Constant and Changing (kryber)

Chapter 64: Mr. Boogie

Krystal and Amber waited nervously at SM's public relations office. A few minutes ago they had been practicing with Luna for next week's Japanese concert tour, but a sudden call now had the two of them waiting in an empty conference room without explanation.

The public relations office was responsible for putting out official statements on behalf of SM Entertainment and its idols. Krystal had dealt directly with the office several times in the past. Whether it was a personal statement that needed to be released, such as when she fainted at the SMTOWN concert in Shanghai, or a group statement needed to be released, like when f(x) came out with their "4 Walls" album, everything was handled by the public relations office.

The fact that this office dealt with making official statements was the reason why Krystal and Amber were so nervous now. Most official statements were approved over the phone or via email, typically just as a formality. Truly serious situations called for an in-person meeting, such as when Sulli quit the group unexpectedly. Amber, Luna, and Krystal were all summoned to the office at that time, with Victoria present via phone from China. But since it was only Amber and Krystal who had been called to the office this time, Krystal had a sinking feeling about the topic of the meeting.

The door to the conference room opened and a middle-aged member of the PR team came in. Krystal and Amber knew him only as Mr. Kwon. He was a man of few words and he took his job seriously from what Krystal could remember about him.

Without much of a greeting, Mr. Kwon sat down at the table with Krystal and Amber and set down a computer tablet and a pad of paper. Krystal held her breath and waited.

"I apologize for calling both of you here so suddenly, but a situation came up that we need to deal with sooner rather than later," Mr. Kwon said. He picked up his tablet and used it for a few moments before sliding it across the table to Krystal and Amber. "We'd like to get more information about this picture before we figure out what to do about it."

Krystal's blood froze as she looked at the picture in question. A hundred different emotions blazed through her brain, but panic was most prevalent. She quickly turned to Amber and felt the same silent panic emanating from her girlfriend. When Amber finally looked up at her, that mutual sense of panic was magnified

"We're screwed, we're screwed, we're screwed," Krystal screamed in her mind, but she forced her next words to be calm.

"...where did you get this?" Krystal asked Mr. Kwon.

"Dispatch, who else? They've got people on every street corner at all hours of the night, so of course they would catch something like this," Mr. Kwon responded with a shrug. He eyed Krystal and Amber's fearful reactions and calmly walked over to the nearby mini-fridge and took out two bottles of water. "I know you two haven't dealt with a situation like this before, but it's common for Dispatch to catch these kinds of pictures when people least expect it. You shouldn't let it get to you."

Krystal stared up at Mr. Kwon incredulously, surprised at his nonchalance. The panic loosened her tongue and she spoke a bit more bluntly than she should have spoken to a senior. "I shouldn't let this 'get to me?' I shouldn't let the fact that Dispatch has a picture of me and Amber kissing in the middle of the street 'get to me?!'"

Amber said nothing but continued to stare quietly at the crystal clear, black and white photo of themselves kissing beneath an umbrella on a rainy day some time last spring. Krystal couldn't remember the exact day that this kiss occurred, but she remembered that moment, that encounter, that impulsive feeling of love that had driven her to kiss Amber on the streets in the dead of night under the rain. She had remembered checking for people and confirming to herself that the street was empty. There wasn't a car headlight for miles. Krystal remembered feeling the invincibility of love and not once had she stopped to worry that someone might see them, nor had she ever worried after that day that someone did see them. She and Amber had spent such a perfect and memorable night together because of that kiss, and now suddenly the fond memory was marred by the existence of this picture.