Through The Storm: Chapter 7
Title: Through the Storm Chapter 7 Rating: Mature (Some adult themes) Contains: Slow burn, PTSD, Trauma, Underaged drinking/smoking, some violence Characters: Mingi, Fem OC, Jongho, Yunho AU: Aged up Military!Mingi, Aged up Professor!Yunho, Aged down Teen!Jongho Masterlist | Ao3 | AFF | Wattpad Previous Chapter - Next Chapter Synopsis: Areum is a college student trying to keep her life together. Between school, her part-time job, and taking care of her younger brother, every day feels like a blur. She doesn’t have much time to think about herself or the things she’s been through. She just keeps moving forward. Then she meets Mingi, someone who somehow makes everything feel a little lighter. He’s easy to talk to, easy to be around, and before she realizes it, he starts becoming an important part of her days. Through him, Areum starts to find a bit of peace in the chaos, learning that maybe it’s okay to lean on someone else once in a while. But as she begins to rebuild her sense of peace, she soon realizes that some truths can’t stay buried forever and that her parents’ deaths might not be as simple as they seemed.
“Four…five…six,” a breath was released between each rep as Mingi let the bar retract back up before pulling it down to his chest again. After he got to his eight rep he carefully let the bar back up and let go, grabbing his bottle of water to take a drink. In the middle of drinking he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Mingi looks up to see San pursing his lips. “Guess who’s here making a beeline straight towards you?” He gestured his head to the side and Mingi’s eyes followed, falling on the woman who was moving towards them.
He mumbled a curse upon recognizing the woman. “I don’t have the time or energy for this shit right now, for fucksake.” He grumbled, grabbing his towel off his shoulders.
She stood in front of him, arms crossed. But he ignored her, wiping off the sweat from his forehead and neck. She cleared her throat but he still didn’t look up, reaching for the bar again before she smacked his hand.
“Are you kidding me? Don’t ignore me,” she snapped.
He rolled his eyes and let out a tired sigh.
“Stop ignoring me, I just want to talk.”
San stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold.
Mingi looked her straight in the eyes. “And I don’t, so please leave.”
“Well you won’t reply to my texts, so I’m here. I’m not leaving!”
He turned to San, eyebrows raised as if to confirm he wasn’t the only one hearing what she had just said.
“Hyejin… you realize how insane you’re being right now?” His voice dropped lower, colder. “You’ve been harassing me from different numbers, and now you’re stalking me after I’ve chosen to ignore you.” He used to think what they had was special, he genuinely thought they were meant to be together. The long nights spent talking, the days they were able to spend together quietly without the pressure of having to conversate or do something. The way they were always there for each other and just simply understanding each other.
But things changed once they moved in together. She became controlling, manipulative, twisting every disagreement until he was the one apologizing. The guilt, the gaslighting, the accusations… he had endured it for four years, convincing himself she just needed time, that maybe he really was the one doing something wrong. His final straw was the day she accused him of cheating and tried to put a tracker on him.
Now, looking at her, all he could feel was exhaustion. “There’s nothing to talk about. Either you leave, or I call the police to escort you out.”
She gasped, as if offended, hand pressed against her chest. “You can’t do that, this is a public space! I can be here too!”
“Not when I have a restraining order against you, and not when you’ve followed me here to harass me.” Mingi began gathering his things, rising from the bench.
“Come on, baby, please don’t do this to me!” she pleaded, her voice cracking. “We used to be inseparable… I’m just asking to ta–”
“Calling the cops it is then,” he cut in, pulling his phone from his pocket.
She grabbed his wrist, stopping him. “So what? Now that you’ve got that ugly bitch, you’re just gonna throw me aside?”
He clenched his fists, jaw tightening. Every instinct told him to snap, to tell her off and fight back. But that was what she wanted, to see him lose control. He forced himself to breathe, to keep his voice even, even if his pulse was anything but calm.
He didn’t break. He knew this was her goal. To get under his skin. To drag him back into the chaos he’d finally escaped. He wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction, not today.
He pulled his wrist free. “Come on, San, we’re leaving.”
San nodded, grabbing his water bottle from the floor before following Mingi out.
And, of course, Hyejin followed too.
