gazing at Amber curiously as they met each other halfway across the room. Neither of them spoke as Amber lifted Krystal's hand and began to tie one end of the red ribbon from her shirt sleeve onto Krystal's pinky finger.

"What are you doing?" Krystal wondered, watching Amber complete her task with utmost focus. The young girl lifted her tied finger slightly, highlighting her confusion.

"There's an old Chinese story that says couples who are destined to be with each other have their pinkies bound together with an invisible red string of fate. I just wanted to make that red string a little more visible to you," Amber smoothly explained with a grin.

Krystal looked at her pinky and followed the red string to Amber's arm with embarrassment. The young girl pulled her hand back quickly, thinking the ribbon would slip easily off her finger. But unexpectedly, the action caused the ribbon to tighten unbearably and Krystal winced at the pain.

"Babo-ya," Amber playfully scolded her girlfriend. "Why were you trying to break our red string of fate anyway?" Amber untied the ribbon and then brought Krystal's injured pinky to in a gentle kiss. "That's to make the pain go away. And this--" Amber quickly leaned in and captured an unsuspecting Krystal's lips. "--is to calm my nerves."

"Calm your nerves?" Krystal asked, feeling both embarrassed and pleased by Amber's affectionate actions. She took the opportunity to tease the older girl a bit. "You mean kissing me doesn't get you excited anymore?"

Amber furrowed her brow in mock annoyance as she stared back at Krystal. "You know what I mean." The two lovers shared a knowing smile.

The f(x) members and dancers returned to the stage and performed "4 Walls" for their audience. Their fans' excitement and screams made Krystal feel fulfilled. If this had actually been f(x)'s final stage ever, Krystal would have been satisfied with this performance. It was hard to believe that over a year had passed since their last comeback. Every individual thinks of time a certain way but, one year felt like a long time to Krystal. This performance and the countless performances to come were her way of thanking their fans for always being there for them. Krystal wanted to show them that she would always be the