-------------------------------
Second Encounter
------------------------------

 

"This pictures beautiful." Krystal's house keeper, Sang Kyung-Ha smiled as she held up her tablet, showing Krystal a picture of Jessica smiling on the red carpet.

Krystal's eyes ran over the photo, to Jessica's perfectly curled hair, artfully applied makeup and designer gown. Her smile was bright, white even teeth showing and her eyes intense. Her gaze spoke volumes about the type of determined, sucessful and imaculate women she was and Krystal knew that her parents - wherever they were in the world right now - would look upon that picture with pride.

"Yes, it is." Krystal agreed.

"You look so pretty in this picture."  Kyung-Ha gushed, scrolling down to show a picture of Victoria and Krystal inside the gallery. "Lady Victoria looks so elegant, too." 

Krystal barely spared the picture a glance. "She does."

Pushing away her soup Krystal stood from the kitchen bar and shouldered her handbag. After texting her driver, letting him know she was on her way down, Krystal left her penthouse apartment to her waiting car. As the first droplet of rain splashed against her cheek, Krystal looked up at the rain clouds and felt a moment of anger; Krystal's stylist had insisted she wore her hair down straight-ironed today, making her mood even fouler as she realised her driver would have to shelter her with an umbrella every-time she left the car.

Giving her even less control.

The inside of the car was comfortable, the scent alike that of burnt cinnamon that Krystal inhaled deeply, aware of a few people walking past her apartment building eying the fancy Mercedes - and Krystal behind the tinted glass - with awe. It was funny how little things impressed others, how a car, dress, necklace, handbag or pair of shoes could insight jealousy in the minds of those around her, converting material things so blindly that they couldn't see the hypothetical price one had to pay to own such things. All that glittered was not gold...

And there was nothing glittery about the life she lead. 

 

The cars journey was slowed down by downtown Gangnam, which was congested with traffic. Heaving a sigh she stared out of the rain splattered window and mused at how dreary Seoul was, rain or shine despite the glamour it tried to portray. Everything was tinged in grey, the buildings, the people in their suits, the sidewalk... Krystal's mood. The only redeeming factor of the day was that Krystal would soon be arriving at the gallery, where the Manager had assured her he would contact the artist who submitted the photograph so she could purchase it. 

Unlocking her phone, she texted Victoria and Luna, letting them know she'd be late to their lunch date and once again found herself reminiscing about the night at Club X. Though she couldn't let it go what the guy had said, Krystal found herself wanting, no, needing, to see him again. It wasn't a matter of attraction, though if she had to look within herself she would see that there was a bit of that, too, but more a case of pride. Krystal needed to see him again and get him to admit that she did belong.

"Miss, we're here." Her driver announced, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Collecting her handbag she climbed out into the rain, the driver shielding her with a giant umbrella and let him lead her towards the frosted glass doors of the gallery, the red carpet gone outside and back to being simple grey concrete. As she glass door closed behind her, Krystal watched as the Manager - who had obviously been waiting - rushed over with a huge smile on his lips, notably eager to greet her.

"Welcome, Miss Jung." He bowed deeply, his dark hair swept back. "Would you like anything? Tea? Coffee...?"

"No, thank you." Looking around at the other patrons watching her curiously she stepped back a little from the Manager and his jittering actions. 

"May I interest you in some of our recent works that have just arrived this morning? A new, up and coming artist, will be showcasing her work-"

"That's nice." Krystal interrupted him softly. "Perhaps I might attend the showcase. But right now..."

"Ah, of course. Do excuse me, you must be eager to hear about what the artist had to say." Krystal inclined her head. "Why don't we go into my office so we can talk more comfortably?"

Krystal had no idea why he thought his office would allow them  both to talk comfortably with one another, though followed him towards it none-the-less. Sitting in the chair opposite his huge magnolia desk, she watched him flip through a huge folder until he pulled out the picture that she was interested in, his eyes scanning over it quickly before darting across to her almost curiously. Krystal's face gave nothing away, which seemed to only perplex him even more.

"It's an... Interesting piece." He spoke at last, his voice precise like a well-rehearsed tune. "Though I'm sure you know, during the amateur contest it didn't rank. During amateur shows, we normally allow a two-week period for the artists to pick their work back up afterwards, though in most cases, as you can imagine, most do not bother to do so. The artist in question who photographed this hasn't been back to pick up the work and has another twelve days to do so before we are legally obligated to destroy the work. But until then-"

"Excuse me, but I'm afraid you've lost me." Krystal interrupted smoothly. "Are you trying to explain to me that I cannot purchase the piece?"

