(Listening to Love Game by Baek Ji Young)

"Oh look!" Yebin chinned up as she saw a majestic bird was perching on a branch.

All the eyes followed the direction of her pointing finger then.

"So beautiful!" Seulgi claimed, and directed the lens of her favourite camera to the upper part of the tree. Unhesitantly, she captured a nice angle of the bird and smiled wide.

The group, led by Mr. Kim and his old friend, Madam Han strolled together across the walking trail, feeding their eyes with the beauty of flora and fauna, which is the forest's main attraction.

Krystal folded both her arms around her slim body, tried to catch steps with the excited Yebin and Seulgi by her side- and inhaled into the raw air as much as she can.

At the same time, she hoped the nature's tranquility able to refresh her mind and made her only to think of nice things.

Until, Amber approached her and greeted with her usual tone of 'hey'.

"Hey," she said back, glancing quickly at the older's face.

"Cold?" Amber asked, looking at her but she had her eyes on the straight path in front of them.

"Hmm," Krystal only hummed as response.

The pretty creature jolted in surprise when Amber threw her right arm around her shoulder and said,

"Come on, let's walk faster,"

"I'll make coffee for you,"

Somewhat stunned with the boyish's sudden act, she didn't able to mutter a thing.

Because their night-sky conversation last night still lingers strongly.

Krystal, hesitatedly replied, "O-oh, okay,"

(Listening Beautiful Acoustic Cover by Gravity)

"Here," the boyish carefully passed the mug onto Krystal's hand as she took a seat beside her. The flaming bonfire was lightly lit, giving enough warm for them two as they sat right next to each other while the others, already in their own tents- probably laying down their restless bodies after the long walk.

"Thanks," Krystal muttered, cupping the mug with both her palms.

They involved in a steady-peaceful silence moment, letting thoughts running by inside of their minds for a while.

"Is there anything else you want to do here, Krys?" Amber asked, breaking the ice.

Krystal thought and replied, "Hmm... you know I'm not an outdoor girl, Amber and I don't know much about camping,"

"Do you enjoy... being here then?" another question came out from the boyish girl and got a slight nod from the latter as reply.

"I hope you're okay with packed schedule because tonight we're going to open field,"

"Open field? What for?" Krystal had her eyebrows scrunched.

Curving a calm smile, Amber said, "You're going to know it later, Krys,"

"A little hint, the place might be scary a bit but don't worry, I'm going to keep you safe by my side as long as we're together,"

She took a glance into the older's dark brown orbs, heart-fluttered.

Why... she's the only person who can make me feel like this?

What did she mean by... together?

Is she really... think... we are together?

Together, that way?

"Amber..." she muttered.

"Yeah?"

Staring again into Amber's eyes, Krystal asked with her slow voice, "Do you still... want to be together with me? Last night... you said, you aren't ready..."

Then she saw the latter released her breath into the air. Krystal felt a little regret evolved for bringing it back between them, but she can't stop thinking about what Seulgi has said too.

Giving another chance to Amber or asking another chance from her- Krystal found it hard to carry the curiosity alone.

"Krystal," Amber's deep voice calling for her name, sent a shiver all of sudden. She was sure if her full name being mentioned, she must be up to something serious.

"I... should not say those things to you because I should be responsible for what I feel right now," the boyish stated, remained calm in her voice. Taking a glance on Krystal's pretty face, she continued, and tagged a smile,

"I was an innocent seventeen years old girl who knows nothing about love and how to fight for it. My life has been turned upside down back then, since I felt nobody gonna stand by my side, Krys. After the failure of my epic first love relationship, I started to believe that all people are same. Cruel and heartless, especially to the type of person like me,"

"I thought, what's the use being nice and kind if I won't ever be important to them no matter how much I try, right? Maybe they'll say, 'Oh Amber, you are a good person,' but next I will get rejected because of how I dress myself. More than appreciating of what I did to impress them, still, they think I look like a boy. Short-hair, oversize t-shirt and jeans, they have their minds fixed about me, that I'm nothing more but just a tomboy,"

Krystal interrupted,

"That's not how I think about you all the time, Amber,"

The boyish looked at her, "So, then? What do you think of my style???"

