"Hey, I want to ask you something." Jae Ren nudged Jinyoung. They were sitting on a Park Bench.

"Hmm?" Jinyoung turned his head to her.

"If creatures like you find mates anyway, then why do others who are below the mating age look for girlfriends?" Jae Ren asked.

"Well, curiosity, I guess. And, I think it's because they fool themselves into thinking they've fallen in love." Jinyoung answered. "We only fall in love with our mates. That's final."

Jae Ren nodded in understanding. "What are we doing here?"

"Talkative today, aren't we?" Jinyoung chuckled, making her frown. "Well, I just wanted a breather. I also wanted to ask you a couple of questions..."

"Like what?" Jae Ren asked.

"...concerning VIXX." Jinyoung continued and looked away from her, already noticing how she stiffened. *If you had nothing to hide, you wouldn't react this way...* He felt a little disappointed.

"What's there left to know?" Jae Ren cleared .

"You and I both know there are a lot of things you haven't told me." Jinyoung bluntly said, cutting straight to the chase. He wasn't going to lie to her. He just wanted the truth.

"Because there are a lot of things you are better off not knowing." Jae Ren calmly replied.

"Do you believe yourself?" Jinyoung asked. "Do you believe what you really said? We're bestfriends since I was just a pup and you were just a kid. Why hide something from me now?"

"Because I only found out about it now." Jae Ren simply answered. "Please, Jinyoung. This is something that doesn't concern you-"

"Stop. Don't even say that." Jinyoung snorted.

This was a side of Jinyoung Jae Ren saw only a couple of times. Never directed at her... but now... it seems that never isn't really applicable now.

"Your parents told me to look after you when they left for that trip." Jinyoung turned to her again, even if she was looking forward, facing away from him. He knew it was a sensitive topic, but he needed to say it. He needed to remind her how he's been there for her from the start. "I can't even do that if you don't tell me everything."

"I don't need you to protect me." Jae Ren coldly said, taking Jinyoung by surprise. "You can't."

"I can't what?" Jinyoung challenged. "Protect you? Wow, Jae. I never thought you'd see me as someone weak." Jinyoung hurtfully said. "Am I not good enough so you choose VIXX instead of me?"

Jae Ren remained silent.

"Wow. Just... wow." Jinyoung bitterly chuckled. "You really have that small faith in me? You could have just told me that I'm not fit enough to protect you." He stood up and turned away from Jae Ren, making her see only his back. "We were supposed to be friends who stick with each other." He brokenly said, making Jae Ren want to cry. "I didn't know the feeling wasn't mutual. After all this time, I just annoyed you...? Well, I'm sorry, Jae Ren sshi."

Jae Ren could feel herself being stabbed when he spoke to her like she was a stranger.

Jinyoung started to walk away, and when he was already far enough for her not to see him, but him still see her, he looked back and just glanced at her for a while. *I thought we were friends... maybe something even more than that.*

Jae Ren could still see him walk away, and she swore she saw him turn back to look at her before continuing to walk. Since she now had enhanced eye sight, even just a little, she could faintly see his silhouette. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered how hurt he seemed earlier.

*I have to protect you Jinyoung. From me. Now that I'm like beacon of danger, I can't risk you...* She sadly thought to herself. *Maybe if I was just like the normal human that I thought I was, we could still be together as friends... maybe even more.*

She checked her watch and she sighed. *It's almost 6...* She stood up and walked in the opposite direction of Jinyoung, alone, heading off to her house. She kept her tears inside. Not really wanting to cry in public.

"Jae Ren! You're back!" Hyuk greeted her with a big smile and closed the door after her. "Want to go watch TV? Or maybe we could go rent a movie! I don't exactly know what that is but-"

"Sorry, Hyuk. I'm not really in the mood..." Jae Ren weakly smiled at him and went upstairs to her room. "I'm going to my room to study or something... I'm not going to eat dinner, so help yourselves..." She mumbled and closed and locked her bedroom door.

"What happened?" Ken asked from the couch, worriedly sitting up to glance at Hyuk and Jae Rens bedroom door.

"I don't know... She was all sad when she got home." Hyuk pouted.

N could only watch what happened from beside Ken. *Jinyoung.* He frowned.