Trigger warning: Abuse

"Open the door!" Jungkook shouted, his voice echoing through the hallway. He rang the bell frantically, his fists striking the door with a force born of desperation.

Inside, Yoongi was in the middle of an outburst, his anger turning physical as he whipped Sora with a belt. The sharp crack of the leather against flesh was punctuated by Sora's muffled cries of pain. The endless pounding on the door only fueled Yoongi's rage. Dragging Sora up into his room, he shoved her onto the floor and warned her to keep quiet unless she wanted an even harsher punishment. Sora trembled, her face streaked with tears, the wounds on her arms and legs bleeding and raw.

Yoongi, still seething with fury, finally opened the door. Jungkook didn't wait for an explanation; he stormed inside, his eyes darting around in frantic search of Sora. Yoongi, visibly aggressive, confronted him. "Why is it you again? What are you doing here? This is my house!" he demanded, his voice a growl of hostility. But Jungkook, driven by worry and anger, ignored him, his gaze falling on the belt discarded on the floor. His heart raced with a surge of dread.

Jungkook grabbed Yoongi by the collar, his fingers digging into the fabric with a vice-like grip. The intensity in his eyes was a stark contrast to the cold, calculated rage in Yoongi's. "Where is she?" Jungkook's voice was a low, dangerous growl, barely containing the storm of fury churning within him. Each word was spoken with deliberate force, a demand wrapped in barely restrained aggression.

Yoongi's face twisted in a mix of anger and surprise as he struggled against Jungkook's unyielding hold. "She's my fucking girlfriend," Yoongi spat out, his voice a harsh, defensive bark. He tried to break free, his movements frantic and desperate, but Jungkook's grip was unrelenting. "Stay out of our business."

Jungkook's eyes blazed with a fierce, unspoken threat. His grip on Yoongi's collar tightened, pulling him in closer until their faces were inches apart. "You don't hurt your girlfriend like that, Yoongi," he said, his voice cold and unyielding, each word measured and deliberate. "Tell me where she is right now, or I'll make you regret it." The underlying threat in his voice was unmistakable, though Jungkook's fury was kept in check by a tight rein on his emotions.

The urge to lash out, to unleash his pent-up rage on Yoongi, was almost overwhelming. Jungkook's fists clenched even tighter, his body trembling with the effort of restraining himself. He knew that violence would only complicate matters further, especially with Yoongi being a student at the college where he's teaching. Despite the boiling rage inside him, he fought to maintain control, reminding himself that his priority was to help Sora.

Yoongi's frown deepened as he registered the use of his name by Jungkook. A moment of realization flickered in his eyes as he recalled Sora had saved a new number under 'Mr. Jeon'. A cold, mocking smirk spread across Yoongi's face as he leaned in slightly, his voice dripping with condescension.

"You know, it's pretty rich for a teacher to play hero like this," Yoongi sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "First, you barge into my place, sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, meddling in my relationship with Sora. And now, you're standing there like some kind of righteous savior, threatening to beat me up. What's next, Mr. Jeon? Planning to cozy up to her now? You really think you're in any position to act all high and mighty when you're the one crossing the boundary with your own student? Do you want to fuck her? Is that it? Do you like the idea of something that'd already been used?" His eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction, clearly enjoying the way he was riling Jungkook up.

Jungkook's anger flared at Yoongi's taunts, his face flushing with a mix of rage and disbelief. The words hit him like a punch to the gut, leaving him momentarily stunned. Without another word, he forcefully shoved Yoongi aside, the impact sending him staggering backward. Jungkook's movements were precise, driven by an urgent need to find Sora and protect her from further harm.

Yoongi's threats of calling the police went unheeded, their weight diminished by Jungkook's singular focus. Besides, he knew that Yoongi’s threats were empty—he was well aware that if Yoongi were to involve the authorities, his own hideous crimes would be exposed.

