[P.S. Yes, I know that this is a picture of Sulli and Amber, not Kryber. That's okay. It's important for this part of the chapter :D]

I've noticed a new side to Sulli. I may be dumb, but I'm not blind. There's hurt in her eyes when Krystal and I are more affectionate. She tries to keep her smile plastered to her face, but by the end of a concert, after Krystal has grabbed my arm or I've walked right up in her face singing in her mike, Sulli's smile has slowly slipped until it's a half-frown perched on her face. Victoria has tried to spend more time with her, but Sulli has grown more quiet, her giggly happy side put away.

I convinced Luna and Victoria to take Krystal shopping and to get a manicure. I paid for it. Krystal's smile was so big I thought it would engulf her face. She hugged me, thanking me for such a nice gift.

"Yeah," I grinned, shrugging it off. "Just buy something nice to surprise me." She nodded and hurried away with Luna and Victoria, the former giving me a look that said, "You're up to something!" I nodded, but motioned for her to keep Krystal busy and she nodded back, smiling and saying something I couldn't hear to Krystal. Victoria smiled when she heard it. Hmm, must have been funny.

I sought Sulli out in the practice room where she had stayed after our instructor had left for the day. She was practicing a four-step dance move over and over again when I walked into the room, carefully pushing the door open.

"Hey, Ssul," I said casually, leaning against the wall as she stared intently into the mirror as she moved to each step gracefully.

"Where's your girlfriend?" she asked, a little harshly, stopping her dancing to turn and look at me with a scowl.

"Aw, c'mon Ssul, don't be like that," I said, walking up to her and reaching to her with one hand. She turned away, pulling her light hood over her head.

"You act like she is the only other member of f(x), hyung," she said. I could hear the blame in her voice. "Before you and Krystal 'discovered' each other, you hung out with me and Luna." She sat down on the mat to stretch out her legs. I saw a teardrop hit the mat as she bent over on her stretch to touch her toes.

"C'mere," I said, and I kneeled down next to her and grabbed her in an awkward hug. "You're right, we've been excluding the three of you, and we shouldn't be like that. I would never want to split up f(x), or ruin my friendship with you or Luna."

Sulli sat limply against me as I hugged her backwards. "Bet you wouldn't be saying any of this, or hugging me, if Krystal was here," she accused, peeling my arms off of her and getting up off the mat. She brushed off her dance pants and pushed back her hood. There were tears glistening on her face.

"You know, at first I was really happy for you and Krystal, but now it feels like you're just rubbing it in our faces!" she said, another tear tracing its way down her cheek.

"Sulli, what--" I started to ask, but she shook her finger at me.

"No! I don't want to hear it, hyung! You know that if we were all together, you'd just be holding hands with Krystal, giving her all your attention. Say that isn't true, I dare you!" she pouted, wiping at her eyes.

I snorted. "Ssul, are you jealous of Krystal?"

Her eyes widened. "What--No! Of course I'm not--What would make you say that--Why would you say that?" she blurted out, looking flustered and furious. Then she stormed at me, hands flying everywhere, sometimes landing on me, sometimes missing completely. 

I grabbed for her arms and finally caught both of them, holding her still as her chest heaved with emotion.

"Ssul, what's gotten into you?" I asked, unable to believe she could be acting this way.

"I love you, hyung!" she blurted out, tears resurfacing as she looked away from me. "It's because I love you. And now, to you, I no longer exist because Krystal has become your whole world." As she started crying again, I let go of her arms. 

"No!" she cried out, suddenly crashing into me and wrapping her thin arms around my torso like a vice. "Please don't let go of me, hyung, please! I just want to be your friend! I'm not asking anything from you!" She sobbed into my chest, and I slowly wrapped my arms around her, patting her head softly.

"I'm so sorry, Sulli. If I'd known..." I trailed off, not certain what I would have done if I had known Sulli's feelings for me. How awkward!

"Do you think," she asked into my shirt, "do you think that if you and I had been the ones to create the kind of skinship you and Krystal share..." she hiccuped. "Would you have fallen for me instead?"

