“Just like what I said Mr. Nam, it’s all just an accident,” Winter explained, maybe, for probably the nth time, to the club advisor of the film club. He’s in his late 30s, and he had soft features in his face where Winter assumed the most first impression he probably received, was that he’s a kind and understanding man – well, Winter hoped so. But Mr. Nam just looked at her with a serious look face on his face that Winter couldn’t read if he’s mad or whatnot, while Karina on the other hand who’s sitting near her, was just straight looking out of nowhere, sighing loud enough that Winter couldn’t missed. “I know it’s my fault, but I never did it intentionally. I’m truly sorry. I hope you will believe me because I am telling the truth,” Winter begged, almost in distress.

Winter couldn’t believe that she found herself on the hot seat. If she only knew, then she would probably do other alternatives to fix this. The reason why she went in the film club after school was because she’s straight-up confused after Karina confronted her about her shenanigans at the gym and clinic yesterday, resulting to Karina telling her to come to the film club tomorrow, but Winter didn’t expect to get stuck in a sticky situation.

“I believe you,” Mr. Nam nodded. “But as you can see, every action has a consequence and I hope you are prepared for that.”

“I’m more than willing to do anything to fix this,” Winter freed a sigh as if she was preparing for what’s about to come. “How much should I pay for the damages?” she asked.

Giving her the are-you-sure-you’re-going-to-ask-that look, Mr. Nam paused for a moment before he spoke again. “Well, you’re lucky that it’s probably just cosmetics. The lens itself has no crack, or else the damages you need to pay would cost double or triple. But I want to let you know that the school didn’t own the camera you broke, we’re just renting it from Panavision. So, we need to return it tomorrow, and then pay for the damages, so they could replace it with a new one as soon as possible. Yesterday, I asked for a quote on how much you should pay for the damages,” he cleared his throat before dropping the ghastly news. “And they said that it cost around 500,000 won including the repairs and penalty.”

“500,000 won?!” Winter almost gagged from her own saliva. She could feel her stomach was twisting, and her legs began to tremble. Thank goodness, she was sitting or else, she could be lying on the floor right now.

“I know, it’s a lot,” Mr. Nam felt sorry. “But it’s a new released camera and is one of their best releases up to date, that explains why.”

This was the exact perfect moment where Winter wanted to pass out for real, but to no avail. She knew that her kind of escape was out of the question at this situation, she needed to face it head on. Winter honestly had no idea how to pay it. This could even take her more than a year to pay it just basing alone on her weekly school allowance, and her salary from working in a grill restaurant at night – which means she would need to sacrifice her acting workshop. Or, if she told her parents about this, they would probably gone berserk because her father was earning just enough for their daily needs and a bit more for their wants. Who would have rent such an expensive camera for a film? We’re still high school students for god sake. Winter thought. Right, it’s one of the perks of going to one of the prestige high schools in the country. Truth be told, her family couldn’t afford her going to this school, but because of her father’s connection from work, and Winter’s academic scholarship, she managed to get in there, surrounded by the rich, smart, and popular kids. She felt an outcast at some point, but she didn’t care.

“Is there any other way to pay for it?” Winter asked in a weak manner as if she’s catching her breath.

“Well, fortunately, there is,” Mr. Nam smiled subtly, adjusting his glasses upwards on the bridge of his nose, as he looked briefly at Karina like he’s seeking for approval, but the latter was seemed like spacing out, then return his sight at Winter. “Karina asked me to make you the main lead of the short film they are making.”

“Me? The main lead?” this again, Winter was in huge disbelief, creasing her forehead. “I don’t really understand. Why me?”

“Because Karina asked you,” he answered plainly, like he also didn’t know why Karina would pick someone who’s not from the theater club, and it’s evident in his eyes.

Once more, Winter was taken aback. “I’m afraid, I don’t follow what’s going anymore.”

“I don’t know if you are reading the school newspaper or not, or if you aware or not, but” Mr. Nam stopped in the middle of his sentence. “Wait, did you just transfer here?”

“Uhm. Yes?”

“Oh, that explains a lot,” he continued. “Anyway, it’s well known to everyone how great Karina is, especially her achievements in the film industry at such a young age, and how proud the school administration is of her,” he smiled like a great father proud of her daughter. “So, if she wanted someone out in her film or someone to add in the film; or do whatever she wanted for the sake of the film, we allow her because we trust her creative process, and as the director of the film club.”

