A numbing pain held my legs in place even if I tried all my might to shove it. Then there were splinters that had dug in my hand to my elbow, making me twitch internally. But when a hot sensation started to creep to my foot, all the pain was incomparable to it. It was like burning and drowning, I couldn’t fight off my way for air and neither from pain.

            But then a voice I have always strained my ears only to listen to its melody rose from the sirens of fire bells and sprinkles. “So Eun!” My personal angel yelled in agony as he put out the flame from my foot.

            “Jae,” My lips were frozen that I couldn’t hear my voice. Strong and cold arms lifted me, gaining momentum as he broke into a run. I pressed my ears to his lean chest. “Jae,” I called again in a hoarse tone.

            “I’m here.” He ran evenly, not bothered by my weight. His heart was racing against his chest as he panted. “I’ll always be here.”

            I was finally soothed when he brought me to a bright place; I frowned against it and blinked my eyes open. Jaejoong settled me in a bed and held my hand. The room smelled faint traces of medicine. The clinic, I thought. My wandering gaze fell to Jaejoong; his face was unreadable, almost guilty and anguished.

            A woman with curls, likely the nurse, came to me with a medical flashlight to examine my eyes. Another woman was treating my bloody legs after pulling my shoes and socks. I only looked at Jaejoong as I tried to fight the throbbing pain, he looked at me back stoically, and we stared each other off comfortably. 

            My clothes were finally dried off when the nurse asked me to drink plenty of water and gave me a tablet to swallow. After being wrapped up in the legs and arm with bandages, Mrs. Won came and apologized and said comforting words. I told her not to worry at all. But Mrs. Won said that she saw it was Tiffany who caused the fire that burned one laboratory table and some utensils, so she sent Tiffany to me and forced her to apologize. But I really think she meant it when Tiffany said thanks for saving her life, which is incredibly precious for her after eyeing my wounds.

            Mina and Jessica came with Yuchun and Junsu wearing wide eyes and worried faces to my dismay. I assured them for the hundredth time that I was okay before they started off to go home.

            I got up and saw my shoes all burned up. “Don’t worry; I’ll have it replaced if you only have one pair.” Jae said, reading my face.

            “No I still have one,” But that one was my favorite, I thought.

            Luckily the fire did no more serious damage, but unluckily for me I will still be in the gossip headlines for the rest of the week, especially the part that Jaejoong saved me. Past the school’s boards and staffs questions and sympathies, Jaejoong drove me home silently with the callboys again after carrying me up to his car. Jaejoong talked to the bodyguards previously but when he climbed his seat, there were no more traces of what he told them.

            I couldn’t stand the silence, it was louder than anything. When Jae finally reached our house, I turned to face him.

            “Thank you,” I whispered.

            “Why are you thanking me? It was my fault you got into something like that… again!” He stared at the windshield with infuriated eyes.

            “No it was none’s fault but Tiffany’s.”

            “Exactly, that’s why it’s mine, because Tiffany wouldn’t do that if it wasn’t about me.” He faced me then, keeping a distant border. His bronze eyes were darker. “I can’t protect you like how I wanted to.”

            “You’re sounding like Edward Cullen. You can’t protect me like a lifeguard; everyone has to watch for their own back.” I glared at him exasperated. I saw my father peeking through the front window. After a few deep breaths I asked. “What’s your point?”

            “I was thinking that I should bring more bodyguards for you.”

            The floodgate about the irritating bodyguards opened like waves. “More bodyguards? I might have died from embarrassment because of them earlier, and you didn’t even tell me.” I lowered my voice and calm every nerve as my heart raced wildly. “Not that those bodyguards of yours could save me after being drunk.”

            He seems to be stung by my words that made me regret bringing it up. “No they won’t, and you were right. They didn’t even save you from the fire.”

            “Jae,” I said softly after inhaling deeply. “I’ll be okay; you don’t have to be protective.” Suddenly the question of him being my boyfriend rose to his face, but he buried it instantly. Reluctantly, he held my hand to his, warming me. “I survived ten years of my life without a mother, and here I am sitting right next to you.”

            “Okay, I understand and I trust you. I’m acting roughly am I?”

            I giggled and squeezed his hand. “Yes you are.” I hang my bag and opened the door.

            “Eun,” He called and I turned to face his serious and marveling eyes. “I love you.”

            Momentarily shocked and frozen, I couldn’t speak. Heat rushed up my cheeks and they burned.

            “Even if you don’t feel the same way, I still wanted you to know.” He smiled my favorite dimpled and eye crinkled smile.

            I backed away and shut the door, dazed for the longest time while he only shrugged it off playfully. He beeped to signal the Hummers as they move out to the highway. I was still looking after them when my father walked down the porch.

            “What’s freezing you out there?” He asked gruffly, wearing already his sweater.

            I turned to him. “He just said he loves me.” I couldn’t help but giggle.

            “Well what did you say?” Suddenly my father’s observant gaze shot my bad arm then shifted to my bare bandaged feet. “What happened to that?”

He must have already gone home when the incident happened. “I was asked to help Mrs. Won for junior’s Chemistry experiment when a student accidentally made fire with Magnesium Dioxide.”

“Who’s the student?” He opened the front door and we went inside from the cold.

“Tiffany,” I mumbled as I hang my coat to the hooks and threw my bag to the floor.

“That seems like accident alright.” He said sarcastically as he set the fireplace at the east wing of the living room. He must have known about the Junior Plastic’s dramas. “Anyway, are you sure about what Kim Jaejoong said?”

“Yeah he was serious, but I didn’t tell him I love him too.” I went to the kitchen and made a coffee and hot chocolate drink.

“Well, do you love him?” He called, obviously waiting for my answer.

“I don’t know Daddy, I was thinking of a better word for love.” I said as I poured melted hot milk chocolate to a mug of milk.

He came to the kitchen and took his coffee. “There’s no better word than love, dear.” He took a sip. “Maybe you do love him. And you should have said so, so he had stopped courting like an old-fashioned conservative guy.”

I took a sip to my mug. “I’m not in a hurry, and I don’t think he is too.”

We settled in the living room by the mat to warm ourselves. Finally, my father was lost in his own thought, so I settled mine to Jaejoong.

“You know, the way Jaejoong protects you, like with the bodyguards today. It was flattering from the comments of the teachers to me of how lucky my young girl is, but you should know a guy wouldn’t extend a hand like that far to girls.” My father spoke out of the blue.

I blushed, if only Dad knows how far Jae had already extended his hand. “Yeah I guess so too.”

“He has become different, totally. Almost unbelievable for such a short time, maybe something really moved him to do such a change.”

Yeah Dad, when he kissed me from a stupid game.

“You two looks so natural, the feelings I see was real. Like finding your real love, like finding your soul mate. That’s it!” My father continued. “Maybe you found your soul mate!”

“Dad what have you been reading this time? Paperback romance?” We both laughed. He ruffled my head then settled his mug to the kitchen before proceeding to his study room.

I laid awake the whole night, thinking about Jaejoong and the way his voice sounded serious and sincere when he finally said he loves me. Those words were really strong; I don’t think I could say it to him just yet.

Before I used to believe in silent love like what I’ve felt with my first love with Siwon. But now it seems like a ridiculous idea. Maybe Siwon wasn’t my first love. I don’t remember feeling something strong like this, it was irrevocable.

Maybe my father was right after all; maybe Jae is my soul mate.