The room seemed to close in around Jungkook as he pushed past Yoongi's blustering threats and continued his relentless search. His eyes swept the apartment with intense determination, searching every room and corner, driven by a primal need to ensure Sora's safety.

As Jungkook raced up the stairs, each step felt like a race against time. When he reached the bedroom, the sight that greeted him nearly shattered his resolve. Sora was curled up on the floor, her trembling frame a stark contrast to the room's sterile calm. Her knees were pulled tightly to her chest, and her body shook with uncontrollable shivers. The raw fear in her eyes, combined with the visible marks of belt lashings crisscrossing her skin, struck Jungkook with a gut-wrenching intensity.

Jungkook's heart ached as he approached and knelt beside her, his gaze sweeping over her injuries. The wounds on her arms and legs were raw and angry, the cruel evidence of Yoongi's brutality. His hands, gentle yet firm, examined the damage with a sense of urgency. Anger, fierce and uncontainable, surged through him, mingling with an overwhelming desire to protect her from her cruel boyfriend.

"Sora," Jungkook said softly, his voice trembling with a blend of empathy and determination. "I'm going to get you out of here right now. But we need to call the police. You have to tell them what happened, and we need to get you the help you need. This has to stop." His gaze was steady and resolute, a silent promise that he would do everything in his power to ensure her safety.

Yoongi, having overheard the conversation, was now visibly crumbling. The façade of anger he had maintained shattered as tears streamed down his face, his pleas for forgiveness spilling out in a torrent of guilt and excuses. "Sora, I'm so sorry," he pleaded, his tone filled with raw anguish. "I-I didn't know what came over me. I was just so afraid of losing you. Please, I love you. My love for you made me act like this, but I never meant to hurt you. Please, forgive me. I'm so, so sorry."

Sora's heart felt like it was being torn apart further with every sob Yoongi emitted. Her eyes, red-rimmed and swollen, reflected a mixture of deep pain and exhaustion. She glanced up at Jungkook, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Please, Mr. Jeon. I just want to leave this house." Her plea was a fragile whisper, carrying the weight of her shattered trust and urgent need for escape. At this stage, she questioned whether Yoongi's apology even held any real meaning.

Jungkook carefully helped Sora to her feet, his touch gentle yet firm, as though she might break with too much pressure. He wrapped his arm around her protectively, guiding her down the stairs, each step taken with a quiet determination to get her out of this nightmare.

As they descended, Yoongi's pleas grew increasingly desperate, his voice cracking with panic. "Please, Sora, don't leave me! Don't call the police!" he begged, trailing after them like a man grasping at the last threads of control. But when his cries fell on deaf ears, his tone darkened, taking on a vicious edge. "I have photos of you, Park Sora," he hissed, his desperation morphing into something cruel and sinister. "Naked. If you tell anyone about this, I'll expose them everywhere. Do you want that? Do you want everyone to see your body after you'd been used by me?"

The cruel threat hung in the air, a final, twisted attempt by Yoongi to maintain control over Sora. Jungkook's jaw tightened, a wave of disgust rolling through him as the full extent of Yoongi's depravity became clear. The fact that he was willing to use something so intimate as a weapon, ignited a burning anger within Jungkook. He couldn't believe someone could be so vile, so utterly devoid of decency.

He tightened his grip on Sora, silently vowing to rescue her from this twisted, possessive behavior. This wasn't love—Jungkook knew that with absolute certainty. What Yoongi had was a sick obsession, a need to possess and control Sora. He prayed that Sora could finally see the truth, that the man who claimed to love her was nothing more than a manipulative monster. Yoongi was dangerous, his so-called affection was a weapon, and he didn't deserve a single ounce of her trust or affection.

Sora’s heart felt as if it were shattering into a thousand pieces as she fumbled with her bag and phone, her hands trembling uncontrollably. Her face was pale, marked by a deep sense of humiliation. The thought that her teacher had to witness her in such a state filled her with a profound sense of shame. She could scarcely believe that the man she had once loved, and desperately tried to hold onto, was now a shadow of the person she had known.

