October 25, 2013 | Seoul, Korea

AMBER’S POV

It is 12pm and Krystal is still asleep. After our long talk last night, I don’t blame her. We talked about all sorts of things, from our relationship to our futures. It was about 4am when we noticed how long we’d been talking. Turning to the bed, I see a peaceful expression spread across Krystal’s face. Then I hear her mumble, “Cookies…”

A grin spreads across my face. She wants cookies, huh? I pull a cap over my messy hair, grab my skateboard, and head out to the supermarket just a few blocks away. I buy a few ingredients needed for lunch and some extra ingredients for chocolate chip cookies and skate back to Krystal’s apartment. Quietly letting myself back into the apartment, I wash my hands and start preparing to make kimchi fried rice and chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen.

KRYSTAL’S POV

I wake up to delicious smells coming from the kitchen. Forcing myself out of bed, I tiptoe into the kitchen and yell in Amber’s ear, “What are you doing?!”

“Ah!” She flinches, surprised, then smiles, “I’m making lunch… and dessert.”

I watch as she stir-fries the kimchi fried rice then look down at the hot oven. “Amber… how did you know I was craving cookies?”

She gives me a sly smile and says, “I just did as you wished, Princess.”

I give her a look and ask, “Do you need help?”

She shakes her head lightly, “Just relax for a little bit. I’m almost done.”

Amber finishes up the fried rice and takes the cookies out of the oven. Impatient, I sneak over and try to take a cookie before even eating my first meal of the day. Not stealthy enough, I accidentally singe my fingers on the hot baking pan and let out a yelp.

AMBER’S POV

I see Krystal sneaking a taste of the cookies out of the corner of my eye. I let it go, but am surprised to hear a yell of pain. Rushing over, I ask worriedly, “What’s wrong?”

Krystal gives me a sheepish look, “I burned my finger a little, I think.”

Grabbing her finger, I stick it in my mouth, wet it on my tongue, then blow it gently as I lead her to the sink. She looks slightly flustered, but at least she seems distracted from the pain. “Keep this under cold water for at least five minutes, okay?” Krystal nods seriously and listens to my direction. Carefully taking a hot cookie from the pan, I break a chunk off and feed it to Krystal while scolding her gently, “Yah, next time, be more careful, okay? Or just ask me to do it.”

Krystal nods shyly, then happily eats the rest of the cookie out of my hand. “It’s so good,” she sighs, content.

As we sit down and start eating lunch, I ask, “So, Krys. Is there something in particular you want to do today?”

She nods and says softly, “I want to go out and have a date, like a normal couple.”

Hesitant, I ask, “Are you sure? People are going to take a lot of photos. There may be paparazzi too if we are out long enough. I know you hate the attention…”

Krystal says firmly, “I just want to feel normal for once. Let’s go out and get some air, pretend that we’re just as normal and as everyday as everyone else.”

“As you wish, Princess.”

KRYSTAL’S POV

After a bunch of time wasting and lying around the house, Amber and I decide to get ready and go out. I hear the shower running and shake my head. It’s already 5pm and slowly getting dark outside. It’s funny that the little time we have together are spent alone at home doing nothing, just simply enjoying each other’s presence. I dig through Amber’s suitcase and find a cute white shirt with a graphic pattern on it. “Am, I’m wearing your shirt,” I call to her.

“Sure,” she calls back from the restroom, “Can you hand me a random shirt?”

I pull a random black shirt from her suitcase and knock on the restroom door, “Here.”

She opens the door in a black, Nike sports bra and jeans. “Thanks, babe.”

She tries to close the door but I hold it open, openly gawking at her gorgeous body. She blushes and turns around quickly before speedily pulling the t-shirt over her head. “Yah! What are you looking at?”

Smirking, I teasingly retort, “I think you already know the answer to your own question.” I laugh as she gives me a flustered look before grabbing my wrist and pulling me out of the door.