"Uhm... well, clearly you love to shop for boys' clothes but... that appearance somehow... looks nice to me," she expressed as the same time tried to sound not being complimentary.

"Oh thanks, I really appreciate your opinion for that," Amber replied, convinced enough and raised her hand, asking for a high- five from the younger.

Chuckling, Krystal tapped her palm on Amber's as they both laughed together.

"If you meet me 10 years ago, I guarantee you're not gonna like me in person, Krys," said Amber.

"And why of that?"

"I was the type who push people away if once I knew their flaws and ended up had no friends at all,"

"That sound awful," Krystal commented.

"Absolutely," Amber nodded in agreement. She furthered, eyes locked with Krystal, "I've learnt the hardest way on how to be mature, like what should I say to other people although I'm not agree with them, or how to decline properly if I'm not in a good mood. Trust me, I was the worst girl ever in the world,"

"I do trust you," Krystal's reply made Amber let out laugh in instant.

"Seriously, you past temper seems...worse than mine," the long hair added and took another sip of the warm drink.

"Oh I swear I'm so disappointed at my old self. I hurt people with my bad words and sometimes I got mad at people's tiny mistakes and that's definitely makes no sense too, to get angry at their silly jokes. Haish, I was really a jerk,Krys," 

"I guess with those awful experiences, I can shape myself to be a better person. Not everyday is a good day but... I can try since I'm still learning,"

Krystal let out her another point of view to be heard, "Yeah, everyone is still learning so you're not alone,"

Amber paused, gazing into Krystal's sharp eyes and calmly muttered,

"I finally know how to stand on my own feet after all of these happened to me, Krys. Sure life is hard to understand but I'm still willing to be curious of what's going on next. I can get hurt again, but that will be no matter to me again," she took Krystal's right hand and caressed it gently.

"And now I want to learn on how to love with you, Krystal,"

"Will you?"

Krystal was flustered with Amber's soft touch, and she felt her mind went numb all of sudden.

Despite of giving an immediate answer, the pretty figure couldn't keep her eyes away from staring back at Amber's eyes, mouth tight shut.

"Old folks said, quiet means agree," Amber teased.

"I..I... think so..." that was Krystal's short answer.

"Are you sure?"

"I think I am,"

"You think?"

"Yes,"

Amber tighten their gripped hands then, smiling lovingly as she breathed in smooth. She shifted her attention to the flaming bonfire again before peeking secretly on her right side.

She can't contain another smile as she noticed Krystal's cheeks were totally red in colour.

***

(Listening to Spark by Liza Soberano)

Krystal's POV

How would I describe this feeling?

Is it every girl's dream to be able to see close and hold someone's special hand while taking steps together?

Or... is it just me?

For million times this question has been running wild in my mind, what is so special about her?

Everytime our hands touched, everytime I saw her smile when we caught in stares- and every second that we spent together, I always thought of a happy ending.

She's not that tall and handsome to be compared with every woman's ideal guy but... she is charming in my eyes.

If to imagine I'm being with some other man for real,

I think, I prefer death over life.

I stopped furthering the walk as she paused and turned around, caught my glance with her smiling eyes. 

There's no light but only the darkness of night that guided our way.

Amber, who's since the beginning of our night walk kept me warm by linking our hands together all the time, slowly released them and looked me in the eyes.

"We are here, Krys," she told.

Curious, I roamed my eyes around afterwards and noticed we're standing in the middle of nowhere, but pretty sure it is the open field that she has mentioned earlier.

Key and the girls were far away in front, maybe still exploring the other part of the place.

"Krys," she called me and I don't know why in the world that short 'Krys' sounds... so please in my ears.

"Hmmh?" I hummed back at her.

"Close your eyes," she asked.

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it for a while, please," Amber said again.

I surrendered since she's so persistent to make my eyes closed. I'm hella curious why she wanted me to do that though.

Is she trying to prank me?

Or is she gonna leave me alone here???

She told me before that this place is quite scary when the night comes so...

