Hilton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

 

The conference Elyssa’s attending is coming to an end. She certainly gains a whole lot of knowledge coming here. She loves it, and she kind of sad she needs to go back to her work.

 

Tonight is the last night she will stay in this hotel. She needs to check out tomorrow noon. So, she takes the opportunity to take a walks at the hotel’s small garden. She strolls, quietly inhaling fresh air, appreciating beautiful scenery before her eyes.

 

She sits on one of the bench in the garden. She closes her beautiful eyes, feeling the soft, cold breeze brushes her face. She enjoys the silence, voice of nature, something she can’t have every day.

 

She’s so absorbed in nature that she didn’t even realize it’s getting late.

 

2PM just return from their concert. They have completed their concert in Malaysia successfully, and tomorrow evening they will fly to Bangkok, Thailand to have another concert there. They walk and have nice simple chat among themselves.

 

That’s when he suddenly spots her. The girl that has been interrupting his calm mind lately; that girl has been popping into his mind, repeatedly for this couple of days. So silently, he walks towards her.

 

She just sits there, with her eyes closed and a faint smile on her face. She looks so serene doing that. And hell yes, she’s beautiful. She’ll always be in his eyes.

 

He sits beside her, carefully not letting her realize his presence. He stares at her cute face and smiles.

 

“Aishh, this girl. Always absorbed in whatever she’s doing.”  He thinks to himself.

 

“Don’t you think it is dangerous, for a beautiful lady to sits here all alone, at late night on top of that?” he whispers to her ear supposedly, behind that hijab; after a while he enjoys being close to her, be by her side.

 

Elyssa, stands up abruptly; distanced herself from that source of voice, shocked to hear that voice, sounds so close to her.

 

Her eyes widen seeing him there. At the very bench she has just seated not long ago.

 

“What are you doing here?” Elyssa asks, still trying to recover from her shock just now.

 

Seriously, she almost has had a heart attack. She literally felt her heart stops beating for a second there when he whispered to her.

 

“Is answering a question with another your habit, miss? I believe I deserved your answer first.” Was only Nichkhun reply. He stares her fiercely.

 

“No it’s not. How late is it? What time is it now?” she asks him back.

 

“It’s 2..P..M..” he tries to make a silly joke, he flashes his stupid-cute look.

 

And she laughs at that. Well, it’s not his fault. They’re accustomed to that answer. She’s a hottest herself, so she understands him. And that joke is actually fun to use.

 

“I don’t mean that, stupid.” She giggles a little bit more and throw a glance at her wristwatch.

 

“Wow, I really have been here that long huh? Don’t even realize times have fly away.” She has her monologue.

 

“I lost track of time, appreciating these beauties in front of my eyes.” She answers his question, honestly.

 

“Well friend, don’t get angry but I think I don’t see you using your eyes when I came here just now?” he throws another question.

 

“Friend, I guess it is not safe yet to call me friend, don’t you think so?”

 

“………” Nichkhun left speechless with her words. He only manages to stare at her poker face while she was saying that.

 

“And to answer your question just now, it is not necessarily to use your physical eyes to see. Sometimes you need another set of “eyes” to look, see through something obvious in front of you.” She said, adding to her unfinished sentence just now not even looking at him.

 

She lands her onto the bench back, making sure there’s some distance between them.

 

“And why are you here? Shouldn’t you be busy with your fans?” She asks him again, when she realizes her question just now left unanswered.

 

“Elyssa, it’s past one already. My fans also have home to be back to.” He answers with a gentle smile.

 

She smiles at his smile.

 

“Aren’t you afraid to sit here with me, alone? There might be rumors later. You wouldn’t want your beautiful girlfriend to be furious would you?”

 

Her questions stab him, prick him and broke him into million pieces.

 

“Yes, for the public I am taken….

 

I am happily dating another idol, whose unfortunately is my best friend for a long time….

 

 I cannot be honest with her now….

 

 What can I do…..?

 

 What should I do to get her to me….?