We decide that using public transportation, although very normal, is just not an option for us at this point. We brave the traffic and head to Itaewon. While I once hated traffic, being with Amber seems to make even the most annoying things fun. Turning on music and purposely singing horribly, we let go of our idol images and act as silly as we want — as silly as we can be.

AMBER’S POV

Finally finding some parking space, we put on masks and caps and get out of the car. The populated streets are filled with Koreans and foreigners alike. Excited, Krystal turns to me and says, “Let’s go over there!” She points at some musicians playing on the side of the road.

“Sure,” I agree happily, and we walk towards the small crowd forming around the street performance.

Krystal’s arm somehow finds mine and we walk side by side, arms linked together. The sounds of heavy beats and rhythmic rapping come out of two small speakers. Krystal struggles to peer over the crowd. Bending down, I motion for her to get on my back. I hear her giggling as I lift her up, “You can see better now, right Princess?”

I feel her nod and we enjoy the performance, clapping along with the crowd. Suddenly I notice phone cameras that were once aimed at the street performers aimed at Krystal and I. I sense Krystal’s discomfort and I let her down. “Let’s get out of here,” she says softly.

I nod and walk slightly behind her, making sure that she is okay. Krystal sees a street vendor selling the tteok-bokki I love and pulls me over. Buying a bowl, we continue walking forward, knowing that if we stopped, fans would immediately come up and try to take photos with us. Krystal spears some of the food with a toothpick and blows on it to cool it down. “Ahhh,” she says, feeding the hot tteok-bokki into my mouth.

I pull down my mask slightly and eat, hearing excited gasps and camera shutter sounds from the small crowd around us. The more we walk, the more a crowd grows behind us. I grab Krystal’s wrist and pull her towards me, watching her expression. Now we walked wordlessly, a large crowd following behind us with cameras aimed in our direction. I feel slightly out of it. Although there are hoards of people following behind us, my attention is focused solely on Krystal.

KRYSTAL’S POV

Walking close to Amber, her firm grasp on my wrist tells me she’s more nervous about the crowd then she’s letting on. Feeling more comfortable in her protection, I listen to the crowd around me. I hear loud chattering of teens saying things like: “No way! Is it really Krystal and Amber?”, “Oh my gosh, it really is them!”, “Krystal’s so pretty!”

Suddenly, out of the blue, I hear a loud female voice pierce through the noise, “Why is she dressed like that? She should look more like a girl! She’s not gay is she?”

Defensive, I want to yell out. So what if she is? We both are! I keep quiet though, not wanting to attract any more attention. Amber seems to not have noticed the harsh words towards her.

AMBER’S POV

I hear a sharp voice say in Korean, “Why is she dressed like that? She should look more like a girl! She’s not gay is she?” The voice continues to get louder and more confrontational, yelling through the crowd, “What a dyke!”

I feel Krystal stiffen slightly next to me, so I pretend not to have heard anything. Looking down at Krystal, I notice her expression has gone from bad to worse.  I speed up my walking speed and lean down, “Let’s go to Coreanos.”

She nods and we duck into Coreanos Kitchen. The crowd doesn’t follow.

Letting out breaths we didn’t know we were holding, both of us grab a seat and try to calm down. My friend Solomon comes out of the kitchen, “Hey Amber! Long time no see! I didn’t know you were still here in Korea!”

“Hey, man,” I say, standing up and giving him a handshake and hug.

“How’s everything going?” Solomon glances outside at the crowd that’s slowly dispersing, “You know what? Never mind. I’m gonna let y’all catch your breaths. Here are the menus.”

Both of us sit in silence, staring blankly at the menu. Krystal clears and says, “Sorry, Am. I was naive. I should have thought about it more before deciding to come out in public like this.”

I shake my head, “It’s okay, Krys. Honestly I was just worried about you.”

