Chapter 2

Friends?

I’m sorry I need to cancel the dinner today. Please forgive me, babe.

My client suddenly invited me to an urgent meeting :(

I will see you tomorrow okay? Ily, so much...

          Krystal read the message and tousled her phone to the couch of her room office. Her body is so tired and the only escapade that will soothe her numbness is to meet her fiance. The young woman misses her fiance and has been craving for his attention since the guy had a business trip to Europe for his new project. Of course, being a businessman of his own start-up company really spends most of his time doing it. Krystal only heaved a sigh while trying to clean her desk full of the sketch and drafts of her project ideas. 

          Having the profession as a Creative Director is actually fun for her, she has been dreaming of working in a fashion magazine her whole life. But, she never knew that it cost her way more than what she initially thought. All the deadlines, pressures, and inspirations that rarely popped out especially when she’s being this depressed being the most challenging thing being in that high position. All Krystal wants now is to cuddle with her man and probably having some 'moment' with him.

Krystal rubbed her temples and drowned her face in the articles when someone entered her room.

“Oh, I thought you had dinner?”, Jess sat in front of her while holding her coat. She decided to came by after knowing that the light in her sister's room is still on, “Nah, we cancel it”, Krystal replied making Jessica’s brows lifted in surprise

“Wait, did Kai cancel it again?”

“Don’t mention it”

“Sorry”, the older girl apologized, reaching for her little sister’s left hand, “It’s been… a while since you went to a club, isn’t it?”, that making Krystal lifted her head to Jessica

“Are you trying to make me fall into Satan's circle again?”, Krystal can’t help but remember that night when her sister brought her to the party of their colleague. Unbeknown to her partner, Krystal was being too wild and naughty causing their relationship to almost ended because he found out from his friend that his girlfriend was giving a to some random guys.

She shook her head, “Oh Krystal, you were drunk. You can’t blame me, I have told you not to drink too much”, she glared at her sister and trying to ignore the now pleading girl

“Come with me...", Jess leaned her body to Krystal, "for this one… oh~?”, her hands clasped in a plea gesture 

          Krystal didn't know why she agreed to her sister’s plea in the first place, she frowned when the big sound of the bass echoed through the large room, packed with lots of people dancing here and there wildly. There used to be this excitement when she entered this kind of place, not until that big fight happened, she surely noted that. She wouldn’t drink too much or she would end up screwing up her marriage plan once again.

          Both girls have decided to go home and change to the more suitable clothes for this occasion after the younger girl agreed to the request. She shook her head as she looking at her older sister dance wildly in the crowd meanwhile she was just busy with the drink in her hand. Her attention suddenly pivoted to the scene right next to her where she witnessed a girl being approached by a guy in the bar. Pretending not to look at them, Krystal tilted her head when in fact her eyes had been stealing glances towards the hand of the now bolder guy which began to roam over the girl’s lap

          Krystal can feel hot in her cheeks because heck, it’s been a while since she fulfilled her needs. Plus, doing that kind of thing by herself has begun to be boring for her. She closed her eyes and really wanted to shoo away the thoughts. This is the worst decision I have ever made, she noted. Again, Krystal opened her eyes and steal a glance once more to the couple, wishing that they have go away. Only to find that the girl’s hand is already rubbing to the guy’s big bulge, making the tint of a large shaft begin to form through his zipper pants.

          She gasped as she couldn’t take it anymore. Krystal took large strides to her sister to pull her out of the building. “Please just this time, I want to go home now”, she pleaded, looking desperate to the already annoyed sister.

“You know what, I’m sad to know that you choose this way of life Soojung”, Jess knew that Krystal's reason of getting out of the building is that because the younger girl has been resisting the urge not to behave inappropriately when in fact, this kind of things is really normal for a woman in her age

“I’m so sad for you”, Krystal was fully aware that her big sister is sometimes really not fond of the thought that Krystal is being in a relationship with her jealous partner, 

“I love him”, Krystal said firmly as she pulled her sister’s arm when she walked away, “Oh, really?”, she answered sarcastically, “How many times do I tell you to just for once, look at the other men who probably can treat you way better?”, Jess folded her arms in her chest, she knew Krystal only looked at him and him since she was in college, because of one reason. The love for the guy. "How if they can't?", Krystal challenged her

“I doubt him, I really doubt he can make you happy, Soojung”

          Her sister’s words really get into her mind the following days. Yet again, Krystal tried to pour all her attention to her job and ignore the numbness in her chest, all of this would be worth it in the end

****

          June issue's deadline is tomorrow and she isn't even sure yet with the guest star choices picked by her team. “Don't you have any other options other than these picks?”Krystal pointed out her forefingers to the actors and idols that pictures are imprinted on the article in her hands. “I mean we need something hit, not only men who have these abs and sweet smiles. The interesting background is needed, people”, she spoke to her team

“Well I have one in mind actually”, Sunny raised up her hand, beginning to get more frustrated with the situation, “Uh, this theme is about romance life isn’t it?", everyone on the table nodded and she continues, "Ya know, we girls aren't always attracted to men, is all that I believe”.

