AUTHOR

Hi! Thanks for waiting! Enjoy!

Envy is such a venomous word, slithering its way into the hearts of those unfortunate enough to be ensnared by its treacherous grasp.

How unfortunate.

How unfortunate, indeed. It’s also because of envy that Winter lost the person that she had once trusted—Kazuha. Kazuha and Winter were so inseparable, their bond seemingly unbreakable, that Yizhuo became so jealous that she ignored Winter for weeks, causing a foolish rift that tore them apart. It was a misunderstanding, one that should have been easily resolved between friends. Yet, as Winter soon discovered, their friendship with Kazuha was nothing but a facade.

It’s been so long since she heard that name. After the fallout, she cut all her ties with Kazuha, ignoring every attempt at reconciliation. She was so hurt that she ignored every call, message, and visit the latter made for a couple of weeks just to get to talk to her. It was too harsh of her, indeed. But she wanted to convey to Kazuha that once trust is broken, there are no second chances. 

The insults from the bullies never stopped, and it only worsened when her best friend, Yizhuo, got involved as well. This eventually made Winter snap, tarnishing all their reputations in a day, including Kazuha's. With the help of her siblings, she documented and spread their darkest secret throughout the campus, portraying herself as the villain they always made her out to be.

Fortunately, Kazuha seemed to take the hint, and all the calls, messages, and visits stopped. Winter didn’t know if she should be happy or sad about it, but one thing was for sure: Kazuha was no longer worth any of her concern.

Revenge is usually sweet, but in this case, it tasted disgusting, leaving behind an aftertaste that made her sick to the core. She admits she still has a little bit of concern for Kazuha, and she hates herself for it. But the damage had already been done; she couldn't take back her actions.

She knew Kazuha had reasons for her betrayal. After her 30-day suspension, she heard from Yizhuo that the group of bullies with whom Kazuha had been exchanging information about Winter had outed Kazuha as a dyke throughout the campus, resulting in even more bullying towards her. She wasn’t sure if it was true or not. At that time, she was still a heartless biatch and didn’t care.

Winter didn't do anything when everyone was bullying Kazuha. She simply thought at that time that Kazuha deserved all of it. Kazuha stopped going to school and eventually transferred to another school. Even though Kazuha was gone, the bullies never stopped, and Yizhuo was targeted yet again, which eventually led Winter to encourage all the students to waterbomb all the bullies. She’d reached the point where she didn’t care if she was going to be suspended or not. Apparently, that didn’t happen since her mother took care of everything before it got out of hand.

And that’s how you become a local celebrity, everybody!

That’s how postdramaqueen-Winter handled drama back then. Now, she doesn’t think that way anymore. She’ll admit that she grew quite mature, ditching her luxurious lifestyle as she started to live like a hobo nerd. She learned that it’s better to be nobody than to have people’s attention on her 24/7.

She has to admit that Kazuha has a little bit of influence on why she changed. She remembers that some of the hurtful words Kazuha said left an ache in her heart. It’s hard to acknowledge, but Winter knew that some of them were true. She’s mean, a brat, and condescending. She’s very much aware of it. But that doesn’t give Kazuha the right to expose something personal about her family—even if she didn’t mean to, as she always claimed. That doesn’t change the fact that she’s still a traitor.

As much as she likes joking about it, Winter doesn’t want to forget her past, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be that kind of person again. She’s no longer a brat; although she’s still a little bit condescending and mean, it’s not the same as before. She’s still the same, but with less glitter and glam.

“A penny for your thoughts?” 

Winter jolted, the hazy daydream dissolving like cotton candy in rain. Karina stood right there, closer than Winter realised, a playful glint in her blue eyes. 

“Jesus!” Winter almost had a heart attack which made Karina chuckle slightly.

“Looks like someone got lost in dreamland,” Karina teased, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Need a wake-up kiss, perhaps?"

Winter’s heart hammered against her ribs. "How long have you been there?" she managed, hoping her voice didn't crack.

"Just long enough to see you practically drooling," Karina chuckled, the sound so melodic yet infuriating at the same time. "It was kind of adorable."

Winter flushed, a warm heat creeping up her neck. “Haha. Very funny,” she mumbled, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably.“You really like messing with me.”

“Oh, totally,” Karina said, leaning closer until their faces were inches apart. Winter could feel the warmth radiating from Karina’s body, a sweet, floral scent tickling her nose. “Teasing you is simply too much fun.”

Winter could only gulp unconsciously, her mind is starting to panic.

“I believe it’s pretty obvious why I’m doing it” A low whisper escaped Karina’s lips, her gaze holding Winter captive. The air crackled with unspoken energy, and for a moment, the entire carnival faded away, leaving only them.

Ah, it’s to