She gives me an apologetic smile, “People… were saying stuff. Not very good stuff-”

Before she can continue, I rub her arm gently. I decide it’s better to just tell a white lie, “It’s okay Krystal. I was a little out of my mind back there and didn’t hear anything. And it’s not your fault anyways. Don’t apologize.”

“That’s good,” she says softly.

The words still ring in my head. Why is she dressed like that? She should look more like a girl! She’s not gay is she? What a dyke!

Solomon brings our burritos over to our table, breaking me out of my dark thoughts. I get a wet burrito with shrimp and Krystal, of course, gets a steak burrito. We also order a side of the popular “Three Wise Fries” which I used to have every time I came. “So, I heard you were friends with Krystal, but I didn’t know if it was real or not. I guess now, I know,” Solomon laughs, nodding towards Krystal.

“Yep,” I say shortly.

“How is it that you don’t even live in Korea anymore but still know, like, half of the country?”

I laugh, “They call it extroversion, I think.”

He chuckles, “I guess it’s how you got to know me. You’re real. And you keep it real.”

“You know me. Just being myself since I got here. I may have left Korea, but I haven’t changed.”

Solomon smiles, “Keep it up. That’s why people love you.”

“It’s true,” Krystal pipes up, “That’s why I love you.”

“Oohhh,” Solomon teases, “You two would be perfect for each other…”

I chuckle and wink, calling him by his nickname, “Right. Thanks, Solo-man.”

“You know she used to help us out here when it got busy,” Solomon tells Krystal.

“Oh really? I never knew. I love the burritos here but don’t get to come out here a lot. I would have came a lot more if I knew you’d be here,” Krystal teases me.

Solomon raises an eyebrow. “I approve, Amber. Krystal… you could do better,” he jokes. Krystal and I chuckle and simply shake our heads, leaving our relationship undefined for the time being. “Alright, well I won’t keep y’all then. Enjoy your dinner.”

“Thanks Solo-man.” I dig into my burrito in hopes of drowning out the thoughts of what happened today. Although the lady’s words still eat at me, I forget about them for the time being and eat with Krystal in comfortable silence.

After eating, Krystal finally breaks the silence, “So… How are we gonna get out of here?”

“The back door the employees use, I guess.”

Krystal nods and takes my hand, “Let’s do this.”

Giving a parting wave to Solomon, Krystal and I slip out of the back door and out into the darkened alleyway. The chill of the autumn evening seeps into our bones and I pull my arm around her and lean her closer to me.

KRYSTAL’S POV

As we make our way to the car, a drunken female voice calls out, “Amber? Amberrrr!”

Amber turns her head to the source of the voice, and I feel her tense in surprise. Looking back, I see a familiar face, one that I never thought I would see right in front of me. “Ellin?” Amber calls to the girl.

“Amberrrr,” Ellin slurs, “What are you doing herrrreeee?”

“I should say the same to you,” Amber mutters before begrudgingly pulling her arm off my shoulder and walking towards Ellin. “You’re drunk. Let’s get you out of here.”

Ellin stumbles into Amber’s arms. I sense her discomfort and say, “Am, it’s okay. Do what you need to do. Let’s just get her back inside Coreanos, where there are no cameras.” Although I wish Amber isn’t as caring as she is, I know that that’s just who she is. When someone’s in trouble, she’s always there to help, facing whatever consequences come of it.

Amber nods and bends down, lifting a stumbling Ellin onto her back. “Whooooo!” Ellin yells out.

Amber smirks and rolls her eyes, “God, I haven’t seen you this drunk since… your parents separated.” Suddenly a sense of urgency takes over Amber’s voice, “Ellin. Why are you in Korea?”

Ellin stays silent, clinging onto Amber’s shoulders. Amber quickly makes her way back into the alley behind Coreanos and pounds on the door, “Solo-man! Open the door!”

Solomon opens the door. For some reason, he doesn’t seem surprised. “Amber, Krystal, Ellin,” he greets as he holds the back door open.

Turning to him, I whisper, “You know her?”