She caught his arm once they were outside, forcing him to turn toward her. “You can’t just walk away after everything we’ve been through together! Please, just give me another chance,” she begged. “What we had was so good. Don’t throw it away.”
“Hyejin, we broke up months ago. It’s been what—six? Seven months? When are you going to let it go?” He pulled his arm out of her grip again. “It’s over. It’s been over. And what we had?” He scoffed quietly. “What makes you think I’d ever want to go back to that? Why would anyone willingly get back into a toxic relationship?”
He drew in a slow breath, trying to compose himself.
Hyejin’s face twisted. She clicked her tongue. “Toxic? I was the only one who ever cared about you or did anything for you, and you call that toxic?” She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “Fine, you want toxic? I’ll show you and that bitch toxic.”
“Oh, so now you’re not only threatening me, but my friends too?” Mingi looked over at San. “You heard that, right, San? This sure as hell won’t be overlooked by the court.”
“Yeah, I heard it loud and clear.” San pulled out his phone and tilted the screen toward her. “Oh, and so did my phone. I’ve been recording for a while.” He smirked, satisfied, when her eyes widened.
“Delete that! I wasn’t threatening anyone!” she shouted, stepping closer, but San was faster. He moved the phone behind his back, his expression calm and firm.
“No?” He hummed. “It sure sounded like it to me. What else could you have possibly meant?”
“Stop it! Fine! I’ll leave, just… get rid of that,” she snapped, finally realizing she couldn’t win.
“I’m not deleting anything,” San replied evenly. “But if you try something like this again, we’ll be taking it to the police.”
“Whatever. Fine. I’m leaving.”
Mingi let out a heavy breath of relief as she finally walked off. He turned to San, patting his shoulder. “Thanks, man. She really doesn’t know when to stop.”
Once she was gone, the tension in his body slowly eased, but the weight in his chest didn’t. Encounters like that always brought back memories he’d rather forget. The shouting, the guilt, the constant second-guessing. Even after months apart, she still had a way of getting under his skin. He hated that she still had that power, even for a moment.
San gave his shoulder a light tap, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Come on, man. Let's get out of here.”
Mingi gave a small nod and followed him to the car, trying to shake off the heaviness still sitting in his chest.
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It had been three days since Areum had gone to work or class, with both Mingi and Yunho insisting she take time off to rest. The break helped more than she expected. She'd finally been able to sleep without waking up gasping for air, heart pounding from the nightmares.
But even though the nightmares had stopped, something else lingered in her mind.
She had woken up late that night after Mingi had left, around two in the morning, staring blankly at the ceiling. For a while, she just lay there, replaying the events of that day in her head. Then she noticed it.
At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. But when she blinked a few times and looked again, she saw it clearly. The small red light on the smoke detector blinked once, then again a few seconds later.
Only, the second blink hadn’t come from the same spot. It was slightly to the right.
Her brow furrowed. Did smoke detectors always have two lights? She could have sworn there was only one. Maybe she was imagining things. It couldn’t be a camera, right? That wouldn’t make sense.
Still, when it flashed again, two lights alternating in the dark, her stomach twisted.
Maybe it really was just her eyes.
She decided that maybe she was just seeing things and needed to get up, take a shower, and try to get some more rest. But ever since then, everything in her apartment had started to feel suspicious. She told herself it was only paranoia, yet she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Fine, I’ll just check everything, just to be safe. She thought to herself.
Then she felt a hand on top of her head, pulling her out of her thoughts. Looking up, she saw Mingi standing over her with one brow raised and a hand resting under his chin, as if he were in deep thought. Then, suddenly, he gave a light knock on her head.
“Hello? Anybody in there?”
Areum blinked a few times. “What… are you doing?”
“Oh! There you are. Phew, I thought we lost you.” He exaggerated a sigh of relief, pretending to wipe imaginary sweat from his forehead.
She tilted her head, squinting at him. “Did you need something?”
“I was calling your name, but you weren’t answering.”
“Oh… sorry, I was lost in thought. Didn’t mean to ignore you.”
He shook his head and grinned, pulling up a stool to sit beside her.
