“What was that?” Winter murmured, her voice barely rising above the crackling of the logs in the fireplace. The two girls—one with dark, tousled hair and the other a cascade of wavy, sun-kissed strands—were huddled beneath a pile of blankets on Winter's oversized couch, the flickering light from the television casting fleeting shadows on the walls.
Jimin turned towards the kitchen, her doe-like eyes widening, as if trying to parse the faint sound that had just sliced through the moment. A soft rustling followed by a faint, plaintive meow echoed back to them.
“Oh, it’s just Toby,” Winter said, stifling a chuckle as she reached over to scratch the orange and white tabby who had just trotted into the living room, his green eyes gleaming like emeralds. He looked both mischievous and innocent, tail high with the ego only a cat could possess.
Jimin, traversing between her own world—a time captured in the conservative essence of the 1950s—and this chaotic modernity, sighed in relief but also couldn’t shake the flutter in her chest. “I keep forgetting how different things are here. You don’t just hear the sound of a baby crying or a door creaking; you hear… other things,” she remarked, her voice tinged with awe and curiosity. Her chin rested on her palm while her gaze wandered on Winter, whose eyes glimmered like the stars outside.
Winter grinned, warmth flooding her cheeks at the sight of Jimin looking so rapt. “Modern life is full of surprises. Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a science fiction novel.”
“Always something new,” Jimin muttered, an edge of admiration lacing her words. She leaned in closer, the weight of the blankets pooling around them, drawn by the warmth of Winter’s presence, the natural lightness that sparked between their laughter, conversations, and shared thoughts.
Yet it was no casual friendship; beneath the surface, embers crackled relentlessly within Winter. She tried to brush off the idea of exploring those feelings, the impossible what-ifs that danced temptingly in her mind. After all, what good could come from acknowledging the heat that flared every time Jimin smiled or brushed her shoulder against Winter’s?
But Jimin leaned closer, an intimacy enveloping the space between them, and for a moment, time stretched taut, silence stretched comfy like the blankets cocooning them, except for Toby’s occasional sigh. Jimin’s gaze flickered to Winter’s lips, and the air around them became electric with expectation.
And then it happened—a spontaneous bridge over the hesitation that hung between them. Jimin leaned in, slowly, languidly, her heartbeat drumming in her ears, and brushed her lips against Winter’s.
Winter’s breath hitched, surprised at the sudden boldness, but there was something exquisite about it, exhilarating enough to forget the gnawing uncertainty. Her mind swirled, battling with a cacophony of thoughts about friendship, and the nuance of a shift deeper than mere attraction—this was intimacy woven with vulnerability.
The kiss was soft, a tender brush of lips that left her yearning for more, pulling back just enough to search Jimin's eyes for a sign of what this meant. They both lingered in that moment, the chaos of their personalities quieting in the weighty silence until Jimin pulled back, flushing.
“I—wow,” Jimin murmured, a breathless laugh escaping her lips.
Winter swallowed hard, her heart still racing. “Wow, indeed,” she whispered back, attempting to quell the tempest swirling in her mind. “So… uh, I was thinking we could order pizza and watch Netflix?” It was an awkward shift, but she wanted to break the simmering tension, which now radiated between them like a frayed wire dangerously close to sparking.
“Net—what is this Netflix you speak of?” Jimin feigned ignorance with an exaggerated look of confusion, her brows knitting together.
“Oh, you’re going to love it!” Winter exclaimed, her previous embarrassment falling away to share the joy of modern technology with Jimin. “It's like having all the movies and TV shows you could ever want right at your fingertips. You just—” She waved a hand, her excitement palpable.
Jimin leaned back as if trying to comprehend the idea, her intrigue piqued. “How can you fit all of that into a tiny box?”
“It's Magic, I tell you,” Winter laughed, her words rolling out like the entirety of their existence harnessed in sheer excitement. “Come on, let me show you.”
As Winter flicked on the remote, the screen blossomed to life, filled with vibrant colors and noisy previews—the lifeblood of modern entertainment. Jimin leaned close, eyes wide, feasting on the imagery, her initial confusion giving way to amazement at the way a simple click could change their surroundings into a kaleidoscope of possibilities.
“Isn’t it fascinating?” Winter asked, leaning against the couch arm, her heart fluttering with a mix of pride and joy as Jimin’s enthusiasm grew.
“Yes! How did the whole world get trapped in that little box?” Jimin marveled, her voice rising with excitement. “What sorcery is this?”
Winter chuckled, reveling in the simplicity of the moment, the laughter that filled the space between them like a protective shroud. They bantered comfortably, joking about the ridiculousness of plot lines and actors.
However, as pizza was ordered and their growing anticipation settled in, a soft, dull thump from the hallway broke the easy laughter, sending a ripple of concern crashing through the room. Winter tensed, locking eyes with Jimin, both experiences abruptly revealing the potential breach of their whimsical world.
“Did you hear that?” Winter asked, instinctively leaning in closer to Jimin, her heart pounding.
“Yes, and I’m wondering if perhaps we should hide or something?” Jimin’s eyes flickered with concern, an undertone layered in her voice, but there was a hint of mischief too.
Before Winter could voice her uncertainties or decide on a course of action, the door creaked open, a silhouette forming against the glow of the living room. Before them stood Winter’s mother, her eyes widening in confusion, searching the room like a detective deciphering a puzzling crime.
“What is happening here?” she asked, voice threaded with disbelief and surprise, gaze flickering from Winter’s startled expression to the unexpectedly alluring figure of Jimin still cocooned on the couch beside her.
“Winter, who is she?”
The question hung ominously in the air, heavy as lead, a stark contrast to the laughter that had filled the room just moments before.
Winter’s heart raced, her thoughts a jumbled mess as a rush of adrenaline washed over her. The night had taken an unexpected turn, and both she and Jimin, trapped in the moment, were left to grapple with the ramifications about to unfold.
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❗