“Yeah. Amber brought her here a couple times.” His answer leaves me slightly unsettled but I shake the thoughts off.

Amber squats down and lets Ellin off of her back, sitting her down on a chair in the back. Grabbing a paper towel, Amber wets it under the faucet and wipes Ellin’s face. Pouring a cup of water, she places it against Ellin’s lips. “Drink,” she commands sternly.

Amber then turns to me. I sense an unwarranted apology coming and put a hand on her arm. “It’s okay, Am. She’s your friend. Make sure she’s okay.”

Solomon frowns, “Amber, you know why she’s here?”

Amber shakes her head, “I asked, but she still hasn’t told me. Last time I saw her this drunk, her parents had just split up and were finalizing the divorce. Something must be pretty bad for her to be this drunk.”

Solomon informs Amber, “I should have mentioned this earlier, but I forgot. She came in here a couple of times this week. She asked about you too, one time. I told her I hadn’t seen you in a long time. I don’t think she knew you were in Korea. I mean, heck, I didn’t even know you were still here. I thought you had left with the rest of your group after promotions.”

I here a soft moan come from Ellin’s lips, “Amber…”

Walking over to her, I hand her another glass of water and say in Korean, “Hey, Ellin. It’s Krystal, Amber’s… friend. How are you feeling.”

Rubbing her head she answers softly, “Dizzy…”

I tug on Amber’s shirt, “Am, she’s talking a little now. She says she’s dizzy.”

Amber walks over to Ellin, “Yah. What are you doing, wasted on the streets of Korea?”

Ellin says softly, “My mom’s sick. Really sick.”

Tears flow down her face like a sudden rainfall. I feel a pang in my heart. Ellin looked less like a rival and more of a victim in her current state. I rub her back gently, “Everything must seem like they’re going wrong, but things will get better. Let’s just get you sobered up and I’m sure everyone here wouldn’t mind helping you.”

Ellin shakes her head, “Amber chose a good one to fall in love with. Look, Krystal… Only alcohol can solve my problems right now.”

Amber roughly pulls Ellin to her feet and forces Ellin to look at here, “Hey. Things can only be solved with a clear mind. Think about what your mom would want.”

Ellin bursts into tears again, “Okay, okay. Just… take me home, please? I’ll sober up and deal with things myself.”

“You’re a sister to me. I’ll always be there to help whether you like it or not,” Amber says, “For now, just drink water. Let’s wait until you’re a bit more sober before we go outside. There are eyes everywhere. You’re an idol. Protect your image.”

Suddenly Ellin jumps up and says, “ it!” Before Amber can even catch here, she runs out of the back door and out of the alley.

I follow Amber as she runs to catch up with Ellin. “Ellin, wait! Stop!” Amber calls out.

Amber grabs Ellin before she stumbles into traffic, just in the nick of time. I hear a shutter sound and turn to look. Some pedestrians are taking photos. Panic sets in. For me, Amber’s image comes before Ellin’s, so I blurt out, “Amber!”

Amber whips her head around and looks at me, one arm grabbing Ellin’s wrist. She turns to where I’m pointing, at the people holding up their phones taking videos. Amber’s expression turns from alarmed to calm. Pulling Ellin along, she walks towards me, “Krystal, get back into Coreanos.”

I head inside as Amber follows behind with Ellin in tow. Solomon is already on the phone, “Yes sir, the Coreanos Kitchen in Itaewon. Please pull up into the back alley. Thank you very much.” Solomon hangs up and shouts over to Amber, “Yo, I called a taxi already. It should be here in five.”

Amber reaches over me and high-fives Solomon, “Thanks Solo-man. You’re the best.”

“I would also call your manager if I were you,” Solomon advises.

Amber nods, “Thanks bro. I’ll do it once I get her settled.” Turning to Ellin, Amber asks cautiously, “Where do you want me to drop you off?”

Ellin mumbles softly, “The hospital. I should go stay with my mom.”

