"I, Winter Kim, take thee, Katarina Yu, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." 

 

When Karina Yu suddenly announced her marriage, everyone was in uproar. The whole entertainment industry was having a meltdown. Every entertainment show, news outlet, and even celebrities close to Karina were shocked at the news. As far as they know, Karina was single.

 

Karina was at the height of her career, booking projects for two years, walked the Cannes red carpet where her debut film premiered which earned a 20-minute standing ovation — at Cannes, that's a HUGE deal! Better than those mere 5-minute standing ovations other films had. Karina even had a successful ship with one of her co-stars in her recent drama.

 

So, when the news came out of nowhere, it was as if the world had collectively had their hearts broken. Fanboys, and fangirls even, dropped to their knees and wailed at how she betrayed them for hiding such a relationship.

 

To be fair, Karina didn't know either. She was just as blindsided as them. She found out about her betrothal in the news when Ning, her trusted Manager and best friend, shook her awake and showed her the articles. 

 

Imagine her surprise waking up from the best night of her life in Paris to possibly her worst nightmare.  

 

Internet sleuths did their worst and could not even find a single drop of information about Karina's wife-to-be. Not even a shadow. They had no ammunition. They had no one to attack. 

 

For all they knew, her wife-to-be could be some loser who does not even have the right to breathe the same air as their beloved Karina. 

 

But Karina didn't know anything about her supposed future wife either.

 

All she knew was her name: Winter Kim. And that she came from such an affluent family — a family of tech moguls who owned almost every single business in Korea. 

 

It was no wonder why Winter was shrouded in mystery. One side of the Kim family owned publications that blocked any leak about their precious gem Winter with a snap of their fingers. 

 

They were powerful.

 

They were unstoppable.

 

They controlled most of Korea.

 

And now they wanted to penetrate the film industry. And a partnership with the Yus, a family of actors and producers who owned one of the biggest production companies in Korea, was going to catapult them ahead of their competition. 

 

In return, with the power the Kims had, Karina would always have a glorious PR, their production house would always have state of the art tech and it's always great to have a pristine reputation in the industry. 

 

The Kims and Yus would have Korea in the palm of their hands. 

 

Their wedding was nothing short of grande. It was held privately with close friends and family only.

 

But it became the talk of the town. Everyone was dying to see pictures. They wanted to know who Karina was wearing. Most of all, they wanted to see who Karina was marrying. 

 

Everyone and their grandma tuned in when the Kims had announced that they would be introducing their precious little Winter after the wedding. 

 

The whole thing was bigger than the royal wedding.

 

What do you think she looks like?

 

I bet you she's fugly.

 

She doesn't deserve our Karina!

 

That's all everyone could talk about. From the convenience stores to the outskirts of Busan, they all whispered Winter Kim.

 

Karina antis and keyboard warriors were glued to their phones ready to fire all the nasty they could say to Korea's darling and her wife.

 

Her fans had gaslighted themselves to be happy for Karina while mending broken hearts. 

 

We weren't ready for you to get married, Karina!

 

, this is worse than my oppa going to the military! At least that 's temporary.

 

Karina, what about your 411 wives? 

 

But oh, did everyone's drop when the pictures were revealed.

 

To say that the pictures of the couple took their breaths away is an understatement. They were crying, screaming, throwing up! Because they fell in love. 

 

Not with Karina.

 

But with Winter. 

 

The mysterious Kim was a knockout. 

 

Their whole wedding photoshoot was unveiled in a magazine spread. If they didn't know any better, they thought Winter is an actress herself, with how her eyes had deeply captured their hearts.

 

They marveled at her educational background and gasped at her princess-like beauty. Her long, ginger hair was a fan favourite, some even called her Ginger Winter. Others even manipulated her pictures to look like Princess Zelda.

 

They got a hold of one of Winter's private videos playing the electric guitar which the powerful Kims have cunningly leaked to gain the public's interest. So it's not much of a surprise that Winter amassed a cult-like following in such a short time. 

 

Winter herself is a rockstar. 

 

Winter, I do! 

 

The Lord is unfair! 

 

Where can I find my own Winter Kim?

 

Winter is the winner!

 

I don't know who's luckier, Winter or Karina? 

 

KareBears, Karina's fans, swooned over how beautiful the couple looked, praising how perfectly matched they were. Not even five minutes since the pictures dropped, they trended on Twitter worldwide with a new hashtag attached: #WinRina. 

