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Winter let out a long sigh as the front door clicked securely into place, her friends' chaotic energy finally gone.
She locked it twice for good measure before heading to the guest room. Her footsteps slowed as she approached the door, her mind already bracing for whatever comment Karina had lined up this time.
Sliding the door open, she found Karina sitting comfortably on the bed, looking annoyingly smug for someone who'd spent half the day tied up.
Winter ignored her, moving on to peel off the tape. As soon as it was gone, Karina's grin widened. "Finally," Karina drawled, stretching her arms as Winter approached with the key. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me."
Winter rolled her eyes, stepping closer and reaching for the cuffs. "You're lucky Ningning didn't find you," she muttered, the metal clicking open with a sharp snap.
Karina grinned as she rubbed her wrists. "Aw, you're worried about me. How sweet. So..."
"So, what?" Winter asked, already irritated by the playful tone in Karina's voice.
Karina leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming. "What about my reward?"
Winter froze, her brows furrowing in confusion. "Reward? What are you talking about?"
Karina's expression turned mock-innocent as she tapped her chin. "You said earlier, remember? If I was a 'good girl.'" Her voice dropped, teasing. "I've been very good, Winter."
Winter's entire face turned crimson, and she stepped back so fast she almost tripped over her own feet. "Wha-No! That's not-! I didn't mean-!"
Karina burst into laughter, her grin so wide it nearly split her face. "Relax, I'm kidding! Kind of."
"Unbelievable," Winter muttered, spinning on her heel and heading toward the door. "I swear, I'm going to lose my mind with you here."
Karina, of course, wasn't done. She hopped off the bed and followed, trailing behind like an excited puppy. "Oh, come on, don't be like that. I thought we were bonding!"
"We're not bonding," Winter shot back, stomping toward the kitchen.
Karina didn't seem fazed. "Sure we are. You untied me, didn't you? That's basically friendship."
Winter reached the kitchen and yanked open the fridge, rummaging through it with unnecessary force. "I was just making sure you don't die of starvation or something. That's it."
Karina leaned against the counter, watching her with a sly smirk. "Sure, sure. And the blushing earlier? Totally unrelated, huh?"
Winter slammed the fridge shut and spun to face her, pointing a finger. "You-! You're insufferable!"
