A/N: HELLO! HEHE..

:)

CHAPTER 38

KRYSTAL’S POV

Day 100

“How are you? Have you eaten your dinner?”

I nodded with a pout while looking straight on the phone screen answering Amber’s question. Her caring voice warming my heart making me miss her more. Its been what? Nine weeks since we last saw each other back in US and I miss her more than ever.

A few days after I arrived back at Seoul, Amber told me through one of our video chat sessions that she will be flying to another base for training. She didn’t tell me where she was heading because its confidential but she assured me its not half way around the world or in a remote place. Telling me that she will be safe and we can still have our communication but only twice or thrice a week since she will be very busy.

Its okay as long as she will be safe and still texting me then its fine. Her selcas that she sends to me every end of the day completes me knowing she is alive and well. In exchange, I also send her some selcas of me and Jackjack together with some video clips so she won’t be lonely.

I sighed and watch Amber at the other end of the line writing something on her notes. The front cam of her phone facing her closely that is why I can see what she is doing on her desk. She got some folders and documents scattered on her table that keeps her occupied.

Her room is dim lighted and only the desk lamp on her table makes the room bright. Amber occasionally looking at the camera while talking to me, sometimes she will stare and smile, sometimes she will make funny faces while writing.

I reached out my index finger on the screen tracing her face, feeling the longing in my heart. Don’t worry Krystal… a few more months to go… just a few more months…

Or should I say 15 weeks and 5 days to go Krystal… just a little longer, right?

We didn’t even get a chance to celebrate her birthday as planned because she is away. That’s why I’m thankful about my craziness last Summer when I flew halfway round the world just to see her. It proved to be our advance birthday celebration of hers that we will never forget.

Sighing again, I leaned back on my computer chair and continued on flipping my own documents that I am working on. Reviewing some contracts that needed my comments before the managing team go through with it. Bach is blasting on my laptop filling the quiet night with Jackjack resting on top of my desk beside the proposals I asked Hwa Young earlier to bring. I will be out of the office tomorrow so I want to finish this on time.

Its Friday night and both of us spending it together like always by video chat. I scribbled some words on the document suggesting a more suitable contract terms when Amber cleared on the other line. “Krys…”

“Hmmm?…”

“How’s the plan for your birthday party?” ugh. The birthday dinner party this coming Sunday… sigh.

I took a deep breath raising my gaze from the document, pouting and all puppy eyes look showing her that elicited a cute smile and chuckle coming from her. I don’t really want a party to celebrate my birthday but they still insists. “Hwa Young and her staff are already taking care of the preparations. She already gave me the menu choices and list of invited people for my review… I’m having headaches reading it this morning.”

“Why?~”

“There’s a bunch of chaebol heirs I’m not interested to connect with.”

“Hmmm… ‘Chaebol’ heirs… I remember Jess explaining that to me. Do I have to be alarmed or anything?…” she narrowed her eyes playfully giving me a glare.

I crinkled my nose sticking out my tongue and pouted again. “Silly! I’m loyal to you!~”

“I know~… that loyal is mine.” Tsss….

I puckered my lips on the screen that she copied too, even cuter than mine then burst out laughing. Awww… only this fool can make me silly like this. “Babeeeeee… I don’t wanna goooo….”

“But you have to gooooo~… time to wear one of your dresses Sajangnim…”

“I don’t feel like wearing a dress…” I’m lazy… I plan on wearing my usual business suit since its going to be a room full of businessmen… I don’t want to be the object of their desires.

“You look good in a dress.”

“Tsss… the last time you said that, you undressed me hurriedly because you said I look better without!”

“Tell me one major reason why you don’t wanna go.”

“Because most of them are business people…”

“Well… you are a business person so it figures.”

“I know…” I answered her in a low voice knowing what she said is true. This is my life and I should be used to this dealing with those business persons in parties. Its just that… socializing in parties is different from having a business meeting with them.