“You stayed over to do some work, or to space out?” he asked, setting down a bottle of iced coffee and a cookie he had brought for her. He slid them across the table toward her.
It was Areum’s first day back at work, and Mingi had a feeling she would end up here after hours trying to catch up. So when he finished his other duties, he decided to stop by with a snack. Sure enough, here she was.
“Ah… well, to work, I guess.” She gave a light chuckle, her eyes landing on the bottle of coffee. Smiling, she thanked him before opening it and taking a small sip.
As she drank, she could feel his eyes on her. Setting the bottle down, she didn’t look up, afraid her thoughts might show on her face. The memory of resting her head on his lap flickered through her mind, leaving a warmth she tried to ignore.
That was another thing that had been on her mind lately.
She remembered how she had put her head on his lap without a word, without a second thought. She was embarrassed with herself for doing that. She didn’t know what came over her but she had really hoped he hadn’t gotten the wrong idea or thought she was weird for it.
“Are you feeling any better?” His voice was softer now. “You know, since that day, and with your sleep.”
Nodding her head, she turns her head to look at him.
“Thank you, by the way. You really helped me a lot, I owe you one.”
His expression softened, a small smile forming on his lips. He placed a warm hand on top of her head again, gently petting her hair as he leaned a little closer.
“You don’t owe me anything, Areum,” he said quietly. “I just want you to be safe and healthy.”
His face was only a few inches from hers. She froze, fingers tightening around her sleeves. She tried to look away, but her body wouldn’t move. Her heart began to race, each beat so loud she was sure he could hear it. Heat rose to her cheeks, painting them a deep red.
And Mingi? He couldn’t look away either. His pulse was quick and uneven, a warmth growing inside of him. He hadn’t realized how close he’d gotten until that moment. His gaze drifted down to her lips, soft and pink, and begging for his attention.
God, he wanted to kiss her so damn bad.
Without realizing it, he inched a little closer.
But so did she. It was almost instinct. Their lips were only inches apart now, the air between them growing heavier.
“Mingi? You in here?”
Mingi immediately pulled back, turning toward the voice. He cleared his throat, forcing out a reply. “Y-yeah! In here!”
What were you thinking, Mingi? You idiot.
He cursed himself silently.
Areum stayed frozen in place, struggling to steady her breathing and calm her racing heart.
Oh my god, you were not just about to kiss him. He’s like your boss. Don’t mess this up.
“You were taking forever, bro. You wanna go for dinner or not?” the familiar voice called out as the man entered.
It was just San.
Mingi exhaled quietly, forcing himself to relax. “Yeah, I’m still down. Was just checking on my intern…” He turned back toward Areum. “It’s getting late, I can give you a ride.”
Areum shook her head as she began gathering her things. “It’s okay, I don’t want to hold you up from your dinner.”
“At least let me take you to the train station?” he asked, his voice soft.
She bit down on her lip as she thought about it. She wasn't sure if she could handle being alone with him in such close proximity after what had just happened. She decided to reject his offer this time. She needed some time alone to think about what just happened and to sort out her feelings.
“Um, it's okay. Thank you though, enjoy your dinner!” She bowed towards him and made her way out, bowing towards San as well.
San looked at Mingi with a smirk.
“Don’t.”
San's smirk turned into a grin and he raised a brow, “What? I didn’t say anything”
“You were going to,” Mingi argued, the two of them now walking alongside each other, leaving the building.
“At least let me take you to the train station~” San mocked, laughing.
Mingi smacked him in the back of the head, only making San laugh harder.
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The smell of freshly baked bread and sweet milk tea filled the air, wrapping around Areum like a warm blanket. The steady hum of the espresso machine and the quiet chatter of customers created a rhythm she could finally breathe to.
It was her first shift back to her part-time at the bakery since everything happened, and though she told herself she was fine, the calmness felt strange. Too quiet. Too peaceful.
She adjusted her apron, moving behind the register when she heard the chime above the door ring as it opened. She looked up and smiled.
“Welcome in, what can I get for you today?”
The man who stepped up to the counter had a gentle smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He looked to be in his mid to late thirties. His hair was long and dark, tied half up, his posture was relaxed yet still exuded confidence. He wore black dress pants and a white button up dress shirt that fit him perfectly, showing off his small waist and toned muscles. And he smelled just as good as he looked, like roses and something woody.
