Stepping out of the van Amber let out a gasp of pain as her foot met with the ground and she was glad to be standing in front of the apartment complex she called home at the late hour.  It wasn’t the first injury that she had suffered since she had started dancing, nor would it be her last, but at that moment she wished she was invincible.  The doctor had deemed it a bad sprain and told her to rest her foot for at least a week, keeping it elevated as much as possible.  If she had any other job it would mean one week off work that involved her lying on the couch surrounded by food and daytime television.  But Amber was part of one of South Korea’s biggest idol groups, and so for her resting meant running through her dance moves from the bench that hugged the practice room wall.

The weekend was by far the worst and after having to tough it through a radio interview and a practice rehearsal and performance on the Nationwide Music Bank the ache in her right ankle had become almost unbearable.  Only her fellow band members could see the pain she tried to hide as she limped off the stage and at certain points she even found herself biting back tears that threatened to overpower her.

Turning to Luna as the girl pulled up beside her, she gave the girl a grateful smile at the arm that was offered and linked her own through it.  Putting as much of her weight on Luna as she dared the pair began a slow walk into the lobby and towards the elevator.  It felt like forever and Amber hated knowing that she would have to do it all again the next day.  As the lift slid open the door to the apartment seemed impossibly far away as each step brought a gasp and a stab of agony.  Luna’s face was creased with worry as she wrapped her arm around Amber’s waist for extra support.

“Amber, maybe if you ask manager hyung he will give you at least one day off,” Luna said as they neared the door and Amber let out a grunt, trying to manage a shrug from their current position.

“Not until Monday at least, I need to do Music Core and Inkigayo,” she replied and Luna shook her head with exasperated worry as they paused to enter the access code for the apartment.  Amber had always been tough, and despite the pain she wasn’t about to leave her group in the lurch over a sore ankle.  Nevertheless at the moment she didn’t need to persevere and so she allowed the younger girl to help her to the couch, letting out a loud sigh as the weight was lifted from her foot.

The sounds seemed to draw the attention of an unexpected figure and both Amber and Luna looked up as a familiar redhead appeared from the hallway.  Amber managed a tired smile in the direction of the Caucasian girl, though from the look on her face she could tell there was something wrong.

“Is everything ok?” she asked and both girls nodded, Luna straightening herself and tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Amber’s ankle is sore after today.  She won’t rest,” Luna explained in English and the girl’s blue-grey eyes fell on Amber, who shrugged once more, gazing down at her feet still clad in the shoes from her performance.  “I think she needs, ah, drugs?”

The faux blonde made to move off, but was halted as the red haired girl placed a hand on her arm.  Looking at her quizzically she was met with a gentle smile.

“You go and get ready for bed, you need rest too.  I’ll get Amber some painkillers,” she urged and Luna looked down to Amber who was looking up at them half dazed.

“Go on, I’m just going to rest for a bit anyway before I shower myself,” she urged and after several moments Luna murmured a thank you before reaching down to squeeze Amber’s hand and disappear down the hallway.  Amber turned to the foreigner as she bid her wait one moment, watching as she headed towards the kitchen.

Despite having a career that meant she was barely home, Amber had come to know the Australian girl better than she thought she would.  Kate had been cleaning their dorm for almost as long as she had been here and at first Amber had been delighted to have one more person to be able to converse in English with.  She had come to learn that Kate had come to Seoul on a working holiday, and despite spending her time cleaning houses had for some reason never left.

Knowing that she couldn’t sit there forever and that hopefully there would be relief with the pills that Kate was bringing, Amber slowly and carefully attempted to remove her shoes and socks.  She was half way through undoing the bandage that covered her swollen limb when the Australian reappeared with a glass of water in one hand and a small sachet in the other.

“I got the strongest ones you had,” she said as she approached and Amber thanked her heartily as she abandoned the bandage to take the precious tablets that would offer her some relief.  Kate glanced down at the foot as she popped two into and washed them down with the water, the girl’s face contorting with concern.  “Are you sure you shouldn’t be on crutches or something?”

“I should be ok, it’s just sore after everything today,” Amber assured her, quickly cutting in as the girl opened once more.  Although touched, she had had enough concern over her limping throughout the day.  “What are you doing here so late?”

“A couple of my client’s changed their times around so it looks like I’ll be late here on Fridays now.  I’m almost done now though, I made sure to get all the noisy chores out the way while you were gone and you both have fresh linen on your beds,” she informed and for the first time that day the smile that spread across Amber’s face was genuine.  After her day today the thought of climbing into fresh, crisp sheets sounded heavenly.

“You know exactly how to make a girl’s day, you know that?” she said and Kate let out a chuckle as she reached to take the glass from her.  Thanking her she bent to finish unravelling the bandage, glancing up at the girl uncertainly.  “Could you help me down to the bathroom please?”

