(Listening to A Different Way by Lauv)

Amber had her eyes fixed on the crowd, as she walking through, having the excited girls by her side. Either it was a bad idea or not, she still dislikes it for coming into the place. Her inner instinct has been kicking- to leave the club as soon as possible.

But the girls, she thought, they're under her supervision. She needs to make sure, everything is fine and safe.

"Is it your first time... clubbing?" Krystal managed to ask as she took a short glance at the boyish's uncomfortable face.

The latter shifted her head to see the beauty in an instance.

"No... not my first time,"

Krystal stared at Amber's expression for a second, before directing them to the barside, letting Minkyung leads the rest of them to create the fun by themselves.

"From your face, I sensed, you don't really like this situation," she replied, settling herself on the corner of the bar, followed by the older. "Come on, Ms Generousity, going to club to have fun doesn't make you bad,"

Amber just released a small sigh, nodding.

"You come here regularly?"

Krystal shakes her head,

"No, never been here actually,"

"How do you know about this place then?"

"Irene, the owner of this club is her current boyfriend," replied Krystal-direct which made Amber's eyes widen.

"She recommended me this club and promised to give us half-price on any drink,"

"Shocking," Amber muttered, at the same time checking the girls' activity. "I thought Irene is single, she seems... singular,"

That made Krystal chuckled as a response.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but she's not the singular type. I am the singular type," said Krystal, and shifted her face to make an eye contact with the bartender. "Martini please,"

"What do you have? My treat,"

"Uhm... I can't tolerate much with alcohol, I'll just have plain water" the tomboy insisted.

"Oh, that ! Nobody comes here to drink water!"

She looked over the bartender once again and ordered, "Add-on one more martini and my 'company' here need... something refreshing," she whispered at the last part and made the tall guy nodded in a smile.

"Whatever you think about me, please, just put that away for a moment, okay? A couple of drink will never cause a brain damage," added Krystal, almost laughing at Amber's uneasy state. She gave a slight tap on the latter's thigh, "Come on, we're adults!"

Upon feeling the warmth of Krystal's bare hand, Amber's body tensed up.

The younger noticed there's a slight change from her expression, as she stared at the boyish. "Hey... you're okay?"

Amber just nod, breathing in and out. She wiped off the sweats on her forehead- bare hand before shifting eyes to meet the long-hair woman, trying to surpress a smile.

"Believe me, I'm trying," 

Krystal gazed at her for quite a time, studying every detail of the handsome face before the bartender guy's voice interrupted, presented two tall glasses of her favourite drink on the table. 

She reached one for her and passed the other one to Amber after giving him a smile and gratitude. 

"You can just leave it there if you don't want to, I'm not responsible if tonight, would be the end of your life," Krystal said in her casual tone as she took a sip of the alcohol. 

Amber just chuckled as response, "It would be better if it is," 

Then Krystal glanced back at the latter, giving her 'what the f***' look. 

"Is there sarcasm in your words or...you really mean it? Because all I can remember is that, everywhere you go, you would say life is this, life is that, life is bla bla bla. What happened to you? Brain damaged?" 

"Whoa, that's too much exaggeration, Ms Krystal," said Amber as she took the glass. "Isn't normal to be negative sometimes? I spent almost the rest of my life being a cloud of negative before I found the way out. My world never been brighter in past, I could recall every single moment and I can say I'm doomed," 

"Doomed Amber sounds fun for me," Krystal replied, interrupted which made Amber gave her a smile. "What you did? Burn down your headmaster's house, or... unintentionally break someone's bones or... become gothic or...," 

"Fall in love," Amber snorted between which stopped Krystal from continuing. 

There was a quick silence moment afterwards. 

"Oh... you... fall in love? With who...?" Krystal tried to ask. It was an awkward question and for her, seems very stupid though. She didnt even know why. 

"Who is it doesn't matter anymore. Just to conclude, I was... mistakenly fall in love... with the wrong person," told Amber, sipping her drink. 

"Alright, I'm confused. How come you could mistakenly in love? You were not sure what you feel like that or what?" 

"I'm so sure about my feelings but that person weren't sure what she felt to me," 

"She?" Krystal raised her eyebrows. 

Amber also raised back her eyebrows, but with knowing face. "I thought I did told you before that I'm...." 

"Gay?" 

And Amber nodded, then released a small sigh. "There's too much talking here, instead of you should be enjoying your night life," she tried to change the topic. 

"Hey, you should end your story, I'm dying to know what happen to you... and your..." Krystal paused and furthered, "past person who you loved," 

The tomboy sighed again, as she added,

"Nothing interesting, just.. a random story about a girl, me, who've been punished for liking girl romantically. I was a fool, I've lost myself when I'm into her. She pushed me away when I was trying to fight for us and the end of the story, I get rid of everything and move on," as she narrated, Amber trying hard to sound normal. 

"So... was there another person you like after that tragedy?" 

Chuckling while looking at the pretty face, 

"Is this FBI interrogation?" 

Krystal closed her eyes, nodding, 

"Yep, Special Love Victim Unit," 

That made Amber laughed. She was able to finish a glass of martini throughout the conversation and continued telling her life story. 

"I had escaped from my dark ages and ran to here, in South Korea. At the age of 19, I was inexperienced about desperate teen hormones and as I explored to heal my broken heart phase, I found another girl," 

"Hmmm, now it's more interesting to know," Krystal commented. She hang her chin on her fist, "What's next?" 

