One month after the surgery, Winter can play her guitar again despite not being as aggressive as before. The melody she played is mellow and slow, which suits the ballad songs she is currently writing for her debuted friend, Chaehyun.

Her doctor said it would take her two to three months to be able to play aggressive notes as before, which Winter is fine with.

She still could play her guitar for her beloved girlfriend, which she enjoyed to her heart's content. Not to mention, when Winter plays for her that song she wrote about Karina, Karina would cling to her like nobody else would.

It would always be in these two positions. Winter sat on Karina's lap while the other girl circled her arms around Winter's waist from behind as she strummed the guitar, or Winter would sit on the couch while her girlfriend sat on her lap but hugged her from the front like a koala. Winter needs to put her chin on Karina's shoulder to be able to play her guitar.

That's what they are doing right now. Winter is on Karina's couch with the taller girl hugging her like a koala.

"When will you permanently move in with me?" the girl asked as Winter strummed some random notes on the strings. "Eager enough?" Winter chuckled.

"We talked about this over a month ago, Winter. I can't wait," Karina pouts, and Winter lets out another chuckle.

"I know."

"Then, what keeps you waiting?"

Winter scoffed before she lifted up her recovering hand after surgery, waving it gently beside her girlfriend. "You knew that my doctor said no lifting heavy things until I'm fully healthy— Ouch!" just to get a slap on her arm.

"Why won't you tell me sooner!" Karina got up from Winter's lap with a grunt before she slowly walked towards her front door, confused Winter even more.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Winter follows right behind after gently putting down her guitar on Karina's couch.

"Where, you guess? To your apartment, of course. We'll be packing. I'm going to lift up your things. You'll move in with me, today, right now!"

"Wait— What?"

*****

Karina didn't lie when she told Winter that she wanted Winter to move in on that day because now, Karina's living room is filled with Winter's things, bags, and boxes.

Winter already put her apartment on sale. Someone already bought it anyway, and the new tenants will move in about two months later.

"Okay... So how can we manage to move all of this?" Winter sighed at the sight of her things that took one over four of Karina's living room. The taller girl smiled before she peck her lips on Winter's cheek.

"Let's do your clothes first. My wardrobe is so big, and yes, I emptied half of the space for you. Let's do that first," Karina pulled away as she held two of the luggage Winter brought from her apartment towards her bedroom. Winter chuckled once, followed right behind as she pulled another luggage with her.

Their day starts like that. Rearranging things here and that. Putting away unnecessary things, making space for Winter's, before soon they realize that they finished everything around eight at night.

Winter's workstation is placed at the corner of Karina's bedroom, with her beatmakers and computer. Electric piano just right beside them, with Winter's guitar stand.

Winter white stool she usually used on her balcony was now on Karina's balcony. The function will be the same.

Winter didn't bring much, to be honest. Most of the big things came from her music composing technos. The other things she brought are only a big amount of clothes and some books and papers.

The bed at Winter's apartment was never hers in the first place. She got the place fully furnished. She didn't mind much.

After they took a shower, they went straight to bed in a deep slumber. Too tired to prolong the waiting, they sleep in each other's embrace.

Finally, it's day one of living together.

*****

It was another normal day at the hospital, with Karina, Aeri, and Irene behind the counter, treating every patient inside their wards with meticulous care.

Despite it being another normal day, the workload wasn't that normal, to be honest.

"Rina! Get the security! Hurry!" Irene shouted as she locked her arms on a rampaging man that came out of nowhere towards their ward. Aeri was holding him from behind strongly, trying to avoid him from causing more casualties.

"Karina! Hurry!!" Irene pleads again, eyes bloodshot panic towards Karina , who just stumbled her step towards the exit of their ward.

Dishevelled hair in high bun. One fine line on her cheek from the man's outrage, not deep enough to cause serious bleeding. Staff card from her lanyard tossed to her back from how fast she was running towards the main lobby.

Her hands pulled one of the security arm with a sudden force, "Help!! An outside ward patient is making some ruckus upstairs inside the children's wards! The children are terrified!"

With her words, the security went up running towards the second floor, followed by Karina right behind them.

Glass door slides open, revealing the casualties that seem more out than their control.

Aeri and Irene are both now on the floor, both grunting in pain. The man in the patient uniform is now shouting while crying for the reason they didn't know. The voice of the children crying in horror makes it even worse.

What a day.

