I wanted to protect her.

I didn’t want her to feel alone.

Wandering around this unknown world, I felt lost. I clenched the small bag in my hands that only held a few clothes and empty wallet. The feeling of regret filled my body. Just what am I supposed to do? 

"I don't want to run the games! I have no motives to capture humans."

"You really don't understand, huh? I'll let you experience being around humans until you finally realize how disgusting they are."

I really shouldn't have argued with Dad. Sitting on the park bench, I had no single idea to where I'll be staying at. 

A hotel? No money. 

Someone's house? I don't know anyone here. 

Streets? It's winter time, I'll freeze to death... Well technically not to death since I can't actually die.

Staring at the stars above me, a helpless sigh escaped my mouth. At least the weather isn't that bad tonight. 

"Are you here to stargaze also?"

I did not jump by the sudden voice like regular humans do (I sensed a presence nearby), instead I was more surprised that someone was talking to me. 

"Me?" I turned to the person. 

"No, I'm not talking to the only person in front of me –yes you," he said in a sarcastic tone. 

I rolled my eyes in response, which earned me a smile of amusement from the male. It was too dark for me to trace out his exact facial features. He could've looked like a serial killer and I wouldn't have known. 

"I guess you could say that."

I watched him casually take a seat beside me on the bench, his eyes on the night view. 

"I finally found someone like me," he said. 

I raised a brow at him and asked, "Why is that so important?" 

He placed his gaze onto me now, I was now able to sketch out his facial features. The guy wasn't so bad looking I had to admit. He had black hair that went past his ear and big round black eyes. With a sculpted face, the male could be compared to the looks of a demon but he still wasn’t that good looking to me.

"It makes me sound less girly," he answered with a smirk that I couldn't figure out if he was joking or not.

I laughed at him though, the guy was pretty weird yet interesting. 

"Really? Because I don't think so," I giggled, teasing the latter. 

I heard him chuckle at himself also, until he regained his composure. Soon it was quiet again, only the sounds of nature around us filled our ears while our eyes gazed upon the lights in the sky. 

"Are you running away or something?" the male interrupted the silence. 

"Why should I tell a personal matter to a stranger?" I bluntly responded back, looking at him weirdly. 

He chuckled and I saw his head nod as if acknowledging what I pointed out. Sticking his head in front of me, the male introduced himself.

"Sorry for my rudeness, my name is Jaejoong."

Politely, I shook his hand and said, "Nicole. Nice to meet you." 

"Foreigner?" 

"Sure, you could say that."

We stared at each other, not saying anything each other. I watched his eyes look at my bag and then at me. 

"Let me guess, you don't have anywhere to stay?"

"Bingo," I coolly nodded.

"And you're not worried or anything?" 

I shrugged, "I'll find a way somehow."

Again, another round of silence came. I heard the rustling of his jacket, possibly adjusting to a more comfortable position. 

"Want to stay at my house?" 

I immediately turned to him and gave him an "Are-You-Serious?" look. Just who in the right mind invites a person that you just met minutes ago to stay over at their house? I could be the most wanted criminal in Korea yet he lets me sleep at his house. This guy really is weird.

Catching the drift, he added, "Of course until you find a place to stay."

I paused, thinking about his offer. If he tried to attack me, I could easily kill him. 

I shrugged, "Sure, why not? Beats sleeping in the cold."

“Welcome to my territory,” Jaejoong smiled confidently as he opened the apartment door.

I walked into the apartment, going down the hallway and into the living room. It was simple, not clean or dirty, not too little or too much furniture either. The place is definitely different from my usual home but I’ll get used to it. He gestured me to follow and so I trailed behind him. Opening the door nearest to restroom,

Jaejoong said, “Here’s your room.”

I dropped my things next to the door and automatically fell on top of the twin sized bed. Without even looking, I knew he was laughing at me.

“Thank you,” I told him before he went to his room. “I’ll only stay here for a week.”

A week turned into a month, then 6 months, then a year. He became a stranger to a weirdo to one of my best friends. It was just weird, it went by so fast. As time went on, I kept questioning what Dad told me.

“Humans are greedy and self-centered. They don’t care about anyone but themselves, they don’t even have to think a second time about betraying anybody. To compare them to us is an insult to our kind.”

I did not understand the reason behind it. Jaejoong was nothing like that, he was kind and caring to me the whole time I’ve been with him. Despite being moody sometimes, he would immediately apologize. He was able to accept my fiesty attitude and blunt personality. Jaejoong did not fit the description of humans I’ve learned about.

That was what I thought.

“Nicole, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Hara. Hara, this is my best friend, Nicole.”

We were sitting in a café, which he dragged me to even though I was supposed to be sleeping in. A thin, doll-like female came up to our table and greeted Jaejoong. I, of course, stared at the two puzzled, not knowing what was going on. It wasn’t until he finally introduced her to me I was able to grasp the situation.

“Annyeonghassyeo, Hara imnida,” she greeted me with a smile.

She wasn’t bad looking at all, but the smile on her face seemed ugly, maybe forced. I didn’t like it at all. 

I greeted back in the same level of friendliness, “Nicole imnida, nice to meet you.”

She basically ignored me the whole time at the café. When I talked, she would change the subject. If I tried talking to Jaejoong, she would in and act cute with him. I just watched them talk to each other, while I ate my sandwich quietly. There was one word to describe her: annoying.

Once Jaejoong and I reached the apartment, I bluntly told him, “Don’t ever invite me to your dates with Hara again.”

I then slammed my room door, not letting him talk back to me again. I thought that would be the last time I would meet face to face with Hara.

