“What do you think happened to Ellie?” Micky asked the others while they were inside the elevator. They were already going to their apartment to rest.

            “I’m also wondering what happened to her. She’s been absent for 4 days now. Some of the staff members are already complaining. They’re having a hard time since she’s not around. They can’t easily make decisions about revising certain scenes and dialogues in the script,” U-Know uttered with a sigh.

            “Sorry. I know it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have approached her. Then all of this wouldn’t have happened,” Jaejoong uttered with a low voice.

            “Hey hyung, it’s not your fault. Let’s just forget about it. Anyway I heard that Ellie’s friend, Samar already sent word that she’s just sick and will be back in no time. And I also heard that the management already allowed Ellie two weeks to rest. They really don’t want to let go of her, since her name is really a big attraction to this project,” Max uttered.

            “Two weeks? Really? Then I guess our agreement can now be considered null or void,” Micky said with a light laugh.

            Xiah couldn’t help but laugh as well. “What a way to have a girlfriend.”

            Micky sighed. “And I really thought that I would be able to spend some time with her. I really do like her. And I just want to know her better.”

            “Well you can still spend some time with her . . . in your dreams,” U-Know teased.

            The other boys laughed. And they happily stepped out of the elevator.

            They were already near their apartment when they noticed someone was waiting for them.

            “Samar, what are you doing here?” Micky asked with concern as soon as they approached her.

            Samar looked at Micky, then at Jaejoong. “I’m here because of Ellie. But first, I need to clear our something.”

            “Clear out . . . what?” Micky asked again.

            “I have to ask Jaejoong something,” Samar replied.

            “Ask me what?” Jaejoong asked suddenly.

            Samar gave Jaejoong a serious look. She then took a deep breath before finally speaking. “I want to ask if you know someone named Lena . . . and what is your relationship with her?”

            “Lena? Did I hear that right? You said Lena? Where is she? Do you know where she is? Can you take me to her?” Jaejoong continuously gave out questions. He was suddenly excited. Somehow he was thinking that he was going to see her again.

            Samar shook her head. “Answer me first. Do you know Lena? I want to know your relationship with her. . .  and the last time the two of you were together and how the two of you got separated.”

            Eventhough Jaejoong was puzzled by Samar’s questions, he still tried to answer her even if it was hard for him. “Lena is my childhood friend back in Korea. She was fourteen . . . no, fifteen . . . the last time I saw her . . . It was her birthday, the last day I saw her. . . . And she was being rushed to the emergency room of a hospital. After that . . . I never saw her again.”

            Samar stared at Jaejoong. She could easily see the pain in his eyes. “What’s her full name?” she asked again.

            “Lena Kim . . . why?” Jaejoong asked curiously.

            Samar bent down her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds before looking at Jaejoong again. “Look, I want to know .  . do you really want to see her again? I’m warning you. She’s no longer the girl that you used to know. A lot of things have changed . . . And there are some things that you will need to know before you can fully understand her. Once you see her, you might not even believe it is her . . . She’s changed physically, emotionally and mentally. Are you still willing to see her?”

            “Yes, please . . . yes. I don’t care if she’s changed. I just want to see her again,” Jaejoong answered with extreme happiness.

            Samar nodded. “If you really want to see her, then you will need to come with me. And I suggest you bring your friends as well. They will also need to learn the truth.”

            The DBSK boys quickly exchanged glances with one another. They were all intrigued with the words that Samar said. They all wanted to ask some questions, but they just decided to keep quiet and follow her until they reached their destination.

            Samar and the DBSK boys arrived at an apartment building not far from where the boys were staying.

            “You guys are staying here? What a coincidence . . . this place is very near our place,” Max uttered as he tried to start a conversation.

            Samar just stayed silent which made Max more uncomfortable.

            Somehow the atmosphere among them was very tensed.

            They were already in front of the apartment door when Samar spoke again. “Once we enter . . . I want all of you to promise that everything you see and hear . . . you will all keep as a secret. If you can’t promise . . . then I suggest . . . you leave now.”

