“Hi, I'm Tse.” the older man introduced himself to the fine young man in front of him. Kyuhyun on the other hand still in bewilderment of the man and his boss relationship took a little more than a second to react, “Oh hi. Kyuhyun.”

Eric and Amber look at the two manly figures and back to each other before Eric lets out a chuckle, “Ya you two! Do you need to be that awkward?” while Amber remains indifferent, Kyuhyun just reveals an awkward smile.

Amber leaps straight into the sofa while Eric and Tse took a seat at their own respective chairs. Kyuhyun looked around for a seat only to find an empty spot left beside Amber. He contemplates for a while before Eric shot him a glare and his eyes direct him to the seat next to Amber. The two neighbors sat in an extreme awkward position and a creepy silence ensued.

Tse and Eric look at the two with great anticipation as the duo's reactions to each other has not failed their expectations.

***

“So... How do you want to do it?” Tse not quite sure how the quirky man really wants to start off the collaboration.

Eric went over to his book shelf and slowly feels his fingers on the spine of the books. There he abruptly stops and draws out a piece of paper in between two fairly torn out books. “See. I still keep them.” Eric had a child like smile plastered across his face as he handed the photograph to Tse, “My favorite memories.”

“I will never forget them since I was in a foreign country. High School was like a living hell.” the older man retorts. He would had never expect Eric's face to change so sudden. A pang of guilt ran over the older man as the younger man looked as if he had lost a soul. “Okay, that is before I met you.” he added on as he ruffle the younger man's hair.

“Accepted.”

The two man had known each other ever since high school with two years between them. When Eric enters as a freshman, it was the last year for Tse. The one year they had spent together in high school determines their dubious relationship for the next two decades. They were best of friends, lovers and then family. Whatever had happened between the two had long become an unanimity. Sometimes they wonder if their own stubbornness are involved in the unspoken agreement to allow their relationship to remain platonic or if other factors are involved as well. Perhaps the two were too persistent in their beliefs to realize that they only have each other in their hearts. Whatever it might be, in the short term, this two fellows are the best of partners in their respective fields they are committed in now.

“But I'm not sure if Amber is that willing. After all that has happened to her, she is probably the last person in this world to show any signs of feelings.”

When Tse first met Amber more than a year ago, he was pretty much taken aback by her eccentric personality. She looked unconventional and her indifference towards life had piqued Tse's interest in her. He then decided to take in the beast and butcher up her innards pleasing his voracious appetite called curiosity.

Unlike Eric soft image who is called a freak for his weird antics and creativity, Tse is known as the crazy beast whose works are well known for being radical and creates a new waves among his peers. His persistence to attain godly like perfection in his works has causes many unhappiness and rifts among his subordinates. Those who aren't able to keep up with him had left him, while those who does stays on are probably along the same frequency as he does. Amber for example, is one that probably is on par with him.

Tse recalls the little kitten stumbles into his office one day looking all battered and worn out. She looked like a lost little kitten with a pair of hollow eyes with the power to mesmerize any being that looks into it. She scanned through the studio in confusion geared in her defensive stance. Tse walked up to the lost little kitten and offered his hands. The girl looked up to him cautiously with many doubts running through her mind as she cannot process what the older man is trying to do. Tse felt her anxieties in a foreign place and immediately, he answered her thoughts, “I'm Tse and I won't bite.” A surge of unspoken strange feeling runs through her spine and the little girl held out her hands, “Amber.”

“Are you listening?” Eric pinched the older man on his cheeks. The elder bolted up from his seat returning back to the present day as he looked at the younger man intently into his eyes at a close proximity. “Nope. Sorry I wasn't paying attention...”

Eric knew Tse at the back of his hand and when he is lost in his thoughts, some great ideas are probably forming in his head. “Tell me what have you come up with?”

Tse tilts his head to the side at the young man with a blank look, “What?!”

“Aren't you brainstorming?” Eric quips.

“No. I wasn't.” Tse replied with guilt written all over his face.