I was at a total loss. What was I supposed to do? I hadn't expected this.

My silence was apparently enough of an answer for her.

"I see," she said sadly, letting go of me. "I'm sorry to have bothered you, hyung. Don't worry, it'll never happen again." She gave me the brightest fake smile she could muster and then gathered her things, leaving the studio.

I walked slowly, as if dreaming, out of the dance studio and down the hallway until I reached the outside doors. The bright sunlight stung my eyes, and I kept walking, blink-blinking in the brightness.

"What do you two think?" I asked, taking a short dress off the rack and holding it out for Luna and Victoria to see.

"I like it!" beamed Luna. "It'll look great with your long legs!"

Victoria nodded, a small smile on her face. "Luna has good taste, Krys. I'd listen to her. I like the dress too."

The dress was a nice violet color, very simple, and was tight around the waist, accentuating any curve, even the barest of curves would look great thanks to this kind of cut.

"So, why didn't Sulli come with us?" I asked curiously as we walked up to the counter to make the purchase with Amber's money.

"She wanted to practice some of the dance routine to Electric Shock," said Victoria. "She said she felt like she was getting sloppy."

"I should follow her lead," I said, setting the money on the counter as the salesperson placed the dress in a bag and slid it across the counter to me.

"Girl, please," snorted Luna. "You're pretty much the most perfect dancer in our group!"

"If anyone's sloppy, it's Amber," agreed Victoria, laughing at Luna's snort.

I felt some sort of angry beast rise up inside me at that comment, narrowing my eyes at Victoria unnie. "Amber feels uncomfortable with the more feminine dance moves," I said defensively. "She does the best she can, and makes up for it with--"

"What?" interrupted Luna, ready to burst into laughter. "Good looks?" Her eyes twinkled, but I felt insulted for Amber.

"I was going to say, with her personality on the stage! Her ability to please people is the best in the group!" I said, taking the bag and change from the cashier, ready to storm out of the store without either of them.

Luna looked worried and grabbed my arm. "We were just teasing, Krys, no need to get offended."

"We would never really make fun of Amber," said Victoria quickly on my other side. "We know that she is an important part of the group. Half our appeal would be lost without her."

I nodded. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I got so defensive." But I did know. I got this way with anyone I cared about.

*****

Dance practice was over. Everyone went to their water bottles. Today had been a big drain, and Sulli and Amber were looking more tired than usual. Amber sat down on the floor, looking like she was ready to give up on the dance routine. I walked up to her and handed her a second water bottle as she drained the first. She wiped the extra water from her face and smiled up at me as I helped her stand up.

"Thanks, Soojung," she smiled, making my heart flutter.

"Are you okay?" I asked, worried.

She laughed, smiling wider, "Oh yeah, no problem. I must have gotten out of shape in one week. This new routine seems more intense than the ones of the past." She opened the new water bottle and drained half of it before coming up to take a deep gulp of air. She ended up in a coughing fit because some water made it down her windpipe.

"I'm okay!" she managed between coughs as I pounded her back to help her breathe. "Soojung, I'm okay, please stop! That hurts!" she coughed. I stopped hitting her.

"Either of you need a water bottle?" asked Sulli, popping up out of nowhere with two unopened bottles. 

"Thank you, Ssul," I said, reaching for one. She reluctantly handed one over.

"D'you need one, hyung?" she asked Amber, who was slowly recovering from inhaling the water.

"No, no, I'm good, thank you," she said, her voice sounding a little strained. I stepped toward Amber, a little more jealously than I would have liked, and smiled at Sulli.

"Thanks for the water, Ssul!" She nodded, understanding my body language perfectly, and went across the room to offer Luna and Victoria the left over water.

Trying to steal away my llama-faced, dinosaur-brained idiot, are you? You better think twice about that, Ssul, I thought, seeing that Amber had watched Sulli leave us and was still watching her interact with Luna and Victoria. You had better think twice.

 

[A/N: Haha, drama! Well, looks like I found something else to write about, you lucky readers! I'm surprised at all the subs and comments I've gotten! Thank you so very much! *bows* ]