Winter's POV

The morning sun streamed through my bedroom window, casting a warm glow on my face. I blinked my eyes open, feeling the weight of sleep still lingering. Glancing at the clock, I was shocked to see that it was already 11 am. I must have slept in too much. I groaned and reached for my phone, expecting the usual notifications.

However, my morning routine took an unexpected turn when my phone rang loudly, startling me. I squinted at the bright screen, and to my surprise, it was Karina calling. I hesitated for a moment before answering, and Karina's enthusiastic voice filled my ears.

"Good morning, Winter! Rise and shine! I hope I didn't wake you up!" Karina's voice was practically bursting with energy.

I winced at the volume. "Don't yell," I muttered, holding the phone a bit away from my ear.

Ignoring my sleepy protests, Karina continued, "Guess what? I'm outside your house right now!"

My eyes widened in surprise as I rushed to the window. True to her words, there was Karina, standing on the sidewalk, waving with her usual infectious smile. 

I quickly headed downstairs, my mind still foggy from sleep. As I opened the door, Karina greeted me with a cheerful "Hi, Winter!" and a tight hug.

"Karina, are you planning to come to our house every day?" I asked while putting water on the table in our living room. 

"Yup!" Karina replied, her eyes sparkling. "After all, couples should see each other every day, right?"

What a pain. "Every day? Seriously?"

Karina nodded with excitement. "Absolutely! It'll be so much fun, don't you think? We can spend time together, and I can learn more about you for our 'pretend relationship.'"

We’ll play this pretend-to-be-lover until our semestral vacation ends.

I accepted well….she kinda pushed me into it. 

I still don’t know what we are supposed to be doing in this pretend romance 

Or what exactly Karina sees in all of this….

In an attempt to carve out a day for myself after Karina's unexpected visit, I mentioned casually, "Karina, I had plans. I will visit the library today.”

Karina's eyes sparkled with interest, and bombarded me with questions, "Oh, you’re going to the library? What for? Are you going to work on a novel?” 

Caught off guard, I stumbled over my words, "W-well, no. I was planning to just read at the library. I might as well head back home afterward."

Karina's face lit up, "Great idea! Mind if I join you? Maybe we can spend more time together as a couple at the library"

Trying to distance myself gently, I explained, "It's a bit of a quiet and, well, boring place…you know? You can spend your time in some more interesting things”

Undeterred, Karina dismissed my suggestion with a wave of her hand, "Come on, Winter! It will not be boring because I am with you. I want to go with you. Maybe you can recommend some interesting books for me"

I guess there’s no escape 

I always thought people like her wouldn’t like something like libraries.

Well…

I suppose it’s a better setup than both of us being alone in our house. 

Entering the library with Karina, the contrast between the scorching summer outside and the cool air conditioning inside refreshes us. However, Karina, in her usual lively manner, couldn't contain herself.

"Wow, the aircon is so refreshing after the heat outside!" she exclaimed a bit too loudly, drawing glances from other people in the library.