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Karina and Giselle are in love. The whole world knows about it. Except for them.
Winter has lost count of the number of times Giselle has spent crying over how cute Karina is. And it seems like Karina is doing the same to Ningning. The younger ones are stumped - how is it that the whole world except for Karina and Giselle know that they like each other? How is it possible that they can't catch the overload of feelings both of them have for each other?
"Idiots," Winter muses. "They are nothing but idiots in love," she declares. Ningning is barely paying attention - but she agrees. While her focus is on Ddoongie, Ningning asks, "What can we do?"
Winter looks at her. "Do what?"
Ningning looks at her, still dazed. "I don't know? Play cupid and make them fall in love?"
Winter smirks. Ningning now has her full focus on the elder girl. "Oh no, did I start something in your head?"
"Start something? I've already finished the plan!"
-------
Karina has her chin resting on the palm of her hand. Giselle is about 10 feet away, talking to her friends. Karina notices her demeanor. Cool, calm, and collected. Karina hates the fact that blood is rushing to her cheeks, always the same, whenever she sees Giselle.
What must it be like, to grow up that beautiful?
If there was a name for the feeling, Karina would call it free-falling. Except there was no landing.
I don't like that falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush
Karina can’t pick her feelings apart - everything comes at once and goes at once. She feels like Giselle charmed her, placed a spell when she wasn’t looking. But it doesn’t take much for Karina to realize with or without a spell, she’d fall for her.
Winter smacks her face with a scarf.
“Earth to Karina! HELLO!”
“Jesus, Minjeong, what the fuck?!”
“That’s right, I am Jesus, but I was worried when you weren’t responding. Can you quit looking at Giselle for one minute? Sheesh,” Winter mutters.
Karina gives her a look. “What is your problem if I look at her? Unless you have something interesting to say, I’m going to go back to star-” Karina’s about to finish her sentence when Winter yells, “HEY GISELLE! CAN YOU COME HERE FOR A MINUTE?”
Karina pales. What is wrong with Winter? So many thoughts are swirling in her head and at that moment Ningning also joins the table. “This is gonna be so fun,” she whispers. Karina can only slump back into the chair.
Giselle makes her way, high-fiving Winter. “What’s up? You didn’t have to yell, though.”
Winter rolls her eyes, “Yeah, whatever. Anyway,” she clears her throat, “we are going on a trip!”
Karina is taken aback. “Huh? What? How did you- what the hell? Did you just decide we’re gonna pack our bags and go somewhere?”
Winter points a finger at Karina. “I’ll have you know that I thought this through, like people who plan.”
“So it took you five minutes?”
“More or less.”
Giselle steps in. Ever the diplomat. “Alright, guys. It sounds great, but we need to figure out the logistics. We can just show up someplace, but we will also need money. So step one is save up and step two is we’re ready to go!”
“Giselle unnie, you’re like. the smartest person ever. Karina unnie, don’t you agree?” Winter smirks.
Karina clears her throat. “Y-yeah. Very practical. Sounds like a great idea.” There’s a slight blush on both the girls' cheeks.
-----
After Giselle and Ningning leave for the common square where all their friends meet, Karina pulls Winter to the side. With a glare she starts, “Whatever you’re trying-”
Winter puts her hand up, palm facing Karina. “Whatever I’m trying, it’s gonna work. Do not dare disturb the universe.”
Karina whacks her arm.
——————
I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush
Karina can’t help it. There’s always something about Giselle that has her fanning her cheeks. Karina looks over at Giselle sitting next to her, in the car, on the way to wherever Winter decided it was best to go.
I can't dare to dream about you anymore
“Giselle,” Karina starts. She can’t seem to find something to say, but Giselle beats her to it. “Hey, you look great today. Not that you didn’t look great yesterday,” Giselle awkwardly coughs, “I’m saying-” Karina cuts her off with a laugh. “It’s alright. You look great too. I like what you did to your hair.”
Giselle reaches up to touch her hair, slightly conscious, but mostly giddy. She offers a small smile. “Thank you. My mom did my hair today.”
Like this, they make small talk. Karina spaces out a few times in between, partly because their shoulders brush each time they go over a bump.
Eventually, Karina notices she’s much closer to Giselle than she was at the beginning of the ride. She catches Winter’s look through the rear-view mirror.
Karina feels this is going to be an eventful trip.
——————
And Karina was right. She knows Winter did this on purpose, but now Karina is in utter disbelief with the way the younger one is acting like she made a mistake. “Oh my! I didn’t think there would
be an issue with the rooms! I mean, it’s just the four of us, but oh dear… just one bed in one room? What are we going to do now?” Winter groans. Ningning can only chuckle.
‘Strangle you is what I will do,’ Karina thinks.
Giselle looks at Karina. “It’s okay with you, right? I can always swi-” “IT’S fine! it’s fine. I’ll share a bed with you. That is fine,” Karina rushes. Giselle gives her an odd look. “Alright. I’ll see you later, then?”
