September 03, 2013  |  Taipei, Taiwan

AMBER’S POV

I glance at my black sports watch. 9:35pm. I guess she’s not coming to Sappho’s after all. I can still have a good time by myself, I think, trying to convince my disappointed heart. The sound of jazz drowns out my thoughts. I sit in silence, two drinks in front of me. The people around me chat loudly and happily in Chinese, with bursts of Taiwanese in between. Then suddenly, the voices quiet.

Before I can turn my head, I smell it — the smell of strawberry shampoo. The chair across from me scrapes back, and I look up to find Krystal sitting in front of me, with a white button up, dark blue skinny jeans, and a pair of shiny black flats. Her expression is impossible to read, but so is mine. “You’re late,” I comment with a grin on my face.

KRYSTAL’S POV

I don’t respond. I just stare at her. I try to fathom how she can wear such casual clothes and still look better than anyone else in the room. Her baggy, black graphic tee tucks into her black skinny jeans. Her orange bomber hangs on the back of her chair.

“You’re staring, Krystal,” Amber says with a smirk. I feel my face getting hot, and I put my head down, trying to hide it with my hair. Her finger cups my chin and lifts my head up. Her hot breath blows on my ear as she whispers, “Let’s try to make the most of what little time we have, okay?” All I can do is nod.

All at once, reality sets in and I remember that we’re both celebrities in a public place. I pull away quickly and say as confidently as I can, “Let’s keep our hands to ourselves tonight.”

AMBER’S POV

I can’t help breaking into a smile. She’s adorably shy, yet pretends to be so tough. “As you wish, Princess Jung,” I joke, bowing then exaggeratedly folding my hands on my lap.

Her head shoots up, “What did you call me?”

“Uh, Princess Jung?” I crack up, “Why? You don’t like it?”

She relaxes and laughs for the first time tonight. “Princess doesn’t mind,” she says, flipping her long hair back, “As long as you’re a loyal servant.”

“What? I’m just a servant? I should at least be a court jester, don’t you think?” I joke a make my signature llama face.

“Hey, you have to work your way up to that, okay?” She adds a kick of sass into her voice.

“As you wish your highness.”

KRYSTAL’S POV

The conversation dies down a little as the live jazz band gets more intense. Leaning over the table, I ask her, “How did you know jazz was my favorite?” She plays with the watch on her wrist, for a little bit, seemingly hesitant to respond.

“I did a little bit of Googling after the program yesterday,” she admits.

I smile and a little, “And all this time, I thought you just had great sense. Turns out, you cheated.”

She chuckles and scratches the back of her neck, “Honestly, I might seem cool, but I’m really not.”

“Stupid,” I roll my eyes and bluff, “I knew you were a dork from the moment I met you.” A look of vulnerability flashes across her face, and I wonder what just crossed her mind. She leans back in her chair and turns her head to watch the band. Giving her arm a light slap, I say, “Hey, I was just joking.”

She gives me a faint smile, “I know.”

AMBER’S POV

I knew you were a dork from the moment I met you. Her words were like a sort of deja vu. It reminded me of my dad, who had taken me in after my mom had passed away when I was four. A young man who wasn’t ready for the responsibility of a child, he said those words to me often — I knew you were stupid the moment I met you. By the age of six, he had left me alone.

“Are you alright?” Her voice, laced with concern, snapped me out of the long repressed memory.

Shaking myself out of the funk, I answer quickly, “Yeah, let me go get you another drink.”

As I approach the bar, the female bartender throws me a flirty smile. “What would you like, honey?”

The sudden switch from English to Chinese throws me off a little, “Uh… A strawberry margarita and… a water please.”

Giving me a devilish grin, she says, “I’ll bring it to you right away, Amber.” She recognizes me? Before my face reveals my surprise, I quickly turn head back to the table.

KRYSTAL’S POV

I watch as the bartender tries to flirt with Amber. Something makes my blood boil. Is this what they call jealousy? I try to keep a calm demeanor as she approaches, “I think she likes you.”

Amber shakes her head, “I think she likes Amber.” Confused I raise an eyebrow, prompting he to say more. Sighing, she says, “I need someone that likes llamas.”

Suddenly it's clear in my mind. I nod in understanding, “Just like I need someone that likes Soojung, not Krystal.”

“I guess since we’re in the same industry, we both get it, huh? The persona is always different from the true self. What she sees,” Amber nods towards the bartender, “is different from what you see.”

AMBER’S POV

She nods cutely, then turns her attention back to the band. It seems so surreal; this moment, two people from different worlds are sitting at one table, sharing the same thoughts. This girl is something else, something way beyond Krystal, "one of the most beautiful K-pop stars". There's substance behind all that beauty. She gets things. She gets me.