Once inside Jungkook's car, the silence was deafening. The only sound that broke it was the echo of Sora's sobs, raw and unrestrained, filling the confined space with her anguish. Each sob was a sharp, painful reminder of the torment she had endured. It wasn't just the physical pain that overwhelmed her but the crushing realization of how deeply she had been deceived by her own hopes, and how far she had allowed things to spiral out of control.

Jungkook, sensing her turmoil, drove in silence. His hands were steady on the wheel, but his heart was far from calm. The relief of knowing she was safe now was tempered by a heavy sense of helplessness. He wished he could do more, be more for her in this moment, but all he could offer was the quiet reassurance of his presence.

When they reached a convenience store, Jungkook parked the car and turned to Sora. "I'll be right back," he said gently, his voice soft and careful as if speaking too loudly might shatter what little composure she had left. She nodded, her eyes still fixed on the dashboard, her hands trembling slightly.

Jungkook hurried inside, his thoughts a whirlwind as he moved through the aisles. He grabbed a bottle of pain relievers and a cup of hot chocolate, hoping the warmth might offer her some comfort, however fleeting. As he waited in line, the gravity of the situation settled over him like a heavy cloak. The responsibility he felt was immense, and the fear that he might not be enough to help her through this gnawed at him.

Returning to the car, Jungkook opened the door and handed her the medicine and hot chocolate. "Here," he said softly, his concern evident in every syllable. "This should help with the pain. And drink this; it might warm you up a bit."

Sora accepted the items with a quiet "thank you," her voice hoarse from crying. She took a small sip of the hot chocolate, the warmth spreading through her, offering a brief respite from the cold, hollow feeling inside her. Jungkook watched her for a moment, giving her some time to settle.

After a few moments of silence, he asked gently, "Do you want to go home? I can take you back if you're ready."

Sora shook her head, the mere thought of returning home in her current state filling her with dread. "I can't go back right now," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I told Jimin I'd be staying with Yoongi for the weekend. If I go home looking like this, Jimin will know something's wrong. I don't want him to know. He'll want to call the police."

Jungkook's heart ached as he listened to her, understanding the weight of her fear. The thought of explaining everything to her brother and the potential of involving the authorities was something she wanted to avoid at all costs. Jungkook felt a deep, gnawing sense of helplessness, knowing there was no easy way out of their predicament.

After a moment of contemplation, Jungkook's voice was soft yet resolute. "Alright," he said gently, his resolve firm despite the circumstances. "I'll take you to my place, is that okay? You can stay there for as long as you need to. We'll figure things out from there." His words were a promise of refuge and support, a lifeline in the midst of her turmoil.

Jungkook knew his offer was dangerous, the kind of decision that could put everything he had worked for—his career, his reputation—on the line. Taking a student into his home, especially under such fragile circumstances, was more than just risky; it was potentially catastrophic. The boundaries between teacher and student were there for a reason, and crossing them could invite scrutiny, suspicion, and consequences he wasn't fully prepared to face.

But as he looked at Sora, broken and terrified, all those concerns faded into the background. He couldn't walk away, not now. She was more than just another art student; she was a young woman in desperate need of help, someone who had been pushed to the brink by a man who claimed to love her. Jungkook wasn't sure why he felt so compelled to protect her, why the thought of leaving her alone felt like an impossible choice. Perhaps it was his innate sense of responsibility as a teacher, or perhaps it was something deeper, a connection he couldn't quite put into words and reluctant to confront or name.

What he did know was that abandoning her wasn't an option. The risk to his career, the potential fallout—none of it mattered when weighed against her safety. He had already stepped into this situation, already taken the first steps down a path he couldn't retreat from. And if helping her meant putting himself in danger, then that was a risk he was willing to take. Sora's well-being was his priority now, and whatever happened after, he would face it when the time came.