Kate nodded, holding her arm out for her and with a slight tug Amber was on her feet, wobbling slightly as she tried to avoid placing her foot on the ground.  Gritting her teeth as she stepped away from the couch, she tried not to let the pain show as they hobbled towards the hallway.  For some reason Amber didn’t want to show the agony she was in, despite the dorm being a place where she could let her guard down.  Reaching the bathroom door they found it already vacated from Luna and Amber grabbed onto the frame as Kate untangled herself, being silenced in advance by a raised hand.

“Your pyjamas are folded on your bed for you, I’ll go get them,” she said and Amber laughed lightly as the girl seemed to read her mind.  She gazed after Kate for a few moments as the Australian made her way to her room, before hopping further into the bathroom and leaning against the counter.  Kate was only three years older than herself and had a funny way of knowing exactly what she needed, occasionally leaving small and insignificant gifts in her room that often made her day brighter when she most needed it.  It was almost like Kate had a beacon that went off whenever she was having a less than good day. 

The return of the girl dragged her from her thoughts and she thanked her politely as she handed over a pile of clothes, for some reason having to deny a blush when she saw underwear had been included.

“Call me when you’re out,” Kate urged and Amber nodded, before closing the door gently and turning around to eye the best way to master the shower.  She stayed in only long enough to wash the perspiration and make-up from herself, glad for the counter’s height as she dried and dressed herself without her foot touching the ground and felt much fresher as she reached the door, calling out for Kate as quietly as possible.

The redhead appeared almost instantly, letting out a disapproving sound as Amber hobbled towards her and instantly slipped an arm around her waist now that both hands were free.  Amber turned her face away as she allowed her arm to be wrapped around the girl’s shoulder, trying to hide the nervous grin that had appeared with the action.  It only took a few moments for them to reach her bedroom, but as soon as she realised where they were headed she couldn’t help but oppose.

“But I left my sh-”

“I put your shoes at the front door and cleaned up your socks,” Kate cut her off as they entered the bedroom; giving Amber a look she tried hard to avoid.  “And I got you a fresh bandage too.”

“Thank you Kate, I really appreciate it,” she said as she was lowered onto the edge of her bed and the girl waved her off as she collected the bandage from the desk that sat in the corner, dragging chair over with it.  With a pat of her thighs Amber obediently raised her right leg up, resting it in the girl’s lap.

“You’re welcome, now let me play nurse, cos you need it,” the Australian commented and Amber half choked as the words produced an image in her mind, causing the girl to glance up at her.

“Sorry.”

Kate didn’t reply as she cradled Amber’s leg gently, although a wide grin had broken out across her face.  They fell into silence as she began to wind the bandage around the affected area and Amber leant back slightly, various thoughts trailing through her head as she watched the girl work.

“Why did you come to Korea?”  The question had escaped almost before she realised and Kate looked up with it, biting down on her bottom lip as she thought about the question.

“Honestly?  It was the music.”

“Why are you still here?  Surely cleaning houses can’t be your dream.”

“No, but I enjoy the country.  It’s only part-time so it means I’m free to travel and explore for the rest.  Maybe one day I’ll move on and travel elsewhere, but for now I don’t think it’s my time to go,” she answered and Amber nodded with understanding, watching as the girl wrapped the final portion of the bandage around and applied a strip of medical tape to keep it intact.  She felt somewhat disappointed with it being over and shuffled further up the bed, struggling under the covers as Kate returned the chair.

Amber was still trying to get comfy when she glided back over, pulling the covers up to tuck under her chin and the idol looked up at her.  While looking decidedly more boyish without any make-up on, Kate still found Amber pretty, especially when it came to her eyes.  Nodding her head slightly the Australian bid her farewell, turning her leave but she only made it a couple of steps when Amber’s hand shot out, latching onto hers.

“Thank you Kate, you... you make a good nurse.  It... you mean a lot to me,” she stumbled over her words and Kate shot her a shy smile, moving back towards her.  Begrudgingly Amber allowed her grasp to slide out of the girl’s and fall limply onto the bed.

“Just don’t bleed near me and we’ll be fine,” Kate joked, brushing a lock of light brown hair out of the girl’s eyes and bending down she planted a soft kiss on her forehead.  “Goodnight Amber, please get better.”

Pulling back she moved quietly towards the door, leaving Amber stunned as her almond orbs trailed after the girl.  It was only after the light had been switched off and she was sunk into darkness that she allowed the grin to break out on her face.  She didn’t know how Kate always knew what was on her mind or when she was having a bad day, but Amber certainly wasn’t about to refuse it.