Leap of Faith: BTS Hyung Line FF

Secondhand Suffering

"I have the girl's phone. Can you unlock it?"
"I know someone who can. Is it a passcode?"
"Yes."
"I'll get it unlocked. You sure you'll be able to find your daughter with it?"
"Yes. She tried to fight me for it, so I know I will."

***

Winter could feel the panic rising in her chest as Hana told her everything that happened.

Her father found out where Sana was staying by asking around the college. He waited for her to get back to her dorm, and that was when he struck.

Hana said he didn't start out violent. No, he only used force when she refused to give him her phone. She apologized, over and over, about losing it to him.

Winter just squeezed her hand, careful not to cause any pain to her bruised, bloodied knuckles. Hana put up a hell of a fight, and that meant the world to Winter.

Even during the beating, Hana never gave up that phone, not willingly.

Winter kissed her bruised forehead, then moved to sit in the chair next to her bed. Hana fell back asleep after a little while, and that panic, that gut-wrenching fear pushed Winter to her feet.

She paced the room, wondering what she should do, wondering how she could protect Hana. Winter never imagined her father would go so far as to commit such a violent crime.

Then again, the man never was quite the same after finding out about her mom's affair.

He would find out everything from Hana's phone, everything about where Winter had been all this time and who she had been with.

That fear was beginning to crush her beneath its weight. Winter couldn't stand it. Her chest heaved with ragged, unsteady breaths as the panic began to overwhelm her.

She crouched to the ground, bringing her hands up to cover her face. Winter did everything she could think to do in order to calm her rapidly beating heart, but it was impossible with such a dangerous threat looming on the horizon.

Her father was so close to finding her, so close to finding Bangtan. It was time to run. Winter needed to run.

The door opened, then, just as the tears started again. Her hands fell away from her face, and her head lifted to meet the concerned gaze of Min Yoongi.

"Winter?" He stepped into the room, but paused when she stood up suddenly. Winter walked directly to him, taking him by the hand and pulling him out into the hallway. She closed the door behind him.

"She's sleeping," she told him, her voice shaky. "I don't want to wake her."

"Winter, you need to take a breath," Yoongi furrowed his brow. He put his hands on her shoulders. "You're scaring me. What's going on?"

"I have to go," she told him bluntly. "Yoongi oppa, I can't stay with you anymore. He's going to find out. He's going to come after me. I can't be with you all when he does."

"No," he said sternly. "You can't leave, Winter. You're safer with us."

"You're not safe with me."

Yoongi could see her breaking, cracking under the weight of the anxiety that tore through her trembling form. He had no idea how to calm her down. Yoongi never felt more helpless than he did in that moment.