Yuri rolled her eyes, “You didn’t suggest we bring up the LGBT issues again don’t you?”

“Of course not, uhm but partly yes. I mean ugh”, she messes her own hair, “I’ve been stalking this new rising music composer”, Sunny handed her tablet to the table, the other 3 girls turn their gazes to the display, “this clearly is a man”, Taeyeon blurted as she massaged her temples

“You didn’t pay attention enough”, Sunny swiped left the photo, “Listen to the voice”

“Woah his voice is one of a kind”, the tanned girl commented, “Wait, that’s too much pitch for a guy though”, she said until she widened her eyes,

“HE’S A WOMAN?!”

"Exactly"

“MWO?!” Taeyeon took the tablet away from Yuri’s hands and nodding, “Unbelievable! Yeah, I remember her now, I know her!”

“This is a newcomer music composer. She can sing either. The girl just debuted here after studying in America.", Sunny takes her tablet back and scrolling down her feeds. "I predict she will most likely going to be viral, looking at how unique her music and song is. So I thought, why don’t we give her a spotlight?”, Sunny grinned, “I mean I was actually stunned too by her visual, this one is hella too attractive for a girl to be that masculine. But her music talent is no joke”, then she swiped left again the photo

“She's a music genius, they say, that would be a hit ya know”, again she grinned while the other 2 girls tilted their heads to Krystal, seeking for approval. They just realized the director has been silent throughout the whole discussion. “Chief-nim”, Yuri shook her arms, waking the girl in the blazer, pointing her finger to Sunny’s tablet,

“Something hit, not only men who have abs and sweet smiles, with an interesting background… This woman suits all the criteria”

          Her chest tightened, breath caught in , unable to process the discussion. The girl’s thin lips can’t come out with words when her team member mentioned a name that has been so familiar in her ears. The way the name rolled down from their tongues sounds easy, but as for Krystal, that name surely hits differently. She woke up from the train of her thoughts when Yuri shook her hands, bringing the tablet in front of her. She reaches for the tablets and opens her personal account.

“Something hit, not only men who have abs and sweet smiles, with an interesting background… This woman suits all the criteria”, she heard vaguely her co-workers said, “She got an abs though”
 

“No… I don’t think she’s suitable for the theme”, the people in the table gasp, “W-wait”, “How come?",”hah?”, they said simultaneously 

Sunny shrugged her shoulders, “then you need to choose one of these people, woman”, and all the girls in the table looked at Krystal’s direction, anticipating her answer. Damn, for sure I’m not going to choose her, that will be me digging my own grave, she bits her lips. “Why? Does the tomboy have anything to do with you before?”, Taeyeon suddenly blurted making Krystal shoot her head to her

Krystal’s hands tremble as she hides it under the table, “N-no, why do you think so?”

“Then why?”, She sighed and pinched her own lap, cornered by her co-workers, but she composed herself soon after, ”Guess we should vote”, she knew she can’t win this one, her mind is going contradict with , indeed, the young composer is probably the most suitable person for the theme, per se. Of course everyone on the table votes for the tomboy.

“Give me one final reason why we should choose her”.

However, Krystal smells something bad coming on her way and this is her last effort just so she can prevent that ‘something’ from happening. “I would even give you a bunch of reasons”, Sunny smiled, “Our June issue is about romance life, isn’t it?”, she asked the same question again while leaning closer to Krystal, “We haven’t once interviewed an ‘aro’. Don’t you think digging for their perspective will spice things up in our magazine?”

Sunny held her chin in a smirk, “She’s aromantic, Krystal. She doesn't do love”

          “Oh I can’t be used to her being around”, Sunny said dreamily looking at a certain person on the stage. The stage which is used for the photoshoot has been decorated with dark colors, added merely with a spotlight making this month’s issue the most low-budget project they ever have in the past few years. On stage present a tall person with her classic black guitar preparing for the photoshoot, not at all looking fancy but simple with only ripped jeans and black plain shirt, accentuating the classic rock style the composer is well-known for.

          The composer’s request is way too simple for the shoot, being photographed while she is on stage singing so far probably the best decision because only by that all the staff clearly can be impressed, so Sunny believed the readers will be too.

“Too bad she is not into a relationship”, the blonde short girl pouted, receiving a light punch from her co-worker while laughing in agreement, “Anyway, Sun, I have a feeling that our director must really have something to do with the handsome musician, don’t you think?”, hearing that, Sunny can only nod. Well, she was clearly out of her mind the whole photoshoot. Krystal has been dozing off a lot. Moreover, the previous interview made her even more suspicious.

“Are you alright, Krys?”, asked her in between the questions, 

“I’m- I’m alright, why?”, she clearly isn’t, Sunny thought. On the stage there were the composer and Yuri, as the interviewer doing the q&a session, “I just wonder, I even thought there are no such things as aromantic orientation.”, She said when Krystal drowned in her thoughts once more. “Don’t you think so,...oh?”, the petite girl only glanced at her before focusing herself on the screen. What made her surprised was when she witnessed the beauty blushed the moment the composer looked at her