AMBER’S POV

My mind is still spinning. I’m not sure whether or not to leave Ellin alone at the hospital. Sitting in between Krystal and Ellin in the taxi, I watch the both of them. Ellin is asleep, eyes closed leaning against the left window. Krystal’s beautiful profile is lit up by the lights outside as she stares out into the cold, city night. Squeezing Krystal’s hand, I say quietly, “Sorry for dragging you into this.”

She shakes her head, “No, it’s okay. Don’t apologize for things that are out of your control. Let’s just make sure she’s safe. I may not like her enough to be close friends with her, but she’s your friend, and I trust your judgement. Anyone you care about, I care about too.”

Leaning towards Krystal, I kiss her cheek gently, “Thank you, Soojung.”

I pay the taxi driver and help Ellin out of the car. Ellin walks to the reception desk and signs us in. A nurse comes up to me and whispers, “Is she… drunk?”

Keeping tight lipped, I pretend not to understand and say in fake-broken Korean, “She wants to see her mom.”

The nurse gives me a vague smile before letting us on our way. Krystal and I trail behind Ellin, accompanying her to her mom’s hospital room. Ellin barges into the room and Krystal and I hesitate outside. “Should we go in too?” Krystal asks.

“Amber! Krystal! Come in!” Ellin’s voice calls from in the room.

I shrug at Krystal, “I guess we’re going in.”

Walking in, I see an older version of Ellin laying on the hospital bed, IV in her arm. “Hello, Ma’am,” Krystal and I greet at the same time.

“Hello. Amber, right? I’ve heard a lot about you. Thank you for bringing my daughter back here.”

“No problem, Ma’am. How are you doing?”

“Alright. My heart’s not doing so good but what can I do about it?”

Ellin cuts in, still slightly drunk, “She’s dying of a broken heart…”

“What are you talking about? I’m perfectly fine,” her mother insists.

Ellin shakes her head, “You’re lying in a hospital bed. How is that perfectly fine?”

“Ellin,” I warn, “Sorry Ma’am. She had a little bit too much to drink.”

Ellin’s mom smiles gently, “She’s my daughter. I know. I raised her. Don’t apologize for her.”

“Well, sorry to put more burden on you, but Krystal and I should get going. Please look after her —  she hasn’t fully sobered up.”

“Thank you for taking care of her as much as you have. I’ll call the nurse to bring her more water. Go home safely.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Goodnight.”

“Don’t go yet,” Ellin whines.

“Sorry, Ellin, but tonight was supposed to be just me and Krystal. We’re both tired now, so I’ll leave you here to sober up. Call me in the morning, okay?”

Ellin simply nods, accepting my departure.

KRYSTAL’S POV

As Amber and I head out the door, I hear Ellin’s mother say to her, “Amber really likes that girl, doesn’t she?”

I smile lightly. As we get back into the taxi, a wave of fatigue hits me. “Today was… insane.”

Amber laughs, then rattles out, “That’s putting it lightly. I get -talked, then my drunk ex appears out of nowhere and I have to send her to her mom in the hospital… I’m ing exhausted.”

I nod, agreeing. Suddenly I realize — Amber said she got -talked. She had heard the insults all along… Knowing this is not the right time to question why she had lied to me before, I just pat her head gently. “You’ve worked hard today.”

“You too,” she says, then guides my head to rest on her shoulder.

When I wake up, we’re already in front of my apartment. We walk in like zombies and collapse on the bed. “I could fall asleep in these clothes,” I mumble.

“Yah, that’s my shirt, okay?” Amber tugs gently at the t-shirt.

Giving her a look, I ask, “Why? You wanna take it off?”

Amber smirks and wiggles her eyebrows, “I’m too tired for that tonight. Maybe some other time.”

We laugh and lie face up, staring at the ceiling. Slowly, I say, “I don’t think I want to go out for a ‘normal date’ ever again. I think I’ll just have to accept that neither of us are normal…”

Amber chuckles, “Today was a lot, wasn’t it?”

