~{Amber's POV}

 

Today is Junmyeon's birthday! Kyungsoo came over to my house before we headed to the school’s music room. My mom was trying to find any way to embarrass me. She told me before we left, and loud enough for Kyungsoo to hear, that my friend is really cute and she wishes her future son-in-law to be like him. Did she have to say that in front of my best friend? It was already awkward enough when she cooed over him before he was even in the house. I left as soon as I could.

 

When we reached the school I turned to him. “So plan is to have the lesson than I say I think I left something at Chanyeol's place and we go there and then /insert cheering/ surprise!"

 

Kyungsoo smiled and nodded once. 

 

I gave him a thumbs up and we went inside.

 

~

 

The three of us were walking on the sidewalk when I suddenly turned to the two, “I think I forgot my book at Chanyeol's place from yesterday.”

 

“Is it important?” Junmyeon asked and Kyungsoo and I smacked his arm.

 

“It's for school, of course it's important! I need to study!” I said.

 

He rubbed both his arms, “Ow.” I stared at him. “Okay, we'll go get it and then to your place. I want to see your Mom.”

 

I smiled and then laughed, “Are you sure you aren't in love with my Mom? You always want to know about her.”

 

He gave me a shocked look, “What!? She's like family to me. It's wrong to think of family like that! And that's your Mom. And your Dad would probably kill me.”

 

I looked at Kyungsoo and then we started to laugh, his silently though. I almost tripped over my own two feet from the laughter but was caught by Junmyeon. To say the moment was awkward was putting it lightly, he was looking at me weird and holding my waist and still hasn't let go. I looked up after I was standing and pushed his hands off me and the rest of the way was silent.

 

I couldn't get the feel of his hands out of my mind. I had wanted his hands to stay there. I don't want to think about my best friend like that! He's like the brotherly more than the boyfriend type. And Kyungsoo is looking upset again. What did I do?

 

When I looked up, I saw we arrived and felt relief wash through me and forgot of all that happened a few minutes ago. I can probably talk to Kibum about these mixed feelings in me later. I ran up to the door with the others behind me and Chanyeol answered on the second ring and we walked in. When we reached the living room a bunch of people jumped out from behind the couches and screamed, “Happy Birthday Junmyeon!” 

 

I looked to Junmyeon, to see his reaction, and he looked like he wanted to cry. Chanyeol went to hug him and so did Kyungsoo. Junmyeon kept mumbling thank yous to them and everyone took pictures or video of the moment. I heard many flashes.

 

~

 

This party has turned out to be a good idea gone great. We got Junmyeon here and surprised him. We played games and even broke open the makeshift piñata I made since they don't have them in Korea. Everyone had given me weird looks as I explained what you had to do. I thought it would be fun and it was. Junmyeon even hit his friend, Baekhyun, on the head. On accident of course. I got to see Sehunnie again but he had to leave for his dance lesson. Kibum had told me his brother had come but I still had yet to see him. The only bad thing that has happened is Kris had come. Him and Junmyeon have been friends since last year when Kris was a third year student. I was not very happy to see him and have doing all I can to not even be close to him.

 

“Oh Amber!” I heard someone call out my name and turned to see Baekhyun waving me over to where he was with other third year students, or that's what I think they are. I hesitantly walked over to the group and Baekhyun wrapped an arm around my shoulders. 

 

“Meet my cousin Taemin and his twin Jongin. Jongin is Jinki hyung's brother.” I looked over at him in shock.

 

“You're related to Kibum?” I asked.

 

Baekhyun just smiled and nodded. “Yep. His Mom and my Dad are siblings.”

 

I turned to the other two and Taemin had a smile on his face while Jongin looked a little bored. “Wait... If you two are twins then...?”

 

“We're adopted. I'm the older twin though.” Taemin said and winked over at his twin who huffed and nudged him. 

 

“Where is hyung and Kibum?” Jongin asked Baekhyun, who shrugged.

 

“Probably somewhere making out or going at it like bunnies.” 

 

I scrunched up my nose, “Don't be so crude about things like that.”

 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and took his arm off me, thankfully, then pulled Jongin by his arm. “Let's go look for the lovebirds.” 

 

Taemin and I just stood there for a few awkward moments until he spoke up first, “How long have you known hyung for?”

 

“Um... about a week?”

 

He nodded slowly, “Ah.” He responded. “What year are you in?”

 

“I'm in second. You?”

 

“Oh so I get to call you noona. I'm in first.” He smiled shyly, kind of.

 

I flushed a little, “Oh. Have your families always been close?” I asked curious of how him and his twin kept contact.