            “Don’t worry. We are all trustworthy. . . We will certainly keep whatever secret you have inside . . . Please, let me see Lena,” Jaejoong uttered with a serious tone.

            “Very well, I trust your words,” Samar uttered.

            As Samar and the DBSK boys slowly entered the apartment unit, Krizzia immediately greeted them.

            “You’re here,” she uttered as she gave a quick glance at the boys. “So it’s confirmed? He’s Ellie’s friend?” she then asked Samar.

            Samar nodded. “Please let’s all sit down. There are some things we need to clear out first,” she said to the boys.

            As soon as everyone sat down in the living room . . . .

            “Where is Lena?” Jaejoong asked impatiently.

            “Please don’t be shocked with what I’m going to tell you,” Samar started to say.

            “Tell me what?” Jaejoong asked. He was already feeling agitated just waiting.

            “Ellie . . . is Lena Kim,” Krizzia suddenly blurted out.

            “What?” Jaejoong asked out loud in total disbelief.

            “Ellie and Lena are the same person,” Krizzia repeated.

            “But how?” Jaejoong asked again.

            “But how . . . what? But how did she become like that? Or . . . but how did she changed her appearance? You should know . . . it’s your fault,” Krizzia said sarcastically.

            “Krizzia . . . please . . . I know you’re mad at him. But your anger will only complicate things,” Samar tried to reason with her friend.

            Krizzia looked away. “I’m sorry . . . I’m just going to stay in Ellie’s room. I don’t think I can handle being here when you start narrating Ellie’s past,” she uttered before leaving the room.

            “Why is it I’m having a weird feeling about what you’re going to tell us?” Micky asked with a serious look on his face.

            Samar sighed. “Look, what I’m going to tell you will surely shock and even disturb your thoughts and your lives forever. . . But I just want all of you to know one important thing . . . Ellie is a human being that should be respected and treated fairly. After you guys hear her story . . . I wouldn’t be surprised if you suddenly regard or treat her in a different manner.”

            “Why are you saying those kind of things? What happened to Lena? Why did she become Ellie?” Jaejoong asked nervously.

            Samar took a deep and long breath before looking straight at Jaejoong.

            “Please tell me what’s wrong with Lena,” Jaejoong begged.

            “Do you still remember the night that you found her?” Samar asked.

            Jaejoong’s eyes suddenly became wild with shock.

            “The night I found her?” he asked as if trying to deny what he knew.

            Samar shook her head. She was somehow totally lost as well. She tried to gather the courage to continue with what she was supposed to say.

            “Six years ago . . . a young girl was in a park waiting patiently for her friend. It was her birthday . . . and they were supposed to go out and celebrate. So she waited and waited . . . but her friend didn’t show up. Until evening came . . . it was already dark . . . but she still waited. Until . . . a group of young men came and suddenly started harassing her. The young girl tried to fight . . . but she was too weak compared with the boys who were holding her. . .” Samar suddenly stopped talking. It was really very hard for her to tell Ellie’s story. It was like she was the one who was dying inside as she narrated everything that happened to her friend.

            “Then what happened?” Micky asked. Somehow he couldn’t explain the way his heart was beating heavily after hearing the story that Samar told them.

            “The girl tried to beg . . . and she tried to fight . . . and she even tried to scream . . . but it was no use . . . Within minutes, she was brutally molested . . . and . . . over and over again by those young boys. And after the boys were finished with her, they even tried to kill her. One of the boys took hold of the girl’s head and kept on hitting her head on the ground where she laid,” Samar again stopped talking. She was trying to stop herself from crying since she was already seeing Ellie’s pitiful image in her mind.