 

It was like a 180 change overnight, from feeling overly betrayed to practically tripping over WinRina's visuals and daydreaming about what the couple did in private. People truly love such dramatic twists in their lives.

 

What's even more amusing was how everyone ate up Karina and Winter's love story.

 

The intricately crafted childhood friends to lovers trope that the Kims presented to the world had everyone fantasizing their own fairy tale.

 

They were childhood friends who only saw each other during summer vacations until the visits stopped. Because Winter went to boarding school in London and Karina started acting.

 

The pair reunited when Karina visited Edinburgh for the first time for a shoot and coincidentally, Winter was there to check out Scotland's newest tech startups. 

 

And the rest was history. 

 

Of course only two of those are facts: Winter went to London to study and Karina took up acting. 

 

After the wedding, Winter could be seen with Karina in every movie premiere and public event like a delectable piece of arm candy. 

 

They were adored at the red carpet, the tabloids gushing over how in love they looked and how supportive Winter was with her wife.

 

Winter would be swept in interviews and she answered them with such charm and witty humor, one could not even tell the words that fell from were rehearsed lines from a script.

 

Winter would sing praises about her wife as she looked on, looking absolutely smitten as her wife posed for the cameras. 

 

"How's married life, Winter?" A reporter would ask. 

 

"Oh, it's fantastic. Karina is perfect." Winter would flash a smile before she slowly walked to Karina to wrap an arm around her slender waist.  

 

God truly has his favourites.

 

Lord, me when? 

 

It is unfair that rich, pretty people end up together in real life.

 

I thought this only happened in dramas? 

 

And yes, such fairy tales only exist in dramas.

 

Because Karina is an actress and Winter played along.

 

And not only was everything fabricated with a dash of rainbows and butterflies, but Karina truly despises being married to Winter.

 

They are strangers in their penthouse who sleep in separate bedrooms. 

 

But Winter is a totally strange phenomenon. 

 

She's quite alright with the arrangement. Unbothered and truly enjoys being a wife despite Karina's indifference. 

 

Before they met, Karina walked to the Kim-Yu family dinner ready to form an alliance with Winter because no one in their right mind would agree to such an arrangement. 

 

It's literally the 21st century! How is arranged marriage still a thing?

 

But apparently, the rich and the elite are notorious for it. They use it as a business transaction. Their poor children are used as mere pawns to grow their empire.

 

Karina has heard of some anomalies to these business transactions — couples who actually fell in love.

 

But Karina doesn't think she would be one of them. 

 

Oh, no.

 

She has bigger dreams to achieve than to be tied down to some airhead heiress who is as interesting as a sack of potatoes. 

 

And she's definitely not open for love.

 

The mere thought of it makes her sick to her stomach. 

 

Karina marches through those humongous double doors ready to get Winter to fight their parents and break whatever deal they had.

 

But instead of meeting an equally angry Winter Kim, she's met with a girl who looks too happy to be married to someone she doesn't know. 

 

"Hey, wifey!" 

 

Karina wants to roll her eyes so hard. Winter looks like an embodiment of a puppy who has way too much energy. 

 

"Aren't you annoyed about this situation?" Karina gives Winter a once over, pleasantly surprised at how pretty she is. She has eyes. Even if she hates the very idea of the marriage, she's not going to lie and say Winter is ugly. Because she isn't. "Why do you seem so excited?" 

 

Winter bounces the balls of her feet as she stands beside Karina. She leans a little bit closer to whisper which Karina finds to be a little too close for comfort. "I'll let you in on a secret," Winter whispers while eyeing their parents at the dinner table. "You're my first relationship." 

 

Karina gets taken aback at the sudden confession and steps back to look at Winter in disbelief. "You're kidding." 

 

"Nope," Winter grins, popping the 'p' at the end. 

 

"But you're like…" Karina pauses, trying to remember the information she read about Winter before coming for the dinner. "...you're like 24. You haven't had a boyfriend or girlfriend?" 

 

The ginger-haired girl shakes her head. "No one really had an interest and I wasn't interested either. I was too busy studying and making in my flat." She chuckles awkwardly, belatedly realizing how pathetic she sounded with her confession. "I mean I went out here and there but nothing you would call a relationship," she saves herself. 

 

Karina thumbs through the thick stack of documents she read about Winter in her head and remembers that Winter is a whiz in the computer. She has programmed numerous things in the past. 

