"That crazy is at it again." A person hiding in the silhouette behind the campus building gritted his teeth feeling frustrated. He fished out his phone to call a certain someone.
 

xx

Jimin was feeling uneasy. It's almost 7 in the evening and there's still no text from Winter. Did she go home by herself already?

She's still hanging out with Giselle in the cafe while Lia already went home a while ago when her mother called her for a sudden family dinner.

"Selle," Jimin called the latter who was busy with her phone.

"Yes, Ji?" The half-Japanese girl now looked up from her phone only to find the taller girl was fidgeting in her seat.

"Nevermind." Jimin shook her head dismissing it. 

Suddenly her phone on the table buzzed motioning there's an incoming message. Was expecting it to be from a certain hamster girl that was currently clouding her mind, she was indeed confused to get a message from an unknown number instead.

-xxx-

Help! Emergency! To the campus now!

Jimin furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Giselle," she called again, this time her eyes didn't leave her phone screen.

Seeing the other girl was acting weird while checking her phone, Giselle asked what happened. But getting no response from the raven-haired girl, she snatched the phone away from her hand and took a look at what's showing on the screen.

"What the heck. Is it a prank?" Giselle spoke to herself.

Jimin on the other hand was having a bad feeling. She's not sure but when the message content was shown on the screen, all she could think about was Winter. The one who she assumed was still wandering around the campus area. It's also a similar feeling she got when she ignored Winter in her apartment last week. She didn't know that day if perhaps something bad really happened to the younger or not just like what her instinct said. Just before, she ignored it and chose her own ego.

Her heartbeat fastened creating a heavy feeling in it. Looks like I will need to follow my instinct this time.

But what if it's just a prank like how Giselle said?

It's late already and will be dangerous too. Who knows it's just a trap planned by someone who dislikes me.

Jimin wanted to ignore it, but her heart let her mind imagine positioning herself in the shoes of someone who's in danger, I'm hoping it's not Winter, it would be worse for them to experience it alone without getting any help. 

Still debating either to go back to the campus or not, she decided to call the younger once again – checking for the last time hoping she would answer her call.

After several ringing sounds trying to connect the line to the receiver, the sound of an operator on the other side greeted her ears instead, "the number you're calling is not answering. Please try again."

She had tried calling the younger multiple times already but still to no avail.

Annoying Brat ❄

Winter

Are you done?

*read*
 

Jimin was kinda relieved she could reach the younger now. But why didn't she pick up my calls? Once again, worry began consuming her again when she's not replying. Even no typing… – just read. 

Panicking for real, she stood up – deciding to go back to the campus, "Giselle, I think I'll go back to the campus to check."

"Are you sure? It's late already." Giselle asked worriedly and stood up as well when she saw Jimin began arranging her stuff – ready to go back to the campus.

Without diverting her gaze from her bag, she nodded. Anxiety was painted on her face.

"Okay, I'll go with you, Ji."
 

As they arrived, the security pushed the gate wider for Jimin's car to go inside after Giselle talked to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Greg" 

The campus activities were already finished at 7 PM so supposedly no more students were allowed to visit the campus after that and so Mr. Greg already half-closed the gate – only waiting for the remaining people inside to go home. But since Giselle was the daughter of this campus owner, she let the girls go inside.

After parking the car, the two stayed inside for a few minutes still contemplating either to go out or not.

"We need to find Winter," Jimin spoke with a shaky breath, breaking the silence.

"Winter?" Giselle asked, whipping her head to the girl beside her after roaming her eyes around the campus area trying to find any suspicious activities.

"Yes. I don't know why but I have a bad feeling it's all about Winter, Selle." Jimin spoke, at the same time trying to calm her nervous heart.

"Still no calls or messages from her?" 

Jimin shook her head while closing her eyes. Her mind couldn't stop wondering where possibly her small hamster could be. It's just this morning she was with the girl and now she's already missing her too much. The one week without Winter was already hell for her. 

