Zzzzzttt Zzzzzttt! Zzzzzttt Zzzzzttt!

Amber was distracted by the continuous vibration of Taec's phone. She was studying for her oral recitation tomorrow and she can't concentrate because of it.

"Oi Lee brat! Someone's calling you!" she shouted at his bed room. The door opened and Taec picked his phone irritably without looking at the caller I.D.
"What?" he snapped at his caller.
"TAEC!!!" someone shouted urgently. Taec jumped and stretched his phone away from his ear. He looked at the caller I.D.
"Why do you have to shout Wooyoung?! You out of your mind?!" he said angrily.
"Never mind that! Where are you???"
"I was inside my bed room before you started disturbing me." he answered coldly.
"Good, you're home! Turn your television on and switch it on KBS. QUICK!"

Taec grumbled but he turned his flat screen t.v on and changed its channel. A flash news was currently airing.

"...Rumours say that you will have the greatest project for Song Designs. Is that true?"
"Yes, I confirm that rumour." an old man with a smug face smiled at the camera. Taec frowned. He knew who that man was.

"Then are you saying that it would be better than Lee Firms's?" the reporter asked again.
"Who knows? All I can say is, our project will be designed by our top designers, not from some inexperience... uh, people. We'll crush Lee Firms with our new project" he smirked.
"Can you at least hint what building you'll be designing Mr. Song?" 

Mr. Song's face brightened even more.

"A club and resort building". Then he turned around and went inside his car, flunked by his two bodyguards.

Taec's frown deepened. There were two things that hit him. First, the old man said something about "inexperience people", and the second one was that they were going to build a club and resort building, just like theirs.

*Was that coincidence?* he asked himself. Just then, his phone vibrated again. He looked at the caller I.D and scowled.

"What do you want father?" he asked exasperated.
"Are you home?" Mr. Lee's voice was dark and angry.
"Yes." Taec answered cautiously.
"Where are the designs? Are they with you?"
"It's in my drawers. It's safe. What do -"
"Check it."
"What?"
"I said check it!" Mr. Lee shouted.
"Aish! You don't need to shout!" he shouted back. *What's with everyone shouting at me?!*.

He went inside his bed room and took his keys out without hanging up. Then he placed it on the key hole and opened his drawers.

The drawer was empty.

"It's.... It's not here." he muttered tonelessly. Shock cross his face. He was sure he left it in here. How come...?
"What?" 
"The plan.. it's not here." Taec's voice grew stronger now.
"Taec Lee, I need you to go here in office right now!" Mr. Lee ended his call.

Taec doesn't need telling it twice. He dashed outside his room and yelled, "LESBIE!"

Amber jumped nervously. "What?"
"Did you move the project plan out?"
"What are you talking about? I- I didn't-"
"It's not there!!" Taec shouted hysterically.
"What is not in there?" Amber asked innocently.
"The plan!! It's gone!!!" he said.
"But -"
"Aish! Come with me! My father needs me to go in our office!" he grabbed Amber's hand and together they entered the elevator, and ran towards the parking lot. After making sure that they've got their seatbelts on, Taec drove Betty in the fastest speed he ever did like his life depended on it.
"How did it disappear? How.."

Amber looked nervous; beads of sweat were trickling down her face; her palms were sweaty too; and she curled her toes in anxiety.

After minutes of driving, they stopped in front of Lee Firms's building and dashed inside, running towards the conference room.

Soon they reached the room. Angry and loud voices can be heard from the inside. Taec looked briefly at Amber and pushed the door open.

The conference room was a chaos. Papers were thrown out all over the floor; the board members were arguing loudly; and everyone seemed to forgot that they were all high-class business men, not angry wolves waiting to tear each other apart.

The sliding doors closed and everyone looked around. All of the board members were glaring at Taec and Amber.