Winter blinked in astonishment. Did she just hear it right? Is this how powerful Karina being that she could fire or hire anyone she like anytime in the film club? She thought Karina could be one of those bratty kids in their school who abused their powers over anyone they assumed to be a gullible weakling. As Winter shifted her sight at Karina beside her, who seemed to just get back in the reality from spacing out, as they locked eyes in which Karina asked in normalcy. “What?”

Expecting to see any signs of arrogance or a smug on her face upon hearing those compliments like she always encountered from the brats in their school, but Winter failed to see one. Winter felt like she’s looking at someone who just cared so much on her craft, and she could see it in those delicate dark brown eyes, filled with love and compassion – no evidence of boast. “Nothing. I’m sorry,” Winter dismissed, shaking her head in disbelief where she hoped she didn’t creep her out, as Karina, without saying a thing, just broke their gaze by looking away and sat comfortably in her chair.

Winter averted her sight at the teacher, as she queried. “I hope you don’t mind if I ask Mr. Nam, but is my participation in the film worth 500,000 won that can pay the damages I made?”

Mr. Nam snorted as if he’s asked a ridiculous question, but quickly regained his composure. “Well, if ever the short film you made won the grand prize in the international short film festival where the only participants allowed are high school students or the youth, in which I am very much confident that you would win it, then you would receive quadruple or more than the amount of the damages you made.”

“What?! Around 2 million? That’s why you’re using an expensive camera to film it for the excellent quality?!” Winter almost choked once more, as she looked at Karina. “So, this means you are filming a short film that is worthy to be showcase internationally?”

“Yes,” Karina reacted like it’s not a big deal.

“What the heck!” Winter spit out unintentionally.

“Watch your language, Ms. Kim,” Mr. Nam warned, raising a brow at her.

“I’m sorry,” Winter covered , sitting there completely dumbfounded with lips sealed as she processed everything inside her head, placing her hands on her temple, heaving a deep loud sigh, wondering if she should take the role because it seemed surreal.

“Anyway, I will give you a day to think about it. You don’t need to decide now. Of course, we can’t force you to be the main lead if you don’t want to. That’s against the law obviously. But if you chose not to, you need to pay for the damages. Just think about it,” Mr. Nam looked at his watch. “Alright, I still have something to check here in the film club. You girls should go home now.”

“Thank you for your time,” Karina quickly stood up and bowed at their teacher. Her eyes then landed on Winter as their gazes engaged once more, where no words came out from before leaving the room – she didn’t say goodbye or anything, she just left like she always did – where Winter assumed Karina was still very skeptical about her, or maybe she was still mad about the coffee incident or hugging her by accident, or maybe she was just passive-aggressive – whatever the reason was, it’s getting Winter crazy.

Winter stood up next as she bowed. “Thank you, Mr. Nam,” and as she was making her way to the door, he called her attention. “Winter?”

She turned around to face him. “Yes, sir?”

“I think you need to hear this out,” he cleared his throat as he dropped few papers on the table he was sitting on, giving her his full attention. “If ever you will agree to do it, I must warn you that Karina is quite difficult to work with. Everyone seems so scared of her if she’s working in the set because she’s very passionate about directing and she really took it seriously more than her grades in academics,” he chuckled lightly. “She’s genius yet quite intimidating. Everyone in the theater and film club adored her and wanted to work with her, and yet out of all the students, she chose you, someone from the student council,” his face became serious. “I’m not saying that you are not good in acting or what, because I personally don’t know yet. I have nothing against you though. But I can guarantee you that if she chooses you for a role, especially if it’s a big one in an international scene, then you must be very special. I know that would be a big responsibility and I know you would feel a big burden in your shoulders, but I hope you don’t waste this opportunity. Just think about it carefully overnight, and if you agree to do it, just tell me tomorrow morning so I can tell Karina later that day,” he smiled, unfeigned.

“Thank you, Mr. Nam, I’ll keep that in mind,” Winter didn’t realize she was smiling to herself after she left the room, where she finally felt seen for the first time – that someone believed in her even though they were never that close with each other; where she finally got that recognition despite of the rejections in every audition she went to. Honestly, she had no idea what Karina saw in her, why her out of all? She’s just an average student with huge dreams of becoming a legendary actress someday, no one knew about her dreams yet except her best friend. Although Karina only said a few words to her today, it’s enough to make her feel something in a way she never felt before – in a way that that someone who’s very confusing, who seemed to hate her guts, who looked intimidating in the film set, who rarely talked with her that much, yet still chose her because Karina had seen something special in her that no one else could see. Only Karina could. And after taking few steps away from the room, then and there, she already made up her mind. With impulse, she jumped right back at the room, opening the door wide opened. “Mr. Nam?” she said.