Giselle sitting on the driver's seat could observe the girl who was known as a composed girl now acting all restless. Concern was so obvious being painted on the taller girl's face. Thinking it might be a serious problem, she decided to call her bodyguard for more safety.

Giselle nodded as she fished out her phone, "okay, I'll call my bodyguard first for help."

"Thanks a lot, Selle."

After making a call, Giselle spoke, waking Jimin up from her trance. "Let's go."

The two jogged further into the campus area after getting out of the car.
 

Some classrooms were already being locked and turned off for the lamps. Only the lamps in the hallway were still mostly.

With Jimin still trying to reach the younger via call, Giselle roamed her eyes to the classes they're passing by and once in a while checking the doors if perhaps they weren't locked or not.

"Winteer"'

"Winteeeer"

Until the presence of one of the professors walking in their direction appeared in their vision, Jimin decided to approach the old man. He was Winter's last class professor.

"Hello, sir."

"Hey, you two, why still wandering around the campus at this late hour?" The professor who was known as Mr. Park asked the two senior students.

"Ah, we were just from the library to return books that are due today, sir." Giselle initiated to answer.

"I see."

"Yes sir," Jimin spoke, "are you going home, Mr. Park?"

"Oh yes of course. It's late already."

"May I know what time your class was dismissed earlier, Mr. Park? I'm looking for Winter for a tutoring session but she's still nowhere to be found."

"Oh yes, it ended an hour ago, around 6 I think. I just gave her a new assignment for a presentation to catch up with her missed classes. Probably she's in the library, maybe? You didn't see her?"

Both of them shook their heads. "Alright, Mr. Park, no worries and thank you for your time. Have a great evening." 

After the old man nodded his head and walked away, Jimin let out a frustrated sigh.

Now she's sure there might be something happening to the younger. If perhaps this was just a prank from Winter, Jimin had sworn she's going to make the latter regret it.

"Shall we check the library now?"

Jimin nodded.

"My bodyguard is already on his way here too." Giselle continued.

"Okay."

Ugh, Winter what have you done to me.

xx

It happened that Giselle's bodyguard brought 3 men with him so it made it easier to split up to look for the younger.

"I swear if it's just a prank, I'll make my bodyguard give them a lesson to whoever used that unknown number," Giselle muttered while eyes still busy roaming around the corridor.

Until in silence, Giselle's bodyguard spoke – talking with one of his subordinates via his plugged-in wireless earphone, telling him that he had found a girl in an abandoned classroom on the highest floor – Winter to be exactly as he had described.

With worry and guilt rushing in her body, Jimin immediately wasted no time running to the location that Giselle's bodyguard had mentioned.

Winter...
 

xx

When Jimin arrived at the destined abandoned classroom, she gasped and widened her eyes in shock to find the younger was in a pathetic state. The younger was lying on the floor lifelessly with some bruises and fresh bloodstains on her face. Her hands and legs were tied and she was blindfolded.

"Winter!!"

She almost crumbled down until Giselle held her body to prevent her from falling.

"Let's bring her to the hospital now!" Giselle immediately motioned her bodyguards to help bring the younger girl to Jimin's car after successfully releasing the younger from the tight ropes.

"Come on Jimin,"
 

With Giselle's bodyguard driving Jimin's car to the nearest hospital and Giselle sitting in the passenger seat getting impatient whenever the car would slow down because of a traffic jam, Jimin was sitting at the back with Winter's body in her embrace.

She couldn't stop her tears from falling seeing Winter's current condition. It really broke her heart. And guilt kept eating her up as she's being forced to regret the current situation again and again for not being there to wait for her instead as she had promised earlier to go home together.

Please hang in there..

While Jimin was being drowned with the thoughts of Winter, Giselle was talking to her bodyguard asking him to investigate the incident.

"Uncle, please do find out who dared to do this."

"Don't worry Ms. Uchinaga, I've asked my subordinates to investigate the area further and everything. Hoping the result will be out soon."

Giselle nodded and thanked the guy.

Once in a while, she would check on her best friend behind along with the girl who she assumed must be their junior.

