The room was quiet, except for the soft hum of the fan overhead.

Karina sat cross-legged on her bed, staring at her brother's phone in her lap. She had agreed to eat in exchange for Yun letting her call Winter, but the thought of using someone else's number made her hesitant. Her fingers hovered over the screen, uncertainty clouding her thoughts.

What if Winter didn't pick up?

Taking a deep breath, Karina finally tapped the call button. The ringing felt like an eternity, each tone amplifying her anxiety. Her heart raced, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched the phone tighter. Finally, a familiar voice answered, soft and cautious. "Hello?"

Hearing Winter's voice made Karina's breath hitch, and all the emotions she'd tried to keep bottled up for the past days, spilled over. Tears streamed down her face as a small sob escaped her lips.

"Love?" Winter's voice shifted instantly, laced with worry and concern. "Is that you? Are you okay? Please don't cry."

Karina couldn’t respond right away. She pressed her free hand to her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs. Just hearing Winter say her name was enough to break through her fragile composure.

"Winter," Karina finally managed, her voice cracking. "I... I'm sorry."

"For what?" Winter’s tone was firm but gentle, the sound of movement coming through the line as if she was sitting up straighter. "You don’t have to apologize. Please, talk to me. What’s wrong?"

Karina wiped at her face, struggling to speak through her tears.

"I missed you," she whispered. "I just… I needed to hear your voice. Everything’s so hard right now, and I—"

"Shh," Winter interrupted softly, her tone soothing. "It’s okay. I’m here. You don’t have to say everything at once. Just… breathe, okay?"

Karina nodded even though Winter couldn’t see her. She took a deep breath, though it was shaky, and the sound of Winter’s calming voice grounded her. She smiled faintly, wiping at her cheek.

"I feel so stupid," she confessed. "I keep replaying everything in my head—how things used to be, how happy we were. And now... it's like everything's broken, and I don't know how to fix it."

Winter’s response was immediate.

"Hey, no," she said firmly but gently. "You’re not stupid, Karina. Don’t ever think that. We’re just… going through something. It’s not broken. It’s not over. It’s us, remember? We don’t give up on each other."

Karina’s chest tightened, her heart aching at the sheer sincerity in Winter’s voice.

"Do you really believe that?" she asked softly.

"I do," Winter replied without hesitation. "Because I love you, Karina. And I’m not going to let anything come between us—not your mom, not misunderstandings, not the past. Nothing."

Karina’s breath hitched, her tears flowing freely now.

"I love you too," she whispered, the words spilling from her healing her wounded heart. "Even when it feels like everything’s falling apart, I love you, Winter."

Winter's voice softened, filled with tenderness. "You're my everything, love. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you never doubt that."

Winter took a deep breath, steadying her emotions, added. "I know this is hard for you right now. And trust me, it’s hard for me too. But I need you to wait for me… just a little longer. I don’t want us to keep hiding or sneaking around. We’ve done that for too long."

Karina sniffled, her fingers clutching Yun’s phone tightly. "But Winter… what if—"

"No," Winter interrupted gently but firmly.

"No more ‘what ifs.’ I don’t want to meet you secretly anymore. I don’t want to pretend like what we have isn’t real. I’m going to show your mom that I’m serious."

Karina’s heart thudded harder in her chest. She felt torn between wanting to believe in Winter’s resolve and the fear of her being hurt in the process.

"Winter," she said softly, her voice shaking, "you’re so reckless. Do you even know what you’re doing?"

Winter chuckled lightly, her attempt to ease the tension apparent.

"I know exactly what I’m doing," she said, a hint of playfulness creeping into her tone. "I’m preparing to defeat the final boss, Karina. Mrs. Yu, she might be scary, but I’ve got my strategy ready."

Karina’s lips twitched into a small smile despite herself. "You’re ridiculous," she murmured, her voice still thick with emotion. "This isn’t a game, Winter."

"I know it’s not," Winter replied softly.

"But I also know what I want. And it’s you. Only you. If that means standing up to your mom or sitting outside the shop until she at least hears me out, then I’ll do it. Because you’re worth it, Karina."

Karina’s breath caught, her heart swelling at Winter’s unwavering determination.

"You’re crazy, you know," she said, her tone a mix of exasperation and affection.

Winter laughed again, the sound warm and soothing. "Crazy for you," she teased, a smile evident in her voice.

Karina rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the small laugh that bubbled up. "Stupid."

"And yet, you love me anyway," Winter quipped, her voice softening again.

Karina’s laughter faded, replaced by a tender silence.

"I do," she admitted quietly. "I love you so much, Winter. Just… don’t get yourself hurt, okay? I don’t think I could handle that."

"I won’t," Winter promised, her voice filled with quiet confidence. "I’ll be careful, Karina. But I won’t stop trying. Not until your mom sees that I’m here to stay. For you."

Karina bit her lip, her heart torn between worry and admiration.

"You better mean that," she whispered.

"I do," Winter said without hesitation. "So just trust me, okay?"

"Okay," Karina murmured, her voice soft but filled with a flicker of hope.

For a moment, they just breathed, the silence between them filled with unspoken words and shared understanding. Despite the challenges, their love felt stronger than ever.

Winter’s smile could be heard through the phone, as she speaks again. "Okay now, you’ve got your brother, there to take care of you, right? Don’t let him tease you too much."

Karina let out a soft laugh, her tears beginning to dry. "He’s worse than you sometimes," she replied, her voice lighter now.

"I doubt that," Winter teased, earning another quiet laugh from Karina.

"Um, I think I should go," Winter said finally, knowing Yun might be waiting, her voice gentle. "But I'm going to talk to you tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, I'll call" Karina replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Okay. I love you. Good night," Winter said, her voice filled with emotion.

"I love you too," Karina replied, her heart full. And with that, they hung up, the connection between them still strong, still unbreakable.