“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Karina nervously looked at her best friend, Winter, who was currently crouched by the guard’s office.

She had her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, her lower lip trapped in between her teeth as her hands stuck her bobby pin against the padlock, twisting and clicking skillfully — which was quite ironic considering they were both planning on going to the same police academy in the future. Winter seemed to know exactly what she was doing therefore Karina had no doubt she’d probably done this plenty of times before—and in what kind of situation? Karina didn't want to know.

“What do you mean?” Winter paused, her hands hanging in the air as she glanced up at Karina. “If we successfully proved to Principal Park that you didn't do it, then you wouldn't have to get expelled.”

“I know, but–” Sighing, Karina’s eyes shifted frantically around the dark, emptied hallway of their school. “This is trespassing, Winter.”

Winter brought her gaze back to the lock and continued where she left off. “Well, I’m not letting you get falsely accused of something you didn't do.” 

“But—”

“Look,” Winter stood up straight just as when a distinct click was heard from the padlock. Karina noticed the faint smirk that immediately disappeared from her best friend’s mouth when she turned to face her gently. “If you don’t feel comfortable doing this with me, then that’s okay. You can just wait for me outside while I get the tapes. But — and I’m totally not being purposely persuasive as I say this — if you want to stay with me as my partner in crime, like always, then I swear I won’t get you in trouble.”

Karina pursed her lips for a moment, indecisively crossing her arms under her chest as she carefully weighed her options. She couldn't possibly leave her best friend alone, could she? After all, Winter was doing this for her because she genuinely believed that Karina would never do something that could set herself in a bad light. Everybody, including those she thought were her friends , had already turned their backs on her as soon as the news about her expulsion spread around the school like a spurious wildfire. But be that as it may, Winter had never once looked at her differently despite everything. She stood up for Karina by leaps and bounds because as claimed by Winter herself, this was what best friends were for. So maybe, it’d only be fair to stay, right? It was the least she could do.

And besides, she could never say no to Winter anyway. That was enough reason to concede.

“You promise?” Karina then asked hopefully.

Winter smiled at her gently, reaching out to hold the taller girl’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “I promise.”

When her eyes shot open, it was the sense of unfamiliarity that made her instantly sit up as the ceiling above her gave her nothing but nescience. Her curious eyes, albeit dazed and muzzy, traced the corners of the room like broken lines, and it was only when she saw her luggage in situ had she been brought back to reality.

Right. 

This wasn't her room, nor was she in her house.

In her groggy stupor, Karina slid the blanket off her legs, her bare feet hitting the floor as she released a sigh. She then sleepily trudged to her bathroom and everything fell into a blurry haze as she quickly did her morning routine. Once done, she checked her face on the mirror the last moment before jogging down the stairs briskly, more cognizant of her surroundings this time.

“Morning, sunshine!”

Halting her steps, a curious crease formed on Karina’s forehead as her gaze landed on the woman behind the kitchen island, a spatula in her right hand and an empty plate in her left. Winter was also wearing an apron she got from god-knows-where along with a proud, cheeky smile that meant god-knows-what. 

“You’re cooking?” asked Karina as she approached the blonde slowly. 

“It’s just waffles. Everyone knows how to make waffles.” Winter’s smile contorted into a smirk. 

Karina merely observed as Winter messily poured maple syrup on two stacks of waffles and slid it smoothly over to Karina. 

There was something so unnerving about the way Winter moved as though she was in the comfort of her own home and simultaneously filling the air with an odd sense of domesticity whilst she remained oblivious of everything else. It was almost familiar to Karina — her painful could’ve been’s and torturous what-if’s had things didn't end the way it did — God, she needed all sorts of distraction to steer away from that thought. 

So cocking her head to the side suspiciously, the detective eventually took a seat on the stool across from Winter.

“This isn't poisoned, is it?” Obviously, Karina was not a -around-and-find-out type of woman. 

Winter gasped theatrically, pressing a palm against her chest as her eyes twitched comedically at Karina. “I’ll have you know that if I wanted to kill you, a poisoned waffle would not be a method of my choice.”

“Sure, I’ll keep that in mind just in case.” Karina smiled sarcastically before picking up a fork and sticking it on the waffle. “Now, what’s the agenda for today?”

“I was thinking,” Winter started, resting both of her hands against the counter as she eyed the detective.

“Ooh, don’t hurt yourself,” Karina murmured blankly.

Winter rolled her eyes, “I was thinking,” she repeated, voice clearer this time, “that we should go to a party.”

Karina threw her a blank look. “A party.” 

