Xian Hua (or Henry, apparently) has managed to fix the mess that she made, crying five-year old included. They came back to the classroom to find Xiao Mei huddled in the corner, while the rest of the kids played around. She was fiddling with some crayons and paper, and didn't even look at them until Henry stooped to her eye level. She had tear-stained cheeks and a fearful expression, like Amber was going to shout at her again.

"Xiao Mei, look." Henry called at her, and when the little one looked, he made funny faces at her that elicited a childish giggle.

Henry locked eyes with Amber at that, and slightly cocked his head before scooting aside to let her take his position.

"Xiao Mei, Jie jie is sorry." Amber spoke in the softest mandarin.

"Jie just had a super bad day, and when big people like me have super bad days, they tend to be super bad too. I promise not to do it again."

Xiao Mei crinkled her nose, revealing her nonexistent front teeth with a smile.

"Worse than clean your desk day?"

Amber chuckled. "Worse than clean your desk day."

"Okay, Mei mei forgives Yi Yun jie."

They share a smile at that, one with missing incisors and a disturbingly childish one, and it's the most welcome Amber has felt since coming here.

"Now, can you show jie what you're drawing?"

She asksed, and little Xiao Mei launched into an animated monologue about healing unicorns and fire-breathing dragons. As the kid talked between them, Amber can't help but look at Henry, and was surprised to find him staring back. Instead of averting their gazes, their eyes stayed glued to each other, until he flashed her a soft smile.

Huh, she thought. Has that dimple always been there?

--

"Hey, want to get some ice cream?" Henry asks her as they stepped out of the day care's front door. They've just said good bye to the last of the parents who came to pick up their children, back packs slung over their shoulder as the warm afternoon started to settle in. She laughs.

"You know I never say no to ice cream."

"By the end of this summer you're gonna get fat, girl."

Amber shoves him with her bag, a mocking laugh escaping his lips as she lectured him about 'it's your fault anyway with all the food you're feeding me '. The sun was starting to set and cast warm hues upon the hot concrete, and they trudged through the side walk and unto the nearest convenience store with the warm air sticking to their backs. In spite of the heat, Amber felt the lightness of it all.

It's weird really, but not entirely unpleasant.

The great freaking montage, as Amber liked to call it, started after the Xiao Mei incident. It was a whole jumble of school events, less classes and more physical activities. Day Care-wide intramurals, mass demos, family day, and a whole lot of cardboard costumes and glitter. More activities meant more work, and soon enough, Amber and Henry were going home a lot later than usual. It started like that, staying long into the night to finish work. But one night they stayed longer than usual, and when they got out of the daycare center, it was well into midnight.

"A lady can't go alone this late at night, just what would the ajummas say?"

Henry had said in an overtly western accent, after insisting to walk her home. She replied with a mocking "Ha ha ha.", and a matching grin, but didn't protest as they walked down the beaten path together. Soon enough, they were going home side by side every day, an added routine to her suburban summer.

She’s trying real hard not to make anything of it, really.

With the improvement of her relationship with him, her relationship with the kids became better as well. Henry had started to properly guide her now, telling her tips and tricks on how to get the children to calm down. Lectures started to become a lot calmer than before, and she was starting to enjoy break times with the kids. She must say, running around with a bunch of small people is one of the best exercises in the world.

She's still a little bit cranky, a little bit cynical, her mandarin still , but at least she's also a little bit happier. The thought makes her smile.

Then she starts to notice, and this is the fun part.

She'll catch herself doing it sometimes, staring. He'll be at the front of the class, trying to teach the children some Korean words while she prepared art materials in the corner. His eyes will light up and he will smile, crow's feet appearing on the corner of his eyes and she can't help but just stare. Sometimes, he'll be feeding Junmi (kid just couldn't eat without spilling anything, really) and she will be looking, eyes zeroing in on the dimple on his left cheek, or that one chunk of hair that always stood up from the rest. He'll be playing the piano for the kids, or running around for dodgeball, or just sitting and simply existing; and she'll be there, eyes on his arms, his chest, his eyes, his lips, his han-

She sighed. This summer heat is starting to fry her brain.

"Woah careful there. That's going to fall off melting." She hears him say before she became blissfully aware of the dripping dessert in her fingers.

. She did it again.

She heard him laugh, not mocking this time but melodious. And she dare say, almost endearing. "Just what would you do without me." He almost-whispered with a smirk as he wiped her ice cream slick fingers with some tissues, and she feels the warmth spreading through her cheeks.

Amber's not one for assumptions, but there is something in there. She's almost quite sure. Maybe not. Yeah she is.

Truth be told, she doesn't have any ing idea.

Where Amber is unbridled tact, Henry's all mixed signals. Sure, he's nice. Almost too nice, in her opinion. He has this habit of going out of his way to help other people, regardless of who, what or when. To be honest, she hasn't met anyone as nice as him.

Maybe that's why she's getting confused.

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