It took him an entire week to finish the rounds to all the candidates for the potential schools they'd be sponsoring construction for. Most of the schools were your average schools, others were extremes. Key is yet to decide which schools are to be chosen. He also has to meet with his cousins in order to finalize the list. It'll take some time since Minho is still out. Onew wouldn't be back for three days. Jonghyun has already handed out his votes while Taemin is yet to comeback after his vacation. As far as Key remembers, Taemin is to go home that day. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before they actually meet again. Key has missed the young one. His days of turning into a cold, heartless man affected his relationship with Taemin. Amber was the only that got the chance to get them back together, bonding, like they used to.

"Mr. Kim, are you busy?" someone asked by the door.

Key was more than delighted to see who it was. Apparently, the very person that was occupying his thoughts was there.

"Taemin-ah!"

Taemin looked as if he was on the verge of crying. Turns, he already was. He hugged Key so hard. It'd been so long since Key got the chance to talk to Taemin. Their stained relationship seems to have subsided and broke after six years of Key's loss. 

Taemin clung unto Key's polo like there was no tomorrow and cried. He kept on saying on how much he missed his hyung. Key, at the same also started crying and kept on saying how sorry he was for all the things he has done as to how their relationship drifted apart. Taemin was practically clueless as to why Key turned into the way he did. He explained everything. And by everything, he meant how it all started with Gayoon, how Minho got involved and all the tears he had to shed. The young one looked dumbfounded and rather surprised. It all came to sense as to why Key and Minho developed some weird tension between the two of them.

"Why didn't you tell me all this hyung? I mean, at least I knew.'

"We understood you were mature enough to somehow understand but we were scared. You are still our dongsaeng and somehow, we wouldn't want to affect you from all the fuss that was going between all of us. "

Surprisingly, Taemin started ruffling Key's already growing hair. "I kind of guessed that. Thank you hyung.. I'm happy that you're back. How was it? Your getaway? Did it help in any way?"

Again, Key wanted to cry but he held it in. Indeed, Minho was right. Taemin was no longer the young 20 year old man he left six years back, he has grown to be a fine gentleman that deeply cares for other people. Key can't be more thankful on how Taemin has turned out to be. He said that it was fun and definitely helped him to cope with life and things in general. 

Soon enough, Taemin had to leave to get back to work but offered Key a hug before he left.

"Get her back hyung.. I barely knew noona, but I know you chose the right girl this time around.."

"I know Taemin.. Thanks."

The dongsaeng left to head back to his own office while Key went back to checking and narrowing down the list of all the schools. A smile then crept unto his face. "Oh Taemin, if only you knew.."

-------------------

It was a little past lunch time and Key took the time to head to the cafeteria and actually eat. Almost seven years ago, he slipped on a banana peel on the same place, same time. And it was all because of her..

"Boss Key?"

Key turned around and was surprised to see Woori was there. She accompanied Key as the lad went in line to get some food. They went to a table.

"How are things so far? I mean, you used to be a bunch of girls right?" Key asked.

"Ahh, well. Bora had to go back to the province. Jia left and Hyorin had to resign to focus on her duties and responsibilities as a wife.. Sulli, is.. Well, she said she'll go somewhere with someone but didn't specify where and with who.."

'I see.."

Key talked little and it felt a little awkward. 

'Welcome back boss. Sulli and I were talking that when you came back.. You seem a lot more at ease. We don't mean to pry but we do hope that you find Amber. We miss her and we bet you miss her even more. We just wish that things will turn for the better for you.." Woori blurted.

Key smiled. "Thank you.."

"I feel blessed that a lot of you are supporting me on this venture. To be honest, this would yet be the greatest challenge I am yet to face. I know that she had a reason as to why she left and I have to get her back. Leaving was the only option I had to clear my head. I know that it took me some time to go back but I'm more than ready."

Key finished his food sooner and again thanked Woori for the encouragement.

-------------------

It read 10:43pm on the clock. Key was at his room, watching and flipping the channels on the television. It felt empty. His bed, room, walls.. all of them felt empty. As he was about to bore himself to sleep, Key got out of bed and went to look for keys. He took the right set and sped out of his room. He ran downstairs and stuck the keys at a doorknob that he frantically opened.

It was a rather small room, a stock room. He scanned through the contents and dragged out a box and carried it to his room. The items were covered with cloth and paper to prevent them from getting dirty. He started roaming around his room, putting out each item on a certain corner or wall. It was almost midnight when he finished.

There were pictures.. They were pictures of her, the two of them. And those of biggest value were that of the paintings. They were Amber's paintings. One was the one they worked on, where they threw all those balloons, the other was a small one that Amber made. It was an abstract painting.. But the most important one was Key's portrait. It was Amber's last gift to him before she left.

Key then took a picture frame and looked at their smiles.