"By law we cannot sell it to you; not without the artists permission." He explained, his voice becoming somewhat more uneasy by Krystal's cold politeness. "We tried to contact the artist several times, but from what we have gathered he has vacated the share-house who's number he listed as his contact details. They do not know where he moved too so we have no way of getting in contact with him to ask his permission to sell before the two weeks are up, by which point we have to destroy it by law. Selling it to you without his permission just isn't an option, I'm afraid."

Gripping the strap to her handbag tightly Krystal tried to keep her jaw from hardening and her eyes from narrowing. "That is rather disappointing, I must admit." She murmured quietly, her voice kept low to disguise the anger behind her polite words. "I came here expecting to pay a great amount for that piece. It's a shame the artist cannot be contacted." 

Letting out a deep breath she inclined her head and stood up stiffly, ignoring the way the Manager leapt to his feet in a rush, seeming suddenly panicked by her departure. 

"We will keep trying to find him." He assured her breathlessly. "We will try to do everything in our power too-"

"I hope that you do." She told him stiffly. "I've become rather interested in purchasing art recently and it would be a shame to lose that interest because of this one picture..." The sigh she released wasn't forced. "But as you say, the law is the law."

Inclining her head she moved to leave the office, needing to get away from him before her frustration got the better of her and she said something she would regret. The Manager followed her all the way back to the frosted door, repeatedly aplogising and making promises to find the artists as quickly as he could. Krystal barely spared him a glance as she rushed outside too quickly for her driver to reach her with the giant umbrella. Wrenching open the car door herself she slid into the backseat and pushed the damp hair strands from her face sourly, ignoring the drivers swift apology for her getting wet.

"Where too, Miss?" He asked her after he'd hopped behind the wheel of the car.

Krystal glanced down at her phone screen as it lit up with a text.

VIC: We're all Luka's Italian when you've finished at the gallery xoxo

​ her lips, removing the wetness of the rain water she slid her phone back into her bag and stared out of the rain splattered window.

"I want to go shopping." She told the driver at last. "But not Hongdae. Somewhere more... Discreet. I'm not looking for designer goods."

Her driver didn't question it - he rarely did. Beyond Victoria he was perhaps the only one who would have any indication of just how different Krystal was, though his silence was paid for. Dropping her off outside regular department stores, he left Krystal to shop alone, a past time she surprisingly enjoyed when it wasn't for designer clothing with the girls. After choosing herself several outfits that would work in various situations, she chose a poblic toilet to change into them before dropping the bags off with her curious looking driver.

"Pick me up here at four." She told him as she put her fake leather bag on her shoulder. "No sooner, no later. Understood?"

"Yes, Miss." He bowed.

She watched him climb into his car and drive off, feeling somewhat nervous. She looked different. The rain had stopped, but her hair was still damp, drying into it's natural waves that weren't as pristine as when her stylist did them. Her makeup had smudged, so she'd wiped it all of completely in the toilet earlier, leaving her bare faced in her faded black skinny jeans, striped black and white T and fake converse pumps. She felt normal. 

But did she look normal?

Her test came in the form of the fast food restaurant, McDonalds. Her personal trainer would have her head if he knew she'd even so much as inhaled the scent of this place, but Krystal figured the less he knew, the better. Standing in line behind a bunch of teenagers she approached the counter when it was finally her turn and gazed up at the menu boards a little nervously as her server began talking.

"How can I hel- Hey! I know you!" 

Krystal looked down sharply at the guys face and blinked, realising she knew him, too. 

"Oh... It's you." She uttered, almost calling him by the nickname she'd given him; 'Mr Touchy Feely'. 

"It's great to see you again." He smiled easily. "I think we got off on the wrong foot the other night, you know?"

"Maybe it was the part where you couldn't take the hint or the whole issue of your friend being a jerk..." Krystal frowned.

"Ouch, your words still hurt." He laughed, undisturbed by her coldness. "Where's your snobby friend today?"

Krystal's eyes narrowed. "Not here."

Holding his hands up in a surrender gesture the guy gave her a sheepish look. 

"Look, no hate alright? I'm just making small-talk. I felt sorta bad about what Sehun said to her that night, though she definitely gave as good as she got."

Krystal's heart stuttered slightly.

"Sehun?"

