Continuation…

 

“To get financial leverage…”

 

The rest of the explanation muffled into a low timbre.  In that moment, Krystal let Amber guide her hand while her full attention was captivated by the person’s face who was as near as three inches from hers.

 

Everything transpired in slow motion.

 

Krystal could see Amber’s mouth moving but she didn’t register a thing.  She took note of the way Amber’s eyes blinked but still not fully aware of what was happening.  She inhaled the scent of Amber’s close proximity but her soul was far from her body.  And just like one of those moronic, cliché romantic movies, just as Amber’s head turned in slow motion to face her, time was equally as swift to hasten her to catch up with reality.

 

“Got it?”

 

Krystal’s answer was trapped and jumbled somewhere between her chest and .

 

And on the other end, arctic, neutral, yet secretly wired inside, Amber just had to.  Something about the last six days…just something…subconsciously triggered her present actions.  Now everything in her muscle is focusing its energies in keeping her face from not leaning closer and her eyes from exposing her thoughts.

 

Krystal merely nods.  Amber quickly retreats.

 

Without taking another second to linger, Amber walks away.

 

Her friends were jarred with their mouths agape and it was silent for at least ten seconds until Krystal finally turned her head back to face the table.  Mind blank and mentally gasping to keep up with present reality, averting eye contact, Krystal finally clears .

 

“Ahem…S-So…u-uh…d-did you guys c-catch that?”

 

No answer from the group.  Current state: still shocked.

 

“S-She said t-that financial lev—”

 

“Krystal…”

 

Krystal looks up at Sulli.

 

Sulli is the first to finally ask the question in everyone’s mind…

 

“What was that about?”

---

“What was that about?”

 

Kai stopped Amber in the middle of the hallway far from the library scene that they just left.

 

Kai asked bluntly on behalf of the rest of the two friends who were left wondering how on earth Amber supposes for them to interpret what she just did.

 

With hands in her pocket, as though nothing ever happened, Amber stops and faces Kai deadpanned, “What?”

 

// Krystal answered Sulli, “W-What?”

 

Chuckling incredulously at his friend’s nonchalance, with an amused smirk and his hand lightly on her shoulder, Kai asks curiously, “That?  Over there?  With Krystal?”  Kai pointed behind him with his other hand.

 

// “That,” Sulli reached across for Krystal’s hand, mimicking the scene from minutes ago.

 

Resigned and without regard, Amber responds while shrugging her shoulders, “What?”

 

// Krystal cleared a second time, “What do you mean?”

 

Irene, who was standing next to Amber, felt also invested in understanding what just happened and chimed in, “Amber…really.  What was that about?”

 

// “Come on Krystal.  Don’t play dumb.  What was that about?” Jonghyun asked.

 

Sighing and finally bending to appease her friends, Amber answered, “I saw her notes.  They were wrong.  So I changed it.”

 

// “It’s Amber being typical Amber.  A little cocky and arrogant in correcting people’s mistakes,” that was the best way Krystal could avert this weird conversation.

 

Amber’s flippant response sounds almost ludicrous that it actually…worked.  It did the job.  It sounded like a very Amber-esque response.  Though it was far from a sufficient explanation, it succinctly satisfied her friend’s curiosity.  Joohyuk, however, was only 80% convinced.

 

// Krystal’s friends eyed her suspiciously but they figured they’d give her the benefit of the doubt.  Amber was a little unpredictable sometimes.  And even Krystal’s group of friends share the same sentiment that it’s hard to read and understand what runs through Amber Liu’s mind.

 

“Can we go now?”  Amber prodded.

 

// “Can we move on now?”  Krystal impatiently prompted.

 

Chuckling, Kai put his arm around her shoulder, “Ha.  Sometimes you crack me up.”

---

JL Academy | 7:02pm

 

They were moments away from the second soccer game of the season and the first home game at that.  While the rest of the team are out on the field getting warmed up, captain Joohyuk waited outside of the women’s locker room for her best friend, making sure that she actually shows up for the game.

 

Amber thought that this whole soccer thing was almost like a dumb joke that her therapists were playing on her.  She even thinks that her uncle James is in on it too.  It’s not that she hates soccer; it’s just that she finds the wasted effort of begrudgingly running around a field for ninety minutes stupendously dull and boring.  Not that she at the game either, in fact, she’s actually good considering that she grew up playing the sport with soccer MVP Nam Joohyuk.  And she’s not just good for a girl…she’s really good even amongst the boys.

