tw for implied/referenced domestic abuse so read with caution!

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The security camera pings.

That’s the sound that draws Joohyun from her bed, setting her book down on her nightstand and slipping from the covers slowly so as not to wake Seungwan who was snoring lightly beside her. She flips the hall light on, bare feet padding slowly along the hardwood floor as she approaches the door. A quick glance through the peephole told her that no one was there, which Joohyun found odd considering the alarm only chimed when someone approached the front door.

She turns to the security panel on the wall, bringing up a wider view of the outside of their house. She can see the cars driving down the street, physically hearing them before seeing them pass by on the camera. She sees a few people walking along the sidewalk here and there, never stopping or approaching the building. But then she sees the culprit, a woman sitting on the bench just to the right of their little apartment building, and despite the grainy black and white camera quality, Joohyun can point out that sleek black head of hair anywhere.

She pulls her coat on, grabbing the throw blanket from the couch and sliding into her slippers. The cold air stings her face the moment she opens the front door. Snow had started to fall and leave a gentle dusting along the front steps and sidewalk. She pulls her coat around herself tighter and moves towards the bench, making herself known.

“You’ll catch a cold.” She says carefully, moving to stand in front of her friend, draping the throw around her shaking shoulders. Joohyun was surprised she hadn’t already frozen sitting there in her sleeveless red dress. She gets no response, so she reaches forward to brush the curtain of hair out of her face.

The intake of breath was short and quiet as she took in the deep purple bruising surrounding her left eye, accompanied by a blood crusted lip and wind whipped tear tracks. “Oh, Sooyoung.”

She takes a seat next to the younger woman, ignoring the way Sooyoung instinctively leaned into her, chasing any semblance of warmth she could find. Joohyun doesn’t ask, she doesn’t need to. She keeps her careful gaze on Sooyoung’s face as Sooyoung stared blankly across the street. Her tender and fragile Sooyoung, seeing her like this broke Joohyun’s heart.

“He broke up with me.” Sooyoung says, sniffling pathetically. Joohyun fights the urge to emphasize that he clearly did more than just break up with her, and that she should go to the police. She knows Sooyoung like the back of her hand, like the tide knows the moon, so she knows that Sooyoung will not listen to her. And yet she doesn’t know Sooyoung at all, because Joohyun can never understand what is going through her head.

We told you so, she wants to say, because they had all told her so. Yerim had fought tooth and nail against their relationship, Seulgi had given her countless reasons as to why this was a bad idea, and Seungwan – always so gentle – had tenderly expressed her worries and reservations to her closest friend. But Joohyun knew better, and despite her insistence, she knew Sooyoung would not listen to her or her friends. She would always follow her heart because what she lacked in common sense she made up for in how loving and giving she was.

Joohyun settles on not saying anything, instead she reaches forward and grabs Sooyoung’s shaking hand. It was freezing cold, and Joohyun squeezed it once to convey that she was there. They sit there in silence for a while longer, nothing but occasional sniffle or whimper from Sooyoung surrounded by the ambiance of the city. Her head eventually finds its way to Joohyun’s shoulder, and she lets out a shuddery breath, closing her eyes.

Joohyun recognizes her exhaustion, and the way her body had stopped shaking finally. She was getting too cold; it was time to go inside. So, she nudges Sooyoung from her shoulder, standing and pulling the freezing cold woman to her feet. She supports most of her body weight as they make it back inside the house. It becomes apparent that Sooyoung is not sober, stumbling as she walked down the hallway, swaying, and pulling Joohyun with her every time.

Joohyun skips the living room and takes her straight to the bathroom, pushing her shoulders gently to sit her down on the toilet. Sooyoung has yet to say anything else, her head lolling as her body tries to adjust to the temperature change. Joohyun cups her hand under Sooyoung’s chin