            Jaejoong felt like he wanted to throw up. Images of Lena lying on the ground with her clothes all torn up and blood covering her face and body quickly filled his mind. The images were making him mad with pain and regret, His whole body was trembling and his mind was spinning. He wanted to scream and hit himself over and over again. It was all his fault. He neglected her and it cost her . . . her entire life. He knew even if he begged for her forgiveness a million times, it still wouldn’t be able to erase the pain and return what she had lost. He was a fool . . . a totally undeserving friend. He suddenly cried out.

            “Jae,” U-Know uttered with worry.

            “I . . . I am sorry. I didn’t know. Believe me . . . I didn’t mean to do it. I just forgot . . . I just forgot about . . . . her birthday. I didn’t mean to do it. Please you have to believe me,” Jaejoong uttered as he pitifully cried

            The other DBSK boys didn’t know what to do. Their hearts were all heavy with pity for both Jaejoong and Ellie.

            Micky just looked away in another direction. Somehow he couldn’t bear to see his friend cry in such a heartbreaking way. A tear had already fallen from his eye, and he was trying to hide the rest of his tears from the others.

            As for Max, he just closed his eyes and bent down his head. Jaejoong’s cry was too much to take. It also brought tears to his eyes. . . tears that he knew were not only for his friend but for the girl his friend had been searching for.

            Also very much affected, Xiah bit down on his lower lip. He was trying to control himself. But his tears were already filling his eyes. He couldn’t believe that such a terrible fate could happen to someone so close to Jaejoong. He could feel the anguish that his friend was feeling right at that moment. And it was something that was killing him as well.

            “Jae, it’s not your fault. You have to be strong. Please get a hold of yourself. She needs you now,” were the words that U-Know tried to utter. But deep inside, he knew that if he was the one in Jaejoong’s shoes, he would surely be in a more anguished state.

            Jaejoong continued to cry. He felt like his heart was going to explode any moment. He knew about that story . . . he knew it all too well. But he was just trying to make himself believe that it wasn’t real. He didn’t want to accept reality and made himself pretend as if he knew nothing about what really happened. He couldn’t accept it . . . he didn’t want to accept it . . . eventhough the truth was already laid down infront of him.

            “Hyung,” Max uttered with worry as he touched his friend’s shoulder.

            Jaejoong suddenly stood up and quickly took hold of Samar’s hand. “Please let me see her. I . . . I want to ask her forgiveness . . . I . . . I want to make up to her. Please, I am begging you,” he uttered with a quivering voice.

            Samar sadly stared at Jaejoong. Now she knew that Ellie wasn’t the only one who suffered. Jaejoong had also carried such a painful burden for the passed six years.

            “Jaejoong, Lena is no longer the girl you know. She’s changed. And right now, she’s in a bad state. That’s why Krizzia and I decided to reveal everything to you. We badly need your help. And somehow we think you and Micky would be able to help us in dealing with Lena,” Samar said softly.

            “Why? What’s wrong with her?” Micky asked with concern.

            “She’s gone into a withdrawn state again. She’s totally lost herself. She won’t respond to anything we say or do. Honestly we are in a state of panic right now. Lena’s parents don’t know that she’s returned to her previous mental condition. Krizzia and I are both afraid that if we tell them about Lena, they will immediately lock her up again in a mental institution,” Samar explained.

            “What? A . . . a mental institution?” Jaejoong asked as different thoughts were crossing his mind. Everything was happening too fast . . . and everything was somehow too painful to bear.

            Samar smiled bitterly. “Yes, a mental institution. Right after that incident, Lena went into a state of shock. She was totally unresponsive for more than a year. Then she developed sudden and violent mood swings. Her parents didn’t know what to do with her so she was sent into a mental institution.”

            Jaejoong felt like he was going crazy himself. Everything about Lena was totally unbelievable. He couldn’t imagine the sweet and cheerful Lena he grew up was now a broken soul with so much pain and hatred in her heart.

            “Please let me see her,” he begged again.

            Samar looked at Jaejoong once more then nodded. She slowly stood up. “Follow me, but please try to control yourself once you see her. And remember . . . you’re not allowed to touch her.”