He didn’t look threatening. Intimidating? Maybe…but something about his presence made the air around him feel heavier.
“I’ll take an iced mocha macchiato.”
She entered the order into the system and told him his total. After he paid, he moved a few steps to the side to wait for his drink.
As Areum worked, she could feel his eyes on her. At first, she brushed it off, maybe he was just watching her make the drink, like most curious customers did. Still, she found herself glancing up once or twice, just to check.
When she finished, she placed the cup on the counter and offered a polite smile. “Here you go. One iced mocha macchiato.”
He accepted it with both hands, his polite smile never leaving. But before she could turn away, his voice stopped her.
“I apologize if I’m wrong,” he said, his tone calm and respectful, “but by any chance, is Dr. Choi Seungho your father?”
She hadn’t expected this man to know her father. Ever since the funeral she hasn’t met any of his colleagues let alone any family, save for his lawyer. She nodded. “Yes… how did you know?”
“You look so much like him,” he said softly. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.” She hesitated, then asked, “How did you know him?”
“Oh, right.” His lips curved into a small, polite smile. “I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Park Seonghwa.” He gave a slight bow. “I used to work with your father, we were close. He was a great scientist, everyone loved him and looked up to him.”
“Actually, if you have a moment, may I speak to you? I have something I’d like to ask.”
Areum glanced at the clock, then back at him. “Let me check with my manager.”
He nodded politely.
After a quick word with her manager, she was given permission to step away for a few minutes. When she returned to the front, she found Seonghwa sitting at one of the corner tables. She joined him, sitting across from him.
“I’m sorry for pulling you away from work,” he began, leaning forward with his arms resting on the table. “But since I’ve run into you, I figured I might ask now, just in case we don’t cross paths again.”
Areum straightened up, folding her hands neatly in her lap. “It’s not a problem. What did you want to ask?”
“Has your father ever mentioned some files he was keeping safe?”
She tilted her head, lips pursing slightly as she tried to remember. “I’m not really sure what you mean. What kind of files?”
Seonghwa studied her face carefully before replying. “Hmm… I can’t tell you much since it’s confidential, but it’s very important. Your father was holding on to the files for us, and he was supposed to return them. Unfortunately, he passed before he could do so.”
Areum frowned slightly. “I’m sorry, but my dad never really brought work home. He didn’t talk about it much, so I don’t think I can help.”
He hummed thoughtfully, nodding his head. “I can’t share details, but it’s something significant. What we were working on was… life-changing, to say the least.”
“I really don’t know what to tell you,” she said softly. “I have no idea how I could help.”
Seonghwa nodded again, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a business card and set it on the table between them.
“Well, if you remember anything—or if you need anything at all—please don’t hesitate to call me.” His smile was warm, his tone calm.
Areum took the card and gave it a glance before nodding. “Sure. I’ll let you know if I think of anything.”
He stood, adjusting his jacket. “I meant what I said. If you need anything, I’ll be more than happy to help.”
She watched as he walked out, then looked down at the card still in her hand. Something about him felt…strange. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Later that evening, on her way to the train station, that same feeling grew stronger. The further she walked, the more she felt like someone was behind her. She kept glancing over her shoulder, but every time she turned, there was nothing there. Still, the feeling never left.
On the train ride home Areum thought about that man, Seonghwa, and as well as the feeling she got about him. Only a few of her fathers colleagues had come by to the funeral and although she couldn’t remember their faces and names, she just knew that if she had come across a man like Seonghwa she would certainly remember them. Maybe he just looks different since then? After all, it's been over a year, maybe he had shorter hair back then?
No…still, the way he carried himself, that dark but calm look in his eyes that made it hard to look away. He stood out.
Then she thought about that feeling she had when she left work. Why did she feel as if someone had been following her?
Then she remembered something.
The smoke detector.
She had forgotten to check it the night before, thanks to the butterflies in her stomach that wouldn’t settle down because of Mingi. She decided she would check it as soon as she got home this time.
And as soon as she stepped into the apartment, she grabbed a dining room chair, setting it beneath the alarm.