“Yes, a party.” Grinning, Winter circled the island and went closer to Karina. “So remember when you sacrificed my poor soul to the wolves yesterday?” when Karina only raised an eyebrow, Winter decided to continue. “Ningning told me that the entire town would usually throw a party every Friday night by the docks. Every Friday night. Like, always. ”

“And that would benefit our mission how exactly?” Karina catechized, completely abandoning her half-eaten waffles by now.

“Apparently, our guy Johnny was a regular at that party. Turns out he’s pretty famous around here, and according to Ningning, she’d often find him chatting with a dude named Jaehyun in the shadiest spot possible.”

Humming in acknowledgement, Karina raised her chin up. “So you’re suggesting that we go have a little talk with this Jaehyun guy?

Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, Winter unfastened the tie behind her apron. “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”

Karina kept her gaze at Winter, seizing and thinking about a completely different thing by now. See, it wasn't her fault that her eyes just suddenly acquired a mind of their own for some odd reason, but since when did Winter’s forearm begin to look like that anyway ? It wasn't brawny exactly nor was it muscular but it sure as hell looked prominent enough to turn the heads of those with specific… type. Now on the flip side though, Karina would like to make it clear that she wasn't one of those people. In all honesty, she was just simply observing. Really . It was like a force of habit. 

As a detective. 

A very inquisitive detective.

“When are we leaving?” Karina managed to ask when she realized that Winter was just staring at her expectantly, waiting for her to say something.

“Tonight!” Winter answered, grinning from ear to ear before practically hopping off to wherever she intended to go, leaving a dumbfounded Karina alone in the kitchen.

She literally just made breakfast for Karina and then completely dashed away. 

But just as when the detective was halfway through digging her fork back to her breakfast, Winter turned back on her heels instantly not even a moment later.

“And also,” she pointed her finger towards Karina, “Enjoy your breakfast,” she said before throwing a wink and running off to somewhere.

A few days after that night, Winter Kim got suspended by Principal Park for breaking into the guard's office and pilfering a handful of confidential tapes. Karina, undoubtedly, felt really bad because after all, this was all her fault. Not Winter’s. But when she asked her best friend how she was holding up, Winter remained indifferent about the whole thing. She said she didn't really care about a stupid one week suspension when the most important part was everybody in the school now believed Karina’s innocence, and she no longer had to go through her expulsion.

“Still. I’m sorry for getting you suspended.” Karina retorted stubbornly, linking her pinky finger to Winter’s as they both sat by the old, abandoned gazebo a few blocks away from school. This was the only place they could hang out for the meantime since Winter’s mother never really liked the mere presence of Karina around the corners of their house. She never really knew why.

Winter shook her head firmly and caged Karina’s hand in her own fully. “ I got myself suspended. I was the one who picked the lock and broke into the guard’s office, not you. You didn't do anything wrong, I promise.”

“Yeah, but you wouldn't have done that if I—”

“Hey,” Winter cut her off by separating their interlocked hands and cupping her cheeks instead. “I’m the only one responsible for my actions, okay? I stole those tapes because I didn’t want you to leave and I–” she paused, reluctance clouding behind her eyes before she continued. “I care about you.”

When Karina could only stare as she tried to gauge what was going on in her own mind and the weird fluttering sensation she was feeling in her chest upon hearing those words, the coldness of Winter’s palm detached itself from her skin as the girl hesitantly placed her hands back to her lap. Karina immediately missed the contact.

“Besides, suspension is way better than expulsion anyway.” Winter said to lighten up the mood. 

With a deep sigh, Karina took this time to just… stare at Winter. 

She stared at Winter the same way she’d stare at a warm, blazing fire in the midst of glacial arctic, alone and enticing. She’d admire and let its red veil behind her eyes, but she knew she could never graze or else she’d get burned by its flame. Winter was dangerously beautiful, and Karina felt like a moth drawn to everything else she could set ablaze. 

Her eyes then drifted south where she saw all its kindlings, somehow finding herself entranced with the way it held the heat emanating from the fire, and in the blink of an eye, as Karina leaned in to reach for the flame, everything else burned . 

She felt the way Winter froze, and it was like a cold ice bucket was poured onto her head, instantly blaring the smoke alarm and putting out the fire.

“Karina?” Winter’s voice was tender as Karina hesitantly pulled away, blood rushing up from her neck to her face. She looked surprised, but not upset. “Why– why would you do that?”

Holy .

What the hell did she just do?

Upon realizing the ponderous weight of her actions made on a foolish whim, Karina’s blood ran cold as she started sputtering cluttered apologies as if she hadn't just given herself a little taste of something she’d been craving for ever since she’d known what it was like to yearn for something treacherously unattainable.

“I’m sorry, I– I don’t know!” she moved as far away as she could from her best friend whom she just kissed out of the blue.

“You