“Is that guy watching you?” Krystal asked, pointing to the creepy guy who’d tapped Amber on the shoulder the previous night. 

Amber glanced over and shrugged. She hoped not. She moved closer to the other girls and tried to focus on their instructions for the day, but she kept feeling eyes on her back. The creepy feeling persisted throughout the day, and every time she looked over her shoulder she saw the man somewhere in the background. 

She rushed back to her room with Krystal that night and decided not to leave it until the next morning. Krystal went down to a vending machine to get them snacks and they ended up ordering room service. They squashed onto the bed together and decided to watch a movie. 

“I don’t understand half of these titles,” Amber sighed, propping back against the pillows. Krystal leaned back beside her, so close that the loose ends of her hair draped over Amber’s upper arm. 

“And there isn’t a subtitle option and all of the English speaking channels are just news.” 

Krystal laid her head on Amber’s shoulder and settled on something at random. An older woman was in the middle of berating a tall man in front of what they assumed was his family. 

“I wouldn’t be able to stay in a family that didn’t like me,” Krystal observed when they put the clues together to see that he’d married a woman the family couldn’t accept. “Love of one person is nice, but knowing their family hated me would hurt.” 

“Who wouldn’t like you?” Amber asked, wrapping her arm around Krystal’s shoulders. “You’re smart and pretty at the same time. Oh yeah, and kind! Where would they find someone better?” 

“Well if they thought I was trying to steal their daughter from them or converting her into a lesbian” she joked. 

Amber laughed. “Sorry. It must . You never told me if you have a new crush yet.” 

How am I supposed to be over you already? She turned her face from Amber’s and focused on the television. “Not yet. What about you? Any crushes?” 

“No. There’s barely even time to look at anybody else.” 

“You’re always going to the gym with Henry and Yuri when we’re not practicing,” Krystal observed. “There’s no one there you like? Or maybe...Henry?” Or Yuri?
The laugh that came of Amber shook them both. “No. Oh my god. Never Henry. Spend a few minutes with him, and you’ll understand.”

“So no one?” Krystal asked, turning her head to look up at Amber through her lashes. Amber looked down at the same time and their eyes met in a way that they often did. Amber bumped her forehead gently with hers and glanced away again, holding Krystal a bit tighter. 

“No. Too busy. I don’t really want to spend my time thinking about relationships or trying to find time to meet or anything like that.” 

“Hmm. I guess I just want something normal here,” Krystal observed. “I’ve only been studying and practicing since I was little and watching my friends go off on dates after classes while I was just heading back to the dorm.” 

Amber massaged her neck gently. “We’re not even really allowed to date right now, so you’d have to hide from the public and the company. How much fun would you really have?” 

Krystal shrugged. “I don’t know. Just being with the person I like seems like it would be fun.” She snuggled against Amber’s side, enjoying the warm finger’s kneading her skin. “Don’t you want to get that fluttering feeling when you see and meet the person that you like? Butterflies? Share kisses? Hold hands?” 

“I get enough fluttering feelings standing on stage,” Amber joked. 

“Ugh. You’re not funny.” 

“Then how do I always manage to make you laugh?” 

Krystal rolled her eyes. “I’m usually laughing at how bad the joke is than it actually being funny.” 

“But you still laugh.” 

“Maybe I should stop. You’re starting to think you have good humor.”

Getting to sightsee before they were to go home the day afterwards was amazing. Amber loved that she got to travel as part of her work even though it was exhausting. 

She rode an elephant, and ran around, feeling like a kid again for once. She always tried to make work fun as possible, but sometimes you just needed actual freedom to do what you wanted with a day. 

“You look happy.” 

Amber froze in her tracks. The weird man who’d been watching her the past few days stood in front of her.

She looked around and realized she’d walked away from the rest of the group while looking at and smelling the various flower wreaths for sale. 

“They’re that way,” he gestured to the left and Amber made to walk off in that direction, but he grabbed her arm before she could pass him. 

“Why’d you wander off alone?” 

She shrugged, trying to pull away. “I was just walking.” 

“You should be more careful,” he said, then leaned close, his mouth nearly touching her ear. “Unless you wanted to be alone. If you want me to help cure what’s wrong with you, just let me know. There are many girls I’ve helped over the years.” 

Amber’s skin crawled and she flinched away from him in horror. 

He laughed nastily, brushing her face casually with the back of his hand. “Girls are so beautiful when they’re completely helpless.” 

“You-“ 

“And don’t think about telling anyone. Remember that I have your career and reputation in the palm of my hands. Not to mention everyone in your group. One little scandal will bring your entire worlds crumbling down.” 

She could hear his harsh laugh as she ran away from him into the crowded streets. She gasped when she ran into a solid form. Strong hands held her as she sprang back and she fought to get free. 

“Woah, Amber, calm down. Breathe. What happened?” 

Her eyes finally focused on the man holding her. It was one of the managers sort of on the periphery. She remembered that he’d given her a lollipop once. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.” 

“That’s okay,” he reassured her. “What’s wrong? You look pale?” 

She stepped away from him and he released her. “J-just the heat.” She wiped a hand over her sweaty face. “I got a little lost.” 

“Are you looking for SooJung? She’s over by the food stalls.” 

“Thank you.” She stepped in that direction but stopped when he said. 

“You can trust me. If there’s anything you need to talk about.” 

She nodded uncertainly and hurried away from him. She felt light-headed. Who could she trust? What should she do about the man who’d threatened her? The way he’d touched her…

She tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks before they could fall.