Author POV

Amber walked through the stairs lazily. Her fingers were dancing on her head, massaging it. Amber finally reached the downstairs, she was impatient to gulp some water to heal the dryness in .

“You need to drink it up, oppa”

“……I can’t…… it tastes …… bad”

“Hhhh…… fine… let me feed you”

“………… well………….I have no choice”

“Say AA”

Amber stopped stepping as she saw an unpleasant view in front of her. She was about to step back but,

“Hey my lil Dino!”, her brother—Jonghyun—called her.

Krystal looked up immediately as she heard the name that Jonghyun called. It was Amber, the one who made her worried all night long. She even couldn’t sleep well last night because of her.

‘Is she okay now?’, Krystal thought.

“G…good morning, Hyung”, Amber forced a smile to her hyung.

“Come here, buddy”

Amber had no choice but obeyed her brother. It wasn’t she didn’t want to be with her brother, but she couldn’t control her feeling. It really hurt her for being with them, Jonghyun…….and Krystal.

Jonghyun spread his arms widely, “give me a hug”

Amber smiled purely seeing her brother’s action. She then hugged her brother tightly, somehow forgot about the pain in her chest. Honestly she missed her brother too.

“I miss you sist”

“I miss you even more and more and more”, Amber replied dorky.

Krystal smiled seeing the siblings’ affection, they looked sweet and beautiful. She even felt like her tears were about to fall, but she didn’t want to be a drama queen so she held back her tears.

“Don’t you need to work today?”, Jonghyun asked as they broke the hug.

‘So, Jjong doesn’t know about drunk me last night’, Amber thought.

“Nah… mom asked me to stay at home today. I think she can’t live without me”

Jonghyun chuckled.

Krystal even rolled her eyes hearing Amber’s statement. ‘I know aunty Liu is punishing you Am’, she thought.

“And how about you condition hyung? I heard from mom doctor said that you’re getting stronger day by day as strong as Iron man?”, Amber started joking again.

“Aish stop joking… well…….”, Jonghyun tilted her head to Krystal, “you have to thank her, Amber. She makes me stronger, she takes care of me patiently”

Amber looked at Krystal. Jonghyun was right, Amber had to thank Krystal, she wasn’t just taking care of her brother, she was also sacrificing her self for them……… for Jonghyun, and specially Amber.

Krystal bowed her head, trying to avoid Amber’s gaze.

“Uhh…… I think I should wash the dishes”, Krystal said. She then cleaned up the dishes on the dining table. Yes, Jonghyun and Krystal had breakfast together before, Krystal even also helped Jonghyun to drink some medicines and vitamins.

“Let me help you”, Amber said, made Krystal froze for a moment, “Jjong hyung, mind if we leave you for a moment?”

“Nah… I’ll wait you guys here”

***       

“Thanks for taking me home last night”, Amber started the conversation. She and Krystal were rinsing the dishes together.

Krystal just kept silent for a moment, “how’s your head?”, she finally spoke without looking at the tomboy.

“……… dizzy…… a bit”

“……………………………………….. don’t do that again”

What just Krystal said made Amber stopped her activity. A couple of moment later Krystal did the same. Fortunately, all the dishes were already washed.

Krystal glanced at Amber before finally bowed her head again, “don’t make me worried………….. please”, she whispered.

Before Amber could reply, Krystal was already leaving, leaving Amber that just stood in stillness.

“I’m sorry, Princess”, Amber whispered to her self.

***       

Amber POV

Finally, I’m back to work. These days I become busy again in the store. Every day I spend my time in the store with my colleagues. Joking with them and busy working makes me forget about my problem, even just temporary.

I always ask mom about the progress of Jjong’s condition, and lately his condition is static, there’s no progress. I’m actually worried about him but at least his condition doesn’t worsen. Jjong can’t do the surgery yet, because his condition is still unstable. What should I do, I want him to get well soon.

Krystal………… the last time I saw her and talked to her……… when she said to me not to make her worried again. She was worried about me, she cares about me, she still does

“Stop spacing out, dude!”, I feel someone taps my shoulder, and of course it’s Henry.

“What?”, I lift my brow.

“Your cell phone is ringing”

I didn’t notice when my cell phone started ring. I immediately grab it, and I see my mom’s number on the screen.