 

It’s perfunctory.  It’s an obligation that must be fulfilled to appease the hearts of those who have vested interest in her “well” being.

 

Walking out of the locker room, she finds her friend waiting for her.  She appreciates Joohyuk for being so patient with her renegade attitude towards institutionalized team sports.  Nevertheless, she could still care less.

 

Dressed in their JL Academy Lions, true blue soccer uniform, walking side by side, the two friends headed for the doors that led to soccer stadium.  At the end of the hallway, three guys in the opposing team were walking in their direction.  Both Amber and Joohyuk both recognized the douche bags from Joongdong High School, the opposing team and one of JL Academy’s formidable rivals.

 

“Well well, look what we have here boys.  The captain and his little .”

 

Both Amber and Joohyuk knew that talking trash was the only thing that these Joongdong boys were actually good at.  If only they could convert their trashy personality into real soccer skills, there could actually be a real soccer match in their hands tonight, Amber thought.

 

Amber and Joohyuk knew not to entertain these scumbags even though Amber was increasingly boiling inside.  Joohyuk, on the other hand, has always been a classy athlete who paid no attention to trash talk.  He was far too superior in his abilities to stoop down to someone’s provocation as their means to compensate for their inferiority complex.

 

While Amber clenched her fist, Joohyuk simply gave them a sly smirk and a cold shoulder as they walked past them without stopping.

 

“Yah Nam Joohyuk, you better watch yourself!  And Amber Liu, you just stay on the bench sweetheart!”  They hollered.

 

Scoffing, Amber whispers to Joohyuk, “Namjoo you better make sure coach keeps me on the bench or I might accidentally pummel his .”

---

7:28pm

 

It was minutes before the game and crowd was getting fired up and the atmosphere was electrifying.  The bleachers were full and the students were decked out in school spirit.  The 2^nd row student cheering section on the bleachers was where Krystal and her friends can be found.

 

Kai gregariously shook hands with people around him as he made his way up the bleachers towards the girl he has had his eye on for a while.  It was spectacularly obvious to the rest of the student body that Kai is set on one girl—Krystal.  Everyone got the sense of it and Krystal was slowly and unknowingly growing a reputation in the academy as the 2^nd Jung.  Jessica Jung, a legend in JL Academy, was the JL Academy goddess whom all the boys drooled over but never could touch.  Krystal had the same effect.  So it wasn’t a surprise to anyone that Kai, the campus heartthrob, immediately was the first to make a move.

 

Krystal, however, never bothered to care or give popularity any of her attention.  Krystal’s friends didn’t spare her any advice or opinion about Kai either.  Yet, Krystal chose to dismiss it, writing it off as hospitality and friendliness.  Needless to say, it was not in her radar of worries or concerns.  She has other things that occupy her priorities like…getting A’s in her mid terms, college applications, trying not to lose her sanity in Managerial Finance and International Economics, and her senior project…her partner…her partner’s unpredictability and peculiarity.

 

“Hey!”  Kai scooted in to stand next to Krystal.

 

“Hey!”  Krystal smiled and greeted him right back.

 

Because of the loud cheering of the crowd, Kai leaned close to Krystal and told her, “Thanks for saving me a spot.”

 

“Of course,” she answered.

 

Meanwhile on the field, a loud whistle blew to mark the end of warm-ups, signaling for the teams to get ready for the match.  Amber, who kept her jumper on, couldn’t be any happier to finally get this thing over with.  She walked-jogged to the bench where the team was huddled and gave her best friend a customary shake, egging him, “You better kick some Joongdong bro,” to which Joohyuk replied with, “No need to tell me twice.”

 

While the starting line-up rushed the field, Amber zipped her jacket all the way up and headed over to sit on the bench.  Amber prefers the bench.  In fact, she prefers to cruise through this entire season on the bench.  She doesn’t mind it one bit.  Her coaches lost their reason to care and they were well aware of the situation with Amber and her uncle.  Furthermore, to put it frankly, Amber also didn’t deserve to play.  She doesn’t show up to practice and they can only recall one instance this season where she has shown effort in the sport.  There was a mutual agreement and this was the best Amber could do in a situation she didn’t want to be in in the first place.

