14.
UNCHANGEABLE (KRYBER)"don't tell me you got yourself locked out again?" hyuna asks.
"no," amber says with chuckle. "i came here because i wanted to talk to you about something. i also realised i don't have your number yet, so i wanted to get that one too."
"wow. is the amber liu asking for my number?"
"yes, i am. but aside from that, i have an important thing to tell you. i have a proposal to make."
hyuna got more shocked. "gosh! you're already proposing? that's so fast, amber!"
amber rolls her eyes. "c'mon. i have little time today because krystal and katie will arrive in a few minutes."
"fine. such a killjoy," hyuna snorts, opening her door wider. "come on in."
amber steps in. she immediately finds the kitten eating from its bowl. "hey there, mango!" she stoops down to observe. "having a meal, huh?"
"wow. i can't believe you find my more interesting than me," says hyuna, her voice in the kitchen area.
amber grimaces. "why do you keep calling it instead of a cat or a kitten?"
"because i love how people get awkward whenever i say it." hyuna chuckles. "it's a hard habit to break now. been doing that for a very long time. deal with it." she reappears in the living room with refreshments in hands. "drinks?"
amber stands up and receives the glass. "wow. i'm surprised you have an orange juice aside from beer and water."
"i had to include that in my grocery list now for a very special guest that might visit me." hyuna sighs and plops down her couch.
"i'm honoured."
"don't be. i just don't want your nurse killing me if ever i give you beer again."
"c'mon. she won't do that." amber sits beside hyuna. "and she's not just a nurse. she's krystal."
"krystal. your ex. your nurse. the one you can't get over with. it's just one person. what's the difference?"
"whatever." amber sighs and rolls her eyes. she turns to face hyuna. "anyway, as i've said, i came here to tell you something."
"yeah. about the proposal, right?"
"yes. the proposal." amber puts down the glass on the coffee table. "the thing is, the discussion we had last time lingered in my mind and i know i had to do something about it."
hyuna tries to recall their discussion. "which topic in particular?"
"remember you mentioned how you've been seeing those homeless animals scavenging for food in the streets?" amber asks. "well, krystal and katie drove me around town the other day and i kind of have seen what you're talking about."
"what? the three of you went out?"
"yes. we had dinner together."
"wow. sweet, huh? how did you feel about it?"
amber waves a hand. "can we not talk about that yet? i'm trying to make a point here."
"okay. okay." hyuna drinks from her glass, gesturing amber to continue.
"so, the thing is, i had a long talk with my manager yesterday and i asked for some advice about starting a foundation... and she says she's willing to help us out."
hyuna's brows furrow but she said nothing. amber takes it as a chance to continue.
"right after that, i reached out to the ex-sau chapter in this town to ask for some help. they had all the connections needed. they immediately found a temporary shelter for those animals. they also started with the operation and rescued a handful of pets yesterday."
hyuna look confused. "wait. are you saying you're actually starting a foundation here?"
amber nods enthusiastically. "my manager said she has connections who are willing to donate for this cause. i will also have a meeting with my accountants to arrange how a certain percentage of my revenue will go automatically as a donation to this foundation."
"that's... that's great." hyuna leans back. "but how does this concern me?"
amber smirks. "that's what the proposal is all about." she slides down the couch and bends on one knee.
"amber, careful! you're injured!" hyuna was about to help her up but amber stops her.
"let me do my proposal right, okay?"
hyuna chuckles. "gosh. aren't you cheesy?"
"i don't care." amber clears and reaches out to hold hyuna's hands. "kim hyuna, the one who gave me this whole idea, the one who lit up a purpose in my life, will you do the honour of leading this foundation with me?"
"me? y-you're not serious, are you?"
"two-hundred per cent serious, my lady."
"gosh. amber. it's really an honour. but i don't think i'm fitted for this. don't get me wrong, i would love to do this but i--"
"we'll work on this together," says amber assuringly. "i'll be the face of this foundation so we can gather more donors. but i need help to run this here. and there's no other person i think will be more fitted to do it but you."
hyuna stares at her, speechless.
