➪The Man|| WINRINA

𝚃𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚢-𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛

THE NEXT DAY, 4:00 P.M.

It's just a date, winter tried to convince herself while she stood in front of the mirror. She was trying her best to secure her wig by herself. Yeji was out of the question as the girl harbors some type of dislike toward Karina. Not that it was a problem. She (somewhat) disliked Karina. Okay, maybe not dislike but there was something unsettling about her.

"Damn this wig." She grumbled, taking off the accessory and throwing it toward her couch. This was harder than what she expected. And she blames it on Yeji who makes it look so easy. "I've been trying to make this wig stay still. No one wants to get their wig snatched." At that point, she was starting to consider using gorilla glue, and if something were to go wrong, public mercy and donations were highly appreciated.

She looked at her relfection— her hair had started to grown out, making it look like she had a mullet. She also started building up little muscle due to the rigorous training Yuta would force them to do every day after school. She also noticed how her face became more sculpted, in a manly way. Was she becoming Minjeong?

What about winter?

She shook her head, dismissing the question. This was not the time. She was not going to have an identity crisis minutes before her date.

And so, she decided to suck it all up (she did, snorting back the snot that was threatening to slide out) before turning around and walked to the couch where her wig was haphazardly hanging on the edge of the couch. She picked it up, turning it around—bangs forward—before placing it on her head. She patted it put.

"If this was going to be snatched, then so be it. Not like Jeno is going to snatch it." And that's the power of overthinking.

“Winter!” Jaemin greeted, one hand raised and waving wildly in the air. Beside him was Jeno who was hooked by the arm of Jaemin. He pointedly glared at Winter but was quick to mask it when Jaemin's attention moved to him.

“Winter Kim.” jeno gave her a curt nod, face stoic. He made sure Jaemin was out of arms reach as he feared Winter was going to harm him. He was an overthinker and he loves Jaemin. Why would he let someone hurt the person he loves? “Karina should be here...soon.” he said the last part loomingly.

Winter nodded her head, choosing to stand away from Jaemin and Jeno. While being Minjeong, she has learned all the tricks the two would use to make sure they win. It was no secret that they were partners in literal crime.

“So Winter,” Jaemin unclasped himself from jeno, giddily skipping toward her. Winter looked over his shoulder, at Jeno whose glare intensified. If look could kill, she would have been in purgatory. Jaemin stood in front of her. “Do you like Karina?”

Does she like Karina? Winter was not sure. She rarely had a moment with her. Usually it would center around her problem of being a girl in a boys only school. They rarely encountered each other and never got to know each other beneath the surface level. The iceberg effect, she guessed.

Winter shrugged her shoulders. “I...I don't know.”

Jaemin chuckled at her answer. The chuckle sounded sinister, making wonter flinch. Was the old Jaemin back? He smiled brightly at her. “That's okay. You'll figure it out...soon...just, can you promise me something?”

Winter raised a brow. Can she? “Uh...okay, I guess?”

Good enough. “Winter, whatever truth is, accept it, no matter how painful it is. No betrayal is painless.”

What?

“Jaem—”

“Winter my love!”