"Wake up!"

Winter jolted from her sister's voice, the deep slumber all gone as she was welcomed by the sight of Wendy, a mischievous smile on her face. Winter just groaned out, sitting up from her bed. "What time is it?"

"Quarter to six," Wendy answered and threw a towel at her, "Get ready, we'll be having an early start today."

Winter nodded her head quietly, looking outside of her window, the sky was still dark but the streaks of sunlight already starting to show. It's been a year since she graduated college, everyone expected her to get a job with the most prestigious company that offered her a position. She felt quite honored in all honesty to be offered that dream position, but in a whim, she declined it as she realized she was too burnt out from all the years of studying.

What did she do after graduation?

Thankfully, her older sister Wendy, decided to accept her offer in helping with the bakery. It's not the commercial kind, just a simple family-owned bakery that Wendy decided to start because of her love for baking. Which explains the reason why Wendy was too energetic for someone who's awake at 5 in the morning.

In exchange with her help, Wendy lets her stay in her apartment, which is actually good for three persons. Other than that, being the generous older sister that she is, she still spoils Winter by giving her a monthly salary, and not letting her pay for the rent or any bills in that apartment.

Is Winter complaining?

No, of course not.

Is she thankful?

Absolutely. May the heavens bless Wendy's soul.

"Mom called last night," Wendy said and Winter hummed in response, nodding her head for the older girl to continue.

"She's asking when you are planning to get a proper job."

Winter sighed, sitting comfortably on the passenger seat, and simply looked out, watching how the sky turned from gray to blue as they continued with their ride. "Isn't this a proper job?"

Winter loves her parents, that's nothing to be questioned about. But there are things that they are just too concerned that she feels being watched closely on. It's obvious that her parents questioned her decision to decline the job offer as soon as she graduated and settled with helping Wendy, but to ask her that question every few weeks. It's quite suffocating for her.

Wendy lets out a chuckle, "I told her that, but you know mom, she always expected you - "

"I don't really see myself being a corporate slave, unnie." Winter sighed.

Without many words, Wendy reached out to the glove compartment and Winter simply watched - curious on what her sister was getting. Wendy then put a pamphlet on her lap, all in bold letters with a little bit of pictures of sculpture.

Transcend the World: Where Worlds Collide with Stars and the Moon

"What's this?" Winter said, checking the pamphlet.

"An exhibit, you might like it," Wendy said, and pulled over right in front of her bakery and removing her seatbelt. "I always question why you pursued business when I always see you drawing and searching up museums."

"It's where the money is," Winter shrugs, not denying the fact that she would rather prefer in the art field than to be in business.

"And yet here you are, being a part-time baker," Wendy laughs and gesturing out, "come on, we still need to bake cookies before we open at 9."

It was kind of ironic as well for Winter, to know that she has always wanted something different but pursued a very different degree, and in the end, being something that she never thought she would be. It's kind of therapeutic for her, especially when she first started helping Wendy, sure enough it was kind of difficult and complicated, after all, baking is not her forte at all. But she got the hang of it with Wendy's help, and now, she could say that she could quite handle her own and not panic.

She watches the mixer quietly, slowly adding the flour and the butter needed, a few minutes went by until it got to the consistency and texture they needed before she proceeded to the next step. For Winter, she just thinks of this as a logical step by step process where she could be creative as well.

Smelling the fresh brewed coffee, it instantly gave her the energy that she needed for that day, smiling at Wendy who gave her a mug and a plate of sandwich. "Breakfast, we still have a few batches to go but I can do that, you can rest and open up around 8:45, hm?"

Winter didn't hesitate to agree, after all, she still need that well-deserved caffeine that she has been waiting since she woke up. So, she settled on her usual seat, right at the corner of the bakery just by the window. Enough not to be seen by people, but she has all the view of them - watching them quietly for all she wants. She brought out her notebook, well a small sketchbook that she bought since the beginning of the year - now almost covered with sketches of random people, objects, animals.

This has always been her past time, a hobby of hers that she grew up with - it felt relaxing, and quite liberating. She has always been amazed by the world, no matter how small they could be, on people being able to leave a mark to anyone. She observed the old man sitting on a bench along with his dog, smiling to herself as she watched how the dog has all the energy in the world. Without much thinking, her hand started to move, from random lines to shading some parts of it, until it showed a rough sketch of the old man and his golden retriever.

