Winter was traumatized to go back to her college for a while, and Karina could understand that. Her college psychiatrist even gave her one week away for her to be back on her own two feet again. Karina, she promised will never leave the younger girl's side at the moment.

Winter is glad that she has friends like Ningning and Chaehyun who helped her to deliver her easel and unfinished painting to her apartment. There was one week and three days more before the project submission and Winter knew that she need to finish it as soon as she can despite her situation.

Why not? She's been working hard on this project, watching the tattoo artist as her inspiration for almost four months. Her semester almost come to an end and she won't waste her effort by being a coward and giving up.

But because of the incident, Winter cannot help but always stick by the older girl's side, needing her company at every moment. Losing Karina's presence scared her. Once, Karina just go out to buy some food when the younger girl is sleeping and she came back with terrified Winter hiding inside the closet, tears flowing like a river, heavy breathing.

The sight itself hurts Karina a lot, and she promised that she'll never do that again.

The tattoo artist helped the younger girl set up her easel and paint at the side of the living room, just right next to the big window where they always watch the rain falls together. She takes one of the stools from Winter's kitchen and places it right in front of the easel. The younger girl watched the tattoo artist from her couch before the older girl came walking towards her for a kiss on her temple. She then tugged the younger girl gently by the waist, closer to her body.

"Now, you can get back to work. I'll be right beside you, always", she said softly before giving the younger girl a peck on the lips, smiling in assurance with her slight nods. That action succeeds to bring a little smile to Winter's face.

"Thank you"

Winter lets herself free from Karina's arms, putting down her art box on the floor before opening it for Karina to see. There are lots of acrylic tubes inside with different types of colours. There's a palette, and lots of brushes for the view before Winter took a tiny one in her hand and sway it playfully in front of the artist's face.

"My inspirations are in front of me. I'm sure I can do a better job", she smiled happily, and the sunshine on her face was too bright for Karina to ignore. She pats the younger's head playfully making Winter's mouth open or a groan, but later fixing the hair back for her.

As Winter set everything for her to start the work, Karina pulled another stool from the kitchen and placed it right behind Winter, planning to watch her work from behind. She take her seat before circling her arms around the younger girl's waist, and her chin rested comfortably on the younger girl's shoulder. Her eyes were stuck onto the unfinished painting in front of them.

"You've done quite a lot", the artist asks as Winter carefully squeezes out some paint on the palette.

"I did, and I plan to finish at least a bit more than half of my painting that day", the younger girl answered before her words paused into a heavy sigh. "But... then, that--".

"Hey, Winter. Please remind me to hug you from behind a lot like this in the future. I love how I can enjoy your scent and see what you're seeing", Karina said, trying to brush the topic off as she peppered kisses at the side of the younger girl's neck. Winter's heavy heart turns into heartwarming giggles.

"Rina, stop! It tickles, and I have paints in my hands!", Winter laughs, pulling her neck away from the artist's face.

****

Karina enjoyed watching Winter from behind. She could see how the painting progressed minute by minute, hour after hour. She kept circling her arms on Winter's waist, her head still on Witer's shoulder, focusing on how the younger girl's hand moving her brushed into fine strokes of colours.

"If I knew earlier how much effort and how you beautifully did your paintings, I might buy all your drawings sooner"

Karina can feel how Winter's neck muscles moved and the younger girl let out a soft chuckle. At least, she's enjoying this.

Karina knows she needs to be there, by Winter's side. The moment she releases that hug or moves away from Winter, the younger girl might get panic, and just imagine how the girl's expression would break Karina's heart. Her eyes somehow shifted to Winter's big painting on the wall. The stars? Karina will do everything for Winter to reach them again. The love? Karina will give her as much as she wants to.

She doesn't mind hugging Winter like that, even after hours, not realizing that the time shows that it is almost eight at night.

Winter looked at her half-finished painting one last time, feeling satisfied enough with her work. The strokes are now in pink, dark blue, and mint green. She painted the ground with a few thick purple and indigo. She can continue the rest tomorrow, she thought.

As the urge to put her palette down from the long time, she felt the frozen body behind her being unresponsive. When she turned her head a bit to the person on her shoulder, she could see how Karina's eyes is closed shut. Her breathing is slow and stable.

She fell asleep, Winter chuckled at the news.

Winter brushed her fingers over Karina's hands that still locked around her waist. She'd been painting for three hours, too focused and intrigued that she didn't realize the artist is in her dreamland.

"Rina, wake up", she called her softly.

The artist flutters open her eyes, sleepy mets the sunshine. She could see how Winter smiling warmly towards her before she could give her the same smile.

"I'm sorry that I've fallen asleep", she responded, tightening her arms around the younger's waist.

"I'm sorry that I didn't realize", Winter answered. Deep inside her, she's feeling a bit guilty for being a coward. She felt guilty for always got panic when Karina wasn't there. She's a bit frustrated that sometimes her heart beats too fast and her breath hitched like she's going to die.

She blames everything on the asshole that made her feel like this.

****

The girls went to bed early that night, but Winter was awakened by the doorbells on the main door. Scared and horrified, she shook the older girls awake to see who was at their front door. When the artist monitored their intel camera, she saw the two unfamiliar figures in front of the door, waiting for it to be open.

"Who are you?", the artist calmly asked the machine before she got an answer that surprised her.

"Are you one of Winter's friends? We are her parents, and we heard what happened", the middle age woman asked with a frown. Karina asked them to wait, running back inside the bedroom to confirm it with the younger girl, just in case the person in front of the door might lying to her.

When Winter came with her to the intel, her eyes widen and her eyebrows turns into a small frown before slowly nodding her head. "They are my parents", she confirms.