I was wrong.

“Get out of the house, now.”

Her round brown eyes stared at me as she stood underneath my room’s doorway. I stopped typing on my laptop and placed my gaze onto her. There was only one thought in my mind: Are you ing kidding me?

“Well don’t just sit there, pack up and don’t ever look for Jaejoong again.”

I rolled my eyes and pushed my bangs behind my ears, “Why? What right do you have to kick me out?”

A smirk curved onto her pink lips, “I’m Jaejoong’s girlfriend, I could do anything.”

“You could do anything but boss me around. I’m not your property.”

“Look, you’re an eyesore right now,” Hara said in a tone that annoyed the heck out of me. “I don’t like the fact that my boyfriend’s best friend is a girl and living with him.”

“He’s the one that allowed me to stay at his place,” I countered back. “It’s not my fault that he doesn’t let you stay under his roof.”

I watched her face turn red with anger and possibly embarrassment. She was trying to find the right words to say back at me but couldn’t. Instead, Hara stood with her head down and fists clenched tight.

“I’ll get you,” she angrily muttered before walking out of the apartment.

I ignored the warning, thinking it was just big talk.

I was once again wrong.

“Nicole,” Jaejoong slammed my room door open.

I looked up from my book that was reading and gave him a questioning look. This was the first time I’ve ever seen such an angry expression on his face. His eye brows were furrowed and a deep thin line was placed on his lips. There was a blaze in his eyes that scared me even more.

“What’s wrong?”

The moment I spoke, I saw the flame in his eyes burned more.

“What’s wrong? Are you really asking me what’s wrong?” he asked in a loud voice. “Why did you do that to Hara?”

I got up from my bed, totally confused, “Ok, just what did I do to Hara?”

“Would you stop acting dumb!” he yelled, making me scared. “I know you don’t like her, but I do!”

Jaejoong yelling at me made my anger boil up also.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I yelled back at him. “I didn’t do anything to her!”

“Quit lying already! Hara told me how you kept tormenting her, telling her how I’m not serious about her and how you’re living with me while she isn’t.”

“I never tormented her, hell I never want to talk to her at all.”

“Why can’t you just apologize, I don’t want us to argue,” Jaejoong pleaded.

I crossed my arms against my chest, “Why should I apologize when I didn’t do anything wrong!?!”

“That’s it!” Jaejoong yelled, slamming his hand against door. “I thought you were my best friend, I guess I was wrong. You’re just a fake. Get out my house now!”

Standing there, my whole body was shocked. I stared at him, hoping he would take back what he said. Our eyes just stared at each other for a period of time, none of us saying anything to each other.

“Y-you’re kidding right?” I said, stretching my hand towards him. Please don’t be what Dad described you as.

I didn’t have to look at myself to know I was trembling with fear. My eyes, hands, and legs were shaking. I didn’t want to lose my best friend. I don’t want my father to be right.

Turning his back against me, he angrily said, “I’m not! I want you out of this house and out of my face right now! Don’t even talk to me anymore!”

I watched him grow more distant until he disappeared to his room. I didn’t feel like crying, there was too much thoughts in my head. The words Dad said about humans kept replaying in my mind, no matter how much I disliked it.

“I was betrayed…They really do only care about their own happiness…” I mumbled to myself, feeling completely defeated.

My heart felt empty, my body suddenly felt heavy. I gathered my luggage quickly and transported back to my real home. I made sure I did not look back. I made sure not to feel weak.

“I’m guessing you learned what I said was right?”

“Shut up, just hurry up and let me control the damn game.”

Sitting on the park bench where we first met, it brought back memories. Memories that I did not want to remember.

“Yah!” I yelled at the male. “Quit chasing me!”

“Not until you admit I’m not a ert!” Jaejoong grinned at me, still chasing me around the playground.

I laughed at his childishness and responded, “Why should I? Who lets a random girl into their house just minutes in meeting each other?”

“Yah, if I didn’t let you stay at my house you would’ve died that night from sleeping in the cold!”

“I would not~”

“You would!”

He continued to chase me around the playground, despite others staring at us. Taking short cuts between the slide, Jaejoong still tried his best to catch me. I decided to get out of the playground to prevent injuring anybody and onto the sidewalk near the benches. I stood behind the bench while he was in front. We stared at each other, trying hard to predict which way we would go.

“3, 2, 1!” we said together.

I went right while he ran left, eventually catching me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, not allowing me to escape. Dragging me to the bench, we both sat down and rest.

"You know Nicole," Jaejoong began to say, "I'm really glad that I met you that night."

I turned my head so I could look at him, he was smiling brightly while staring at the park scene. Nodding in agreement, I cracked a smile. 

"I am too."

He let out a tired sigh but still smiled, "If I hadn't met you, I would never have someone I trust as much as I do with you."

Saying it was such sincerity, it made me happy. There was someone that actually trusted me, it really made my day. 

"Now you have to admit I'm not a ert since I won," he said, pointing at me.

“No fair, I demand another rematch!” I whined.

“No can do, now take back what you said,” he smiled in triumph.

Sticking out my tongue at him, I said, “Never!~”

“Yah!” he yelled at me before attacking me with tickles.

I wanted to forget these types of memories. I felt even lonelier then I was in the beginning. I really hated it.

“Unnie, are you ok?”

Even though I was at the lowest point in my life, it was the time I met her.

Jung Yong Joo.

From that day on, I knew I needed to protect her.

She doesn’t deserve to feel what I felt.

None deserves to feel betrayed. 

That's it!~ Now "The Hot Game" is now officially over ^^ Thank you to all the readers and subscribers again!