Being out at 7:00 AM on a Saturday morning means welcoming a rather silent street with only a handful of people out to get some breakfast and sweep their front yards. This reason is why Winter loves Saturday mornings. The slow and relaxed quietness calms her down.

Winter is up early for her 11 AM class. It is a wonder that she feels well-rested even though the gang slept at 1 AM after an eventful Friday night. Winter smiles, remembering last night. Everything went according to plan: the group stayed at Chaein’s and Ireh’s house, Keonhee brought meat and cooked a feast, everyone had a great time doing some stargazing in the garden, and ended the night with karaoke and twerking competition inside the house.

Grandmother Cookie was right, being with people prevented her from thinking of the ghost and, therefore, becomes less susceptible to Wonyoung’s haunting. Winter slept like a baby that night with her friends in a makeshift fort installed in the living room.

She woke up around 6 AM, expecting to feel fatigued but she doesn’t. She remembers feeling light and ready for the day. Winter is amazed that she was even able to eat Keonhee’s prepared breakfast. She decides to walk from the house to their campus and spend her morning in the Betelgeuse garden.

As Winter traverses a good kilometer towards her campus, she wonders where Yizhuo was. She wasn’t there when she woke up. Keonhee doesn’t know where the girl was off to, as well. Winter quickly grabs her phone from her bag and began typing.

Where are you? She texts. It’s not like you to leave early on a Saturday. Besides, you don’t have class. It didn’t take long for Yizhuo to respond.

Having breakfast with Giselle, I forgot we planned about this. I told Keonhee to tell you that.

What? He told me he doesn’t know! Winter responds.

I knew he wasn’t processing what I was saying earlier. He was practically in zombie mode.

Winter shakes her head and laughs. She continues to slowly walk and bask in the soft sunlight and cold air. It’s great that the traffic is still slow as well for it gives Winter a peaceful kind of silence that she craves. Winter observes her surroundings. Kiosks and food stalls are starting to open up, there are people in the nearby bakery, and some bystanders drinking coffee and starting their chess game early.

Growing up in an economically rich household, Winter is used to people coming and going out of their house. Her parents’ socialite friends, the media, business partners, and the like. She often thinks that these people are cold and there is no fun in the parties being held. It also doesn’t help that soirees organized in the Kim household often attract unwanted visitors -- both living and the dead.

Winter appreciates the warmth in small rural places and the slow-paced routine of the people. She smiles, allowing herself to get lost in thoughts, admiring every scene including the hint of specters and a sweet, flowery smell. Wait, what? She thinks. Winter sniffs the air and she is positive that she smells ilang-ilang rather faintly. She carefully looks around, scanning the area for the familiar face to whom the distinct smell is connected.

There was no one. Winter is positive that the woman is not in the area. She shrugs and continues to walk. The faint smell lingers on. Winter is again lost in her thoughts. But, instead of ghosts, she thinks of fate, stars, of humanity. There is always a reason for everything, Winter remembers her cousin Yongsun saying. You may not realize it now, but you’ll eventually understand sooner.

Winter wonders how the gears of the universe are working. She wonders why fate led her to Karina. They have nothing in common except for the link between their families. Winter remembers what the psychic told her: the stars align every time an important and life-changing event happens. Right as this very moment, Winter wishes she could look into the future. Maybe just a glimpse. To get an idea of what lies beyond.

But, as Winter knows, she cannot predict anything that life throws her way. Just like how, despite having thousands of thoughts running in her mind simultaneously, she did not predict that she will be meeting Karina Yoo on this peaceful Saturday morning.

Karina did not get any sleep. Her thoughts were focused on the wooden box left by Wonyoung. She wonders how to open it and what was inside. It also didn’t help that she consumed three mugs of strong Arabica earlier in the afternoon.

She decides to travel home to her condo near the university early. At least she will get to see Giselle and the two of them can figure out what to do with the box. Similar to how she traveled coming home to her mother’s place, Karina required the assistance of her driver. This way, she will be able to take a nap.

As soon as Karina drove out of her mother’s residence, she felt her body relax. In a moment’s time, she was drowsing off.

She dreams. Karina is aware that this is a dream. Why wouldn’t it be? Wonyoung is alive and beautiful, smiling in front of her. Karina smiles. She feels warm and happy -- and excited. It is Wonyoung, after all. For a moment, Karina remembers that all of this is not real. Her mind is rationalizing the scene that unfolds in front of her.

But Wonyoung continues to smile. That same warm and girlish smile she does back when she was still with her. Wonyoung raises her arms and reaches for Karina. She encourages her to hold her hand.

Karina decides to step forward. She needs to learn about the box. She hopes Wonyoung can provide answers. She tries to speak but she simply cannot. The area around them started becoming foggy.