I’m more comfortable when I’m in a place with a business atmosphere, where what we will only talk about is straight to the point. Partnerships, stocks, bonds, products, etc,. all about business. Pep talks are only done before the start of presentations and conferences, which mostly consists of asking How is the weather, How’s the traffic downtown, Did they like the coffee or sandwich we served as snacks. That’s it. Nothing too personal.

While in this kind of parties, its a mix or business and pleasure. Gaining connections through socializing, matchmaking even. That is what I don’t like. The matchmaking.

I will not even wonder if the top conglomerates invited will send their heirs to attend the party with the hopes of scoring a merger with DaeJeong. Its the perfect place to snatch a possible business marriage.

“Krys…”

I snapped out of my revelry and focused my attention on the screen of my phone, seeing Amber staring at me with wonder. Looks like I spaced out again… “Y-yes? Are you okay? You need anything?” I placed the documents I was reading back in its folder and leaned forward on the table resting my chin on my crossed arms. Amber’s lips puckering that I can’t help but giggle on her silliness.

“Yeah~…” she answered with a nod. I wonder what she needs so I can have it ship wherever she is…

“You want Ramyeon? I can ask Kwangsoo to buy some for you and bring it to the nearest base so they can ship it to you… its allowed, right?”

“Nah… I still have Ramyeon here… I’m already puking Ramyeon and dreaming of it hehehe…” I crinkled my nose in a playful sneer on her answer.

“Hmmm… You ran out of toothpaste?” Soap perhaps? Shampoo? New set of undies?

“Nah~…” my brows furrowed seeing the twinkle in Amber’s eyes. Tssss… what’s with her?

“Then what do you need? I’ll have it ship wherever you are--…”

“I need you…”

“You need me to ship myself wherever you are?~ miss me that much?”

She nodded like a kid even pouting her lips cutely. “Uhuh~…” Aigooo~…

“I’ll suffocate inside a box!”

"You can punch some holes on it so you can breathe."

"Yah! What am I?! A chicken?!"

Don’t do that to me or I’ll go crazy again and ask Luna to find out where you are!

“I love you Krys…”

Slowly, my lips curved into a tender smile hearing Amber saying those words voice full of yearning. I don’t know why but my eyes instantly watered… those words and her voice… the way she stares at me on the screen feels like we are together inside my room… sitting outside the veranda of my unit watching the city lights and calm waters of Han river while sipping wine on a quiet night… like Amber is just near...

And not thousand of miles apart.  

“I love you too… so much.”

I let out a teary smile, tears suddenly rolling down on my cheeks wishing Amber was beside me to brush it away. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked in a tearful chuckle.

“Looking at you makes me brave.”

Just that and I burst into tears, biting my lips to control the sob wanting to come out of my mouth. Even though how many times she tells me not to worry and to think about crazy things that might be happening to her I still can’t help it. Everyday my heart worries for her.

Awww… its Amber and Krystal soft hours again…

She has been acting like this ever since she transferred to another base for that training. Whenever I will ask her if she’s okay all she answer me is she’s fine and I shouldn’t worry. Then she will change the topic asking me how is everyone doing, asking if my nephew Matthew is growing fine. She even asked me to tell in detail what happened when Jessica unnie and Donghae faced each other on Court regarding the decision of their Divorce.

I narrated to her how the two former husband and wife hugged each other after the Divorce was finalized, smiling like nothing happened. He will still have a part in my nephew’s life because that is what he and Jessica unnie agreed on. He was okay with it and he looks okay too, actually more than okay I think because there was a beautiful woman present that day on the side of their camp watching the proceedings. When the decision was given, Donghae looked over his shoulders and smiled at the woman with relief, the beautiful woman answered him with a teary smile. I found out later on that she is an artist he met in France when he went for a vacation. I guess love really changes a person.

I can’t help but be curious what Amber and her team mates are training for but I know she can’t tell me about it even if she wants to just not to make me worry. She said whatever she does inside their camp is confidential and I shouldn’t think about it because its not worth my brain cells.