            Jaejoong and the other DBSK boys quickly followed Samar into a room.

            “Where is she?” Samar asked Krizzia.

            Krizzia slowly looked at the corner of the room where Ellie was silently sitting. She was still staring blankly infront of her and was somehow uttering something in a very low voice.

            As soon as Jaejoong saw Lena, he felt like his entire world had collapsed. He knew he wasn’t ready to face her. He didn’t know where to start and how to ask for her forgiveness. He bit down on his lower lip to stop himself from crying. But his whole body was already shaking. He was so ashamed of himself. He felt so undeserving to face her again.

            He continued to stare at her pitiful condition . . . and bit by bit . . . his heart just kept on shattering up to a point he couldn’t control himself any longer.

With heavy footsteps, he started to approach Lena. Krizzia wanted to stop him but Samar quickly signaled her to allow him to get close to Lena.

And as he stood in front of her, his tears quickly rushed out again. He then knelt down in front of her . . . face to face . . . he continued to stare at the friend he had been searching and missing for the passed six years.

            “Lena,” he softly uttered. But she just continued to look right through him. Slowly he tried to reach for her. He wanted to touch her face, but he quickly drew his hand away after remembering he wasn’t allowed to touch her. Somehow this added more pain in his heart. How he had missed her and it was maddening for him not to be able to hold her in his arms or touch her like the way he used to. He quickly wiped his tears away and tried to smile at her. “Lena, it’s me . . . It’s me . . . Jaejoong . . . Please . . . say you still remember me.”

            But she just continued to stare as if she didn’t hear anything or see anyone.

            Jaejoong closed his eyes. He wanted to find more strength inside of him. He wanted to continue facing her. He wanted to be with her and he wanted to pay for his sins. . . .

            He slowly bent down his head. And slowly his tears started to fall . . . .

            “I am sorry . . . I know even if I say it a million times, I won’t be able to make up for what I did to you . . . I know everything is my fault. I should be the one to take the blame for what happened to you. I’m sorry . . .” he cried out while his whole body trembled.

            Samar, Krizzia and the other DBSK boys couldn’t help but cry as well. They could easily feel the pain that both Ellie and Jaejoong were feeling.

            “Lena, please . . . say something. Scream at me . . . Throw something at me . . . . . Hurt me . . . I will accept everything . . . But please just return to me . . . I miss you. Do you know how long I have missed you? I totally went mad with worry after I found out that you had left Korea. I wanted to see you . . . but I didn’t even know where to start searching for you. Lena . . . . please forgive me. I will do anything you want . . . I will do everything for you. . . Please don’t be like this. It’s hurting me so much to see you like this. I . . . I am willing to give up everything I have now . . . just say you’ll come back to me. I want us to be like the way we used to be . . . before. We can just pretend . . . We can pretend that nothing happened. We can go back to our old ways . . . and be happy. Please . . .” he begged with such anguish in his voice.

            Suddenly . . . . Lena started to talk . . . . as if talking to an imaginary person.

            “Jaejoong . . . . he was my friend . . . but not anymore . . . We were supposed to go out on my birthday. So I waited in the park,” she said with a smile. “I waited and waited . . . I waited for hours. I knew he was with his girlfriend, but I still waited. I still believed that he wouldn’t forget about me. I’m his best friend, you see. He said I was the only girl that would have a special place in his heart. But . . .” suddenly the smile disappeared from her lips. “No Jaejoong came . . . I guess he was so busy with his girl . . . I am no longer needed in his life. But I still waited . . . I believed in him . . . I knew he wouldn’t let me down.”

            Then tears quickly flowed down from Lena’s eyes. . . .

            “I waited . . . until . . . . they . . . came. . . . They asked me what I was doing in the park and if I was waiting for someone. I said I was waiting for Jaejoong. But they all laughed. They said it was already dark and he wasn’t going to show up. I said Jaejoong would come . . . But they all laughed again. Then one of the guys approached me . . . He started to touch my face . . . I tried to move away from him. But one of his friends already took hold of me. . . .”

