Chapter 12
Winter stood in her room, staring at the pastries she had brought for Karina that now sat abandoned on her desk. The memory of Karina and Jeno flashed in her mind—Jeno’s lips grazing Karina’s cheek, the familiarity in his touch, and the way Karina froze, not immediately pushing him away. The knot in Winter’s chest tightened. She had run away, unable to face the possibility that her growing feelings for Karina might be misplaced.
She closed her eyes, hoping to drown out the image, but it only grew sharper. She barely noticed the knock at her door until it came a second time, harder.
"Winter, it's me. Open up," Ryujin’s voice called from the other side.
Reluctantly, Winter shuffled to the door and opened it just enough to see Ryujin’s concerned face. "Not in the mood, Ryujin."
"Too bad," Ryujin replied, pushing her way inside. She looked around, noting Winter’s usually tidy room was a mess—clothes strewn across the floor, her bed unmade, and the pastries sitting uneaten.
"Alright, spill. What happened?"
Winter hesitated, her eyes darting away. Ryujin raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "You can’t keep everything bottled up. I know something’s wrong, and it’s about Karina, isn’t it?"
At the mention of Karina’s name, Winter’s resolve crumbled. "I saw her... with someone. Jeno," she said, her voice breaking. "He kissed her."
Ryujin’s eyes widened. "Wait, kissed? Like, on the cheek?"
Winter nodded, biting her lip. "And she didn’t pull away immediately."
Ryujin frowned. "That doesn’t sound like Karina. Are you sure there’s not more to it?"
"I don’t know," Winter admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But it hurts, Ryujin. It’s like… it’s like she’s slipping away before I even had the chance to hold on."
Meanwhile, at Karina’s house, her mother sat in the living room, deep in thought. She had seen the tension brewing between her daughter and Winter. While she had been skeptical about their relationship at first, she could no longer deny that Winter cared deeply for Karina. But with Jeno’s unexpected return, things had become infinitely more complicated.
The sound of the doorbell broke her reverie. Opening the door, she found Winter standing there, her expression a mix of anger and confusion.
"Mrs. Yu," Winter began, her voice trembling. "I need to know the truth about Jeno. Who is he to Karina?"
Karina’s mother hesitated, glancing toward the staircase as if expecting Karina to appear any moment. "Winter, maybe this isn’t the right time—"
"Please," Winter interrupted, her voice cracking. "I need to know."
Seeing the desperation in Winter’s eyes, Karina’s mother sighed and motioned for her to come inside. They sat on the couch, the weight of the conversation pressing down on them both.
"Jeno and Karina were arranged to be married," her mother began. "It’s an old agreement between our families, something Karina never wanted but couldn’t escape. She tried to end things with him years ago, but Jeno was persistent."
Winter’s stomach churned. "So they’re married?"
"No," her mother clarified. "Not legally. But in the eyes of some family members, they might as well be. Jeno’s been abroad for years, but now that he’s back, he’s trying to pick up where they left off."
Winter’s heart sank further. The image of Karina’s reluctant smile and Jeno’s confident demeanor played in her mind. "Does Karina… care for him?"
"She doesn’t love him," her mother said firmly. "But Jeno has a way of making people feel trapped."
The words offered little comfort. Winter stood abruptly, her hands clenched into fists. "Thank you for telling me," she said stiffly before walking out the door.
Back in her room, Winter stood in front of the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with a mixture of anger and despair. "To think that I let myself fall for someone who's already engaged," she whispered, her voice shaking. Her fingers gripped the edge of the dresser as tears blurred her vision.
She thought back to all the moments she had spent with Karina—the late-night talks, the shared laughter, the way Karina’s eyes lit up when she was happy. It had all felt so real, so genuine. But now, it felt like a cruel joke.
The sound of her phone vibrating broke her thoughts. She glanced at the screen to see Karina’s name flashing. For a moment, she considered answering, but the weight of her emotions held her back. She let the call go to voicemail and collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in her hands.
Karina paced her room, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. She had been trying to reach Winter all evening, but every call went unanswered. The silence was deafening, and her chest ached with the fear that she had lost something precious.
"Winter, please," she whispered to herself, staring at her phone. "Don’t shut me out."
Her mother’s voice from earlier echoed in her mind. "Winter came by. I told her about Jeno."
Karina’s heart had dropped at those words. She knew Winter would misunderstand, and now she didn’t know how to fix it.
Across town, Winter sat on the floor of Ryujin’s apartment, a glass of water in her hand. Ryujin watched her carefully, her usual playful demeanor replaced with quiet concern.
"You’re allowed to be upset," Ryujin said gently. "But don’t make any rash decisions. Talk to Karina."
Winter shook her head. "What’s the point? She’s tied to Jeno. Even if she doesn’t love him, he’s still there."
"But what about her feelings for you?" Ryujin countered. "Don’t you think that matters?"
Winter looked away, her grip tightening on the glass. "I don’t know anymore."
Ryujin sighed, placing a hand on Winter’s shoulder. "Just think about it, okay? Don’t let one misunderstanding ruin everything."
Winter nodded weakly, though her heart felt anything but convinced. As she lay awake that night, the image of Karina with Jeno haunted her. The pain was unbearable, but deep down, she couldn’t deny the small spark of hope that refused to be extinguished.