"Mr. Lee said that the project plan disappeared." someone said coldly.
"Yes." Taec looked directly at the speaker's eyes.
"We should've known! We should not have trusted your son Mr. Lee!"
"Now what are we going to do? Song Designs knew our plans already!"
"There's a spy in here!" someone shouted. The middle-aged man glared at Amber. "And I'm betting all my money that it's that lesbian!" he pointed a death finger at her.
"Stop it! We won't be solving anything if we keep on shouting and blaming!" Mr. Lee said loudly. He looked at his son and attempted to keep calm. "Taec, who holds the keys?"
"I did." Taec answered.
"Who else knows about the plan?" Mr. Lee asked again.
"Everyone inside this room, and my friends."
"Who? Chance and everyone you mean?"
"Yeah."
"Do they know where you hid the plan?"
"No..." Taec's voice faltered. He glanced at Amber. "It's just me and her who knows where it was.... hidden.."

Taec looked inquiringly at Amber. Amber, on the other hand, looked at him with pleading and nervous eyes.

"It's not me Taec... believe me.." Amber pleaded.

Taec gave her a long, hard look. The two of them stared at each other's eyes. No one tried to break the eye contact first.

Then, Taec looked away.

"If it's not you then who else??" someone in the panel said at Amber. "It seems that you were the only distrustful person here." he spat.
"But it's not me. Please believe me --"
"It's not her." Taec cut her off in a loud, clear voice.

Everyone looked at him. Even Amber couldn't believe what she just heard. Did he just.... defended her???

"What makes you so sure?" a woman snapped at Taec.

He looked straight at the woman's eyes.

"Because."
"What???" the woman asked coldly.
"I trust her." Taec answered simply.

Amber snapped her head towards Taec. Is this true? She couldn't help but smile. He believed in her... He trusted in her...

"Are we done yet?" he turned to his cold-faced father. "If yes then we'll leave."

He turned his back at them and opened the door, without looking back. Amber felt the angry eyes of everyone around her and turned to leave too. Soon.

She managed to caught up with Taec.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

But Taec didn't stop walking. He went straight outside the building and entered his car. Amber ran and hurriedly went inside too.

"Taec..." Amber said weakly. She doesn't know where to start.
"Don't say thank you yet." he answered. "There are still a number of questions in my mind, but we need to know where the plan is first. Then you can start explaining." Taec started his engine and drove back to Solar Homes.

When they reached the building, they saw Wooyoung, Chance, Junho, Nichkhun and Minjun outside, waiting for them.

"What are you all doing here??" Taec asked his friends when he got off from his car.
"We're worried Taec. Wooyoung told us about the news earlier..." Minjun answered.
"Where did you go Taec?" Junho asked
"To my dad's".
"What did he say? What really happened Taec?" Chance asked concernedly. He looked at Amber who was looking troubled. "Did anything happened in your project?"

Taec and Amber didn't respond, but that was an enough response for them all.

"Let's talk inside." Taec said, and he led them inside the building. Just then, Amber's phone rang. She picked her phone from her pocket and looked at the caller I.D. She bulged her eyes.
"Hey, aren't you coming?" Nichkhun asked her.
"Uh, you go ahead." Amber said, turning her back from them.
"Where are you going lesbie??" Taec called.
"I need to answer this call!" she said, walking away from them.

Amber closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Then she answered her phone call.

***

"So what's really happening here Taec?" Chance asked once they have settled themselves on Taec's living room.
"The plan disappeared." Taec answered.
"MUH!?!" his friend chorused, all of them wore the same, shock face.
"How did that happen? Did you get robbed..?"
"I don't know." Taec bowed his head ang thought deeply. "Lesbie and I were the only ones who know where to place our project plan. But.."
"Don't tell me you suspect AJ???" Wooyoung asked increduously.
"I trust her." Taec answered, his head still bowed.
"Taec." a soft, worried voice said from behind.

Everyone looked up at the new comer. It was Jessica. Her eyebrows were furrowed in an expression of deep concern and worry.  She approached Taec immediately and hugged him. Chance and Junho frowned.
"Taec, I heard what happened to your company. Are you okay..?"
"I'm not." Taec moved away from Jessica and bowed his head again. "I'm really confused..." he muttered more to himself than to his friends.

Jessica bit her lip nervously.

"I... I need to show you something.." she whispered tonelessly, looking very afraid of what will happen next.

Taec looked up at her in confusion.

"What is it?"

Jessica opened her handbag and pulled a white envelope out. 

"This."

***

Amber was fuming in anger when they ended their call. She didn't know how he knew her number, but like the mystery of how he found out about Lee Firms's project and how he knew she was working with Taec, maybe everything was possible. She opened the door and entered Taec's condo. 