"We're almost there, Jimin.."

Seeing how her best friend was so devastated with the current situation happening to the girl in her embrace, a lot of questions began popping out in her mind. But one question that represented all of her curiosity,

Who is this Winter girl to her best friend..?

All she knew she's just a junior who submitted for a tutoring session with her best friend. Just like what Jimin had said to her before.

She rarely saw the younger either.

So she thought she must be one of those common students who had a tutoring session with Jimin.

Until she witnessed how worried her best friend was when she mentioned Winter still not giving her a response earlier and how broken she was when she saw the younger was lying lifelessly on the floor earlier.

She must be someone who meant a lot to Jimin.

And rewinding to the previous incident, she gritted her teeth getting impatient to know who was the one behind all this mess. The one who dared to mess up with her close people.

Mirae.. if it's you again, I swear I'll make you suffer until you die.

xx

Quite some time being stuck on the street, the car finally arrived in front of the emergency room entrance. It was the same hospital Winter was sent to because of the incident happening last week.

Giselle's bodyguard immediately went out from the driver’s seat to help carry the unconscious Winter until Jimin shook her head and let herself carry the younger with bridal style. The bodyguard let her be and just stuck close to them to make sure everything was alright.

After placing Winter on the temporary hospital bed in the emergency room, the doctor and nurses who were on duty rushed to give the unconscious girl a quick examination.

Jimin closed her eyes trying to ignore the stinging pain in her heart. 

With trembling hands, she decided to hold onto her best friend's arm for support and Giselle immediately gave some calming pats and sometimes would rub Jimin's back for comfort.

"She'll be okay, Jimin."

xx

After almost an hour, the doctor along with the nurses went out from the room where they had moved Winter. The nurses left the doctor who's in charge of Winter's health progress to talk with Jimin and Giselle as Winter's guardians.

"Guardian of patient Kim Minjeong?" One of the nurses who assisted the blonde girl earlier called.

Jimin who saw that immediately stood up and approached them.

"How is her condition now doctor?" Jimin asked in concern – standing up in front of the doctor.

"Checking from the bruises she got, it seems like she got beaten up pretty hard especially on her stomach. Her stomach got swelled and soon or later will give her cramps and stinging pain in her stomach when she moves her body later."

Jimin let out a devastating sigh as she digested the information from the doctor. It seemed like a headache started flicking her brain.

"And one more thing, I just remembered that she's actually one of my patients that still has a regular check-up in regards to the wound at the back of her head. She's supposed to get the suture taken out tomorrow but the wound was ripped again a little, so I stitched it up again. She will just need to rest and have regular checkups." Yunho being the doctor spoke.

As the doctor said it, she suddenly was reminded of the bandage at the back of Winter's head the other night only to find out it was a sutured wound. And having another information added to her plate, she decided to ask for some information from the doctor.

"Uhm doctor, can I speak with you for a while?"

"Sure."

Following the doctor to his working room, Jimin grabbed Giselle's hand and pulled her along with her.

Giselle could feel the anxiety and the jittery feeling radiating from the raven-haired girl.

She must be experiencing 'it' again.

"It's okay, Ji."
 

"So, how can I help you, Ms. Jimin?" As the three of them took a seat, Yunho spoke up breaking the silence.

"It's about Minjeong, doctor," Jimin spoke after letting out a deep sigh.

"I just wanted to ask if perhaps she was hospitalized here before? One week ago to be exact.."

Yunho nodded. "Yes someone brought her here around midnight if I'm not mistaken. They both were badly injured, especially Ms. Minjeong herself. Her condition was way worse than this." Yunho spoke as she searched for Winter's health record map on his bookshelf. "I have no idea what happened to them, but it seems like they got into a big fight based on the bruises they had. And no news about a car accident nor anything about them either."

She lied..

And it was around midnight.. did she perhaps go out instead of going back to her apartment like how she said on that day?

Was it Mirae's doing again? Did she follow Winter?

Gosh, Jimin.. 