 

 How can I explain to her it was all marketing strategy….?”

 

Nichkhun lost in his own little world as he thinks, deep, deeper and he forget that he’s sitting with the girl who made his heart beats faster, each and every time he see her and her sweet smiles.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” Elyssa asks him, waving her hands in front of his face.

 

He however, still like that; staring at nothing in particular. He looks so dazed and Elyssa don’t have a single idea why is he being like that.

 

She claps her hand loudly, once, right beside his ear to wakes him up from his sleep; that what she thinks.

 

Nichkhun brought back to real world with a loud sound of clap, beside his poor ear.

 

His ears turn red, out of anger or out of embarrassment, Elyssa’s not sure herself.

 

But she laughs endlessly, seeing Nichkhun shocked expression. She laughs to the point she needs to put a pressure at her stomach and her eyes become teary.

 

Nichkhun was angry at first and embarrassed for getting caught red handed, daydreaming; to his defense it is not daydreaming really. How could he daydream when it was pass midnight?

 

But then he smile and laugh, gently, genuinely when he saw how bright she was laughing her heart out like that, and she seems more attractive, more than before.

 

“I don’t know you can be this bright and lovely,” he slurred out his honest comment.

 

Elyssa’s laughs halt abruptly. She stares him fiercely.

 

“Well, it’s not like you’re not lovely. You are attractive and beautiful and all, but honestly you seemed so paranoid before. It’s almost like you’re holding a grudge towards the world, towards stranger. You act like every other person is distrustful and will hurt you every time you let your guard down. So you immediately put up a wall, a barrier so others won’t pass it, won’t come into your life.”

 

He suddenly rambles endlessly, desperately trying to explain his one-sentence comment just now. And boy, he did pray hard she will not be mad about this.

 

She just stares at him, not as fierce but still with cold looks.

 

And he feels like he needs to continue..

 

“But with all due respect, not all strangers are a bad person. You need to get to know them, then you can decide to let them be your friend or not.”

 

She just smiles, faintly and asks him.

 

“What makes you think like that?”

 

“You’re not angry with me?” he asks her back, shocked. Judging from her personality, she would be furious right now for him judging her before he really knows who she really is.

 

“Well friend, too bad my bad habit is contagious.” She stated, plainly.

 

He become confused with her answer so he raises one of his eyebrows, demanding her to explains what she means just now.

 

“In case you don’t realize, you just answer me with another question.” She paused for a while and smiles.

 

Nichkhun also smiles, realizing his mistake just now.

 

“And, I think it is possible to see you as a friend now, since we basically know each other and we have shared multiple pleasant conversations.” She hesitated, again.

 

Nichkhun nods, understand what she means and waits, patiently for whatever she has left to say.

 

“And, I see this might bring us to more private conversation. Plus, you kind of emit good vibes and I am being comfortable around you. So I guess I can try to be your friend, but I need to warn you.”

 

“What is it?” he asks her, glad she finally has opens up to him.

 

“Once I befriend with someone, I stick like a gum.” She said and smiles, a sweet smile.

 

Nichkhun laughs at her statement and relieved.

 

That means she’s not leaving him. And he can be with her for a long time, long enough for him to find a valid reason to “break up” with Tiffany and make her his. That was what he thought and his smile became wider.

 

“Well, since I am your friend now, won’t I entitled to have your phone number?” He asks her directly, and flashes a silly smile.

 

“Seriously, that silly smile not suits your angelic face Khun.” She said, as she is more comfortable with him.

 

Nichkhun just grins at her comment and passes his smartphone to her. She grabs it and start to dials her number.

 

Her phone rings and she ended the call.

 

He nods in satisfaction and smiles.

 

“I’ll disturb your life every single day.” He said and winked at her.

 

“Don’t you dare do that, or else I’ll block your number.” She answers playfully.

 

“It’s getting late. Don’t you need your sleep right now? You have an early morning tomorrow don’t you?” Nichkhun asks her.

