Yoo Jimin arrives at the rooftop of the school with heaving breaths and sweat dripping down her head. She can feel the heat of the weather burning the back of her uniform and seeping into her skin. She had just finished volleyball practice and when she got a text from her friend, she immediately booked it without saying goodbye to her team. 

 

She lifts her head to find Kim Minjeong leaning against the tall railings of the rooftop. Her long black hair gets blown by the warm wind of spring— a reminder that Jimin is going to graduate soon in a few days. Her knees wobble a bit at the endearing sight of her friend smiling at her and beckoning her closer. 

 

Minjeong is a year younger and has completely opposite interests from her— despite it all, they still get along well. Minjeong has expressed before how pitiful it is that she gets to graduate early and Jimin has to move to Seoul to attend college— possibly find a job there too. 

 

“You should follow me!” Unknowingly, Jimin’s lighthearted response evoked something within Minjeong. But the younger girl always likes to keep her thoughts to herself so Jimin never figured out why she acted so serious about it. 

 

Jimin approaches her with tired feet and plops herself on the bench next to Minjeong. “Why do you always want to meet up here? It’s so exhausting going up those staircases.” 

 

Minjeong laughs at the hint of annoyance in her breathless voice. “What? Is the star athlete of our school complaining about being tired?” 

 

“Anyone would be when your coach told you to run 10 laps across the field and your friend made you go through those annoying staircases to meet here.” 

 

“But you still did it.” Minjeong teases as she brushes her hair down when it gets too tangled up by the wind. “You’re just that dedicated and kind to refuse anything.” 

 

That earns her a grumble from the older girl— a cute pout making itself known on her face. 

 

“Any last words to your senior? I assume this meeting is about that?” Jimin looks up at her with expectant eyes. 

 

Minjeong stays quiet for a minute as if she has forgotten that that was the purpose of this rendezvous. Jimin can see her expressions morphing from amusement to solemnity and she gets nervous herself as to what her friend is about to say. 

 

The younger girl finally speaks after what seems like forever— albeit softly and delicately like the warm breeze of spring. 

 

“I-“ 

 

Suddenly, the bell rings loudly and Minjeong quickly shuts with a wince at the piercing sound. Jimin is also startled by the sound as her shoulders jump and curses at the timing of it all. 

 

Jimin looks back at her friend again. “What were you going to say?” 

 

Minjeong looks hesitant this time as her resoluteness from before dissipates when another gust of wind blows towards them. 

 

“Good luck on your future, unnie. I’m sure you’ll do well.” 

 

Jimin furrows her brows with suspicion, knowing that’s not what the younger girl was about to say. But the sincerity in her voice almost fools her and she lets herself get convinced this time. 

 

To make this atmosphere lighter, Jimin throws her a grin and pats her back. “And you’ll follow me through it all, right?” 

 

Minjeong’s face cracks into a smile but it’s more shy this time. 

 

“We’ll see about that.” 

 

 

It’s been 15 years since she last saw Minjeong— that’s the first thing she thought of when the new day arrives and sheds light into her bedroom. Jimin sluggishly smacks her hand on her phone in hopes to shut up the alarm. After a few attempts, Jimin is able to silence it and she throws her body off the bed.

 

When she finally wakes herself up in the bathroom after getting washed up and dressed for the day, she recalls her dream and wonders if it’s her brain reminding her of simpler times. Her school life with Minjeong was always something she missed dearly. She would sometimes dig up old photos of her friend and reminisce about the days where they used to have fun during the weekends.

 

It was either going to an arcade, playing games in the park, visiting each other’s houses or even sneaking out of their homes to go to the playground and talk endlessly about anything. Jimin sighs as she looks to the mirror and puts on her earrings.

 

“Come here, stupid cheese cat.” Jimin coos at her cat named Rina, who perks up at the nickname and trudges towards the voice of her owner.

 

Jimin fills up the auto-feeder and sets up the time of when Rina is going to eat. Rina greets Jimin with a slow rub of her furry body against her ankle before eating up her food.

 

She looks over at the grocery list pinned on her fridge and sighs at the thought of doing them at night again when she’s going to be too tired. Jimin discards that responsibility for later and gives Rina a kiss on the head, laughing when a lipstick mark imprints on her fur.

 

It’s routine at this point— she gets in her car at seven in the morning and drives up to her workplace. After getting accepted into this renowned fashion company, Baephrodite, she has been constantly busy to consider other factors of her life. Her coworker and dear friend, Uchinaga Aeri or known as Giselle, who she was only able to befriend because they spend almost everyday working beside each other, worries that Jimin is going to stay single forever if she keeps up with this workload.