Everyone was huddled together, all of them were looking downwards. She also noticed Jessica behind them, standing, her arms crossed. Amber closed the door silently and everyone looked up. 

Wooyoung, Nichkhun, and Minjun's eyes were looking at her sadly. Junho and Chansung looked expressionless. But most of all, Taec was glaring at her, hatred was drawn in his whole face.

Amber approached them slowly. She looked carefully at everyone's faces and studied their expressions. Then, her eyes landed on the table. She bulged her eyes in surprise.

"Surprised aren't you?" Taec said coldly at her. His eyes were not shining like what it used to anymore. It was dark and angry. Amber looked away from him.
"This was a picture of you, isn't ?" he asked her again, holding a number of photos in front of her face. It was a photo of her and Song Shi Hoo the other day, when they were talking outside Solar Homes. There were also pictures of them inside the restaurant, riding the luxurious car, and most of all, shaking hands together.
"I'm asking you a question." Taec whispered dangerously.

Slowly, Amber nodded.

"And this man beside you was Song Shi Hoo of Song Designs. Am I right?" Taec asked again.

Amber nodded again.

"Look at me." he ordered. Amber refused to look at him.
"I said LOOK AT ME!!!" Taec shouted angrily. His eyes were glistening in fury. He was not the Taec Amber used to know. Yes, he always shouts at her, but his eyes were not fuming with hatred, revulsion, regret, and disappointment before. Not even when she crashed on his precious car.

Amber looked at his face. Their eyes were locked together. She can feel the incredible tension between them. She can feel Taec's anger.

"I trusted you." he whispered. There was a tone of pain in his voice. "I trusted you and became my friend and you'll just give me this?!!" he threw the photos on her face hardly.
"I can explain Taec.." Amber started. She remembered the same lines before. She remembered the countless times she tried to say "I can explain" and got ignored by his former boss, former landlady, and Taec.

And now, she's saying the same things to him again.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR EXPLANATION! I THOUGHT YOU WERE TRUSTWORTHY! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS! WHY HUH? WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?! Work? House? Money? ?!!"
"Shut up! You don't know what you're saying Lee brat!" Amber shouted. She couldn't take to hear his accusations any longer. "Just let me explain first!"

Taec gave her the deadliest look he can muster. Then, as calmly as he could, he said..

"Leave."

Amber stood rooted on the spot. She gulped, gone dry.

"Okay. Okay Taec. I'll.. I'll leave you here to think, then I'll go in my room to think as well-"
"No." Taec answered darkly.

Amber waited.

"Leave this house in an instant." he looked at her staight in the eyes. "I don't need traitors inside my place." he spat.
"Taec!" Minjun stood up and protested.
"Taec that's too much don't you think bro?" Nichkhun protested too.
"SHUT UP!!!" he shouted angrily at Minjun and Nichkhun. They fell silent instantly. 

Taec turned towards a shaken Amber. "Why are you still standing there huh?! You don't wanna go?"

He stormed inside Amber's room. Minutes later, Amber's books, clothes, and bags were thrown out of the door.

"Taec stop that!" Junho shouted, but Taec continued on furiously throwing Amber's things. Then he emerged outside the door.

"GET OUT OF HERE YOU ING LEBIAN!!!!!"

Amber's heart sank. There was a great lump on when Taec shouted his last sentence. She never thought that words can pierce her painfully like this. Her eyes were starting burn.

Just then, Chance stood up angrily from his chair and grabbed Taec's collar furiously.

"Take that back." he hissed dangerously at him, their faces so close to each other.

Taec looked directly to Chance's eyes. "NO." he answered firmly.

"I SAID TAKE THAT BACK!" Chance shouted, raising his fist threatingly.
"NO CHANCE! Stop!" Minjun reached towards Chance and yanked him away from Taec. "You shouldn't start a fight Chance. It's not wise."
"Why don't you let him Minjun, huh? It seems that he wants to take side with that ing -"

BLAMM!

A fist made contact to Taec's face. He staggered backwards and spit blood from his mouth.

"You punch like a girl Chance. Here's a sample on how men should punch."

BLAMMM!!!

