Later that night...

“Wow, it feels like it’s been ages since I saw this room as clean as whistle.”

“I believe you’re talking about your own room, Bom.”

Dara laughed her head off, clapping her hands enthusiastically to Chaerin who just winked. “Gotcha, Bom-ah,” she sticked her tongue out playfully. Bom just scowled at them both. They were in Dara’s room now after taking dinner together downstairs with her family. Dara had contemplated about talking to them over and over again and decided to just ask them to sleep over or else she’d burst with all these shattering yet infatuating and warm yet unknown feelings.

“You asked us to sleep over out of the blue. Is there something wrong, Dara-ah?” Chaerin asked as they sat on the fluffy carpet on the floor beside the bed. Dara squirmed a bit in her seat, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She had no idea how to begin the tale.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect you to invite us, knowing that tomorrow is your Jiyongie’s big day.”

“YAH!” Dara blushed furiously. “What are you talking about?” She tapped both her cheeks as she felt the heat rushed up there, trying to make the blush disappeared.

“Oh oh,” Bom sang. “What’s with that rosy cheeks just now?” Dara’s cheeks flamed even more in embarassment.

“Stop teasing her, you naughty,” Chaerin laughed, recognizing their petite friend was having a problem concealing her blush from them.

“Quiet, Chaerin,” Bom said but grinned widely, “Is it about him, hmm? I’m right, aren’t I?”

“So what if it’s indeed about him?” Dara huffed, annoyed that they could read her right away. “But I won’t tell if you don’t shut up.”

“Uh-oh, we’re in trouble,” Bom giggled but when Dara glared at her, she raised both of her hands. “Okay, okay. I sealed my lips.” She made a gesture to lock her lips and threw away the key. Both her and Chaerin looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell the tale.

“Uhm, well. You’re right that it’s about Jiyong,” Dara began, looking anywhere but them. “As you both know, we’re geting closer everyday. I meet him in the broadcast room.. I meet him to watch him rehearsing.. I meet him after school when he’d take me home..” As the story revealed, Dara’s facial expression started to focus on nothing in particular. It was as if she just let did the talking. Her eyes looked glazed with memories of those moments.

“I also want to apologize to both of you. I know I’ve been ditching you guys for a number of occassions whenever Jiyong took me to Love Beat or home,” she casted Bom and Chaerin her sorry look. “I just.. couldn’t help it and I’m so happy being with him. It sounds silly when I talk about it, or even think about it, but it’s like I couldn’t say no when I was given the chance to spend time with him. It’s like I don’t wanna lose it. He’s just so sweet.. so kind.. He listened to Love Beat and even wrote letters to us. He’d talk about spending time with me.. Or when he took me home with his bike.. How we’d laugh together on our way home.. The one and only person who ever wrote and sang the song for me. The one and only person who called me petite.” Dara shook her head gently. “Tell me, Bom-ah, Chaerin-ah.. I don’t understand. It’s like something is tugging my heart. What is this feeling? What should I do?”

Dara turned her head to see both her friends gaping at her, seemingly at loss for words. Chaerin was the first one to blink and nudge at Bom. Bom blinked in turn as if trying to clear the image of Dara who looked at them undecided and curiously in front of her. “Who are you and what have you done to my