"You can sleep here too!", Winter insisted when she saw Karina already in front of the door with a pillow and a blanket in her embrace, ready to leave the room only for Winter to use.
"No-no. You sleep here, I will sleep on the couch. Mom told me to let you have the bed", Karina shook her head softly with a smile on her face, assuring the younger girl that she was okay with the idea.
"No, you won't", Winter argued, making space for Karina beside her on the queen-sized bed. "Your bed is too big for me alone. You can sleep here, too", she tapped the empty space, looking at Karina hopefully.
"Are you sure? I'm a bad sleeper. I might kick you accidentally, or my legs will be on top of your stomach, or my hands will swat your face. Gosh, you'll be slapped, Winter. You might rethink-", The Yu girl's frantic words were met with giggles and soft laughs.
"I will be fine, Karina", Winter smiled as she tapped the empty space beside her again.
Karina furrowed her eyebrows worriedly. She really thinks this is a bad idea, sleeping right next to Winter. It's not like she's never slept right next to anyone before. Sure, she does. She slept right next to Aeri once only to get slapped back in her sleep after she accidentally slapped the Japanese on her lips.
Karina slowly tip-toed back to her bed with the pillow and blanket in her arms. When she positioned her pillow right next to Winter's, her eyebrows furrowed again and WInter couldn't help but scoff happily again.
"I will be fine, Karina. Come on"
"This might be the first and the last time you'll ever want to sleep right next to me, Winter"
Winter had enough of Karina's concern with her sleeping habits, and so WInter just pulled Karina by her arms, sitting on the bed with force. "You look ugly with that face, you know. Brush it off", Winter laughed.
"Mom will kill me-"
"Oh, no. Your mom will not kill you if I said to her that I was the one who wanted you to stay here", Winter pulled the older girl even more, closer to her on the bed. "Karina. Gosh! Come on. You said I'm your person! You said we are destined for each other! Just take this as a practice, okay?".
"Practice? For what?", Karina's eyebrows furrow again.
"Are you pretending to be dumb or what?", Winter scoffed. "If we are destined to be with each other like you told me, then soon we will be girlfriends, fiancees, and get married. We will sleep beside each other every single-"
"Shut up!", Karina cupped Winter's mouth with her palm as Winter's eyes widened, looking at the older girl in surprise. Karina's face is so red. It was so visible for Winter to see because they hadn't put the lights off yet.
"I will sleep here, okay? I got it. No need to explain more", Karina pulled her hand away from Winter's mouth, sliding under the blanket before covering her face with the blanket just enough to hide her shy expression from Winter. Winter chuckled for a second before she walked towards the switch to turn off the lights.
"Goodnight, Karina", she smiled.
****
When they got back to the college the next day, Karina insisted that she would follow Winter until she reached her class, or until she met up with Ningning. Karina was worried, sure she was. Their college is filled with creepy professors who would dare to assault weak girls like Winter, and leaving her alone or being with her more than ten meters apart would make Karina worried sick for her.
Winter never told her who is this man who bought her from her father, but what's sure is that he has many professors in his grip. He would not let all those assholes do anything to Winter, and Karina will make sure that that will never happen again.
"Reached your class already?", Karina asked as she held Winter by her arm.
"Not yet, but look who's here", Winter smiled as she pointed her finger towards a certain direction. Karina's eyes follow, revealing a Chinese girl with a bright smile, waving her hands happily toward the two.
"Is that Ningning?", Karina asked just to make sure. She didn't know Ningning that much, nor remember her face that much because she had only seen her once before.
"Yeah. That's my roommate and my friend, Ningning", Winter answered when Ningning ran in their direction.
"Where have you been, Winter? You weren't in the room last night", Ningning asked before her eyes shifted towards Karina with her questioning expression. "Aren't you Karina? Aeri's friend, right?", she asked and Karina nodded her head immediately. Her hands never leave Winter's arm.
"Nice to meet you, Ningning. I'm Karina, your girlfriend's friend", Karina smiled and Ningning smiled back at her warmly before her eyes shifted towards the view of Karina's hands holding tightly onto WInter's arm. A little smirk flashed on the Chinese face.
"I think I know where you were last night", Ningning said. "Why didn't you tell me you already had a girlfriend?", she lifted one of her eyebrows with a teasing smirk on her face.
"She's not-", Winter paused her words. "I am not her girlfriend. Not yet", Winter gave a quick look at Karina's amused expression before looking somewhere else. "But, yeah. I was at her house last night", she scratched her neck, trying to brush off the embarrassment. Looking at how her friend acted, Ningning cannot help but laugh her heart out.
"Don't be afraid, buddy. I know where you've been. Aeri told me about you guys, and she also told me that Karina is the one who fell hard for you-"
"She told you what?", Karina's eyes widen. What kind of nonsense did her friend tell this Chinese? Well, at least Aeri not going to tell Ningning her secret about reading people's minds.