“Then?!” Eric raises his brows at the older man's rare moments.

“Oh. I was thinking of when I first met Amber.” Tse answered.

“Oh. You were thinking of her and not paying attention to me?” Eric replied with a tint of sarcasm.

“Yes. Sorry. I'll pay attention now. So what were you saying?” Tse asked and looks straight into Eric's eyes once again with intensity.

Eric took a gulp at the suave and handsome man in front of him and looked away in embarrassment before he repeats the earlier conversation which Tse has missed out.

“I was thinking perhaps you'll let me have Amber for some time while you'll take Kyuhyun with you. I do know Kyuhyun quite a bit and even though I've known Amber long enough, but its just not enough. I need to observe her a little more.” Eric explains.

“I highly doubt it'll work out. She'll probably kill you before you can start.”

Tse chuckles at the thought.

Eric's face changes immediately at Tse random joke. He knew Amber isn't exactly a big fan of his but to hear it straight from Tse in that manner, he wasn't exactly pleased. “Then what do you want? I can't work if I don't understand what she is all about.”

“Do you actually need to dig in all her secrets?” Tse retorts with a little severity in his voice. “You cannot handle her Eric. I know it. Take this as a challenge for once and...” Tse suddenly stops at what he was saying. It seems like some ideas are beginning to form in his head and he just need to piece it up together.

Eric sees the sudden unreadable expression on Tse which he has long known. This time he could tell his long time partner has formed a physical idea in his head and so he watched in silence.

Tse grabbed Eric and gave him a big hug patting on his back with great thuds earning loud and painful groans from the latter “Instead of keeping them by our side, why don't we let them keep by themselves instead.”

“HUH! One is quiet plus reserved and another is a piece of iceberg.” Eric counters.

“Isn't that a challenge? Eric. I see more potential than a piece of ice and a glass of still water. You should know Kyuhyun better and I know Amber better than that.”

“Alright, we shall see. Sounds interesting enough.”

The two remained in silence with a devious smile plastered across their face before they unanimously heads out of Eric's office.

***

“Kyuhyun, Amber, we need to tell you something.” Tse announced to the two sitting next to each other before he carefully explains what is going to happen next. “Eric and I have talked through about a project for sometime but it never really materialized till Kyuhyun appears. But what really evoked the project from my side is actually you Amber.”

The girl raises her brows in disbelief before Eric continues, “Yes! When I first saw you Kyuhyun, you were perfect for my upcoming project. But I felt it was a waste for you to appear commercially therefore I decided that you'll be the subject of my next exhibition. Somehow, things just doesn't feel right and then Amber appears in my mind.”

“Yeah, Eric called me and told me about it. But since I've not met Kyuhyun, I wasn't able to visualize what he had in mind. Good thing we met today.” the older man responded.

The two little ones looked at the elders like a lost kitten before Kyuhyun speaks up, “So what do you want us to do?”

“Good that you ask. You two will work together.” Eric chirps with excitement in his voice. “Work together, hits the gym together, eat together, sleep together and live together.”

“HUH! Live together? What the heck are you saying!” Amber finally snaps.

“I'm just joking.” Eric retreats behind Tse's back as the petite girl shot him a glare with murderous intent.

“Live together? But she's my neighbor already... So I don't think its necessary... ” Kyuhyun gasped when Amber cupped his mouth almost immediately as he suddenly realized that he had revealed a startling revelation much to the amusement of the two older man.

Gosh... what have we got ourselves into... Amber and Kyuhyun thought to themselves as they face off with the other two weirdos in Eric's office coming up with an even weirder ideas.

***

apologies~ i was pretty busy with my work.. if i could describe the exhaustion i was feeling, the best possible result would be, "SLEEP". ahahahaa.. i might be caught up in gaming soon~ so lets just hope that i have the motivation to keep writing. i guess sooner or later i will need to add visuals to the story soon.. lets just hope i'll stop being so lazy..