Winter grew up knowing only one parent. Her mother had disappeared when she was barely old enough to remember faces, leaving behind nothing but unanswered questions. No birthday cards. No photographs. No goodbye. Just an empty space that never seemed to fill. So it was only her and her father. If anyone looked from the outside, they would think they were just another family. They weren't. Home was unpredictable. Some evenings were quiet. Others weren't. Sometimes all it took was a misplaced cup, dinner being a little too cold, or Winter arriving home a few minutes later than usual. His voice would rise. The walls would seem smaller. And Winter learned very young that staying quiet was safer than defending herself. She learned to apologize even when she had done nothing wrong. She learned to smile through tears. She learned that if she smiled enough, maybe no one would ask questions. By the time she entered university, smiling had become second nature. She smiled when she was tired. She smiled when she was hungry. She smiled when she was scared. It was such a beautiful smile that nobody thought to ask what was hiding behind it. Nobody... Except Professor Karina Yoo. One of the youngest professors in the university. The most respected. The wealthiest. The one students feared because she rarely smiled and never accepted excuses. She noticed Winter long before Winter noticed her. Not because Winter was the loudest student. Quite the opposite. It was because she was too quiet. Too careful. Too... apologetic. One afternoon, two students began arguing outside Karina's classroom. One of them slammed his hand against a desk. The sharp sound echoed through the hallway. Everyone jumped. But Winter... Winter flinched differently. Her shoulders pulled in. Her breathing hitched. For just a second, genuine fear flashed across her face. Then... She smiled. As though nothing had happened. Karina frowned. She saw it again days later when another professor raised his voice at a group of students. Winter wasn't even the one being scolded. Still... She flinched. Then smiled. Again. It became impossible not to notice. Winter apologized for everything. For asking questions. For accidentally dropping a pen. For standing in someone's way for half a second. Even when Karina handed back a perfect exam paper. "I'm sorry my handwriting wasn't neater, Professor." Karina stared at her. "You scored one hundred." Winter laughed sheepishly. "...Sorry." "There you go again." Winter blinked. "What?" "Apologizing." "Oh..." "...Sorry." Karina almost smiled. Almost. Months passed. Their conversations became longer. Winter always greeted her politely. Always remembered to wish her a good afternoon. Sometimes she would leave a small coffee on Karina's desk during particularly busy weeks. "No need to pay me back, Professor," she'd say with that same gentle smile. Karina found herself waiting for those little interactions. Waiting to hear Winter laugh. Waiting to see that smile. Even if she knew it was hiding something. Years later... They fell in love. And eventually... They got married. Winter moved into Karina's home with only a few boxes of belongings. She walked carefully through every room. Almost as if she was afraid the house would reject her. She always asked before touching anything. "Can I sit here?" "Can I use this mug?" "Is it okay if I cook?" Karina answered the same way every time. "You don't have to ask." Winter would nod. Then ask again the next day. Old habits were difficult to leave behind. One evening, Winter accidentally knocked a ceramic bowl off the kitchen counter. It shattered across the floor. The sound echoed through the house. Winter froze instantly. Her breathing became shallow. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'll clean it." "I'm so sorry." She instinctively took a step back. Waiting. Waiting for the shouting. Waiting for disappointment. Instead... Karina hurried over. Not to the broken bowl. To Winter. (continuation in the comments) idea by:@LA #winrina #karina #winter #fyp - @_shxnvoid