"Rina and I are getting married, so we're using grandma and grandpa's room."

"No, you're not."

"Unnie, I'm not asking for permission. I'm asking for the keys."

Taeyeon closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She couldn't recall when Winter had become so cheeky and troublesome. Winter used to be obedient and well-behaved. Taeyeon speculated that Winter's transformation from wraith to human might have caused these changes, or perhaps she learned during her time as a wraith. Taeyeon also suspected Seulgi's influence, as she often taught Winter things.

"Taeyeonnie..." Winter called, clinging to her waist as she was dragged around the house. Since losing her wraith-like strength, Winter was easier to move, revealing Taeyeon's own strength.

"Minjeong, a no means no. And are you clinging to me because Karina's sick?" Taeyeon asked, a mix of annoyance and jealousy. She missed her sister, who had been spending all her time with Karina. Karina and Jaemin were resting in another room due to fever and nausea, common side effects of their ordeal. Winter occasionally suffered headaches, but they were becoming less frequent. Jeno, on the other hand, showed no side effects, his mind and body seemingly resilient.

"I love you." Winter blurted out, surprising Taeyeon. She looked down at Winter, who knelt on the floor, hugging her waist with wide eyes and a pout, reminiscent of a puppy. It was the first time Winter had said those words to Taeyeon, leaving her speechless and teary-eyed.

But Taeyeon being Taeyeon, she covered her face and whispered, still audible to Winter despite her hands being in the way.

"Why are you telling me this now? You... you little ..." Taeyeon's words brought tears to Winter's eyes, who still struggled to grasp the complexities of emotions and their associated reactions in others.

"I just had this feeling, and I wanted to say that I love you. Why are you cursing at me? Y-You're mean!" Winter's tears started flowing, prompting Taeyeon to cry too, overwhelmed by emotion. Winter cried not understanding Taeyeon's reaction. Seeing both siblings in tears, Joohyun and Seulgi, who had been observing from a distance, chuckled and shook their heads.

"They're hopeless." Seulgi remarked with a chuckle, tempted to intervene but held back by Joohyun.

"Let them be. Whether they're fighting or crying, they need this time together. Minjeong will understand eventually." Joohyun advised. However, their plans changed when Winter's crying intensified, and Taeyeon, equally distraught, struggled to comfort her amidst her own tears.

"Joohyunnie!" Winter called out, prompting Joohyun to embrace her. Despite initially wanting to let Taeyeon and Winter sort things out, Joohyun realized Winter needed guidance in understanding and expressing emotions, especially since she was still acclimating to feeling them.

"Shh, I'm here. Taeyeon didn't mean it." Joohyun reassured Winter, holding her close. Meanwhile, Seulgi, sensing Taeyeon's distress, pinched her side, eliciting a yelp of surprise and pain.

"What was that for?!" Taeyeon protested, torn between wanting to console Winter and feeling the sting of Seulgi's pinch.

"Idiot." Seulgi retorted, but her blunt remark snapped Taeyeon out of her daze, making her realize the impact of her words on Winter.

"Oh, Minjeong. I didn't mean it like that. I was just—" Taeyeon attempted to apologize, but Winter pushed her away, seeking solace in Joohyun's embrace once more.

"No, you're mean!" Winter cried out. Amidst the turmoil, Giselle approached hesitantly, trying to understand the situation.

"Uh, excuse me. Are you guys okay?" Giselle asked, uncertain of what to say. Joohyun reassured her with a smile and inquired about Giselle's needs.

"Karina's running a high fever and is asking for Winter. I know we're supposed to let them rest, but Karina's upset." Giselle explained nervously. At the mention of Karina, Winter broke free from Joohyun's embrace and hurried to Karina's side. However, she stopped in her tracks upon seeing Changmin talking to Haechan by Karina and Jaemin's room.

"Here for Karina?" Changmin asked, noticing Winter's presence. Shy, Winter hid behind a nearby vase, peeking out to see if Changmin was still looking. With a smile, Changmin gestured for her to come closer, but Winter remained hesitant.

As Yuna emerged from the room carrying a basin and towel, she noticed Winter's reluctance and approached her with a laugh.

"Go on in, it's alright. Karina's been asking for you, acting like a baby." Yuna encouraged, patting Winter's head gently.

With Changmin and Haechan gone, Winter finally mustered the courage to enter the room and approach Karina.

"Rina?" Winter called softly as she sat beside Karina, who was lying in bed, seemingly asleep. Jaemin slept soundly nearby, snoring softly.

"Rina..." Winter called again, lightly shaking Karina. Karina, sweaty and mumbling in her sleep, stirred awake at Winter's touch, which Winter found endearing. Winter greeted her with a smile, fixing her hair as Karina groaned and instinctively reached for Winter's hand, pressing it against .

"I haven't seen you since yesterday." Karina said, her voice hoarse and tinged with complaint and sulking. It was the first time Winter had seen Karina behave like that, but given her illness, it made sense. None of them knew how Karina acted when sick, except Yeji, who had once cared for her during illness, though she wasn't in the right condition to share that experience.

"You need to eat. They said you haven't eaten yet." Winter urged, concerned as she felt the heat radiating from Karina's body. Karina just groaned and pulled Winter closer.

"My head hurts... I'm hungry..." Karina pouted, prompting Winter to find her adorable and feel the sudden urge to kiss her. So, Winter leaned down and kissed Karina, who giggled and hid her face in Winter's hand.

"I'll go get food for you, okay?" Winter offered, chuckling at Karina's rumbling stomach. But as she tried to leave, Karina tightened her grip on Winter's hand.

"Don't go." Karina pleaded, nibbling on Winter's hand. Unsure of what to do, Winter tried to reassure her.

"I won't be long. I'll just get food so you can eat," Winter promised, attempting to free her hand. However, Karina started crying, making Winter panic.

"Don't leave me..." Karina cried harder, and Winter looked around for help, but no one came. Desperate, she noticed Jaemin waking up.

"Still won't eat?" Jaemin asked, chuckling weakly at the sight of Karina clinging to Winter.

"No. Help?" Winter pleaded, confused about what to do next.

"Make her sleep, then go get food." Jaemin suggested, offering a solution. When Winter asked how, Jaemin proposed singing to her.

"Why don't you sing to her? Might help." Jaemin suggested before drifting back to sleep.

"Yuna's right, you're like a baby." Winter teased Karina, who pouted and playfully bit Winter's hand.

"...your baby." Karina mumbled against Winter's hand, her voice barely audible. Winter leaned closer, asking her to repeat herself.

"What's that?" Winter inquired, prompting Karina to sigh and blush, her cheeks turning even redder.

"I'm your baby..." Karina whispered, embarrassed but sincere. Winter chuckled softly, finding Karina's shyness endearing.

"You're cute. Want me to sing?" Winter offered, pinching Karina's cheek playfully and planting another gentle kiss on her lips.

"Okay..." Karina agreed weakly, her eyelids drooping with drowsiness. Winter couldn't resist giving her one more kiss before asking again.

"Then you'll eat?" Winter pressed, and Karina nodded, clinging to Winter's arm.

"Okay..." Karina murmured sleepily, watching Winter prepare to sing. Winter cleared , feeling a bit nervous but determined to comfort Karina and encourage her to eat.

After a moment of thought, Winter remembered a song from Taeyeon's playlist that she often heard during car rides.

"Waiting for going home feels like a thousand hours... going on the way home... feels like a thousand mile