I carefully start, “It was. So… you heard the things that one lady was saying?”

Amber rubs her forehead, “Right… Yeah. I did. I just… I didn’t want you to feel bad. Just like you said to me, I don’t want you to apologize for something that’s out of your control. That lady wasn’t in your control, just as Ellin wasn’t in mine.”

“Let’s just go somewhere where no one knows us. Then we can spend time together in peace.”

“One day, Jung Soojung. Let’s do it.”

I watch as Amber turns on her phone and scrolls through, rapidly typing something. After about five to ten minutes, her on-and-off typing ceases and she puts her phone down.

“What was that all about?” I ask, curiously.

“Check my Instagram.”

I click open my Instagram application and see a black image appear on my feed. It’s a post from Amber. I scroll down to the caption.

I never want to be forceful but there comes a time where I need to put my foot down on something I strongly believe in. Due to recent events I want to address something: I’ve been a tomboy pretty much all my life and honestly, to put it short, it really sometimes. Haters can and will hate, but insulting me in front of my face is a totally different thing. I personally believe girls and boys are not limited to one specific look. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. We are all different. If we all sang the same melody how can there be harmony? Don’t judge someone just because they’re different. Hopefully we can all grow to respect each other’s differences. I’m always trying to stay positive and happy. I love my life, my work, and they people who are constantly supporting me. I am always thankful because I know I can’t be here on my own strength. With every mistake, I analyze my fault and then try to better myself. I know I can’t be perfect but I will always try to be my best. In regards to that, I want to thank everyone again for constantly encouraging me and believing in me. To put it simply, love and help one another. And for people who are struggling, always be yourself. Being true and real to who you are is the biggest thing you can do for yourself. Love life, work hard, and chase your dreams.

Thank you again.

There, in black and white, was everything she wanted to say, written down on her social media. “I-I didn’t know you were thinking about it so much.”

Amber gives me a half smile, “Honestly, I have a hard time expressing myself through words sometimes. I’m sure you know what it’s like,” Amber clears purposely, “Ice Princess…”

I laugh, “I do know what it’s like. Sometimes it’s just easier to keep it all in. I’m glad you let it out, though, in your own way.”

“Usually, I joke about things to make it… easier to deal with. I guess I just needed to get it out more seriously this time.”

“To be honest, Am,” I admit, “I used to wish you would just tell me everything — let it all out so you don’t have that burden. But the more I think about it, I realize that I don’t tell you everything either, so I really can’t expect you to do it.”

“I’m used to it from you, Princess. I know you’ll tell me on your terms —  when you’re ready.”

Nodding I say, “I love that about you. You know exactly when and where to give me space. I hope that I don’t push you too much.”

Amber shakes her head, “I would tell you if you were. We’re honest with each other at the very least.”

AMBER’S POV

“You’ve grown a lot since I met you, you know?” I say to Krystal. I’ve seen Krystal mature even more from our relationship. Suddenly, I think about how we’ve been childishly just “going with the flow” — letting our emotions take over our logical minds. “Krystal?”

“Yeah, Am?”

“Let’s play the Truth Game. We’ll take turns asking each other questions. We both have to answer truthfully.”

“Why, all of a sudden?”

“Let just do it.”

“Is there something you want to know?”

I shrug and start the game. “Krystal, are you ready for your first question?”

Krystal nods, “Go ahead. It seems like you’ve already prepared something to ask.”

“What is something you want but aren't getting in this relationship?”

———

Author’s Note: Hi everyone! If you’ve made it this far, please leave a comment with a question that you want Krystal or Amber to answer for next chapter’s continuation of the Truth Game. I’ll try my best to include it into Chapter 12 with a shout out!

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter —I’ve been trying to write as much as I can throughout my vacation.

Thank you, as always, to all of my readers, subscribers, upvoters, and commenters! You guys make my day. <3

See you in the next chapter!

-RYTK