"Ah, I forget we didn't even get a change to exchange names." He held out his hand to her. "I'm Park Chanyeol, by the way."

She hesitated before giving his hand a quick shake. "I'm Jung Kry- uh, SooJung."

Chanyeol didn't seem to miss a beat by her almost giving him a nick-name, the one everyone called her by, even her parents and press. Jung SooJung was her real birth name, the acceptable Korean one her grand-parents had demanded, but Krystal was the glamorous name her parents insisted on using.

"You mentioned 'Sehun'..." She began as carefully as she could.

"Ah, yeah, Oh Sehun. He was my friend from that night, the one who was a 'jerk', as you correctly said."

Oh Sehun... Krystal felt a shiver run up her back. It was him, the guy who had called her Princess. The one who had known she hadn't belonged. 

"So... You're not unemployed." She realised suddenly.

"Oh, that. Yeah Sehun was just being assy. He hates rich people so he was taking it out in your friend a little bit." 

Krystal froze, her body feeling a slight tingling of hope.

"Right, my friend..." She her dry lips and tried to remain casual. "My friend is a rich girl." 

"That was obvious." He chuckled. "But it's cool to see you're both good friends, despite your different social statuses." 

Jackpot. He thought Krystal wasn't rich. Nodding her head as if in agreement Krystal was startled by someone clearing their throat behind her.

"Are you going to order already?" The middle aged man stood behind her snapped, looking irritated. Chanyeol apologised to him and turned to look back at Krystal, his expression becoming mock serious. 

"May I take your order?" Chanyeol asked, too busy typing on his order screen to notice her staring around for the right answer. 

"Uh, I'll have..." She peeked quickly at the person next to her with a tray of fries and a drink. "Fries and a coke."

"Medium or large?" 

"Medium." She answered as confidently as she could.

"Sweet. That's 3100 altogether." Chanyeol announced. "Do you want to eat in or take away?"

"Take away." Krystal paused as she opened up her purse, seeing her predicament. 

All she had was crisp 50,000 won notes and from her memory at the bar in Club X, 50,000 won notes weren't acceptable give for amounts this small. Wouldn't Chanyeol find it weird? Why hadn't she thought to get some change before she'd come somewhere like this?

"Don't worry." Chanyeol told her, apparently misunderstanding her fearful expression. "I'll cover you."

"Oh no, you don-"

"Already done." He told her simply. "How about you treat me next time?"

Feeling a moment of guilt, Krystal returned her purse into her cheap bag. She knew Chanyeol liked her, it was obvious in just the way he looked at her sometimes, so she was unsure if letting him pay for her fries and coke was a good idea. Shuffling her feet she waited for her order to be made whilst Chanyeol took more orders and tried not to look too nervous stood by the counter. But nobody paid her any attention.

"Orders up." Chanyeol told her, holding over a greasy looking paper bag. 

Accepting it Krystal tried not to flinch at the gritty texture of it and the wetness of the paper up and gave Chanyeol a nod. He smiled back widely before turning to made somebody else's drink, so she took that as her cue to leave. Walking away from the Golden Arches, she approached a quieter area and called her driver, instructing him where to pick her up. Glancing down at her bag of food and the paper drink she felt a swell of pride at having entered McDonalds and placing an order successfully, all without drawing suspicion.

"Miss?" Krystal looked up to see her driver stood watching her, his eyes darting down to the fast food bag in slight confusion. 

Climbing into the car, she inhaled the greasy smell the bag emitted and decided to open it up to look at her order. Medium fries and a straw. Opening up the straw she slid it into the lid of the drink, wincing a little as the plastic scraped and took a quick sip. Water laced with syrup... And too much ice. Smirking she put the cup down in a holder an reached in the bag for a chip, the salt scraping against my skin roughly. Nibbling the golden yellow chip I smiled, the greasy, potato taste laced with an overabundance of salt. It was disgusting, yet at the same time addictive. 

By the time the car pulled up outside Krystal's apartment building, she'd consumed the full bag. Leaving it on the seat she picked up the drink and sipped from it as she walked into the apartment building, amused at the looks the people in the lobby were giving her. She could practically hear the gossip now; 'Jung Krystal was seen drinking a McDonalds drink wearing cheap clothing!' - oh, the scandal. 

Unlocking my apartment door She noticed the shopping bags her driver had dropped off earlier and searched through one, pulling out the scuffed jeans and women beater she'd bought. Draining the last of the coke noisily she tossed it in the trash, her eyes still glued to the outfit. Tonight she planned to return to Club X and this outfit would be perfect. 