Karina nods.
——
Now, legally you are not allowed to murder someone. But as Karina is weighing the pros and cons of ending Winter’s lifespan, she thinks she wouldn’t mind a day or two in jail.
“Just WHAT do you think of yourself?!”
“I think I’m a great person. A cupid, if you will.”
“Giselle doesn’t like me like that,” Karina says. There’s an edge in her voice, a little jealousy.
“Yeah, and I won gold in the Olympics,” Winter replies, sarcastically.
Karina throws a pillow at her. “I can't do this! This is unbelievable! She’s gonna think I’m a freak!”
“She isn’t! Stop living in your head for one minute and look at the reality.”
“What the hell does that even mean?”
Winter smiles. “You’ll see. Soon enough.”
————
My mind turns your life into folklore
Karina wonders if Giselle is always this beautiful. She spends some time studying her features in the group photo they took outside their cabin. Giselle’s smile always reaches her eyes.
Karina runs her fingers over the photo, slowly and gently, as if she were to hurt Giselle.
Everything about Giselle was perfect - she was good at school, athletic, and could even rap. It’s not that Karina felt inferior, but she was amazed at how Giselle excelled in anything she put her
mind to. Karina keeps staring at the picture. Giselle’s arm around her shoulders; Karina remembers being stiff. She winces, thinking it must’ve thrown Giselle off, but she runs her finger over
Giselle’s features again as if illuminating them in the photograph. Her smile, her outfit, her eyes. Giselle was truly the sun personified.
Everybody wants you
But I don't like a gold rush
Karina feels a slightly bitter taste in her mouth. Everybody loved Giselle. They were always around her, like a moth drawn to a flame. ‘Jealousy’, she begins to think. ‘It’s not a good look on me,’ she finishes.
The doorknob fumbles a little bit and there stands the woman of her affections.
Karina is slightly startled and Giselle notices.
“Sorry to startle you, I didn’t think you’d be in here,” she says sheepishly.
Karina smiles a soft one. “It’s okay.” She pats the bed. “Come sit. You must be tired from hearing Winter and Ningning talking your ears off,” she laughs. Giselle let out hearty laughter, music to
Karina’s ears. “Of course. They always have something to say. It’s endearing, but sometimes tiring.” Giselle then looks at her. “Didn’t you go sightseeing? Or were you in here like the homebody you are?”
Karina blushes and throws a pillow at her. “I was tired! Plus, the sight here is much prettier,” she coughs awkwardly. The air is a little tense, she notices. ‘Fuck, what if she hates me?’ but before
Karina can affirm that thought, Giselle looks at her. “Yeah, I like the view here too.”
Karina almost faints.
---------
'Cause I don't like a gold rush, gold rush
I don't like anticipatin' my face in a red flush
They prepare for bed. Having finished dinner and making sure the younger ones sleep early, Karina sits in the small balcony area of the room. She doesn’t like being alone with her thoughts.
Especially since her mind wanders off to thinking about Giselle.
Giselle. The one everybody wants. She feels the pang of jealousy come in again, but she tries to push it down. Giselle helped her once, for her English homework.
And didn’t dismiss any of Karina’s questions then. Karina thinks that maybe it was that scene that sealed the deal with her feelings.
But Giselle always feels so far away from her. She knows and she chides herself for thinking of it; she can’t keep Giselle with her forever. It’s very childish. But sometimes she wishes she was the
only one for Giselle.
I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch
Everybody wants you
Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you
Walk past, quick brush
“Karina! Let's have a pillow fight!”
Before Karina could even respond, there’s a pillow thrown at her face and a laughing Giselle.
Karina’s eyes go wide. And then she smiles.
“Oh, it’s on.”
—------
Somewhere in the middle of the fight, Giselle lands on top of Karina.
And both of them blank out.
Karina can’t breathe, this is the closest she’s been to Giselle. And she catches Giselle looking at her lips and then back at her.
“How….did we get in this position?” Karina asks.
Giselle is about to back off, coughing awkwardly, “I’ll just-”
Karina grabs her face. She doesn’t know where this courage is coming from.
“No. Don’t move. I like it like this.”
Giselle reaches up to intertwine their hands.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Remember what I said about the view being pretty?” Karina starts, slowly.
Giselle arches an eyebrow up, “Yeah?”
“You’re the view and you’re very pretty.”
Giselle smirks slightly. “I’m gonna try something.”
“What is it?”
Giselle presses her lips on Karina’s. Ever so slightly. Barely there. Feather soft.
Karina’s eyes go wide.
Gleaming, twinkling
Eyes like sinking ships on waters
So inviting, I almost jump in
She vaguely remembers Winter's quote, "Don't dare disturb the universe."
"Fuck it," Karina muses. She jumps into Giselle's world and kisses her back.
Karina dares to disturb the universe , especially since it gave her Giselle. She'd swim in her current if it means Giselle is with her, always.