"Minjeong-ah, come to unnie, I will—" Taeyeon's words halted abruptly as Winter darted past her, searching frantically for Karina.

"Rina...." Winter's voice trailed off, a mantra as she scoured every corner for her missing friend.

Yeri couldn't contain her amusement at Taeyeon's hurt expression. Taeyeon shot her a glare, brandishing a towel as a mock weapon.

"That's what you get for almost causing a misunderstanding." Yeri chuckled, dodging Taeyeon's playful assaults.

"It wasn't my intention! I said it started with Minjeong, not that she started it!" Taeyeon protested, continuing her towel attack.

"I don't care, idiot! That's why you failed your thesis because you at explaining!" Yeri laughed, their banter escalating as they sparred with words and fabric.

"Excuse me?!" Taeyeon gasped, finally landing a solid blow on Yeri's head.

"Rina..." Minjeong's voice interrupted their exchange as she passed nearby.

"Looking for Karina? She's out with Yeji and Joohyun for food." Giselle's voice came to Taeyeon's ears, followed by the sound of her sister's retreating footsteps.

"Taeyeon, we're ready to go." Seulgi announced, reminding Taeyeon of their plans to obtain Yunho's ledger. Their first task was to secure a car and a stock of gasoline, a daunting challenge that would require time and careful planning.

"Give her a break, Yeri. Taeyeon's foolishness sometimes reveals genuine sentiments. I'm confident they truly care about Minjeong." Seulgi intervened, bringing an end to the banter between Taeyeon and Yeri.

"Not you too, Seul." Taeyeon grumbled, playfully hitting Seulgi as well, to which Seulgi simply shrugged off.

Seulgi's group, accompanied by Xiaojun, Mark, Yuna, and Yeri, prepared to depart. They aimed to proceed cautiously, understanding Taeyeon's emphasis on safety above all else. Even if it meant taking a few extra days, they would return unharmed, as per Taeyeon's instructions.

"How was the garden?" Taeyeon inquired of Giselle. Last night's heavy rain had prevented them from inspecting their backyard garden. Giselle and Jaemin had ventured out that morning to assess the damage. Giselle smiled and nodded.

"It's mostly okay, just a few damages. We were able to salvage a lot." Giselle replied, her expression hinting at an unspoken question. Encouraged by Taeyeon's smile, she hesitated before speaking further.

"What is it?" Taeyeon inquired, noticing Yeri's sneaky departure, having seized the opportunity to evade Taeyeon's towel attacks.

"It's the first time we've heard Winter speak. I'm just... curious." Giselle admitted shyly, her curiosity overcoming her reticence. Ningning suddenly appeared, draping her arms over Giselle's shoulders, causing Giselle to squeal and playfully swat at her.

Ningning had been making remarkable progress in her recovery, returning to her usual self, much to everyone's relief.

"I'm curious too. What was Winter like before we met her?" Ningning chimed in.

Taeyeon pondered for a moment before responding. "This is just my guess, but as I mentioned, Minjeong was extremely shy. She probably gained confidence when we reunited and started saying Karina's name."

"In high school, Minjeong would only speak to my teammates if I was beside her." Taeyeon added, smiling at the memory.

"Minjeong isn't too different now as a wraith compared to when she was human." Seulgi remarked, patting Taeyeon's shoulder. "We should get going."

"Right. Be careful." Taeyeon said as she and Giselle escorted Seulgi to the door. Mark, Yuna, and Xiaojun followed suit, each carrying their bags and chosen weapons.

"Minjeong found Karina, look." Seulgi chuckled, pointing at Karina and Winter on the ground. Winter had tackled Karina and was hugging her tightly.

"Minjeong-ah! You're going to hurt Karina!" Taeyeon exclaimed, rushing to their side. Winter was still having a tantrum, hitting the ground with her hands and feet.

"Win—I can't... I can't breathe..." Karina gasped, prompting Taeyeon to intervene and pull Winter away.

"Come here. Stop it now, Minjeong." Taeyeon scolded her little sister sternly.

Winter pouted and looked away, ignoring Taeyeon's reprimand. Karina watched the scene unfold, amused by Winter's sulking but touched by the normalcy of Taeyeon's sisterly scolding.

Just like a normal big sister, admonishing her younger sibling. Karina couldn't help but smile softly at the familiarity of it all.

"Come with unnie now, let me clean you." Taeyeon's tone softened as she approached Winter, who shifted away. Taeyeon sighed in frustration.

"Min—ow!" Just as Taeyeon reached for Winter, the wraith pushed her away and bolted.

"Get back here, you brat! Ah, . Wonbin, you there?!" Taeyeon yelled, standing up and scanning the surroundings. Winter disappeared into the forest in the blink of an eye.

"Is she going to be okay? Shouldn't we follow her?" Karina asked, concerned for Winter. Taeyeon reassured her, explaining that this was a common occurrence.

"Yeah?" Wonbin's voice interrupted as he approached.

"Please pick up Minjeong, she ran away again. Ah, that kid. She's getting more rebellious." Taeyeon requested, and Wonbin