Constant and Changing (kryber)

Chapter 17: Chu

"Knowing your sister and how much she loves you, she didn't mean it like you think she meant it," Amber said. "She was probably just joking around because you were just joking around about kissing me."

There was something odd about the way Amber had said that last sentence. "You were just joking around about kissing me." Krystal caught the subtle difference in Amber's voice, and she quickly turned to look at Amber.

"Is that the reason you were mad at me earlier?" Krystal asked. "Because I was joking around about the kiss?"

"Yeah... it was the kiss," Amber admitted sheepishly. "But honestly, I wasn't mad at you."

Krystal scoffed at Amber's claim. "You were totally mad at me earlier."

"I was not!" Amber laughed. "I was... surprised I guess?"

"Yeah, right," teased Krystal. As Amber playfully glared back at her, much like Krystal had glared at Amber just moments ago, Krystal felt wonderfully at ease. All of her problems always seemed so simple when she was able to discuss her feelings with Amber. If only Krystal had been able to talk to Amber earlier when the kiss (or non-kiss) had happened, Krystal was certain that it wouldn't have made Krystal feel so uneasy earlier.

Krystal took Amber's hand, gently rubbing her fingers across Amber's wrist. "Just admit it, you were mad."

"I was not!" Amber claimed again, laughing. "Look, I'll prove it to you. Close your eyes."

"Are you gonna kiss me?" Krystal wondered. She was joking, but at the same time the thought made her feel nervous.

"I'm not gonna kiss you," Amber said, smirking. "Just close your eyes." Krystal obediently did as she was told. "OK, now I want you to think back to our debut stage."

"The LA chA TA showcase?"

"The LA chA TA showcase," Amber confirmed. "Think of the first time that we performed as a group for a live audience. Do you remember how nervous we felt as we were waiting for the performance to start?"

With her eyes still closed, Krystal nodded vigorously. She pressed her fist against her heart and scrunched her eyes shut. "My heart was beating so fast that I thought it was gonna explode."

Amber laughed gently. "Yeah, that sounds about right. And do you remember how we felt after we were done?"

"Yeah, it was weird. I was filled with adrenaline and I couldn't believe that we had debuted. I felt like I was going crazy. It was so surreal..." Krystal trailed off as she realized the point that Amber was trying to make. Krystal's joke of pretending to kiss Amber on the lips had made Amber feel the same as when they had first debuted. And as much as Krystal regarded their debut as a happy memory, she didn't think she could endure another experience that was as intensely emotional as that initial LA chA TA stage had been.

"OK, Am, I get it. Can I open my eyes now?" Krystal wondered, but Amber didn't respond. "Amber?" Krystal opened her eyes and was surprised to find that Amber had moved her face to within inches of Krystal's. It was an unexpected sight for Krystal, and she squawked in surprise before throwing herself backwards, away from Amber.

"Oh my god!" Krystal hissed at Amber, glancing towards the stairs to see if anyone had woken up from her outburst. Krystal turned and started punching a gleeful looking Amber in the shoulder. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she whispered loudly through gritted teeth.

Unable to contain herself, Amber burst out laughing at Krystal's response. She held a finger to her lips to shush Krystal, but Amber's laughter stopped her from actually making the "shhhhh" sound. Still laughing, Amber accepted the first few blows before trying to catch Krystal's fists in order to stop the incoming attacks. They fought wordlessly for several moments with Amber's mischievous grin dominating Krystal's fiercely angry smile. In the end, they both gave up amicably out of fatigue.