The two let the visitors in, and when they saw the unknown girl was the one who open the door for them, they gave her that one questioning look before walking towards the couch beside where Winter was standing.

The moment they put some plastic bags they brought with them, the middle age woman rushed towards Winter for a tight hug and was later joined by the middle age man. Karina wasn't sure why she was uncomfortable with the whole situation when she saw that one expression on Winter's face.

She was frowning instead of smiling, and Karina knew she need to help the younger by being by her side.

"I'm Karina Yu", she introduced herself, automatically making Winter's parents loosen their hug on their only daughter. "I'm Winter's--"

"Girlfriend", the younger girl cuts her word boldly. "Karina is my girlfriend", she repeated as she walk away from her parents, getting closer to Karina before she circled her arm around her waist.

Her parents are somehow stunned by their daughter's action for a second but then get worried again. "We heard what happened, honey. The police called us and told us what happened. We are very sorry for you", her mom said with a sigh at the end. "I know that we are late for a few days. We've got lots of things to settle with work and this is the only time we could come and meet you", her father continued instead.

Winter didn't say or reply. She just nods her head, tightening the grip on Karina's shirt.

They prioritized work more than their daughter, like always. Winter thought inside her mind.

"Also thanks to you, Karina. Thank you for being here with Winter. We owe you", her father said and Karina politely smiled at him before saying what she should say.

"She's my priority, and I knew that this is the moment where Winter need me the most", she said somehow trying to knock some sense to the two elders.

Winter told her about her parents, and Karina knew well enough that Winter's parents rarely meet, or even contact their daughter just to know about her well-being. Winter told her about how the stars were so hard to reach despite being so close. Winter won't say that she had terrible parents. Her parents are nice to her, but only is that they rarely there for her, as a family.

Mr and Mrs Kim looked into each other's eyes apologetically before shifting their attention towards Winter with a sad smile. Karina wants to let the family have their own time, but before she does, she thinks she should tell them what they should know. At least, they knew how Winter feels about them being apart.

"I met Winter four months ago at my shop. She's everything to me, and I'll try the best I could to make her feel happy. Frequent chats and phone calls made her day, and I'm glad that I could give her that happiness even from that small actions. Family supposed to do that too, aren't they?", she asked with her final smile before bowing her body down slightly.

Winter's grip on her shirt was so tight that Karina needs to give her that one look, telling her that she'll let them have some family talk before Winter can go back in her arms. She smiled apologetically to her and Winter nods her head weakly, understanding her messages.

"I'll let you guys talk. I will be there, in Winter's room", the artist said softly to the elders before Winter slowly releasing her grip, letting the artist disappear from her sight.

The air between the three family members is cold. It isn't tense, just cold and filled with awkwardness. Winter invites her parents to sit on the couch while she sat on the stool she used for painting this evening. Winter speaks no words, eyes on the floor, waiting for her parents to talk first.

"How are you?", is the first word that came out from the middle age man.

"As long as I'm here with my girlfriend, I will be", Winter answered before she turns silent again.

"The scars on your neck. Is it still hurt?", her mother was the one who asked her question this time, and Winter slowly shakes her head at her answer.

The air filled with silence again. It suffocates Winter that it was so quiet despite there being people in her living room. That's her parents in front of her but they didn't say a word. It was her own family, but she felt so awkward, and distant. Words keep spinning inside Winter's mind before her mother speaks up again.

"Honey. We are very sorry", the older woman's voice shakes and when Winter lifted her head to see her mother's face, a tear fell from the woman's eyes. "We weren't there for you when you need us", she continued as her words turns into a soft sob.

"The moment we received the phone call, we realized how terrible we are to you as a parent. All we did is giving you the needs for you to live, but never give you the life you need to live. We're very sorry for letting you live alone all these years, but I'm glad that there's someone who loved you as much enough to take care of you all their heart", Mrs Kim wiped away the tears in her eyes with her hand.

"Will you forgive us? We'll try to be better. We will prioritize you more often. We will be there when you need us, as your parents. Your family", her father was the one who continued, smiling guiltily towards the younger girl.

The sight alone hurts Winter so much. They are still her parents despite being so distant. They still provided needs for Winter's living despite being so quiet. Winter won't survive without them in the first place.

She nods her head slowly as her tears flow down her cheeks before her parents stand up from their seats, hugging her into their embrace tightly after being so long lost in touch.

"We missed you, and we love you", they said between their hugs.

"I miss you too", Winter finally speak.

****

Minutes after, Winter came back inside her bedroom light chest, a small happy smile formed on her face when she saw the older girl already sleeping soundly on her bed. Winter carefully joins her, tugging the blanket down before slipping her body beside the artist.

Karina was awake with the movement beside her, she couldn't help but smile when she saw the good mood Winter flashed. "I guess the talks went on smoothly?", she asked before planting a soft kiss on Winter's forehead. The younger nods her head happily, hugging Karina closer to her.

"They said they'll stay at a hotel for the night. My apartment is too small for four people to sleep in", she sneered lightly.

"I'm happy for you, Winter".

"Hey, Rina", the younger called the artist before Karina can even shut her eyes back to sleep again. "Yeah?", she smiled with a deep voice.

"I love you, a lot. I want you to know that", Winter said, leaning closer for a quick peck on the lips. The artist smiled once, kissing Winter longer before pulling away.

"You announced to your parents that we are girlfriends when we didn't even discuss it ourselves yet", the artist chuckled with her sheepish smile. "Me too, indeed, so in love with you too", the artist said.

"My girlfriend", she continued.

The stars Winter wanted to reach. She wants to make sure Winter will get it.

*A/N - Two more chapters before this story come to an end.