Standing on the chair, she detached the smoke detector from the ceiling and stepped down, holding it in her hands. It took her a second to notice it, but once she did, her stomach dropped.
There it was. A small camera tucked into the device.
Her heart began to race. Carefully, she set the alarm down on the counter and backed away, her breathing growing shallow. Then she turned and ran out of her apartment.
In the hallway, she fumbled to pull her phone from her pocket, hands shaking so badly she could barely dial.
“Emergency services. What’s your emergency?”
“U-um, I think… I think someone broke into my apartment,” she stuttered, voice shaky. “I found a camera inside my smoke detector.”
She didn’t dare go back inside. She waited in the hallway until the police arrived, pacing and trying to steady her breathing. By the time they reached her, she had managed to calm down enough to explain what happened.
The officers searched her apartment, checking for other hidden devices. When they finished their sweep, they called her back inside.
They had found three more cameras. There was one in her digital clock in her room, two in the vents.
Areum felt sick as she stared at them, her mind racing. The officers asked if she remembered anyone being in her apartment recently, but she hadn’t had guests in months. She told them she would ask her brother, just in case.
She really didn’t want to worry anyone with what just happened, not even Jongho, but she texted him anyway, only asking if he’d let anyone inside in the last few months without giving him too much detail.
In the days that followed, she couldn’t shake the paranoia. She checked every corner of her apartment before bed, every night, terrified of finding another hidden camera. Eventually, to ease her mind, she installed a smart keypad on her door that notified her whenever someone entered or left.
Jongho had grumbled about it at first, not wanting her to track when he came home. But when she told him she didn’t feel safe—and mentioned there had been incidents nearby—he gave in.
She also installed a door camera, needing that extra sense of security.
Only then did she finally start to breathe easier. With her apartment secured, she turned her focus back to her studies, trying to prepare for her upcoming finals.
But even with the lock changed and every corner of her apartment checked, she couldn’t shake that eerie feeling that she was still being watched.
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“Well, the cameras are gone… she spotted them.”
The man on the couch sighed, leaning back and letting his head fall against the cushion.
“We still have eyes on her,” another replied, glancing toward the one flipping through a small stack of photos. “I don’t think we’ll find anything inside. We’ve already figured out her routine anyway.”
“Do you really think it burned in the fire?”
“No. He was too smart to just leave it lying around. He must’ve stored it somewhere safe, or gave it to someone he trusted. There’s got to be at least one other person who knows about it.”
The man with the photos tossed them aside, the pictures scattering across the floor.
“For fuck’s sake, are you all stupid?” His voice rose sharply, full of anger. “How have you not found anything yet? You were supposed to be following him to begin with—and you lost him? I swear, sometimes I question if you were even doing your jobs properly.”
“S-sir, he—”
“I don’t want to hear excuses,” he cut in, standing abruptly. “I want results. And clearly I’m not seeing any with you two. Which is why I’ve hired someone else to take care of things.”
He moved toward the window, hands clasped behind his back. “You two just focus on the assignment I gave you. Leave the rest to him.”
The two men left the office and in another part of the city the faint glow of red and blue lights reflected across the hood of a black car parked across the street. Inside, a man sat in silence, a cigarette balanced between his fingers as he watched the police exit the building.
Smoke curled lazily from his lips, fading into the dim interior as he tracked the officers loading the confiscated cameras into their cruiser. His mouth curved into a small, amused smile.
“Thought you could hide from me by calling the cops, huh?” he murmured to himself, flicking ash out the window. “Cute.”
He took another drag, eyes narrowing on the apartment building. “Getting rid of a few toys isn’t going to save you. I’ll still get what I came for.”
The cigarette burned low between his fingers before he finally flicked it out the window. He started the car, and pulled away.
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A/n: hello everyone I hope you're enjoying the story so far!! I promise the story will start picking up more soon and things will get more exciting. I am struggling a bit with getting what I want to happen down while keeping the flow but I also don't want to rush things or force myself. I'm letting the story write itself and idk I think I'm doing pretty decent so far compared to older fics I've written through the years. Honestly I've never gotten this far with the lengths the chapters are in a fic before lmao. Anyway please reblog if you're enjoying this ^^
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