The flowerbed - Aespa's Giselle x M!Reader

The broken dishes and broken hearts

Winter's POV

The screen of my phone cast harsh light across my face as I scrolled through endless hate comments. Each threat against Giselle made my blood boil, but I kept going, documenting everything like I always did. Evidence might matter later.

"Unnie, you should sleep," Ningning said softly from her spot on my bed. Neither of us could really rest, not with everything happening. Not with him gone.

Then I saw it. A post that made my heart stop:

"LMAOOO we found that manager at the convenience store near HYBE!!! taught him what happens when you mess with our girls 🤣🤣 watch this shit"

The video started playing automatically. Grainy security camera footage showed him entering the store, looking exhausted but alive. Normal. Before everything went wrong.

"Ning-ah," my voice shook. "Come here."

She crossed the room, peering over my shoulder. Her sharp intake of breath matched my own horror as three men cornered him by the ramyeon display.

The first punch made her grab my arm so hard it hurt. But I couldn't look away as they surrounded him, fists flying with unprovoked rage. He didn't fight back. Just... took it.

"Why isn't he defending himself?" Ningning's voice cracked. "He knows how to fight, he trained with security, why-"

The answer hit like a physical blow: he didn't think he deserved to.

We watched in helpless silence as they slammed him into shelves, products scattering across the floor. Blood appeared on his face.

"Winter-unnie," Ningning choked out. "Make it stop."

But I couldn't.

The store owner's shout finally scattered his attackers, but the damage was done. The video showed him slowly gathering fallen items, leaving extra money on the counter. Always responsible, even bleeding and broken.

"Got what he deserved," the caption read. "Next time we'll find that bitch Giselle too."

The phone slipped from my numb fingers, clattering to the floor. Ningning's sobs filled the silence as she collapsed against me, both of us shaking.

"They hurt him," she kept whispering. "They hurt him and we weren't there."

I held her tighter, my own tears falling silently. The timestamp showed this happened hours ago - right after the photos leaked. He'd been attacked, bleeding, probably concussed...

Then tried to drive.

"We should have protected him," Ningning hiccupped against my shoulder. "Like he always protected us."

The pieces clicked together with sickening clarity: the attack, his state of mind.

My phone buzzed, Chaewon's name lighting up the screen. One look at Ningning's tear-streaked face and I knew - whatever this call was about, it would break us even more.

I answered anyway.

The night was already shattered. What was one more piece?

"Winter-ah..." Chaewon's voice shook. "There's been an accident."

Ningning's grip on my arm tightened, already understanding from my expression that our worst fears were coming true.

The world tilted sideways as she explained - the crash she'd witnessed, how they'd pulled him from the wreckage, the blood on his face. Each detail felt like a physical blow.

"The doctors say he's stable, but Winter..." She paused, her voice cracking. "There were other injuries. Older ones. Like someone..."

"The convenience store," I whispered, already pulling up my phone's tracking app. I'd installed it on all our important contacts after the Jung incident, never imagining I'd use it for this. "He stopped there before..."