ATTACHED • Winrina

• chapter five • UPDATED

"She writes a little too formally for a typical teenager. I swear, she looks like a relic from the past, probably an oldie masquerading as a fifteen-year-old," Ningning's snide remark sliced through the air, eliciting laughter from Giselle.

"I never considered that," Giselle mused, arching an eyebrow. "What if she's a pedophile, and you're unwittingly ensnared in a pedo's trap?"

"Guys!" Winter interjected, her brow furrowing in disbelief. "You saw the picture. Just because Jimin's writing is old-fashioned doesn't mean she's ancient herself. Everything about her feels like it's been plucked from another era-the way she communicates, the old paper she uses, even the fact that she gifted me a painting instead of just sending a quick photograph. How could her writing not raise suspicions?"

"Yeah, we did. I feel like the paper she's using could be from the Jurassic era itself! Like, maybe dinosaurs were roaming around when it was made. Come on, stationeries exist for a reason! If she isn't 40, she should be using at least some modern paper," Ningning chuckled, crossing her arms.

"You have a point, but you also don't," Giselle replied, raising the portrait like a trophy. "I may not know what this paper is called, but it intrigues me."

"Guys, it's just your wild imagination running away with you! And for your information, this is bamboo paper," Winter declared, crossing her arms in frustration.

Ningning and Giselle exchanged amused glances, their laughter bubbling over as they continued to weave increasingly outlandish scenarios of predatory adults and pretentious personas lurking behind the letters.

• • •

"You wrote my WHAT?!" Jimin exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief as Jungkook sheepishly admitted that he had accidentally inscribed her name on the back of the portrait. "I thought you intended to keep it in your room," he protested, raising his hands in mock surrender, as if he were under interrogation.

"Oppa! She doesn't even know my name! You've ruined everything!" Jimin's voice was charged with frustration, like a tightly coiled spring ready to snap.

"So what if she doesn't know your name? What's the big deal?" Jungkook's expression transformed from confusion to curiosity as he tried to unravel the knots of Jimin's distress. Why was she so adamant about concealing her identity? Did it have to do with the portrait? What was the plan she was trying to protect?

"Look, I'm sorry if I ruined some grand surprise or whatever you were planning. But just out of curiosity, who are you sending this to anyway?" Jimin let out a long, exasperated sigh. She had entrusted Jungkook with her secrets; he was her confidant. The only problem was his tendency to blurt things out, which often rendered her secrets public.

"My... friend," she muttered, though her uncertainty was palpable. Jungkook narrowed his eyes, a mixture of skepticism and intrigue flickering across his face.

"Liar. I doubt that. C'mon, spill it."

"Okay, okay..." She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts, prepared to unveil her heart. "So... I met a friend through these letters, and it turns out she lives in a different part of the world, maybe even a different time."

"Jimin-ah, you can slow down a bit. Take it easy," Jungkook said, his brow furrowing deeper in concern for his flustered friend.

"To make the long story short," Jimin huffed, "I have a friend."

"And? Why the fuss then?"

"You just don't understand!" she groaned. "She's not just a friend. She's special..."

Recognizing the depth of her tone, Jungkook couldn't help but chuckle. Clearly, Jimin had developed feelings for this mysterious girl. Yet the way she referred to her-without a clear affirmation of love-hinted at something deeper.

"What is it about this girl that makes you hesitant to reveal your identity?" Jimin sighed again, fatigue evident on her face. Explaining her feelings was like trying to catch smoke with her bare hands.

"Okay, fine. I like her... as a friend," she finally admitted, the words spilling out reluctantly. "But I never told her my name because I wanted to reveal it in person one day."

Jungkook laughed, partly out of disbelief and partly because he found Jimin's defensiveness endearing. Her cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink every time she was embarrassed, and the sight warmed his heart. "So, you're crushing on a girl, huh?"

"I told you! I like her as a friend!"

Jungkook's laughter echoed in the small room. Watching Jimin get defensive-her lips pursed, her eyes squinting in indignation-was a sight to behold. Deep down, he found it amusing that Jimin, who seemed so composed, was so riled up by her emotions.

"Well, if you're giving her a portrait, does she have a picture of you?"

Jimin nodded, rummaging through her belongings until she produced a photograph of Winter, clad in her school uniform.

"Wow, she's stunning," Jungkook remarked, genuine admiration coloring his voice. "But her outfit isn't something I recognize. Is she from a distant land?"

"In our time, people still wear hanboks," Jimin explained, bemused. "Winter's just Korean but has a rather unique style. Her name sounds a little funny though but it sounds a bit eccentric, if I'm being honest."

"Sounds like she's from a different world entirely! Does she speak Korean, at least?" Jungkook raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

Jimin rolled her eyes, the frustration bubbling inside her once more. "Of course! Although I will admit, I'm learning a few English words from her letters. She has these little flashcards with translations."

"Jimin-ah~ Are you learning English as well? Just to keep up with her?" Jungkook's teasing tone bore a hint of warmth.

"Well..." Jimin hesitated, guilt creeping into her heart. "Not really. I just want to learn how to communicate better, to express myself without sounding like some kind of fool."

"Do you even realize what you're getting into?" Jungkook's concern now carried a weight of gravity. He didn't want Jimin to become entangled in a web of aspirations that could ultimately lead her astray. As her friend, he worried that she would pick up traits resembling those of the yangban or noble men-a thought that unsettled him.

"Sure, I do," Jimin shot back with a hint of defiance. "But all I want is to connect with her, to bridge the gap between our worlds."

As these words hung in the air, a shimmering silence began to envelop them. In the heart of their friendship, both were slowly learning about the complexities of emotions, identities, and the relationships that could blossom-or disintegrate-in the quietest of moments.

"I just want to learn how to better communicate with her so that I wouldn't sound as dumb as I currently am."