As Karina continues to move forward, she faintly hears a growl. A growl so faint it feels like a vibration. At long last, she arrives near Wonyoung -- so close, yet so far. She continues to walk forward but feels that her feet are suddenly bound by something heavy.

Karina tries to move to free her feet. She looks down and tries to fan away from the mist that surrounds her. She notices that the growl has become more distinct and Wonyoung is now farther away, sporting a frown on her face. Karina moves more aggressively this time and was able to fan the fog. She notices a black log on her feet -- or, to her, it feels like a log. She moves her feet once again, kicking the said black log.

With a little more kick and movement and Karina realizes that what binds her was no log.

What lies on her feet is a person. A dead person.

Karina is ready to scream but no voice comes out of . Beneath her, on her feet, is not just a dead person. It’s Winter Kim.

Karina snaps out of her nap. “W-winter…?” She whispers. She might have moved abruptly. Her driver is looking at her with concern through the rear view mirror.

“Everything okay, Ms. Karina?” She asks. Karina nods despite being disoriented and engulfed in a different spectrum of emotions.

“We’re a few minutes away from your place, miss.” Her driver adds. Karina smiles at the woman and sighs.

“Can we pass by a convenience store? I’m parched.” She asks. Her driver nods and maneuvers the car to park at the nearest store.

Karina easily made her purchase and walks back to the car when she smells a faint hint of cinnamon. The sweet-spicy scent immediately made her feel relaxed and calm. She walks slowly towards the car to be able to smell more of the cinnamon in the air.

Slowly, Karina notices that the faint smell is becoming more solid, it’s as if the source of the smell is coming nearer. She closes her eyes and takes a whiff.

As soon as Karina opens her eyes, she feels that the world has slowed down. Everything is at peace and everything is calm. Gone was the haunting feeling in her heart and the foreboding thoughts.

Karina always equates cinnamon with cake -- chocolate cake, to be specific. The hint of the spice balances the sweetness of the chocolate. Right now, at this very moment, Karina feels like her life has become a chocolate cake. There is bitterness, and there is also sweetness. She didn’t know why she feels optimistic all of a sudden.

And right now, the icing -- the cinnamon -- on top of her cake is standing right in front of her.

“K-Karina?” the girl in front of her asks.

“Winter,” Karina breathes her name like a sigh.

The university is located in a small, rural town. This means there are only a few urban elements in the area and one of those is a highly popular fast-food chain. Usually, this fast-food restaurant is filled with students who are either cramming for exams and projects or students who spent their nights drinking at the nearby joint.

However, on this particular Saturday morning, the restaurant is quiet. And that’s how Giselle prefers it.

The fast-food restaurant has an outdoor seating area designed with live plants that provided a cozy atmosphere. Giselle and Yizhuo spent the early morning talking about anything -- academics, the student council, mutual acquaintances, hobbies, and just about any random topic they think of.

Yizhuo is in awe of the fact that she immediately found comfort in Giselle. She is also glad that the young woman in front of her thinks the same.

“You said you grew up with Karina,” Yizhuo starts. “Does that mean you have a front-row seat to her dating life?”

“You betcha,” Giselle answers easily with a playful eyeroll. “I have seen her make the worst mistakes.” Yizhuo laughs at this.

“How about you? How did you meet Winter?”

“Ah, Winter and I are bloc mates. We met during the campus tour when we were freshies. We have the same agriculture classes together and we even entered the organization together,”

“Sounds like anyone who tries to get close to you will also have to face Winter,” Giselle quips. Yizhuo laughs at this.

“Winter is going to be the least of their problems. At least, Winter is reasonable.”

“Really now? Noted on that,” Giselle says with a snicker. “What do you think about Karina and Winter? Don’t they look good?” Yizhuo knows where this conversation is going and as much as she likes to set up Winter with a potential date, she knows there is a lot on her friend’s plate right now.

“They do look good together,” Yizhuo starts. “But, I think Winter needs to clear her mind for now.”

“Same with Karina. But that doesn’t mean we can’t give them a nudge?” Giselle says conspiratorially.

“Alright, how about a bet?” Yizhuo says. Giselle’s eyebrows quirk up in interest.

“I’m listening,” she says.

“50 bucks if Winter and Karina become friends at the end of the summer.” Giselle rolls her eyes with a smile tugging on her lips.

“Babe, I have 50 bucks. What if…” Giselle purses her lips playfully. “I secure a third and fourth date if that happens?”

“Third and fourth, huh? You’re so confident there’s a second?” Yizhuo asks and laughs as Giselle shrugs cockily.

“We don’t need to have a bet for that to happen,” Yizhuo announces.