 

Jimin remembers recalling Minjeong’s words about being too determined and kind to refuse anyone. Even those damned adjectives are becoming a blessing and a curse to her current life. But with those sacrifices, she has been receiving a lot of praises from her superiors due to her hard work. She was even recognized by the CEO herself, Bae Irene. Jimin— no, Yoo Karina wasn’t going to let that fire burn out just yet, she is young and she has many things to achieve.

 

“Oh finally, you’re here!” Giselle drags her as soon as she steps out of the elevator and they arrive at the meeting room.

 

Not everyone is here yet so she isn’t sure why Giselle is acting all nervous and excited all of a sudden. Well, everyone seems to be in the same mood as her friend as never ending whispers buzzes within the room.

 

Karina sits on her designated chair and lays down her folders. “What’s all the noise about? Did we finally get that list of celebrities we’re styling?”

 

Giselle’s eyes light up and Karina can’t help but feel excited herself. This is her second year in the company (a total of almost ten years in the fashion industry), which means it’s her second time helping out in the Blue Dragon Film Awards. At first, she was overwhelmed being tasked with such a heavy burden as a newcomer. But since she got praised last time for styling some popular celebrities in the media, she has gotten used to the nervousness coursing through her body.

 

Not only that, her superiors have given their commendations when they saw her résumé. It’s only thanks to her previous experience in another company that she was able to build a formidable and unique portfolio. Before this, she has worked with B-list clients and articles have mentioned her name a couple of times. It’s already amazing enough that they accepted her as an assistant fashion designer for Kang Seulgi— an incredible designer that’s been showered with endless praise for her several works and runway shows.

 

Karina was given the privilege to work with her during last year’s fashion week and that was one of the most stressful yet rewarding experiences in her entire life.

 

“Oh, you have to see the list. We got some new rising stars here and there but there’s a name there that everyone is raving about.” Giselle shuffles through her binder before pulling out the papers.

 

Karina’s eyes scan through the list of star-studded names. She sees the usual A-list celebrities but then Giselle gets too tired of her sifting through the documents at a snail’s pace and points at the name Giselle is talking about.

 

Kim Winter . Karina’s eyes go wide and look back at her friend with the same astonishment as everyone.

 

“You’re joking, right?” Karina’s jaw slacks open.

 

Giselle is practically bouncing in her seat. “Not joking at all . You are reading that right.”

 

“But I thought her whole concept was being anonymous? Didn’t she say in that one interview that she doesn’t want to ever show her face to the public?”

 

Giselle simply shrugs as she takes the papers back. “I guess she is discarding that image of hers. Maybe her agency is changing up her mysterious concept into something else. They probably want to market her differently.”

 

Karina has listened to a few songs of Kim Winter. Actually, it’s hard not to listen to her songs when she always tops the charts and plays at almost any kind of establishment like shopping malls or restaurants. It isn’t wrong to say that she’s a fan since her beautiful voice has always captivated Karina.

 

But because of her anonymity, the public have always wanted to know what the famous singer looks like. Paparazzi have tried to track her down but her agency is surprisingly excellent at concealing her identity. There are many rumors as to who the mysterious musician is and people have even put up a list of multiple faces on the internet as if they’re suspects. So far, no one is able to confirm what she looks like.

 

So to see Kim Winter in the guest list is more than shocking— this could very well flip the entire entertainment industry upside down and that’s an opportunity that Karina wants to get

 

Everyone goes to their seats once the CEO arrives in time for the meeting. Everyone starts preparing their proposals and ideas, including Karina who is getting judged more often by her colleagues. The production of their textiles have already reached completion a few days ago and the CEO is eager to bulldoze through the work for the upcoming award show. All that’s left is for the designers, marketers, retailers, and a few other minor roles to do their jobs well.

 

Once everyone concludes their presentation, they all seem to be in high spirits since Bae Irene has approved most of their ideas— even Karina’s concept designs of gowns are praised. This is when Irene starts assigning people into groups to handle each client.

 

When it’s time for Karina’s turn, she is suddenly pushed with another burden to fulfill— she’s assigned to a team that will handle Kim Winter.

 

“I trust that with everyone’s bright minds, they can make wonderful outfits for our clients.” Irene concludes the meeting smoothly before she departs with her secretary.

