@ivralxz_: Winter had always believed that money was something you chased. You woke up before sunrise, worked until your feet hurt, counted every bill twice, and hoped that somehow, someday, there would be enough left over to breathe. For Winter, there never was. At twenty-four, she worked two jobs. In the mornings, she worked at a small bakery, where she spent hours standing behind the counter, smiling at customers while her aching legs begged her to sit down. At night, she worked at a hotel. By the time she got home, the sky was usually beginning to brighten again. Her tiny apartment was nothing special. One bedroom. One old couch. A kitchen barely big enough for one person. The refrigerator made a strange humming noise that Winter had learned to ignore. She kept a notebook beside her bed. Every payday, she wrote down her earnings. Then rent. Electricity. Food. Transportation. Student loans. And whatever was left over—which was usually almost nothing. One night, Winter stared at the final number on the page. "Seriously?" She dropped her pen. There wasn't enough for anything. Not a vacation. Not a new phone. Not even the pair of shoes she'd been staring at through a store window for three months. Winter fell backward onto her mattress and covered her face with both hands. "I work all day," she muttered. "I work all night. And for what?" She sighed dramatically. Then an absurd thought entered her mind. Maybe working wasn't the answer. Maybe marrying someone rich was. Winter sat upright. "...Wait." She stared at the ceiling. A wealthy husband. A huge house. Someone who would say, Don't worry about the price. Someone who would hand her a credit card and tell her to buy whatever she wanted. Winter slowly smiled. "That wouldn't be so bad." Of course, finding a rich man was easier said than done. So Winter made a plan. She would somehow meet one. Unfortunately, every wealthy man she encountered was either married, obnoxious, twice her age, or completely uninterested in her. After several disastrous attempts at attending fancy social events, Winter finally gave up. Then, one Friday evening, she was sent to deliver pastries to an exclusive private event. The hotel ballroom was filled with people wearing expensive suits and glittering dresses. Winter felt painfully out of place in her simple uniform. She carefully balanced the pastry tray as she walked through the crowd. Then she bumped into someone. "Oh!" The tray tilted. A hand immediately reached out and steadied it. "Careful." Winter looked up. The woman standing in front of her was stunning. Tall. Elegant. Dressed in a black suit that probably cost more than Winter's entire wardrobe. Her dark hair fell neatly around her face, and she had the calmest expression Winter had ever seen. "I'm sorry," Winter said quickly. "It's okay." The woman smiled. "I'm Karina." "Winter." Karina glanced at the pastries. "Are those chocolate?" Winter nodded. "Fresh from the oven." Karina's eyes brightened. "Then I think I owe you an apology." Winter blinked. "For what?" "I was planning on taking one." Winter laughed. "You can." Karina picked one up. She took a bite. Her eyes widened. "Oh." Winter smiled proudly. "Good?" "Very." Karina looked at her. "Did you make these?" "I did." "Then I'll take six." Winter stared. "Six?" "Actually..." Karina looked at the tray. "Ten." Winter laughed. "You're serious?" "Very serious." And that was how it began. #jiminjeong #kater #karina #winter #fyp

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Wednesday 30 September 2026 13:12:11 GMT