 

“Not really. I never met Jongin until last year when hyung brought home his boyfriend for us to meet after dating half a year in secret. Jinki hyung said I looked just like his little brother and when I finally met him, we just clicked. I knew I had a twin but didn't know that we might meet someday.” He smiled even more and sighed, probably at the memories. “Sorry if he seems like an a first. He just not social. He'll grow on you little by little.”

 

I nodded in understanding and then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I saw Taemin's eyes go wide for a split second and then he was bowing and mumbling about leaving us alone and walking away. I turned around and saw Kris. The last person I wanted to see. 

 

“Can we talk Amber?“ he said to me in English.

 

I didn't know if it was such a good idea. Better to get everything done with if I want to really move on, right? I hesitated a bit before nodding. We walked outside where no one was around and I sat on a chair and Kris sat on the other end. I looked to him to see what he had to say.

 

“It's been a long time hasn't it?” He said.

 

I only nodded.

 

“Can you tell me what happened to make you not want to see me?” 

 

I took a deep breath to calm the anger boiling up at his question. “You don't remember?”

 

He sighed, “What am I supposed to remember?”

 

I clenched my fists, “How you led me on thinking you liked me when I was 12 years old. How you had told me two days before I left that you maybe liked me. How you claimed to be looking for me on my last day in Canada, only to go downstairs and find you face with my crazy cousin and her begging for you to take her back. Then I find out you were dating her when we met and broke up with her afterwards. You don't remember, Kris?” I felt the tears starting to form but tried hard not to let a tear fall. I was not going to cry anymore over him. “Well this stupid girl does. I've been keeping in all this all this time. I'm done with it, with you. Because of you I am afraid of liking someone. I don't want to fear anymore. Just because you did that doesn't mean everyone I like will do it too. I'm going to finally let you go. I forgive you for everything.”

 

“Amb-”, he started but I cut him off.

 

“I don't know if we can be good friends like before but I would like to just be acquaintances for now.” I said and unclenched my fists and felt a sense of calm wash over me.

 

Kris stared at the ground for a while before sighing and looking up at me again, with eyes that once would make my heart race. “It's for the best.” He nodded.

 

I held out a hand and he took it and we shook our joined hands once. I smiled for the first time at him and he did too. His smile was still the same as I remembered it.

 

~

 

After talking with a Kris for a bit about what happened during the years after I left Canada, Baekhyun had come out again and asked to go in again to meet another one of his friends. Goodness, this kid has known me for a few hours and is introducing me to everyone. He really is related to Kibum. They're both outgoing. I had gone back in, of course, and saw him dragging me to Zitao.

 

I looked to Baekhyun with a raised eyebrow, “I already know Zitao. He's in my class!.”

 

Baekhyun shook his head and pointed to the one beside the tall classmate of mines. This guy was really pale, small eyes, and he looked familiar. “This is Zhang Yixing. Yixing this is Eunyoung but she goes by Amber.” Baekhyun introduced us.

 

I waved at him and he did also. Then I remembered where I saw him. “You're the one from the Director's office!”

 

Yixing eyes widened a little and then he laughed, “You're the one who punched my cousin?”

 

I nodded. “I won't do again if he behaves.”

 

All of us laughed except Zitao who stuck out his tongue at me. I did right back. Then I looked between them both. “You guys don't look related.” I said before I could stop myself.

 

Yixing spoke up, “Well we are. Zitao wanted to come to Korea and I was available. I recently moved to Korea with my parents and we talked his parents into letting him come with us and they liked the idea. A year before he came here he had been getting I to fights with kids and he was a pain. And well he's gotten a little better. Still more room for improvement.”

 

“Yah! I'm not that bad!” Zitao said as he pouted.

 

I giggled and poked his cheek. “Grumpy panda.”

 

~

 

Well most of the people left. All that's left is Baekhyun, Kibum, Jinki, the twins, Kyungsoo, Zitao, Yixing, Junmyeon, Chanyeol and I, compared to the bunch of people that were there. Junmyeon has too many friends, and he used to be so awkward when we were kids. Also it felt weird being the only girl in here at the moment. 

 

“Amber! AMBER!" I was snapped out of my daze by a hand, that belonged to Kim Kibum. 

 

“What?” I asked looking to see everyone staring at me.

 

“We're talking about what we plan to do after college. Yixing just asked you what you want to do.”

 

I thought for a while about it, “I'm not really sure. I remember that as a kid I always wanted to become a singer but I think I might take up Photography instead.”

 

“Oooooh. Art. I like it.” Baekhyun said.

 

I smiled.

 

“I want to study dancing.” Yixing said.

 

“Gege is awesome at dancing!” Zitao said enthusiastically.

 

“Not better than me.” Jongin said with a slight smirk.

 

“What about me?” Taemin asked and pouted.

 

“How did this conversation go from college to who's better at dancing?” Junmyeon asked and it had us all laughing.

 

Yep, today was a great day.