 

Right, not an airhead. But a nerd, Karina thinks. Charming though. 

 

"Still, wouldn't you want to go date people you actually want to date? I mean, you're young and you just graduated. Don't you want to have fun?" Karina raises her eyebrows. She's young herself, only 25 and absolutely enjoying her stardom. She's not a person who dates around but she would rather do that than be married so young and so against her will. 

 

Winter shrugs. Karina doesn't miss the faraway look Winter has but she quickly masks it with a gummy smile. "It wouldn't be so bad." 

 

"What is?"

 

"Being married to you," she says cheekily. "You're gorgeous. People would be jealous of me." Winter deadpans and Karina's cheeks burn at Winter's nonchalance. She's used to the compliments but not quite like this. 

 

"Well, I don't want to be married," Karina huffs.

 

"Oh come on, wifey —" Winter stops when Karina glares at her. 

 

"Don't call me that." 

 

"No to wifey?" Karina hisses. "Alright, we can work on that."

 

"How are you so okay about all of this?" 

 

"Like I said, it wouldn't be so bad being married to you. And I'll only get married once, I might as well make the most of it." 

 

***

 

Winter doesn't mind it at all being alone in the penthouse while she waits for Karina to come home from filming. She doesn't mind that Karina has set some rules for them while living together. Winter doesn't mind that sometimes Karina doesn't care about her at all. 

 

Winter is fine just living in the moment. 

 

"Hey Bibi," Winter calls out in their spacious living room. "What's my next schedule?" 

 

An airy sound comes on followed by quiet chimes before Winter's virtual assistant comes to life.

 

Bibi was Winter's creation back when she was still in London. 

 

"Hello, Miss Kim," a gentle voice erupts in the air. "Don't forget to take your candy for the day." 

 

"Right, can't forget that!" Winter saunters to her room and pops a number of pills in . "Gotta stay healthy and strong, Bibi." 

 

"You have your business trip this afternoon, Miss Kim," Bibi continues narrating. "And then you have the fashion show with Miss Yu on Friday." 

 

When they started living together, Winter asked Karina to sync their schedules. Of course, she was met with protests, Karina not wanting Winter anywhere near her life and work.

 

"It'll just be for the public events so I know when it is," Winter reasoned out. "You can keep your private schedule to yourself. It's in our rules right? We don't meddle in each other's business?" 

 

"Right, got it," Winter makes a mental note of her schedule. "Thanks, Bibi." 

 

Just then, Karina finally comes home surprised at the loud whooshing sound as Bibi disappears. 

 

"Jesus Christ, Winter." Karina places a hand on her chest. She's still not used to Bibi popping in and out of their penthouse even after six months of living together.

 

Before moving in, Winter had outfitted the whole place of the virtual assistant. Karina wasn't so keen about it, until now, and had called it ridiculous.

 

"I didn't think you were lazy, Winter," Karina had said.

 

"It's not laziness, honey." Karina glared at the endearment. "No to honey as well? Alright." Winter shrugged and then continued. "Anyway, it's efficient. Think of Tony Stark's Jarvis but less advanced and more of a high-tech assistant. Definitely better than Siri or Alexa or Google. Bibi is my creation."

 

Karina just scoffed at Winter before retiring in her own room. 

 

"Welcome home, darling!" Once again, Winter is met with a glare. She's been trying to give Karina pet names but to no avail. Every single one, Karina either glares at her or grits her teeth while telling her to stop calling her names. "Alright no to darling as well. Anyway, I'll be leaving for my business trip this afternoon," she says before setting up the dining table with breakfast. Karina only nods before putting her bag down on the couch. "Don't worry, I'll be back before Friday to be your arm candy for the fashion show." 

 

"Wouldn't care if you didn't come," Karina mumbles to herself but Winter hears it. Clearing , she throws a simple reply instead. "Okay, that's fine." 

 

Winter plasters her usual smile before inviting Karina for breakfast. "Join me for breakfast?" 

 

Everyday Winter sets up the table for two and invites Karina to join her for her meals. While Karina might be indifferent about the whole thing, Winter loves playing housewife.

 

Sometimes, Karina would join her if she's in the mood, most of the time, she'd just leave Winter alone.

 

Today, however, Karina decides it's okay to indulge Winter's make-believe marriage. 

 

Karina sees how Winter's face brightens up when she sits down and thinks it's ridiculous that something simple as eating together makes her so happy.