 

Everyone else also leaves to get started on their assigned duties. Karina finds her team already talking business with each other outside of the meeting room. She finds the Head Designer Kang Seulgi already giving out orders to her team. They meet eye contact and Karina tries not to get shy at the knowing smile she is given.

 

“Good to see you again, Karina.” Seulgi gives her a brief side hug. “Kim Winter, huh? How exciting yet troublesome…”

 

Karina understands where she’s coming from. They barely have any information on what the woman looks like and they only have a few months to execute this. It may seem like a long time for outsiders but in the fashion industry, everyone is on their quick feet and there’s absolutely no breathing room. They can't take any chances and make mistakes either or else Bae Irene will rain hell upon them.

 

A single mistake can land a major blow of distrust and mockery to Baephrodite— that’s just how cutthroat this business is and Karina is still getting used to it. She will never forget the harsh critiques she encountered in her life. Even now, she can still recall their voices easily and it only sends shivers down her spine.

 

She had good mentors in her life that helped with cultivating her fashion sense and critical eye but no one was as good as Kang Seulgi. Despite the woman’s friendly appearance, the workroom is nothing but metaphorical saw traps. If any of her team members makes a mistake, she will hound them and make them start all over.

 

“Our research team and trend forecasters are already getting to work. We have also booked a meeting with Kim Winter and her agency.” Seulgi signals for her to follow her to their workroom and Karina is already scribbling down notes on her notepad.

 

Her brain is practically running a hundred miles but she is still able to voice out her question. “When are we meeting with her?”

 

“Tomorrow and then we will do fitting with her afterwards.” Seulgi simply says.

 

Karina shouldn’t be surprised that it's tomorrow. Everything is always done in advance and Seulgi is the type to oversee everything from the beginning to the last minute details.

 

She should be grateful that Karina wasn’t forced to phone the singer’s agency as soon as the meeting ended— that happened to her just a month ago.

 

Seulgi checks her wristwatch with a frown. “Karina, I need you and the production team to send me details about our textiles. I have a meeting with Miss Winter’s marketing team in an hour.”

 

“Of course, you want it before or after?”

 

“Before, it would be best to show them our initial plan before we meet our client tomorrow.”

 

Karina nods her head and she doesn’t need to be told to leave because she is already sprinting through the building.

 

I’m regretting wearing heels today… 

 

 

Karina arrives earlier than the expected time in Kim Winter’s company building. When she steps out of the elevator, she takes a second to look around the office. It’s about the same as Karina’s workplace since they also have images of celebrities and merchandise organized in their cubicles.

 

One of the staff helps guide her towards the meeting room and she finds that Seulgi is already there. Briefly, she wonders how in the world is this woman able to rest because she has never seen her let her guard down once. It seems Karina still has a lot to learn when it comes to maintaining a professional image.

 

Seulgi smiles when she joins her side. “Did you stop by the bakery I told you about?”

 

Karina nods her head as she presents the large paper bag of baked goods. The amusing thing about her boss is that Seulgi loves to snack at any time of the day so Karina is always sent out for errands. Everyone in the office will know it’s Seulgi’s lunch or dinner when Yoo Karina dashes past them with food in hand.

 

But this time, Seulgi specifically told her to order a specific item in this bakery’s menu. She doesn’t tell her why she made her order but Karina already knows the procedure— it’s to feed their client to help build that trust and relationship with them.

 

Seulgi swears it’s not bribery— it’s just easy to make small talk with someone when it comes to food.

 

Karina makes conversations with Kim Winter’s staff and comes to learn that one of them is her stylist, Ning Yizhuo. Seulgi immediately interrogates her about Kim Winter’s appearance and surprisingly, the girl is cooperative.

 

Maybe it’s because Seulgi is glaring down at her. Karina reassures them that it’s just how she is and she's nicer outside of work. Of course, they don’t believe her.

 

Yizhuo begins explaining to them Kim Winter’s fashion style versus how the management wishes to dress her up.

 

“I’m sure you recall her last concert, Butterfly Road. It was her first time making a physical appearance to her fans. The media talked about how we completely covered her face with a mask and we used stage lights and props to enhance her mysterious appearance.” Yizhuo quickly provides photos of her outfits and Seulgi stays silent with a scrutinizing gaze.

 

“Of course, concert outfits are completely different from what we’re currently trying to achieve. Elegance is the easiest way when it comes to prestigious events but knowing Miss Kang, it won’t be that simple.”

 

Karina nods her head as she remembers that famous concert being discussed yesterday by the research team and Seulgi. “And what about her personal preference?”

