enjoy. 

-

Winter clenches her jaw and if looks could kill that girl would be dead already.

Of course freaking Hwang Yeji would be all over Karina at any chance she got.

What’s up with that girl? She’s always chasing the popular ones at school, boy or girl. Winter really never liked her and now she has a huge reason not to. Just looking at the way she’s shamelessly flirting with Karina makes her eye twitch.

“Jesus, if what you’re trying to do is make yourself attractive for Karina I promise you it’s not working”, Winter scoffs once her brain registers Yeonjun’s presence.

She looks away from Karina’s table and focuses her eyes on her brother.

“What do you want?” She asks through gritted teeth. She’s not in the mood for any conversation.

Yeonjun clicks his tongue. “I just saw you fuming from miles away. It’s been almost two weeks and you haven’t made a single move, what are you waiting for?” He raises an eyebrow, watching the defeat on his sister’s face.

“I just can’t compete with that”, she motions towards Yeji with a tilt of her head. “Karina is way out of my league, she would never look in my direction and even if she did, there’s a hundred girls following her around all day everyday”, she sighs deeply, dropping her head on her backpack.

Yeonjun presses his lips together and scoots closer. He pats her back. “Okay, I know approaching her just like that might not be so easy but”, he stops to take out his phone and Winter watches him type something. “We can change that”, he holds his phone in her face and Winter reads through the texts.

Party at their house this weekend.

“Are you crazy? Mom and dad don’t let us throw parties”, she shakes her head, finding this a terrible idea. 

“Maybe if you paid attention to what they said you’d know they’re going away for the weekend. They won’t know a thing, plus we’ll invite a few people only”, he wiggles his eyebrows, placing his phone on the table.

“You have the worst ideas”.

“Hey! I’m doing this for you, you’ll find some alone time with her, guaranteed”, he intertwines his fingers, not holding back his smile. “Come on, Win! I can tell you really like her, I want to see you get the girl”.

Winter sighs. She’s thankful that he’s trying to help her, but the fact that Karina doesn’t even notice her is what brings her hopes down. She wishes she was on Karina’s mind just as much as she’s in hers.

She doesn’t say that, though. Instead, she forces a small smile.

“Okay, fine. I’ll try”. 

“Good, that’s my little roach”, he ruffles her hair, making Winter slap away his hand. “Alright then, I’ll see you at home”, he chuckles before standing up.

Winter barely waves her hand and her attention then turns back to Karina’s table but her heart stops when she notices Karina and Yeji are the only ones missing. Something in her breaks and she feels so stupid. She hasn’t even talked to Karina or gotten to know her for Winter to be like this.

Why did she have to get this stupid and unreasonable crush on Karina?

Winter swallows hard, feeling embarrassed and sad. She grabs her backpack and swings it over her shoulder. She needs to clear her head before she drowns in her drama. 

-

Friday gets faster than she expected and Winter finds herself in her room with Ningning, both picking outfits for tonight’s party.

“Chenle is definitely coming so I need to look pretty”, Ningning throws all her options on Winter’s bed. Winter remembers that name, it seems like Ningning knows everyone but her. She’d ask who that is, but right now her mind is occupied by her. 

While Ningning picks and discards clothes, Winter is thinking about her own outfit and debating whether it’s worth it to dress up for Karina or not. She’s not sure she’ll notice her. She doesn’t even know if she’ll come, even though Yeonjun assured her she would.

“Jaemin is coming too, he’s totally into you. What are you going to wear?” Her best friend’s voice makes Winter look up.

“Jaemin?”

“Well, yes. Look, if you’re not putting on the iest dress you can find for Jaemin then do it for Karina because I know you’re dying for her, you’re not fooling anyone, Win”, Ningning says it so casually that it catches Winter off guard.

She thought Yeonjun was the only one who knew.

“Wh-What?” It’s all she can say. She feels her cheeks hot but prays it’s not showing. 

Ningning stops going through her clothes and looks up at her with a knowing look.

“Listen, I waited for you to tell me since I caught you staring at her that day but you never did. It’s pretty obvious you’re drooling over Yoo Karina. God knows how many more times I’ve caught you staring at her since then”, the shorter girl chuckles. “So, if you don’t plan on giving Jaemin a chance then make Karina look at you. You’re literally the prettiest girl, if she doesn’t want you then she’s worse than I thought”.

Winter suddenly feels encouraged. “Do you really think she might look my way?” It’s not that she’s downplaying herself but come on.

Ningning scoffs. “Of course. She might be popular and all but you, Kim Winter, are insanely gorgeous. You can have whoever you want and if Yoo Karina is that person, you’re getting her. Now move your and choose the dress that’ll have her drooling for you and not the other way around”, she shoves her lightly and Winter laughs, feeling excited. Maybe she only needed to hear those words to make her believe she can get Karina.

Her heart flutters at the possibility of Karina finding her pretty.

-

Most people start showing up around 10pm and Winter is impatiently waiting to see Karina.

Ningning picked a tight strapless dress for her and although it’s shorter than what Winter is used to wear, her friend’s words convinced her to put it on. She’s showing off her legs and as Ningning said, nothing better to have all eyes on her. Besides, the dress shows off her curves perfectly and she feels like she might actually catch Karina’s attention this time. She does look good. She even put effort in her makeup.

As much courage as Winter feels right now, she knows she can’t do it alone. A couple beers might make her gain just enough confidence, so while Karina arrives, she sits at the kitchen isle and finishes her beer.

She’s nervous, she can’t lie. Karina makes her feel this way. She can’t stop thinking about what she’s going to be wearing tonight. Last time she saw her she was wearing a dress that looked a bit too good on her.

Whatever she wears tonight though, Winter is sure she’ll look great.

-

By the time she finally sees Karina arrive, Winter is already a bit lightheaded and she doesn’t want to see Karina in that state. So, she hides for the first 30 minutes after Karina arrives—not like she would notice her absence anyway—until she feels more sober but not completely, she still needs that alcohol courage.

Karina looks so good tonight, Winter is not surprised. She’s aching to smell her perfume again, to be close to her. It’s driving her crazy.

“What the hell are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on a mission?” Ningning startles her and Winter turns to look at her.

Her friend is definitely not sober.

“I just needed to cool down a bit. I’ll be going inside now”, she smiles, briefly looking at the boy accompanying her friend. She assumes that must be Chenle. “You be careful, alright?” When Ninging gives her a thumbs up, Winter makes her way inside the house, mentally preparing herself to make her encounter with Karina a coincidence.

There’s way more people than expected but it’s not her party, Yeonjun will take all the responsibility.

Winter’s eyes look around the whole place. She checks the living room, the kitchen but she doesn’t see Karina anywhere. She feels a bit disappointed.

The one person she suddenly spots is Jaemin and Winter quickly hides. She doesn’t want to deal with him right now.

Winter makes her way back to the kitchen instead and grabs another beer from a cooler on the floor. No idea whose it is but she doesn’t care either.

She opens the bottle and takes a big gulp from it,