WINRINA ONESHOTS

JUST US

The echoes of chatter filled the hallways of Hanseong High School, a typical day unfolding, except for two girls caught in the whirlwind of their own hidden world. Karina, the school’s darling, walked with her usual confident stride. Every head turned in her direction as she passed. Long, dark hair cascading down her back, her flawless appearance capturing everyone’s gaze. With a smile plastered on her face, she navigated her life like she was walking on air. She was the popular girl—the one everyone either wanted or wanted to be.

Winter, on the other hand, lingered in the shadows. Quiet, with her platinum hair and piercing eyes, she was an outsider by choice. She kept her head down, just trying to survive high school. No one paid much attention to her, and she was okay with that. Most people didn’t know her name, but Karina knew. Karina knew her better than anyone.

Because when the crowds disappeared, when the doors closed, when the lights dimmed, Karina and Winter belonged to each other.

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Their secret rendezvous always took place in the art room after school. That room, filled with the scent of paint and the stillness of unfinished canvases, became their safe haven. It was the only place they didn’t have to pretend. Karina sat on the old wooden desk, legs crossed, watching Winter as she mixed colors on a palette.

“I hate this,” Winter muttered, her brush moving in soft strokes.

Karina raised an eyebrow, playing with her hair. “You hate painting? Could’ve fooled me.”

Winter’s hand stopped mid-stroke. “No, not that,” she sighed. “I hate that we have to hide… I hate that I can’t be with you in the way I want.”

Karina’s face softened, but she kept her voice steady. “Winter, you know why we do this. It’s safer this way.”

“Safe for who?” Winter shot back, her eyes sharp but filled with a quiet hurt.

“For both of us,” Karina insisted, hopping off the desk and walking towards her. “I mean, think about it. I’m… I’m Karina. Everyone knows me. If they found out, they’d tear us apart.”

Winter bit her lip, her eyes turning cold. “Right. Because it’d be such a disaster to be seen with me. The outsider. The freak.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“But it’s what you feel, isn’t it?” Winter set her brush down. “I’m fine hiding in the shadows, Karina, but how much longer can we keep doing this?”

Karina’s heart pounded. This was a conversation she’d been avoiding for months. She reached out, grabbing Winter’s hand, holding it tight.

“I love you. I do,” Karina whispered. “This is the only way we can be together without everyone talking.”

Winter didn’t pull her hand away, but she wasn’t convinced. “And what about when I see you with Jaemin?”

Karina winced. Jaemin, the star basketball player, her “boyfriend” in the eyes of everyone else. They made the perfect couple on the surface—two of the most popular people in school. But Winter knew better.

“That’s just for show,” Karina pleaded. “It means nothing. You know that.”

Winter let out a bitter laugh. “It doesn’t mean nothing to everyone else. They think you two are perfect. They think he’s perfect for you. And me? I’m just… invisible.”

Karina gripped her hand harder. “Winter, please. This is for us. You understand that, right?”

Winter’s lips trembled. “I used to understand, but now? Now it just feels like you’re ashamed of me.”