When the security pulls the man away from the scene, Karina and her two friends outnumbered the children, trying to calm them one by one with hugs, kisses, and promises. It took almost one hour and a half for them to finally bring the tense down.

Throwing herself on the chair behind the stationed counter, Karina sighed heavily before realising the sharp sting on her cheek. That's when only she realized that the man from before scratched his nails on her cheeks by surprise.

"Winter will hate this...", Karina cupped her own cheek, imagining Winter's sad pout when she got home later.

*****

The nurse twisted her keys to her car engine, causing that familiar roar before all the lights on the boards turned on. Karina rested her forehead on the steering wheel with a sigh before her phone suddenly rang.

"Hmm?"

The caller ID brought a tiny smile on Karina's face for a while before she brought the phone to her ear, "Hey..."

"Karina?" Winter asked her on the other line. "Are you okay? Why did you sound so weak?"

"I'm fine, baby. Just... tired," Karina sighed heavily. "By the way, why are you calling? I'm just about to head home."

"Forget home. Have dinner with me. I'll send you the location—"

"But, Winter..." Karina cuts and sighed once more. "I'm really tired. I don't think—"

"Dinner, or I'm breaking up with you!"

Winter's words shot Karina's eyes wide open, hand clenching on the steering wheels in panic, "Baby, no! I didn't—"

"Dinner with me! I'll send you the location! Bye!"

Winter ended the phone calls, just like that.

Karina wants to complain. It's eleven at night. She's extremely exhausted, almost on the verge of crying. She loves Winter so much, but Winter's sudden outburst scared her.

A soft ding from her phone, and Karina thumbs moves fast to set the route on her GPS. She rested her head to the car's headrest for a while, trying to tell herself not to cry.

Hands still clutching on the steering wheels, before a final heavy sigh brought Karina's hand to the gear shift, finally start driving towards the location Winter mentioned.

It took her ten minutes from her workplace after blasting some comforting music for her ears. Thousand times of mind notes were taken, that she needs to be the understanding girlfriend she should be. Winter just suffered the biggest crisis in her life, and she wanted to have some time with her. Karina's tiredness can be push away for some time later, she thought to herself.

Karina parked her car beside a ten-floor building, realizing it minutes later that it might be the company where Winter is working from the tiny floors signage.

She pulled out her phone to call her girlfriend, and it took only two seconds for the other girl to pick up. "Dinner at your workplace, Winter?"

"Okay... Maybe not the quiet dinner you expected. But, yes. Go to the sixth floor. I'll open the door for you."

Karina quietly enters the elevator, pressing the sixth floor button before the door closed and opens again, revealing that tinted black glass walls steps away in front of her.

She pressed the button to the intercom in front of it as she reads the company's name on the walls.

K.I.M Music.
Private Music Production Company.

The shuttling sounds from the door locks startled Karina for a second, before she was greeted by that cute head peeking out from the door. "Hi!"

Karina smiled back despite how tired she is. "Hi, Winter."

"Come in— Oh my god! What happened to you?" Winter rushed out between the door, hands now firmly on Karina's cheeks, caressing them with her thumbs. Eyes flashing her worries from the red scratches on her girlfriend's cheek.

"Need to deal with a mentally ill patient today..." Karina sigh, fighting her tears.

Winter seems to understand it, trying not to pry more into the details. She pulled off her hands from Karina's cheeks before holding the nurse hands tightly in Winter's warm ones.

"Dinner is inside," Winter opens the door to her workplace even wider before Karina took her step into the place she've never been before. So, this is how Winter workplace looks like?

Winter pulls Karina by her hand. The company was just as big as their apartment, with four rooms inside it. Two recording rooms, and two music editing rooms with percussion, instruments and stuff.

Winter leaded her towards one of the recording room as Karina lingers her eyes around in awe from the unfamiliarity. Karina saw the two sets of Korean food on the table at the side of the room Winter had prepared for her. With a tiny smile, she took her seat on one of the couch just right beside the table.

"What's with the sudden dinner, Winter?"

Winter helps unwrapping each food for her girlfriend, "It's been a while since we had dinner together. You work late at night and I was busy since my return. It's been hard for both of us."

Karina was beat, to be honest. Winter is right. Lately, they were too busy with their works. They only got to see each other in the morning, before they need to leave in the afternoon for work. They cane home at night, tired and restless. They just sleep inside each other's arms without doing much.

Their small dinner was calming. They talked a little bit as they eat. Winter's eyes were stuck onto Karina's each movements ever since she was here.