I once had a crazy thought of asking Luna to track Amber’s location, her speedy hands and knowledge in getting information through hacking proved to be useful. But I chickened out at the last minute because I felt like I’m doing something behind my girlfriend’s back like spying her. Hehehe… I bought Luna a new MacBook Pro, the latest model, because I accidentally spilled coffee on her laptop when I tried to close the screen so I wouldn’t see the result of her tracking. I swear to God and my dead parents I will never ever drink coffee again!

Okay… maybe just a little.

Wiping my face with the back of my hand, Jackjack scooted near me my free hand like saying ‘Mommy don’t cry! I’m here!’ that I answered with a pat on his head.

Amber was still staring at me and I can see her eyes turned misty too. The warm smile on her lips transporting me back to that morning after the night we met. One of the reasons why I had an instant crush on Amber is because of her warm smile that morning when she was saying goodbye.  

Her warm smile triggering memories that made me reminisce. The way she brushes her bouncy hair with her fingers, even the smell of my shampoo and soap that she used. When she said goodbye and what I felt when I thought I will never see her again… how she turned around to wave back at me with her beautiful smile causing my brain to malfunction for a while. Hahaha…

“I’m so in love with you Amber Liu… do you know that?”

She let out a teary smile nodding her head, the two of us crying and just smiling each other on the screen. I don’t even know why the atmosphere suddenly turned like this!

Maybe its because of how Amber looks at me… the way her eyes lingered on me is like she’s memorizing every detail of my face with a smile on her lips like its the last time she will be doing it. Probably because my birthday is near and we will not be together to celebrate it like how her birthday passed by last month. The sadness I felt that we can’t celebrate those special days together makes me cry.

“Remember that morning after the night we met? When we were saying goodbye? I felt like I was making the worse decision in my life while walking away that morning.”

“Then you looked back…”

“I looked back to see if you were still there… because I can’t help myself not to look back at you Krys. You were this amazingly beautiful girl who took the time to take care of my drunk --”

“Don’t forget the important part…” I added cheekily. She laughed softly shaking her head with a smile. “…The girl whom I had drunk with that made me believe for the longest time that nothing happened…” I shrugged my shoulders playfully and she continued. “And I regret leaving right away that morning… that I went back to your apartment building a lot of times at night just to have a glimpse of you.” she bit her lips tilting her head to the right smiling shyly because of her admission. The shy smile I adore so much. My God…

I adore everything about her…

“I should have convince you to marry me back in New York a couple of months ago…” awww… Amber…

Regret was written all over her face even though she was smiling. What is this sudden rush of emotions?! Is she okay?!

I took the phone from the stand and stood up from my seat motioning for Jackjack to go down. Jackjack following me by leaping from the table to the chair then lastly to the floor landing perfectly. The two of us going out of my room and going straight to the kitchen where I sat on one of the stools by the kitchen island. My eyes glued on the screen looking at Amber with worry. “Amber, are you okay babe? Did something happened?”

“Nah… I’m okay Krys don’t worry…”

“Then why do you sound like you just finished watching ‘Dear John’?”

“Silly. You know I don’t watch romantic movies, even war movies.” she broke her gaze, brushing her hair back with her fingers and sighed deeply. She seems so bothered… whenever she looks like this it means she has a lot of things running inside her mind that she doesn’t know how to take out.  

“Amber… look at me.”

She turned her gaze back at me, and that instant I know something is really bothering her. Even though we were together physically for a total of 3 months and the rest being in a long distance one, I came to know Amber’s actions and emotions. She’s not good in hiding it, not good.

“Sorry… I just… I’ve been having this heavy feeling of regret ever since you told me about your problems with the Board.” Tsk. I knew it. Something was really bothering her…

I bit my lips hearing the heaviness in her voice. She shouldn’t think about it, really… its not even important… “Hey…” I called her and raised my index finger on the screen, she smiled then showed her her index finger to make it look like its touching mine. A habit on Facetime we have been doing for the past months she was away. “I don’t want you to worry about my little stupid problem here, Soldier