Touch you | Winrina

26

It's rather unfortunate, Karina thinks, that Ms Narae found out about them just as her honeymoon was about to start. She can't really postpone it without raising Mr. Yu's suspicions. And she won't be able to thoroughly enjoy her trip knowing her daughter is alone with Karina, doing god knows what.

On some level, she feels sorry for the woman. Mainly because Ms Narae's right. There is no way Karina won't enjoy being alone with Winter for a month, because it's very likely that as soon as Ms Narae returns, she'll make their lives a living hell.

They survive the talk. Karina is silent almost the entire time, only nodding whenever appropriate. It's full of 'this is wrong' and 'you can't' and 'you're too young to know what love is' – Karina thinks Winter barely held herself back from lunging at the last one.

The next day, Ms Narae and her father leave for their honeymoon, and, as soon as their cab is out of sight, Karina meets Winter halfway, tightly holding her close.

"I'm so sorry," Winter whispers frantically. "I didn't – Karina, I'm so sorry." Her lip trembles, and Karina soothingly captures it, giving her a soft, innocent kiss and smiling when Winter melts into it.

"It's not your fault," she breathes. "Don't be sorry."

They spend the rest of the day in bed, making up for time they haven't lost yet. That's how they spend the month, too. Karina drives Winter to school and Winter waits for Karina to finish up with all of her extracurriculars before driving them back home. They don't have any classes together, but sometimes, Karina walks Winter to hers, when she has the time - which is rarely.

Their closeness doesn't exactly go unnoticed. Karina's waiting for Winter near her locker when Aeri Uchinaga appears seemingly out of nowhere, leaning against the lockers and playing idly with her cane. A car accident, Karina remembers.

"Hey." Aeri's voice doesn't sound hostile, but it isn't particularly friendly, either. "You waiting for Winter?"

Karina nods. "Hello. Yes."

"So you guys are like, what, friends now?"

Karina blinks. "I guess," she says slowly. Aeri is... a lot. They never really interacted much, but from what she's seen, the girl is quite explosive. She's the only one out of Winter's friends to share not one, but several classes with Karina, and while Karina mostly keeps to herself, Aeri is quite the presence. Truth be told, she quietly admires the girl when she's not busy rolling her eyes at her apparent immaturity.

She watches as Aeri shifts her weight, wincing slightly. "Cool," she says. "Don't know what you did, but Winter can't shut up about you. So, I guess you're alright." Karina blinks again when the girl thrusts a hand at her, and she tentatively shakes it.

Aeri grins. "Cool," she repeats. "So, what'd you get in Calc?"

Next week, Karina quite literally gets hit in the face with a party invitation from Aeri – a piece of paper rolled up in a ball and flung at her by a grinning Aeri in the hallway. Winter looks ready to kill, though Karina notices an adoring smirk she tries to hide. She can't help but relate, really. Aeri has that effect on people, she discovered.

"I'm sorry," Winter offers apologetically as Karina picks up the paper ball, confused. "I know Aeri can be... a lot," she says, unknowingly putting Karina's thoughts into words. Karina skims over the poorly scribbled words, chuckles and lifts her eyes to look at Winter.

"It's okay," she shrugs. "It's not a bad thing."

Winter smiles, and that cements Karina's tentative friendship with the least likely person of all. She doesn't go to the party, and Aeri gets it, surprisingly. Karina supposes she didn't expect her to – it was more of a peace offering. And the reason for that becomes clear very soon. When the parents come back from their honeymoon, in fact. By the time Ms Narae's back, Aeri is a welcomed house guest, and Karina marvels at the way Winter's mind works. Who else, if not her step sister, orchestrated the entire thing?

Aeri is their buffer.

With Aeri, they can cuddle during a movie night and do their homework together without requiring Ms Narae's presence in the room. With Aeri, they can trade fleeting touches and glances and smiles without fear of being scolded or glared at, because while Aeri isn't blind, she's not easy to freak out, either. Maybe, she simply doesn't care. Maybe, she actually cares a lot. Karina doesn't know, but she's grateful either way.

She wonders if the girl knows more than she lets on – who knows what Winter told her during sleepovers – but finds she doesn't really care. Aeri's trustworthy, and the worst has happened anyway. Ms Narae already knows. That's what she tells Winter when they meet in a supply closet at school. A little obvious, yes, but secure nonetheless. They don't have much of a choice. Their house is off limits with Ms Narae back.

"Should we tell her?" The question is rushed against Winter's impatient lips, and the girl is too dazed to understand what she's talking about right away.

"...What?"

"Aeri. Should we tell her?"

Winter blinks. "Really? That's what you're thinking about right now?"

Actually, she's been thinking about it for quite some time now. Ever since she's received several college acceptance letters. "I just-" don't want you to be alone.

Winter waits for her to finish her sentence, and when Karina doesn't, she nods. "I know you must have a reason to bring this up," she says quietly. "But I also have a feeling it might get heavy, so – can we discuss it later? On our ride home?" her hand is almost hot on Karina's arm.

She swallows. "It's nothing too serious." It is, but she doesn't want to – she doesn't. "If you want to tell her, I won't object."

Winter nods and kisses her and they leave it at that. Next time Aeri comes over, she winks at Karina and gracefully slips out of the room in the middle of the movie. When she comes back an hour later, presumably from taking an important call in the next room, Winter pinches her for the low whistle at their disheveled appearance. It doesn't stop her from giving Karina a thumbs up and a grin.

When Winter isn't looking, Karina grins back.