Sora hesitated before nodding, the weight of her situation sinking in as she realized she had no other refuge. Jungkook restarted the car, the engine's soft hum the only sound accompanying them. The city lights outside streaked into vibrant lines as they drove, their brilliance starkly contrasting the profound silence inside the car. This silence was filled with an unspoken understanding of their shared distress—the aftermath of a harrowing experience that left both of them reeling.

Jungkook struggled to find the right words to offer solace, to break through the heaviness that cloaked them. His heart ached to comfort Sora, to somehow ease the crushing burden of her pain and shame. But as the miles passed, his thoughts swirled with a mix of concern and helplessness, leaving him speechless. Instead of words, he channeled all his focus into the steady rhythm of driving, determined to get her to a place where she could feel safe again.

Once they arrived at Jungkook's apartment, the weight of the evening seemed to press down even harder on Sora. Jungkook led her gently to the sofa, his touch careful and comforting as he guided her to sit. He disappeared briefly to gather some supplies and returned with a small first aid kit. The sight of him kneeling in front of her, so focused on tending to her wounds, brought a fresh wave of tears to Sora's eyes. The care he showed was so gentle and genuine, so different from the harshness she had just escaped from.

As Jungkook began applying antiseptic to her injuries, the sharp sting made Sora wince, her breath hitching in response. But despite the pain, the tenderness with which Jungkook treated her was a small solace amidst her turmoil. His hands were steady, but she could see the conflict in his eyes—the struggle between the desire to remain calm for her sake and the anger roiling beneath the surface.

Jungkook took a deep breath, his voice soft when he finally spoke. "Sora," he began, carefully dabbing at the last of her wounds, "Can you tell me what happened? How did it come to this?"

Sora hesitated for a moment, her gaze dropping to her lap as she gathered her thoughts. Her voice was shaky, almost as if she feared speaking the truth out loud would make it more real. "Yoongi invited me over to his apartment this morning," she began, her words slow and halting. "He said he wanted to spend the whole day with me, to apologize for his behavior and make up for it. At first, everything seemed fine. He prepared lunch for us and we watched a movie together. He was so... gentle, so warm. I thought he'd finally go back to the man I loved back then. I thought that maybe he was really sorry."

Sora took a deep, trembling breath, her eyes brimming with tears once more. "But after lunch, while I was washing the dishes, Yoongi got hold of my phone. He doesn't allow me to use a passcode, so he went through it freely. He found a new contact—your number." Her voice faltered, the recollection too raw and painful. "He lost it. He demanded to know why I had a new number saved without telling him, and he forced me to delete it right there. I tried to explain, to tell him you're just my art instructor and that there was nothing inappropriate going on—I wasn't cheating on him, but he wouldn't listen. He didn't care. Even after I deleted it, he was still enraged. That's when he went to get the belt. He said I needed to be taught a lesson."

Sora trembled, her entire body quaking as she relived the harrowing memories. Jungkook’s face set into a hard, grim expression, his features shadowed by the crushing weight of guilt. He had been fully aware of Yoongi's possessive and twisted nature when he gave Sora his phone number, and the thought that his well-meaning gesture could provoke such a violent response gnawed at him, leaving him deeply unsettled. The knowledge that Yoongi's rage wasn't just about the phone number; it was about the control and dominance Yoongi desperately craved, made Jungkook's stomach churn with revulsion.

"Sora," Jungkook said softly, his voice laden with emotion, "I'm so sorry you're going through this. But Yoongi... he's not showing you love. He's trying to control you, to dictate what's right and wrong for you. That's not love. What he's doing to you—it's fundamentally wrong. You don't deserve this. No one does." He paused, searching for the right words to help Sora confront the painful truth she had been avoiding. “You’ve seen how far he’s strayed from the person he used to be. Please, consider ending the relationship and freeing yourself from this torment. You don’t deserve to live like this.”

