Through Sunshine and Rain//JHS✔️

Chapter 19//Bus Ride

A/N:  This chapter contains instances of sexual harassment and abuse that may be upsetting. If you would rather, feel free to skip over these parts.

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  Hana didn't cry as she walked to the bus stop in the chilly fall air.

   Or as she scanned her card and took a seat in the back of the bus.

   Remarkably, she'd made it farther than she thought she would. In her head, she thought that maybe she'd even make it to the apartment before she broke down into tears. As each moment ticked by, she felt both relieved and tenser. She needed to break, but she had to wait until she was alone. In her head, she told herself that she could endure it.

   Then ten minutes from her apartment, a new man boarded the bus.

   He was an older man and he was dressed in a security uniform of some kind. His hair was disheveled and his uniform was wrinkled. Hana wasn't an expert on facial hair, but it seemed like the man had missed a day or two of shaving. Dark circles hung under his eyes and he squinted, causing more wrinkles to form on his face.

   He was noticeably drunk, and the stench of alcohol and his demeanor brought back the memories she'd pushed away in Hoseok's room.

   One thought went through her mind as she watched the man scan his card.

   "Please don't sit by me." Hana kept repeating this in her mind.

   However, she watched as his eyes scanned the bus for empty seats, and there were few left at so busy a time in the day.

   One of them was the seat directly beside her. It took only a few seconds for his eyes to lock onto it.

   In moments he was beside her.

   Her body went into lockdown as his scent filled her nostrils.

   Fear filled Hana again.

   She tried to calm herself with deep breaths and rational thoughts.

   "He's just drunk, not stupid, he's harmless. Chill out. You can't think the worst of people so quickly." She repeated these things to herself like a mantra, frantically trying to wish them into reality.

   However, it didn't take long for the man to start speaking to Hana.

   They weren't phrases she would ever repeat. She sat straight in her seat and looked forward, trying her best to ignore the man.

   As soon as his grimy hand touched her thigh, she rose. Quickly she moved to stand in the aisle and she got off at the next stop, not caring that there were still two blocks to her apartment.

   Mechanically Hana walked the remaining blocks to her apartment, not noticing the things around her. She had to focus on getting herself home. It was hard to keep herself from letting the crashing waves of her fear and emotions wash over her head.

   Everything felt unreal.

   And strangely familiar.

   Hana pressed in the key code to enter her apartment. Stepping in she slid off her shoes, not bothering to turn the lights on.

   She allowed her back to hit the wall.

   It felt like something was fighting to get out of her. Something raw and fierce and uncontrollable.

   The tears started to roll down her cheeks as she slid down to the floor. Everything was too much.

   The man. His words. Hoseok.