 

As she walked towards the bench, she took a moment to glance up the bleachers.  She scanned for her two friends Kai and Irene.  She spots Irene in the announcer’s box and she found her smiling and waving.  Amber smiled as she waved back.  She scans the bleachers for Kai and sure enough she easily spotted him right at dead center in the student cheering section.  But there was a third person that caught her eye.  Ironically, she was conveniently standing next to him.

 

She naturally took notice of it—notice of her next to Kai smiling, giggling, rubbing shoulders, whispering in each other’s ears…

 

What happens when one itches at the same spot for a long time without stopping?

 

A red mark surfaces and sometimes a little bit of blood is drawn.

---

Following Day | Seoul | 9:22am

 

After a hell of a Friday night, in which the JL Academy high school student population took to a raging after-party at some rich kid’s pool house after a landslide W against the Joongdong wankers, Amber who could care less for the victory celebration went straight home to get a full night’s rest.  An early riser that she was, she was up and at em’ already at Cheongdam-dong to pay a close friend a visit.

 

Walking inside the coffee shop, she was greeted by Sunny, “You’re early, Amber.  Here to see Yul?”

 

“Good morning unnie.  And yup, that’s why I’m here.”

 

Just in time, coming out of the kitchen, Yuri comes out with a plate of waffles with strawberry toppings and whip cream.

 

“Oh.  You’re here,” Yuri greeted Amber almost impassively while siting next to her at the barista barstool.

 

Amber, seeing the delicious waffle in front of her, reaches for a fork and lunges at it.

 

Sighing as she has already conceded, Yuri grumbled, “And you couldn’t wait until I can get my first bite.”

 

Amber responded with mocking smile.  Yuri rubs the top of Amber’s head and grabs another fork and eats the waffle together.  Sunny was gracious enough to also provide each of the two with a cup of coffee.

 

After scarfing down the waffle in minutes, Yuri finally nudges Amber and asked, “So what’s up?  To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

 

After chewing the last bit of waffle in , Amber wiped her lips and answered in a slow and almost contemplative drawl, “Doc Yul…Dopamine.  Adrenaline.  Serotonin.  Norepinephrine.”

 

Not totally understanding where Amber was getting at, Yuri scrunches her eyebrows, shaking her head, raising her shoulders, responding, “I don’t follow.”

 

Amber starts prompting, “What does increase in dopamine do?”

 

Yuri answers, “It makes you feel good, gives you higher energy and focus…”

 

“High adrenaline?”

 

“Stress response is activated hence increase heart rate, increase perspiration…”

 

“A drop in serotonin?”

 

“You start to get anxious and nervous…”

 

“Increase in norepinephrine?”

 

“Body goes into fight or flight mode and could also be attributed to increase in heart rate and enhanced focus into a particular object...”

 

Amber stared at Yuri while Yuri connected the dots.

 

Ten seconds later, Yuri raised an eyebrow and eyed Amber suspiciously.  She took a leap by guessing, “Are you…are you like…like…in love with someone?”

 

Exhaling as she rolled her eyes, Amber says, “Yul…”

 

“You are, aren’t you?!”  Excited, Yuri lightly jabbed Amber on the shoulder.

 

“Oh my god, calm down doc.  You’re suppose to be on the logical side of human psychology.”

 

“Let me guess—”

 

“No.  Don’t guess.  Because you don’t need to guess because you’re wrong.”

 

“Amber—”

 

“Sunbae…Yul…come on.”  Amber addressed her as sunbae, a rare occurrence reserved for serious moments, while giving her a stern look—a look that Yuri was adept in interpreting.  Yuri knew when it comes to love, in Amber’s world, there has always just been that one.

 

Conceding once again, Yuri tapped the table as she asked calmly this time, “Then what’s up?  What’s with the science review so early in the morning?”

 

Amber took a sip of her coffee before answering again with a very soft, introspective tone, “When you experience those symptoms—increase in heart rate, high energy, high focus and whatnot—it is the neurotransmitters in your brain sending the signals and doing the work, right?”
 

“Yeah…”

 

“So it’s a biological reaction, a scientific explanation that is controlled by one’s environment…”

 

“Well…”

 

Amber plainly provided her conclusion, “Symptoms of attraction are biological reaction…therefore, it doesn’t always mean anything all the time.”

 

Yuri eyed the kid pensively.  A humble, skilled and experienced student of people, Yuri could sense the hesitation. It was like she can read Amber’s rational coping mechanism like an open book.  The kid was smart after all, she knew that.  But not too overly psychoanalyze the complexity of the person in front of her, Yuri knew that Amber’s almost too smart in her line reasoning to escape the conspicuous battle that she was fighting with her head and her heart.