“Yes, Mom?”

“Am……… Jjong fainted”

“……………w……what??”

“We already called the doctor. Dear…… can you go home early today? ……………………….. I need you and Hae”

“……okay mom…… I’ll be home soon”

***       

I finally got home and immediately go to Jonghyun hyung’s room. Before I enter the room, I see Krystal is standing in front of the room.

“H…… how’s Jjong?”

Krystal looks up as she hears my voice.

“A…Am…”

“How is he? Is he okay?”

Krystal nods, “just go inside… aunty is waiting for you. Hae oppa is still busy working, so is uncle Liu”

“………… thank you for accompanying my mom, Krys”

Krystal smiles, “I should go home now. My mom needs my help to cook for you guys here”

I smile back to her, “I owe you a lot”

“……………… we’re family Am”

***       

I thought Jjong hyung’s condition was getting better. But after doctor Bae checking him, he assumed that Jjong got Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. What the heck is Acute Myelogenous Leukemia? Doctor said the way to cure this disease is by doing chemotherapy routinely. Doctor didn’t tell much about Jjong’s condition, he just told us to take care good of Jjong, make him feel happy, watch him to rest, eat, an consume his vitamins properly.

What actually is going on to my brother?

Please God, help my brother. Let him alive.

I exhale while lying down my body on the bed. I stare at the ceiling.

“……………… we’re family Am”

Suddenly those words are echoing in my mind. Family? What did she mean? I know Liu and Jung family are really close, we………… we’re indeed like a family. For my father, uncle Jung is like his own brother. And Jung family is my brother’s family in law, so yeah, we’re family.

But am I just a ‘family’ to her? Does she love me just as a family?

“Knock knock”

I sit up as I hear my door is knocked by someone, “come in”, I shout.

“Amber?”

“Hae hyung? Come in… what took you so long?”

“My boss gave me a pile of works so that I couldn’t go home earlier”, he says while taking a seat on my bed, “I saw mom is asleep in Jjong’s room”

“Hm… she’s so worried about Jjong, I did comfort her and order her to take some sleep”

“How’s Jjong? What did doctor say?”

 “New suspect of Jjong hyung’s disease”

“W…what?”

“Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, he got that kind of blood cancer”

“What is that? Acute? How about the surgery?”

I just shrug my shoulders, “take care good of him, make him happy and cheer him up, watch him to eat, rest, take his vitamins properly, and doing chemotherapy are the ways to cure him. That’s what doctor Bae said”

Me and Hae hyung are in silent for a moment. We sink in our own thoughts.

“We surely will do that for him”, Dong Hae hyung says.

I just nod with smile.

“Just like what you’re doing now”

I furrow my brows, “what am I doing?”

“………………………… sacrificing your love for him”

I stare at Hae hyung in disbelief. He knows about my feeling for Krystal?

***       

Krystal POV

It’s been a week since Jonghyun oppa started doing the chemotherapy. A week ago doctor found a new fact about Jonghyun oppa’s disease, according to the symptoms, Jonghyun oppa got Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, I’m not sure what is it but seeing Jonghyun oppa now, I think it’s dangerous enough.

Jonghyun oppa is paler and skinnier. I’m actually worried about him, and about Amber too, Amber is surely sad seeing her hyung like this.

“Get some sleep, oppa”, I tell him. I’m in his room now.

He is lying on the bed, trying to take a nap because he needs to do it.

“Krystal…”

“Yes?”

“Can you sing me a song?”

“S……song?”

“Um… can you?”

“Well…… I uhh…… I think Amber is the one who can do it better than me”

Jonghyun oppa chuckles, “you’re right. Maybe I miss her much, so I want you to do something like she usually did to me”

Hearing that makes me smile and curious, “did she sing for you a lot?”

“Yes. When we were kids I sometimes felt jealous everytime she spent her time too much with you. I thought you took away my sister”, he chuckles, so do I.

“So we were rival huh?”, I joke.

“Kind of”

Both of us giggle.

“Because you know…… I was a weak and crybaby boy. I didn’t have confident to play with another kid, even with Dong Hae hyung, because he was really an active and strong boy. But Amber always comforted me. Every time I played with her, we always played something I liked, something I could. But I always honest to her that I really wanted to be stronger just like the other boys.