Taec punched Chance so hard on his face he fell on the floor. Amber shouted.

"Stop! Stop it!" She went towards Chance and wiped the blood from his face. She turned to Taec furiously.
"If you want me to leave, then I will." she said. She picked her clothes and placed them on her bags. Junho and Wooyoung helped her. "If you don't need traitors inside your place, then I don't need blind jerks either." 

She approached Chance and helped him stand. Then the two of them left the condo.

"That was too much Taec. You should've listened to AJ's explanation fi-"
"SHUT UP NICHKHUN! I don't need you here! Get out too! ALL OF YOU! K!" he kicked hi couch and slammed his bed room door shut. Nichkhun, Wooyoung, Junho and Minjun looked at each other and decided to leave him alone. They followed Chance and Amber outside.

"Amber..." Chance said softly. His face began to swell but he didn't mind, because the pain was not on his face but on his heart, seeing Amber's sad face. She was fighting back her tears and he hated seeing her in that.
"I'm not crying Chance. I'm fine" Amber said strongly. But she's not blinking either, because she's afraid that one blink will let her tears fall.

But Chance cupped her face and softly wiped her tears with his thumbs. Then he enclosed her in a tight embrace and kissed the top ofher head.
"Sssshhhh. Cry, Amber. I'm always here. I'll never leave you... Never" 

Amber was still fighting back her tears, but she can't hold on. She stiffled her sobs on Chance's chest.

Just then, Wooyoung, Minjun, Junho and Nichkhun came out, and she hastily wiped her face.

The four of them looked at her in pity

"AJ.." Nichkhun said sadly.
"What's with your face? Don't look like I died." she rolled her eys at them.
"AJ. I have a spare bedroom at my bar. It's closed for the weekend. You can stay there temporarily." Minjun offered.
"Thanks Minjun, but "
"I insist AJ. Please." Minjun looked at Amber with sincerity."This is a help from a friend." he said.

Amber smiled at him.

"Thank you Minjun,.."
"Here's the key." Minjun gave her the key. "Shall I ride you there?"
"Thanks Minjun. I'll take it from here." Chance said. Minjun nodded and walked towards his car.
"Well, we'll also go now. AJ. Take care okay?" Wooyoung said. Amber nodded and waved at them.

When at last everyone was gone, Chance said.

"Let's go. I'll ride you to Minjun's bar." He opened the car door for her. Soon, they drove away from Solar Homes. Amber looked back.

*And I thought it was my home now too*.

"What do you think"? the old man asked, grinning wickedly at her.

Amber looked at him from a surprised look to a cold one.

"I don't need your money nor your job Mr. Song." she said.
"Then what do you want?" 
"Leave me alone."

She stood up, ready to walk out from him.

"Wait." Mr. Song stood up too and held his hands. "A businessman always do this in his transactions whether someone accepted our offer or not. For the sake of a businessman's formality, can we shake our hands?" he asked her.

Amber looked suspiciously at the outstretched hand. Then finally, they shook hands.

---

Amber closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Then she answered her phone call.

"I know it's you Mr. Song. How did you know my number?"
"It doesn't matter Ms. Mallari. Did you watched the news?" he asked.
"No, I didn't. But I think I know what you've done. How did you managed to get the plan?"
"Not your business Ms.Mallari. Besides, we're going to crush Lee Firms into pieces from now on." then he hung up.

Meanwhile, a slender figure was looking outside Taec's window. 

They were outside Solar Homes right now, Betty was parked just in front of it.

"Taec, my Mom texted me an emergency. Can you please withdraw some money from my ATM card?" she gave him her card. "Please?"

Taec looked reluctant, besides, he's not really used to be the one doing the jobs. It was lesbie's job. But he nodded and left her alone in his car.

When she was sure that he was out of earshot, she went outside the car and ran inside the building. She managed to slip her hand on Taec's pocket earlier when he was so busy looking at Amber and Taec.

There was a silent crack as someone opened the empty bedroom stealthily. It tiptoed until it reached his private drawers. Then, as quietly as it could, it pulled the keys out of its pockets and placed it on the keyhole. The drawer opened, and this person smiled triumphantly.

"Good riddance AJ." Jessica whispered. An evil smile stretched on her face.