 

---

 

"Perfect." Krystal murmured as she gave the finishing touches to her makeup. 

The smoky eye look was now complete after she'd smudged the eyeliner to heck, giving her eyes a grungy, almost tired look. The rest of her makeup was kept minimal, just a slash of lip balm over her lips to keep them from drying out in the cool evening air. Her hair was swept up into a high ponytail, legs encased in low hanging, scuffed looking skinny jeans with her favourite fake leather ankle boots over the top. Then she wore the white wife beater, her exposed shoulders covered by the cheap leather jacket to fend of f the cold.

Cheap. She looks almost drunk without the added effect of alcohol, which suited her just fine.

Calling a taxi from her phone, she walked through the lobby of her apartment building boldly, ignoring the stares she received from the women at the reception desk. More useless gossip. Krystal didn't need it. Outside she climbed into the waiting taxi and instructed the driver to stop at a shop first, where she purchased a pack of random cigarettes and a lighter, obtaining some much needed change in the process. Slipping the items into the cheap shoulder handbag, she climbed back into the taxi and was soon arriving outside Club X.

Only this time... She was alone.

Victoria hadn't exactly been much help last time, but she'd been a familiar face amongst strangers, and just that assurance that she'd been there had been enough to boost Krystal's confidence. Now she was feeling slightly sick with nerves, worried she'd face the same problems as last time. The place smelled the same, the music just as loud as she'd remembered and the people just as grimly looking. She walked towards the bar and caught the eye of the same barman from last time, feeling a moment of relief at seeing at least one familiar face. 

"Beer, please." She ordered as confidently as she could. 

"Sure thing." He nodded, taking the smaller 5,000 won note she handed him and went to fetch her beer.

Krystal frowned as he handed her her change without another word. Hadn't he recognised her? Sure, she looked different, but why hadn't he recognised her from last time? She'd tipped him over 40,000 won for Christ's sake! Taking the beer with a huff, she slowly circled around the outskirts of the dance floor, contemplating her next move. Would it be weird to dance alone? Was it weirder to stand here, like she was doing now? Taking a quick sip of the disgusting beer, she was just beginning to talk herself into heading onto the dance floor when a hand clamped down on her shoulder from behind, startling her.

"SooJung!" Chanyeol grinned. "I can't believe we've ran into each other twice in one day! This has to be fate, right?"

Krystal nodded, unsure how to react now that she was meeting him in a completely different environment. Taking another sip on her drink she peered around Chanyeol, noting that he was alone.

"Where's the jerk?" She asked him over the music. He bent closer, confused. "Where's your jerk friend, Sehun?" 

"Oh, Sehun, he's around somewhere..." Chanyeol turned around, gazing through the crowds. "There he is, actually. See, over there?"

Peering in the direction Chanyeol was pointing, Krystal caught sight of Sehun leaning against the wall at the far side of the club, a beautiful fake-blond at his side pretty much mauling his chest with her hands. She was scantily clad, leaving little to the imagination and it seemed Sehun was enjoying her company quite a bit from the way his hand was placed on her hip whilst the other rested on her lower back. Scowling Krystal looked up to Chanyeol incredulously.

"I know what you're thinking; that girls a , right?" He shook his head. "She's actually not bad. Loads of people get the wrong impression of Hyoyeon without meeting her."

"Well, she's not making it difficult to judge her, dressing like that." Krystal pointed out.

Chanyeol just shrugged. Feeling once again awkward by the silence and the way Chanyeol's eyes ran over her, Krystal made a gesture behind her, 

"Want to go for a smoke?" She asked him. 

"Sure." He nodded. 

She followed his lead, pretending she needed him to push through the crowds when in reality - she had no idea where to go. Chanyeol lead her down a darkened hallway where the bathrooms were towards the very end door, which lead out into a walled off outdoor back area. Standing in the shadows, Krystal tried to follow Chanyeol's lead; she opened her cigarette packet, plucked one out, brought the pale stick to her lips and sparked up the lighter. Inhaling as she held the flame to the end of the paper, Krystal desperately tried to hold off the cough that suddenly wanted to burst from her lungs.

"You good?" Chanyeol asked as he took in her watery eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Yeah." She spluttered. "Just felt uh, sick for a moment there."

He nodded in understanding and inhaled his cigarette, prompting her to do the same. This time it was slightly easier, though it felt uncomfortable keeping the hot smoke trapped in her lungs. Exhaling it gratefully she looked around at the other smoking couples, noting how intimate most of them were. 

