"I was waiting for you to call Kara! We're all so worried about you! Where are you anyways?" Jimin asked, his smile evident through his voice, as he almost half yelled into the phone.

The rest of the boys around him looked to him, eyebrows raised.

"Don't act so excited, asshole. I only have your contact saved because you put it on here. Stupid name by the way. You're not my prince." Kara started, gritting her teeth as she locked herself in the bathroom.
She didn't want her 'friends' hearing her. She would look like a traitor.

"Oh but I am! Let me guess what you're calling me for- calling BTS for at that. You need us to rescue you." Jimin stated.

Kara sat silently, listening for the pounds of footsteps outside her door.
But there was nothing.

"So princess?" He asked.

"Yes.. I need help.." She whispered, feeling herself cry.
She didn't like having to rely on others.
They always seemed to hurt her.

"I'll ask Namjoon hyung and then we'll make a plan to get you out of there! Hang in there~" He chuckled.

"Thanks.." Kara whispered, before hanging up, dropping her phone.

There was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Uh- occupied!" She said, quickly running over to the sink, running water.

"Sorry Kara! I was just checking who was in here!" The voice said.
Hyunjins voice.
He must have heard the whole conversation.
She quickly hid her phone in her shirt, as she opened the door.

Gabs ran to her from her side, giving her a hug.

"You've been hiding for the past week- you're finally out of your room! Come on- let's go play pool in the games room!" She said.
"That's such an old people thing though." Kara whined.

She felt a smile tug at her lips.
Not because she was with her friends, but because she had a chance to escape.
A chance to be free again.

"Fine then, let's play Mario kart! Don't go backwards this time- since Seungmin pointed it out I can't help but laugh."  She chuckled.
"That was one time!" Kara grumbled, as Gabs dragged her to the games room, turning the console on.

Felix knocked at the door.
"Gabs do you wanna- oh?" He questioned, tilting his head as he saw her on the couch.
Kara turned, glancing to him.

Within the second, Felix was squishing on the couch next to her, arms wrapped around her body.
"I've missed you Kara! I'm glad you're finally out of your room!" He chuckled, giving her a quick peck on her nose.
Kara looked away in embarrassment.
"I ran out of books to read. So I thought why not. Plus the shared bathroom has better soap than mine." She grumbled.

"We'll get you some if you want! Don't worry, Hyunjin has been working hard on crafting a plan. We'll finish this mission soon!" He grinned.
"Can't I just go back to school- I never thought I would say that.. I'll be a good girl." Kara started, feeling herself cringe.
'Good girl'. Such bullshit.
She shouldn't be here as it was.

Felix just glanced at her, as he saw the exhaustion in her eyes.
She was suffering.
"I can talk to Bang Chan for you.. but you need to ask him." Felix pouted.
"Yeah.. well he was fast asleep last time I checked." She said.

"Alright lovebirds, come on, let's play!" Gabs whined.
"You're such a whiner! Cmon Lix, let's beat her!" Kara chuckled.

________________________

Weeks. Still nothing.

If only I had Kara's address.
At this rate I was convinced she wasn't in Australia.
The way her name was avoided in every conversation told me that much.

"So when are we getting her?"
"Who? Sorry I'm lost.."
"Kara. Seriously who else?"

My ears perked, why were they talking about her.
I caught Jimin's eyes, and he waved brightly at me.

I felt Hyunjin freeze next to me.
What was up with that?

"Y/N. Ignore them. They're stirring you up.." He whispered.
"How so?" I asked.
"I- they believe Kara's not in Australia. They probably think you think the same thing. I honestly don't know what Kara is doing nowadays, and that's none of my business. I can't get ahold of her, since her phone plan over there doesn't include calls from Korea." He explained.

"You seem so doom and gloom, geez." Jeongin said, tapping Hyunjin on the shoulder.
"She's probably just really busy. Or lost her phone. She does that quite often." Jeongin shrugged.
"Are you not worried?" I asked.
"She does this all the time. She's probably just off hooking up with people." Jisung shrugged, joining himself into the conversation.
"Jisung!" Felix exclaimed. "She's not like that!"
"Who knows- she could definitely pull a few men if she wanted." Gabs joked.

They all wrapped themselves in their own conversations, as I decided to stand up, and walk over to the table where Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung were.

"What the hell were you saying about Kara?" I asked, noticing Ji Woo's absence.
Probably in the bathroom.

"Oh so you heard?" Jimin said, cocking his head to the side as he chuckled.
"Yeah I did. What did you mean by 'getting her'?" I asked.

Taehyung sighed, looking to me.
"I wish we could tell you everything, but only time shall tell you those secrets."

"So you're just not going to tell me shit?" I grumbled.
"Yeah, that's correct. I will tell you one thing that may help you though. Would you like her address, here in South Korea?" Jungkook asked.

I thought it over. They could just be using it to get to me, to manipulate me so they can take me away. It seemed as though that was probably apart of their twisted plan. Although, I also really didn't want to flatter myself.
But how that lady acted, I doubt I was.

"Sure. Give it to me."