 

Yuri pushed her thinking a little bit, shedding the friendly “Yul” image that she always had with Amber, “Well…it could be that it doesn’t mean anything all the time.  Sure.  Science affords us with at least a neurological explanation.  However, it depends…”

 

Amber fixed her attention at Yuri, listening intently to her response.

 

“It depends Amber…it depends on what is triggering the reaction, rather…who.  And if you’re asking for my professional opinion on this subject, I’ll be honest…this is where I give room for phenomenal forces that sometimes transcends physiological explanation.”

 

“Sometimes…you said sometimes though…” Amber pointed out.

 

“Yeah, sometimes…like you said…sometimes it doesn’t always mean anything…  But…” Yuri paused and pointed at Amber’s chest then Amber’s forehead. 

 

“…We are autonomous in defining meaning.  We all choose what to give meaning to, whether it’d be our internal feelings and/or the object—rather the subject—of your emotions…AKA who you are feeling those feelings for.”

 

With Yuri’s answer, Amber almost regrets her decision to visit her.  Though she’s grateful for Yuri’s insight and Yuri’s patience with her, she had hope for a different result with this conversation.  Now she’s just more confused.

 

Yuri noticed her hoobae’s pensive silence.  She was extremely curious of where all of this was coming from because it’s been a long time since they’ve had this kind of serious conversation.  Yuri could almost see the proverbial heart on Amber’s sleeve that she has been subconsciously exposing.  But Yuri knows it was too early to push, it was too soon to press.  She has seen more than what Amber was willing to show so she reverts back to her “Yul” mode.

 

“Enough of this biology, psychology, philosophical talk.  If we keep going, I’m gonna have to start charging you for a session.  And you bet I’m gonna charge you a hefty overtime rate just because it’s a Saturday morning for Christ’s sake.”

 

That did the trick to lighten the mood and to get Amber to relax once again.

 

Yuri added, “By the way, I’m leaving for New York tomorrow.”

 

“You’re not leaving me too, are you?”  Yuri pushed Amber’s comment away, trying hard not to read into Amber’s referential psychological slipup. 

 

Instead, Yuri rubbed the top of Amber’s head and answered, “Heck no.  My life is too comfortable here in Seoul.  I’m just going for a short trip for this American Psychology Association Convention and also for some friend of a friend’s wedding.”

 

What Yuri chose not to mention is the small little detail about going to the same wedding that Tiffany was also invited to.  The friend she was referring to was actually Tiffany.

 

Yuri reached for her coffee to take a drink.  Meanwhile, Amber bluntly asks, “Any chance that you’ll be going to Cambridge?”

 

Yuri instantaneously choked on the liquid, trying very hard not to spit it out.

 

Cambridge, Massachusetts.  That was a loaded question.  Cambridge is most famously known for the city that hosts Harvard University—the university that Tiffany was studying at.

 

Amber picked up on Yuri’s reaction and Amber knew that Yuri knew what Amber was really asking.  For once, Amber brought it up first so Yuri was taken aback by the sudden bluntness.

 

Yuri then had no choice but to answer honestly, “Actually Am…I’m going to a wedding in New York with a friend.  That friend…is Tiffany.  She heard I was coming to New York and has invited me to go with her…to catch up and stuff.”

 

Amber’s heart suddenly felt heavy.  If Yuri’s insight from earlier contained any measure or substance of truth, Amber was sure now to attest to its profundity.  In this case…she has given plenty of meaning to that name, to that person…to Tiffany.

---

Jung Residence | 10.19.15 | 7am

 

Krystal’s father dangled the steel red key fob above her daughter’s head.  Krystal reached to take it but the elder Jung quickly retracted his hand.

 

“Can I trust you?”

 

Krystal thought her dad was being absurd.  When she moved to Seoul, her goal was to quickly get her South Korean license so that she didn't have to be chauffeured around all the time, something that she abhorred.  In California, she lived a very independent teenage life.  She had her own car, a Cayman Black Edition Porshe at that, giving her more freedom and liberty to do what she wanted.  Being chauffeured around felt suffocating.

 

“Dad, of course you can trust me.”

 

“Okay but this is not California, Soojung.  This is Seoul.  Do you even know your way around?”

