Winter was brought to the college infirmary right after, and Karina was there for her all the time, wondering what actually was going on. There's a lot inside her head right now.

How and why did Winter get into that situation?

Also, how and why did she could hear Professor Shim's voice for a moment, but later couldn't anymore?

She takes a mind note on that to ask her father later.

Looking back at Winter, the doctor said she just needs some rest, nothing serious that could affect her physically. But when the nurses treated Winter, they said they were surprised at Winter's condition.

There's various marks visible on the girl's back, all this time hidden with her clothes. Karina was shocked at first when she saw the bruise all over Winter's back.

When the doctor came back, he had told her that Winter might have been abused for a while.

Suddenly, Karina remembered the first time she heard Winter's tiny voice inside her head back in the washroom.

She said if she screwed up, they might let her stay outside for the night.

She asked herself if they would hate it.

The question is, who are they? And what is it?

Karina ruffled her own hair into a mess. Who knows her fate and destiny was this complicated. Who knows that Winter is troubled with something, and she hides it all these times. Who knows that Karina needs to deal with all of this.

"Karina...", Winter's voice brought back Karina's attention to the girl's figure on the bed.

Winter was watching her intently with her tiny smile, and Karina could see that bruise at the corner of her lips. She got so many things to ask, but she knew that she might discover it herself soon.

She can read Winter's mind after all.

"Why did he do that to you, Winter?", Karina let out a heavy sigh.

"It's okay. He's arrested anyway. There's nothing more to discuss-"

"You didn't answer my question", Karina said strongly. "How can you be your major top student when you couldn't answer a simple question?", Karina groans.

Winter didn't answer her, nor did she say anything inside her mind. Karina is desperate for an answer, but she can wait. But when Winter was smiling at her with that tiny smile again, Karina couldn't lie that her heart started to break.

"Winter... I'm trying to help you. You need to tell me-"

"When I'm ready, I will", Winter cut her immediately. "I will. Soon".

"Winter-"

"I'm sorry, Karina. I couldn't tell you, now", Winter smiled again, and she looked hella pathetic in Karina's eyes. She hates it when Winter doesn't speak a word inside her mind as well. Karina was lwft clueless with no answer. She has no clue.

What has been Winter Kim hiding behind her cute daily figure?

****

"Dad, I met Winter", Karina simply said as she sat right next to her father on their couch. "She scared me", she continued.

"So, she's a scary person like your mom?", her father sneered.

"No, I didn't mean it like that", playful sneer has been answered with a heavy sigh. "Her situation scared me".

The older one put his tv show on a pause and turned his body towards his daughter with a concerned expression, "What happened?", he asks as he grabs one of Karina's hands.

"It seems like she's being a bused for a while, but she tried to hide it still even tho she got caught", Karina sighed once more before her father let out a tiny apologise smile.

"You know what, kid? The thirty-fourth Yu met her wife when she was abused by her master. The thirty-nine married a slave. There's nothing weird being fated with troubled people, Karina".

"I know. I'm pretty sure... Winter is okay? But what makes me worried is her situation. She seems to hide a lot", Karina lifted her head up slowly, looking into her father's eyes pleadingly.

"Well, that's what some of the Yu made for. To help the troubled one, yeah? Maybe you are one of them", the older Yu nods his head.

"You know that you can always ask my help, kid. The Yu always does for their fated one. For their person. Winter is included", he continued as he let out an assuring smile.

Karina couldn't help but smile back. At least she got a piece of confidence with herself to help Winter with her situation.

"Oh yeah, dad. I forgot to ask you something", Karina's eyes jolted.

"What is it?"

"Is it possible for us... to hear more than one person's mind?"

"Now you're back trying to deny your fate-", the older Yu scoffs were immediately cut off when Karina tried to explain.

"It's not like that. When I saved Winter this afternoon, I could hear the voice of the man who abused her, but soon it stopped. Do you know why?", Karina tilted her head, questioning.

"Probably because he touched your person?", her father explained, leaving Karina into deep confusion. "I guess I forgot to tell you about that too".

