“She looks fabulous today.” Wu Chun remarked nonchalantly. Every attendee of the Seoul Drama Awards had their eyes on Ella who was a breath of fresh air from the leggy sweet beauty female Korean celebrities were known for.

 

“She always looks great!” Jiro said quickly.

 

Wu Chun looked sideways at his bandmate, curious.

 

“Always?”

 

Realising what he had said, Jiro defended his stand with a gulp. “Always.” He declared, his fingers loosening his collar and returned his attention to what was happening on stage. The other boy chuckled to himself. So that was what was happening, that subtle flirting that had been in the background all this time between their senior and Jiro wasn’t a figment of his imagination.

 

The Korean press adored them. Ella stood in front of the flashing lights, flanked by a hunk on each side after the Awards for their photo opportunity. “This beats being with Hebe and Selina!” She tried to speak above all the noise. “We should start our own band.”

 

“Haha, only because you don’t have to share limelight without them.” Wu Chun .

 

Flicking back abit of his fringe, Jiro changed his pose. “We could do instruments then. Wu Chun, the drums are definitely yours.” For some reason, their company had decided that Wu Chun would have drumming lessons but so far, his potential hadn’t been fulfilled.

 

He groaned. “Just because you are a genius with the guitar doesn’t mean we all are capable of welding instruments.”

 

“Hey I thought we were talking about me!” Ella attempted to throw a diva fit.

 

She was unsuccessful though as the two continued to banter, all the way till they were all at dinner

 

“Cheers!” Everyone at the table clinked their little cups of soju. Ella tipped her head back downing all the liquid.

 

Ella may be motherly but Wu Chun was the definite party pooper when it came to having a good time. “Hey let’s watch the alcohol intake ok.”

 

She took a glance at him, pushing her cup to the middle to be refilled. “Wu Chun, when we cheers, you finish the entire thing.”

 

He rolled his eyes and took a dainty sip from his cup. “Since when did you make the drinking rules?”

 

Jiro finished his drink and helped the girl top up hers. “Dear Chun, let’s relax and have some fun. Besides, Ella can drink anyone here under the table.”

 

She grinned at Jiro, thanking him. It was like having the devil and angel on her left and right. How fun this day was turning out to be! When she received news about how their show was a nominee at the Seoul Drama Awards, she was excited. Then when they revealed that the three of them were invited to attend the Awards, she literally gave a whoop. Though Jiro couldn’t confirm that he was going because of his filming schedule until last minute and she tried to console herself at least Wu Chun was going to be her companion. She had experienced the same disappointment the previous year when they had to do promotions for Hanazakarino Kimitachihe that clashed with Jiro’s It Started With a Kiss filming and only Wu Chun and herself had to hold the fort.

 

But it all worked out and she had to pinch herself when Jiro boarded the plane right behind her. They had been trading text messages and so, that were sometimes frequent dependent on whose side of the court the ball was in. Ella couldn’t help herself, she was never one to be coy and replied straightaway whenever she received a text from him. Jiro on the other hand was on the shy side and he wondered sometimes whether Ella’s forthcoming was just part of her normal personality to everyone else including him.

 

In the past year or so, they are gone from being complete strangers to close friends. She had learnt much about Wu Chun and Jiro and they shared easy camaraderie. As she brushed against Jiro toasting their hosts and feeling the rush of the Korean liquor, there wasn’t any place she rather be than here, with her current two favourite guys in the world. Gradually Wu Chun loosened up and by the end of the dinner, he was partaking in the merrymaking with the rest of them.

 

It wasn’t often that Wu Chun let his guard down. But occasionally, he needed to have a break and that night he gave himself some time off. This hunk couldn’t hold his liquor that well. He wasn’t drunk but when a grown man his size started giggling, they knew it was time to call it a night.

 

Supporting him back to his hotel room, Jiro grumbled. “Gosh, Chun you really should go on diet.”

 

He was still walking straight but slurring his words, Wu Chun protested. “You are the one that needs to diet. Ella too!”

 

Ella walked at the other side of Wu Chun barefooted, holding her heels in one hand. “Thanks Wu Chun. They call it baby fat for a reason.”

 

Wu Chun’s and Jiro’s assistant on the trip had scurried ahead. She waited with the hotel door open for them.

 

“Thank you so much.” Jiro shoved his bandmate on the bed. “You should get some rest, we have an early flight tomorrow.” He told their assistant.

 

Standing outside Wu Chun’s hotel room, Ella was peering in. Jiro closed the door behind him and put his arm across her shoulder, with the intention of ushering her to her room on the same floor.