 “Once she assured me to play with her friends, the boys, also with Hae hyung. I agreed. But the boys bullied me, they said I’m weak. That time Hae hyung just kept silent, and told us to go home, he was a wise brother, he didn’t want us to fight. But Amber……”, Jonghyun oppa chuckles again, “you know her right? She couldn’t control her emotion, so she punched all the boys, one of them even got nosebleed”

I can’t help but laugh as I hear that. Yeah I know, Amber is really protective to someone she loves. When she was little she actually loved playing prank and a little bit naughty, but on the other hand, she was a nice kid and the brave one.

“After she finished playing with you and got home, she always came to my room and we played together. And before I sleep she often sang a song for me. I was afraid of dark, she said by singing our anxiety will be gone, but I was too shy to sing alone, so we sang together”

I rest my chin on my hand while smiling, “did she sing three bears or twinkle twinkle little star?”

“Nope. Do you want to hear what song that she taught to me?”

I nod.

“The more we get together… together… together… the more we get together…. The happier we’ll be……”

Flashback: Jonghyun POV

“The more we get together… together… together… the more we get together… the happier we’ll be… cause your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends… the more we get together… the happier we’ll be”

We just finished sing the song.

“See hyung? According to the lyrics of the song, my friends are your friends too right?”, Amber said. She looked cute because she lost two of her front teeth.

“Yes, so?”, I raised my brows.

“So Krystal is your friend too. Just join me to play with her, so you don’t need to get jealous of her”

I shook my head, “nobody likes me, I’m weak and geek”

“Aish stop thinking like that will you?? Krystal is different, she’s nice. Even though she’s a spoiled brat, a crybaby, a bossy, and a little witch, but trust me she’s kind-hearted. She’s my Princess”

I laughed as I heard that, “so you like her or hate her? if she’s nice why you often fight with her?”

“Uuhh……”, Amber scratched her back cutely, “I don’t know, but yeah we indeed often fight. But I don’t hate her at all, she’s the best girl in the world”

“Nah… you’re the best one, since you’re my sister”, I smile to her widely.

-End of flashback: Jonghyun POV-

Back to reality: Krystal POV

“But now I know, Amber didn’t lie that time, cause you’re indeed an amazing girl”, Jonghyun oppa stares at me deeply.

Hearing his story about Amber, I miss her more and more.

“Thank you oppa, now you really need to sleep, okay?”, I wrap the sheet on his thin body, “have a nice sleep oppa”

***       

Author POV

Amber walked silently. It was already late and everbody was already asleep. Amber finally arrived right in front of her brother’s room. She opened the door silently, and she could see her brother was sleeping peacefully.

Amber approached him. Her brother looked paler and thinner. She was really sad for seeing her brother’s condition.

“I’m sorry hyung, these days I’m busy working. Sleep tight Hyung”, Amber was about to leave but,

“I won’t forgive you”

She was shocked as she heard her hyung’s voice.

“Hyung?? You’re still awake?”

Jonghyun flashed smile to her sister, “I was thirsty so I woke up to get some water. I just closed my eyes again before you come”, he explained, “why are you getting busier and busier?”

Amber took a seat right next to her brother, “the store is celebrating its birthday, so it opens till midnight for a week”, Amber patted her brother’s shoulder, “aish why are you so pale? You look like a vampire you know”

“Vampires are cool right?”

“Nah… My Jjong hyung is cooler than them, and my Jjong hyung doesn’t have pale face”

Jonghyun chuckled, “I miss you dorky sist”

“I miss you too. I wanna play frisbee with you you know. Be health and play with me, promise?”

 “………… I’m trying my best”

“That’s my hyung”, Amber messed her brother’s hair lightly, “how was your day?”

“Great. I spent my time with two beautiful ladies, mom and…… Krystal”

Amber smiled faintly, “they did take good care of you didn’t they?”

“They really did. Hey, Am, do you often have chitchat with Krystal?”

“………… nah…… I’m busy working and you know that. why?”

“No… I just wanna know about her feeling for me. I’ve asked her about it for many times, but she never answer”

“............... maybe……… she’s still doubting it, you know……… she’s still teenager”

“You’re right. But as her best friend, can you ask her about it? I really wanna know about her feeling for me…”

Amber was confused, but finally she nodded.