"I'm taking my friend back. Thank you for taking care of her", Ningning pulled Winter away from Karina, letting Karina's grip on WInter's arm loose. "We're heading to our class. See you some other day, Karina", Ningning smirked playfully before she pulled Winter stronger to follow her towards somewhere.
But not before they can completely disappear from Karina's sight, Karina shouted. "Please take care of her!".
The two girls turned their heads back towards Karina. Winter with the same shy expression while Ningning looks a bit confused. "Just please, don't let her be by herself, Nigning! I beg you!"
"Don't worry, Karina! I will not let her be even without you begging!", Ningning shouted back before they walked again towards their direction. Karina smiled for a second as she could hear the mind voices of the Chinese girl meters away from her.
"That Karina girl is pretty silly"
Winter turned her head one last time towards Karina, smiling shyly at her.
"I will message you when I've arrived, okay? Don't be too worried"
When Winter could see Karina nodded her head as her reply, Winter finally turned her head back to the front, and Karina couldn't help but smile.
"You better be, Winter"
****
It feels good to have a life like this, Winter's thoughts inside her mind. There is someone who asks her how is she, whether is she living well, have she has eaten, and whether she is this and that. That's all thanks to Karina. These few days, Karina had made her live the life Winter lost. She filled Winter with the care she needed since her father was so cruel to her and her mom.
Winter wondered how her mom was doing. Is she well? Winter just hoped that her father would follow what he promised her, to let Winter's mom live in peace.
These few days are somehow peaceful for Winter. She was back living at the hostel with her roommate, and she received no threat from her owner (which Winter hated to call him that). Winter really wanted to tell Karina who was the one who bought her, the one who brought her life into a miserable mess, the one who sold Winter out to the insane professor's desire and needs.
Winter wants to tell her all of her story, but she is afraid.
Karina might get kicked out of the college because of her, and she doesn't want that to happen.
Winter was in her room, studying like she usually did while Ningning was long asleep.
As Winter turned her book to the next page, her phone vibrated and when she double-tapped the screen, Karina's name popped up into her view.
Karina
How is your day? Is all well? There's nothing happening, right?
Winter smirked happily before she started typing her answer.
Winter
Nothing happened, Karina. You don't need to worry about it. Ningning became so clingy lately and I bet it will be hard for me to go anywhere alone.
Karina
Tell me immediately if there is something going on, okay? You got all the support from the Yus. You don't need to worry about anything.
Winter
Gosh. You and the Yu supremacy towards their destined one. I will, Karina. I promise ;D
Karina
You better be, or I will storm into your dorm right away!
Winter
Yes ma'am!
When Winter was about to lock her phone again to focus back on her studies, she was startled by another vibration from her phone. The familiar number without a name popped up on her phone screen. Suddenly fear is conquering her whole mind.
Unknown
I heard that you got a B+ for your midterm quiz?
Winter knows who is it even tho she didn't save the number. She already memorized the number inside her mind from the excessive amounts of messages she received from him in the past few months. Winter could feel her body suddenly trembling in fear as she cupped her mouth from gasping in horror.
Unknown
Did something disturb you lately, baby? Your attention on your studies went messy. What's wrong with you? ;)
Unknown
Come to my office tomorrow at 10. No excuses, I will let your professor know that I'm calling you. A good girl should serve her master and receive her punishments, right? ;P
Winter's hands tremble as she puts her phone down on the table. She rushed towards the washroom when the gushing feelings of horror made her vomit her dinner that night. She was too scared to say a single word, not too Ningning. Her friend shouldn't be involved in this matter.
Unknown
Be a good slave like you always did, baby girl. I promised you that I'm not going to be too harsh this time, hmm? Receive your punishment just right so your mother will be alive. ;)
Panic. Winter frantically took her phone with her before she stepped out of her room towards the dormitory rooftop. Her finger was busy trying to find Karina's number in her contact list before sliding the name for a call. She walks in a circle, trying to calm herself down.
"Karina is with you, Winter...", Winter repeated to herself, reminding her that she wasn't alone this time.
"Karina got you, Winter. Please...", tears started rolling down from Winter's cheeks as she waited for Karina to pick up her phone. She wasn't alone this time, yes. Karina knows her secret. Karina is her person, yes.
Winter is Karina's person, please remember.
"Please-", Winter's words immediately cut off when Karina picked up the call. "Winter? Hey, what's-"
"H-Help...", Winter's voice cracked as she spoke. Thinking of the worst, Karina immediately brought her full attention to the younger girl with her worried voice.
"What happened?"
"He knows about my midterms", Winter's hands shaking so hard that it feels so hard for her to speak out every single word from her mouth. "He wanted me to be there at 10", Winter's sobs were so visible through the line.
"He? The one who bought you?", Karina asked.