"Tell me what?"

"When there's someone who's together with your person in your ten meter radius, and they made contact with your person physically, you can hear their voice and mind as well", the older Yu nods his head again.

Well, that explained how Karina could see a pinkish mark under Winter's neck. That psychotic professor choked her.

"That also explains why you easily got busted in your lies every time mommy held your hands", the older Yu laughs, remembering the old memories.

"Hey, you guys literally tricked me!"

"Nah, that is just fair"

"No, it's not fair!"

****

Thanks to Aeri's girlfriend, Ningning, who happened to be Winter's close friend, Karina could do some information digging about her person.

Winter Kim.

The top student in Interior Architecture major, also the top student in their department and entire college. Karina wonders how in the world she studied that she became that genius?

Winter just moved to their college a month ago from Busan. Her mother owns a tteokbokki shop in Busan while her father isn't working. Her family wasn't financially good, but thanks to Winter genius brain, she got a full scholarship from the college.

That's the only thing Karina knew about her. Ningning could only tell them that much since she also knew about Winter that much.

"Is she back on campus?", Karina asked before she sipped her coffee.

"Apparently, yes. Ningning said she acted strangely normal, like nothing ever happened to her last week", Aeri answered as she cut her pork cutlet into a half. "I guess she's hiding something", she continued.

"Me too. She's acting... weird"

"What happened when you heard her voice?", Aeri asked. The Japanese know the secret and the hidden speciality of the Yu family, Karina had told her before.

"My heart is clenching. When I heard her screech that day, I felt like someone was tearing my heart into pieces. I can't ignore her agony", the latter sigh. "I guess I just need to be strong and accept my fate".

"Well, you should. Fate wanted you to help her, that's it"

****

A few days passed, and everything went back to normal. Karina still could hear Winter's tiny voice in her head every time the girl was in the radius, but she've never see her that much.

She felt like Winter was trying to avoid her because of that incident.

Karina doesn't know why that god has arranged this kind of meeting for her, but apparently, here she is again inside one of the building washrooms. She could hear Winter's tiny voice in one of the stalls.

"Ouch"

Winter winced in pain even tho she didn't say it out loud. Oh- again? Karina thought iside her mind. Will she hear Winter's voice in agony again?

"I need to cover this properly. I can't let this bandage go lose"

Karina just stood by the sink quietly, trying to catch every detail Winter provided her from the girl's mind.

"B-But I can't... reach! Ouch"

When Winter winced again inside her mind, Karina had enough. She walks towards that specific door, knocking it softly, "Winter, open the door. I know you're inside".

"Huh?"

"Winter, I said open the door. Please", Karina knocked on the door once again.

"Is that Karina?"

"Karina?", Winter asked from the inside.

"How did she know I was inside? I didn't even make any noise"

"Yeah, it's me. Would you mind opening the door for a while?", Karina asked as her voice came out pleadingly for the other girl to let her in. It took almost a minute for the girl to finally unlock the door before peeking between the space.

"What do you want?", she asked. Karina didn't want to answer her, and instead, she pushed the door wider, stepping inside the same stall as Winter before she locked the door again from the inside. Karina could hear how her person started to panic inside the mind.

"What are you doing?", Winter voice came out almost like a whisper.

Again, Karina didn't answer her. Instead, she grabbed the edge of Winter's white shirt before pulling it up slightly. Panic is evident in the other girl's eyes.

"What are you-"

"Who did this to you?", Karina's asked strong. Her voice is cold, lingered with concern and anxiety. Winter couldn't help but soften a bit.

"I can't tell you", again, Winter gave her the same answer she did last week.

"But, Winter. I need to know. You are my person", Karina confessed, only to get a confused expression from the other girl. "I'm your what?".

"You are my person. Sheesh... I'll explain later. Come on, turn around", Karina instructed, but Winter wasn't that easy to command. "What did you want to-"

"Just turn around. I'm not doing anything strange. I'll just help you to fix your bandage", Karina explained before she held both of Winter's shoulder, turning the girl's body around. Winter couldn't help but flush by the sudden gesture.

