The mall was too loud. Too bright. Too crowded. The chaos wrapped around you—suffocating and inescapable. Every sound blended into a roar—children crying, announcements blaring, footsteps echoing. The harsh lights and rushing people made your skin crawl.

You held Yoongi's hand tightly—your small fingers dwarfed by his gloved grip. His presence was grounding, but it wasn’t enough. Your chest tightened as you struggled to breathe—the air felt too thick. Your heart raced, pounding so hard it might escape your ribs. The harder you tried to calm yourself, the worse it got.

Yoongi hadn’t noticed yet, focused on navigating the crowd. His voice was calm, though you barely registered the words over the ringing in your ears. “Not much farther now, love. We’ll pop into the toy shop, yeah? Then grab some chips on the way out.”

You nodded—or maybe you didn’t. Everything felt too fast and too slow. Your hands were clammy, legs shaking. Breaths came in short bursts—each harder than the last. The walls seemed to close in.

“Dad,” you choked out faintly, tugging at his hand, desperate for him to make it stop.

Yoongi halted, his grip tightening as he crouched down, holding your hands. “Hey—what’s this?” he asked softly. But you couldn’t answer. Your chest heaved, vision tunnelling—dark spots creeping in.

“Alright—alright,” Yoongi said quickly, his hand holding the back of your head. “Breathe with me, yeah? In through your nose, slow. Focus on me.”

But it wouldn’t stop. Tears streamed down your face, your hands trembling. Your legs gave way, and Yoongi was there, his arm around you, holding you upright.

“Shh—it’s alright. I’ve got you,” he murmured, his voice steady but with a rare hint of urgency. He moved you away from the crowd to a quieter corner and sat you on a bench. Kneeling in front of you, his gloved hands cradled your face, wiping away your tears.

“Look at me,” he said firmly, his brown eyes locking onto yours. “Just me. Forget the rest, yeah? Breathe with me. In… hold it… and out. Slow and steady.”