"Well, it was a shocking reversal plot," Amber muttered. 

"Why?" 

"We met at this private language academy, where I've learn Korean from there. I was struggling to speak until this particular girl approached me and gave her hand. We got to know each other, days became months and I thought maybe I had crush on her but I didnt dare to confess," 

"Because of your failure love-story before that?" 

"Right, because of that," Amber agreed. "We had good time together, but we didn't really into feelings. There was one night, we had planned to do a sleepover at her house," 

Krystal's face changed in curiousity. 

"Okay, I can sense something had happened, isn't it?" she pointed her index finger at Amber. "You had ?" 

Amber just nodded calmly, 

"Yes we did," 

And Krystal's mouth widen, the same as her sharp eye. "Oh my God! Are you serious???" 

"You grew up in America right? You lived there, Krys. Don't tell me you are so dumb about losing ity things," added Amber more, "Or actually you had never have... ?" 

Krystal left there speechless as she stared at the boyish, thinking hard what she should say as reply. 

"What happened? I think you are the one who are so straight-forward about intimate relationship?" Amber asked. As she saw the latter was wordless, Amber just let out a chuckle. 

"I assume you probably had one since you have nothing to say to---" 

"Nope, I never have , I'm a ," Krystal replied directly. 

And that was Amber's turn to be surprised with the honest statement. 

"O-oh, really??? You're not joking, right?" 

Krystal scoffed, 

"Why would I? Losing ity or what, I'm not interested. Its not like you get a special certification saying' Oh well done! You are not anymore! Take this appreciation!" 

"Ughh, that's why I'd never date," 

The boyish blew an air from , still with her disbelief look there. Shaking her head off, Amber said, "Its so funny to know a pretty girl like you still keeping that 'girl's pride' instead of should be proud for not having it," 

"Basically that I know, almost half of girls population in America lost their ity when not even reaching 20 yet," 

"Wait, what? You mean, losing ity is something good? Really, Amber Liu? Trying to make me look not up-to-date here? I think keeping my pride, by not having with some random guy or girl like you did, I'm good enough. I don't believe in your statistic, I'm sorry," 

"Hhoa, that's quite intense," replied Amber, "Just a slight touch about and ity, you seems... so.. not happy about it," 

"Of course, I don't believe in relationship," Krystal snorted, finishing her martini. 

"So... if you think I should stop my story here, I would like to,"

Her voice soften as she spoke to Amber, 

"No, just go on. I'm okay but please skip that intimate part," 

"Alright then," 

Later, the older girl continued of what she supossed to finish. 

"We... had classified what happened on that night, just an accidental 'sleep'. Both of us graduated from the academy and the last day there, we bid goodbyes to each other, proffesionally," 

"Until now, we didnt keep in touch," 

Krystal scrunched her eyebrows together, frowning. 

"Just that?" 

Amber only nod. 

"So you mean, you guys slept then walk away just like that???" 

Amber nods again. 

"Such a terrific story," she commented. 

"I thought it would be romantic and more dramatic or tragedic but... hell, it suppose to have a great ending, since you like her and she likes you, isnt it?"

A small sigh heard from the short-hair, she pursed her lips and replied, 

"The truth is... I didn't know either she has feeling for me or not. What happened between us maybe just... some experiment, because we were young and as you know, youth tend to try a lot of things," 

"You should make me as an exception from your trivia, okay? I'm not included in those crazy youth or teenagers' culture, I'm well-prepared," Krystal stated confidently. 

Amber talked back, "That's make no sense," 

"Yes it is! My mother taught me how to be an educated and smart lady since I'm a kid!" 

"So... you don't have... that kind of dark memory or awful past experience in your lifetime? All smooth and gentle?" Amber asked, side-glancing to her other housemate, Yebin who is laughing hysterically with Minkyung. 

A firm face from Krystal within a small nod became the response. 

"You never... fall in love?" 

"No," Krystal replied, shifting her head over to the crowd as she pushed her long hair to the back. 

"And I don't need to be in love," 

The boyish took a moment in gazing the beauty, as she thought it was her first time knowing someone who is ignoring love matter, which always become the main subject in people's lives. 

It seems like, Krystal is a love-proof type.

"Maybe it is not the right time for you to love, Krys but trust me, you should find someone to complete your other half. People always wanted to be loved, no one can escape from that, it is reality," Amber briefly explained in her calm tone. 

Krystal hummed as she rose from the stool, taking a glimpse at her-half smiling. She put her hand on Amber's shoulder, patting it playfully. 

"You are right, there's so much talking here," she said and added, "Thanks for sharing with me your... love stories and I'll take note from few general points and the moral value, of course," 

Amber just let out a small laugh then, nodding her head vigorously. She lifted up back her eyes and stared straight into the brunette's famous keen gaze, a pair of eyes which hiding a lot of things from people to be acknowledged. 

"And I will be waiting next for your turn to share your love story. Not soon but hopefully there will be one day I'll be listening about you and the lucky guy," 

Krystal rolled her eyes in annoyance, 

"You wish," began stepping away from the bar side. 

"Hey, where you're going?" 

She stopped and looked at Amber, 

"The space for tranquility, satisfaction and personal rights," 

It made Amber's face changed in confusion. The description was too hard to comprehend though. 

And Krystal rolled her eyes in annoyance for once more, 

"Toilet, washroom, ladies you silly," 

***