"once the initial budget has been finalised, we'll start the construction of the main office here. we'll look for staffs who can work as our back-office personnel--of course, you and them will get paid for it. then we'll look for a bigger property that we can either rent or buy that will serve as the new home for those rescued animals," explains amber. "it's a win-win situation; we provide employment and we save the animals. and once we're smoothly running in this area, we'll also start chapters in other towns. everything has already been planned. the only thing that's missing is you saying yes to this."
hyuna tilts her head and smiles at amber. "you're an amazing person, has anyone told you that?"
amber felt something inside her twists after hearing those words.
it's the same line krystal told her before.
'you're an amazing person, has anyone told you that?'
amber rubs her eyes to shake the feeling off.
"so, are you going to say yes or not?" she asks hyuna. "my legs are about to give out now."
hyuna chuckles and helps amber get up. "of course, it's a yes! it'll be my pleasure!"
amber raises a hand in victory. "she said yes!"
---
she stares at hyuna's phone number on her screen before turning to the door and stepping out to the hallway.
"so, i'll call you, okay? if you're free later today we can visit the temporary shelter so you can see the animals there."
hyuna scrunches her face. "mmm. maybe it's better if we do it tomorrow? i have a patient that i need to home-service before dinner."
amber raises an eyebrow. "are you sure it's a patient and not just some guy you're flirting with?"
"she's a fifty-five-year old woman who survived a mild . okay?"
amber laughs. "fine. besides, i need to tell krystal about this first so she'd know what i'm up to and just so i can leave the house without her panicking about where i am at and who i am with."
"i see. still possessive, eh?"
"shut up."
hyuna chuckles. "anyway, i need to get ready now."
"yup. thank you."
"no. i should be the one thanking you." hyuna reaches out to kiss amber's cheek. "thank you." she kissed the other cheek. "thank you."
"amber!" katrien's voice echoed through the hallway. she's striding towards them, still in her school uniform, her mom tailing her.
"wow. is the nurse your ex or her daughter?" hyuna whispers. amber grunts.
katrien finally arrives and pulls amber by her hand. "amber, let's go play inside!"
"katie, careful of amber's injury," krystal reminds. "and where are your manners? shouldn't you be saying hi to our neighbour first?"
katrien stops yanking and stares at hyuna first with a straight face before bowing. "hello. i am katrien."
"awe. isn't she cute?" hyuna's hands were on her chest. she bows in return. "hello. i'm hyuna. it's nice to meet you."
"has amber told you she's gonna marry me someday?" katrien asks hyuna. amber coughs.
"katie..." krystal warns.
"oh. is she?" hyuna looks at amber, amused. "then i wish the best to the two of you."
"you know what, let's go inside now and play." amber holds katrien's shoulders and turns the kid around. "thank you, hyuna. i'll see you soon."
hyuna winks and closes the door to her apartment.
---
"mommy told me before that we kiss the people who are important to us," says katrien. she and amber are at the dining table waiting for krystal to serve dinner.
"okay. and what's your point?" amber asks.
"why are you letting the neighbour unnie kiss you?"
amber lets out an unamused laugh and glances at krystal in the kitchen who has been silent this whole time.
"look, sweetie, it was a thank-you kiss," explains amber, turning to the kid. "i did something yesterday, and she's so happy when i told her the news. so, she thanked me."
katrien continues to glare at her. "do you think our neighbour is pretty?"
"yes. i do."
"do you want to marry her someday?"
amber laughs. "krystal, a little help here?"
krystal shakes her head as she puts down a plate in front of katrien. "not my fault. not my problem."
"aish." amber waves a hand in defeat. "look, katie. i like her but not in a way that i would want to marry her, okay? those two are different things. i like her as a friend. friend."
"are you sure?" katrien asks. this time, krystal is putting the plate down in front of amber.
"yes, i am. now stop acting like a jealous girlfriend." amber looks at krystal and whispers the next words, "you remind me a lot of my ex-girlfriend."
krystal lightly smacks her after that.
---
"what the hell..." yuri looks around the shelter, her ears feasting with the continuous bark of the dogs in the background. she turns to amber. "and you have done all of this in just two days?"
"it's not just me." amber steps forward. "i got help from ex-sau chapter here and other volunteers." she taps jiwon whose mouth is still hanging open. "you okay there?"
jiwon turns to amber, eyes still in shock. "i know i told you it would be an excellent idea to adopt a pet. but i never imagined it would be this..." she trails off, her eyes roaming around the area.
