Key’s POV

I paced back and forth in front of the building that housed the KARA dorm.  My hands were pushed deep into my pockets and I continued to walk back and forth.  I could feel my palms begin to sweat more as the ten minutes was nearing to a close.  I did not understand why I was nervous.  Maybe I am nervous of Nicole leaving me or nervous to hear how she actually feels.  It is almost like I am confessing to her all over again.  I stopped and sighed.  Rubbing my hands against the inside of my pockets, I saw a taxi pull up to the curb.  I watched Nicole get out of the car and did she look cute.  She was wearing a really cute dark blue sun dress that matched her light blonde hair perfectly.  She wore a light denim jacket over it and wore little red heels.  Her face looked troubled as she began to walk towards me.  She smiled a little as she came closer.

“Hey,” she said. Her heels clicked against the cement as she climbed the couple of stairs.

“Hey,” I replied with a small wave.  “Let’s go talk over there.”  I pointed over to a bench near some bushes and she nodded her head.  We walked in silence a short distance and my nerves were getting all worked up again.  We sat down and both sighed.

“Key, there is something I need to tell you,” said Nicole.

“Wait,” I said as I put a hand up, “I need to tell you something first.”  Nicole nodded her head.  I swallowed hard and looked down at the ground. I took a long pause before I started to speak.

“Nicole, I need to tell you how I feel.”  Nicole shifted a little on the bench.  Was she nervous too? I thought.  I looked down at my hands and I started rubbing them together.   “I really like you Nicole, and I have always liked since I first met you.”  I glanced at her quickly and then looked down at the ground.

“The more we hung out, the more I got to know you.”  I paused and took a deep breath in.  My palms were beginning to sweat.  “And the more I got to know you, without even realizing it, the deeper I fell in love with you.”  I took a long pause and rubbed my hands together.

“What  I am trying to say is that I have fallen in love with you. This is the first time in my life that I have felt like this.  I do not know your feelings towards me, but I clearly know that I care for you deeply.”

I snuck a peek at Nicole and she stared wide eyed at the ground.  She seemed to have been lost in thought.  

“Nicole, I just want to know how you feel.”  Nicole continued to stare at the ground.  Her face looked shocked and panicked.  She probably is trying to think of a way to reject me I thought to myself.  I waited a few more seconds and she still did not say anything. I sighed and stood up.

“I can tell by the look on your face that you don't have the same feelings for me.”  I turned around and took one step.  I then felt two arms wrap around my stomach. Nicole squeezed me from behind and I could feel her face digging into my back.

“Key, I was worried that the reason you wanted to talk was that you were going to break it off with me or something.”  I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was starting to cry.  “I was worried because you are a social person and you had a lot of girls who are friends that you hang out with and I thought that you were going to leave me so easily.”

I was stunned, it was something that I did not expect Nicole to say.  She was just as worried as I was.  We wereb oth worrying about the same thing.  I kind of feel stupid now.  Smiling to myself, I grabbed her arms and loosened her grip on me.  I quickly then spun around and embraced her tightly.  I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me.  She stood there stunned for a moment and then wrapped her arms around my waist.  She then rested her head lightly on my shoulder.

“Truth is Nicole, I was worried too.”  She looked up at me.  Her brown eyes were locked with mine.  I stared into their beauty.

“Worried about what?”

“I was worried because you had so many guys who were friends and I thought that I was going to lose you to one of them.”  I wiped away the stray tears that rolled down her cheeks and pushed her head back against my shoulder. “But hearing that you were worried too, makes me feel a ton better.”  

We stayed embraced together for a little bit. The night breeze would blow softly against my skin and it felt so good to be with Nicole.  I rested my cheek against the top of her head and closed my eyes.  I took a deep breath and could smell Nicole’s sweet scent.  I could stay like this forever.  Nicole went on her tiptoes and pushed her head against mine.

“I love you too, Key,” she whispered into my ear.  She went back down and smiled up at me.  Her smile was always dazzling to look at.  I smiled down at her and it was the one of the most happiest feelings that I have ever felt.  We stared into each other’s eyes for a couple of seconds.  I leaned down slightly and she lifted herself slightly.  Closing my eyes slightly and leaned down more, but then Nicole’s cell phone began to ring.  I quickly opened my eyes and stood straight up.  Nicole sighed in disappointment and released herself from our embrace to get her cellphone from her purse.

“Whoever this is had really great timing,” I muttered to myself, out of hearing range from Nicole.  She pulled her cell out of the bag and slid her finger across the surface.

“Hello?” she asked and there was a slight pause.  I listened intently as I wanted to know who ruined our moment.  

“Hey Jinwoon,” said Nicole.  I paled. Jinwoon? Him of all people had to call right now of all times.  

“How are you?” she asked.  I clenched my fists tightly as I resisted the urge to rip that cell phone from Nicole’s hands and smash it into a million pieces.

“That’s good. Me?” Nicole smiled brightly. “I’m absolutely wonderful.” My anger dimmed and I smiled to myself. At least Nicole is happy, I thought.

“Ah Jinwoon, now is not a good time to catch up. I have to go, but maybe some other time.”  Nicole then hung up the phone and put it back in her purse.  She stood up and smoothed out her dress a little.  “Now where were we?” asked Nicole.  She walked back over to be and wrapped her arms around my neck.  

“Hey,” shouted someone.  Nicole and I both looked behind me.  Hara and Jiyoung were standing about 100 feet away.  “So this is where you ran off Nicole,” shouted Hara.  

“You ditched us for your boyfriend?” shouted Jiyoung.  

I turned my back to them and Nicole still had her arms wrapped around my neck.

“Should we ignore them?” I asked. Nicole nodded her head and smiled.

“Yes please,” she replied.

“So, am I your boyfriend?” I asked.  Nicole gave me a skeptical look.

“Nope,” she said confidently.  I gave her a puzzled look.

“No?” I asked.  She smiled.

“You did not ask me to be your girlfriend yet.”  Her smile grew bigger and I smiled back at her.  

“Are you guys going to ignore us!,” yelled Jiyoung.  I looked over my shoulder and saw a very impatient Hara and Jiyoung.  Gyuri and Han Seung then came along and shuffled the girls away.  I sighed and turned my attention back to Nicole.

“Nicole will you be my girlfriend?” Nicole shook her head no.

“Why not?’ I asked.  

“You have to make it more special,” she replied.  

“Come on, I already told you that ‘I Love you,’ is that not enough?”  She shook her head no again.  I gave her a pretend frustrated look and she laughed.

“How can I make it more special?” I asked.  She looked up at the night sky  and pondered the thought.  I lightly touched my nose against hers and stared into her brown eyes.  She smiled.  

“I know, you have to take me on a date,” she said.

“A date?” She nodded her head.

“A very special date.”

“Alright, give me some time and I will plan a very special date for you.”  Nicole smiled even more brightly.  She went up onto her tiptoes again and kissed my cheek softly. She then released her grip on me and grabbed her purse from the side of the bench.

“I should probably head back, I think that Hara and Jiyoung are having a fit because we ignored them,” said Nicole.  I reached out and grabbed her hand.  It was soft and warm.

“I wouldn’t be too worried about it,” I  said.  I walked her back up to the entrance to the building.  She waved goodbye to me with a smile.  I waved back and watched her disappear up the steps.  While I was walking back to the SHINee dorm, I felt like the happiest man in the world.