birthday party
INEVITABLE (KRYBER)yuri opens the door and sees suzy standing alone behind it.
"oh. hey. where's head?" yuri cranes her neck out to check if amber could be around.
suzy smiles. "i'm alone. amber's downstairs waiting in the car."
"oh. you wanna come in?"
"no need. i just dropped by to give you this." suzy hands over a small card. "i'll have a small birthday celebration this thursday. hope you could swing by. it's dinner time."
yuri glances at the card. "sure. if it's free food, i won't let it pass."
suzy chuckles. "amber was right when she said you'd say that."
"ahh. i miss that llama. what's she been up to lately? i haven't seen her around here for days."
"well, we're sleeping over at my parent's place for three days now," suzy says. "my grandma got discharged yesterday from the hospital. i want to make sure she's getting monitored properly."
"i see. i see. glad your grandma recovered quickly."
"yeah. thanks." suzy points a thumb towards the elevator area. "so, i'll see you this thursday, okay?"
"yup. you take care. please send my regards to amber."
suzy gives out a smile and leaves.
yuri looks at the card again as she closes the door behind her. she flips it and realizes that suzy handed her a wrong card because a different name was written on the back of it.
"krystal?" yuri quirks an eyebrow. "is this a different krystal from amber's soulmate?"
she smiles and puts the card down.
aside from the free food, she's got other reasons now to be excited for that party.
---
it was indeed a small party, as what suzy initially said.
if yuri's guess is correct, it's just suzy's immediate family members and some close friends. if it weren't for amber, she doesn't think she'd get invited.
but what bothers her is this certain woman whom she knows is there only because of amber. she was surprised when suzy introduced them because she initially thought the woman was a celebrity.
not that she's complaining. since amber mentioned the name krystal from before, yuri has always been curious to meet the woman in person.
but dang. how did amber got so lucky to be married to a gorgeous woman and have a celebrity-looking soulmate at the same time?
sometimes the spirits do play unfair games, don't they?
after the introduction, yuri was tabled with krystal as they are the only ones who don't know anyone from the party. to make sure they won't feel left out, suzy offered to join them on the table and drags amber along with her.
that's when everything starts to feel awkward.
judging from the turn of events, yuri's sure amber and krystal didn't plan this setup. yuri certainly feels the awkwardness in the air to the point she's asking herself if suzy could feel it as well.
and no matter how delectable the meal is in front of her, yuri seems to have lost her appetite.
how could she enjoy the food if she knows the woman beside her is silently suffering at the sight of amber and suzy being lovey-dovey towards each other?
the said couple is looking at the stage, suzy leaning against her wife, listening to her grandma talk who's still kicking asses again with her speech.
really a tough old woman, yuri thinks.
setting jokes aside, yuri can feel how amber's being careful with her every move--not being too sweet towards her wife but not rejecting the advances too obviously.
on her side, yuri can hear how krystal sighs each time suzy does something sweet to her wife.
it was so awkward that yuri finally decides to do something about it to lighten up the mood. she was about to open to talk to krystal, maybe distract her with anything, when amber speaks first.
"yuri-ee, can i talk to you for a moment?" amber gestures to the entrance. "it's about the animation project."
"oh. sure." yuri stands up, acknowledging suzy and krystal. "excuse us."
the two women nod. amber walks out first, and yuri follows.
she's sure this isn't about the animation project.
---
"can you please make sure to drive her home later?" amber looks up at the dark sky and huffs.
"who? krystal?" yuri asks, glancing inside the dining hall. "what if she says no?"
"tell her i told you to drive her home. she may need a little persuading, but she'll give in."
"okay." yuri takes a good look at her friend. "hey. are you okay?"
"not. tell me, how can i relax there?"
"yeah. i was about to ask you that. did you and krystal agree to this?"
"no. we haven't talked since suzy's grandma got hospitalized." amber brings a hand to her nape. "i knew suzy's planning to invite her, but i didn't expect krystal would actually come."
"you didn't want her to come?"
"well, i wanted to see her..." amber glances inside. "but not in this way. i don't want to hurt her."
"well, she seems to be good at playing it cool."
amber shakes her head. "i don't know, man. i have a bad feeling about this night. and what's worse is i won't be able to talk to krystal until tomorrow." she runs her fingers through her hair. "arg. dammit. this is so hard!"
"... to suzy and amber who both have been hands-on in taking care of me," suzy's grandma's voice caught their attention. "thank you both."
amber turns to look the stage. her face rearranges into a smile before she waves a hand.