He got startled. “Yes?”

Winter smiled. “I will do it.”

Who said that running in the school hallways was not allowed? Well, technically, Winter did it, just as she hope and pray that she wouldn’t get caught by any of the teachers, or else she would be spending her time in the detention instantly. “. I’m so late,” she cursed in breathless, her legs were beginning to feel numb, and her lungs was about to collapse in any minute now, as she made her way to the film club.

After what happened in the film club yesterday where Karina through Mr. Nam asked her to do the main role for the short film that they were making, Winter decided she was going to do it the moment she left the room. She didn’t even need to think about it overnight, she just decided on it on a whim. What she did last night was told Ningning about it as they spent some time chatting with each other in her house since their houses were just few blocks apart, where she low-key asked anything Ningning knew about Karina.  So far, Winter learned that Ningning had a chance to work with Karina once before, and the rumors were true that she’s indeed scary to work with – Karina never yelled but she never sugarcoated her words when she saw one’s skill terrible; she would always say it as it was. Although, at some point there’s tiny voices in her head doubting herself, but she never wanted to listen. So much thinking about Karina last night, that ended Winter up almost late for school. She just couldn’t get Karina out of her system, especially now that this was their first day working together.

Winter had a lot on her plate this day, she had a student council meeting again after class, but at the same time, she needed to go the film club because Karina was expecting her there. So, she decided to attend the student council first for a half an hour because her presence was needed there, and then she would excuse herself to go to the film club next. After all, she didn’t want to stay in the student council room after the meeting, because she’s sure the student council president would attempt to talk with her again alone – and Winter didn’t want it; she just had no time for it.

Coming right at the scene, the door swung open as disheveled Winter rushed through it, her eyes quickly landed on Karina who was fiddling the camera, as their gazes met. “Hi! I’m sorry! I know I am late and it’s unprofessional of me considering that this is the first day of us working. I had an urgent meeting with the student council for the sports festival, and I needed to attend it because they said it’s an important one, but I don’t think so. I just wasted my 30 minutes there because they just talked about nonsense and unrelated with the sports festival. So, I decided to run my way here. And now, I’m here. Yeah,” Winter explained herself in just one breath.

Karina just dialed the focus back in as she was tuning the camera, as she realized that Winter picked up the light well – even though she looked like she ran a marathon, her skin still looked so soft as it glistened under the light. She just shook the thought out of her head, pretending to look through the viewfinder. “I get my equipment set up, just to make sure I’d done everything ready in time, and now here you are. Late,” Karina said in a serious tone.

“Oh,” Winter’s eyes dimmed a bit. “I’m sorry.”

Karina just sighed. “I’m going to assess your skills today as I watch you behind my camera so I would know what to expect and what to adjust during the course of our filming period,” She shuffled through some papers then she handed Winter the page from the top. “First, you need to do the reading of the script so I could tape everything and see what needed to improve on your end,” Karina pointed out. “Sit over there, then read this out loud in front of the camera.

“Alright then,” Winter sat down on the chair already set in front of the camera. Mr. Nam and Ningning were not kidding at all, Karina was indeed intimidating to work with, but Winter would never back down as she did her job the best she could, applying all the things she had learn in an acting workshop without complaining. She cleared as she opened and read the words loud and clear.

There’s this some kind of a quality resonance hidden in Winter’s voice that took Karina by surprise. It was a kind of voice that anyone leaned in toward, a kind of voice that could make anyone listen. Winter was reading the role of Eleanor Kang, the partner of the other main lead named, Alexandra Yoon. The plot of the short film they were making revolved around two girl high school students and their hidden relationship as they faced adversaries together in the year of 1989 at South Korea where the minority felt the fear of social repercussions for the majority believed that the act of loving a person of the same- was considered immoral and unacceptable – it’s a coming-of-age LGBTQ+ theme short film.

Alexandra was secretly gay, and her parents led their community church where she met Eleanor and her family for the first time when the latter just got moved in their town. Eleanor (which was going to po