"So, I never caught where you're from." Chanyeol spoke, attempting small talk. 

"Oh, you know just..." She made a vague gesture and was thankfully saved from having to answer by the arrival of Sehun and the Blond girl, Hyoyeon.

"Dude." Chanyeol high fived with Sehun. "Look who I ran into. Remember SooJung?" 

Sehun's dark eyes locked onto her, reminding her of that night. Her heart hammered into her chest, waiting for the insults to start. 

"Ah, yeah of course." Sehun's voice didn't sound so convincing. "Sup?" 

Staring at him dumbly, Krystal began to realise that Sehun didn't recognise her at all. Did that mean she finally fit in, or did it just mean he didn't care, either way? For some reason him not recognising her annoyed her more than anything. When she met him again, he was supposed to kneel before her, head lowered and beg forgiveness for not thinking she belonged. He was supposed to know he'd made a mistake.

He wasn't supposed to forget her! 

"Where did you two meet?" Hyoyeon asked Chanyeol as she sparked up a cigarette of her own. 

"Here, actually." Chanyeol chuckled. "She was with her friend then, though, and Sehun here scared her off. Luckily we ran into each other again." 

Sehun's gaze was suddenly back on Krystal. "Wait, you're that girl?" He demanded.

Hyoyeon hooked her arm through his. "You remember her, baby?"

"Yeah..." Suddenly his expression turned amused, his lips curling at the corners. "How could I forget this Princess?"

Chanyeol laughed, clapping Sehun on the back playfully whilst Hyoyeon smiled, though clearly wasn't impressed by Sehun's name for Krystal. Feeling her cheeks heat up with anger, rather than embarrassment. Balling the hand not holding her cigarette into a fist she narrowed her eyes at him, suddenly taking back her wish for him to remember. 

"You are pretty." Hyoyeon spoke suddenly. "But you look really familiar... Did you go to Seoul University or something?"

Krystal nodded her head automatically, despite the fact that she hadn't even stepped foot on Seoul Universities campus. "Yes, I did." She lied. 

"Cool, I must have seen you around." Hyoyeon nodded. "What did you study?"

She blurted the first subject that came to mind. "English." 

"Sweet! Can you speak fluently?" Chanyeol asked with interest. 

Sehun was watching her, his gaze intense. It was beginning to make her nervous. 

"Yes, I can speak, read and write English fluently." She answered in flawless English. 

"That's cool." Hyoyeon grinned, sliding her arm out of Sehun's to took through Krystal's. "You should hang with us sometime."

"Definitely!" Chanyeol agreed brightly. 

"Don't you think she should, Sehun?" Hyoyeon asked him, a slight edge to her voice. Sehun just shrugged, back to looking indifferent. "Great!" Hyoyeon grinned, "Shall we exchange numbers?" 

Pulling out her smart phone, Krystal found herself swapping numbers with both Hyoyeon and Chanyeol, though Sehun didn't once offer up his own number. Finishing her cigarette reluctantly, Krystal found herself returning back into the club with Chanyeol, Sehun and Hyoyeon, though both Sehun and Hyoyein quickly excused themselves. When asked later where they had gone, Chanyeol only winked, giving Krystal a slightly clue where the two had gone.

It made her stomach tight to think of them both together... Alone. Was this jealousy?

"Are you sure you have to leave?" Chanyeol asked her with confusion a few hours later, once they'd exhausted themselves dancing. 

"Yeah..." Clearering she backed away from him, noting their close proximity. "I'll uh, text you?"

"Okay." He nodded. Looking disappointed. "Catch you later, SooJung."

Walking out of the club, Krystal tried to reason why she was feeling so lousy, despite the fact that tonight had been successful. Chanyeol hadn't suspected anything, neither had Hyoyeon and Sehun... Even he'd accepted her, somewhat. But there was something in the way he'd looked at Krystal, something in his eyes that made her suspect he wasn't buying her act, despite his silence. She'd dressed exactly as the girl had in the photograph, even styled her hair and makeup the same, but somehow she still hadn't received Sehun's approval. 

She was still doing something wrong. 

 

---

 

A/N: This chapter was written on my phone so it hasn't been properly checked through. I'll read through it later for mistakes, so please ignore any you see. I Just wanted to get something up for everyone to read. A big thank you to my  subbies, & a bigger one to those who have upvoted or commented.