 

Yizhuo finally cracks a smile albeit awkwardly. “She likes to dress with comfort— stuff like baggy clothes and sneakers. She often wears a beanie or jackets that practically cover her body.”

 

Then, Yizhuo pauses and looks around. Karina is confused for a second until she leans forward and whispers at them. “And let me tell you about her physique, she is a petite and thin woman. It’s ridiculous how small she is when she always snacks.”

 

Karina is already brainstorming and reorganizing her initial impressions about the singer.

 

“Anyways, you’ll see for yourself soon. Her manager told me she’ll be here in half an hour.”

 

And so they proceed to the meeting room. The arrival of Kim Winter seems to also spark excitement within her own company when they see a few staff members snooping nearby. Karina stares at them with amusement until they get scolded by Kim Winter’s manager.

 

The manager extends her hand out to Seulgi and then to Karina. “Nice to meet you, my name is Son Wendy.”

 

“A pleasure to meet you as well. And this must be?” Seulgi gives a small smile at her before she gestures towards the figure behind the manager.

 

Wendy basically perks up with bubbling energy that’s rarely seen within managers as she puts her hands on the mystery woman’s shoulders and pushes her forward. For a second, the designers hear a faint complaint being whispered behind her face mask.

 

Karina takes a good look at her. Yizhuo was right— it’s impossible to tell what kind of person she is with how baggy her hoodie and pants are. She is dressed in all-white with a dark blue cap and sneakers to match the color. It seems the girl knows how to place some color accent points.

 

“Well, come on now! Show that pretty face of yours!” Wendy chuckles as she suddenly snatches Winter’s cap off and her hair that’s been concealed spills down her face.

 

Karina’s thoughts freezes at the sight. She almost drops everything she is holding by the familiar image of those puppy-looking eyes. Even when her hair has changed into a shorter haircut with a warm brown color that frames her small face and neck, Yoo Jimin knows that face all too well.

 

She doesn’t believe it at first. A million thoughts running through her mind but her brain comes up with nothing at the end. As if everything that she’s been expecting and worrying about has been pulverized to fine dust. Her ears can barely hear the teasing remarks being thrown towards the singer.

 

And good ing god, Jimin cannot believe what she’s seeing. After all this time of missing this girl and listening to this singer’s albums, Jimin’s heart comes with a thunderous beat that rattles her consciousness. All she can focus on are those eyes that she hasn’t seen in 15 years.

 

And when her brain tries to deny the possibility, she pulls down her face mask and Jimin’s eyes light up with hope. Warmth spreads through her chest like wildfire upon seeing that pretty face once again.

 

“Minjeong?” Jimin finally utters and it’s like all the oxygen in her lungs was ripped out of her from simply saying her name.

 

Seulgi looks back at her with furrowed brows. “Who?”

 

Meanwhile, Wendy’s expression drops into disbelief. “How did you-“

 

Then, Kim Winter— no , Kim Minjeong steps forward with a shy smile. That same smile that greeted her when they first became friends in that crowded playground when no one wanted to play with her and Jimin was the only one who reached out.

 

She stretches her hand out to Jimin and all of her memories come rushing back like an unstoppable flood.

 

“It’s been 15 years, Yoo Jimin. I finally found you.”

 

 

Jimin finds a sulking girl sitting by her lonesome self by the swings. Every other kid runs around her as if she doesn’t exist. Her parents have told her to be kind and friendly to everyone so this won’t do at all. 

 

She approaches the little girl with a big smile. “Hi! What’s your name?” 

 

The little girl seems surprised by her cheerful appearance. “I-I’m Kim Minjeong.” 

 

“Minjeongie sounds cute! You should play with me.” Jimin points at the work-in-progress sand castle sitting nearby. 

 

When she turns around to look back at it, Jimin gasps when a kid younger than her trips and falls on top of it. He starts crying for his mom who quickly scoops him away and dusts his clothes off. 

 

Minjeong hops off the swing and takes her hand. “It’s okay. We can rebuild it again.” 

 

Jimin beams at the idea and pulls the girl along with her. 

 

They play for a long time until their parents call out their names. Jimin is surprised at how well she gets along with Minjeong who she learned is a year younger than her. She begs for her parents to play with her and they had to talk to Minjeong’s parents to exchange contacts. 

 

Minjeong shares an excited look when Jimin tells her to come to her house so she can show off her toys. That’s when she knows that they’re going to be great friends in the future. 

