For five minutes that he held her, he wished to never let her go. He wanted to stay that way forever with her. He doesn't want to let go. For that five minutes, he wanted to forget everything, especially the conflicts inside him. Just five minutes is all  he needed to feel that he loves her so much.

But his five minutes is up. And he have to let her go. 

She faced him with a smile on her face - that familiar friendly smile she always gives her. "Welcome back." Ella said. "I hope this time I won't lose my best friend." she added. "I... You won't lose me again. I promise." he said. Somehow the word friend made his heart hurt a little. Ella only see him as a friend, and nothing more than that. 

--

Calvin's band just finished their practice that day. He was putting the instruments away, when Ella approached him. "Senior..." she called. He looked back at her. "Oh, hey. Just wait for me to finish this one, then I'll walk you home." he said. Ella just nodded her head. As she watched him with what he is doing, she decided to talk to him about what Shu said the other day. "Senior, what did Shu mean when he said I was your muse?" she asked. Calvin stopped what he was doing then looked at her. "I know you're going to ask about that..."

"I'm just curious. And that song..."

"How about we take a walk now... so that I could explain everything to you."

Ella simply nodded her head. He said goodbye to their bandmates, then he walked Ella home. 

"I had been writing  that song since last year. However, I don't know how to finish it. I don't know what would be the right words to write, or how the melody would go.  I almost gave up writing on that song, until one day, I decided to give it a try." Calvin started while they were walking. Ella walked beside him as she listened. "Then one day, to find an inspiration, I walked through the campus. Until my feel directed me to the chapel. I didn't know why, but some voice kept telling me to go inside. And so, I did.

When I came inside the chapel, I saw this high school girl praying. I don't know why, but I stopped and stared at her for a while. She was fervently praying, as if asking for all her pain to be taken away. I can see from her expression the pain she is feeling. And that's when I decided to play my guitar. The words and the melody just went through my mind. It's because I've found my inspiration in that broken-hearted high school girl."

Ella gave him a curious look. "And that high school girl is..."

"That girl is you, Ella. We already met. I've already known who you are."

Ella fell silent upon hearing what he said. "I mean, I never knew who you really are that time. I know how you look like, and your name..." Calvin added. "You know my name?" she asked. Calvin pulled something from his bag - it was her hankerchief with her name embroidered on it. "All I know is that high school girl that I saw at the chapel, that girl that ran away from me when I tried to call her, was the same owner of this hankerchief she left behind." he answered.

Ella felt herself blush as she took the hankerchief from him. "And I thought I lost this..." she said. "That's why when we saw each other again on the first day of classes, I recognized you. Then, fate had it's ways. You became my junior. We became close friends. I'm thankful for that." he said. She looked up at him and smiled. "Fate sure plays a lot of trick, right?" she said. "All I know is that fate brings two people at the right place and at the right time." Calvin said.

Ella's face turned redder than ever. "Sure, it does. If it's meant to be, it is meant to be" she replied with a nervous laugh. Calvin's face suddenly turned into a serious expression. "Ella..." he called. She looked up at her again. "I wanted to say something to  you... but I don't know if this is the right time to..." he said. She felt her heart beating fast. "W-what is it?" she asked. "I... I'm not sure if this is a perfect time..."

"Why not? Now will always be a perfect time."

"I... I just don't know... I don't know if you'll change if I tell it to you."

"Try me. I don't think I'll ever change, whatever it is that you say."

Calvin turned to her. He tucked her hair behind her ear. He was gathering all his courage to confess to her. "Ella... I..."

"Ella! There you are, I've been waiting a long time for you!"

They both looked back, and saw Chun walking towards them. They were both too caught up with talking, that they didn't realize they're already in front of Ella's house. "Chun! What are doing here?" she asked. She was quite disappointed that Chun had interrupted their talk. "I wanted to discuss the project with you. Why?" he asked. Then he looked at Calvin. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked. Calvin shook his head. "No, no. I... I was just about to say goodbbye to Ella." he said, looking at her. "Oh..." Ella said in a low, disappointed tone. "I'll see you tomorrow then." Calvin said. Ella simply nodded her head. 

After Calvin left, Ella glared at Chun. "I did interrupt something." Chun confirmed. "Senior and I are talking." 

"It must be a very serious talk. It's as if he was just about to confess to you."

