Can we still be friends?

That night, Jin Woon invited Nicole to a dinner in a restaurant near the hotel Jiyeon's family owned. He had wanted to talk to his ex-girlfriend about them and what she thought about him. Nicole had already anticipated this, though she didn't expect Jin Woon to talk to her sooner.

The friends ordered their meal, joking that they'd do on Dutch treat even though Jin Woon had offered earlier that he'd pay for the meal. They had fun time chatting and talking about the gold old days Nicole realized that they where almost late for the movie they were supposed to be watching. And so, in haste, the friends went to the movies.

When the movie ended, Jin Woon decided to take Nicole to the college's park. He knew that a few people stroll that area at that late hour, and he can talk to her in peace. Upon arriving the park, Jin Woon was suddenly silent. Nicole sat on the bench near the fountain, looking at Jin Woon as he kept pacing back and forth.

"Oppa, I think I know why you wanted to talk to me suddenly. It's about us, isn't it?"

Jin Woon stopped walking. He went over to where Nicole was and sat beside her.

"I guess we have to start being honest about us. Do you still love me?"

Nicole looked at Jin Woon and held his hand.

"I still do. But now, I only see you as a friend. How about you?"

"To tell you the truth Nicole, I'm..confused. I mean, I still love you, but then, I can't see us together in the long run."

"Me neither. Actually, I got hurt when we broke up. I admit I didn't cry in front of you, but I cried so hard for many days. I got depressed, so depressed that eomma had me see a doctor and give me medications. I tried to move on and forget you until a year passed. Though the wound was still there, it became bearable and less painful to me. It was then that everytime I see your MVs, I had finally learned to let you go. I tried dating guys, but I guess I wasn't ready. And now that I'm doing odd jobs, I can say that being in a relationship is a hassle. My relationship now is with my job and school."

Jin Woon smiled at his friend. "So, what crossed your mind when you saw me when I came back from Japan?"

Nicole leaned her head on Jin Woon's shoulder, her hand squeezing his hand more. "When I saw you at the coffee shop after three years, I was so happy to see an old friend. The feelings came in a little later, but I realized that I wanted you to be just a friend and not a boyfriend. Anyhow, I wanted us to be special friends...you know, that kind of friendship wherein you're not a couple, yet you still feel for each other? I felt that it's what I wanted. I wanted us to argue but not feel bad and hurt each other. I wanted us to be sweet and make people jealous, but not think any malice at all. I wanted us to have a bond like brothers and sister, but at the same time, not like brothers and sister."

Jin Woon smiled. "I know what you mean. But I guess it's not called 'friends with benefits' since there's one thing we wanted to avoid between us, if you know what I mean."

"Of course, I know what you mean. And personally, I can't see ourselves doing that. It grosses me out."

Jin Woon gave a heartfelt chuckle. Nicole closed her eyes as she sang a song.

We can't play this game anymore
But can we still be friends
Things just can't go on like before
But can we still be friends
We had something to learn
Now it's time for the wheel to turn
Grains of sand, one by one
Before you know it, all gone

Let's admit we made a mistake
But can we still be friends
Heartbreak's never easy to take
But can we still be friends
It's a strange, sad affair
Sometimes seems like we just don't care
Don't waste time feeling hurt
We've been through hell together

Can we still get together sometime
You know life will still go on and on and on

We awoke from our dream
Things are not always what they seem
Memories linger on
It's like a sweet, sad old song

"Nicole, gomawo.."

"It's nothing, Oppa. However, I'm just curious. Has any girl caught your attention already? Please be honest with me. I promise I won't get hurt."

"Well.." JIn Woon blurted out. "I can't say this is definite, but I see myself liking Jiyeon."

Nicole sat up straight. "You're kidding, right?"

"Why would I be kidding?"

"Oppa, it's not that I'm jealous. And you know how i like her. But I believe you and her had bad history together..like you don't like her because she's an elite."

Jin Woon fell silent. He wanted to beat his head on the wall for straying away from his belief.

"Yeah, at first I hated her. Yet..."

"Yet..what?"

"When we met at Mungyeong..well she says, her mother hailed from there. Anyway...I discovered a lot of sides of her she never showed us. I never imagined her to wear the ghetto get-up. I never even imagined her to be a philanthropist like her eomma. And she looked different without make-up. Worst of all was that she was way more childish than you are."

"Is being childish so bad, Oppa?"

"You're already a grown-up. Why should you still act like a child?"

But Nicole only chuckled. "Tell me more. I'm interested how things went between the two of you."

"Well, I reckoned she's not exposed to the 'dirty-minded' us. She came to my house Sunday, and went upstairs. She screamed when she saw me half-. When I joked her by opening my towel, she covered her face. Man, she's so naive! And she cried because she said it wasn't proper to let a girl see that. And to think I was wearing something underneath my towel!"

Nicole spanked Jin Woon. "You really are a ert!"

"Ya, she said the same thing to me."

"Jinjja? Omo, Oppa, don't provoke her anymore like that! You know how the chaebol deal with our kind."

"So? If Jiyeon and me are not meant to be, why would I insist? Of course, it would prove to be a challenge for me to go up against her rich father. Personally, I liked the idea of telling him I like his daughter. And I really do like Jiyeon. It's just that...she doesn't like me anymore."

"Huh? Why?"

Jin Woon looked at the stars. He remembered Jiyeon look up the same stars, but in a different sky. In Seoul, the stars would be obscured by pollution. In the country, they are just so beautiful and mesmerizing.

"I told her about us talking about getting back together. She cried silently with me knowing it a little later. She then told me about her promise not to like me because I'd be getting back with you. The next day, I tried to remind her about it, yet she said she didn't remember saying she liked me. Part of me wanted to believe her, yet part of me wanted to question her. I can still see that look in her eyes that she was still into me. Yet, she said many times she didn't like me anymore. And just this afternoon when she was in the cafe, I noticed that look of jealousy again. When I asked her if she was jealous, she denied it. When I asked why not and reminded her about Saturday's event, she suddenly grew quiet. She left the cafe without answering my question. But you know what, Nicole? Part of me being drawn to her was the fact that she saved my life once."

"Oh, that flower pot incident? Yeah...of course, you're very much indebted to her. But I don't feel it's right to reciprocate her heroism with love. I think you should love her not because she saved you, but because of the odd attributes you had found in her."

"I guess you're right. But I still have to sort out my feelings for her. I admit it's quite embarrassing that a lady would save my life. But then again, I'd rather live than die with no one saving me."

"Right. Oppa, it's getting late. Shall we go home now? Take me home, please..." Nicole pleaded as she hugged Jin Woon's arm.

"Sure, let's go."

Jin Woon gave Nicole the spare helmet. But before she wore it, she went up to Jin Woon and planted a kiss on his lips. Jin Woon answered back. Both didn't feel it odd to kiss each other, and they both felt they needed it. Releasing the kiss, Nicole smiled as she hugged Jin Woon.