Now that Karina has Winter's number, she keeps wondering about the other girl's whereabouts. Everywhere, every time, her mind is always asking about Winter. Where is she? What is she doing? Is she fine? Has she eaten?
She slowly starts to accept her fate, trying to help herself and Winter. There must be a reason why all of these things happened to her.
Her questions about Winter left unanswered. When Karina texted her, the younger girl said nothing about it. The secret it so big and heavy for Winter to reveal, and Karina wonders what might have stopped her from telling the truth?
What is she so afraid of?
Their department building was pretty big that sometimes it's hard just to have a glimpse of Winter. Karina admitted that every time she saw her person, she could feel relief washing over her.
At least, she could see that Winter is fine, despite the girl always hiding something underneath her shirt.
Another week passed, and everything was absolutely normal. She heard Winter a few times, and her person's mind seemed to be all right. The whole department had their midterms done, and everyone was just chilling their heart contents out.
Not until Karina accidentally saw the glimpse of her person on Wednesday.
She just saw her from afar, but the view is so clear. Winter face is so pale, and her brows furrow in horror. Her mouth wavers in trembling motions. Her fist clenched in horror.
At this time, Karina knew she just needed to get herself inside the radius. So she did.
What she heard inside Winter's mind shocked her even more.
"What should I do? He will surely torture me this time"
"Mother will be in danger because of me! I screwed this up!"
"Only because I got B+ this time. He'll choke me to death-"
"Winter", Karina finally approached, stopping whatever there inside Winter's mind for a moment. She held the girl gently on the shoulder, "Are you alright?", visibly being concerned about Winter's condition.
"I... I-I...", Winter stutters.
"I got... B+ for my midterms", her voice slowly disappeared with her words.
Karina put both her hands on her person's shoulder, gently shooking it with a smile. "You did great, Winter! I got B- with mine, you already slayed yours-"
"You didn't understand!", Winter swatted both Karina's hands away from her shoulder. Her eyes went bloodshot, and her body started to shiver in horror.
"Winter?"
"If I didn't get an A, he would beat me up!", tears started to run out from her eyes, and Karina could feel her heart beating rapidly from the concern.
"Who is he? Why would he beat you up?", Karina brought back her hands on the girl's shoulder, squeezing it for an answer.
"Winter, tell me", she begged. "Who is this person you keep talking about?".
"I-I... I can't-"
"Winter Kim", Karina's word came out stronger this time that Winter was brought into a pause. "I will not allow anyone- shit! Even anything... to hurt you. Hell, Winter. I would do anything for you. My family would, too!", Karina squeezes the girl's shoulder tighter.
"I...", Winter shut her eyes tight, tears never stop flowing down her cheek. "I need help".
"Help is here. Now, tell me", Karina gently wiped the tears away from the girl's cheek. "I may be powerless, Winter. But my father isn't. He even offered himself to help you in any way possible", Karina continued.
"When I told you that you are my person, I really meant it. I cursed fate and the gods for doing this to me at first, and you might not understand why I'm trying to help you right now. But now I agree that I need to commit myself to you, Winter. I need to help you, and you need my help".
"Follow me", Karina pulled Winter away from the scene, realizing there's presence of people around them. She brought Winter inside an empty class before locking the door from the inside.
"Now tell me, Winter. What's bothering you?", her focus is back on Winter.
"The scholarship never exist", she confessed, leaving Karina in ulter shock. "It... what?".
"I've never received a scholarship. I lied", tears starts flowing down from Winter's cheeks again. "My father sold me to this man, and as long as I followed what he asked-", her voice hitched, "he will provide me with everything. He paid all of my fees. Most of the professor here are his peers, and if they request something, I need to-", Winter paused as she started to cry heavily.
"I-I need to do what they wanted me to do!", her whole body starts to shake heavily that Karina needs to hug her tightly in her embrace to calm her down.
"He wanted me to excel every test, and if I failed, he will-", Winter's voice turns into a stutter mess. Her words start to break everywhere. "He beats me with his belt. He- I need to- he did that-"
"Enough, Winter", Karina tried to stop the girl, but Winter just couldn't stop.