"He would punish me for my grades, and if I wasn't there tomorrow, he will-", Winter's voice hitched between her sobs, "he will kill my mother, Karina!", WInter cries.
"Tell me where are you right now"
"I'm at... the dormitory rooftop. I'm alone. I'm scared, Karina! I don't want-"
"Winter. Hey, stay there! I'm coming!", Karina said on the phone and Winter could hear some shuffling sounds inside the line and how Karina slammed a door shut, sounds of her rushing down the stairs and probably slamming another door.
"Don't you do anything stupid, Winter! I swear to god- Mom! Dad! Winter is in trouble!"
"I won't, I promise", Winter cries harder.
"Please, help me".
****
The clock hits 12:30 at midnight when Karina arrives at the dormitory block with her father that night. Worried, Karina rushed towards the rooftop, leaving her father inside the car alone, wondering how cruel the world is to his daughter's person.
The moment Karina stepped on the rooftop, she was met by a human figure balled into her knees, crying in horror all alone. Karina didn't waste her time and rushed towards Winter's figure, hugging her tightly inside her embrace. Realizing who the one who hugged her was, Winter finally lets her horror all out, tugging Karina's shirt so tight between her massacre.
"I'm here, Winter", Karina stroked the back of Winter's head gently with her hand, "I am here and no one will ever hurt you ever again".
"K-Karina... I'm...", Winter's voice hitched.
"Who is he, Winter?", Karina's hold on Winter just got tighter, assuring the younger girl that she would help her at all costs. "Tell me who is he, and I will make sure that he will rot in jail forever!".
"You need to tell me, Winter. Please. My dad is powerful enough to bring your captor down. My family would do anything to protect you against everything that is hurting you. You are my person, Winter. Remember?", Karina hushed the girl with her soft words and gentle strokes. Somehow, it was helpful that Karina could hear Winter start to calm down a bit.
"I can help you only if you tell me, Winter. Your mother? Don't worry about her. We would bring her to safety just for you. The Yu will do anything for you and your mother, Winter. I would even let hundreds of bodyguards keep your mother safe just for you. How you can win this fight? The Yu is a powerful family, Winter. Trust me", Karina said before she slowly pulled Winter from their hug, looking into her eyes with her warm gaze.
"We would hire the best lawyer in the country for you, Winter. Just to let you live in peace, because why?", Karina smiled as she wiped away the remaining tears at the corner of WInter's eyes with her thumbs.
"I would remind you again and again that we are destined to be with each other. I couldn't explain why it was like that, but fate sure messed up with us, the Yus. We would live our life with our person forever, that won't change anytime, Winter", Karina said as she smiled warmly towards Winter who finally stopped crying. Only left is the tiny sobs and pale face.
"I'm here to protect my future girlfriend, fiancee, and wife, from any danger that messes up with her life. You need to trust me, Winter. Trust the Yus. We will help you. I would help you, Winter. You are everything to me now, and you know that too, didn't you?", Karina grinned happily before Winter followed her with a tiny happy scoff escaping from her mouth.
"Now that's my girl", Karina was glad that Winter was able to smile at least a bit in her hard times.
"Now, tell me, Winter. Who is he? I will make sure to let him suffer for messing up with my person, my future"
Winter hesitated for a few seconds. She knows how powerful her captor is, just enough to make Winter and her family suffer, enough to kick any students from this college all he pleased. He had that power, he would do that.
But Winter also knows that the Yus holds greater power than her captor, her owner, and her master.
"It was the dean", WInter confessed in her low voice, later slowly lifting up her head and looking straight into Karina's concerned eyes. She held Karina's arms tighter before repeating her words.
"It's our dean, Karina. Our faculty dean", Winter's voice started to waver again not until Karina suddenly cupped both of her cheeks with her hands.
"The dean, Winter? That crazy old man is the one who bought you? Seriously? That Lee Yoonshin old prick? He wasn't that powerful tho. I know someone who is more powerful than he is", Karina scoffed playfully, only leaving Winter in a deep confusion.
"What do you mean by that, Karina?"
"Well... My dad is powerful enough to eliminate him with our family money, yes he is. But then, I think I never tell you that my grandfather is the president of this whole college", Karina laughed lightly as she saw how WInter's eyes widened in shock at the sudden statement.
"The president?"
"That crazy old prick could easily kick students from our faculty out, yes I wouldn't deny that. But my grandfather could fire anyone or anything working inside the whole college just by signing some documents and he would vanish the next day", Karina smiled happily when Winter was nowhere near crying right now. The younger girl was too shocked to process the new fact that she just heard from Karina.
"That will make things easier, right? We could file a lawsuit against him, and he will be gone from the college forever. What a bliss!", Karina smiled getting wider as her forehead made contact with Winter's.
"See? I told you that the Yus is pretty powerful, Winter. We would do anything for our person"
"For you, Winter. You are my person"