Flashes of light formed a flame on the hob. The pan went on the fire. Turning around in the tiny kitchen to prepare the ingredients, Eunyoung continued speaking on the phone.

“Kikwang is such a great guy and you made such a good impression on him,” insisted Kevin, all the way in LA.

Breaking the eggs carefully into a mixing bowl, the woman smiled to no one in particular – it was good to hear her best friend’s voice after so long. “I know he is. So maybe I should date both of them?”

“Amber Liu, don’t you go screwing with Kikwang, he is a good boy,” Kevin reiterated. “I don’t even know who this Seungri is. Where did he come from?”

“He’s a player. And a hilarious one, at that. I met him on the day Kikwang was late. Well, if you weren’t busy being pissy, you would have known the whole story, the minute it happened.” The Korean American wasn’t the only one who knew how to dish out guilt trips.

“A player? You’ve met your match. Then what’s this girlfriend-boyfriend business?”

“Don’t ask me, he’s the one who asked me whether I wanted to play house.” Her line of vision flitted to where Seungri was still deep in sleep.

A yawn came from the other end of the line, it was very late night in the States. “Isn’t there anything else you want to tell me?”

“Hmm?” She beat the eggs as quietly as possible.

“I can sense something’s up. There’s something you aren’t telling me.”

Pausing and internally cursing Kevin’s psychic powers, the woman set the wooden spoon on the bowl. “I saw Seunghyun yesterday.”

She heard a sharp intake of breath from the phone, and heard a gentler tone, “What happened?”

“I miss you very much, Kev.” Eunyoung wished she hadn’t come back to Seoul and was back in America with Kevin by her side. It was her best friend’s fault really, he was the one who had pushed her to move home.

There was an audible sigh. “Whenever you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

No, she didn’t want to talk about seeing Seunghyun again. Not now, not later, not ever.

Movement from the bed caught the woman’s eye. Seungri sat upright like a shot, his bleary eyes adjusting to the strange environment. “Good morning, Amber, who are you talking to?”

Kevin heard him loud and clear, “He’s there? He stayed overnight? Oh my god, Amber Liu, you are so dead!”

Lumbering towards the open-concept kitchen topless, Seungri observed the setting, cautiously. Recalling Seunghyun’s resentment towards her guy friends, the wheels of Eunyoung’s mind started turning while she paused – like a deer caught in front of headlights - and before she knew it, her phone was in the man’s hand.

“Hello, this is Seungri. Who is this?”

Eunyoung stared at the man, speechless. Seungri really took the cake.

“Oh hello, Kevin, is it? Nice to talk to you!” The inane smile made its morning appearance as he continued chatting with Kevin. When he noticed Eunyoung’s glare, he said, sheepishly, “I think she wants to talk to you. Catch you next time!”

Laughter drifted from the receiver. “Amber, you got a keeper.” Did Kevin just deflect to the enemy’s side?

Finally able to fry the French toast after hanging up, Amber couldn’t shake off the awkward fee