The timer pointed to 8.30 sharp. People started gathering and fill up the empty seats in the club.

     SooHee sat in one corner, hoping that nobody will notice her. She's not a fan of going to this kind of place, but on the other hand, she's not willing to refused JongHyun's invitation.

     She took a gulp of her soda.

     I shouldn't have come here. She sighed.

     Other girls in the club were glaring at her with a strange look on their face.  Seem like they're giving her a what-is-this-girl-doing-here face. Probably it's because of what she wore that night. Well, others were wearing very lovely dress while she wore only plain old jeans and long sleeves t-shirt.

     SooHee haven't seen him since the time she arrived there. JongHyun must be busy preparing for the show. This was not his first time performing but this is her first time watching it.

     She finished what's in her glass and placed it on the table next to her.

     "Give a big applause to our singer, JongHyun and his band!" the DJ shouted using the microphone. Cheers were given to him. JongHyun got on stage with his guitar followed by other members of the band. He plucked once his guitar to check its sound. Almost everyone in the club stood up and giving him a big hand.

     He looked around to find SooHee. JongHyun can find her easily because he already expected what she's going to wear. The only feeling she can feel when he fixed his eyes on her was awkwardness. The other girls that gave her a weird look earlier were jumping up and down for his appearance.

     JongHyun began to play his guitar. His band mate sang along with the rhythm. They began to dance with the music. Until then, SooHee remained in her seat. Watching him on stage excites her. He wore a pale pink shirt and straight cut jeans, further highlighting him on stage.

     She never saw him doing something so enthusiastically. He even smiled. Smile? He's smiling? This is the first time ever since she knew him. He's actually smiling. Even though that smile wasn't meant for her, still, it made her heart stop beating for a second.

     "Another drink miss?" the bartender asked her making her stepped out her daydreaming.

     "No." she shook her head.

     The light had dimmed. Only spotlights lit the stage. 

     JongHyun was already sitting on a chair. He pulled the microphone nearer. "For the next song, well, I wrote it about two days ago." He began. Again, his eyes were on SooHee. "This song is about a guy falling for girl that he's not supposed to, and no matter how much he's brushing her off his mind, she kept coming back." he paused. "She caught his heart."

     Somehow, his words made her blushed, terribly. SooHee grabbed her glass to her soda in order to get away from his sight, but then her empty glass made out a weird sound once she it. She got more ashamed. Good thing that no one was paying attention to her at that time, except for that person who's giving an explanation right now, about the song he write which most likely he was talking about her. That's much worse than if other random people looked at her.

     "I hope you guys will like it." he said.

     The room fill with silence. Only the sound of his guitar was vibrating in the room. It's a ballad song. When he started singing, SooHee can't help but to focused on him. He's singing from his heart, she can tell it from his face reaction. The audience waved their hand in the air. Some of them recorded it with their cell phone.

     "He's good isn't he?" A middle aged man sat next to SooHee.

     She answered with a forced smile. She felt weird with him sitting next to her.

     "You know, lots of girls are crazy for him." He continued.

     She remained silence. Ignoring what he said. Not to be rude but he's telling things that was so obvious at that time. Even if he didn't say it, she would have known.

     "Especially that girl over there." he pointed his index finger to a young tall girl right in front of the stage. Her short black dress with her killer heels showed off her perfect legs.

     SooHee observed her carefully. She recognized that silhouette from somewhere. The girl with that long wavy hair, who is she?

     "HyoJin?" That name came out from . 

     "You knew her?" he asked. "Well that's not a surprised. Everyone knows her. She's the daughter of the owner of this club." He breathed out the smoked that was inhaled from his cigarette. 

     He finished his performance with a thank you. 

     "I better get going. He's already done." She stood up and toted her sling bag. 

     Why was he telling her all that? The fact that he had tons of fans didn't really bother her much, but the emergence of that middle age man and informing her about HyoJin that made her curious the most. Speaking about HyoJin, is it true that she like him? It appeared that way when she cheered exuberantly when JongHyun sang before. 

     She moved between the seas of people. It's hard to breath in there when the only thing that got into her nose was the smell of cigarettes and strong perfumed. Fortunately, there's no alcohol drinks there. The front doors were gap by the guard. 

     "SooHee." JongHyun's voiced echoed in the street. He ambled next to her. "Why did you leave so fast?"

     "I just... I can't... I mean, I'm not comfortable in there." She tried to put her sentence nicely, not to hurt JongHyun's feeling.

     "Me too." he agreed. "I can never stand that kind of place."

     "Then, why sing there?" 

     "Because, I get good payment." 

     "You didn't seem that you desperately need money." She frowned.

     "Well, yes." he bluntly answered. "It's just... forget it."   

     The road that was busy with cars and other vehicles began to calm. Only street light accompany the loneliness of the street. They passed through a drunken man, struggled to walk properly.

     When seeing that man, something crossed her mind. She intended to ask him about the man that talked to her in the club earlier, but she completely forgot once she stepped out of the club.

     "Do you saw who I was talking to before I got out?"

     "Who? Is it the man with gold blazer and cigarettes in his hand?"