"They threaten me to hurt my mother- and if I-"
"Enough, Winter. I heard enough", Karina hushed the girl in her embrace, and when Winter finally paused her words, the only thing left was her silent wails.
"I d-don't know what should I do", Winter breakdown was too much for Karina to handle. The girl's hand is shaking so bad as she palmed her face roughly between her tears.
"You need to follow me back today", Karina instructed, but the other girl shook her head aggressively, "No- I can't".
"That is not a question, and I don't take no as an answer", Karina pulled away from their hug, looking deeply into Winter's eyes in concern.
"Have some faith in me, and trust me. I will help you"
****
"Mom, I'm home!"
"Welcome back- oh my. Who do you get here?", her mother gasped with the view of Karina by the front door, holding a girl's hand by her side. The girl's face is all swollen from crying, and she were confused at first, not until Karina spoke again.
"This is Winter", Karina stated.
"Oh god", finally the mother rushed towards Winter, pulling out her hands and resting it on Winter's shoulder for a gentle squeeze. Like mother, like daughter. Winter thought inside her mind, and Karina just grin heard that.
"So you are Winter Kim?", the older Yu smiled, and Winter just nodded her head quietly. "Welcome to our home, Winter. You are always welcomed. Treat it like yours", the woman nods her head.
"T-Thank you...", Winter answered with her low voice.
Mrs. Yu pulled her hand off Winter before she headed back towards their kitchen. "Help her with anything she needs, honey. I'm cooking dinner".
"Yes ma'am!", Karina answered playfully before she pulled Winter by the arm again. "Let's go upstairs. I'll let you borrow my clothes for change, and maybe my mom can do something about your bruise".
"Oh no, don't mind it", Winter shook her head.
"It's okay, Winter. They knew almost everything about you, and don't worry. My mom is a nurse. You'll be treated just fine", Karina smiled as she pulled Winter towards the staircase.
Winter quietly follows as the other girl rummaging her dresser, finding any suitable clothes for Winter to wear. When she does, she placed it on her bed, right next to where Winter is sitting right now.
"So, I sleep here tonight?", the latter asked.
"Yeah. Did your roommates know about your problems? I guess they didn't since you're being extremely secretive", Karina asked, and Winter answered her with a nod.
"Not even Ningning?"
"How did you know Ningning?", Winters is startled.
"Apparently, my friend is your friend's girlfriend. So yeah, does Ningning know?", Karina asked again, and Winter shook her head weakly. "No, she don't".
Karina flashed the other girl her tiny smile, "The clean towel is under the sink. You can use it. I'll wait for you her until you come out", she nods.
Winter didn't protest. Instead, she smiled back towards Karina with a soft thanks coming out from her mouth.
****
When Winter came out from the shower, she was greeted with Karina holding a cold pack inside her hand. "Hi", the girl smiled slyly. "Mind if I put this on yout back?".
"You said your mother will?"
"Well, she is a bit busy cooking down there. So she let me do the stuff", Karina scratched her neck as her mind went back to when she's begging her mother to do this.
***
"Honey, you'll hurt the poor girl if I let you", Mrs Yu argued when Karina volunteered to treat Winter.
"Come on, mom. I've watched you treat your patients before, and you already taught me things at home. I can do this!", the younger Yu snatched the cold pack from her mother's hand.
***
"I know what to do, Winter. Come on, lie down and get on your back", Karina gestured as she tap the empty space on the bed.
Winter hesitated at first, but when Karina tapped her bed again, she let out a tiny sigh and slowly took her seat right next to the other girl.
When Winter lifted up the shirt, Karina gave her up her torso, Karina couldn't help but gulp nervous. Winter skin is too white, too fragile in her eyes. When the shirt was completely off from her top, leaving only her bra covering her upper body, Winter flushed in embarrassment and immediately lying down, front facing the mattress.
"Please be gentle. I want to live long...", Winter voiced out her concern with her tiny voice.
Karina chuckled by her request, "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill anyone".
