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⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️

Mentions Drug overdose and panic attack

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"Aera? Is that you?" Soomin questioned, keeping her magazine aside on the table and stood up glancing towards the kitchen.

"Oh uhm yeah I was just hungry" the girl said, fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt. The mother sighed, it was almost five weeks that Aera had been living with them still she didn't open up even a bit.

"Its not the time to eat snacks okay?" She said, "I'll be cooking in a few, then you can have that."

Aera nodded slowly and went to her room that the couple had prepared for her during her first week with them. She was still having a hard time without Jimin and Jungkook near her, the nights went sleepless and cold, breakfast, lunch and dinner felt tasteless. And the worst thing that happened was Byungho scolding her for missing them too much.

Eyes closed and stomach growling in hunger, Aera laid on her bed, slowly turning to her side and grabbing her new phone. Rubbing her eyes, she opened the group chat which included the brothers and herself.

Oppa?

Jiminie Oppa ✨
Yes princess? Are you doing good?

Koo 💜
Hey bun, what's up?

Can I come over for a while?

Koo 💜
Of course Riri, I'll pick you up be ready :)

Jiminie Oppa ✨
Ask your mom and dad first, if they say
yes then Kook will come and take you.

Whyyy? They don't need to know!

Jiminie Oppa ✨
They do Aera. And if they say no then
I

don't think you should come here. We can
meet later tomorrow after your school?

Okay fine...
Can you tell me what to do if there's a
headache?

Jiminie Oppa ✨
You're having a headache?

Yeah, since morning. I told 'Mom' but she
didn't pay attention and just told me to go
and do my homework. And now its hurting
pretty bad

Koo 💜
I can't believe they actually won the case.
Yk what, just be ready I'm on my way. You'll
stay here at home.

Really? Thank you Oppa!

Koo 💜
No prblm honey

Jiminie Oppa ✨
He's not coming.

But don't worry Riri, take a shower and eat
something, I bet you're hungry rn.

Wow... I am hungry

Jiminie Oppa ✨
Why do you have to wait until someone
tells you to eat? You'll get sick like this.

Koo 💜
Just grab smth to eat real quick

I was going to.
But she said to wait, because its time for
dinner

Koo 💜
Then go and have dinner

"What are you doing?" Aera heard a sharp voice, sharper than necessary, which made her flinch and turn around.

"Uh nothi-"

Byungho sighed and pulled the rolling chair near the desk to sit in front of her, "Look Aera, its been more than a month that you've been living with us. And I'm sick of you always trying to talk to Jimin or Jungkook. I understand they were an important part of your life, but things have changed now and you have to used to it."

"They still are an important part of my life" Aera said, glaring at the older man, "if you have a problem with me talking to my oppa then do me favour, please send me back."

"Aera!" He shouted, "You cannot talk to me like that!"

"Yeah? And you can keep talking bad things about me brothers?" She said.

"Enough!" He said, lifting his hand up in the air, making her go quiet with a tight slap landing right on her cheek, on the corner of her mouth making it bleed almost instantly due to hitting her lip between the palm and her teeth.

With teary and scared eyes, Aera looked up seeing the man who was her father, standing with a flushed expression. He shrugged his shoulders, sighing deeply and averting his gaze from her.

"That's not what Dad's do" Aera said in a hushed voice, "my Dad never hit me, my mom never hit me and neither did my brothers."

"Shut up!"

Aera shut her eyes tightly, fisting into the sheets as she prepared herself for another slap which surprisingly never came, instead on opening her eyes she saw him storming out of the room and heard the clicking of the lock.

"No!" She shouted instantly reaching out for the knob and twisting it furiously, "open the door!"

"You're staying in there for a while, that's the punishment." Byungho said from the other side, before his footsteps faded away.

"...open the door" she trailed off, sliding down against the door along with the pooling tears in her eyes as she remembered how her family used love her and treat her like the luckiest person in the world. But here, it was just another day in the wrong place with the wrong people.