“Right, and we don’t need to have a bet to see that Winter and Karina will be close at the end of summer,” Giselle answers, raising her cup of iced coffee. “To WinRina?”

“WinRina? Cute,” Yizhuo answers, raising her cup as well and carefully hitting Giselle’s cup for a toast. “To WinRina.”

Karina smiles as she takes small steps to approach Winter. “Lovely seeing you,” she says. She eyes the smaller girl who is obviously taken aback by seeing her standing in front of her.

“L-lovely seeing you as well,” Winter says. “Sorry if I ran away the other night… the dark scares me.” She explains. Winter knows that people can accept bizarre reasons easily. She hears Karina’s laughter under her breath.

“Where are you off to? Can I give you a ride?” Karina asks.

“I have a class at 11 but I wanted to stay a little at the gardens to do meditation.”

“Can I drive you there?” Karina asks once again. Winter tries to weigh her options. A huge part of her mind wants to talk to Karina but there is always the other part that reminds her that Karina will ask about the incident.

Winter looks at Karina. She is smiling at her like she is genuinely happy to see her. Her invitation was persistent but still respectful. You know what, I’ll deal with the consequences later. Winter thinks and nods. She did not miss how Karina’s smile widens when she accepted the invitation.

As Karina opens the door for Winter, the latter’s attention was drawn by the small, wooden box situated by the seat. Winter sees black smoke oozing from the box with the distinct stench that was coming out of the sunflower from yesterday. Unlike the sunflower, however, the smell coming from the wooden box is contained. But that does not mean it has no effect on Winter.

The black smoke emitted by the wooden box thickens as Winter grabs the box in order to sit. The smoke makes Winter cough. This detail is not missed by Karina.

“Need some water?” She asks while offering the bottle of cold water she bought from the convenience store. Winter gently shakes her head and gives Karina the box.

“Oh, sorry about this. This was a… memento,” she explains. Winter notices that the smoke thins as soon as it lands on Karina’s hands. Interesting, she thinks. She looks up and sees Karina looking at her.

“Uhh, I was… I was wondering what kind of wood was used for the box. It has a unique luster.” Winter fumbles with her words.

“I have no idea as well,” Karina answers, her tone bright. She places the box in a compartment by the door of the car. Winter notices that the smoke is almost absent as long as Karina is there.

“So, your morning plans involve meditating in the gardens?” Karina asks, obviously wanting to break the awkward silence between them. Winter smiles and nods.

“It’s been a while since I was able to wake up early and feel rested,” Winter explains. “I used to do meditations every Saturday but since we recently had the finals and I have failed subjects, I had to take summer classes.”

“Ah, I haven’t been to the gardens much but Yeji said it was a beautiful place. Your organization must be very proud to have accomplished such a feat.” Karina says which made Winter smile.

“The garden itself was a project of my cousin. She and her friends planned it. I am proud to experience her ‘legacy,’” Winter answers while doing quotation marks in the air to which Karina laughs.

The two of them sat in silence, comfortable in knowing that both of them are together at this very moment. Somehow, it provides a bit of optimism for both of them.

“Do you have plans later at lunch, Winter?” Karina asks.

“Hm, I promised Keonhee I’ll be at the club room later. He usually cooks for all of us.” Winter answers. Karina nods her head, trying to hide the disappointment. She doesn’t know when will she see Winter again after this car ride.

The drive took ten minutes. Karina dropped Winter at the parking lot of the Biological Sciences building so that it will be easy for the latter to reach the gardens. Winter bids Karina goodbye and leans into the window.

“Uh… the starry night is awesome when viewed from the gardens,” Winter says. Karina is quite confused as to why Winter is telling her this.

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind,” Karina responds politely. She sees Winter fidgeting and she knows the girl has something on her mind. She is about to ask when Winter starts speaking.

“Can I invite you for a picnic? Under the starry sky? Right in the garden. You don’t have to bring anything. That is, of course, if you are free. No worries if you’re not --”

“Winter,” Karina calls to stop the girl from blabbering. She laughs as she finds Winter adorable. “I’d love to have a picnic with you.”

Karina sees Winter’s eyes widen and starts to laugh when the latter pinches her cheek as if to make sure that this moment is not a dream.

“Really?” Winter asks.

“Really.” Karina answers. Winter relaxes and smiles. The same warm smile that gives warmth to Karina.

“I’ll see you later then?”

“Not quite,” Karina says and reached an arm to Winter. “Give me your phone?” Winter is confused but easily grabs her phone from her pocket and gives it to Karina.

“How will you contact me, silly?” Karina says while dialing her number using Winter’s phone. “Now, the problem is solved.” She smiles, returning Winter’s phone.

“Later, Winter,” She says with a wink and instructed her driver to go.

“Yeah, later.” Winter sighs.