     "Yup, that's him."

     "He's HyoJin's father." he told. He re-positioned the guitar on his back. "Why?"

     "Just asking." She avoided telling him what HyoJin's father said. No wonder that middle age man saying something like that. Probably he thought that SooHee was falling for JongHyun and he was trying to help her daughter get JongHyun.

     After a while he stopped in front of a Baskin Robbin store. 

     "Want to eat ice cream?" JongHyun opened the store door.

     "Isn't it too late for ice cream now? It's almost midnight."

     "There's no harm eating ice cream at this time. Come on. My treat." he insisted.

     "Are you-" 

     "Shut up." JongHyun pulled your hand. 

     In all honesty, she wanted to be with him at that time. SooHee keep quiet and let him dragged her into the store. He chose the ice cream.

     "What do you want?"

     "That." I pointed on the Pralines'n Cream. The worker took a regular cup and put one scoop of the ice cream into the cup. 

     JongHyun sat on the table facing the road.

     This was not like his usual self. A lot of new side of him was seen by her tonight. The part where he invited her to watched him performed, the part where he's actually smiled and he even bought her an ice cream in the middle of the night-well, it's not passed 12 yet, but it's kind of late to eat an ice cream, plus in this cold weather.

     "Why do you want to eat ice cream out of the blue?" SooHee sat on his right.

     "Nothing special." He smiled for the second time tonight. This time, SooHee can see clearly his dimple. He has it on his right cheek.

     When she saw the dimple, she poked it with her finger. "Why didn't you smile more often?"

     "Because there's no good reason to smile."

     "Then what about tonight? What's the reason?" SooHee put a spoon of ice cream into .

     JongHyun ignored her question and ped his backpack. He pulled out a red diary-the one that belongs to SooHee which he took not long ago. "Here." He passed it to her.

     SooHee took it without hesitation. "Why giving it back? What about being a servant?"

     It's not like SooHee didn't want it. Remembering how mad he looked at the time when she bumped into him, she never thought he could gave it back easily like that.

    "I don't need it anymore."

     "What do you mean?"

     "I... well, I..." his words stuck in his throat. He remained silent for a while.

     "You don't have to tell if you don't want to." SooHee grinned.

     "No. I want to tell you." He said it seriously. "The day you hit me, it was not because of accident. I saw you coming upstairs. I let you hit me." he stared at his ice cream that was started to melt. "I made that up so I can talk to you. And when you left your diary, it's a jackpot for me."

     SooHee didn't respond yet. She's giving him space to talk, to tell everything. The ice cream in front of her was already forgotten.

     The day was getting late. People walked out of the stores leaving only both of them. The staffs were cleaning up the place. The store was going to close soon. It didn't matter to them. JongHyun was too focused on what he's saying right now-not noticing other things around him.

     "I thought by doing all that, I can get closer to you. But then, it turned out the other way. You... without even being anything that I asked you to be, you'll always there, I mean here, by my side. You're a great friend SooHee, so thank you."

     It's not that she don't mind about all he just said, but the real point that she's looking for is why? She wanted to know why.  All that he planned, it can't be because he only want to be friend. There must be a stronger reason behind all that.

     "Tell me the real reason please..." She stirred her melted ice cream. Not trying to make any eye contact with him.

     He took a deep breath. "You see... I... I actually like you. I really... really like you. From the first time I saw you, about a year ago. You're different. There's something on you that attracted me." He stared at SooHee. "And now, when I'm getting closer with you, you patiently treat my eccentricity. My feelings towards you grow. You're my new muse."

    This is not what she expected from him. He can't be falling for her. It's impossible. He have a lots of fan, in other words, lots of girls want to be with him-trying to win him over. Compared to her, she got nothing. How different she is than other girls? Does that explain why he acted differently tonight?

     "JongHyun." she held his hand. "I... I'm sorry. I... I-"

     Her heart felt heavy to say what is hidden in her mind. She didn't prepare to say anything.

     "It's Key isn't it?" he hid his face by looking down.

     "It's not what you think."

     "I'm okay." He looked at SooHee. Tears were seen on his eyes. However, he managed not to drop it.

     He's perfect. JongHyun got everything. He can sing, he's clever and most importantly he's caring although he's a bit rough with his attitude. Despite he's being tough, he was actually soft hearted. Unfortunately, that's not enough to steal her heart.

     "Can you do me a favor?" He asked.

     SooHee nodded forcefully.

     "Since you rejected me," he giggled. It's not a true laugh. He made it up to cover his embarrassment. "I want you to pretend like this never happened."

       "But-"

     "When tonight's over and tomorrow is the new day. Will you?" He raised one of his eyebrows.

     "Al..Alright." She stuttered. She knew it was the most impossible request ever. How can she pretend like nothing ever happen? Maybe after some time it'll be possible for her, but for him. Can he?

     "Nothing ever happened." His voice cracked.

     "I'm sorry." The only word that can come out, more like suitable words to use is sorry. "I really am." She felt really bad for doing that to him. He's a good friend, not more than that.

     Sorry.