            Jaejoong stared at Lena as she narrated her story . . . His heart was already screaming because of the pain he was feeling.

            More tears fell from Lena’s eyes . . . “Then they started to pull on my clothes. I screamed but one of them hit me . . . I screamed again . . . But one of them stuffed a piece of cloth in my mouth . . . Then . . . then . . . they pulled me down on the ground and started touching me . . . me . . . one by one . . . . over and over again . . . . I wanted to cry out and scream but I couldn’t. I was praying so hard that Jaejoong would come and save me . . . I prayed so many times . . . But he didn’t come. He didn’t really care about me . . . He left me alone . . .”

            Jaejoong quickly cried again. He felt like he wanted to die right at that moment.

            “They me . . . over and over and over . . . . They touched me with their filthy hands. . . over and over and over . . . I just accepted everything and wished that they would kill me afterwards,” she then stopped talking and smiled. “Do you know when they started hitting my head on the ground, I was rejoicing? I said I was finally going to die. After what they did to me . . . I no longer had any right to live. At least, they were kind enough to end my misery. . . . “

            “Lena . . . . no . . . no . . . please don’t say that,” Jaejoong uttered as tears flowed out of his eyes.

            “As I closed my eyes . . . and embraced the darkness . . . . I couldn’t understand why I was still thinking about Jaejoong. I was still wondering where he was . . . and why he didn’t come . . . He was my best friend . . . My very best friend . . . . . but . . . I was wrong. I thought he cared about me . . . I was wrong. . . . I was very wrong . . .” she uttered again as if she was talking to someone.

            “Lena, you’re not wrong. I care about you . . . I care about you . . . Do you hear me? I love you . . . I was just too late to realize it . . . I just realized it after I had already lost you. Lena, please say you understand what I am saying . . . I love you,” Jaejoong uttered as he finally broke down into an uncontrollable sob.

            Suddenly . . . Lena started to cry uncontrollably as well.

            “I want to die! I want to die! Why did I have to live? Why did he save me? He should have just left me there . . . to die. I hate him! I hate him! I hate you . . . Jaejoong. I can never forgive you . . . Why did you save me? You should have just let me die!” she started to scream while tears continued to flow out of her eyes.

            Jaejoong felt like he had just died after hearing those words. He couldn’t accept what he heard. The girl he had been longing for . . . now hates him. It was too painful.

            Krizzia quickly went to Lena’s side. “I think you should leave Jaejoong. . . . please. She needs to rest.”

            Jaejoong looked at Krizzia, then at Lena. She was still crying.

            U-Know also went to Jaejoong’s side and quickly helped him up. “Come on, Jae. Give her sometime to rest,” he uttered with concern.

            Jaejoong looked at U-Know. “But . . .”

            U-Know shook his head. “There will be another time Jae . . . She can’t handle anymore pressure . . . Please let’s just go . . .” he tried to say.

            Jaejoong gave Lena one last look before finally going out of the room. And as soon as he was outside, he finally released all the pain he was feeling. He screamed and cried out in the most pitiful and heartbreaking way.

            U-Know immediately took Jaejoong into his arms and tried to comfort him. He knew it was the only way he could help him. And as Jaejoong continued to weep, all the hearts of the other DBSK members wept with him as well.

            It was then that Samar appeared. . . .

            “I am sorry Jaejoong. I know it must be very painful for you,” she softly said.

            Jaejoong tried to stop himself from crying. “How can I help? What should I do to make her better? You said you needed our help . . . What can I do to help her? Please tell me . . . I will do anything.”

            Samar shook her head slowly. “Frankly . . . it is Micky who can help Lena. He’s the only man who can touch her. So he’s the one who should be able to help her.”

            “How can I help?” Micky asked quickly.