 

“I’m fine. It’s just my feet that hurt. Your room’s just here!” She stopped short after a few steps, at Jiro’s room that was just next door.

 

“Are you going to bed already?” He asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice. There were none of their chaperones around. This was one rare moment that they were alone and there was no way in hell he would give up this chance to be one on one with her to retire for the night.

 

“Well, if you do want to do round two.” She brandished a small bottle of soju she had been hiding. In another lifetime, she was probably an alcoholic. “I’m game.”

 

“You are on. Shall we go up to the rooftop?”

 

“Is there one in this hotel that we can access?” She cocked her head. They were in and out of the hotels that they stayed in so much that they never had time to explore the places.

 

Jiro gave her a grin. “Well, we can find out.”

 

Ella skipped towards the elevators, doing a little dance. “An adventure! I like!” The young man laughed to himself and hurried to follow her.

 

They stepped out on the highest floor. Indeed, that was the rooftop. The swimming pool greeted them, the calm water shimmering in the dead of the night. Ella ran towards the end of the area to take in the view from the very top of the building. The lights glowed and like every city, Seoul was pretty at night.

 

Unscrewing the top of the soju bottle, she took a swig and burped. To complete her unladylike behaviour, she wiped with the back of her hand. The heels laid a few feet away, forgotten where she had dropped them.

 

Jiro came to her side. Offering him the bottle, she turned to look towards him. “What a sight.”

 

He took in the sight, a little wistful. He had been to so many countries but he had never been to any of the touristy sites or seen much of those countries. It was always the rush from airport to event before hotel then some entertaining and repeat again.

 

As he didn’t take the alcohol nor reply her, Ella scooted closer to him and tiptoed. Her face was at his shoulder now. “What are you thinking about?”

 

The eyes that had haunted his dreams and even his waking moment were now peering wide at him, he could see the concern in her eyes. The alcohol had mixed with the fatigue she had felt from the day but she was still coherent. He couldn’t help himself. With his arms, he scooped her up easily and carried her.

 

Ella definitely wasn’t expecting that. Her fingers were still holding on to the bottle and she laughed. Jiro swung her around in the open air area. Her voice carried a distance. In Jiro’s arms was somewhere she had daydreamed to be in and now that it was happening, she allowed herself to indulge in the moment. Perhaps it was the foreign land or the alcohol that had loosened her up but Ella just wanted to stay like that for a while more.

 

He had no idea what had come over him to be so bold but as the girl in his arms continued to guffaw, it felt so right to have her close to him like that. Finally his arms felt a twitch and reluctantly, she was let down gently.

 

A wave of giddiness overwhelmed Ella and she had to sit down. Right on the ground she plopped. The tall man squatted to see whether she was alright. It was Ella’s turn not to speak. The moonlight shined down from above, casting a shadow. Suddenly, Ella was shy, she didn’t want to spoil the moment. She glanced at his beautiful face and felt extremely ordinary even in this dress.

 

Jiro saw her eyes flicker. With his face extremely close to hers now, he was first to speak.

 

“Ella, what kind of game are we playing here?”

 

She was thoroughly puzzled by his words. “Game?”

 

“This game. Am I the only one who feels this way?”

 

Not fully believing what her ears were hearing, she was hopeful though. “This way?”

 

“I keep on finding myself being drawn to you. Whenever you are in the room, I find myself following your each and every move. Whether or not we were filming or just hanging out with the guys, it’s you I want to be near.”

 

The adrenaline was rushing through his body and to his head. He spoke the words that he had kept hidden for the past year. Right now, all he just wanted was for Ella to know how he felt.

 

“I would have never guessed.” Ella whispered. She definitely couldn’t tell Jiro felt this way. In private he was much more reserved than the public saw him and she could never pin point his feelings. But she had always taken the initiative to just treat him the way she wanted to whenever she saw him.

 

“Really? Not even with my puppy dog eyes?”

 

She smiled at his remark, taking an edge off the seriousness of the situation. “How about my puppy dog eyes whenever you are around?”

 

In a foreign land he was braver and maybe the subdued longing for her couldn’t be suppressed anymore, his impossibly sharp nose touched hers. “I noticed but I didn’t want to believe it. But I know I will regret tonight if I didn’t do this.”

 

Jiro bent his head and gave her a quick peck on her lips. He moved away an inch. Ella’s large eyes were shocked. She definitely wasn’t expecting this. The kiss was so quick, her mind didn’t have time to wrap itself around what had just happened.

 

“Close your eyes.”