Forced Courting

Karina Yu paced back and forth in her room, clutching her phone like it was the lifeline to all her problems. Her best friends, Ningning and Yeji, sat cross-legged on her bed, watching her as if they were judging a reality TV show.

“You’re overthinking this, Rina,” Ningning said, twirling a strand of her blonde hair. “Just talk to her! Confess your feelings and see where it goes.”

Karina shot her a glare. “Easy for you to say! You’ve been confessed to so many times, you probably have a template for rejections.”

Yeji snorted. “She’s not wrong. Ning’s love life is a whole soap opera. But seriously, Karina, you’re acting like Winter is some untouchable goddess.”

Karina froze mid-step. “She is untouchable,” she said dramatically. “Have you seen her? Winter Kim, the girl who makes walking into a room look like a scene from a movie. She’s perfect.”

“Perfect,” Ningning echoed with a sigh, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “And oblivious to your existence.”

Karina winced. “Thanks for the reminder.”

Yeji crossed her arms. “Okay, enough whining. If you like her so much, why don’t you just court her?”

Karina turned to her friends, her face a mixture of determination and panic. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Yeji and Ningning asked in unison.

“Because I don’t know how!” Karina exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “I’ve never courted anyone before. What if I mess up? What if she rejects me? What if—”

“You’re hopeless,” Ningning interrupted. “And dramatic. But mostly hopeless.”

Karina ignored the jab and plopped down on the edge of her bed. She stared at her phone like it held the secrets of the universe. Then, an idea struck her. A ridiculous, borderline absurd idea.

“What if…” Karina began slowly, her eyes lighting up. “What if I make her court me?”

The room fell silent.

“Excuse me, what?” Yeji said, her voice filled with disbelief.

“You heard me.” Karina’s grin was mischievous. “I’ll get Winter to court me. That way, I won’t have to do any of the work, and she’ll fall for me in the process. It’s genius.”

Ningning stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “Genius? More like insane. Why would Winter court you when she doesn’t even know you exist?”

“Oh, she knows I exist,” Karina said confidently. “We’re in the same class. I’m pretty sure she’s glanced at me at least once.”

Yeji rolled her eyes. “Glanced at you and forgotten about you two seconds later.”

“Ouch,” Karina muttered. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’ll figure out a way to make her do it. Just watch.”

Ningning and Yeji exchanged doubtful looks but said nothing. They’d learned that once Karina set her mind on something, there was no stopping her.

Meanwhile, in a nearby café, Winter Kim sat at a table with her friends Giselle and Ryujin. She stirred her iced coffee absentmindedly as Ryujin animatedly recounted her latest gaming escapades.

“And then I headshotted him from across the map! It was epic,” Ryujin said, miming the action with her hands.

Giselle clapped sarcastically. “Wow, truly a modern-day hero. We should all aspire to your greatness.”

Ryujin stuck out her tongue. “Don’t be jealous of my skills, Giselle.”

Winter chuckled, finally breaking her silence. “You two never change.”

“And you’re as quiet as ever,” Giselle said, leaning back in her chair. “What’s up with you, Winter? You’ve been zoning out all day.”

Winter shrugged. “Nothing much. Just tired, I guess.”

“Tired or avoiding something?” Ryujin teased.

“Neither” Winter said firmly. “Not everyone’s life is as chaotic as yours, Ryujin.”

Ryujin smirked. “Chaos makes life interesting.”

Giselle rolled her eyes. “Ignore her, Winter. Anyway, have you heard about that girl in our class? Karina Yu?”

Winter frowned. “Karina? The one who’s always surrounded by her friends?”

“Yeah, her,” Giselle confirmed. “Word on the street is that she’s been asking about you.”

Winter raised an eyebrow. “Asking about me? Why?”

“Beats me,” Giselle said with a shrug. “But it’s kind of suspicious, don’t you think?”

Ryujin leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Maybe she has a crush on you, Winter. You are quite the catch, after all.”

Winter rolled her eyes. “Highly unlikely. She’s probably just curious about something.”

“Or she’s plotting something,” Giselle said ominously.

Winter shook her head. “You two have overactive imaginations. Let’s just drop it.”

The next day, Winter’s “normal” life took an unexpected turn. She was walking to her locker when she heard someone call her name. Turning around, she found herself face-to-face with Karina Yu.

Karina stood there, exuding confidence. Her friends, Ningning and Yeji, watched from a distance, trying (and failing) to look inconspicuous.

“Winter Kim, right?” Karina said, her voice steady.

Winter nodded cautiously. “Yeah. Can I help you?”

Karina took a deep breath. “I have a proposal for you.”

Winter blinked. “A proposal?”

“Yes,” Karina said, her tone serious. “I want you to court me.”

There was a moment of stunned silence.

“I… what?” Winter finally managed to say.

“You heard me.” Karina’s confidence didn’t waver. “I want you to court me.”

Winter stared at her like she’d lost her mind. “Are you out of your mind?! Why would I court someone I don’t even like?!”

Karina flinched but quickly recovered. “Because I said so.”

“That’s not how this works!” Winter exclaimed.

“It does now,” Karina said firmly. “Look, I know this sounds crazy, but just hear me out. I think you’ll find that I’m worth the effort.”

Winter opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She was too bewildered to form a coherent sentence.

From a distance, Giselle and Ryujin watched the scene unfold with wide eyes.

“Is this really happening?” Ryujin whispered.

“Oh, it’s happening,” Giselle said, pulling out her phone. “This is too good to miss.”

Winter finally found her voice. “Listen, Karina, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m not interested.”

“It’s not a game,” Karina said earnestly. “I’m serious. Give it a chance. Who knows? You might end up liking me.”

Winter sighed, running a hand through her hair. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Karina said with a smile. “So, what do you say?”

Winter stared at her for a long moment, then shook her head. “I say you’re crazy.”

Karina’s smile didn’t falter. “Crazy enough to make this work.”

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Winter to process what had just happened. Ningning and Yeji quickly followed their friend, bombarding her with questions.

“Did she say yes?” Ningning asked.

“Of course not,” Karina said, rolling her eyes. “But she will. Mark my words.”

Back at her locker, Winter leaned against the cool metal, her head spinning.

“What the hell just happened?” she muttered.

“You just got proposed to,” Giselle said, grinning as she and Ryujin approached.

“Congratulations,” Ryujin added, clapping Winter on the back.

Winter groaned. “This is going to be a nightmare, isn’t it?”

“Oh, definitely,” Giselle said. “But at least it’ll be entertaining.”

Later that evening, Karina sat in her room with Ningning and Yeji, strategizing her next move. A whiteboard stood propped against the wall, filled with hastily scribbled ideas and a poorly drawn caricature of Winter.

“You’re really going all out,” Yeji remarked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course I am,” Karina said, pacing. “If I want this to work, I need a solid plan.”

“Step one: stalk Winter until she gives in,” Ningning teased, earning a pillow to the face.

“Not stalk—observe,” Karina corrected. “I need to learn more about her so I can make my case compelling.”

“This is either going to be a disaster or a rom com in the making,” Yeji muttered, shaking her head.

“Why not both?” Ningning quipped.

Karina ignored them, her mind already racing with possibilities. Operation: Get Winter to Court Me was officially underway.