➪The Man|| WINRINA

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚢-𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚎

TW: Sexual assault, attempted rape

Karina knew all of them were suffering, fighting a silent battle within themselves. She knew sungchan was fighting the pain of seeing Shotaro from afar, knowing that he couldn't approach him; Jeno was fighting his envy towards Jaemin who was considered perfect; Jaemin was fighting the demons that filled his mind due to trauma; Winter was fighting the guilt of having to hide the truth from her friends; Gucci gang was fighting on which side to choose in this battle; and Karina, she was fighting the guilt of having started all of these problems.


She wouldn't lie. It was her fault everything started. If she only placed Winter's application in the right bin then things wouldn't have happened. Winter wouldn't be harassed by a psychotic duo with mental problems.


But that also meant Winter wouldn't be in Shang Academy Boy's High. She wouldn't have met Karina. She wouldn't have met Taeyong and Soobin. She didn't want to be selfish by depriving Winter of her newfound friends.


But, was it worth it? Winter goes through all this pain and misery because of her selfishness.


Right, she was selfish, and look where it has gotten her. One friend is on the verge of a mental breakdown, one just revealed how psychotic he was, and two were roped into a drama, clueless. Hell, even Sungchan was roped into this at the last minute.


The last thing she would need is Shotaro and, maybe, Kun added into the mix.


That would be a catastrophe.


“Karina”


The aforementioned girl looked up from her cold earl grey tea. She was seated under one of the many gazebos Sungchan had in his garden. She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Xiaojun.


She gestured for him to sit on the seat across from her. The nice thing about Sungchan was he was fine with her inviting her guest into his property. Unlike Jeno who refused to share.


She frowned.


“Why did you call me?” Xiaojun pulled his seat forward. He then placed both his arms on the round table top, clasping his hands together.


Xiaojun and his habit of getting things straight to the point. She opened her mouth, “I'm sorry.”


Xiaojun was puzzled, brows furrowed as he tilted his head to the side. “Excuse me? Why are you telling me sorry?”


Karina fiddled with her fingers that were on her lap. “I'm the reason Jaemin is like this.”


He scoffed, “Did Jeno tell you this? Did he force you to like Winter? Did he tell you he would get rid of Winter? Karina, you should know by now that Jeno is a man full of bluff. Between him and Jaemin, Jaemin is the one who can fulfill his own words.”


How she wished she could believe that. “It's different this time Xiaoju. Remember what happened two years ago?”


Xiaojun tried his best to recall that time. It was blurry, seeing as he was not that involved in their lives at that time. “What do you mean?”


“You remember how I used to sneak in into your academy?” Karina, and Jaemin, was a hypocrite. They hated Winter for cosplaying as a boy when she too tried. “Xiaojun, it's the same.”


“I'm well aware of that.” Xiaojun nodded his head, “Jaemin is a hypocrite with the way he treats Winter. He should have done the same to you. But, I'm sure that isn't your point.”


“It isn't,” Karina’s eyes downcasted on her fiddling fingers, “Jeno—jeno never caught on. Jaemin was trying so hard to hide me. Remember that one fine afternoon after class? The one where he suddenly had to hide me and leave me. I-Sungchan told me something.” her voice wavered as she said the last sentence. It was a horrible revelation from Sungchan. “About the accident.”


Xiaojun's breath hitched, eyes going wide. He felt a shiver run down his spine. “Y-you mean...you know why Jaemin is like this?”


Karina nodded her head shakily. The answer to it made her eyes glossy as she realized what Jeno has done. The bastard. “Yes,” she breathed out, holding back from sobbing. She shook her head, “Xiaojun we've been lied to. I don't know how Jaemin was able to hide such as thing from us.”


Xiaojun abruptly stood up, he gripped Karina’s shoulder. “Tell me.”


A single tear slipped past Karina’s left eye, running down her cheeks, “Jeno-Jeno was the reason why Jaemin—” She closed her eyes, tears running down her face due to grief. “Why Jaemin was almost raped two years ago.”


Xiaojun gasped, letting go of Karina’s shoulders, pushing her back onto her seat. He staggered backward before falling back into his seat. “J-jaemin,” he called shakily, “It's not because of his family?”


Karina shook her head no, hands covering her face as she attempted to stop her tears. “It was never his family. It was Jeno the entire time. He-he—” she choked on a sob.


Xiaojun slapped his clenched fists on the table, gritting his teeth. “That bastard. I was thankful that he saved Jaemin that day but all this time it was because of him.” he was flabbergasted. He wanted to punch something, throw something.


“But it wasn't Jeno who saved Jaemin.” Karina pulled her hands away from her face, voice barely above a whisper. “It was—”


“Kun.” It made sense why Kun had a certain control over Jaemin. Xiaojun now understood why Jaemin couldn't say no to Kun. “That's—that's the reason why he has control over Jaemin.”


“He knows.” Karina muttered, “Kun knows the truth and he's using it against Jaemin.”


“Conducting an attempted sexual assault can result in immediate expulsion and Jaemin's parents would get involved. This means Jeno would be convicted.” It all made sense why Jaemin was adamant about protecting Jeno. “Jeno is walking free and doing as he pleases knowing Jaemin would always protect him. Karina,” xiaojun called his friend, “We have to do something. You can do it for Winter, but I'm doing it for Jaemin. We have to get rid of Jeno.”


“We can't,” Karina said weakly, “Getting rid of Jeno means getting rid of Jaemin.”


“Then confront him.” Xiaojun said grimly, eyes narrowed at the girl. “Karina, you're the only one who can snap some sense into him.”


“I—”


“Do it for Winter. Jeno knows, and in no time, Kun will too. Lying about one's true identity is an immediate expulsion once caught. Do the right thing before it's too late.”