Smiling at the result, she flips through the pages of her sketchbook from the moment of her birthday that year, to the time where Wendy was busy creating a new recipe for her cupcake, to when her mother sleeping on their couch during the holidays, to the way her father was all dirty as he fixed their car.

Just then, she saw the pamphlet sliding down, the one that Wendy gave to her that morning. Winter checks it once again, seeing that it's on the famous building near them. "Must be a huge exhibit then," she whispers to herself.

She flips to the front to see that the exhibit will be going for three days, reading through it she discovered that it's an exhibit for artists that are into fantasy. There would be sculptures, paintings, and any other various art styles, where the artist could show their interpretation of their own fantasy or the mythical world that the are famous to people.

It was interesting for Winter, seeing that today is the second day of the exhibit.

"Thinking of going?"

Winter sips from her coffee, seeing that Wendy is beside her already, probably all done with the last batch of cookies. She checks her watch, and it was just about the right time, standing up as she stretches a bit. "Not today, but maybe tomorrow if possible." she answered.

Wendy smiles at her, the one that shows that she likes her decision and is quite fond of it, "Alright, just let me know, okay? I can drive you there."

"You won't join me?" Winter furrowed her eyebrows.

"We both know that I'll be too exhausted to walk around the exhibit and would rather lay in bed all night."

Winter only laughed, nodding her head in understanding. She knows that feeling too well but it was probably different for Wendy since she does all the work, mostly in the bakery. Sure enough, they have Yeri and Joy to help, but Wendy being a hands-on owner, it's quite takes quite an energy and socialization skills to do that for the whole day, every day.

Customers started to roll in five minutes after they've opened, and thankfully, Yeri and Joy were already there as well to help with them. Winter was simply handling the counter while Yeri is with her, preparing the orders. Wendy and Joy are in the back, manning the kitchen. It was quite the morning rush despite being a weekend, Winter simply smiles and welcomes the customers, using her acceptable customer service voice.

People coming in like in their own world, rushing out as if time is chasing them alive. There are ones who were simply enjoying their morning, sitting, and chatting around - while others simply not caring for their time, as they stay and get lost in their mobile phones or surprisingly, a book.

While Winter and the others?

They simply did their job like a routine, handling erratic and unpredictable customers, and rotating from one station to another.

"Yeri-unnie, what are you doing?" Winter asked when there were not many customers, seeing that Yeri has been hunched while sitting on the bar stool behind the counter.

"Oh, I'm just playing this mobile game," Yeri said, not turning to Winter as she was too focused on her game.

"Don't mind her," Joy said from behind Winter, putting the new batch of cupcakes that they just baked in the display, "She's been on that game for days."

"Does it run on internet?" Winter asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

Winter laughed at her random thought, "Nothing, just had the urge to turn off the internet - "

"Kim Minjeong, don't you dare!"

"Oh, government name," Winter teased which made Joy laugh beside her, while Yeri groaned and glared at her.

"I lost!"

"Seems like a skill problem, unnie."

By the end of the day, where Winter was already preparing her bed, she heard a knock coming from her opened door, Wendy simply standing there. "Yeah?"

"Have you thought about tomorrow?"

Ah, right. The exhibit, Winter thought for a moment and nodded her head, it's a Sunday after all. They always close early during Sundays, and she could probably spend her remaining time roaming around that exhibit, it's been so long since she went out for herself. "Right, you'll be driving me, right?" she grinned cheekily which earned a hearty laugh from Wendy.

"Go to sleep, Win," Wendy said and left her room, closing the door in the process.

In the darkness of her room, Winter lays there her eyes wide open, not a single glimmer of moonlight slipping through her window, only the faint shine of the streetlights outside - the warm light that makes anyone sleepy when focused long enough. She thinks about the pamphlet and eventually, the exhibit tomorrow - she doesn't know why but she felt the urge to go there, as if something was there for her to see.

She has read it for countless of times, every entry of the artists but for all her mind could get, Winter doesn't have any idea what the exhibit entails.

***

Winter was already cleaning up the last table when Wendy called her, saying t