Ella felt her face becoming turning beet red. "Of course not! Senior would not do that." she b;urted. Chun just let out a laugh, but deep down inside, he felt scared. With the way Calvin looked at her a while ago, he knew that he like Ella. "But...but what if he did. What would you do?" Chun asked. He knew he should have not asked that question. He didn't want to know Ella's answer, because he was scared. "Senior's a really nice guy. Any girl would fall in love with him." she replied. "But will you... will you accept him?" he asked nervously. 

Ella stared at him for a long time. The suspense was somehow killing him. Then, she smiled at nodded her head. "It's not that hard to fall in love with someone like senior..." she said. 

Chun felt a lump in his throat. He couldn't speak or reply back to her. "I don't know why, but it's like meeting was fated. Did you know, he just told me that he already saw me even before we got in the uniersity? He even had that hankerchief I was missing. And who would have thought, that we'd meet again after a year..." she said. "B-but it's just a conincidence." he said defensively. "Coincidence, or not, I'm just glad to have met someone like him."

"But if does confess, will you accept him?"

"I'll cross the bridge when I get there, Chun."

"Do you...do you like him?"

There was a long pause between them. Chun waited anxiously for her answer, while Ella just looked at him. "Yes, I do." she answered.  With that, he felt his heart break into a million pieces.He forced a smile on his face. "Well, you two do look good together..." he commented. "Chun... can't you see through me? I like Calvin, yes, but it's you that I still love..." Ella thought sadly upon seeing his reaction. "Aren't you going to stop me to be with him?" she asked. Chun shook her head. "I see that he does make you happy. I had never seen you this happy before. If he can keep that smile on your face, I'm not going to stop you to be with him." he said. "I want to, Ella... I want to stop you, but I can't get in your way anymore. If the only thing to do to keep  you bymy side is to be just a friend, then I'll be contented with it..." Chun thought at the back of his mind. 

"Oh..." Ella said, trying to hide her dismay. "If only you feel the same way for me, Chun, I'll choose you over him any time of the day. But I know you love someone else..." she thought as she looked at him. 

"I wish my heart's still free so I could keep a fair fight with him. But I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you and Tiffany... I'm sorry Ella..." Chun thought.

"So does that mean that you give your blessing to him?" Ella finally asked to break their silence. "If that's what you want, Ella." Chun said. "Your happiness is important to me..." 

--

Chun found Calvin by the school's gazebo that afternoon. He wasall by himself, as if waiting for someone to arrive. He then decided to approach him. 

"Senior..." Chun called. Calvin looked up and saw him. He let out a smile at him. "Hey, Chun.What's up?" he asked. "I'm good. Is this the right time to talk?" Chun asked. Calvin nodded his head. "Sure. What is it about?" 

"Ella."

Calvin fell silent when he spoke his name. "What about Ella?" Calvin asked. "What is she to you?" Chun questioned. "Ella is a good friend."

"Is that all?"

"Why are you asking this Chun? What do you mean?"

"Because I want to know. I have to know. I need to know how do you see my best friend.If you will just play with her feelings..."

"I have no intentions of playing with her feelings, Chun."

"Then tell me, how do you see Ella? What does she mean to you?"

"She is a good friend, Chun. She's my inspiration, my muse. I look forward to each day I could be with her. My day just isn't complete without a glimpse of her. That is what she is to me, Chun."

Chun took a deep breath before asking his next question. "Do you like her?" he asked. Calvin was surprised with his question, "Do you like her more than a friend?" Chun asked again. "I do..." Calvin said in a low voice. "I loved her the moment I laid my eyes on her. Yes, Chun. Ella means everything to me, because I love her with all my heart and soul."

Chun felt a lump on his throat. His heart began to break once again. "I'm sorry, Chun... for loving Ella. I'm sorry..." Calvin apologized. Chun shook his head. "Don't apologize for loving her." Chun said, trying to force a smile. "If there is someone that could make her happy and could love her more than anything else, I'm glad that it's you. I just... I just wanted to know because I want to protect her. But I guess I can be at ease knowing there is someone else that could do a better job than I do." Chun answered.

"Please don't think I'm trying to take your place, Chun. You know, you will always be her best friend. I'm just a guy trying to be as close as possible to her." Calvin said. "I understand, Calvin. But promise me one thing...." Chun said. Calvin nodded his head. "Promise me you won't ever hurt my best friend. Promise me you'll always do your best to keep her smiling. Promise me that you will never, ever leave her side." Chun said. "I promise, Chun." 

"Good. Now that I know you'll take good care  of her, I can be at ease." Chun said.

He turned around and walked away from him. But with as he make every step away from Calvin, a tear fell down from his eyes.