 

Krystal rolled her eyes then gave her best princess smile to weaken her father’s demeanor, “Yes dad, I know my way around and have memorized the area already—at least my way from here to the academy.  You don’t need to worry about me.  I’ll be fine.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Mr. Jung finally conceded, handing the red key fob to her daughter.

 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you daddy!”  She squeezed her father into a tight hug while granting him an endearing kiss on the cheek.  “I love you dad.  And I promise you can trust me!”

---

 

JL Academy | 10.19.15 | 1:15pm

 

It was another busy Monday afternoon in JL Academy.  Everyone was in full studying mode for the midterms exams that were slowly approaching—the following week that is.  The torrential downpour on this autumn day couldn’t be more fitting to match the dreary mood in the campus.  It’s like the weather was stressed out about the upcoming midterms too.

 

Some had their afternoon classes; therefore, the library remained sparse.  In the corner or the library, back to her secret designated space, Amber was found out of touch with the conscious world, dozed off into a world of peaceful nothingness.

 

Irene saw her friend in her most comfortable position and held her textbook hovering just above two feet from the desk.  She then dropped it purposefully next to the sleeping tomboy’s face, making a noticeably loud thud throughout the quiet library.

 

The princely tomboy jerked up with grogginess and displeasure apparent in her expression.  She was about to curse at the horrible person that just woke her up from her solid nap but looked up to see a giggling Irene, which immediately softened her initial response.

 

Irene chuckles, taking the seat across from her.  “Wake up, Am.  We need to study for finance.”

 

Rubbing her eyes slowly, Amber tiredly answered, “I don’t need to study.”

 

“Yes you do.  I heard the test is going to be really hard so yes, you do need to study.”

 

Amber deadpans Irene as her rhetorical response.

 

Irene found Amber’s confident response cute to which she chuckled.  Amber is right, she probably didn't need to study.

 

“Okay.  Maybe you don’t need to study but at least help me.”  Irene reached inside her purse and pulled out homemade chocolate chip cookies as incentive.  As Amber naturally reached for the bag of cookies, Irene quickly retreated the bag of cookies, and extended her other hand to tease Amber, “Help me study and the cookies are yours.”

 

Smiling, Amber shook the hand and agreed, not that she needed the cookie transaction to help her friend.

 

Irene smiled and handed her the bag.  Irene also knew that all she needed to do was ask to get Amber to help her study.  The cookies were just a bonus, something that she affectionately baked for her just because.

 

If Irene would be truly honestly, she felt a little distant from Amber lately.  A huge part of that was because of the whole Mino situation.  But one little incident from last Friday has stuck to her and has bothered her over the weekend. It was the Krystal thing—with the whole Amber-holding-her-hand thing.  She has dismissed it in her mind time and time again but what bothered her was how the image has embedded itself into her memories.  She kepy rallying back and forth saying, it’s nothing.  It’s just Amber being Amber.  No need to overthink it.  They’re partners.  It’s nothing.

 

Being in front of Amber like this, having her full attention, getting the chance to call her a best friend, studying with her, sitting with her—all of this had its own territory…with her, with her other two friends, with the Top Elites.  It wasn’t some exclusive rule either.  It just so happened that Amber’s personality came with a very closed, well-defined, well-guarded territory.  And maybe the occasion last Friday revealed that perhaps it was expanding.  And Amber’s uncharacteristic initiative caught her off guard and took her and the rest of people watching in that library by surprise.

 

But…it’s nothing.  I’m just overthinking.

 

Meanwhile across the library, there was another person that couldn’t keep her eyes from staring in that corner’s direction.

 

Krystal studies Irene’s exchange with Amber.  She’s having multiple thoughts come through her mind.  It’s not that she envied Irene.  She was just curious.  She was curious as to what the status was between the two.  Krystal doesn’t take the effort to pay close attention to the social makeup of the academy—like who’s dating who, who likes who, what so and so did, what new rumor was stirring the student population.  But one thing that always caught her eye and has always kept her questioning was the relationship between those two.

 

“Hey,” Sulli nudged Krystal on the arm, taking a glance at the direction of her gaze.  Sulli caught on to it quick, affirming a couple of things that she has been theorizing about Krystal with Joohyuk…

FLASHBACK

 

After the big win, everyone was too pumped and too wired to go home.  The whole gang, along with the majority of JL Group’s upperclassmen, are found at the pool house victory party.  The place was lit.  There were drinks everywhere and the mood was manic and celebratory since the moment they arrived at the place.