            “Continue with your deal with Lena. Be her boyfriend. . . Help her to learn . . . how to trust again. Make her feel how good it is to be with a man again. If possible . . . make her fall in love again . . .” Samar answered without any hesitation.

            Micky was stunned with what he heard. “You’re joking right?”

            Samar shook her head. “You’re our last hope. So far . . . you’re the only man whom we met who can actually touch her without causing any problems. That’s why we are doing this. We are already very desperate.”

            “I’m sorry . . . but I don’t think I can take on such a serious matter all by myself. I’m sorry but I don’t think I can do it,” Micky said with a confused look on his face.

            Samar nodded. “Very well, we won’t force you. We just wanted to try everything first . . . before we inform her parents about her situation,” she said sadly.

            Jaejoong worriedly looked at Samar, then at Micky. He quickly approached him and unexpectedly knelt down in front of him.

            “Jae. . . what are you doing?” Micky asked, quite surprised.

            “Please help Lena… I know I am asking too much from you. But I love her and I want her to get well again. And if you are the only one who can help cure her. . . then I am willing to do anything . . . just say yes,” Jaejoong said while his head bent down.

            Micky looked at U-Know, Xiah and Max, as if asking for help. But they just shook their heads as if to say they couldn’t do anything.

            “Jaejoong, do you even understand what you are asking of me? And even if I agree . . . this isn’t just a game like before. I easily agreed to Lena’s condition before because there isn’t any serious involvement in the deal. . . But in this case, everything is serious and has consequences. Do you know what those consequences are? Are you willing to suffer more? Are you willing to get hurt in the process?” Micky asked with concern and pity.

            Jaejoong looked seriously at Micky. “Please I am begging you. Help me. I don’t care about the consequences. I am willing to bear them all if I have to. I don’t care if I get hurt . . . what matters most is that she gets well. I am willing to do anything just to have her back in my life. Please Micky . . . help me to get her back,” he begged.

            Micky looked away. He didn’t want to see the sadness and pain in Jaejoong’s eyes. He didn’t want to agree. He knew there will be a more complicated problem if he agrees.

            “I’m sorry . . . but I can’t,” he slowly uttered.

            “Please Micky. . .”Jaejoong uttered with a cry. He was desperate and he was willing to sacrifice even his own happiness.

            Micky shook his head. He was totally confused. Somehow his heart was telling him to accept, but his mind was also telling him not to. He then took a long deep breath, before finally speaking again.

            “Are you willing to take a chance Jaejoong?” he suddenly asked.

            “What do you mean?” Jaejoong asked curiously.

            “Are you willing to take a chance? What if I do agree to help you and Lena . . . . and in the process I also fall in love with her? Are you willing to take that chance? What if I do help her . . . and I never return her back to you? Do you think you can accept that? There are a lot of consequences in what you are asking me to do. So please first make sure that you know what you are doing,” Micky uttered seriously.

            Jaejoong tried to smile. “I know . . . You don’t have to remind me of those things. I am prepared for the consequences and the pain. She means so much to me . . . . and if giving her up is the only way I can help her . . . then I am willing to do so. I am prepared to bear all the pain as long as I know she’s happy and well again.”

            Micky felt like something was stuck in his throat. He wanted to say something but somehow he didn’t know how to say it.

            “Please help Lena . . .” Jaejoong uttered again.

            Micky quickly turned his back away from where Jaejoong was kneeling. “Get up. . . or I might suddenly change my mind again. All right, I will help you . . . and Lena. But I am warning you, I won’t be responsible if by chance she falls in love with me or worst I fall in love with her. I hope you got your heart all tied up before we start this plan of yours. Because honestly I don’t have any intention of picking up the broken pieces of your heart once this is all over,” he uttered as he slowly walked away.

            Jaejoong stared at his friend. “Don’t worry . . . you don’t have to worry about my heart. It’s been shattered and thrown away . . .  years ago. Just help Lena. I know she will never return to me. . . but I am still willing to bear the pain as long as I know she’s happy and safe,” he sadly uttered in his mind.