"extreme?" yuri continues, chuckling. she places an elbow over amber's uninjured shoulder. "you know our amber here has always been extreme."
"but this is fast," says jiwon. "how can you come up with something this big given your situation? where did you get the idea?"
"i have connections, doc." amber motions to hyuna. "and the idea came from this pretty lady here, hyuna. she's my next-door neighbour."
"it's nice to meet you two." hyuna shakes their hands.
"thank you for taking care of our amber here. glad you gave her this idea."
"it's my pleasure. amber and i haven't known each other for a long time but i can say she's a wonderful person."
"that's good to know. are you by any chance, single?" yuri asks.
"yuri!" amber protests. "what the hell!"
hyuna laughs. "yes, i am single. but it seems amber here still can't get over a certain ex."
"oh. don't worry about that." yuri waves a hand. "if she can be exposed to someone like you all the time i'm sure she'll eventually forget her ex."
"yuri!"
"what? i'm just saying the truth. and hyuna here agrees with me, right?"
hyuna gives amber a knowing look before she turns to yuri. "totally agree."
---
"so, what's krystal's reaction after you told her all about this advocate of yours?" yuri asks, grabbing a slice of pizza from the table. she, amber, and jiwon are now back in amber's apartment while hyuna stayed in the shelter to look over other things.
"not much." amber shrugs. "she nods and says it's okay as long as i take care of myself."
"is she okay with that?" yuri throws a look at jiwon who's grabbing another slice from the pizza box.
"why are you looking at me like i got the answer?" jiwon leans back and takes a bite. "i am not krystal."
"we know. but we also know krystal tells you all her thoughts, more than what she's even telling her husband," says yuri. "so, spill now, doc."
jiwon heaves a sigh and threw her hands into the air in defeat. "okay. she doesn't agree to any piece of this whole foundation thing. you happy now?"
amber leans over. "what? why?"
"look, before the two of you jump into conclusions, may i just remind you that krystal is a nurse, and her main concern is always amber's recovery," explains jiwon. "she's not against amber's advocate but she's worried it may stress amber out. plus i don't think she trusts your pretty neighbour that much yet to let you hang around her that long."
yuri whistles. "ooh. jealous."
amber eyes yuri before going back to jiwon. "they why didn't she say anything when i told her last night?"
"she doesn't want to step outside her boundaries, if you know what i mean." jiwon takes another bite of her pizza. "as much as she wants to stop you from doing that, she knows she can't. she doesn't have the right to. so she lets you. but she asked me to come with you to make sure you're okay and just so i can report to her what happened. if she doesn't have work and mommy duties, she would have come with you instead."
"and i assume you've given her a good report today?"
"of course i did," jiwon answers immediately. "including how you and hyuna seem to have good chemistry to work on this project together. don't get me wrong. i want her to trust hyuna."
"speaking of that, what's up with you and your neighbour, huh?" yuri asks amber. "you two seems to be very close for someone who just met a few days ago. did you guys already ?"
amber hides her face in her hand. "c'mon, yuri. you know me better than that!"
"what? i'm just asking. i mean, you and suzy started that way, right?"
"and how can she even do it with that injury hers?" jiwon asks, cackling.
"duh. there are lots of position they can try. hyuna looks flexible to me," says yuri. "if amber had done it with suzy there's no doubt she can do it again."
"stop that." amber grunts. "it's different with suzy, okay? and hyuna's not like that. she's a good friend of mine."
"a good and a hot friend," jiwon adds. "krystal says she and katrien saw you two kissing in front of hyuna's door yesterday."
"we're not kissing!" amber almost stands up from the couch. "well, she kissed my cheek to thank me because i offered her a position in the foundation. but it's just a friendly kiss!"
"friendly kiss my ." yuri snorts. "don't deny it. you find her hot too."
amber throws a crumpled table napkin at yuri, hurting herself in the process for straining her injured shoulder. "damn you, yuri."
"oh. c'mon. you love me." yuri laughs. "tsk. tsk. tsk. what are we gonna do with you, amber? it seems that even you're injured, women are still flocking over you."
"i can't wait to see what will happen." jiwon shakes her head as she picks and eats the pizza crumbs in the box. "i can already feel the tension. this will be interesting."
"same." yuri picks another slice of pizza and looks at amber before taking a bite. "would love to see how this story will unfold."
amber can only slump on the couch and pout.
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