Micky was humming happily as he entered their apartment. It was very obvious that he was very happy.

            “Oh, for God’s sake . . . please erase that smile from your face already. It’s already creeping me out,” Xiah uttered as he sat down on the sofa.

            Max laughed. “I think we will all need to get used to his unending smiles for six weeks.”

            Micky laughed as well. “I’m just amused with that girl. I’ve never met anyone so brave and crazy . . . like me.”

            “But don’t you think you went over board with agreeing to her demand? Imagine you agreed to be her boyfriend for six weeks. If a word about this suddenly leaks out to the press, we’re all in big trouble,” U-Know said seriously.

            “Don’t worry about it. The CEO of Avex and our manager knows about it. So I don’t think there will be trouble. I know they will surely make everything work out since they are so desperate to have Ellie in this project,” Micky simply replied.

            U-Know nodded. “You have a point there. But please tell me honestly, why did you agree to her request?”

            Micky smiled. “Simple. . . The very first time I laid my eyes on her, I was already attracted to her. She’s one gorgeous woman. And I would be a fool to let her get away from me so easily.”

            Max started to laugh with what Micky’s answer. But then he suddenly noticed something.

            “Hyung, what’s wrong?” Max asked Jaejoong. “You’re awfully quiet today? Are you sick?”

            “No, nothing’s wrong,” Jaejoong simply replied.

            “You’ve been quiet ever since you saw Ellie. I’ve noticed you’ve been looking at her so seriously. What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?” Xiah asked curiously.

            Jaejoong shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. But as soon as I saw Ellie, I suddenly remembered Lena. They look so different from each other . . . but there’s something quite familiar about Ellie. I can’t stop myself from thinking that Ellie might be Lena,” he answered truthfully.

            “Ellie is Lena? Lena . . . the friend you had years ago that suddenly disappeared?” Max asked with such interest.

            “If Ellie is really Lena, then she should have recognized you when she saw you. But she didn’t . . . so she’s not Lena. And besides Ellie is mine now, better find yourself another girl to fantasize about Jaejoong. Ellie is already off limits,” Micky said with a hint of seriousness in his voice.

            Jaejoong tried to smile. “Don’t worry. I don’t have any intention to snatch your dream girl,” he tried to act like normal.

            Micky smiled mischievously. “Good. Because I am already planning how to make our six weeks arrangement become longer . . . much . . . much longer.”

            “Oh no! I smell trouble,” Xiah uttered with a laugh.

            As Micky, Xiah, Max and U-Know chatted with one another, Jaejoong continued to keep quiet.

            Somehow he couldn’t get Ellie out of his mind. Something about her was making his heart so restless.

            “Lena, where are you?” he couldn’t help but ask in his mind.

            In Ellie’s hotel room . . . .

            “What are you planning to do Ellie? Why did you make such a crazy demand?” Krizzia asked as soon as they entered their hotel room.

            Ellie smiled mischievously at her as she carelessly sat down on the sofa. “What am I planning? What do you mean?”

            “You know what she means Ellie. Don’t play innocent with us. It won’t work this time,” Samar angrily uttered.

            Ellie suddenly laughed. “Why are you guys being so serious?”

            “Ellie, you just made a deal with a man . . . a man whom you don’t know. . . to be your boyfriend for six weeks. If a normal person heard that kind of arrangement, he would immediately think that the one making the arrangement is crazy. Do you want to be called ‘crazy’ . . . Ellie?” Samar uttered seriously as she also sat down in front of Ellie.

            “I’m not crazy . . . Well not anymore, I guess,” Ellie uttered as her reaction quickly changed from a happy mood to a sad and dark one. Krizzia and Samar exchanged glances with each other. Somehow they didn’t want Ellie to remember the things that happened in the past. The haunting memories always made her sad and can quickly transform her into another person that they didn’t wish to come out.

            “Ellie, we’re just concerned about you. Don’t you think what you did is quite dangerous? You don’t even know that guy,” Krizzia said with concern as she slowly sat down beside Ellie.

            Ellie’s eyes quickly softened as she stared at Krizzia. “Dangerous? I don’t have anything to be afraid of  . . . anymore. I don’t have anything to take care of . . . anymore,” she uttered as she slowly stood up and went to the window.

            As she gazed at the darkening sky, her heart was getting heavier by the second. How she hated the darkness of the night. How she hated seeing the sky as it gets darker and darker. How she wished that morning could go on forever and there were no nights anymore.

            “Samar . . . Krizzia . . . do you guys know how lonely I am? I’ve been living my life like a mouse afraid to come out of his hole. I am afraid of so many things . . . especially men . . . that it has hindered my normal way of living. Do you know that whenever I see lovers holding hands or embracing one another . . . I feel so left out. I feel so lonely. I keep asking myself . . . ‘why can’t I be just an ordinary girl?’. I also want to be embraced by someone. I also want to be loved by someone. Don’t I have a right to be happy as well? Do I really have to live in fear for the rest of my life . . . and carry the scar that happened so long ago?  I want to move on . . . I want to forget . . . I want to learn how to love again. . . how to trust again. I want to live my life now and just forget about the past. Am I not allowed to do these things? Am I not allowed to find the cure to my loneliness?”

            Krizzia and Samar felt like their hearts were getting heavy with pity. Somehow they could feel the pain and sadness that Ellie was feeling. How they wished that they could take away the pain that was deeply buried in Ellie’s heart.

            “You know we love you Ellie. We only want what’s best for you. If you really think that this guy might actually make you happy . . . then go ahead. We will always be by your side to support you,” Samar uttered softly.

            “But please, promise us . . . you won’t let your heart get too involved. I don’t want to see you get hurt like the last time,” Krizzia uttered.

            Ellie quickly gazed out of the window again. Then she slowly faced her friends.

            “I understand. I guess I’m just dreaming again. I already know where this so-called relationship with Micky is going to end. Honestly, I’m just curious. He’s the first man that actually touched me, without me going into shock or hysteria. Both of you have been with me for six years now and you already saw the horrible state I go through whenever a man touches me. So imagine the shock, happiness and curiosity I felt after Micky embraced me . . . and nothing happened. Somehow I just want to know . . . if I still have a chance to be normal again.”

            Samar nodded her head. “Yes, it was a shock to see you not reacting to a man’s touch. And I also agree that it is good to further study your reaction to this man. Maybe he can actually cure you.”

            Ellie lightly laughed. “Cure me? He’s not a god to be able to cure me totally. And even if . . . he is able to help me overcome my fears . . . he still wouldn’t be able to make me forget,” she said as a sharp pain shot through her heart.

            “Ellie. . . it is time to move on. Everything is all in the past now. No one even remembers who you are and what happened. Why can’t you just move on?” Krizzia asked with a soft voice.

            “Move on? No one remembers . . . anymore? But I. . . I remember. . . Sometimes I keep asking myself why I survived. I should have just died that night. I hate all the doctors who saved me. . . And I hate him with all my heart. . . for not being there when I needed him the most,” Ellie uttered as tears quickly fell from her eyes as she continued to stare outside of the window. Somehow the darkness was welcoming Ellie in such a familiar cold manner that made her entire body shiver in fear.