“Now back to sleep hyung, okay?”

“No, before you promise me to spend your time with me this weekend. We’ll do barbeque party together, okay??”

“Sure my older Dino brooo”

***       

“Jessie, help me grill the meats. Krystal, put this on the table”

“Yes mom”

“Okay, mom, give it to me”

Krystal took the dish from her mother, meanwhile Jessica started to grill the meats with her mother and Mrs. Liu. They were in the backyard of Liu’s house, doing barbeque party. It was Jonghyun’s idea, he wanted both of Liu and Jung family gathering to have a little party. Seeing his family and Jung family having fun together made him happy, and somehow gained his energy to fight his disease.

Krystal put the dish on the table, “another dish guys”

“Whoaaa looks yummy!”, Dong Hae tried not to drool.

“Can we enjoy it now?”, Mr. Jung asked.

“No Dad you should wai…ting……for……YAH!!”, Krystal suddenly yelled as she realized a stick of barbeque was hung on Amber’s mouth.

“you-shud-tel-bout-it-erlier”, Amber couldn’t talk properly since a stick of barbeque was stucked in .

Krystal rolled her eyes, “typical Josephine”, she whispered peevishly.

“Hwat??”, Amber then remove the stick from , “what did you say? It’s your fault you know you should tell us earlier”

“My fault?? It’s your stupidity you know!”

“What did you say??!!”

“What?! it’s the truth!”

They glared at each other and few seconds later they just realized that they were actually in trouble about their relationship, these days they were awkward to each other but the fight between them just came naturally, it was their habit since long time ago. As the realized it, the glare between them suddenly changed into an awkward gaze.

“So… sorry”, Amber lower her voice.

“………I…… I should help the girls”, Krystal said with reddish face.

The barbeque party went good. Everyone seemed happy and the barbeque dishes were really tasty.

“Time for wash the dishes little ones!!”, Amber’s Dad shout, referring ‘little ones’ to Amber and Krystal.

Amber rolled her eyes, “again and again”

“No kid, it’s not ‘again’, it’s ‘always’”, her father while chuckled.

Amber sighed. She saw Krystal was starting to clean the dishes, afterwards she came to help her.

***       

As usual, Amber and Krystal had their duty to clean the dishes. They were washing and rinsing the dishes together in the kitchen. Suddenly Amber remembered something. She promised to her brother to ask about Krystal’s feeling for him.

To be honest, Amber didn’t want to ask Krystal about it. It would just hurt her feeling, or their feeling maybe?

But Amber did promise to her brother, it made her feel guilty if she didn’t ask about it to Krystal.

“Uhh……… Krys”

“Y…Yes?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“………about what?”

“………………………………………………..your feeling to Jjong, because he really wants to know about it”

Krystal almost dropped the plate that she was holding.

“I’m……… I’m sorry”

“……………… no, I’m the one who sorry, because I don’t wanna answer your stupid question”

“Krys, please don’t be mad, I just promised to my hyung to………”

“Am”, Krystal put down the plate, she then turned to Amber, “I know it’s for your hyung, I know you love him and care about him. And me too, I do care about him too, he’s like a BROTHER to me, a brother. What we’re doing now it’s all for him, I don’t mind doing everything for his sake, but please…………… can you appreciate my feeling?”

“Krys… it’s not like that”

“You... You don’t need to ask me about my feeling, Amber, because you know about it obviously. If you ask me about it, you just hurt me you know that?”, Krystal’s eyes became teary, “……… sorry”, Krystal was about to leave but then Amber grabbed her wrist.

Amber pulled Krystal closer to her, and pressed her lips against Krystal’s. Krystal widened her eyes as she felt Amber’s lips on her.

“Princess”, Amber broke the kiss, she cupped Krystal’s cheeks, staring at the younger girl in the eys. Their face was really close to each other, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry”, Amber pressed her lips gently against Krystal.

The way Amber kissed her made Krystal felt the tomboy’s love toward her, how she missed this tomboy. Krystal lifted her hands and put them on the tomboy’s wrist. She then kissed the tomboy back, showing her endured feeling toward her.

“AMBER KRYSTAL!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!!!”

Amber and Krystal immediately separated as they heard that voice.

“………………… D…….Dad?”

“……………Uncle Liu?”