"if there's one wish i want for my granddaughter's birthday," the old woman continues, eyes shifting to suzy, "it's for them to have a kid before i depart this world."
the crowd cheered. amber's hand stops waving. yuri can see the blood getting drained out of her friend's system.
suzy, on the other hand, laughs and stands up. she approached the stage hugs her grandma.
"don't you worry, grandma," suzy says into the mic, "amber and i are already planning that. it'll come sooner than you have expected."
okay. that is really really really awkward.
yuri can see how amber's caught off-guard. even so, her friend still manages to raise a thumb up, not wanting to let down the entire family who are looking at her.
it was amber's cue to step back in when her wife calls her onto the stage.
yuri glances at their table and sees krystal leaving.
that's her cue to leave as well.
---
"thank you. but i'm okay. i'll just take a cab outside." krystal turns away, declining yuri's offer to drive her home. she's wipes her eyes with heel of her hand as she walks out of the area.
yuri still follows, feeling more worried. "but it's hard to get a cab around here."
"i'm okay. don't worry about me," krystal says, her voice breaking. "you don't need to bother yourself to drive me home. i'm not your responsibility."
"it was amber who asked me to drive you home," yuri says, making krystal stop on her tracks. "she knew you'll be stubborn, that's why she insisted that i insist to drive you home."
there was no response. krystal's still sniffing and wiping her eyes.
yuri sighs. "look. i know we just met today, but i'm sure amber told you that i know everything about the two of you. you can talk to me about it, okay? i can even smack that head for you if you want. just tell me."
krystal's shoulders move when she chuckles. yuri was glad the joke worked. the woman finally turns to her. yuri's heart breaks when she sees those red and teary eyes.
there was another sniff before krystal says, "thank you."
---
"i haven't seen her for days, that's why i went to the party," krystal says, her voice still nasal due to crying. they are sitting outside a convenience store after yuri suggested they should stop by there to talk.
yuri hums as she takes a bite of the sandwich they bought.
yeah. they already ate at the party, but yuri thinks this club sandwich is so underrated.
"i know you might think that was a stupid move from me," krystal continues. "but it's really hard for me to be apart from her for that long. i missed her so much. i took that chance because i wanted to see her."
"is she really worth all that pain?" yuri swallows the sandwich and dabs a tissue on .
krystal just looks at her, eyes still red. yuri's heart drops at the sight.
"don't get me wrong. i just think amber didn't want you to be there because she knows things like that may happen," yuri says.
"i know." krystal lightly taps the bottom of the empty water bottle on the table. "but it got me thinking; is she really having that kind of conversation with her wife?"
yuri couldn't answer.
"i just... i just think that it should have been me, you know," krystal says softly. "i should be the one sitting beside her earlier, hugging her and kissing her. she should be planning those things with me and not with--" her voice breaks. she covers with her hand.
yuri feels more broken now more than ever.
how can amber put this pretty woman in this kind of situation? damn that head.
"look. i hope you know amber really wants to be with you," yuri says. "she's just looking for the right timing to break it off."
"i know. and i understand all of it. i just..." krystal bites her lower lip and looks away. her eyes welling with tears.
yuri clenches her fist and sighs.
"it's just... it's just painful right now, you know?" krystal sniffs, trying to hold her tears back. "but i'll be okay... i'll... i'll be okay."
sighing, yuri produces a handkerchief and hands it over. "i'm sorry if you have to go through that tonight."
krystal looks at her, asking.
"i haven't used this one." yuri presses the handkerchief in krystal's hands. "y-you can..." she gesture to wipe her face.
krystal hesitantly takes it and presses the cloth on her face.
yuri watches in silence, hearing the sniffs, sobs, and the sighs.
"i'm sorry that you have to see me in this situation," krystal says. "this is so embarrassing."
"no. don't be sorry. it's totally fine."
"i'm not usually like this." krystal wipes her eyes again. she looks at yuri and forces a smile. "thank you for listening."
"anytime." yuri smiles back.
"please don't tell amber this. i don't want her to worry about me. i don't want to add to her problems."
"i can't promise you that because i know amber will bug me later. i'm the only one she can call without raising any suspicions. and knowing what happened earlier, i'm sure she'll ask how have you been. she could be worried sick at the party now but is just pretending to be okay."
krystal looks down. "i understand."
"but i can still smack her for you." yuri pounds her close fist on her other palm. "just once, so we can get back to her for all the pain she put you through tonight."
krystal chuckles as she folds the handkerchief neatly. "just don't bruise her too much, okay?"
"alright! one big punch coming right up that head's face!"
krystal laughs this time and yuri feels somewhat better. although she still wants to make sure krystal is one-hundred percent okay before driving her home, yuri knows this is all she can do for now.
whatever pain krystal is feeling, it's only amber who can fix that.
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