𝙱𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙾𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜

𝙻𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝙿𝚝 𝟸

TW: PTSD, panic attacks, violence, anxiety, mentioned sexual harassment, alluded attempted sexual assault

"Can you help me find my way?"

No. He should say no. He knows this, has learnt this the hard way. And yet...

"Yeah, sure. Where are you headed?"

He sees their mouth move, hears a sound, but can't make out the words.

Something tears into him, ripping through his stomach, coldness spreading through his body, freezing him over from the inside out, followed by a pain, blinding, searing.

He crumples, mouth opening in a silent scream.

The pain comes, again and again, and he can feel the world spinning, and blurring.

Is this what dying feels like?

He forces himself to look up, to meet the gaze of the stranger, his heart catching in his throat.

Why?

What did he do to deserve this?

Jeongin sneers down at him, hatred clouding his features.

"Go to hell, hyung."

The maknae's arm curves down again, silver flashing in the dim light.

A scream rips from his throat, even as the world dims, and finally blackens.

His eyes fly open as he gasps for air, the room too dark, too still, even with the machines beeping and blinking in the dark.

Slowly, he forces himself to sit up, body trembling as one tear drips from his chin, followed by another, and another, until he is sobbing, chest heaving.

He can't do this.

It's too much, the pains in his torso excruciating, even with the painkillers he has been forced to take religiously.

But it's more than that.

Why did it have to happen to him, as selfish as it sounds?

There are so many people in the city, it could have happened to anyone. So why was it him?

He knows the answer to that, although he wishes he didn't.

It was an anti fan, someone who hates him and the group, or both, enough to see him dead.

The thought is chilling, and terrifying.

It could have been one of the others.

Minho was heading to the bar that day.

It could have been him.

That thought chills him, ice spreading through his veins.

It could have been one of his kids.

But it was him.