After a few days.

Taeyeon furrowed her eyebrows, looking at her younger sisters in front of her. 

Mahigpit na hawak ni Winter ang kamay ni Chaewon at mukhang hindi s'ya humihinga habang nakatayo sa harap ng ate nila. 

She needed support and someone by her side kapag kinausap na n'ya si Taeyeon, that's what she told Chaewon kaya naman hindi 'to nagdalawang-isip na samahan s'ya. 

“Okay, you look cute guys but you've been standing there for five minutes now. Ano ba 'yon?” Taeyeon finally asked. 

Chaewon squeezed her sister's hand to urge her to talk and Winter took a deep breath. Parang mamamatay na sa sobrang putla. 

“Kuya Eunhyuk slapped me 35 times in total, punched me twice, threw vases and other things at me. It happened before when I was still at the rehabilitation house and I didn't tell you kasi ayokong mag-away kayo just because of me. I know how much you love him, ate ko. He has been jealous na palaging mas pinipili mo 'ko kesa sakan'ya and your supposed to be trips na nac-cancel because of me, they were supposed to be his proposal day to you, ate ko. And I've been the reason bakit hindi natutuloy, all the time. I'm so sorry... I'm sorry ate ko, I didn't —”

She was cut off when Taeyeon held her hand up, telling her to stop. 

Tinikom naman n'ya agad ang bibig n'ya at naramdamang mas humigpit ang hawak ni Chaewon sa kamay n'ya.

“Winter w-what?” Taeyeon asked her in disbelief, “You hid this from me ng ganito katagal?” 

“Ate ko—”

“You should've told me!” her sister slammed her hands on her office desk. Mabuti nalang at soundproof ang office n'ya.

Namuo ang luha sa mga mata ni Winter. This is the first time that her sister actually snapped at her.

“A-ate ko kasi—”

“Leave, Winter.” 

Kahit si Chaewon ay nagulat sa sinabi ng ate nila. 

“Magkita tayo sa unit mo. Umuwi ka na.”

Winter wiped the lone tear that escaped her eyes before nodding her head. “Opo.” and she dashed out of Taeyeon's office.

Chaewon gave her sister a questioning look, silently asking kung bakit ganun yung approach n'ya kay Winter.

“I can't think straight right now, Chaewon. Baka kung ano lang ang masabi ko na pagsisihan ko. I better go and let this out to Eunhyuk bago ko kausapin si Winter.” paliwanag ni Taeyeon.

“I understand. I'll go na.” 

Pero hindi n'ya naabutan si Winter sa baba, hindi s'ya inintay nito sa kotse n'ya. 

“Talaga 'tong bata na 'to.” she mumbled to herself before driving away.

• • •

“S-sorry, akala ko kasi kotse ni ate Chaewon.” nahihiyang sabi ni Winter habang sumisinghap pa. 

Paalis na si Karina nang biglang pumasok si Winter sa kotse n'ya at nagulat s'ya nang makitang umiiyak 'to.

“Uhm, here.” inabutan s'ya ng panyo ni Karina, not wanting to ask what happened as it may be insensitive thing to do especially that Winter's still crying.

“S-salamat. Pauwi ka na?” she looked up to Karina with her glassy and teary eyes making her look like a puppy in Karina's perspective.

She fight the urge to pat Winter's head and just nodded her head, “Oo. Sabay ka na?” 

Tumango lang si Winter bilang sagot at nagsimula na si Karina na magmaneho.

Hanggang makaakyat sila floor nila, tahimik lang silang naglalakad sa tabi ng isa't isa. 

Magpapaalam na nga sana si Karina nang hatakin ni Winter ng bahagya ang dulo ng suot n'yang sweater.

“Pwedeng ano... Pasok ka muna?” 

And Karina won't let the opportunity slide so she said yes. Besides, maybe Winter just really needed someone with her right now.

• • •

Chaewon stared at the two shoes displayed on the rack of her sister's unit. 

She knows how aloof and uncomfortable her sister is to other people. 

But why would she invite someone inside her safe place? Especially that she's going through something right now and she needs comfort. She needs Chaewon to tell her na hindi galit si ate Taeyeon n'ya sakan'ya. 

Smiling to herself, Chaewon closed the door again. Maybe, just maybe, hindi s'ya kailangan ng kapatid n'ya ngayon.

And she's thankful that someone is actually ready to be there for her other than her and her ate Taeyeon.

• • •

It's breaking Karina's heart to hear Winter's broken pleas and sobs while clutching on her sweater.

She's getting teary but she's fighting her own tears from falling down. She can't let her own emotions win right now as the girl with her needs someone to be strong enough to listen to her, to be there, to anchor her.

Just how much does Winter love her sister for her to cry this much? To be hurt this much dahil lang pinaalis s'ya nito sa office n'ya after n'yang magconfess? 

Karina can't even measure it.

But she's sure na mahal na mahal ni Winter ang ate n'ya para masaktan ng ganito dahil sa pag-iisip na baka galit sakan'ya si Taeyeon.

“You did great, Winter. You did well.” she continue to run her hands on Winter's back and caress her hair gently, shushing the girl to calm down and stop crying now. “She doesn't hate you, she will talk to you nga later 'di ba?” she said softly.

She's surprised at Winter's outburst. She keeps on saying na baka i-dump s'ya ng ate n'ya, na baka iwan s'ya nito, na baka magsawa na talaga 'to sakan'ya. 

And Karina doesn't know where those