 

Sulli chose to play it safe by staying sober, as most of her group of friends did.  She surveyed the party and found Jonghyun and Key talking to some of the girls in the junior class.  She spotted Luna talking to another group of people.  And of course…she spotted Kai and Krystal sitting next to each other on a lawn chair, talking, and Kai obviously flirting.

 

“Sulli-yah!”  She turned her body towards the direction of the voice.  She found her partner, Joohyuk, with a drink on each hand.

 

“No alcohol, just fruit punch, I promise.”  Joohyuk handed her a cup.

 

Sulli has gotten closer to Joohyuk the past couple of weeks.  They both share the same personality of being down-to-earth and easygoing so they naturally got along.  But more importantly, they shared one big common concern…Krystal and Amber.  While the rest of the JL Academy population could only talk about Kai and Krystal, Joohyuk and Sulli shared the same observation that has gone unnoticed by most.

 

“Thanks!  And congratulations on the win captain.”  They bumped cups to cheers before taking a sip.

 

Joohyuk noticed Kai and Krystal across the pool while Sulli stared in the same direction.  They both chuckle almost telepathically knowing what the other person was thinking.

 

“So what do you think?”  Sulli asked Joohyuk.

 

“Of those two?  Kai and Krystal?”
 

“Mhhmm.”

 

Joohyuk paused to think for a moment as he stared at the two people’s interaction.  Kai was working his magic, there was no doubt about it.  He saw Krystal respond, giggling, smiling and seemed to be enjoying the company.  But there’s something that’s not quite there yet for him to say or think more otherwise.

 

“Isn’t it obvious?  Kai likes Krystal.  But…”

 

“But?”

 

“Krystal looks like she’s just having fun.  She looks to be friendly with Kai…But something else is more obvious to me…” Joohyuk harbored this opinion, “Something else is different when she’s with another person.”

 

“With Amber.”  Sulli made that clear quickly.

 

Joohyuk only grinned as he took another sip of the fruit punch.

 

“What do you think?”  This time Joohyuk probed Sulli.

 

“All I know is that there is something about those two…Krystal and Amber…And I’m going to find out what it is.”

 

“I’ll drink to that,” Joohyuk bumped cups with Sulli once again as they both shook their heads, chuckling at their secret observations.

 

 

Sulli and Krystal found a table in the library and set their books down.  After getting settled, Sulli couldn’t help but notice Krystal’s pensive mood.  Sulli took this chance to test out the waters a little bit.

 

“They’re just friends, Krystal.”

 

Krystal perked up but immediately tried to mask it.  “Huh?”

 

Sulli looked behind her and nodded at Irene and Amber’s direction.  She flashed Krystal a smile afterwards and prodded again, “They’re just friends.  Amber and Irene.”

 

Sulli noticed her fidget in her seat, revealing a very flustered and not-so poised reaction from a naturally graceful Krystal.  Sulli continued, “Amber has history with Irene, yes…but it’s a kind of history that isn’t a romantic one.  Let’s just say that Amber just takes really well of Irene but only sees her as a close friend.”

 

“Why are you telling me this?”  Krystal tried to play it off.  Although, this information that Sulli was revealing was in that moment almost…relieving to Krystal.

 

“Oh come on Krystal…every time we cross paths with the Top Elites your eyes seem to be fixed at the both of them so I’m just letting you know…be rest assured that they’re just friends.”

 

Krystal kept trying to maintain her façade, retorting, “Sulli, thanks for the unnecessary news buzz feed but…I don’t really care.”

 

Of course you do, Sulli thought.  “Okaaay,” Sulli pressed a little bit more dressed in a sly grin.

 

“What?”  Krystal seemed irritated.

 

“Nothing…nothing…sure…sure…you don’t care…” Sulli continued to tease, to which Krystal playfully slapped her arm and said, "Let's just focus on our midterms, can we?"

---

5:44pm

 

It was close to six and Krystal finally finished her study session in the library.  She looked around her and noticed how she was the last to leave the building.  Sulli left an hour earlier to attend to her other obligations but Krystal opted to stay to keep grinding in her studies.  In Krystal’s mind she has to work extra harder for this midterm just to catch up with everyone else.  Most of the classes that she has to take for this senior year were all advance classes; therefore, she put it upon herself to study twice as hard to make sure to do well in her first round of exams.

