Winter’s hand trembled as she slipped her shoes off by the door, her fingers lingering on the edge of her bag.

Her father was awake—his silhouette in the dim light casting a shadow across the narrow hallway. She tried to suppress the spike of dread clawing its way up her spine, hoping to slip past him, but his gaze met hers with a dark, unsettling intensity.

“Where’s the money?” His voice, rough and cold, cut through the silence.

A flicker of defiance stirred within Winter, but it was quickly smothered by exhaustion. She swallowed, steadying herself before replying, “I don’t have any.”

Her voice was calm, though a part of her knew this answer would never satisfy him.

“You’re lying!” he roared, his face twisting in anger. Winter took a step back instinctively, her heart pounding. She tried to protest, her words barely forming before his hand swung out, the sting of his slap echoing through her bones.

The world spun for a moment, and when her vision cleared, his fist was tangled in her hair, pulling painfully as he leaned in close, his breath hot and acrid against her cheek.

“Why’d you quit, huh? Think you’re too good for work now?” His grip tightened, and Winter’s scalp burned, her breaths coming in shallow gasps.

“Let go!” she cried, desperately trying to wrench free, but his grasp only hardened.

With a brutal force, he flung her against the wall, her shoulder colliding with a dull thud that vibrated down her entire side. She staggered, knees weak, as he pulled his belt from his waist with a sinister, practiced calm.

Kneeling down quickly, Winter pressed her forehead to the cold, dusty floor, her hands trembling as she whispered, “I’ll work. I’ll find another job.” She knew from years of experience that compliance was her safest option.

The belt lashed across her back, a fiery line searing into her skin, but she clenched her fists and bit her lip hard to keep from crying out. Tears welled up, but she blinked them back, willing herself not to break. His anger burned over her for what felt like an eternity until finally, his footsteps faded down the hall.

When the door to his room clicked shut, Winter waited, breath shallow, before slowly raising her head. Every inch of her ached, the pain a dull, familiar throb, and she bit down on her lip as she forced herself to her feet. Her back burned as she pressed her fingers to the spot, her body recoiling from her own touch. She felt for any blood and was relieved to find none.

“At least it’s not bleeding,” she muttered under her breath, a hollow reassurance.

In her room, she eased herself down onto her bed, lying face down, and tried to steady her breathing. Her phone screen lit up, a string of missed calls and messages from Karina waiting for her.

The last message glowed softly, a simple line: Love? Already asleep? Love you. Goodnight.

A small smile tugged at Winter’s lips despite the pain. Karina’s messages were like a balm against the harshness of her reality, a fragile reminder of love amidst the darkness.

She wanted to reply, but exhaustion dragged at her, pulling her eyelids down like weights. With a quiet sigh, Winter placed her phone beside her, curled up, and let the comforting echo of Karina’s words carry her into sleep.

_

Winter leaned back against the railing, gazing out at the colors of the sunset fading into twilight. She stretched her arms above her head, feeling her muscles unwind after a long day of classes. The rooftop was quiet, just a light breeze brushing her face, and she let herself drift, enjoying this peaceful break before diving back into her studies.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, jolting her out of her thoughts. Almost no one called her this late in the evening—not before their nightly call, at least.

Glancing down at the screen, she was even more startled to see Karina’s name glowing softly. She accepted the call, pressing the phone to her ear with a hint of curiosity.

“Hey,” Winter greeted, her voice tentative.

“Uh… what’s up? Is everything okay?”

A low hum came from Karina’s end, her voice unusually serious, almost hushed.

“Can’t I call you now?” There was a slight pout in her tone, and Winter’s eyebrows shot up.

“Or… am I not allowed to talk to my girlfriend before our scheduled time?” Karina's words carried a hint of something Winter couldn’t quite place.

Winter blinked, a little thrown off. Her heart jumped a little, her body immediately tensing, and she felt a bead of cold sweat on the back of her neck.

She scrambled to explain, her voice coming out in a slightly higher pitch, “No! No, of course you can call me! I didn’t mean it like that! I was just—”

Before Winter could finish, a soft, lilting laugh filled her ear. Karina’s laughter had a way of breaking through any worry, and Winter could hear the teasing smile in her voice. Despite the slight embarrassment creeping up Winter’s neck, she couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re too easy, Minjeong,” Karina said, almost purring the words, making Winter’s cheeks warm a little.

Winter huffed, though her lips curled into a grin, rubbed the back of her neck, laughing a bit nervously.

“Hey, that’s not fair! You scared me for a second!” she grumbled, though her smile betrayed her.

“What’s up?”

A pause lingered, and Winter swore she could almost feel the weight of Karina’s silence.

“I’m just lying here… in bed… you know, all alone,” Karina murmured, her tone suddenly soft, smooth, like she was saying more than just words.

Winter’s smile faltered, tilting her head, confusion flickering over her face.

“Uh… o-okay?” She tried to keep her voice steady, still not quite following. Karina rarely dropped hints like this, and Winter’s brain was slow to catch up.

“That’s… nice? I guess?”

Karina sighed, her frustration palpable through the phone.

“Minjeong, you are hot, right? Because I’m feeling really… really hot right now," she asked, her voice dropping slightly.

Winter’s brows furrowed, her brain trying to make sense of Karina’s sudden, strange question.

She glanced around, half-expecting someone to be watching her, the cold breeze flowing, making her shivering, feeling oddly self-conscious for no reason.

“Am I hot?” she repeated, confusion clear in her voice.

“Ummm love, you know... it’s, like, winter now, right? I’m… I’m actually a bit cold, if anything.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end before she heard Karina groan—a long, exasperated sound that seemed to say more than any words.

And muttering something Winter couldn’t quite catch but which sounded suspiciously like “idiot,” Karina muttered under her breath Before Winter could even react, there was a click, and the line went dead.

Winter pulled the phone from her ear, staring at the screen, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“What… was that about?” she whispered to herself, utterly baffled. She glanced at the contact screen, debating if she should call back, and ended up pressing the button, bringing the phone to her ear. It rang once… twice… but then cut off, sending her straight to voicemail.

Winter frowned, scratching her head.

“Weird… maybe she’s on her period or something,” she mumbled, shrugging it off as she slipped her phone back into her pocket.

With a quiet laugh, she shook her head and headed down the stairs, not noticing the faint blush on her cheeks as she replayed the call in her mind.

Whatever Karina’s deal was, she’d figure it out… eventually.