 

 

“Wait, you two know each other!?” Seulgi rarely gets surprised but this is the first time that the older woman looks flustered by the unexpected situation.

 

Karina buries her flushed face within her hands. She still can’t believe that she reunited with her childhood friend who is actually Kim ing Winter— god, she even embarrassed herself in front of her boss. She had to remind herself after the awkward handshake that she’s still working.

 

Karina grunts as she lifts her face to face her boss. “Y-yes, we were close friends when we were kids. But I haven’t seen her in so long so it’s just crazy that I reunited with her like this.”

 

Thankfully, her boss is a kind soul at the end of the day so she understands how important and nerve wracking this is for Karina. “Must be fate that you two met again in this industry. This is something you would only see in movies about long lost childhood friends.”

 

“I’m sorry for my reaction back there. I just needed a moment and I can get back into my usual self.” Karina pats her chest to stop her heart from beating out of her ribcage.

 

Seulgi smiles at her. “No worries, Karina. In fact, this is good for us. It’ll be beneficial for us to start off with a good relationship and since you two are friends, we can skip the trust process and go to the next steps.”

 

Karina wants to tell her that it’s not that easy. But with how enthusiastic she is and how she is too busy fighting a mental war with her repressed feelings, she can’t bring herself to stop her boss.

 

“Are you guys good now?” Wendy approaches them with an understanding look, specifically towards Karina’s direction. “Winter wants to proceed with the meeting as soon as possible.”

 

Seulgi nods her head before ordering one of her team members to start the meeting. One side is Winter’s team and the other side is Karina’s. She tries her best to pay attention to the meeting but it’s hard when Winter is blatantly staring at her from across the table.

 

She can feel the heat returning back to her neck at the attention being given to her. Thankfully, she is able to convey her thoughts and ideas to the other team. While everyone including Wendy shows positive reactions, Winter maintains that stoic expression that  Karina is unfamiliar with. Despite wearing that same face that has gotten prettier and more mature over the years, she can’t read her facial expressions at all.

 

But she doesn’t let that thought deter her— she will have time to catch up with the singer.

 

“Miss Kang wants to start with the fitting afterwards. Is everything prepared right now?” Karina looks over at Wendy, who looks surprised by the stern expression she’s given.

 

She nods her head. “Yes, we can move to the other room right now.”

 

“Great, let’s end it here for now. Karina and I will need some time with Miss Winter.” Seulgi claps her hands and everyone quickly gets to work.

 

And it’s as fast as Karina expects it to be. Before they know it, they’re already in the fitting room with makeup artists and stylists waiting for them to arrive. Winter has been keeping quiet and letting everyone else take the lead ever since this started. Karina tries to approach her with her usual attitude of showing neither warmth or coldness.

 

Karina takes the measuring tape and steps behind her. With practiced hands, she circles the tape around her waist, bust, legs, arms, and shoulders. She ignores the way Winter’s breath hitches when her hands grazes her hips and the tape closes around her to get the exact numbers. Seulgi notes down the measurements and asks Wendy about her dietary needs. To their relief and convenience, the singer naturally maintains this weight during Winter’s busy schedules and lets loose like any other celebrity during the break.

 

“If she was taller, her body would be similar to a model’s.” Seulgi’s playful comment causes Winter to snap her head up and give a halfhearted glare.

 

Karina makes a face at her boss, who only shrugs and gives a quick apology to the singer.

 

Karina signals for the photographer to do body shots of their client. “Bring in the fabrics and shoes too.” She snaps her fingers towards her team’s direction and they quickly roll forward a dresser.

 

They finish their first fitting session by the time lunch time rolls around. Karina already had someone call up a food truck before this so everyone goes downstairs to get their food. Seulgi discusses their schedules with Wendy while Karina is left alone with Winter.

 

She watches her slip her arms through her jacket. Karina is still trying to process the fact that her friend is in front of her and how she’s the elusive superstar of South Korea. She musters up the courage to find her voice and approaches Winter with small steps.

 

“I didn’t know you could sing…” Karina feels close up when Winter lifts her eyes.

 

She gives a timid smile as she tucks her brown hair behind her ear— Karina takes a mental note of the amount of piercings she has. “I didn’t expect you to know. I always sang alone when I could and it took a lot of convincing for my parents to accept my dream.”

 

Winter’s expression finally goes from unreadable to a troubled one that looks too adorable in Karina’s eyes— it reminds her of the time the younger girl asked her to help with her homework. Her restless hands are fiddling with the sleeves of her jacket and Karina fights the urge to hold them.