 

“Nope, actually the conference ended this evening. I don’t really have anything to do tomorrow, but still I need my sleep.” She answers him, honestly.

 

She has always been an honest person. For her, honesty is important.

 

Nichkhun smiles, sadly.

 

“But, I still have things to talk to you.” He pouts.

 

“Well Mr, you have my number don’t you? You can also contact me using KakaoTalk and Line. You can contact me when you free tomorrow.” She assures him.

 

Then they walk side by side to the elevator and return to their respective rooms.

 

***

 

 

 “saranghanda go ji mal, bogo shi ppeun geronni gojimal, dassi doraundani go jimal, modu da go ji maliya~~”

 

Her phone rings, indicating there’s a message coming. She has been reading after her Subuh prayer this morning. Her left hand try to reach for her phone, which she put on the side table, beside her bed without even looking at it direction.

 

She finally manages to pick up her phone and read the message.

 

It was from Nichkhun, wishing her a very good morning with a very, very cute emoticon.

 

She smiles reading the greetings.

 

She was about to put her phone back on the table without replying when another message come in. Nichkhun invites her to have breakfast with him and s.

 

Elyssa smiles and think for a second.

 

She types in,

 

“Can I bring Natasha along?”

 

“Of course, dear.” Was his reply.

 

Elyssa feels uncomfortable with that “dear” thing. So, to make things clear she types,

 

“Are you mistaken me with someone else? As long as I can remember, I am not one of your “dear”.”

 

Another message comes in, and he just replies her with a lot, a lot of smileys.

 

“Sha, wake up. Want to grab breakfast?” Elyssa shakes her up. She continue her sleep after Subuh since they got nothing to do today.

 

She just mutters incomprehensible words in her sleepy state.

 

“What are you saying Sha? Khun asks for us to join him today.”

 

“With other member of 2PM.” Elyssa added when she saw Natasha still in her blanket.

 

Upon hearing 2PM’s name, she sits up straight.

 

“What? When?” She looks shocked and excited.

 

“In 30 minutes time, they gave us some time to get ready. He asks us to meet him at the elevator.” Elyssa explains then.

 

Natasha jumps off her bed and runs to the bathroom. She washes up and tries to choose nicest outfit she has to wear.

 

Elyssa just laugh at her reaction.

 

“For God’s sake Sha, we just gonna have some breakfast. Just wear anything comfy.” Elyssa suggests to her.

 

She shakes her head.

 

“No.. No..No.. We need to look as attractive as hell.”

 

That was what she decides by herself.

 

Elyssa just grabs her brown cardigan and put on her long skirts. She pats a thin layer of compact powder on her face and smear some lipbalm on her full lips.

 

“I am ready. Tell me when you are.” She asks Natasha and return to her reading.

 

Natasha just nods, hoping Elyssa would see her movement. She rapidly applied her make up and make sure she is stunning.

 

Both of them walk out of their room and walks towards the elevator.

 

“Where are the others?” Natasha asks him when she didn’t see any single soul, other than Khun in front of the elevator.

 

“They’re waiting for you downstairs. I told them to go first since they are very indecisive when it comes to food. They want to eat everything.” He answers and flashes his angelic smile.

 

Elyssa and Natasha just nod, as a sign that they understand.

 

They enter the elevator and wait patiently till the elevator reaches the ground floor.

 

They walk towards Hotel’s lobby where the buffet are arranged neatly and they saw Junho and Wooyoung bicker on about something.

 

“Aishh, these 5 years old kids.” Nichkhun mutters under his breath and quickens his pace, leaving both Natasha and Elyssa behind.

 

“Hyung, why you let them to bicker?” Nichkhun asks to no one in particular. But since only Minjun and Taecyeon are older than him, that question supposedly directed toward them.

 

“Do you know what happens when you interfere kids’ argument?” Minjun asks him back.

 

While Taec just flashes his magnanimous teeth and walks toward Chansung who has settles at the table.

 

Nichkhun can only shake his head. Obviously Minjunnie and Taec have give up to scold those two kid.

