Amber's throat went dry as she heard Krystal's answer.

"I.. I'm sorry," was the only words that came from Amber's mouth.

Krystal smiled; she never told anyone about Jess. Not even her team. It happened long before the group got together.

"It's okay," she said to her cadet, "She was on vacation with her fiancee. They were on their way back to the hotel as a drunk truck driver hit their vehicle. They were so badly injured that they pronounced them dead on the scene."

Amber came closer to Krystal. "Team leader, I..." She lost her words as she laid her eyes on Krystal. Even as she was hurt on the field like the other day, she never felt so vulnerable like this moment. Amber had to force herself not to pull her in her arms. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, reminding herself not to cross the line with her supervisor.

Krystal patted Amber's arm, "I'm fine. I'm sure after the shower and a hot meal, I'll feel much better." 

Amber watched her went upstairs. After that conversation with Donghae, Amber tried to refrain her feelings for Krystal. But that seal she tried so hard to maintain just broke. The cadet took a deep breath, decided that a cold shower is exactly what she needs right now. She took the clothes Krystal left on the sofa and went inside the guest room. Amber didn't know that Krystal was watching her upstairs.

After Amber closed the door, Krystal slumped on the floor. She turned her head to a picture of her and her sister on the night desk. 

'It's the first time I talk about you after so long, Unnie.' she caressed the face of her sister in the picture. Ever since she lost her sister, Krystal never failed to tell her how her day was. 'Yeah, that's the cadet I've been telling you the last months. We had a bad day at the court today, worse than usual. Guess who protected me again?'

Krystal remembered how her heart jolted at the court. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the slight thought that it might be Amber that made her reacted like that and not the adrenaline.

"No, Unnie, it must be the adrenaline." Krystal said to the picture and suddenly chuckled, remembering how her Unnie would react if she were to date Amber, "You are going to make her life a living hell if I were to date her, aren't you? Anyways, you don't need to worry. She's just a kid."

Krystal suddenly had a picture of how Amber looked at her as the court. Those beautiful brown eyes filled with worries as Amber was checking up on her. She shook her head again as her heart made a familiar jolt. She muttered to herself, "Hypoglycämie. Must be it" before she put the picture down and slowly went to the bathroom. 

The water warm felt amazing on her skin. At first, the water turned pink in contact with the rest blood on her hair and skin. She let the water flow for a while until it was clear before her hand reached for her shampoo. The strawberry smell filled the shower cabinet. Krystal shook her head from time to time because her brain kept sending images of Amber. How they first met, that time as they went for a late-night snack, how she protected her in the parking lot. Krystal remembered her fright as she saw Amber was thrown down. Their conversation in Jeju. And today.  She sighed in desperation as the images won't stop flashing in her head and decided it was better to end the shower session. Her hair was still half wet as she went back downstairs and smiled as she saw Amber standing awkwardly in the kitchen.

"The sweatshirt is okay, only the pants can be a bit longer," Krystal commented on her clothes on Amber. The short-haired cadet shyly nodded. 

"Where's your dirty clothes?" she asked Amber.

"Pardon?" 

"Let me put them in the washer."

"You don't have to," Amber shook her head.

"It doesn't take long anyway," Krystal insisted, "It will be finished and dry when we are done with dinner."

Amber knew that it was no use to argue, so she gave Krystal her blood-stained clothes. Krystal put them in the washing machine and went back to the kitchen. She lifted her head to look at Amber in the eyes, "I can't cook anything fancy. What about kimchi fried rice?"

"Sounds good," Amber smiled, "Please let me help."

Krystal nodded and handed her a cutting board and a knife, "You can peel the onion and cut the spring onion."

"Yes, Team leader." 

Amber was glad to be given a chore because at least it takes her mind off of her team leader. She guessed Krystal doesn't realize what she does to someone's hormones. Amber's hypothalamus was in overdrive. She was more than happy that her frontal lobe is still capable of stopping her from doing inappropriate things to her team leader.  

Krystal, on the other hand, is enjoying Amber's company. It was such a long time since she cooked with someone. It is the first time after her sister's death that she has a visitor in her home. She laughed as Amber teared up from the onions.

Amber was busy recording the smile in her brain, wanting to be able to replay it endlessly in her dream tonight. Krystal sent Amber to wait for her at the table as she cooked the fried rice. Amber loves the sight of her in the kitchen, preparing meals for them. A beep sound from the backroom brought her back from her day-dream.

"Your cl