 

“And I-I’m sorry for losing your contact. My agency told me to keep it a secret from everyone, excluding my parents.” Winter chuckles dryly.

 

Karina shakes her head. “I understand now. I knew something was off when I tried to contact you when I was in college. I even tried to talk to your parents and they were very adamant on keeping your little secret.”

 

“What did they say?”

 

Karina laughs at the memory now. “They told me that you went abroad and your phone got lost one time so you couldn’t recover your contacts.”

 

Winter bites her lip. “But you still could have asked for my info…”

 

“I didn’t— well, I felt too awkward reaching out to you. I know I should have but…” Karina’s voice dies down as she recalls hesitating in front of her parents to ask about her whereabouts and her information.

 

During that time, she didn’t have enough time for her friends and for herself. She was entirely focused on building her career path— to the point that she lost some friendships here and there. By the time she graduated and got accepted into her former company, she was just an awkward mess of an adult outside of her work.

 

She tried to reconnect with her highschool friends one time. But after one or two meetings, she was back to being a workaholic. That’s when she just gave up trying to form friendships.

 

But Winter— Minjeong is here now. There’s a spark of hope that has been embedded within her heart. Maybe it’s going to be different this time. Maybe she can maintain this one precious relationship. It’s good to be selfish once in a while, right?

 

Now that everyone else has left the fitting room, it’s only them now and the untouchable singer in front of her naturally transforms to the Kim Minjeong that she knows. Simultaneously, she lets her shoulders loose as she goes from her Karina persona to good old Yoo Jimin.

 

Minjeong steps closer and takes Jimin’s shaky hands, keeping them within her palms. “You told me to follow you and I fulfilled my promise. You don’t have to feel bad about losing me because I’m here now. We can still be friends, right?”

 

How can Jimin refuse when she is still too weak for her advances? She lowers her head as a relieved smile stretches across her face, watching Minjeong’s thumbs brushing over her knuckles.

 

“Of course, we can— one step at a time.” Jimin reassures as she squeezes Minjeong’s hands tightly.

 

Minjeong’s smile reaches her eyes and it's fascinating how much they resemble the starry sky they used to admire together. Jimin can feel those old feelings jolting awake within the deepest part of her heart and she tries her hardest to keep it down.

 

Not now— not yet. She isn’t ready for something that drastic.

 

“Then can I come over to your place after?” Minjeong suddenly suggests with a grin.

 

Jimin barely registers her request until the images of her messy house drops on her head as if someone dropped an anvil on her. She really, really needs to clean her sink and bathroom soon. Her parents would be horrified if they ever saw the state of her home.

 

Jimin scrambles to take out her phone to check her schedule today. “Y-yeah, sure. It’s just… I need to clean up before I even receive guests.”

 

Minjeong chuckles behind her hand. “I don’t mind. It’s good to know that you’re still messy. I bet you have ramen cups stacked up on your desk or something.”

 

“Hey! It’s not that bad. I throw them away when I can.” Jimin can’t help but laugh with her.

 

Both of them snap out of their comfortable moment when they hear one of the staff call for them to eat. Minjeong gives her a gentle smile before it disappears behind her face mask. Jimin tries to shake off the buzzing comfort coursing through her body— Minjeong just has that natural ability to pull that candid self within her.

 

They rush to the ground level and join the other staff in front of the food truck. Once everyone has appeased their appetite, they go back to the meeting room to expand their discussion on how they will handle Winter’s anonymity from her. Wendy informs them that they will continue to hide her identity and then make a big reveal on the day of the award show. Karina can practically see Seulgi’s thoughts planning out a grandiose event.

 

Karina’s team leaves a couple hours later and rendezvous back to their company building to start preparations for their meeting with the production team. She manages to get Minjeong’s phone number and while her boss is busy berating someone, she feels her phone vibrate in her pocket.

 

She doesn’t check her phone during work hours unless it’s for business. But curiosity is killing her the entire time when it buzzes two more times. When they’re given a five minute break, Karina quickly fishes out her phone and goes to her messages.

 

Mindoongie: Hi! How is your work going along? 

 

Mindoongie: I’m just texting to tell you that I can’t wait to meet your cat. You told me it was Rina, right? 

 

Mindoongie: Can you send me pictures when you’re not busy? 

 

Karina immediately pulls up her camera roll and taps into her collection of Rina pictures that she takes an obsessive amount. She sends her a couple pictures of Rina sprawled out on her carpet and her cute face facing the camera when Karina made her wear a little hat.