Karina rested the cold ice pack on Winter's back, specifically on the bruised and swollen part of her body. The other girl shivers when cold feelings make contact with her skin at first, but then her tense slowly when she can adapt the temperature.
Karina smiled quietly, seeing her person having some rest on her bed when both Winter's eyes were closed. She would let Winter rest as long as she wanted, as long as it would help her with anything.
Karina invited Winter to dinner that night, and Winter gladly accepted the invitation with a smile. Karina wasn't lying to her, tho that the Yu would always care for her too when she saw how welcoming Karina's parents to her.
Winter hasn't felt accepted like this for a very, very long time. As she took the first bite of her food, she couldn't help but chuckle lightly and hold her tears on the verge to release.
She's thankful to meet Karina, and she's grateful to have her.
She wants to know more about her.
****
When Karina invited her to bed that night, Winter wasn't that easy to fall asleep. She is still anxious about what is going to happen to her. What will that person say if he finds out that Winter finally sees someone for help.
Imagining things and her assumptions send her bone to chills. Her thoughts were in horror.
Not until Karina suddenly called her.
"Winter?"
Winter shifted in the bed, pretending to sleep. But her plan failed miserably when Karina could read every panic in the girl's head.
"I know you are not sleeping, and I know you are thinking about the future consequences", Karina said and finally turned over her body, facing Winter. "Hey...", she held the girl by the arm.
"I will not let anyone, or anything do that to you again", Karina's voice came out so soft that it melts Winter's heart.
"How did you always know every time I'm thinking about something?", Winter slowly opens her eyes, and her question makes Karina let out a tiny sneered. "Remember when I said that you are my person?".
"Yeah. What's that even mean?"
"Well, it has been like this through generations. But yeah, the Yus can read the mind of the people they are fated and destined to be with", Karina chuckled when she saw the confused expression on Winter's face.
"Practically saying, I can read yours, and I can hear your thoughts even your voice as long as I'm ten meters away from you and you are ten meters away from me", Karina knods knowingly.
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
"I'm not talking nonsense, Winter", Karina laughs, and Winter eyes go wide open. "How did you-"
"Mind reading powers. Told ya", Karina pointed her finger to her head before Winter shot up immediately from the bed. "How is that possible?", the latter questioned.
"It's just possible. Even my dad can read my mom's thoughts. My grandfather read my grandmother's. It's always like that", Karina follows Winter, standing up on the bed as her hands slowly reach on Winter, holding both of them tight.
"Try say anything inside your mind. I'll speak it out", Karina nods. Winter confused at first, but proceed with the trial.
"Coffee"
"Coffee? Are you craving some?"
"Sandwich"
"Sandwich? Are you hungry-"
"Pizza!"
"Why all you think is food?"
"This is insane!"
"Yup, it's insane", Karina laughs.
"Sea or river?"
"Nah. Easy question. Definitely, sea", she scoffed.
"What's your name?"
"Uhm... Karina Yu?", Karina laughs even more.
"That's just- wow. You are amazing!", Winter gasped as she covered both her hands on her wide open mouth. "Did you read other's minds too?".
"Like I said just now. I could only read yours", Karina grin. "I'm fated to be with you, Winter. The gods, the aliens, and the weird destiny did that. Don't put the blame on me".
"So you literally could hear anything I'm saying, or everything I'm thinking as long as I'm in the radius?", Winter asked again, still trying to catch things from the unbelievable fact Karina had told her.
"Everything, yeah. I guess I'm stuck with you forever", Karina grins happily, and the tense inside Winter slowly losen. She could feel her cheeks burning from Karina's words. Being stuck with someone. Winter never imagined she would be with Karina, whom she barely knew.
"No wonder-", suddenly Winter was hit into realization. "No wonder you heard me inside the washroom when I'm sure enough that I do nothing for anyone to hear me!", Winter gasped again and Karina could only laugh from it. At least, Winter didn't see her as a weird person.
"Now that's what I meant by you are my person", Karina smiled before she winked towards Winter. "It's going to be like that for a very long time".