WINRINA ONESHOTS

BEHIND THE SPOTLIGHT

The lights flashed wildly as aespa performed on stage, the roar of the crowd surrounding them like a tidal wave. Karina and Winter were side by side, their synchronized movements flawless, their smiles radiant under the spotlight. Fans screamed their names, voices blending into one endless chant.

"Winter! Karina!"

The chemistry between the two was undeniable, the way they moved together, the way their gazes occasionally locked, sending the audience into a frenzy. But behind the camera flashes and the perfectly timed choreography, something simmered beneath the surface—something unspoken, something both of them tried desperately to keep buried.

As the last song ended and the lights dimmed, the girls exited the stage, breathless and high on the energy of the performance. Karina glanced over at Winter, who was wiping the sweat from her forehead, her face flushed from the adrenaline.

"Good job out there," Karina said, her voice casual, but there was an edge to it—something only Winter would recognize.

"You too," Winter replied, her tone just as even, though her heart was racing for an entirely different reason. Their eyes met for a fleeting second before Winter quickly looked away, biting her lip.

---

Backstage, as the makeup artists and stylists busied themselves around the girls, the buzz of the performance still lingered. The members sat together, laughing and chatting about the show, but Karina and Winter remained quiet, stealing occasional glances when they thought the other wasn't looking.

Winter could feel it—that tension, the same one that had been building for months. The one neither of them had ever spoken about, but was always there, lurking just beneath the surface. It wasn’t like they hadn’t felt it before—since the early days of aespa’s debut, there had been something different between them. A closeness that felt dangerous, a connection that both of them tried to deny for the sake of the group.

"Did you see the fans?" Ningning said with a teasing grin, scrolling through her phone. "They’re going wild over you two. The 'Karina and Winter' ship is trending again."

Winter laughed awkwardly, shaking her head. "They always do that."

"Yeah, because you guys always act like you're in some K-drama or something," Giselle added with a smirk, nudging Karina.

Karina’s smile was tight. "It's just fanservice," she said lightly, but the way her gaze flicked to Winter didn’t go unnoticed. Winter could feel her stomach knotting up, the words cutting through her even though she knew Karina didn’t mean it that way.

It was always like this—little moments that felt too real, too charged, but neither of them would ever dare to cross that line. They couldn’t. Not when so much was at stake. The group, their careers, their image—it was too risky.

---

Later that night, when they were back at the dorm, the air between them was heavier than usual. The other members were busy in their rooms or distracted with their phones, but Winter and Karina found themselves alone in the living room, the silence stretching between them.

Winter glanced over at Karina, who was sitting on the couch, her eyes fixed on the TV but clearly not paying attention. There was something about the way she sat, the tension in her shoulders, that made Winter’s heart ache.

"You okay?" Winter asked softly, breaking the silence.

Karina looked up, startled, as if she hadn’t realized Winter was watching her. "Yeah. Just tired, I guess."

Winter hesitated, then sat down beside her, careful to leave a small space between them. But even that distance felt too close, too much. She could feel Karina’s warmth, could hear the quiet catch in her breath. She shouldn’t be this aware of her—she knew that. But she always was.