 

Excited, Winter brings out the rice, the rolled egg she proudly cooked without breaking the sides, the soybean stew, and some side dishes. 

 

Karina doesn't want to say it but she's impressed.

 

"You cooked all of these?" She asked, surprised. Winter nods, pointing at the stew for her to try it. Karina's eyes momentarily widen at how good it tastes. What's an heiress doing all the cooking? "How did you learn how to cook? Don't you have servants at your every beck and call?" 

 

Winter places a hand to her chest, feigning offense and playfully scoffs at Karina. "Are you saying that rich people can't cook? Does that mean you can't cook?" 

 

"Uh, yeah?" 

 

Winter is not surprised at all at Karina's admission. "Well, I can cook, Miss Yu," she grins. "I lived alone in London for a while and hated eating white people food so I learned how to cook." 

 

Karina nods, taking a bite of the egg this time. Again, Karina is surprised at how fluffy it is. It's just an egg!

 

"Still, didn't your dad send people to live with you?" 

 

Popping a kimchi in , she replies, "Nope. I was a nobody in London and I wanted to live that way. Trust me, it took a lot of convincing but I managed. Best decision ever." 

 

Karina continues asking Winter questions and Winter beams at how much Karina is talking. This is probably the first time she has said more than three sentences to her and not about her schedules. It's a bit refreshing that Karina is acting so civil, so cordial, so friendly.

 

"Thought you would be spoiled," Karina says, shoveling rice into .

 

"There's a lot you don't know about me, darling," Winter winks and Karina frowns at her which made her laugh. Loving the course of the conversation, Winter offers coffee to keep the momentum going. "Coffee?" 

 

"Sure." Karina nods. "Is this why we don't have anyone helping us out here?"

 

"Yup. We're barely home anyway, plus, Bibi can do everything around the house!" 

 

It really shouldn't surprise Karina anymore knowing that Winter is basically a nerd but everything Bibi does around the house catches her off guard. 

 

Now, Winter is spewing commands at the virtual assistant and Karina looks around to see where everything is connected.

 

One time, Karina was amazed at how the virtual assistant knew just how she liked to sleep in the morning when she came home from late night shootings: pitch dark. As soon as she hit the pillows, the blinds descended and the curtains closed. She'd have to thank Winter for setting that up one day. 

 

"Hey, Bibi, can you make two coffees, please?" Winter commands then she turns to Karina. "How do you like your coffee? Black? Milk and sugar?" 

 

Karina looks at Winter with such judgmental eyes that Winter can only laugh in return. "Really, Winter? Even Bibi can make you coffee?" 

 

"Of course! Now, how do you take your coffee?" 

 

"Just black," Karina responds quickly but she's not done judging Winter and her obsession with her virtual assistant. "Can Bibi feed you, too?" 

 

Winter sighs dreamily as she hands Karina her mug. "That's the dream!" 

 

Karina mumbles a 'thanks' and blows on her coffee before taking a sip. She's pleasantly surprised at how good it tastes and wonders how Bibi brewed the damn thing. She assumed it would be like those Keurig machines that sometimes make your coffee taste all watery and burnt.

 

"If that isn't lazy then I don't know what is." 

 

There she goes again with her 'lazy' agenda when it comes to Bibi. But Winter is loving how her morning is turning out that she doesn't even have the time to be offended.

 

Instead, she plays along with Karina and jokes, "Hey, you never know. What if I can't move one day? At least Bibi can help me." 

 

Karina rolls her eyes and continues to sip her coffee. She's not going to lie. She's enjoying this and Winter is surprisingly good company. 

 

The puppy energy is still very much alive but more subdued and now that Karina has the time to observe, she thinks Winter is actually nice and so very endearing. 

 

Who knew that the heiress of Korea's wealthiest family was so…humble? 

 

Karina is not one to judge if Winter turned out to be a spoiled brat. She's just as privileged, growing up with a literal golden spoon in . She knows nothing about cooking or chores. She doesn't even know where her laundry goes after she chucks them in the hamper. 

 

Karina knows one thing though: dishes. She finds the whole thing therapeutic. 

 

So she's not all that spoiled. 

 

Karina is about to put her dishes in the sink and wash them but Winter stops her. "Let Bibi do all of that."

 

Again, Karina rolls her eyes and doesn't listen. Instead, she reaches for Winter's plate, eyebrow raising at the unfinished meal but decides not to say anything. "I have hands, Winter. Let me do the dishes."