She stood up, legs and arms trembling as she walked towards the desk where she remembered seeing some painkillers. After shuffling through the stuff for about twenty minutes, her hand finally found the small bottle half filled with pills, yet not being fully confident about her idea as pills were still something she hated with a passion, but the headache almost killing her right now, made her reconsider her thoughts, tilting the bottle slightly she shook it making one plane white pill fall in the palm of her other hand.

She looked around quickly after keeping the bottle on the desk and took her half empty glass of water from earlier. Shutting her eyes close she breathed in deeply internally hating the fact that she was going to take a pill in on her own without Jimin standing over her to make sure she did take it properly. Coughing a little at the end she successfully completed the process and sighed in relief, choking while swallowing tablets was one of her biggest fears.

___

"I don't know, maybe she went to eat dinner?" Jungkook said.

"Yeah probably" Jimin shrugged, not really being able to shake off the heavy feeling inside his chest.

"Hyung, can we, maybe visit them?" Jungkook said. Jimin thought for a moment and nodded subtly.

"We should." he sighed, "I just hope Aera's doing fine there without us..."

Jungkook nodded sitting near the elder brother and placing his hand on the back of his neck, giving a faint massages yo relax him a bit. Jimin cracked his neck, gesturing Jungkook that he was okay and turned to face him almost going in for a conversation but stopped on hearing his phone ringing.

"Hello" He answered, "Are you okay now? Did you eat anything?"

"Aera?" Jungkook asked, earning a nod from Jimin as he held the phone between them after putting it on speaker.

For a moment they didn't hear anything other than a restless deep breathings which made the brothers frown, "Ri, are you okay?"

"...oppa" she said, almost as if enable to speak.

"Aera, are you okay? What happened?"

"I... I don't know" she whispered, "I feel we- weird an-"

"Relax, just listen to me okay?" Jimin said calmly, "Breath with me, one, inhale." He said, standing up and gesturing Jungkook to get the car ready. The younger nodded and jogged out of the house into the garage, taking his keys with him.

"Good job, now tell me what happened" Jimin said, however instead of getting a verbal response he heard her breathing with more difficulty almost like wheezing which honestly scared him. "Aera, can you hear me?" He asked again.

"Ye- Yea" she responded faintly.

"Alright good, is there someone with you? Dad or mom?"

"...no" she breathed out, "he... lo- locked me in..."

"He locked you?" Jimin frowned and ran outside, seeing Jungkook waiting for him in front of the gate. "Call Byungho" he instructed Jungkook while he was busy talking with Aera and figuring what was wrong.

"Hello?" The man answered, "why are you calling me now?"

"You rascal, why the heck would you lock your daughter?!" Jimin shouted.

"He did what?" Jungkook asked.

"You don't have to interfere in our family matters, just ha-"

"Shut up" Jungkook growled, "Go and open the door right now, she's not okay."

"What do you mean she's not okay? She's completely fine." Byungho said.

"Man! Just listen to us for once!" Jungkook said in frustration and heard him sigh.

"Fine"

"What did she eat for dinner? She's allergic to sunflower seeds and oil, I hope you know that." Jungkook said.

"She didn't eat anything" Byungho scoffed.

Now it was of even more concern for Jimin and Jungkook. If it wasn't an allergic reaction, then what was it? Jimin glanced at his phone where Aera was still on line but enable to speak, her breathing was getting more and more uneven with time.

"Aera, did you eat anyth-"

"Aera!" He heard Byungho's voice.

"What happened to her?" Jimin asked instantly, "Is she okay?"

"I don't know... she's sweating and turning pale" Byungho said, "Soomin-ah! Come here!"

"Jungkook drive fast, I don't trust this man." Jimin said, sighing worriedly at the thought of what might've happened to his sister.

"Check around her, anything weird or maybe something that she took by mistake?" He ordered, not getting a response from twhe other side and just heard some shuffling noises which stopped after a while leaving it all quiet and silent.

In a few minutes Jungkook pulled in front of the house, running inside towards Aera's room praying for her to be fine. They looked around, finding the room empty, but heard some voices from the bathroom. Jimin slammed the door open and pushed his way forward, a gasp left his lips as he instinctively leaned down and carried Aera out of the bathtub filled with cold water that made her body to lose temperature beyond normal. Her body felt lighter, almost weighing nothing to Jimin's instinct as she appeared skinnier than she ever was and that concerned him for how irresponsible and careless the couple was being in taking care of his sister.