 

She walked towards the parking lot and as she arrived at the front covering she was forced to stop upon meeting her archrival nemesis: rain.  She’s a true Californian at heart.  Californians don’t do rain.  Krystal was absolutely convinced that if she went out there in this state, she could possibly melt. 

 

The torrential downpour only continued to progress in the afternoon and she was contemplating whether she should even try to weather the heavy rains, it up and just book it to her car.  As happy as she was for getting her independence, driving herself to school in her new car, this was a moment of a little bit of regret because the distance from where she was standing to where her car was parked was more than a hundred yards.

 

And no she didn’t bring an umbrella.  Like…what’s an umbrella?  She’s from California for crying out loud.

 

Krystal was mentally cursing the damn rain and was now seriously trying to think creatively on how to get to her car without getting completely drenched.  Should I just wait it out?  Book it?  Who am I kidding…I’ll just wait it out.

 

She made her choice and prayed that this downpour would take a break soon.

 

ILSYB (STRIPPED VERSION) | LANY

 

About five minutes later and not much has changed for Krystal.  The rain kept pouring buckets without showing any signs of relenting.  From a distance, however, she sees a black car that just pulled up and man in black suit with a big umbrella walking towards her as though he was an answered prayer from God Himself.

 

As the man got closer, he looked really familiar.  Is that…Is that Chief…

 

And then it hit her.  She turned around and found the person she least expected to find.  It was Amber staring dead straight at her.  Flashbacks of their last interaction—when Amber grabbed her hand and invaded her comfortable space—crossed her mind.  And because of that she suddenly felt nervous.

 

Chief Donghae finally reached them and bowed as he greeted his boss.  And Amber, without leaving her stare at Krystal, told Donghae, “I’m sorry to do this to you chief but…do you mind if I take the umbrella?”

 

Without any questions asked, Donghae handed her the umbrella.

 

“And here,” Amber handed him her bag, “Can you run this to the car and wait for me there?”

 

Donghae looked a little puzzled but, of course, didn’t have a choice but oblige to the young miss’ request and did exactly as she said.  Chief Donghae wrapped his suit blazer around the bag and sprinted through the rain into the car.

 

Meanwhile here was Amber with her eyes still unpeeled from staring at Krystal.

 

Amber approached Krystal and unexpectedly grabbed her hand.  Amber took the handle and placed it in Krystal’s grip while saying, “I know it doesn’t really rain much in southern California but here in Seoul…in rains quite a bit.”

 

If it was any other person, the hint of arrogance in the tone and the coldness of Amber’s expression could have easily been interpreted as condescending.  But Krystal has learned that there are layers beneath everything that Amber says and does, at least that was what she was choosing to believe.  In fact, she caught something that was subtle that made her heart leap inside her chest.  She noticed the small grin, a little wrinkling fold on the corner of her upper lip, that accompanied her touch, when she once again wrapped her hands over hers to make her grip on the umbrella.

 

Amber lightly scoffed as she shook her head, whispering to herself, “As expected of a princess…”

 

Krystal also caught that too and for some reason that title—princess—although she never really liked it, was starting to grow on her.

 

But there was Krystal standing, again with her words, her reaction, lodged and stuck between her brain and while Amber took a step towards the open rain.

 

"Yah!  You're gonna get drenched!"

 

Amber turned around and jeered, "Do you want to stay there all night in hopes that the rain will stop?"

 

Amber had a point to which Krystal had no rebuttal to.

 

"I didn't think so," Amber chuckled and began walking towards the direction of her car…in the pouring rain.  Five seconds in that rain and you will be absolutely drenched.  But it took Krystal that long to finally come to her senses.

 

This time without any more hesitation, she ran towards Amber with the umbrella, taking the other girl this time by surprise, grabbing her arm and more…her pure, unsolicited, undivided, attention.

 

Krystal pulled Amber as close to her as possible as she held the umbrella over them.  Krystal finally found a newfound determination.  And there it was…that something that was secret and that was hidden to most—the vague and indefinite something that couldn’t be any clearer between the two in this close space they were now sharing.

 

“Then let’s go together," Krystal smiled, pulling Amber towards her car.

 

Meanwhile in Amber's world--to put it in Amber's jargon--that mere smile, the grip around her arm triggered the itch...an itch that was red in four shades:

 

Dopamine.

 

Adrenaline. 

 

Serotonin. 

 

Norepinephrine.

 

...

 

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