Niel's POV

4.00 PM

"Saengil chukhahamnida... saengil chukhahamnida... Saranghaneun Jang Dongwoo... Saengil chukhahamnidaaaa~", a loud cheers filled the once serene cafe.
"Dongwoo, say a wish", said Woohyun-hyung as he picked up the bread knife, ready to split the birthday cake.
Even though it's not a surprise party, being such an emotional person he was, Dongwoo-hyung is still teary about his friends' warm cheers.
"Uh, I don't know~", Dongwoo-hyung's voice trembled.
"Come on", said Woohyun-hyung impatiently.
"I wish that Woohyun won't wasted this cake on my face...", laughters came followed Dongwoo-hyung's words.
"And...", suddenly Dongwoo-hyung's eyes met L.Joe-hyung's that stand right beside me.
"L.Joe-ya... when will you pay my money back?!", said Dongwoo-hyung, tried to sound like he's totally mad but of course with that big grin of his, we're all just laugh at him.
"Alright alright, you can blow the candles~", said Woohyun-hyung as he patted his back.

I could feel that Changjo has been eyeing on me, he's invited too, of course. So with Ms. Jung. I sneaked behind and give signal to him. We're sitting near the bar next to the African statue.

He crossed his legs elegantly as he leaned his back, reorganizing the napkin on the table and breathed deeply.
"So... did you make up your mind already?", he asked with his usual composed manner. Though he's younger and I know him quite well now, at times like this he's really intimidating.
I put the contract papers on the table. And opened them page by page.

"I already signed them", I said as he carefully took them from my hand and recheck it.
"Alright... so we have a deal, you'll go to the dorm tomorrow... You also need money ASAP, don't you? I'll transfer them too today. No problem", said Changjo, couldn't hide his content.
"Yeah..." I unconsciously stare back at the birthday riot in the middle of the cafe, as I caught L.Joe's figure been fooling around with his hyungs. The cake before was already misshaped, L.Joe-hyung is an easy target, he got cakes all over his face.
"Yah, sajang-nim...", I called Changjo and he chuckled at the way I addressed him.
"What is it? L.Joe will be just alright...", he said.
"No... he won't. He doesn't know what he would've done. Don't push him into your business please, as your sincere employee, I beg you~", I said.
Changjo sighed, the amused expression he had before slowly replaced by a cold, serious, facade once again.
"It's the best for him, join me, keep his identity safe, and be someone again", said Changjo with piercing gaze.
"You think I don't know what your real intention is, you want to send message to CAP, you want to use him...", I sighed and fixed my eyes on L.Joe-hyung once again, he then realized it and turn his head, watching us for a moment then go back to the party.
"He had enough already. Let him have a normal life...", I said.

Changjo chuckled.
"You guys... never changed. Since those days at Area 53 until now, still two innocent little kids, aren't you?", said Changjo as he called one waiter to bring him a cup of coffee.
"I just... I don't wanna see him dragged by someone else's interest anymore. His parents denied him, his friends betrayed him, he always caught in other people's mistakes all of his life. Is there no one who wants him so he could have a better life? to build his own dream?", I said.
Changjo just casually sipped his coffee.
"How do you know what his dream is? or, what he really wants?", Changjo asked.
"I don't know about that. But, I know he could make music better than anyone else~", I said.
"What do you want?", said Changjo, cutting my sentence off.

I took the brochure from my back pocket of my jeans carefully not to be seen by L.Joe-hyung at the other side of the room.
"There's this music college in the US", I said as I handed the brochure to Changjo.
"You want me to send him up there?", he said.
"Cut my contract money. I don't care, and about the immigration... since he's wanted by the government, I guess you can do something about it...", said Niel.
"I don't see how is this beneficial for me", said Changjo, handed back the brochure on the table.
"Just helping a friend?", I said, try to awake Changjo's conscience.
He chuckled.

"You must think I owed you something back in Area 53 don't you? I gave you contract already~ and I don't really like it when my employee acting out...", he said with gentle yet menacing tone.
"I'm also your future money maker", I said.

He then went quiet and we stare into each other's eyes for minutes. Those wolf eyes are looking at me, I want him to know that I really mean what I said before. The merry cafe turned into a cemetery in split seconds. Everything suddenly went silent, the clanking sound of coffee being stirred slowly by Changjo's hand enough to make my sweat dripped from the back of my neck. I felt it crawling on my skin. I don't know what I've done to my future career right now, but this is the last shot to get both me and L.Joe-hyung a real new beginning. Changjo raised his cup to take another sip, but his eyes still sticked on mine as he carefully tasting the coffee. Then he put it down back at the table and a faint smile rises from one side of his lips. He chuckled. At one second I could see the warm light illuminated the silent cemetery into a merry cafe once again.

"You see, no one, ever, especially a subordinate, insisting a request on me before. But I could see how you really need that for your hyung. I like your attitude...", Changjo said, still looking straight into my eyes.
I couldn't hide how happy I am about his answer.
"Tricking the immigration is not a big deal for me, I'll take this brochure and find details about the college. Alright?", he continued as he put the Berklee brochure into his pocket.
"Sure. Really, thank you so much Sajangnim~! please make this a secret will you? tomorrow is his birthday. I want to make this a surprise", I said as I tried so hard to keep my voice down.
"One more thing", Changjo said before I left the table.
"Yes?"
"Stop calling me Sajangnim", he said, already turned into his normal straight face.
"Jonghyun-ah... it's that you're my boss now~ I'm your subordinate! subordinate!", I said, pointing my index finger at myself.
"Not Jonghyun-ah too... call me hyung", he looked at me quite amused.
"Mwo yaa", I chuckled. "Alright then, hyungnim-ah...", I continued. And he just laughed at me.

5.00 PM

I took one bottle of beer and walked towards L.Joe-hyung who was standing on the bar alone. People that we don't know well keep coming to celebrate Dongwoo-hyung's birthday. At parties, L.Joe-hyung is always the one who'll keep silent and observe people from the sidelines. He doesn't really like impersonal gathering like this, I found it interesting. I like this side of him, makes me feel like I'm special.

I stood next to him, he pretended like he didn't notice me. Looked like our little argument at the subway still affect him.
"Hyung...", I called him softly.
"What were you talking with Changjo before? were you asking him to cancel his offer to me?", he asked with that forever annoyed face.
I just went silent. I don't know what to answer. Changjo then passed in front of us.

"Changjo-goon, is your offer still valid?", L.Joe-hyung mindlessly asked Changjo.
Changjo stopped and looked at me carefully. I shook my head so Changjo won't say anything about the surprise. L.Joe-hyung saw it, obviously.

"I knew it... Niel, why were you doing that?", he chuckled and asked me with threatening tone.
"I don't want you to go back to that life, what's the point of getting here at first place?", I said.
"But that's my decision, you don't need to dictate me!", he said.
Changjo slowly pulled a chair near us and watched our tense built.

"Trust me hyung, I'll do what the best for you", I said as soft as possible so he wouldn't explode.
"How do you know what the best for me? huh?!", he scoffed.
"I know! I know what the best for you! all of this time we're together, I know. Why are you so mad about it?!"
"You expect me to stay at home and being nothing, don't you?!", he said, bravely challenged me.
"Is that how you always think a