He laid her down on the bed, and rubbed her hands while Jungkook turned to Byungho and his wife, "Are you crazy?! Do wanna kill her or what?! She's not conscious for god's sake she could've drowned!"

"I know what to do okay?" Byungho spat, "She's my daughter."

"Its an overdose, she took those pills I think." Soomin said, pointing at the bottle of painkillers on the desk. "She probably tried a suicide."

"No she didn't..." Jungkook said, not believing her words, "she'd never do that"

"Jungkook, call the paramedics and the Poison Control Centre, and get some warm clothes" Jimin said.

The boy nodded hurriedly grabbing his phone and dialling the emergency number telling them about an accidental drug overdose and listened to their instructions carefully while Soomin gave Jimin some of Aera's warm clothes from her closet.

"Hyung, they said to keep checking her pulse." Jungkook said, quickly sitting beside his brother and touching Aera's hand feeling nothing but cold when he tried to feel her artery on the wrist.

Jimin glanced at her face seeing the sweat forming on her forehead despite of the cold skin and breathing falling slower along with the pulse, her lips were turning blue and now it was definitely alarming for them.

"Is she okay?" Soomin asked nervously.

"No she's not." Jimin spat, glaring at her, "Did you even think once before dumping her in the cold water? I swear if anything happens to her, you both will suffer."

"Hyung, the pulse is dying down..." Jungkook cried, staring desperately at his sister rubbing her hands and begging her to hang on for a little more.

"Move aside" Jimin ordered, folding his sleeves up and carried Aera to lay her on the floor as he sat on his knees, leaning forward right above her. "I said move aside" he repeated more sternly glaring at Byungho.

He leaned down, bringing his ear closer to her nose to feel or hear if she's breathing, "everything will be okay" he whispered blinking away his tears even when he didn't feel her breath and straightened himself bringing his one hand over the other and placing it on Aera's chest, praying for the CPR to work.

With his eyes fixed on her face, he applied the rythemic pressure on the kid's chest hoping her pulse would start again. Not getting any response from her body, a tear rolled down Jimin's face as he leaned down again, pinching her nose this time and tilting her head upwards to clear the airway, he inhaled deeply and covered her mouth with his, blowing the air in her lungs. He watched her chest rising and falling when he let go of her mouth, repeating it and completing the whole cycle of CPR once more, they finally heard her coughing and gasping.

A smile crept on the brother's faces and tears slipped down in relief. Jimin rubbed her chest, trying his best to keep her awake by the time the ambulance arrived.

"...oppa" Aera managed to whisper, turning her head to side with a groan still not able to keep her eyes open.

"Yes baby, I'm here." Jimin said, "Look, Oppa's right here with you. You'll be okay, don't worry just focus on me and listen to my voice."

He sat down, taking her in his lap and wrapping his arms around her body while speaking to her in a soft voice as tears slowly kept falling from her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

They heard the familiar sound of the siren of an ambulance approaching, Jimin stood up carrying Aera in his arms as he saw the paramedics quickly jumping into action. One of them took Aera from her, laying her on the stretcher and taking inside the ambulance.

"Do you know what medicine she took or any specific symptom that you saw?" A doctor asked, while checking Aera as they made their way to the hospital.

"We're not sure but I think she took some painkillers" Jungkook said, handing him the bottle of pills to the other person next to the doctor.

"Sir, its expired" The assistant spoke.

"What?" Jimin uttered, frowning at Byungho who was in the ambulance with them.

"I- I don't know, she took it on her own." He said.

Jimin's jaw clenched, averting his eyes from the older male he looked at his sister who was being treated and given shots which the doctor said was to reverse the harmful effect of the expired pills that the girl took in excess.

___

"Yes," Jungkook nodded, talking to thwir lawyer on the phone, "I don't know and I honestly don't care. Do whatever you want, I just want my sister back with us. Those people almost killed her yesterday."