Winter could tell everything by now. They are eight month in their relationship, and Karina red and puffed eyes couldn't tell Winter lies.

Nevertheless, they finished their dinner before Winter helped to throw away the container they used. She came back into the room with a guitar in her hands, taking Karina by surprise.

"What are you going to do with that?" Karina asked but Winter didn't answer her specifically.

"I had something to show you"

Winter walks towards the computer in front of them, clicking some stuff that Karina didn't know, before a mellow sounds starts to play.

Raising her brows, Karina watched Winter's action as the shorter girl suddenly running her way inside the closed door recording area, where microphone standing mightily.

Winter leans into the microphone as her eyes stucks into Karina's, "You could hear me?"

Karina nods her head lightly. A small smile flashing on her face.

Winter smiled back as she watched her girlfriend fixing her composure on the couch outside the glass room. Winter then plugged the amp wire into the guitar, strumming the strings altogether once before she coughed.

"I wrote this song for you one month prior, every time you went to work. Hope you enjoy it."

*A/N - RECOMMENDED TO PLAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ!! (Ai Song)

There I was again tonight,

Forcing laughter, faking smiles,

Same old tired, lonely place,

Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy,

Vanished when I saw your face,

All I can say is, it was enchanting to meet you.

Your eyes whispered, "Have we met?"

'Cross the room your silhouette,

Starts to make its way to me,

The playful conversation starts,

Counter all your quick remarks,

Like passing notes in secrecy,

And it was enchanting to meet you,

All I can say is, I was enchanted to meet you,

This night is sparkling, don't you let it go,

I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home,

I'll spend forever wondering if you knew,

I was enchanted to meet you.

This wasn't the first time Winter wrote a song for Karina, and every time she did and performed her masterpiece in front of her, Karina would always sobbing happily.

But it was different tonight.

Winter's eyes shifted back at Karina's direction, only to realize that her girlfriend was again on the verge of crying (even tho Winter really planned to make Karina cry). A soft smile flashed on her face before she pulled out a silver ring with tiny a diamond on it.

"Winter, you don't—"

Before Karina could say more further, Winter puts the guitar down as she leans closer to the microphone again.

"I wrote that song for our marriage proposal one month prior. So, here I am, standing in front of you with this ring in front of me, would like to ask you. Will you, Karina Yu, marry me? I know that I'm childish, whiney, and stupid sometimes. But I couldn't help it, I love you so much and I couldn't imagine myself living without you— Rina!"

Winter rushed outside from the recording area in panic the moment she saw Karina's breakdown. Her crying is totally different from every time Winter sang for her. It's too painful for Winter to watch.

Winter kneels right in front of the couch where Karina is sitting. Hands on the other girl's knees as Karina cries heavily like never before.

"Hey... Are you—"

"I'm sorry," the first words came out from crying Karina. "Winter, I am so sorry..." she continue to cry.

Winter got even more confused and panicked. "No. No-no. What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I was about to snap at you the moment you called me on the phone for dinner. Work was so tough today, and I really wanted to cry from how tired I am. But I was afraid to break up with you, so I came. But I was so wrong, that the reason you did all of this for me because you wanted to propose to me. It's even my job to propose to you in the first place. I feel so horrible, Winter. I'm so sorry..."

Seeing Karina's breakdown shattered Winter's heart, so she got up from the floor and hugged Karina inside her embrace.

"It's fine. I was not mad. I'm sorry too because I take your tiredness lightly. I don't know that you had it rough today. I'm so sorry, Rina," Winter hushed her even more between their hug.

She cups Karina's cheeks with both hands, lifting up the taller girl's face to reveal the wet cheeks of her girlfriend. Winter smiled apologetically as she wiped away the tears with her thumbs.

"Don't cry. It's hurt for me to see you cry."

Karina sobs a few times more before she circled her arms around Winter's neck, pulling her in for a tender kiss on the lips.

Clicking sounds from their lips ringing in the room before both of them pull away. Only then, Karina finally let out a soft chuckle, which Winter follows by a soft smile on her face. "As much as you eager want me to move in with you, I'm eager too to make you mine eternally."

"Why?"

Winter laughs, "The kids— I would like to put the world war between me and the children from your ward come to an end. They never give up! They really need to learn their lesson, I swear to god..."

Karina scoffed, "You silly. Only fools would reject your romantic proposal."

She leans in more for a few more pecks on Winter's lips before she says.

"Marry me, Winter."

And that's all the words they need to hear, before they kissed again, passionately.

《 end 》