Her hands started to tremble. Her breath became irregular. Everything that Yunho said to her made her body freeze and go numb.

Giselle took notice of the change of Jimin's expression after listening to the doctor's explanation and began rubbing her hand for support.

"She also got an extra treatment of therapies for her fingers."

Guilt. It's all Jimin had. She couldn't stop blaming herself for everything happening to the younger. 

Yunho who could feel the girl was being sorrowful assured her that Winter was all fine. "Don't worry, she's a strong girl. It won't take long for her to get recovered." Yunho spoke as he gave an assuring smile.

xx

The two senior students still hadn't left the hospital yet. Even Jimin had decided to stay over the night to look after the younger until she's awake.

Giselle on the other hand was still trying to get the latter to have dinner.

"I'll order your favorites, what do you want, Jimin?" Giselle asked, still negotiating.

"I'm not hungry, Selle." Without breaking her stare from Winter's peaceful sleeping face, Jimin answered.

"Come on Ji, you'll get sick too if you don't have dinner."

Jimin was still ignoring her.

"Do you think Winter wants you to get sick? If you're sick, then who will look after her?" after hearing that, her expression weakened.

Giselle heaved out a deep sigh. "You know, you can always tell me anything, I'm always here, Jimin.." Giselle said softly, trying to melt her stubbornness.

And slowly guilt started attacking her again, "Aeri ya…" not in 5 seconds, Jimin burst out crying.

She could no longer endure the pain and misery she had been experiencing lately. She knew she had messed it all up. And also not telling the half-Japanese girl everything that had happened to her and Winter all this time also added another guilt.

She just wanted the earth to eat her alive.

Witnessing her best friend breaking down in front of her for the first time after a while, Giselle's heart wrenched in pain. She immediately pulled the taller girl into her embrace. "Hey, that's okay.. I'm here.. And Winter will be alright." She said gently while her mind cursed whoever dared to hurt her beloved people, especially her best friend since diapers.
 

After spending some time telling the half-Japanese girl what had happened to her all this time while having dinner, it was time for Giselle to go home.

"Are you sure you want to stay here alone?" Giselle asked once again.

Jimin nodded weakly.

"Okay then, I'll get your necessities first. I'll be right back." 

"Giselle.."

Before opening the door, Giselle turned around to face her friend, "yes?"

"Looks like I won't be attending my classes until Winter has recovered.. Do you mind helping me informing my professors? And also for Winter.." Jimin looked at her with sorrow.

"No of course. Don't worry about that." The half-Japanese girl flashed an assuring smile.

"But I'm still contemplating, should we tell Winter's parents about this?" Jimin asked while her eyes fell once again to the sleeping figure beside her. "Because just like what I've told you about the accident with her hand, she insisted didn't want to tell her parents about it until they found out about it themselves because she got hospitalized."

"For that case, I think it's best to wait for her until she wakes up and let her decide."

Jimin nodded agreeing.

"And one more thing, Selle.." after taking a glance at the sleeping figure beside her, Jimin spoke with a face now showing hatred – ready to give revenge. "please help me to find out who was behind this incident."

"No need to ask Ji, I already asked my bodyguard to investigate it. I'll update you later." 

"Thank you so much, Aeri ya.."
 

After Giselle went home, Jimin spent the next few minutes staring at Winter's bruised body. Both of her hands never left Winter's hand – holding onto the hand that was previously injured.

Reminiscing the moments from their first encounter until now, Jimin smiled sadly.

It had been such a memorable long journey for her. Her life had gone brighter and had more colors in it after the presence of the younger in her life. A small confession from herself, she had gone attached to the smaller girl. 

Many ups and downs they experienced, but it's all about Winter kept experiencing bad threats from her bad possessive fans lately. She knew Winter was in danger the moment she let her walk into her dark life. And yet here she was still wanting her around. Truth to be told, she really enjoyed and liked her company.

Should I let her go? Should I stay away from her?

Brushing some strands of hair from Winter's face, Jimin placed a small peck on her forehead before showing her sad smile once again.

I like you, Winter.