 

Nichkhun turn to Elyssa’s and Natasha’s direction. He apologizes on behalf behavior.

 

“I am really sorry you have to see that. They are just 5 years old kids in grown up body.”

 

“Oh, it is definitely okay Khun. All of you just human like us. It is only natural we have our childish side.” Natasha replies, not to let him feels guilty.

 

While Elyssa just nods, agreeing with what Natasha said and smiles. She walks away and picks up her plate. She starts to choose her breakfast.

 

All three of them join the other at the table Chansung has chosen.

 

Nichkhun smacks Chansung’s head when he didn’t show any sign to stop eating when they have sat.

 

Chansung pouts make his so adorable cute face.

 

Natasha and Elyssa giggles at their behavior.

 

“Listen, I would like to introduce to you guys the girls I have been hanging with while we are here. They are the one who responsible for my disappearance from you guys in these 2 days.”

 

Nichkhun starts his sentences.

 

Elyssa throws a deathly glare at him. If looks can kill, Khun would be dead by now.

 

The others just laugh lightly, understand Khun’s not so funny jokes.

 

Then he continues,

 

“Well, this stunning girl here is Natasha and this simple girl is Elyssa.”

 

Both of the lady bow their head slightly as a respect to 2PM members.

 

“I think there’s no need to introduce them to you since both of you are hottest,

 

All 2PM members’ jaw dropped at Khun’s statement, and he continues

 

But out of formality, still, there the guy with huge enormous teeth and cheesy smile is Taecyeon, our rapper,

 

The guy with soft honey voice is our pride and our lead vocal, Minjun,

 

The 5 years old kids who bicker just now are Wooyoungie and Junho, our vocal

 

And last but not least our giant, cute maknae, Hwang Chansung.”

 

Khun manages to introduce both party smoothly. Each and every 2PM member also bows their head slightly when their name been mention by Khun.

 

They smile brightly.

 

“I seriously never thought there are hottest out there who can be calm, sitting with us having decent breakfast.” Taec suddenly let out a comment.

 

A comment that will bring a lot of question after that.

 

“And why is that, may I know?” Elyssa asks, as a reflex from a person with a very, very high curiosity index.

 

The others slowly munch their food, and wait for Taec’s answer.

 

“Usually it will be very, very loud and all of them want to hug or touch us.”

 

He paused for a while, being cautious.

 

“With all respects, I appreciate their ultimate love for us but sometimes it’s getting uncomfortable for us. I really do,”

 

He stops again, this time to munch his food away.

 

“But, isn’t it nice to sit down calmly, and have a nice decent chat over a nice, delicious meal?”

 

He continues after he has swallow whatever he has thrown into his mouth just now.

 

“Well, on their behalf. You need to understand, it is not easy for them to meet their charming, talented, adorable idols. You were so far, far away. And not many of us hottest can go there and meet you. The only opportunity they have is like this, right now, when you do your world tour thingy and have your concerts here and there. Those are the only time they get to meet you. Of course they are excited. So, please forgive them, and please do understand.”

 

Natasha tries to explain so that they would understand their circumstances.

 

All six of them nod their head. Suddenly, Chansung’s face become bright and he said something to Khun in Korean.

 

“Hyung, isn’t she that girl? The girl you grab her wrist and chase the other day? She’s her am I right?”

 

Nichkhun face become red and his eyes widen. He didn’t think Chansung will remember.

 

All other members look at her closely and nod their head.

 

“It’s right. She’s certainly look like her.” They whisper to each other in Korean.

 

While Natasha and Elyssa look at each other, don’t really understand what they are talking about.

 

They look at Nichkhun and Taecyeon, hoping they will explain to them.

 

Taec on the other hand, throws a look to Khun, asking if he can explain to those poor ladies who didn’t understand what they are discussing right now.

 

Khun take a sip of his drink, to lessen his anxiety.

 

“How should I explains this?” He thoughts to himself.

 

And at that time all 7 pairs of eyes looking at Khun’s direction, demanding an explanation.

 

***