__________________
I had the address plugged into maps, as I drove quickly to her house after school.
I had no time to waste.

I had to see if she was there.
Otherwise I was completely lost.

When I parked, I opened the wooden gate, looking down to the floor, as I saw a sparkling of gold amongst the silver tinted shallow snow.

I picked up the bracelet, spinning it in my hand.

"Ooh that's pretty! Where did you get it from?" I asked Kara, fiddling with the jewellery on her wrist.

"Oh! Bang Chan gave it to me- it's in the shape of a star, the symbol, see? He said it's because I'm like the groups star- if that makes sense. It's his way of flirting I think." Kara chuckled.

"A star.. huh.." I mumbled, walking up to the front door.

I stood there for what felt like hours, but really it was just minutes, before I took a deep breath, knocking quickly.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

I felt a jingle behind the door, as it opened, a face peering out.

I would know those blue-tinted eyes from anywhere.
Her eyes widened as she looked at me, a gasp escaping her lips.

"Kara?" I said. "I thought you were in Australia- what's going on??" I asked.

"Y/N.. please.. just go.. I can't explain it without sounding crazy, okay? Leave before they hear me.. it's not time yet.." She rambled.
I pushed the door open, not caring for the loud bang it made as it hit the wall.
I grabbed at her wrist, trying to pull her outside.
She gripped onto the doorway for dear life.

"Y/N I can't leave you don't understand." She said.
She looked exhausted, dark purple bags had formed underneath her eyes, dark compared to the sickly pale look she had.
That's when I noticed the collar around her neck.

One that was most definitely not a fashion accessory.

"What's around your neck?" I asked.
"It's.. medicinal.." she said, her eyes darting around to avoid mine.
She was lying.

"Kara please don't lie to me." I said, finally pulling her free of the door.
That's when I saw her eyes roll, as she collapsed, pulling me to the floor with her.

She was knocked out, cold.
With her attire, she would not be able to sit out in the snow for long.
I pulled her to the porch, before looking around.

Just what were they hiding.

"Kara who was at the do-" Lee Know froze as he saw me.
"Shit."

I looked at him.

"What the hell is this about? No avoiding the question. I'm sick of it." I said, holding Kara close to me.

"She wasn't in Australia, no.. uh.. she was, unwell..?" He said, before sighing.
"I don't know the story, you'd have to ask Bang Chan, and he's busy. So just come inside." He suggested.

"No." I said simply.

That's when I heard a car beep, as I turned to see the other five come back, all freezing as they saw me, Kara in my arms.

"Woah what happened.. did she come back early?" Hyunjin asked, running forward.

"Yeah.." Lee Know said warily, watching as I tried to fumble with the collar.
There was no way she just passed out on me.

Bang Chan was sitting in his office as he heard all the commotion, letting out a long sigh, as he turned to the video call on his computer.

"Boss, I believe Y/N's found out about Kara.." He said.

"What about her?" His boss asked.
"Just that she's here. Nothing else. But she will be getting skeptical." Bang Chan responded.

"Figure it out then. It's not time to go yet." His boss snapped.

"Yes boss.." Bang Chan said, before the boss left the call, allowing Bang Chan to go out to the hall.

As he thought, Y/N was at the door, Kara in her arms protectively, asleep.
Y/N must have pulled her out of the house.
Kara had been getting weaker, and more tired recently.

What he wondered, though, was how Y/N got their address.
"Fuck you BTS.." he growled, before stepping up to the door.

"What happened?" He asked.

"You tell me." I said, as Bang Chan finally appeared.
I realised now if they were the same as BTS, I was doomed.

At least I would get answers.

"Let me guess. You came here because Jungkook and his friends said something about her, gave you our address, and you came here expecting to find something? I'm sorry, Kara asked us to lie to you, so that you wouldn't think differently of her." Bang Chan started, his brain piecing together random strands of information to make up his alibi.

Like the boss had said, the time wasn't right.
It would be great to end the mission now, but the boss didn't want it to end.

So it wouldn't.

"So why is she here with a dog collar on then? Why was she so petrified to leave?" I asked.
"She's not well, Y/N. Kara had a very- unstable childhood. It's been around an anniversary for one of these events.. and I think something may have triggered her.. the collar was assigned by a doctor, but not in that form.. it's just incase we can't always watch her. You see, it calms her down when she starts panicking. We don't want her to hurt anyone or herself, you see?" Bang Chan explained, leaning in front of me, as he slowly pulled Kara towards him.

"That sounds.. logical.." I said, as I stood up.
It was clear I wasn't going to get answers.
He could have been telling the truth, but why wouldn't she just say she was sick?

Why did she disappear so suddenly after I started getting answers?

"I'll be heading home now. Ji Woo expects me home." I lied, waving goodbye.

As I drove off, my smile faded.
Where the hell was I going to get the truth from, since I couldn't confide in them.
As well, Kara was clearly out of the picture.

Maybe Gabs could give me the answers I was looking for.

She was probably just as locked off as everyone else.

But I knew for certain, I had to get Kara out of there.
Someone would have to.

But I couldn't do anything.
All I could do, is sit back and wait.