"Amber, what is it? Actually... I have a little tiny bit of fear now, you know?" I expressed, half- afraid of her sudden act.

I heard her chuckle next and with that, my curious meter was accelerating like crazy, although there's no way she's going to harm me.

I was nagging and bragging non-stop when her calm voice stopped me in instant.

"Now open your eyes,"

And I did.

Showing her opened palms at the level of my eyes, I saw fireflies, or I called them the lightning bugs when I was a kid- the winged-soft-body beetles were beautifully glowing in the bright yellow light at the bottoms and made me mesmerized of what I was seeing at the moment.

Amazed by the night creature, I muttered,

"This is so beautiful..."

And the pair of fireflies slowly flew away, up into the dark sky above us, fade away as Amber and I still have our eyes glued at them.

"Krys, look around you," Amber said.

Next, I was fascinated by the scene I was looking at then.

Hundreds, or probably thousands of fireflies were flapping in every corner of the field, became such a bliss to my view.

"Welcome to the wonder of the night, Krystal. I serve you my nature friends, the creature that always glows in the dark, little fellows that made my gloomy days so beautiful and the other significant other of stars, which shine bright in the sky, no matter where they are," Amber had her calm tone as she introduced to me, as she opened both her arms wide, imitating the famous pose of Shah Rukh Khan, the king of Bollywood in his box office films.

I don't know why I smiled at that.

"This is not scary, Amber. This is ethereal," I stated, still can't wipe away the smile from my lips.

Maybe because the moon was gleaming and the stars were gliterring, I managed to see Amber's face.

She was staring right at me, and smiled.

The same stare and smile that always the reason for my heart to skip a beat.

Flashback

Mr. Jung was smiling bright while having her youngest daughter on his broad shoulders as they stared at the ocean view, standing from the far side of the cliff.

The man slowly put Krystal down on the ground and grabbed her tiny hands, gently held them tight with his massive hands.

"Which one do you like more? Ocean or sky?" he asked.

The little Krystal replied,

"Sky,"

"Now tell me why you like sky more than the ocean?"

"Uhm... because..." Krystal started to think, letting her father's eyes glued at her for a moment.

"Because... the sky always beautiful. During the day, it appears blue and that's beautiful and even when the night comes, there's moon and stars that can make it beautiful too,"

Proud of his cute child's mature answer, Mr. Jung caressed smoothly her long hair and added,

"If the sky is beautiful, you are more than beautiful, my sweetie,"

"Really???" Krystal asked in her curious tone. "Do you think... I am more beautiful than the sky, father?"

"Yes, you are my child," Mr. Jung calmly said.

"Always,"

"Why?"

"Because you are the one that I truly love,"

End of flashback

Krystal took Amber's hand with hers, eyes staring straight into the older's.

"Amber, between the ocean and the sky, which one do you like more?"

The boyish stared back at Krystal then,

"I love both actually, but if you want me to choose... I choose... sky,"

"Why?"Krystal curiously asked.

Amber paused, and began to think for a while.

Then, she said,

"Uhm... sky always...gives me bliss everytime I look at it. It has clouds during daylight and sometimes there's moon and stars during night. No matter what time it is, sky is always beautiful,"

She was sure that she heard Amber right.

As her last moment with her late father recapping, Krystal still furthered on,

"And if you have to choose between the sky and...me, which one will you choose?"

Amber gazed at the pretty face.

Smiling, she reached for Krystal's upper head and caressed it gently,

"Of course you, Krys,"

"Why?"

"Because you are the one that I truly love,"

Before anything else come out from Amber, Krystal was fast to throw her arms around Amber's waist and buried her head onto the boyish's chest.

She hugged Amber as tight as she can and let the tears streaming down through her cheeks.

Krystal whispered between her sobs,

"I love you too, Amber..."

_____________________

Thanks for stopping by and reading this!

Frankly, your comments motivated me to keep writing although my brain went numb sometimes.

If you are from South East Asia, please make sure to drink a lot of water and don't expose your skin too long to the sun because the weather is not really good recently.

Again, thanks for everything everyone!

Love love,

YOUR RYAI.