"Hmm, alright." Jungkook said, "Yeah don't worry about the money, everything is in hand. Just make sure that we have to win this, we did a mistake earlier thinking it was the right thing, but this time I don't wanna risk anything."

"Okay cool, Jimin hyung will sign the papers."

"Jungkook" He heard Jimin's voice, "Aera's up."

He nodded and hung up, walking towards the room in which Aera was admitted, "The doctor was asking if this was a suicide attempt." Jimin said in an unsure voice glancing at Aera laying on the hospital bed with dozens of machines attached to her body which felt painful just by looking at it.

"I hope its not" Jungkook said, "I mean, it can't be right? We know her very well hyung, she doesn't even like the thought of pills."

"I know Kook, and it's honestly weird for me too" the elder said.

They sat near the bed, smiling softly as Aera opened her eyes gradually adjusting to the bright light of the room. Tears formed in her eyes once they located Jimin near her and tried moving towards him but stopped feeling stiff and stuck in her place.

"You scared us to death, Aera" Jimin said.

"Yeah, I thought I lost for a moment" Jungkook added.

The girl stared at them for a while before blinking a few times and shaking her head, "...oppa" she said in a small groggy voice that sounded painful.

"Yes baby, do you wanna say something?" He asked. She stirred subtly in her place looking around and letting out a groan. "Don't move too much, you'll hurt yourself."

They attention shifted towards the door as it was opened and a doctor came in followed by two nurses, smiling at Aera he wore his stethoscope and told the brothers to go out for a bit.

"mmm no..." Aera slurred under the oxygen mask.

"I'll be right outside your room princess, they have to do your check up." Jimin said and saw her shaking her head, moving her hand towards him as a gesture to stay.

"Its alright, you can stay Mr Jeon." The doctor said smiling at them. Jungkook returned the smile, but a more thankful version of it for the doctor to be considerate of his patient's comfort. He walked out wanting to have a talk with Byungho and his wife who just came back from home.

"Why did you lock her in the room?"

"You locked her?" Soomin asked, seemingly more confused than Jungkook himself.

"That has nothing to do with you Jungkook" Byungho said ignoring his wife, "Just stay here till she gets better, then you and your brother can leave."

"Bold of you to assume we'll leave her with you after what happened" Jungkook said, "be prepared for the worst. I am not planning on going easy with you after you've done."

Byungho stared at him for a moment analyzing Jungkook's firm expression and determination in his voice, "I... I didn't mean to harm her-"

"Byung," Soomin interrupted him, "Enough please. Jungkook listen, I am her mother and I can see she's not happy with us. We didn't tell this to you or Jimin, but y'know its been just five weeks she moved in with us and yet we've had three visits to the doctor. She barely eats or talks to us and gets mad when we force her. The psychologist said its not healthy and she's depressed and might develop anger issues or her anxiety might get worse.

"So I'll say this, take her with you Jungkook. We don't want any court cases now, just take her. We'll hand her custody over to you and your brother." She said completing her words.

Jungkook stared at her for a moment before averting his eyes towards Byungho who hadn't uttered a word yet. He didn't looked completely convinced but nodded anyway, "I'm sorry, we were just being selfish and didn't think of Aera. You can take her back. We'll go back to Japan and make sure to never show up again."

Soomin smiled at him, giving a reassuring squeeze on his arm, "Can we see her once before we go?" She asked Jungkook who nodded hesitantly and gestured hos arm towards the room as the doctor had left now.

"Oh Jung-" Jimin stopped eyeing the couple standing behind him with a soft guilty expression. "What now?"

"They wanna see Aera," Jungkook answered glancing over his shoulder, "Then they'll leave and she'll go with us."

"r-really?" Aera asked trying to sit up on hearing that.

"Yes," Soomin nodded, "I'm sorry for everything you had to go through because of our selfish desire. We're moving back to Japan and you can go back with your brothers like you wanted to."

"...thank you" The girl said, "thank you so much"

Soomin smiled softly and glanced at her husband who forced a smile as well, "I'm sorry as well, I shouldn't have hit you."