"How can I forget? It's what caused me to meet you in the first place.."

------------------

The sun was shining brightly and the sky turned to orange. He cannot be mistaken about it. It is what brought the two of them together. It was the cause as to how Key met the one woman that would change his life. No doubt, the , the pigmentation on that one painting he saw at the lobby. It had got to be her.

"Hey.." He mustered.

She was sitting on a chair, with a canvas in front of her. She was obviously painting the horizon in her own perspective. She heard him. She stopped with her painting and put the brush down.

His heart was pounding like crazy..

"Hey.." She replied. Key took his first step towards her. She was facing still facing the canvas. He took another step. His footsteps were heavy and they were hesitant. Could it really be? Is it really her? After so long, was he going face to face with the woman he's been yearning for so long.

He was now standing exactly behind her. "The painting looks good."

Key wanted to punch himself when he said it. They weren't what he really wanted to say. He wanted to utter her name and confirm is it really her? Again, a crazy barrage of heartbeats bombarded him while he was awaiting an answer. It skipped and stopped when she stood up. Slowly, little by little she was turning around.

"I'm glad you like it.."

He was about to speak when the head teacher clenched on his arm and asked him to leave before the teachers started questioning what was going on.

"Mr. Kim, please let's go.. Ohh, Ms. Lee ..Can you please finish what you are doing? Everyone needs to be out by five since the maintenance will perform a check up on the building..'

"Ohh, okay.. Yes Mrs. Han. I'll be done in a minute.."

"Lee?" Key uttered to himself as the head teacher dragged him down. Was she married? What happened? He wanted to break down and cry after hearing it. She didn't correct the head teacher nor a hint of worry that he'll hear it appeared on her face.  A smile, all she gave out was a smile.

------------------------

The following day came, it was a Friday. Key left the office a little early and drove  off somewhere. It was a little past three and by then class has already ended. In a matter of minutes, he arrived where he was supposed to. It was Mrs. Han, the head teacher, that greeted her.

"Mr. Kim, ohh my. How can I help?"

"Is Ms. Lee around? Remember, a week ago?"

"Ms. Lee? Ohh, yes yes.. Please, follow me."

It turns out that she didn't stay in any of the faculty rooms, she had a lot of things with her and her co-teachers complained that they consume a lot of space. It was a mutual agreement that she transferred to the art room that was located at the third floor. Her former faculty room was at the third floor.

"Ms. Lee?" Mrs. Han knocked.

"Come in."

Mrs. Han opened the door for Key as the lad went in. "Sorry Mrs. Han if the art room is a little cluttered, the kids were a little.." she kept on going. Eventually, Key had to clear his throat to get her attention. She jerked on place and turned around.

"What? It looks like you saw a ghost.."

She didn't reply. Instead, she want back to what she was doing, organizing the crayons by color and the paintbrushes by size. 

"You seem really busy, Ms. Lee." Key stated. She gasped.

"This school is one of our top choices for the sponsorship program.. It looks promising."

"The kids here are very talented whether when it comes to academics or arts. Take note of that.." She replied.

"You actually talk." Key whispered near her ear.

She escaped under his breath and continued on what she was doing. Key laughed under his breath as it appears that she is blushing, let alone fidgeting from what he did. It reminded him when it all happened the very first time.

"Ms. Lee, are these  made by the kids?" Key asked as he was looking at the drawings that were hung along the windows. They were really cute. For almost an hour, Key bombarded her with questions. He asked like, how are the students, the administration, were there any weird parents. He kept going on and on and on. It was obvious that her answers were short and sounded a little irritated.

"Ms. Lee.."

"Stop it! Just stop it.."

Key's tongue rolled back into his mouth.

"Stop it please.. Don't do this to me. You keep on asking and asking. Can't you do that with the principal or better yet Mrs. Han? They answer to you directly.. So why bother with me? I was doing my job here quietly and there you go bugging me with all those questions.. All of the questions, why do they all have to start with Ms. Lee, huh?? Tell me! Why?!"

Key walked towards her and clenched her shoulders. "What do you want me to do huh? How do you want me to call you?! Answer me."

She had started tearing up.. "Address me the way you used to.."

..........................................................

.................................................

.........................................

................................

........................

"Amber.. Call me Amber.."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An update for two consecutive nights! Hooray. :) Anyway, I had to put her back into the scene.. I missed writing in Amber thoughts so I just had to let them meet and interact all over again.. So, yeah. The one that Key saw in the previous chapter was a painting. It was Amber's painting to be exact. You know, just the usual random abstract. :)

Anyway, I hope you get as to why Key mocked Amber like that. Doesn't it remind you of something? Not sure if it was Chapter 3 or 4 but yeah. It is similar to some incident that happened then.. 

Again, thank you so much. Stay tuned for chapter 30! :)