"Noona... it h-hurts. It hurts a lot."

"I know, they're almost finished." Taeyeon murmured, offering soft comfort to Wonbin as she endured his grip on her hand. Seulgi chuckled nearby, teasing Wonbin.

"Who knew you were such a big baby." Seulgi quipped, poking Wonbin's cheek. Taeyeon swatted Seulgi's hand away and admonished her.

"I was shot—ow!" Wonbin winced in pain. Taeyeon handed him a towel and gently placed it on his mouth.

"There, bite on that. You're doing great, it'll be over soon, you're okay." Taeyeon reassured him, wiping away his sweat.

"Aww, want ice cream from your noona later?" Seulgi continued her teasing, though she hid her unease behind the facade. Taeyeon shot her a glare as Seulgi sidled behind one of their rescuers, using humor to cope with the tension.

"Enough, Seul! You're not helping." Taeyeon scolded, sighing. With the help of their new allies—Wendy, Joy, Johnny, and Shotaro—they had narrowly escaped their pursuers. Joy, tending to Wonbin's wounds, pleaded with Johnny to hold him still.

"It's almost over. Hold him, Johnny, please." Joy requested. Though the bullet wasn't deeply lodged, it still caused immense pain, especially without anesthesia. Shotaro adjusted the flashlight while Wendy took over stitching Wonbin's wound.

With limited resources and no experience in treating such injuries, Joy and Wendy did their best. They spared the trio the worry that they lacked expertise in gunshot wounds. Wonbin teetered on the edge of consciousness, his grip on Taeyeon's hand nearly crushing. Despite the agony, Taeyeon fought to keep him awake.

Wonbin's face reddened from biting the towel, his groans filling the room. After a few stitches, Wendy finally closed the wound and applied a gauze pad, though not before Joy doused it in alcohol. The makeshift treatment caused Wonbin to finally slip into unconsciousness, his breathing calming. Taeyeon sighed in relief as he drifted into a peaceful sleep.

"Why did you have to pour more?!" Wendy scolded Joy. Joy just shrugged, replying nonchalantly.

"Just making sure it won't get infected." Joy explained, ducking behind Shotaro with Seulgi as Wendy made a playful attempt to hit her with a towel. Shotaro smiled nervously, feeling caught in the middle.

Taeyeon focused on wiping away the sweat and blood from Wonbin's arm. He had been shot while shielding her from gunfire. Seulgi had been unable to assist them as she was dragged away to a dark alley. Firecrackers had provided a temporary diversion, allowing two strangers to rescue Taeyeon and Wonbin and lead them to safety.

"Thank you. I don't know how we can repay you, especially for saving Wonbin." Taeyeon expressed her gratitude to the group.

"It's nothing, really. We have to look out for each other, right?" Wendy reassured them, checking on Wonbin. "But we're curious, why were you being chased? What happened?"

Reluctantly, Taeyeon shared their story. Initially hesitant to mention their father, she found solace in the group's understanding. Exhausted, Taeyeon and Seulgi finally allowed themselves to rest, their thoughts drifting to Winter and their group, hoping they were safe.

"We'll help you find them once the sun comes up. For now, rest." Wendy offered, providing blankets. Shotaro and Johnny covered Wonbin with their jackets, having run out of blankets.

"Do you have any idea where they might be?" Joy inquired. Seulgi was already asleep, leaving Taeyeon to fight off her own drowsiness.

"I think so." Taeyeon managed before sleep claimed her.

---

"I want to come with you." Wonbin insisted, attempting to sit up. Shotaro assisted him, placing a pillow behind his back for support.

Taeyeon shook her head, giving Wonbin a stern look. He wasn't even able to stand on his own, let alone accompany Taeyeon in search of Winter.

"Please take care of him. I know it's asking a lot, but we have no one else to rely on." Taeyeon appealed to Wendy's group. They planned to depart the following morning, leaving Wonbin in their care. Joy offered to accompany them, but Taeyeon declined, not wanting to involve them further in their troubles. Grateful for their assistanc