Love Square | An Aespa Romance

London Lullabies

The day after Giselle's quiet confession weighed heavily on Karina. She had barely slept that night, her thoughts running in circles as she tried to make sense of her emotions. The tangled web of feelings that had slowly grown between her, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning now seemed impossible to ignore. Every moment spent together felt like it carried more weight, more meaning.

And yet, she was no closer to understanding how to navigate this mess.

The day was overcast, London's usual gray sky looming above as the group gathered in their hotel room for another rare day off. Their tour was relentless, but the occasional rest day between cities allowed them a little space to breathe. Karina knew they all needed it. The physical exhaustion of performing every night paled in comparison to the emotional toll that had been building between them.

Ningning was sprawled across the bed, flipping through channels on the TV. Giselle was sitting by the window with her headphones on, staring out at the city as if lost in thought. Winter, on the other hand, sat beside Karina on the couch, the closeness between them familiar but now tinged with uncertainty.

"Any plans for today?" Winter asked, her voice casual, though there was a subtle tension underneath.

Karina shrugged, leaning back against the cushions. "I don't know. Maybe just stay in and rest."

Ningning glanced over, a smirk on her lips. "You say that now, but give it an hour and I'll bet you're all bored out of your minds."

Giselle chuckled from the window but didn't turn around. Karina felt a pang of something—guilt, maybe—at the sight of her. She still hadn't figured out what to do about Giselle's confession. The truth was, she cared about Giselle deeply, but she wasn't ready to confront those feelings head-on. Not yet.

But ignoring it wasn't an option either.

Winter shifted beside her, her leg brushing against Karina's. The small touch sent a shiver down Karina's spine, and she glanced at Winter, who was watching her with a soft, unreadable expression. It was moments like these—moments filled with quiet intimacy—that made everything so much harder. How was she supposed to navigate her growing feelings for Winter while also acknowledging that she had feelings for Giselle and Ningning too?

And what about Winter? How did Winter feel about all of this? They had shared so many moments, but they hadn't talked about what those moments meant.

Karina sighed, leaning her head back against the couch. "Maybe we could just hang out here today. Watch some movies or something."

Winter smiled, her eyes softening. "That sounds nice."

Ningning groaned dramatically, flopping back onto the bed. "Fine. But if we're watching a movie, I'm picking it."

Giselle finally turned away from the window, pulling her headphones off. "As long as it's not another horror movie, I'm fine with that."

Karina chuckled, grateful for the distraction. It felt good to laugh, even if only for a moment. They had been tiptoeing around their emotions for so long that it was easy to forget how much they enjoyed each other's company outside of all the drama.

---

An hour later, the four of them were settled into the room, watching one of Ningning's favorite action movies. The explosion-filled scenes played out on the screen, but Karina found it hard to focus. Her thoughts kept drifting, her mind preoccupied with the weight of everything they hadn't said.

At one point, she glanced at Giselle, who was sitting across the room, her legs tucked under her as she watched the movie. Their eyes met for a brief second, and Karina's heart skipped a beat. There was a flicker of something in Giselle's gaze—something unspoken but heavy with meaning.