"You want me to lift up your shirt, or you want to lift it up by yourself?"

Karina's question sends Winter trembling, and Karina could hear Winter's mind turn into a ruckus. But when Winter slowly held the edge of her shirt, Karina knew enough that she would wait for Winter as she slowly lifted her shirt up.

Karina didn't say a word to her, and Winter was wondering what the taller girl was thinking. Winter felt her cheeks burning when she could feel how Karina lifted the clasps of her bra upwards, then losenig the bandage from Winter's waist again.

Karina could see a new scar on the girl's back, different from what she saw at the infirmary last week. There are small dried scars, bruises, and a bit swollen part that Winter tried to cover.

The quiet atmosphere was eating up Winter, and Karina still didn't say a word. She quietly wrapped back the bandage around Winter's waist, and when Winter could feel how Karina's fingers ran on her skin, she shivered. How Karina's gentle touch makes her heart beats like never before.

When Karina finally hooked the end of the bandage and pulled back the bra clasp down to its place, Winter finally pulled down her shirt again before slowly turning her body towards the taller girl.

'T-Thank you...", she said with a low tiny voice. Her head was hung low.

Karina then pulled out her hand to the girl, "give me your phone", she said, and despite arguing like before, Winter quietly handed the taller girl her phone.

Karina taps the screen for a moment before her phone inside her jeans pocket rang. She then ended the call before handing the phone back to Winter.

"That's my number. In case you need something, call me immediately", Karina let out a tiny smile before Winter's face turns into a frown. "But I-"

"Winter", Karina cuts her. "Please. Call me when you need me", her eyes gazing right to Winter's, sending her every sincerity she got.

"Whatever you need, me, and my family can provide it for you", Karina nods her head assuring when she can see how Winter's eyes start to tremble. Karina can hear how Winter is in a state of dilemma, but Karina couldn't understand the whole thing yet.

"No, I can't", the tiny voice inside Winter said.

"Even if I want to, I can't. I can't do anything, or they will do something to my mother"

Her mother? Karina has been revealed to new information. What's wrong with Winter's mother? Who are these people Winter keeps talking about?

"Thank you, Karina. I'll think about it", Winter answered, and Karina knew what came out from the girl's mouth is a lie. The truth is all inside the girl's mind. Karina just needs to know more.

"I care for you, okay?", Karina stated. "Please, call me", she repeated as she held Winter's shoulder tighter with a gentle shake before pulling off her hands from the girl.

"I'll get going", Karina unlocked the door from the stalls before stepping out with a tiny smile. "Call me".

****

Winter is studying all night long, not realizing that the clock almost hit twelve at midnight. She sighed heavily, remembering that she didn't even have dinner. When she turned around, her roommate was sound asleep.

That's when her stomach starts to make noises.

"Forget about hunger. I need to excel the next test to survive", she said to herself, wiping away a drop of blood flowing out from her nose with a tissue.

Winter has been pushing herself all this year. She needs to be good in everything in order to get the scholarship. Her mother couldn't pay her fees for her because of their financial problem, and Winter understood.

Her father? Don't mention him. He's a jerk. Winter keeps wondering how her father deserves a woman as kind as her mother. That man came home so late every night, smelling light alcohol and cigarette every time. He asks for money every day, and Winter will always be his place to let out his anger.

She got into this college in the first place because someone offered her for the scholarship, and as long as she do what she was asked to, they will let her mother live in peace, and Winter didn't mind to suffer for her.

Suddenly, her phone on the table buzzed, and when Winter double-tapped the screen, she saw the notification from an unknown number.

Unknown
I just have the feeling that you aren't sleeping yet. It's Karina, by the way.

Winter let out a tiny smile on her face, typing her reply.

Winter
You are right. I'm studying.

Unknown
Damn girl. Chill. You are already one of the top students in the whole college. Don't push yourself.

Winter sighs lightly from Karina replies. "I can't, Karina. Only if you know".