"You did what?" Jungkook glared at him.

"...I'm sorry, I was just too mad and didn't realize what I was doing." He confessed more sincerely this time, "You were right Aera, that was not how dad's act. I guess I can't be a good dad to you, but your oppas are great brothers. I regret taking you away from them."

"I swear if this is another trick you're playing" Jimin warned.

"No Jimin, I mean it." Byungho said before glancing at his daughter one last time and turning on his heels leaving the room right away. Soomin sighed and stepped in, stroking Aera's hair once, she leaned closer to her and kissed her head smiling sweetly as she wished her a happy and successful life.

The siblings saw her figure disappearing behind the door of the room as she walked out following her husband. Jimin turned to Aera and smiled softly, shrugging his shoulders, everything was now finally going on track.

"Let's go home" Aera said.

"Yeah, you have to recover quickly for that." He said.

"I'm fine, let's just go home. I missed you both and my home so much."

"We missed you more, princess." Jungkook said, patting her head. "But I have a few things to ask"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you take so many pills?"

"My head was hurting a lot, and just before that Byungho had hit me, so it was hurting even more. I took one pill first, but it wasn't working so I thought maybe if I take more it'll stop. But then after a while I started feeling weird and... and I felt like I'd die... I couldn't breathe and just so- so painful and weird that's when I called you."

"Those pills were expired" Jimin said, "you should check the expiry date of anything that you're not sure of, and about meds, you should never take them without a doctor's advice or at least until a trusted adult tells you to."

Aera nodded, "I'm sorry oppa, but I didn't know, uhm you were always the one to give me any medicines so I never payed attention to it."

"I know, I should've told you all that earlier." Jimin sighed, "Anyway, now you know it, so please don't do such a mistake again, you almost died yesterday."

"Now, what about the doctor visits? Why didn't you tell us?" Jungkook asked.

"I wasn't allowed to tell you" she said, "remember when I stopped talking to you sometimes? It was during that time, they took my phone so I didn't talk to anyone."

The brothers remained silent, digesting that it was Aera's 'biological' parents -who won her in the court after continuously claiming that the kid needs her parents for proper care- doing all this to her to an extent where anyone would've started giving up.

"I'm so sorry for letting you go" Jimin said, "I'm really sorry princess. But I promise, I won't let anyone hurt you or take you away from us."

Aera smiled and nodded, "Y'know when we went to the doctor the third time, he asked me if I think about dying..."

"and- and what did you say?"

"I said no, because if I die then how will I go back home and my oppas will be so sad. He was smiling then, and said that he hopes I get back to you soon. And after that I started liking him, he's a nice doctor, he even gave me doughnuts to eat."

"You have no idea how much that means to us kiddo" Jimin breathed out in relief, glancing at Jungkook who chuckled softly and nodded.

"Yeah, and I'm glad everything is fine now."

"I'll eat kimchi fried rice when I go home, Jimin oppa will cook."

"Sure, anything for my baby." Jimin smiled, kissing the tip of her nose softly while Jungkook sat next to her on the bed as she asked him to accompany her to sleep.

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A/N- I'm sorry if there are some mistakes in the chapter, I didn't get time to edit it.

There's a thing that I want to tell you guys, my exams are coming and very few days are left also I have extra classes going on, so it's gonna be super busy for me at least for the next 10-15 days. And since Wattpad steals a good amount of time from my schedule, I've decided to leave Wattpad for a while. At least until things get normal, ie. until my exams are over.

I'm not leaving permanently, I'll come back after maybe 10 days or so, and continue this book like it has been going.

You can still leave requests on my board, pm me or here in the comments. I'll definitely see them when I come back.

I hope you understand, I have to study... 🥺

Can I expect 10K reads when I come back? Would it be too much to ask? Idk...let's see. It's all up to you guys 🙂

Bye guys, I love you all. Thank you so much for the support!

Let's meet soon, please take care of yourselves. (And maybe share this book with your frnds and grab more readers?) Lol anyways, thank you 💜💜💜💜

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Word count : 4.1K