Love Square | An Aespa Romance

A Moment of Clarity

The adrenaline from the Barcelona concert was still buzzing in Karina's veins as she sat on the hotel room balcony that night, staring out at the city lights. The performance had been another success, another chance to lose herself in the music and the energy of the crowd. But as the night wore on and the noise faded away, she found herself once again alone with her thoughts.

The talk with the others had helped. They had all agreed to take a step back, to remember why they were doing this in the first place. But the reality of their situation—the pressure of keeping their relationship hidden, the toll it was taking on them—still weighed heavily on her.

As much as they tried to act like everything was okay, Karina couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking on a razor's edge. One wrong move, one slip-up, and everything they had worked for could come crashing down.

She heard the soft creak of the door behind her and turned to see Winter stepping out onto the balcony. Winter's expression was soft, her eyes filled with concern as she took a seat next to Karina.

"Can't sleep?" Winter asked gently, her voice barely above a whisper.

Karina shook her head, letting out a soft sigh. "No. My mind's been all over the place."

Winter nodded, understanding flickering in her gaze. "Yeah. Mine too."

For a moment, they sat in silence, the cool night air brushing against their skin. Winter reached out and placed her hand on Karina's, the warmth of her touch grounding her in a way that nothing else could. It was simple, but in that moment, it was everything Karina needed.

"We'll figure it out, you know," Winter said softly, her eyes never leaving Karina's. "I know it feels impossible sometimes, but we've come this far."

Karina leaned into Winter's touch, her heart aching with the weight of her love for her. Winter had always been the calm one, the steady presence that Karina could rely on when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

"I know," Karina whispered, though the doubt still lingered in her chest. "It's just... sometimes I wonder how long we can keep doing this. Hiding everything, pretending like we're okay when we're not."

Winter frowned slightly, her eyes darkening with concern. "Do you think we should stop? Do you want to end this?"

Karina's heart raced at the question, and she quickly shook her head. "No. I don't want to stop. I love you. I love all of you. That's not the problem."

Winter's expression softened, and she leaned in closer, her thumb gently brushing over the back of Karina's hand. "Then what is it?"

Karina struggled to find the right words. "I guess... I'm scared. I'm scared of what happens if we can't make this work. I'm scared of losing you, or Giselle, or Ningning. I'm scared that we'll hurt each other."

Winter was quiet for a moment, her gaze steady and thoughtful. "I'm scared too. But I think we have to trust each other. We've been through so much already, and we're still here. That means something, doesn't it?"

Karina nodded, her heart aching with the truth of Winter's words. They had been through so much together, both as a group and as individuals. And somehow, they had managed to hold on to each other, even when everything else felt uncertain.

"I don't want to lose this," Karina said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I don't want to lose us."

Winter smiled gently, her eyes filled with love. "You won't. We're stronger than that. And we'll keep fighting for this, for each other, as long as it takes."

Karina's chest tightened with emotion, and she leaned in, resting her forehead against Winter's. The closeness between them was comforting, a reminder that no matter how hard things got, they had each other.

But before Karina could respond, the door to the balcony slid open again, and Ningning stepped out, her usual playful energy tempered by the weight of the night.

"You two having a serious moment without me?" Ningning teased, though her voice was soft, lacking its usual sharpness.

Winter chuckled, pulling back slightly but keeping her hand on Karina's. "Just trying to get Karina out of her head."

Ningning smiled, her eyes flicking between the two of them before she joined them on the balcony. "Mind if I help with that?"

Karina shook her head, her heart swelling with affection for Ningning. "Of course not."

Ningning sat down on Karina's other side, her presence instantly easing some of the tension that had been hanging in the air. She leaned back against the railing, staring up at the night sky, her expression unusually thoughtful.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," Ningning said after a long pause. "About us. About how complicated everything's gotten. And you know what? I don't care."

Karina blinked, surprised by Ningning's bluntness. "What do you mean?"

Ningning shrugged, her eyes still fixed on the stars above. "I mean, I know we're all stressed out about this, about trying to make it work. But at the end of the day, I don't care how messy it is. I just want to be with you guys. I want us to be happy, even if we have to figure it out as we go."

Winter smiled softly at Ningning's words. "You're right. We've been overthinking everything."

Ningning laughed, her usual energy returning. "Yeah. We're always trying to be perfect, trying to make everything work flawlessly. But maybe we don't need to. Maybe it's okay if we're a little messy."

Karina felt a weight lift off her chest at Ningning's words. She had been so focused on trying to make everything perfect, on keeping their relationship hidden and safe, that she hadn't stopped to think that maybe it didn't need to be perfect.

Maybe it was enough to just love each other, flaws and all.

As the three of them sat there, a quiet peace settled over them. Karina leaned her head on Ningning's shoulder, feeling the warmth of both Winter and Ningning beside her, and for the first time in what felt like weeks, she allowed herself to relax.

They didn't have all the answers. They didn't know how long they could keep their love a secret, or how they would handle the challenges ahead. But in that moment, none of it mattered.

They had each other. And that was enough.

---

Later that night, as the group gathered in their hotel room, Giselle joined them, her usual calm presence grounding the atmosphere. The four of them sat together, the conversation flowing easily between them as they talked about the tour, their fans, and the small joys of the day.

But as the night wore on, the conversation shifted, and Giselle finally spoke up, her voice soft but firm. "I know we've been struggling with everything, but I think Ningning's right. We don't have to have everything figured out right now. We just need to keep moving forward, together."

Karina smiled, grateful for Giselle's steady wisdom. "I think you're right. We've been so focused on the future that we've forgotten to just enjoy what we have now."

Winter nodded, her eyes softening as she looked at each of them in turn. "So, let's make a promise to each other. No matter what happens, we'll face it together. No more overthinking, no more trying to make everything perfect. Just... us."

Ningning grinned, holding out her hand in the middle of the group. "Deal?"

One by one, they each placed their hands on top of Ningning's, sealing the promise between them.

Karina felt a surge of emotion as she looked at her groupmates—her lovers, her family. They were messy, they were imperfect, but they were together. And that was all that mattered.

"Deal," Karina whispered, her heart full.

---

The next morning, as they prepared for the next leg of their tour, Karina felt lighter than she had in weeks. The pressure of secrecy was still there, but it didn't feel as heavy anymore. They had faced the truth, and they had chosen each other.

Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together. And that was enough.