Eyes That Cannot Lie | Winrina

Comfort Friend

That evening, Winter returned to her shared apartment, the weight of her interaction with Karina still lingering in her mind. As she opened the door, the familiar scent of something cooking wafted through the air. Ningning, her bubbly and energetic roommate, was at the stove, humming along to Red Velvet's tracks playing softly from her phone.

"Hey, you're home!" Ningning chirped, glancing over her shoulder. "I made some kimchi. You want some?"

Winter tossed her bag on the couch and sank into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "Yeah, thanks."

Ningning raised an eyebrow as she stirred the rice. "Wow, that was a pretty low-energy 'yeah.'" She turned off the stove and scooped the food onto two plates before walking over and placing one in front of Winter. "Okay, spill the beans. What's going on with you?"

Winter sighed, rubbing her temples. She had been expecting this. Ningning always had a knack for picking up on her moods, no matter how much Winter tried to hide them. She'd been on edge for days, and Ningning wasn't one to let things go.

"It's... it's Karina," Winter muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she took a bite of the food.

Ningning's eyes widened in surprise as she sat across from Winter, her fork hovering over her plate. "Karina? As in the Karina? The same Karina who you swore off talking to ever again?"

Winter groaned, resting her forehead in her hand. "Yeah, that Karina."

Ningning leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she studied Winter's face. "Okay, now I'm really curious. What happened? Did she show up out of nowhere? Why are you even talking to her?"

Winter sighed deeply, pushing the food around on her plate without much enthusiasm. "We got paired up for a project. I didn't have a choice."

Ningning blinked. "Wait, for real? For which class?"

"Mr. Jeon's," Winter replied, her voice flat. "We have to do a whole month-long project on love, of all things. It's like the universe is punishing me."

Ningning let out a soft laugh. "That's brutal. Love? With Karina? Damn, that's like some kind of twisted cosmic joke."

Winter nodded, the irony of the situation not lost on her. "Yeah, tell me about it. I was so pissed when I found out. I didn't even want to talk to her, but... she left me this letter, and now we're sort of... talking again. Just for the project, though."

Ningning's expression softened as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "What did the letter say?"

Winter hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her napkin. "It was an apology. She said she knows she hurt me and that she wants to make things right, even if it's just for the sake of the project. She sounded sincere... but I don't know, Ning. It's hard to trust her after what she did."

Ningning nodded slowly, her eyes filled with understanding. "I get it. I mean, you've been through a lot because of her. But... do you think maybe she's changed?"

Winter's eyes flickered with uncertainty as she looked away, her voice quiet. "I don't know. I want to believe she's being honest, but part of me is still so mad. I don't even know why I'm letting her back in at all."

Ningning reached across the table, gently placing a hand on Winter's. "It's because you care. No matter how angry you are, it's obvious you still care about her. Otherwise, this wouldn't be messing with your head so much."

Winter stared down at their hands, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. "Yeah... maybe. But that doesn't mean I can just forget what she did."

"You don't have to forget," Ningning said softly, giving Winter's hand a gentle squeeze. "You can take your time. You're allowed to be mad, to be hurt. But if there's even a tiny part of you that wants to hear her out, maybe it's worth giving her a chance to prove she's changed."

Winter let out a long breath, the tension in her shoulders slowly easing as she absorbed Ningning's words. "I don't know if I can trust her again," she admitted, her voice barely audible.

"You don't have to right away," Ningning said, her voice gentle but firm. "Just take it one step at a time. For now, focus on the project. See how things go. If she's really trying, you'll know."

Winter looked up at her friend, grateful for the unwavering support in Ningning's eyes. She had always been Winter's rock, the one person who never judged her, no matter how complicated her feelings became.

"Thanks," Winter said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I really needed to talk about this."

Ningning grinned, her usual bright energy returning. "Anytime, Winter. You know I've got your back. Besides, I need to live vicariously through your drama-filled life. Mine's too boring."

Winter rolled her eyes but laughed softly, feeling a bit lighter. "I wouldn't call this exciting, more like emotionally exhausting."

"Hey, at least it's something," Ningning teased, winking playfully. "Just remember, no matter what happens with Karina, you've got me. We can throw a mini dance party and binge-watch kdramas if things get too intense."

Winter smiled for real this time, feeling a sense of comfort settle over her. "I'll hold you to that."

As they finished their dinner, chatting about lighter topics, Winter felt a little more at ease. Karina was still a complicated, tangled mess in her life, but with Ningning by her side, maybe it wasn't as impossible to navigate as it seemed.