Sora's face revealed her internal struggle. Despite the truth laid bare before her, the thought of ending things with Yoongi was paralyzing. Her love for him and fear of his potential retaliation created a paralyzing fear, caging her up. The idea that confronting him might provoke something even more sinister made her hesitate. She felt trapped between the hope that things might improve if she stayed compliant and the dread of what might happen if she left.

Jungkook, seeing her mounting fear, softened his tone. "I wish I could take all this pain away, make things better somehow. But there's only so much I can do if you're still in the relationship, Sora. I promise, though, I'll help you through this. You're not alone in this."

Silence stretched between them as Sora’s tears began to fall freely, her heart weighed down by the crushing reality of her situation. "T-to be honest," she whispered, her voice trembling with despair, "I know Yoongi might never change. I kept hoping he would, if only I waited long enough, but now… I just don’t know anymore. I’m scared, Mr. Jeon. I’m so scared. If I break up with him, I can’t imagine what he might do to me."

Jungkook gently reached out and took her hand, his grip both firm and comforting. "It's okay," he assured her, his voice steady and resolute. "You're safe here. We'll face this together. I won't let him hurt you again." His eyes held a promise of unwavering support, a beacon of hope amidst her despair.

Jungkook understood that keeping this matter hidden from Jimin or the authorities wasn’t a wise option. If Sora wanted to escape this situation, involving the police was unavoidable. Yoongi’s threats to spread compromising photos of Sora only intensified the urgency. They would need law enforcement’s help not just for her safety, but to ensure those photos were removed and kept from being shared.

However, he could see that Sora was utterly exhausted, her strength drained by the events of the day. Now wasn’t the right moment to discuss the next steps or the gravity of involving the authorities. She needed rest first. Jungkook resolved to let her recuperate before tackling the difficult decisions ahead.

Both of them remained silent for a moment, the weight of their conversation hanging heavily in the air. Jungkook's gaze drifted to where his hand still rested over hers, and a sudden wave of realization hit him. He had crossed another boundary, offering more personal support than his role as her teacher typically permitted. Yet, as he looked up, he found Sora's eyes searching his with a pleading hopefulness. The warmth and sincerity in Jungkook's eyes seemed to offer her a glimmer of hope, pulling her back from the brink of her despair. For the first time that day, she felt a fragile sense of reassurance, a tentative belief that maybe there was still a way out of the darkness she was trapped in. His unwavering determination made the prospect of breaking away from Yoongi's control seem a bit less daunting.

Clearing his throat, Jungkook slowly rose from the floor, his movements deliberate and careful, as if aware of the fragility of the moment. "Let me change the sheets on my bed," he said, his voice soft yet resolute. "You should be as comfortable as possible while you rest." His tone was imbued with a gentle authority that spoke of his concern for her well-being. "You need to rest and recover after everything you've been through."

Sora's heart swelled with profound gratitude as she looked up at Jungkook. She saw how he had gone beyond the typical responsibilities of a teacher, offering more than just his professional support. His willingness to provide a safe haven, his genuine concern for her well-being, filled her with deep respect and admiration. In that moment, she saw him not merely as an instructor but as a compassionate and reliable friend. The connection she felt with him grew stronger, a poignant reminder of the kindness and understanding that had extended far beyond the confines of his role.

Jungkook ascended the stairs with a sense of quiet resolve, the burden of the evening evident in his every step. He returned shortly, his face reflecting the strain of the situation, but his voice remained gentle as he addressed Sora. "Please, make yourself comfortable in my room. I'll fix us something to eat. Is there anything in particular you'd like?"

Sora looked up at him, her voice soft but sincere. "Thank you, but I'm not sure what I want right now. Just... something simple would be nice." She wasn't even certain she could stomach much tonight. With a respectful bow, she made her way upstairs, another wave of relief and gratitude washing over her.