Jimin dashed towards her mother, bubbling with excitement, her small hands tightly grasping the letter penned by Minjeong. "Mom! You won't believe it! My friend responded!" she exclaimed joyfully, waving the cherished note above her head.
"Oh, really? That's wonderful that she wrote back," her mother replied, though inwardly she had anticipated this moment. In her dreams, she had envisioned her daughter forging an important connection through a letter, someone who would impact her life significantly. Aware of the profound significance of this encounter, she refrained from intruding on the moment. Time and again, her dreams had persisted until she finally unearthed the address from which to send the missive. What she remained blissfully unaware of was that this girl hailed from an entirely different timeline.
Jimin let out one last delighted giggle before racing off to her room, her focus unwavering from the prized piece of paper.
• • •
"So, what's the latest?" Giselle twirled the chopsticks in her fingers, her gaze fixed on Winter, who diligently inscribed her journal.
"Nothing new to report yet."
"Have you made up your mind about what to write?" Ningning piped in. Both friends had been probing Winter for updates, noting her silence on the matter.
"Actually, yes! With a twist!" Winter replied, her excitement palpable.
Ningning and Giselle exchanged wary looks, their minds racing with the implications. They fervently hoped the twist didn't veer into darker territory; a shared telepathic worry lingered between them. They were so close to Winter that her thoughts often felt transparent to them.
"Seriously, it isn't that alarming. Come on!" Winter dropped her shoulders in exasperation at their skeptical expressions, which seemed to ask, "What on earth are you thinking?"
"I understand you think it's the end of the world, but hold on- you haven't even heard the plot twist yet," she insisted.
"Exactly. That's our point, Win. But at the end of the day, the decision is yours, and we'll support you no matter what," Giselle concluded, her tone encouraging.
"Thanks for that," Winter replied appreciatively.
• • •
"I've finally finished my school paper!" Winter declared, scrunching her nose as she flopped onto the couch.
"Hey, sit up straight, please," her mother cautioned gently. Winter, however, remained sprawled out, her gaze downcast.
"Mom, I'm exhausted," she mumbled.
"I don't quite understand, could you please sit up and explain?" It was yet another day of Winter's academic adventures, so she begrudgingly complied-sitting upright, smoothing her hair, and adopting a pout.
"I still have no clue who my penpal is," she lamented.
"Ah, perhaps he prefers to keep it under wraps," her mother mused. Before Winter's mother could volley another teasing glance, Winter sank back down, sulking. The mystery of her penpal gnawed at her; she yearned to discover whether this individual was from her school or lived nearby.
With yet another uneventful day behind her, Winter longed to return home sooner. A sense of anticipation buzzed through her-maybe a new letter awaited her, bubbling with secrets yet to be unveiled.
Her fingers tingled with eagerness to grasp those elusive letters. Once the school bell rang, she wasted no time; she dashed out the door, not even stopping when her friends invited her for corndogs. Her shadow vanished as she raced home.
"She's unbelievable! She's completely enamored! Can't she spend just a little more time with us?" Giselle remarked.
"I doubt it. Today, her sole topic of conversation was her penpal. Don't you see what this means?" Ningning countered, raising an eyebrow.
Giselle shrugged. "It appears that our friend has somehow fallen for someone she's never met in person."
Upon reaching home, Winter dashed straight to the mailbox and let out a squeal of delight upon discovering two letters addressed to her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she whispered fervently, sprinting upstairs to her sanctuary. As she passed her mother, she caught the look of astonishment on her face. It dawned on her mother just how quickly her daughter was growing up-sudden infatuations and heartfelt correspondences filled their world.
• • •
Dearest Winter,
I'm thrilled and eager to learn more about you. I know it wouldn't be fair for me to gain all the knowledge without sharing something of myself in return. However, the moment isn't right just yet. Can you tell me about your day so far?
Predictably, the letter bore no name, merely deepening the enigma surrounding her mysterious correspondent. Winter groaned with mounting disappointment. "Can't you at least provide your name or give me a hint about where you live? What school do you attend? Anything?" She muffled her frustration by burying her face in a pillow and letting out a muffled scream.
"Well, despite all, conversing with this stranger is enjoyable," she finally conceded.
Determined, Winter began crafting her response.
Hello stranger,
Today was spent finalizing our school paper, revising my academic assignment, and chatting with my friends, Giselle and Ningning. You know, if we were to meet sooner, I'd be thrilled to introduce you to them-they would absolutely adore welcoming someone new into our group, which we've amusingly named Aespa.
Yours truly,
Winter
As Winter completed the letter, she impulsively tucked a small photograph of herself into the envelope. After sealing it up, she placed it back in the mailbox, excitement coursing through her veins.
On Jimin's end, the moment she received the letter, she was utterly captivated. Gazing at the new letter, she marveled at the beauty of her penpal's picture. She read Winter's words with growing wonder before once again contemplating the image before her, feeling a sense of awe.
"I didn't know you were this pretty."
YOU ARE READING
ATTACHED • Winrina
FanfictionWinter kept receiving letters from an unknown recipient. One day, the recipient wrote her name and date. She discovered they were decades apart. ❗Winter × Karina❗
