"Are you sure you weren't just hearing things?" Taeyeon inquired while draping a blanket over Karina's shoulders. Karina was seated by the fireplace, trying to warm herself up after swimming with her friends. She sneezed before responding.

"I'm positive." Karina affirmed, sneezing again. The others followed suit in a chain reaction, shivering from the cold unlike Wonbin, Winter, and Jeno who seemed unaffected.

Joohyun and Yeji entered the room with trays of hot chocolate, offering cups to their chilly friends. They sighed in relief as they sipped on the warm beverage, though occasional sneezes persisted.

"Maybe the cold water made you see things." Yeji suggested, earning a playful smack on the knee from Karina.

"You're making things up. I'm certain of it. Winter laughed, I... I saw her smile." Karina admitted, her voice growing quieter with each word, a hint of shyness creeping in. Yeji noticed Karina's blush and couldn't resist teasing her.

"Hmm? Why are you blushing?" Yeji teased, causing Karina to bury her face in her knees, covering her ears in embarrassment.

"I'm not." Karina mumbled from behind her knees.

Yeji laughed, drawing everyone's attention. "You covering your ears always gives it away."

Karina's friends joined in the teasing, using the opportunity to escape Joohyun's scolding about staying in the cold water too long. Even Taeyeon wasn't spared, receiving a scolding for allowing the kids to swim for too long.

"Why, Karina? Was Winter's smile so beautiful it left you starstruck?" Jaemin teased, prompting giggles from the group.

"N-No! It's not like that!" Karina protested, torn between covering her ears and swatting her friends with her blanket. Suddenly, Taeyeon gasped dramatically and placed a hand over her heart.

"Are you saying my sister is ugly?!" Taeyeon exclaimed, earning a gentle smack on the head from Joohyun.

"That's not what she meant, Taeyeon. Why don't you help me in the kitchen instead?" Joohyun suggested, chuckling at Taeyeon's childish antics, which seemed to amplify when Yeri was around.

"My baby laughed, Joohyun. Minjeong laughed!" Taeyeon sniffled, on the verge of tears. Joohyun hugged Taeyeon sideways, comforting her and understanding the significance of Winter's laughter for Taeyeon.

Meanwhile, Wonbin excused himself to add more wood to the fire. The room fell silent once more, the teasing of Karina momentarily forgotten as fatigue set in and they enjoyed the warmth of the fire. Occasionally, giggles could be heard from the kitchen whenever someone sneezed. Winter and Jeno had already drifted off to sleep on the couch, finding comfort in the warmth.

Then, Jaemin broke the silence. "Why don't we try tickling Winter to see if she'll laugh?" he suggested.

Giselle snorted in response. "By all means, go ahead, if you have a death wish."

The room fell silent again, the group peacefully sipping on their hot chocolate. Eventually, Ningning fell asleep, resting her head on Giselle's lap while Giselle gently her hair. Haechan dozed off on the floor, snoring lightly. Jaemin, meanwhile, amused himself by smudging Haechan's face with ashes from the firewood.

Karina glanced at Winter's sleeping form on the couch and smiled to herself, content. She returned her focus to her hot chocolate, watching the flames dance in the fireplace. Little did she know, Yeji was observing her, mirroring her actions with a bittersweet smile, silently ignoring the ache in her chest.

---

Two days have passed since Karina glimpsed Winter's laughter, a fleeting moment soon overshadowed by Winter's return to her usual sulky demeanor.

On that same night, Taeyeon attempted to enforce separate sleeping quarters for Karina and Winter. However, Winter's impatience shattered Karina's door within mere minutes, leading